#both clock tower & persona

[emdotcom]

'Was commenting on a video from some odd years ago. Dinnae expect a single reply, let alone the letsplayer.

Anyhow, check out Bloom Plays -- I know her mostly for the Clock Tower playthroughs she's done, especially Clock Tower 2: Ghost Head, which I watch semi-annually. She's also done Persona, Kingdom Hearts, &, currently, a Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough. I enjoy her stuff, she has a lot of insight on the games she plays & likes to basically 100% things -- mayhaps you should peep this a bit?

[honestlyboringperson]

Name: Homura Akemi

Arcanas: Death, Fool

Personas: Morpheus, Argo, Pallas

Homura, is the transfer student who mysteriously has both 2 personas, but an evoker & knowledge on S.E.E.S.’s goals and members. She acts incredibly cold and blunt towards really anyone from S.E.E.S. except Madoka for some odd reason, who she calls “too kind for her own good.”

Predictably, she is a time traveller with 12 year long attempts to save Madoka. She managed to fuse what little amount of personas she had into Argo, a persona with the power of time manipulation. She opposes the S.E.E.S., but sometimes does aid them when they almost lose against some shadows. She lost her Fool Arcana & Full Wild Card ability over time due to maturing and dropping any and all bonds she could of have made.

She does not take Madoka’s sacrifice well, and she reattains her Fool Arcana and Wild Card Ability and becomes the protagonist of the Answer portion of the story.

PERSONAS

Unlike the other Personas where they evolve from personal growth, Homura’s personas are two completely separate Personas she can switch between harnessing.

Argo of the Death Arcana is the Persona that stemmed from her hardened and cold personality she developed over time. The Argo is the legendary ship that the Argonauts sailed to attain the Golden Fleece. The Golden Fleece refers to Madoka, with fleece being associated with sheep (symbolizing Jesus Christ, with his sacrifice reflecting Madoka’s Sacrifice) and Gold (meaning divinity). With this persona being an item, it refers to Homura seeing it more as a tool than a reflection of herself and her steadfast determination referring to how a boat effortlessly sails from one area to another, braving whatever could be out there. The butterfly refers to the butterfly effect, where one changes the past to change the future and the clock tower is the part of the persona that can reverse time.

Her original persona that she obtained in her first timeline, Morpheus. Morpheus is the god of dreams and son of Somnus, god of sleep. He was sent by Juno to warn Alycone and her husband Ceyx in a dream to warn them of Ceyx’s death. Homura tried to warm the team about the impending danger, but was unfortunately never listened to. This is symbolized in her straitjacket and mouth being tied shut, being seen as a lunatic or fool. The hands behind her represent Homura working in the background, not always participating in the team to further her goals. The bottom half of her design is an hourglass for obvious reasons but it’s tied with a ribbon and adorned with a butterfly, symbolizing the aforementioned butterfly effect.

[lauranthalasah]

Things I've noticed on my rewatch of Ted Lasso 4/?

Ted's childhood sounds kind of weird to me, lonely? Neglected maybe? I don't know, but something seems wrong there. In episode 3 of season 1 he tells this story "... When I was a kid, my folks took me to the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower up there in Milwaukee. They ended up leaving me there all by myself. Yeah, three hours and 42 minutes.​..". He says "a kid!" and he was left alone for almost 4 hours? In a place that wasn't even his city?! Weird as fuck! ​I​n episode 1 of season 3 he tells this one "... I remember being left at school when I was Henry's age. I ended up helping our custodian, Mr. Maher, clean half the school until my dad remembered to come pick me up.​.." ​​. The second one is apparently just the dad that forgot about him, but the first one he says "my folks"​. So it was normal for his family to forget about him? But what about his mother? As little as Ted talks about his father, he talks even less about his mother. There's only one personal detail I can remember him saying about his mom " It's funny, 'cause whenever my mom​ ​has something tough to talk about with me,​ s​he'll, um... you know,​ ​she'll start it off saying something​ ​about, I don't know,​ ​something weird, something overtly nice. ​(s01e09)​​. ​​In episode 6 of season 2 he says " Boy, I love meeting people's moms. It's like reading an instruction manual as to why they're nuts.​"​​ which is an indicator all on its own, but it might be more revealing that after this line he asks Beard about his mom, but Beard doesn't ask back, and they both have this tendency of not talking about sore points in each other's life. Here comes the speculation part of this post: given what Ted says in s02e06 his mom might have that toxic positivity he used too. If that is the case I wonder if it's born off the same fear as Ted's issues grow from. In season 2, when his traumas catches up with him, he is terrified of ending up as his father, which I'm gonna be honest... it sounds like a fucking horrible way of living. Then you have the wife and mother, maybe terrified of losing his son just like she lost her husband, and maybe she tried this hyper happy and optimistic persona in a effort to pull her kid out of his dark cloud, because we know that Ted was angry right after his father's death, enough that he didn't went to his funeral, that bit about going in his pajamas to his graduation and ending up in jail sounds like he was acting out, like he was living his darkest moments, but at some point he covered it all, at some point he started doing the same as she did, and I wonder if that opened a chasm between them, like the one between Ted and Michelle. So I think Ted and his mom might, on the outside, seem perfectly happy, but deep down everything is rotten because they never got to talk about real issues, and therefore he kinda lost both of his parents, like one checked out physically and the other emotionally/mentally? Eh... I don't know, we'll see! I just noticed those moments and ticked me off.

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #37

Batgirl (2000) #17 - August 2001 Writer: Kelley Puckett Pencils: Damion Scott inks: Robert Campanella Colors: Jason Wright

Cass's book as been pretty downbeat for the last few issues. The tone of Cass's book overall is pretty sad and heavy, and normally I'm all about that angst, but the book can't live on angst alone, so have to have some brighter moments for contrast, you've gotta take the pressure off every once in a while if you want to keep building it or you just burn out the scale. So this issue brings us a refreshing change of pace, if only to give Cass and the reader a bit of a breather.

Sorry if this one goes up late. I'm running behind time wise, but I don't want to take a minimal approach to this issue, it's pretty important and has a lot of great moments. Do pease read it for yourself first, though.

The issue starts with this pretty cool sequence showing Cass's perspective as she gets distracted by the woman running away and lets this random goon land a punch on her. I like how the slideshow effect of the three repeated panels really emphasizes how much time Cass had to dodge this punch.

Followed by this great 'like father like daughter moment after she knocks the guy out where Cass and Bruce both have the same surprised and befuddled "Hmm" reaction to what just happened, with the same expression on their face and everything.

The perfectly synchronized training afterwords is also great, as is Bruce's worried expression. I can't keep copying every page over, we'll be here all day, but this issue really is great. One of my favorites. Again, go read it for yourself if you haven't.

Anyway, on the one hand this is such an indictment of Bruce. We the audience know that 'somethings been wrong' with Cass for a while, basically the entire time. She's consumed by guilt to a near suicidal degree and the loneliness and isolation of her lifestyle - even before she was forced out of Bab's clock tower but especially since - has left her without any companionship beyond her own self destructive thoughts, and the mission she's so dedicated to as her only hope of redemption continuously exposes her to the worst of humanity. So yeah, that Bruce didn't already know something was wrong, that he didn't anticipate how his decisions were making things worse, that he only notices that anything's off at all once Cass's mental state is bad enough that it's affecting her performance on the job? Yeah, that's pretty bad, if also so completely him.

On the other hand, you can see the concern all over his face. He should have seen this coming, he should have noticed it sooner, but now that he has he is very genuinely worried on her behalf, and that does count for something, even if he'll need help figuring out what's wrong or what to do about it.

And that help just so happens to call in the form of Barbara Gordon, who can hack in to delete the government's digital records on Cass's face, but needs her to sneak in and destroy the physical records.

At first Cass and Bruce don't feel like this is worth bothering with, as neither sees any value in her potential future civilian persona worth taking this risk to get it back, but Babs points out how they might yet connect the data they have to Batgirl and that convinces Bruce, which in turn convinces Cassandra because she absolutely does not think for herself these days.

I love this Jab Babs gets in at Bruce as Cass leaves, though I do wish it was made a bit more explicit that the *reason* Bruce has been keeping Cass on such a 'short leash' is that he doesn't fully trust her ever since David sent the video of her killing that man way back in issue number 4. On the surface Bruce is still deep in denial over it, but some part of it has to know, has to doubt at least. As is I'm pretty sure that's intentional subtext but because it's not explicit in the text I could just be reading in something that isn't really there.

In infiltration mission is pretty cool, starting with this sequence where Cass steals a key card off of a guard's bead chain, copies it, and puts it back without him noticing, which has Barbara admitting that the 'short leash' is starting to make sense. Just what exactly would Cass be capable of if she were allowed to run free?

....

The mission is successful, the files and physical evidence destroyed, and Cass's out-of-costume persona is free and clear. She can visit Barbara again, can see the sun again. Can. But will she?

Babs clearly doesn't think she will, at least not on her own, and so she goes to Bruce about it

It's a nice scene. I've missed Bab's presence in Cass's book the last few issues. This 'arguing over what's best for Cass' bit is fun, and also important characterization. I love how Bruce's expression as he says "Mole creature?" makes clear that he recognizes Bab's comment as a criticism of him and his lifestyle.

Of course, Bruce has a different idea of what's been bothering Cass. Not the isolation, not how /he's/ been treating her, but the mission. Everything's the mission for Bruce, and Cass is just like Bruce after all. The thing is, as right as Barbara clearly is here, Bruce probably isn't wrong either. Cass, like Bruce, dwells on her 'failures'. But taking down the villain responsible never actually makes Bruce feel any better.

Barbara still presses him to just order Cass to get some sun. The fact that she shouldn't need Bruce to tell her to do that, that this level of devotion and lack of independent motivation is a bad thing in and of it self, is too big of a problem to tackle today.

And to his credit Bruce relents!

I love these panels. You can feel how overwhelming the light is after so long in the darkness. Also good work from the colorist, showing this transition by going from all dark and cool colors that dominate her book to these warm (but washed out and too bright as her eyes struggle to adjust) colors. I mean, it's a fairly obvious trick, like being wowed when a musician changes chords, but it just works so well here.

And it's not just the sun, it's the people. Not just cass literally going from darkness to light but also going from being surrounded by victims and criminals, by the suffering and the cruel, and emerging into a wider world full of all the breadth and diversity of the human experience, loud happy annoyed worried people walking and running and shouting and living their lives that Scott does such a great job conveying with just a single page full of different and interesting faces.

And afterwards she's so happy, having picked up a rose from, somewhere, we don't see that bit. But of course Bruce needs to interrupt this moment of happiness.

So Cass does go to confront gov't man.

but clearly she doesn't actually feel better about what happened afterwords.

Her symbolism happiness rose, only so recently acquired, is already wilting. It's clearly not the sort of thing she can go to Bruce about. So, for once, now that she can, Cass actually reaches out to Barbara for help. About the rose. About what it means that getting justice for repentant sniper man's death didn't make her feel any better about it.

It's a great little scene to end out the comic. Symbolism's a bit on the nose, but it works. it's sincere.

The angst and darkness of the last few issues has been a lot, but it makes this bit of brightness feel all the more impactful. The underlying issues aren't resolved, it's still a problem that Cass has basically slotted Bruce into exactly the same unhealthy role that David used to occupy in her life. It's still a problem that Bruce let her do that. A real confrontation when Bruce can no longer deny the fact that she killed someone is still looming, as is her death match with Lady Shiva. But she's not quite so isolated now, and she's re-established a connection with someone who might actually be able to help her work through some of this stuff.

This might be the issue that best demonstrates the importance of Barbara Gordon in Cass's story, the key role she plays balancing out Bruce's influence. these interpersonal relationships and how they feed off each other - Cass/Bruce/David, Cass/Bruce/Barbara, they're the core of what makes Cass's book and Cass as a character so compelling.

......

Side note: I've waffled in the past over how much crediting to put at the start of each of these posts in terms whether to include inker and/or colorist even though I rarely comment on those issues. I'm wondering if I should also list the editor each time, as they also potentially have a pretty big say over what does or doesn't end up in the books, and keeping track of changing editors might be informative as to other changes in direction, or might show why some of Cass's side appearances work better than others?

For the Record, at least as far as her solo book goes, the editor as of issue 17 is Michael Wright, who took over from Dennis O'Neil starting in issue 14, the one where Bruce moved Cass out of Barbara's clock tower and into her own cave. Dennis O'Neil had been the editor of the book since issue 3 and co-edited issue 2 with Darren Vincenzo, who was the editor for issue 1. I think Michael Wright stays as editor for the rest of Cass's Batgirl run, save maybe for some one off exceptions here or there? So noting editors would be more for the sake of guest appearances.

There's also the issue of who's in charge at DC. As of issue 17 that's still Jenette Khan as President and Editor in Chief, but eventually Dan DiDio takes over, and it'll be worth noting when that happens. The fandom tends to assign him a lot of the blame for 'ruining' Cass's character, but as mentioned a few times already they also tend to date that downturn purely to the end of her ongoing title and heel turn in 'One Year Later.' I claim the decline started setting in much sooner then that, but I don't remember whether it started before or after DiDio's tenure as EIC began.

That's still a long way off from where this blog currently is, though.

Thankfully.

[symphonic-scream]

I'm bored and sick here's more from the

Age swap. I guess

Chariot Sae? Hockey player. Left wing. The first palace ruler (we'll say Kamoshida for now) got all riled up that she refused his threats and framed her for drug use. Planted some in her bag. That year she was thrown from her team, and she's trying to find some way to get back on

Her grades fell a bit, but once she awakens her persona, she'll be back on top. She places in the top ten for the second years. She, isn't the best for study help cause if the others don't get it after she explains it, she gets frustrated

She walks around with the school blazer open, the hoodie from her hockey team underneath. Skirt, those like. Idk athletic leggings type shorts? Worn down to her knees, slightly dirty sneakers

--

Munehisa still wears his hat, he's at Kosei, always chewing on a toothpick

--

Sae and Sojiro sitting up on the roof eating their lunches, joking about and lightly shoving each other. Chihaya nervously joining them one day, smiling all shy as she offers them each a snack

Then it's studying at the diner with Munehisa, Sae snatches his hat from time to time, he scowls as he tries to teach Chihaya something about history, Sojiro ignoring his papers to reconstruct the meals they ordered

Then, sitting in the attic of the ramen shop, each downing a bowl. Chihaya can't finish hers, passing the other half to Toranosuke, who looks all too happy. He even pours in a spice packet from his pocket. Sae and Munehisa try to see who can eat the fastest, both end up with noddles flicking up at their faces. Sojiro brings them each a cup of coffee he brewed and beams as they each enjoy the different blends he made for them

Then. Tae sits on Sojiro's bed, black mask on, trying to help Sae and Chihaya study for biology. Sae keeps playing slightly dumber for more attention. Tae knows. Sojiro, Munehisa, and Toranosuke play a board game at the table. Munehisa doesn't know the rules. He's guessing. He's also winning

A group picnic in the park. Ichiko takes photos with her camera, taking advantage of the golden hour lighting and the slowly falling leaves. Sae has a napping Tae against her, her big hockey jacket around her frail shoulders. Chihaya practices her fortune cards, telling Toranosuke about all the meanings. Munehisa and Sojiro lie back on the grass with toothpicks in their mouths, pretending to smoke and daze like old men

The ground floor of the ramen shop. Sae, Tae, and Toranosuke sit at the farthest table, going over notes about the prosecutor Akiren. Chihaya sits at the counter, pretending to listen to the mumblings of Takuto beside her. Munehisa is outside, running around the block to calm down, his need to punch the squirrely "dork" too much. Sojiro is behind the counter, silently keeping everyone's bowls and cups full. Ichiko sits closest to the door, watching their newest member silently.

December 24. The gang stumbles into the ramen shop exhausted, victorious. Tae is on Sae's back, Munehisa helping the Chariot lower the Hermit onto the couch in the attic. Chihaya and Ichiko drag spare futons from under Sojiro's bed, Toranosuke grabbing a dried pre-broth and dropping it in a pot while Sojiro warms up hot chocolate. The clock ticks over to midnight as the Phantom Thieves gather in the attic, quiet, but. Together

Sadayo and Wakaba appear soon after. They bring a tower of snacks, a cake for the victorious thieves, and a bottle of pain meds from the Sakura Clinic

In the coming months, they're met by a revived Takuto, who is. Not happy to be back, along with a broken Zenkichi. But they get through it

--

Some bits on the canon thieves!

Judgement Akiren is a very calm individual. Very thorough. That's the mask he wears. He's lonely at heart, but. Hey. It's loneliest at the top. The night he loses out on that promotion during Kaneshiro, he goes back to his empty apartment and throws a glass. Cleans up the shards with his hands, pours rubbing alcohol on his red hands and methodically bandages them. He claims his cat got upset he gave him a bath

Hierophant Ryuji, was always meant to be a dad. He's caring, goofy, and puts himself last. He cries silently in the hall during each of Tae's big appointments at the hospital, knowing the results won't be good. But, he brings in snacks from the vending machine, brings her a soda the nurses pretend they don't see, and he listens to her talking at length about her next round of trials

Devil Ann! This one I love. She's engaged to her lovely Shiho, who runs a quaint gay bar in the Red Light District. Ann is known for the celebrity gossip. Her panels get the real shit, while everyone else just goes for paparazzi shit. She treats them with respect, so she gets better stories. But, she's been losing sleep trying to get a story on the Phantom Thieves. She looks exhausted,

Fortune Yusuke is a starving artist. He sets up a stall on the streets of the Red Light District and he paints someone's soul. However, it's never pretty. Of course it's not, he's real about it. The human soul is, complex. But, people don't understand, so he struggles to get by

Hanged Man Makoto gets by. Barely. It's all for her sister she reminds herself day in and day out, lying in the alley by her shop, lip bloody as some asshole rookie cops laugh as they walk away. Her business is honest, and she's plagued by what she's done in her youth but, she has a greater purpose. And it's keeping Sae safe and healthy

Death Futaba treats medicine as her final frontier. Nothing gets in her way of coming up with a cure. Well, the law does. But in the walls of her private practice, disguised as a family clinic, she works day and night to come up with new experimental drugs. All she needs is a willing test subject...

Temperance Haru has lived a difficult life. She refused to marry the man her father asked her to. She slapped him when he tried to touch her. As such, she was blocked from the family finances, and fends for herself. The amount she makes as a school teacher barely covers her rent and food, so. She works for a, service, one she's less than proud of. She tends to lower herself into a near boiling bath when she returns home, only to scrub her skin raw to lose the feeling of the eyes and hands on her body

Haru is the homeroom teacher of the Shujin second year students in the gang, minus Sae. She treats her students with respect, and cares for all of them. Though, she is usually the one who finds brawling students and has to call their guardians. Makoto receives many calls

--

Oh right, I should talk about how old the team are

Sojiro, Sae, Chihaya, Munehisa, Tae, and Takuto are second years. Sojiro and Chihaya are in the same class, Munehisa is at Kosei, and Takuto and Sae are in the same class. Tae won't be attending school until after the first term of their third year, when she's finally far enough into recovery to be at school day

Ichiko is their only first year until Zenkichi, and Toranosuke is their third year

[sepublic]

Is anyone here familiar with both Bakugan and Clock Tower: Ghost Head? Because I could totally see Alice and Masquerade having a similar dynamic to Alyssa and Bates; Hell, Alice and Alyssa’s names are even similar! You’ve got this shy girl who would never hurt a fly, and then suddenly a dark, villainous personality with a masculine voice and presentation takes over. But this aggressive persona cares very much for the other, nevertheless.

There’s obviously differences; Alyssa is being possessed by the ghost of her dead twin brother, whereas Masquerade IS Alice, or rather a suppressed part of her personality externalized. But as someone who really enjoys Alyssa and Bates’ whole thing, I’d love to imagine for Bakugan a post-S1 scenario where Masquerade occasionally emerges... But since there’s no more secret to upkeep, it’s just his voice emerging from Alice, who looks the exact same save a dark aura, and maybe different-colored eyes...

How about blue eyes? They’re the color of Masquerade’s titular mask, which arguably IS his true face, rather than it being Alice’s. And the blue blends in with the visor, playing into the screen being practically non-opaque, thereby hiding Alice’s visage underneath.

Again, I know that Masquerade isn’t a brother to Alice but literally just her, and while I really would love to see a storyline for her where this connection is acknowledged as she bridges the gap between these personas to highlight how they’re equally real sides to Alice... At the same time, Alice and Masquerade having this shared body dynamic the way Alyssa and Bates do is too much fun. You’ve got this incredibly soft and pastel girl, and suddenly her eyes turn a bright blue as she’s enveloped in a Darkus aura, her back straightens as her gaze turns harsh, and a completely different voice comes out.

[darkisucksanditwrites]

larger than life

Sometimes when they're just resting together at home, Haitham with a book and Cyno with his TCG cards, on his lap, at some point Haitham will pull away from his reading and be seized by the sudden realization just how tiny The General really is.

It’s not like Cyno’s height is some sort of secret, guarded by shadowy forces of the Temple of Silence or the Matra.

It’s just there, out in the open with his whole, proud, full 161.9 centimeters of height (without the headpiece).

Haitham doesn't ways remember that small (heh) detail, because to him Cyno is The General Mahamatra; larger than life persona of Sumeru politics, so the fact that he's short or shorter than him doesn't register much even when he's looking up at Haitham when they're talking or sparring with him and he has to use his height disadvantage creatively.

To him, he might as well be two meters tall, towering over everyone with his authority and strength, both physical and mental.

But then it hits him when he's sitting on his lap like that, when he's moving around him in his kitchen, arms wrapped around his waist, when he holds Cyno’s hand in his or when they're settling to sleep and on rare occasions Cyno will let Haitham hold him in his arms, tuck him under his chin, tangle their legs together and engulf him in is embrace that Cyno all but disappears.

Haitham puts the book away for a moment, sneaks one arm around Cyno’s small, so small waist and brings him closer, chest pressing against his back and chin hooking over his shoulder to look at the cards in his hands and offer his own pointers about the game which Cyno comments merely with a thoughtful hum.

And Haitham will notice when looking at the clock that it has been an hour already of him not reading but just holding Cyno, memorizing his curves and angles and dips and bumps as they press wonderfully against his own bigger body, slotting so nicely and neatly as if Cyno was made for him – all his 161.9 proud centimeters.

“What are you smiling about.”

Cyno asks suddenly and Haitham realizes that yes, he has been hiding the tiniest of smiles against Cyno’s shoulder.

“Nothing.” He murmurs against his skin and Cyno doesn’t press, too absorbed by his precious cards.

He’s so small and so perfect.

Just for him.

fic on AO3

[halfmoonism]

Where Wrath's Edge is Sharp (wwes)

hi sorry I am subjecting you to the Horrors (my terrible awful p5 longfic au that I will. eventually? post once I've finished arc 1 (crossing my fingers. we're at 150ish-k at the time of writing and they're still going through the first palace.))

initial post | wwes tag

major p5r spoilers immediately ahead:

short ver: not-quite-roleswap AU where an Akechi who is persona-less until 17 runs into Morgana instead and unwittingly becomes the leader of the “phantom thieves” w/ Morgana, Makoto, Futaba and Sumire, going against sort-of-Black-Mask Joker w/ Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, and Haru.

long ver: takes a deep breath.

the layout of the iyr/rtg masterpost is so pretty, I'm citing it as inspiration :) I'll start w/ general notes then go into more concise sets of info

misc

no romance! this is an entirely gen found family fic w/ mild alternative chara interpretation (due to differing circumstances) but otherwise sort of follows canon, though the timeline starts abt 8 months before p5r canon (sept 2015)

I'm most likely keeping second and third awakenings, confidant links just take ten million years to progress bc Akechi is. Akechi

new personas: Akechi (Robin Hood -> Skadi, now 2nd persona), Sumire (Cendrillon -> Antigone)

Robin Hood just didn’t make sense for the direction Akechi's chara took (after still feeling helpless, all hope he had that he could be a hero of justice that avenged his mother died); Cendrillon made no sense for Sumire (she never became Kasumi, so the "clock strikes 12/become a different person" theme doesn't fit)

I'm so insane over his 2nd persona being Skadi btw like in mythology Loki killed her dad so. yknow. definitely no parallels there abt being both the victim and the perpetrator or anything

since there's only 5 party members, there is no set nav! Futaba fights w/ a scythe :) this also means everyone else helps teach sumire how to analyze weaknesses after she joins the team :) whoever's nav comments on showtimes as well!

element specializing:

Akechi - curse/psy/gun (Loki), bless/ice/phys (Skadi) Morgana - wind (main healer/buffer + I was not giving him gun sorry lmao) Makoto - nuke/lightning Futaba - psy/fire Sumire - bless/phys

new teams (+ arcanas)

notes: - new arcanas don't reflect the canon storyline, like Akechi being the Tower doesn't mean he has Shinya's canon storyline. it's more about reflections of their personalities and circumstances :) - Ninth Circle links (besides Joker) all break after certain points in the story and reform in third sem

the Espy Division (name courtesy of Futaba)

Futaba initially wanted to name them the Neo Justice Squad V but she was vehemently shut down by Akechi and Makoto lol

Akechi — the Tower

Morgana — Judgment

Makoto — the Chariot

Futaba — the Hanged Man

Sumire — the Fool

the Ninth Circle (name courtesy of mostly Ryuji)

Joker/Ren — Justice

Ryuji — Strength

Ann — the Magician

Yusuke — the High Priestess

Haru — Death

non-team confidants (in order of appearance; might be changed but these are pretty set)

Kiyoko Hagoromo (literally the only OC; goes to Akechi's school) — the Lovers

Lala Escargot — Temperance

Jose — the World

Trader Sakai — Wheel of Fortune

Muhen — the Hierophant

Sojiro Sakura — the Star

Shinya Oda — the Sun

Eiko Takao — the Moon

Shinichi Yoshizawa — the Empress

Hifumi Togo — the Hermit

Mika (Yamanaka) — the Devil

Sae Niijima — the Emperor (only established after interrogation room)

major plot changes

on principle, the Espy Division do not steal hearts. they fight the shadows to metaphorically break through to ppl and go from there. Futaba and Sumire do not steal their own hearts, for example. they go to therapy

Akechi does not awaken when he is 15. he continues to get passed around between foster homes until he lands the internship at the prosecution's office at 17 and immediately moves out to his own apartment

Akechi's very grand plan to take Shido down this time is to gain so much fame and credibility that ppl will actually listen to him when he publicly accuses Shido of all of his crimes. he does this by using the Metaverse to solve cases fast, which naturally makes Makoto suspicious of him

Shido and Sae's palaces are discovered early but not explored until around the time they are in canon. instead Futaba's palace is done first, then Sumire's, then the canon palaces are done in order

Sumire does not become Kasumi! her parents try to send her to therapy but she's so utterly convinced that she doesn't deserve it that she completely avoids Maruki and develops a palace instead (the palace of Acedia; forms as an arena in scramble crossing)

the canon palaces are done but for different reasons (Kaneshiro's is done as the conclusion to a long series of cases Akechi and Makoto were looking into since Dec; Okumura's is done bc Haru insists that they do it; Sae's is done bc she outright threatens to take Akechi and Makoto into custody if they don't turn themselves in)

Joker joins them for Sae's palace. they're all fully aware he's the leader of the enemy team but they reluctantly need his assistance to get past one of the cognitive doors

Joker's confidants (minus the Espy Division members/Shinya/Lavenza/Sae) are still happening in the bg so that's. so very fun for Sojiro when interrogation room comes around

Yaldabaoth declares Joker as the winner immediately after Shido confesses and claims his “prize” by possessing him to terrorize Tokyo. yes this is how I incorporate satanael into the plot

Maruki's reality still comes to pass, but everyone's wishes are appropriately updated. Akechi is not the only person in his apartment. Sumire's not the only sister alive. Joker... Nothing Bad Happens at all to him :)

[larkscribbles]

Afterwards

[Ao3] 950 words

Link could not sleep and Tatl knew he needed the rest, the relentless hour-after-hour pace of their quest had finally got to him. She tried to open up to him and he actually returned the favour, much to her surprise.

O==[]===========================>

The inn room was dark, the soft colours of the wallpaper muted. The preparations for the festival, the bustling town square, the sawing of wood and construction had been reduced to a muffled backdrop of sound. This was some form of reprieve. Goddesses know that’s what the boy needed. Battered and bruised, bones leaden with exhaustion. But, from the twitch of his eyes beneath his eyelids Tatl knew he was only feigning sleep. An attempt to fool himself, perhaps. Because despite everything he could still hear the slow methodical tick of the clock tower. Time ticking down. Despite the distance between them, he could feel the unrelenting fiery-eyed gaze of the mask and the moon.

Tatl descended as quietly as she could, inwardly cursing the fact she could not help but radiate light. She had some idea of what she should say - positive affirmations and encouraging Link to get some sleep. Burning the candle at both ends would just… get him killed. Hmm. Perhaps best not to say that part.

She had advanced close enough to nestle into his hat but stopped short when she noticed the tears glittering down his rounded cheeks, staining the pillow. Suddenly, his eyes were trained on her, big and blue, shining like pools of water. This was as child-like as Tatl had ever seen him, contrary to his usual persona. A look of exhaustion, defeat, being overwhelmed. The fairy halted in the air, jangling with alarm.

“I’m tired.” He croaked, voice small. Was this an admission or a dismissal?

Tatl had quickly come to suspect Link was not a regular boy, sword and horse aside. There was too much familiarity with this sort of situation. He had conquered dungeons and their trials with a clinical calm - something just short of a practiced ease. He went toe to toe with beasts and foul creatures alike, child-size sword and shield in hand. He had not offered anything in the way of an explanation. He seemed to flit from being a talkative kid who asked too-mature questions to a quiet, contemplative… for lack of a better word… thing.

“Not surprising. You should get some rest.” A pause. “The moon won’t suddenly start speeding up. You can sleep for days, if you want! Two to be exact.” Another pause. She had clearly misspoken. The humor was a little too dark, perhaps.

The boy replied with a noise between a grunt and a whine. “Can’t sleep. Not like that lullaby I learnt is going to work on me.” The brief shaky smile that graced his features disappeared in an instant, like a fleeting shadow of childhood innocence. There was the glint of the blue ocarina in one of his palms, even now. The smooth surface, a comfort.

“I can still hear it. I- there’s just too much going on.”

Who could blame him?

“Yeah. You just gotta… not think about it.” She tried, glancing to the curtains obscuring the window. “Hey uhm. I just want you to know I’m- I’m glad we found your horse. Skullkid would have never- I don’t-” She finished her sentence with a huff of frustration, then resumed jerkily. “I’m sorry about all… about how we met, ok? You- you can get that off your mind now, at least.”

A small muffled “mhm” filled the room. Link averted his gaze to the wall, golden eyelashes eclipsing his iris. “What’re you gonna do when this is over?”

Tatl bobbed uncertainly in the air. “Depends how this goes,” she mumbled in a small voice. “My brother, my friend. I don’t want to lose them.”

“You won’t.” His voice lowered, to scarcely a whisper.

“So, uh, what about you-?”

“I ‘unno. Leave, maybe? I came here looking for a friend who… left. I don’t know where she went. I don’t think she’s here.”

“Oh.”

“Her name’s Navi. A fairy. My friend. My fairy. Even though I wasn’t supposed to have one- or I was- but I’m not-” Link sat up with a grunt of frustration. His face was overshadowed but Tatl could make out how he quickly blinked his tears away. The boy took a moment to compose himself, dangling his feet off the edge of the bed. “It’s complicated.”

“Take your time.” Another poor choice of words. They both winced at the irony.

A steadying breath. His hands balled into fists on his lap, eyes trained on the floor.

“I’ve done this before. Time travel. Saving the world. Bigger jump, seven years, I was- was an adult for a bit-” he swallowed thickly, brow furrowing as his eyes danced with visions. “But it doesn’t matter now, because it all… reset and nobody remembers anything. I did my duty and now I have nothing. Nothing I did - nobody I met - everything I sacrificed - I don’t - I don’t have a home to go back to. Nobody to truly accept me. Epona is my only friend but obviously she’s not-.”

“Oh. Oh, Link- I-” She faltered, at a loss for words. This was worse than she could have imagined.

“Navi was there with me through it all - like you - she remembered. But then - she left and I don’t know where she went.” The heels of his palms found his eyes and his entire frame shook with the effort of trying not to make a sound. His voice hitched as he choked out the next part. “She left without saying anything.”

Tatl descended to his shoulder, to provide some reassuring weight.

“You’re going to leave too after this.” He breathed in a small, broken voice. “You have people to go to, you said it yourself.”

The fairy weighed her words for a moment. “I’ll tell you, before I go, I promise.”

[cosmousee]

Hi there can I ask for a reading? How will My future spouse court me? I am interested in men and my pronouns are she/her

Mg 🖤

Hey Mg🖤

Thank you for asking!

Onto your reading~

The oracle cards that came for you are:

Molasses: To move forward you must know where you are headed.

Tobacco: Feed your ancestors, raise the sacred smoke to them, for they are hungry to connect.

Now, ofcourse the meaning of the cards isn't taken literally BUT the molasses card sort of signifies a stagnant time in your life where spirit is telling you to sort of take a step in some direction ANY direction. I know you asked how he'll court you but I guess cards have given me the circumstances you'll be in when he courts you. There is a lil hint in the tarot cards I'll come to that in a second but yeah, the courting is a surprise for you🥰

Okay coming back to the cards, it might be like you've been sitting for a while, maybe hermiting even. Maybe once you step out of it then you two may meet.

BUT,

Wait for it.

There might be some sort of family celebration which will pull you out of the stagnation. Family celebration came for the ancestor card and yes it might talk about the ones in the spirit world but it definitely feels like you have some sort of a family celebration, and if I want to take the ancestor in consideration it might be a grandparent's birthday or anniversary and ya know thats a significant milestone and it's a big ass celebration. And these are the sort of parties where you see a cute guy who's a distant relative or a family friend or maybe just some random guy at the party and think "Oh he's cute, wonder if I'll see him again after this."

WELL looks like you'll be seeing alot of him. And I mean. A lot.

Let's clear this up with tarot cards~

8 of wands, 4 of wands, 9 of wands, Knight of Pentacles, The Devil, Ace of Cups, The Lovers, The Tower

This is so new I absolutely love it!!

[Okay so a lil background, I once asked my cards what I should manifest and they gave the 8 of wands and....they basically meant....you know adult stuff. So now by default I take the card as adult stuff.]

You both might feel that sexual tension when you see each other or are close to each other.

And I felt a celebration is there which I believe got clarified by the 4 of wands. You might feel a bit skeptical about this, because you know, you guys just met and the sexual tension is off the charts with the Devil here.

I think you being skeptical isn't gonna last all that long with the charming persona of your person🤭 with the Knight of pentacles I feel he is not really beating around the bush and he's being very upfront about everything but in a very, um sorta charming and elegant manner. I completely forgot to mention but I just remembered, the whole family celebration thing was giving me heavy Bridgerton vibes.

1:43 on my clock, I take it as an "I love you".

See straightforward, told ya😌

Haha okay moving on, your Prince Charming is very, I can see the vibes but Im having a hard time describing it. It's very regal sorta, very elegant like I mentioned before, he knows what he wants but not in an overly assertive way which would make you feel uncomfortable. He'll be very considerate of you and how you feel so you can take your time being skeptical still if you want~

Love the Ace of Cups and the Lovers here!!!! Hmm he might be very emotionally intelligent as well so you'll have open and direct communication at all times regarding all of your needs, which fits perfectly with the lovers.

The ending is a Tower, which makes me sorta feel like people outside of you are not able to see or understand your dynamics. Considering if all of this happens during the family event then of course your relatives will notice and they might feel a bit concerned for you or even your friends might tell you to be careful considering you just met and sparks flew across galaxies. I hope its all well intended and you'll convince them in no time🥰

That's all I have for you today, thankyou so much for asking. I enjoyed doing your reading🎀

[ofgentleresolve]

verse: a knight is but a gentleman with a sword ( 1/??? )

reposted and rewritten from my old blog on january 16th, 2022.

ie. how the vigilante thing started-

the vigilante thing started when myungdae is transferred to seoul for the long term alongside elise and hiro. he actually worked with alfred and nell often before over course of the three years they've all been in ANACHRON:

after being told by his supervisor from ARGOS to 'stand down' when he tells them he knows ANACHRON is doing something worse and he wants to look into it, he makes his way back home via walking over the han bridge. for a long moment he pauses to watch the river. it's a late night as the cars pass by him and for the longest moment, he teeters between two paths- one of despair and one of hope.

he picks the third path: resolve.

using his subterfuge skills, he begins with breaking into high profile companies he knows are connected to ANACHRON. alfred finds out about myungdae's nighttime activities by accident while on a 'business trip' for ANACHRON...and insisted on joining in.

nell, whom myungdae was actually pretty friendly with ( in comparison to alfred, whom he actually tried to avoid since myungsuk, myungdae's older brother. myungdae didn't want to be a painful reminder, since they looked alike ) found out from alfred.

she wasn't too keen on moving to a new city at first though so she at first provided help from a distance...and then she realized she was way more invested in myungdae and alfred's activities than her work with argos. so she ended up joining them in seoul too.

once myungdae's vigilante persona begins to be called the black knight, nell and alfred take on codenames too pawn and rook.

nell pushes the team to take on other white-collar criminals not related to ANACHRON. she was also the one who picked out patrick’s hat.

alfred thought it was a ridiculous choice…phrased it as ‘this stupid hat, who picked out it out’, but nell insisted, if myungdae was going to go with the whole gentleman vibe, he should look the part! so alfred got the mask to finish the picture.

their base is hidden beneath an abandoned clock tower in itaewon- alfred opens up a coffeehouse in close vicinity. nell says the basement gives her better internet access. but it also has a nice rooftop that overlooks the city….myungdae goes up there when he’s restless, which is often

hiro and elise can be found there a lot too- they’re just not allowed to go into the basement, that’s all.

alfred tends to scout out the cilents/targets, nell collects the information, and myungdae does the stealing.

myungdae doesn’t completely trust nell and alfred ( yet ), let alone feel completely comfortable around them but…it’s nice. having friends. people to watch his back even if it’s only because ANACHRON ruined all their lives. they want to both what find out what ANACHRON is up to, but also help the victims of this organization.

myungdae can't help but be nervous though....there's something he feels he should know about ANACHRON. something he needs to remember, but can't quite.

( there's a gap in his memory, he knows, spanning about four months. four months before he was taken in by ARGOS. the last thing he remembered before being rescued was being set on fire, but something before that interrogation, he can't remember for some reason- )

[milkcartoncatkid]

GUYSGUYSGUYGSGSTSHSGE HERES MY PERSONA FR THIS TIME

and here’s the analysis of his design :3

INTRO

name: aspen

pronouns: he/they

species: chaos demon, half baku

age: ageless

agere: yes

likes: making friends with apparitions, video games, multiverse hopping, tricking people, music, poem writing, those cookie ice cream sandwiches, kisses, hand holding

dislikes: alc0h0l/drvgs, loud noises, bright/flashy lights, crowds, clocks, dresses

universe of origin: anti-void (hi undertale fandom)

multiversal friends(I AM CRINGE BUT I AM FREE): Tsukasa Yugi, Magolor, Marx, Taranza, Susie, Kasane Teto, Rin Kagamine, Kokichi Ouma, Carlos De Vil, Pearl Houzuki, Frye Onaga, Callie Cuttlefish, Una Otomachi, Idia and Ortho Shroud, Killer!Sans, Horror!Sans, Ink!Sans, Mizuki Akiyama, Emu Otori, Saki and Tsukasa Tenma, Flamberge, Francisca

lives: goes back and forth between universes to Planet Popstar, Splatsville, and Empty Sekai

HEADCANONS

spends a lot of time on Planet Popstar, but often retreats to Empty Sekai if things get too overwhelming

they always spend Splatfest weekends in Splatsville, and will occasionally take the train to Inkopolis

he HATES clocks. they remind him of Bad End Night, and Galactic Nova

loves to cause chaos, but usually runs from it pretty quickly as he doesn’t like the aftermath

”DAMN bitch you on dat ZAZA OR SUMTHN??” - Aspen during Magolor’s boss fight

loves plushies and WILL steal them

im gonna make a special age regression post about him someday

they actually were on a lower level of the tower but did witness the events that happened in the Hell Of Mirrors in the tbhk universe

can only universe hop about three or four times a day, or else he gets really sick and nauseous (the exception is the anti-void; they can get here whenever they need to with ease)

he can also jump around timelines.. spooky dude

may or may not have been the reason Lor Starcutter crashed…….. dont ask

has a special music box, it plays Isabella’s Lullaby from TPN, but it was a birthday gift from Susie

CHARACTER DESIGN (rlly bad srry)

his hair is messy becuz i like messy hair, the horn thingys are inspired by both Taranza and also Tamari from Reckless Battery Burns/Qualia Automata, the wings are inspired by Meta Knight and Marx (when retracted they look somewhat like Meta Knight but when extended they look more like Marx), the clothing is inspired by Tamari, the shirt design is supposed to be like the warp star from Kirby, the jeans i mention i just thought of becuz i like the jeans a girl named Kaitlyn usually wears in history, just any random sneakers will work when drawing him, and the sleeves are over his hands becuz one im too lazy to draw hands two it fits that alt art style and three it just looks cute, and i drew a star on his face to represent the Star Allies Sparkler from Kirby Star Allies in tribute to it being the first (and so far only) Kirby game ive finished

i rlly like his design and fun fact the first time i drew his final design today was on the back of a statewide testing material for science :3

[futuresconnected]

3/12/24: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Back again for your (not) regularly scheduled blog post about video games!

Over the last 10 days I played through the entirety of the new FF7 Remake project game, clocking in at a blistering 75 hours, so be aware that my thoughts here will be influenced by the fact that I played this game like it was a full time job for the last week and change.

I'll be talking about my thoughts here generally, with some discussion of early and mid-game characterization and plot elements, but I'll also be talking about the ending towards the end under a readmore, if you don't want to know the specifics of that.

Overall, my thoughts on the game are that I had a mostly pretty good time for about 70 out of my 75 hours, and the ending left me feeling quite a bit deflated at the very end, but let's talk about the fun stuff first.

To begin with, this is about one of the most "hang out with your friends, these characters" games I've ever played, which is saying something as someone that has played a LOT of Persona games in the last few years. I really liked that aspect of this game! It's kind of in its nature as the middle game in a planned trilogy that takes 20 hours of mid-game and blows it up to 80+ hours of Stuff To Do. I think one of the major strengths of the game is giving you a lot of fun interactions between Cloud and the gang, I came away from this game with a real love for everyone in the party (except Red XIII and Cait Sith, sorry you guys didn't have the juice). Every chance I got to do a side quest with Barrett, Yuffie, Tifa, or Aerith was a good one, and all of the interactions that the party has during the course of the regular plot were very fun as well.

Two big highlights of the characterization for me were how much time and energy this game puts into Tifa and Aerith's relationship with each other. These two have such a clear affection for each other and a mutual love of poking at Cloud every chance they get, it really feels like there's just as much emotional connection between the two of them as there is between each of them and Cloud himself. In my opinion, though FF7 has always been a classic in the "fighting over who's best girl" genre, I left this game thinking that they should all just kiss each other already and get on with their lives. The second big highlight for me characterization wise is Yuffie. Having only played some of the OG FF7, I had no real connection to her character and was really only introduced to her through stuff like Advent Children and Intergrade. I came out of this game really liking her, I felt at the beginning that her silly-girl schtick would get tiring but it really didn't for me and watching her bounce off of Cloud and the others was really entertaining. Plus, her Gold Saucer date later on was incredible, both in getting a peek into her deeper thoughts and also for watching Cloud be a total goober with her, which was just very sweet.

So lets talk some gameplay. For many people, the fact that this game has Open World Video Game design, complete with things to check off on your map and Assassin's Creed towers, is a major turn off, but for me I think that a lot of that stuff was mostly fun and at worst easily skippable. Plus, the fact that I was having a blast with the combat gameplay in this one compared to FF7 Remake made me a lot more motivated to go do combat challenges and world bosses and things of that nature. I felt like there were lots of ways to make your characters specialized in neat ways, and with a couple of exceptions (sorry Red and Cait, again) I really enjoyed the gameplay flow of each character, especially getting Aerith a perfect setup to let her blast multiple 9999 damage Firaga's back to back, that's just good gaming right there. I also generally enjoyed how much of a minigame collection Rebirth is, running into some new bespoke game every hour or so was pretty fun, and I think that the hit-rate on the minigames being fun was pretty high. Thankfully i'm not a masochist who wants to go for the platinum trophy, that would probably change my mind real quick. Overall though, I thought playing this game was a real blast, with a few bosses and encounters that I felt were more annoying than needed.

One quick shoutout before we talk about the ending goes to the music, the sound team for this game put their whole fucking ass into the music in this game, all the rearrangements of original songs were great to listen to, and the fact that so many sidequests, characters, and one off areas had their own bespoke tracks was really incredible. Top Prize goes to Salmon's Theme though:

so with all that said, let's talk the ending: I didn't really like it!

Let's get into it. This game, in it's nature of covering the middle parts of FF7, inevitably draws its way to the most iconic and talked about plot elements of JRPGs ever: Aerith's death. From the moment that we realized back in Remake that this game was about doing something new and metatextual with the story of FF7, the first question on many peoples minds was the following: will she still die?

and the answer is...........Kind Of!

In the (overlong imo) final stretches of the game, there is a real lack of clarity in what the hell is happening in general, as Cloud and Aerith wind their way through other worlds/timelines/dimensions/whatever and the game cuts between different outcomes before ultimately showing that Aerith does in fact die once again, in pretty much the same scene as the OG game. Except not really, because the game does a very poor job at letting you know what happened to her before throwing a seven phase final boss at you, where she even comes in at the end for a 2 on 1 fight with Cloud against Sephiroth, where afterwards she and Cloud have a few moments before the rest of the cast comes in and gets approximately five seconds to realized that she's actually dead. Except for the fact that Cloud still talks to her and sees her like normal.

I'm really not too concerned with the exact details of "what is happening here" because ultimately its a bunch of multiverse stuff that I don't really think is that engaging, but there are other things that bother me a good deal.

I felt that, as a player, I had no idea what kind of emotional response I was supposed to be feeling during the last three hours of the game. I was ready to be sad, I was ready to mourn the loss of a character that I had genuinely come to love over the course of the game, I was guarded every time she was on screen towards the end, but then in the moments before the big boss fight where Sephiroth comes down from the sky and stabs her, I felt it was very unclear if what the player sees there is supposed to be understood as a vision of something that could and did happen before, or something that was happening to Our Aerith, I wasnt sure if this last boss was something that I should have been fighting fueled by my grief and sadness, triumph in having avoided fate, or anything else.

Second, and the thing that honestly is sticking with me more the more I think about it, is for how much they build up Aerith and Tifa's relationship through the whole game at every possible opportunity, the ending felt really unconcerned with giving Tifa the opportunity to grieve the loss of a dear friend. For everyone who isn't Cloud, their friend is dead! And we don't get a chance to see them have to deal with that in any real way. We see them find her body, then we see them sitting shocked and deciding to move on in the aftermath of this, then we see them gassing up the jet and leaving towards Part 3, and the whole time the game is more concerned with Cloud and Aerith-who-is-not-here sharing knowing glances and words. I think that for a game that is so much about building up the relationships between everyone, and especially between Aerith and Tifa, I think they really dropped the ball in the end for everyone.

Third, I was a believer in the idea that they could do something substantively different with the story of the game and what it was trying to do, which I now don't really know that the writers of this game care to do. In the second game in a series that has had a lot to say about fate and its changeable nature, and promised Something Different, what is the ultimate result? Aerith is still gone, they left her on those plains as they flew off to Part 3, and it remains to be seen whether she's going to come back and be a real character or if she's just going to continue to be Cloud's force ghost over his shoulder while everyone else has to deal with her being dead. I wish the game had taken bigger swings! I thought it was going to!

At the end of the day, I don't think this was the worst thing on the planet or anything, I still had a really good time playing it and I really like the gameplay and the characters, I just feel like I have to temper my expectations on them delivering on anything interesting with the main narrative thrust of the project going forward.

[startracktours]

Harold Lloyd: The Silent Film Comedy Pioneer

Beverly Hills tours will take you past many homes of today’s hottest stars as well as those of past greats. One name from the silent era that ranks up there with Charlie Chaplin is Harold Lloyd whose home “Greenacres” was/is located in Beverly Hills. Fans of Lloyd can still take a look at where this famous silent comedian lived.

Harold Lloyd, born on April 20, 1893, in Burchard, Nebraska, is often considered one of the greatest comedians in the history of cinema. With a career spanning over four decades, he left an indelible mark on the world of silent film comedy, making audiences roar with laughter through his iconic characters and daring stunts. This essay delves into the life and career of Harold Lloyd, highlighting his significant contributions to the art of filmmaking and his enduring legacy in the world of entertainment.

Early Life and Beginnings: Harold Clayton Lloyd was born to James Darsie Lloyd and Sarah Elisabeth Fraser. Tragedy struck early in his life when, at the age of nine, he lost two fingers while playing with a bomb-like device. Despite this accident, Lloyd never let it hinder his ambitions, demonstrating remarkable resilience and determination. It was this very determination that would come to define his career in the film industry.

Lloyd's introduction to show business came when he moved to San Diego, California, as a teenager. He began working as an extra in various films, which ignited his passion for the silver screen. His persistence led him to be noticed by legendary filmmaker Hal Roach, who would become a pivotal figure in Lloyd's career.

The Birth of the Glasses Character: One of Harold Lloyd's most iconic trademarks was his round glasses, which became synonymous with his screen persona. This distinctive feature, initially adopted in his early silent films, eventually evolved into a symbol of his comedic identity. The glasses character was relatable, endearing, and a stark departure from the eccentricity of his contemporaries like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. It embodied the everyday man striving for success, which resonated deeply with audiences of the time.

The Lloyd-Roach Collaboration: Harold Lloyd's career took off under the guidance of Hal Roach, a pioneering film producer and director. Together, they created a series of short silent comedies known as the "Lonesome Luke" series, in which Lloyd played the character of a clumsy and bumbling young man. These films served as a training ground for Lloyd, allowing him to refine his comedic timing and develop his signature glasses character.

However, it was in 1917, when Lloyd and Roach decided to abandon the "Lonesome Luke" character and create something new, that Harold Lloyd truly found his niche. The result was the birth of "The Glasses Character," a relatable and ambitious young man who aimed high but often found himself in hilarious predicaments. This character marked a turning point in Lloyd's career and catapulted him to stardom.

Mastering Visual Comedy: Harold Lloyd was a master of visual comedy. He had an innate ability to create elaborate and meticulously choreographed physical gags that had audiences on the edge of their seats. His famous clock tower sequence in "Safety Last!" (1923) is a prime example of his daring stunts and impeccable timing. In this iconic scene, Lloyd hangs from the hands of a clock high above the streets of Los Angeles, a stunt that has become emblematic of silent film comedy itself.

Lloyd's commitment to safety was paramount. He used a variety of safety precautions while performing these risky stunts, and the use of clever camera angles and editing techniques made his feats appear even more perilous than they were. This commitment to both safety and realism was a testament to his dedication to his craft and his desire to entertain audiences without putting his life at undue risk.

Innovation in Storytelling: Beyond his physical comedy prowess, Harold Lloyd was also an innovator in storytelling. He understood the importance of character development and emotional engagement, even in the context of silent comedies. Unlike some of his contemporaries, who relied solely on slapstick humor, Lloyd's films often featured well-crafted narratives and character arcs.

One of his notable achievements in storytelling was the integration of romance into his comedies. In films like "Girl Shy" (1924), he seamlessly blended romance and humor, endearing his characters to audiences and adding depth to his stories. This combination of heartwarming romance and side-splitting comedy set Lloyd's work apart from other silent comedians.

Transition to Sound and Continued Success: With the advent of sound in cinema, many silent film stars struggled to adapt. However, Harold Lloyd managed to make a successful transition. His first sound film, "Welcome Danger" (1929), was well-received, thanks to his impeccable comedic timing and the incorporation of sound in a way that complemented his visual gags. Though Lloyd's popularity waned somewhat during the sound era, he continued to make films and remained a beloved figure in Hollywood.

Legacy and Influence: Harold Lloyd's contributions to cinema extend far beyond his comedic talent. He played a pivotal role in the development of Hollywood and the art of filmmaking. His innovative approach to comedy and storytelling set new standards for the industry, influencing generations of filmmakers to come.

One of the most significant aspects of Lloyd's legacy is his influence on future comedians and filmmakers. His work served as a blueprint for comedians like Jerry Lewis and Woody Allen, who incorporated physical comedy and visual gags into their own careers. His impact is also evident in the works of directors such as Steven Spielberg and Peter Bogdanovich, who have praised Lloyd's contributions to cinema.

In addition to his creative influence, Lloyd's philanthropic efforts left a lasting mark. He was instrumental in founding the Harold Lloyd Trust, which supports film preservation and education. His dedication to preserving silent film history has helped ensure that future generations can enjoy and appreciate the art form that he helped pioneer.

Conclusion: Harold Lloyd's career was a remarkable journey from a young extra with a dream to one of the most influential comedians in the history of cinema. His iconic glasses character, daring stunts, mastery of visual comedy, and commitment to storytelling set him apart as a true pioneer in the silent film era. Even as cinema transitioned to sound, Lloyd adapted and continued to make his mark on the industry.

Today, Harold Lloyd's films are celebrated for their timeless humor and enduring appeal. His legacy lives on not only in his cinematic achievements but also in the generations of comedians and filmmakers he inspired. His dedication to the preservation of silent film history ensures that his contributions to the art of filmmaking will continue to be appreciated for generations to come. Harold Lloyd will forever be remembered as a comedy legend who made the world laugh through the magic of silent cinema.

[showyourself80]

what’s your take on severus snape?

(satisfy my curiosity & bold your headcanons)

1. hetero | bi | gay | pan | gray | ace- I think he's largely pragmatic in his sexuality- it's a tool for him like any other thing to keep him alive as a spy, and also I think he's more open minded and sees people, not genders.

2. cis m | trans mtf | trans ftm | non-binary- cis m

3. slut | sexually experienced | barely experienced | virgin | celibate- sexually experienced: not sure he could have survived the death eaters without being forced to participate in a revel or two. Don't think he could afford to be a slut as it would make him vulnerable to too many strangers. Equally in certain fics I can certainly HC him as a virgin/celibate as he struggles to trust others.

4. dominant | switch | submissive | vanilla: absolutely a switch. public persona is dominant, but when he finds someone he really trusts he can slide happily into subspace

5. drinks heavily | drinks occasionally | social drinker only | never drinks: a spy would never survive bingeing regularly, but he can hold his ale. every now and then something gets through his armour and hangover potions are needed, but only when he is safe to drink to excess without endangering himself or the mission.

6. chain smoker | on-and-off smoker | smoked at one point | never touched a cigarette in his life: he was a teenager in the 70s with a working class father- I'd be shocked if he never smoked in his life, but soon kicked the habit once Lucius found out about his dirty muggle ciggies. He found himself hankering for a smoke on the night after he killed Dumbledore, but he keeps control of himself too rigidly to let himself lapse like that.

7. potions addicted | sometimes self-medicates | refuses to take anything: Snape is a pragmatists through and through. He can't afford to be dependent on anyone or anything, so a potions addiction would be reckless. equally he can't have non order members aware of his illicit actions for voldemort, so self medication becomes necessary every now and then if he is going to be able to get and teach in the morning after a round of cruciatus.

8. short | slightly below average | average height | slightly above average | tall: Able to tower over most people, but not freakishly tall. Hunches over to blend into a crowd when needed.

9. emaciated | underweight | healthy skinny | lean muscular | dad bod | thicc: years of hauling cauldrons has given him strong back and shoulder muscles. stalking up and down corridors, and marching up and down the stairs to and from the dungeons gave him great legs, and he secretly does a bit of yoga and body weight exercise so he has the physical stamina needed for a prolonged duel/ hand to hand combat if needed. He keeps it all hidden under his robes so he has a hidden advantage.

10. always robed | muggle clothes when strictly necessary | muggle clothes when in muggle society | muggle clothes at every opportunity: has a secret stash of muggle clothes no one knows about so he can hide in the muggle world at a moments notice.

11. very neat & organized | a little cluttered | total slob: he knows which pile everything should be in, always working on 15 different potions and a few new spells. also knows it's harder for someone to hide they have been sneaking through his stuff if it's not perfectly organised.

12. early to bed & early to rise | habitual night owl | incurable insomniac: Voldemort has a nasty habit of summoning his followers at 3am, so Snape's body clock has adjusted over the years so he is ready and awake. Double agents always burn the candle at both ends.

13. heavy sleeper | light sleeper | wakes up 20 times a night: not someone to be caught with their pants down at short notice.

14. back sleeper | stomach sleeper | side sleeper | always switching- no sign of vulnerability, even in sleep

15. clean but naturally oily | neglects regular self-hygiene | lets himself go completely: fastidious about hygiene, particularly as a potions master, and believes in self discipline. The oil is actually a potion of his own making that covers his skin and hair, preventing anyone from getting a sample illicitly and using it to polyjuice into him. After the war he no longer needed to use it, and everyone started noticing his glowy skin and shiny hair 😍

what’s your take on severus snape?

(satisfy my curiosity & bold your headcanons)

1. hetero | bi | gay | pan | gray | ace

2. cis m | trans mtf | trans ftm | non-binary

3. slut | sexually experienced | barely experienced | virgin | celibate

4. dominant | switch | submissive | vanilla

5. drinks heavily | drinks occasionally | social drinker only | never drinks

6. chain smoker | on-and-off smoker | smoked at one point | never touched a cigarette in his life

7. potions addicted | sometimes self-medicates | refuses to take anything

8. short | slightly below average | average height | slightly above average | tall

9. emaciated | underweight | healthy skinny | lean muscular | dad bod | thicc

10. always robed | muggle clothes when strictly necessary | muggle clothes when in muggle society | muggle clothes at every opportunity

11. very neat & organized | a little cluttered | total slob

12. early to bed & early to rise | habitual night owl | incurable insomniac

13. heavy sleeper | light sleeper | wakes up 20 times a night

14. back sleeper | stomach sleeper | side sleeper | always switching

15. clean but naturally oily | neglects regular self-hygiene | lets himself go completely

[polyghostfacehours]

Hiii!! Idk if you’re doing requests or not, this is just a suggestion, so the reader gets Stu and Billy into horror games. Like Corpse Party, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat, etc. I feel like they would REALLY be into those kinds of games, especially the bloody and gorier ones. Idk if you’ve done something like that already, I know you did one for FF and that one was so cute btw, but I’ve always thought about that ☺️

God yes yes and yes! I love this request so much! Sorry it took so long. Also this is a mix of regular and modern ghostface.

---

Reader Getting poly!Ghostface Into Horror Games:

The way you three bonded was originally over horror movies. Nothing special, the same way they had bonded before with Randy or how Stu had with Casey.

They knew you were a gamer, but they actually didn't have too much experience with horror games themselves. Stu was a very casual gamer and he mainly played fighting games or FPSs; Billy didn't play games period since he thought they were for kids or loser-nerds.

Stu did, of course, play Mortal Kombat already. He had heard of it during the parental uproar through the news and, given his absentee parents, he easily acquired a copy. He loved it for the violent, splatterfest it was, and he loved playing you in it.

But other than MK, he had very little experience with horror games, as he is like I said, a casual gamer (modern!Stu is, in contrast, a huge gamer lol)

Originally, gaming was a you and Stu pastime. Billy found them boring to watch. He only enjoyed it if it had a interesting and in-depth story, like FF7 or Persona 2. And even then he tuned out when you and Stu had to grind or do side-quests.

When you breach the topic of horror games to them, Stu was beyond enthusiastic. Billy was intrigued, but had a very "normie" view of games, so wasn't expecting much.

Stu easily let you show him the world of horror through video games. Stu loved mindless gore, sure, but he also loved a good fucked up story. So when you introduce him to Silent Hill...he's hooked.

Seeing Harry tackle the horrors of Silent Hill had him enraptured. He especially loved the "other" Midwich Elementary.

This helps in getting Stu to pester Billy to watch/play horror games as well. Billy is there for Silent Hill 2, and before you know it he's playing on his own time.

When you guys play Clock Tower and Night Trap, Billy loves purposefully scaring you and Stu while you play by suddenly grabbing your leg or shoulder and yelling. (I will never get over how much he likes jumpscaring ppl in the OG film 😭)

Now for a more modern setting, Corpse Party would be quite the entertaining ordeal.

Stu thinks Kizami is dreamy because "He reminds me of Billy."

Billy rolls his eyes at this, but secretly thinks Kizami is cool so he's pleased.

They'd both jump right on the Resident Evil Remakes for sure. Stu streams it and overexaggerates getting jumpscared.

The Silent Hill P.T demo actually did scare the shit out of him though lol. Billy, surprisingly, wasn't scared at all, but he loved it so much he through a fit when it was cancelled lmao.

You introduce him to some more "light horror" games too. Specifically Yume Nikki.

Billy adores Yume Nikki, and is the type of person to sing it's praises online for how revolutionary the method of storytelling is and actively engages with fan theory online.

Billy would never admit it, but his fave horror games are pixel indie games. He feels people who undersell them because of their graphics are elitists (which is absolutely hypocritical, because he himself is an absolute elitist when it comes to horror). Ib, Witch's House, Mad Father, The Count of Lucanor, etc.

He also loves Yume Nikki fangames like Fleshchild and .Flow

Patty and Mr. Miles had him genuinely tearing up, but he'd never ever tell you or Stu about it lol.

Hc that Billy feels very literal empathy/sympathy for IRL people (save for a select few people), but feels a LOT for fictional characters. I feel like it has something to do with his blurring of fiction/reality, escapism, and just seeing fictional characters as more "real" than IRL people.

Stu loves anything with gore and/or disturbing and taboo themes. He also loves a good story, but doesn't pscyho-analyze as much as Billy (though he adores listening to Billy and your theories and even has planty of his own.)

Stu stream Animal Crossing and also will go to "haunted"/scary towns and clickbait the title of his streams/videos "The Scariest Horror Game Ever 😱" lmao

Stu played and enjoyed BTD

Side Note: you made Stu play P.T with a VR headset and it was both horrifying for him and hilarious for you and Billy.

Whenever Billy is home alone, he likes revisiting Yume Nikkie a lot. He gets kinda hyperfixated for awhile tbh.

One of Stu's fave games you let him borrow are the Theresia games for DS. The way music is used in that game tickles him pink and he loves the atmosphere.

Stu is the guy who streams Amnesia in 2022 lmao(and it actually brings a ton of viewers, most ppl amused that there's a streamer who hadn't experience it yet)

Horror games become as important to you three as movies are. It's an excellent bonding activity but also just for playing alone on long nights where the other two are gone.

Billy in particular begins seeing games as an medium on par with film when it comes to horror. He loves the idea of being able to actually experience the horror as a player, rather than just watching someone else go through it like in movies.

But...he still thinks games of other genres are for nerds lmao.