#bravo raleigh

[monsterblogging]

So I rewatched Pacific Rim: The Black to refresh myself on how bad it was, and once again I am just kind of in awe at how god-awful it is.

The Black very literally takes the magic out of Pacific Rim. You know how "drift hangover" refers to a persistent psychic connection between pilot and jaeger? Welp, here "drift hangover" is used to refer to a headache after drifting. Ghost drifting (you know, when pilots get psychic with each other) is turned into ghost piloting, which is when a pilot drifts with the memory of another pilot. Like, it's understandable if most people don't clock the mysticism and animism underpinning Guillermo del Toro's vision of Pacific Rim, but this is a very deliberate effort to erase where humans can just have funky psychic shit happen to them sometimes.

The Black doesn't really seem to understand how drifting works. Two characters have a heated argument without falling out of alignment. Another character functionally has a mind-reading ray. There's no real comprehension of what drift compatibility is and how it works.

The child soldiers are younger than ever. Taylor looks like he was maybe twelve at most when he was taking his pilot's test. Like. Actual twelve year olds are getting certified as jaeger pilots in this world. And this is framed as a good and desirable thing. Literally what the fuck.

The Black calls Horizon Brave "Horizon Bravo," and claims it's a Mark IV jaeger. If you have literally any access to any information about Horizon Brave at all, you know it's a Mark I jaeger.

The jaeger piloted by the children (Atlas Destroyer) is claimed to be a Mark III jaeger, yet uses the type of fuel cells introduced in Uprising. Like it was a whole fucking plot point that Lady Danger was a nuclear jaeger. Literally all they would've had to do was make Atlas Destroyer a Mark VI. It would have been fine.

Atlas Destroyer has a bunch of features Mark IIIs definitely didn't have. Remember how Raleigh and Yancy needed a crew to help them into their drivesuits? Atlas Destroyer just automatically tosses 'em on itself. Remember how Lady Danger's AI mostly just gave status updates? Atlas Destroyer's AI holds entire conversations. Again, you could've just made it a Mark VI, show.

And speaking of Atlas Destroyer's AI, for some goddamn reason the PPDC gave her an emotion chip. Because it's not hard enough to be a pilot already, now your jaeger gets to have anxiety.

The Black claims that Trespasser "smashed the Australian wall in the first attack." This is wrong on every conceivable level. Trespasser attacked San Francisco in the first attack, in 2013. The first kaiju to attack Sydney was Scissure, in 2014. The kaiju what smashed the wall was Mutavore, in 2025.

There is one queer-coded character. He is murdered in gory fashion.

There is one Indigenous-coded character who studies kaiju and their biology. He is depicted being into New Agey woo and wrongly believing that the kaiju he raised can love him. He dies when one of his kaiju eats him.

A major antagonist is depicted as a ruthless man who will kidnap, mindwipe, exploit, and even murder children. Then the show attempts to give him a redemption arc and we're supposed to actually care.

The PPDC refused to let the children's father retrieve them and the other survivors left behind in "the Black." (Read: Australia after the PPDC literally bombed it from space after a bunch of breaches started opening all over it.) Yeah, the PPDC can bomb an entire continent from space, but they can't spare a goddamn rescue helicopter.

Despite all of this and the aforementioned child soldiers, the PPDC is framed as the good guys and the only respite from the horrors of the Black; getting to the Sydney shatterdome is an unambiguously happy ending.

Early on we're lead to think that the PPDC might be getting its hands dirty with kaiju genetic experiments/bioweapon development. Later on we learn that it's the local kaiju cultists doing it. Now come on, which suspect actually makes sense here; the PPDC who can afford to build a killsat, or the kaiju cultists who apparently can't even afford a sterile room to perform a blood transfusion in?

The kaiju cultists are pretty obviously inspired by far right conspiracy theories about evil cults, rather than the actual behaviors of actual cults.

The kaiju sisters recruit by kidnapping women, turning them into kaiju hybrids, and forcing them into their hivemind. For some reason they kill all men. Despite this they are really obsessed with the idea that the half-kaiju smol, who for all appearances is a boy, is going to be their kaiju messiah. It really doesn't make sense, but then again, what can we expect from a slapdash job of far right conspiracy theories?

By the way, this is the PPDC banner literally hanging from the PPDC training center, in the show that is very firm in insisting that THE PPDC IS THE GOOD GUYS WHO PROTECT YOU:

[fearsmagazine]

AGFA announces theatrical screenings of the 4K restoration of John Carpenter’s ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13

The American Genre Film Archive, the largest non-profit genre film archive and distributor in the world, is thrilled to announce theatrical screenings of John Carpenter's ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13—newly restored in 4K.

Written, directed, scored, and edited by Carpenter two years prior to HALLOWEEN, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 combines the template of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with the spirit of RIO BRAVO to forge a movie like no other. The story follows a group of police offers (including the mighty Austin Stoker) and convicts as they join forces inside a soon-to-be-closed L.A. police station. The reason? They must defend themselves against Street Thunder, a vicious gang who have taken a blood oath to kill someone trapped inside the precinct. Combining gritty action with arthouse style, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 features powerful Cinemascope compositions, a pulsing synth score, and an immersive mood that only Carpenter can deliver.

“It’s an honor to represent Carpenter’s legacy, given how much personal joy his work has created for us,” said AGFA Theatrical Director Bret Berg. “When it’s something as iconic as PRECINCT 13—akin to the heartstopping majesty of HALLOWEEN—we’re driven to get this taut masterwork in front of as many audiences as we can. Big thanks to the CKK Corporation for sheparding this new restoration.”

Newly restored in 4K, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 is back on the big screen—loud, beautiful, and inescapable, as it was always meant to be seen.

The full list of screenings:

1/11 - 1/13 - Globe Cinema / Calgary, Canada week of 1/20 - Gateway Film Center / Columbus, OH week of 1/20 - Screenland Armour / Kansas City, MO week of 1/20 - Majestic Theaters Tempe / Phoenix, AZ week of 1/20 - Music Box / Chicago, IL week of 1/27 - The Beacon / Seattle, WA week of 1/27 - Somerville Theater / Somerville, MA week of 1/27 - Plaza Theater / Atlanta, GA week of 1/27 - Charlotte Film Society / Charlotte, NC 1/22 - Digital Gym / San Diego, CA 1/26 - Crosstown Arts / Memphis, TN starting 1/26 - Rio Theatre / Vancouver, BC 1/27 - 1/30 - Frida Cinema / Santa Ana, CA 1/29 - 2/1 - Metro Cinema / Edmonton, Canada throughout Feb 2023 - Winnipeg Film Society / Winnipeg, Canada 2/3 - Charles Theater / Baltimore, MD week of 2/3 - Alamo Drafthouse DTLA / Los Angeles, CA week of 2/3 - Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan / NYC week of 2/3 - Alamo Drafthouse New Mission / San Francisco, CA week of 2/3 - Alamo Drafthouse Park North / San Antonio, TX week of 2/3 - Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh / Raleigh, NC week of 2/3 - Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake / Denver, CO week of 2/3 - Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar / Austin, TX week of 2/3 - Alamo Drafthouse Staten Island / NYC week of 2/3 - Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers / Yonkers, NY week of 2/3 - Mayfair Theater / Ottawa, ON week of 2/3 - Hollywood Theater / Portland, OR week of 2/3 - Cinema Arts Centre / Huntington, NY 2/6 - Nitehawk Prospect Park / NYC 2/17 - 2/18 - Late Nite Grindhouse / St. Louis, MO 2/25 - University of Wisconsin Cinematheque / Madison, WI week of 3/10 - Ragtag Cinema / Columbia, MO 3/17 - 3/19 - Trylon Cinema / Minneapolis, MN

About AGFA Formed in 2009, the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit located in Austin, Texas. AGFA exists to preserve the legacy of genre movies through collection, conservation, and distribution. Housing theatrical and home video distribution arms, a 4K film scanner, and over six thousand film prints, AGFA will never rest until genre movies rule the world.

[poorguysheadisdoingwhatnow]

things from NC Newsies

THE TRUMPET SOLO I STAN

Crutchie is really channeling his inner 90s newsies it's fantastic

When Jack tells Crutchie to come with him to Santa Fe, Crutchie is kind of bashful and reluctant

Jack has drawn a picture of Crutchie riding a horse and he GIVES IT TO CRUTCHIE

carrying the banner is fantastic I'm pretty sure Jack is buttoning Crutchie's best for him at some point and it's so pure

Finch is IRISH and I think Specs is also IRISH and I think Romeo is ITALIAN AND IT'S GREAT

TOMMY BOY IS A GIRL SHE’S MY FAVORITE

Jack smacks a delancey with the crutch and THE CRUTCH BREAKS and Crutchie had to use it as a cane the whole rest of the scene I have never laughed so hard (he came back out the next scene with it tied in the middle with a strip of cloth)

This Davey is so delightfully awkward he's wearing a full suit I am in love

And Les is so sure of himself he’s so confident I love this child

Pulitzer waited the whole song so he could put his shoes on dramatically at the wax line and I can't take a man in bright red socks seriously

He said "shave me too close and you may cut my throat" and Nunzio GIGGLED

Medda is amazing and lovely and geez what a performance

After Jack leaves the drawing for Katherine (which he draws on the back of a poster) she stares at it for so long like all the way through the next set change

okay the world will know we got Davey in his vest and tie but no jacket he’s eVoLvInG

Jack paints “strike” over the headline

Davey doesn’t start singing along with the others till like the second verse and even then he’s really hesitant until near the end when he starts doing the motions

It’s Crutchie, Jack, Les, and Race that go into the World building. Davey tries to follow them but the door closes on him before he can

“I think we launched our strike in a most auspicious manner”

silence from the others

“...woo!”

Katherine’s so sassy she mimics the way Jack says “What’s the last news story you wrote?” when she says “what’s the last strike you organized?”

okay before watch what happens when Jack’s like “I can tell you what i’m hoping for tonight” Katherine looks at him and just laughs it was great

and when Katherine starts watch what happens, there are newsies sitting in the towers behind her, but as the song continues, they keep straightening up and leaning forward to listen to her

seize the day is great at the beginning everyone runs in and every person looks around and stops like they were expecting more people and are crushed that they’re not there

there’s a nervous newsie (becomes one of the scabs) that runs away in the middle of Davey’s solo 

speaking of Davey’s solo, it was amazing. he started all tense and nervous with his shoulders up high and then he slowly got more confident, especially closer to Jack’s speech

also when Crutchie comes out with his strike sign, Race gestures to Davey and goes “that’s great”, and then to Crutchie and goes “that’s pathetic”

also that nervous newsie made my life he was so scared of the others (actually all three of the scabs seemed really scared but I mean they were scabbing)

dance break was lit, they didn’t spin on newspapers, they sat on stacks and hit them like drums with other rolled-up newspapers

fight scene was so sad y’all I swear I had to hold back tears, one of the Delanceys grabbed Crutchie’s crutch and just bashed him in the head and knocked him out and they dragged him off stage so fast

there were still newsies running from the cops in the background at the beginning of santa fe

like they were sprinting

“Tommy!” when one of the newsies couldn’t find tommy boy for a second it broke my heart

Santa Fe was so emotional I love the way Jason Gotay sings holy shit

king of new york was amazing, the erster line killed and there was a great moment of that awkward laughter after Jacobi’s joke, you know like when an uncle tells a bad joke and you’re just like “ha...yeah”

Davey and Katherine are besties fight me they hug more than Jack and Katherine hugged the whole time

DAVEY GOT THE WHOLE TAP SOLO TIME THEY GAVE HIM TAP SOLOS HIS SLEEVES ARE ROLLED UP HIS TIE IS GONE I AM 90% SURE HE CHANGED INTO A BLUER SHIRT 

Katherine’s first tap solo was so cute she sat on a chair and barely moved her feet and then when she got going they kept picking her up

Les and Race chilled in the background together they’re buds

all the newsies kept playing catch and keep-away with the newspaper

“and you ain’t even dead!” was a clear, quality line

SURPRISE LETTER FROM THE REFUGE CAUSE IT WASN’T IN THE PROGRAM

okay when Crutchie gets to “when that train makes-”, it’s not that anyone shushes him, it’s that a kid beside him sits up really fast from a nightmare, reaching out, and Crutchie slowly helps him lie back down and shushes him back to sleep

also he still had his crutch

and Snyder came in at the end and yelled for quiet and Crutchie lay down really fast and stuffed the letter under his pillow

THE TRUMPET LIP SLUR I STAN

the butt swat after “we’re inevitable” is very pronounced

also their conversation about Crutchie is done much more sad than angry and it about broke my heart

“POOR GUY’S HEAD IS SPINNING”

whenever Hannah brings Jack into Pulitzer’s office, he kind of bows to her and she is totally blushing as she leaves I feel ya Hannah

okay this Pulitzer is so sinister his voice is so deep I love him

also Katherine didn’t come in till he said the line “I think she can hear for herself”, the Delanceys brought her in

Jack didn’t put up much of a fight, it’s like he just gave up, his shoulders slumped and he just let them take him to the cellar

“now that there is firm” is still the stupidest line in this whole musical

BROOCLYN IS HEER THEYR HEER

SPOT CONLON HOLY SHIT he has his PIMP CANE FROM THE 90s I died

mmmmm the rally LES BROUGHT HIS DATE also there were so many little kids there they’re my fave

everyone ran and ignored Jack after he finished speaking, also Katherine had snuck to the edge of the room and was watching what happened

also the cartoon of Pulitzer was him with a baton, stepping on a kid and hitting another with said baton

so “Specs showed me” WE SEE SPECS SHOW HER

she talks really fast she’s so nervous about her plan but still so sure, it’s more like she’s talking so Jack doesn’t interrupt her

SHE SLAPS HIM INSTEAD OF KISSING HIM WE STAN AN ICON

Kath and Jack don’t even kiss till near the end of the duet and their hug is so big and pure they keep hugging all the way offstage

they all have lanterns going into the cellar, and they’re all singing really quietly and you can hear how nervous they all are about getting caught

Bill and Darcy my heart

“And proud to be a part of your revolution” he sounds so reluctant maybe Katherine made him

they have a dance break during the last verse at the key change and we see all the newsies handing out the flyers and Jack and Davey are at the top of the towers throwing more into the air

omg Pulitzer’s office, first of all Spot sits right down on the desk and finds a cookie and just starts eating it like what a mood

shit Davey’s got some nerve now I absolutely love how Daniel Plimpton portrayed him and his character development I could write an essay about it (and I might)

Spot is such a little shit omg

THEY WON also Jack’s totally about to leave he has the stuff he packed and Katherine just whips out a bag like damn she really is by his side isn’t she

“What’s Santa Fe got that New York ain’t? Sandstorms?”

Jack and Kath kiss and it’s so cute and when the others notice another newsie DIPS SPOT CONLON

Crutchie’s back and he looks like he did in the Refuge I about cried again

but dang his “you’ll be laughing all the way to the pen, little man” was so vengeful sounding I love it

their finale was fantastic the lighting and everyone’s little bows one guy did airplane arms

anyway this show was absolutely perfect

[freckledfangs]

canonically can anyone in unit bravo sing well? or is there anyone you hc that can

[castielli]

How to request:

Send your request featuring the character you want, the plot (+ANGST, FLUFF…) and anything I need to know about the reader. I write MALE READER only

MASTERLISTS:

MOVIES/TV SHOWS

KDRAMA/KPOP

OCs PROFILE:

@nathan-ocs

Fandoms I write for under the cut!

——————————————

(a -> z)

BARBIE

Allan

Ken (Ryan)

Ken (Simu)

BROOKLYN99

Jake Peralta

Terry Jeffords

All the others (platonic only)

CALL OF DUTY (MW/WWII)

Alejandro Vargas

Alex Keller

Drew Stiles

Frank Aiello

Gaz Garrick

Ghost Riley

John Price

Joseph Turner

Phillip Graves

Red Daniels

Robert Zussman

Rudy Parra

Soap MacTavish

Vladimir Makarov

William Pierson

CRIMINAL MINDS

Luke Alvez

Penelope Garcia (platonic🫶)

Spencer Reid

DETROIT BECOME HUMAN

Connor

Gavin

Hank

Josh

Luther

Markus

RK900

Simon

DIVERGENT

Caleb Prior

Four

Peter

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Albus Dumbledore

Credence Barebone

Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen)

Newt Scamander

Theseus Scamander

FNAF (movie)

Mike Schmidt

Steve Raglan

HARRY POTTER

Cedric Diggory

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Fred Weasley

George Weasley

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Ron Weasley

Seamus Finnigan

Sirius Black

Tom Riddle

Viktor Krum

HUNGER GAMES

Cato

Coriolanus Snow (young)

Finnick Odair

Gale Hawthorne

Haymitch Abernathy

Marvel

Peeta Mellark

Sejanus Plinth

LA CASA DE PAPEL

Berlín

Denver

El Profesor

Palermo

Río

MARVEL (Avengers/X-men)

Alex Summers

Bobby Drake

Bruce Banner

Bucky Barnes

Charles Xavier

Clint Barton

Deadpool

Druig

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Ikaris

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Loki Laufeyson

Marc Spector

Matt Murdock

Mobius M. Mobius

Peter Maximoff

Peter Parker (Tom/Andrew/Tobey)

Peter Quill

Phil Coulson

Pietro Maximoff

Quentin Beck/Mysterio

Sam Wilson

Scott Lang

Scott Summers

Shang-chi

Stephen Strange

Steve Rogers

Steven Grant

Thor Odinson

Tony Stark

Wanda Maximoff

Wolverine

MAZE RUNNER

Gally

Minho

Newt

Thomas

NCIS

Jimmy Palmer

Nicholas Torres

Timothy McGee

NOW YOU SEE ME

Chase McKinney

Dylan Rhodes

Jack Wilder

J. Daniel Atlas

Merritt McKinney

RIVERDALE

Archie Andrews

Chic

Fangs Fogarty

FP Jones

Hiram Lodge

Jughead Jones

Kevin Keller

Moose Mason

Reggie Mantle

Sweet Pea

SCREAM

Billy Loomis

Casey Becker

Dewey Riley

Randy Meeks

Sidney Prescott

Stu Macher

Tatum Riley

SHAMELESS

Carl Gallagher

Ian Gallagher

Kevin Ball

Lip Gallagher

Mickey Milkovich

SHERLOCK

Greg Lestrade

Jim Moriarty

John Watson

Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

STAR WARS

Anakin Skywalker

Finn

Kylo Ren

Luke Skywalker

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Poe Dameron

STRANGER THINGS

Billy Hargrove

Dimitri

Eddie Munson

Jason Carver

Jim Hopper

Jonathan Byers

Robin Buckley (platonic)

Steve Harrington

SUITS

Harvey Specter

Mike Ross

SUPERNATURAL

Bobby (platonic)

Castiel

Chuck

Crowley

Dean Winchester

Sam Winchester

TEEN WOLF

Aiden Steiner

Corey Bryant

Danny Mahealani

Derek Hale

Ethan Steiner

Isaac Lahey

Jackson Whittemore

Jordan Parrish

Liam Dunbar

Mason Hewitt

Peter Hale

Scott McCall

Stiles Stilinski

Theo Raeken

THE BOYS

Billy Butcher

Frenchie

Homelander

Hughie Campbell

MM

Soldier Boy

THE BOYS IN THE BAND

Alan McCarthy

Bernard

Cowboy

Donald

Emory

Hank

Harold

Larry

Michael

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY (I still need to finish the last seasons🥱)

Ben Hargreeves

Diego Hargreeves

Klaus Hargreeves

Luther Hargreeves

Number Five

Viktor Hargreeves

THE WALKING DEAD (+TELLTALE GAME)

Aaron Raleigh

Abraham Ford

Daryl Dixon

Doug

Dwight

Eugene Porter

Glenn Rhee

Kenny

Lee Everett

Mark

Morgan Jones

Negan Smith

Paul Jesus Rovia

Rick Grimes

Shane Walsh

Simon

Spencer Monroe

The Governor

WHITE COLLAR

Clinton Jones

Mozzie (platonic)

Neal Caffrey

Peter Burke

911 (and LONE STAR)

Bobby Nash

Carlos Reyes

Eddie Diaz

Evan Buckley (Buck)

Howie Han (Chimney)

Jud Ryder

Mateo Chavez

Owen Strand

Paul Strickland

TK Strand

CHRISTIAN BALE

Bruce Wayne (Batman)

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

PEDRO PASCAL

Agent Whiskey (Kingsman)

Dieter Bravo (The Bubble)

Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

Francisco Morales (Triple Frontier)

Javi Gutierrez (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)

Javier Peña (Narcos)

Joel Miller (TLOU)

Marcus Moreno (We Can Be Heroes)

Oberyn Martell (Game of Thrones)

Silva (Strange Way of Life)

I WON’T WRITE:

-Smut (for anyone)

-R*pe

-Female readers/GN readers

-Suic*de

-inc*st

-Crossdressing

-Romantic/Suggestive stories for underage characters (only platonic, basically)

If the character you wanted to request is not on the list, you can try and ask me anyways.

[beerselfie]

#Repost @dr.brewhues I’m travel exhausted. From Florida to Chicago to North Carolina in 7 days. But…when work and pleasure call, you pick up the phone. Hi, hello, YES… I had to drive back 3 hours last night so I couldn’t post about my 1st trip to @appalachianmountainbrewery. This was only my 2nd time visiting my daughter at @appstate. Let’s get into the atmosphere. First thing is parking. Sheesh! What a nightmare BUT your girl didn’t give up and was committed to getting towed from someone’s private property JUST to have @appalachianmountainbrewery slang me a few beers. Thankfully I didn’t get towed but it would’ve been worth it. What a cute and aesthetically pleasing brewery?! I mean it feels like you’re in the mountains (you are). From the scenic view of the beer garden to the wooden details, to the crispness of the Fall air. I stan. NOW the beers. I wish I could’ve stayed longer but your girl had to take that drive back down the mountain to Raleigh. What did I sip on? 🍺: Honeydew Honeysuckle Wheat Ale / 5.3% Y’all, that beer felt like my childhood. From visiting my grandmother in Johnston Co. and eating a bowl of fresh sliced melon and then hopping on my bike to pick honeysuckles for the sweet nectar. It was light + refreshing, fruity and floral on the nose. A gorgeous hue, with flavor that lingered after each sip. Ayyoooo @appalachianmountainbrewery —BRAVO! 🍺: Margarita Gose w/ Peach, Mango + Sea Salt / 3.8% Ahem. Let’s start with the nose. HELLO?! Is this thing on? It was like a punch of peaches, followed by mango to the face. Had me feeling like I was on somebody’s island. Not as salty as I prefer my Goses, but nonetheless, a good beer. I don’t think the smell matched intensity in flavor but I wasn’t mad. At all! A few notes: 1. No kitchen, but they have a food truck. 2. Family friendly. 3. Dog friendly. Walk up and order a dog bowl with your beer. 4. As a Black woman who is usually alone in representation when I visit breweries, I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong. Thanks for the vibes. 5. They have cider and wine. https://www.instagram.com/p/CU0AI3WFjkN/?utm_medium=tumblr

[catboycafe]

I Will Now Express Every Thought I Have About Pacific Rim: The Black 

⚠️ spoilers for the whole thing baby

I actually forgot Pacific Rim: The Black was premiering today until I saw it in an article this morning! When I first heard about it months ago, I was decidedly not sold on a Pacific Rim anime. Uprising burnt me the fuck out and I don’t have a lot of trust left in me for new entries to the franchise. But I had heard rumblings of Raleigh and Herc being referenced after going into #pacificrim and I decided I may as well check out to see what was up! I binged it in 4 hours and it sure was a whirlwind, I’ll tell ya

The Plot

I really enjoy the setting and initial concept! We’re so use to seeing Kaiju/Jaegar shenanigans play out within these major cities with helpless civilians everywhere that spending so much time in a lonesome desert and these destroyed civilizations was really cool and indicative of the changes Pacific Rim has undergone in the last few years. I also looooved the Desert Settlement from the beginning!! It seemed really homey and picturesque; I wish we’d spent more time with the other survivors and got to see more of their day to day aside from farming and sitting. 

I also found the first episode set up to be really tight and well written! I was hooked during the initial flashback, Hayley and Taylor’s fight was really poignant and well acted, and the reveal of Atlas Destroyer felt really huge and epic!!

But once we left the Desert Settlement and the plot started actually moving along, the pacing becomes suuuper rough. We spent way too long in Bogan with Shane and Mei; there’s only 7 episodes and we spent, like, 3? 4? within the confines of that camp and I felt it weighed the plot down. Boy is introduced in the 2nd episode and, because the narrative spends so much time on Shane’s evil machinations and Mei’s back story, we still don’t know anything concrete about his origins or purpose 3 episodes later! That felt frustrating to me

The story beats overall were very predictable. I was able to pick up on Mei’s backstory via her dynamic with Shane in their introductions, so her memories felt too built up and too hollow once they were revealed. The same with the reveal of Boy’s Kaiju form; he was in a big green test tube in a PPDC base - I assumed immediately he was a part-kaiju experiment and again his reveal felt hollow, especially after the glacial pace of it’s development. 

Even when events weren’t predictable, they lacked weight. The appearance of several Kaiju Breaches in “Boneyard” felt very cheap for some reason; I wasn’t scared and I didn’t feel tense about these odds mounting against the protagonists. This was just happening and I was just watching. 

The Art Direction and Animation

I’m very obsessed with all the new Kaiju we got from this; I love how Copperhead is rendered, they’re a joy to see on screen!! The Rippers are also very cute and deserve little plushies...i love these neat little dogs. Boy’s Kaiju Form is very intimidating with an interesting color palette and I loved seeing him next to Copperhead’s highly saturated design!

That’s unfortunately all that I liked however; All the human character design is unmemorable to me. Every character looks exactly like another easily identifiable anime character from a different property (Hayley looks exactly like Zero Suit Samus to me, for example. And Mei kept reminding me of both Bernadetta Fire Emblem and Motoko Kusanagi from GitS. The list goes on). 

I can sort of understand why they’re so bland? A franchise going from Live Action to something as heavily stylized as anime is probably a really difficult transition and these designs are probably meant to be more lowkey than more unique anime designs in order to help that transition. But realistically stylized designs can still be recognizable and unique! These feel uninspired and bare bones.

 I have no problem with the switch to CGI animation that modern anime is doing because I know it’s a lot cheaper to produce and it can still be really unique and striking! But The Black’s model animation felt very stilted and inconsistent. I don’t have a lot of knowledge about animating so I don’t think I can accurately describe what I disliked? Wooden is probably the best term. Character movements felt wooden and things like hair and clothes felt plastic. 

Impacts also had very little weight. The fight between Tayler/Mei and Copperhead reminded me of when you’re in a dream and trying to punch something, but you can’t punch hard. It was simply too floaty and too soft. The final showdown in “Showdown” was better, but not by much. It was very immersion breaking seeing these Giant Robots and Giant Monsters unable to throw a real solid hit!

Characters

My favorite character was unequivocally Joel Wyrick. We love Joel Wyrick in this house! Joel’s character has real charisma and charm. I love his flirtations with Loa, how his cocky disposition is juxtaposed with his drinking problem and later insecurities over his lost memories, and his genuine kindness shown to Mei, Taylor, and Boy. No one ever plays with Boy, they just run after him and drag him around...but Joel has this moment in “Escape from Bogan” where he kneels down to Boy and helps him collect rocks. It was sweet!

So of course, when Joel dies for absolutely no reason 5 minutes later - pissed! I was pissed! I yelled “COME ON” aloud in my studio apartment! I was genuinely so excited to see him interact more with the rest of cast then, poof. No More Joel.

His death felt like it was for shock value to me rather than actual narrative development. Why kill him when we still don’t fully understand his and Mei’s relationship? Why were they so close? Were they childhood friends, or just coworkers that happen to become friends? Why did he specifically know all the details of Shane’s abuse towards Mei before she did? 

What did his death accomplish? It made Mei sad...ok? She was already...very sad. Her running away from Shane already had consequences - the consequences of Shane coming after them for revenge in the future. Why did Joel have to become a causality? 

His death is ultimately tied to Mei’s character arc which is, unfortunately, my least favorite :c I find Mei to be a really one dimensional character with a personality, backstory, outlook, and motivation that I’ve seen done a million times before with a million other characters. She feels very out of place in the franchise as a whole - Pacific Rim is, at it’s core, a story about connecting with others. Her self-centric arc and lack of desire to connect outside of drifting really alienates her from the story at large and it frustrates me how long The Black’s narrative spends on her. 

Hayley and Taylor were otherwise very interesting in the pilot episode, but become similarly one dimensional at the story chugs on. Taylor’s unflinching (bordering on unhealthy) faith in their parents was really interesting next to Hayley’s complete acceptance of their parents’ death. But once the two of them make up their differences, they lack an interesting dynamic and become very passive protagonists.

 Taylor especially has no personality - how would you describe Taylor? He’s...brave. He’s the older brother. He’s a leader? He’s nice? There is nothing noteworthy about him at all, which is sad considering I think he has the potential to be a really interesting way to explore the original movie’s influence on The Black’s story.

Hayley’s grief and self-blame are more interesting than Taylor’s...nothingness, but she still falls into this one-note trope of being the naive, excitable little sister. I guess I feel abnormally frustrated about this flat character writing because Pacific Rim’s incredibly unique cast has always been an inspiration to me! It feels sad that this new iteration into the series is full of what feel like stock characters. 

Then we get to Boy. How come Boy can’t have a person name? It’s specifically written in a dialogue between Taylor and Hayley: “I’m not going to call him Chad or Barnaby or one of those names for a baby brother you wanted as a kid,”

Why?

He’s by all accounts a human child when they find him. Yes, he was found in a big green test tube - but he walks and acts just like a human child. The only difference, seemingly, is that he is non-verbal and engages in strange/annoying behavior (running off, eating bugs, etc). So he isn’t deserving of a name?? I don’t know why that makes me so mad, it just does. it’s like they refuse to treat him as a human even before they find out he’s a Kaiju  - it’s super weird! How can the story sell me on the three of them becoming found family (like they’re seemingly trying to do) if the protagonists won’t even treat this kid like a kid??

Misc. Thoughts

The callbacks to Stacker, Herc, and Raleigh were cool! I also like that Herc is a major plot point! We love Herc Hanson and it’s what he deserves. I also find Loa’s connection to Horizon Bravo very interesting...and the fact we’re getting Kaiju cultist lore! Love that! Love that!

Fucked up that the only two dark skinned characters were: 1) removed from the story 10 minutes in with no call back yet, 2) Killed after having 1 line of dialogue and fridged for the character development of the blonde white girl. I really need to know what the deal with those 4 characters leaving in the beginning was about - I absolutely thought we’d see them again by now, but no dice

I don’t know how to feel about Ajax and have no clue what their purpose in the story is. They’re cool, but whats the point? 

If Mei and Taylor are paired up together romantically, I’m putting Craig Kyle and Greg Johnson in the time out box. Very tired of seeing random hetero romance B plots in stories that can’t even get their A plots together

Overall, it’s kind of subpar! It has the foundations of a really interesting story, but the pacing and characters really took me out of it. I’m interested in Season 2! I know season 2 is already ordered and I’d love to see how things continue to develop, see if the character writing gets any better - but I’m not too hopeful unfortunately. I really really love Pacific Rim after all these years and I’m happy to still be getting content and world building! There’s just sooo much I would change about this however. At least fanfiction’s free! 

Thanks for reading all this, I have ADHD and just go on and on if u let me. hmu if You Too have thoughts about Pacific Rim: The Black and have no one to talk abt them with

[zigsnose]

Edits Masterlist

*I've hit the limit for the amount of links you can have in a post, so check the "zn edit" tag for any missing links

📖 Blades of Light & Shadow

Genderbend: Aerin, Mal, & Nia

Modern AU: Imtura, Mal, Nia, & Tyril

Imtura:

M! Imtura

Mal:

Character swap: Raleigh Carrera

Nia:

D&D Dresses

Tyril:

As a rogue

📖 Bloodbound

Male MCs

MC from the Hot Couture cover in the "Spread Your Wings" outfit

Kamilah:

Professor at Belvoire

Lily:

In natural hairstyles

On the cover of Book 2

📖 The Crown & The Flame

Character swap: Luisa & Val

Main cast in present-day Cordonia

📖 The Elementalists

Pend Pals in D&D attire

Pend Pals as kids

Tim with a hat

Atlas:

Black M! Atlas in different hairstyles

📖 Endless Summer

Realistic: Estela, Jake, Sean, & Quinn

Realistic Jake v2

Realistic: Grace, Aleister, Raj, & Michelle

Realistic: Diego, Varyyn, Craig & Zahra

Realistic Diego v2

Realistic: Rourke, Lundgren, Mike, & Fiddler

Realistic: F! MCs

Realistic: M! MCs

Ember of Hope looks

📖 Foreign Affairs

Fancier "Soiree of Nations" outfit on masculine MCs

More casual "Soiree of Nations" outfit on feminine MCs

Blaine:

F! Blaine but she's edgier and buff

F! Blaine in suits

Tatum:

In casual outfits

In barongs

📖 The Freshman

Masc MCs

TF x Bloodbound icons

📖 The Haunting of Braidwood Manor

Modern! Eleanor

📖 Hero

Realistic: Eva, Grayson, Kenji, & Caleb

Realistic: Poppy, Dax, Silas, & Shrapnel

Realistic: F! MCs

📖 Hot Couture

Luz:

Luz & MC in matching fits

College! Luz

📖 Laws of Attraction

Custom Female Ricci (+ Latino Gabe)

📖 Mother of the Year

Levi:

MOTY appreciation week

F! Levi

📖 My Two First Loves

Principal Jennings every day to his son

Noah x Mason ala TNA

Ava:

Better winter outfit

📖 Nightbound

Alternate Niks on the cover

📖 Open Heart

Elijah with a beard

Open Heart but it's all women (+ M! Jackie)

Aurora:

Date Idea | Rock-climbing

Rock-climbing outfits

Casual outfits

Bryce:

Shazam-style poster

Date Idea | Cooking class

Teen! - (1)(2)

Hair AU

As a circus performer (Distant Shores) w/ Jackie

Ethan:

Date Idea | Hiking

Custom Male Dr. Ramsey

Custom Female Dr. Ramsey

Jackie:

Date Idea | Axe-throwing

As a circus performer (Distant Shores) w/ Bryce

Rafael:

Date Idea | Samba lesson

📖 Platinum

Male MCs

Raleigh:

M! Raleigh singing Pink Sweat$ songs

Character swap: Mal Volari

📖 Queen B

Zoey, Poppy, Chloe & Veronica in winter outfits

Genderbend: Zoey, Poppy, Chloe & Veronica

Genderbend: Carter, Luis, Ford, & Michael

Masc MCs

📖 Red Carpet Diaries

Masc MCs

📖 Ride or Die / With Every Heartbeat

Updated RoD/WEH Black MC

Masc MCs

F!Logan

📖 The Royal Masquerade

Hunter icons

Kayden icons

📖 The Royal Romance

TRR but it’s all women

F! Liam: Face 2 & 3 

More F! Drake

M! Hana

— Miscellaneous

Custom app icons

Curvy F!MCs | Extras 1 - 2 - 3

Lovelink matches in Choices style:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

Emerson w/ animated facial expressions | Other outfits

Taylor

Sheng's casual outfit

Character recreations from other games:

Cove Holden from Our Life: Beginnings & Always

Lucas Charming from Lovestruck's Ever After Academy

MC & Zoe Banks from Lovestruck's Queen of Thieves

Leon Kwan & Nikolai Stirling from Lovestruck's Queen of Thieves | Extras

Unit Bravo from The Wayhaven Chronicles | Part 2

Julian Devorak from The Arcana

Asra Alnazar from The Arcana

Muriel from The Arcana

[homeformyheart]

heyyy girllll so I was wondering if you’ll write this

For me?

happy birthday @graysinblack! I’ve been saving this ask for months but this fic for weeks in anticipation of your birthday! I know we’re all kind of over Choices, but hopefully having Ria & Raleigh interact is still enjoyable.

author’s note: never thought i’d write a cross-over fic of any kind really, much less twc x choices, but blame @graysinblack for this idea and the brainrot that sparked it. this takes place sometime after book 2, but before book 3. hope you all enjoy this fic that likely has an audience of 2! copyright: wayhaven characters, except the oc detective, belong to mishka jenkins @seraphinitegames. raleigh carrera belongs to @playchoices. series/pairing: the wayhaven chronicles x choices (platinum) crossover – m!raleigh carrera x f!oc (ria knight); minor mason x f!detective rating/warnings: 14+; swearing based on/prompt: a would you ever write? ask game word count: 1.7k summary: ria gets called to a house party for noise complaints where she meets raleigh carrera.

sunshine past

a knock on her office door made ria pause mid-keystroke.

“hey ria, we’ve been getting repeat noise complaints from the mansion off the cul-de-sac,” tina chirped, hovering by the door. “do you think you can check it out? my shift’s over.”

ria glanced at her watch and grabbed her jacket. “i’ll stop by on my way home.”

“thanks, i’ll see you tomorrow!”

she turned off her computer and double-checked that she had her gun, taser, and badge before heading to the car. the mansion in question sat at the very edge of town, abandoned on its own grassy hill and given a wide berth by the townsfolk, even on halloween.

it didn’t take her long to get to the other side of town but even from the entrance to the cul-de-sac she could tell there was a loud party coming from the mansion. she groaned loudly at the realization that she’d likely be dealing with drunks who would only turn the music back up as soon as she walked away.

still, she trudged up the hill and knocked loudly, waiting a beat before knocking again. she stood her ground even though the door swung open and a tattooed man hovered too close for comfort.

“can i help you? this is a private party, babe,” he said, looking her slowly up and down. “although for you, i’d be more than happy to make an exception.”

ria rolled her eyes and took out her badge. “wayhaven police department. we’ve gotten multiple noise complaints. you need to keep it down.”

“i think it’d be more fun for you to find out how loud i can be. if you know what i mean,” he murmured, giving her a suggestive wink.

ria rolled her eyes and sighed. “look i don’t know who you think you are, but bad pickup lines don’t work on me. now please keep it down, this is your only warning.”

his brow furrowed in confusion. “huh, that line usually works. on women and men.”

“wow, so not only are you drunk and disorderly, you’re a prick too.”

“that’s part of my charm. wait, don’t you know who i am?”

she squinted against the hallway light behind him to take in his appearance as he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. his dark brown hair was styled and she could see the lines of a tattoo on his neck disappearing into his black shirt.

“nope. and you’re lucky i’m about to be off duty and hate paperwork, asshole.”

“or what, you’ll punch me? kick my ass? you don’t seem like the type, sweetheart,” he chuckled, clearly hoping to draw a reaction from her.

if he wasn’t drunk and if the porch light was brighter, he’d probably notice that she absolutely looked like the type that would punch him – with her leather jacket, combat boots, spiked earrings, and clenched fists at the ready.

ria pursed her lips, contemplating for a fraction of a second whether she might get in trouble. fuck it, she thought, there weren’t any witnesses and this guy probably won’t remember anything in the morning.

she sucker punched him in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain before walking away.

“keep the noise down, or else. sunshine.”

she turned on her heel and headed back down the hill. the smile on raleigh’s face widened. it had been a long time since someone was able to keep him on his toes. he was definitely intrigued by… shit, he thought, realizing that he didn’t even know her name.

he ran after her and at the feel of him grabbing her arm, ria whirled around and shifted to a defensive stance, one hand on the taser.

“whoa, sorry,” he said, holding his hand out. “i didn’t catch your name. i’m raleigh.”

“officer ria knight with the wayhaven police department. what do you want?”

raleigh smiled. “i wanted to ask if you’d like to hang out for a while. since you’re off duty now.”

ria raised an eyebrow. “and what makes you think that’s a good idea?”

he shrugged. “this town seemed pretty boring until you showed up. it doesn’t happen often that someone doesn’t recognize me. i like that.”

“you’re a real piece of work,” she said sarcastically.

raleigh just chuckled. “come on, just one drink. or do i need to blast the music and bother more neighbors so you have to come all the way back here again?”

she pursed her lips thoughtfully. it had been a while since she was able to let off steam. and at least if she hung around for a little while, she could make sure they kept the noise down.

she’d also be lying if she said she wasn’t somewhat interested in hooking up with him. he was very easy on the eyes.

why not? it’s not like i have to worry about running into him again, she thought.

“alright, let’s see what’s so great about your party,” she said, following him back to the house.

six months later, sometime after the carnival

raleigh: [hey ria, it’s been a while. i’m passing by town again and wanted to know if you’re up for a drink?]

ria stared at her phone, a small smile unknowingly appearing on her face. she quickly typed a reply, agreeing to meet him at chen’s bar in half an hour.

“what are you smiling at?” tina teased. “is it from your vampire boyfriend?”

“mason and i are just casually hooking up, you know that,” ria said, rolling her eyes. “remember that mansion party i checked out after your shift a few months back? the guy i hooked up with is back in town again and wants to meet up, that’s all.”

tina’s eyes widened. “oh yeah, you never told me the details! was he hot?”

“see for yourself,” ria said, showing tina the text conversation between her and raleigh, which included him sending her photos of himself and a girlfriend a few months ago.

“do you know who this is? raleigh freaking carrera!”

“yeah, that’s his name, what’s the big deal?”

tina quickly sat in ria’s chair and pulled up the web browser on her computer. ria scanned the headlines and photos that appeared in the search results.

“wow. no wonder he had such an attitude.”

“sounds like he was great in bed then,” tina chuckled, squealing when ria punched her arm.

she grabbed her jacket. “i’m going to meet up with him at the bar before heading home. see you tomorrow!”

it was a short walk to the bar, but the last thing she expected was for unit bravo to be standing out front, looking incredibly out of place.

well, except for mason, who was leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette. he fit right in with the rest of the smokers off to the side.

“what are you all doing here?”

nate smiled. “we thought we’d enjoy a night out as a team. and make sure you were safe, of course.”

ria raised an eyebrow at the last statement before shrugging. “alright then. i’m meeting an old friend, so i’ll catch up with you later,” she gave them all a small wave as they headed inside.

only mason lingered, putting out his cigarette against the wall before sauntering over to her. he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“so, are we going to your place after?”

ria smirked. “bold of you to assume we’re going anywhere together tonight.”

“still trying to play hard-to-get, sweetheart? you know you want me just as badly,” he chuckled, leaning in to give her a deep kiss.

one that made her forget where she was for a moment, her toes curling inside her boots and fingers wrapping themselves in the hem of his shirt.

“i’ll see you inside,” he murmured before heading in.

he was just about to close the door behind him when raleigh appeared and made his way over to ria.

she turned toward him with a smile, not realizing that mason was still within earshot, even with the chatter of the bar crowd behind him.

“hey there, sweetheart,” raleigh said, his emphasis on the word ‘sweetheart’ was clearly sarcastic, but it still made mason’s shoulders tense.

she punched him playfully in the ribs before wrapping an arm around his waist in a sidehug.

“good to see you, carrera.”

mason watched from the corner booth as raleigh and ria sat at the bar, her back facing him. he couldn’t quite hear what they were saying over all the noise around them, and it made him far more irritated than it should.

ria on the other hand, was oblivious to mason’s gaze on her. it was strange, having casual conversation with someone she hooked up with months ago, but it was easy to fall into light banter with raleigh. it probably helped that neither of them were interested in each other anymore, not with raleigh fully committed to his popstar girlfriend and with mason never being far from her mind.

not that mason needed to know that.

“it was great catching up,” raleigh said, leaning in to give her a hug.

ria was not one for casual hugs, and she was surprised at how comfortable she was with raleigh.

“not to freak you out or anything, but pretty sure there’s someone in the corner staring at you. he actually looks like he wants to murder me,” he murmured in her ear, taking care to challenge mason’s glare with one of his own.

ria chuckled. “don’t worry, i can handle him. take care of yourself, carrera.”

he gave her a mock salute before heading out and ria sauntered over to unit bravo’s booth, grabbing mason’s beer from his hand.

“hey sunshine,” she said, giving him a wink before situating herself next to felix.

“who was that, ria? you definitely looked cozy,” felix teased, eyes darting between her and mason.

she could see mason’s body tense. “just a friend,” she said honestly, looking directly at mason.

he held her gaze for a few seconds before looking away, snatching felix’s beer and chugging it. ria took a sip of her own to hide her smile at how the tension in his body seemed to dissipate.

* * * * * taglist: @kelseaaa; @kat-tia801; @anotherbeingsworld; @crackerdumortain; @gloynporslen; @sosolenoo; @alyssalauren; @fhauvilles; @wayhavenots; @gingerbreton; @takemyopenheart; @pearlsandsteel; @writer-ish;

raleigh tag (non-choices oc fyi): @raleigh-edward; @dulceghernandez; @otherworldlypresents; @brycesgirl​; @robintora;

[sstylesby]

Now booking for All Star & Ciaa weekend ✨ Get styled for $60 #s_stylesby . . . #allstarweekend #ciaaweekend #2k19 #fashion #fashionstylist #fashionstyle #charlottenc #raleigh #durham #greenboro #stylish #vh1loveandhiphop #vh1 #bravo #bedifferent #beauty #picoftheday #stylist #styleinspo https://www.instagram.com/p/BswMUsvlf0R/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=g34hnsjshqqt

[iam-gotham]

🎼The Music Room, a safe space for your breakdowns

 a continuous ever growing list of artists/bands compiled by @iam-gotham for the listening pleasure of others✨if you have any recommendations for me, please feel free to share your music knowledge :)

numerals: 

The 1975 2WEI 5 Seconds of Summer

a for ‘apple’:

Against the Current Aja Alaska Thunderfuck Alec Benjamin Alessia Cara All Time Low The All-American Rejects THE ANXIETY Arctic Monkeys Ariana Grande Ashnikko Avril Lavigne AWOLNATION

b is for ‘bravo’:

Bastille Bea Miller Billie Eilish blackbear Bring Me The Horizon

c is for ‘Charlie’:

Cavetown Charlie Puth CHVRCHES Cigarettes After Sex COIN Cold War Kids Conan Gray

D is for ‘delta’:

Demi Lovato Doja Cat Dua Lipa

E is for ‘echo’:

Echosmith Eleanor Tomlinson Eminem

F is for ‘foxtrot’:

Fall Out Boy Falling In Reverse Fifth Harmony FINNEAS First Aid Kit Flo Millie Florence + The Machine

G is for ‘golf’:

George Ezra Gorillaz Green Day Grimes Grouplove

H is for ‘hotel’:

Halsey Hannah Montana Hans Zimmer Harry Styles Hayley Kiyoko Hayley Williams Hey Violet Hiroyuki Sawano The Honeysticks (new!) Hozier

I is for ‘India’:

I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME Imagine Dragons Iwan Rheon

J is for ‘Juliet’:

Jaden James Bay Jeremy Zucker

K is for ‘kilo’:

Kehlani King Princess Kurt Hugo Schneider

L is for ‘lima’:

L’Orchestra Cinematique Labrinth Lauren Jauregui Lauv Linkin Park Lizzo Lo-Rem (new!) Lorde Louis Tomlinson The Lumineers

M is for ‘Mike’:

Mac Miller Madison Beer Marilyn Monroe MARINA MAX Miley Cyrus MISSIO mxmtoon My Chemical Romance

N is for ‘November’:

The National The Neighbourhood New Politics Niall Horan Nicki Minaj Nina Nesbitt

O is for ‘Oscar’:

Official HIGE DANdism Oh Wonder Olivia O’Brien One Direction OneRepublic Orla Garland Other People’s Heartache

P is for ‘papa’:

Panic! at The Disco Paramore The Pretty Reckless PVRIS

Q is for ‘Quebec’:

Queen

R is for ‘Romeo’:

Raleigh Ritchie Ramin Djawadi Ricky Montgomery Rihanna Royal Blood The Runaways

S is for ‘Sierra’:

Sam Tsui The Score The Script Set It Off Sidney Gish Skylar Gray Sleeping At Last Sleeping With Sirens Superfruit Superorganism SZA

T is for ‘tango’:

Tessa Violet Three Days Grace Tom Odell Tommee Profitt Tove Lo Troye Sivan Twenty-One Pilots

W is for ‘whiskey’:

We Are The In Crowd The Weekend Weezer WILLOW The Wombats

Y is for ‘yankee’:

YOASOBI Yung Baby Tate

Honourable Mentions (i.e. some cool motion picture soundtracks/musical recordings & like one Christmas album):

Anastasia (Original Broadway Cast Recording) – Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Beauty and the Beast / Beauty and the Beast Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Deluxe Edition) – Birds of Prey: The Album – Black Panther The Album Music From and Inspired by – Burlesque Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Camp Rock OST – Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam – Chicago (Music from the Miramax Motion Picture)

Dreamgirls (Music From the Motion Picture, Deluxe Edition)

Fifty Shades of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Fifty Shades Freed (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Fifty Shades Darker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – For the Throne (Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones) – Frozen II (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Deluxe Edition)

Hercules (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Bonus Track Version) – High School Musical (The Collection) – The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Deluxe Version) – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Into the Woods (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Lady Bird (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) – La La Land (The Complete Music Experience) – Lilo and Stich – The Lion King: Special Edition Original Soundtrack (English Edition) – Little Mermaid (Special Edition)

Mama Mia! The Movie Soundtrack – Mama Mia! Here We Go Again (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Marvellous Mrs Maisel Season 1 (Music From The Prime Original Series) – Marvellous Mrs Maisel Season 2 (Music From The Prime Original Series) – Marvellous Mrs Maisel Season 3 (Music From The Prime Original Series) – Moana (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Deluxe Edition – Moulin Rouge! – Mulan – Music From The Netflix Original Series The Politician

The Nightmare Before Christmas Special Edition

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Original Soundtrack)

Six: The Musical (Studio Cast Recording) – Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack From and Inspired by the Motion Picture) – Sucker Punch (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Suicide Squad: The Album (Collector’s Edition)

Tangled – Twilight Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (International Special Edition) – The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

A Very Special Spidey Christmas

Warmer In The Winter (Deluxe Edition)

[pan-era-musings]

Doing the right thing can suck

There are things in life that you cannot prepare for no matter how you try: the death of a parent or spouse, losing a job and having to do exactly the opposite of what a family member wants.

That is where I am today.

Monday at 1330 I will be meeting with Family Court staff and an attorney to beginning the process of being declared my sister’s legal guardian and having my sister removed from her home and placed in assisted living.

Why?  Here’s a dose of reality.

Susan has reached the point where she cannot take care of herself, full stop.  She is hiding things and lying to her doctors and social worker about what she’s doing and her medical condition.

She refuses to let anyone into her bedroom or bathroom to clean.

Her diabetes is out of control.  She is not following medical advice from her doctor or her nurses.  She has no feeling below her waist.  three years ago she was crushed in an auto accident - she blacked out driving 40 mph and hit a tree.

Why did she black out?  Uncontrolled diabetes sent her into diabetic shock.  She broke her back in ten places, broke ribs.  Add diabetes to the mix and it’s not pretty.

Her pain level is at minimum a six, usually an eight.  She refuses to take any pain medication, including Tylenol.

She has tremors in her hands courtesy of a small inoperable brain tumor.  There might be a medical option to help but she refuses to allow any testing.

She’s Incontinent and has uncontrolled bowel movements.

Her short term memory is sketchy.

She is chronically depressed.

Two year ago I stopped in Raleigh on my way to Virginia to see her after the death of our brother Scott.  We had barely talked in 30 some odd years.  Not all siblings like each other.

I had no idea how bad off she was.  She was barely able to take care of herself. Trash was piled on the floor. i stayed to lend a hand until she could decide what to do.  I had no inkling two years later I would still be here taking care of her.

Taking care of a loved one is a thankless, incredibly difficult job.

Yes, it’s a job and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

for the longest time I acted as chef, bottle washer, house keeper, chauffeur and all around servant.  Each time she angered or fired the home health nurses I had to learn how to be a diabetic wound nurse and change dressings as often as I was allowed (I may go get my LPN license now that I have some experience).

I managed to get to the gym and on hikes daily but i was always within 20 minutes of the house. Not that this really mattered because Susan doesn’t like phones, never answers them. 

I always assume when i enter the living room I will find her dead.

As the months progressed things got worse as she got worse.  Trips the ER happened regularly.  As soon as she was stabilized she would check herself out.  Her doctors and medical help were constantly complaining about her nasty attitude, her  condescending  attitude with anyone who wasn’t a doctor.  Because she has a PhD in Psychology she regarded all non-doctors are little more than the help an that she is a peer with her doctors. 

She repeatedly screams at me and anyone who crossed her (code for not agreeing with her).

If you try to tell her something she doesn’t like, she will close her eyes and rock.

They also complained that they had to clean up her messes after each visit.

Twice home health companies fired her because of her lack of personal hygiene and the filthy conditions they had to work under.

The home health companies jointly filed a “concern report” with NC Adult Protective Services.  One visit convinced them Susan’s lifestyle could not continue.

All the while I am trying to smooth ruffled feathers and attempting to keep what I can clean.

Please believe me when I tell you my writing is the cleaned up, trying to be compassionate and kind version of what goes on here.

It had to stop.  I am in so far over my head.

No matter what your feeling are for a family member or a loved one there does come a time where you have to say enough is enough. i just can’t do this any anymore.  I waited too long. I should have done this long ago.

And yes, I have learned a great deal about myself the past two years.  I am much more compassionate.  i understand the true meaning of service to others. I understand putting someone’s life ahead of your own.  I am a so much better person for being here for my sister.

I am told that what family caregivers get wrong is they have to provide the care. 

You do not. 

I’m sure some out there are wonderfully qualified to become their loved ones nurse and can handle anything that comes up.  Bravo to you.  You have skills and a mentality I do not possess. 

For a time i felt guilty for even considering “abandoning” my sister. That was wrong of me.

There is no guilt or shame in admitting you can’t handle a situation of any kind, especially one like this.

I no longer feel guilty.  I don’t feel guilty for doing this behind her back.

I feel good because like it or not, she will get the medical help she desperately needs.

I wish I could do more.  I can’t.

I feel good because I will soon get my life back.

You may think my attitude is cold and heartless.  My attitude is allowing me to get my sister the best care possible so perhaps she can live out her life in better shape than she is today.  That will be up to her.  The medical team and I can only do so much.  The rest is up to her.

[in-maidjan]

4, 7, 10, 20, 23 for all your detectives

4. Can they handle blood/gore?

Raleigh Batiste

Raleigh can handle it but with a grimace, he won’t let it get in the way of his job but it does bother him.

Eve Rosenfeld

Eve is a little squeamish but like Raleigh, she’ll get on with the job. It does shock her from time to time if she isn’t expecting it.

Tori De Vries

Tori can stomach it with no problems, but she would always prefer not to.

Julien Venner

Julien can handle blood but not gore and discovering Garret with his wound was a nasty shock.

7. Who is their Love Interest and why?

Raleigh Batiste

Raleigh’s LI is Mason, because personally I am just a big sucker for M’s character overall and I love that even with all the flirting you can have some genuinely cute moments with Mason, like the office-smoking scenes and at the hospital in saying you’ll make the search of Murphy’s office quick.

Eve Rosenfeld

Eve’s LI is Nate is 1) wanted someone for every route so Evie was made for Nate lol 2) I came across a cool fc and wanted to use it asdfg. N’s route is super sweet but also surprisingly saucy and I genuinely love Nate’s endearment to the detective!

Tori De Vries

Tori’s LI is Adam/Ava because I truly cannot decide which version of the A route I love best but overall I adore A’s route through and through, I really love the pushback and the slowburn of A’s route in comparison to the others and I think it suits Tori best, she’s got plenty of feelings in the mix and especially in the route with Ava, I don’t think she quite knows what to do with those feelings herself.

Julien Venner

Julien’s LI is Felix as for the reason, same with Evie I wanted someone for each route lol but overall I really like the dynamic of “friendly bubbly vampire and incredibly endeared and bemused detective.” Honestly after book two, I think it’s my favourite route because of the choices I made at the carnival and then with the Trappers later. I felt genuinely compelled to make the “wrong choice” because of how I played the route originally and have not one single regret, and the fact that I was that compelled makes it my favourite route.

10. How well did they handle the reveal that the supernatural exists?

Answered here!

20. What is their personality?

Raleigh Batiste

Raleigh is borderline genuine and sarcastic for sure, he can be sweet but also pretty snarky at times. Heart-over-mind, very much a team player, and charming. This may change tho cause I’m gonna replay his route (all the route’s really) at some point!

Eve Rosenfeld

Eve is quieter and stoic, but she’s friendly too in her own way and mostly genuinely. She’s a little more intimidating than she is charming but not by much. Definitely a mind-over-heart detective, and pretty by the books too.

Tori De Vries

Tori is intimidating for sure but she’s quite heart-over-mind, a bit rash and reckless, but she cares more than anything. She’s more independent but it trying to be a team player, Unit Bravo really grows on her.

Julien Venner

Julien can also be pretty sarcastic, but I think he’s more genuine than anything, definitely heart-over-mind, and charming. Bit of an incorrigible flirt at times too, and not very by-the-books.

23. Their gender/sexuality?

Answering this one all together because Raleigh is gay, but Eve, Tori, and Julien are all bi! As for gender, male for Raleigh and Julien and fem for Eve and Tori.

[smilingformoney]

Platinum Diamond Scene: Planetarium with Raleigh

You give Raleigh a small nod, and they duck off down the hallway. After waiting a moment, you follow them away from the party. The only person here you’re not supposed to be seen with.

You slip behind the velvet rope and into a cavernous, completely empty hall… the planetarium. Raleigh stands at the far end of the room, looking up at the enormous, glowing ceiling.

You: … -Foxtrot wants to rendezvous at Narrow River. Do you copy?

You: Check your three o’clock. Raleigh: Is this your sad attempt at speaking in code? You: The Eagle has landed! Yankee. Hotel. Charlie. Bravo. Raleigh: Now you’re just saying random words.

-I’ve been waiting for you all night.

You: Took you long enough. Raleigh: I like to take my sweet time. You: This better be worth the wait. Raleigh: I always make sure of that.

You: So… what did you want to speak about? Raleigh: Just wanted to get away from the crowd… and get a break from putting on that show. You: Is that all? You take a step closer. Raleigh takes a long, slow breath out. Raleigh: God, Cadence. You have no idea what you do to me, do you? You: I have a few ideas, actually. But I want you to tell me. Raleigh takes a sip of their drink, thinking. Raleigh: Having to fake being apart from you got me realising a few things, that’s all. My whole life, I’ve watched people use each other. So many people are just interested in the concept of celebrity status. Raleigh: So I played the game. Never trusting anyone. You: I’m sure that must have been difficult. Raleigh: But it’s different with you. You make me… not want to be that person anymore. When I’m with you, it’s the only time I feel anything real.

You: Raleigh… -I feel the same way about you.

You: I know we publicly broke up, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise. Raleigh: Right. Now we can just… be together. With no spectators. You: You know, I really like the sound of that. Besides, there’s some fun in sneaking around.

-I’m thankful for your friendship too.

You: I’ll always be here for you, Raleigh. Raleigh: That’s good to know.

You cast a quick glance over your shoulder. The planetarium is still empty. Raleigh: So… looks like we have this whole space to ourselves. What should we do with it?

You: We should… -Kiss.

Raleigh: Mm. I agree. Raleigh pulls you toward them, and they kiss you, hard. You rake your hands through their hair, gasping into their open mouth. You: God, I hate that we can’t do this in public. Raleigh: If I kissed you like this in public, it’d be an international scandal. Your mouths meet again, your hands wandering. Their arm loops behind your back, pulling you closer.

You: I want to… -Stay here and do unspeakable things to you.

Raleigh: Oh, god. That’s it. That’s the final straw. Get over here. Raleigh lifts you up, and you wind your legs around her waist. They carry you over to the wall, to a glass display case full of planets. You: Wow. You’ve got me up against the wall. Someone’s been working out. Raleigh: Someone’s been wanting to do this with you for a long, long time. You: You know what I want? I want you to rip these clothes off me. You: I mean, remove these clothes very, very carefully, so Zadie doesn’t kill me. Raleigh: Happy to oblige. Raleigh gets to work on your clothes. Their hands are soft. You’ve never seen them this careful, this tender. You lift your hands and start on their clothes, too, loving the warmth of their skin under your hands. Raleigh: Well. Now that we’ve taken care of all those annoying clothes… Raleigh lifts you up again, pinning you against the glass of the display case. They hold you there with one arm. The other slips between your legs. You groan, loud. Raleigh: Shh. People will hear you.

You: (I should…) -Stay quiet.

You let Raleigh cover your mouth with one hand, as you moan against it, the sound muffled. Raleigh grins. They tug on your hair as they speed up, their rhythm going even faster. You: Please… You make sure to whisper, even if you feel like shouting their name.

-Not care who hears.

You: Maybe I want them to. Raleigh grins. They tug on your hair as they speed up, their rhythm going even faster. You gasp, and you don’t care how loud you’re being.

You: Raleigh, please… I need you to… I need you to… Raleigh: Yes. Yes, Cadence. God, you’re so beautiful like this. Raleigh begins to rock back and forth, their hips against yours, faster and faster… They bury themselves in the curve of your neck, plating kisses against the sensitive skin. You: Raleigh, if you keep going like this, I’m going to… I’m going to… Raleigh: You’re going to…? Come on, Cadence. Finish the sentence. You: I can’t… I can’t talk… I… You feel a wave of hear rip through your body, and you throw your head back, arching your spine, rattling the glass. A moment later, Raleigh lets out a low, deep moan. They fall against you, their chest heaving. You: Raleigh… That was… unbelievable. Raleigh: You killed me. You slowly detach form each other, breathing heavily, your hair all tousled. You: I should get dressed again. Raleigh: Okay. You should go out before me. And make sure you don’t look too debauched. You: Of course. Wouldn’t want anyone to suspect we were up to anything. You lean in for one last long kiss. And then another. And another. …Actually, you might be here for a while. Raleigh: Damn, Cadence… Raleigh wraps their arms around you as the constellations spin above you.

-Stay like this.

Raleigh: Definitely. Why don’t we stargaze a little while we do it? You: Good call. You carefully lower yourself to the floor, staring up at the heavenly bodies above. After a second, you feel Raleigh lying next to you. Raleigh: It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I wish I could just… come here. All the time. You: Maybe you could convince your team to let you shoot a music video here. Raleigh: Shooting a video in a museum? How very Jay and Yonce. You: Hey, if anyone could pull it off, it’d be you. You lean back into each other for another kiss. Raleigh wraps her arms around you as the constellations spin above you.

-Watch the stars.

You carefully lower yourself to the floor, staring up at the heavenly bodies above. After a second, you feel Raleigh lying next to you. Raleigh: It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I wish I could just… come here. All the time. You: May be you could convince your team to let you shoot a music video here. Raleigh: Shooting a video in a museum? How very Jay and Yonce. You: Hey, if anyone could pull it off, it’d be you. Together, you watch the constellations spins above.

[packedwithpackards]

"A man of wealth": Samuel Packard, the Rhode Island slaver [part 3]

[21] "Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Brown University" within Report of the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice, 2006, updated in 2020, accessed July 14, 2021; "Brown, John to Brown, Moses: November 17, 1797," Brown University Library, Brown Digital Repository, accessed July 14, 2021.

[22] "Rhode Island Marriages, 1724-1916", database, FamilySearch, 22 January 2020, Samuel Packard, 1789, p 345, image 569 of 690, within the section entitled "St. Paul's Church--Marriages,"; of Vital record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850, Vol 10, p. 345 within the section “St. Paul’s Church marriages”; M.R.N., "James Earl (1761 – 1796)," AMERICAN GALLERY – 18th Century, Aug. 12, 2014, accessed July 12, 2021; "James Earl: Portrait of Abigail Congdon Packard, ca. 1795," RISD Museum, accessed July 12, 2021; Korr, Mary. "Dr. Throop exemplifies new RISD Museum show: Making It in America," Rhode Island Medical Journal, Nov. 2013, p. 76; "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch, accessed 15 July 2021), Samuel Packard, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing p. 197, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 45; FHL microfilm 218,680; "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch, accessed 15 July 2021), Samuel Packard, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing p. 187, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 10; FHL microfilm 568,150.

[23] "Clipped From Weekly Raleigh Register," Weekly Raleigh Register, Raleigh, North Carolina, 30 Apr 1804, Page 3; "Fraud on Underwriters,"  The Evening Post, New York, New York, 13 Apr 1804, p. 3; Jones, George Farquar, Family Record of the Jones Family of Milford, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island: With Its Connections and Descendants, Together with the Ancestry and Family of Lorania Carrington Jones, Wife of George F. Jones (George Farquar Jones: Philadelphia, 1884), 43; John Marshall Varnum, A Sketch of the Life and Public Services of Joseph Bradley Varnum of Massachusetts (US: David Clapp & Son, 1906), 19; "A Voyage from Providence to Alexandria, VA. in 1788," Book Notes, Vol. 5, no. 17, Aug. 18, 1888, 117. Also, in 1785, some "dogs were accompanied from France to New York by young John Quincy Adams and were shipped from New York to Mount Vernon in Capt. S. Packard’s sloop Dove," according to letters in August (also see here) and September 1785.

[24] P and S sections of "Owners and Occupants of the Lots, Houses and Shops in the Town of Providence Rhode Island in 1798," RIGenWeb Project, accessed July 14, 2021, transcribed by Henry R. Chace's book of the same name. Also see this comparison of residents in 1759 and 1798.

[25] The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, otherwise known as the Trafficking Protocol defines human trafficking, speciically in article 3(a). I'm not the first person to note this, as Karen Bravo in Open Democracy compared transatlantic slavery and contemporary human trafficking, as has Stevie J. Swanson in the Florida A & M University Law Review, UN Office on Drugs & Crime, UN Secretary General in 2008.

Some, however, have rejected the comparison between the two, saying they are distinct, as has Emily Smith, Curator of Contemporary Forms of Slavery, International Slavery Museum, writing about this comparison.

[26] "Accessions and Gifts: June 15, 1923 to March 14, 1924," Bulletin of the Rhode Island School of Design, Vol. XII, April 1924, p. 19; Robert Grandchamp, Jane Lancaster, and Cynthia Ferguson, "Original Members of PMCA" within "Rhody Redlegs": A History of the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery and the 103d Field Artillery, Rhode Island Army National Guard, 1801-2010 (US: McFarland, 2011), 214.

[27] White Jr., "A Rhode Islander Goes West to Indiana (1817-1818)," 22-23; Cole, J. R. History of Washington and Kent Counties, Rhode Island (New York: W.W.Preston & Co., 1889), 392-393.

[28] Ancestry.com; Rhode Island, Wills and Probate Records, 1582-1932; Probate and Town Council Records, Vol 9-13, 1756-1795; image 231, transcribed by Ben Costantino of the Rhode Island Manumissions Project. Also listed is Frances Congdon who had a Black girl "named Desire" and two older Black people, Tenny and Tom.

[29] "Part 1 of Packard's statement" within The Washingtonian, Windsor, Vermont, 07 Oct 1811, page 3; "Part 2 of Packard's statement" within The Washingtonian, Windsor, Vermont, 07 Oct 1811, page 3.

[30] "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch, accessed 15 July 2021), Samuel Packard, West District, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing p. 69, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 58; FHL microfilm 281,232.

[31] Vital record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850, Vol 10, page 382.

[32] "An Act to Prevent the Slave Trade and the Encourage the Abolition of Slavery," October 31, 1787, pages 6-7 of 8, via Rhode Island State Archives Digital Archive page "Quaker petition for abolition of slave trade, June 1787." The fine for violating the law is 100 pounds (and he violated it four times), while the fee for violating Slave Trade Act of 1794 was $2,000. The conversion of Rhode Island pounds to dollars was one pound to one dollar, according to information compiled here.

[33] Fikes also notes that "family history shapes who we and where we come from and what we have access to, today." She also criticizes White historians for sitting on information and only releasing it when they are comfortable to do so.

[micha-fm]

Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is a hell of a name for an album. And a hell of a trip through Arctic Monkeys’ new music.

I sit here writing this blog post bitterly in my apartment because I didn’t manage to have the balls to go to Raleigh by myself tonight for the Arctic Monkeys concert. Yeah, it’s my own fault, but I’m dealing with it by blasting their new album in my ears. I decided this would be a good time to do a quick recap of that very album that came out about a month ago.

5 years. 5 long years it’s been since the last Arctic Monkeys album, and it’s finally here in physical (well digital for me) form. Granted, I haven’t been a fan from the very beginning. I don’t think I had even heard of the Arctic Monkeys until 2015 when my best friend played me AM, and I totally fell in love with Alex Turner, his style, his voice, and the vibe of Arctic Monkeys. There’s something about their retro sound that is just so unique and it’s been consistent album to album. So it’s no shock that Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino sounds like a science fiction film soundtrack from the ‘70s. 

Originally I wasn’t sure as to how I felt about this album. That’s the reason I really haven’t taken the time to write about it until now. I really wanted to dive in and listen to it several times before I decided my opinion. In doing so I ended up falling down a YouTube hole of interviews on the album, and somehow wound up at “Alex Turner being a meme for 4 minutes” videos. A+ by the way, highly recommend. Anyway, I do think it’s quite different than their older albums. It’s got more of a sense of storytelling between songs. Listening to the songs feels as if you’re actually staying at the hotel, a very trippy hotel at that.

I do like it. I think I like it more being played together than separately; meaning that I probably wouldn’t throw this into a playlist with songs that aren’t by Arctic Monkeys just because of the intensely distinct sound of it. I feel like that would be like pressing shuffle on a Broadway soundtrack, messing with the narrative. It isn’t my favorite album to date, but I really think this a brilliant and cohesive body of work. It’s interesting and different in subject matter and has the signature Arctic Monkeys retro sound. 

I think if I had to pick favorite songs I’d go with the opening track “Star Treatment,” and the 3 tracks at the end of the album “She Looks Like Fun,” “Batphone,” and “The Ultracheese.” “Star Treatment” and “The Ultracheese” have a bit more of a lighter, swaying kind of lounge-singer feel, where as “Batphone” and “She Looks Like Fun” are a bit more dark and rock and roll. I think there’s a decent balance of sound on this album. It’s run time is relatively short at 40 minutes, but I think a lot is accomplished in that time span; any more may have felt too long. 

Bravo Arctic Monkeys, so sad I’m not currently looking at your beautiful faces and am staring at my computer screen instead. Now don’t wait 5 more years to give us another album. Please and thank you <3

-Micha