#but it did help me work out some characterization issues i was running into in that fic!

[miafeystits]

hm i might have. almost finished writing something. stay tuned.

[helluvagyal]

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐮𝐩

Starring: Adam, Vox and Alastor x gn!reader !

Content: MDNI, smau, cursing, derogatory name calling in both vox and adam's art (by them and you), alastor's part is in the format of him sending a letter. I named Alastor's shadow Facilier because I wanted to.

A/N: It was fun writing this tbh. @hellvcifer specially requested Adam and then I had them re-read some of his part to see if i got the characterization right.

ADAM

VOX

ALASTOR

An eggshell white envelope lands on the table in front of you. Looking up from your well kept copy of House of Leaves, you see Rosie is standing beside the bone carved table, her large eyes flitting expectantly between you and the mail obviously intended for you.

Closing the book with a sigh, you hand it to Rosie before picking up the letter and inspecting it; Your name is written on the front in loopy but neat handwriting and the back is sealed with red wax that's been stamped with Alastor's crest, a Whitetail Deer skull. You heat the letter opener over the candle flame beside you before sliding it under the seal to melt it. Once opened, you gently slide the parchment out but not yet unfolding it.

"Would you like me to stay?" Rosie rests a comforting hand on your shoulder, her smile softening when you nod gratefully.

"Yes, please." You watch as she folds her skirts before taking a seat in the armchair across from you.

You haven't heard a peep from Alastor since you two decided to end your relationship, and while amicable, you couldn't help but feel nervous about receiving a letter from him.

Hesitantly, you unfold the deer skin parchment and begin to quietly read to yourself.

My dear,

I have penned this letter numerous times, trying my hardest to get my thoughts out in a way the both of us will find acceptable. Firstly, I must apologize for being scarce, the hotel has been keeping me very busy recently as I decided that I needed to throw myself into work as a way to cope. I am well aware that at some point, we both wanted different things, to achieve individual goals that would not have bode well for us in the long run if we had decided to stay together.

Be that as it may, I would be lying if I had said that I had not grown fond of you and our tête-à-têtes. I did not think I would have enjoyed hunting together as a date night option but yet again, you have managed to make me eat my words, sha. Time apart has made me come to the realization that even though we are no longer in intimate relations, that does not mean I do not want you in my life.

My apologies again, as I know that by me avoiding you must have made you think the worst of me, I regret that moment of weakness on my part as I could have pictured the hurt you must have felt every time you hoped to see me but I did not show.

The chance to talk over tea and pastries at Rosie's would just be the bees knees, I so would like to issue these apologies again in person—but I just couldn't imagine writing this letter without doing it here first. According to Facilier, you seem to be looking well and it is not that I do not trust its judgement, I would just like to see you for myself.

I look forward to hearing from you again, sha.

Yours,

Alastor

© helluvagyal ‧ all rights reserved. do not plagiarize, translate, share, or copy my work.

[heybiji]

hi i found your page cause of your Masks art!!

imma be running a game of masks and was wondering if you have any tips

Oh hello! Very cool you're gonna run a MASKS game, it can be a lot of fun!

I'm not sure how helpful my advice will be since I'm still learning and am not sure how well I actually run the game haha, but for starters there's a whole lot of great advice on Reddit that will help with the mechanics and the structure of the game. In my opinion, the Principles section in the GM part of the core book is critical and succinct and is great advice for running ttrpgs in general.

my top advice is:

"We play to get the next issue picked up!"

Play the game like we want people to buy the next issue and not put the series down! Take chances! Make big choices! Make it interesting! Be bold!!

other things:

Theme. Establish the themes of your story early on. This will help you understand how the world and story should respond to the PCs. And make the themes interesting to you! For example, beyond the general coming-of-age story themes already built into the character arcs, I lean heavily into the concepts of fame, celebrity, and the 24-hour news cycle. And all the things that were going on in the early 2000s.

Be a Fan of the PCs. This is my favorite rule from The Principles. Make sure all your players soak this rule in. The MASKS mechanics mean characters will often make less-than-optimal decisions, so players must feel supported in their character choices. You should be a fan of the characters, and so should your players! They should want to help bring out every character's arc, not just their own.

Treating Human Life as Meaningful is what Makes Threats Real. This is another principle, but yeah, make the world's NPCs feel like they matter, and that will make the world worth protecting. Treat them as people. Give everyone Drives, not just your Villains. Mentally treating even non-villain NPCs as having Conditions can do a lot to help with characterization.

Condense. Condense your world, your NPCs, make the world feel smaller. In our game, for example, having the Protege's mentor also be the same superhero who saved the Delinquent years ago was a great decision.

Playlists. I have a bunch of different playlists for the campaign, from a big one of music of the time (our game is set in 2004) to playlists for important NPCs, to playlists I asked my players to curate for their characters. Music inspires me a bunch, a song can help create a villain for me, and I also like choosing a different "ending" song for every episode based on whatever happened.

Stories. Okay, here's the thing. I don't really care much for superhero stories. Why did I choose to run MASKS, you ask? Because of the emotion-based mechanics. That's my shit. But anyway, I don't take in much superhero media... But I do LOVE movies and television and stories in general, and I think taking in a lot of "short stories" is helpful to develop an instinct on how to pace a story, make a character or moment memorable, etc. And because MASKS has an episodic nature, this is extremely important! The sheer amount of movies I've watched has helped me a whole bunch, since they have to get the Beginning, Middle, and End done within such a short time frame.

Don't Wait. This is an instinct I've picked up from some of my favorite media. Don't wait for The big important moment. Make a lot of big important moments, and make the characters have to make a lot of important choices, and keep the momentum going. Paint yourself into a corner and then force yourself to think of ways out! It makes the story more interesting. (this may not apply to everyone, I get this kind of mindset from shows like Breaking Bad and Succession, which for your story could be too much haha)

Everyone Works. Okay, I am not a benevolent, sweet GM, I will not smile with tears in my eyes and quietly work away and accept that without complaint. no way. I make my players help me a lot. I'm gonna whine. Guys I'm doing so much work! Guys this is hard! Weeehhh! MAKE THEM HELP YOU. RUNNING A GAME IS SOOOOO MUCH WORK OH MY GOD IT'S SOOOOOO MUCH WORK!!! Ask them to take notes! Ask them to treat the world with sincerity! Ask them to make NPCs! Ask them to play NPCs! Ask them to help fill out the world! Ask them to tell you what their character wants to do next so you have extra time to consider it! Ask them to make playlists for their characters to help you figure out how to engage with them! Don't let them just show up on playday!! I'm a "you get what you give" kind of GM. You're a player too and you deserve to enjoy the game as well, and having the other players help you helps a BUNCH. PUT THEM TO WORK.

what else. uh. visuals help a lot with engagement so i subscribed to a bunch of modern battlemap patreons. i run using Foundry which lists the rules upon every roll which is great for me, someone with horrid memory. if you're lucky and favored by god, you'll have a benevolent player that will be the scribe for your sessions and log everything down so they can be referred back to (again, great for someone like me with a horrid memory). remember to give focus to the PC's out-of-costume lives as well. make NPCs in response to your PCs (superheroes, villains, touch on something of a PC in the creation process). be silly. be serious. be sincere.

i'm still figuring out how to run the game, maybe i'll have better advice on a later day, but i hope this can help some! sorry this is longwinded and more a stream of consciousness than it is succinct.

[essycogany]

Why I Ship Sonic The Hedgehog and Amy Rose?

Hi! I’ve been a Sonic fan since 2022 and wanted to give insight on a beloved pairing from someone who’s only FRESH in this fandom. So I could give a somewhat recent perspective on something others might’ve grown up with.

Disclaimer: This is just my merriment of cartoon madness. Done for fun. It has my everywhere all at once speculations, and opinions. Spat into one big MESS. No problem if you disagree. I wish you all the best in whatever you create with your preferred take on these characters.

I take 0 credit for anything displayed in visuals.

Now, let’s get started!

Reason 1: What Got Me Into Sonamy

I want to recommend people who not only helped me understand the dynamic better, but did so while giving good insight on Amy’s character. Which is one of the most inconsistent in the ENTIRE franchise. Here they are! In no particular order.

Why Amy is a “Strong Female Character” [Sonic The Hedgehog Video Essay]

Channel: Taro Marshmallow on YouTube.

She helped me understand Amy’s character as a whole. I believe it’s important for people to comprehend Amy’s character in order for them to understand or like Sonamy. No one has to, but it sure was eye-opening for me. So, do of it what you will. I advise people to give it a watch for the AMAZING character analysis alone.

Molinaskies: On Tumblr, this person goes into serious analysis on Sonic’s emotional characterization, and Sonamy too. Words can’t describe how much I appreciate this ship the more I read about their dynamic from someone I can tell has fun doing it.

Sherrydoodlez: This person is the reason I became a Sonic and Sonamy fan at the same time. Once I saw her videos, I was HOOKED. She makes cute, fun, and outstanding Sonamy content on her YouTube channel. It’s mostly Boom!Sonamy animations with voice actors on some occasions. She makes other random Sonic animations as well. It’s a feel good channel you can watch to calm yourself as you head into a romantic cafe of servings you never knew you needed. Give her content a watch. It’s a jolly ride.

IDW (Specifically Issue #2 Page 21): I believe this is the statement which changed Sonic’s view about Amy. At the beginning, the blue blur was still on the run when Amy came around. But after fighting robots together and helping the villagers, Sonic admitted having fun. It could mean he grew more comfortable. Or just loves to fight robots regardless of who’s joining him.

Afterwards, Amy realized their negotiation about Sonic coming back to the resistance was a loss. She happily accepted it and accepted Sonic for who he is. Which made the feelings mutual on Sonic’s part in my opinion. He was even bashful while offering her to join him. Showing he didn’t mind having Amy around a bit longer. I know someone else stated this better, but I hope you get the point.

Sonamy is also the one ship that gets the most hints and jokes. From official writers, voice actors, (ESPECIALLY in Japan. Sonic and Amy’s VAs literally sung a love song IN CHARACTER for crying out loud.) X, Boom, Prime, artist, some of the games, and Sega themselves with their marketing.

Fact check me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure in Japan, Amy’s been called Sonic’s “Girlfriend,” plenty of times and some even theorize they're already together in the Japanese version of Sonic Frontiers.

(Which I’m positive is very intentional)

Can’t forget the creator of the characters Naoto Oshima stated on twitter, “Sonic has the eternal heart of a boy, but were he to one day mature, he’d choose Amy.” I believe if any ship in this franchise at least makes the most since, it’s Sonamy. I’m only scratching the surface, but we’d be here forever if I continued.

Reason 2: The Dynamic

I believe Sonamy works romantically and platonically. Sonic and Amy are best friends so their bond is already close in that regard. I think in times of peace they hang out. Which has been shown in IDW in the retail incentive covers of issue 1, 5th Anniversary.

The reason I think Amy’s the best choice for Sonic is because she can always keep up with him. She understands him and reads him like a book.

(Sonic doesn’t express himself very well, so that’d be a huge benefit.)

She brings an array of emotion out of him, and accepts him for who he is.

Amy wouldn’t slow him down because they’re relationship wouldn’t change at all. She’s always just as down for going out and exploring as he is. Being a hot-head, she’s not adverse for a bit of head busting with her hammer. Amy allows Sonic for a chance at a relationship he couldn’t get inattentive or tired in.

They’d go on their usual adventurers and might only tell a few friends about their relationship.

(Or keep it a secret)

After that, they’d travel together or Amy would leave Sonic to whatever he needed to do. In Sonic’s case, he would appreciate Amy’s understanding and return the favor by giving her flowers. Maybe even show minimal affection.

Like in Sonic X when he gives Amy a rose in episode 52. X also had moments where Sonic constantly protects/holds onto her. Not to mention willingly laid on a pile of hey next to Amy. And kept the bracelet she made him in episode 9.

Sonic X isn’t canon, but IDW has moments of Sonic hanging out or fighting alongside Amy too. Point is, the couple would be an updated version of their friendship. A “POWER COUPLE,” to be specific.

Romance doesn’t always mean you have to be lovey-dovey. You can treat your partner like a best friend as well. Sonic and Amy have a unique relationship because they’re subtle about it.

Reason 3: Why?

I believe it’s important to get this out of the way since these are my weird BIGGIES when it comes to shipping. Why Sonic might have a crush on Amy and why Amy loves Sonic?

Sonic’s (Alleged) Reasons: Amy doesn’t want to change him. She can keep up with him. She’s super compassionate and energetic.

(Sonic stated she was “sweet’ before.)

He respects and might even values her ways of thinking. In TMOSTH, he said:

In Prime he admits she’s, “Pretty great.”

And, he said in IDW Issue #58:

These can be seen as platonic compliments, but it’s the “Accepting Sonic for who he is” thing that homes in the mutual romantic feelings head-canon.

I’d even argue ever since Unleashed/Black Night he had a little crush on her, but felt unsure of it. That is, until IDW. He might still have no clue what to do next.

Sonic lines in Frontiers : “Amy, I should’ve made up my mind sooner.” and “Wish we were sharing an umbrella, Amy.” are huge examples of that and his reciprocated feelings.

Fun Fact: Sharing an umbrella as a couple in Japan is considered a romantic expression, and teens often draw an umbrella with their name and the name of their crush, the way one would in a heart. A very old tradition.

Sharing an umbrella has been seen as a romantic thing in a few American movies as well.

Here’s another detail I find hilarious. I LOVE in instances like Amy being, “The Lady Of The Lake” in Black Night. The time she ran away from Sonic in Unleashed, and became split versions of herself in Prime. The blue buffoon acts as if he grew more fond and I’d even suggest “attracted” to her. He either flirts with her or gets disappointed. To me, it’s a check on the, “Bringing a wide range of emotion out of him,” point.

In issue #2 of IDW it’s similar. Sonic asked Amy to join him. Then she admits being away from the resistance for too long. I’d say it’s a weirdly consistent thing. The times Sonic acts ready to “open up,” he and Amy end up having to save the world and go off to do their own thing.

(That panel in The Metal Virus with Sonic reaching to Amy while she’s freaking out, still hurts.)

Is this a sign they may need to take their time? Fortunately, we have additional content with them interacting outside those situations. I guess the hedgies are allowing each other to be their own person before committing to anything.

Like a “when they know, they’ll know,” situation.

Last thing. Sonic hugs Amy in both IDW and Frontiers. Never happened in official canon before, so his feelings must’ve changed into something.

Amy’s Reasons: He’s her inspiration and motive for loving adventures. Sonic gives Amy an excuse to show off her skills. And she admires his personality.

By the way, can we just appreciate how Amy loves Sonic for the right reasons? Not looks, popularity, or fortune. He always and forever will be her number one.

Reason 4: Conclusion

This isn’t everything, but I’m sure new content will give me new reasons to love this pair. I just wanted to take MOST of what’s already established and use it for a basic understanding.

As basic as overwhelmingly extra can be.

I don’t know whether or not Sonamy will be canon and that’s fine. To me, it’s semi cannon already and there’s a bunch of talented people who create Sonamy stories.

In actual media, their relationships grows stronger and stronger. Which I’ll dub, “Untouched reciprocation,” which is common in videos game ships.

I see Amy and Sonic as best friends with crushes on each other and find that very fascinating. The hedgehogs can just be.

Though on twitter in February 2023, someone asked about Sonic and Amy’s relationship. Then Mario Kishimoto (The director of Sonic Frontiers ) answered, “Sonic is single. But what about a lover? What about Amy? I’m also looking forward to seeing what kind of love Sonic will have in the future.”

Doesn’t prove much, but it could mean Sonic Team is interested in developing this relationship more. Whatever that indicates, I’m intrigued.

All in all this is why I love Sonamy. Hope you enjoyed my over analyzed essay

Stay Creative! 💙💖

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

Just want to say: a, I admire very much that you've figured out a healthy way to work on your fics that allows you to have fun with it. And also b, am very excited to hear that you are getting there with pez! It has fully given me brain rot ever since I read it last year, there is just such a lack of content for the highly specific trope of using time travel as a device to explore extremely unhealthy levels of self loathing.

I just adore everything you're doing in it. Neither midoriya is anywhere approaching okay for any portion of the fic and I love rereading and mining into all the subtle characterization pointing to that. It's a bit like nhtycth in that some really goofy funny stuff is often hiding some really fucking worrying things, but the fact that characters DO do that stuff—that todoroki uses his teaspoon's worth of extremely stunted social skills to bludgeon his friend's door open and help him, that a rpf shipping war is an actual source of drama despite how goofy the sentiment seems on the surface, that about half of what jon says is deeply worrying and the other half is extremely funny and there's a lot of overlap between the two—really lifts the tension and brightens the universe. It's sort of similar to what you did with gerry, in that endless misery isn't nearly as painful as the ups and downs of a life that, when you step back and zoom out, has something deeply and horribly wrong with it.

(jon sort of reminds me of spider-man in that he uses human to deal with trauma and stress, except I don't think he at any point realizes how fucking funny he is. He's just there, in a home depot, gnashing his teeth because he's got so many bodies to dispose of and this cashier sure is taking her time.)

I really, really, really have had trouble finding fics that take everything midoriya has dealt with to task. It's a hell of a thing to live 14 years as a disabled minority, have it heavily shape your existence, and then one day you wake up and you realize you're...not that, or at least, nobody will ever acknowledge you as that again. You've lost all claim to it. Those experiences that shaped who you are? Dust in the wind. 14 years of pain and life might as well be buried in the ground for all the good they do you. Nobody's going to cut you any slack or quarter, you've gotta simply work harder, be better. And now when you do that you get the results you wanted, so that's fine, then. That's good. There was something wrong with the you before, and there's something right with the you now, and if the transition is a little rough, well that doesn't matter, you're the same as everyone else now, so it's your own job to fill in whatever gaps you need to.

I really can't get over how mentally fucked it must be for midoriya to run into quirkless people, run across quirkless issues, and be silently caught between, incapable of speaking his mind and too scared to do so anyway around those he can trust.

Also I should mention, I'm just very excited for bakugou to get back from the gym. He's been there like a year I hope he's getting a good workout in.

Me realizing that it’s been a year since pez dispenser debris:

I feel like there’s just this very specific type of grief that Izuku has to grapple with in the span of pez dispenser debris that I’m just obsessed with. He’s sort of silently mourning who he could have been, when 1) he has to present like there’s nothing lost to maintain his secret and 2) the entire world is constantly inundating him with the message that there was nothing lost.

Like. I don’t want to get too deep into it because it risks spoiling things and I do have major plans to continue it (I’ve loved this story for so many years before I ever even hit publish), but the emotion that Izuku’s feeling right now is so much more complex than “I hate who I used to be and want him to stop existing” or “I just want to keep my secrets.” And I think the way he interacts with Mirio is the biggest evidence of that.

Izuku’s placed himself at the very center of the Quirklessness debate with his support of Mirio. He fights for Quirkless heroes, very publicly, to the point where he’s not even graduated yet but considered to be one of the most prominent voices on the matter. If you took a poll of Quirkless people as to which hero would be most supportive of them pursing their own career in heroics, Izuku would be right at the top of the list. When it comes to Quirklessness itself, he’s nothing but supportive.

But he didn’t tell Mirio the truth of his own Quirklessness.

Out of everyone, Mirio’s the one everyone expects to know, despite him being a relatively newer relationship compared to someone like Iida or Uraraka or Todoroki. And I tried to imply that he’s sort of the one who knows the most about Izuku out of everyone save All Might.

Like, we’ll get into how much exactly Mirio knows soon, so I won’t divulge what, if anything, Izuku has told him. But we know that Mirio knows, weirdly enough, that Izuku is deeply fucking haunted. He knows that boy has many violent ghosts in his bones. He finds it hilarious and will tell their realtor about it. Izuku told him about the discontent spirits who died in a violent passion and live on inside of him before he told him about his Quirklessness.

And I just feel like one of those things is a little bit easier to discuss than the other.

Izuku has decided to keep his own Quirklessness quiet in a way that surpasses secrecy about One for All. If it was just about OfA, he could tell people he didn’t get his quirk until the entrance exam, and it wouldn’t even be a lie. He’s purposefully obscuring his own past as Quirkless even as he takes a forefront of the Quirkless hero debate with his open support of Mirio.

And the fact that he’s at the forefront of this debate in and of itself requires a difficult dichotomy. He is the world’s most vocal proponent for the first Quirkless hero. He is a known figure in the Quirkless community now.

He isn’t considered one of them anymore. He’s an outsider coming in.

It must be such a strange, odd sort of grief to come to the people you were home amongst for most of your life and be greeted as a stranger. To return home, and to be welcomed in for the first time, and to not even be able to tell people that you’ve lived here all your life and don’t need a tour.

It’s a sort of death of self, I think. And I think Izuku never expected to have to grapple with his own ghost.

[pluckyredhead]

☕️judd winick

Judd Winick has written some very very good comics and some very very bad comics and a lot of comics that fall somewhere in between. Which I guess is true of everyone and not that helpful of an answer, lol.

He is hands down the best writer Jason has ever had - Under the Red Hood and Lost Days are excellent. Superman/Shazam: First Thunder is wonderful. His Green Lantern is largely very good. His Green Arrow started out strong, and his Outsiders run had excellent characterization and introduced some fantastic characters (Grace, Anissa, Shift).

And I think his heart is really in the right place: he came into comics like "I am going to right about GAY RIGHTS and HIV AWARENESS and NO ONE CAN STOP ME." The way he did that often wound up being kind of preachy, or, in the case of his Green Lantern run and the Terry Berg storyline, centering the feelings of the straight hero rather than the gay supporting character, but the more I study the queer history of comics, the more I realize how genuinely boundary-pushing this stuff still was in the early 2000s. (And to be clear, I was reading most of this as it came out in the 2000s and going "Judd, everyone knows this"...but everyone didn't, and the comics industry really didn't.)

But over the course of the 2000s, his work got worse and worse, and with the exception of Lost Days, most of his writing from the back half of the decade is just unreadably bad. I don't know how much of that was him and how much of that was editorial interference (because editorial was infamously meddle-y during that era and Winick's later work was very much in line with the tone they seemed to be looking for across the board), but everything was just relentlessly violent and hateful and exploitative. I ragequit Green Arrow after the issue where Dr. Light waxes rhapsodic about how much he loves raping women, and picked it up again for the Ollie/Dinah wedding only to drop it again when Ollie called Dinah a slut and she hit him and this was treated as foreplay. His New 52 Catwoman was so bad that his Wikipedia article talks about it being bad. Like, bro, what happened???

Anyway, he seems to be doing very well with his graphic novels for kids and I'm happy for him, but I do still wish he'd come back for one really homoerotic Red Hood/Arsenal team up. Just channel that one issue of Outsiders where Dick beats Roy up to cure his PTSD and the bit in Lost Days where Jason calls himself daddy and really go to town, that's all I'm asking.

[seducemefanficsandheadcanons]

#16 for the writing prompts for Sam and Aron?

Up to you who's talking to who!

XOXO, @sweet-self-indulgence

I'd meant to post this earlier but got distracted and went on a walk then twisted my ankle again. I high key hate this because I was struggling to characterize him, but I TRIED I combined this with the one I'd mentioned before about her seeing his true form. I may end up rewriting this lol

I hope you like it! Also, thank you so much for the request! It encourages me to write

TW for light mentions of violence and injuries.

Cross posted on Ao3 and Wattpad

Fell in love with you (Sam x Aron)

Aron slowly walked down the stairs, the sound of the incubi’s soft murmurs filling the house. There had been some sort of altercation with another demon who’d followed one of the incubi from work, during which Aron was forced into her room along with Melody. When she walked into the dining room, she could see all of the incubi other than one.

“Sam’s in his old room,” Damien told her softly.

She furrowed her brows in concern. They had started sharing a room recently and Matthew, who called dibs on the room, hadn’t put his stuff in there yet, so she figured he was getting something out.

She let the thought trail off before listening to James explain that the unwelcomed demon was gone and would not cause them anymore issues. They’d all need to get energy and heal. Thankfully James could get some from Melody and the others could go out or receive some from Aron through hand touches. 

She thanked them for taking care of it before smiling softly at Damien and walking up the stairs to his room. She felt worry naw at her, a gut feeling that something was wrong. The fact they’d all been a bit drained, and Sam was known to take strikes in place of his brothers didn’t help.

As she got closer to his room, she felt a shiver run down her spine. The incubi always had a magical aura around them, but it felt stronger this time, less…restrained? Aron didn’t linger on the thought long before getting to his door.

She brought her hand up and knocked gently on the door. “Sam? You good?”

There was a moment of silence. “I’m fine, doofus.”

She frowned. “I know for a fact you aren’t fine. I’ll go if you want me to leave you alone, but I can give you energy before I go so you can heal.”

More silence. She wondered if she was bothering him, and she was about to turn around and walk away before she heard the door open. She looked up at Sam who was looking down at his feet, seeing gashes on his forearms and shoulders, that wasn’t the only thing that made a soft gasp escape her lips. 

He had large, green horns sticking out from the side of his head, and his body was covered in matching emerald markings. His eyes that were still averted flickered between green and gold, and the expression on his face appeared almost ashamed. Aron didn’t speak for a moment, the two standing there in deafening silence. “I didn’t have enough energy to change back,” he murmured.

Slowly, Aron walked into his room, slowly closing the door behind her. “That’s okay,” she told him. “It’s just us in here, you don’t have to…”

He looked up at her in shock. “What- really?”

She smiled at him, shamelessly looking up and down his body, then back up to his face. “Oh yeah, really. What, you thought I wouldn’t like your true form?” she asked, a hint of teasing but also seriousness in her tone.

Sam sighed and combed his fingers through his hair, something he did often when he was nervous or expressing emotions. “I don’t know! Maybe? I- ugh,” he groaned as he seemingly failed to find words.

Aron watched him patiently as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She could see a tremble in his arms, reminding her of why he was in this predicament in the first place. She gently took his hands in hers, feeling a soft drain as soon as their hands touched with a very soft enthrallment. 

After a few moments, he was healed almost completely and the drain stopped. Sam's shoulders slumped slightly, and he let out a relieved breath, closing his eyes. “I don’t want you to be scared of me,” he finally said.

Aron looked up at him, putting the pieces together as he continued. “Everyone back home called me a brute, a monster, that’s because that’s what I am. And that never bothered me before, sure it pissed me off, but I like being a demon. But with you, it…I don’t want to lose you because you’ve seen me like this. I don’t want you to see me that way…”

Once he finished, Aron brought his hands up to her face and started gently kissing over his knuckles. She loved him so much and didn’t want him to ever feel the need to hide his true self from her. She left light kisses over his hands and arms, then she stepped forward and pressed her lips on his chest, over the edge of one of the markings. Sam practically purred at the affection, and she felt him shiver against her when she kissed the marking on his neck.

Finally, she pressed a soft, tender kiss to his lips, which he returned in kind. She reached her hands up and cupped his face on both sides, her thumbs gently caressing the high points of his cheek bones.

“You are not a monster. The people in the demon world who said that were wrong,” she told him confidently. “You don’t need to hide your true self from me.”

“I fell in love with you, Aomaris. Not your glamor spell.”

Sam looked down at her with an expression she could only describe as filled with love and shock. At the sound of his true name, Aron heard his breath hitch. He placed his forehead against hers, letting out a shaky breath and wrapping his arms around her waist. He closed his eyes, and their noses nuzzled together. “I love you…so much.”

Aron felt her heart skip a beat. “I love you too.”

[bitsbug]

i have a ton of question/suggestions for slug sign: 1. how do you indicate emotion in SS? my best guess is using cycles but talking about smth like sadness cant really be done that way 2. is there a specific way youre supposed to type out SS in english? 3. SS seems pretty heavy on context adding a kind of adjective system may help to fix issues with specification as well as free up room for more words. an example would be making words for "cycle", "food", "region", and "direction" and then changing the current word for "cycle" into "specify" so you could say [cycle] [<specification>] to talk about the specific cycle and plan or [direction] [<specification>] to talk about a specific direction and where you may want to go.. etc. words without specification still work but use context. 4. is there a way to explain advanced movement in SS, stuff like a flip or roll. 4.5. if not id suggest adding words for stuff like "sprint" or "crouch" and to go with it "then" to explain stuff for example [jump] [then] [crouch] [forward] would be a way to explain sliding

5. did you ever have concepts for a written version?

hooh momma! thank you for all the questions!

1)

Slugsign has a few emotion indicators, but not all of them are signs. We hop around a lot and dance and flip when we're happy; hopping in place is kind of a "this is good!" while hopping sporadically is "I'm excited!"

Using "loser" repeatedly or shaking on the spot expresses frustration, alongside signing "no" a lot and hitting eachother with rocks. Also insulting whatever you're mad at, we love to insult things.

Recently we've started using "peace" as a way of saying sorry, which wasn't even intentional it just developed during a play session. Sadness is characterized by a lot of "sorry" and crouching without movement and trying to shove yourself into corners. [Me] [loser] is used to express guilt.

2)

Oh hey, you actually use the exact method we use in this ask. We transcribe signs by placing them in brackets, for example: [give?] [Moon] [quantity-lots] [scav][object]. There's no official way you're "supposed" to though, that's just what we do.

3)

What you propose sounds like an interesting idea, but idk how much it'd be utilized. I mean for direction you can just.. point in the way you want to go. And "cycle" in reference to a day is considered the current one by default- you'd use "later" to specify a future one. I think what you're wanting is an abstracted "this" sign? which yeahh WOULD be nice actually..

I've thrown out the idea of having a grammatical word order thing, like [cycle] [food] and [food] [cycle] having different meanings, but Phen's worried that'll be really hard to memorize and cause confusion. Idk I still think it's cool and would add a lot of nuance, I'm gonna try to convince her on it.

4)

We probably could add those signs if y'all really want? I know people use it for their own co-op now, but in me and Phen's sessions we both already know the movement tech. It sounds really funny to teach someone about rainworld using slugsign though, I like that.

I could see condensing all those into a single "movement" or "example" sign: you use the sign and then do the action you're demonstrating. So a backflip would be like.. [example-run] [example-turn] [fast] [example-jump].? Could probably use some workshopping.

5)

..no not really!! I'm not a linguist or a language hobbyist, me and Phen are just winging this shit according to need, and I have NO idea how I'd go about making a written variant beyond transcripts. Besides idk if we'd really.. use it? That sounds super good for the worldbuilding aspect, but we already have the legend to reference. Anyone else who wants to take on the idea, by my guest.

[cer-rata]

A (long) review of the first 5 issues of Wonder Woman (2023) *Full Spoilers*

So I'm a bit of a lapsed comic fan. I grew up on my dad's collection of 90's comics and kept up on and off until the new 52 which did a lot that really put me off. And frankly Marvel wasn't doing much better so I kind of moved onto different fandoms and some smaller runs. Recently however I've decided to try to get back into the hobby more seriously, and while there have been some books that I've really enjoyed, there's been a lot of meh plots and inconsistent characterization pretty much everywhere across the major publishers.

But I was nonetheless excited to see a new Wonder Woman ongoing. Out of the trinity, Diana was always my favorite (a fact that I, as a little closeted boy, kept secret for years. More on that later) and I was aware of some of Tom King's works and was pretty impressed with his "Vision" run, so I was cautiously optimistic about the prospect of a popular modern writer giving Diana some love, and was hoping for a story with some modern nuance and uplifting fun.

The bag has been...mixed at best.

So I'm going to try to be fair about this, because writing genuinely good and transformative comics isn't easy, especially when your editorial is completely unhinged. That being said I do have some serious concerns that I think are really important to talk about.

I'm also lapsed so I haven't read everything religiously the past couple years, so if I get something about canon wrong please correct me in the notes.

I'm going to break this down into a couple of sections to help organize my thoughts. The art is gorgeous generally so I'm not going to spend too much time on that. Let's start with:

Plot

The name of this arc is Wonder Woman: Outlaw, and the first issue is devoted to setting up that premise. The action kicks off when an amazon gets into a bar fight with a group of sexist men, and ends up slaughtering every man in the establishment. The government reacts to this development poorly and ends up ordering the forced deportation of the Amazons that had settled in the states. We're given narration by a mysterious figure, detailing how Diana and her friends lobbied and fought against this obvious injustice but failed, laid over images of an Amazon resisting her deportation with violence, and being gunned down in front of her wife and daughter.

But how, you ask, was the government able to rush through this bizarre reactionary stunt?

Well you see, this is all a part of a scheme by the Sovereign, the CEO of sexism and an American "king" whose family has used the "Lasso of Lies" to control the country for it's entire existence. He showed up in WW #800 with Trinity seeking him out for information, which explains why he's narrating this story. A Wonder Woman book where she isn't the POV character? I'll get more into that later.

Anyway the Sovereign wants to run all of the amazons out of the country or kill them, whatever works, as he believes they're a threat to his rule and masculinity as a whole.

So he's in the background. The foreground antagonist is Sargent Steel, who's been tasked with leading the Amazon deportation and is actively hunting Diana, who he eventually corners as she's paying her respects to the men that the rogue amazon killed. He tries to assassinate her, obviously fails, and Diana extracts some information from him and begins her investigation. See it turns out that after running out of other options, she's trying to hunt down the rogue amazon and figure out what's going on in the hopes that she solve the tensions.

So that's the basic premise of the arc, Diana is trying to solve a murder mystery while being actively hunted by the government. It's not a bad premise on its own honestly, so I was intrigued. The first issue is pretty, well laid out and interesting. The problem is that the following issues don't really deliver on that premise.

Instead of detective!Diana, we spent issue #2 on a (gorgeous) fight with the actual US army, intercut with a flashback of Diana's trial by combat in order to leave Themyscira in the first place. It really is a beautiful issue that really drives home how much of a badass she is, especially since she ends up not killing anyone in the process. Somehow. She did throw tanks at people so...I'm not sure how she...anyway.

Issue #3 is Diana walking into Steel's base, bulldozing through all the security and then bullying him to get some more information about the case, where she finds out that the Amazon is pregnant. Intriguing right? Meanwhile we see the Sovereign showing a young soldier around his house, which is filled with old American historical artifacts. See he wants this kid to push the narrative that Wonder Woman emasculated him and took away his pride, but the soldier doesn't really care? He's actually excited to have fought a superhero and live, and he thinks she's cool. So that won't do, and we're shown the capabilities of the Lasso of Lies, as the Sovereign uses it to implant feelings of discontent and depression into the young soldier, while also ordering him to write a manifesto about Wonder Woman taking his manliness and then to...kill himself. The idea being to create some bad press and push public support away from Diana.

Issue #4 is my favorite in the run so far, devoting most of it's time to watching Diana give a terminally ill kid who idolizes her the best day of his life. I'll get into it when I talk about dialogue later but I think it's the truest depiction of Diana so far, you get to see her kindness, generosity and wisdom. There is a nice moment where she comforts the kid about destiny and soothes his feelings of otherness in the face of the expectation that he should be drawn to a male hero. It's really nice. But also kind of a strange decision in the scope of the plot. As much as I love this moment, I think her taking a day away from her mission of stopping this political disaster and being on the run to just hang out with a kid is...odd from a pacing standpoint. With the lack of effort she's shown so far in dealing with Steel and the machinations of the Sovereign, and the threat to the Amazons happening mostly off screen and with very limited access how Diana's feeling about it all because she's not the narrator, it all wraps up in not feeling very urgent. It's mentioned that she's trying to control her emotions and that makes sense in theory, but with the way she's drawn and written she just seems unbothered.

Meanwhile, Amanda Waller tells Steel that they're just going to throw all of Diana's villains at her and call it a day.

Issue #5 Deals with the Wonder Girls, Cassie, Donna and Yara trying to convince Diana to accept some help. She challenges them to trials where if they can beat her she'll allow them to assist. It's kind of a neat concept, but it highlights a strange piece of this characterization of Wonder Woman: her desire to work alone.

It's...very Batman of her in ways that don't make much sense in the narrative and in the broader scope of her characterization. And it would be more understandable if the conflict was more focused, Diana hunting down Cheetah to try to reform her, a more personal mission. But this literally involves all of her people and could lead to actual war between the states and Themysicra. It seems weirdly shortsighted for her to shun help from adult Women who she's trained and worked with in the past. The rationalization that she doesn't want to endanger them falls completely flat because they're already in danger.

Also what is Yara referring to here? She acts like there's history of them working together and it not working out. Why do they insist on trying to make her a Wonder Girl in the first place?

Anyway they all lose but then ignore the terms of the wager and show up in her apartment in their costumes, not taking no for an answer. And like that they ignored that foolishness, but then I'm bothered that we spent almost an entire issue on this pointless conflict that didn't really teach us anything useful.

But I did say almost, and the rest of the issue is devoted to Steel and the Sovereign convincing some of Diana's greatest foes to join up on a squad to take her down.

Which is...a choice. Don't get me wrong, it's a cool sequence, and It's not an unusual conceit in comics to collect a bunch of villains to take down their nemesis, but as far as I was aware, in this continuity:

Giganta and Silver Swan had buried the hatchet

Circe also helped Diana defeat the upside down man, and seemingly dropped her animosity (and...I...I thought she was trapped in a mirror. How did they get her out?) But regardless, why on earth would Circe agree to work for anyone, especially the US gov?

Grail was never that focused on Diana in the first place, but I could see her wanting to kill her for kicks, but again, why would she agree to work with lesser beings and take orders from mortals?

Angle man is nuts, so, sure

And Dr. Psycho does hate Wonder Woman with a passion so sure.

But this doesn't take into account that if they were to be written correctly, Circe or Grail on their own are justice league threats, and even with the Wonder Girls helping that would be an uphill battle. And then you add all the others, and factor in the dubious choices here in relation to established canon and it leaves me concerned that none of these villains are going to be used properly to their potential, or written in character. The idea that they were convinced to do this in the first place is hand-waved away, likely because there are no real persuasive arguments to get someone like Grail or Circe to job like this.

But enough of that tangent. This upcoming slug fest raises the question: What happened to the investigation into this rogue Amazon? 5 issues in and all we know is her name and that she's pregnant. Diana doesn't even know her name though, because if she did she'd realize that she actually knew the woman. So 5 issues in and the main plot has taken a backseat to watching Wonder Woman be a badass and including a bunch of villains. And don't get me wrong, I love a badass Wonder Woman. I was absolutely thrilled watching her go to work on people. But if you strip away those exciting set pieces and try to follow the plot and themes, there's not much substance there.

And you know, now that we've got an overview of what's happening, let's talk about the greater ideas here.

Themes

So King clearly wants to investigate misogyny in this book, with his villain Johnny Sexism. Uh. I mean, The Sovereign, an old white man who hates women and believes in the divine right of kings and wields the literal Lasso of Lies. And his unwitting sidekick, Military Industrial Complex Man, AKA Sargent Steel.

So it's not inherently bad to personify an social issue. Comics often work in shorthand like that. The issue I have here is that when you have a mastermind character who has manipulated everything behind the scenes, who is ALSO a caricature of a social problem, instead of providing interesting analysis of a systemic problem and its sources and methods, you instead attribute it all to One Evil Man. Which is painfully reductive and misguided. Sexism is complicated, much more complicated that one evil wizard deciding that women are the problem. It's like if you created a vampire slave owner who had been manipulating the country from the shadows and created the system of racism. It's bizarre and not really analysis to suggest that you can just solve social issues by stopping individual bad actors.

The bit with the soldier really crystalized this for me. We are given a kind man who has no misogynistic tendencies, and then the CEO of sexism forcibly implants it into his mind. He's shown personally bullying the president into submission, manipulating Steel, most overt examples of sexism can be tied directly to the Sovereign, which is a bizarre choice that really flattens the narrative weight. Couple that with the fact that the Sovereign is shown to be completely ill-equipped to actually stop Diana. She literally walks through all of his roadblocks, doesn't seem like she's out of control of the situation outside of the opening explanation that she wasn't able to save her sisters. The only real threat so far is the team of villains, and that's framed as Amanda Waller's plan. Why isn't she the villain of this book? And he's the narrator. In a book about sexism, immigration and tribalism, the voice we hear the most is that of the Sovereign. And he doesn't have anything particularity interesting to say. He's not scary, he doesn't seem particularly competent and he provides no interesting analysis so I'm left wondering, why are we centering his perspective over Diana's? In a book lead by a feminist icon, about the evils of sexism, we are completely locked out of her head. She barely gets a chance to speak, and when she does it's clipped and robotic. There's no personality, and certainly no continuity to her popular depictions. I'm all for writers reaching for topics, trying to make social commentary. Some of the best arcs we've ever gotten deal with real issues. But you have to A: Know what you're talking about and B: Actually talk about it. Sexism bad, men bad--it's not enough, it's not analysis, it's not revelatory and by creating such ridiculous caricatures of hyper masculinity, you make it very easy for the average male reader, who I assume you're trying to engage with, to separate themselves from the equation. It's thematic window dressing, and frustrating to see in a Wonder Woman book of all places. I don't think that only woman can write women, that's ridiculous and removes the responsibility to be better from male writers. But, if you're going to talk about social issues that apply to a group you're not a part of, you'd better know what you're talking about. Hell even if you're in that group you still have to know what you're talking about. This is feminism that starts and ends with "Sexism bad" and it's 2024, we have to be smarter about this.

That being said, I think issue #4 has bits of the right idea. Seeing Diana representing something greater than the sexist division that the world perpetuates is great. I felt incredibly seen as a little boy who loved Wonder Woman, and that moment of kindness meant a lot. We're given believable symptoms of sexism, from Jack's dad being uncomfortable with his son idolizing Diana. and Jack having internalized that judgement. It's handled gently and instead of just beating us over the head with obvious allegory, it shows us a taste of what Wonder Woman stands for: a better, more loving world. And it's mostly because it's the most insight that we get from her about how she thinks. The best part of the book about Wonder Woman is, shockingly, the part about Wonder Woman. Why can't we get more of that?

Dialogue

Man it's weird. King is clearly snappy, with a decent sense of humor. There's lots of fun exchanges in this book, particularly the backups, which I'll get to soon. He's pretty good at dialogue, which makes the way he writes Diana so bizarre. Awkward sentence structure, aloof characterization, the grating repeated use of "No thank you" as some sort of catch phrase. What? king has taken the warm beating heart of the trinity and made her distant and robotic. It's kind of impressive. And some of the rationale is that she's in emotional turmoil and trying to maintain appearances. But that's not reflected in the art at all, even when she's alone. We're told that she's conflicted and angry but almost never shown it. She feels like a side character in her own book most of the time. Speaking of side characters:

The Backups

So the running plot here is Damian Wayne and Jon Kent...babysitting? raising? Diana's daughter Lizzie Prince, who is eventually known as the hero Trinity in the future. And it's cute, particularly when they're all younger. King really gets Damian and Jon's characterization and writes some really fun exchanges.

Issue #4 and #5's backups are a little weaker but still really fun.

So my question is...why is the best characterization in this Wonder Woman book the backups starring the Supersons? I love the Supersons! Why are they here? Why would Diana choose them to watch her daughter? Why isn't she on Themyscira or being watched by any of her adult friends, especially those who have actual experience with children? It's fun but feels shoehorned and poorly reasoned. Honestly? I get the feeling that king wants to write this more than he does the main book, and it's mind boggling, because I wouldn't hate him writing supersons, and his version of Jon is the most Jon we've gotten in a while. So why is he writing Wonder Woman?

Conclusion

I think I'll keep reading, mostly to fuel my desire to see what they do with her actual villains, but it's not the smart book I was hoping for. It takes pretty big liberties with characterization and recent canon and there's not much actual commentary to find here. The art and the action are incredible, but the story that should be supporting it is pretty anemic and frustrating, with moments of genuine quality that makes the rest of the book even more disappointing.

Honestly? Just read Amazons Attack instead. Better dialogue, better pacing, better characterization, just more fun.

[dailycass-cain]

I was a masochist, because I wanted to see how the story ended (and wanted a the very least to own the Red Hood mini because I do love the creative team with that). So I asked a friend if I could borrow his copies of the issues I don't have. So here are my hopefully FINAL thoughts on Batman/Catwoman: Gotham War.

This was quite possibly the worst Batman x-over in quite some time. From the varying motivations of the main characters to the side characters. Nothing stood out from the beginning to the end.

If any one character comes off as "okay" throughout this event is Jason. Like, he gets the only motivation (again thin as it is), but at the very least he's the one who gets progression in this story.

From helping Selina to seeing how flawed Selina's plan is, to being kidnapped by Bruce then mentally tortured, and still fighting even after it.

Jason is the ONLY main member of the three (or four if you include Vandal) who exits the story still looking clean.

Bruce or Selina? Oh boy... both have some WONKY stuff in this and vary from issue to issue or page to page.

The thing is, this story could've just been easier by taking Selina out entirely and focusing on Bruce vs. the Bat Family.

Like, the entire Bat Family is paper thin in this story and quite possibly some of the worst use of them in a while.

I'm still flabbergasted at how awful Cass was treated in the story with zero character at all. I mean Batman vs. Robin #5 did as well, but even with that story there was a "meaning" to the madness with Cass in that.

She sat out most the main series until THAT issue. She's there along with the rest of the Bat Family to stall the possessed Bruce (which seems to be a recurring theme this entire year) until the mystical characters of the DCU arrive to exorcise him.

For that issue?

It works. I accept the jobbing because it's a mystical demon which is outside her norm (well not anymore).

I still have my issues with Batman vs. Robin, but it was waaay better at telling a story.

Here?

Everyone's appearance in this event is downright laughable and makes zero sense. I'm supposed to accept Cass is okay with Selina's plan throughout this? Even her among other characters gets ZERO voice on why they're on board with this.

A quick fix again would've been when she saw the signs of Bruce's mental instability with the Zur influence growing larger.

Heck, the now INFAMOUS Batman #137. The issue is awful storywise and all it serves is the wrestling equivalent to this with Bruce vs. Cass:

All so Bruce can get a "W" over Cass. Joy. 🙄

When themactically it could've shown Zur's influence that a move Bruce wouldn't be ready for and Zur is.

BUT NOPE. We get that with him against Dick in #138 instead.

I'm not even going into details with the final issue of the event in Batman/Catwoman: Gotham War- Scorched Earth #1.

It just makes everything worse. Bruce passes it all on Dick and um yeah… none of the female characters of the family get ANY say. 🙃🙃🙃

I said last month I'm dropping Batman ongoing from my pull, and I'm sticking with that choice with Tec replacing it fully. I just don't enjoy the comic any longer. When you don't enjoy a comic you cut it off and don't continue to read it for any enjoyment purposes.

Literally, Cass's entire point in Batman run so far has been to job. There has been ZERO characterization for the character. Why I dibbed Cass in this "Card Cain". If you're gonna treat the character that way, well.

I'm out.

Detective Comics is giving me a better story of Bruce falling out mentally, and better-crafted antagonists who feel like a threat to him and others.

I'm more hype for Cass in that because it feels like the book treats each character better. EVERYONE gets to shine.

Batman/Catwoman: Gotham War burned me the heck out of the two leads. Again, I'm far more interested in what happens with Jason next and glad his "mini-series" basically turned into a setup for the finale to the current Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing ongoing.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to put my friend's copies downstairs. Probably tell him next Thurs to bury them in his bins never to be read, or just sell this as a bundle for some poor soul to buy.

I hope this is the final time I ever talk about Batman/Catwoman: Gotham War.

Save for Card Cain. I can't hate Card Cain.

[pieshopbarber]

My dumb little review of the 2023 Sweeney Todd revival!! 😀

I had been hyping myself up for seeing the 2023 revival for multiple months on end, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Obviously I had a bunch of issues with it, there are always going to be issues with anything, that’s how the world works, but overall I could not be happier with the experience. 

I thought it was really well casted overall, each and every one of these performers were fantastic and 100% deserved the roles they have and the praise.

Josh Groban’s performance as Sweeney Todd  was absolutely fantastic. While I wish they cast someone older, I can’t argue that Groban was absolutely fantastic as the role. I had high hopes since hearing the first few songs from the cast album, and was blown away when I saw him live. Todd is always one of those characters who is very interesting to see performed, mainly due to how erratic he can be, switching between being completely depressed and withdrawn from the world to enraged and running around screaming and slashing throats at the drop of a hat, and Josh managed to really capture this. I also really enjoyed a lot of the little things he did. He definitely brought a bunch of middle aged white dad energy to the role that I don’t see a lot, really driving home the point that he really is just a father who lost absolutely everything. I also adored the choreography (I don’t know if this is the right word, but I’m just kinda dumb) with the razor, especially during epiphany, my favorite moment being where he descends the stairs to start confronting the audience where he slams the razor into the railing and scrapes it down. Really good stuff. A personal favorite moment of mine is the end. The enraged screaming of “BENJAMIN BARKER!” To violently sawing at the judge’s throat (which I was not expecting but holy shit was that awesome), but then holding the razor out in front of him as if disgusted by it and his own actions, but snapping back into a rage when he sees Johanna, practically turning into a feral animal, growling and literally lunging at her and down the stairs. His performance was definitely the highlight of the show. 

Now onto Annaleigh Ashford. Oh jeez. Her accent was not great. It was better than it was in the cast recording, so that was nice, but it still sucked. I do not like Ashford’s characterization of Lovett. She’s too touchy and grabby with Todd, which definitely isn’t how Lovett should be. She waits, and she wouldn’t be that touchy and impatient. It does help with some of Todd’s characterization, with him either completely ignoring her advances, being disgusted and pushing her away, or being too much in a daze to fight back against her, but I still did not like it. I also do not like her casting, Ashford is too young and conventionally attractive for the role, however despite this, I can not ignore how genuinely funny she is as Lovett. Her comedic timing and line delivery never failed to get a laugh out of me, and I loved how she really embraced the Lovett hyperactivity. The energy she brought during little priest was absolutely amazing, literally rolling on the ground and doing the little Lovett jig. The banter between her and Todd was absolutely fantastic, and it’s impossible to ignore how well her and Groban meshed together. I have to say that the moment she really shined was during Not while I’m around. At the beginning she’s defensive and on edge as she realizes that Toby is on to the whole thing, turning into a very motherly sternness as she tries to convince him to stop thinking about the whole thing, to the heartbreak and panic as she realizes that they need to kill Toby. Her sadness when she is telling Toby how to work the oven and meat grinder is something I don’t see a lot when people play Lovett, and it was fantastic. I also loved her approach right before she gets killed. With her practically sobbing as she sings because she is happy since this is the closest that Todd has ever been with her, but also because she knows that she’s going to die, she knows that this closeness is not because of love, it’s because Todd wants her dead because she lied. 

Obviously, Gaten just left the production, so Tobias was played by Daniel Marconi. I really enjoyed him as Toby, he really portrayed the whole pathetic orphan thing really well. However I did think his voice was a little too mature sounding if that makes sense. Overall though, really good as Toby. Was absolutely amazing during not while I’m around, the panic in his voice was palpable, really talented guy. 

Nicholas Christopher was probably one of the best Pirellis I’ve seen. Pirelli is my favorite character from this musical overall, and he was just so freaking good. Really played into the camp and flamboyance of the character, really being a fruity little piss seller. During the contest he dramatically sprawled across the guy in the chair, or would fling the razor out towards the ensemble making them freak out and shrink away and overall was absolutely hilarious. One of the most brilliant things about his performance was how towards the end of the contest where he realizes that he’s losing, he begins to lose the Italian accent and the Irish starts to slip through, which I’ve never seen anyone do when playing Pirelli. I also loved the contrast that Nicholas Christopher had between the high pitched Italian accent and the super low gruffness he had with his Irish accent. Was definitely my favorite character from the whole thing. 

The beggar woman was played by Ruthie Ann Miles, and I don't really have any issues with her. She was super good as Lucy, and her singing was really good. I thought it was brilliant that they had her wig obscuring her face and had her keep her shoulder or back to the audience so we couldn’t see her face until city on fire, right before Todd kills her. I also really enjoyed how she would physically interact with the other characters, as I don’t see that often with beggar woman performances. 

Jamie Jackson was overall pretty good as judge Turpin, however I felt his acting was a little overdone. His voice was a little too wheezy and nasally at points, and him grabbing onto Lovett’s skirt was far too dramatic. However he did give me the ick, which is needed whenever someone plays Turpin. 

Beadle Bamford was really funny. Similarly to Pirelli, Johnathan Christopher really played into the flamboyance of the character, which I always love. I really loved the bit before parlor songs where he unabashedly steals from Lovett. He was super funny and a great mesh with Turpin. 

Maria Bilbao was fantastic as Joannah. Her singing was absolutely fantastic, and she was able to capture the naivety, yet strength of the character. Johanna here actually felt like a teenager who was both scared of the world because of how Turpin sheltered her, but also had eyes full of wonder and hope. Really loved her. 

Daniel Yearwood as Anthony was good. I really don’t have much to say about him. He was really good. His line delivery was really good, but I thought he sounded really similar to Gaten on the cast album. That’s not a gripe with him, it’s just something I noticed.

I went in knowing that the factory whistle would be (sadly) absent from the show, yet still found myself bracing for it. I was kinda disappointed that the whistle was excluded since it’s such a massive part of the class system metaphor, but I totally wasn’t expecting the extra loud whistle when Turpin was killed. Literally made me almost shit myself in the mezzanine. Also again, Josh literally sawing at the judges throat was great at that moment too. 

I also was somewhat tentative about the dancing. I don’t think of Sondheim or Sweeney Todd and think of dancing, so I went in cautious about it, and honestly I hated it a lot less than I thought I would. The dancing in the opening and closing ballads works? It’s not atrocious to be honest, it’s jarring yes, but isn’t the worst thing they could have done. The dancing is used very sparingly throughout the rest of it, and it’s not awful. It created a really surreal and dreamlike atmosphere which is quite fitting for the scenes they had it in (ladies and their sensitivities, poor thing, city on fire) or it created a hectic and almost unsettling aura (god that’s good, Pirelli’s miracle elixir). I also noticed that during these dancing moments that Todd, Lovett, Turpin, beadle, Toby, and Lucy would be the only ones still moving normally, kind of highlighting their disconnect from the rest of London. This was really highlighted during city on fire during the beggar woman’s part.  

I also really like the inclusion of the scene that originally was after Mia Culpa. Normally it’s cut alongside Mia Culpa, but was kept in the revival, which is honestly awesome. It gives the context of how Johanna got the key and gave it to Anthony, and also how she found out Turpin wants to marry her, and without it it’s kinda weird and confusing. Honestly though, I wish Mia Culpa was included, just because it’s a great song and helps to characterize the judge, and the fucking social media used its lyrics to show off the judge that one time, so yeah. But it’s understandable why they didn’t. I’ve seen it performed and can only guess how hard it is for the judge performers to go from that into ladies and their sensitivities so quickly. 

Overall, I could not have been more impressed and happy with the revival. I’m incredibly thankful I was able to go. The cast, crew, and orchestra have every bit of my joy and thanks for putting on such a great production of one of my favorite musicals. 

[mamaspidershit]

FROGGY can you please info dump about a character you like

you cannot ask me to do that parker…

but since you did,,, FUCK YEAH LETS TALK ABOUT NATASHA MOTHERFUCKING ROMANOFF

so. she is such an interesting character. she starts out a bad-but-not-really-bad-guy who basically was brainwashed into working for the KGB/Russia (which is expanded on in later comics) who first manipulated clint and then fell in love with him (ew), which help convince her to switch sides. what most people don’t actually know is that she started off as a very naive, bushy-tailed, bright eyed character. she wanted to help people for the sake of helping them. it’s honestly really sweet, and i kind of miss that characterization of nat. as we learn later on throughout the years, nat was basically fully brainwashed by the KGB to believe she had been a dancer, but instead had been raised in the red room to be a russian assassin/child soldier. what’s pretty interesting is that when she reached adulthood she didn’t deflect, but actually worked for the KGB/Russia for decades. nat was actually born sometime in between the two world wars, as she had fallen in love and gotten pregnant during WW2 (she ended up miscarrying in one of the saddest nat comics i’ve ever read). she was trained by ivan petrovich and wolverine (who she calls “little uncle”) (side note: wolverine kept adopting girls. bro needs to chill lmao). she then gets married to alexei shostatov, but the russian government later fakes his death via rocket explosion to ensure nat’s loyalty to the regime.

when she defects, ivan goes with her to the US. i don’t like him, and you’ll understand why. but in her earlier comics he was a solid support/father figure to her but it turns out. the whole time. he wanted to have. a relationship with her. this girl he raised since she was a baby. ughhhh 🤢

but ignoring that.

as time goes on (she leads the avengers for awhile which was cool) you can slowly see that sort of naivety she previously had slowly fading, and by the time Secret Empire rolls around, she’s become much more world-weary and like the nat we all know from the mcu.

some other things to note is how her and daredevil (matt) had a relationship, and while she was in his run was when she finally started to get some of her own characterization past the soap opera boo-hoo-ing over relationships and finally became the badass nat we all know and love. i personally loved them together, but they just clashed a lot, but they are still besties to this day, which is something i find super cool and sweet.

Edmonson’s run honestly pulls all these dangling threads together and gives my honest favourite characterization of nat of all time. if you read any BW comic, let it be that one. it deserved about 75 more issues.

now after she was killed in SE (don’t ask) and then resurrected by the red room by using a telepathic bear called ursa major to restore all her memories into a clone body (again, don’t ask), she goes a little. well. crazy. not in a bad way though! 2019’s BW run was gory and satisfying in all the best ways. She goes and investigates this guy who had been torturing children for p*rn content online and just fucking kills him. it’s great.

honestly, nat is such a fascinating character, and has a lot more depth to her and her backstory than most people (even a lot of writers!! *cough cough* kelly thompson *cough cough*) realize!

and honestly, that’s why i love her so much

[angelasscribbles]

Savage Love Chapter 35: Some Answers, More Questions

Series: Savage Love

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Liam, Riley x Drake

Word Count: 3,420

Rating: R         

Warnings: Mature themes

My other stuff: Master List.

Drake

Working with Nick to infiltrate the Gladius Company wasn’t my favorite thing. The guy seemed competent enough at his job. It was his background with Riley that I could have lived without.

We were getting ready to meet with his contact in the Liberation Core.

“So, you and Juniper, huh?”

“You mean Riley?” I barely glanced at him as I strapped on my Hardwire vest, it was expensive as hell, but it was the thinnest and lightest body armor money could buy. No one would know I was wearing it.

“Yeah, Riley,” he gave me a look. I knew that look. He was sizing me up, trying to determine what kind of threat I was.

Guess I wanted to know the same, “So, engaged huh?”

“Is that surprising?”

“Kind of,” I glanced up at him then back down as I double-checked the rounds in my Baretta, “She doesn’t do relationships, right? It’s impressive that you made it that far.”

Nick snorted, “So I see you’ve encountered the ice queen side of her.”

I shook my head as I holstered the gun then pulled my shirt on over the vest, “Not how I would characterize her at all.”

“How would you characterize her?”

“Self-reliant, brilliant, brave, driven, talented, passionate,” I laced up my boots as I spoke, “I see fire, not ice.”

“Yeah, until you try to lock her down.”

“That what went wrong between you? You tried to ‘lock her down’?”

“She chose her career over me.”

“Huh.”

“What was the tone?”

“Nothing,” I shrugged as I closed my locker, “I’m just wondering why you made her feel like she had to choose.”

“I mean…that’s just the way the world works, it’s not me…”

“So, when you proposed to her, did you feel like you had to choose between her or your career?”

Nick scoffed, “Of course not!”

“Why is it of course not for you and that’s the way the world works for her?”

“Because it just is!” He insisted as he followed me toward the door, “Would you want your wife out running around risking her life while the kids are at home with a babysitter?”

That brought me to a stop, “She wants kids?”

“What?” He looked at me in confusion, “Who doesn’t want kids?”

“Wait! You didn’t have a conversation about whether or not she wants kids? You just assumed she did and then unilaterally decided she had to give up her career to have them?” I knew my mouth was hanging open, but this guy was the textbook definition of clueless and that’s saying a lot coming from me, the guy who doesn’t do commitments.

“I- Jesus!” Nick’s face reddened, “Who has to have a conversation about whether or not they want kids? Why else do you get married in the first place?”

“Uh, because you love someone and want to commit yourself to them?”

“Part of that commitment is kids!”

“No. That’s an entirely separate issue and conversation.”

“You don’t want kids?” he demanded incredulously.

“I’m not against the idea,” I told him as I pulled the door open and headed down the hallway, “but no, it’s not something that I actively wish for.”

“So, if you were married to her, you’d be okay with never having kids, her putting her life in jeopardy on the daily and often not knowing where she is for months at a time while she’s on a case?”

“Yes! You just described what she’s like right now! How could I ask her to change who she is when that’s literally who I fell in love with? If she loved me back, I’d count myself as the luckiest bastard on the planet and the last thing I would ever do is be stupid enough to make her choose between me and-“ I broke off midsentence as I realized how much of myself I was revealing to this jackass, “Shit!”

“I knew it! You’re in love with her!”

“And you’re an idiot. Sorry dude, I mean, I appreciate all your help with the case, but I’m beginning to see why she doesn’t do relationships.”

“What do you mean?”

We reached the conference room door, and I stopped in the hallway to ask him, “Has she been in a serious relationship since you?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

I nodded in understanding, “So, you’re the reason.”

“I don’t see how-“

“How do you not see it? You made her feel like she wasn’t enough for you the way she is… like she needed to change herself, shrink herself for you. That’s not love.” I shook my head and pushed the door open.

He followed me into the room still protesting, “No, that’s marriage, commitment. You make sacrifices-“

“I don’t think so. Not like that.”

“That’s easy for you to say now. You’re not even technically dating her.”

I stopped halfway across the room and spun to face him, lowering my voice so only he could hear, “I love the girl, okay? I don’t need her to marry me to prove that and I sure as hell don’t need her, or want her, to give up pieces of herself to fit into my life!”

“So, you’d really be okay with a relationship where you barely see her?”

“Asked and answered. Yes! Now let’s get geared up and on the road!”

Jason fitted us both with earpieces so our conversations with the target could be monitored. We ran through the details of the plan one more time then headed down to the garages.

I glanced over at Nick as we walked. He was being quiet and while I may have just met the guy, I knew that meant he was thinking about something, “What? Just say it, or ask it so we can get it out of the way and get our heads back in the mission.”

“I’m just wondering why you would be willing to settle for a relationship where you barely see her?”

 A disbelieving huff escaped me, “Wow, you think that’s settling?”

“What would you call it?”

“I would call myself lucky beyond anything I actually deserve if I were the one she was coming back to, no matter how long she was gone. She’s worth waiting for. I understand what she does for a living, I understand what her career means to her, and I would never ask her to give it up.”

“But she could die doing this job!”

“I could die doing mine,” I jerked open the door to the extensive underground palace garages, “What’s your point?”

“That is my point! I don’t want to worry about my wife dying at work!”

“Were you planning to go into a different field after you got married?”

“Of course not.”

“So, it’s okay for your partner to not see you for months at a time, and to sit home with the knowledge that you could die on the job? Do you really not see the huge double standard there?”

“It’s not the same thing.”

“It’s exactly the same thing.”

“Agree to disagree.”

“Yep,” I gritted through a clenched jaw. This fucking guy. No wonder she doesn’t want a relationship.

Leo

I shifted nervously as the car pulled up in front of the small, clapboard house on a quiet residential street in a working-class neighborhood. We had opted for a sedate sedan rather than drawing undue attention by pulling up in a limo.

If Max was right, she was here. If Riley’s intel was correct, she was in Hidar. But even if she wasn’t home, perhaps the woman that raised her would be and I could get some answers. If she was home, then I was about to meet my sister for the first time.

My sister.

I gulped in a few deep breaths at the idea.

“It’s okay, babe,” Olivia slipped her hand into mine and squeezed.

I glanced down into her face gratefully. To the outside world, Olivia Nevrakis was cold, harsh, mean even. But those were traits that were required to survive at court. And like me, she’d had to survive at court her whole life.

For those of us who grew up in the palace, the pressure was constant, but Livvie was more than the tough façade she presented to the outside world. She was the scared kid that was delivered to the palace by servants after her parent’s death. She was the fearless twelve-year-old who didn’t flinch in the dark woods when we got lost. She was the young woman who came of age under the scrutiny of an entire country. She was the confident woman who took over running a duchy at the age of sixteen and did it well. She was a stunning beauty with a strong personality and most of her peers saw her as a threat. Because she was one.

But she was also the only person I’d ever been able to talk to, I mean really talk to. She knew things about me no one else did. She could make me laugh when the weight of the crown was crushing in on me, and she could comfort me when all hope seemed lost. And she was the only woman I could see sharing my life with.

I lifted her hand to my mouth and laid a gentle kiss on the back of it, “Thank you, for everything.”

“Hush!” She brushed my gratitude aside, but a slight flush crept across her face as she turned away, “Now, let’s go meet your sister!”

Riley

The flight to Hidar had been uneventful. Madeleine and I had met Godfrey and Emmeline at the airport. Emmeline had seemed surprised to see me, but Godfrey hadn’t. Unfortunately, no new information had been forthcoming during the course of our flight.

Tonight was a formal dinner with someone high up in the Via Imperii and the secret heir to the Cordonian throne. I wondered how much Leo and Liam’s sister knew about any of it. Who she really was, what the Via Imperii was all about, and how she was tangled up with it in the first place.

She had left Auvernall as an infant with a woman that Eleanor had trusted. Drake’s father had allegedly delivered them to somewhere safe.

How had the Via Imperii found her? Was the woman that raised her part of the cabal, or had she been tricked? Or had they waited until she was grown to approach her?

If she knew who she was, why hadn’t she ever reached out to her brothers? Was she really ready to depose her own brother for a chance to rule a country she’d never even been to?

“Who’s going to be at this party?” I asked Madeleine as we prepared to enter the ballroom of the palatial estate we were staying at.  

She turned toward me with a sparkle in her eye, “The king of Hidar, Eirik Midsommar for one.”

“Impressive,” I fawned, “So he’s one of us?”

“Oh yes, and he won’t be the only monarch here, Queen Sigrid Runarsdottir of Vallenheim will be here as well.”

“Really? Why? I mean, I’m always up for mingling with the upper crust, but I thought this meeting was specifically for the Cordonian branch to finally meet the secret heir.”

“You’ll see,” She giggled and it sent dread crawling down my spine. I’d never heard a giggle sound evil before. And I’ve taken down drug dealers, serial killers, and terrorists.

We entered the lavish ballroom and my eyes scanned the area discreetly, cataloging who was there. Emmeline and Godfrey, of course. Also, the duke whose estate we were staying at, Carlisle Edmonton. I mentally noted several heads of state and a couple of celebrities. It was a small gathering, but there was a lot of political and economic clout in the room.  

I angled for introductions to every face that I didn’t recognize. I mingled and I listened. This was the elite of the European branch of the Via Imperii. I was standing in the room with the leaders of not just the Cordonian faction, but most of the continent. If my intel was correct, the leadership of the entire organization was based somewhere in this region. I was close. I could feel it.

A high-pitched voice sang out, “Is that little Riley Brooks?”

I turned with a smile, “Sigrid!”

“Oh! You know each other?” Madeleine’s expression was torn between surprised and impressed.

“Of course! She was a fixture at her aunt’s gala’s until she ran off to save endangered species in the rain forests or something.”

My smile broadened under Madeleine’s scrutiny. The endangered animal story was how my family explained my absence since they couldn’t very well tell the truth. However, saving endangered species wasn’t really something people who subscribed to the Via Imperii mentality would be into so my brain spun quickly to come up with a plausible explanation, “Yes, well, that’s certainly what my parents told everyone I was doing!”

“Oh! Mysterious!” Sigrid clapped her hands. Her face held a brilliant smile, but her eyes were sharp and accessing as she demanded, “And what were you actually doing, pray tell?”

“Fun things,” I responded flippantly, “Extravagant parties on the French Riveria, lots of champagne, drugs, men, women…” I let my eyes run suggestively down Madeleine’s curves as I drawled out the last word.

Madeleine’s eyes widened slightly as a noticeable shiver ran through her.

Sigrid laughed politely, “Are you ready to settle down now? I hear you’re one of the contenders for the hand of the Cordonian prince.”

“I’m ready to take my rightful place among the rule makers if that’s what you mean.”

“And you’re committed to the cause? Because your aunt has been intractable.”

The Via Imperii had reached out to my aunt? That was news to me, but not surprising. It also wasn’t surprising that she had turned them down. She would never give in to such an organization, she actually cared about her people. I couldn’t say any of that of course, so I settled for, “Well, my aunt is short-sighted. Perhaps once I move into a leadership role in the Via Imperii, I can bring her into the fold.”

Sigrid’s eyebrows shot up, “I never knew you had so much ambition!”

“Well, you haven’t seen me since I was a child,” I turned to Madeleine, “Could you be a dear and fetch me more champagne?”

“Oh- I…” Her eyes tracked from me to Sigrid then back again, “Sure.”

Sigrid gave me an appraising look, “Is there something you wish to discuss privately?”

I shifted my posture into business mode, “My future in this organization.”

She lifted her champagne flute slowly as she regarded me seriously. After a long sip, she asked, “And what makes you think I have any power here?”

“Call it a hunch,” I shrugged, “But you’re a powerful woman, a strong ruler, and a world leader. I don’t see you accepting a subservient role in any organization.”

She nodded in approval, the smile real, “Fair enough. If you are crowned queen-“

“When,” I corrected her.

“Oh, I like you!” Sigrid laughed, “That’s just the kind of confidence it takes to rule. Not everyone has that, you know.”

“I’m aware.”

“Take my cousin Constantine for instance. His dear wife Eleanor was simply not suited for the throne. Unfortunate action had to be taken.”

My spine prickled with certainty that her death had been no accident, “What are you saying?”

“I’m asking if you have what it takes to make the difficult decisions.”

My eyes hardened as I assured her, “I do. And having moved in royal circles all my life, I know things that would be of benefit to this organization.”

“I admire your ambition, my dear. Like I said, once the crown is on your head, we’ll talk. Not before.”

That certainly wasn’t a denial that she was placed high up within the cabal. But how high? Before I could make another pitch, Madeleine showed back up with my champagne.

I pasted on my fake happy-to-see-you smile and took the drink as I contemplated my next move.

Leo

The woman who answered the door was tall, with blond hair swept up on top of her head and eyes the color of the Mediterranean. She looked so familiar that I temporarily forgot to speak as my mind spun trying to place her.

“Leo!” Her hand flew to her chest as her eyes widened in surprise.

“So, we have met?”

“You….could say that.” She glanced up and down the sidewalk then gestured us in, “Come in!”

“You’re Cora Illiopolis, correct?” Olivia verified.

Liv and I entered the small, unassuming house and followed the woman to the living room as she confirmed her identity and nervously rambled about getting us some tea. I heard Liv tell her that would be lovely, but my attention was focused on the framed photographers on the console table against the far wall.

Glittering silver frames held pictures of a dark-haired girl who I assumed to be Lena throughout the years. My eyes ran across them in reverse chronological order. College graduation. Secondary school graduation. A winter formal where the girl stood next to a young man in a white tuxedo, both of them smiling out at the camera.

Lena at about twelve years old with Cora at an amusement park. Lena as a toddler, her chubby arms wrapped around the woman that had raised her, face alight with love. The younger the pictures of Cora got, the stronger the sense that I had met her became and then my eyes landed on one in the back row, and before my mind could register what I was seeing, my hand shot out and snatched the frame off the table.

I turned toward her as she entered the room, a tray with full tea service clutched in her hands. Thrusting the photograph toward her as the memory crashed over me, I said, “You’re the lady from the park!”

Her steps faltered a little, but she nodded with a weak smile, “The park, yes. You remember that?”

“What is it, Leo?” Olivia had stepped up behind me. Her hand on my arm grounded me and I turned to show her the picture of our hostess with Queen Eleanor, and myself as a small child on a playground in Stormholt City.

Liv spun on the woman, “Who are you? How did you know Queen Eleanor?”

“Please, sit,” she gestured to the couch as she placed the tray on the coffee table and took the chair across from it.

I made my way to the couch with the photograph still clutched in my hand, “You knew my mother?”

“You could say that.” Her hands shook as she poured the tea and Liv leaned forward and took over the task for her. Cora gave her a grateful smile, “Thank you, dear. You’re Olivia Nevrakis, aren’t you?”

“I am. How do you know that?”

“I keep up with the Cordonian news.” Shifting her attention to me she continued, “I suppose I owe you some answers, but first, why are you here?”

“Lena,” I pulled myself together. It was ridiculous. I’d been taken by surprise before, but I had never felt so shaken.

Cora nodded, “How did you find out about her?”

“Katherine Bodecker.”

“Of course. I always feared the day would come when someone would come looking for us. I’m glad it’s you and not Constantine.”

“Why?”

She sat the cup she’d been holding down to keep it from spilling. Nervousness was one thing, but she looked terrified, “So many reasons.”

“You did know my mother and you were with her when she gave birth? Lena is her child? My sister?”

“Half of that is right.”

Confusing poured through me, “Which part?”

“I knew Eleanor and I was with her when she gave birth. Lena is her child.”

“Which part isn’t true?”

“For starters, Eleanor wasn’t your mother.”

“Not my biological mother, I know that, but she raised me. She was my mother.”

Cora nodded, “She did. And for that I’m grateful.”

“Why would you be grateful for that?” I took in her face again then glanced back down at the framed photograph in my hand. The one where she was decades younger. I studied it for a long time as recognition dawned and a sudden realization washed over me, “Your name’s not really Cora Illiopolis, is it?”

“No, son, it’s not.”

“Wait,” Liv’s head swiveled between us, “Who is she?”

“Liv, this is Helena Samaras. My mother.”

[reconstructwriter]

Finally Sat Down and Gave RotS a Look.

. Said to be the best of the lot so let’s see what this movie’s got!

Warning, lots of word vomit.

…I’m genuinely surprised to find this funny. Aside from the bit with Dooku (And even then the look on his face! He did not expect betrayal from the space-Wizards betraying party) the first half hour’s been a comedy? And some of the dialogue got a laugh out of me. Do I have the bloopers reel in here?

Okay no, I don’t because we segway to all the political intrigue – which is a nice transition between the d&d-style rescue shenanigans and looming tragedy that (sort of) consumes the latter half of the movie. Starts with a nice bit of characterization: Obi Wan and Anakin joking about the uncomfortable spotlight. A joking reminder that Jedi should shy away from it – which does make it easier for Palpatine to mud-rake their reputation.

Pleasantly surprised by how suspicious everyone is of Palpatine – expected more obliviousness from all I’ve read but nope! Both Padme (and in the cut scenes 1,999 other politicians) and the Jedi Council worry this wartime chancellor the Senate’s been empowering for three years might not eagerly let go. Anakin’s his sole on-screen defender

…but you know that works for Anakin’s characterization here. He starts out wanting to help Oddball and his squad over rescuing the secret Sith Lord, willing to see both himself and Palps die to save Obi Wan. Then during the political intrigue Anakin defends Palpatine, even protesting Jedi Council orders to spy on the guy (who just gave him the cushy Council appointment so doesn’t feel so heroic). The tragic portion starts with Anakin finally throwing his lot in with Palpatine over the Jedi and going from ‘for the greater good of Padme’ 2nd Genocide to ‘ride or die for Palpatine actually’ immediately afterwards. (his lines to Padme would’ve been so much more delightfully ominous if they kept her rebellious scenes!) Finally, this ends with Anakin, fully sworn to the Sith, doing a one-eighty to betray Palpatine to make Padme Empress and rule the Galaxy together! He hasn't even learned the Super Sith secret of loved ones’ immortality – his entire reason for choosing to Fall in the first place. Sounds like he cares more about power than Padme. Especially since with Obi Wan’s appearance he immediately flips from wanting Padme to be Empress to strangling her. Something, something, Madonna-whore complex.

Decent narrative characterization for being stuffe in 2.5hrs.

I was surprised the whole ‘Jedi takeover plot’ wasn’t complete propaganda on Palpatine’s part. Sure, Palpatine made Mt. Everest out of a molehill but the Council does bring up a coup to solve the dictator issue. Yoda shuts this down but it shows the Jedi Order are losing their way due to the clone wars. IMAO this also shows they’ve got no better ideas/political power they could leverage.

Still, this plot point would’ve been better if they hadn’t cut Padme’s scenes. Those show she contemplates something similar, shows the Senate could’ve legally ousted Palpatine if more weren’t corrupt bastards and reinforced that Jedi just suck at politics, its not their arena.

This is probably me reading too much Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes but this movie seems to run with the cliché Ancient Greek tragedy plot point ™: ‘character X finds out terrible future. character X does everything in their power to prevent terrible future. Character X brings about terrible future via all their efforts to prevent it. Anakin has ominous nightmare/vision about Padme’s screaming death via childbirth. Anakin scrambles to keep Padme from dying screaming in childbirth (these methods apparently include crossing Moral Event Horizons but don’t include Space-OBGYNs)

…surprise twist! She dies screaming in childbirth. After he strangled her.

Why do fix-it fics begin with protagonists knowing about the future again?

Obi Wan’s obliviousness to Anakin’s past gives him that unwarranted faith, that inability to believe his brother made a one-eighty in like 3 days and just genocided the fuck out of their entire shared people. And Cody hands the lightsaber over to Obi Wan just after he defeated Grievous. From Obi Wan’s PoV everything’s going great – he and his buddy have hashed things out, General Grievous is dead. He can taste peace.

… Which makes order 66 hit so much harder.

For years I’ve read and watched these characters so the Order 66 scene hit me harder, but I also did not watch this until after the new live action atla came out. As heart-breaking as it is to watch Bly shoot Aalya in the back and keep shooting her corpse! At least this part is purely about betrayal, horror, sorrow. Jedi are gunned down by the overwhelming numbers of people they trust, children gunned down desperately being Jedi to their last breath. Anakin’s march on the Jedi temple with his massive army. The children taking shelter in the Council rooms because that’s where they feel safe – except the traitor was also appointed a member! We don’t even need to see the blood or the gore or anything. It's enough to have a little kid plea to an adult guardian…and focus on Anakin’s expression and ignited lightsaber.

When we do get the 20-minute fight montages, they still drive home the betrayal. The loss. The defeat. You can't forget that Anakin and Obi Wan were brothers in all but blood while they’re dueling on a hell-planet. Yoda and Sidious duke it out for the fate of the Republic, but in an empty Senate that Sidious dismantles to fight Yoda with. All driving home that the Republic is gone, Democracy is dead, the heroes either dead with it, Fallen or being hunted down like dogs!

Palpatine also gets to be an A+ bastard in this movie – he even outright informing the Separatist leaders that his new apprentice will arrive to take care of them? He was definitely laughing maniacally as they role out the welcome mat for their murderer. I love the tragedy but deeply regret that Anakin stopped Mace from punching Palpatine in the face with his lightsaber.

We know Anakin ultimately survives Mustafar but wow they really make it look like he’s dying (and using his last breaths to curse Obi Wan). It’s almost a shock to see his metal hand claw at the ashes of Mustafar terminator-style. After watching this I’m a little less harsh on Obi Wan for not finishing Anakin off there. The dude looks like he’s finished off and Obi Wan can’t watch anymore.

Okay y’all I get the ‘Padme's death as life force suction via Dark Side’ interpretation. She and Anakin are paralleled in medical and the in-movie reason for her death sounds so stupid. I do think narratively its just a contrast but adding that interpretation makes it better. Padme in the light medical room, Anakin in the dark laboratory. Padme is dying but giving birth. Anakin is surviving but becoming Darth Vader.

And then children entrusted to the Jedi are given over to loving families.

I’d agree this movie is the best of the lot. The pacing feels better, the overall mood of the film transitioned nicely from a humorous action adventure to a political drama and then finally falling into its tragedy. Anakin’s character is less annoying, though the sins of the last movie make his heroics fall a little flat to me. Even the dialogue is an improvement, barring a few terrible deliveries that drag down some important scenes:

Darth Vader’s Nyooo is just cringe. This guy face-planted at the rock bottom point of his life. He’s traded everyone else he loved, cared for or even said ‘hi’ to for unlimited cosmic power to save Padmé and has just woken up to find she didn’t survive him using said power to strangle her (surprise, surprise). His physical agony is only eclipsed by his emotional agony and I’m honestly surprised Palpatine’s space-Frankenstein lab survived that. Nyooo just doesn’t cut it.

Yoda’s words to Anakin really don’t convey his intention well to me. I get that pulling teeth would be easier than making Anakin say anything relevant but even his general advice could’ve been delivered better.

And the kid’s wooden delivery during the genocide… George you know you’re bad with dialogue don’t make some of your movie’s most powerful moments hinge on dialogue!

But there’s some good stuff. I’m going a little feral over Palpatine’s response to Anakin’s “I can do better” which reminds Anakin he has done worse and implies ‘no, you can’t ever be better than you are at your worst’. It's a philosophy Anakin takes to heart, keeping his silence about his first Darth Vader act until he swears to embody Darth Vader. Of course Palpatine’s philosophy is ultimately deconstructed in the original trilogy when after 20+ years of Evil Warcrimes in Chief of the Evil Genocidal Slavery Empire Anakin makes (1) better choice. And the shattered remnants of the Republic and citizens of the Empire also choose better. It's both a hopeful message and one that spits in the face of assholes who say they can't do better.

But Disney Star Wars – in re-doing plot-lines and deconstructing characters/narratives – seems to lean into Palpatine's philosophy. I don’t think that’s their narrative intent but it still bugs me the most about Disney Star Wars stuff.

Speaking of bugging me you can guess what else does from my incessant repetition but damn what this movie did to Padme.

This not only does her character considerable injustice but also hurts several other scenes and IMHO the overall movie. She mostly feels like a flat cardboard designated romantic partner of the lead character and the movie feels a little flatter, a little less nuanced, ominous and tragic as a result. Even her banger ‘this is how liberty dies’ line would’ve hit harder if we’d been shown her fight for it. Learning she had more scenes like that but they cut those because they wanted more Anakin angst? How dare you!

Instead, we get Padmé saying ‘he [Obi Wan] said such terrible things...you killed younglings'. Which…she’s one of two people who knows he DID exactly that. This makes Padmé sound weirdly moral myopic. I'm not surprised when Palpatine makes an unfair comparison between the murder of Dooku and the genocide of the entire Rrhr tribe, but Padmé?

tl;dr:

I’d agree this movie is the best of the lot. The pacing is better. The narrative itself feels more coherent with all the plot threads tying fairly neatly into each other. With one tragic exception the characters are all at their least annoying. But I know Revenge of the Sith could have been better. It almost was, so I’m still left sighing longingly at What Could Have Been.

Hopefully the novel will do the story justice. I've heard good things about it.

[the-derpy-duck]

I adore ROTB

Sort of spoilers. I do my best not to.

I haven’t had much time to reflect on it but ahhhhhh it was so goood! This was the first time I’ve seen a transformers film in theaters and I was losing my mind but trying to be quiet.

But I just LOVE the way the maximals (idk if that’s how you spell it- I have a strictly casual relationship with the English language) move. Like Airrazor talking looked amazing to me and I loved how Primal’s nose would move sometimes. Cheetor’s run cycle! I eat that shit upppppp!! Cheetor in general was really well designed to me. I hope I can get a good toy of him (I already picked up the SS Airrazor). Cheetahs are my favorite animals even if they constantly shoot themselves in the foot, evolutionary wise. The maximals look very good IMO and I’m happy they finally got decent 3D renders. I love how big they all are as well. Like these things could destroy just about anything on earth. I also like the voices for the Maximals.

The humans were also really good. I love Noah’s relationship with his little brother and the conflict with him felt realistic and very grounded in the alien car movie. His friendship with Mirage did feel a little rushed but honestly that worked with the way he was characterized I think. Like Mirage seemed so desperate for a non auto bot friendship and he seemed to have a general affinity for humans not dissimilar to Bumblebee’s.

Also the part where Bee put on his battle mask caused me and the person who was sitting next to me to lose out collective minds. I don’t care if it’s cheesy, pull that stick out of your ass and enjoy the action! Enjoy the drama!

Also I love Mirage’s face. I wish he looked less like Jazz in his alt mode but honestly his bot mode is so cool so I don’t care that much. I also like OP’s face. It’s sort of modeled after Peter Collin’s face so it’s marvelous. I think they should have changed Wheeljacks name to Perceptor, especially sense BB movie design for Wheeljack was just so perfect but also Pablo is my son and he’s so fantastic and I love him and I’m not gonna be person 1,983 hating on this design.

Scourge was alright. I didn’t see the face reveal as too much of an issue or even note it that much in my mind. I think the fact that he collects insignia’s is really cool in a fucked up sort of way. Like it isn’t enough to just kill someone and destroy there home he also needs to disgrace their bodies. It’s also a weird way of keeping track of his victories. I thought it was kind of neat. He’s not that deep and it’s a little bit underwhelming when I think about it. Like I wish the movie had more time to do things. Because to me it didn’t feel that long, I think some extra time would have done it good.

There is a character who died who I think, realistically, should have been able to be revived and I wish that they were. Also a character gets killed and I think the maximals should have been the ones to kill them. I wish the maximals got more screen time. The movie was fairly fast paced. The movie is only 2 hours and 7 minutes long. Which is still 2 hours but I think having it go a little longer would have helped a lot of characters.

The reveal at the end almost made me scream like holy shit. I was expecting something but not THAT. I really hope we can see more decepticons next movie. Like Skywarp as a main antagonist would be so cool. Think of the fight  scenes. Think of the teleportation. Think of another purple movie robot. Please. Pleassseeee.

I though that the CGI was fine. Nothing looked off to me in a way that would pull me out of the movie. The Flash looked a lot worse and I think that movie had a higher budget. 

Optimus wanting to get home and his conflict is compelling to me. Like he doesn’t have a reason to like or trust humans. He’s been stranded on this shithole of a planet with no contact with his army or friends or home for seven years I understand why he hates it. He also has another reason to really get the hell out but spoilers. But also he comes to a general understanding with the humans and learns that they are sort of worth working with. He just wants to get home and help his friend get better and save his own world and brutally murder his enemy. He’s still very brutal but it feels different to Bayverse. That’s probably because I don’t like Michael Bay or his transformers films but you chose to read to this point so you get to deal with my weird biases.

*minor spoilers sort of*

The part where Unicron tells OP not to destroy the key and that he give him anything and OP says “then die” got me way too hyped up. Like wow. Murder dad robot is SO cool!

I love Arcee fighting with Wheeljack and standing on Rhinox, idk if it was a call back and or reference to that one beats wars  scene but I love it either way

[traincat]

yeah from what I've heard (I don't have the guts to actually read it) that's what's going on right now other than him fighting other heroes and paul still being a mystery

I'm going to marathon through what I've missed at some point, I'm just trying to get up the urge to care. (I got big back into Fire Emblem so I can't even rely on "this series is the main fiction love of my life and I have to do this" right now.) Most of what I've "read" from the past few issues are pages floating around twitter, and they've all been kind of outraged on the PeterMJ developments, which, like, I get, because they suck, but they've been sucking the whole series now so you'd think I'd hear more about Peter stealing tech from other heroes so he can give it to Norman to build stuff for him??

And I'm not addressing anything directly because again I haven't like actually read it yet and I don't want to be part of the comic book misinformation network, even accidentally, but I did read like at least the first half of what's out of this run and the Norman thing was the biggest deal for me. I can theoretically deal with everyone hating Peter for not established reasons or Peter and MJ having badly contrived relationship drama or Mystery Kids or Ben Reilly Evil Again (Take Two) or Peter not working at the Bugle because Marvel hates me personally or even Peter and Flash reuniting totally off page. What I can't handle is the Norman Was Shot With a Good Ray and Now Everyone Feels Sooooo Bad For Him Because He's Such a Nice Guy (He's Actively Falling Apart Because He's Gonna be Evil Again Ooh) apology hour. I can't handle Peter being willing to put his trust in Norman, whether or not Norman had the evil sucked right out of his soul and lobbed at a clone of Ashley Kafka or not. And I can't handle the downplaying of Peter's kills in favor of Norman's. It's always really weird to me when writers are like "Norman is more of a genius than Peter." Norman is more ruthless than Peter. Norman cares about far less than Peter. Establishing Norman as smarter than Peter flips the script in a really weird way (as opposed to characters like Doc Ock or the Jackal, who are established geniuses) that sort of puts them on this uneven footing. It seems to buy into the myth of the super rich guy as inherently smarter than everyone else, and it's not really present in Norman's original story (his introduction up to his death in ASM #122). Like this is a guy who Goblin'd himself because he blew up a bunch of chemicals in his own face. Even if he said he could build me a super suit, if I had anywhere in the realm of the "rewiring a toaster" skill set, I'd be like, cool thanks I'll do it myself. Which is what Peter should be doing, because the core of Peter's character should be a frightening amount of independence. He shouldn't be relying on Norman for a job or a super suit or subway fare. Good Norman or no, Norman helping to rescue MJ or no, Peter should be telling him to go fuck himself in every panel. It's just a basic characterization issue at this point. And this doesn't have to apply directly to whatever is or isn't going on in the past few issues because it applies to the whole run. (I did read the first few issues of Gold Goblin, which were at least an attempt at nuance with Norman, but between Liz trusting Norman and "Gold Goblin" sounding like the ultimate antisemitic dog whistle, I haven't gotten up the will to finish it yet.)

I think I'm also just like burnt out after two uniquely bad runs in a row. Like Slott was bad, but I was pretty used to the specific ways in which he was bad, and occasionally he busts out a good enough scene that it kind of gets you excited again. Spencer and Wells' runs have both had this deeply unpleasant undercurrent to them (Kindred, whatever's going on with Wells revisiting the plotline he wrote with the blizzard from the early days of Brand New Day) that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But to say anything more specific I would, you know, actually have to read it.