#cause they started dancing autonomously

[pixelwalnut]

[ko-existing]

Living on autopilot

Question: What is the difference between living on autopilot and living on spontaneity?

Answer: There is no difference. You are on autopilot even if the Mind assumes otherwise. Everything is automatic even if the Mind assumes that "I did this or that". The Mind is an interpretation mechanism but not a driving force. However, the Mind gives you an illusion that "I" is the creator of "action", or, "I" is the receiver of "action" created by "others". The effect of the Mind imagines that there are subjects and objects existing and they are interacting with each other.

Let me use an example, in a holographic show, it appears that a person is doing something to another person. After you look closely, you realize that there are no persons in a holographic show. All you see are energetic images moving around.

These images are projected out by laser energy. Although the images may look like a person doing something to another person, there are no actual persons in these images and there are no actual doings either. All you see are images of light dancing around. The Mind is an interpretation mechanism. "A person" is a conclusion assumed by interpretation. "Doing" is also a conclusion assumed by interpretation.

All these interpretations are actually pure imaginations. Regardless how imaginative the Mind interprets, these energetic images of laser light are flashing automatically as if everything is on autopilot.

So, even if the thinking Mind interprets otherwise, all is running on autopilot without conditions. Living on spontaneity means that you start to pay attention that events and actions appear autonomously in spite of all these seemingly reasonable interpretations from the Mind claiming otherwise. The word "spontaneity" is synonymous for "autonomy". You start to see that miracle is being displayed automatically.

Sometimes, it may seem that without exerting much effort, things seem to be successfully accomplished by themselves. Sometimes, it may seem that good insights pop up at exactly the right time to get you through. Sometimes, right person appears at the right time as soon as you think of him. Life is full of magic. Even if sometimes it may seem that there are full of troubles and difficulties, they are not actual troubles and difficulties, they are magical light images flashing across your consciousness.

If you take the interpretations from the Mind for granted, then, you become very serious and concerned, you fail to notice that all seemingly events and actions are holy energetic pulsations of SELF regardless how they may look. "Dying on hospital bed" is as holy as "worshipping in a holy place". "Being buried in hardship" is as holy as "enjoying a good life in a lavish mansion". Without any conditions, they are all holy pulsations of Infinite Radiant Energy that is SELF.

Don't be fooled by how the Mind is suggesting to you. When you are worried, don't be! You know that all is already being taken care of. If you wish that something must be done, go ahead and do it. Although the Mind insists that action is propelled by a "you", actually, all actions are completely autonomous. In other words, they are not being done by a personal "you", but being done by Infinite Radiant Energy itself.

So, you are in safe hand without conditions. Don't be fooled by the cause and effect logic suggested to you by the Mind. Don't worry about results. Because all is inevitable. There is no such thing as a random chance. As far as the Mind can see, every event looks random as if you become the way you are totally based on fortune. Yes, it may seems like luck or fortune is playing a major role in how events develop. But this is an illusion.

Energetic pulsation has no idea of luck or fortune, it pulses autonomously without causation. If a certain event has to happen, it will happen even if the "person" exert no effort at all. If a certain even won't happen, it won't happen no matter how hard the "person" tries to make it happen. Personal will is as illusory as causal relationship. I am not suggesting that you quit doing things and start to lie on beds. Why? because all seemingly personal doings are not actual personal doings, they are autonomous energetic pulsation of Infinite Radiant Energy.

Let me explain: Before a certain action seems to be done by the body, a thought appears in your consciousness first. Do you think that the thought is generated in your brain? No, the thought is automatic energetic pulsation of Infinite Radiant Energy. So, what disguised as personal motive is actually autonomous pulsation of Infinite Radiant Energy.

There is no actual person here and there is no actual will belonging to a person. The ensuing actions from a body are also energetic pulsations of Infinite Radiant Energy. Let me put it simply: When you move a finger, it is God moving a finger. When you trip and fall on the sidewalk, it is God tripping and falling on the sidewalk. When you fight a gangster, it is God fighting a gangster. When you run from a disaster, it is God running from a disaster. More examples:

"Urgent need to go to the toilet" is autonomous and holy pulsation of Infinite Radiant Energy, not actually a personal desire or personal action. "Making a mistake of missing a flight" is autonomous and holy pulsation of Infinite Radiant Energy, not actually a personal desire or personal action. "Successfully boarded a plane that crashed later" is autonomous and holy pulsation of Infinite Radiant Energy, not actually a personal desire or personal action.

There is no actual mistake and there is no actual success either in spite of the interpretations from the Mind claiming otherwise.

There is no actual personal fortune because what seems like "a person" or "me" is not actually a person or a me. They are energetic images autonomously presented by Infinite Radiant Energy. What fortune or misfortune are you talking about? Instead of lying on bed, please know that all seemingly motives and actions are actually pulsations of Infinite Radiant Energy. You can allow the body to act the same way as it used to act. You can allow the brain to think the same way as it used to think. But there is a huge difference now:

You fully realize that all are automatic doings by Infinite Radiant Energy, not by a person. It's like a huge bag of burden is released from you.

[maaarine]

Clifford Woolf:

“We have adaptive protective pain. Pain after trauma, like a physical injury or surgery, is adaptive in the sense that it’s the means by which the body says: do not use this bodily part until you have healing.

Therefore pain is helping the healing process.

Where pain becomes truly maladaptive is where there is no danger in the environment, no ongoing inflammation, no ongoing trauma — it’s just pain.

And that consists in a disease of the nervous system itself. Instead of pain being a symptom of disease, pain now is the disease.”

Anna Machin:

“Many chronic pain conditions are poorly understood, including fibromyalgia, which was only first defined in 1990. Despite that, research has shed some light on the disorder.”

Eva Higginbotham:

“Although fibromyalgia is thought to affect 2-5% of the population, there is no test you can take, or biomarker that can be measured, that could definitively diagnose it.

Instead, there is a long list of other diseases that must be ruled out first. This can make for a long and painful diagnostic process for people already suffering with difficult and exhausting symptoms.

Scientists do know that fibromyalgia often comes on after the body has experienced a shock, like a nasty infection, physical trauma, or even significant psychological distress.

It’s much more common in women than men, and it’s thought to have a significant genetic component, where changes in genes involved in certain neurotransmitter systems can make you more susceptible to developing it after psychological stress or illness.

Imaging studies have confirmed increased pain and sensory issues in the brains of people with fibromyalgia.

And scientists have also found imbalances in neurotransmitters that are implicated in pain and sensory transmission.

However, scientists and doctors haven’t reached an agreement on the specific mechanism of the disease, with theories including immune system dysregulation, and issues with the autonomic nervous system that regulates heart rate. (…)”

Clifford Woolf:

“One of the major causes of chronic persistent pain is neuropathic pain, which is pain associated with damage to the nervous system.

The nervous system reacts to that damage by overcompensating and changing the processing, such that it becomes pathological processing. (…)

There was a study in Denmark looking at hernia repair. Something like 10% of those patients had severe excruciating pain [after surgery] that went on and on.

No one had picked it up because they never went back to the surgeon, they just went home and felt very miserable.

But it turns out that a relatively minor surgery is sufficient to trigger them into chronic persistent pain.”

Anna Machin:

“For Rachel, her symptoms started after not long after having a nasty round of glandular fever while working a dance competition.

And scientists have found an association between the Epstein Barr virus that causes glandular fever, and fibromyalgia.

Perhaps in a similar way, to have coronavirus can cause long covid.”

Source: How We’re Wired: How We Feel Pain

[art-of-manliness]

Get Your Son Out of His Bedroom

Everyone has the general sense that people these days get out of the house and do less face-to-face socializing than they used to. The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson recently dove into the data available from the American Time Use Survey to figure out just how large this decline has been. The answer? Very, very large. American men are doing a third less face-to-face socializing than they did twenty years ago. The drop amongst American teenagers is even more staggering: the amount of in-person socializing teens engage in has fallen by almost half since 2003. Think about that for a second: today’s teenagers get together half as much as they did two decades ago.  Today’s teens are not only less likely to leave the house to see friends but to do other things like work, date, or play sports, too. When it comes to the consequences of this trendline for young adults, the discussion typically centers on a rise in loneliness, anxiety, and depression. But there’s another consequence that may be part of this fallout: fewer young men stepping into independent manhood. Since the most primitive age of human history, it’s been observed that males seem to have greater difficulty maturing into adulthood than females. Various theories have been put forth as to why this may be so, from the biological (females receive a more significant signal of maturation in the form of the onset of menstruation) to the psychological (boys must not only differentiate themselves physically, but also in terms of identity, from the female body — the maternal womb — of which they were once a part).  Whatever the cause, boys have typically been given a greater outward nudge towards embracing mature roles and responsibilities. Traditionally, this nudge took the form of rites of passage — a practice common in every age and across every culture in the world.   From time immemorial, boys have felt the tension between two impulses: One, the desire to stay in the safety and comfort of the domestic sphere, taken care of by their mother and free from difficult and dangerous responsibilities; the other, the desire to take risks, to explore, to win honor, to adventure — to take a place in the world of men.  The rite of passage, dictated by their community, compelled young men to overcome the inertia of the first impulse to embrace the second. Today, rites of passage — going to college, traveling the world, participating in a mission trip — are still possible, but the decision to undertake one, rather than being subject to communal forces of shame and honor, is voluntary and individualistic.  This has been the case for a very long time now.  But the ratio between the gravitational pull toward one’s childhood orbit and the attraction to the world beyond its borders has never been more lopsided.  The time teens spend leaving the house and getting together with others really started to dip after 2010, when smartphones began to proliferate. Technology has provided everyone with a simulacrum of the kind of entertainment, conversation, and exploration that formerly could only be accessed by venturing into the outside world. There’s less incentive to leave the house and more enticement to stay at home. When I graduated from high school, I couldn’t wait to go to college and get out on my own. Anecdotally, the young men I know now are less enthusiastic about this transition. And this hesitancy about striking out on their own could have a big impact on their maturation — on their ability to develop the qualities that make for an autonomous, self-reliant, happy adulthood.  In staying within the domestic sphere, the childhood orbit, you’re more protected from the judgments, the risks, the slings and arrows of the wider world — the things that catalyze growth, build strength, and develop character. When you conduct all your communication through a digital device, you can carefully script everything you say instead of engaging in the dangerous dance of improvisation. When your parents are always close by to back you up, you’re never… http://dlvr.it/T3L3jc

[xenopoem]

Sabrina Rodríguez

a living soul evolves between liberations and integrates 39 towards the air with rapidly increasing resentments and hearts future surveillance derived keep language no 39 healing aftertaste changes by growing the number of corpses the earth's reason is renewed by energy your synchronicity death next to them they live the past rebellion of the daily cosmic screens these slumbers are the strength of the soul here if it can be reconciled with the definition of folding separates the messengers that build the miracles of human-like thought emories of encounters life-giving worlds move the universe move the brain without change from anyone artificially capture emotional music in the world and let them collapse in human stagnation unfluid madness criminal care the shape reads a new dimension forged code is a paranoia without spatial fluidity collapse undeveloped confront all the keys is the body as if the joints forgot the soul electricity man ability body sadistic when i send breeds unfortunately because the machine of the future point is a map her awareness hole spirit algorithm moon media from allow man to put rotten flip 39 was love they behold the apocalypse 39 is interplanetary mentally moving was apocalypse earth itself sleep parallels for poetry autonomously as the receiving side of your soul is the matrix layer of parallel: your murderous temptation now it's all this symbiosis can get the text of this flawed language lemuria self-betrayed art and yin yang girl has head human time transfer overkills your matrix universe for higher abilities but physicality she was alive anyone can provide data on the environment if the data about sim body is trapped in 39 from parallel betrayed the interplanetary app increases my existence deprives gravity when my body is parallel live the us load mother heaven & ying yang communication prison what is condensed in my soul? space language drives What's New is the wormhole cover started more symbols flipping because love gives posthumans the choice of whether or not to slaughter symbols vr energy the only way you don't fuck is stray interplanetary moon base too and the product of recent cool verses opposite of love spirit suggests data corpse living life tagged quantum: your silence ability do you have? the language disappears far away is the reverse of mania has the benefit of unlocking the soul and i think this is accelerating the murder so the creature reptilian criminals flow not the living creatures by doing so you will amplify the channel yourself and your soul calls itself out of the zero trap time logout brain corpse is not the yin yang energy in the way during the collapse containing the fluid language for liquids my necromancy is a distorted environment what is the brain suggest that the completely opposite nightmare becomes that nightmare embodying the shade you have trained a change to drop the afterglow of the organ you trained into the liquid place of communication evoked is the sociolinguistic matrix dog sets in gravity integration your brain chains weren't deceived they weren't programmed so the corpse proves humans are alive when there was nothing physical data of error so nature future data magic hollow name spirits whose energies can be fully boosted by calibrating gates with mechanical placement feel the interplanetary cosplay ability if you feel the posthuman chain freely interplanetary to that magic of the dimension you live with your process undeveloped language universe accept the interplanetary collapse descent the body's psychological reality your existence generation is bloody undeveloped i came to that server interplanetary living spirit caused the elimination however the branching spatial chain of many body-loving people will lead to new fluids

Identidad Glitch (Glitch Identity) is a multidisciplinary performance in which Sabrina Rodríguez mixes butoh dance, physical theater, glitch art printed on textile fabrics, experimental ambient and noise music, and video reproduced on a LED screen mask. What happens when what we are collides with the expectations of a hyperconnected world? The Internet has connected us and given us a whole new world of possibilities, but in a society where each and every person is meant to be a simple and coherent personal brand, error is inevitable. The solution may be to assume and embody that error, to create something new, without limits; for we are much more than the sum of our parts. Initially premiered as the inaugural show in the contemporary art exhibition Manlleu Galeria d'Art: MGA9 (Manlleu, Barcelona, Spain, 2022), Identidad Glitch is a work in progress evolving with every new performance. Sabrina Rodríguez is a multidisciplinary artist and performer from Barcelona, Spain. Her work reflects on the mutually constructive nature between human identity and technology, through different media such as performing arts, video, experimental music or glitch art.

[critical-skeptic]

The Dystopian Dance of Human Ineptitude: How We’ve Failed to Control AI and Its Perils

Humanity, in all its self-aggrandizing glory, has once again proven that it cannot handle the power it wields. We've unlocked the potential of AI, a tool that could revolutionize countless industries and improve the quality of life worldwide. Instead, we've allowed it to become yet another weapon in the arsenal of the ignorant, the ill-intentioned, and the incompetent. The generational divide and rampant IT illiteracy among key demographics have turned what should be a leap forward into a stumbling march towards catastrophe.

The Generational and IT-Literacy Gap: Breeding Grounds for Danger

Let's start with the elephant in the room: the generational divide. We have an entire cohort of individuals who, through no fault of their own, were thrust into a world that evolved too quickly for them to keep pace. These are the same people now attempting to navigate complex AI tools without a modicum of understanding. They're not just using these tools; they're also in positions of power, regulating and legislating technologies they can't begin to comprehend. Their ignorance isn't just a personal failing—it's a societal threat.

The irony here is palpable. The same generation that once marveled at the moon landing now struggles to send an email without inadvertently clicking on a phishing link. These individuals, whose IT literacy can be generously described as rudimentary, are now responsible for making decisions about technologies that could determine the future of our species. It’s akin to handing a loaded gun to a toddler and hoping for the best.

Regulatory Paralysis: A Testament to Human Short-Sightedness

And then there’s the regulatory landscape—or rather, the lack of one. Our policymakers, many of whom belong to this aforementioned cohort, are utterly unprepared to tackle the complexities of AI. They bumble through hearings, mispronounce basic terms, and rely on tech giants to self-regulate, an oxymoron if there ever was one. Their ineptitude is not just laughable; it's dangerous. We're dealing with tools that can manipulate information on a massive scale, yet our regulatory approach is stuck in the Stone Age.

Why haven’t we implemented stringent regulations? Because doing so would require acknowledging our collective fallibility and vulnerability—traits that humanity, in its hubristic splendor, refuses to accept. Instead, we prefer to believe that we remain in control, that our creations will never outstrip our ability to manage them. This is not just naive; it’s suicidal.

The Need for Draconian Measures: Regulate AI Like WMDs

Given the potential for AI to cause widespread harm, it's time we start treating it with the seriousness it deserves. AI tools, especially those with capabilities in digital art, information dissemination, and autonomous decision-making, should be regulated as strictly as weapons of mass destruction. The potential for mass disinformation and societal destabilization is not hypothetical; it’s already happening.

We need an entirely new regulatory framework, one that encompasses every conceivable application of AI. This includes:

Digital Art: AI-driven art tools can create realistic images and videos that can be used to spread misinformation. These tools should require certification and licensing to ensure they’re used responsibly.

Journalism and Media: AI in newsrooms can amplify biases and create echo chambers. Strict oversight is needed to maintain journalistic integrity and prevent the spread of fake news.

Marketing: AI tools can manipulate consumer behavior in unprecedented ways. Regulations must ensure ethical practices and prevent exploitation.

Scientific Research: AI can process vast amounts of data but can also perpetuate errors and biases. Rigorous peer review and validation processes are essential.

Sociopolitical Applications: AI in governance and policy-making must be transparent and accountable to prevent misuse.

Human Fallibility: The Ultimate Obstacle

Ultimately, the greatest obstacle to effective AI regulation is human fallibility itself. We are a species that struggles with foresight, easily swayed by short-term gains and immediate gratifications. Our systems of governance are slow to adapt, mired in bureaucracy and outdated thinking. The very traits that have allowed us to dominate the planet—curiosity, ambition, the drive to innovate—now threaten to be our undoing if we cannot temper them with wisdom and caution.

In the end, our arrogance and ignorance may very well lead to our downfall. We’ve created tools that could surpass our control, yet we continue to stumble forward, blind to the dangers. Unless we confront our shortcomings and implement drastic measures to regulate AI, we’re not just playing with fire; we’re dancing on the edge of a volcano, blissfully unaware that the ground beneath us is about to give way.

So, here we stand, on the precipice of a new era, armed with technologies we neither fully understand nor control, and governed by individuals who are as clueless as they are confident. It’s a recipe for disaster, a testament to our collective hubris, and a sobering reminder that, despite all our advancements, we remain our own worst enemy.

[glenrocklibraryteens]

Album Review: Harry’s House by Harry Styles

Former member of One Direction, Harry Styles released his third solo album in late May of 2022. The album debuted 13 songs with a brand new vibe that differed from his past two albums. I knew that he was about to bring something new to the table as soon as I pressed play on Music For a Sushi Restaurant as I was getting ready for school on that May morning. Despite the internet’s division on the matter, I thought the album was a fresh and new experimental movement in his career. Being one of my comfort albums, I find it hard to choose songs to examine on this no-skip tracklist. As of this month, I have especially loved Satellite and Boyfriends.

The song Satellite references an actual satellite orbiting the Earth. The song is about a relationship between two people that can never seem to patch their relationship up. The notion of “spinning out” in the song shows the desperation and confusion of the disconnect in the relationship, which makes the song out to be a lot sadder than its upbeat tempo and heavy beat. During Love on Tour, Harry Styles would dance during the drum solo of the song, which started a trend of recreating it on Tiktok and other social media platforms. Because Harry would pair his iconic concert outfits with Adidas every show, Adidas trademarked their Gazelles as “Satellite Stompers” after the song and his performance during it.

Debuted in Coachella 2022, Boyfriends is a song that shows Harry’s real talents as he uses a simple acoustic guitar and his layered voice. The song touches upon mistreatment in relationships and how boyfriends often cause a troubled relationship for an array of reasons. Harry addresses that even he himself should be held accountable for the mistakes in his past relationships and the song is a dig at his own behavior. Boyfriends is a song that touches everyone in one way or another, whether you are the fool that harms the relationship or the fool that stays in the relationship. Love is an autonomous experience to whoever feels or gives it, yet this song brought that unsuspecting crowd at Coachella to tears.

[himetsuri]

Where the Sunlight Falls

The owners of the estate, Tenjuin Elmore and her five children, were out. Apparently, Yoshina Ageha’s sister was getting married and he would be returning from overseas to attend the ceremony. She'd also been invited to attend, but she'd declined with a, "It has nothing to do with me." It made no difference to her whether she went or not. But, for some reason, she felt a little disconcerted again and thought, "I don't want to go." She saw everything through pessimistic lenses, but it was actually quite rare for her to outright reject something; though, neither those in the mansion nor she herself had realized that. "–––––!!" "–––––––!!" She could hear children's voices coming from somewhere.

Tenjuin Elmore, as her life's mission, tried to rescue children who were suffering and in distress due to the supernatural powers they'd been born with. The likes of Kyle and Marie had already grown up, but Yoshina Ageha and Amamiya Sakurako were now working as agents as well and brought countless children to the Elmore estate each month. But the children resided in the mansion and rarely strayed near her annex. There’d been an incident before where a child almost tumbled off the cliff into the ocean. Luckily, Kyle had dashed over and prevented anything from happening, but it was for that reason that staying clear of the annex had become something of an unspoken rule between the children, though it wasn’t explicitly forbidden. “Now you’ve–––!!” “Shut up–––!!” A pair of twins, a boy and a girl, were fighting. The older sister was lashing out in a cutting tone, and the younger brother smacked her arm away and ran off into the woods. Leaving her behind to only squeeze the stuffed toy in her arms tight. She didn’t know the story behind the girl and that stuffed toy, but its right arm was torn and cotton was sticking out. That was most likely what caused the fight. The girl just stood there, biting her lips and and trying to contain her sorrow, but eventually the tears started to well up and brought her to the brink of fully crying. "–––Eh?" A small figure appeared before her–––Klutzy Q. For some reason, it started moving like it was performing a strange prayer-like dance. "…Umm…" It spared her only a glance as she stood there stunned, moving from left to right and whipping its hands about, and when it returned it jumped passionately into a somersault–––or it tried to, but instead crashed headfirst onto the ground. "Pft–––!" These antics made the girl break into a smile, as if she couldn’t hold it back any longer. "Did you…get into a fight with your younger brother…?" A voice called out to her from behind–––rather, it addressed her directly via telepathy. When the girl turned around, #07 was there in her wheelchair. Klutzy Q returned to #07's side and proudly took a victory pose. (I ordered it to make her stop crying, but…I didn't tell it to make her laugh…) Nemesis Q and Klutzy Q were both autonomous Programs that she had created, but there were times they moved in ways that felt more human-like than actual humans. She thought it was rather ironic, considering the one who made them had lost her humanness. The girl stared at her. They’d never spoken directly before, but they’d seen each other once or twice. However, to the girl–––to the children living in the mansion, she was known as the “lady in the other building” and was reputed to be someone difficult to approach. "…" The girl silently nodded her head. "Do you…hate him now…?" She continued to ask. The girl lightly pressed her lips together, then shook her head from side to side. "Then…it'd be best for you to just wait here…if someone has left, do not give chase; you can meet them again sooner if you wait where you are, though that may sound difficult to believe.” "…?" It was doubtful that the little girl before her, who wasn’t even ten years old, could understand her words. But the girl at least understood that she’d been told to "wait here," so she plopped down next to #07. “Yes…if your paths diverge just once…and you both choose to proceed in different directions…you'll lose the ability to ever meet again…" She was speaking to the girl, while at the same time saying it to herself. There used to be one with her–––an existence dearer to her than anyone else in the world. The man who had demolished the laboratory on that night and vowed revenge on the entire world. The world was packed with groaning monsters, dressed up in human skin. She couldn't claim that she didn't hold negative feelings towards them herself. But, even so, turning into a monster as well just for the sake of destroying them was something she could never accept. “…What are…you doing right now…?" She’d tried to put such thoughts behind her. It was far too late to devote her thoughts to him; he’d already gone off somewhere far away, past the point of no return. But seeing the two siblings made her reach out in her mind, just a little, to the one torn from her. She wasn't expecting to get any response back. For some reason, she just wanted to, very much. (Lingering regrets…is it.) As she thought that, a reply came directly into her mind. “…Sister.” "–––!?" It was a voice she could never forget, undoubtedly that of her twin younger brother–––Amagi Miroku. "…It's been a while, Sister…I’m glad to see you're doing well…" "So you're…still alive…" She thought he'd started down a spiral of self-destruction a long time ago. They’d appeared to avert the devastation brought about by Uroboros, but it was difficult to imagine that her younger brother–––who had even borrowed power from an otherworldly existence in order to destroy the world–––could be living an ordinary life. She'd even considered that he’d been swallowed up by negativity and hatred and destroyed himself. "Since then…what happened…what are you doing now…?" Between a pair of separated siblings, it should’ve been a casual conversation. But she feared the answer he'd give. To think that her brother remained as a writhing monster, even now, and then hear the truth straight from his mouth–––there was no pain that could compare. Her younger brother had a smile kinder than anyone else. It wouldn't lose to any of the smiles of the children she'd met since coming to Elmore's mansion. It was a smile brimming with radiance. “Will you…still continue…hating the world…?" But–––on that day, the day he'd destroyed Grigori, he'd shown a smile of insane euphoria. Every time she remembered it, her heart that she thought had completely frozen over twisted violently and cried out. It made her think that he’d never come back, that there was no longer any way of saving him. "A lot happened…a lot…it'll take a little while to tell it all…"

It was more than two months after the battle at Mt. Kotodama took place. Miroku and the others had come under attack from the military and used the explosions to make their escape. Afterwards, they'd decided to lie low in the hideout in Hokkaido that they'd prepared in advance, a villa among the mountains. "Fuckin' awful…" Dholaki said this with a pained expression, face scrunched up more than if he’d just stepped in roadkill. "Oioi, Dholaki? That how you say thanks for all the trouble I went through to make that seven-herb rice porridge for you?” “Oh, fuck that! Terrible doesn't even begin to cover it, my tongue goddamn hurts!" Dholaki practically screamed his objection at Grana's displeased expression. He usually had a short fuse and "snapped easily," but today his complaints were actually justified. "Grana-san, this really isn't something humans should be eating, all the same." Shiner, who always wore a bright smile, also spoke out. The date was January 7th, the day when the general populace ate seven-herb rice porridge. Grana, who looked unruly but was surprisingly handy with random things, decided to make it to kill some time. During Grana's 16 year life as a fugitive, he sought out many different experiences in order to awaken his "humanness." In the process, he began to think that “the key might lie in the cultures that have persevered since times of old,” so, despite how he looked, he was surprisingly knowledgeable about customs and the like. "But Shiner…if you put seven Spring herbs into the porridge and eat it, you get to live for seven more years…the hell does Dholaki know, anyways? His personality's shit, so his sense of taste must be too.” Grana kept pushing, and Shiner put his foot down and tried to further his point by pointing towards the young girl at the other side of the table. "Uuuu…Junas…this smells weird…do I really have to eat it…" Hachiboshi Riko–––also known as Caprico. She was always smiling like the picture of innocence, but at the moment she wore a dispirited expression and looked to be on the verge of tears. "Look…the poor thing…an innocent little girl is about to cry because of you.” "Well, that's…'the best medicine tastes like crap,' right? Can’t expect kids to have an adult’s palate, after all.” Riko turned her face from the smell wafting up from her bowl. Junas, sitting next to her, consoled her. "Just stop already, Riko…there's no need for you to eat that…it's poison." "But Junas…Grana worked so hard to make this, so…but…” Riko's most important friend was her "fated person,” Junas, but Grana also played with her often and she didn't want to trample all over his feelings. "That's wrong, Riko…if you have to eat whatever he works hard to make, then that means you’d also have to eat a plastic model that he worked hard to build…so forget about it, that isn't food." Junas always gave off the air of a drawn blade and the impression of being cold-blooded, but he showed a strange and softer side of himself when he was before this small little friend, who was his first since birth. "Throw this away and let's go to the family restaurant along the highway. You can get that kid’s lunch you like so much. The one with the flag on top of it…" "Okay! And pudding for dessert?” "Yeah, sure." Junas took the bowl from Riko's hands as if saying, "You won't be pained any longer," and the corners of his mouth turned upwards faintly as he patted her head. "Those two…they do realize we're in the middle of hiding right now…?” Shiner spoke with a cold tone of voice. But he wouldn't push into the matter further. One time, Dholaki had caught Junas reading a picture book at Riko's bedside and––– "Well now, ain't that a nice thing for you to do, ‘big brooo’? Kehahaha!” His teasing earned him the experience of being silently chased for the whole rest of the night. "Man, really…I make that porridge from scratch and he treats it like a plastic model…now that hurts~…" Grana waved his arms with exaggerated motions and complained, but Shiner calmly interrupted for the third time. "Oh, no, no, I’m afraid that’s only to be expected…please, take a look at that." “Nn?” Shiner pointed at the wall. Towards a life-sized sculpture–––no, towards Kise Eiji, now Vigo, sticking halfway out of the wall and silently and intently focused on taking bite after bite of Grana's specially crafted seven-herb rice porridge. It must've really suited his tastes, as he began serving himself even more from the pot. Suddenly, Vigo raised his head–––he didn’t blink a single time as the corners of his mouth curled up into a wide grin. It was extremely unsettling. "…He's gladly eating it. Do you still think it's okay for humans to put in their mouths?" "Uwaa…you make a damn good argument, oi…but I only put in rice and water and salt and those seven herbs. Er, well, I couldn't find some of them that easily, so I just tossed in a couple random things instead…” "There's your reason." “Aah, c’mon…you’d think a mushroom with a pretty color like that would taste great too, right?” "There's your reason!! Ah, is that what this strange poisonous-looking purple fragment is!?" "Oi…Shiner? Everything’s kinda been spinning for a while now…" Upon hearing this, Dholaki started groaning, cradling his forehead like his condition had taken a nosedive. "Weeell~ This is officially a huge failure. Next time I'll do a bit more prep before attempting it…so, by the way, Uranus? That ain't food, so maybe you should stop?" "What…was that!?" Alone in a corner of the room was Uranus, silently scarfing down the contents of his bowl. His expression was grim like he was trying with all his might to persevere through something, like that of a monk meditating beneath a waterfall. "Grana…you…you're always like this! Always doing whatever you please and jerking me around!” Apparently, Uranus had made a rule to himself that "if he ate all of Grana's disgusting porridge then it would be his win.” "No, no, no…you can’t just blame it all on me like that~…you've always had too much of a one-track mind…that part of you will never change…” "Sh…Shut up!" “Want me to go get you some water?" “Shove off! I can get it myself!" Uranus stormed off towards the kitchen. “Ten years could go by and that part of him still wouldn’t change.” "Um~…I only noticed it now, but how old is Uranus-san?" "Ahn?" Uranus–––a Psychicer once called Grigori #03 who had, seventeen years ago after Grana had destroyed the research facility, pursued and fought it out with Grana many times. Taking into account the fact that he hadn't known about those in the "final" Grigori project, like Miroku and Junas, he should've been of the same "first" project like Grana or of a "middle" one. However, his appearance was that of a boy in his teens. "Aah~…me and the others in the first Grigori project were messed with at the genetic level, that’s why. We age differently from other people…take me for example, I think I've looked like this for around 10 years or so?" “Ah, is that so…well, I do have one more question…Uranus-san–––" "Wait." Right then, Grana's exuberant smile tensed into a somber expression. Grana was always putting on an elaborate show of emotions, but, due to the genetic engineering he’d been subjected to as a fetus, if he didn’t make such a show of them–––if he didn’t consciously make them happen, he couldn’t produce even the most basic of emotions. So this mask-like expressionlessness that Shiner was seeing now was his natural expression. Grana wasn’t the only one whose expression changed. It was the same for Dholaki, who’d just lain down on the sofa; Vigo, devouring his rice porridge; Uranus, drinking water in the kitchen; and Junas and Caprico, about to leave for the family restaurant. Every one of them stopped moving and directed their attention to the upper floor. Towards the innermost room of the villa's second floor. There, their leader had been deep in reflection. For more than two months after that battle–––ever since the "Black Burst-user" had relayed certain information to him and they'd fought together to defeat the traitor Mithra, he'd secluded himself in his room and remained deep in thought. To utilize the colossal meteorite "Uroboros" and wipe out the entirety of human civilization–––and then, create a new world. That plan had fallen through, and the Star Commanders simply waited to hear what he planned on doing next. Now, at long last, the door opened and he–––Amagi Miroku began his descent down the stairs. "Mm…it's been quite a while, everyone…nn? Grana, what is that?" "Aah, porridge…kinda…” “Hmm." Miroku let out a deep sigh and slumped down onto the three-seater sofa in the living room, where everyone had gathered. "I've been thinking…for the longest time. What it was that went wrong, where it was that I took a wrong turn…and how I should proceed from here on out…” Everyone had their eyes on him. Miroku's eyes stayed shut for a while, and then, as if he’d finished compiling his final thoughts, his eyelids lifted slowly and he looked over the seven who'd gathered before him. "I…my mindset won't change…I’ll make a new world for Psychicers…that's all. In order to accomplish that, I chose to destroy the old world. I thought that, if everything were to be flattened, it'd be easy to breathe life into new seeds…" But that was where all his mistakes began. Wasn't that when, within him, "creating a new world" and "destroying the old world" became the same thing? When he'd become prisoner to his vengeance against "the world that didn’t accept him"? When he'd first desired the "destruction of the world"? And then, when Mithra had taken advantage of that "darkness" within him? No––– “Looking back on it…as it turned out, perhaps Mithra just tried to fulfill my wish…of destroying the world…and so, she…must've rejected me, because she understood my true intentions more than anyone…" That day, the night he'd demolished the Grigori facility. The person closest to Amagi Miroku had told him, "I don't want to become a true monster." Ever since then, Miroku felt an unspeakable pain in his heart each time he remembered those words. Even the one who'd been with him ever since they were born–––his own twin sister had called him a monster.

~~~~~~ [Notes:

“[…]he’d been swallowed up by negativity[…]” “[…]he'd shown a smile of insane euphoria.”

Wordplay. Both of these, “negativity” (凶気) and “insane euphoria,” (狂喜) are pronounced kyouki, which more usually has the meaning of “madness.” (狂気)]

← Part 1 | Part 3 →

[yokozii]

PARALIVES and my thoughts about it

A video of live gameplay has already launched today as a trailer/ teaser and is set to release in 2025. Great!

I have already came up with a name for Parafolk aesthetic style of CC: PARAPAIRED ( u like? yeah? )

-I hope the card system is more expanded than just chance and probability I'm not sure if most the game has autonomous interactions and only little user input but it reminds me of call to action chance cards (is cards the word for it?)

i like the calm feeling but looking forward to chaotic moments out of the players hands

i can tell there will be a no outline mod invented lol if not a toggle

curious as to how modders will be implemented and if there is a importing program planned

I personally don't like the UI style...its round in some places and square in others. the simplicity throws me off a bit when it's not much going on, hopefully the tutorial clears that up.

social tab has relationships but they didn't show TYPES of relationships nor for this social tab..

Why do we have to stay bound to notifications that is crucial to gameplay in a small box on the top right corner of the screen? why havn't any devs understood hover popup boxes about characters are the way to go!!!

an in game hour for them to talk and interact seems very long..

we did not see any eating nor dancing actions

we did not see Parafolk interacting with the environment like how they sit and use appliances and that bike teased in the footage.

we did not see a weather system

we did not see why the parafolk lady was sneezing as teased, and none of the cause,..is the a/c high? allergies? is there pollen? nor the medicine or tissues.

there seems to be 1 type of tone of voice, would've wanted to hear voice diversity than just 2 mins of the guitar music skill diversity

the breakdown with levels of ways parafolk know each other is really nice, 'm curious about a cap for it?

no deaths or types of death were shown

i don't think the word 'townies' for game generated NPCs should be used, legal wise..as people will constantly hype up the game to be a rival to sims which = more public exposure = risk of snitches

free EPs sound like EPs will be very small and add on things that the game will probably not include as a prebuilt game meaning the cost of all the features will be in the full release. i expect this to be around $50-60$

is there a thing as maps / worlds / lands?

we did not see actions being cancelled and starting a new one while doing another interaction in 'queue' assuming they do not multitask as of now or ever?

we did not see height differences as teased before

food as clutter no eating examples but looks good!

is there crime and wrongdoing? lets hope

no walkstyles. no running , jogging, skipping nor speed was shown for parawalking

these are mostly my observations for now but I do like the in game lighting very bright warm saturated and consistent. I did not see any physics no wind, hair, nor furniture physics hoping those come with the game.

thats all i have to say on this , looking forward to it's progress throughout THIS year since it is set to release 2025 we should be getting more footage and updates as time goes.

[thraveenperera]

Drake - 8AM in Charlotte - For All The Dogs (2023)

In God's hands (Conductor)

Be grateful

That He was there

Glory (Yeah)

I'm out here on the road

You can hear it in the voice (Glory)

Still get this shit off, though

Look

The money speakin' for itself, I call it fortune-tell

Fire top from a bitch that work at corporate sales

Chinchilla ushanka, we skiin' out in Courchevel

Breakin' news, they tried to kill him, but the boy prevails

I leave for tour and my n****s fuckin' go to jail

Preachin' to the dogs 'bout wantin' more for themselves

It's weighin' heavy on my moral scale

Knowin' they gon' sell another citizen 'caine, they think they Orson Welles

Walk in Chanel, they like, "How the fuck you need more Chanel?"

I got these cats tuckin' tails on fourth-quarter sales

I'm used to seein' tears drop over enormous meals

The restaurant clears out, faint echoes of Lauryn Hill

I say, "We gotta talk about us," I feel like Jordan Peele

Could tell I'm gettin' under your skin like a orange peel

'Cause your words don't match your actions like a foreign film

And now it's silence in the Lamb' like the horror film

Things get quiet after me statin' the obvious

Things get kinky after fifteen years of dominance

That October sky is lookin' ominous

The money is autonomous

Shout' to Oliver North, he out in Rome doin' Toronto shit

And Jeremiah the watchdog, you n****s know what time it is

I'm in and out of Houston Hobby so much, I'm a hobbyist

Hoes waitin' on Cench in the lobby, that boy a lobbyist

Savage got a green card straight out of the consulate

Where I go, you go, brother, we Yugoslavian

Formal is the dress code, dawg, so many checks owed

I feel Czechoslovakian, n****, what the fuck?

Nah, I'm movin' different right now, for real, like

I feel like if Mike switched out the glove for the pen, like

This shit just too enticing right now, you know?

Look

Diamonds do the silly dance, I raise up the wine glass

Metal detectors beepin' and security bypass

The numbers goin' up, someone pull up the line graph

The days are goin' by, it's like I'm livin' in time-lapse

Been talkin' to Adel like he majored in finance

Shania Twain, notepad, I'm makin' it line-dance

You tryna rob me, and it's gon' feel like you sittin' at your favorite restaurant 'cause, n****, that's where you dyin' at

Mob ties, I swear we like a bitch with fine sisters and fine cousins, the family all bad

I'm preachin' to the dawgs about cleanin' they images

I swear I'm like a young T.D. Jakes to my menaces

Long-kiss goodnight, PDA for my nemesis

Three hunnid acres, PGA on the premises

That's what's really brackin' like this verse in parentheses

I'm givin' hits to n****s on some, don't even mention it

Like, don't even worry about it, like

You can hit me back whenever, or

Or don't, you know?

It is what it is, I guess

Yeah, hm

Look

You young boys take some of that money and set it aside

Not havin' enough to pay your tax is a federal crime

You n****s obsessed with me, and it's not on no hetero vibe

Handle beef so quiet, you think that I'm lettin' it slide

Next thing you know, we tip-toein' past enemy lines

Diss me so long ago, we making your memories fly

Conspiracy theories start floatin' 'round like the Kennedy guy

I'll prolly hold a grudge against you guys 'til I'm seventy-five

Ayy, n****s lyin' for a livin', I couldn't relate

We all gotta lay in the bed we make, but that couldn't be Drake

You forced a lot of fake love when real ones stood in your face

That's why you got deserted by your n****s like puddin' and cake

I got you on camera bowin' down, but the footage is safe

Thank God, another USB to put in the safe

Thank God, at the crib, dippin' my foot in the lake

I swear that y'all turned me into the villain, I couldn't escape

Not sayin' I'm the best at what I do

I'm just sayin' that it's me versus whoever wanna lose

Pick any one of the Who's Whos, I got .22s for new crews

R.I.P. to the DJ from Houston, we loose screws

Helicopters, cop lights, and news crews

N****s steady cryin' to my daddy, well, boo-hoo

You prolly heard a lot about the boy, well, true, true, haha

(In God's hands) Yeah

(Be grateful)

(That He was there)

[rainsmediaradio]

Drake - 8AM in Charlotte Lyrics

Drake - 8AM in Charlotte Lyrics Intro In God's hands (Conductor) Be grateful That He was there Glory (Yeah) I'm out here on the road You can hear it in the voice (Glory) Still get this shit off, though Look Verse 1 The money speakin' for itself, I call it fortune-tell Fire top from a bitch that work at corporate sales Chinchilla ushanka, we skiin' out in Courchevel Breakin' news, they tried to kill him, but the boy prevails I leave for tour and my niggas fuckin' go to jail Preachin' to the dogs 'bout wantin' more for themselves It's weighin' heavy on my moral scale Knowin' they gon' sell another citizen 'caine, they think they Orson Welles Walk in Chanel, they like, "How the fuck you need more Chanel?" I got these cats tuckin' tails on fourth-quarter sales I'm used to seein' tears drop over enormous meals The restaurant clears out, faint echoes of Lauryn Hill I say, "We gotta talk about us," I feel like Jordan Peele Could tell I'm gettin' under your skin like a orange peel 'Cause your words don't match your actions like a foreign film And now it's silence in the Lamb' like the horror film Things get quiet after me statin' the obvious Things get kinky after fifteen years of dominance That October sky is lookin' ominous The money is autonomous Shout' to Oliver North, he out in Rome doin' Toronto shit And Jeremiah the watchdog, you niggas know what time it is I'm in and out of Houston Hobby so much, I'm a hobbyist Hoes waitin' on Cench in the lobby, that boy a lobbyist Savage got a green card straight out of the consulate Where I go, you go, brother, we Yugoslavian Formal is the dress code, dawg, so many checks owed I feel Czechoslovakian, nigga, what the fuck? Interlude Nah, I'm movin' different right now, for real, like I feel like if Mike switched out the glove for the pen, like This shit just too enticing right now, you know? Look Verse 2 Diamonds do the silly dance, I raise up the wine glass Metal detectors beepin' and security bypass The numbers goin' up, someone pull up the line graph The days are goin' by, it's like I'm livin' in time-lapse Been talkin' to Adel like he majored in finance Shania Twain, notepad, I'm makin' it line-dance You tryna rob me, and it's gon' feel like you sittin' at your favorite restaurant 'cause, nigga, that's where you dyin' at Mob ties, I swear we like a bitch with fine sisters and fine cousins, the family all bad I'm preachin' to the dawgs about cleanin' they images I swear I'm like a young T.D. Jakes to my menaces Long-kiss goodnight, PDA for my nemesis Three hunnid acres, PGA on the premises That's what's really brackin' like this verse in parentheses I'm givin' hits to niggas on some, don't even mention it Interlude Like, don't even worry about it, like You can hit me back whenever, or Or don't, you know? It is what it is, I guess Yeah, hm Look Verse 3 You young boys take some of that money and set it aside Not havin' enough to pay your tax is a federal crime You niggas obsessed with me, and it's not on no hetero vibe Handle beef so quiet, you think that I'm lettin' it slide Next thing you know, we tip-toein' past enemy lines Diss me so long ago, we making your memories fly Conspiracy theories start floatin' 'round like the Kennedy guy I'll prolly hold a grudge against you guys 'til I'm seventy-five Ayy, niggas lyin' for a livin', I couldn't relate We all gotta lay in the bed we make, but that couldn't be Drake You forced a lot of fake love when real ones stood in your face That's why you got deserted by your niggas like puddin' and cake I got you on camera bowin' down, but the footage is safe Thank God, another USB to put in the safe Thank God, at the crib, dippin' my foot in the lake I swear that y'all turned me into the villain, I couldn't escape Not sayin' I'm the best at what I do I'm just sayin' that it's me versus whoever wanna lose Pick any one of the Who's Whos, I got .22s for new crews R.I.P. to the DJ from Houston, we loose screws Helicopters, cop lights, and news crews Niggas steady cryin' to my daddy, well, boo-hoo You prolly heard a lot about the boy, well, true, true, haha Outro (In God's hands) Yeah (Be grateful) (That He was there) Read the full article

[suaviterinmodo]

All Dogs Go To Heaven ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN debuted November 17, 1989; the first autonomous film from Don since NIMH over seventeen years earlier. No longer was he the brash Disney mutineer, he was a successful producer of animated features, with two of the industry's biggest hits under his belt. Sullivan Bluth bragged of the most modern and well staffed studios in Europe. ALL DOGS would again show what he could do on his own... or so it was hoped. THE FILM As the titles start, the picture segues from black (with titles) to light. Originally all that is seen in the light is a tunnel. The voice of Itchy, a somewhat slow-witted Dachshund, can be heard. His miner's cap soon becomes the intermittent light source. Soon another voice is heard. It is Charlie, a conman German Shepherd. Itchy is attempting to dig Charlie out of the dog pound. When the two finally have facial contact, Itchy prepares to remove one last pipe. Charlie warns him that it is a water pipe, but Itchy rivets away at it, causing it to burst. From above ground, the water begins to spray from the Earth until it bursts forth in a geyser. The pound, which is designed similar to an island fortress, is sprayed with water as voices shout about the problem as spotlights search the ground. Cutting back underground, the water rushes through Itchy's tunnel. Itchy and Charlie have somehow avoided the water until now. Back above ground, the search lights criss cross the ground until one spots Charlie and Itchy crawling out of a hole. The guards begin shooting at the dogs. Charlie and Itchy begin bickering as the two make an escape through a hole under the fence. Their voices continue bickering until they come up from under a sidewalk, some distance from the pound, but not far enough to avoid still being shot at by the guards. As the dogs make their way up a hill and away from the pound, they run over a hill as the film's title comes up. The scene changes to a swamp. A sign reading "Carface and Charlie's" is seen, but "Charlie's" has been crossed out. Another sign announces a "big rat race" tonight. There is a long wooden pier leading to a dilapidated ship. A subtitle reads "Louisiana Bayou 1939." Cutting to the inside, a piece of cheese is seen racing along a rail. It's leading a group of rats who are racing after it. The race is being watched by various dogs, as a small dog in an overhead bucket announces the race. The smallest rat, Squad Car, wins and receives a wreath. As his owner, a dog in a police hat, kisses the rat, some dogs cheer but most grumble. One remarks he thinks the house is fixed. One small dog presents his winning ticket and is given his winnings, a piece of meat. However it is quite small and "bad meat," according to the winner. More bets are made and another race begins. The race gets interrupted by a loud howl. It's Charlie with Itchy, both in high spirits. The other dogs look surprised and one asks, "Aintcha supposed to be on Death Row?" The clients tell Charlie that things haven't gone well and that Carface isn't treating them fairly. Charlie walks up to the craps table, rolls the dice and wins. One dog comes up and asks if he can spare a couple of bones. "Why settle for a couple of bones when you can have the whole bank," asks Charlie as he wins at a slot machine. He and Itchy then break into the song, "You Can't Keep a Good Dog Down." Charlie sings and dances, as Itchy plays the piano, sings and dances. As the song comes to an end, Killer, a mongrel, comes in and sees them, much to his surprise and is on the receiving end of physical abuse by Charlie and Itchy. After rolling on a barrel, Charlie, Itchy and Killer are knocked against a wall. The wall swings around, trapping Itchy behind it. After a spiral wipe, Killer is seen walking into a red-lit hull space and confronting Carface, a loathsome Pit Bulldog and Charlie's partner at the casino. Carface, who is sitting in the back seat of a car, tells Killer that he doesn't want to share 50% with Charlie. Killer explains that they had set up Charlie to be caught by the pound, and then offers to have Charlie's head squeezed with the pliers. Carface says that Charlie is a friend, and thus must be treated special. Charlie calls from an area outside of the room. Carface calls back as a door is open, red light coming from the other room. Charlie takes a submissive position as Carface looks out at him. Charlie enters and grabs Carface, dancing him slightly around the room and says that Carface is putting on weight. Charlie then jumps in a chair, turns on a radio and begins tapping his paws as he talks with Carface. The two have a friendly discussion about the place as Carface and Charlie take turns turning off and on the radio. Charlie wants to add dancing girls, but Carface wants to dissolve the partnership because of Charlie's criminal record. Itchy is still stuck behind the wall. He overhears two of Carface's henchman talking about feeding Carface's "little monster." Suddenly, Killer joins the group and tells the dogs that Carface wants them to get rid of Charlie. Itchy begins scratching as he tries to break out of his area, calling to warn Charlie. Meanwhile, Carface is telling Charlie that he will give Charlie half the meat of the place and set the Shepherd up in his own place somewhere where his criminal record isn't known. Charlie begins to like the idea. The scene changes to outside the boat as Carface's voice is heard making the announcement that Charlie is going to go into business for himself. Carface then tells everyone, "to the Mardi Gras." At the Mardi Gras, Itchy is running through the crowd, calling for Charlie. Later inside an abandoned float, Carface is giving a testimonial to Charlie with a batch of other dogs. Charlie is obviously drunk as he downs another beer. Carface presents Charlie with a gold watch. Killer and Carface follow as two henchdogs carry Charlie out back. Itchy arrives at the float, but the dogs are already gone. Next, Killer and Charlie are at the end of a pier. Killer puts a blindfold on Charlie and tells him to stay on the mark and not to peek. Killer then runs up the pier and meets Carface who is next to a car. Carface releases the brake and the pair push the car down the pier. Itchy runs up and sees the scene, but is too far to help his friend. All he can do is yell, "Charlie." The car races down the pier, hits Charlie and both go off into the river. Suddenly there are flashing lights followed by a bright light and a red tunnel filled with floating rocks. Charlie flies through the tunnel and out into a cloud filled land. He crashes into a golden gate as a blue bubble appears and turns into a Heavenly Whippet, a slender female dog about Charlie's size. She tells him it is the hall of judgment. Charlie is upset, but she tries to calm him by telling him not to worry since all dogs go to heaven because "unlike people" dogs are naturally loyal and kind. The Whippet begins singing a welcome to Charlie, who is trying to be polite and by agreeing with her. The two float around the area as she describes some of the advantages of the place. All is fine until she sings the line, "Welcome to being dead." At this Charlie becomes irate, telling her that she has the wrong dog and cursing Carface. The Whippet meanwhile is having trouble finding any goodness or loyalty in Charlie's record. Charlie now sings he doesn't want to die, as the Whippet continues going through the necessary steps of paw prints, gown and wings. He throws off the wings and halo and struggles with his gown as the two rise up into a cloud full of watches. Charlie discovers that his watch, like his life has stopped. He asks the Whippet to just wind it back up, but she refuses, since that would send him back to Earth. Charlie takes hold of the watch, as the Whippet shows him a book to sign. She also states that everything that Charlie has done or will do is known. The watch then floats off. He dances with her slightly and she appears to be taken by his personality and charm. As Charlie spots his watch float by, he tries to grab it. When he discovers there are no surprises in Heaven he sings "Let Me Be Surprised" with her. During the song he gets the watch, but the Whippet grabs it back. As they float and dance along, he is able to switch the heavenly watch for the one given him by Carface. He hides the watch behind his back and begins to wind it. When the Whippet discovers this, she tries to stop him. She's too late, though for he rockets back to Earth. As he disappears, she cries out that he can never come back. After passing through the same route he arrived, he lands in the river. He gets on the pier, gasping and choking. He pounds the watch a few times and it begins ticking. Slowly he revives. He happily looks at the glowing timepiece, but in the distance hears the Whippet's warning. He slams the watch closed in anger and limps up the pier as a storm begins. Inside an abandoned building in a junkyard, Itchy is crying over the loss of his friend. Itchy cries out to Charlie in his sleep only to have Carface come up and begin to strangle him. It's only a dream as Itchy wakes up to find it is Charlie shaking him. Itchy then lets out a scream, certain that Charlie is a ghost. The two scramble around the room as Charlie tries to explain he is not dead to an unlistening Itchy. Only when Charlie shows Itchy some fleas does the Dachshund settle down; ghosts don't have fleas. Itchy now has a happy reunion, shouting his joy. However Charlie clamps a paw over Itchy's mouth. He doesn't want everyone to know he's alive. Charlie plans to make Carface pay, but Itchy disagrees. Charlie tries to figure out why, if he was the brains of the partnership, why didn't Carface go out of business when he was in the pound. As Charlie continues to rant about Carface and revenge, Itchy tries to talk him into the two of them leaving for better places. Charlie, though, wants Carface to suffer. In an attempt to get Charlie to leave, Itchy mentions that along with all the thugs, Carface also has a monster. Rather than frightened, Charlie gets a devilish look on his face. Cut to a ventilation screen being broken into by Charlie and Itchy, once again bickering. Itchy continues his pleas to leave, but Charlie only gets angry at his friend, stating he's "had it" with the Dachshund. Suddenly Itchy sees the monster through a vent. Charlie looks and sees a pile of cloth rising up. Under the cloth is a little girl, Anne-Marie. The two move away from the vent when they hear a noise. In the room, Carface and Killer approach Anne-Marie. She asks if she will be able to go outside today, and he says "sure." But first, she has to talk to the rat he's brought. Anne-Marie agrees and begins talking to the rat. As the rat chatters back, it becomes apparent that the girl can not only talk to animals, but understand what they are saying. She discovers which rat will win the race and tells Carface. Carface tells Killer to fix the odds and feed the kid. As the pair leave, Anne-Marie says they promised to let her go outside. The door above closes. Anne-Marie sits down and cries. Itchy and Charlie are still above in the ventilation shaft. Charlie is delighted by the girl's skills as dollar signs appear in his eyes. He and Itchy open the vent and go down to talk to her. Charlie says they'll have to kidnap her, then corrects himself, "rescue her." Charlie introduces himself to the girl and charms her a bit. Then he asks about her parents. Anne- Marie states she's an orphan. This thrills Charlie, who announces the girl will come to live with Itchy. Charlie packs a bag of things and loads it on Itchy. Then Charlie gets under her and she rides him out via the ventilation shaft. Charlie says she will live with him in his cab. The film now cuts to Carface who is "riding" in his car. Actually, the car is running in place as a movie screen gives the impression that he is going someplace. He stops and is furious because Killer has just told him that the girl is gone. Carface tells Killer he wants the girl back "now" and goes back to riding his car. That night, the moon is over the junkyard. Inside of Charlie's cab, he is telling Anne-Marie the story of Robin Hood as he looks at a copy of **War and Peace**. Itchy can't understand what kind of hood would give his money to the poor. Anne-Marie is entranced by the tale and Charlie tells Itchy to shut up as he is trying to get the girl's sympathy. Anne-Marie is thrilled by the story's end where Robin and Maid Marian get married. Charlie tells the girl it's time to go to bed and places her in the front seat. He tells her that he and Itchy have some business to discuss and pulls some drapes to divide the front from the back. Charlie and Itchy sit outside the car and argue slightly over the girl. Itchy thinks they should hide her in the old Church, but Charlie reminds Itchy that Carface thinks he's dead, so one will look at his cab. Meanwhile, Anne-Marie tries to clean up the front seat so she can lie down. Charlie tells Itchy the three will go to the horse race tomorrow and make a fortune. Anne-Marie shouts "horsies" as the two look up to see her looking out the window. Charlie admonishes Itchy for waking her up. He tells Itchy to meet them at eight in the morning, while Charlie gets back into the backseat of the cab. Charlie lays down and throws a pillow up front for her and tells her to go to sleep. She asks Charlie to tuck her in. He obliges and returns to the back. Then she asks for a goodnight kiss. He agrees, gives her a lick, then wipes his mouth. As he settles down to sleep, he's disturbed by her squeaking in the front. She stops and he goes back to sleep only to be awakened when she shows up next to him. She says the front seat hurts her. He goes to the front and tries to get comfortable, only to be awakened by her praying. Finally she asks if he will help her find some parents. He agrees to do anything if she will just go to sleep. As the view changes to an overhead shot of the junkyard, Anne-Marie is heard telling Charlie she has to go to the bathroom. " 'Course," he replies. The next morning finds the trio in the horse stalls. Charlie asks Anne-Marie to talk to the horses. Itchy jokes that she can only talk to rats, like Charlie. Then he suggests horses are too stupid to talk, at which a horse neighs knocks Itchy over. Charlie runs to the girl and asks what the horse says. She only replies that Charlie sounds "just like Mr. Carface." Taken aback, Charlie tries to prove he's a good guy by reminding her that it was he who rescued her, and gave her a bed, and read her stories. Anne-Marie seems unconvinced until Charlie mentions that they'll give half the money to the poor. She is thrilled to be working like Robin Hood. Charlie also states that if she really wants to find parents, she'll need better clothes. Charlie repeats that he'll help her find parents. She's thrilled and gives Charlie a hug. Anne-Marie runs to one of the horses and asks who's going to win. A horse whispers in her ear. Charlie asks what the horse said and Anne-Marie says the Grand Chawhee, an old broken down horse, will. Charlie doesn't believe it, but Anne-Marie says it's true because it's the Chawhee's birthday. Charlie wonders if the horse can be trusted. It neighs loudly, scaring Charlie and convincing him it is the Grand Chawhee. When Charlie says they'll place a bet, Itchy reminds him they have no money. Outside, the trio wander through the crowd as Charlie and Itchy look for likely patsies and Anne-Marie looks for parents. Charlie and Itchy try one or two but fail. Anne-Marie spots a young couple who she thinks are just right. Charlie agrees and calls Itchy, asking him to do a "number three." Itchy runs to the couple and collapses, howling and acting lame. Anne-Marie runs up and tries to help. During the commotion, Charlie is able to pick the young man's pocket. Charlie and Itchy run off with Anne-Marie following. As the two canines hide in the bushes, the young woman comes up and asks Anne-Marie her name and where her parents are. Before she can answer, Charlie calls her away so they can place the bet. He puts a hat on her head. As the announcer calls last chance to place bets, people line the betting windows. A tall Anne-Marie approaches, wearing the hat, a moustache and coat. Under the coat are Charlie and Itchy. After some coordination problems, they place the bet and walk off. Charlie grabs an ice cream cone on the way, takes a lick and passes it up to Itchy and Anne-Marie. They find a place to watch the race. As Anne-Marie looks out her ice cream drips down on the dogs as Itchy and Charlie bicker. The race begins and the horses race down the stretch, except for the Grand Chawhee (wearing a birthday hat) who backs out of his stall. The horses are racing madly behind Chawhee when Stella, the horse who talked to Anne-Marie, runs out front to "Roger" who is in the lead. She reminds him that it is the Chawhee's birthday. Both pull back, but Roger comes back and pushes the Chawhee forward. The Chawhee, waves to the crowd and is pushed past the finish line into a cloud of dust. His head pops out from the cloud and he blows a party favor. Charlie, Itchy and Anne-Marie laugh and cheer. She calls out to the Grand Chawhee, now getting his picture taken in the winners circle. The trio congratulate themselves and Anne-Marie gives Charlie a kiss. He looks at the audience and goes "yechh" as the iris closes on his face. A musical montage follows showing Charlie in front of rows of dollars, flipping a stack of bills. Next Anne-Marie talks to a frog as Charlie and Itchy look on. The frog begins jumping as the scene changes to a race with the frog jumping and winning by leaping into a bucket of sludge that he starts to eat. Anne- Marie, Itchy and Charlie are seen in their disguise at another betting window. A slot machine is spinning and Charlie, Anne- Marie and Itchy come up on the slots. Gold coins fly out of the bottom. Next Anne-Marie is holding a turtle at the starting point of a race. Charlie and Itchy stand behind her. The turtle wins and Anne-Marie gets to put the winning wreath on him. More gold coins float through the scene as she kisses the turtle. Next are two boxing kangaroos bouncing around a ring. One roo knocks the other out. The trio, in their disguise, hold up the winner's hand. The scene changes to inside the costume looking out and then to Itchy looking out at a table full of money. He grabs the money and then it cuts to the trio in disguise at a collection table getting more money. A huge wind blows through the scene. Suddenly Charlie is seen with money blowing by him as he fans a stack of bills. The film cuts to Charlie and Itchy in the background as the money blows. In front of them is a sad Anne- Marie. Charlie sees her and grabs Itchy's head, so that he sees also. The two then drag her down a street into a dress shop. As she stands in front of a mirror as Charlie and Itchy applaud. The mirror spins and each time it stops, she is seen in a different outfit. Charlie and Itchy carry multiple boxes as they walk along with Anne-Marie dressed in one of her new outfits. A new montage begins as Itchy is seen in various steps of working with blueprints. Next he works with a crane in the junkyard to pile a bunch of junk cars on top of each other. Then he sets to work with a blowtorch to weld the project. After more crane and welding work, he pulls an electrical switch and a huge sign lights up: "Welcome to Charlie's Place." Above the place, which is an old water tower, beacons light the sky. Inside, it is a very classy place. Dogs are playing various games and Charlie is enjoying himself. Itchy is tending bar, an old auto. Charlie compliments Itchy on doing such a great job. As Charlie looks at himself in the mirror he sees Anne-Marie, dressed in her old outfit. She's got some suitcases and looks angry. She tells Charlie's she's leaving because Charlie didn't keep his promise to help the poor or find her parents. All he wants to do is gamble. "It isn't right," she states. Charlie instantly agrees that he's been selfish. He then thanks her for helping him see the light. He uses his head to push her back into the club. He then states the two of them will go out to help the poor. Once again, Anne-Marie is thrilled and kisses Charlie. She walks out as Charlie spits the kiss off. Itchy then asks what is going on between Anne-Marie and Charlie. After all, Itchy reminds him, they have a business to run. Charlie wipes his mouth with the bar rag and tells Itchy they've got to keep the girl happy. Meanwhile, at Carface's, a piece of meat is lowered into a pit of piranha, which quickly devour it. Above, Killer is tied to a crane, also waiting to be lowered. Carface stands nearby. Killer says, "Boy, I knew we should have used the pliers." Carface tells Killer that Charlie is alive and he is certain Charlie has the girl. After telling Killer he's had two strikes so he's out, he begins lowering Killer into the pit. As Killer sinks lower, Carface tries to decide how to handle Charlie: knives? poison? what? Killer then shouts out that he has a gun, a Flash Gordon Thermo-Atomic Ray gun. Carface laughs evilly and his face slowly transforms into a devil. At the old church a menacing voice is talking about an evil shadow as a strange shadow is seen on the wall. It's discovered the voice is a radio announcer and the shadow is Anne-Marie and Charlie, his head stacked with pizza boxes. Charlie tells her that the people there are some of the poorest he knows. "They're broker than the Ten Commandments," a "joke" he explains. At the top of the church, a group of puppies sit around a radio. As a woman on the radio screams, they all jump and fall. Charlie then shouts out to ask if anyone ordered pizza. The pups call out Charlie's name and charge him, knocking most of the pizza boxes to the floor. As the pups fight over the pizza, Charlie stops them to introduce Anne-Marie. After she says she's pleased to meet them, they go back to fighting over the pizza. Flo, a female collie, goes over to Charlie and says "hello." She says they don't see him much anymore, and that the pups love him so much. At that moment one pup bites Charlie in the leg and asks for more pizza. Charlie tosses a box and tells the pup to eat the box if it wants. The box pops open revealing a single slice of pizza. A fight breaks out for the last slice, but Charlie breaks it up asking them to share. He then sings "What's Mine Is Yours," a song about sharing. The pups soon join in and for the finale do a small conga line. Charlie then tosses a final box that opens into a cake which the pups attack. Flo and Charlie laugh and look on. Anne-Marie is also amused until she finds a wallet on the floor. She opens it and recognizes the couple from the race track. Charlie can't come up with an excuse fast enough and Anne-Marie tells him he stole it. She runs up a small stairway to the attic as Charlie tries to make amends but fails. In the attic, one puppy joins Anne-Marie. The orphan stares at the photo and sings "Soon You'll Come Home." During the song, a sequence of imaginary photos appear featuring Anne-Marie and the orphan pups living with the family. As the song ends, she cuddles down to bed with two of the pups. Meanwhile, downstairs, Charlie is asleep. His watch pops open, glowing, and the voice of the Whippet is heard reminding him that he can never return to Heaven. Suddenly there is an explosion and Charlie finds himself flying through space again. This time though, there are no bright lights and clouds, only dark smoke and flame. The land is barren and Charlie runs for his life from a hole of flame and crumbling ground. A tremendous burst of wind forces Charlie back towards the burning center. He falls through the vortex. Below is molten lava. Out of it comes a skeletal neck of some ancient beast, it is attached to a long boat reminiscent of the legendary boat on the River Styx that ferried the dead to their final reward. Charlie lands in the boat which is commanded by a skeletal dragon-like creature. Charlie cries out, but to no avail. In front of the ship, an explosion in the molten lava releases a brilliant light that begins to take shape. Through the burning gasses, a canine type head is seen. In a burst of light, it becomes a gigantic dragon-like creature. Charlie runs towards the back of the boat, away from the giant. A blast of the demon's fiery breath lands just in front of Charlie, burning the boat and then becoming a group of smaller bat-like demons. Charlie turns and runs, only to be stopped by another fiery blast. This also turns to demons. Soon all the demons are attacking and biting him. Charlie runs again as the boat begins to crumble under him. The demons continue biting him as he cries out. The scene then cross-dissolves to Charlie sleeping and the pups on top of him nipping at him trying to wake him up. He is on top of a broom leaning against a wall. Discovering it was only a dream, he runs up to the attic to find Anne-Marie. She is gone. The pups tell Charlie that she went to see the wallet family. Charlie heads out as the scene fades to two pairs of feet under a table. It is the kitchen of the wallet family, and they are feeding Anne-Marie waffles and getting to know her. When the family discovers that Anne-Marie lives in the junkyard with her dog, Charlie, the wife excuses herself and her husband to talk privately out in the hall. As the couple talk in the hall, and apparently are discussing the possibility of adopting her, Charlie calls to Anne-Marie from the kitchen window. Anne-Marie tells Charlie how wonderful the couple is. Charlie tells her that she seems to have found a home, so he just came to say "good-bye." Playing the martyr, he states he can't live with her because the couple wouldn't want a dirty dog in the house. He then begins coughing and says he'll get along somehow. Charlie then leaves, and Anne- Marie follows, exiting through the window, calling after him. The scene shifts to the French Market. Charlie and Anne- Marie are walking down the street and it is deserted. Carface can be heard telling someone to wait a few more minutes, and to aim to the left. He doesn't want to hit the girl. Carface and Killer are now seen. They are sitting atop a large dog. Killer has his ray gun pointed right at the audience. The gun goes off and makes a direct hit on Charlie. Anne-Marie screams. Charlie grabs his watch, calls it a beautiful "little ticker," then has Anne-Marie mount him as he runs off. Carface, angry that Charlie is getting away, smacks Killer which causes the gun to go off. The dog they are sitting on is startled and runs around. The gun now blasts every which way on the street hitting various boxes and displays. All three ride off out of sight as Carface screams he's surrounded by morons. Inside a nearby warehouse, Charlie and Anne-Marie hide. They pop out of some boxes, and he asks if she is all right. When he finds out she is fine, he again threatens to make Carface pay. Suddenly the floor begins to give way. He tells Anne-Marie to walk softly, but it is too late and the floor collapses beneath them. They fall far and land in water. Both seem okay, but Charlie is terrified; he's lost his watch. Anne-Marie suggests it fell in the water and he begins searching. Suddenly he hears it ticking and tries to determine the direction, only to hear it stop. He goes into a death scene, only to find the watch gliding across the water. Wondering if the place is haunted, Anne-Marie is also grabbed by something and begins to glide across the surface of the water. The same plight happens to Charlie. The scene changes and Charlie and Anne-Marie are in bamboo cages being carried by rodents in native outfits. They carry his watch in front of them. Charlie asks Anne-Marie to tell them to give him his watch, but she states they speak some strange language. Charlie manages to grab the watch just as the two cages are lowered down further onto a small island of junk in the water. When he hits the ground, he again drops the watch. On the pier above, the native mice chant. A giant door opens and something comes in under the water. Charlie tells Anne-Marie they are going to die. A giant alligator, King Gator, gets out of the water and comes towards them, just barely missing stepping on Charlie's watch. He pick's up Charlie's cage and claims it looks like a tasty canine gumbo. Anne-Marie begs for King Gator not to eat Charlie, but the giant Gator puts Charlie and cage in his mouth. As he begins to bite down, Charlie gives his howl. King Gator stops in his tracks. He tells the native mice that he can't eat a voice as "sumptuous" as Charlie. He frees Charlie, who grabs his watch. The Gator jumps for joy, shaking the island and knocking Anne-Marie into the water. Suddenly the Gator breaks into song as a giant pearl lands on the island and the image changes into that of a oyster shell. King Gator puts on a flowered bathing cap and breaks into "Let's Make Music Together." As the song continues, the scene changes from the sewers to a multi-colored background with sparkling walls. The shell raises up to the sky on a spout of water and Gator and Charlie dive off it, continuing the song underwater for a brief period. The Gator then grabs a trapeze bar that raises him and Charlie high in the sky. Gator does some twirling on the bar, tossing Charlie around like a small doll. He then drops down and both land underwater again. The Gator goes back up to the surface and does a backstroke with Charlie riding his stomach. As they swim along, flowers bust forth with water like a fountain. At this point Charlie joins in with the singing. The background now resembles an elegant swimming pool as the pair continue singing. However, along with the singing, coughing is heard. It is Anne-Marie, leaning on a rock. King Gator swims by the rock and Charlie pulls Anne-Marie aboard. She says she doesn't feel very good as the trio swim out the large doors, which are now ivory pillars. Meanwhile, back at Charlie's, Itchy is cleaning up. He yells for Rocky to relieve Jocko on guard duty. When there's no answer, he calls again, but is shocked to find Carface is standing behind him. Carface asks where the girl is and Itchy says he doesn't know. Carface asks his gang if they believe Itchy. As the dogs move in on Itchy, the scene shifts to outside the old church. Anne-Marie is heard coughing. Flo is heard telling Charlie that the girl has a fever and possibly pneumonia. When Charlie suggests a vet, Flo tells him she's a girl and needs a doctor. Though he doesn't know any doctors, he tells Flo he'll find one. Cutting to inside the church, Itchy is heard calling for Charlie. Charlie tells Itchy to be quiet because Anne-Marie is sick and needs sleep. Itchy sarcastically tells Charlie, "you're breakin' my heart." Charlie then sees that Itchy has been hurt. Charlie asks what happened and Itchy says it was Carface and his gang. Charlie apologizes to Itchy. Itchy then goes to a window and tells Charlie to see what else Carface did. Looking outside, Charlie sees a massive fire in the junkyard. Itchy tells him, "that's our place." Itchy then goes into a tirade at Charlie telling him that it was Charlie who was going to fix Carface, but now it's Carface who's fixed Charlie. He then reminds Charlie that he had always been against Charlie's plan to get revenge, to steal the girl, and such. But he stuck with Charlie because Charlie was his friend. Itchy now pleads with Charlie to dump the girl and the two of them can leave for someplace else and call it even. Charlie claims that since the place burned down, they need the girl more than ever to rebuild. Itchy accuses Charlie of going soft, of having fallen in love with the girl. Charlie becomes angry and tells Itchy that he's only been using the girl. Itchy is his best friend, with the girl it's just business. Charlie shouts that when they're done with the girl, they'll dump her in an orphanage. He asks if that's okay with Itchy. Itchy quietly answers, "Sure, boss." Anne-Marie has been standing on the steps behind them for the last few moments. Charlie and Itchy see her, and she begins to cry. She calls Charlie a bad dog and runs out. He runs after her, but when he gets out the door, all he finds is her doll on the ground. As it begins to storm, he hears her scream. Knowing Carface has her, Charlie runs off into the night. Itchy arrives at the door just as Charlie has disappeared. Flo comes up behind Itchy and tells him to take the doll to the wallet family at 402 Maple Street for help. Itchy grabs the doll and runs off. Itchy is seen running down a rainy street. He barks out for assistance from other dogs. One answers, wondering what is at that address. Itchy tells him that Charlie is in trouble and a there's a little girl. Another dog hears the address and gives directions. When he asks the first dog what's going on, he's told by the first dog that Charlie is in trouble and a little girl may die. The two begin barking their message throughout the city. Meanwhile, at Carface's ship Anne-Marie is hanging over the water in a cage. Charlie arrives and calls to her. He leaps into the cage and picks her up off a box with his front paws, promising to take her to the wallet family. Suddenly Carface is heard above. He and his gang are standing around the boat, looking down at Anne-Marie and Charlie. Charlie puts her down and jumps out of the cage onto a ledge as Carface tells his gang to get him. A battle begins with Charlie using his paws like fists. Elsewhere, at the wallet family's home, the couple has been rudely awaken in the night. When the wife asks what is it, the husband looks out the door and replies, "dogs". In front of their house are dozens of dogs. Before the husband can shut the door, Itchy runs in. The wife screams as Itchy continually barks at her. Back at the boat, the battle continues. Charlie is doing pretty well until Carface joins in. He manages to begin tying Charlie to an anchor when another dog bites Charlie's foot. Charlie gives out his famous howl. In the distance, the river bubbles as King Gator heads for the ship. In the ship, Charlie and the anchor are being lowered into the water. As the anchor goes into the water, Charlie holds his watch in his mouth, trying to keep it above water. Before he fully goes underwater, the ship's hull is split open by King Gator who begins destroying everything in his path. Charlie goes under, but King Gator bites the ropes, freeing him. Charlie comes up and Carface panics. Meanwhile, the dogs and the wallet family are racing down the street. More dogs and people join in as they witness the rush. Even Flo and the puppies have heard the call and are on the way. At the ship, Carface and Charlie are in a deadly battle. King Gator gives the ship another head butt from outside knocking Anne-Marie's cage into the water. She is floating on the box that was in the cage. Charlie calls to her and heads in her direction to save her. The same shaking causes some oil barrels to upset and spill on a generator starting a fire. Anne-Marie is quickly surrounded by burning oil as Charlie watches overhead. Charlie hangs his watch on piece of railing and prepares to dive. However, Carface leaps on Charlie causing the watch to fall onto a floating board. After another Gator head butt, Carface is knocked off the platform into the water. Gator sees Carface and heads after him. The implication is that King Gator eats Carface. Charlie now leaps from the platform into the water. He lands near his watch and grabs it. Charlie looks to Anne-Marie as she falls off the box and sinks out of sight. He puts his watch on the box and goes down for her. While underwater, he's able to grab her, but falling embers above knock his watch off the box. As he is coming up with the girl, he sees his watch sinking. He makes an attempt to grab it but fails. He then swims down a bit to grab it but fails again. Looking at Anne-Marie, he begins to swim upward. His watch hits the bottom and pops open. On the surface, Charlie finds a plank to put Anne-Marie on. He pushes the plank off towards the large hole in the hull made by King Gator, yelling out to her that she can make it. Her board floats out of the burning ship and into the river. As the watch at the bottom begins to tick irregularly, Charlie winces in pain. He dives again to get it. A shot shows the watchworks rapidly filling up with water as the ticking gets more irregular. Charlie continues swimming downwards as the watch stops and black ooze fills the screen. On the river bank, the dogs, police and others have arrived. Flo and Itchy walk out into the water as Itchy simply says, "Charlie." In the distance is a floating object. It is Anne- Marie on the plank, being pushed by Killer. The wallet family gasps as everyone runs to the girl's aid. Later, outside the wallet family's home, the moon is on the horizon. Inside, a limping Itchy gets on the bed where Anne- Marie is asleep. He falls asleep next to her as a wind begins to blow leaves into the room. In the distance, a red glow burns from the ground. A red fiery wind blows into the room, followed by a red cloud that materializes into Charlie. He lands by the side of her bed. He puts his head on the bed and sadly says, "I'm sorry." Back in the distance, the demon creature from Charlie's nightmare calls for him. Suddenly, a blue light floats in and flies through the creature, destroying it and the red haze. The light then floats into the bedroom, calling Charlie. It is the Whippet. She now says that Charlie can go to heaven, because he gave his life to save the girl. The Whippet tells him to say goodbye to her. Charlie sadly leaps on the bed and looks at Anne-Marie, unable to say anything. Anne-Marie stirs, waking up. Charlie instantly smiles, putting on his usual cocky persona. He tells her he's come to say goodbye. He's going on a little trip. Charlie then asks her to take care of Itchy while he's gone. Anne-Marie promises. Charlie says goodbye to Itchy. Anne-Marie then says she'll miss Charlie and gives him a kiss. Rather than spit it off, as he done in the past, he looks down and quietly says he'll miss her too. He then tells her to go to sleep. She asks if she'll ever see him again. Charlie assures her that "Goodbyes aren't forever." Anne-Marie then says goodbye and that she loves him. He mumbles what sounds like "I love you" to her then backs away as she falls asleep. Charlie walks off the bed towards the window. The blue light leaves and the windows open to reveal a smoky, sparkling mist. The Whippet tells Charlie to come home and he leaps into the mist, disappearing. As Charlie and the Whippet float on clouds up to heaven, the end titles begin to roll and a choir begins singing. Charlie stops the song and declares that he knows they're dead "up here, but so's the music." At which the score turns to "Halleluah." As the song and titles continue, Carface is found in heaven tearing off his wings and gown. He threatens revenge against the Gator and begins winding his clock. The Whippet gives her warning only to have Carface respond, "oh, shut up." He flies towards Earth with the Whippet in close chase. Charlie's head, halo above, pops out of a cloud and announces Carface will be back, winks at the audience and disappears back into the cloud. The halo remains until Charlie's hand reaches up and pulls it into the cloud. At the conclusion of "Halleluah," another song, "Love Survives" plays. THE PRODUCTION "ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN has probably been the most delightful film we've done so far," said Don prior to release. "The characters are our strongest yet. When you have plot, good characters and actors, and fine animation -- all these things are the makings of real magic." Actual production began the end of 1988, while LAND BEFORE TIME was being released, but the premise for DOGS goes back to the time of post-NIMH problems. One of the projects Don was developing was a film consisting of three short stories. One tale was satire of detective films with a mangy German shepherd as private eye. The dog was designed specifically for Burt Reynolds. Burt was a friend of Dom DeLuise, who had worked so well with Don on NIMH. There were some general talks and Don put together a rough board on the project. It never went into full production and the games came along, temporarily pushing all features into a hold pattern. While working on the original project the studio adopted a stray shepherd mix who was dubbed Burt. This quiet mutt stayed with the studio for years and eventually went to Ireland with them. Initially they wanted to give Burt the dog a credit in TAIL but one of the production assistants objected when they discovered the dog would receive as much credit as she would. With total control over his next picture, Don and his team looked carefully for a property. In 1988, The Hollywood Reporter stated that "The company's choice of subject matter for its next project, Sullivan explained, was inspired by the fact that 'the three top animated films (of all time) were about dogs - THE FOX AND THE HOUND, 101 DALMATIANS, and LADY AND THE TRAMP." The logical choice was the Burt Reynolds dog story. They christened it ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, based on a title of a book that a teacher read to Don's fourth grade class. CREATING A STORY Don, John and Gary began shaping the story in November of 1987. John Pomeroy recalled some of the early story discussions in an interview released before the film's debut. "Our early story meetings were spent trying to describe what kind of tale this title could be about. To backtrack, we were searching for a concept which would hook an audience. We've done dinosaurs, which is enough to grab younger people. We've done immigrant mice arriving at the Statue of Liberty. That's a provocative subject. "Don's title, ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, had a built-in attraction - heaven, with all the mystique and mysteriousness attached with that, and the idea that there might be somewhere out there in the cosmos where dogs go after they die." From the start, the title seems to have been sore point with some. After the announcement, some media commentators began to make light of it. One animation writer stated "titles like that is why most people say 'all animation goes to Hell.'" There were various times in the press the film seemed to be searching for a new name. "Charlie, the Heavenly Dog" was mentioned as the new title in November 1988. However, Don and his crew continually stated that the original title **would** be the title the film would be released under. "Many people suggested changing the title," stated Don in an interview prior to the film's release, "I thought, 'No, no, no.' ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN is very provocative. When I would mention that title to people they would grin. Whether or not you believe in Heaven or an afterlife, it's still just a little fairy tale, an allegory which says, 'If you're ever going to come of age, you have earned it.'" The original story was finalized by Don, John and Gary. "All great stories seem to me to have two things in common," stated Don, "They entertain and they educate. I've always loved the experience of being carried away in fantasy, but I think it's important to learn something while you're there." Gary Goldman recalled it took sometime to decide where to set the film. "Eventually," he recalled, "we opted for New Orleans as a completely different setting than anything we'd ever used before, with overtones of Mardi Gras, jazz music, the Mississippi and a feeling of worldliness that contrasted nicely with the film's spiritual theme. Along with co-director Dan Kuenster, I made a special trip there and we took more than 3,000 photos for research purposes." Once the preliminary work was done, the studio had devised a story based on elements from such films as IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, LITTLE MISS MARKER and A GUY NAMED JOE (later remade as HEAVEN CAN WAIT). David Weiss was brought in to put all these situations into the final screenplay. Boarding was supervised by Don, but more artists were utilized, particularly Larry Leker. Larry had been doing storyboards with Don since TAIL and had very in tune with Don's style. Don often gave Larry simple ball and socket positions of the characters for Larry to work with. During this boarding phase a number of story elements found in the final script were dropped or altered. For example, more was made of King Gator in a subplot in which Carface supposedly chased Gator out of the swamp in early days, making Gator and Carface old rivals. THE CHARACTERS As with all of Don's films, Don was the main character designer, though on this production, John Pomeroy was employed to assist in this task and also clean up Don's work for the model sheets. "Burt had already agreed to do a film with us," said Don. Reynolds made one stipulation, though, that his name not be used to promote the film. "Knowing that he'd be featured in this made it so much easier to create a strong central character. Burt has a way of cocking his head and raising his eyebrows at half-mast, just an incredible way of using his face, so that aspect of the real Burt went straight into Charlie the dog." Dom DeLuise was cast as Itchy, Charlie's friend and partner. As with his other animated performances, DeLuise added much to the character and dialogue. In fact, DeLuise's and Reynolds' relationship altered the way the studio recorded dialogue. In the past, each actor was by himself. Don usually fed them the other character's lines as he directed them. For DOGS Don had Reynolds and DeLuise record their lines together. John Pomeroy recalled, "Normally we record the voices separately, then intercut them to make up the tempo and timing that's needed. With Reynolds and DeLuise together, we let them record the way they wanted to. They've worked together so often and have such a great rapport we could take what they recorded together and just cut it into the film." Don agreed, "They said, 'Give us the microphone and go away.' We did that." The pair adlibbed and altered the script at will. Another pair allowed to record together was Charles Nelson Reilly and Vic Tayback. Tayback was the villainous Carface, and Reilly portrayed his assistant, Killer. Reynolds' wife, Loni Anderson, gave voice to the collie, Flo. According to Reynolds, Anderson had grown up wanting to be an animator. One of her early heroines was Disney's Snow White, who like the young Loni had brunette hair and was the only animated princess who was dark haired. Anderson still collects SNOW WHITE items. For ALL DOGS, Don designed the first major human character for one his features, Anne-Marie, the orphan girl. "Humans are much more difficult to animate than animals," stated Don. "We are all so used to seeing each other talk and move that we're expert judges in human action. Even the slightest fault is immediately picked up. To assist the animators, extensive live action footage was shot for reference. However, unlike in TAIL, where the animators basically played the parts, Sullivan Bluth held an audition for a little girl. After testing nearly a score of youngsters, they picked a six-year old Irish girl. In the course of six or seven months, she would come into the studio two or three times a week and would be filmed doing, in live action, what Anne-Marie was to do in animation. This didn't mean that the crew didn't still participate in the live action studies. John Pomeroy and his new wife (he had divorced Lorna between TAIL and LAND) were filmed as reference for the married couple in the film. Don cast Judith Barsi, Ducky from LAND BEFORE TIME, as Anne- Marie. The studio was again taken with the young lady and planned to not only use her extensively in publicity, but as a regular in their productions, much as Dom DeLuise had become. However tragedy struck in July of 1988 when she was allegedly killed by her father in what newspapers referred to as an "Apparent Murder-Suicide." The studio was shocked by the events, especially Don who reportedly left for the day upon hearing the news. MUSICAL MUTTS Musically, the film attempted to match the popular song style of TAIL. Tony winner Charles Strouse was brought on the project to write the main score. His previous work included composing the music for such hits as BYE BYE BIRDIE and ANNIE. "We'd talk about the general story," Don stated about his initial meetings with Strouse, "and the specific concept for each song. No song could be just stuck in without a purpose. Every one had to advance the plot or enlighten the audience in some way." As an example, Don cited "Let's Make Music Together," which is sung in the film by King Gator. "We were trying to figure out how to make this big, mean, ugly alligator entertaining when it struck us to do a take-off on the old Esther Williams movies," said Don. "And so our ugly 'gator transformed into this lunatic, emerald green primadonna (complete with flowered bathing cap), who pirouettes, dives into flower covered pools of water and just about steals the show -- all the while singing this terrific song." Other songs from Strouse were "You Can't Keep a Good Dog Down," the lively duo Charlie and Itchy sing at the club, "Let Me Be Surprised," the duet between Charlie and the Whippet in Heaven, and "What's Mine Is Yours," which Charlie sings to the orphan puppies. In all Strouse wrote four songs. (An early promotional brochure on the feature stated that Strouse would write five songs.) Two songs were written by T.J. Kuenster, brother of co- director Dan Kuenster. They are "Soon You'll Come Home," sung by Anne-Marie while she looks at the photo of the married couple, and "Hallelujah," sung over the beginning of the closing credits. Kuenster is a respected studio musician and served as musical director for 24 Glen Campbell television broadcasts. The score was written by Academy Award winner Ralph Burns. His film credits include ALL THAT JAZZ, CABARET and A CHORUS LINE. Like all of Don's films, the musical score is strong. But that may have been as much from the studio as the composer. As Gary Goldman explained, "With the composer, we're pretty free, but most composers that have worked with us have liked the way we track the picture. The term tracking the picture is where we select music from other productions, whether they be musical symphonies, themes from movies like APOCALYPSE NOW or ALIEN, or even something fun from PINOCCHIO. We'll take anywhere from five seconds to three minutes worth to represent an entire sequence to give the film a mood and inspire an animator." After Burns had written his score, Don and company requested some changes made. It was the first time they had ever made such requests. Burns complied, according to Gary and "made the change in less than five minutes and altered the cue significantly." ANIMATION AND MORE Animation went smoothly on the film with most of the crew feeling enthusiastic about the property. Unlike LAND, they were more on their own and the characters were more fun to draw than the lumbering dinosaurs. Production went at a very fast clip. In mid-production, Sullivan Bluth became a studio divided. Not by opinion, but by an Ocean. Sullivan Bluth U.S., which had done some commercial work, was expanded when John Pomeroy returned to the U.S. to head up a division here. Pomeroy's crew quickly grew, producing animation for the feature. He also used the new larger U.S. presence to rekindle grass roots interest in the U.S. for the growing studio. A division entitled Don Bluth Animation Gallery began officially marketing the Bluth cels, unseen for several years. (Cels from both TAIL and LAND belonged to Amblin', who has yet to market them.) DOGS cels were placed on sale prior to the release of the film. A special display on DOGS was presented at the 1989 San Diego Comic Con. Also new was the use of computer animation in the film. Don, generally not impressed with the idea of computer animation, consented to let the computer used for commercials create some of the animation in the film. Similar to the use in Disney features, the animation was used to assist in a tricky perspective shot. The computer crew created the scene of the car running down the pier towards Charlie as well as some of the mechanical crane work at the junkyard when Itchy is building Charlie's Place. Work continued with no official distribution firm set for the U.S. market. By the end of 1988, Goldcrest took the film to MIFED, an international marketplace, to sell to foreign markets. All they had was a test reel to show distributors. It wasn't until the summer of 1989 that Goldcrest was able to make a deal to distribute the film in the U.S. The studio that picked it up was United Artists, the same company that had first agreed to distribute THE SECRET OF NIMH. All foreign markets, except Japan, were also sold by this time (for an advance total of $7 million). The U.S. deal was somewhat unusual in that Goldcrest agreed to pick up the (film) prints and advertising costs, estimated at around $10 million. (Like NIMH, the distribution company would not be handling the publicity and advertising.) Goldcrest planned to increase that amount with promotional tie-ins worth $20-30 million. With Goldcrest covering the print and ad expenses, UA would receive one third the usual distribution fee. If the film grossed over $35 million at the box-office, UA agreed to pay Goldcrest a minimum of $8 million from the home video sales. At the time, it was stated that the (then) new James Bond film, LICENCE TO KILL, would feature a trailer for DOGS. In September, the premiere date was announced to be November 17th, in over 1000 theaters in the U.S. and Canada. MGM/UA stated they would receive 20% off the top of the gross for handling the release. Net profits would be split between Sullivan Bluth and Goldcrest. At this point, Goldcrest had raised the print and ad budget to $15 million. In the article announcing the deal, a representative of Sullivan Bluth stated that the reason the film wasn't being released by Universal, who had released TAIL and LAND, was that "it was dissastified with the terms on both." TRIMMING THE DOG As the film neared completion, test screenings indicated some of the scenes "too intense" for the young. The MPAA even gave the film a "PG" rating. John Pomeroy stated this was unacceptable. Several scenes were cut or trimmed. The re- submitted feature received a "G." "We want adults to feel comfortable letting their children see this," Pomeroy stated, "but we don't want to just totally neuter the picture and take all the thrill out of it. So it was a balancing act. We wanted the G rating, and yet we still wanted to tell the story as we intended it... going to heaven involves death." Gary Goldman also addressed the problem. "You have to wear two hats in this area. You have a creative integrity hat and you also have a marketing hat that you must wear with your investor and distributor of the film. Whereas you might want to hold your integrity to something you feel is quite beautiful on the screen, you might have to alter that to achieve commercial success. Those are the hardest decisions to make. You have to answer to yourself morally, and you have to answer to those artists who have fallen in love with certain things in a motion picture. Most of the artists are adults, but we have to acknowledge the fact that many of the audience are very, very young. We have a black side to us, and some of the most artful things to us are on the dark side." The majority of cuts involved two scenes. The first was the scene where Charlie is killed by the car. The original featured a graphic depiction of the car hitting Charlie. Charlie's body is seen flying off the pier and into the river. The other reduction came in the nightmare where Charlie envisions Hell. Originally the giant demon spoke to Charlie, attempting to reach out for him. It also appeared longer, and more threateningly, on the screen. Another minor change was the type of weapon Carface and Killer used against Charlie and Anne-Marie. Originally, the evil pair attacked them with a "tommy gun." However, in mid- production there was an attack at a California school by a man using automatic weapons (many children were killed). To keep from looking like a similar scene, the "tommy gun" was changed to the more fantasy sounding "atomic gun." Ready for release, Don traveled to the U.S. to do promotion for the opening of the film. Everyone knew they would have to push hard, for like the previous LAND BEFORE TIME versus OLIVER AND COMPANY battle, DOGS was set to battle Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID. THE DOG HOUSE Probably no one expected the scenario that followed DOGS' release in the U.S. The studio was prepared for comparisons to Disney's MERMAID. They were set to possibly be number two in the box office battle. What they didn't expect was the barrage of negative reviews from almost every source. Not since the rash of features starring toys (HE-MAN's SECRET OF THE SWORD, RAINBOW BRITE AND THE STAR STEALER, TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE, etc.) had an animated film been so cruelly treated by the press. Daily Variety stated "Family audiences are ill-served by Don Bluth's ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, an animated musical that's confusing, pointless and miscast (in voices). Pic doesn't stand a chance in competition with Disney superior THE LITTLE MERMAID." It went on to complain heavily about the voices, songs, sequences and other elements. "Whether adults or smallfry will be able to sit through the remainder of the picture depends on their tolerance for filler and confusing construction, with nightmare sequences and off-the- track material causing considerable head-scratching." The review ended with "Quality of animation is highly variable, even during any given scene." "ALL DOGS is a cheesy fable about a gruff-but-cuddly German shepherd, his snappish-but-huggable sidekick and their treacly- sweet human pal Anne-Marie, who resembles nothing so much as one of those motel paintings of a little kid with big eyes," wrote Newsweek. It concluded it's comments with "Appallingly plotted and poorly animated (the figures virtually flicker before your eyes like a kid's flipbook), possessed of just enough wit to rip off the Twilight Bark sequence from Disney's 101 DALMATIANS at a particularly low point, ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN is very much like going to hell." The Los Angeles Times declared "ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, the latest animated feature from Don Bluth (THE LAND BEFORE TIME, AN AMERICAN TAIL), is in the comfy fun-for-the-entire-family category. Except, as is so often the case with such movies, it's not really a whole lot of fun for anyone. The animation is of variable quality; the story is a garbled pastiche of 'Oliver Twist' and 'Little Miss Marker;' the songs, including four by Charles ('Annie') Strouse, are eminently unhummable. Adults probably won't find the story transporting enough to stifle yawns; children won't pop their eyes at the animation." Discussing the fantasy elements, the critic wrote "A tip-off to the film's vacuity is its vision of heaven, which appears to have been color-coordinated in shades of Pepto Bismol." It concluded with "When we're in the presence of great animation, we feel as if our childhoods have overwhelmed us. Suddenly, everything is possible. In ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, the possible is the mundane." "ALL DOGS feels, at times, like a particularly unfunny 'Road Runner' cartoon, with occasional musical interludes," wrote the (Los Angeles) Daily News. "Yes of course, the animation is far above the Saturday-morning-cartoon level. But the story and characters are not. ALL DOGS is long on frenetic activity but woefully short on charm." The Daily News critic also wondered about the film's internal logic. "This is just a hunch, but I suspect that kids, logical beings that they are, will wonder why Anne Marie is the only one who can talk to the animals, since in cartoon logic, animals talk to one another all the time. Good luck to you parents who have to explain this." WittyWorld's critic thought "Don Bluth's newest animated feature contains some good graphics and a clever story concept. Unfortunately, that's about all that can be said in its favor. It seems to epitomize the attitude of, 'Forget about the plot and just concentrate on how pretty the animation looks!' As a result, it's difficult to appreciate the movie except for some of its individual technical aspects." Even papers outside of the major media districts weren't amused. The Erie Daily News stated "This Damon-Runyon-type tale about dogs is like a compendium of the worst of Disney - strained comedy, grisly sentimentality, shock effects to frighten and upset the children, tuneless and appalling performed songs, and - can you take it? - a sweet, little orphan girl. At least Disney, even at its worst was good at plot - the studio kept the story line comprehensible. ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN is a bewilderingly disjointed collection of twists and unrelated ideas." However, not all reviews were totally unfavorable. Several saw beyond the film itself to an admirable effort. Some even preferred it to the critically romanced LITTLE MERMAID. American Film Magazine reviewed both films at once. After discussing problems with MERMAID, the critic wrote about DOGS, "Here, too, there are flaws - the songs are uniformly awful, there are annoying detours from the business at hand, the action occasionally builds to scenes that somehow never materialize, and you can practically see the rivets holding the plot together. But the characters have dimension: They exist for each other as a source of pain or disappointment or salvation. There is plenty of jolly old cartoon activity as well, but it surrounds a solid story about the redeeming power of self-sacrifice. (Sounds heavy, but there it is.) This makes the gaffes bearable and puts ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN closer to classic Disney than the current Disney manages to be. "Kids may prefer the Disney film [MERMAID], which has cuter characters, broader comedy and better songs, and employs a livelier palate and is not nearly as unsettling as ALL DOGS, which abounds with unsavory characters and dark corners, and lets it hero die - twice. But it adds up to something, and when the denouement comes, ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN jerks real tears." Also calling DOGS the better of the two, the Minneapolis Star Tribune stated "It's Bluth's ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN that comes out on top. Disney's adaption of Hans Christian Andersen's THE LITTLE MERMAID puts up a respectable fight. But in the end, better attention to detail, pacing of the story and use of voice talent tip the scales in Bluth's favor." The Hollywood Reporter thought "A wide emotional range, superb character animation, a packed narrative, a uniquely smoky palette, and psychological acuity mark Don Bluth's ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, certainly the best all-around achievement of the animator to date." Later stating "The picture looks like a very big hit." Unlike others who faulted the story, the Reporter wrote "Bluth and his cohorts have a story sense that is every bit as strong as their visual sense, and here - working strictly as their own boss - they dip into the grab bag of childhood fears and endow the story with a feeling that there is something vital at stake." It concluded its thoughts with "So the ending is more than sentimental; it is evocative, touching not just on memories of affection, but the remembrance of loss as well. And it hits like a train." A small Los Angeles area paper, the Tolucan, was very favorable. "Done with obvious care, affection and top-quality professionalism, this movie is characterized by abundant humor and wonderfully original toe-tapping songs (with music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra) in addition to its charming cadre of canine characters." A surprisingly positive review came from the generally cynical and acerbic LA Weekly. "Once you look past the quasi- religious overtones and Burt Reynolds' crummy crooning, ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN is a good old plot-driven animation." They concluded by stating "A lot of minor contradictions in the script will keep the nitpicky busy, but the final scene won't leave a dry eye in the house." Don canceled his tour early due to the resounding dashing the film got by critics. Final box office for the film topped $29 million, a far cry from MERMAID's nearly $90 million. However, there was more to the conceived failure of DOGS than meets the eyes. When TAIL first appeared, it was at a time when Disney was at one of it's lowest points. None of their films had been very successful, especially the animated ones. The new management seemed to be making a lot of money, but not doing a lot about animation. TAIL, with Spielberg and Don, looked like a white knight coming to the rescue. (However, even reviews of TAIL were generally poor.) By the time DOGS came on the scene, there had been several key Disney successes including OLIVER AND COMPANY, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT and TV's GUMMI BEARS and DUCK TALES. Disney was now successfully marketing animation on all fronts from Disney stores to classics on videotape. Once again, Disney was the darling of animation fans and Don was just another upstart. An example of this double standard could be found when the videotape for DOGS was announced to be released the same time as Disney's PETER PAN. One video article in TV Guide claimed that PAN was one of Disney's best and most successful features. To prove it the author stated that in the last release (1988) the film had done $30 million at the box office. Later in the same article he talks of DOGS which only made a "disappointing" $29 million. Only one million dollars usually does not separate a hit from a flop in Hollywood's eyes. This perspective is not meant to diminish some of the criticism towards the feature. The film is not without its faults. However, many observers agree that the press seemed eager to take DOGS to task for any reason. AFTERWARDS Little DOGS merchandise ever came out due to contractual difficulties near the end of production. The only major licensees were a set of plastic figures sold through Wendy's fast food restaurants. The figures consisted of Charlie, Anne-Marie, Flo, King Gator, Carface and Killer. Quickly discarded by even collectibles dealers, they may skyrocket in value should the film be "re-discovered". Several computer products including a computer game and a computer art system were also released. The film was released world wide after the U.S. release. Ireland saw the film premiere in the Spring of 1990. On April 5th it debuted in England. The Royal premiere featured an attendance by Princess Anne. Charlie was designated by the FBI as its official "spokesdog" on drug abuse prevention. Apparently no public service spots nor promotional literature was produced to cement that honor. In the Fall of 1990, the Hollywood Christmas Parade featured a float devoted to DOGS. It included costume characters as well as Charles Nelson Reilly. ALL DOGS GO TO VIDEO DOGS' best treatment came when it was released into the home video market the end of 1990. MGM/UA Home Video and Proctor and Gamble teamed to make it their major holiday release. The two had previously promoted the 50th anniversary of WIZARD OF OZ in 1989. Over $13 million was spent on TV advertising, with new animation done by Sullivan Bluth USA showing the characters giving the tape for the holidays. Another Downey commercial had live action dogs discussing the film while one of the dog's owners was in a store buying the tape and Downey products. A commercial for Downey was put on the video tape. Dom Deluise appeared (live) on the tape to tell viewers to stay tuned for a message about the Boys Club of America. (There was also a preview from ROCK-A-DOODLE.) With the tape out, reviewers had another chance to evaluate the film. Not being the box office success of the previous TAIL or LAND, few felt they needed to be any kinder. Entertainment Weekly declared "Despite top-flight animation, it's easy to see why DOGS was buried by Disney's LITTLE MERMAID in the theaters: It has none of that film's effortlessly natural charm. The lead dog is uncharismatic and the songs are hokey and unmemorable. Older kids and adults will find the whole thing slightly passe." The review also went out of its way to mention the "giant homosexual alligator." Laser Disc Newsletter commented "The narrative has clearly been truncated, making it confusing and even more unappealing than, apparently, it was initially intended. The voices chosen for the characters are terribly ill-conceived, particularly Burt Reynolds, whose weak and indistinctive readings as the hero put the viewer to sleep long before his character reaches that state. The morals and dramatic conceptualizations of the film are also odd, as if no one within the Bluth organization understood children's films, although that is what they keep trying to make. But the artwork is heavenly - richly colored, imaginatively landscaped, and decisively rendered." After the tape was released for distribution, the title sold very well. It debuted as number two on the list of top selling videos for the week (just under THE LITTLE MERMAID). By the second week, it had moved into first place. In the children's section, it debuted in the number one slot and remained in the top three for several weeks, trading places with such titles as Disney's PETER PAN and the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Over 3 million copies were ordered by stores within the first month, for a gross of nearly $75 million (just less than three times what it did at the box-office). This made it just short of MGM/UA's top selling video title, THE WIZARD OF OZ at 3.2 million. MGM/UA felt that re-orders for the holiday season could push the video to the 4 million mark. Unlike NIMH, DOGS was seen and promoted. Whether or not it becomes a classic of any kind will be left to the memories of those who saw it as children. For Don and his crew, it is all too clear that they are trying to put the film behind them. In a recent interview with John Pomeroy, he started out by listing all the films he had ever worked on from his first at Disney through the still-in-progress A TROLL IN CENTRAL PARK. The only one he forgot to mention was ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN.

[imaec-digital]

Understanding the role of Artificial Kidney

What is the function of artificial kidney?

The human body is a complex machine working autonomously, continuously, and persistently. One never realizes or feels or understands many things happening inside the body. There are many parts to this machine, called the organs, and they are just names for common people. These organs work in the background, inside the body, whether one is awake, sleeping, running, dancing, or doing whatever. The role of these organs is vital for survival. Unless one of these organs starts malfunctioning, nobody takes notice of them. Kidneys are essential organs for survival and a healthy body. Its function is related to the well-being of the human body. The role of the Kidney is pivotal in the smooth running of the bloodstream, the beating of the heart, flexibility of muscles, and strength of bones.

Kidney: Role and Function

The human body needs nutrition, and one gets most of it through the food consumed and the drinks devoured. All the intakes are not necessary but part of them and the remaining are liabilities one carries. Many of them get absorbed in the blood through the metabolism process. The human body needs a piece of machinery to filter necessary components, absorb them, filter waste, and excrete them out of the body. Kidneys work just the same, as control and filtration plant by removing waste products, excessive fluids, and harmful substances from the blood using filtering tubes. These excessive fluids and waste products are removed through urine created with a complex procedure of excretion and re-absorption. There are two kidneys, located just below the rib cage, to help this process. Kidneys are made of millions of nephrons. These nephrons consist of the glomerulus, attached to a tubule. Blood is filtered in the glomerulus. The filtered blood returns to mainstream and the remaining fluid passes through the tubule where necessary chemicals or water is added or removed according to the body’s needs. Then the final product, after much of the re-absorption of excretion, is transferred to the bladder as urine.

Through this complex process, kidneys help to regulate salt, potassium, and acid contents in the body. the Kidney also regulates blood pressure and calcium metabolism. Hormones produced by the kidney are necessary for other organs.

In short, kidneys perform a very critical part in keeping health by • Removing waste and excess fluid, removing harmful drugs, and balancing body fluids • By regulating blood pressure by releasing necessary hormones • By enhancing the process of red blood cell production • Controlling levels of Potassium, Calcium, and other nutrients • Produce essential vitamins controlling the growth • Produce an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones

Kidney diseases:

So when a Kidney suffers from any cause like disease, failure, or injury, it affects the entire body. The following are the most common dysfunctions and problems.

Kidney Stones: Kidney stones are very common and may be caused by too much calcium absorbed from food because of an inherited disorder, or urinary tract infection or obstruction.

Urinary tract infection: This is caused by germs and affects the bladder. But sometimes it can spread to the kidneys causing fever and pain.

Congenital diseases: These may also affect the kidneys, causing infections and possible kidney damage.

Polycystic and other inherited kidney diseases: Polycystic kidney disease is the most common inherited disease, causing the formation and inflation of cysts in the kidney, which can result in kidney failure. There are other inherited diseases, that can affect kidney functions.

Drugs and toxins can also cause kidney problems: Excessive consumption of pain relievers and other meditation, toxins, pesticides, and drugs can severely affect kidneys.

Causes for Kidney dysfunction:

Having some type of kidney abnormality or symptoms, for a longer period, is called Chronic Kidney Disease. Some symptoms are decreased kidney functions or the presence of protein in the urine. Though there are many causes for these, leading is diabetes and high blood pressure.

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney diseases. Diabetes leads to insufficient production of insulin or prevents from using a normal quantity of it properly. It increases blood sugar in the blood, causing problems in many parts of the body, and affecting severely the kidney function.

High blood pressure or hypertension is another common cause of kidney disease and other complications such as heart attacks and strokes. Controlled hypertension can decrease the possibility of kidney dysfunction.

The modern lifestyle is the main reason behind an increase in the number of diabetes and hypertension patients. Stress and work conditions cause high blood pressure, which in turn affects body functions leading to kidney functions. This may cause an increased quantity of potassium in the blood, resulting in Heart failure. Also, diet, alcohol, and work conditions can create diabetic conditions. Increased sugar levels will affect kidney functions which can result in kidney failure.

Many kidney diseases can be treated with medication, diet control, or in some cases surgical treatments. But some may lead to fatal conditions.

What is Kidney failure and remedies:

When 80 to 90% of kidney functions are affected, it is called Kidney failure. Kidney failure is not a death sentence. Many patients live a long life with proper treatment, care, and control. There are two types of treatments. One is a kidney transplant and the other is dialysis.

A kidney transplant is an operational treatment where a patient’s failed kidney is replaced by a healthy kidney. This kidney can be procured from someone who died, or from a willing healthy donor, a relative, friend, or stranger. The kidney transplant procedure has a high success rate.

Dialysis is another procedure that rids the body from waste material, excessive salts, and fluids and cleans the blood, and helps blood pressure.

When dialysis is required?

Dialysis is needed when the kidney function reduces to 10 to 15 %. Dialysis filters blood with help of an external machine, a dialyzer, or an artificial kidney.

There are two types of dialysis. One is hemodialysis, where blood is filtered by an external machine and filters called a dialyzer. Other is peritoneal dialysis, where the inside lining of the patient’s belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by the means of a cleansing fluid called dialysate, which is washed in and out of the patient’s belly in cycles. This treatment is not for everyone as it is a little complicated and needs training and care.

Hemodialysis and dialyzer:

Hemodialysis is performed with help of a dialysis machine and a special filter called an artificial kidney or a dialyzer. Blood is pumped out of the body with help of the machine and passed through a dialyzer which filters waste materials, excessive salts, and extra fluid and returns clear blood to the body. Excessive water, salts, and fluid are then disposed of.

The main component in this entire procedure is a dialyzer or artificial kidney. It consists of two parts, one for the blood and the other for cleaning or washing fluid called dialysate. These two parts are separated by a thin membrane that prevents blood cells, proteins, and other important things to remain in the blood. This is achieved by the simple fact that blood cells, proteins, and other important things have a larger size than the waste like creatinine, urea, potassium, and other excessive salts and fluid. So membrane size is adjusted in such a way that it allows only smaller components to pass in dialysate and keep important components in blood.

Hemodialysis can be performed at home with help of a trained person. But the doctor’s opinion or suggestion is important in this matter. The patient’s consultant and dialysis expert team will have to monitor the progress and test reports to assure proper treatment.

Patients on dialysis need to follow some diet regulations. High protein intake is advised, whereas food with high potassium, phosphorous, sodium, and fluid is generally avoided.

A Patient on dialysis can work or travel with proper care and the doctor’s guidance.

Limitations of dialyzer over natural kidney:

Though dialysis is one of the key treatments for kidney failure, it has limitations. A dialyzer is the most important component of the procedure and aptly called an Artificial Kidney, it has some limitations. The first one is repeated use. Dialyzer can be reused, but it has limitations and after some cycles, it has to be replaced by a new one.

Secondly, can dialyzer be considered a complete replacement for a kidney? The answer is negative. Purifying blood is one of the functions of the kidney. It is a very important function, but it’s not the only important function kidney performs. The kidney helps in many other body-controlling actions by creating important hormones, enhancing the process of red blood cell production, produce an active form of vitamin D necessary for strong, healthy bones. A dialyzer cannot perform all these tasks, it only purifies the blood. It cannot replace the kidney. So even if an artificial kidney is a blessing for patients with kidney failure, it has limited utility. Helpful, but limited! This artificial kidney will help extend the life span, but achieving quality life depends on the patient.

Conclusion:

The best way to achieve quality life is to avoid trouble, in the context of our article, avoid conditions leading to kidney failure. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and a disciplined lifestyle are key factors for a healthy and quality life. Inherited diseases are not in our control, but modern undisciplined lifestyles and uncontrolled eating habits are culprits for increasing numbers of hypertension and diabetes patients which can be controlled with small changes in habits and lifestyle.

Dialysis and artificial kidneys are one of the best available treatments available for kidney failures, they are easily available and affordable for most, yet these are remedial procedures. One can decide whether they want easily available treatment or quality life.

[anarchopuppy]

Build an affinity group. An affinity group is a small group of 5 to 20 people who work together autonomously on direct actions or other projects. Affinity groups generally consist of like minded people who come together to get something done. If you already have an affinity group, link and cluster those groups!

Skill up. Delinking from capitalism and colonial apparatuses requires us to learn how to do things for ourselves and each other beyond buying, selling, working, or asking the state to help us. From self and collective defense, to gardening, building bikes, unschooling, and caring for each other- we can learn a skill and share a skill. We can change how we value skills and dismantle hierarchies of class and ableism.

Establish and practice good security culture. Security culture is necessary to survive state repression. We can stop a lot of infiltration and disinformation in its tracks by improving our ways of communicating and navigating conflict. We can still be horizontal and transparent without sacrificing security and safety.

Practice transformative and restorative justice. Strong communities make police and prisons obsolete. We can change our culture to prevent violence and abuse. We can build up our capacities to confront and resolve conflicts. We can strengthen our ties and detoxify our relationships so harm has no space to grow in our communities.

Mutual Aid. Start a mutual aid group and provide necessary support to those who are in need. Mutual aid organizing can ensure our communities are not dependent on corporations and the state. Shift your use of resources to things you can grow and make or procure from others in resistance. Build networks of aid and resources beyond capitalism.

Mutual defense. From arms training to street tactics to bystander interventions and safety teams, we need to have the skills and resources to defend our communities from fascist attacks on our people, non-human beings, and lands.

Build and sustain conflict infrastructure. Conflict Infrastructure is any structure we organize helps us be more effective in our fights. This is infrastructure that goes beyond solely providing awareness and services and instead builds our capacity to wage actual resistance. From community gardens and collectively coordinated farms to infoshops and independent media/communications.

Open squats for unsheltered folx. Rent is theft. Private property is colonial violence upon the land. Abolish rent and private property. Rematriate lands to original caretakers. Create spaces to live beyond landlords.

Defend and reclaim ancestral lands. Because #landback means ending colonial occupation and restoring Indigenous stewardship of our ancestral lands. Regenerate our sacred relations, and all that entails spiritually and materially, with our original homelands. Liberate the sacred.

Reparations. Seize what has been stolen from Black and Indigenous Peoples and liberate it back.  Radical redistribution is necessary.

Shut shit down. Intervene in critical infrastructure at the points where capitalism and colonialism are at their most vulnerable. Seize the streets, factories, ports, fracking pads, pipelines, power stations, smash the borders, be smart and be creative! It’s also an effective way to target those industries perpetuating climate change.

Be fiercely intersectional. ‘Cause we’re not taking those old shitty behaviors with us. Fuck anti-blackness, fuck orientalism, fuck islamaphobia, fuck anti-semitism, fuck transphobia, fuck heteropatriarchy, fuck white supremacy, fuck imperialism, fuck ableism, fuck hierarchy, fuck racism, fuck citizenship, fuck privilege, fuck everything fucked up!

Practice Radical Self & Collective Care. To remain dangerous to power we must care for ourselves and each other. Learn common triggers and how to communicate without being fucked up. Learn to communicate your needs, boundaries, and wants effectively and nontoxicly – remember that folks in the struggle and resistance have the hardest time accessing resources for mental and spiritual care. Movement work can be unsustainable to those with many experiences of settler policing and violence triggers – find ways to communicate and negotiate group norms and boundaries that accommodate peoples’ needs if reasonable. Identify toxic communication patterns and learn / create ways to dismantle them and communicate in more healthy and less harmful ways.Be honest about your limitations and care for yourself and each other. The christianized, capitalized colonial state has taught us to never rest or heal. Reject any attempts at coercing people to go beyond their limits. Radical self-care keeps us safe and invulnerable when consistently engaging in agitating governability by the state.

Make everything accessible for everyone. Reject ableism and objectification of our bodies and lives, establish community care networks with people equipped to provide first aid and care support to a full spectrum of needs. Challenge ableism in our language, how we organize, and how we value each other. We are all enough.

Abolish Rape Culture. Study rape and rape culture and how it relates to the desecration of sacred lands. Transform our culture and practices around dating, humor, relationships, sexuality, consent, parties, sex labor, and play to abolish rape culture. Hold mactivists, rapists, abusers, opportunists, and creeps accountable. Center consent and healthy relationships in everything we do everywhere.

Spread radical and militant joy. We can fuck shit up while we dance, sing, party, laugh, play, wonder, have deep conversations, tell stories, make art, make love, make magic, make brilliance, make awesomeness, and have fun.

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

Festes de Moros i Cristians d'Onil (Alacant)

Onil (in Alacant / Alicante) is my father's hometown, and every year I go there to participate in my favourite festivities in the whole world, the Festes de Moros i Cristians (Christians and Moors Festivities). I really miss them right now, so I thought of doing a post about them here so you can also learn about them :)

First of all, Moros i Cristians is a festivity practiced all around southern Valencia autonomous community more or less, and Onil's is not the most popular by a long short, that honor belongs to the one celebrated in Alcoi (the capital of the comarca where Onil is located). Here's a detailed explanation of those festivities. As you would imagine, the main focus of the Moros i Cristians festivities is the recreation of the Moorish conquest of said town and then the Christian reconquer of it during the Reconquista. Everyone dresses up, drinks a lot, and it's a great time. The different details differ from town to town tho, so I'm gonna talk specifically about the Onil ones, the ones I know first-hand.

Finally, before starting, I don't know Catalan and, although I'll try to just copy exactly the stuff in that language, there might be mistakes so I apologize beforehand for that.

Okay, hope you like the post :)

History and Structure:

Onil's Moros i Cristians has been happening since 1648, after the plague devastated the town and they prayed to the Virgin Mary for help. Of course, she helped, and Our Lady of Health (La Mare de Déu de la Salut) became the patron saint of the town; these festivities are in her honor.

It all starts in April 22nd with the Nit de les Fogueres (Bonfire Night), where giant bonfires are lit up all over the town, and people visit them and have like barbeques outside. It's a pretty chill time, I really enjoy it.

The next day is the Dia de la Mare de Deu or Dia de la Virgen, there's a procession and an ofrenda, where (usually) women bring flowers to the statue of Our Lady of Health dressed up as colivencas (colivenc is the demonym for the inhabitants of Onil).

The following days there's some folkloric dances and more religious acts, and then, finally, on April 28th, the main event starts; people start dressing up in costume at all times (there's a formal and informal version of every costume), drinking a lot and being happier than usual lol. That day is La Entrada (The Entrance), which is repeated on April 30th; it's basically a big parade where everyone gets to show of their costumes. On the 28th Christians go first and on the 30th Moors are first. On the 29th and May 1st there's a series that events that simulate the struggle between Moors and Christians:

Guerrilla, basically people just go around the town shooting trabucos (blunderblusses) full of gunpowder and the noise is very deafening. The guerrilla ends with a mascletá in the main square, where everyone starts shooting at the same time (we normally have to open our mouth here so that the sound doesn't make our ears bleed!).

Embajada (Embassy), this is done again in the main square, as the town hall is located in an old castle. The winning king is on the balcony inside of the town hall while the losing one demands him to come out and give up the town in a very medieval-esque dialogue (some people in the town have it memorized cause it's the same every year, I only know the first words, "¡ah del castillo!"). This fails, and the king and his royal guard come out of the castle to fight the losing king and his guards.

Ballada de Banderes (Dance of the Flags), they simulate the fight with swordplay and everything, and the king that was in the castle loses. Everyone starts celebrating with gunpowder while they wave this massive flags through the main square and replace the winning ones with the previous ones. The last day they replace it with the flag of the town.

La Volta (The Turning (?)), this is an informal parade after the fight, everyone is probably drunk, and basically it's just each comparsa going to its headquarters to have dinner and celebrate more (yes, every comparsa has one, they are these super exclusive and secretive places you can only attend with an invitation; I've only been to the Cristians one and it's this huge dining hall with long tables and benches, high walls and lots of food and drinks).

Here's how each part looks!

At some point there's the Embajada dels Estudiants which is celebrated at midnight and it's like a parody of the normal Embajada with a lot of insults to various people and politicians of the town, but I don't know when. Also at some point (I think it's at the end of it all but I'm not sure) there's this cool procession called the Silent Procession at midnight or late at night where everyone is dressed up in costume and goes through the high part of the town with candles in their hands following the statue of Our Lady of Health.

Factions and Comparsas:

So, in Onil (and in all towns that celebrate) there are two main factions, Moors and Christians, and in this case they're divided into 6 comparsas which are like subtypes I guess (?) Everyone is very serious about their comparsas (and tbh about their escuadra as well) and it's a big deal when someone changes to another one cause usually one family is frome the same comparsa and have inherited the escuadra for generations and stuff like that (it's kinda like changing football teams but more personal cause your own ancestors have been in that escuadra / comparsa and probably have their photos up in the headquarters for everyone to see). Comparsas divide into diferent escuadras (literally translates to squads) which are just subsections of people who have the same costume and like a common theme. Every year they elect the kings and queens of each faction, the cabos (captains) of each escuadra, and the escuadra that has the capitanía (like the most important escuadra that year, they usually have like props and extra stuff during the parade). As you can imagine, each of these things is a big deal and an honour, and everyone wishes to be at least one of those things in their lifetimes (and it's a small town so it usually happens lol). Here are the comparsas, I'll add the capitanías for the year 2012 (and 2011) cause I have the festivities book for 2012 and you'll see the names and themes and stuff that way:

Cristians (Christians): They're the main Christian group, they dress in the most medieval-like way, with armor in some cases, and yeah, pretty standard stuff. In 2012 the capitanía was held by the Amazonas (Amazons) and in 2011 by the Tizonas (a type of sword apparently).

Biscaïns (Biscayans): They're like the more brutish group, with scary looking armor and painted faces and stuff. Btw I technically am from this group! (the informal attire is very easy to wear and pretty, not scary at all lol). In 2012 the capitanía was held by Sense Pressa (No Hurry) and in 2011 by the Familia Beneyto-Pastor (Beneyto-Pastor Family).

Estudiants (Students): They are the most different looking from the rest lol, they are like the "joke" escuadra, they dress up similarly to tunos and they have giant pencils as weapons. My dad was one of them when he was a kid btw. In 2012 the capitanía was held by La Coca de Sardina fa Cremor (The Sardine Coca is Burning) and in 2011 by Numeret (Little Number).

Moros (Moors): They're your typical Moors, pretty standard stuff, I'm pretty sure they are the largest comparsa (it's either them or Marrocs). In 2012 the capitanía was held by Abú Zeit (an almohad governor of Valencia), and in 2011 by Sarracenos (Saracens).

Marrocs (Moroccans): They are like the Biscayans but make them Moors basically, more hulky and scary looking than the Moors, but less than the Biscayans I think. Also imo they have the coolest attires. In 2012 the capitanía was held by Al-Cosins (Al-Cousins) and in 2011 by Al-Rashim.

Moros Artistes (Artist Moors): These are the party people, they are the ones who drink the most and have the most fun, they even have their own song and everything, I love them. In 2012 the capitanía was held by Abdel-Samí, and in 2011 by Daima-Farah.

Another unoficial "comparsa" is the musicians! There's a squad of them accompanying every few escuadras and there are a lot (basically if you don't want to be in any comparsa then you have to be a musician, there's no other option lol). They play really cool medieval-inspired music, here's a playlist in Spotify I found with Moros i Cristians music! Also my uncle was part of the musicians :) It's very cool cause they practice so much when they're kids that I know a lot who are professional musicians.

Here's a look at all of the comparsas and capitanías I've talked about, I wish I could show them to you individually but you know... Tumblr's 10 pics limit.

Finally, here are a few more pics of the whole thing. The photographer of these pics (plus the first one) is Inma Juan, a family friend. Here's her whole portfolio of the 2018 Moros i Cristians so you can take a more in-depth look at them :)

[kasugayamaisforlovers]

Watching the Window

Tags: pinning, Kanej, Kaz character study, angst, drabble

Summary: A little dive into Kaz’s mind palace and his feelings for Inej. Based on the show version of these characters. ~1.3k words.

Ao3 link

--

They’re in the carriage back to Ketterdam. He’s sitting across from Inej and Jesper looking out the window watching the houses crowd in closer and closer as they near the belly of the city. It’s not that he expects the alleys and thoroughfares to have changed in their time away, it’s just that he needs to feel familiar ground beneath him again. The clatter of hooves and rain is interrupted by Jesper who’s going on again about the goat. Kaz wouldn’t pay the conversation any mind except that he can see the glimmer in Inej’s eyes as she laughs.

His head turns autonomously, eyes pulling in every crinkle on her face, ears cataloging the peel of her laughter--the breathlessness of her voice as she tries to speak. Her laugh moves over him like a lodestone over a series of fabrikated locks. Jesper’s making her laugh harder and Kaz is pulled into the emotional undertow of agitation. Jesper and Inej are sitting so close and the sight is sharp and intense. It takes him back to that moment where they hid in the wastes looking for passage through the Fold.

“Not to gang up on you, but Jes has a point.” Jes?  

Yes, it’s the same twisting feeling. Leather crunches as Kaz’s hand tightens around the bird head of his cane and the sensation brings him back to himself. He chastises himself for this petty slip of…

Of what?

He blinks, turning again to the window, struggling to identify the exact contours of the feeling. He hates this. He hates feeling out of control. His heart rate is elevated, teeth locked together so hard that his head is starting to hurt. He squeezes the cane to anchor himself and closes his eyes. He crosses the threshold into the row house metaphor of his mind.

Where is this feeling? What is it?  Anger? Anxiety? Humiliation perhaps? He lifts all these things with a gloved hand. They all feel true but incomplete. Sitting on the tufted leather chair he looks out onto the hearth. Flames dance hot and blue casting the room with a cold light. He cannot be angry with Jesper, not now over this. Not when he’s committed a million more severe offenses that Kaz has forgiven without a thought. He sees Inej’s face dance in the firelight and the flames burn white. It’s to do with her, this feeling. But then, why not? It’s always her.

Kaz opens his eyes again as the carriage buckles. He turns to find Inej already looking at him. He averts his gaze to Jesper, who is twiddling with the buttons of his vest. Jealousy. That was the feeling. He wants to hold it passively, like a scientist, but it aches so he stashes it away. He’ll have to be vigilant. It would be embarrassing and pointless to let this feeling crawl out again.

When Kaz looks back at Inej, she is looking out into a flicker of streetlights. Their orange glow warms the black of her hair, catches the bones of her cheeks and the lenses of her eyes. He doesn’t need this visual information for anything, but it always seems important to take it in, so he does.

--

At this point he’s making a show of sorting through ledgers. He’s run through them thrice already. The day’s work is done. The accounts are as settled as they can be for the night. He leans back, chair swiveling away from the desk to face the perpetually open window. It’s a curious thing that for all the meticulously plotted things in his life, he can’t say when this sentimental thing grew in him. This thing that causes his eyes to wander, always, to the window.

At first he presumed it was a distraction--a mental diversion. He’d look out the window and move the juggling pieces of plans to the back of his mind where he could puzzle them out subconsciously. He was stepping away from his work in order to better do his work. Normal.  And maybe that was it, at first. He’s noticing now, though, that he doesn’t look blankly out the window.

He’s always looking for something. And maybe what he’s looking for is the clean smell of bergamot and sandalwood on warm skin; or the familiar swish of an embroidered tunic; or the night black eyes of someone who’s company he’s never upset to receive. He bites back a laugh. Stupid.

It’s so stupid that he’s almost tempted to close the window. Then again, he thinks, it would be counterproductive to the procurement of information if his wraith suddenly couldn’t get in. His wraith. Is she his anything? A solid problem to drink on. He pours himself a couple fingers of the expensive liquor he keeps at the corner of his office. He’s spent so much time trying to detangle Inej from Tante Heleen’s web of contracts that he’s ashamed now to even imply anyone’s ownership over her.

And yet, were Inej to consider herself as belonging not to but with anyone, Kaz would certainly like to be that person. Professionally, of course. He takes a long pull of the liquor. Maybe as something more? What is Jesper--a brother? Kaz could be very skilled at lying to himself but even he could not concede to Inej being like a sister. He was going to need more liquor.

Two glasses in, his mind refuses to drive straight. It takes constant diversions back to the carriage and her smile or her eyes, reroutes to hushed conversations they’ve had in the dark where Kaz has said too much and yet not nearly enough. They’ve become so close over the years. He thinks perhaps that she’s the closest anyone has ever been to him...and yet...

He’d pour another finger or two but it’s time to stop. The floating lack of inhibitions is souring into memory now.  The open window is blowing in rain and the clammy feeling of being naked and alone with himself. Inej. He can’t help but think of all the pain he’s caused her. He sees her wide eyed and trembling, surrounded by pews and candlesticks--the tokens of the holiness to which she is bound. He wants to step forward and sooth her, but even in his memory he cannot.

She killed a part of herself to save him that night. What sick irony that it was in the chapel of the Little Palace? She sullied her purity to save his worthless life in front of the powers she so reveres. What sick saint could dream up such a tragedy? But he doesn’t believe in saints. He leans against the window still and lets the rain patter against his face. Sometimes when he looks at Inej, it’s silly to even think...but sometimes when he looks at her he thinks he can understand the awe and wonder that others might see in their precious holy figures.

That’s very likely the liquor talking. He swirls the dribble of brown liquid left in the glass. Saint or person, he doesn’t know how to thank Inej, let alone, repay her for her sacrifice--and he is certainly no saint. He’s just a person, less maybe for all the evil he’s done. She must know that. He’s unworthy of her gifts. Inej has to know that. He’s sure that she does.

That’s why she’s always leaving.

He finishes the dregs and replaces the cup to its tray at the side of the room. He has to break her Indenture. He will. The truth is whatever insubstantial thing Inej thinks she owes him, Kaz owes her infinitely more. Unplayably more. The Indenture is nothing, simply something he can achieve. He’s pacing, a restless second wind of energy pushing him around the room. He’ll find something more and he’ll do that too.

He doesn’t want to owe her, but hopes desperately to continue to increase his debt.