#crystal bookends

[olympusmineralsus]

Agate Bookends

[giftideasfromaycaramba]

[shaylogic]

Not to start a fight with my girl but I'm collecting receipts just in case

[the-travelling-witch]

christmas gift for myself <3

[holytrinitymindsbodysoul]

Are you looking for Agate Crystal Bookends in Australia?

We have high quality agate bookends in different shape, size and colours. All of bookends come in Pair to decorate your bookshelf. It is believed that Agate crystal aids concentration and create harmony so these bookends are for your workplace or home. Each of these piece is one of a kind, bringing a little jewel-toned beauty to your bookshelves, desks and consoles.

[melefim]

Swearing in Dead Boy Detectives: Edwin Payne

Overview:

8 curses total, 4 different words said in 6 episodes.

Episode 1: 1 Fuck, 1 Damn, 1 Bloody Hell

Episode 2: 1 Bloody Hell

Episode 3: 1 Damn

Episode 4: 1 Damn

Episode 5:

Episode 6: 1 Bloody

Episode 7: 1 Fuck

Episode 8:

Curses Per Episode:

Episode 1: 3

Episode 2: 1

Episode 3: 1

Episode 4: 1

Episode 5: 0

Episode 6: 1

Episode 7: 1

Episode 8: 0

Uses Per Word:

Edwin’s favorite curse word is Damn, which he says 3 times! Fuck and Bloody Hell are tied for second, with 2 usages each.

Damn: 3

Fuck: 2

Bloody Hell: 2

Bloody: 1

Unique words:

Though 6 other people also say some form of ‘Damn’, Edwin is the only one to use the word ‘Damnable’.

Edwin and Charles are the only characters who say ‘Bloody Hell’.

Edwin, Charles, and the Night Nurse are the only characters who say ‘Bloody’.

Percent of Total:

Edwin swears 8 times throughout the season, which is 2.5% of all cursing in the show.

Rankings:

Who Swears the Most: Edwin is tied with Niko for 9th place. (8 times each)

Curse Word Variety: Edwin is tied for 7th place with Litty and Hunter. (4 different words)

Individual Words: He and Esther are tied for most uses of the word ‘Damn’. (3 each)

Episode Recaps: Edwin curses in the episode recaps more than any other character. (3 times)

Lines:

Episode 1: Bloody Hell! (when running from gas mask ghost before mirror jump)

Episode 1: I'll jot that down in my journal of opinions I do not give a damn about.

Episode 1: Police don't know what to do with a fucking witch!

Episode 2: What the bloody hell is this?

Episode 3: Damn it. Crystal, if you can hear me, try to stay positive.

Episode 4: Now, unless you have more damnable spells, I should go. I have a case to solve.

Episode 6: Even if that were true, you're a bloody crow!

Episode 7: That is so fucking stupid, It's unbelievable!

Notes:

Fun Fact:

Edwin has the first curse in the show- Bloody Hell at the start of episode 1. (Which bookends nicely with Charles having the last- Bloody Hell at the end of episode 8)

Previously on Dead Boy Detectives…

Shown in episode recaps but not counted in the totals above:

Episode 3: What the bloody hell is this? (2)

Episode 4: What the bloody hell is this? (2)

Episode 7: You’re a bloody crow! (6)

Updates:

Updated Percent of Total Swearing chart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More Dead Boy Detectives Swearing Posts:

Masterlist

Swearing by Episode

Swearing by Character

Swearing by Word

All Swearing Posts

And if you like lists of things like I do, you can check out my other Dead Boy Detectives ones here!

When Charles’ Shirt Colors Change

George Rextrew’s Edwin comic inspo board

Full soundtrack with timestamps

Moves, Incidents, and Cases Masterlist

First pass at finding where the songs in the score are used- full post with timestamps in progress

[dreaminglibrary]

1996 "The Sandman" Dream and Daniel Bookends. Limited to 2000 figures, these statues were based off designs by Michael Zulli and sculpted by William Paquet.

Unfortunately, my Daniel doesn't have the original crystal he came with, but I got these for an absolutely steal of a price, so I don't complain.

[cinderella-ish]

Momiji, Kyo, and what it means to protect the ones we love (part 5 of 5)

From the beach arc onward, we see Kyo intentionally spending more time with Tohru. He asks her to hang out in Kyoto, he eventually agrees to be in the play, they spend the New Year together, and he does little nice things for her when he can, like washing her scarf, or giving her the paper flower when he sees how upset she is.

This isn't wildly different from S1 Kyo, of course. He's done little nice things for her right from the beginning, like going to pick her up from work in E2. But he's more intentional with it now, and he's aware of his feelings for Tohru and desire to spend time with her. He may still feel unworthy of her, but he finally accepts that his presence makes her happy, so he's willing to quash his self-hatred enough to spend time with her, for her sake.

And we see Momiji work at protecting Tohru, most notably in Ask Him For Me, when he tries to accompany her on her mission to find Kureno, and when she insists on going alone, he draws her a map, tells her to stick to the bushes and give his name if she's caught, and tails her to make sure she doesn't get into trouble as she searches for Kureno. (Just look how worried he is! And look at him getting Tohru out of there!) He sees that Tohru feels very strongly about being involved, so he does absolutely everything he can to make sure she can do so as safely as possible. We even see his memory of the night Akito scratched Tohru's cheek, just to make his worries crystal clear.

He also doesn't try to distract or manipulate Tohru when he realizes she's upset. He asks her what's wrong and listens, and he even cries with her.

Takaya also connects Momiji and Kyo in the structure of Ask Him For Me/manga chapters 74 and 75. Momiji's section of this episode is almost bookended by two appearances from Kyo.

Near the beginning, Tohru asks Kyo about Kureno, and he warns her not to go looking for trouble. And at the end, we have that rooftop conversation.

Tohru: It's only natural to want to be with the person you love, to want to be by their side, right? Kyo: What is it? Are you in love with some guy? Tohru: N-n-n-no! It's not about me! Kyo: Don't worry. When you do fall in love, you'll have my full support.

So, in this episode, we have Momiji trying to protect Tohru, and Kyo trying to cheer her up and spend time with her, a complete reversal from where they started relative to each other.

And then, Momiji grows up.

After Golden Week, a bunch of the kids gather at Shigure's house for dinner, and when Tohru notices that Kyo isn't with them, Momiji volunteers to go get him (Momiji really is always the one to invite Kyo to join everyone). In the manga, Tohru starts crying when she notices that Kyo's not with them, no doubt thinking of Kyo's upcoming confinement.

When Momiji arrives in Kyo's room, they have this exchange:

Kyo: You guys are gonna eat here, too? Momiji: It's okay, we settled on curry. Kyo: Whatever. You grew a lot, huh? Momiji: Right? Pretty soon I might be taller than you, and better looking! And then, and then... maybe Tohru will accept my proposal? Do you get that if you give up, something like that might happen? So you shouldn't give up. I'm gonna stop going, 'There's no point in thinking about this,' and giving up. Wouldn't it sting if some other guy took Tohru from you? Well, look at the time! We better go help make curry! Come on!

In the manga, it's made clear that Kyo is horrified that everyone knows he loves Tohru. He stands separate from the rest of the group at the barbecue. In the manga, he and Tohru share a cute moment of blushing eye contact.

I love how Momiji says he'll stop thinking it's pointless, too, after he encourages Kyo not to give up. In a conversation where he could have focused on the fact that Kyo is his romantic rival, he instead focuses on the fact that they both might have futures worth fighting for. They're fighting beside each other, even if they can't both be the one Tohru loves romantically.

Later that episode (or a few chapters later), Momiji's curse breaks. He now has a real future ahead of him, but he sees how Tohru looks at Kyo, and he knows that his own future won't be at her side like he wants.

Kyo: Momiji? Jeez, you're here of all places. Tohru and them are inside looking for you, so- Momiji: What? Kyo: Huh? Uh, nothing. Did something happen? Momiji: My curse is broken. Would it surprise you if I said that? Kyo: What? Listen, you- Momiji: Yours breaking would make Tohru happier than mine breaking. I'm sure she'd be happy. I mean... you know, right? I'm the one this stings. Kyo: Shut up. I don't wanna realize that. It's too...

Gosh, this scene breaks my heart every time. On both of their behalves. Momiji is dealing with his first real heartbreak, and Kyo is dealing with his extremely complicated feelings about loving Tohru, his guilt over Kyoko's death, and his upcoming confinement in the Cat's House.

It's clear Kyo cares for Momiji in this scene, and Momiji really tries to put on a happy face for Kyo, but he can't. Megumi Han does an outstanding job as Momiji in this scene. The way her voice breaks when Momiji smiles and says, "Would it surprise you if I said that?" is just crushing.

The visual storytelling is stunning, too. The wide shots, emphasizing how lonely both Momiji and Kyo are. The way the scene is composed to emphasize the distance between them. The close-ups on their faces when they're each grappling with the thing that's gutting them. The way Momiji's smiles are always immediately followed by the saddest looks. The way their solo shots mirror each other's, at the beginning, middle, and end. We also don't see Kyo's eyes between the moment Momiji says his curse is broken and when Kyo is saying, "I don't wanna realize that."

Before the beach arc, I don't think Momiji would have watched that sort of interaction from a distance, and I don't think he would have let it stop him from making plans with Tohru. He would've just wanted to make her smile and spend as much time with her as possible, even if that meant ignoring her feelings. And he definitely wouldn't have let himself feel sad. Momiji's pain in this scene is evidence of his growth.

That night, Momiji goes to speak to Akito, after having dismissed her the night before. His speech to her might be my favorite moment of the whole series. It's the climax of Momiji's arc, at the very least.

Momiji: I'm sorry I sent you home alone yesterday. I spent the whole day thinking. Wondering why my curse is gone... only mine. I couldn't think of anything that would cause it. But I can say this: Akito, I can't stay by your side for the rest of my life. And you can't tie me down anymore. [Akito slaps Momiji] Akito: Monster! Traitor. Traitor! [Akito beats her fists against Momiji's chest] Akito: If you leave here, leave me, you've got no place to go! Your mother and father won't just welcome you back! No one will! You'll never be happy! Momiji: I know. I've become so free, and so lonely. The curse breaking doesn't mean I'll get the girl I want. And the bonds that unconditionally connected me to everyone are gone. It's too late. I can't go back to before things were broken. But... but don't tell me that not having those things means I can't be happy! Don't just decide that! I feel vulnerable being free, but a happiness might exist for me! It might be somewhere in the future, waiting for me to catch up! I'm going to finally start walking along my own life's path. What about you? How long will you stay here? The person most afraid that if they leave this place, they'll have no home and no happiness... Akito: Shut up. Just shut up. Get lost. Momiji: Okay.

It's almost the credo of the whole series, isn't it? That it's better to make your own way, with no guarantee of love or happiness, than to cling to bonds that have become a burden and wish for things to never change. What Momiji's saying is what Akito needs to accept in order to be free herself.

And Momiji, despite all the loss he's suffered, despite having his heart broken that very afternoon, he's still determined to keep going.

I love this as the climax for Momiji's arc because it showcases the ways he's grown while also showing us the things that have always made him such a special character. He's standing up for himself and his future, not afraid to make Akito angry or say things she doesn't want to hear. He's acknowledging that it hurts, and that he might never have the family he so desires. But he also might.

It's a waste of time to think about loss or life getting harder. The traveler never thought about that stuff.

He still has hope, even as everything seems so dark. And he still tries to help Akito, even after everything she's done to him.

The parallels between Kyo and Akito in this episode/chapter are so well done. For both of them, the pain of moving forward is just too much right now, but Momiji still wants to see them both move forward anyway, and he's telling them this in a straightforward, mature way, rather than manipulating them.

And Momiji's not done affecting Kyo's arc.

After Kyo asks Tohru if she loves him, we see Momiji's face and hear him say, "I mean... you know, right?" Once more, it's Momiji whose voice Kyo hears at such a crucial moment.

It's painful for Kyo to finally accept that Tohru loves him. He doesn't know she already knows about his confinement, and worse still, he knows he has to tell her about the day of her mother's death.

But again, it was Momiji who led Kyo to realize that he loves Tohru in S2, and now it's Momiji leading Kyo to realize that Tohru loves him, too.

After Kyo unloads his guilt on Tohru, and Tohru falls from the cliff, it's really Yuki who gets Kyo to take the final step toward accepting Tohru's love, so I won't say much about that except to point out that Yuki says making Tohru smile was protecting her, and that only Kyo could make her smile like that.

I think this scene, where Momiji and Kagura team up to tease Kyo, is the last time we see Kyo and Momiji together. But they're still affecting each other's arcs all the way to the end.

After Kyo and Tohru get together, they visit Kyoko's grave, and Kyo asks Tohru to move away with him.

It's selfish, and it's going to take Tohru away from everyone else, but he still asks anyway. It's a very Momiji-like thing for him to do.

And then, he says this:

I'm taking her with me. You good with that? I'll keep my promise. I know I'm really late, but... I'll protect her for life. So, we're good, right?

He's taking her with him, and he'll protect her for life. He's learned from Momiji, but he's still Kyo.

As they get ready to leave, Tohru starts reminiscing and starts to cry because she'll miss everyone so much.

Kyo: Clearly you don't get it. Listen up: everyone loves you more than you think they do. So it'll be okay. This isn't the last time you'll ever see them. It's the start of a new banquet, right?

In his last appearance, Kyo hugs her and cheers her up and offers a healthy dose of optimism for their future.

And the last time we see Momiji, he's sitting at the dojo with Haru and Rin.

Momiji: More importantly, how dare Kyo take Tohru with him! I bet he just wants her all to himself. I wanna pinch him! Really hard! Haru: Why not pinch him tomorrow? Momiji: Nah, I can't do it in front of Tohru. Oh, but thanks to him, I have another dream. I'm going to find an amazing significant other, and we're gonna go visit them just to show off! So Tohru had better stay happy. She'd better keep on smiling, or I'll be disappointed.

He's complaining and getting annoyed at Kyo (and threatening light physical violence!), but he's still dreaming of a bright future for himself. And he's trusting Kyo to keep cheering Tohru up in their new home.

When I started thinking about writing this series, the point I thought I'd be making was that Momiji functioned as Kyo's mentor in Fruits Basket. But after putting these posts together, I really think it'd be more accurate to say they were each other's mentors. Their relationship has a mutuality from the start. I hope they remained close as adults.

And I really hope Momiji found an amazing partner.

Momiji and Kyo: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Here's a plug for my fic, Bloom Within Us. It's a canon-divergent AU where Tohru dies after falling from the cliff. I've really enjoyed exploring Momiji and Kyo's relationship in that story. If you've enjoyed this series, I hope you'll check it out!

[figdays]

Coppermoon Crystal Cluster Bookends // CopperMoonBoutique

[olympusmineralsus]

Agate Bookends

Embrace the allure of our agate bookends. Add a touch of sophistication & natural beauty to your book collection. Elevate your decor with this elegant agate.

[chucktaylorupset]

the contrast of the costuming vs the casting like they have edwin in all grey while charles gets to have this tough of bright red so they seem like such opposites but with both having black hair, paler skin, and monochrome overlayers, and being nearly the exact same heigh they're suddenly mirror images bookending crystal i love it

[skamenglishsubs]

Subtext and Culture, Young Royals, Season 2, Episode 1

Season 2 picks up after the Christmas break, it is now early January 2021, and Wilhelm is asleep, dreaming of Simon...

Cinematography: The show does a slow transition from Wilhelm's sex dream by changing the colours from the soft golden light of his dream, to the harsh early January daylight, and by letting the sound of a vacuum cleaner pierce the signature [dreamy electronic music] of his dream.

Subtext: We're seeing Wilhelm move like a ghost through the palace, ignoring everyone, even his mother. He's still angry with her, and they haven't really talked all break.

Blink and you miss it: It's hard to make out, but Erik's silver cigarette case is also inscribed with Sällskapet - The Society, the ultra-douche nobility club.

Cinematography: Just like last season was bookended by a fourth wall break, here comes the opening montage and a very angry Wilhelm staring into the camera.

Subtext: The August montage tells us a bunch of things. He's been spending Christmas break alone at school since he doesn't really have a family to spend it with, and his eating disorder/body dysmorphia sure isn't getting better.

Culture: Simon is playing the song Aldrig Igen by Cherrie, which is about leaving someone who has hurt you. The repeating refrain goes: "Never gonna happen again. I don't want to feel like that."

Culture: Minimum age for getting your driver's license in Sweden is 18. It's getting more and more rare for people to get their driver's license as soon as possible, because it's simply not a necessity for most. When I went to high school last century (in the 90's), about half the class got theirs at that time. These days less than a third get theirs that early.

Subtext: Although Felice didn't really have a plot of her own this season, I'm glad to see that she learned something last season and keeps ignoring her annoying, prattling, mom. That her friend Sara got into the Manor House is much more important than whatever horsey-horse blah her mom is whining about.

Subtext: Madison hands Sara a crystal, of course she's into that. But I'm not crunchy enough to figure out what the hell she means by "among other things". Help. Anyone? What is that even? Amethyst?

Subtext: "Native Americans and other indigenous peoples have burned sage for centuries as part of a spiritual ritual to cleanse a person or space, and to promote healing and wisdom." Thank you Google for that explanation. And of course it's something Madison would do.

Lost in translation: The English translation of their chanting didn't quite capture everything. A literal translation would be "Fine girls, deep pockets, worship our fine pussies!" But fina flickor is an expression that means well-mannered upper-class girls, djupa fickor is a Swedish idiom that means being rich, and these two fragments both rhymes with and alliterates with fina fittor, except the latter is extremely vulgar, which creates an interesting juxtaposition of contrasting tone. Btw, my high school Swedish teacher was the best teacher I've ever had, and I know he would be so fucking proud of me right now if he could see me writing this! Tack, Magnus.

Subtext: And here comes the first mention of this season's main theme; traditions, upholding them, breaking them, examining them... Interestingly enough it's Felice who suggests breaking it, while all the other girls insist that Sara has to continue the tradition. And boy, does she ever. At least the fire department didn't show up...

Subtext: The real reason August didn't join Vincent or Nils on their expensive Christmas vacation to the Seychelles is of course that he can't afford it. But his dismissive joke also just point to his own eating disorder problems. August, get help.

Subtext: When Simon insta-stalks Marcus we get to see a bit of his personality. Apparently, Marcus likes camping, fishing, hiking, horses, and his Volvo. The 850 is a classic 90's station wagon, and although it's pretty unusual for 18-year-olds to own a car in Sweden, something like that checks out and it's probably his car.

Subtext: Vincent is such an ass, and I love every second of it. He has zero respect for the younger students, he doesn't give a shit that Wilhelm is royal.

Subtext: Wilhelm is being an assertive bitch to August here and insists on him addressing him in third person, as if they weren't familiar...

Blink and you miss it: ...which makes Nils and Vincent laugh, and Vincent makes a mocking salute to Wilhelm.

Subtext: But in the end, August is the prefect, so they do as he says and allow the first-years to join the party, even though they have no idea why August is letting Wilhelm get away with it.

Cinematography: This season also does a lot of mirroring where scenes in this season look like scenes in the first season. This particular one mirrors the one where Simon appears at the initiation party for Wilhelm and catches his eye, except it's a lot more sad this time.

Subtext: Oh look, The Theme™ pops up again, and Simon is of course not a fan of keeping the shitty traditions that forced Sara to do something stupid, so that he had to rush to school to check up on her.

Subtext: Wilhelm is an awkward idiot around Simon. He really has no idea how to reconnect with him.

Cinematography: Again, we're mirroring the initiation party in s1 where Simon excuses himself, but this time Wilhelm doesn't chase after him.

Subtext: I'm sorry what now? Nils is not straight? That came out of fucking nowhere, but ok, let's roll with it! Also, whoever subtitled this is obviously familiar with Tinder, but not with Grindr. Nils says that he saw Marcus on Grindr, not that they matched, because that's not how Grindr works.

Subtext: The main theme of the entire show is about social class, if you haven't figured this out by now. Nils is firmly in team upper-class, and tells Wilhelm how he's supposed to handle dating: Only date or hook up with people from your own class, or with people who know how to keep everything discreet, private, and down-low.

Subtext: Wilhelm looks around in confusion, because he expected Simon to be singing in the choir. Where the hell is Simon?

Subtext: Meanwhile, Simon is late and on the bus with his friends on Team Rebound, who are giving him advice that's gonna turn out to be pretty crap.

Culture: Padel is so middle class, Vincent is right! Padel surged in popularity in Sweden in 2021 for some weird reason, and tons of padel courts popped up all over the country. However, the hype completely crashed in 2022, so most of those places are now facing bankruptcy and people actually talk about padeldöden - padel death, so the sport is kind of a joke right now.

Subtext: Wilhelm puts on the most fake smile ever and says hi to Alexander who is back at school. They were all correct when they said that Alexander really wouldn't get punished for getting caught with the drugs, his parents simply bribed the school to hush it down, but their treatment of Alexander will backfire spectacularly on Wilhelm later in the season.

Subtext: The show is doing a bit of exposition here, but it's also reminding us of who knows what about the sex tape, and why Wilhelm hasn't told Simon that he knows who did it. One more thing that will backfire spectacularly.

Subtext: And in a quick throwaway comment we learn that the late prince Erik had a thing with a porn model, and that the royal court successfully swept that whole thing under the carpet, as they do.

Subtext: The rest of the girls thoughtlessly let Sara pick up the tab for their coffee, which is nothing to them, but for Sara it's half her savings. She's treating them without protest, but doesn't buy anything for herself because she simply can't afford it.

Subtext: Don't sit next to him, don't talk to him, pretend he doesn't exist! Simon is really trying to follow the advice of his friends.

Cinematography: Oh look, a mirroring of the scary movie scene where they touch hands in season 1. Except this time Simon jerks his hand away.

Subtext: The Theme! This time it's Wilhelm who's on team fuck the traditions, although he's doing it just to undermine August.

Lost in translation: Vincent actually uses the word kladdiga - sticky, smudgy - about their hands, which in Swedish implies they're all toddlers who should sit down and shut up while the adults are talking.

Subtext: No, Wilhelm really didn't stick up for anyone last season, he threw Alexander under the bus, and he threw Simon under the bus, so we're just heaping on the guilt now.

Subtext: And we're doing some more exposition to remind everyone about who knows what about the sex tape. Here Sara finds out that August knows that Wilhelm knows it was him, and he's blaming her for telling him, even though she hasn't told anyone. Not even Simon, speaking about things that will backfire spectacularly.

Subtext: Sara's plotline is gaining steam, much like she did after touching August, if you know what I mean, eh, eh, eh? She knows he's a piece of shit, she knows he's a bad person that she can't trust, but she also thinks he's hot as fuck and this obviously causes quite a lot of conflicting emotions in her.

Subtext: No, Wilhelm truly doesn't realize this. He's been trying to get close to Simon in order to get him back, but he still hasn't got a damn clue as to why Simon is keeping his distance.

Subtext: Note that Simon going after Marcus is 100% reactive. He asked him for a ride because he needed to for Sara's sake. And now he's agreeing to karaoke night because Wilhelm just hurt him again, and because his friends have been encouraging him to go for a rebound boyfriend.

Culture: Carola Häggkvist is a very well known Swedish artist and songwriter who had her breakthrough at 17 in the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Marcus is choosing. She only came in third that time, but won the ESC in 1991 with the song Fångad av en Stormvind. Despite being wacko Christian for a while and married to Norwegian preacher Runar Søgaard, who lost his weapons license after shooting a deer from his bedroom window, she has now mended her ways and is somewhat of a gay icon in Sweden, performing at Stockholm Pride in 2013.

Culture: Främling is about meeting a stranger, falling in love, and taking a chance on this newfound love. Marcus might look like a doofus, but his song choice is pretty clever, although obvious.

Subtext: Can we just appreciate Vincent's dramatics for a second? A first-year not moving their ass off a couch he wants to sit in is apparently causing his entire world to come crashing down. The audacity! Chaos! The system is there for a reason! It provides stability! What's next? Everyone is just gonna sit around playing the bongos? Someone needs to enforce the proper order of things, because August apparently refuses to do so!

Subtext: Some nice foreshadowing here where Alexander checkmates Wilhelm.

Culture: The Swedish Royal Court is an organisation with hundreds of employees who assist the royal family in all their official duties. Here we're seeing the Queen having a late night meeting with some court officials. Although the show doesn't say, it's likely that Minou who was introduced in season 1 is the head of the press and information department, and that the new character Jan-Olof is the Marshal of the Court, which would put him in charge of planning and preparing all official events that the royal family attends.

Subtext: From the perspective of the Queen and the court, Wilhelm's outburst comes out of nowhere. He's been refusing to talk to his mother for weeks, and now he suddenly calls them up, rants about Simon being on a date with another boy, and screams that he doesn't want to become king in the future. In addition, he threatens to talk to the press himself, which makes Minou somewhat concerned to put it lightly.

[krispyweiss]

Pete Best Band with the Cyrkle at Valley Dale Ballroom, Columbus, Ohio, July 28, 2024

Pete Best says his four-show American swing is designed to take audiences “back to the days I played with four guys named John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe.”

That it did. Though the crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling of Columbus, Ohio’s 1920s-era Valley Dale Ballroom likely didn’t remind Best of the dingy U.K. and European clubs in which he put the backbeat in the Beatles from 1960-’62.

Best made the comment after his eponymous Band’s opening salvo of “Rock and Roll Music,” “What I’d Say,” “One after 909” and “Chains,” which were played on a stage bookended by screens that showed images of the Best-era Beatles together on- and off-stage.

It was the one time on July 28 the 82-year-old, black-clad Best would emerge from behind his white Gretsch drum set, from which he, alongside brother Roag on an adjacent kit, drove the all-Liverpudlian quintet though 23 songs and 90 minutes of authentically rendered, pre-Fab Beatles music.

Recreating Beatles tracks is a ridiculously difficult proposition, as Best’s tour mates, the Cyrkle, demonstrated during their hourlong opening set. The Brian Epstein-managed group, which has two members remaining from the lineup that played on the Fabs’ ’66 tour, offered such selections as “If I Needed Someone,” “Eight Days a Week” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps;” numbers by the Ides of March (“Vehicle”) and Ohio Express (“Chewy Chewy”); and its own two hits, “Turn Down Day” and “Red Rubber Ball.” The musicianship was shaky; the set list often beyond the Cyrkle’s grasp, particularly on the Beatles songs and McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.”

But where the Cyrkle stumbled, the PBB soared, reigniting a 60-plus-year-old jumble of energy on Beatles numbers both mostly forgotten (the Lennon-Harrison instrumental “Cry for a Shadow,” Lennon-McCartney’s “Hello Little Girl”) and still-beloved as with “P.S. I Love You” and “I Saw Her Standing There.”

Best’s wisdom lay in his sticking with his era and avoiding songs with which he wasn’t involved. Tony Flynn, who proved his Britishness by praising the virtues of Olive Garden’s Italian food, was particularly adept on throat-shredding numbers such as “Please Mr. Postman” and “Mr. Moonlight,” yet softer fare, including “Besame Mucho,” “Till There was You” and “Like Dreamers Do” fared just as well, sounding right at home in America in 2024.

And by the time the Pete Best Band said cheerio with the pairing of “Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey,” fans could only be grateful Best returned to music in the 1980s and continues to share the fruits of his truncated career with Beatlemaniacs who are better off for his musical generosity.

Sound Bites still isn’t sure what he expected from Best. But it surely wasn’t an exceptional gig such as this.

Pete Best Band setlist: “Rock and Roll Music;” “What I’d Say;” “One after 909;” “Chains;” “Please Mr. Postman;” “Hello Little Girl;” “Mr. Moonlight;” “P.S. I Love You;” “Roll over Beethoven;” “Besame Mucho;” “Cry for a Shadow;” “Till there Was You;” “Slow Down;” “Money (That’s What I Want);” “Like Dreamers Do;” “Ain’t She Sweet;” “My Bonnie;” “Lucille;” “Memphis, Tennessee;” “Some other Guy;” “I Saw Her Standing There;” “Twist and Shout;” “Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey”

Grade card: Pete Best Band with the Cyrkle at Valley Dale Ballroom - 7/28/24 - A/C-

7/29/24

[sepublic]

Another Crystalized Wasted Potential coming up: I feel that Pythor was pretty underutilized in Crystalized. Dude is such a long-stay with Ninjago, being the villain from its first season (and thus only preceded by Garmadon and Samukai). He's basically an evergreen villain for the ninja at this point, he's been here since the dawn of time, long around to have been at both villain get-togethers. He's got the personal connection to Lloyd as well, and he's a fan-favorite.

He and the Overlord, I argue, are the true arch-nemeses to the ninja, with the Overlord being more of an endgame threat, while Pythor is more recurring, and that makes the team-up between the two feel very natural. Given Crystalized is the finale to mainline Ninjago as we know it, Pythor being the big bad of its first season should've been bookended more.

That's another thing that separates Pythor and Harumi, it's that he's simple and static enough that you can apply him to just about any situation, if you ever want to come up with a scenario where Pythor is the villain; But Harumi is a lot more complicated and dynamic of a character, you really have to justify why she's here, why she's doing this, what's going on in her head. She doesn't have staying power as a villain compared to Pythor, especially since Harumi was originally written as a tragic, short but sweet villain who had her time and it ended. And with Crystalized extending that time, ultimately to redeem Harumi...

I think Pythor should've been emphasized more as the Overlord's second-in-command, his lieutenant, his new chosen champion. Part of the idea behind the Overlord in Crystalized is that he's learned, he's taking no chances. He's already been beaten twice before by the ninja, plus his defeat by the First Spinjitzu Master; He's deeply ancient, he's seen everything, which means he'd reasonably learn from all that. His entire council is comprised of villains who have also been defeated by the ninja, others who also thought they were hot shit, different and unique from other foes, only to get their asses kicked all the same.

Considering how much of a gap there was between Rebooted and Crystalized that the fandom actually had to live through (compared to the gap between FSM vs Overlord and Legacy of the Green Ninja), you really got the sense that the Overlord was painstakingly patient and cautious this time. Biding his time. Making sure every detail was right, sparing no expense by building up an entire army made of the stuff that cancels out the ninjas' powers. He was there in the background since Masters of the Mountain, he always had enough to rush in and be a threat, but he wanted to wait until he had enough to be a decisive threat.

...So why does he stick with Harumi once Pythor and the rest of CoCK are there. Like it makes sense for the Overlord to latch onto Harumi in his vulnerable state, she's all she has and vice-versa. But once he has other villains, he should've gotten rid of Harumi because like. His first introduction in Crystalized is the Overlord acknowledging that Garmadon failed Harumi, as he failed the Overlord; And that's because Garmadon isn't an unrepentant monster. He has a heart. He cares, in his very deeply twisted and misguided way... And so does Harumi. Her gut reaction is to reject the Overlord in horror because he's irrefutably pure evil, and she only goes along because she wants to live, and the Overlord reframes his goals as peace.

So with all that in mind, it's blindingly obvious to the Overlord that Harumi is just another Garmadon, whose defiance could easily spell trouble for him at a crucial juncture. He even calls out to Harumi, to her face, that she cares for Lloyd and is focused more on corrupting than killing him because of it, just like Garmadon. She freaking idolized and emulated the dude, Harumi's forcing you to see the parallels between them!

Now, it's worth noting that for all of Garmadon's hesitation... He never really DID get a chance to disrupt the Overlord's plans during his stint as a chosen champion. Whereas Harumi did, which could be why the Overlord underestimates her, because Garmadon's second thoughts never really amounted to anything in terms of HIS plans. But then Garmadon was also a real pain in his ass during Rebooted.

Again, the idea behind the Overlord is that he's become genre-savvy, he's learned, he's not taking any chances and Harumi is a huge one here. He's taking the ninja truly serious as a threat, in a way he respects them now, and that makes him uniquely dangerous for it. They always find a way, the Overlord should be paranoid because of it, and he should be paranoid over anything that could go wrong.

And that's where Pythor comes into play here; Harumi and Garmadon, they had heart, they cared for Lloyd, they ultimately went to the side of good. But Pythor is straightforward evil at this point. His motives might've been a bit more complex back in S1 and then S4, but ultimately, he strikes me as someone who's stubbornly looking for an excuse to be angry and vengeful and hurt people. He's bitter now, he's cut ties with his own kin that he originally claimed to have done all this for. He cared for the memory of his Anacondrai brethren in S4, but they're all dead and that's been long-resolved with Chen's death anyhow.

The Overlord picked up Garmadon and Harumi at a vulnerable point in their lives, when they had nobody else, and he had to manipulate and convince them throughout. Pythor is the reverse; The two had zero connection to one another prior to Rebooted, and yet Pythor goes out of his way to rescue the Overlord at a vulnerable point in his life, when he otherwise would've been eliminated by the ninja. Rebooted lasts four times as long because of Pythor, Zane dies because of him, which leads to Tournament of Elements, the death of Garmadon, the Preeminent's campaign, Djinjago's destruction, etc.

Pythor's legacy and impact through the Great Devourer, and other actions, is longstanding. Just like the Overlord. They're both responsible for Harumi's trauma, because one created the monster, but the other allowed it to continue wreaking havoc even after its initial defeat. The Overlord, entirely of his own volition, says that he likes Pythor to his face, and despite having power over the Overlord, it's Pythor who agrees to place himself under his power, and then continues to rescue and look after the Overlord, even keeping him in his stomach. They're both purple villains.

Pythor is unconditionally loyal, but unlike Kozu or Cryptor, he's actually competent and menacing and effective. The Overlord should've recognized Pythor's loyalty in Crystalized, and at least promoted him to equal standing alongside Harumi, and when Harumi inevitably brings up how Pythor released the Great Devourer, he just tells her to shut it, and deal with it, and even tries to get rid of Harumi shortly afterwards when he senses her hesitation.

Not only does this make more sense, it also goes nicely with an alternate storyline for Harumi in Crystalized where her redemption arc is more fleshed out and naturally paced, her feelings explored. And again, from a meta standpoint, Pythor’s always been there (maybe at other events we don’t know about because of his invisibility), even longer than the Overlord, as a villain. So to end things with Pythor and the Overlord feels right.

TL;DR Pythor was wasted in Crystalized, both in his relationship with Harumi, and the Overlord. Even though he's been a much more consistent villain to ninja than either of them, moreso than Garmadon, whose iconography the Lego Ninjago Movie revived, which led to the Oni trilogy. The Overlord is a force of nature, but Pythor's less of a fighter, more of a cunning schemer, which makes him fit Harumi's role just nicely. It improves the writing of all three of these characters to address Pythor more.

In particular, I'd have liked Crystalized to delve more into Pythor's motives at this point, and elaborate what he's even running on after all these years and developments. There's just so much history to work with when it comes to Pythor, but in actual canon he's just kinda there, another one of the Crystal King's lieutenants, and played off as comedic relief no less.

[thephysicsofmiracles]

I had the privilege of visiting @crystalcastlebyronbay with a bestie just before my birthday and was blown away by the how time seemingly supends itself there. Even the butterflies are buffeted by the breeze in slow motion! And everytime a leaf spirals down it appears to sculpt the air with its own whimsical pathway. The whole place seems charged with a tangible softness, I guess from being pillared with so many gargantuan crystals, a couple of which are paired side by side like a monolithic amethyst gateway. It was definitely my jam, understandably! I guess I needed that special day as a blessing to sustain me between that moment and now. Each significant day standing alongside the other with myself between, like gigantic bookends. I can see the difference between myself now and then so clearly. What I choose, say and do now. And what I don't. How much grace, love and goodness I reach for and how much disdain, criticism and unkindness I train myself away from. There's a flow emerging. Small but mighty. A realness that submerges my doubts and rekindles my innocence. The soles of my feet buffeted by unseen breezes, my arms whimsically swirling once again. To a music only meek hearts know.

[pikahlua]

I know lots of fantasy stories follow a Frye's Green World - "normality"; escapism, fantasy, paranormal, oddity and the other; back to normality.

Izuku started without OFA and he will end without OFA. Stories are cyclical and they need resolution. OFA is not the end, it's the method of getting to the end.

MHA is a story that starts in a supernatural, superhero, magical powers universe. I don't quite know if it will end the same way.

What are your thoughts Pika? 2nd telling Izuku to let go of OFA is what's making me feel this way

Izuku losing OFA does not necessarily change anything about the world he lives in. There will still be quirks as far as we can tell. The only quirk that MIGHT be capable of eradicating all quirks worldwide would be New Order, but...that would be quite the twist since it has the "spoken name" rule. AFO notably cannot destroy a quirk...but New Order "destroys other quirks" now, assuming it still exists in some practical form. Perhaps it can travel the world through the "chain of people's hearts, the crystallization of light" that is OFA, but again--that's making a ton of assumptions about where even just THAT particular plot line is headed.

While I don't think there's anything about this trope you're describing that makes it REQUIRED, it is true that Horikoshi has openly expressed some preference for bookend storytelling. His comments on Naruto's beginning and ending come to mind. That said, Izuku becoming quirkless by story's end was heavily implied by just the existence of Heroes Rising. Clearly something like that sort of an ending has long been on Horikoshi's mind.