#don’t kill off a main character and expect everyone to like the new guy

[novicewriterdeepthoughts]

Something modern writers need to stop doing when given control of an established franchise is stop killing off beloved main characters of previous installments in such disrespectful ways. A lot of people will get upset for the wrong reasons, but it’s also just a bad idea to replace someone that audiences are attached to with a completely new character. Especially if they killed the other guy. You know what I’m referring to…

*cough cough The Last of Us Part II, Star Wars, Borderlands 3, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League cough cough*

If you’re going to kill and old main character off, do it with some dignity ffs. Have them go out in a brave sacrifice or something.

[planetnini]

ONE — MAYBE I COULD FIX HIM ?

with the week you're having, you don't have it in you anymore to deal with anymore bullshit and take it out on your asshole of a roommate gojo satoru (3.8k words)

content. cheating (we don’t do the cheating), named ex: hiroto, shoko is an extremely good judge of character, geto suguru the man that you are, gojo is a bit of an asshole, reader goes off at the end (rightfully so) <33

Whoever said that if you do what you love, you'll never work another day in your life was a liar. Sure it was a well-meaning sentiment and while it filled your soul with some semblance of hope on some days, it was the main reason you were struggling with your degree and drowning in work. 

So much for dreaming big…

“What’s got your panties in a twist?” the girl questioned. The smoke from her cigarette created an odour that permeated the air as you let out a sigh, leaning back on the wall.

“That shit’s gonna kill you one day.” you muttered moving your head toward the cigarette in between her fingers as you turned your attention to the scene in front of you, waiting for her to finish.

“Make sure I have a nice funeral.” she chuckled before puffing out a cloud of smoke as she pulled the cigarette away from her mouth. When you didn't laugh at her comment, she just stared at you. Your eyes were closed and breathing a little jagged as she observed. Did you think she wouldn't notice?

Ieriri does not reveal much about herself, but everyone that was friends with her knew she was deathly loyal and cared for her friends in a unique way. She put the stick up to her mouth inhaling as she spoke, "You look like shit.” 

“You know how my afternoon lectures are.” she sighed.

She put out her cigarette in the ashtray bin and tucked her hands into her pocket. She was not at all convinced by your story. 

“Hold it Missy.” she demanded and of course your feet stopped in its tracks before her, “Tell me what’s wrong now.”

“I’ve been hearing things about Hiroto.”

You don’t think you’ve met someone that hated Hiroto more than your best friend herself. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as you mentioned your boyfriend or as she called him ‘he-who-must-not-be-named’. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed, her lips pulling into a pout. She always had a thing for the dramatics.

"What else is new? Hiroto is a scumbag."

"Ieiri!" you scolded, frowning at her choice of words. 

She scoffed with a shrug before she linked your arms in hers and started walking toward the cafe. You had no idea what she had against Hiroto. He was the most popular guy in your university, and he was the one everyone wanted to be with, but it came as a surprise when he chose you. He had eyes for you, and you couldn't understand why anyone would want you of all people so he asked you out one day and you didn't have the heart to say no. Even if you had liked him at the time, which you didn’t, you still couldn't have said no, it would have been an opportunity wasted. He wasn’t the nicest guy but you would say he treated you well so you defended him every time.

“I still don't understand what you see in him.”

You smiled faintly, “As much as you doubt him, he really does care about me."

You could tell that Ieiri didn’t approve. She never made her opinion on him a secret, and you don’t expect her to start now. 

She rolled her eyes again and sighed, "Yeah, well you should really find someone better, like a certain someone."

It was your turn to roll your eyes at the thought of who she was referring to: a certain white haired roommate of yours. 

“I hope you’re not trying to suggest who I think you are?” you stated as she gave you a sly smirk before shrugging.

“Have things with Satoru been better?”

You paused, contemplating on how to respond as you both walked into the cafe. You turned your attention to the menu as you stood in line. Your eyes scanned over the pamphlet you received when you walked in as you also looked at the assortment of baked goods and pastries. 

"I still can't quite figure him out." you muttered as you stared at some of the menu items.

Her curiosity was piqued as you said this, already knowing what she would order as she stared at you now. "What's he up to now?" she asked.

When you got to university, you opted to follow your dreams and your heart and while you looked forward to finishing your degree, reaching your dreams and goals was expensive, which was something you had known as a teen. It explained why you had to get a job that definitely does not pay minimum wage and why you had to room with Satoru Gojo, as per Ieiri’s request, just to be able to do what you love.

At first, you had thanked Ieiri for convincing the prestigious Gojo Satoru to be your roommate at the start but when he moved in, you were less than grateful.

Gojo Satoru was a scion of a wealthy and successful family making him the epitome of privilege: rich, handsome, and effortlessly at the top of his class without ever needing to study– he pretty much had everything handed to him on a silver platter. 

The first few months were turbulent, to say the least. Gojo acted like a spoiled prince, which was not surprising, always expecting things to be done for him and showing little regard for your personal space or boundaries. Arguments were frequent and inevitable but you shouldn't be complaining, he was the one paying most of the rent. 

Entitlement dripped from his every pore but then something shifted. With you trying to assert your own space and independence against his behaviour and actions, it was as though he had picked up on your growing frustration and decided to turn over a new leaf or whatever. 

It started with small gestures- he'd clean up after himself, occasionally ask if you needed anything from the store, and even helped out with chores around the apartment. These moments, though rare, caught you off guard. You couldn't help but wonder if it was all an act, a facade he put on simply because you were sharing a living space. Deep down, you were convinced that the 'nice' Gojo was just a pretence to keep the peace.

Yet, there were times when you couldn't ignore the fact that he seemed genuinely concerned about you, though these moments were fleeting– hidden beneath layers of sarcasm and his usual arrogance.

“He is just utterly unpredictable." you sighed as you put a hand over your eyes in frustration.

"Sounds like Satoru." she chuckled.

“I don’t know, it just feels like he’s nice to me because I’m friends with you.”

Shoko raised an eyebrow, a hint of concern in her eyes. "Are you saying he's being fake around you because of our friendship?"

"Yeah, sometimes it feels that way. Like he's just putting on a show."

Shoko's lips pulled into a small frown, her eyebrows knitting together, "That doesn't sound like him at all. Maybe he's just trying to be friends with you."

You had been so focused on the topic at hand, you hadn't realised you were at the front of the line.

You shrugged, "It's probably nothing.”

"Stop thinking about Satoru, you’re holding up the line." she scoffed as she smiled at the cashier.

You gave the worker an apologetic smile before turning to the person behind you, "Sorry, about that."

After ordering your favourite drink and some pastries, you approached a small table to sit. “I don’t know. I mean I guess Gojo and I are friends but still, I’m a bit suspicious.”

“I don’t think he would do something like that for my sake.”

"It just feels like you're trying to get him on my good side, I wonder why that is." you hummed with a tilt of your head, raising your brows at her.

"I think my best friend just deserves someone better." she shrugged with a pout.

"And Gojo is 'someone better'?" you scoffed.

Her hesitance was telling and you could see the gears shifting in her head, "That's like asking if apple juice is better than orange juice."

You rolled your eyes at her and looked around the café. The coffee beans alongside the soft humming of the machine, muffled speaking, jazz that played through the speakers really defined the atmosphere. Perhaps this place would become a regular study spot if they nailed just how you liked your drinks. 

“Thank you for coming with me by the way.”

“No problem.”

You had a small smile on your lips as Ieiri decided to fold the receipt she had in her hand into origami, your eyes leisurely scanned over the cafe's charming layout but then, as fate would have it, your heart suddenly felt like it had been gripped by an icy hand, causing it to skip a beat.

The cafe that once felt spacious now seemed to shrink around you, constricting your senses. Your gaze, once idly roaming the room, had fixated on an all-too-familiar figure.

There, amidst the warm, cosy ambiance of the cafe, sat Hiroto. He was not alone. He was sitting across from another girl, their faces close. A rare smile was etched across his features, who was she to be able to make him look at her like that? He had never looked at you that way… 

Maybe it was a friend?

Ieiri, perceptive as ever, noticed the abrupt change in your expression. Her eyes followed your gaze instinctively, and when she locked onto what you were seeing, her face transformed from one of carefree enjoyment to sheer disbelief and anger. 

Their smiles were flirtatious and you could feel the creeping feeling of fear settle in your bones.

They were completely engrossed in each other, oblivious to the world around them as they leaned in for a kiss. Definitely not a friend.

Ieiri was right. He was a scumbag.

Your mind couldn't quite grasp what was unfolding before your eyes, reality not even seeming real for a second.

Confrontation was the last thing on your mind. You didn't want to cause a scene, not here, not now, even if every fibre of your being screamed for justice.

Shoko's fingers tightened around her origami creation, crumpling it as her anger flared up. Her eyes locked onto the two with an intensity that could have scorched the room. 

She had always been vocal about her disdain for him, and this seemed like the perfect moment to let it all out. Without hesitation, Shoko started to push her chair back, her intention clear: she was going to confront Hiroto, give him a piece of her mind, and let the whole café know about his deceit. To berate him for everything he did to you, everything he did that you were too blind to see. You sat there in silence, your heart heavy with disbelief and betrayal but instinctively your hand reached out for hers. You shook your head ever so slightly, silently pleading with her not to make a scene.

“We can't just let him get away with this." she whispered back, her frustration growing by the minute.

Shoko's anger was palpable, and her lips quivered with the words she wanted to unleash but she respected your unspoken plea, if only for now, and reluctantly sank back into her chair waiting for your order number to be called out. Once you received the drinks and pastries, the two of you continued walking back to your shared apartment, the weight of the situation heavy on your mind as a tear slipped from your eyes. You had no goddamn appetite now.

The evening had taken an unsettling turn for you. After returning from a troubling encounter at the café that you wished you could just forget, you found yourself back in your cosy apartment that you shared with the Satoru Gojo, the most popular boy on campus.

As you pushed off your shoes and set them by the door, you overheard some of Gojo's friends chatting in the main area. Forcing a smile, you greeted the people in the room as Ieiri followed behind you, making her presence known as she greeted them as well. You placed the bag of pastries on the table, knowing that for certain, Gojo would inhale them when he got his hands on them.

“Hey, do you have a smoke?” Geto asked Ieiri as he looked over his shoulder. Next thing you knew, Geto had moved to sit across from you at the island counter while you sipped at your glass of water, mind wandering back to your jerk of a boyfriend. “How are you?” he inquired, patiently waiting for your response.

“I’m alright, thanks,” you mumbled, trying to muster a genuine smile in response to his concern. 

Geto waved a hand in front of your face as your thoughts drifted. Suddenly, you were locked into eye contact with him. Leaning down to eye level, he asked, “You sure you’re okay? You look a bit tired,” a playful chuckle escaping his lips.

You sighed a little before shaking your head resolutely, “Just had a terrible fucking week.”

Geto chuckled, “Tell me about it.” he scoffed, commiserating with your struggles. Although he didn’t know the full story, it didn’t matter, you were seen for a second and it felt good, "I swear they have it out for us."

Ieiri was best friends with both Gojo and Geto in high school. You never really understood their dynamic at all but the brief interactions shared with Geto had been enough for you to come up with a comprehensive answer. 

Many people around had said that Geto was like the sun personified, radiating this warmth and light wherever he went. His presence had an undeniable magnetic quality, drawing people toward him but he could leave an indelible mark on anyone in his presence. It was quite possible that what was true, made you smile a little.

Gojo's friends continued their lively chatter, sharing stories and laughter and it wasn’t until you heard the tap turn on that you realised Gojo is standing right next to you drinking water aswell.

“Hey. You smoking or what? I don’t have all day, Suguru,” Shoko chimed in, her voice cutting through the conversation.

“That shit will kill you one day Suguru.” he muttered next to you.

“Funny. You said the same thing to me today.” Ieiri commented and you could feel all their gazes land on you.

“I guess we’re a lot alike.” Gojo joked and you feel yourself smile at his words as Geto and Shoko shared a look.

Geto cleared his throat, a hand coming up to your shoulder, “Things will get better, I promise.” he smiled as both he and Shoko exited the apartment for their smoke.

The atmosphere inside the apartment shifted slightly as you were left alone in the kitchen with Gojo.

“What was that about?” he spoke, regarding the comment that Geto had just made. 

You turned your attention to Gojo and shook your head dismissively, “It’s nothing.”

“You sure? You can talk to me, you know?”

“I know,” you nodded, “It’s nothing, really.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” he took another sip of his water. 

You paused for a moment, “If I knew you had guests over, I would've brought them some as well.” you stated, pointing at the pastries from the café in the bag.

Gojo raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "So those pastries are for me?" he inquired, his playful tone evident.

"Don't push it." you scoffed, your heart warming at his teasing for just a second. There is suddenly a nagging feeling that tells you he is just being nice to you due to the circumstances.

You clear your throat as you tear your gaze away from him, "Are your friends staying for dinner? If they are, I might skip."  You weren’t exactly feeling like yourself, and would rather not be spending time around people you hardly knew. You were just getting warmed up to the man next to you anyways.

“They’re not staying over. Even if they were, I don't really encourage skipping meals.” Gojo replied, his tone shifting between genuine concern and playfulness.

You can’t even force yourself to smile at his concern, you wanted to keep the discussion going, but your recent experience at the café had left you feeling on edge. "I guess I’ll see you at dinner then." you teased, your playful tone masking the underlying curiosity you had about his intentions. Did he truly want to be friends with you or was he doing it just out of pity? 

He nodded at you and you retreated back into your room to grab some clothes but the voices of his friends drifted into your ears.

“Was that Hiroto’s girlfriend?”

“Yeah.” you heard the familiar white haired boy reply.

Their conversation had been about you, and you knew it. Trying to push yourself to stop them from eavesdropping, you shook your head and continued at finding some comfortable clothes for tonight. You needed to do something to take your mind off the events from earlier.

"Wait, seriously? I thought he was dating someone else."

Their words cast a shadow over your thoughts and only amplified your bad mood. You clenched your fists, trying to push down the mixture of anger and hurt.

“I don’t know how she’s still with him.”

The weight of their judgement had hit you harder than ever, especially after what you had witnessed earlier. As you contemplated confronting them about it, you could hear the hushed murmurs growing louder, escalating your frustration as a couple of voices interject. 

“She’s kind of pathetic. Don’t you think so?”

You weren't ready to hear them belittle you any further, so you decided to retreat to the sanctuary of the shower, hoping the water would wash away the bitterness. 

You turned on the water, stepping into the shower trying to drown out the sound of their voices echoing in your head. You wished you hadn't noticed how little effort Gojo made to defend you. Perhaps you were wrong to think the two of you were friends to begin with and considering his track record, maybe you shouldn’t have been so lenient to think he was different.

As you emerged from the shower, refreshed but still vulnerable, you were in the confines of your room as you messaged Shoko about what had happened. You knew she would give her a piece of her mind when she saw him next. You laid in bed, letting out some breaths steadying your heartrate as you heard Gojo call for you from outside your door. You weren't prepared for this, not after what you just heard between him and his friends.

With your emotions still raw and your nerves on edge, you slowly opened the door to find Gojo standing there, his usual confident demeanour softened.

His presence in the dimly lit hallway was both comforting and disconcerting. You met his gaze, your eyes holding a mixture of anxiety and frustration.

Gojo's voice was gentle but laced with concern as he spoke, "I sent my friends home.”

You nodded, not even bringing it in yourself to even berate him for being an absolute asshole to you when he thought you weren’t listening.

“I noticed you've been quiet since you got home. Is everything okay? Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?"

Your emotions, a turbulent whirlwind of hurt and anger, surged within you. With a deep breath, you finally found your voice, but your words came out sharp and accusatory, "I don't appreciate it Gojo," you began, your tone wavering but determined, "I know what you and your friends say about me when you think I'm not listening."

Gojo's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," you continued, your voice quivering with anger.

You could see Gojo's expression shift from confusion to realisation, and a pang of regret flickered in his eyes. His usually playful demeanour had vanished, replaced by a sombre and sincere expression.

"I'm sorry," he finally whispered, his voice sincere but unsure of how to proceed.

You felt tears well up in your eyes replaying the pain of your boyfriend cheating on you and the callous things they said behind your back. The disappointment of his apology settled in- he’s only sorry because he got caught. 

“That was the last thing I expected from you.” you spat out. "I thought…” you let out a deep breath, your words hanging with every ounce of pain that you’d felt today. You shook your head as you continued, “I thought we were friends."

"We are." he declared, his eyes wavering now. With guilt or concern, you couldn't tell but you knew he didn't really care.

"We're not." you emphasised, still burning with the fury of all the events that transpired today. "Every day, I see you look at me with those eyes that say how pathetic you think I look."

Gojo's brow furrowed in frustration with himself. He wanted to say the right words, to offer comfort, but he struggled to find them. He stepped a little closer, his hands outstretched towards you. You stepped back, your heart pounding erratically, and he instantly retreated.

“You have no idea how much it hurts but I guess I shouldn’t have trusted you to begin with.”

Without giving him a chance to speak, you shut the door with trembling hands. You felt a thud against the door on the opposite end and you could hear him muttered a few curse words as you slid down the surface defeatedly.

His face that was etched with guilt and regret. That look was embedded in your head as you let the tears slip down your face. He gave a resigned sigh before turning away and trudging off towards the kitchen to make dinner– alone.

You stayed in your room until you heard the door to his room close after a couple hours of distracting yourself: with studying, messaging Shoko how much you hated Gojo, and cleaning your room. Retreating from your bedroom as quietly as you can, you see a plate of food he made for you wrapped up with a small post it note on your favourite drink next to it.

I know you're still mad at me, but I hope you don’t skip dinner. Eat well, you'll need the strength... ᕙ(‾̀◡‾́)ᕗ

You scoffed at his note, scrunching it up, putting it in your pocket. It was all just lip-service.

As you sat there alone, your eyes welled up with tears, and you could feel your composure slipping away. The weight of the day became too much to bear. Your heart ached, the hurt and betrayal coursing through you as you sobbed softly.

What a terrible fucking week.

tags! @stsgluver @pandoraium @cottonheadedninnymugggins @satoryaa @bbyxxm @itsthemodelinme @sattosugu

notes. this is not proofread. i don't think the last half of this is as good but... we move!!! i'm sick and wanted to give back with the first chapter since i have some free time to write now <3 it gets better i promise, please comment and give me some love (or feedback), thank you :)

[showtoonzfan]

Okay so I saw S1E2 of HH “Video killed the radio Star” so here’s my thoughts on that, ⚠️SPOILERS⚠️

- So once again, the pacing is all over the place. In the span of 2 episodes we have to deal with introducing Adam and Lute, the main characters of the hotel, the three V’s and Sir Pen, and I don’t like how the three V’s are introduced in the second episode of season 1. Like…can we just let the characters we know breathe and get to know them before you introduce new ones?? Told you this was going to be like Helluva lol.

- So hell is freaking out that the extermination got moved to 6 months later, but Charlie of course isn’t the focus of this episode. It’s mainly the three V’s + Angel/Al/Sir Pen. It still bothers me that the reason behind redeeming sinners is not because Charlie is sick of Hell being a damnation but because she doesn’t want them to be exterminated. It’s such a drastic change from the pilot and the character motivation that it still throws me off sorry.

- So, I actually like Vox. I take back bitching about Christian Borle playing him because while his suave voice may not fit the twink design, he does a fantastic job either way as expected, making Vox an intimidating person. I had thought before that Vox was going to just be this dumb henchman, but I actually like how he’s the runner of things. He’d be so cool if he didn’t curse and talk like every other character in the show though.

- Good GOD Valentino. I already shared how I felt about him when the dialogue leaks came out, but I HATE how his character is just this idiot man baby who throws temper tantrums and legit needs to be “calmed down” by Vox because he’s such an idiot. Like…Velvette calls him a piss baby and Vox legit had to talk to him as if he was one, that’s how dumb this guy is. There’s a scene where Vox asks what they should do about the hotel and Val says “just put something inside, that’s how I get the bitches”- like…kill me. The fan interpretations were better. He was actually someone you didn’t want to mess with and had an intimidating voice, here he’s a whiny baby that you have to remind yourself is the same guy who forces himself on Angel. The Addict and comic version of this character is not the same as the one we have now. His voice is too high pitch, it sucks and his accent goes on and off constantly. Viv can’t write abusers for shit, she sees everything as a joke. Again, how are we supposed to take abuse seriously if this is how you portray your abuser. Crimson is more intimidating than this joke of a cockroach.

- Alastor has been gone for seven years, yeah that “Lilith is Rosie and Al is working for her”- allegation is 100% true like it perfectly lines up together since Lilith has also been gone for seven years. Only for Alastor, it makes no sense. Like…wdym he’s been gone for seven years. The pilot is canon and they state he’s been at the hotel for a week. Alastor was literally walking around town when Charlie was on the news. Do they mean that it’s been years since he’s done his radio show? Viv, when you retcon shit you need to specify. You’re just confusing everyone again.

- They need to explain why exactly it’s dangerous to make a deal with Alastor because all this vagueness isn’t helping the story. The whole reason Vox sends Sir Pen out to be a spy was to make sure Charlie didn’t make a deal with him, yet you literally have Vaggie making a deal with him like it was nothing in the last episode. I also fail to see why exactly Vox cares about Charlie making a deal with Alastor in the first place. Is it because he doesn’t want Al to have more power? Is it because he doesn’t want Charlie to have power? EXPLAIN.

- Yay more retconning and woobifying. So Angel Dust is a whiny wimpy bitch in this episode, he’s very out of character. When Sir Pen comes to the hotel, he’s extra pressed about that, when in the pilot he couldn’t even take Sir Pen seriously and was acting nonchalant towards him. Then when Charlie starts getting all giddy and complimenting Pen, Angel gets sad and jealous??? This is the second fucking episode of season 1. I thought the whole point about Angel and the hotel was that he didn’t trust Charlie nor take the redemption stuff seriously. Now apparently he wants her approval? And then when he finds Pen out, Pen insults him and that causes Angel to just fucking lunge at him and start punching. When did Angel get this goddamn sensitive. Why did the wimpy snake character who’s supposed to be a loser get under his skin THAT much? It’s even more jarring because the last episode Angel was literally saying he loves being exploited and in the pilot he’s presented as someone who could give less of a shit of what other people think, now a simple jab at him being a slut made him go off. Remember when Travis called him a slut in the pilot and Angel just laughed it off? What happened to that Angel lol.

- Vaggie has a line that flat out calls Angel a sexual harasser. And yet we’re supposed to feel bad for him and root for HuskerDust. Makes perfect sense Viv, fuck you. She has no idea what sexual harassment even is because she sees actual harassment as quirky funny jokes and paints it as genuine love. Pick a side. Is Angel an asshole who sexually harasses people or is he an uwu baby who deserves to be with Husk. Clearly Viv chose the second option.

- I liked Vox and Al’s song, tho I wish it was more singing instead of talking. Charlie’s song in the end was boring but at least it was short. I still don’t know how to feel about Pen being at the hotel tho. Like I get he’s a loser and not a big threat but him happily joining the hotel now is way too structurally fast. There’s a lot of things that feel like Viv changed at the last minute compared to the pilot and it shows. Pilot was better.

That’s it, not looking forward to the third one which is HuskerDust focused (female centric show my ass)

[myths-tournaments]

Awful Characters Round 2 Part 1 (2/8)

Propaganda under the cut!

IANTHE TRIDENTARIUS

Her number one hobby is ruining every person's that she knows life. Her second hobby is being soooo slutty about it despite looking like a literal wet rat. Her third hobby is having an extremely unhealthy relationship with her twin. Her other hobbies include cannibalism, wearing a maid outfit, being extremely convinced she is the main character, the badboy sexy love interest and the villain. 'Why', you may ask. Well, the answer is, for shits and giggles #justgirlythings i, aswell as literally everybody else in the fandom have gone through the pipeline from hating her to desperately wanting to fuck her. expect for i still fucking hope she dies and doesn't come back for good. (that would literally solve all of everybody's problems) as god intended (EXPECT FOR. one of her hobbies literally is gaslighting god) She is fucking horrible i will love her until i die and even after that

parks and recs jean ralphio voice she's the woooorst!! The moment she learns she has to kill someone to become a Lyctor (aka a more special necromancer), she doesn't hesitate to kill and cannibalize the guy who has been her cavalier since childhood… cavalier who she also totally bullied as kids, she was allowed to choose one guest for her and her twin sister's birthday party each year, and she would always pick whoever she thought her cavalier didn't want to see there! While other characters are shown to regret the process of becoming a Lyctor (which involves someone close to them dying)/were forced into it because of circumstances, Ianthe has absolutely no regrets, she believes she did what she had to do

The author once said of Ianthe: "I don't think she's been nice to anyone, if she has I'll go back and change it." She killed and ate the soul of someone she has known all her life so that she could become a necromantic saint and tormented him plenty before that. General negging, ganging up against him, always inviting people he didn't like to their birthday parties. She doesn't regret killing him. I think she is repulsed by the idea that his digested soul is affecting hers. She helped her crush lobotomise herself so she would be in Ianthe's debt, and later lied and said she didn't see the corpse of a woman her crush killed under her bed (why did she do that? I do not know). She has a bone arm because her original arm was cut off, she hated the replacement so her crush cut THAT off and grew her a new one out of just bones. She had it gilded and only after that did she decide to help her crush deal with the person who had been repeatedly trying to kill her. She wants so badly to be the main character but people keep interrupting her villain monologues.

she has her own content warning tag

She's such a bitch to everyone all the time, she causes nothing but problems, she tries to do a villain speech but fumbles it because her tummy hurt, she is the awfulgirl of all time

THE SKULL

he is an evil ghost who used to be an assistant to a mad scientist gravedigger. accomplice to murder and torture and general evil scheming. now he lives in a jar and is besties with a teenage girl. and by besties i mean he encourages her to kill people and constantly cheers when her friends almost die. overall a silly little decapitated head <3

It is literally a skull in a jar. (More context if you don’t know the books/show: it’s a ghost source that’s been trapped in a silver container so it can’t escape. And it’s exceptionally powerful which means it can actually communicate with mc.) It frequently encourages the mc to commit various morally reprehensible acts such as homicide (she never does). When it was alive, it was a teenage boy who was apprenticed to an evil scientist.

[runabout-river]

I know people are coping hard for Part 2 but…

They are probably overthinking Kenjaku scene.

Takaba's ability is manifesting ideas he seems funny, so he manifesting his duo in his routine to be funny with him. That's not real evil Kenjaku, just a product of Takaba's CT, a comedic version of Kenjaku.

I bet it wasn't intended to be serious, it was supposed to be funny. Takaba scene is a part of typical "everyone gets a happy ending" montage.

Mei Mei/Simple Domian “plot” is over.

Zenin clan is gone, Gojo clan is irrelevant without Satoru, Kamo is chilling somewhere. What clan wars do people expect?

Tengen/Merger/Culling Games plot also get it’s rushed unsatisfying conclusion this chapter.

I also see a lot of people saying that next chapter might introduce new villain for Part 2 but again I don’t expect anything serious. I expect "last mission" to be another oppapi joke like "we need to save Yuta" and mostly light-hearted chapter about the main trio being happy together.

At course, I might be very wrong, but I honestly don’t see any set up for a sequel right now. Gege killed all potential plot lines. Was it satisfying end? No, but it reads like definitive end.

The only thing that was left if Gojo’s funeral but it seems that we won’t see it. I’m so happy that Gege wrote about Sugar Guy’s bullied classmate but couldn’t force himself to add a couple of panels where characters say something nice about Gojo who sacrificed their life for them /s

I agree on Kenjaku. The speech bubble over the guy's face with his hairdo still visible is a dead giveaway that's supposed to be taken comedically. Either that's a poor guy who is now forced to look like Kenjaku or its a strange CT construct Takaba made who could be a depowered Kenjaku clone. The real Kenjaku could've survived but not in Geto's body.

Okay, the happy ending montage.

There are so many happy endings, it feels like Gege changed JJK's genre all of a sudden. JJK was never this happy. Even Gojo's stint as a soul meeting his old buddies again at the airport which I already found too happy, was still steeped in his and everyone else's gruesome deaths.

Taking this at face value, it looks like Gege fumbled his ending. So right now it looks like he'll go the "the story continues peacefully but it still goes on" route. Did he have to break established canon for that though?

Like, why did the CG end all of a sudden? Sukuna's death or Tengen getting freed from him shouldn't just end them. That was never established anywhere. What was established was the hosts of the reincarnated sorcerers being lost. They can't be saved outside of Megumi and Hana but now Maki says they will save them one by one.

You could say, Gege sat down and wanted to end everything, even if it was rushed and cut off.

Or you could try reading this theory how the last 3 chapters were actually an induced dream sequences that Yuji is cooking up in his head right now while he's about to die.

All these super happy endings for everyone, the thematic of making sure that neither Megumi nor Yuji are to blame for what had happened, drawing inconsistencies, the lack of Gojo and Choso, and how no other conflict exists right now even though it should like the invasion and JJ soictey instability, all of that could be explained by Yuji thinking of everyone ending up happy while also pushing the dead and other conflicts away from his subconsciousness.

And I gneuinely, genuinely think Gege would pull something like that off. Making everyone, the audience and Yuji, think they had their happy ending when in reality Sukuna won (or the merger started or sth similar). That could be why chapter 268 was titled Finale and why this chapter is titled Dream's End.

As it stands right now, JJK will end okay-ish. This chapter itself could've been the last chapter except Gege wanted to make one last time skip.

But if Gege really went for the "memories that never existed" route, then JJK will end bombastic.

[slowcatsisland]

One Piece Thought; Oda’s Aversion to Killing Characters

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Oda wanting to keep a majority of characters alive for the end of One Piece so everyone can still smile n what not is actually a pretty good take, there’s just been some times where I personally found it so draining.

Luffy does have a kill count, even though in a majority of fights he gets in to he isn’t trying to kill his opponent, only destroy them which - there is a difference!! But it doesn’t erase the fact that some people he’s gone up against (Kaido) or bystanders that got caught up in the context of the fight have died.

Idk there’s just some instances where a couple people could have, would have, or SHOULD have died that just..didn’t.

A lot of times characters are introduced to drive the plot or to complete their storyline and once they do, they don’t need to stay alive. Jujutsu Kaisen’s Gege Akutami does a terrifyingly good hob at disposing his characters when they fulfill their storyline, sometimes even before. I’m not saying I want One Piece to be more like JJK, it’s just a difference between the two anime’s based off their creators. Yk ?

Although I am glad Oda wrote these storylines the way they did bc they add to the world of One Piece a lot by defying their mortal expectations and don’t sadden the reality of their world for the straw hat crew or the viewers.

I think my main issue with this is it often discredits whoever dealt them an attack imo. **

These are just my opinions abt who could have died, when, and by whom that wouldn’t have fully changed the story of One Piece, prolly just add to the severity and dread in the arc yk

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Spandam - Ennies Lobby by Robin **

- Spandam is literally such a revolting person and it was deserved for him to die when Robin snapped his spine. The fact he didn’t imo is an insult to Robin’s determination in that moment/annoying because he didn’t have a major purpose after Enies Lobby.

Apoo - Onigashima by Zoro **

- I understand Apoo not dying when Zoro slashed him in the beginning of the raid of Onigashima on the battle floor bc he ended up with that whole plot of him having the antidote to the zombie freezing disease but even then it was drawn out yk. in the anime there was a large emphasis put on Zoro here. It showed his seriousness, his lack tolerance to nuisances and threats to the crew/the alliance, and his ability to deal damaging attacks without going all out/his range of offensive capability. I feel like all of that was undermined by Apoo getting up and surviving the alliance, CP0, and the fire all the way to the end of Wano.

(Controversial) Kin’emon - Onigashima by Kaido (twice)

Kin’emon I love you but I totally thought you died when the captains met you guys at the rooftop and you were bleeding out on the ground. And again when Kaido cut you in two. Both of these moments would have been good moments for Kin’emon to die imo bc even if his story wasn’t finished (reconnecting with otsuru, guiding Mononoke when he becomes shogun) it showed his true character. He was a swordsman putting all his honor and pride and life and energy into defeating Kaido. These moments honored that side of him so even if it would’ve been sad it would have been a good time for him to die. Im glad he didn’t though.

Mad Monk Urogue - Sabaody Archipelago by Pacifista Kuma & Kizaru

- bro got his ass handed to him every fight he got into for his whole showing on screen in Sababody and the New World imo. He suffered some serious damage in Sabaody and it might’ve been a good showing of how dangerous the admirals and the World government are outside of the straw hats. Bc we know they packed up the straw hats to show them they weren’t ready and needed to get stronger but it would’ve been kinda cool to see another crew get almost the exact same treatment at the exact same time imo. I also don’t like him.

Hatchan - Sabaody Archipelago by St. Charlos

- when Charles shot him and Hatchan was apologizing I thought he was going to die. I was even watching it with my friend and when it panned to him getting patched up in Shakky’s bar my friend went ‘he didn’t die?’ Ya ik. Hatchan could have died in that scene and it would’ve been good. It would’ve been another showing of how cruel the celestial dragons are and it would’ve been the first fatal showing of this to people the strawhats care abt I think. Hatchan got his apology, he amended things with Nami, he ended up leading the strawhats to Rayleigh, and ultimately Cami got saved so it would’ve been a good moment imo. Kinda sad tho and def would’ve brought down the post slave auction house sababody vibes but the vibes weren’t good for that long thanks to kuma and kizaru.

Kanjuro - Onigashima by Okiku ** (twice)

- I thought the first fight scene between okiku and kanjuro was beautiful, and it was a good death to Kanjuro. But when he was alive again and made the fake oden I was just like why. It took away from Kiku’s achievement and devotion to the cause in that battle bc it’s her fault (and oda’s) that’s he’s still alive. Imo I would’ve liked it better as an audience member if the fake oden and the kazenbo that kanjuro becomes later in Onigashima was remnants of kanjuro’s devil fruit ability after he died. (Yk think Boa’s Df and how the stone stays stone even if she dies or the concept of post mortem men in hxh) that way those things could have still happened but Kiku wouldn’t have lost and integrity in the fight.

(Controversial prolly) Okiku - Onigashima by Kaido

- kiku losing her arm was scary, but she bounced back. However when Kaido took out her and Kin’emon together, I still wanted her to live. Until she said something! It was like “the dawn will come to show spring and the fallen snow will be gone” idk blah but it was so beautiful and a lovely line written by Oda bc I feel like it was a prophecy-type foreshadowing where Kiku had to be one of the retainers that died in the final battle in order for the dawn to come. Bc her nickname was th e fallen snow! It just worked so well but was ignored in favor of her living and I’m glad she did but ugh imo it would have been beautiful writing.

Pell - Alabasta by Robin (?)

- Pell’s Pell. He got folded by Robin and I feel like he could’ve died there. He did have a major role tho in the battle later so it’s good he came back but there was the other guardian deity aside from him (the dog one) so I feel like alabasta would’ve been okay w/o him.

Conis’ father Pagaya - Skypiea by Enel (?)

- No hate to this guy I only put him bc when he surprised everyone by not being dead everyone was like “ur supposed to be dead” which was funny lol. One of the first cases of people would could die not dying

Wiper - Skypiea by Enel (?)

- wiper served his purpose in Skypiea. He helped defeat Enel and gain back the land that was once his peoples so I feel like if he died a warrior death and succumbed to his injuries it would’ve been a good ending for his character.

Raki - Skypia by Enel **

- I’m only putting her bc she got blasted point blank by Enel and still survived. Like what? It’s moments like these where when the character doesn’t die it messes with the lethality of attacks and characters like now Enel doesn’t seem as fatal of a villain bc she survived one of his attacks. Matter of fact most people in the final battle of Skypiea survived even the native scouts.

Orochi - Onigashima *

- actually fuck this guy bro I hate him sm. At first when he died by King’s hand I thought that was it. Then he came back. And had all the heads that got chopped by Denjiro. Then he survived. And Hiyori waved the fan to kill him for good. At first I hated it bc he should’ve died in the beginning but then I was like no actually this is some pretty good stuff Oda’s making. But denjiro cutting him down should’ve been it, right? I thought that until Kiyori said that line “Kurozumi is charcoal (or wtv) bc it’s made to burn.” It was good bc he burned alive and it was a nod to Oden’s famous line ‘oden isn’t oden if it isn’t boiled/oden was made to boil.’ I just wish now that there was more fluidity thing in his multiple lives to his devil fruit. His serpent form has multiple heads so if Oda paired the heads with a life and made it explicitly shown like oh he died twice now he has like one life left I think it would’ve been a more satisfying and confirmed death for him yk. He isn’t worth all those deaths. Or lives.

Queen & King - Onigashima by Sanji & Zoro respectively **

I feel like when these two fell and Sanji and Zoro were both announced as the winner, the should’ve been the last time we saw them. Both strawhats did everything they could do to win and to see Queen & King hiding out in Wano during the feast before they were attacked by Ryokugyu was so annoying to me. HOWEVER, I do understand that it showed how much stronger the Beast Pirates were in comparison to the Strawhats and that the Strawhats shouldn’t have won and was also the display of Ryokugyu’s immense power and easily put into perspective how powerful he was.

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I do love Oda’s commitment to making OP seem like a bright thing as well as he can, it just stresses me sometimes

Mwah 😽

[charliewalkersgf]

All Too Well - Part 2

Ghostface was well and truly back. Sam and Tara didn’t even get to the police station straight away the previous night, they were nearly shot at the bodega. The group were now being as cautious as possible. Mindy’s version of ‘cautious’ was rounding off the suspects.

The group were now currently sat on the campus of Blackmore University, Mindy stood in front of everyone.

“Okay, nerds! Listen up! As terrifying as this all is, I’m actually glad I get a chance to redeem myself for not calling the killers last time... It’s fine. Okay. The way I see it, someone is out to make a sequel to the requel.”

Anika raises her hand.

“Um, what’s a requel?”

“You’re beautiful, sweetie. Let’s hold questions till the end.”

Anika smiled at her before Sam spoke up.

“Stab 1 took place in Woodsboro. Stab 2 took place in college.”

Tara looked towards Sam.

“So we think the killer is trying to copy the movies?”

Mindy pointed at Tara.

“That is one possibility. Heroes now in college: check. Suspicious new characters brought in to round out the suspect list and or body count: check, check and check.”

She pointed at Quinn, Anika and Ethan.

“I don’t like this.”

Ethan said before Molly gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“But it can’t just be about Stab 2.”

Mindy carried on.

“Why not?”

Tara’s eyebrows furrowed.

“It would make sense if this were just a sequel. But we’re not in a sequel, because nobody just makes sequels anymore… We’re in a franchise! And there are certain rules to a continuing franchise.

Sam, Anika and Molly sighed.

“I had a feeling.”

“Rule 1: everything is bigger than last time. Bigger budget, bigger cast, bigger body count. Longer chases, shootouts, beheadings. You gotta top what came before to keep people coming back.”

“Beheadings?”

Molly and Chad said in unison.

“Beheadings. Rule 2: whatever happened last time, expect the opposite. Franchises only survive by subverting expectations. If the killers last time were whiny snowflake film nerds with Letterboxd accounts instead of personalities, you bet the opposite will be true here.”

Nobody seemed to notice the face Ethan made when Mindy made a comment about Richie and Amber.

“And rule 3: no one is safe. Legacy characters? Cannon fodder at this point. Usually brought back only to be killed off in some cheap bid for nostalgia. It’s not looking too good for Gale and Kirby. Oh and that’s not even the worst part!”

Chad continues to write in his notebook.

“This is the part where she tells us the worst part.”

“The worst part is franchises are just continuing episodic instalments designed to boost an IP. Which means main characters are completely expendable now too. Laurie Strode, Nancy Thompson, Ellen Ripley, Sally Hardesty, Jigsaw, Tony Stark, James Bond - I mean even Luke Skywalker all died so their franchises could live on! That means it’s not just the friend group. Any of us could go at any time… especially Sam and Tara.”

Sam and Tara exchanged worried looks.

“Wait? Any of us?”

Everyone turned their heads to Ethan as he spoke.

“Yeah.”

“Am- am I in the friend group?”

“Yeah.”

“Am I like one of the targets?… At least I won’t die a virgin.”

The entire group gave him puzzled looks whereas Molly hit him on the arm.

“Babe, seriously?”

Mindy looked kinda grossed out.

“TMI, keep it in the bedroom. But it brings us to our current suspects.”

She stepped in front of Ethan.

“Ethan. The shy and dorky guy who no one suspects because he’s so shy and dorky.”

“Okay, why am I on the suspect list because I’m randomly Chad’s roommate?”

Ethan motions towards Chad defensively.

Mindy looks at him like he’s an idiot.

“Roommate lotteries can be juked, you could’ve fixed it to get next to us! And the fact that you just so happen to be interested in Molly?”

“Okay, what does Molly have to do with this?”

“Well, we all know how her last relationship turned out…”

Tara and Chad immediately jumped to her defence and everyone else seemed surprised at Mindy’s audacity.

“Mindy, seriously?”

Tara looked at her angrily.

Chad looked very irritated.

“Mindy, come on!”

Molly was staring daggers against her.

“Can you not bring up Amber?”

Mindy shrugged her shoulders.

“Whatever, I’m just saying… be careful…”

Molly furrowed her brows and felt a pit in her stomach.

Molly blocked out the rest of what Mindy said. What if she was right? What if Ethan was the killer? What if he betrays her just like Amber did? She tried to snap out of it and tell herself that he’d never do that but the voice at the back of her mind was telling her to never say never.

She was snapped out of her thoughts she. Sam spoke.

“Okay, so we have our rules and we have our suspects.”

“Wait, what about you guys?”

Ethan motioned with his hand to the 5 survivors.

“I mean, I think it’s pretty safe to rule out the 5 of us who went through this last year in Woodsboro.”

Chad smiled at Mindy.

“Agreed.”

Quinn shook her head.

“Not agreed. What if the trauma you all went through caused one or more of you to snap?”

Ethan agreed with Quinn.

“Yeah, or if the fame you got from the killings made you thirsty for more. I mean, let’s be honest here, some of the theories online about Sam are-“

Tara immediately cut him off.

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

Molly hit him in the arm again.

Anika tried to diffuse the situation.

“Okay, she’s right though. I mean face facts, if we’re all suspects - you’re all suspects.”

The 5 looked at each other worriedly.

Molly gets up from her seat.

“As much as I love discussing which of us I think is a murderer, I’m going home.”

Tara gets up from her seat.

“I’m coming too.”

Molly looked at Ethan.

“I’ll see you later.”

He nodded.

“See ya.”

The pair immediately walked off before anyone else even moved. Tara just knew something was wrong with Molly.

“You okay?”

Molly nodded her head.

“Mhm… just thinking about what Mindy said.”

“Just ignore her, alright?”

“No, Tara she’s got a point. It could easily be him.”

“But it also might not be him.”

“Let’s face it, he’s either the killer or he’s gonna get killed. That’s just how it works.”

Tara linked her arm in Molly’s.

“As long as we stick together as best we can, that should keep us all safe. And I’ll always be here for you.”

They looked at each other and smiled softly.

“Thanks, Tara. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

After a few seconds of silence, Molly spoke up again.

“Y’know, he really reminds me of Wes.”

Tara looked at her.

“Yeah?”

Molly nodded whilst holding back tears.

“Yeah. They have the same stupid smile.. and they’re really good at cheering you up. When I first met Ethan I just immediately felt like Wes had come back to me.”

Parts of Ethan made her think of Amber too - the way they’d both comfort her when she needed it, the way they’d let her vent about her dad, the fact they were both the first people she’d go to if anything happened, the way she thought of them as her entire world - but she couldn’t bring herself to talk about it.

Tara and Molly arrived back at their apartment and sat down on the couch together. Not long after, the sound of keys could be heard and Sam came in.

“Hey.. are you okay?”

The girls shrugged.

“I just really don’t want to go through this again.”

Tara put her arm around Molly.

Sam sat down on the couch with them.

“Hey, I promise I’ll do everything I can to protect you. To protect you all. Which reminds me, I’ve told everyone to stay over here tonight.”

“That’s a good idea - safety in numbers.”

“Exactly.”

Sam smiled at her.

“Everyone will be here in a little bit so it’ll just be us three until then. If you want, we could go to the store and buy some food so we can cook dinner later?”

Tara and Molly nodded.

“That sounds nice.”

Sam got up from the couch.

“Come on, we should go while it’s still daytime.”

A couple of hours go by. At this point, everyone is at the apartment… except Ethan. He told Chad and Molly that he had an econ class. What was so urgent about a college class with everything that was going on?

Molly didn’t like Ethan’s absence one bit - it was just making her more and more worried. Tara and Chad were the first to notice.

Molly went into the kitchen to get glasses for the dinner table. Tara and Chad were in the middle of cooking when she walked in and her entire demeanour was off. They exchanged a look before Tara put a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey. You okay?”

Molly nodded but her face remained emotionless.

“Yep, fine.”

Chad knew better of course.

“Dude, come on.We know when something is bothering you.”

“I said I’m fine, Chad.”

“We know there’s a lot going on and I know you’re probably worrying because Ethan isn’t here-”

“Chad. Look, I appreciate it but I’m fine, alright?”

Chad and Tara looked at each other again before looking at her again.

“We’re here if you want to talk, okay?”

Tara’s voice was full of genuine care and concern.

“Thanks…”

She left the kitchen and placed the glasses on the table.

Mindy and Molly entered the kitchen a couple of minutes later.

“Sam!”

Mindy called her into the kitchen.

“Yeah?”

“We do not have to stay here.”

“Well, too bad. I insist. Safety in numbers.”

Chad had a big smile on his face.

“This’ll be so fun. A little slumber party with the Alive Five!”

Sam furrowed her brows.

“Alive Five?”

“Yeah.”

“The fucking what?”

Molly looked at him with a very confused expression.

Tara looked at him in slight disbelief.

“Did you just give us a nickname?”

“I sure did. We’ve been through a lot together, and it’s a pretty cool nickname.”

Molly and Mindy just looked at him like he was stupid.

“That’s debatable.”

Sam looked down at the floor, holding in a laugh.

“It’s extremely debatable.”

“You can’t just give yourself a nickname, dingus.”

Mindy smiled mischievously.

“Of course I can, dingus, because I just did. Alive Five, up top!”

He lifted his arm, waiting for a high five.

Mindy shook her head.

“No.”

He turned to Tara.

“Down low!”

“Get that away from me.”

He then turned to Molly.

“Come on!”

“Fuck off.”

He finally turned to Sam.

“Please, for the love of God!”

Sam was smiling and it was clear she was tempted.

“Don’t do it!”

Mindy begged Sam not to go along with his bullshit.

Everyone was on the verge of laughing.

“Y’know, I would actually like a little more respect and support from my fellow members of the Alive Five.”

Their attention was then turned to Anika when she shouted them.

“Guys! What the hell?”

She turned up the volume on the TV and everyone went into the living room.

The news headline read ‘PRIME SUSPECT SAMANTHA CARPENTER’.

“We’re hearing from sources inside the homocide division that the prime suspect is none other than Samantha Carpenter, one of the survivors of the Woodsboro killings in 2022, seen here attacking a woman on the streets last night.”

It then showed a video of her ‘attacking’ the girl who approached them after the Halloween party.

“In the wake of the Woodsboro tragedy last year, rumours sprouted online that Carpenter was responsible for the killings, blaming the crimes on her boyfriend, Richie Kirsch and teen Amber Free-”

Sam grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. She walked into the dining room and sat at the table, looking downwards.

Tara cautiously followed her and sat down next to her.

“I know you’re not a fan of the way I’ve been handling things, and that I’ve been giving you a really hard time. But I can say that none of us can relate to what you’re experiencing. And I’m really, really sorry that you have to do that alone.”

The twins, Molly and Anika listened to what Tara was saying to her sister and they were all relieved that Tara was finally getting along with her compared to recently.

Sam shook her head whilst holding back tears.

“It’s not your fault. And I know I shouldn’t care what people think.”

She pauses for a second and wipes a tear of her face.

“It just sucks being this hated.”

The twins and Molly then walked in.

“Hey. Just a reminder, not a single person in this room hates you.”

Chad said as the three of them sat down.

“Okay? We have all been through some fucked-up stuff, and we are coping with it differently. But, I mean we moved here together for one very specific reason… We’re a team.”

Sam smiled at Chad’s words.

“We are the Alive fuckin’ Five.”

Mindy smiled as she said this.

Chad turned his head.

“Thank you very much.”

“I hate myself.”

The twins exchanged a high five and Molly quietly laughed.

“You said it.”

Tara was smiling a lot, as was Sam.

Chad looked so proud.

“That’s what I’m talking about. It’s the Alive Five.”

Mindy looked at Tara.

“Say it.”

“No, I’m not gonna say it.“

“Molly, come on you say it.”

She laughed and shook her head.

“Definitely not.”

Chad tried to convince her.

“Come on, it’s got a nice ring to it.”

Sam suddenly spoke.

“I’ve been sleeping with Cute Boy from across the hall.”

The group went silent before they erupted into cheers.

“I fucking knew it!”

Tara clapped her hands together.

Sam looked confused.

“Yes! Chad, give it, come on!”

Chad rolled his eyes whilst smiling and handed Molly $20.

“Knew it from the day you had that hickey.”

Mindy’s comment made the group laugh.

“I feel like we should high five or something.”

Chad held his hand towards and the group all joined hands.

“The Alive Five high five, may we please?”

Tara laughed.

“Don’t call it that but we’ll do the high five.”

Sam’s phone started ringing and Danny’s name was lit up on the screen.

Tara’s face lit up and she held the phone up.

“No, Tara.”

Sam was holding in a laugh.

“Hey, so what are your intentions?”

The group burst into laughter.

“Tara, give it here.”

Tara went to pass it to Molly, the pair of them laughing, before Sam took it back.

“It’s fine. I’ll call him back.”

“Poor guy.”

The sound of Quinn moaning could be heard. Not like it was an unfamiliar sound.

“Oh my god, Quinn and her gentlemen called are back at it again.”

The group looked towards Quinn’s bedroom door.

“She’s getting it too? Okay.”

The group were still laughing.

Quinn’s moaning got heavier and at the same time everyone’s phones went off.

They all got their phones out to take a look. Danny had air-dropped them all a picture. It was of Quinn. Getting attacked by Ghostface.

The sound of Quinn shouting for help was then heard.

The group sprung from their seats and ran to the living room. Anika sprung up from the couch to see what was going on.

Quinn then screamed. Tara ran towards Quinn’s room before Chad pulled her back.

“Tara, wait!”

Not a sound could be heard. The group waited for any kind of noise but there was still nothing.

“Run.”

Quinn’s door burst open and Quinn’s dead body was thrown at the group, landing on Anika and pushing her on the ground.

Anika screamed in terror.

Sam and Molly got on the ground to pull her off.

Chad pulled Tara with him as he ran out the apartment.

“Guys, come on!”

Ghostface stood there and tilted his head, looking at Mindy.

“Oh, fuck.”

He sliced her in the arm with his knife.

She threw herself back in pain, holding her arm.

“Mindy!”

Anika grabbed onto his cloak as he tried to move towards Mindy again.

“Stay the fuck back!”

Molly quickly stood up and tried to pull him backwards. He immediately grabbed her and threw her to the floor and she hit her head on the ground. She held her head in pain, trying to get herself up but by the time she was in a state where she could, Anika was at the other end of the room and Ghostface was dragging a knife through her stomach and she was screaming in agony.

She quickly stood up but before she could get to them Sam came in and hit him in the head with an empty knife block. He fell on the ground, giving the girls enough time to run into Quinn’s room and lock the door.

Ghostface then started pounding on the door before it all went quiet.

Sam looked behind them and saw the bathroom door was still open.

“Molly. Bathroom door, hurry!”

She got up and went into the bathroom but stopped in her tracks and screamed when she saw Quinn’s boyfriend dead in the shower.

“Fuck!”

She then looked up and saw Ghostface standing in the doorframe and screamed again. She tried to shut the door but he kept pushing it open. Sam ran in the bathroom to pull her out and back into Quinn’s room.

They locked the door but he just kept pounding and pounding on it. He was strong so the lock kept unlocking. They pushed a dresser in front of it but it then got pushed backwards due to a hard kick to the door.

Sam and Molly stood with their backs against it to keep him out. Sam then saw Danny out the window, trying to get their attention. She ran to the window and opened it.

“Don’t worry, I got you!”

He pushed a ladder out his window.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“You got a better idea?”

“Fuck. No.”

She reached her hand out and pulled the ladder so it reached them.

“You gotta come one a time!”

Sam turned to the girls.

“You three go first!”

“No!”

Molly and Mindy were pressed against the dresser but they were still struggling.

“Guys!”

“Someone needs to hold the door, we’ll send Anika next. Go!”

Sam looked hesitant.

“Go!”

The girls said in unison.

Sam got onto the ladder and started crawling towards Danny’s window.

Mindy and Molly were still trying to keep the dresser against the door.

“Sam, she’s losing a lot of blood!”

“Say something more positive!”

Sam managed to get across and then the sound of Danny and Sam could be heard.

“Come on!”

Mindy looked towards Molly.

“Molly, go!”

“No!”

“Molly-”

“You’re injured, I’m not. I can hold the door. Get Anika on the ladder, then both of you go.”

She hesitated and then moved towards Anika and helped her off the bed.

“You have to go first-”

“I can’t!”

“You have to go!”

“No, Mindy no! I’ll be right behind you, I promise!”

They kissed before Mindy reluctantly got onto the ladder.

As Mindy struggled to make her away across, Ghostface kept pounding on the door. Molly and Anika kept yelling for her to go.

Mindy made her way to Danny’s apartment.

“Guys, come on!”

“Anika, go.”

“What?! No, I’m not leaving you!”

“Anika, go! I’ll be fine, I promise!”

The others continued to shout.

“Guys, come on! Hurry!”

Ghostface pounded on the door even harder.

Molly tried not to cry.

“Ani, please!”

Anika looked at her tearfully before getting on the ladder.

“Oh my god… I can’t! I can’t do it!”

Ghostface is slowly getting the door more and more open.

“Anika, go! Quick!”

Molly is struggling more and more to keep the door shut.

He bangs on the door which prys it open, pushing Molly forward roughly. She tries to push it back again.

“Fuck…”

She looked to see how far Anika had gotten, which sadly wasn’t very far due to her gutted stomach.

Ghostface manages to bang on the door enough so the cabinet is knocked forward causing Molly to fall to the floor.

“No!”

Ghostface approaches Molly and she tries to keep them away. Ghostface grabs her by the neck, lifts her up and shoves her onto Quinn’s bed.

Everyone is terrified for Molly and Anika’s safety.

“No! Molly!”

“Anika, move!”

Molly tries to block him so he’d be at least injured to give Anika more time.

Ghostface slashed her hand and she screams in pain.

Molly’s scream only slows Anika down.

He lifts Molly off the bed and slams her head into the cabinet, knocking her out and leaving her for dead.

By the time she woke up, she was in an ambulance. She tried to lift her head up but winced in pain. She noticed the bandage wrapped around her hand. The group immediately got to her side.

“Molly! Hey, you okay?”

She could hear Chad’s voice but her ears were ringing.

She looked around to make sure everyone was there and okay. She saw Danny, Sam, Tara, Chad, Mindy… her heart almost stopped when she didn’t see Anika.

“Where’s Anika?”

Mindy was distraught.

“She’s dead, isn’t she?”

The group all nodded.

“Oh my god…”

She put a hand on her stomach.

“Oh my god, Anika…”

She looked at Mindy.

“Mindy, I’m so, so sorry.”

She got up from the stretcher and sat down next to her. She put her head on Mindy’s shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, Mindy. I tried to help her but I just let her fucking die.”

She broke down crying as she said this.

“Hey. Hey, it’s not your fault, okay?”

She wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

Chad and Tara sat down with them.

“She’s right, Molly. Don’t blame yourself.”

Chad put his hand on her arm.

Tara grabbed her hand.

“You put yourself at risk just to protect her, you did the best you could, alright?”

“I didn’t do the best I could because she’s fucking dead.”

Tara was taken aback when she snapped.

“Sorry, I’m sorry Tara.”

She shook her head.

“Don’t be.”

Sam put a hand on her shoulder.

“I’ve got you some water.”

She handed her a water bottle.

Molly sniffled.

“Thank you.”

The group ended up spending the night at Danny’s apartment whilst the police inspected their apartment, not that any of them could really sleep properly anyway.

The only thing Molly could think about was where the fuck Ethan was.

[euphorial-docx]

my official teen wolf seasons ranking because i just finished the whole show and need to talk about it:

#1: season 3b (duh)

this is unanimous in the fandom, and i think it’s 90% to do with dylan o’brien getting the opportunity to be a great actor. everyone say “thank you dylan o’brien.”

also the only time teen wolf (the show) committed, grew some balls, and killed a main character off. good for them (until the movie, but let’s not talk about that yet!)

i have a lot of issues with it, as i do with every season— mostly having to do with the pacing and the poor foundation the villain of the season was set up on. teen wolf just kept throwing new bad guys and lore at us and expected the audience to not be confused as hell???

anyways…

#2: season 5a

i actually really liked the dread doctors! i think the first half of season 5 is stronger than the second half because the dread doctors are the main villains. the doctors have arguably the best character designs in the whole show. they looked cool and the way they moved was cool.

this season also gave us theo, which i love the idea of and somewhat liked the way they used him. could’ve done more with him as an antagonist, and also should have utilized scott and liam’s pack dynamics more.

#3: season 1

nostalgia, mostly.

no other notes.

#4: season 2

also here for nostalgia, but at least the plot of mostly coherent? that reason alone, and the addition of isaac lahey and cora hale <3, is why it’s placed above the others below.

but matt was a terrible character and his motivations were stupid. never should have existed. at least he died.

#5: season 6a

the cinematography was a big step up from every other season. making this season half easier on the eyes made the plot more palatable for me.

the wild hunt plot was… fine? i guess? was crammed in very clumsily, but all villains kind of are in teen wolf. the insane lore drops were especially diabolical this season though.

#6: season 3a

i liked that the villain of this half (the alpha pack) was set up prior to their appearance, making them one of the few villains that made sense… but even being coherent couldn’t save it from feeling rushed.

the alpha pack plot should have been its own season, not crammed into the first half to make room for a whole new plot in the second half. teen wolf just never knew when to let up on the gas pedal.

i liked the mystery sub-plot of the ritualistic murders, but its conclusion fell flat for me. didn’t care for jennifer’s storyline at all.

honestly? this half season and 6a were really close for me, but 6a’s cinematography just barely won it that #5 spot. kali’s feet claws didn’t help either.

#7: season 5b

the weak link of season 5. the dread doctors were more interesting without the beast of gevaudan and all that bullshit with eichen house.

the beasts’ design was ugly and is most of the reason why i don’t like it, but also because??? huh??? the dread doctors should’ve had a different reason for making the chimeras because that was dumb as hell. mason being the beast was also a horrible plot twist. didn’t vibe.

the saving grace was the chimeras. they were interesting. i liked their dynamic, and i generally enjoyed theo’s arc that season as a villain but felt they could’ve done more with him and his motivations.

LOVED to see pack drama. we needed more pack stuff in this show. watching the pack start to drift apart and break was really interesting to watch, but it would’ve been even better if the pack dynamics and relationships were more fleshed out prior to this. i would’ve felt their divide more if i was given more of them actually united.

felt more betrayed by 5b because 5a was as good as it was. the ending did not stick the landing for me.

#8: season 4a

why are we in mexico all of a sudden? how exactly did derek age regress? why is kate alive? and why is she a were-jaguar? why is the hale family vault hinder the high school— and yes i get that it was build before the school was made, but that doesn’t explain the secret passageways in the school—? how did peter’s coma genocidal thoughts reach meredith? why are we not addressing that kate is a pedophile?

most egregiously to me: they completely fumbled the idea of scott having a beta. liam being bitten on accident robbed scott of any agency as a character. furthermore, them neglecting the alpha and beta bond between scott and liam was really disappointing. scott should have been more of brother, maybe even parental, figure towards liam because of the alpha-beta dynamics at play.

i hated this season. it’s a miracle i even finished it at all. i wanted to repeatedly bash my head against a wall until i ended up in a coma where i telepathically influenced a mentally ill banshee teenager into making a hit list of the teen wolf writers room.

#9: season 6b

anticlimactic. incoherent. convoluted. impatient. unsatisfying. disappointing.

the anuk-ite was an unnecessary addition. this season should’ve been solely about the hunters and monroe.

i was initially excited for a human villain to be introduced, to see the wolf pack have to deal with more mundane horrors and play into the plethora of allegorical opportunities of lycanthropy… the 6b failed to deliver anything at all.

monroe’s motivation was idiotic and weak. gerard is a lazy bad guy to shoehorn in. the fight scenes, which should’ve been the highlight, were poorly choreographed. the makeup work was uninspired. the music was bad enough to break any immersion i might have had.

i was watching this half and got to the final episode and had to double check that it was, in fact, the series finale because it didn’t feel final. i didn’t feel that anything was being built up to. i felt like i got lost in the woods or something.

also the cinematography was weaker than the first half for some reason??? how did they manage that?

#10: season 4b

without the deadpool, season 4b was a miserable, frustrating, and boring experience. i have a headache just thinking about it.

[youngpettyqueen]

DS9!!

two people sent me this but Sarah you got it first!

The first character I first fell in love with: Juliannnnn <3 he had an unfair advantage, showing up in TNG and having very good interactions with Data, I knew IMMEDIATELY upon seeing him that if I ever started DS9 he would be exactly my type. I am nothing if not incredibly predictable

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: I'd have to say Odo! I knew I'd like him from the moment I met him, but he honestly compels me so much more than I thought he would. when they established in the first few episodes that he's the 'only one of his kind' type of character, I expected him to be similar to Spock and Data, so his intensity caught me off guard. and honestly, I love it. and, again, he's just so goddamn compelling. searching for his species, a sense of belonging, his history with Kira and with the Cardassians... I eat it up

also its just. very funny that a guy who looks so deliberately bland speaks like he's constantly on the verge of snapping and killing everyone around him

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: I honestly cant think of a character I dont really enjoy! I also dont know if ive met the entire cast, im just starting the third season literally as I type this, so for all I know new characters could come in that I won't care about. the only addition to the cast in the future that I know of is Worf and I know I love him <3

The character I love that everyone else hates: I dont really interact with any fan content of DS9, and ive never been into the tags, so ive seen very little of what people think about the main cast. I dont know if there's anybody who's generally hated, so hard to answer

in terms of characters who ive never seen any fan content for but who I love, that would be Jake! no idea what fandom opinion of him is, but fandoms tend to not enjoy child characters/pass over them, so I'll say him. I love him a lot, he compels me, him and Sisko are so sweet I love their bond. Jake's determination to be friends with Nog is also very sweet

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: so far I still love everyone!

The character I would totally smooch: Kira Nerys I am free Saturday night if you are also free I would love to take you to a romantic dinner on Saturday night when I am free

The character I’d want to be like: so far I'd say Julian. his commitment to his patients is admirable, I really loved The Wire for showing the lengths he's willing to go to to help somebody. I would also love to be that charming and slutty tbh

The character I’d slap: I say this with so much affection: Quark

A pairing that I love: Kira/myself Miles/Keiko they're so cute and in love and I love that the show takes time to show that!! theyre married and they have a daughter and they take vacations together and make out and flirt and have a sex life they feel so REAL. I love them sm

A pairing that I despise: I dont think I have one I despise tbh. like, of course any ship involving any adult with any of the kids, but besides that the potential pairings I can see are mostly fine!

[autodach64]

Detective L

Crossposted from my Dreamwidth:

Finished Detective L tonight! Very fun❤

• Luo Fei is very pretty and the show milks this by putting him in various outfits and situations - it knows exactly what itch it wants to scratch, haha. Bai Yu voices himself which is always nice. • Laid it on a little thick with the plagiarism. Come on guys you didn’t have to lift the main theme from BBC Sherlock. • Qin Xiaoman is a typical young protagonist: Fresh off the academy, enthusiastic but naïve, she struggles to adapt to the realities of the world and of police work. Luo Fei is her foil: Experienced and resourceful, he knows how to navigate his environment. He has a playful side to him, while Qin Xiaoman is more serious. Both of them are kind and hardworking people. They work well as protagonists and I enjoyed their dynamic ❤

Haphazard (spoilery) notes per case under the cut:

• Case 1: Cheongsam Lady gets murdered (or does she?) I like the case. I expected Luo Fei to solve the first case flawlessly as an introduction but he actually doesn’t get his way immediately. And it turns out to be no murder at all! Very fun. One caveat: I don’t like the mean-spirited way a lawyer’s work is portrayed, a very common problem of the genre. A lawyer telling his clients about their rights is sinister and malicious, while police trampling all over these rights is good and necessary. Urks.

• Case 2: Accountant Lady gets murdered OMG it took me forever to figure out Ben Jie Ming is called Benjamin XD. I like him though. Luo Fei and Qin Xiaoman go undercover as a couple! Delightful. I love that it fails immediately lol. The conclusions here are a bit... unsatisfying? They had no proof against this Chen guy, I don’t like the assumption that a man in a wheelchair can’t possibly ever walk, and there is no answer to the threat letters at all.

• Case 3: Evil Music This is where I started shipping the main characters ❤ Nice actions scenes, and I liked the deductions too. I did not expect the final twist at all! Although some aspects seemed… oddly familiar… *cough*BBC Sherlock*cough*

• Case 4: The tailor’s wife I could see the solution coming, but I was surprised the murderer managed to kill everyone she had a grudge against - I expected one potential victim to be saved. That first victim was really dumb. Why did she tell her about how they tried to kill her and steal her money? Keep your mouth shut and you get to live.

• Case 5: Arson Predictable, but still fun to watch it play out, and they had the balls to make an established character the murderer. Loved Qin Xiaoman and Luo Fei’s little pyjama party, and the 4th wall breaking in the extra. Super cute ❤

• Case 6: Return of the laughter killer I called this one too! I knew it would be her immediately. But overall the conclusion was lackluster – none of them has a proper motive. Killing random students because your girlfriend’s dad was a clown??? (Did I miss something?) This case is where I started shipping Luo Fei/Xiaoman/Benjamin OT3❤

• Case 7: Agatha Christie Murder Mystery They all look so prettyyy! ❤❤❤ I did not see the brother switcheroo coming! The motive was again a little wonky.

• Case 8: I don’t even know? What is this case??? What’s going on? Who are these people? Why should I care? And wtf is this ending??? The show does a terrible job of introducing the new characters and the story - I could not get invested at all. Why not instead make use of the characters that we spent 20 episodes establishing for the big finale? Even Dr. Huo could not save this mess of an ending – or rather, lack thereof. I dislike this on principle. We ended this one on a low note folks ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Overall I liked this drama. I feel like it knows what it wants to be and succeeds at that beautifully – if only they had kept it up for the those last few episodes!

[songwolfwildblogs]

ok fuckers.

Info dumping about my aus time

Let's start simple.

A forgotten tale/scrappedtale:

An au I throw all my abandoned ideas in a sort of like an omega timeline but for scrapped ideas expect they aren't fucking safe from error because it's a normal au expect it's just a bunch of scrapped shit. The main guy of this au is the first fucker who appeared in the au named Scrap, who is a chill guy with ADHD and autism because his original au was called "Whatever the fuck is wrong with me tale" he is the proud father of two bitties named sunny and paint, they are very silly, Scrap is also a musician

Undermmo:

Chara, Asriel, papyrus, undyne, and alphys, well technically not them but I'll call them that, (note they're all human) after some crowdfunding make an mmo, all the characters in the mmo are based on either the staff behind on the mmo or people the staff know (like toriel in the mmo is based on asriel and chara's mom) but 2 characters are unique... sorta, gaster and sans are papyrus' characters family which papyrus is using as a way to cope because trauma, as the mmo continues to update gaster and sans being to become more and more aware... gaster is the first one to Crack and gain sentience (well some form of sentience since sentience in it of itself is poorly defined but anyway) but manages to stay on task and continue to play his role meanwhile sans is going slightly insane, then the 7 fallen update drops, bringing in 7 new characters making Chara's character no longer the only human, 6 of the seven are completely original to the mmo while frisk is based on chara and asriel's adoptive sibling, frisk almost immediately gains sentience thanks to the player (not the in universe player, the YOU sort of player) and they basically get to decide whether or not they want to follow along with the script of their life or find a new path for the story

Chara and the rest of the irl crew have their own plot line but it's mostly them being goofy and overworking themselves because their publisher is giving them strict deadlines. Also at one point irl toriel plays the game and says she really likes the sans character which causes a weird running joke in the office about sans fucking your mom.

Underspore:

Sansby au where snowdin is overrun by a fungal parasite and grillby's becomes a safe haven because the fungi is weak to fire, snowdin is put into quarantine separating sans and papyrus becomes papyrus was staying with undyne for "training camp" before the outbreak happened, sans get infected of course and the au is basically grillby helping sans fighting off the infection while knowing that ultimately sans is going to die. Sans dies in grillby's arms, blind and unable to move

Anyway Sans aka spore is really silly and strange while infected and I love him but he keeps fucking dying

Understage: pretty simple an au where fights are actually stage performances, almost everything is solved via improvised plays, you can choose to play along or actually fucking kill people which is really easy in the beginning but after awhile people stop performing with you and you have to chase them down and kill them as they struggle to fight you, anyway everyone has on stage personas expect sans who is one of the stagehands, toriel is retired, papyrus's fight is silly, undyne's fight is pirate themed, mettaton's fight is a musical (don’t ask how he manages to improvise an entire musical, he's gay) asgore is the only non genocide fight that is an actual fight but it still happens on a stage. Sans just beats you too death back stage because he's tired of your shit

Those are my core 4 non-multiverse aus. I would go into extreme detail about everything about these aus but I don't think you want to read all of that

Next time we cover my multiverse aus

[denimbex1986]

'When you search for the Batman on Prime Video, its extensive library will spew out a plethora of titles for you to select from. However, despite the overabundance of the DC Comics superhero in films, including some memorable outings (Joaquin Phoenix’s the Joker, Robert Pattinson’s the Batman), Christopher Nolan’s telling of the caped crusader remains the most deeply etched into the public memory.

It’s fascinating how Nolan has chosen to release his much-hyped new offering Oppenheimer three days after The Dark Knight turned 15. Is it a coincidence? Or was this the plan all along? Would it be a stretch to think that the two films may have some mind-bending, discernible-to-no-one-but-devoted-Nolan-fans commonalities? The suspense will end on July 21.

Julius Robert Oppenheimer, on whom the film is based, was an American theoretical physicist, best remembered as the father of the atomic bomb, the main man behind the blasts that blew up the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 ending World War II and killing over 2,10,000 people. Taking cognisance of the horrific havoc his nuclear weapons wreaked, Oppenheimer famously said, “I have become death, destroyer of worlds.”

His work and its harrowing after-effects haunted him to the point that he swore off creating any more bombs for the American government and vehemently opposed its attempts at making the hydrogen bomb, so much so that he was written off as a communist and his security licence was withdrawn. Not just that, he dared to visit Japan in 1960 and publicly condemned his actions. Notably, Oppenheimer never resumed government service. In fact, he became a staunch advocate of using ethics in science. His incredible story strongly echoes the all-too-famous dialogue from The Dark Knight: “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

His life's journey, contribution to atomic science, and leanings have been so tumultuous that it is difficult to slot Oppenheimer with either the Batman or the Joker. He was an agent of chaos like the Joker. But he was also an outcast capable of making the choice no one else could, much like Batman. He was both of them. He was neither. Nolan, too, is keenly aware of this perplexing uncertainty that underlines his newest protagonist. Talking about it, he said, “I think of any character I’ve dealt with, Oppenheimer is by far the most ambiguous and paradoxical. Which, given that I’ve made three Batman films, is saying a lot.”

As we celebrate 15 years of The Dark Knight, what to expect of Oppenheimer? Memorable characters, of course. Barring Bruce Wayne and the Joker, even though everyone else—Harvey Dent, Alfred, Rachel, Jim Gordon, and Lucius Fox—had limited screen time, each had a sizeable impact and iconic cinematic moments.

Next, stunning storytelling and didactic dialogue. You may not remember Dent or Gordon’s exact job title, but there is no forgetting “Whatever doesn’t kill you, simply makes you stranger” or “Do I really look like a guy with a plan?” or “Madness is like gravity. All it takes is a little push” or “Sometimes, truth isn’t good enough. Sometimes, people deserve more. Sometimes, people deserve to have their faith rewarded.”

Some feisty female characters too. Although The Dark Knight only had Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Oppenheimer is already crowded with too many important men (Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon), I am looking forward to what the film does with Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh. I hope this Friday’s two big Hollywood releases don’t turn out to be as gender exclusive as the aggressive Barbenhiemer promotions have had us believe.

Finally, the defining expectation? To have our faith rewarded. It isn’t easy to make a hopeful film about a man as complicated as Oppenheimer. But then, Nolan is no ordinary filmmaker. Remember the sequence towards the end of The Dark Knight when Joker makes two ships—one full of criminals, the other civilians—pit against each other, forcing each to blow up the other first? However, notwithstanding their worst fears, no one does. I hope I leave the theatre with renewed hope in humanity this Friday, the way I did on a similar Friday 15 years ago.'

[the-cat-chat]

April 15, 2023

It Chapter Two (2019)

Twenty-seven years after their first encounter with the terrifying Pennywise, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back.

JayBell: Since we decided to do Stephen King month, we thought we might as well finally watch the sequel to It (which we watched the previous Halloween). When this movie came out, I remember people being disappointed by it, so I went into it with my expectations pretty low.

With that said--yikes. I’ve never read the book, so I don’t know how much they stuck to the book or not. Either way, the plot was just bad. Half of the movie is the group of kids (now adults) revisiting the past and trying to “remember” the events of the first movie. It was as if they had a bunch of unused scenes from the first movie and thought, “well let’s just stick these scenes in the sequel and call it a day.” It was boring. And honestly I’m not sure what these scenes really added to their characters, with the exception of Richie’s character (Finn Wolfhard/Bill Hader).

And don’t get me started on the stupid ritual stuff. [redacted]. The movie also gives us this quasi-origin for Pennywise with his daughter and the picture on the wall. But it’s vague and then never brought up again. Beverly doesn’t even mention it to the rest of the group. Like “hey guys you’ll never believe who I saw in a picture at some old lady’s house!” Nope. It doesn’t mean anything and the info has no bearing on events.

And the love triangle again, my god. Spare me. The movie doesn’t even provide any new development to the relationship between Beverly and Ben. No. It’s just about this stupid poem he wrote to her when he was a kid. Ugh.

The only good thing about this movie was that the adult actors had much better banter between them, especially compared to the kids in the first movie. And Bill Hader did provide some humor. He was definitely the best part of the movie.

Oh I haven’t even talked about the ending. [redacted]...so it’s completely stupid. Like we kill the clown by hurting his feelings and making him feel insecure? Ughhhhhh. And the overly sentimental send off for the kids come on.

Rating: 2.5/10 cats 🐈

Anzie: This movie feels like it broke me. I know I say that a lot, but I really mean it this time. I have so much to say, yet nothing at all. Let’s start with the positives. I wanted to see the sequel in all honesty bc Bill Hader was the grown up version of Richie. And I love him and think he’s soooo funny. I’m sad to report that’s not enough. (Remember THIS is the positive). That’s it that’s the positive. Oh and the ending the ending is realllllly great. Like the actual ending. She. The torture is over.

Nooow. I felt confused the whole time. Not like I didn’t know what was going on - I just didn’t know whyyy. That’s the whole 3 hours I will never get back. Asking why?? Why would you do it?? Gross fortune cookie baby fly spider things? The weird leper with the tongue? I get, I really do but still. I hate it. Mind you I totally forgot everyone else hated- but the hate is justified for obvious reasons. The majority of the movie is trying to figure the which kids match to the grown up version- then whyyyy they can remember anything- yet Stan did?? Right?? Does that make anyyyy sense???? How did he if the others didn’t? Was he still in Derry??? Whatever. And then they ALL split up??? They do know this crazy clown wants to kill them AGAIN?? And I stilllllll have no clue why they have the story of Pennywise being an immigrant that then joined the circus??? Since it’s something entirely different that I can’t figure out - bc whatever IT is takes form of a very specific thing- and whatever IT was to an ancient civilization IT is a clown when it comes to Derry, Maine. Makes sense clowns are terrifying. But heyyy even worse is his giant spider legs. Oh and when he shrivels into a gross little baby clown when they shoot him down and tell him he’s nothing. Like honestly- between allll of them seeeeeing their worst fears and memories- they couldn’t have pieces it together quicker. And did we really need anymore of the dumb romance stuff agggaaain.

Honorable mention to the freakish naked granny and Stan being turned into a weird head on spider legs. Really didn’t need that in my life. Thanks.

Rating: 0.1/10 Cats 🐈 (that’s me being generous)

[halfricanloveyou]

marvel movies are always: here’s a white dude superhero that’s literally just a male power fantasy. he’s super strong and he’s wearing a very boring spandex suit to show off his muscles. it’s all cgi btw. he has a best friend who is funny but also not as hot or strong as he is and said friend is always telling him how cool and strong and amazing he is. because he’s already perfect he will have no character development but he is allowed to get stronger.

okay now here’s his love interest. get this: she’s hot and under 120 lbs and she’s white or light skinned and has long straight hair and she wears make up (but not TOO much make up) and dresses but TRUST US, she’s not like the other girls. her main character trait is that she is easy to kidnap and needs to be rescued a lot. she will not have any back story or character development because she is hot and pretty so she doesn’t need it. all of her scenes will be cgi btw. she won’t be in any fight scenes but we’re gonna cgi everything anyways.

last but not least here’s the bad guy. something traumatic happened to his wife or daughter or whatever and that made him evil somehow. we’ll introduce some random side character to explain that. it’s gonna be a 3 sentence scene and then the bad guy will kill him because he is bad. he wants to kill everyone because he’s soooo evil and he kidnaps the love interest and scares her a lot but ultimately doesn’t actually harm her. his entire body is cgi btw.

okay so get this. the bad guy and the hero fight and a car gets thrown multiple times and explodes. then there’s lots of hand to hand combat scenes. sometimes people go flying. it’s all cgi btw. sometimes we will have stunt doubles for the hand to hand combat scenes but it’s still gonna be completely cgi.

for the plot the hero gets beat up by the bad guy but then he gets stronger and at the end he beats the bad guy up. hot girl is so impressed she falls in love with him instantly and then he says some one liner and she responds with a second one liner and then they kiss (no tongue for 20 seconds). then everyone else claps and the president comes down and is like “wow you’re so powerful and strong and you beat up the bad guy. do you want to be a soldier cop and join this hero club we started so we can make a second movie?” and then the hero says yes and delivers a witty one liner. btw the entire scene is cgi including the president. all of the outfits are also cgi to make them look like they got a little dirty and damaged after the fight.

the credits will roll and then after the end of them we will add in a scene where there is a new bad guy and the old bad guy is actually still alive. and then another strong cool hero guy will be there to set up the sequel. it’s all cgi btw including the second guy. we actually just took a clip from a different movie and put it in but we used cgi so it looked different.

it’s literally the exact same thing every single fucking time. the only thing they change is the actors. even the fucking fight scenes are boring and the exact same for every fucking movie. they aren’t interesting or funny or cool and i’m saying that as someone who LOVES watching fight scenes and action and gratuitous violence. everyone eats that shit up because disney made it so they don’t care if it’s good or not and then they advertise it so obsessively you are literally forced to constantly hear about it whether you want to or not. at a fucking JOB INTERVIEW one of the questions was “what marvel superhero would you like to be and why?” and if you say “idk cause those movies suck shit” you’re seen as not a team player, someone who doesn’t know how to have fun or participate in fun things.

fuck disney and fuck marvel and fuck corporate america. fuck trends and fuck societal expectation to participate in them or face ridicule and judgement that has real life consequences.

[lostshitpirate]

Two months late but I finally finished arcane s2 and it was disappointing but not terrible

A lot of this will be critique but I didn’t have a bad time with s2 or think it’s inherently a bad show just flawed

The main issue (in conjunction with the not great pacing) is that s2 feels more like a collection of disjointed stories that just happened to be related in comparison to how interconnected the first season is

The way I can describe s1 is like watching pieces on a chess board and seeing what leads to the end of the game. You have all these different characters and how they progress and how their actions start building towards the ending of s1

It felt like it was building to the war between zaun and piltover. It felt like vander (and some of the characters) from piltover were protecting a very fragile peace between the two cities while silco was building a pile of explosives and waiting for the right time to light the match.

I really like that everyone is connected by this battle between zaun and piltover but I kinda hate that it’s dropped by like episode 4(?). All the class stuff (which I sorta didn’t expect them to go super into it) gets lost. By the end it’s just “we gotta get together to beat this other guy so don’t even worry about the fascism and oppression and other stuff that happened” :)

I thought s2 would have the same progression. The building towards the war and you’d get to see how it further pulls people apart.

I don’t necessarily hate where they went with the characters but I think the fact we didn’t get the building towards those arcs really made where the characters went and where they landed feel off. Everything just feels like it happens just for the sake of it sometimes.

I think I also don’t particularly like vander coming back. I always viewed vander and silco as predeccesors to vi and jinx. They both inherit their beliefs and will in a way and that’s what also separates the two sisters. In a sad way it’s just a repeating cycle. Vander coming back feels unnecessary (and a bit corny ngl) since his role in the story feels complete. I wouldn’t mind cameos of him but he didn’t need to be revived I think.

I also don’t like that vander and silco’s conflict was the result of a misunderstanding. They both wanted each other dead. Vander tried to kill him and it felt like there was a true conflict in method and/of belief. It feels weird that if silco just read a letter then all that would be solved.

I think all the new characters also felt super rushed through. Because we didn’t get any time to breath or really get to know the newer characters their deaths (and betrayal) kinda feel a little hollow. I don’t know.

A lot of things felt really rushed and never time to sit and build. It made it a bit hard (for me at least) to connect with the characters or at least understand them more.

I don’t know. This feels like I’m shitting on the series but I don’t hate it. It was kinda meh but not terrible. I think with like 12-13 episodes instead of 9 they could use what they had and make it work a lot better. I think what they have separate is pretty interesting and it’s good but together as a whole story it’s not as strong

Looking forward to the newer series in Noxus. Overall like 7(?)/10

[all-about-the-tea-parties]

House of the Dragon Episode One thoughts as I watch:

I really like the two young girls so far they’ve been captivating and Matt Smith is promising as a creepy grooming uncle

Not sure I enjoy the… visuals?? It’s kind of uncanny valley. It both feels too real (because I can tell it’s a set) and not real enough (because I can tell it’s a set). Nothing wrong with the sets in question, just… disappointingly obvious. GoT had sets too (alongside a plethora of locations which gave it a valuable realism) but all the sets in Game of Thrones weren’t overly noticeable which meant they felt beautifully rich in terms of world building.

Also don’t like the editing style. Early GoT was frugal w/ editing. The dialogue took centre stage and actors were allowed to command a scene from beginning until end (unless there was a poignant reaction). So far the editing feels sporadic and unintentional. And certain camera shots feel a tad ambitious for no particular reason, which makes it seem indulgent. It’s all a little distracting.

The dialogue is actually good! Not word play levels that I expect, but contextually there isn’t much need yet. Not much politicking happening because there’s no real “enemy” whereas in GoT the enemy was everyone, so much politicking all the time. The dialogue, though clever, is very upfront (because the targs are unquestionable in their power). So it’s good. No need to distract ppl with so many cuts and weird shots.

Maybe they’re trying to distract from the sets?

It just feels a bit… modern? Staged?

A quick question: idk if it’s my tv or not, but like is the frame sped up? On my tv it all feels s little too fast in movement (sometimes tv offers a “hyper realism” thing and that might be messing w/ my experience)

There’s def a lack of proper intrigue. But I know that’s to come, so it’s fine.

Really it’s the visual part that bothers me.

Not sure I enjoy seeing Matt smith in a sex scene but alright

The girls are the best part for sure, and I know they’re the point of it all, so I do hope the writers aren’t sacrificing the intrigue of other characters for them.

Like imagine game of thrones if D&D framed Jon Snow as the main character from the beginning. It’d be boring af

I like seeing my guy from outlander here tho. Not enough variety in accents in fantasy and I appreciate it here.

NOT THE HORSE

I HATE JOUSTS

NO MORE HORSE ABUSE

Is it ok? It’s ok?

I wanna be grossed out by siblings being in love but like considering the family they’re in, it’s probably at warped attempt at normalcy. Like at least they were married to each other and not an aunt/uncle (or PARENT)

Ugh the “impossible choice” fucking starting to see this trend in film where men are shown to have to decide women’s lives during childbirth (obviously at sn attempt to humanise them and make them good “but in a bad position”) like honestly it’s the new “turning your wife’s death/trauma into your own for a plot point” like spareeee me the angst most men HISTORICALLY had no issue killing their wives

Oh fuck me he’s gonna kill her

Never mind he’s a bad person

Never mind it was gruesome

They didn’t frame it as a difficult choice or like “he didn’t have any other option” or “he’s still good actually because we cut away from it all”

Holy shit MAJOR trigger warning for a torture scene

Like sure yeah maybe they were both gonna die but the doctor clearly didn’t give af about the queen so I doubt there’s was much investigation for a better option (that saves her)

Wait so he has a son now

Oh the baby’s gone

I LOVE how Valyrian sounds 200 years before Dany

The rolllls

Small touch I really enjoy? The fires give off so much smoke and I’ve never seen it before in a show. Do they normally cgi it away?

Not sure I’m hooked, again, intrigue is missing, character across the board that are all thoroughly interesting, but I DO like our main contenders.

They did NOT just throw the Game of Thrones ending shade like that

They. Did. Not. Just say DANY was meant to get the throne (even if for a short while because I feel she’s only meant to have it to unite the realm for the battle and likely leaves/dies after, as an end to an age of magic).

Like the point of GoT was obvs that the politicking WASNT the point but it’s suchhhh vindication that Daenerys was magically destined to ascend the throne

I don’t care if you think Jon is an option - she was the mother of dragons not him

Doesn’t mean Jon doesn’t do important things during the war to come, or even become a king after Dany, as this show said a Targ w/ dragons is needed to protect the world from a position of monarchy - doesn’t mean that monarchy exists for very much longer after the war ends.

So TECHNICALLY she both WINS the game of thrones AND breaks the wheel

Coupled w/ the fact that they HIGHLIGHTED Dany’s name at the beginning

G RR Martin is practically shouting who becomes the head of Westeros during the winter war. (Again, not necessarily the PTWP, because this is a separate Targ dreaming, not the prophecy that Rhaegar became obsessed w/ but now I see why he became obsessed w/ it if he was given this info by his dad before hearing it).

Ahhhhhhh

V I N D I C A T I O N