#every song you didn't know yet ends up being so enjoyable anyways

[aquariet]

Nobody asked for it but I did it anyway

Have a nice post of me talking about every lyric in the song unsweetened lemonade and why it fits Icarus Morningstar. This was 100% inspirated by sage’s 18000+ word post analyzing the sherb playlist.

Since this is about a single song it lucky is only 952 words long.

What a lovely way to simply appear on tumblr again.

Now I’m gonna stop yapping.

I hope this is enjoyable.

“My eyes are made of acid”

The fact that one of Icarus’s eyes isn’t Normal. It’s constantly bleeding and thinking too much about specific things caused it to hurt.

“And my tongue is sharp with spite”

Icarus and manipulation. Their tongue being sharp with spite is cause they will say anything to get more people on their side. Both during the corruption arc and mid to end season 3.

“Attention whore with too much pride”

They want to believe what’s being told to them. By fable or in season 1 enderian. They wouldn’t listen to anyone that tried to tell them otherwise. Rea,Athena,Centross. Even the things.

“There's no one I wouldn't fight”

End season 3 and corruption arc. Icarus would fight anyone for the approval and attention of the gods.

“I don't like confrontation but”

He doesn’t want to have to kill people. But he does.

“I'm staring at the sun”

Them screaming at the sky in season one and Them screaming at the sky at quixis. Screaming at something that won’t talk back. That seems to only keep hurting them. (This is the last season 1 to season 3 comparison I swear)

“I won't quit until my eyes go red”

They need to stop quixis. No matter what.

“I'll finish what's begun”

Killing Hailey. They needed to do it publicly. So that everyone could see.

“I fucked the reaper cause I knew”

Prison duo after the cave. Icarus doing whatever they can to get centross back. Even if it’s a path straight down to hell.

“My time was coming can't you see”

The glitching in Icarus’s chest after the cave. It was gonna kill them and that was certain by the end of the finale.

“I'd do anything for twenty bucks”

Icarus would do anything for some sense of love. Specifically parental love. Obviously from fable. But also from enderian in the end reset. That’s their aunt. They don’t remember it. But it’s the only ‘real’ family Icarus knows.

“I'd sell my sour soul”

They would. Yea I have no real addiction to this lyric. Icarus literally almost died in the cave when fable tried to rip the glitching from their body. And yet they were grateful for it. They’d sell their live for their dad.

“Cause lemonade is bitter”

Young Icarus being like their dad. Hell. Icarus without the eye being very able to kill.

“Till you sweeten up the bowl”

The eye. The only reason Icarus didn’t kill more people. They wasn’t able to cause they weren’t 100% themselves. The piece of hardcore sherb keeping Icarus at bay.

“And I'm sitting in the bathroom”

Icarus being isolated. Far away from everyone.

“I'm crying citrus tears”

The wack. The reason they are isolated. They don’t want it to hurt others.

“Everything I used to love decayed over the years”

isla, momboo, centross. Icarus loved them. And had to loose them.

“It's hard to finish sentences I'll sell my pride instead”

They never had good reasons for the things they’re doing. And the things point that out. Quixis points it out. And what does Icarus do. They ignore it. They “sell their pride instead” cause if they admit they’re wrong they have to admit that all the bad they’ve done wasn’t for something good.

“Cause it's easier to focus I'm just the price above my head”

It’s easier to list to fable. To believe that they are nothing more than whatever he tells them to be.

“People think I'm pretty So I'll buy a hotel room.One bed trope without the tension”

fable gives them praise so they run away with him. Even though fable is almost never actually at the house. There is no tension cause they don’t spend enough time in the same space to have any.

“The child and her groom”

Icarus and Isla. The ‘good child’ and the ‘perfect wife’

“I didn't die at 12”

Icarus was supposed to die as a kid. Be dragged to the world port and done. However that didn’t happen. They kept living.

“I guess I'm here till 93”

By the time Icarus actually ‘dies’ they’re easily an adult. But before then Icarus is stuck in the same loop. Fall, forget, rescue fable, repeat.

“Enemies to lovers”

Icarus talking about fable. In the beginning he was the enemy. He was the bad guy. Then by season 2 he wasn’t anymore he was their dad.

“but you'll never own my heart”

Fable might be Icarus’s dad. But he never really makes any attempt to be a dad unless it benefits him and his needs. He’ll never own Icarus’s heart. Cause he’ll never try to.

“One sided it's pathetic”

Icarus does love fable though. He’s their dad. He gives them praise he believes in them. Or at least that’s what Icarus believes.

“How you think you're being smart”

Icarus thinking he can go to malici and just talk them into joining their side. His dads side. Without his dads help so that they can proof he’s worth it.

“Worthless parents make stupid kids”

Fable being an asshole dad directly affecting Icarus.

“The apple never strays”

Icarus ends up as a carbon copy of fable.

“Your conscience never compromised”

All the deaths being seen as okay cause they’re all gonna come back. They are gonna get them all back.

“And ego never pays”

Fable ended up too confident in themselves. Blabbing on and revealing everything in front of Icarus lead him to his death.

“I'd do anything for twenty bucks To feel more in control”

Icarus would do anything to stop the whack. Anything to make quixis do as they want. Anything to make sure things go as Icarus wants it to go.

If you can think of anything I missed (it’s probably a lot) don’t hesitate to let me know. I love to learn more little things about our favorite bird

[talesofsonicasura]

Song of Hearts

Games are made with the purpose of entertaining all. Sometimes a peculiar title can lead to unexpected developments if done right.

I decided to take a different dive into fandoms this time. A creepy flavored one. Yep. Reader insert with a Creepypasta. Completely platonic one as the story in question involves Ben Drowned.

For those who don't know, it was originally a Creepypasta about a N64 copy of Majora's Mask being haunted by a 12 year kid named Ben who drowned under suspicious circumstances. His form being the Link Statue when you play the Elegy of Emptiness. This can be read gender neutral or preferred gender. Enjoy!

Games, games, games. A pastime enjoyed and even cherished for many across the world. Taking the form of boards, cards, words, video to even joke games. All have brought enjoyment and equal amounts hilarity for every player. It's a rarity to find stores that don't sell a game of some kind, not even grocery stores were immune.

Games are always meant to bring joy...if respected properly. Just like school tests, delvers of code often plague this particular activity like rats to an open fridge. And videogames were their favorite playground.

Earnest archivist who wish to preserve old game code inside emulators or data storages. Data miners that look for hidden content and share their finds with all. Then the infamous hackers who can make a player's experience hell or rarely heaven.

Someone will always delve deep into a game unfairly. Yet, what would happen if one videogame wasn't like the others? An item that happily brings misfortune to those who abuse the rules. Data with a mean spirit of its own.

It was a surprisingly warm winter day. The birds were singing, flowers slowly gaining life and... "DAMN IT!" For you to lose your mind at another failure. It had only been two years since the Grand Archive became an established website for gamers all across the world.

A place to play all sorts of games specifically those from old consoles with some such examples being N64 and even the Amiga! Your greatest project as an archivist and videogame lover to this day. Despite the current problem aiming a big fat middle finger with cruelty that could match Satan.

After uploading the Lemmings trilogy to the Grand Archive, you decided the next game to upload would be the original Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask for the N64. Nintendo franchises were a bit infamous to get ahold of especially games as old as this one. These precious cartridges were either stuck in the hands of scalpers that wanted insane prices or sellers who troll people once they get the cash.

Kirby and the Crystal Shards had been a nightmare to get for your website as the buyer's psycho neighbor was an insane Entitled Parent Karen fusion. All the slurs fired and fucking knife waved all willy nilly from her made quite a scary spectacle. Especially since it was a game not meant for a two year old baby!

Still a sweet victory for you in the end as Kirby became apart of the archive and the psycho got arrested. Anyway, adding any games from popular franchises is usually uncommon due to rarity or difficulty. You figured since Ocarina of Time had been added, so should the sequel. Thus the dilemma at hand.

Every copy of Majora's Mask you stumbled upon so far were either overpriced, bad condition (got a console to check efficiency), or a scam. This was the 5th bust so far. Any donations set up were for actual emergencies as you actually had a well paying job in the form of freelance programming.

All the games bought for the site was from hard earned cash. Taking a deep breath, you decided to make some tea for your nerves. Anger wasn't going to accomplish anything. Now you lived alone in a nice small apartment with pretty decent neighbors.

Well, except for Mindy and her entitled brat Velma who live three doors down. Fuck those two spectacularly. The apartment complex didn't come with a postal service so you had to visit the post office for mail.

The sound of knocking suddenly filled the silence. It was the soft yet the sound felt so...eerie. Almost as if death was standing outside the door with scythe ready at hand. You put down your cup of tea and quietly stalked over.

Peering through the small peephole, it didn't seem like anyone was there. This didn't stop you from grabbing the pocket knife hidden in the drawer by the door. Better safe than sorry, even if it was possibly a ding dong ditch. With a firm hand, you opened to the door to nothing.

At least not until looking down towards the floor. Right there was a small package set neatly before the door. Small enough to be easily missed if not for the box's brilliant green wrapping paper topped by a gold ribbon. You couldn't help but peer your head at the halls around you.

There wasn't anybody in sight or any sign of a door opening. Almost if a ghost came by and left this 'gift'. You took the package inside keeping your knife close just in case. After a moment of scrutinization, it was deemed safe enough to open.

There were many things you expected to be inside the package. A snake, bug or something foul for a surprise gift. To see what had to be a copy of the N64's Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask wasn't it. You couldn't believe your eyes nor feel even more uncomfortable.

No one should've known where you lived much less the item you were searching! It felt too convenient and that's a huge red flag on it's own. "Okay. Emergency Nintendo 64 now." When it comes to scanning videogame cartridges or disks, spare consoles tend to be vital.

This mainly stemmed from bugged ports or illegal hacks that could potentially destroy a system. In this case, you gotten two spares per an old console as you knew a good bloke who could fix them for a great deal. The cartridge was carefully inserted into the console akin to defusing an active bomb. You didn't trust it one damn bit.

After a few minutes of loading, the title screen to Nintendo's most popular rush job appeared on your old vintage TV. Despite that, the graphics so far look really nice for an old game but functionality was more important. Going past the title screen you were half surprised to see a file was already made.

The file named Ben had everything available up to the current point being Stone Tower on the Third Day specifically an hour before the moon crashes. An impressive feat honestly as you know Ikana Canyon was infamous around the Zelda community for being a common drop-off. Both on creepiness and difficulty.

"Whoever you are Ben, you must be one hell of a gamer. I don't know how this cartridge even got here but I hope you at least manage to beat the game once." There wasn't any reason to delete the file as old games like this had multiple save files. Plus messing with Ben's file just felt wrong for your tastes.

Making a new game under the name Link, it was time to see how this cartridge played. You weren't going add it onto the Grand Archive though. The circumstances behind the appearance are too suspicious and you weren't ruining your greatest project. It'll be a personal copy for comparing purposes or just playing.

You wouldn't lie but that mysterious Majora's Mask game runs very good despite it's age. Been playing it for about two weeks and everything was almost lifelike compared to any other copy. The characters had more personality in models even when not talking. It responded perfectly to your controller inputs better than any modern game. Overall, everything felt perfect. Although you weren't going to upload on the archive for one normal reason and two odd reasons.

Already found an extra copy of Majora's Mask to upload during those two weeks. The first oddity is the characters would often call you Ben instead of your character's name Link. Not really an issue since it was a harmless glitch.

The second oddity is where the creepiness really sets in. In Majora's Mask, there's an important song you learn to enter the Stone Tower called the Elegy of Emptiness. Depending on Link's form, it would produce a statue which can be placed on switches. Why point this out? You were quietly being stalked by one of those statues.

The statue in question was the very creepy Link one. Off-putting smile and all. It would always be hidden somewhere in the background as you played. Only players with eagle eyes could find kind of spots too. You couldn't forget that you hadn't even unlocked the song yet?

At this point, either someone programmed one hell of an AI or the game is legitimately haunted. You were leaning towards the latter but the possible ghost hadn't been hostile really. All they been doing was watching your progress and messed with the names a bit. Harmless mischief really.

If you really own a haunted cartridge, then might as well be friendly to the ghost. More proof later popped up when bidding the spirit goodbye before turning off the console. You nearly jump as the Ben save file now read 'Hello. :)' when entering the game.

Apparently the specter was quite the character. Ever since you discovered the game was haunted, you sorta made friends with Ben. It seemed like he was stuck in the Link statue as it was the only character that pops up where he shouldn't be.

Considering this was Zelda of all games, Link being followed by a statue of himself didn't feel that weird. Ben interacted with you in three different ways within the game. He would follow the player's character similar to how a party moves in RPGs. Well, with a bunch of teleporting when offscreen as Epona often left him in the dust.

Ben could be helpful as he would either appear on switches you need to press or at places where you need to go for particular quests. And he can be a huge troll. Often popping up in your face without warning or make you die by blocking your jumps over bottomless pits.

Fuck the time he decided to replace every NPC in Clocktown with Gibdos. "Ben, you ass!" Skull Kid's laughter rain about as you had Link chase after the fleeing statue. Overall, it felt like living with a mischievous little brother more than anything.

Although there was one place he always avoided in the game. The laundry pool. A small area in Clock Town with little importance other than getting a few masks from the townsfolk. You never saw him pop up there as he always waited outside for Link.

It didn't take long to put the pieces together. Ben had drowned but something was seriously off. How did he get into the game if he drowned??? Only way it could happen was... You couldn't help but go cold at the possiblity of murder as the chance of it being ritualistic was high.

There are sickos in the world who had their noses deep into the occult. Always wondering what they can do. Yet, Ben could've died with the game on him and went inside afterwards. Poltergeists automatically attach themselves to their prize possessions upon death. In the end, it was his story to tell and you'll respect that.

Today was gonna be a shitty day. Your hot water hadn't been working for a few days and the apartment's handyman is currently sick. The package which had a copy of Megaman X got stolen. And some asshole nearly uploaded a virus onto your Grand Archive cause you didn't support NFTs.

Ben luckily eased up on his pranks knowing how bad the week has been. You currently had a migraine and just ran out of headache medicine too. It was obvious to head to the store leaving Ben to watch his cartoons on the laptop so he wouldn't get bored.

The Link Statue just needed the title screen on in order to appear. A habit that honestly punched your electric bill but you didn't really care. Paying extra per month was worth Ben having some semblance of a routine outside the game.

That moment of peace immediately shattered as you had open the door only to meet your bitch neighbor and spoiled ass brat. "What the hell??!" This wasn't going to end well. You heard rumors about Mindy storming into people's apartments for one reason: inspection.

She usually did this for a multitude of stupid reasons, half involving a impromptu babysitter for her daughter Velma. You always leave the doors locked and kept check on her times as the bitch was buddy buddy with the landlord. Guess Mindy decided to go early just for this.

"I honestly thought you were dead but guess I was wrong. Oh well. Anyway I need someone to watch over Velma as I have to do my nails at the saloon." The sickly sweet smile did nothing to shroud the foulness that radiated off her.

"No. Find someone else to babysit!" Your retort was cut short as the callous woman shoved you aside with her hellspawn close behind. Mindy immediately began to scrutinize every object under her gaze with manners of a toddler.

"This place looks so plain yet there's all these game stuff! Aren't you too old to play videogames? Velma would love some new playthings. How much?" You were too tired to deal with her bullshit especially the gold digging criticism!

"Get out of my apartment before I call the cops! My head already hurts and your pterodactyl screeches make it worse! Go bark up someone else's house, you bitch!" This, of course, leads to a shouting match as Mindy didn't take kindly to being challenged.

No one noticed a certain brat walking away into a particular spare room in search of entertainment. Ben immediately vanished from the screen before Velma had a chance to spot him. He heard about the infamous little girl that drove everyone up the wall and her equally bad mother.

While Mindy was a critic, Velma is pure unadulterated harassment. Snatching other kids' toys, stealing people's food, made offhanded rude comments and crying or hitting those who don't let her get away with it. Something that only worsen when her mother endorses such horrible behavior.

"I haven't seen this game before. The horsey looks so cute though." Ben secretly sneered inside the game code as grubby little fingers took ahold of your controller. He would've just made the game extra hard for Velma with the tiny hope that she didn't screw up any files.

Fixing up yours from her interference is stupidly eas- Ben went still as the feeling of the controller circled around his file. She. wouldn't. dare. "Why are there two save files with different names? Oh well, I'll just get rid of this!" And that snobby high pitched voice was the only warning he had to stow the data away as she clicked Delete.

You really didn't know what had happened as the confrontation with Mindy went on. It took one second to realize that a certain hellspawn was missing did the panic set in. And Velma's high pitched shriek only cement that absence to her mother as well.

The little girl crashed into her mother's legs with the force of a bullet, heavily weeping in quiet terror. Quiet mumbles of 'creepy statue' and 'I'm next' had you go straight towards the N64. The mother leaving in rage was ignored for the ghost stuck inside the console.

Poltergeists are only harmless if their prized possessions were left alone. You knew Velma didn't respect that as the File Screen no longer held the familiar Ben file. In it's place was a folder that only read 'Your Turn'. The rest of day been silent afterwards.

Mindy and Velma had moved out of the apartment complex the next day in a massive hurry. Guess the scare the spoiled girl gotten was more than she could take. You, however, been looking over Ben for two weeks.

Ever since his save file got deleted, the ghost had basically shut down. It came back after restarting the console but Ben still wouldn't interact. You never saw his statue pop up unless you played the Elegy of Emptiness. The Link Statue didn't move or speak despite this.

All you could really do is keep Ben company and talk to him so the spirit knows he wasn't alone. It took around the end of the month before a certain Link Statue popped up on the title screen one night. That was the point where Ben told you how he ended up in the game by accessing his file.

"I was a lonely kid and had no friends. The only thing that kept me happy was my love for Legend of Zelda. One day, I met people who shared my likes. Who I thought would be my new friends became my executioners."

A cult called the Moon Children had lure Ben into their ranks with false promises. They sacrificed him for a ritual to see what they can do using the human soul. All the events were played out through the game's characters and assets. You never felt so much rage and disgust before in your entire life as Link was drowned by the Father NPC.

A lonely child who only wish for friends was taken advantage of with the very thing he wanted. "You didn't deserve that, Ben. No one should have their own loneliness be twisted by a fucking bastard cult! If I could, I would've been your friend way back then."

Those words had that Link Statue fade away into the image of a 12 year old brunette boy. A weak smile on his lips, terribly pale wet skin stained by tears and glassy tear stricken eyes look back at you. Only comfort that could be done is place a hand on the TV screen. Ben put up his palm to match yours as everything fell quiet.

Things had begun to return to normal after that particular night. Ben opened up again and was back to his mischievous self. You began working on a special project with your spare computer. A unique model program made specifically for Ben, the first being a Link model just for him.

It was originally made for making 3D versions of 8 bit games specifically the first two Legend of Zeldas. Something adjusted once you fully bonded with your ghostly brother. Whether the laptop would be connected to the internet stem on whether you can keep Ben from accidentally going into the Dark Web.

Weren't even touching what he will do if he found the Moon Children's operation. It was better that the two of you formulated an effective game plan first. Mainly cause who knows if they roped in other unaware children or there are more cartridges like Ben somewhere hidden across the world.

It was better to plan for now than go all gung-ho. Although things have been a bit...eerie as of late. Something that started when a new tenant just move into Mindy's old apartment. Pale, creepy, kind of guy whose eyes lingered on you for too long to be seen as a mere glance.

He only given out the name 'Robert Lynch' before going absolute recluse. No one really see him leave his apartment other than getting his mail and the bare necessities. Yet, these excursions never went through without the creep eyeing you or your apartment.

Whoever this Robert is, it was pretty clear that he's bad news. Something further cemented from how antsy Ben became as of late. His statue would often glitch or fade uncontrollably before settling back like nothing happened. You didn't know much on spirits as any information at all was little or mere theory bait.

Then there were these...flashes. Places or objects that disappear and come at random intervals. One second you are in the elevator only to being standing before an ominously familiar tree with a single blink. Photos marred by obscure faces and grinning masks.

You went to sleep once only to later dreamt about a cold watery abyss as shadows swam around you akin to curious sharks. Overall, something freaky was going on and there was the vague feeling it only just started. Then the computer housing the new program meant for Ben mysteriously crashed.

One second it has been working and then suddenly went kaput! You had taken it to your tech savvy friend for help yet the reason for the crash was strange. "The hard drive somehow manifested over an exabyte worth of data! A laptop like this would've explode in seconds than turn off! Even more stranger is that everything is gone, not a single bit of data left."

You couldn't help but be on edge throughout the walk back home. How can a hard drive manifest over that much data and lose everything? Your concern only grew further once you made back to your apartment. Why? The door that once been shut closed was slightly open.

Someone was in your apartment and were still there. Honestly didn't know what to do as Ben is inside. You were about to call the police when a hand dragged you inside and shut the door. The invader was Robert but that wasn't the scary thing.

When he shoved you onto the floor, right there was the broken pieces of the Majora's Mask cartridge where Ben laid inside. A familiar snarling moon peeked from Robert's palm as his sleeve lifted up from that harsh push. He was a fucking Moon Children cultist.

"That whiny little bitch made it so much easier to find Father's little stolen project. Already bad enough that damn traitor decided to give the thing some pity by dropping it off to some nerdy bitch. And I get sent to clean up the mess!"

You didn't hesitate to slam your laptop against the bastard's leg, fury flaring through your veins. This fucker had shattered Ben. He viewed the soul of a poor trapped child as a meaningless endeavor like his fellow cult members. You struck the man against his stomach and arms, uncaring of the device shattering to pieces.

Robert retaliated by yanking the broken device away so he could throw a haymaker to the face. You bit down on his arm before he could pull back and harshly yanked the bastard's hair. The skirmish grew more gruelling as plates, photos, and other objects got caught in the crossfire.

Robert was stabbed in his side with glass shards from broken picture frames. Your leg flare red as a broken chair leg came down by the man's hand. Only fair the cultist got his brains bashed in with a frying pan. Any advantage you had didn't last long once you crashed into your spare N64.

He took the power cords with an intent obvious to many: choking. You quickly try to intercept the now offensive items aimed at your neck. Despite the kicks and shoves, Robert power through as plastic coating touch skin. You try to yank the cords away that threaten to crush your airways.

"Fucking bitch! I'll make sure no one will recognize your damn body once I'm done!" The bastard's words began to fade with every lack of breath. A single thought rung out as you struggled to fight back. 'I'm sorry, Ben.'

In a flash of pale peach and green, power cords suddenly split into pieces. You fell to the ground in a sputtering heap as your chest heaved harshly trying to get back air. Robert's painful cry was cut short for loud harsh gargles and a monstrous roar.

The smell of harsh iron filled the air like mist. Only when your breathing was under control did the feeling of sharp, wet claws carefully held your back. Slowly turned around to see the familiar yet now macabre figure of Ben's Link Statue slouched over in an attempt to look smaller.

His limbs elongated to twice their length, body stretched into a lanky almost dangerously thin teenage form, fingers now gnarly bony claws, the statue's face completely obscured by shadows even though the wet ragged hair wasn't that long and the only features that could be seen is an inhumanly large grimace full of teeth alongside sad glassy looking eyes.

"B...ben? You're okay." The ghost didn't answer, only pulling you close to his chest. Gentle loving hug and distorted croaking of 'You're safe now' made everything feel safe. You quietly sob in Ben's chest as today's events wash over like a cold wave.

"Over the span of three months, the recently uncovered Moon Children's cult has finally come to an end. An anonymous tip had shed light on this gamer targeting organization as a list of experiments were sent to local police. During the same time, more active cultists were found dead.

Bodies hung by the power cords for game and bearing claw marks from an unknown animal.-" The TV groan on as you uploaded Mario Kart onto the Grand Archive within the confines of your newly bought house. Boxes still laid unpacked and those half open kept by the wall to avoid being tripped over.

You were so deep into the upload that you nearly miss the Lays bag placed near your laptop. The offerer being no other than Ben, his form now that of a messy brown haired and green eyed Link. You cheekily ruffled his hair before putting the music back on. A remixed version of the Song of Healing began to play as the little break ended and it was back to unpacking.

And that's it! This has been a wild yet difficult thing to write. You won't believe how many interruptions and writer's block got in the way. For anyone confused, the bond formed between Reader and Ben had become a pact.

As this grew, both of them were affected in different ways. Reader began experiencing Ben's world-view while the poltergeist began manifesting in the physical world. That special project was the final ingredient to fully seal the pact.

Ben's monster form is based on the Friday Night Funkin Mic of Time mod, specifically for the song Sorrow. You can find it at the bottom! I'll be drawing his new human form soon but he didn't want Reader's hard work to go to waste essentially.

Yes, Mindy and Velma are a huge jab at Mindy Kaling's Velma show, name wise alongside shitty personality only. No one tries to ruin Scooby-Doo without me aiming at them in the form of references.

That's it for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you later!

[rofelsstuff]

Carry On (book review)

Author: Rainbow Rowell Rating: 5/5 Synopsis: In this book, we follow the story of Simon Snow who's worst Chosen One who's ever been Chosen (that was his roommate Baz said). Simon Snow was the Chosen One who was prophesied to defeat the magic-eating-monster named, the Insidious Humdrum.

Note: This is mostly me being messy because I love this book so much!

If you read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, of course you'll be familiar with the fanfic book that Catherine was writing there. This book (Carry On) is basically a story of a fictional character in another fictional book.

Okay so here goes the one word that could describe this book: AMAZING!

Rainbow Rowell didn't disappoint again with this story. My god, I don't even know where to start or where to find the words for me to describe this book. This isn't my Top 1 favorite book, but this book made me feel a LOT OF THINGS. And I won't complain!

The few pages and chapters of the book were slow paced but after Baz showed up and made his grand entrance EVERYTHING BECAME SO MUCH BETTER. He completes the book!!! (And Snow) I loved him very much. He made me love vampires again! And I love Simon! And Penelope! These characters made me laugh so hard and made me care for them so much that I did not want to finish this book at all.

I loved how Rowell made this book so fun to read and enjoyable. This is like a Drarry fanfic but so much better! (At least for me, please don't attack me). It was amazing how Rowell made this book like a similar of Harry Potter but at the same time, so different! The spells were so clever that they actually come from songs, and god, nursery rhymes! I can't count how many times I laughed at the spells.

And the SnowBaz syndrome! I wanted more! The kissing, the romance, the confessions, and the lines they throw at each other--I wanted more! I didn't expect myself to smile from ear to ear and giggle because of their cute romantic scenes! I am fangirling a lot of times because of them and will never ever complain.

“You were the sun, and I was crashing into you. I’d wake up every morning and think, ‘This will end in flames.”

I also love the ending! It was so realistic (not really realistic because it's fiction) but what happened in the end was so perfect yet so bittersweet that I don't know what to feel. But I absolutely love it. There were still many questions left unanswered, but I wouldn't mind reading the second and third book.

But if you do not like trilogy or series, you can read this book without reading the others because this book can stand alone as it is!

ANYWAY! I'm still not over this book. I am contemplating whether I will re-read this right now!

[harcove]

Yeah I feel you with the being kinda picky, especially with voice acting (ESPECIALLY English voice acting) but damn all of the bp VAs knocked it out of the park with this like they absolutely KILLED IT and it killed me

Honestly every aspect of this game is just so fuckin good like the voices? The music?? The writing just in general????? All fire (the theme song may or may not have been my #1 song on spotify last year, I may or may not have a problem)

But yeah xyx saying calling me doll and babe and love and test bunny~ were all absolutely LETHAL, I'm with the other anon like I knew I was gonna like xyx but I didn't think he would surpass quest in my heart but he DID and he did it so fucking fast oh my god, his good end made me so emotional too like the promise thing and AAAAA

Also with the bad ends, I haven't had the courage to do xyx's yet but from what I've heard it is very painful, when I originally played quests it was a 10 for me in pain but I might be a little biased, seems like the devs are also angst enjoyers tho cause they know how to rip ur heart out and the VAs will stomp on it

IMPORTANT QUESTION THOUGH did you mess up on the tongue twisters and if you didn't did you say you did anyway? Saying you did leads to a line that knocked me the fuck out one hit

Sorry for writing a whole essay in ur asks jgncbfjfkd (also I have seen some people talk about our life but I haven't really looked into it, I will check it out 👀) (uno reverse card back at you)

-bp anon

YES! English voice acting tbh is always hit or miss for me usually, and it's usually a miss- but srsly, so far it's been so so good (I just finished nightowl which I will give u my thoughts on in a sec lmao) I LOVE the theme song sm, It's ON SPOTIFY?? AYY HERE I COME LMAO.

So far Xyx hasn't lost his title as my favorite yet, albeit I've only done him and nightowl now lmao. Which- nightowl- liked his route- hit very close to home with me being a undergraduate in uni rn and just feeling like a failure or like I can't do anything right- feeling like I'm the dumb one while others get ahead and I stay where I am. Which honestly made it a bit hard to play for a sec cause it just made me think of things I try to not think about cause damn I felt it personally LMAO- however his ass saying FUCK YOU TO ME? BOI UR SO LUCKY WE ON DISCORD AND I CANT KICK UR ASS QOFJAKDKQK I still liked him a lot tho (he moved super fast ngl red flag @ him not wanting me to talk to other ppl like onion- but also I fucking hate onion in this route, I sympathized a lot with nightowl and really wanted to give onion a piece of my mind cause his way of dealing with nightowl and trying to get him on cam to prove he's not drinking etc, is definitely more detrimental to someone's mental health- like forcing ppl to do things cause u don't wanna believe them, esp. When that person is going through it and has issues with feeling like they're alone and no one believes in them. Okay I'm getting too deep sorry-) I'm kinda nervous to play the bad ends if this shit got me fucked up LMAO

QLFKAKS THE TONGUE TWISTERS- I FOLLOWED A GUIDE FOR IT SO I FUCKED THEM ALL UP, WHAT LINE IS IT UR TALKIN BOUT I GOTTA KNOW- (also during that whole call I was thinking bout how impressed I was with the VA for ACRUALLY FUCKING DOING THOSE TONGUE TWISTERS PERFECTLY LIKE WHAT THE MOUTH DO 👄)

Also don't APOLOGIZE, I'm writing whole ass essays back- and I'm enjoying this it's really fun. And our life... I could really go on a tangent about it but it's... just such a good game like I was really going through it when I played it and it made me cry in good ways and- my emotions for that game are a lot LMAO it's a very comforting experience. I just love Our Life QLDKQKDK

[ordinaryschmuck]

Why I (Want to) Love Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

Salutations random people on the internet who most likely won’t read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

When I heard Disney was making an animated series based on Tangled, acting as a continuation from the original movie, my initial thought was, "Why?"

Sure, Disney is infamous for its unnecessary sequels of the story after happily ever after, with the many, many, many failures that follow suit. Even then, though, most of these continuations were movies that kind of have the potential to tell more of a story. But what more could be said about Tangled? Sorry to spoil a movie that's over ten years old at this point, but by the end of it: Rapunzel lost her golden hair, was reunited with her parents, fell in love, and lived happily ever after. Her losing the golden hair is the most essential part of that list because how can you do a series based on a Disney princess when her most iconic feature is gone? Then I found out that the series forced a way for her hair to come back, and my new initial thought became, "Oh man. This is gonna suck, isn't it?"

Despite the hesitation, I decided to give it a chance anyway. After all, I've been pleasantly surprised before. Things like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and even The Owl House (yes, really), were shows (and a movie) that I didn't think would be that special. Only to find myself enjoying nearly every minute. So after watching Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, I can certainly say I was surprised...but it was entirely for the wrong reasons.

And to explain how requires spoilers. So if you haven't checked the series out yet, I highly suggest you do it to form your own opinion. Just keep in mind that it's a bit of a mess, but it can be an enjoyable mess...sometimes...let me explain.

WHAT I LIKED

The Animation/Art Style: The series swapping from 3D to 2D might have been the most brilliant decision anyone could have ever made with this series. Usually, when an animated movie gets turned into a show, the most noticeable downgrade is always the animation. Whether it’s not as detailed or not as fluid, it's always subjective that the movie is better animated than the series. But by switching up the styles, the contrast becomes objective instead. 2D and 3D animation each have their pros and cons, so deciding which one is better is nothing more than a matter of opinion. So by changing the style, Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure avoids getting complaints of being a downgrade from the original movie. It also helps that the art style of the series is really unique.

The best way to describe how the show looks is that it's like a coloring book brought to life. At times, everything looks like it was drawn and colored in with crayons, which sounds like an insult, but in actuality, it's one of the best features of the series. As much as I love most animated shows nowadays, I will admit, they all look a little too similar at times. Then here comes Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, which tries to incorporate a whole new style that successfully sets it apart from most shows.

As for the animation itself, it's really well-made! It's remarkably expressive when required, while the movements are really fluid during the correct scenes. Sure the fighting can be a little floaty during some action set pieces (yes, those exist here), but the dialogue and comedic moments are really where the series shines with its animation. I may have problems with the series as a whole, but I give credit where credit is due for the perfectly executed effort that I see in every episode in terms of animation.

Rapunzel and Eugene’s relationship: This was not something I was expecting to enjoy from the series. In the movie, Rapunzel and Eugene were fine. They were the typical Disney couple that worked off of each other enough that it was always entertaining, even if it was unbelievable that they fell deeply in love with each other after, like, two days. They weren't bad, but they weren't anything to go crazy over.

But the writers for the series said, "You know what, let's make these two adorable in nearly every scene they're in." And they are!

Even though I don't believe in their relationship in the movie, I fully believe it here. Both characters have a large amount of faith in one another on top of having endless love for their partner. Like how Eugene knew Rapunzel would be fine when taking out an airship or how Rapunzel couldn't bring herself to say a bad thing about Eugene when making Cassandra a sparring dummy of him. It's legitimately pleasant to watch, to the point where I put Rapunzel and Eugene in my top ten list of favorite fictional couples. They're that good to me, and it's one of the reasons why I don't jump on the bandwagon of shipping the two main female characters together. I'm all for LGBTQA+ representation, but give Cassandra her own girlfriend. Rapunzel's taken, and most of my enjoyment of this show comes from her and her man. So, you know, keep things as they are.

Cassandra (Seasons One and Two): Seeing how I've already mentioned her, let's talk about Cassandra, shall we? Because when making a series based on a movie that had only four prominent characters, with two of them being comedic animal sidekicks, you're going to need to introduce more members to the main cast to write more potential stories. And Cassandra, in Seasons One and Two (I'll get to Season Three), is a worthy addition. She acts as a strict straight man (I know the irony) who interacts well with Rapunzel and clashes perfectly with Eugene on occasion. She was passably entertaining in Season One and developed amazingly in Season Two. Her growing frustrations with Rapunzel's actions lead to a slow build-up that made her betrayal heartbreaking but somewhat understandable. And as for the results in that betrayal...yeah, I'll get into that later. For now, I'll just say that Cassandra was a pleasant addition to the main cast, especially when she was a part of the main trio, and she's yet another good surprise that the writers supplied for the series.

The Songs: The songs are...not going to be for everyone. Most of them are passable yet kind of generic, while others sound like they belong on Disney Junior (Looking at you, "Bigger Than That"). But when Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure makes a hit, MAN, it is a home run. Numbers like "Ready As I'll Ever Be" and "Nothing Left to Lose" are sung phenomenally, orchestrated well, and are songs I can listen to on repeat multiple times. And "Waiting in the Wings" is not only something I consider to be the best song in the series, but it's also something I'd place as high up on Disney's best due to how f**king incredible it is. "Waiting in the Wings" is a powerful ballad that manages to be both tragic yet inspiring on top of how well it sums up Cassandra as a character. The writers may not always be on top of their game when it comes to music, but songs like these prove that they know how to earn that Disney name.

And that’s all I have for the likes...Oh boy. That’s not a good thing is it?

WHAT I DISLIKED

It Peaked at Season One: It did. It really did.

Season One felt like the writers had a grip on what type of show they wanted: A slice-of-life series with Rapunzel dealing with the issues of her kingdom with a meager threat of these black rocks growing in the background. It was all cute and well-balanced for the most part, but that all disappears in Season Two. Because now it's sort of about this adventure, but because Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure set itself as a slice-of-life series, there need to be these small-scale stories that intertwine the grand narrative being told. The issue is that the story comes to a grinding halt one too many times as fans are forced to sit through these filler episodes that, while not all of them are bad, still feel like a distraction. And by Season Three, the series does feel more focused while having some slice-of-life episodes added to the ongoing story instead of distracting us from it. But the writing isn't as strong, there are several plot holes in the narrative (how did Rapunzel's sunstone get into her dress?), and there is way too much time going back and forth on Cassandra's morality. They claim that she's a villain while arguing that there might still be some good in her, and they continue this train of thought for nine episodes when it really could have been settled in two. For me, it's a bad sign for a series when the first season is the best one. Because if it's all downhill from there, what's the point of even watching?

It Tries to be Epic: This might have been the worst decision the writers could have made.

Now, here's the thing: I don't mind grand epic tales of adventure and battles against demons. If anything, I'm all for them...when it's appropriate and fits with the tone of the series.

Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure suffers a similar problem Frozen II has, in which the writers felt like a big, life-threatening adventure was the perfect continuation of a meager, personal story about the relationships of characters. It isn't. If anything, it's completely missing the mark about what the original story was about. And sure, sometimes writers can succeed in telling personal stories through grand adventures. Just look at The Owl House and parts of Amphibia. But with those shows, it's established within the first few episodes that action and peril will be a series staple. With Tangled, while there was some action and peril, it's all very subdued compared to how high the stakes got raised in later episodes in the show. Especially in the series finale.

And, I mean, c'mon. You're making Rapunzel an action hero?

Judy Hopps? Yes.

Moana? Maybe.

Raya? Most definitely.

But Rapunzel? The character who’s all about optimism and seeing the best of others. That's the character you're going to morph into a hero that fights against an evil demon laid dormant for years? Did you even watch the original movie? Yeah, sorry, but I just don't buy it.

If you want to tell an epic story that gets the blood pumping for fans addicted to adventure, go for it! See where the wind takes you. But make sure to set that tone as early as possible while also making sure that it fits with the characters. If not, the end result is a series that feels like it's trying to be something it’s not.

Eugene is Kind of an Idiot at Times: It should be noted that Movie-Eugene and Series-Eugene are practically two different characters. In the film, Eugene was more or less the straight man, as he often questions the wackiness in the world around him and keeping Rapunzel grounded in reality. For the series, most of that personality got transferred to Cassandra. Thus making Eugene's new role in the series act as the egotistical imbecile. Sure, he had those moments in the film, but not as frequently, and it really pains me when the writers really lean hard into a minor aspect of his personality. Sometimes there are moments when Eugene acts like his original self. But it's all small scenes that are spread apart with entire episodes where he has half a brain cell. I'm sure some people didn't mind this change to the character, but as someone who adores the movie version of Eugene, I can't help but feel disappointed.

The Villains are the Worst: Now, I don't mean the one-off villains that show up, cause some chaos for a bit, and disappear at the end of the episode. Those are characters with fun personalities, occasionally cool designs, and do their job as villains of the week. It doesn't matter if their motivations are laughably simple, as their purpose is to be enjoyable characters above anything else. So I actually enjoy those villains...it's the ones that act as season-long antagonists that really grind my gears.

The purpose behind these types of foes is to build up how evil they are throughout the season. The issue is that the writers try to give these characters, or at least two of them, a point. To be fair, this can work. Just look at Killmonger from Black Panther and sometimes Karli Morgenthau from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. You understand and probably even sympathize with the logic and reasoning these characters have. It's just that their actions couldn't be farther from what you would do. The problem with Varian and Cassandra is that they have the motivation, but it's not written suitably for the story.

Cassandra is a whole can of worms I'll get to in a minute, but Varian is someone I can easily discuss for a brief time. Because while I can comprehend his pain for having his father frozen in yellow rock, I don't think turning evil is the best decision to go with that character. Because A. Everything is his fault. He blames Rapunzel for not helping him, but even if she didn't have a crisis to deal with, there was nothing she could have done to stop it. His frustrations are not only unjustified, but given the fact that this wouldn't have happened if he listened to his father in the first place, it feels like him becoming evil is too drastic of a turn. And B. Varian worked much better as a supporting character rather than a primary antagonist. He was just this hopeful, if not a clumsy scientist who wanted to prove himself, who causes minor catastrophes due to not thinking ahead. Turning a character like Varian into a villain is a bit of a misstep because if the guy acts hilariously incompetent as a good guy, it makes little sense to have him be intelligent and ten steps ahead of Rapunzel when being evil. If he were to become more serious and careful when helping the rest of the main cast, I'd consider that character progression done properly. But becoming a villain is just an overreaction.

However, none of that compares with my issues with the main antagonist of the series: Zhan Tiri. This goes back to my problems with the series making itself too epic. Because if Zhan Tiri existed in any other show, I probably wouldn't have any problem with her. She's built up well throughout all three seasons and is kind of threatening at times. But she doesn't belong in a series based on a movie that dealt with a small, personal issue where it wasn't even the character who killed the villain in the end. It was her love interest and animal sidekick. Even if Zhan Tiri works well as a character, the fact that it doesn't feel like she belongs in the show makes her too distracting to enjoy. And that's why these villains suck. If not poorly written, they don't belong in a series that should focus on small-scale issues. And if you can functionally write an antagonist that appears for only one episode but flounder with ones that show up in several, well, that's just embarrassing.

Cassandra (Season 3): OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH BOY, do I have some words to express with this character. Like with Movie-Eugene and Series-Eugene, Cassandra from Seasons One and Two is frustratingly different from the psychotic IDIOT from Season Three. Basically, just take the issues I have with Varian, multiply them by ten, add them with some bafflingly stupid decisions, and you still wouldn't get how much Season Three-Cassandra frustrates me!

First off, her motivation...what the f**k were the writers thinking? The big reason why Cassandra betrays Rapunzel and motivates all of her misdeeds was that Cassandra's mother was Mother Gothal...EXPLAIN THAT LOGIC TO ME?! Because Cassandra should know what type of woman Mother Gothal was. She should know what Mother Gothal did to Rapunzel in the first eighteen years of her life. So how is Cassandra being abandoned by Gothal the central motivator to cut ties with Rapunzel, who is probably an even bigger victim in this scenario!? Seriously, Rapunzel was cut off from the rest of the world and treated as an unknowing prisoner because she was beneficial to Gothal. Cassandra was adopted into a household with mutual love and got to actually live her life. In no way does it make sense for her to be angry at Rapunzel.

Nor does it make sense that the writers try to play it off as a good thing in the song "Crossing the Line!" Sure, it sounds nice, but thematically, it gives across the opposite feelings that the audience should have. Because if Cassandra cutting ties with Rapunzel is meant to be tragic and awful, why is the music suggesting it's the best possible thing that's ever happened for the character? If you like the song, fine, but even you have to admit that it's thematic nonsense.

But, sure. Cassandra's evil now, and she considers it a good thing. Whatever. I'll take it as long as it leads to good stories...but here's the thing: In the penultimate episode before the three-part series finale, Cassandra asks a question. A question I would have never expected her to ask, despite everything that has happened in the last season. A question that was so baffling, I had to legitimately pause the episode to process the fact that she asked something so stupid. Because Cassandra, the character who is intelligent and grounded in reality, asked, "Am I the bad guy?"

I was honestly shocked to find out she was shocked! How, in the flying, everlasting, cock-a-doodle-doodling F**K does a person like her not pick up that maybe, just maybe, she isn't the hero in this story!? Call me crazy, but endangering the lives of people you once called friends and family, dressing in black, AND HAVING A GIANT EVIL-LOOKING TOWER MADE OUT OF F**KING SPIKES aren't qualities I would give to a hero!

If Cassandra was like Thanos, a character so wrapped up in his ego that he can't even notice how evil he is, I would understand. But she doesn't have an ego. Anger, yes. But for the most part, her personality is based on having logic and reasoning. So turning her into a villain and having her unaware that she's a villain is an act of lunacy that I am incapable of understanding. I don't know who's idea this was, but whoever is to blame...you've got issues.

>Sighs<...This series isn't good, is it?

IN CONCLUSION

I like the animation and some of the characters...but that's not enough. Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure is a mess of a show that tries to do too much for a story that should have so little. Meaning that it's a D+ for me. I want to enjoy it and give it a higher grade, especially with how much I hear people praise this series. And if you do enjoy it, all the power to you. Your opinions are valid, even if I highly disagree with them. Because for me, this is a show that I won't get myself tangled up in again in the future.

[currantlee]

My Top 5 favorite Pokémon Boss Battle Themes

So, I fell into a pit of my Pokémon nostalgia. Don't look at me, I loved these games as a kid, and I don't enjoy what they have become. That being said, I really hope the Sinnoh remakes - both BDSP and Legends - are good, since Sinnoh was my first region and I'd hate to see it butchered. Plus, they look promising. But I'm not getting my hopes up yet, I'll wait for reviews.

Anyways, one of the things I enjoyed so much about these games is the music. I could probably hum you some of the Sinnoh tunes, or even sing the lyrics I imagined for them (it's obvious that Sinnoh is still my favorite region, isn't it?). Or I could list some of my favorite music tracks from all across the series. So... I did just that to get my hype energy somewhere 😂

So yeah, I hope you enjoy this little list 😊 I tried to explain the stories and memories associated with those musical themes as well as I can for those of you who aren't into Pokémon. That being said - spoilers for Pokémon OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver and especially the Sinnoh games ahead.

Oh, and if you do know Pokémon - please leave a comment or reblog and tell me what your favorite boss battle theme is, I'd love to know!

Since Pokémon doesn't have an explicified boss definition, here is what I define as boss battles in Pokémon:

Rival Battles

Gym Battles

Elite Four Battles

Champion Battles

Commander Battles

Admin Battles

Legendary / Unique Pokémon Battles

Frontier Brain or similar Battles

With that being said, let's go!

#5: Pokémon UltraSun/UltraMoon: VS Ultra Necrozma

I will admit, I haven't played the game. I heard this battle is actually pretty difficult, but I can't speak for myself on this. Pokémon games have stopped to be enjoyable to me with Sun and Moon, which had an amazing storyline and some great gameplay concepts, but just... Not enjoyable to me. And USUM seemed like cashgrab to me. I will say though, this musical theme has something and might as well be the best legendary battle theme of modern Pokémon for me.

#4: Pokémon OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire: VS Brendan/May

In Gen3, Game Freak tried out a new approach with the rival character. See, you always have a rival in Pokémon, and up until this point, all rivals were pretty much jerks. What this new approach was? Well... Let's just say they made the rival character the crush of the player character.

Depending on whether you play as Brendan (whom everyone thought to have white hair before ORAS, except Hidenori Kusaka and Satoshi Yamamoto, who make the Pokémon Adventures manga) or as May, the other will be the rival, and let me tell you, the game pushes this ship really hard in my opinion. It's no wonder why the manga chose to write Ruby and Sapphire, Brendan's and May's counterparts respectively, as a romantic couple, who even confess their love for each other - twice.

Their battle theme conveys this perfectly: this isn't two people who hate each other battling, these are two friends, who might like each other more than you like a casual friend, battling to spend time together. Despite that, both of them are determined to not lose.

One of my favorite moments in the entire game is the ending of it. After the credits (during which Brendan and May are riding their bikes home together) have rolled, you arrive at the pond where you and your rival first met, and they will challenge you to a battle once more. It's when you hear this theme, the one you've listened to every time you battled Brendan or May during the game, and it's just an amazing moment in my opinion, one that is accompanied by this soundtrack, following absolute silence.

And yes, I prefer the remake version of this track.

#3: Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum: VS Cyrus

Since Kingdom Hearts is currently my main fandom and therefore most people following me probably know more about that series than about Pokémon, let me explain who Cyrus is: Cyrus is the Xehanort of Pokémon. And that up there is his battle theme. And safe for the one time they butchered it by turning it into a disco song for USUM, it's absolutely perfect.

I especially like the beginning. It conveys intensity and the dangerous situation you're in. I mean, Cyrus literally wants to destroy the universe to replace it with a new one he will rule as a god. He also regards all emotions as weakness and will openly admit that his grunts are useless and merely tools to him. Honestly, he is the most terrifying antagonist of the entire series to me, mainly because his plan is that of a madman, but he is actually serious about it (and unlike Xehanort doesn't let go of it even after his defeat).

At the same time, the musical theme sounds hopeful - like all will be good. And I mean, all is eventually good. You have your Pokémon with you, and Cynthis (who also has a badass battle theme by the way) helps you out too. Here is a great thing about the Sinnoh plot: Cynthia has been built up as a character you can trust, and her philosophy is the direct contrast to Cyrus'. So when she helps you battle Cyrus and Team Galactic - you know she won't let anything happen to you. Despite how terrifying Cyrus is as a villain, you know you're safe, because you have not only your Pokémon, but her on your side. Oh, and she is the final boss of the game. So in the end, you and your Pokémon overcome not only the villain, but also the person who held your hand the entire time.

Sorry this turned into me gushing about the plot of the Sinnoh games, but I can't help it 😅 On with the show!

#2: Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver: VS Champion/Red

If Cyrus is the Xehanort of Pokémon, then Red is it's Yozora. And while his musical theme is technically not his alone, I definitely associate it with him more than I associate it with Lance.

One of the best things about Red in my opinion is how he is foreshadowed during the entire game. Like, in the first city you visit, an elderly man will tell you about a boy named Red who three years ago saved the neighbouring region Kanto from the evil Team Rocket. Then, you hear nothing about him for a very long time - until Blue Oak mentions him again on Cinnebar Island and you meet his worried mother at Pallet Town.

While Red is technically an optional secret boss, the game makes you want to beat him through the little details it reveals about him. That he is a legend, that he is the true Champion of the Indigo League... To me, his mother worrying about him was always what got me the most.

I have to say, I also got a soft spot for the 8-Bit-version of the theme, it's just not what I grew up with. I admittedly never played GSC. I also like the Gen7 take on the theme, which mixes the original melody with the Alolan vibes.

#1: Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum: VS Dialga / Palkia

I don't know how, but they managed to make the piano in this theme as epic as a theme for those two Dr Who-deities deserve. It sounds mysterious and it makes you respect what is in front of you, without sounding bombastic like Arceus' theme (which is also freaking amazing, ngl). Not that that is a bad thing, but I feel like the mysterious vibe fits Dialga and Palkia, who are the embodiments of two very abstract concepts. Arceus is simply god, and that's that. But Dialga and Palkia are the embodiments of time and space, two concepts that are far more difficult to grasp than "god".

Dialga also has an amazing battle theme in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, which definitely deserves an honorable mention here (Palkia's theme in said game is okay, but they definitely got the short end of the stick IMO).

I really hope they're not going to butcher this theme (or Cynthia's. Or Cyrus'. Or any of the Gen4 themes really) in the remakes. But the one thing Pokémon didn't mess up completely for me so far is the soundtrack (except that one time they turned Cyrus' theme into a disco song, which really doesn't fit him at all). So I have faith in that at least.

What's your favorite boss battle theme in Pokémon? Leave me a comment if you like, I'd love to hear about it!

[alieinthemorning]

(Taken from @/cozyvaquita on Twitter)

1. Something new you tired? Something you wish you did?

This year I started writing for a new fandom! I wish I wrote for any of the other ones I rambled about.

2. The fic with your best writing? What about your favorite? No. They're not the same.

I think Slip of His Mask has some of my best writing. I'm not too sure though. Can the audience please vote now?

More Than A Tool is one of my favorites. Anything that sticks in my head for a long time and evokes so much emotions from me gets to sit on the top shelf.

3. A line/paragraph (or even three) you wrote that absolutely bangs?

“You’re more than a weapon. More than a tool.” Your grip on him tightened. “You are Ajax. A son, a brother and the man that I love.”

- More Than A Tool

“There’s only one other person who shares in this pain and that’s you Diluc.” You made your way to him, placing your hands on his clenched fists.

“Please help Kaeya.”

He looked up at you. Eyes that burned with no flame, now hazed by tears.

“Please save your brother.”

- Slip of His Mask

“Which means,” She took your hands into her own, “each and every one of these scars is a star. Something that was meant to be.” She kissed them.

- Stars Within Scars

4. Pick a fic you've written. Now distill it into a single color. Why does it look that way to you?

A color? This is more so of a swirl. Its very dark with reds, blues and purples. A bit like a galaxy if you will. There's something that's not said in the fic but I've thought a lot about. It has to do with Kaeya's eyes, stigmata and Khaenri'ah. The fic I'm talking about is Slip of His Mask.

5. Three tracks you've listen to a totally normal amount while writing?

I'm not big on listening to music when writing since I usually zone all the way out and a song ends up playing like five times.

I'd say a lot of Friday Night Funkin' songs were played though.

6. The fic you spent the most time on?

Whispers on the Wind . I fretted so hard over it and I still don't think it's all that good. I always want to go back and work on it.

7. The fic that made you want to quit writing?

See above.

8. The fic you had the most fun with?

Sheer Cold Cryo. Reader mocking Kaeya was a highlight for me. Oh! and just pocking fun at him with Albedo!

9. The fic that should've gotten more attention. You know you're right. Tell everyone why.

All of them. Read them, they're a treat.

10. Favorite thing someone's said about your writing. In a fic comment or otherwise?

my first comment bc i love ur ficlet series omg heart eyes awooga

ittos lovely on Homie of an Oni (AO3)

Itto picks us up bridal style? Oh???

I love this collection so far! Well done!

Anon Itto Enjoyer on Homie of an Oni (AO3)

11. Your biggest writing grievance? Complain to your heart's content. You've earned the right.

The whole writing part. Why can't the ideas just go from my head onto the document?

12. The wip you're most enthused about? Show us a snippet.

I ain't got no tea sis.

13. The project you're happiest about finishing?

Smiles in yet another deleted fic. Once again, wasn't a genshin fic. But I spent a very long time on it! And it all didn't even get published! But I'm happy I finished it!

14. Your best oddly specific tag(s) you've used for you fics?

Arataki Itto Being The Best Character In Genshin Impact

15. Your writing process moodboard? Pick 4 images.

16. A fic you did the absolute most with, the one you wrote for you? You didn't have to go that far, but you wanted to. Brag about it.

[REDACTED] because it's deleted! Here's a comment I got on the fic though!

i yell-laughed at the idea of riku saying "lets rock and roll" a la embarrasing dad style, this was so cute heLLLP

17. Finally, writing is often a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad experience. What made you keep at it anyway in this bizarre year?

Me. There were things that I wanted to read that weren't written, so I had to write it.

I did my MHA fics under the cut!

I started writing for more female characters! I wish I finished that one fic! Too late for that now!

2. The fic with your best writing? What about your favorite? No. They're not the same.

I'm definitely gonna need an audience vote on this one. I have no idea.

I'm definitely gonna need an audience vote on this one. I have no idea.

3. A line/paragraph (or even three) you wrote that absolutely bangs?

SHIGARAKI TOMURA WAGES WAR ON HEROES

You shut off the tv.

And think back to simpler times.

When Shimura Tenko held your heart.

- Shigaraki Tomura | Shimura Tenko [one]

A red feather slid underneath the door and up toward the lock, but you snatched it out the air. “No!” Then shoved it back under. “Please, please—  Just leave me alone!”

There was a solid thump on the other side. “What happened? Is it something I did? I can’t stand to see you like this.” His voice was calm but you could still hear the undertones of pain and fear.

“No. You didn’t do anything wrong, Keigo.”

“Then why would you ask me if I hated you.”

“I—” The message flashed across your lids. “I can’t —” You pulled at your hair.

“Then… can I at least stay?” You wanted him to stay but you also wanted him to leave. He didn’t need to be here while you wallowed in self pity. It wasn’t even all that important anyway. Just you being over reactive as usual.

- Hawks | Takami Keigo [three]

“I gotta admit, it would’ve been easier to get rid of you if you weren’t so beautiful.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat, choosing to ignore his compliment . “The worst part was that I saw it coming, I knew you’d hurt me, hurt us, but I still kept you around.” You shook your head. “We were never in love, we were simply caught up in a nightmare that felt like a dream.”

- Dabi [Winter Wonderland]

4. Pick a fic you've written. Now distill it into a single color. Why does it look that way to you?

Cinderella Blue. For the Cinderella Series I did. Well, not a series per say, but I wrote 3 fics using songs from Cinderella (1997)

Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?, Ten Minutes Ago, Dabi | Todoroki Touya [one]

5. Three tracks you've listen to a totally normal amount while writing?

I'm not big on listening to music when writing since I usually zone all the way out and a song ends up playing like five times. I'd say a lot of Friday Night Funkin' songs were played though.

6. The fic you spent the most time on?

I don't know... if it was anything it was a request though.

7. The fic that made you want to quit writing?

[Redacted]

Nah, I'll actually namedrop this one.

Quirkmates.

I'm not really a fan of Midoriya, but a few people were wondering if I was every gonna make it into a full fic.

The concept with good but I didn't have the motivation to properly executive it.

8. The fic you had the most fun with?

Foxy Mama, but like all the fun was behind the scene and are trapped in my head.

9. The fic that should've gotten more attention. You know you're right. Tell everyone why.

All of them. Read them, they're a treat.

10. Favorite thing someone's said about your writing. In a fic comment or otherwise?

OK this is really weird but all the nicknames Hawks uses just... makes me melt.

My_Little_Epona on Hawks | Takami Keigo [three] (AO3)

Something else completely relatable. I friggin' love angst, ngl. It's also really nice seeing Hawks being there for the reader, it makes my heart melt. I obviously don't know what the reader read, but I definitely can understand where she's coming from. Now, while I do hope nothing else ends up hurting you, I do love to read your angst fics! <3

MsPyromaniac on Hawks | Takami Keigo [three] (AO3)

Its nearly a year later vut i hope you feel better! ;u; also djdodndjdodndj i love me some hurt/comfort. its... very comforting xD

Summoner_Jay on Hawks | Takami Keigo [three] (AO3)

Thank y'all for the comments on my self-indulgent vent fics.

11. Your biggest writing grievance? Complain to your heart's content. You've earned the right.

The whole writing part. Why can't the ideas just go from my head onto the document?

12. The wip you're most enthused about? Show us a snippet.

I ain't got no tea sis.

13. The project you're happiest about finishing?

Smiles in yet another deleted fic. Once again, wasn't a genshin fic. But I spent a very long time on it! And it all didn't even get published! But I'm happy I finished it!

14. Your best oddly specific tag(s) you've used for you fics?

Reader has a Fox Quirk !

15. Your writing process moodboard? Pick 4 images.

16. A fic you did the absolute most with, the one you wrote for you? You didn't have to go that far, but you wanted to. Brag about it.

I'd say the Check In Series. I was going through it when I wrote those. Very dark times, read at your own risk.

17. Finally, writing is often a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad experience. What made you keep at it anyway in this bizarre year?

Me. There were things that I wanted to read that weren't written, so I had to write it.

[iaintyourbro]

Helooo u. Ur opinions r fresh and i really did have same ideas but it just looked odd (specifically UT)and I didn't share my thoughts. Make ur own analyzes plz. Have do u see characters development and relationship with each other? And what u really didn't expect in ur firstplaythrough?

Hey there! Appreciate the comment.

I do plan on doing basic analysis on how I feel about things and interpret things. I am not a body language expert or an expert on human interaction, so pretty much it’d be me and how I deal with things myself or how I perceive things. @silver-wield @nibelheiim and @otp-oasis-heavenxearth Do some really good analysis on body language and psychology, among other things.

I can talk about my first impressions and things that I wasn’t expecting, here, though.. And it’s gonna be long, cuz I have a lot of thoughts.

So full disclosure - I was worried about FF7 Remake. I almost didn’t play it. I actually didn’t play it right away. I liked the OG a lot, but FF8 was my favorite. That being said, I still really enjoyed 7, so was anxious initially about the remake. I was worried they’d change too much, which I don’t deal with very well. 

My husband played it first. I’m definitely the FF stan in the family. I played a game in college where people would play FF songs and I could name them. I was fun, I know. I guess it worked cuz my husband stuck around. 

I wasn’t aware of the Love Triangle of FF7 between C-T-A. I thought it was pretty straight forward, even as a teen. Cloud was... well, Cloud, I didn’t get all there was to understand about that situation, but I didn’t see a lot of romance in FF7. Especially since I finished FF8 first. However, Aerith died... Tifa saves him in the Lifestream, and they go on their way. The ending was bizarre when he said he’d meet her and Tifa’s reaction also made no sense. But I didn’t think much of it - wasn’t the game with the romance, so I didn’t take it as such. The game also was riddled with translation errors. “This guy are sick.”

Anyway - Remake, I would glance at my husband’s play through and was amazed at times, but still being a stubborn dumbass, like I am. I think the few times I saw Cloti scenes I was like woahhhkayyy... I don’t remember this. I saw the pillar drop on his playthrough and cried when they showed Wedge. Like both of us wouldn’t look at each other cuz we both were losing it.

My first playthrough was truly played with no shipping goggles, because I didn’t own them yet.

So I decided to play. My kids were being total jerks and carrying on, so I was getting upset as I’m realizing I enjoy the game. The voice acting, battle system, environments, characters, I was like in shock and awe, and slipping back to being a young teen again playing FF for the first time.

Got to the Discovery Quest - Alone at Last. I mean, I saw the title of it and was like um okay... this seems suggestive. Then she tells you to come over after you’re done changing your filter. Ohh... okay... huh. Also noticed Cloud being jealous at times? That was new.

Cloud in general was different than he was in the OG. But I LOVED it. I loved how they did his character. It makes the battle of his persona much more intense and enjoyable. The SOLDIER!Cloud vs True!Cloud stuff. (I didn’t know these terms my first play through, I did notice his face changing a lot). At times, Cloud was a jerk in the OG (well, you could make him be a jerk, I suppose, he wasn’t all that bad). 

Alone at Last I was like “HOLY SHIT!” This is so suggestive! And this was before I heard... 

The Moan  (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 

I actually heard it on a YouTube video where somebody pointed it out. However I DID notice that Cloud asked her if she was sure she didn’t want a break at the end too... I got that one.  (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

So anything heavy Cloti wasn’t even a though thinking about remake. At all. Not a wish or anything, I just didn’t think there’d be anything even close to it. Remake is actually what made me absolutely fall in LOVE with the Cloud x Tifa pairing. It is so damn wholesome and charged. Whenever that sexual tension breaks, it’ll be intense. I didn’t even know Cloud x Tifa was “Cloti” until I looked up “is the remake pushing Cloud and Tifa?” cuz I was that confused.

I got the resolution scene with Tifa on my first play through, only because I chose her first in the sewers. I did every quest, so I didn’t miss anything. Another thing I had spoiled by watching my husband play, I believe. Another thing I thought I must have been imaging. Especially when he stands there and I start going “wtf dude... ARE YOU GOING TO HUG HER?!” Phew, glad he did.

Jessie drove me nuts - I don’t do well with characters like her. I kept commenting that she wasn’t like this at all, at least not that I picked up on. I was thrilled when Cloud said “Are you seriously that desperate!?” because that’s exactly what I kept thinking. I didn’t like her death scene, I’m not sure if it was the dialogue or the way it was delivered, but I definitely got upset when Tifa was crying, cuz she just was breaking down emotionally as things go. Then Cloud’s reaction... phew. 

I ADORE BIGGS AND WEDGE, though. Wedge especially, since I’m also a cat lover. Biggs looking like Charlie Sheen had me laughing. 

Barret is amazing. I love the growing broness between him and Cloud. They start rough and end good. His relationship with Marlene is much more developed, and Marlene had a major improvement, I think, since she actually says quite a bit. 

All of the environments were gorgeous. Seeing Midgar as it should be seen and not a screen of dirt and buildings was incredible. Aerith’s house was insane. I definitely was in awe of that place when you first get to it. the skyline during the rooftop sequence was great. I cannot wait to see the rest of the game and those environments - like Cosmo Canyon, for example... 

THE MUSIC: Who else lost their shit when the third phase of Jenova Dreamweaver played J-E-N-O-V-A?! The jukebox was a pleasant surprise that I was iffy on at first, but ended up loving it. Stamp, Midgar Blues, On our Way, Tifa’s Theme (jazzy), and FREAKING SCARLET’S THEME. The Arsenal battle theme was one of my favorites.

And can we talk about Scarlet? Using a soldier as a foot stool and making him crawl around? Guess he took the whole Stamp thing to heart. Scarlet is such a nasty bitch, but I can’t help but love it. 

Aerith was greatly improved character wise for me over her OG version. I didn’t really like her... at all... in the OG. Not good with female characters that start shit with flirting. Just felt malicious at times (though as an adult I think she just was really immature). I ADORE THE FRIENDSHIP OF HER AND TIFA.

The new characters: Oh boy, change. 

BUT ANDREA!!! Andrea was amazing. I absolutely ADORE him. 

Madam M and Chocobo Sam were also pretty good. Leslie was great, and I hope we see more of what goes on with him. It’d be nice if he could be there to see Corneo die. 

Honeybee Inn was incredible.

Things I wasn’t a huge fan of:

Well, Chapter 8 was good on my first play through, but after that, I had a hard time with it. It’s slow. You have to walk, you have to wait a lot. So, I’d say the pacing on Chapter 8 is a bit slow for me. There’s not much “action” if you will. The scenery is good, though. 

Jessie... yeah, I know. A lot of people love Jessie. I just don’t - she’s too extreme with the quest to get laid. However, I did enjoy thinking about her and Biggs having a thing. 

The sun lamps. 

The robot arms in Chapter 9. 

Getting around the stupid trash and stuff to leave Aerith’s house.

My list of bad isn’t long. I love the game, so don’t mind really going through all of that stuff again.

THE SEWER PUMP IS EVIL.

[wasserikosaeder]

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I! JUST!! SAW! DAUGHTER!!!! LIVE!!!!!!!!!! IN A SHOW WITH ONLY LIKE 500 PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!! IN AN OLD GORGEOUS THEATER!!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY ACTUALLY CAME TO MY CITY WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!! ELENA! WAS! SO! GOSHDARN SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY WERE ALL SO NICE AND AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I’M CRYIGN

[epen409]

My Top 18 Favorite Movies, TV Shows and/or Cartoons of 2018 (in no particular order) Part Dos

10. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Ignore the neckbeards who have nothing better to do, so they complain about reboots of cartoons from the quote on quote "golden age of animation, the 80's". She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a really great show, that yes, is better than the original 80's show. It's able to create a more fun and engaging story, while also having a lot of memorable and likable characters. It also has a theme that I found very interesting, where the villains aren't born evil, they are just misled in the wrong direction and don't truly know wrong from right. It's quite a bold theme for the show. If there is a kind of big flaw, the animation is a little wonky. Some shots and scenes look great, while others are very easy to see where the animation mistakes are. That said, it's still a great show that takes advantage of all of it's fun and interesting characters, and brings them together in a new show that blows its predecessor out of the water. And yes, LGBT fans. It's very, very gay.

11. Spider-Man Into the Spider verse

What a comeback story. Who would have thought that the studio that made the whole world of animation cry last year would end up making the best animated film of the year? But anyways, Spider-Man into the Spiderverse is not only able to live up to all the hype it's been getting for the past year, but it also blew our expectations away. First of all, it looks GORGEOUS. It's able to make a visual style that's not only very beautiful and interesting, but it also happens to create a loving tribute to the original medium of comic books. Second, they put just as much effort in the story as they did with the visuals, which is not only a very fun superhero film, but also manages to be a very engaging emotional story as well, with lots of fun, interesting and memorable characters as well. If there is something to say isn't perfect, I did notice at least one plot hole that left me a bit confused, and they kind of blew the wad for putting in a few too many characters, where, while fun and memorable, don't have that much screen time and don't leave as big of an impression as the main characters. But still, it's one of the year's best movies, so go watch it NOW!

12. Flcl Progressive and Alternative

The first anime I ever saw was FLCL. It was insane, had gorgeous animation, memorable characters and I loved every minute of it. Do its sequel series' live up to the original's legacy. Well, let me put it this way. I very much enjoyed both shows, equally too. I thought they were very fun shows, and their themes, while sometimes a little hit-and-miss, still got their points across, the new characters were very fun and memorable, and the action scenes were also animated very well. With all that said, they still don't hold a candle to the original show. But that's okay, because I imagine it'd be very hard to. I still think that both of these new shows were very good, and although not as great as the original FLCL, was still lots of fun, and somewhat worthy successors to one of the greatest animas of all time. I still recommend both, since they still were good in my opinion.

13. Hilda

Miss Gravity Falls and Over the Garden Wall? Then have I got the show for you. Hilda is a great show from Netflix that manages to capture the spirits of  both those shows, but also having its own identity and voice. One thing I appreciate about the show is that not only can it be calm and laid back in more character and establishing moments, but it also can be equally as exciting and fun for its more adventurous and action scenes. The characters are all very charming. Hilda is a free-spirited and adventurous young girl, but she's not a pushover or overly cheery either. Her friends both regular and supernatural, can sometimes fall into familiar tropes, but also are very fun and enjoyable to watch. (Alfie's my favorite). It's a great show to watch, especially on days you want to cozy up with a cup of hot liquids of some kind, and take it all in. It's a great show, and I highly recommend giving it a watch.

14. Christopher Robin

I missed Winnie the Pooh. Yes, an 18-year old male misses the adventures of a talking teddy bear. Deal with it. But anyways, for a while it seemed that Disney had somewhat given up on the bear with little brains, but they've given him another chance with this new film, but this time, mainly focusing on his human friend, Christopher Robin. One thing this movie gets right is the feeling of Winnie the Pooh. Pooh has never been known for incredibly convoluted stories, just mainly simple tales that it's colorful cast of characters can bounce off of, and this movie nails that feeling down. It's also close to the original cast of characters, since deviating away from their personalities would be considered a form of blasphemy. Also, the performances here are great too. Evan McGregor makes a surprisingly good Christopher Robin, Hayley Atwell is charming as his wife, the girl who played their daughter was pretty good too, and of course, our friends from the 100 Acre Woods are played very well by the new cast, especially the one and only Jim Cummings, the only modern voice for both Pooh and Tigger. Now it does have flaws, like the story is kind of the typical "Dad's too busy for the kids", and although I've grown to like it over time, but sometimes it got a little too dramatic for some scenes, and at time Christopher Robin himself came off a bit as whiny and unlikable in some scenes. With that said, it's very easy to see that the whole film is a big love letter to Winnie the Pooh. No, it's not the best movie of the year, Or anything like that, but if you want a nice, enjoyable and cute movie to watch, then Christopher Robin is the perfect film to watch.

15. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

I'll break my rule just this once to include a video game here. Super Smash Bros Ultimate was the biggest game from Nintendo this holiday season, and boy did it deliver. The last Smash Bros. game, was lots of fun, with it bringing all of our favorite (popular) video game characters together for a huge brawl. This next one, takes it up to 11. One thing I walkways admired from the games is that it's not the world's most complicated fighter game, while also still being oodles of fun. Only one big flaw: no Waluigi. Nah, just kidding. It's a great game, and a great farewell to the world of Smash from it's director, Masahiro Sakurai.

16. The Dragon Prince

Here's another show that didn't get that much attention on Netflix, The Dragon Prince. Made by the head writer from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the creator of the Uncharted games, comes a massive fantasy epic focusing on the Battle between humans and fantasy creatures like elves and dragons. One thing I really love about this show is just how complex the characters and their morals are. It's a show that takes a lot of advantage from this theme. It's also filled with lots of fun, yet also very interesting characters. You will probably get attached to them by the end of the show, which may break some hearts too... But yeah, might as well address the elephant in the room, the animation. In fact, I do think that maybe the reason it didn't immediately catch on was because a lot of people were turned off by the animation style. But I still recommend it and ask that you give it a chance, because not only was it lots of fun, and very interesting, but the story and characters help redeem the animation, plus it does improve itself over time. Please, please, please give The Dragon Prince a chance, it's a great show.

17. Ralph Breaks the Internet

Don't worry. It's not another Emoji Movie. Ralph Breaks the Internet is not only a worthy successor to the original film, but it also manages to expand a lot on the heart from the original. This time, instead of arcade games, it plucks our characters into the Internet, and unlike the Emoji Movie, manages to make more clever and creative ideas while being on the Internet. And yeah, maybe the scene when Vanellope visits the Disney website might be Disney patting themselves on the back a little too hard, but it's still a very funny and enjoyable scene that also helps move the plot forward. But one thing the movie was amazing at was expanding on its characters and their development. It even manages to avoid the typical happy ending, which, without spoiling anything, actually makes a change in the characters lives. If there is a flaw, like I said, it's 10 times better than the Emoji Movie, but I will admit, between the cameos from Youtubers and the one scene where Ralph becomes a meme, did kind of make me roll my eyes, but thankfully, unlike the Emoji movie, it doesn't dwell too much on these scenes all that much, and knows when to move the plot forward in the right direction. I still say it's a worthy sequel that's worth your time.

Also, Yesss is my new waifu.

18. Mary Poppins Returns

Here's one of the few live-action Disney films in recent years, I feel are very worthy to the legacy of their original film. Mary Poppins Returns is just a complete and utter joy of a film, not unlike the original classic. The performance of Emily Blunt as the titular nanny is a worthy successor the original by Julie Andrews, and character in general. Lin Manuel-Miranda not only does a great job in continuing the spirit of Dick Van Dyke from the first film, but also in writing a plethora of great songs that are amazingly performed and choreographed by the cast, while also giving tribute to the Sherman Brother's original songs. Even the kids, who I kind expected to get on my nerves, are actually pretty likable and fun, and are given, eh passable performances by their actors and actress. The animation sequence brought a tear to my eye, not only because it was lots of fun, but because I'm just happy to beautiful 2D Disney animation on the big screen again. If there is some flaws, yeah, the story is yet another Dad needs to spend more time with kids plot again, and it does bring some more action/suspenseful moments that I don't feel are completely in spirit to the original film's more laid back tone. But regardless, it's an overall great and very charming new film from Disney, and although I would like them to try doing some more original stuff with their live-action movies, I hope can keep the spirit of both this film,and a lot of the classic live-action Disney movies (like the original Mary Poppins, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, Darby O' Gill, Swiss Family Robinson and some others you guys probably never heard of).

So that's about it. Thank you all for sticking around listening to me talk about all these Movies and TV shows are worth remembering from this year, and there's a lot I'm excited for next year, and I hope that this next year can be an improvement, with more kindness and joy from the world and from people. Yeah, it's wishful thinking, but it's not a bad wish to have. Thank you all for supporting this page for the last year,and I'LL see ya in 2019!

[madi2112]

A piece of the past moves forward

About a million years ago (plus a lifetime) I was a musician.

Yep, little 'ol me.

Even harder to believe was the fact I was a drummer to boot.

I was in various bands starting late in my teens and at one point was in a cover band that played shows all over the Western U.S.

Through a series of unexpected events I am now playing again.

And writing again.

One of a few influences in my drumming style (and more) has been Neil Peart of Rush. While I do not have the skill level that he does, learning some of the patterns he plays helped me to obtain an ok level of proficiency.

He also made it acceptable to be more then someone who "hits stuff with sticks".

I am also a lyricist. Just like he is.

Both of those passions were seemingly dead.

The last (and most successful) band I was in had just broken up and I did not want to start all over again. Finding other people to make music with is difficult. You need to share a certain chemistry as well as have similar skill levels, be similar in ages, experience and attitudes.

Then IF you can find others like that there is lots of rehearsal time.

Those were things I was not interested in having to do, yet again, to start (or join) a new band.

Plus this little thing called transition was looming.

So I packed up all the equipment and closed that chapter in my life. Or so I thought.

A childhood friend and I had a band for many years that was based on original music. He wrote the music, I wrote the lyrics, we both worked on the arrangements and came up with dozens of catchy songs (We think anyways). We played about every single club/bar/venue in the San Diego area with limited success.

Our biggest challenge was finding a third person to complete the trio. It was always him and I and a rotation of people filling that third spot. None of which ever had the right balance of skill, chemistry and dedication to make it completely work.

So when we both relocted to Utah we ended up doing covers. It was fun and all, and we played steadily enough, but there was a lack of satisfaction in just doing other peoples songs.

We considered ourselves songwriters above all and missed that immensely.

When the last cover band we were in togther split we each went our separate ways. He moved back to California and I found a new coverband. Plus that transition thing again.

Even though my friend and I had been in bands together off and on for nearly 30 years I never shared my gender issues with him. It was my dark secert. Of corse. for those same 30 years I didn't share my gender issues with anyone at all.

Once I did share them disaster struck because of it.

Besides, a big part of the reason I played music was that it served as an enjoyable distraction from my underlying issue. Like other hobbies I had in my life.

Fast forward 8 years...

I get an email out of the blue with a short 7 word message in it. No greeting, no sign off, no hints of who it is.

But that note was an inside joke we had between us. I instantly knew who it was.

I responded with another phrase we once kicked around and after exchanging a few more like that the inevitable question of "What are you up to now?" Was asked of me.

"If you only knew" I thought to myself.

But after being silent the entire time I have known him (now pushing closer to 40 years) I knew it was time.

I was finally living my life as myself and there was no way I was (or am) ever going to back to what I never really was.

He had to be told.

So I dusted off the old "I have something to tell you, but once I do I can never untell you" speech and finaly let the truth be know.

He was shocked, confused, puzzled and curious at first and a bit hurt too as I had never come out before now.

I answered what ever questions he had and like others have done once I told them, he looked back and now realized the clues were there. That some of the things I did, I said and the way I acted suddenly now made sense.

In a big moment of relief, he accepted me and things between us have never been better.

I then got him caught up on all the 'other' events in my life that have occurred since we last kept in touch.

Cancer, Chemotherapy, relocation, spliting with my wife, estrangement from my son, losing about everything, a new girlfriend, new job etc. all were discussed openly, honestly and with a depth we had never had before.

He commented that he never understood why in all the years we had know each other our friendship was a bit superficial. We may have shared music, songwriting, sports and more togather but we never got in deep conversions about anything more personal or emotional.

Obviously he now knew the reasons why I kept that at bay.

When the subject of my Cancer and upcoming surgery came up he was taken aback by even the possibility of it being fatal.

In an effort to lift my spirits he suggested one day maybe we could write some new songs together again. Half seriously and half using that as motivation for me to get well soon and have something to look forward to.

But as we continued to communicate the real possibility of doing just that became a reality.

All I had to do was survive surgery (step one completed) then recover enough to get back on my feet (step two completed) go back to work and get some equipment (I left all my music gear back in Utah when I fled from there) so I could play again (step three completed) learn to play the drums to a reasonable degree (still very much a work in progress on that part).

He also requested I shoot him some new lyrics.

So I opened up the long dormant section of my life that does that and crafted some new lyrics. It had been about 10 years since I was in that mode.

It was painful at first and my lyric writing skills were certainly rusty.

I decided to focus on making my lyrics more personal and reflective. The last four years have been a strange journey (to put it nicely). Once I did that the words came quickly and it flowed easily.

Using my new lyrics and recafting older ones I had wtitten (still can't believe he saved those!) Seven new songs are in various degress of the development stages!

So the decision was made to rename the band , find a site to host our music and slowly record and release new songs as we complete them.

To get things started we found two songs in our catalog of older material that were recorded well enough to present.

The band (or more accurately, this recording project) is now called "Coast 2 Coast" and the link to hear those songs is at:

Have a listen if you want, if not that's ok too. We are doing this project because we enjoy it. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Like my love of cooking, I enjoy the creativity, the skill and the presentation of both music and food. Putting them in front of people and having them enjoy what you did is rewarding in itself.

However like food, music is subjective and one of personal taste. There is no right or wrong, just things you like and things you take a pass on. If it's not for you then keep going and realize there may be others who do enjoy it.

Just the same as almost everything else in life.

~Madison

HRT574