#graves g2

[thepettymachine]

Robert planned a vacation to France for the family

So they in France

[grave-st0ned]

hi babes bc i STILL keep seeing people diss on g3 bc it’s not the exact same as g1 LMAO

caption below the cut

video credit - @/xcanadensis on tik tok

“hey guys im here to correct on some misinformation in what a reboot is. a reboot is what it sounds like - it is a reimagining of a series. they’ll take old concepts, characters, or even just the franchise name and breathe new life into it.

“a lot of people will say a reboot isn’t necessary, BUT that’s coming from a fan of the originals, not from people who know the original sold. monster high in my opinion is the best example of what i’m talking about because generation one of monster high was only profitable really for about three or four years and that’s why it ended and that’s why they did the generation two reboot.

“so generation three was actually workshopped for YEARS by people who knew what they were doing. generation one of Monster High came out in 2010 generation three of Monster High came out in 2022. these are totally different markets.

“and as much as doll collectors hate to hear it - these are for children. the market that they tested and research with was children. as much as it might be a little bit sad to think ‘oh they changed my favorite character’ the originals still exist, you can always tune back in and check it out. at the end of the day, these are businesses. they don’t really care about your feelings, they’re just trying to make money off of an old familiar franchise again.

“i’m not super knowledgeable about holly hobbie but this is one of my original holly hobbie dolls and this is a new one and i’m pretty sure these are both the character carrie. they decided because when the originals came out, they did not have really any diversity other than hair color, they decided to add diversity of the line and completely reimagined them. a doll like like this would have not been successful in the early 2000s. this one wasn’t either but they tried something new.”

-brick (@/xcanadensis on tik tok)

***it might not be an exact translation but i tried my best T-T i replayed it about 90 billion times and words have no meaning now***

[wildsaltair]

This will be my single controversial rant about Gladiator and its sequel (specifically my thoughts on Maximus being retconned as Lucius' father), and then I will be silent on the matter because this blog is meant to be A Good Time and I just enjoy sharing my love for Gladiator with everyone on here :)

KIND OF SPOILERS FOR GLADIATOR AND THE SEQUEL (BUT NOT REALLY) BELOW

As everyone knows, Ridley Scott made the choice to reveal in Gladiator 2 that Lucius is actually the son of Maximus from a secret affair with Lucilla. In G2, it's apparently implied that Lucilla was trapped in a bad marriage, fell in love with Maximus, and kept the truth about Lucius' father a secret. Lots of viewers have been split about this, with some thinking that plot point was implied in Gladiator and others feeling that it contradicts what was established in Gladiator.

I am strongly of the opinion that this choice was a bad one, that it does interfere with the integrity of the original film, and that Gladiator 2 would have been much better without that change. I'll give my reasons below.

1. Yes, rewriting Maximus as a cheater does destroy his entire character arc in Gladiator.

We've all seen Gladiator, right? The one where the hero has everything life can offer but longs only to return home to be with his beloved wife and son? Carries their figurines with him into battle, cares only for them when his own life is threatened, lays down to die by their graves after he finds them dead? Spends the whole movie only wanting to meet them again in the afterlife and only gets peace once he's there.

Yeah. Apparently that guy cheated on his wife with a princess. His son and Lucilla's sons are the same age, which means Maximus would have to have been married to his wife while also sleeping with Lucilla.

Maximus' entire character arc relies on his pure, unconditional, self-sacrificial love for his family. Take that away, and you have a generic action movie about a guy who wants revenge because the Emperor tried to kill him once. Even when Maximus has lost everything inside himself and cares about nothing else, he still honors the memory of his family and fights to avenge them as well as join them. He is shown still talking to his wife in the afterlife through prayer and believing she can hear him. As @streets-in-paradise pointed out, it's the equivalent of having Aragon or Hector of Troy cheat on their wives — it's just painfully out of character for them.

There's also an element of Maximus' love and respect for his Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, another driving force in his characterization. I think Maximus has too much respect for Marcus to have had an affair with Marcus' married daughter, even if he knew Marcus maybe would have wished Maximus had married Lucilla. We never get much insight into that part of the past, but if we go by the virtues Maximus upholds throughout the movie, I just don't think Maximus would have considered sneaking behind Marcus' back to sleep with his daughter.

Either way, the emotional heart of Maximus' character is his love for his family, and retconning that so your sequel has a "bigger emotional impact" is nothing short of undignified and sloppy.

2. All the conversations between Maximus and Lucilla in Gladiator imply that they did have a romantic relationship — but that it was public (not clandestine) and took place before either of them were married.

Yes, Maximus and Lucilla definitely were in love at some point. Russell Crowe and Connie Nielsen have great chemistry, and their conversations (both of them) hold so much weight with "what could have been." Lucilla talks about how she wounded Maximus deeply as he did her, and their conversations are full of things like, "Is it so terrible seeing me again?" The weight of their previous emotional attachment pervades the movie in a way that is inextricable from the plot.

BUT. Maximus and Lucilla had their relationship A LONG TIME AGO. This is very clearly established by the way they talk to each other. Maximus has been in Germania for twelve years (taking breaks only to go home, but NEVER to visit Rome). He and Lucilla presumably met sometime before that, probably while the royal family was visiting some city where Maximus was serving in / commanding the army. The details are never established.

However, Maximus and Lucilla clearly had a public enough relationship that Marcus and Commodus knew about it, but there is never the slightest mention in Gladiator that Lucius might be Maximus' son — something Commodus surely would have exploited had he known it was a possibility.

Maximus and Lucilla were in love, but it was before they married other people. They were probably teenagers or young adults who fell madly in love, wanted to marry, but were stopped for whatever reason (probably Maximus not wanting to play politician's games, as he implies). Maximus met the woman he eventually married, Lucilla married Lucius Verus, and they carried on with their lives until they met again at the beginning of Gladiator.

Also, Maximus talks about the respect he had for Lucilla's husband (a far cry from what Gladiator 2 implies about Lucius Verus), and she talks about how she mourned Maximus' family. Sure, you can read into the script and find stuff about how Maximus could have been Lucius' father, but it explicitly goes against the values and implications of the overall acript.

Connie Nielsen stated that she played her scenes thinking that Maximus was Lucius' father. She's an actress, and she plays Lucilla brilliantly. But she's not the scriptwriter, and no matter what her intentions were, the script implies that their relationship took place much longer ago, before either of them were married. @becomelions made a great post about how Lucilla, too, can wish as much as she wants that Maximus was Lucius' father, but he couldn't have been. Not unless you retcon all of Gladiator as fanfiction.

3. Maximus' relationships with Lucilla and Lucius are not meant to replace those he had with his wife and son — they are meant to be reflections of some of the bigger themes of the film.

With all that said, this is not a hate post about how Gladiator should have been about Maximus and his wife and son, and how I hate Lucilla and Lucius' story and think it contradicts that blah blah blah. NO. The storyline with Lucilla, Lucius, and Maximus is one of the strong points of the whole movie — but not as a replacement for the family he has lost.

In a lot of ways, Lucilla represents Rome as the ideal Maximus always believed in: beautiful, noble, and proud. When he becomes disillusioned with Rome, he becomes disillusioned with Lucilla; when he starts to believe in the hope of Rome again, he starts to believe in Lucilla again. They're always linked. Lucilla is not the woman he wants to start over with and marry now that his wife is gone. She is an old friend and ally whom he eventually learns to trust again.

Lucius, on the other hand, represents what Rome can be again. Lucius is the grandson of Marcus Aurelius, and I think Maximus longs to honor his mentor by preserving the life of his last living heir. Lucius reminds Maximus of his son, yes, and he brings out the protectiveness and the desire to do for Lucius what he couldn't do for his own son. But that doesn't mean Lucius has to be his son for that relationship to have emotional impact, as I will explain further in point 5.

4. Maximus' relationships with Lucilla and Lucius are genuinely integral to the film, but as they are — not as what they could be.

Again, I absolutely love the dynamics between Maximus, Lucilla, and Lucius throughout Gladiator. Russell and Connie play off each other so well with those "I remember how you used to be but that was a long time ago" vibes. Russell and Spencer Treat Clark only share one scene, but it's one of the film's most memorable scenes.

However, we are not meant to question those relationships as "oooooh but what if Lucius is actually Maximus' son????" Maybe Ridley left that door open for the audience to consider, but again, I feel like the film contradicts that by implying that Lucilla and Maximus loved each other much longer ago.

When you make Lucius Maximus' son, Lucilla's seeking out of Maximus as his savior becomes less interesting. It becomes "I'm calling on you to save your son even though you don't know he's your son" instead of "I'm asking you to act out of the goodness inside you to save a boy who doesn't deserve to die any more than your own son did." The version we see in Gladiator is so much more impactful.

It also cheapens what Lucius' journey could have been in Gladiator 2! Again, @streets-in-paradise pointed out how much better the sequel could have been if Lucius had been acting in the shadow of a brilliant man who captivated the city of Rome but also was his friend for a little while. As I'll discuss in point 6, having the reveal of Lucius as Maximus' son is just the laziest possible route for a sequel, and it certainly drags down the dignity of the relationships we see in Gladiator.

5. One of the strengths of Maximus' choice to fight for Lucius' survival in Gladiator lies in the fact that he doesn't have any familial obligation to him.

This is one of my favorite points, because I do love the dynamics between Maximus and little Lucius! Maximus has a bone-deep obligation to save his family — he rides for days and nights to get home and save them, but he misses them by a matter of hours. He wrestles with guilt and misery because he feels like he failed them. He was supposed to be their protector, and he couldn't save them.

BUT. Maximus has no such blood ties to Lucius. This kid is the son of Maximus' ex, the grandson of Maximus' dead mentor, and the nephew of his most hated enemy. Maximus doesn't have an obligation to Lucius as his father: he doesn't even know him until Lucius approaches him in the arena.

And that's what makes his decision to fight for Lucius so powerful. Maximus sees Lucius as the hope of Rome, and he decides that's still worth fighting for — something he had given up on before. Even though he has no obligation to save Lucius as his son, he wants to save him as an innocent young boy caught in political matters over his head.

Again, making Lucius Maximus' son cheapens the impact of that decision. Ridley Scott built up so many amazing plot points and relationships, and it really disappoints me that he just cast them aside to make some easy money by relying on the success of the original.

6. Relying on such a trite, overused plot point to make up the emotional foundation of your sequel can only weaken your sequel and ruin the dignity of your original film.

My final point is simply that Gladiator 2 could have been really well done. They could have done something original with it (or something totally off-the-wall like Russell Crowe's vision LOL). But I think Ridley Scott was banking on that nostalgia factor, and he chose a plot point that he knew would be easily marketable — the hero of the second film is the hero of the first film.

We've seen it done literally hundreds of times, from Star Wars to Superman to Toy Story, and having that be the big reveal of Gladiator 2 is just lazy writing. To have Lucius trying to live up to the legacy of Maximus the hero would have been interesting. To have Lucius discover that he's the son of literally anyone else would have been interesting. To have Lucius discover that he's the son of Maximus is an eye-roll-inducing move that should have been trailer bait and nothing more.

Primarily! Because it can't be the emotional foundation of the movie! Lucius has to have his own journey if it's his movie; he can't just walk in Maximus' footsteps and be like, "Father, speak to me," if he's not going on his own individual emotional journey. We as the audience have to relate to our hero because he's our hero, not because he's the son of our hero.

I'll be honest — I probably wouldn't go see a sequel to Gladiator no matter what it was about because I think Gladiator is a perfect standalone movie and should have stayed that way. I just don't think you can recreate the scale and impact and simplicity of Gladiator in today's film industry.

However, I could at least have had respect for a sequel to Gladiator if Ridley Scott had shown some respect for his own movie. I just hate the fact that Maximus' noble, honorable character is reduced to a cheating husband whose only character trait of note is that he served Rome. Maximus is one of the best characters of the 21st century, and I love him too much to support a movie that trashes that legacy (as well as tries to replicate the beauty of my favorite film of all time).

Final thoughts:

Gladiator is a movie. You can read into it whatever you want, and it doesn't hurt anyone.

I love Gladiator more than I can say, and it's really important to me not just as a cultural icon but on a personal level as well.

Anyone who knows this blog knows how much I love Maximus Decimus Meridius, and Ridley's choice to change Maximus' character so drastically is one that really just ticks me off.

To me personally, Gladiator 2 is not canon, and I will never consider it so on this blog.

[skylinx2o]

Admittedly, I've been feeling terrible lately. I didn't even finish my weekly drawing and broke my now months long streak. I thought I would be able to do it, but my emotions weighted me down too much. I might go back to drawing one art every two weeks.

Anyway, I feel like I should do more fun things. I mean, drawing is fun, and I love creating stories for my OCs, but I do have a lot of other interests. And tho I'm sticking to talking about LEGO today, I want to talk more and get out of my shell. And maybe give you more insight into me as a person.

So today I'm going to talk about my favourite LEGO themes and why I love the series, plus how I personally got i to all of them. It's not a normal review whatsoever, just an excuse to ramble about my interests freely. Just remember this is my experience and my feelings.

(And it's not at all like I'm making this post because I need all of this to prepare for a speaking class and the only way to motivate myself is by making a post about it o _o Come on, I'm killing two birds with one stone here!)

Okay, so, my all-time favourite themes are (in chronological order to when I found them):

1. Bionicle

Honourable mention: Hero Factory

2. Ninjago

3. Legends of Chima

4. Monkie Kid

5. Dreamzzz

1. So. Bionicle. I have a weird history with Bionicle. My dad's friends used to get movies for us, and one day it just happened that my dad's friends gave us a pen drive with Bionicle: Legend Reborn on it. I think I would be around... Seven or eight when I watched it I've seen fans say that it was a pretty weak film, but I didn't know Bionicle back then, and I really enjoyed it! That movie was a soft reboot of the series, and as someone who started their Bionicle obsession with that movie, in my opinion it worked really well as a standalone supposed to capture new audiences. I really loved the sense of mystery that was probably lost on new fans. It wasn't exactly explained what or who Mata Nui was, besides him being a warrior who lost his people. And the ending... I really thought there would be a sequel to it, and was really intrigued by whom the great beings were, and what happened to the world, why Mata Nui knew them, what the giant ahh robots were supposed to do.

Of course, when a few years later in middle school I looked for the sequel, I didn't find it. And to be honest, the ending was disappointing to me. However, there was a whole other storyline in Bionicle to catch up on! And so one faithful summer was spent reading all the comics I could find, reading wiki pages one after another, playing Mata Nui online game obsessively, refusing to use a walkthrough. Believe me when I say I was obsessed!

And then out of nowhere in 2015 g2 came out, and I was stoked since I missed out on practically the whole g1 as it was being made. (I mean, it's understandable, I was born the same year the first Bionicle movie came out.) I mean, can you blame me for being excited? A dead franchise that I just started becoming a devoted fan of is suddenly revived from the grave. I felt like the luckiest person on earth that day. Honestly, g2 was a lot simpler than g1, but I really like it, even if most people said it sucked. Sure, it wasn't exactly like g1, and even I cringed a few times when watching the g2 show, but for what it was, it was cool in my eyes, and loved finding all the g1 references. And there were quite a few of them! The story of g2 was simpler, but for little kids I think it would've been fine. But alas, LEGO did a crap job promoting it, and it died early, with an ending that was so bad even I can't defend it. It just didn't make sense, and it was rushed as hell. But I still wished it would've continued.

I love both generations for different things, and I'm sad I didn't get any g2 sets when they were out (Lewa was my favourite one). But years later I managed to get a promotional anniversary set of Tahu and Takua, and you wouldn't believe my happiness when I was building it. It's strange being a relatively new fan compared to others I see online, but I still remember seeing Bionicle commercials, and even have a very vague memory of seeing a Phantoka commercial on our ancient TV. I mean come on, I was so into it, I even learned the Matoran alphabet! My mom had to listen to my countless rambling, and if I ask her about Bionicle today, she still remembers some answers, that's how much into it I was. Hell, this blog started as a Bionicle blog before I moved fully to Monkie Kid content.

Okay, this Bionicle ramble is getting a tad long, so I'll wrap this up. Would I recommend Bionicle to anyone? Well... Not really, unless you like long lore researching adventures. The story is so convoluted, with many sides stories, and it went on for so many years, that despite my obsession I still probably missed like, 40% of the lore. G1 at least, wouldn't vibe with casual audience probably. G2 might be easier on the brain, despite it having some deeper lore too. Plus, there's the cultural appropriation issue, that I'm not qualified to talk about, but others already made pages long blogs and articles about. Plus the weird gender situation. But, it's still a good story in my eyes, despite its many faults. But that's just me, and if you didn't catch on yet, I'm already deep in this hole and there's no getting out of here now.

Honourable mention: This brings us to Hero Factory. I watched the first few episodes at around the same time as the first Bionicle movie. Came from the same source as before. I think it deserves a mention, because I still loved it, and did some lore digging, but I wasn't as obsessed with it as the other positions on the list. I didn't like the later stuff as much, tho some concepts were really cool too. But the story of the first episodes was really well done, and worked great as a movie. The fights were tense, and when watching it for the first time, I couldn't really know if the characters would be okay. Honestly, it got me really excited and invested. A factory of heroes is a unique concept, and I always found it intriguing how they made the robot society work. But, I don't think it needed more time than it needed, unlike Bionicle, where I didn't like the ending of either generation. I think it wrapped things up quite well with the first episodes, and the later ones just feel like cool side stories, and it works in my opinion.

This one I would definitely recommend, because I feel like it's underrated, and it's not long. Like I said, the version I got was just a one movie like compilation. I checked and there's just 11 episodes. It would probably take 1–2 hours to watch it, not counting the later movies and all.

2. Next one is Ninjago! I started watching it almost from the start. I must have been around ten or so... The episodes aired on TV, so I had easy access to it! I almost never missed an episode, and watched even the reruns. And believe me, I was hypnotised when watching it. Tho, starting from rebooted I watched the episodes online, first in my native language, then in English since I started getting too impatient to wait. This was my first obsession. For the longest time, when people asked me what I wanted to do, I said I wanted to be a ninja. One of my oldest OCs is Mika, and she grew up with me. Whenever a new season was to come, I would design a new suit for her. I have a whole dedicated blog to her, I wonder if you all can find it lol. Anyway, for a kid's show, the first seasons were really well written, and the show could be dark when it wanted, but it didn't lack jokes, and most were very funny. And honestly, Ninjago had a really big impact on my life. It taught me not to give up, and it made me want to make the world a better place. Grade school was a horrible time for me, and Ninjago was like my escape. Tho, I might have daydreamed about it too much at one point...

I started distancing myself from Ninjago around hands of time. I didn't watch the show as regularly, catching up on seasons long after they aired. I think that's also where the writing quality started dropping… I just didn't like it as much any more. But it should've been expected with a series that went on for so long. I'm not one of the people who think old Ninjago was better than anything. It wasn't perfect at all. But I didn't like the short format of newer seasons. But then secrets of forbidden spinjitzu dropped, and i as a person started getting better too, so I went back to Ninjago, and while it wasn't still the best and people had a lot of issues I loved those few next seasons. I mean, they somehow hit right into my interests with those seasons. First the adventure movies like atmosphere with the Egyptian like tomb, then they get sucked into a video game, then the very DnD like feeling Shintaro. It was right up my alley. My love for Ninjago was back in full force by then. So you can imagine how sad I was when the word that Ninjago was ending started going around. The series has been with me for half my life. My friends even knew how much I liked it, my best IRL friend even bought me a Ninjago set for Christmas one time. But you know, I thought it was probably Ninjago's time. Nothing can last forever after all, and it had a very good run. Why not end it when the story was still quite alright? And then… Crystallized happened. I didn't watch Crystallized. I heard the spoilers, and I wasn't… thrilled. Especially with Harumi. And people hated that season. It left a bitter taste in my mouth. It didn't feel like a send-off Ninjago deserved.

So you can imagine how damn happy I was about Dragon Rising! And surprise, it's the best Ninjago has been in a while! I absolutely loved the first season. The new characters are wonderful, and that change was certainly what Ninjago needed. And the fact that it's merged with one of other of my beloved LEGO series only makes it better. And that's probably my cue to move to it hehe

So, would I recommend Ninjago? Yeah. Its story is easy to follow, you just need to watch the show. If you're ready to watch sixteen+ seasons that it! Even the worse seasons have some value to them I'd argue. But I may be biased with how close to my heart that series is.

3. Yeah boy, Legends of Chima! I started watching Chima around the same time I started watching Ninjago, and I was equally hooked. And yes, my mom remembers this one as well, I watched it every time it was on too. Actually, I think the first fanfiction I've ever written was about Chima. With a pencil on paper. I think that, while the other series captivated me because of magic or the setting or the action, in Chima it was the characters and their dynamics mostly, despite there being plenty of magic powers and action too, plus a unique setting. The main characters all have distinct personalities, and it's fun to see how their personalities clash or work together. I think it's cool because the conflict between lions and crocodiles takes the main stage in the first season. Later seasons are great too, and they shake things up to make things interesting quite well. The lore isn't as broad as in other series, but it's pretty cool and interesting either way. There were some unique concepts there. I can't explain my love for this theme as well as with other series, because I don't think there was anything big that made me like it. It's just a cool show. I think what there was has been satisfying, tho young me was really sad and angry it ended anyway. But it's great for what it was. But I can't say I'm not happy that Chima is now merged with Ninjago, and it works so well together, and I absolutely love Lord Ras.

I would absolutely recommend it. It's a fun show, and only three seasons long. It can be both fun and serious, and I definitely had a blast watching it.

4. Now one of my newer obsessions! Monkie Kid! I watched the pilot in Chinese when it came out, then I promptly forgot about the series and binge-watched it all when season 3 came out. I was reading about Journey to the West long before the series was announced, since I have a liking for old stories and legends and myths and stuff. And Asian cultures fascinate me. I blame Ninjago with its Japanese influence and all the martial arts movies that were on the TV all the time. Plus Mulan and Kung Fu Panda. Anyway, I can't say much about how accurate it is or anything since I'm not Chinese, but I think the show is great. I noticed a lot of references to Journey To The West. No shocker here, it's inspired by it. But being in this fandom made me learn a lot of new things about China, tho I still have a bunch of things to learn. I'm no expert yet. Tho, I try my best to be respectful.

Umm... Like I said, not much to say about how accurate the story is. But I really liked Journey to the West, so naturally I like Monkie Kid too. Plus, MK i really relatable to me. I feel like my personality is really similar to his, tho I'm more introverted. For some reason, I relate to this portrayal of Macaque and Wukong as well.

I dare to say that from all the series so far, I find this one to be the most well written. I just find the writing to be the most impactful. Plus, the artstyle is very different from other LEGO shows. Action scenes are really fun. The artstyle definitely works in its favour. And yeah, I would recommend this show 100%.

5. And finally, the newest addition to the LEGO series, Dreamzzz! The show is really new and just starting, but I love the concept and the writing! Plus again, I really relate to Mateo. The characters feel like real people you would meet, and how they interact feels realistic. And I found myself liking even the characters that annoyed me, because their personalities were the realistic type of annoying, one that you might find out in the wild. And the concept of a dream world just really speaks to me. And it gives the creators a lot of creative freedom. All wacky things can happen in a dream after all. One thing I didn't expect in the show was the secret agency, and I think it's a clever addition to the story.

I would recommend this series. I hope it'll have a bright future, and that the writing will stay this good.

Well, time to wrap all of this up. Whoever suffered through this whole ramble deserves a juice and a cookie 🍪🧃 For a few finishing thoughts... I noticed a lot of the series I like blend magic powers and technology together. I just thought it's interesting. And I wanted to mention that the songs for Bionicle, Ninjago and Chima absolutely slap. I used to listen to them on repeat all the time lol Even my mom really enjoyed those songs

Yeah, I don't know what this post was for, I just felt like writing all that :v

[spiritblossoming]

daily fun but useless ppau fact #14

i missed yesterday but this time i just pretend it do not happen so here's where every fic/chapter title came from

think you're dreaming of greatness: Take Over

it's time for a new empire: Phoenix

one day you'll wish you hadn't: Burn It All Down, chapter titles: wish (soraka r), you and me (yuumi w), end of the line (graves something or other), moonlight vigil (aphelios r), and harrowed path (viego e)

counting failures (you can't let them go): Edge of Infinity (the LEC one)

let the shadows take hold: Aphelios, the Weapon of the Faithful

the light we share: Burning Bright, chapter titles: a taste of destiny you're searching for (Awaken), light the way (Zeri, the Spark of Zaun)

gone in a flash before our time: Burning Bright

there's no crown for losing: MAD vs G2 rap battle

someday both of us are leaving here: Everything Goes On, chapter titles: like it's destiny (mediocre rap battle of the lec) (ive given up on capitalization), let's pretend a little longer (everything goes on), every time you bleed (legends never die), it's never over (awakened), chasing whispers (i'll find a way), these walls come tumbling down (guns for hire), while I'm by your side (everything goes on)

every time i close my eyes (a little less of you remains): I'll Find a Way, chapter titles: fate's call (kalista r), broken wings (riven whateverthefuck)

brute force and style combine: Here Comes Vi

dont ask me what run away from the faith is from 'cause idk arya chose it

[the-party-never-dies]

G1 makes it pretty clear that mummies don't really have a lot of magic abilities (Cleo often has to use artifacts) , which is understandable to some extent. Mummies are literally just zombies who happened to be royalty in their living life (thus the very elaborate burial at death), G3 and G2 explicitly gives them various powers thus I'm going for somewhat of a middle ground

Cleo can do magic, however it comes with a long list of rules and can go very badly. Cleo can inflict others with curses, has magical artifacts and does practice a very ancient form of magic. The main theme with it though is that Cleo can often only use these for small things, when she feels threatened or when she's been wronged in some form.

A common theme in classic mummy movies and stories is that mummies by themselves are completely harmless. It's until people enter their literal TOMBS that they get cursed or the mummy becomes actively hostile. The curse only happens when a grave is being violated, when you have literally disturbed someone's eternal rest.

Until the mummy is disturbed, they're harmless. There of course is some variety between each mummy, not everyone carries the same values or has the same capabilities. However even when Nefera is doing her mean girl thing, she doesn't often use magic for her schemes. Thus the reason for that

[nextlaw]

Distracted Driving in Ontario? Demerit Points Will Cost You!

Distracted driving, a grave concern and one of the leading causes of accidents and fatalities on Ontario roads in recent years, has prompted the province to implement strict laws and penalties. These measures are aimed at combating this dangerous behaviour, which includes using handheld devices or engaging in other distracting activities behind the wheel such as using a cel phone. A crucial aspect of these penalties is the assignment of demerit points, which can significantly impact a driver's license and insurance rates. This article will delve into the demerit point system in Ontario as it relates to distracted driving charges, including the number of points assigned, how they accumulate, and the potential ramifications for drivers. The demerit point system in Ontario is a crucial tool designed to track driving infractions and identify high-risk drivers. All drivers start with zero points on a clean driving record. Points are then added for various traffic violations and remain on a driver's record for two years from the date of the offence. It's important to note that demerit points are not something positive that drivers want to accumulate. Instead, they are penalties assigned for breaking traffic laws. The more serious the offence, the more demerit points are typically added to a driver's record. Adhering to this system is not just a legal requirement, but a necessary step towards ensuring road safety for all.

Demerit Points for Distracted Driving

As of 2022, a distracted driving conviction in Ontario results in: - 3 demerit points added to the driver's record This applies to fully licensed drivers (holders of G, M, A, B, C, D, E, or F class licenses). For novice drivers with G1, G2, M1 or M2 licenses, the penalties are different and do not include demerit points, as will be discussed later. The 3 demerit points for distracted driving are in addition to other penalties, which include: - Fines ranging from $615 to $1000 for a first offence - A 3-day license suspension for a first offence These penalties increase for subsequent offences within five years.

Accumulation of Demerit Points

Demerit points can accumulate quickly for repeat offenders or those who commit multiple infractions in a short period. Here's how the Ontario Ministry of Transportation responds to demerit point accumulation for fully licensed drivers: - At 2-8 points: The driver is sent a warning letter. - At 9-14 points: The driver may be required to attend an interview to explain their record. Their license could be suspended if they don't attend. - At 15+ points: The driver's license is automatically suspended for 30 days For novice drivers, the thresholds are lower: - At 2-5 points: The driver is sent a warning letter - At 6-8 points: The driver may be required to attend an interview - At 9+ points: The driver's license is automatically suspended for 60 days

Impact on Insurance Rates

While demerit points do not directly affect insurance rates, the convictions that lead to demerit points certainly do. Ontario insurance companies have access to drivers' records and use this information to assess risk and set premiums. A distracted driving conviction, with its associated 3 demerit points, can lead to significantly higher insurance rates for several years following the offence.

Penalties for Novice Drivers

The penalties for distracted driving are even more severe for novice drivers (those with G1, G2, M1, or M2 licenses). While they do not receive demerit points, they face longer license suspensions: - First offence: 30-day license suspension - Second offence: 90-day license suspension - Third offence: Cancellation of their license and removal from the Graduated Licensing System These harsher penalties reflect the higher risk of inexperienced drivers engaging in distracted behaviour.

Other Offenses Related to Distracted Driving

It's worth noting that distracted driving charges can sometimes escalate to more serious offences, depending on the circumstances. For instance: - Careless Driving: This charge carries six demerit points, fines up to $2000, and possible jail time of up to 6 months. - Dangerous Driving: This criminal offence carries even stiffer penalties and can result in jail time of up to 10 years if it causes bodily harm.

Exceptions to Distracted Driving Laws

While the use of handheld devices is generally prohibited while driving, there are a few exceptions: - Calling 911 in an emergency - When the vehicle is safely pulled off the roadway or lawfully parked - The use of devices with a hands-free function, as long as they are securely mounted

Prevention and Best Practices

To avoid accumulating demerit points and facing severe penalties, drivers in Ontario should: - Put away all handheld devices before starting to drive - Set up GPS and music playlists before beginning the journey - Use voice commands or hands-free options if necessary - Pull over safely if a call or text cannot wait - Educate passengers about the importance of not distracting the driver

What does this all mean for my Distracted Driving charge and my driving record?

Distracted driving is a severe offence in Ontario, as reflected in the three demerit points and other penalties assigned upon conviction. These points, combined with fines and license suspensions, serve as a strong deterrent against engaging in distracting behaviours while driving. The accumulation of demerit points can lead to further consequences, including mandatory interviews, license suspensions, and increased insurance premiums. For novice drivers, the stakes are even higher, with the potential for removal from the Graduated Licensing System after repeated offences. All drivers in Ontario should be aware of these penalties and take proactive steps to avoid distracted driving. By focusing solely on the task of driving and eliminating potential distractions, drivers can help make Ontario's roads safer for everyone. Ultimately, the demerit point system for distracted driving in Ontario underscores the province's commitment to road safety. By imposing significant penalties and tracking infractions through demerit points, Ontario aims to reduce the incidence of distracted driving and the accidents, injuries, and fatalities that can result from this dangerous behaviour. Read the full article

[thetoxicgamer]

Vitality Spoil Rekkles’ LEC Comeback on the First Day of 2023 Winter Split

For League of Legends fans in Europe, the superstar AD carry Rekkles' return to the LEC during the offseason was a significant occasion. Not only were many people happy to see the 26-year-old back in the league, but also with his former team and favoured organisation Fnatic. Sadly for Rekkles' supporters, Team Vitality was not informed. After a raucous, back-and-forth contest between two of the best teams in the league, Vitality came out victorious after the team’s newest additions in the top and jungle rose to the occasion in their LEC debut. At a certain point, Fnatic looked like they were poised to take the win, but some late-game heroics from Vitality managed to snatch the game away. https://twitter.com/LEC/status/1616936503166353409 When the Nexus finally exploded, Photon and Bo had 11 of Vitality’s 16 kills as they carried the roster to victory with some fearless plays on Jax and Graves. The two rising stars made a statement by snuffing out Rekkles’ comeback party, while the veteran marksman was left wondering what he and his team could have done better. Rekkles actually had minimal impact in his first game back, only scoring one of his team’s 13 kills, while only collecting two assists to boot. His Varus was never in a proper position to join the teamfights, and as a result, he’d always be the last member of his team alive after a skirmish. ImagePhoto via Rekkles’ TwitterHe managed to keep up with farm, but because he went for an auto-attack based build, Vitality’s crowd control and superior close range damage made it too dangerous for him to step up and dish out some pain of his own. It’s an unfortunate way for Rekkles to start off his new year, but it is only the first game of the season. He might be familiar with the organization, but his teammates are all new—except for Wunder, who he played with in 2021 on G2 Esports. He’ll need some time to find what style of play will match with his teammates, and stick with what works for the rest of the year. Read the full article

[thepettymachine]

stap being cute

[feua-old]

Rowan: Hi moms :]

Rowan: Raina and I are expecting... I wish you could meet them

Rowan: I miss you two. I'll bring the kids here eventually I promise.

Rowan: I wish I could stay longer but I have to go to work. I love you moms

[punkroyaltiger]

[bou-vie]

Melbourne General Cemetery, June 2017

[life-in-the-monster-haus]

Monster High the Movie Review Part 7

Spoilers ahead!

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I have mixed feelings about how Dracula looks. On one hand I like that he looks nothing like Draculaura. G2 really screwed this up with their version of Drac because he looks like her Biological father and Dracuaura is supposed to be adopted. G2 never elaborated on this (thank the dark lord) but OG Draculaura was adopted & renamed by Dracula. I HOPE him being White and Draculaura being Asian means they have decided to go back to her being adopted... then again her mother could just be Filipina, kids has 2 parents after all. But on the other hand he also looks like a very generic vampire, like the guy who models Dracula Halloween costumes at party city. In fact he looks a lot like Lord Stoker who doesn't have any relation to Draculaura at all (He is Elissabat's Uncle) so I'm not in love with his design, but it's fine. I like his grey skin and pointy eye brows, the actor is also giving his all.

Not only is witchcraft taboo in general for monsters. Apparently Vampires and Witches are enemies in this universe?... Which one is it? Are witches just magical humans or are they other monsters? or are Vampires just out here beefing with humans like that's a fair fight? Pick a lane movie.

The costume department nails it once again! These outfits are so in character! it's nice to know there were Monster High fans somewhere on the team because for awhile there it didn't feel like. But I have those exact skinny jeans Frankie is wearing they are a hot topic exclusive.

I enjoy the red eye make up on Deuce, it makes his brilliant green eyes stand out even more... but it also kinda makes him look like a meth head... you gotta take the bad with the good I suppose. also: peep that spider cookie! all the goodies from the coffin bean look delicious!

People are really mad that Clawdeen and Deuce get all flirty but it doesn't bother me because I'm pretty confident Mattel is not going to sink it's flagship couple. Here's my prediction: This movie does well and gets the Disney Descendants treatment, Because this movie is so painfully obviously trying to be Disney Descendants, let's say it gets 3 movies which seems to be industry standard for these things. That is time for character growth, Mattel does not want to play all of it's cards at once so I am certain that over time Cleo- much like her animated counterpart will become a nicer and kinder person as time goes on. Once she cleans up her act, Deuce will return to her, proud that his Egyptian princess has grown. I really don't think Mattel will keep them apart for too long or pair him up with anybody... However, I heard a rumor that he is getting a doll 2 pack with Frankie so... anything can happen. only time will tell!

ANYWAYS... our trio needs ingredients for a potion and one of those ingredients is snake venom... I wonder how she's going to try to get it.

But look at the rainy gloomy background! A+++

Oh look! Clawdeen is trying to get snake venom from Deuces snakes, but instead of asking him she's trying to be sneaky. This makes it impossible to concentrate on Deuce's song but he really is pouring his heart out. Case Walker is killing it! I am not familiar with his body of work but he has some pipes! I checked his insta and the dude rock climbs with his bare hands. Now I'm extra mad they didn't put Deuce in his skater boy outfit, it shows off the gun show! He is also the one hitting on Clawdeen she was just there to get the venom but I can see his honesty is chirping through her walls! This makes Clawdeen feel guilty for trying to get the venom through dishonest means and she asks his permission. He obliges .... because he likes her.

Draculaura repeats what I just said.

Ghoulia pops out of the grave to repeat what Draculaura just said. which was pretty funny. I'm glad they kept Ghoulia's nature to troll.

7/?

[zechleton]

Zechsel Files or something IDK - Markoon is good, actually

Straight into it this week with another nearly-game and an impressively professional performance...  mostly.

Misfits

Saturday’s nearly-game against Misfits looked like a familiar story, based on the previous week. Excel got out to a pretty decent start, with Markoon looking far more decisive on Xin Zhao. He was heavily involved in a drawn-out first blood around the Rift Herald, and things were looking good with Patrik securing the kill that led to XL getting the herald.

Excel added to their lead with a couple of drakes and first tower gold. It was a slow game in terms of kills (2-0 at the 20 minute mark), but that looked to suit XL nicely. They even secured soul-point at the cost of a couple of summoner spells and had a small but significant lead.

And then it all came tumbling down. Just like in last week’s loss to BDS, the game flipped on a drake fight. This time, XL had drafted a difficult-to-execute team comp that didn’t really excel (ha!) in team fights. With no real frontline to stop Team Arcane, Vetheo’s Viktor and Neon’s Jinx had a field day cleaning up the fight once Hirit’s Gwen had annihilated most of XL’s life bars. Baron was next in Misftits’ sights, and suddenly a tiny gold lead for XL had turned into a huge deficit.

If XL’s team comp was difficult to utilize in an even game state, it was nigh impossible from behind. An attempted teleport flank by Nukeduck – whose Vex looked thoroughly underwhelming – was the fairly amusing nail in XL’s coffin. He was spotted on a ward, had to flash away from Viktor, and still died anyway.  Misfits picked up a second baron soon after that and ended the game with the purple aura still active.

SK Gaming

The second game of XL’s weekend felt like a culmination of lessons learned in the previous four games. They drafted a solo queue special, with tons of crowd control and tons of engage. Friendship with tricky skirmish champs like Graves and Vex was ended, Malphite and Leona were new best friends.

And yet, it was SK who made the first move, diving Finn with three players. Pre-six, Malphite had to take his medicine, but was able to return to lane without missing too much farm. Then things got a bit weird. A minute before herald spawned, Markoon (Lee Sin) and Advienne invaded SK’s gromp. At the same time, SK’s support and jungler hid in a top lane brush, waiting for Finn to give them an opportunity. Re-approaching his lane from the river, he was cut off from the minions by Jayce, but also seemed to smell something was up. He flirted with face-checking the brush, baiting SK while his nearby teammates made their way over. SK bit but couldn’t kill the tanky rock monster before back-up arrived and with CC from Leona/Malphite, Markoon’s Lee Sin was able to pick up a double kill.

Excel had a 1k gold lead, and would only grow for the rest of the game. Excel’s impressive early game stats were highlighted on the broadcast, and I have to admit, I was as nervous as the casters about whether or not XL could build on them. Mistakes were made, and cohesion continues to be an issue at times, but overall it was a solid performance. The team earned a big enough lead that a couple of whoopsies didn’t turn out to be fatal.

Markoon, in particular, deserves praise. I was harsh on him after a poor opening weekend, but his Lee Sin was miles apart from his Jarvan. His numbers (finishing on 9/0/6) really did tell the story of an exceptional performance. He looked much more confident, much more decisive, and just generally more comfortable on the champion.

Still, Excel did show some wobbles on their way to the finish line, and looked like they might be heading down struggle street (via Neutral Objective Boulevard again), but they had too much of a lead and too easy of a team composition to let it slip.

Indeed, the ending was like something out of a G2 game – you know, back when G2 were good. Excel took a second baron, but gave up three kills for it. They then seemed to have lost a fight for dragon soul, with Advienne getting caught in a nasty CC chain. Luckily, it was only SK’s fourth and even more luckily, Gilius and Jezu decided to stick around in the river, donating two kills to XL. From there, and for once, XL were on the same page, pushing down the middle lane with a couple of baron buffs, and a numbers advantage. With a little extra help from Stopwatches and Guardian Angels, the game was over before SK ever managed to get five players back on the rift.

Overall, another mixed weekend, but one that ended well and gives XL fans something hold onto. With a good team fighting set-up and a little more cohesiveness, XL looks more like the team people expected to genuinely challenge for play-offs this year. My main takeaways were that a) Markoon is good, actually, just don’t put him on J4 and b) teamwork is still key to making the dream work. Once the squad gets over some of that disconnect that still plagued them this weekend, I can really see it heading to those dizzying heights of a play-offs berth.

[berrysweetboutique]

Mintney: YOU need to spend more time with Marigold.

Rose Bud: Yeah, okay.

Mintney:  >:|