#i had a dream this got 58 notes (actual real dream that happened
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alchemisticramblings · 2 months ago
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hello tumblr please have my idiot gambler son that i hate
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if you don't like him please go fistfight @skryae who told me to put him here
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cultivating-wildflowers · 3 years ago
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Books of 2021, August
#54 - Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (re-read) - 5/5 stars
Each of these books seems sweeter than the last. Even knowing how it ends, I was in agony over Anne continually rejecting Gilbert. I wept over Ruby and laughed with Phil and highlighted so many bits and pieces. The next book in the series is where I left off ages ago when I first picked up these books, so I’m doubly excited to get to it.
#55 - Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery - 4/5 stars
Had to get the audiobook for this one. It’s such a different style and tone in the beginning than the others in the series that it was a little difficult to keep engaged. I discovered only after that, while chronologically it’s the fourth in the series, it was the seventh published. It felt sleepy compared to the prequels.
#56 - Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery - 5/5 stars
This whole series really is a love song to life, isn’t it? And we finally get a bit more of Anne and Gilbert’s romance, which is always great. Did enjoy that little twist near the end. (Honestly should have seen it coming.) As always, I adore the characters.
#57 - My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 4/5 stars
This book was plain fun. I read it as an audiobook during a slow period at work and kept struggling not to laugh out loud.
#58 - A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner (re-read) - 4/5 stars
It’s taken me so long to get to this one that I finally caved and just listened to the audio again, making notes in my hard copy as I went. And then I listened to the whole thing in a day.
While this isn’t my favorite of the series, I do still very much love it (particularly the gun gag, but who doesn’t love that?). Sophos is in my top four favorite characters. The way he constantly tries to emulate Gen and constantly underestimates his own strength kills me every time. Also, while I love reading about Gen and Irene’s romance, Sophos and Helen’s is more what I crave, so of course I adore them.
#59 - A Wind from the Wilderness by Suzannah Rowntree - 3/5 stars
For the life of me I can’t remember where I first heard of this book. I know I ended up getting it on Kindle a while ago and then forgot about it until I was searching for a different book. Decided to read it on a whim and enjoyed it pretty well, overall. No I lied this story frustrated me to no end.
Like, for a while there I could kind of enjoy it. The romance felt a little forced to me, and the book had a couple of basic editing issues (might have been related to ebook formatting, really), but I enjoyed the historical setting and details (minus the inaccuracy about the size of an average Crusades-era warhorse), even if the plot didn’t really grab me.
Then a lot of stuff happened in quick succession near the end and I just kind of gave up. Here I was hoping for a slightly happy ending and did I get that? Oh, no.
I don’t plan to finish the series.
#60 - Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff - 5/5 stars
This one ended up on my TBR after I saw it rec’d in the Queen’s Thief Fandom (I want to say it in someway inspired TQT but not 100% on that). Got it as an audibook and listened to it during a housework Saturday.
The audiobook was all of 4.5 hours, tops, and the narrative style is very easy to listen to. Not a lot of high action, but a solid adventure all the same. Reminded me a little of Stephen Lawhead but that could just be the Roman Britain setting.
There is a short series that follows, but I like this as a standalone.
(Tried recommending it to my dad since it seems in his taste, but he remembers the movie and I don’t think he liked that one. Said something about it being less accurate than Gladiator which is low abuse for him. So I don’t think he’d willingly read this.)
#61 - Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card  - 4/5 stars
And that’s the first Ender series finished!
I listened to the first three in audio form (library didn’t have the audiobook for this) so actually reading was kind of weird. That and it’s been a while since I read the other books so half of the details were lost to the ether and I had to keep looking up summaries.
I really struggled with the first half of this book. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it, but it felt a little slow (that and I kept reading it before bed and falling asleep). It proved to be just as introspective and challenging and surprisingly emotional as the rest of the series. I love the way Card’s experiences and research are clearly evidenced, just off the page. I love how I’d be reading along and bam! Bit of poetry on the gentle and reliable nature of real love here; hilarious and witty dialogue there; oh, and we’re back to discussing the nature of humanity.
Yes, I definitely cried at one point, quite to my own (hormonal) surprise.
On one downside, while I like a lot of Card’s ideas and especially how he communicates those ideas, I do not like how he (or at least many of his characters) treats marriage. It’s a little too flippant for my taste. Especially among the cradle Catholics in his cast.
Also how DARE Card make me sympathize with Peter 2.0?
#62 - Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson - 4/5 stars (original ‘21 TBR)
My first nonfiction of the year! And wow, this one was good! (Yes it took me a while to get through but I kept getting distracted.) I’ll be coming back to this one again and again. So much wisdom here, and I love how Peterson writes like it’s a conversation with the reader. It’s such a warm, welcoming style.
It did get a little long-winded and rambly at points, hence the four stars.
(I definitely prefer this to his children’s fiction but that’s down to taste.)
#63 - Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery - 4/5 stars
My only true complaint of the series at this point is that SO MANY characters have been introduced up to now that I’ve lost track of all of them. Took me forever to remember who Rebecca Dew was.
As always, I adore Anne and her family.
#64 - Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner (re-read) - 4/5 stars
Listened to this at warp speed during work on the 31st. It remains my least favorite of the series (for whatever that’s worth). I miss Gen.
That said, there’s plenty I appreciate about this installment:  the different pantheon to explore, the myths and appearances from those gods and heroes, the fulfillment of Gen’s promise made to Costis in KOA, the shift from straight-up court intrigue and trickery to adventure, and getting to see Costis from an outside perspective that isn’t Gen’s.
It was also interesting reading this after finally getting ROTT and knowing now what was going on back on the Little Peninsula at the same time.
And HELLO PHERIS IS RIGHT FRICKIN THERE. No wonder I recognized his POV of that scene in ROTT. AND THE LETTER KAMET WRITES HIM.
DNF:
Fable by Adrienne Young - Irritating MC, bland story building, and I didn’t like where the romance was headed.
Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (original ‘21 TBR) - unsympathetic MC (another princess who complains about her lessons and her clothes and refuses to marry a man because he’s “stodgy” and “probably doesn’t read poetry” and “isn’t romantic”). Writing style wasn’t terrible, but didn’t hold my interest. Also the cat creeped me out. I read a book once that included a horse that was born without eyes and I have never recovered. (Several reviews also mentioned this was allegorical, though I’m not entirely sure how.)
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ff15trashgoldenslumbers · 4 years ago
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Hello, could I request Prompto reacting to finding out someone has a major crush on him and they confess to him? Thank you v much (◕ᴗ◕✿)
“I’d like to think that I might have had a crush on Prompto back when High School Crushes was a thing for me. I’d never act on it cause all through High School I was more focused on myself and how much I had a hatred for being awake at 5am.
~~~~~
“Really, for me?” 
Prompto was super confused when he stepped into Noctis’s apartment and found that he had mail. There were times that he would have packages delivered to Noctis’s apartment rather than his own house due to worry of it being left in the rain or picked up by someone other. But even in those times, he used the alias that Noctis would use when having mail delivered. So to find an envelope actually addressed to himself, his first and last name was kind of strange.
“Had to stop, Specs from opening it,” Noctis stated looking to the man holding the envelope towards the blonde.
“I had to ensure that it wouldn’t put you in danger Noct.” 
Prompto took the letter, it didn’t look any different than normal mail. Standard envelope, it didn’t have a return address, nor did it have a stamp. Shrugging it off he placed down his bag, before opening it.
The first thing he realized was that it was super cute! The stationary was that of a Moogle riding a Chocobo with cute little flowers all over a pale yellow background. His eyes scan the letter first, picking up the words:��“Sorry” “Amazing” and “Sunshine.” The message wasn’t long and the handwriting was rather cute.
“So what is it?” Gladiolus asked.
Prompto stared at the letter again, reading it twice, and by the third time his face had become bright red.
“Prompto is everything all right?” Ignis inquired.
Prompto turned towards the others his voice a soft squeak, “It’s a love letter.”
“A love letter? Let me see.” Gladiolus called holding out his hand, only to have the blonde snatch it away.
“No!” Prompto called a little louder than he had liked. 
The others were used to getting love letters and fan mail. Hell on Valentine’s Day he nearly fell over all the letters in Noctis apartment to the Prince alone. Add Gladiolus, Ignis, and himself to the mix and he had enough candy to last him until the following Valentine’s Day.
“…to…Ompto…”
“Here let me. Hey Chocobo-butt!”
“My hair does not look like a Chocobo-butt!” Prompto called automatically, only to find the others staring at him. “What?”
“You gonna let us see?” Noctis chuckled.
Prompto looked to the letter in hand, then back to the others, “No, it’s kind of personal.”
“Personal, why they send pictures?” Gladiolus smirked.
Ignis sighed adjusting his glasses, “Only you receive those.”
“I don’t ask for them.”
Prompto stopped paying attention as he looked to the letter again, he normally didn’t have any trouble sharing these kinds of things as they all got them, but this felt so personal. Most of the ones he read were very generic, mostly store-bought. Being the Prince’s friend for so long he became quickly aware of the ones that were attempting to use him to get in good with the Prince or Royal family. This one was so thought out and personal as if this person really did know him.
He looked to the bottom of the page, “I wanted to tell you everything face to face, I’ll be waiting until 5:15 near the Chocobo topiary in the park until it’s final race.”
He blinked, topiary? Only for the flash of the large plant in the shape of the bird flashed across his mind. He jogged by it every morning for the past week when they put it up for the Flower Festival each year which lasted about two weeks.
“Hey, how long has the Flower Festival going on?”  He suddenly asked.
Ignis turned from the conversation with Gladiolus, “I believe we are in the second week, why?”
Pulling out his phone, Prompto found the time of 4:58 staring at him, it normally took about 20 minutes from Noctis’s place to get there, if he ran he’d just might make it. Without a second thought, he dashed out the apartment ignoring the calls from the others the letter clenched tightly in his hand.
He figured running through the park might have been easier, but wasn’t expecting all the people to be there. But considering that it was one of the more popular festivals. He apologized to all the shoulders he had bumped into and tried to take the more empty walkways but people just wouldn’t get out the way. If he could get to the garden where the topiaries were then maybe it would be a little more empty seeing that most people seemed to be going after the food and merchandise than actually looking at the works of art.
He had just rounded the corner, his bangs sticking to his face. He knew that his face must have gotten the annoying red that happened when he pushed himself too hard, and he was sweating. But still, he refused to give his legs a moment to rest, no matter how much they felt like jelly.
He bypassed the large flower behemoth, the smaller white moogles made some white flowers, around the cataurs of ivy. He was used to seeing the Chocobo f when he jogged, but seeing that he came from the other end of the park he founded himself a little lost.
Still, he clenched the letter tight and sprinted forwards. He got lost a few times but eventually, the large bird came into view.  He slowed into a jog, looking around for anyone, but the few people that were there were either older, or couples and they were quickly making there way back to the other parts of the Festival. He stopped underneath the bird, figuring that this might be the best place for the person to find him, but no matter which way he turned he found himself growing further and further alone.
He pulled out his phone from his pocket, 5:29. He was late, way too late. Hunching over he placed his hands to his knees giving a heavy wheeze, trying to tell himself that the tears in his eyes were from exhaustion and not frustration 
He would just head home.
He managed to catch his breath, lifting his head as he wiped his face with the palm of his hands. Hopefully, people figured that his red face was more from his run rather than his crying. He turned to head back to Noctis’s when he heard it, it was so soft that almost completely missed it.
Turning he found someone standing there. Eyes met, as a small smile came across her face only to quickly looked away embarrassed before looking back towards the blonde from beyond eyelashes.
“You…you came.”
Prompto swallowed, his mouth dry as he gave a soft nod.  Even if he could speak he wasn’t certain of what he would say he was speechless. His knees felt so weak, and the butterflies in his stomach were going nonstop. He took a step forward only to find his knees given out.
“Oh my!” 
He looked up finding her bracing himself, moving his over to a bench to sit. So lost for words, she was so beautiful up close, and her perfume smelled more wonderful that any of the flowers. Soft fingers touched his bare arms as she got him situated on the bench before dashing off.
He was certain of how long he sat there waiting for the beauty to return, only to look up as he heard heels against the cobblestone that made up the path. Find her racing back holding two bottles of water. Kneeling down before him as she unscrewed the cap before holding it towards him.
“Here.”
A shaking hand took it, his fingers lingering just a moment longer than need be just to feel that soft skin again. Before pulling the bottle to his lips.
“Are you all right?”
Prompto found himself staring as she spoke again. There was no way someone this pretty, nice, and pure had a crush on him. Would even think to write him a love note! He had to have passed out from running and this was a dream.
“Beautiful.”
He watched as she let out an embarrassed gasp, he wasn’t even aware that he had said anything until she let out that adorable squeal.
“I…I waited a little longer today, something told me to.”  She muttered weakly, as she sat down beside him on the bench. “I didn’t think that you would come, I mean why would you?”
Prompto held up the letter that had gotten a little wrinkled from how hard he had gripped it. “I got your letter.” He replied, realizing how silly he sounded the moment it came from his lips. “I just didn’t want you to feel like I was ignoring you.”
She shook her head stilling looking down at her shoes, “No, I figured I’d get lost in the sea of mail you must  get.”
Prompto chuckled, unable to stop the embarrassing words from coming out, “Your’s meant more.”
She giggled turning her head to hide her embarrassment, “I find that hard to believe.” 
“No, really.” He replied, wanting to quickly stop the strange silence that came between them. “Did I have you wait long?”
“I’ve been coming every day.” She replied, “I figured giving myself a timeframe, and then maybe I could get over it.”
“Get over what?”
She clenched her dress between her fingers, as she whispered softly, but Prompto swore he heard the word ‘Crush’.
“So there was something you wanted to tell me face to face?” He asked, only to watch as she jumped, her face flush. He immediately wished that he could have taken the words back, Ignis always said he had no tack. “I mean if…”
She stood up quickly turning to face him, “I like you! Like a lot! More than a lot!” She called, before quickly turning around her back to him, “I know it’s strange to say that to a stranger, but I’ve seen you, and your smart and handsome and I want to get to know you, the real you and not just this crush in my head or the words in a magazine. I want to know the real Prompto if you’d let me.”
Prompto stood up reached out taking her hand, before he realized what he himself was doing, “I’d like that too.”
A huge smile bloomed over her face as she opened her mouth to retort only instead they both heard a call of Prompto’s name. 
The both of them turned as they saw Noctis, Ignis, and Gladiolus running up to them. She when to pull her hand away, yet Prompto held it firm.
“There you are, what the hell was that about?” Noctis asked, a hat on his head supposedly hiding his identity. 
Ignis was the first to notice the person holding Prompto’s hand, hiding slightly behind the blonde.
“Gonna introduce us to your new friend?” Gladiolus chuckled. “Considering that you had us run after you.”
Prompto glanced over his shoulder as he gave a soft smile, watching as she shuffled around to the side of the blonde, “It’s fine.” He whispered with a soft squeeze of the hand, despite the fact that he wasn’t sure how to exactly answer that you were the one that had written his first love letter. “This is…”
“Y/N.” She offered, “My name is, Y/N.”
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madeofitzits · 5 years ago
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In honor of the impending return of Brooklyn 99, here are 99 reasons that...
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1. He was precocious enough to know, at 5 years old, that he wanted to change his name (x)
 2. He has a bunch of nicknames: Sandy Amberg, Young Sandwich, etc. but the most endearing one is 'Droidy', his family's name for him (x) 
3. He is still super close friends with people he's known since: Elementary School (Chelsea Peretti) (x)...
4. Junior High/High School (Kiv and Jorm) (x) 
5. … Summer Camp (Irene Neuwirth) (x)
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7.  ...and Film School (Chester Tam) (x)
8. Before he met Joanna, he dated other famous ladies but - out of respect - he never discussed it/them (x) 
9. He loves turtles and tortoises. When he was a kid, he had a pet turtle that he named 'Squirt' because the first time he held it, it peed on him. His Mom, Margie, accidentally killed Squirt when Andy was at Summer camp... (x)
10. … Maybe this is why, when shooting 'Popstar', Andy fell hard for Maximus (Conner 4 Real's turtle). He says they "had a good thing going" and that he wanted to adopt him. In the end, he decided against it because there are a bunch of coyotes in his neighborhood and he was worried the little guy wouldn't be safe. (Popstar: DVD Commentary)
11. Speaking of his Mom, despite being a super private person, he appeared on 'Finding your Roots' so that he could help her track down her birth family (x)
12. When he succeeded he cried (although we never got to see it on camera) (x)
13. That's because, like all good boys, he loves his Mama which is why - as part of the same episode - he said "My mom is basically the kindest person I know… and many people would corroborate that" (x)
14. Andy's Sisters, Hannie (Johanna) and Darrow, used to make him wear diapers and put his hair in pigtails until he was 5 years old. He says he didn't mind because he just liked that they were paying attention to him (x)
15. That's why he sees his identity in comedy as being 'America's kid brother'. When he was young, he would annoy his sisters until they laughed and he claims to have been replicating that approach to entertainment ever since
16. Although a bunch of his characters have 'Daddy Issues', Andy definitely doesn't. He's super close with his Papa (Joe) and has said "he's a good man" and "the best Dad in the world" (x) 
17. Joe was Andy's youth soccer coach and in one scene in 'Hot Rod', Joe's favorite photograph can be seen in the background. It shows a very young Andy posing with a soccer ball, after "scoring the winning goal against Mersey" (x)
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18. He's been a loyal Golden State Warriors fan since he was a little kid, living in Oakland (then Berkeley) and, in 2010, he correctly predicted that they would "win a Championship in my lifetime" (x) 
19. The proceeds from his Umami Burger ('The Samburger') went to a deafness early detection program in Berkeley. This cause is close to his heart because Margie uses hearing aids and used to work in the special needs program, teaching deaf kids (x)
20. He, Kiv, and Jorm have made multiple donations to their old school district, including $250 000 to its theater program (x)
21. On the subject of The Lonely Island; Andy always goes out of his way to make sure that everyone knows how much he owes to his buddies. For instance, he told Marc Maron, during his WTF appearance, that "I get a lot of credit for what Kiv and Jorm have done" (x)
22. He makes this face when he knows he’s said something naughty…
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(Gif credit: @andrewsambags)
23. During his 'Wild Horses' appearance, he said that he can't watch scary movies because they freak him out too much. He told 'Complex' that he's still scared of 'The Shining' (x)...
24. … Similarly, when he was at UC Santa Cruz he worked at the Del Mar movie theater and he had a hard time coping with screenings of 'Species 2' (x)
25. He fell in love with Joanna, the moment he met her, when she greeted him by addressing him as 'Steve the C**t' (x)
 26. He listened to 'Ys', everyday for a year, before he and Joanna started dating (x)
27. He bought the original portrait that was used as the basis of the cover art for 'Ys' and gave it to Joanna as a Christmas present, so that she could hang it in her music room (x)
 28. He loves birds and goes hiking and birding with Joanna (x)
 29. Every new comment he makes about Joanna becomes an instant contender for 'most beautiful thing a person has ever said about their spouse' (x)
30. For example, he readily admits that Jake's iconic heart eyes are the result of him thinking about his amazing wife (x)
31. There are many stories about how incredibly romantic Andy and Joanna's wedding was and Jorm has said that it featured "the most magical vows I've ever heard" (x)
32. The Newsombergs now live in Charlie Chaplin's old house (x)
33. On the Emmys Red Carpet (2015), the year he hosted, they took a momentary break from posing for the world's press to whisper 'I love you' to each other (x)
34. At last year's Vanity Fair party, Andy carried Joanna's purse for her so she could grab a snack (x)
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35. He was a semi-permanent fixture in the audience for her recent run of shows for the 'Strings/Keys Incident' tour, even officially confirming his status as the 'President of her Fan Club' (x)
36. He used his Golden Globes monologue to call out the government for framing and murdering the Black Panthers (x)
37. On the Carpet for the Guy's Choice Awards, he called the event "a ridiculous farce", adding that "men already have it so easy - it's insane that there's a show that celebrates them". That makes sense when you consider that he, Kiv and Jorm have made an entire career out of parodying toxic masculinity (x)
38. He once said that only "idiot-ass men" think that women aren't funny (x)
39. He’s been wearing glasses since 7th Grade and he has the most heartbreakingly cute habit of nudging them up his nose, (especially when he wears his Sol Moscot frames) (x)...
40. ... and of rubbing his eyes under them (x)
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41. He barely ever wears glasses for roles but he also avoids contacts (because he doesn't like touching his eyeballs) which means he's almost always 'acting blind' (x)
42. He has worn his glasses in character a few times - as 'himself' ('Lady Dynamite'), as 'Paul' ('I Think You Should Leave') and during a very small number of SNL sketches (e.g. during his one appearance in a 'Gilly' with Kristen Wiig) (x) 
43. He can't tolerate glare and when that makes him squint it's a sight that's too cute for words (x)
44. He owns about six outfits and has been rotating them for well over a decade (x) 
45. He barely ever breaks during shooting/while performing, so when he does it's aggressively adorable. (x), (x)
46. He's a grown ass man who persuades people to come with him to the bathroom because if he goes by himself he'll get lonely (x)
47. He didn't announce he was leaving SNL, until after his last appearance, selflessly choosing not to detract from Kirsten Wiig's huge and emotional send-off (x) 
48. He undertook a quest to smell like Lorne Michaels (x) 
49. He's ageing like a fine wine (x)
50. To protect their daughter's privacy, Andy and Joanna never announced that they were expecting. They've never released their little girl's name or date of birth and most news outlets still report that they became parents in August 2017 (even though that's inaccurate) (x)
51. Although he's careful not to talk about his daughter often, sometimes he can't keep from gushing about her. For example, when asked about his first year of fatherhood he said: "It’s been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Just like a beautiful, incredible dream. It has surpassed every expectation I ever had. It’s definitely been very blissful" (x)
52. After their daughter was born, Andy and Joanna spent the first 40 days at home with her (in a practice known as 'confinement'). He's described it as being "a really special time". (x) 
53. Andy is famously mild-mannered but, when asked about what triggers his 'Dad claws', he admitted that if anyone attempted to touch his daughter, without permission, he'd "probably sock them hard in the face"…
54. ...Characteristically, he went on to add that he hopes that never happens, since he hasn't been in a fight since 6th Grade (x)
55. Cyndi Lauper was his first celebrity crush and he plays her record ('She's so unusual') for his daughter all the time. (x)
56. His is the very definition of a precious laugh (x)...
57. It's made even more wonderful by the way it makes his voice go high-pitched (x)
58.  … and the way it causes his eyebrow to rise involuntarily  
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59. It's impossible not to smile at his impression of his Mom (x)
60. And laugh at his impression of John Mulaney (x)
61. He was so convinced he wouldn't win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical, that he didn't prepare a speech. Instead, as he explained to David Letterman, he "just went… and started drinking". The resulting list of improvised 'thank yous' was perfect in every way (x)
62. As producers, Andy, Kiv and Jorm have given life to some amazing projects ('Alone Together', 'Brigsby Bear', 'I Think You Should Leave')...
63. … and gone out of their way to support women in comedy ('Party Over Here', 'PEN15') (x)
64. As well as being a comedy legend, he's a super-talented dramatic actor, who gave the performance of a lifetime in 'Celeste and Jesse Forever' but, after the movie wrapped, and it was time to do press for it, he was straight back to goofing around (x) 
65. His lip bite should be illegal (x)
66. Even though he wears the same vanishingly small number of outfits, over and over, he has a vast collection of the most excellent socks (x)
67. He always gives 'editing notes' during his own interviews (x)
68. He has a super sweet and sincere way of thanking interviewers when they compliment him (x)
69. He adjusts his hoodie constantly (x)
70. The two most perfect Jake laughs in b99 are actually real Andy laughs 'https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W38A_xuXaeg https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sVm9nYrTWRQ
youtube
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71. Virtually everyone who has ever worked with Andy has talked about what a wonderful person he is. This explains why so many of them have been involved with more than one of his projects (x)
72. It's not only his colleagues who talk about what a delight he is (x), (x)
73. This lovestruck fool wore his own wife's merch when he went out to dinner (x)
74. No one else uses the word 'dinky' quite like Andy (x). The same goes for 'snacky' (see point 70)
75. He does this with his tongue (x)
76. He still likes to play soccer but his eyesight is so bad that he has to keep his glasses on for it
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77. When he lets his gorgeous floofy hair grow a little it sits perfectly over the arms of his glasses (x)
78. He gifted the world with Jakey's little curl (x)
79. At the James Franco Roast, he couldn't bring himself to be mean to anyone except himself (and Jeff Ross, a little!) (x)
80. In fact, he's always been willing to laugh at himself (x) and he still is (x)
81. He changes b99 scripts to make them more feminist (x)
82. Despite their humble insistence that they just benefited from 'good timing', the reality is that Andy, Kiv and Jorm (along with Chris Parnell) revolutionized digital media, when 'Lazy Sunday' popularized YouTube, increasing its traffic by 85% overnight (x)
83. He once attended the Vanity Fair party because his Mom told him to (x)
84. He has an amazing way of subtly but firmly shutting down inappropriate questions, like when this interviewer suggested that Holt being gay was something that could have been played for laughs https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=idQsYQfkR5o
85. He auditioned for SNL at the same time as Bill Hader. Hader thought he'd blown it because Andy had a bunch of props and Bill had none. In the meantime, Andy thought he'd blown it when he saw Hader and realized 'this guy doesn't need any props' (x) 
86. His bromance with Seth Meyers is one for the ages (x)
87. Every single second of this video is proof of why Andy, Kiv and Jorm deserve the world (x)
88. He once dragged Mulaney up on stage for SNL Goodnights, even though writers weren't allowed to join in (x)
89. He has a hilarious phobia of pooping anywhere except his own bathroom (x) 
90. His beautiful, beautiful, face: His smile (radiant), his eyes (caramel - hella disarming), his ears (adorably asymmetrical), his nose (perfect), His chin (the dimple… *swoon*), his jaw (could cut glass), The 'Sambeard' (another amazing layer of pretty) (x)
91. His body: His butt (x), his thighs, (x) his soft lil tummy (The ‘Sambelly’) (x), his hands. (x), his arms (x), his hips…
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(Gif credit: @amystiago /@badpostandy on Twitter)
92. All signs point to the fact that, like Jake, Andy uses his glasses case as a wallet (x) 
93. Jake's "cool-cool-cool-cool-cool-cool" is an irl Andy-ism that the writers worked into b99 scripts. What's even better is that Joanna does it, too (x)
94. He has a really good arm and is low key competitive, which is super hot https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e32K_nBDy3Q
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95. He's one half of the cutest Red Carpet pose of all time (x)
96. He barely ever seems to get mad but if angry Jake is anything to go by, maybe he should... (x)
97. He's a huge nerd, who geeks out over GOT, LOTR, 'Star Wars', 'Alien(s)' and anything relating to time travel (x), (x)
98. He has a gorgeous speaking voice, especially when he’s tired or a little sick. (Bonus points for any time he uses the word ‘correct’. See point 30) (x) 
99. He’s still so committed to his b99 fans and fam, even after all this time and is as excited as the rest of us that...
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latveriansnailmail · 3 years ago
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Favorite Movies as of 2021
Subject to updating because surely I’ve missed a few. This is not supposed to be a list of meritorious films but rather just a list of movies I genuinely enjoy. It runs from Shakespeare to Bill & Ted with heavy doses of 80s fantasy, superhero schlock, and pretty much anything with Kurt Russell in it. Enjoy.
1- Harvey No contest, my favorite of all time.
2- Big Trouble in Little China It’s always a great joy to introduce a new viewer to this film.
3- Flash Gordon (1980) In which they totally lean into the camp and low budget.
4- The Thing I watch this annually upon the first major snowfall.
5- Titus (Taymor) One winter break Titus would be on one of the movie channels each day when I woke up, so I watched it daily for a month and it didn’t get old.
6- Death to Smoochy “Are you alright?” “I’m a little fucked up in general so it’s hard to gauge.”
7- Blade Runner (The Final Cut) So there’s this dude Deckard and he hunts robots but it turns out HE’S a robot, oh so very clever, little film
8- Tombstone I recently learned that Kurt Russell directed this film in all but name.
9- The Dark Crystal Immersive fantasy, though I’m sure it appears plain, drab, and simple now after the Netflix prequel.
10- Somewhere in Time I’m a romantic, I guess. Thus all the John Carpenter movies.
11- Grosse Pointe Blank So good, I used to think I liked John Cusack.
12- The Producers (musical) You heard me. Wilder and Mostel were great but the musical version had decades to mill over and expand the premise.
13- To Be or Not To Be (Brooks) Surprisingly suspenseful.
14- The 13th Warrior Saw it again recently and it holds up. Horror, only it happens to viking warriors who would rather chop the horror down than run.
15- The Mighty Thor I mean, Black Panther is objectively the best of the lot but subjectively this is my personal favorite superhero flick. I must have seen it a half a dozen times at least.
16- Lost Boys A billion Chinese can’t be wrong.
17- Die Hard A Christmas tradition. As a postman, it’s cathartic for me to watch Christmas get blown up a little before all the hugging and sentiment.
18- The Blues Brothers Deadpan hilarity cut with performances by legends of blues and soul.
19- The Sting The best heist film. It keeps you guessing until the very end and no twist feels arbitrary or leaves a hole.
20- Interview with the Vampire Fun fact, I looked like Pitt’s Louis when I was a young man in the goth scene.
21- Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure “Be excellent to each other!” “Party on, dudes!” *air guitar*
22- The Seventh Seal See? This list has its high points.
23- Revolutionary Girl Utena Note: Read the entire manga, watch the entire anime series, and read Adolescence of Utena BEFORE watching this or you’ll be left confused. Dazzled but confused.
24- The Nightmare Before Christmas So good I got the tarot deck.
25- The Last Unicorn It’s still a damn shame they never made that live action remake. Christopher Lee was set to reprise King Haggard.
26- Chasing Amy Honestly changed my life.
27- Excalibur It’s weird though how they’re always in armor. Wedding? Armor. Dinner? Armor. Deathbed? Armor.
28- Ginger Snaps A cut above any other werewolf movie I’ve seen.
29- Top Secret! My sense of humor distilled.
30- Clash of the Titans (Harryhousen) Yeah it’s dry but then there’s the monsters.
31- Monty Python’s the Meaning of Life People are not wearing enough hats.
32- Shadow of the Vampire Nosferatu nearly made this list but it’s hard to pinpoint a definitive cut. Try instead this film about the making of Nosferatu with an actual vampire as the vampire.
33- Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Look, we as a culture had the unfortunate experience of Twilight. This is the same premise but actually good.
34- The Last Supper This film challenged and changed me as a young man more so than any other work of art.
35- The Princess Bride The perfect film, but I’ve seen it so much it’s down at 35 now.
36- Blazing Saddles What can I as a white guy say? Just watch the movie.
37- Streets of Fire Always suspicious to me how Final Fight premiered within a year of this movie.
38- Gremlins More Christmas havok. Yum?
39- The Beastmaster Forgotten and underappreciated.
40- Ladyhawke A thing of beauty.
41- Willow C’mon. It’s Willow. I have nothing to justify here.
42- Speed Racer I know you heard it’s bad but hear me out: it is the strongest narrative I’ve ever seen on film and it’s exactly the way you played with your toy cars when you were little.
43- Angelheart You’re supposed to know that de Niro is Lucifer. The rest is mystery and the final reveal set up a trope that’s been done into the ground nowadays.
44- The Hunger More atmosphere than plot, but hey, vampire Bowie!
45- Zoolander My partner’s favorite.
46- Faust (Murnau) You will be shocked to see what was possible to achieve in film in 1926.
47- A Muppet Christmas Carol but a cut that includes the fiance’s song This finishes out my traditional Christmas films.
48- Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Y’know, I’ve got two Branagh films on here and neither are what you would expect given his catalog. The other one’s Thor for crying out loud.
49- Highlander I noticed in recent editions of Vampire: the Masquerade that it’s still possible in that game to hide a katana in a trenchcoat. This movie is why.
50- The Name of the Rose One of only a few instances where I prefer the film to the book. That book loooooong.
51- Robocop (1987) Of all the damn science fiction, why must we be in Robocop?
52- The Prophecy Now we’re getting into films I demoted since the last time I updated this list. This film’s a slow burn unless you get turned up for angels and Christopher Walken like I do.
53- The Warriors Would be higher if the opening wasn’t so slow.
54- Legend Tim Curry kills it as Darkness.
55- Black Panther Objectively the best superhero movie and the Academy backs me on that one.
56- Wonder Woman I do wish they’d trot out Vandal Savage as a Wonder Woman villain.
57- Captain America: The Winter Soldier Just rewatched this one earlier! It is heavily marked by the height of the War on Terror.
58- Blade The ancestor of all modern superhero movies and a solid vampire flick to boot.
59- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nostalgic for me? Maybe, but I hold that this is the first comic film worth a damn because they stuck with the comics when they wrote it.
60- Captain America: the First Avenger This movie is a real test of character. If someone doesn’t like Cap it’s because they think goodness is unrealistic.
61- Four Rooms Really just rooms 3 and 4.
62- Reservoir Dogs Hey, two Tim Roth films in a row!
63- Event Horizon Do you see?
64- What Dreams May Come Kind of an emotional ringer, especially after William’s death.
65- Monty Python and the Holy Grail Have I watched it into the ground? Yes. Is it still hilarious? Yes, and it gets funnier the more you study Arthurian myth.
66- Pulp Fiction I’m kinda over this now.
67- The Crow People who liked the comic passionately disagree with me but I still like this one.
68- Akira Still.
69- Ghost in the Shell Still, though the farther you get from 13 the less titties you need in your art.
70- Beetlejuice Why not? Let's just tack this on there.
Honorable Mentions:
Fight Club A suburb film but one I grew out of, as should everyone. If you meet a man who’s passionate about Fight Club, run!
American Psycho Ditto. I grew out of this but it’s still excellent.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape A horrible caricature of my brother’s life. I don’t get along with my brother any more.
Rocky Horror Picture Show Not actually a good film if you watch it straight with no commentary. Still, it’s a cornerstone of queer culture.
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 Of all the superhero films, this is the one that resonated with me the most. I was in a weird place at the time. It still resonates with me now because I’m a foster dad.
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ficnation · 4 years ago
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𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝟏
☁ 𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ☁
☁ 𝐀𝐒𝐊 𝐁𝐎𝐗 ☁
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1. “I apologise in advance for the inconvenience my murder is going to have on your life.”
2. “I hate you.” “Why? I’m lovely.”
3. “Murder wasn’t on today’s agenda.” “It’s not on anyone’s.” “No, it’s on mine, just not until next Thursday.”
4. “Hold on, you died.” “Yeah, well it didn’t stick.”
5. “This is my life now. I have climbed this hill and now I will die upon it.” “Shut up. We’ve only been hiking for twenty minutes.”
6. “She’s crying, what do I do?” “Go comfort her.” “How do I do that?” “Start with hugs.” “With what?”
7. “What’s our exit strategy?” “Our what?” “Oh my god, we’re all going to die.”
8. “I’m going to need chicken blood, a knife, a lighter, and a bottle of vodka.”
“Vodka? For the bonfire?”
“No, that’s just to make me feel better about going against (Name)’s command.” (changed)
9. “Are you clinically insane or incredibly annoying?” “I don’t know, probably both.”
10. “I saved your lives.” “How? By stealing our freedom?” (changed)
11. “It takes a very special kind of idiot to pull off what you just did.”
12. “I’m getting really tired of pretending I’m not evil.”
13. “Did you just agree with me?” “Oh I wish I could take-” “Nope! You said it! No take-backs!”
14. “It’s a long story.” “You conned me into thinking you were dead for eleven months. I have time.”
15. “I regret a lot of things. Having this conversation tops the list.”
16. “I had a thought.” “Oh no.” “I swear it’s a good one this time!’
17. “(Name), open the door!” “No. It’s cooler when you break in.” (changed)
18. “Do you think they remember you?” “I sure hope not after what I did the last time I was here.” “What did you do?” “You’ll find out.”
19. “You look…” “Beautiful, I know. Can we move on?”
20. “You scared me!” “Well, I am naturally terrifying.”
21. “I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.”
22. “I’d take a bullet for you, you know that.” “You’re not indestructible, and I’m going to kill you if you keep saying that.” (changed)
23. “You really have no clue who I am?” “You’d think the confused looks and blank stare would have answered that for you.”
24. “I am way too sober for this.”
25. “You don’t strike me as a professional criminal.” “That’s what makes me so good at it.”
26. “I don’t think of you as a protector. More like a distraction.”
27. “We have five people trying to kill us right now, what are we supposed to do?” “Actually, it’s more like eight.” “Oh, sorry I wasn’t specific enough!”
28. “If you could even comprehend where I’ve come from, you would be terrified of me.”
29. “I saved your life!” “You pushed me off a building.”
30. “You know we’re not all born with the ability to be a leader, right?” (changed)
31. “How do we keep getting into these situations?” “Eleven years of friendship and I still don’t know.”
32. “Did you hear that scream?” “Yes, I’m the one who screamed.”
33. “Are you SURE I can’t punch him in the face?” “Yes.” “What if I just break his nose a little?”
34. “You are remarkably well behaved tonight. What did you do?”
35. “You’re-you’re crushing my spleen.” “You don’t even know where your spleen is.”
36. “I’m no detective, of course, but I think this dead body might not be alive anymore.”
37. “Right now, I don’t know if I want to kiss you or shove you off a bridge.” “Can I pick?”
38. “The real treasure was the memories we made along the way.” “I almost died!” “Ah yes, that was my fondest memory.”
39. “I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you!” “And I’m trying to subtly avoid it!”
40. “Hey, I didn’t kill anyone today!” “What do you want? A gold star?”
41. “I hate you.” “Why? I’m lovely.”
42. “On a scale from one to ten, how bad do you think it would be if-” “At least a twenty.”
43. “Literally everything about this would be illegal in the old world.” (changed)
44. “Seven billion people in the world, and you’re overreacting because we killed one man.” “But-” “Seven. Billion. People. Now quit the complaining and drink your smoothie.”
45. “It’s not my birthday.” “It’s definitely your birthday.” “Give me a calendar. It’s not and I will prove it to – oh. Never mind. Happy birthday to me.”
46. “On a scale from one to ten, how bad do you want to kill me right now?” “I’m hovering somewhere in the high thirties.”
47. “I can fix that.” “I’m calling a professional.” “I’m a professional.” “A more professional, professional.”
48. “What’s the word for that infestation of tiny creatures over there?” “Those are children. That’s a school.”
49. “I have a concern.” “Just one?” “No, but I didn’t think you’d let me speak my piece if I told you how many I actually have.”
50. “Why are you glaring at me?” “I’m hoping you’ll spontaneously combust.”
51. “If we die, I’m going to spend the rest of our afterlife reminding you that this was all your fault.” “That’s cool, I wouldn’t mind having company while being a ghost.”
52. “What are you so afraid of?” “You.”
53. “What is that THING in your backpack?” (changed)
54. “I hate the sight of blood.” “Then maybe you shouldn’t kill for a living.”
55. “All that blood looks good on you. It really brings out your eyes.”
56. “Want to see what kind of trouble we can get into?” “Oh god, we’re going to die, aren’t we?” “It’s a Tuesday, I know how to restrain myself.” “You absolutely do not.”
57. “I don’t give a damn.” “You give so many damns they’re visible from SPACE.”
58.  “It’ll be easy. You just have to seduce them.” “You’re kidding, right? I’m about as seductive as a cabbage.”
59. “You’re not as evil as people think you are.” “No. I’m much worse.”
60. “That’s a terrifyingly accurate drawing of us.” “It’s almost like I’m good at what I do.”
61. “You have no power over me.” “You sure about that?”
62. “This isn’t good.” “How can you tell?” “See how they’re slowly surrounding us? And they all have guns and knives and I think one guy is carrying a machete?”
63. “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?” “Actually he’s right in front of you.”
64. “I’m not a thief. I’m just really good at acquiring things that aren’t mine.”
65. “I’m not completely human anymore. Remember that next time you want to punch me in the face.”
66. “Is that blood?” “No?” “That’s not a question you’re supposed to answer with another question.”
67. “I never stood a chance, did I?” “That’s the sad part – you did once.”
68. “It’s okay, I’m here.”
69. “I’m not going to leave you.”
70. “Everything is okay.”
71. “I’m going to protect you.”
72. “I believe in you.”
73. “Do you feel guilty? Like, at all?” “I don’t have time to feel guilty. And neither do you.”
74. “Stop that!” “Stop what?” “Doing that thing with your face when you’re happy. It’s making me nauseous.”
75. “What are you doing?” “…Eating.” “We’re being held hostage and you decide to raid the kitchen?” “They didn’t say the fridge was off limits.”
76. “Is that a dead body?” “Maybe?” “It is. I can see it right in front of me.” “I promise I’ll clean it up before dinner.”
77. “If we’re going to get out of here, we’re going to have to work together. After that, we can go back to killing each other.” “Oh, fine.”
78. “That’s not funny.” “I thought it was.” “You don’t count. You started laughing in the middle of a funeral because you started thinking of a meme you saw on Facebook.”
79. “Do we need wine?” “No, I need wine, you need to put your pants back on.” “But life is so freeing without them.” “Pants. On. Now.”
80. “Can you please go be stupid somewhere that’s away from me?”
81. “I feel like I’m being stabbed.” “How do you even know what it feels like to be stabbed?”
82. “Will you be quiet?” “I didn’t say anything!” “Well stop thinking so loud.”
83. “Did you get my note?” “Of course I got it. You taped it to my forehead while I was sleeping.”
84. “You’re a psychopath.” “I prefer creative.”
85. “Why do people keep trying to put this blanket on me?” “Because you’re in shock.” “That doesn’t mean I need a blanket. It means I need booze.”
86. “Oh no.” “What is it? What happened? Who died?” “I think I just felt an emotion.” “You have GOT to be kidding me.”
87. “When all this is over, I want my sanity back.”
88. “That’s definitely not true.” “Of course it is. I read it in Encyclopedia.” (changed)
89. “You forgot me.” “It was an accident.”
90. “Why do you keep risking your life? To prove a point?” “Yes.”
91. “I would like to join you in acknowledging the difficulties of your life.” “You are the WORST at this comfort thing.”
92. “You’ve got to stop doing that.” “What?” “Saying things that make me want to kiss you.”
93. “Look, if you want to conjure some demon spawn from the great beyond, that’s all fine and dandy. Just wait for me to leave before you start.”
94. “Just calm down!” “My arm just got cut off and you want me to calm down!?” (changed)
95. “You know what they say, panicking burns a shit ton of calories.” “Who even says that?” “Me. Just now.”
96. “Don’t mind me, I’ll just be in the corner, having another existential crisis.”
97. “Oh my god, I had the exact same dream!” “Really?” “Are you crazy? Of course I didn’t.”
98. “I need to go de-stress.” “Where are you going?” “To demolish the living room.”
99. “I think I’m having a feeling. How do I make it stop?”
100. “I’m bitter and complicated. It’s one of my charms.” “I don’t think you know what that word means. Or how to count.”
101. “Well? What happened? I want all the details!”
102. “You always think you know what you’d do when faced with the end of the world. Me? I went home and took a nap.”
103. “Damn it, why aren’t you obeying the laws of physics?”
104. “I’d hug you right now, but you’re covered in evidence. And I also really don’t want to.” “Evidence is a really nice euphemism for blood, gore and guts.” “You’re totally missing the point. Do you know how pissed I am at you right now?”
105.  “This way is more efficient.” “This way is going to get us killed.”
106. “You’re not my favourite person today.” “I’m not your favourite person on any day.”
list by @fictionpants
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lovemesomesurveys · 4 years ago
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1. Do you like having your picture taken? No.
2. Have you ever done a photo shoot, professional or non? I’ve had pictures taken at photo studios and I have a cousin who’s a photographer that did my college graduation photos.
3. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go and why? I mean, nowhere right now. BUT, there’s a lot of places I’d love to visit one day. Various countries and places here in the US. I just want to be able to travel a lot one day.
4. Who would you take with you on this little adventure? My family.
5. What would you say is the most daring thing to do in a lifetime? That’s going to be different for everyone of course, but basically something that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Conquering a fear.
6. Would you ever do that? I don’t know. 
7. Have you ever done crossword puzzles? Yeah. I much prefer word searches, though.
8. Ever actually completed one? Yeah.
9. Pick up the closest book and write a sentence at random from it. There isn’t a book near me.
10. Do the same with a lyric from either a cd or the radio. Nah.
11. Have you ever tried to analyze your own dreams? Yeah, many times. I’ve tried to look up what some things symbolize and what it might mean for me. 
12. Would you put up posters in your room? Yeah. I have some things hung up. 
13. Can you sing? I can’t sing well at all. I wish.
14. Do you ever sing to yourself while doing everyday tasks? Yes.
15. What's your favorite color of post-it note? Pink.
16. How many cassette tapes do you own? Zero.
17. How many cd's do you own? I don’t have any CDs anymore.
18. Ever bought a cd for just one song? I probably have. 
19. What would your perfect day consist of? Beach days are nice. Or since it’s winter, renting a cozy cabin in the snow sounds lovely.
20. Have you ever lied to get off the phone or out of talking to someone online? Yes.
21. Have you ever written a survey? Once. It was several years ago during the Xanga days. I wish I still had it saved.
22. How about a song? If so share it. No.
23. Or maybe a poem? If so share it or one of them. I dabbled with poetry when I was 16. I am definitely not sharing one, they’re super cringey.
24. Is your vcr flashing 12:00 all the time? I don’t have a VCR. Wow, cassette tapes and VCRs how old is this survey?
25. Do you read your horoscope? No.
26. If so, do you base your day on it? No, I’ve never been into astrology. I used to read it when I was younger like in an magazine, but it was always just for fun.
27. Would you rather chew gum or use mouthwash and why? Chew gum. Mouthwash is way too strong to me and I find it irritating for my mouth and yeah it’s just not a pleasant experience.
28. Do you floss? No. :X
29. Are you addicted to napster like me? Okay, now you’ve mentioned Napster so this survey is super old. Napster was like late 90s and early 2000s. 
30. How many times a year about are you sick? I rarely get things like a cold, which I find interesting because I feel like my immune system is crap, but I feel sick and crappy often for other reasons.
31. Ever been in an airplane? Yes, a few times.
32. If so where were you flying to? Georgia and back and to Disneyland and back.
33. What radio station to you listen to most? It’s been a few years since I’ve listened to the radio.
34. What color are your shoes? I wear my black Adidas the most.
35. Was fuzzy wuzzy a bear? He was. He had no hair, though, so he wasn’t actually fuzzy.
36. Do you know how to play dominos? I’ve never really played.
37. Or do you think I just mean pizza by that? No, I know what dominos are.
38. Speaking of pizza, what's your favorite kind? (toppings and/or place to get it from) My favorite is from this local place. I like to get white sauce, feta and ricotta cheese, crumbled meatballs, garlic, spinach, and pesto and olive oil drizzles. I’ve been really craving that lately.
39. What color are your eyes? Brown.
40. How many surveys have you filled out this lifetime? Oh pffffft, I am not even going to attempt to figure that out. There’s no way I could. I’ve been doing surveys for so long and sadly so many of them are gone because they were done on Myspace and Xanga. :(
41. Describe your bedroom, include all details. Okay, you want details? Here we go...
It’s small and has way too much stuff. For one thing, there’s giraffe stuffed animals all over, including a 4 ft one in the corner. There’s a dresser by the window that has my TV and Christmas decorations on it. To the right of that is a 6-cube shelf with some of the aforementioned giraffe stuffed animals as well as giraffe knickknacks, some coloring books and coloring supplies, a mini Christmas tree on top, a few more giraffe stuffed animals, a nice picture frame with my dog, Brandie, who passed away, and my BB8 droid I made at Disneyland. Above the shelf is an I Love Lucy wall clock. My closest is nearby and is full of medical supplies, 3-drawer file thing with random stuff I insist on holding onto, my shoes, and all my jackets and sweatshirts. To the left of my dresser is my bookshelf with a lot of books and other figurines and knickknacks of various things I like and hey surprise, surprise, more giraffe stuffed animals! Across from the bookshelf and dresser is my bed, which is also my desk cause I keep my laptop on it, my chargers, my phone, a coloring book, a couple packs of colored pencils, my Bible study stuff, my remotes, and my Nintendo Switch. I have a pile of clothes, too, cause dresser and closet are too full. I have like 8 throw pillows, a body pillow, a back pillow, and a couple actual pillows. I have a few stuffed animals that sit on my bed as well, which are a huge squishmallow giraffe, a small squishmallow pug, a small squishmallow Dumbo, a small squishmallow Baby Yoda/Grogu, and a Baby Yoda/Grogu plushie. To the right of my bed is a TV tray that has my bottles of water, my medicine and pill crusher, a box of straws, a glass, a Starbucks Doubleshot energy drink, chapstick, my wallet, a Zip-loc bag with half a glazed donut and half a chocolate one, and a small bag of shortbread cookies. Behind the TV tray is my 3-drawer bedside table, which has a makeup storage thing on it that I plan on cleaning out and getting rid of cause I don’t wear makeup anymore and could use that space for something else, a bottle of lotion, a couple little room sprays from B&BW, and a jewelry tray. Hung up on my walls around the room are a few giraffe framed paintings, a couple beachy canvas paintings, two Alexander Skarsgard calendars, a bulletin board with various stuff pinned to it, and a marker board. There’s also a hamper in here, a floor lamp, a ceiling fan/light, two fans, and an ottoman.
42. Name one person your life is made better by. My mom. She’s my best friend. 
44. How about someone else's? Huh?
45. Can you do math with ease? Ha, noooo. Me and math never got along.
46. What size is your computer screen? It’s 13.3 inches.
47. If you could only talk to one person online who would that be? Someone from the survey community on here.
48. Name your favorite type of music and why. I like a variety of music--various genres and decades.
49. Are you a vegetarian? No.
50. How about an aspiring actor/actress? Not at all.
51. What famous person dead or alive would you interview if you had the chance? Alexander Skarsgard.
52. Which movie can you watch and say the lines along with the actors? There’s a lot of movies I could do that with. I try not to cause it gets annoying, but it happens.
53. Name one of your passions in life. I don’t know. :/
54. What's your least favorite time of day? Evening time.
55. Who's your favorite member in a band, singer, guitarist, bassist, drummer, and why? The singer, typically.
56. Do you use hairspray or gel? I use neither.
57. Describe your favorite meal. Wingstop’s boneless garlic parm and lemon pepper wings. I also really enjoy my nightly bowl of ramen.
58. What color is the inside of your head when you close your eyes? Black.
59. Ever listen to classical music? Not typically, but it is nice.
60. Have you ever said lol in real life without thinking about it? No.
61. Do you find you use internet language when writing notes irl? I use “wtf, “wth”, “omg”, and “lol.” 
62. What songs would be on your ideal cd? Like I said, I like variety, so a mix of songs.
63. Say one thing you've learned today. Nothing, really.
64. What is the best present you've ever given someone else? I don’t know.
65. What is the best present someone else has ever given to you? I’ve been given many nice gifts throughout my life. I’m appreciative of all the gifts I’ve received.
66. So hey, what's your full name? Stephanie is all you need to know.
67. Describe yourself while drunk. I was chatty and annoying.
68. How big are the windows in your house? Regular, common size? .
69. Do you wear a watch? Nope.
70. What's the kinkiest thing you've ever done with someone else? Nothing.
71. What's the largest age difference between you and someone you've dated? Just a year.
72. How many mirrors do you have? Just one in my room.
73. Write one sentence stating what you want people to say about you after you've passed on. I don’t know, man.
74. Have you ever sailed? Nope.
75. How fast can you run? I used to be able to go pretty fast, but not now. I don’t have the upper body strength or energy I used to have.
76. What do you believe in? I believe in God.
77. How long does it take you to get ready to go out? Not long at all. I just change clothes, quickly do something with my hair, brush my teeth, put on deodorant, put on my shoes, and then grab my bag and mask and go. And a coat if needed.
78. Do you shower daily? If not how often? No, I shower 3-4 times a week.
79. What one thing would you change in your life if you had the power to do so? I’d make it so I had good health.
80. Describe the ideal superpower and what you would do if you had it. Teleportation. I’d travel all over.
81. Are candles romantic or a fire hazard? They can be both.
82. Name something you've done in the last 24hrs no matter how big or small. I had coffee and donuts. Exciting stuff.
83. Do you wear necklaces, bracelets, anklets, earrings, rings? I haven’t worn any in awhile.
84. What colors are you wearing right now? Just black.
85. How often do you change the sheets on your bed? Twice a month.
86. Have you ever gotten lost? Not alone, thankfully, but yeah.
87. What's on your computer desk? I mentioned in the question about my room that my bed is also my desk and I listed the things on it.
88. How many folders are on your desktop at the present moment? Zero.
89. When your talking do you ever use your hands to do quotation marks in the air when saying certain words? Sometimes, if I find it necessary to do so.
90. Which landmark would you climb if you could? None.
91. Do you own or have you read, or thought of reading any self-help books? I read the Chicken Soup For The Soul books when I was younger but that's it. <<< Same.
92. Ever seriously questioned your sanity? Yes. 93. Can you breakdance? No.
94. What's in your fridge right now? Food and drinks. I’m tired from listing everything in that room description question lol.
95. How many people do you live with? I live with 3 people and a doggo.
96. Have you or would you ever do anything more than kiss in a public area? No.
97. What is the strangest thing you've ever done? Uhhh. I don’t know.
98. Name an instrument you've never played but would like to. Guitar.
99. Have you ever been on tv or the radio? Myself, as well as my story, was on TV after my accident happened. 
100. What is the worst thing anyone could ever do to you? Physically hurt me.
101. Are you a fast typer? Yes.
102. How high have you counted before getting bored? I don’t know, but probably not very high. I probably would get to 100 and be over it.
103. Describe how you sleep. (ie. your position and/or how you fall asleep) I sleep slightly propped up and turned to my left side. I have indigestion and post-nasal drip issues, so I can’t sleep flat. I have a whole nighttime routine consists of scrolling through Tumblr, doing surveys, and listening to ASMR until I feel tired enough to fall asleep.
104. Are you straight, bi, gay? I’m straight.
105. Do you ever do something else while on the computer? If so what? Sometimes I’m watching TV.
106. What is the most expensive item you own? My MacBook Air.
107. How about the least expensive? My little knickknacks.
109. What do you do online? Check my social medias, watch YouTube, scroll through Tumblr, and do surveys.
110. Name some stores you've bought clothes in before. Boxlunch, Hot Topic, Kohl’s, JCP, Target, H&M, Macy’s, Forever 21... those are a few that come to mind.
111. Have you ever read a book and not understood it? If so which one? I struggled with mythology. I just couldn’t get into it, so that definitely didn’t help, and it was hard to follow.
112. Have you ever watched a movie and not understood it? If so which one? Yeah. Whenever that happens I jump on Google and read up on it afterwards. 
113. Do people pick up your slang language more than you pick up theirs? I pick up lingo from others most often. 
114. Are you easily influenced by other people, or current trends? No, I wouldn’t say that.
115. What makes you unique in your own opinion? I don’t feel very unique.
116. Name your worst quality. Where to start... .
117. Name your best. I like that I’m open-minded.
118. What would you like to do with your life? I need to get myself together and figure that out.
119. Do you blowdry your hair? Nah.
120. How many clocks are in your house? We have like 3 wall clocks and there’s digital clocks throughout the house on appliances and electronics.
121. Are they all set on the same time? The phones and electronics are. The others are a few minutes fast. My parents set their digital clock like 15 minutes fast.
122. Have you ever intentionally set a clock ahead or behind the actual time? Like I said, we set some of them a few minutes ahead.
123. What do you think about when you first wake up in the morning? "What time is it?"
124. Which browser do you use? Google Chrome.
125. Do you bite your nails? Ugh, I don’t bite them but I pick and clip at them with clippers constantly. 
126. Would you ever leave little notes to your gf/bf? Sure, I think that’s cute.
127. Ever been to a farm? Yes.
128. Tell me about your dream last night. I don't remember. I rarely ever do. What typically happens is I’ll remember when I first get up, but then it like vanishes. My dreams are like Snapchat. If only there was an option to save or screenshot them like Snapchat.
129. Ever seen a shooting star? No, actually.
130. Say one thing about yourself you've never told anyone. Uhhhh. I’m so boring, I can’t think of something interesting to share.
131. Do your days fly by or seem to last forever? It often seems like the days go by slow, but then before I know it it’s already been a whole week again and I’m like wtf it was just Monday? That’s how the years tend to feel, too. There’s definitely some days that just really seem draaaaag, though. And there’s something about January that always feels super long. 
132. Have you ever stayed in a fancy high class rich hotel? Yes. 133. Have you ever stayed in a rent-by-the-hour motel? No.
134. What in your opinion is the best advertising slogan out there? If they get stuck in your head then they’re doing something right. It’s gotta be catchy. Jingles work well.
135. When they start sending rockets to the moon for us civilians, will you be on the list to go? Noooo, absolutely not.
136. How are you feeling right now? Tired, kinda hungry, and lonely.
137. Have you ever written anything on your skin? Yeah.
138. If so what? Random stuff. That was something a lot of people seemed to do in like middle school and high school for some reason.
139. Which website do you frequent most often? Tumblr and YouTube.
140. What color are most of your clothes? Black.
141. Do you own any plants? Nope.
142. Are things as bad as they seem? They sure seem bad to me.
143. Describe the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you. My mom is amazing. She’s sacrificed so much. I’m 31 years old and require aid with some things and here she is still taking care of me and doing so much for me on top of working a full-time job, being a caregiver for a family friend as well, taking care of us as a family and of things at home, and she very rarely has anytime for herself. She’s spread very thin and works so hard and yeah I just could never thank her enough. She’s the absolute best and I would be so lost without her. I couldn’t keep going if it weren’t for her.
144. Ever looked directly at the sun? Yes.
145. Have you ever made a pin hole camera to watch the eclipse? No.
146. What's your favorite cereal? All the main sugary ones, ha.
147. Who do you miss? My loved ones who have passed away.
148. Name something you just can't forget no matter how hard you try. Uh, a lot of things. My mind doesn’t like me to forget things like that. It likes to remind me of them often. Things like that hit at random times as well, like my brain will be like, ‘hey remember when...’ and I’m like, ‘ugh, yes I remember you won’t let me forget.’
149. Describe the worst fight you've ever been in whether physical or verbal. I’ve never been in a physical fight, but there were some verbal ones. I don’t want to get into them right now.
150. Say something else about yourself you've never told anyone before. Noooo. 
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f4liveblogarchives · 4 years ago
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Fantastic Four Vol 1 #236
Mon May 04 2020 [08:31 PM] Wack'd: IT'S A MILESTONE!
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[08:32 PM] maxwellelvis: A triple-sized issue, eh? [08:33 PM] Wack'd: All your favorite Fantastic Four characters are here! Wyatt! Norrin! Agatha! Franklin! Namor! Willie! Impy! T'Challa! And, uh. I guess some other folks? [08:33 PM] maxwellelvis: I'm going to guess that's a double-sized Byrne story and then a regular-sized one by Stan and Jack. [08:33 PM] Bocaj: Ah yes captain america and reed richards in one place at one time in a time and place that isn't the ill received special avengers 300 roster [08:33 PM] maxwellelvis: That's the rest of the Marvel Universe heroes here to party. [08:33 PM] Wack'd: Yes. [08:33 PM] Wack'd: Why isn't Alicia on this cover. [08:34 PM] Wack'd: Or, like, any number of Fantastic Four repository players. [08:34 PM] maxwellelvis: Had to make room for Stan Lee. [08:34 PM] Wack'd: Also who's that guy in the suit? Is that...Collins, maybe? [08:35 PM] maxwellelvis: I just told you. [08:35 PM] Wack'd: Oh [08:35 PM] Wack'd: ...where's Jack? [08:35 PM] maxwellelvis: Either he's on the back or John Byrne knows which side his bread is buttered on. [08:36 PM] Bocaj: maybe he's behind the special triple sized sticker [08:36 PM] Bocaj: Like he got Mike Wachowski'd [08:36 PM] Wack'd:
Clint: I can't believe it... Wanda: Oh, Clint, I'm so sorry... Clint: I'M ON THE COVER OF *FANTASTIC FOUR*!
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[08:36 PM] maxwellelvis: 🤣 [08:37 PM] Wack'd: Can't believe Bocaj beat me to essentially this same joke [08:37 PM] Bocaj: My secret is that I didn't bother putting in extra effort [08:39 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, let's start our first story, shall we? [08:39 PM] maxwellelvis: Indeed. [08:40 PM] Wack'd: Oh good, we're doin this
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[08:40 PM] Wack'd: I think this is our first real, proper origin retelling. We got one in the late 70s but it was less a retcon and more "this is a recap issue, please don't kill us if we fudged some details" [08:40 PM] Umbramatic: welp [08:42 PM] Wack'd: I guess instead of "first to the moon" it was "make it further into space than anyone else"
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[08:42 PM] Bocaj: Time keeps on slipping, slipping into the future [08:42 PM] Umbramatic: what is time [08:42 PM] Bocaj: I know that the Slott FF has the idea instead that the rocket was FTL and they were trying to get to a specific planet, which turns out to be full of assholes [08:44 PM] Wack'd: So here's egg on my face [08:44 PM] Wack'd: The dialogue from this scene is taken note-for-not from #1 [08:44 PM] Wack'd: This isn't actually retconning anything at all, except for that one narrative caption [08:45 PM] Wack'd: Oh, and the addition of some jargon
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[08:47 PM] Umbramatic: CAPTAIN SPACE ICEBERG AHEAD [08:47 PM] Wack'd:
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[08:49 PM] Umbramatic: this is intense [08:49 PM] maxwellelvis: Both version are pretty intense. [08:49 PM] maxwellelvis: I'm noticing the dialogue's been slightly rewritten on the new version. [08:50 PM] Wack'd: Very slightly, mostly just to add technical terms you'd expect a rocket crew to be using [08:50 PM] Umbramatic: aha [08:50 PM] Wack'd: All of the original lines are still there, though [08:50 PM] maxwellelvis: And to keep Ben's manner of speech more consistent [08:51 PM] Wack'd: Punctuation is a bit different [08:52 PM] Wack'd: OH SHIT, WE'RE DOIN' THIS
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[08:53 PM] Umbramatic: oh. OH [08:55 PM] Wack'd: In this reality, Reed's a college professor, Sue's a housewife, and Ben and Alicia are married and running a tavern. All in a little town creatively named Liddleville. [08:55 PM] Bocaj: Our Town Founders made a decision there [08:55 PM] Wack'd: Our Town Founder is Josiah Liddle [08:56 PM] Bocaj: Lets cut the head off his statue [08:56 PM] Bocaj: Like in the Jetsons [08:56 PM] Wack'd: Oh, also, Alicia can see in this reality. Alicia offhandedly mentioning she saw something makes Ben real happy and he has no idea why [08:57 PM] Bocaj: Hmm. [08:57 PM] Wack'd: But I do! It's this creepy fucker
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[08:57 PM] Umbramatic: oh boy! oh BOY! [08:58 PM] maxwellelvis: We're actually doing the "Perchance to Dream" thing, aren't we? [08:58 PM] maxwellelvis: Is THIS where B:TAS got that idea from? [08:59 PM] Wack'd: Pretty sure they stole it from For the Man Who Has Everything [08:59 PM] Wack'd: Which incidentally won't exist for another three or four years [08:59 PM] maxwellelvis: Wild how time works [09:00 PM] Wack'd: Another dream sequence, this time for Sue! And with much more dramatic changes [09:01 PM] Wack'd: This time, Ben's complaints about safety concerns are much more substantial, and Sue's accusation that Ben is a coward is more to do with time and money running out to do this experiment and less to do with, uh [09:01 PM] Wack'd: Commies [09:03 PM] Umbramatic: "I'm going to the one place free from capitalism... SPACE" [09:03 PM] Wack'd: Also this happens
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[09:03 PM] Umbramatic: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH [09:04 PM] maxwellelvis: It's a nice touch that in those first two panels, the Thing is more leathery, like he was in the early comics, and it's only when Reed starts stretching that he looks more rock-like [09:04 PM] Wack'd: Yeah, I liked that too [09:05 PM] Umbramatic: oooh [09:05 PM] Wack'd: So Reed, Johnny, and Ben meet up at Ben's tavern to discuss these dreams, and whaddayknow, they've all been having them [09:06 PM] Wack'd: Tragically, Ben's dreams give him super-strength, but no rock skin. Dream!Ben is scared to ask Alicia to marry him--but he doesn't know why. [09:08 PM] Wack'd: Reed then goes to work, where he's having problems with his dickhead boss.
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[09:09 PM] Wack'd: Reed decides to try and work out what's up with these dreams, dozes off, bonks his head, and realizes when he wakes up that he is actually a superhero, and the Puppet Master is responsible for all this. [09:10 PM] Umbramatic: wha [09:11 PM] Wack'd: Reed, trying to figure out why he doesn't have stretching powers, makes the very smart and scientifically motivated decision to stab himself in a vein and bleed out in his office. [09:12 PM] Umbramatic: oh [09:12 PM] Umbramatic: i diagnose you with dead [09:13 PM] Wack'd: It's okay though! Turns out he's a robot and the blood is all fake. So are the bodies of Ben, Sue, Johnny, Alicia and Franklin. [09:13 PM] Umbramatic: ...IS DOOM IN ON THIS TOO?! [09:13 PM] Wack'd: It takes Reed no time at all to convince his friends and family of this and go confront Phillip. [09:14 PM] Wack'd: Wow, uh, you're ahead of me here, Umbra [09:14 PM] maxwellelvis: Lucky guess [09:14 PM] Umbramatic: damn this is the second thing i've predicted tonight [09:14 PM] Wack'd: Phillip apparently just wanted to give Alicia the life he thought she wanted, but Reed points out he doesn't have the tech to do this all on his own. [09:15 PM] Wack'd: Phillip, it turns out, has made the very smart and not-at-all-suicidal decision to mind control Doctor Doom [09:15 PM] Umbramatic: oh this is gonna be goooooooooooooooooooooood [09:15 PM] Bocaj: Oh geeeeeeeeeeeez [09:16 PM] maxwellelvis: This should be good. [09:17 PM] Wack'd: Of course this is Doom we're talking about. He doesn't make mistakes, he just lets people figure things out for stupid ego reasons.
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[09:18 PM] Wack'd: God, the fact that this isn't an illusion, the Four, Franklin and Alicia are trapped in tiny robots, is a lovely extra layer of bonkers. [09:18 PM] Bocaj: Amazing [09:19 PM] Wack'd: ALSO "LIDDLEVILLE" ISN'T A SMALL TOWN JOKE, IT'S LITERALLY LITTLE [09:19 PM] Wack'd: INCREDIBLE [09:20 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, Reed asks Doom what his next move is, and Doom...doesn't have one [09:20 PM] Wack'd: He's just gonna leave them like this [09:20 PM] Wack'd: Forever [09:21 PM] Umbramatic: DOOM: "I don't know, I never thought I'd get this far.” [09:21 PM] maxwellelvis: The fact that he's resisted the urge to play Godzilla now that they know he's the one who orchestrated this shows he has way more willpower than I [09:22 PM] maxwellelvis: Assuming the shock of dying in robot bodies wouldn't wake them up. [09:23 PM] Wack'd: They do have one ace in the hole--Phillip! After all, Phillip's in this mess because he mind-controlled Doom, but he's not an idiot, surely he has an escape hatch. [09:23 PM] Wack'd: Well turns out he did. Doom turned it off. [09:23 PM] Umbramatic: oh [09:23 PM] maxwellelvis: Womp womp [09:23 PM] Wack'd: Reed examines it through and tries to see if he can get it to work anyway. [09:24 PM] Wack'd: Ben, meanwhile, is taking all this really hard. [09:25 PM] Umbramatic: aw... [09:26 PM] Wack'd: He's also decided to stay in Liddleville. The world has other superheroes now, and he's earned a normal, idyllic life. [09:26 PM] Wack'd: (The fact that Doom turned off all the fake villagers does not seem to be something he's noticed.) [09:27 PM] Umbramatic: Ben: The Last Man On Fake Earth [09:28 PM] Wack'd: So! Here's the plan. Turns out Doom built a real miniature particle accelerator at Reed's fake miniature college because Reed would spot a fake. [09:28 PM] Wack'd: So all they have to do is get it to spit out some cosmic rays. Easy. [09:28 PM] Umbramatic: excuse me what [09:29 PM] Wack'd: To which part? [09:29 PM] Umbramatic: the first bit mainly [09:29 PM] Wack'd: Yeah uh [09:30 PM] Wack'd: Doom wanted to taunt Reed with some cool science he couldn't play with to make Reed miserable [09:30 PM] Umbramatic: omg [09:30 PM] Wack'd: But he also knew Reed would know if it was a fake cool science [09:30 PM] Umbramatic: that's deliciously petty [09:30 PM] Wack'd: It issssssss [09:30 PM] Wack'd: So, as they're debating who gets a power up first, Ben has a change of heart and demands to go first. [09:31 PM] Umbramatic: Ben: This is insane. ...I’m in. [09:33 PM] Bocaj: Hahah [09:33 PM] Wack'd:
Alicia: ben you dingus i literally sculpt real people with pinpoint accuracy, you've seen my work, and also we've touched each other...a lot... Ben: Yeah I know but I got that danged body dysmorphia
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[09:33 PM] Bocaj: Aww [09:34 PM] Umbramatic: awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww [09:34 PM] Wack'd: I joke because I love [09:35 PM] Wack'd: Ben/Alicia 4ever [09:35 PM] Umbramatic: ye [09:35 PM] Umbramatic: (though i felt the body dysmorphia part) [09:37 PM] Wack'd: With their powers restored, all they have to do is fight a bunch of miniature robots, scale the walls of their fake city, climb up to Doom's workstation... [09:37 PM] Wack'd: Aaaaaaand he took the battery out. [09:37 PM] Wack'd: Now the workstation can only turn left 😛 [09:38 PM] Umbramatic: -gasp- [09:39 PM] Wack'd: So! New plan. Use the Liddleville river to flood Doom's office, stick some live electrical wires in there, and hope the alarm goes off. [09:39 PM] Wack'd: No dice. [09:39 PM] Wack'd: They're gonna have to find Doom and bring him to them. [09:40 PM] Wack'd: And since Reed and Ben have fairly limited top speeds, and Johnny's flame can run out without rest, this task falls to Sue. [09:41 PM] Wack'd:
Reed: No! I can't permit you to go against Doom alone! Sue: Please, Reed! Must we go through this every time a dangerous task falls to me? I've proven time and time again that I can handle myself in an emergency situation. I'm the only one who can go. And you know it.
[09:42 PM] Wack'd: Sue puts up a good fight against Doom, pelting him with force fields, but she's still as big as a fingernail, and all he really has to do is put a cup on her like she's a bug he's found. [09:43 PM] Wack'd: But the goal is accomplished. Doom is going to check and make sure the other three aren't making any trouble. [09:43 PM] Wack'd: Just like they wanted. [09:43 PM] Bocaj: Good job Sue [09:43 PM] maxwellelvis: Was this inspired by the 1967 Fantastic Four cartoon intro?  [09:45 PM] Wack'd: ...hahahaha it coulda been! [09:45 PM] Wack'd: Oh hey, that's where this meme comes from
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[09:46 PM] Umbramatic: this was a meme? [09:49 PM] Wack'd: 106k notes on Tumblr [09:51 PM] Wack'd: AND SO! Doom does not blindly stride into this childish trap, and then electrocute himself. [09:51 PM] Wack'd: He angerly fires some energy beams at the childish trap because he feels insulted. [09:51 PM] Wack'd: And then Reed, Johnny, and Ben use their powers to trip him into the childish trap. Which electrocutes him. [09:52 PM] Bocaj: Wow [09:52 PM] Bocaj: bad show doom, good show reed, ben, johnny [09:52 PM] Wack'd: This somehow instantaneously shunts everyone back into their real bodies. [09:53 PM] Umbramatic: welp [09:54 PM] Wack'd: Also, Doom is now in a stasis coma in his suit. [09:54 PM] Wack'd: To ensure he stays that way, the Four decide, well... [09:55 PM] Wack'd:
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[09:57 PM] maxwellelvis: I must admit I am curious to see how he gets out of this one eventually [09:59 PM] Bocaj: If you die in Liddletown you die in real life [09:59 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, the quote-unquote "brand new story by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby" is a rejected script for the 1978 animated series, adapting Doctor Doom's first appearance. [09:59 PM] Wack'd: It is also not available here. So I am going to write it off as no big loss and move on. [10:02 PM] Wack'd: I did like this story, though! I think it coulda stood to spend a little less time on the mechanics and a little more time on how everyone felt about this situation, but overall it's really good.
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myhauntedsalem · 5 years ago
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Horror Movies Based on True Events
Open Water (2003)
When a couple goes scuba diving in Open Water, their boat accidentally leaves them behind in shark-infested water. It’s based on something that really happened to American tourists Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who were left behind by a diving company off the Great Barrier Reef. By the time the mistake was realized two days later, it was too late, and they were never seen again. A shark attack seems not to have been the cause of death, however, as the couple’s dive jackets were eventually found. The jackets weren’t damaged, which suggested that the Lonergans likely took them off, “delirious from dehydration,” and drowned.
Borderland (2007)
When three friends head to a Mexican border town to have some fun in this movie, they get mixed up with a cult specializing in human sacrifice. The concept loosely stems from the life of Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo, a drug lord and cult leader who was responsible for the death of American student Mark Kilroy.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
The iconic baddie Freddy Krueger kills teenagers via their dreams in Wes Craven’s franchise-launching film. Craven told Vulture that the idea stemmed from an article he read in The Los Angeles Times about a family of Cambodian refugees with a young son who reported awful nightmares. “He told his parents he was afraid that if he slept, the thing chasing him would get him, so he tried to stay awake for days at a time,” said Craven. “When he finally fell asleep, his parents thought this crisis was over. Then they heard screams in the middle of the night. By the time they got to him, he was dead. He died in the middle of a nightmare. Here was a youngster having a vision of a horror that everyone older was denying. That became the central line of Nightmare on Elm Street.”
Black Water (2007)
Set in the swamps of Australia, this movie sees a group of fishers attacked by a humongous crocodile. It was inspired by an actual crocodile attack in the Australian outback in 2003 that killed a man named Brett Mann in an area that his friends said they’d “never, ever” seen a crocodile before.
Dead Ringers (1988)
In David Cronenberg’s movie, Jeremy Irons plays twin gynecologists who do messed up things with patients and ultimately die together in the end. Cronenberg adapted the movie from Bari Wood and Jack Geasland’s novel Twins, which was inspired by the lives of actual twin gynecologists Stewart and Cyril Marcus. TheNew York Times noted that the Marcuses enjoyed “trading places to fool their patients” and that they ultimately “retreat[ed] into heavy drug use and utter isolation.”
Deliver Us From Evil (2014)
The movie follows a cop and a priest who team up to take on the supernatural. It’s based on self-proclaimed “demonologist” Ralph Sarchie’s memoir Beware the Night, in which he tells supposedly true stories, such as the time he found himself “in the presence of one of hell’s most dangerous devils” possessing a woman.
Poltergeist (1982)
In Poltergeist, a family’s home is invaded by ghosts that abduct one of the daughters. The film was inspiredby unexplained events, such as loud popping noises and moved objects, that occurred in 1958 at the Hermanns’ home in Seaford, New York.
Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock’s essential film traces a woman who embezzles money from her employer and runs off to a mysterious hotel where she is (58-year-old spoiler alert) murdered by the man running it, Norman Bates. Bates is said to have been based on Ed Gein, a Wisconsin man who was convicted for one murder in the 1950s, but suspected for others. He also was a grave robber, and authorities found many disturbing results of that in his home, including bowls crafted from human skulls and a lampshade made from the skin of someone’s face.
Scream (1996)
The classic ‘90s slasher flick uses dark humor to tell the story of a group of teens and a mystery man named Ghostface who wants to murder them. But the real story ain’t funny. The movie was inspired by the Gainesville Ripper, real name Danny Rolling, who killed five Florida students by knife over a span of three days in August 1990.
The Conjuring (2013)
The movie stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as ghost hunters helping out a family in a haunted 18th-century farmhouse. The hunters, Ed and Lorraine Warren, are real people, as is the Perron family that they assist. Lorraine was a consultant on the movie and insists that many of the supernatural horrors really happened, and one of the daughters who is depicted in the film, Andrea Perron, says the same. She recalled an angry spirit named Bathsheba to USA Today:“Whoever the spirit was, she perceived herself to be mistress of the house and she resented the competition my mother posed for that position.”
Annabelle (2014)
The creepy porcelain doll from The Conjuring gets her terror on in this spin-off of The Conjuring. The ghost-hunting Warrens have claimed that there was a real Raggedy Ann doll that moved by itself and wrote creepy-ass notes saying things like, “Help us.” The woman who owned it contacted a medium, who claimed that it was possessed by a seven-year-old girl named Annabelle who had died there.
The Disappointments Room (2016)
Kate Beckinsale stars in the movie as an architect who moves to a new home with a mysterious room in the attic that she eventually learns was previously used as a room where rich people would cast off disabled children. It was reportedly inspired by a Rhode Island woman who discovered a similar room in her house that she says was built by a 19th century judge to lock away his disabled daughter.
The Exorcist (1973)
Two priests attempt to remove a demon from a young girl in this box office smash. The movie was based on a 1949 Washington Post article with the headline “Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip.” Director William Friedkin spoke about the article to Time Out London: “Maybe one day they’ll discover the cause of what happened to that young man, but back then, it was only curable by an exorcism. His family weren’t even Catholics, they were Lutheran. They started with doctors and then psychiatrists and then psychologists and then they went to their minister who couldn’t help them. And they wound up with the Catholic church. The Washington Post article says that the boy was possessed and exorcised. That’s pretty out on a limb for a national newspaper to put on its front page… You’re not going to see that on the front page of an intelligent newspaper unless there’s something there.
The Girl Next Door (2007)
The movie follows the abuse of a teenage girl at the hands of her aunt, and it was inspired by the murder of Sylvia Likens in 1965. The 16-year-old girl was abused by her caregiver, Gertrude Baniszewski, Baniszewski’s children, and other neighborhood children, as entertainment. They ultimately killed her, with the cause of death determined as “brain swelling, internal hemorrhaging of the brain, and shock induced by Sylvia’s extensive skin damage,”
The Possession (2012)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick star in the movie as a couple with a young daughter who becomes fascinated with an antique wooden box found at a yard sale. Of course, the box turns out to be home to a spirit. The flick’s “true story” basis came from an eBay listing for “a haunted Jewish wine cabinet box” containing oddities such as two locks of hair, one candlestick, and an evil spirit that caused supernatural activity. The box sold for $280 and gained attention when a Jewish newspaper ran an article about its so-called powers.
The Rite (2011)
In The Rite, a mortician enrolls in seminary and eventually takes an exorcism class in Rome, where demonic encounters ensue. The movie was based on the life of a real exorcist, Father Gary Thomas, whose work was the focus of journalist Matt Baglio’s book The Rite: The Making of an Exorcist. A Roman Catholic priest, Thomas was one of 14 Vatican-certified exorcists working in America in 2011. He served as an advisor on the film and told The Los Angeles Times that in the previous four years he had exorcised five people.
The Sacrament (2013)
In the movie, a man travels to find his sister who joined a remote religious commune, where, yep, bad things happen. It was inspired by the 1978 Jonestown massacre, in which cult leader Jim Jones led 909 of his followers to partake in a “murder-suicide ceremony” using cyanide poisoning.
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece is about a man who is driven to insanity by supernatural forces while staying at a remote hotel in the Rockies. The movie Derives from Stephen King’s book of the same name, which was inspired by the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, where plenty of guests have reported seeing ghosts. The Stanley wasn’t actually used in the movie, however, because Kubrick didn’t think it looked scary enough.
The Silence of the Lambs(1991)
The Oscar-winning film tells the story of an FBI cadet who enlists the help of a cannibal/serial killer to pin down another serial killer, Buffalo Bill, who skins the bodies of his victims. FBI special agent John Douglas, who consulted on the film, has explained that Bill was inspired in part by the serial killer Ted Bundy, who like Bill, wore a fake cast. Ed Gein is also believed to be an inspiration, what with the whole skinning thing. And per Rolling Stone, 1980s killer Gary Heidnik was a reference for how Buffalo Bill kept victims in a basement pit.
The Strangers (2008)
Three killers in masks terrorize the suburban home of a couple (played by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) in this invasion thriller. Writer-director Bryan Bertino has said the film was inspired by something that happened to him in childhood. “As a kid, I lived in a house on a street in the middle of nowhere. One night, while our parents were out, somebody knocked on the front door and my little sister answered it,” he said. “At the door were some people asking for somebody that didn’t live there. We later found out that these people were knocking on doors in the area and, if no one was home, breaking into the houses.”
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 & 2003)
Ed Gein also reportedly inspired elements of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and its remake. The movies are about groups of friends who come into contact with the murderous cannibal Leatherface. The original film memorably features a room filled with furniture created from human bones, a nod to Gein’s home.
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976 & 2014)
The original film follows a Texas Ranger as he tracks down a serial killer threatening a small town, and the 2014 sequel of the same name essentially revives the same plot. Both are based on the Texarkana Moonlight Murders of 1946, when a “Phantom Killer” took out five people over ten weeks. The case remains unsolved
Veronica (2018)
The recent Netflix release follows a 15-year-old girl who uses a Ouija board and accidentally connects with a demon that terrorizes her and her family. The movie’s based on a real police report from a Madrid neighborhood. As the story goes, a girl performed a séance at school and then “experienced months of seizures and hallucinations, particularly of shadows and presences surrounding her,” according to NewsWeek. The police report came a year after the girl’s death when three officers and the Chief Inspect of the National Police reported several unnatural occurrences at her family’s home that they called “a situation of mystery and rarity.”
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flightfoot · 5 years ago
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Useful Tyrant’s Tombs quotes
So I know I’m gonna be writing analyses on this book in the future, so I decided to go ahead and pull potentially useful quotations now so I don’t have to hunt for them and type them up later. I figure others might get some good use out of them too though, so I wanted to share them! (I’ll admit though, some of the quotations aren’t ones I think I might use, a few I just put because I really like them)
This song really wasn’t about me at all. (I know. I could hardly believe it, either.) It was “The Fall of Jason Grace”. In the last verses, I sang of Jason’s dream for Temple Hill, his plan to add shrines until ever god and goddess, no matter how obscure, was properly honored. (46)
I realized they weren’t just grieving for Jason. The song had unleashed their collective sorrow about the recent battle, their losses, which - given the sparseness of the crowd - must have been extreme. Jason’s song became their song. By honoring him, we honored all the fallen. (47)
I shuddered. “A caffeinated Meg. Just what I need. How long have I been out?”
“Day and a half.”
“What?!”
“You needed sleep. Also, you’re less annoying unconscious.” (55)
Her expression closed up like a hurricane shutter. “Nightmares. I woke up screaming a couple of times. You slept through it, but...” She picked a clod of dirt off her trowel. “This place reminds me of... you know”
I regretted I hadn’t thought about that sooner. After Meg’s experience growing up in Nero’s Imperial Household, surrounded by Latin-speaking servants and guards in Roman armor, purple banners, all the regalia of the old empire - of course Camp Jupiter must have triggered unwelcome memories. (56)
“Meg and I have been talking, the last day or so, while you were passed out - I mean, recovering - sleeping, you know. It’s fine. You needed sleep. Hope you feel better.”
Despite how terrible I felt, I couldn’t help but smile. “You’ve been very kind to us, Praetor Zhang. Thank you.” (58)
Frank must have read my pained expression.
“It would’ve been much worse if it hadn’t been for you,” he said, which only made me feel guiltier. “If you hadn’t sent Leo here to warn us. One day, out of nowhere, he just flew right in.”
“That must have been quite a shock,” I said. “Since you thought Leo was dead.”
Frank’s dark eyes glittered like they still belonged to a raven. “Yeah. We were so mad at him for making us worry, we lined up and took turns hitting him.”
“We did that at Camp Half-Blood too,” I said. “Greek minds think alike.” (63)
Frank took my arm gently. “One foot in front of the other. That’s the only way to do it.”
I had come here to support the Romans. Instead this Roman was supporting me. (71)
Millennia ago, I’d killed four of my father’s favorites because they had made the lightning bolt that killed my son Asclepius. (And because I couldn’t kill the actual murderer who was, ahem, Zeus). (73)
I had never been a fan of felines. They were self-centered, smug, and thought they owned the world. In other words... All right, I’ll say it. I didn’t like the competition. (76)
No. Of course. The legion had no high priest, no pontifex maximus. Their former auger, my descendant Octavian, had died in the battle against Gaia. (Which I had a hard time feeling sad about, but that’s another story.) Jason would’ve been the logical next choice to officiate, but he was our guest of honor. That meant that I, as a former god, was the ranking spiritual authority. I would be expected to lead the funeral rites. (87)
The golden eagle of the Twelfth loomed over my shoulder, charging the air with ozone. I imagined Jupiter speaking through its crackle and hum, like a voice over shortwave radio: YOUR FAULT. YOUR PUNISHMENT.
Back in January, when I’d fallen to earth, those words had seemed horribly unfair. Now, as I led Jason Grace to his final resting place, I believed them. So much of what had happened was my fault. So much of it could never be made right.
I meant to keep that promise, if I survived long enough. But in the meantime, there were more pressing ways I needed to honor Jason: by protecting Camp Jupiter, defeating the Triumvirate, and, according to Ella, descending into the tomb of an undead king. (88)
I began to speak, the Latin ritual verses pouring out of me. I chanted from instinct, barely aware of the words’ meanings. I had already praised Jason with my song. That had been deeply personal. This was just a necessary formality.
In some corner of my mind, I wondered if this was how mortal felt when they used to pray to me. Perhaps their devotions had been noting but muscle memory, reciting by rote while their minds drifted elsewhere, uninterested in my glory. I found the idea strangely... understandable. Now that I was mortal, why should I not practice nonviolent resistance against the gods, too? (91-92)
In the center, behind a marble altar, rose a massive golden statue of Dad himself: Jupiter Optimus Maximus, draped in a purple silk toga big enough to be a ship’s sail. He looked stern, wise, and paternal, though he was only one of those in real life.
Seeing him tower above me, lightning bolt raised, I had to fight the urge to cower and plead. I knew it was only a statue, but if you’ve ever been traumatized by someone, you’ll understand. It doesn’t take much to trigger those old fears: a look, a sound, a familiar situation. Or a fifty-foot-tall golden statue of your abuser - that does the trick. (94-95)
“My time,” I said. “For what, exactly?”
She nipped the air in annoyance. To be Apollo. The pack needs you.
I wanted to scream I’ve been trying to be Apollo. It’s not that easy! (95)
I stared up at Large Golden Dad.
Zeus had thrown me into the middle of all this trouble. He’d stripped me of my power, then kicked me to the Earth to free the Oracles, defeat the Emperors, and - Oh wait! I got a bonus undead king and a silent god, too! I hoped the soot from the funeral pyre was really annoying Jupiter. I wanted to climb up his legs and finger-write across his chest WASH ME! (98)
Lupa’s message seemed too good to be true. I could contact my fellow Olympians, despite Zeus’s standing orders that they shun me while I was human. I might even be able to invoke their aid to save Camp Jupiter. (98)
I studied the old prophecies set in the floor mosaic. I had lost friends to the Triumvirate. I had suffered. But I realized that Lupa suffered, too. Her Roman children had been decimated. She carried the pain of all their deaths. Yet she had to act strong, even as her pack faced possible extinction.
You couldn’t lie in Wolf. But you could bluff. Sometimes you had to bluff to keep a grieving pack together. What do mortals say? Fake it till you make it? That is a very wolfish philosophy. (99)
Seeing her again, my heart twisted. She had once been a lovely young woman - bright, strong-willed, passionate about her prophetic work. She had wanted to change the world. Then things between us soured... and I had changed her instead.
Her appearance was only the beginning of the curse I had set on her. It would get much, much worse as the centuries progressed. How had I put this out of my mind? How could I have been so cruel? The guilt for what I’d done burned worse than any ghoul scratch. (105)
“Put on your sheet.” Meg threw a toga in my face, which was not the nicest way to be woken up.
I blinked, still groggy, to the smell of smoke, moldy straw, and sweaty Romans lingering in my nostrils. “A toga? But I’m not a senator.”
“You’re honorary, because you used to be a god or whatever.” Meg pouted. “I don’t get to wear a sheet.” (108)
I got dressed, trying to remember how to fold a toga, and mulled over the things I’d learned from my dream. Number one: I was a terrible person who ruined lives. Number two: There was not a single bad thing I’d done in the last four thousand years that was not going to come back and bite me in the clunis, and I was beginning to think I deserved it. 
The Cumaen Sibyl. Oh Apollo, what had you been thinking?
Alas, I knew what I’d been thinking - that she was a pretty young woman I wanted to get with, despite the fact that she was my Sibyl. Then she’d outsmarted me, and being the bad loser that I was, I had cursed her.
No wonder I was now paying the price: tracking down the evil Roman king to whom she’d once sold her Sibylline Books. If Tarquin was still clinging to some horrible undead existence, could the Cumaean Sibyl be alive as well? I shuddered to think what she might be like after all these centuries, and how much her hatred for me would have grown. (109)
No one laughed or called me crazy. Gods didn’t intervene in demigod affairs often, but it did happen on rare occasions. The idea wasn’t completely unbelievable. On the other hand, no one looked terribly assured that I could pull it off.
A different senator raised his hand. “Uh, Senator Larry here, Third Cohort, Son of Mercury. So when you say help, do you mean like... battalions of gods charging down in their chariots, or more like the gods just giving their blessing, like, Hey, good luck with that, legion!?”
My old defensiveness kicked in. I wanted to argue that we gods would never leave our desperate followers hanging on like that. But, of course, we did. All the time. (119)
Frank looked crestfallen, which made me feel bad. I hadn’t meant to take out my frustrations on one of the few people who still called me Apollo unironically. (121)
I had loved everything about her - the way her hair had caught the sunlight, the mischievous gleam in her eyes, the easy way she smiled. She didn’t seem to care that I was a god, despite having given up everything to be my Oracle: her family, her future, even her name. Once she pledged to me, she was known simply as the Sibyl, the voice of Apollo.
But that wasn’t enough for me. I was smitten. I convinced myself it was love - the one true romance that would wash away all my past missteps. I wanted the Sibyl to be my partner throughout eternity. As the afternoon went on, I coaxed and pleaded.
“You could be so much more than my priestess,” I urged her. “Marry me!”
She laughed. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am! Ask for anything in return, and it’s yours.”
She twisted a strand of her auburn locks. “All I’ve ever wanted is to be the Sibyl, to guide the people of this land to a better future. You’ve already given me that. So, ha-ha, joke’s on you.”
“But - but you’ve only got one lifetime!” I said. “If you were immortal, you could guide humans to a better future forever, at my side!”
She looked at me askance. “Apollo, please. You’d be tired of me by the end of the week.”
“Never!”
“So, you’re saying” - she scooped up two heaping handfuls of sand - “if I wished for as many years of life as there are grains of this sand, you would grant me that.”
“It is done!” I pronounced. Instantly, I felt a portion of my own power flowing into her life force. “And now, my love-”
“Whoa, whoa!” She scattered the sand, clambering to her feet and backing away as if I were suddenly radioactive. “That was a hypothetical, lover boy! I didn’t agree- “
“What’s done is done!” I rose. “A wish cannot be taken back. Now you must honor your side of the bargain.”
Her eyes danced with panic. “I-I can’t. I won’t!”
I laughed, thinking she was merely nervous. I spread my arms. “Don’t be afraid.”
“Of course I’m afraid!” She backed away farther. “Nothing good ever happens to your lovers! I just wanted to be your Sibyl, and now you’ve made things weird!”
My smile crumbled. I felt my ardor cooling, turning stormy. “Don’t anger me, Sibyl. I am offering you the universe. I’ve given you near-immortal life. You cannot refuse payment.”
“Payment?” She balled her hands into fists. “You dare think of me as a transaction?”
I frowned. This afternoon really wasn’t going the way I’d planned. “I didn’t mean- Obviously, I wasn’t-”
“Well, Lord Apollo,” she growled, “if this is a transaction, then I defer payment until your side of the bargain is complete. You said it yourself: near-immortal life. I’ll live until the grains of sand run out, yes? Come back to me at the end of that time. Then, if you still want me, I’m yours.”
I dropped my arms. Suddenly, all the things I’d loved about the Sibyl became things I hated: her headstrong attitude, her lack of awe, her infuriating, unattainable beauty. Especially her beauty.
“Very well.” My voice turned colder than any sun god’s should be. “You want to argue over the fine print of our contract? I promised you life, not youth. You can have your centuries of existence. You will remain my Sibyl.I cannot take those things away, once given. But you will grow old. You will wither. You will not be able to die.”
“I would prefer that!” Her words were defiant, but her voice trembled with fear.
“Fine!” I snapped.
“Fine!” she yelled back.
 I vanished in a column of flame, having succeeded in making things very weird indeed.
Over the centuries, the Sibyl had withered, just as I’d threatened. Her physical form lasted longer than any ordinary mortal’s, but the pain I had caused her, the lingering agony... Even if I’d had regrets about my hasty curse, I couldn’t have taken it back any more than she could take back her wish. Finally, around the end of the Roman Empire, I’d heard rumors that the Sibyl’s body had crumbled away entirely, yet she still could not die. Her attendants kept her life force, the faintest whisper of her voice, in a glass jar.
I assumed that her jar had been lost sometime after that. That the Sibyl’s grains of sand had finally run out. But what if I was wrong? If she were still alive, I doubted she was using her faint whisper of a voice to be a pro-Apollo social media influencer.
I deserved her hatred. I saw that now.
Oh, Jason Grace... I promised you I would remember what it was to be human. But why did human shame have to hurt so much? Why wasn’t there an off button? (131-134)
I had ruined every one of my relationships, brought nothing but destruction and misery to the young men and women I’d loved. (135)
“I appreciate a good boon as much as the next person. But if I’m going to contribute to this quest and not just cower in the corner, I need to know how” - my voice cracked “how to be me again.”
The vibration of the arrow felt almost like a cat purring, trying to sooth an ill human. ART THOU SURE THAT IS THY WISH?
“What do you mean?” I demanded. “That’s the whole point! Everything I’m doing is so-” (138)
I was tired of others keeping me safe. The whole point of consulting the arrow had been to figure out how I could get back to the business of keeping others safe. That used to be so easy with my godlike powers.
Was it, though? another part of my brain asked. Did you keep the Sibyl safe? Or Hyacinthus and Daphne? Or your own son Asclepius? Should I go on?
Shut up, me, I thought back. (140-141)
He laughed. “Just take care of yourself, okay? I don’t think I could handle a world with no Apollo in it.” 
His tone was so genuine it made me tear up. I’d started to accept that no one wanted Apollo back - not my fellow gods, not the demigods, perhaps not even my talking arrow. Yet Frank Zhang still believed in me.
Before I could do anything embarrassing - like hug him, or cry, or start believing I was a worthwhile individual - I spotted my three quest partners trudging toward us. (142)
As we passed a silver lake nestled between the hills, I couldn’t help thinking i as just the sort of place my sister would love. Oh, how I wished she would appear with her Hunters!
Despite our differences, Artemis understood me. Well, okay, she tolerated me. I longed to see her beautiful, annoying face again. That’s how lonely and pathetic I had become. (146-147)
What sort of parents would let their children ride such nightmarish creatures? Maybe Zeus, I thought. (150)
I now understood the lines from the Burning Maze: I would face death in Tarquin’s tomb, or a fate worse than death. But I would not allow my friends to perish too. (166)
Then I wondered if Lavinia simply felt more at home in the wild than she did at camp. She and my sister would get along fine (169)
Also, the way she was looking at me, I got the feeling that her grumpy facade might collapse into tears faster than Tarquin’s ceiling had crumbled. (169)
I saw and heard nothing, but I took Hazel’s word for it. “Go. You’ll move faster without me.”
“Not happening,” Meg said. (170)
Home. Such a wonderful word.
I had no idea what it meant, but it sounded nice.
[...]
I dreamed of homes. Had I ever really had one?
Delos was my birthplace, but only because my pregnant mother, Leto, took refuge there to escape Hera’s wrath. The island served as an emergency sanctuary for my sister and me, too, but it never felt like home anymore than the backseat of a taxi would fell like home to a child born on the way to a hospital.
Mount Olympus? I had a palace there. I visited for the holidays. But it always felt more like the place my dad lived with my stepmom.
The Palace of the Sun? That was Helios’s old crib. I’d just redecorated.
Even Delphi, home of my greatest Oracles, had originally been the lair of Python. Try as you might, you can never get the smell of old snakeskin out of a volcanic cavern.
Sad to say, in my four-thousand-plus years, the times I’d felt most at home had all happened during the past few months: at Camp Half-Blood, sharing a cabin with my demigod children; at the Waystation with Emma, Jo, Georgina, Leo, and Calypso, all of us sitting around the dinner table chopping vegetables from the garden for dinner; at the Cistern in Palm Springs with Meg, Grover, Mellie, Coach Hedge, and a prickly assortment of cactus dryads; and now at Camp Jupiter, where the anxious, grief-stricken Romans, despite their many problems, despite the fact that I brought misery and disaster wherever I went, had welcomed me with respect, a room above their coffee shop, and some lovely bed linens to wear.
These places were homes. Whether I deserved to be a part of them or not - that was a different question. (171-172)
Meg huffed, “It’s still light outside. You slept all day.”
“Not turning into a zombie is hard work.”
“I know!” she snapped. “I’m sorry!”
[...]
Just a few minutes ago, Meg had been happily insulting me and gorging on jelly beans. Now... was she crying?
“Meg.” I sat up, trying not to wince. “Meg, you’re not responsible for me getting hurt.
She twisted the ring on her right hand, then the one on her left, as if they’d become too small for her fingers. “I just thought... if I could kill him...” She wiped her nose. “Like in some stories. You kill the master, and you can free the people he’s turned.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in. I was pretty sure the dynamic she was describing applied to vampires, not zombies, but I understood what she meant.
“You’re talking about Tarquin,” I said. “You jumped into the throne room because... you wanted to save me?”
“Duh,” she muttered, without any heat.
I put my hand over my bandaged abdomen. I’d been so angry with Meg for her recklessness in the tomb. I’d assumed she was just being impulsive, reacting to Tarquin’s plans to let the Bay Area burn. But she’d leaped into battle for me - with the hope that she could kill Tarquin erase my curse. That was even before I’d realized how bad my condition was. Meg must have been more worried, or more intuitive, than she’d let on.
Which took all the fun out of criticizing her.
“Oh, Meg,” I shook my head. “That was a crazy, senseless stunt, and I love you for it. But don’t beat yourself up. Pranjal’s medicine bought me some extra time. And you did too, of course, with your cheese-grating skills and your magical chickweed. You’ve done everything you could. When we summon godly help, I can ask for complete healing. I’m sure I’ll be as good as new. Or at least, as good as a Lester can be.”
Meg tilted her head, making her crooked glasses just about horizontal.”How can you know? Is this god going to give us three wishes or something?”
I considered that. When my followers called, had I ever shown up and granted them three wishes? LOL, nope. Maybe one wish, if that wish was something I wanted to happen anyway.
[...]
“I don’t know, Meg,” I confessed. “You’re right. I can’t be sure everything will be okay. But I can promise you I’m not giving up. We’ve come this far. I’m not going to let a belly scratch stop us from defeating the Triumvirate.”
She had so much mucus dripping from her nostrils, she would’ve made Buster the unicorn proud. She sniffled, wiping her upper lip with her knuckle. “I don’t want to lose somebody else.”
My mental gears weren’t turning at full speed. I had trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that by “somebody else,” Meg meant me.
[...]
Now, aside from all the bad memories the Roman trappings of Camp Jupiter might have triggered for her, she was faced with the prospect of losing me. In a moment of shock, like a unicorn staring me right in the face, I realized that despite all the grief Meg gave me, and the way she ordered me around, she cared for me. For the past three months, I had been her one constant friend, just as she had been mine.
[...]
What a horribly insufficient friend I had been.
“Come here.” I held out my arms. “Please?”
Meg hesitated. Still sniffling, she rose from her cot and trudged toward me. She fell into my hug like I was a comfy mattress. I grunted, surprised by how solid and heavy she was. She smelled of apple peels and mud, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t even mind the mucus and tears soaking my shoulder.
I’d always wondered what it would be like to have a younger sibling. Sometimes I’d treated Artemis as my baby sister, since I’d been born a few minutes earlier, but that had been mostly to annoy her. With Meg, I felt as if it was actually true. I had someone who depended on me, who needed me around no matter how much we irritated each other. I thought about Hazel and Frank and the washing away of curses. I supposed that kind of love could come from many different types of relationships. (188-192)
Some of the pandai were young enough to have pure white fur, which made my head hurt, reminding me of my brief friendship with Crest, the youthful aspiring musician who’s lost his life in the Burning Maze. (193)
No matter what happened over the next twenty-four hours, I would not add to Meg’s worries. I would tough it out until the moment I keeled over.
Wow. Who even was I? (195)
she hesitated, then generously decided not to add except for Apollo, who slept through it all (199)
A third group sledded down a dirt hill on their shields.
Hazel sighed. “That would be my group of delinquents. If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to teach them how to slay ghouls.” (203)
I cleared my throat. I’d faced much bigger audience. Why was I so nervous? Oh, right. Because I was a horribly incompetent sixteen-year-old. (205)
I shot at the nearest target - then at the target next farthest out, then at the next - firing again and again in a kind of trance.
Only after my twentieth shot did I realize I’d landed all bull’s-eyes, two in each target, the farthest about two hundred yards away. Child’s play for Apollo. For Lester, quite impossible.
The legionnaires stared at me, their mouths hanging open. We’re supposed to do that?” Dakota demanded.
Lavinia punched my forearm. “See, you guys? I told you Apollo doesn’t suck that much!”
I had to agree with her. I felt oddly not suckish.
The display of marksmanship hadn’t drained my energy. Nor did it feel like the temporary bursts of godly power I’d experienced before. I was tempted to ask for another quiver to see if I could keep shooting at the same skill level, but I was afraid to press my luck. (205-206)
I’d spent a lot of time worrying about the fate of New Rome and Camp Jupiter, the Oracles, my friends, and myself. But these hackberries and crabgrasses deserved to live just as much. They, too, were facing death. They were terrified. If the emperors launched their weapons, they stood no chance. The homeless mortals with their shopping carts in People’s Park would also burn, right along with the legionnaires. Their lives were worth no less. (215)
Honestly, I didn’t know much about dryad life cycles, or how they protected themselves from climate disasters. Perhaps if I’d spent more time over the centuries talking to them and less time chasing them...
Wow. I really didn’t even know myself anymore. (216)
“Why does a strong friendship always have to progress to romance?” (228)
Whether I died today, or turned into a zombie, or somehow managed to live, I would rather face my fate with my conscience clear and no secrets. For one thing, I should tell Meg about my encounter with Peaches. I should also tell her I didn’t hate her. In fact, I liked her pretty well. All right, I loved her. She was the bratty little sister I’d never had. (232)
I crossed my arms. “Well, I’m glad we had this talk, so I could unburden myself of all the things you already knew. I was also going to say that you’re important to me and I might even love you like a sister, but-”
“I already know that, too.” She gave me a crooked grin, offering proof that Nero really should have taken her to the orthodontist when she was younger. “S’okay. You’ve gotten less annoying, too.” (243)
“Lester, I need intel,” she said. “Tell me how we defeat these things.”
“I don’t know!” I wailed. “Look, back in the old days, ravens used to be gentle and while, like doves, okay? But they were terrible gossips. One time I was dating this girl, Koronis. The ravens found out she was cheating on me, and they told me about it. I was so angry, I got Artemis to kill Koronis for me. Then I punished the ravens for being tattle-tales by turning them black.”
Reyna stared at me like she was contemplating another kick to my nose. “That story is messed up on so many level.”
“Just wrong,” Meg agreed. “You had your sister kill a girl who was cheating on you?”
“Well, I-”
“Then you punished the birds that told you about it,” Reyna added, “by turning them black, as if black was bad and white was good?”
“When you put it that way, it doesn’t sound right,” I protested. “It’s just what happened when my curse scorched them. It also made them nasty-tempered flesh-eaters.”
“Oh, that’s much better,” Reyna snarled.
“If we let the birds eat you,” Meg asked, “will they leave Reyna and me alone?”
“I- What?” I worried that Meg might not be kidding. Her facial expression did not say kidding. It said serious about the birds eating you. “Listen, I was angry! Yes, I took it out on the birds, but after a few centuries I cooled down. I apologized. By then, they kind of liked being nasty-tempered flesh-eaters. As for Koronis- I mean, at least I saved the child she was pregnant with when Artemis killed her. He became Asclepius, god of medicine!”
“Your girlfriend was pregnant when you had her killed?” Reyna launched another kick at my face. I managed to dodge it, since I’d had a lot of practice cowering, but it hurt to know that this time she hadn’t been aiming at an incoming raven. Oh, no. She wanted to knock my teeth in.
“You suck,” Meg agreed.
“Can we talk about this later?” I pleaded. “Or perhaps never? I was a god then! I didn’t know what I was doing!”
A few months ago, a statement like that would have made no sense to me. Now, it seemed true. I felt as if Meg had given me her thick-lensed rhinestone-studded glasses, and to my horror, they corrected my eyesight. I didn’t like how small and tawdry and petty everythin looked, rendered in perfect ugly clarity through the magic of Meg-O-Vision. Most of all, I didn’t like the way I looked - not just present-day Lester, but the god formerly known as Apollo. (252-253)
“But you’re the- you used to be the god of music, right? If you can charm a crowd, you should be able to repulse one. Pick a song those birds will hate!”
Great. Not only had Reyna laughed in my face and busted my nose, now I was her go-to guy for repulsiveness.
Still... I was struck by the way she said I used to be a god. She didn’t seem to mean it as an insult. She said it almost like a concession - like she knew what a horrible deity I had been, but held out hope that I might be capable of being someone better, more helpful, maybe even worthy of forgiveness. (255)
I wanted to sing for Reyna, to prove that I had indeed changed. I was no longer the god who’d had Koronis killed and created ravens, or cursed the Cumaean Sibyl, or done any of the other selfish things that had once given me no more pause than choosing what dessert toppings I wanted on my ambrosia.
It was time to be helpful. I needed to be repulsive for my friends! (256)
I sighed. “You two are horrible influences on each other.”
Without taking their eyes off me, Reyna and Meg gave each other a silent high five. (265)
THOU HAST FOUND THY GROOVE. AT LEAST THE BEGINNINGS OF THY GROOVE. I SUSPECTED THIS WOULD BE SO, GIVEN TIME. CONGRATULATIONS ARE MERITED. (266)
“What did you do to him?” Meg asked.
I tried to look offended. “Nothing! I may have teased him a bit, but he was a very minor god. Rather silly-looking. I may have made some jokes at his expense in front of the other Olympians.”
Reyna knit her eyebrows. “So you bullied him.”
“No! I mean... I did write zap me in glowing letters on the back of his toga. And I suppose I might have been a bit harsh when I tied him up and locked him in the stalls with my fiery horses overnight-”
“OH MY GODS!” Meg said. “You’re awful!”
I fought down the urge to defend myself. I wanted to shout, Well at least I didn’t kill him like I did my pregnant girlfriend Koronis! But that wasn’t much of a gotcha.
Looking back on my encounters with Harpocrates, I realized I had been awful. I somebody had treated me, Lester, the way I had treated that puny Ptolemaic god, I would want to crawl in a hole and die. And if I were honest, even back when I was a god, I had been bullied - only the bully had been my father. I should have known better than to share the pain.
I hadn’t thought about Harpocrates in eons. Teasing him had seemed like no big deal. I suppose that’s what made it even worse. I had shrugged off our encounters. I doubted he had.
Koronis’s ravens... Harpocrates...
It was no coincidence they were both haunting me today like the Ghosts of Saturnalias Past. Tarquin had orchestrated this with me in mind. He was forcing me to confront some of my greatest hits of dreadfulness. Even if I survived the challenges, my friends would see exactly what kind of a dirtbag I was. The shame would weigh me down and make me ineffective - the same way Tarquin used to add rocks to a cage around his enemy’s head, until eventually, the burden was too much. The prisoner would collapse and drown in a shallow pool, and Tarquin could claim, I didn’t kill him. He just wasn’t strong enough. (269-270)
The emperors would’ve considered Harpocrates just another dangerous, amusing plaything, like their trained monsters and humanoid lackeys.
And why not let King Tarquin be his custodian? The emperors could ally themselves with the undead tyrant, at least temporarily, to make their of Camp Jupiter a little easier. They could let Tarquin arrange his cruelest trap for me. Whether I killed Harpocrates or he killed me, what did it matter to the Triumvirate in the end? Ether way, they would find it entertaining - one more gladiator match to break the monotony of their immortal lives. (273)
“Would that count?” Meg asked. “I mean, if Reyna doesn’t open the door herself, isn’t that cheating the prophecy?”
Reyna shrugged. “Prophecies never mean what you think, right? If Apollo is able to open the door thanks to my help, I’m still responsible, wouldn’t you say?” (274)
If Harpocrates was indeed waiting inside this shipping contained, I would make sure the full force of his anger fell on me, not Reyna or Meg. (276)
The god glared at me. He forced painful images into my mind: me stuffing his head into a toilet on Mount Olympus; me howling with amusement as I tied his wrists and ankles and shut him in the stables with my fire-breathing horses. Dozens of other encounters I’d completely forgotten about, and in all of them I was as golden, handsome, powerful, and powerful as any Triumvirate emperor - and just as cruel. (279)
Just because we both hated the Triumvirate did not make us friends. Harpocrates had never forgotten my cruelty. (280)
She sent Harpocrates her life story, captured in a few painful snapshots. She knew about monsters. She had been raised by the Beast. No matter how much Harpocrates hated me - and Meg agreed that I could be pretty stupid sometimes - we had to work together to stop the Triumvirate.
Harpocrates shredded her thoughts with rage. How dare she presume to understand his misery? (281)
Harpocrates was unmoved. He bent his will toward me, burying me in his hatred.
All right! I pleaded. Kill me if you must. But I am sorry! I have changed!
I sent him a flurry of the most horrible, embarrassing failures I’d suffered since becoming mortal: grieving over the body of Heloise the griffin at the Waystation, holding the dying pandos Crest in my arms in the Burning Maze, and, of course, watching helplessly as Caligula murdered Jason Grace.
Just for a moment, Harpocrates wrath wavered.
At the very least, I had managed to surprise him. He had not been expecting regret or shame from me. Those weren’t my trademark emotions. (282)
For the emperors, the potential loss of their fasces apparently didn’t outweigh the potential benefit of having me destroyed... or the entertainment value of knowing I’d done it to myself. (283)
They had left me the starkest of choices: run away, let the Triumvirate win, and watch my mortal friends be destroyed, or free two bitter enemies and face the same fate as Jason Grace.
It was an easy decision.
I turned to Reyna and Meg and thought as clearly as I could: Destroy the faces. Cut him free. (283-284)
Harpocrates rage pressed down on me, making my knees buckle. The air pressure increased, as if I’d plummeted a thousand feet. I almost blacked out, but I guessed Harpocrates wouldn’t let that happen. He wanted me conscious, able to suffer. 
He flooded me with bitterness and hate. My joints began to unknit, my vocal cords dissolving. Harpocrates might have been ready to die, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t kill me first. That would bring him great satisfaction.
I bowed my head, gritting my teeth against the inevitable.
Fine, I thought. I deserve it. Just spare my friends. Please.
The pressure eased.
I glanced up through a haze of pain.
In front of me, Reyna and Meg stood shoulder to shoulder, facing down the god.
They sent him their own flurry of images. Reyna pictured me singing “The Fall of Jason Grace” to the legion, officiating at Jason’s funeral pyre with tears in my eyes, then looking goofy and awkward and clueless as I offered to be her boyfriend, giving her the best, most cleansing laugh she’d had in years (Thanks, Reyna.)
Meg pictured the way I’d saved her in the myrmekes lair at Camp Half-Blood, singing about my romantic failures with such honesty it rendered giant ants catatonic with depression. She envisioned my kindness to Livia the elephant, to Crest, and especially to her, when I’d given her a hug in our room at the cafe and told her I would never give up trying.
In all their memories, I looked so human... but in the best possible ways. Without words, my friends asked Harpocrates if I was still the person he hated so much. (288-289)
“Good-bye, Apollo,” said the Sibyl’s voice, clearer now. “I forgive you. Not because you deserve it. Not for your sake at all. But because I will not go into oblivion carrying hate when I can carry love.”
Even if I could’ve spoken, I wouldn’t have known what to say. I was in shock. Her tone asked for no reply, no apology. She didn’t need or want anything from me. It was almost as if I was the one being erased. (291)
Anger swelled in me. I decided I was done with the ravens’ bitterness. Plenty of folks had valid reasons to hate me: Harpocrates, the Sibyl, Koronis, Daphne... maybe a few dozen others. Okay, maybe a few hundred others. But the ravens? They were thriving! They’d grown gigantic! They loved their new jobs as flesh-eating killers. Enough with the blame. (295)
Reyna must have noticed my worried expression.
“You did good back there,” she said. “You stepped up.”
Reyna sounded sincere. But her praise just made me feel more ashamed.
“I’m holding the last breath of a god I bullied,” I said miserably, “in the jar of a Sibyl I cursed, who was protected by birds I turned into killing machines after they tattled about my cheating girlfriend, who I subsequently had assassinated.”
“All true,” Reyna said. “But the thing is, you recognize it now.”
“It feels horrible.”
She gave me a thin smile. “That’s kind of the point. You do something evil, you feel bad about it, you do better. That’s a sign you might be developing a conscience.”
I tried to remember which of the gods had created the human conscience. Had we created it, or had humans just developed it on their own? Giving mortals a sense of decency didn’t seem like the sort of thing a god would brag about on their profile page.
“I- I appreciate what you’re saying,” I managed. “But my past mistakes almost got you and Meg killed. If Harpocrates had destroyed you when you were trying to protect me...”
The idea was too awful to contemplate. My shiny new conscience would have blown up inside me like a grenade.
Reyna gave me a brief pat on the shoulder. “All we did was show Harpocrates how much you’ve changed. He recognized it. Have you completely made up for all the bad things you’ve done? No. But you keep adding to the ‘good things’ column. That’s all any of us can do.”
Adding to the “good things” column. Reyna spoke of this superpower as if it were one I could actually possess.
“Thank you,” I said. (299-300)
“We’re going to make it,” I said, like a fool.
Once again, I had broken the First Law of Percy Jackson: Never say something is going to work out, because as soon as you do, it won’t. (306)
When had I last felt “whole”? I wanted to believe it was back when I was a god, but that wasn’t true. I hadn’t been completely myself for centuries. Maybe millennia.
At the moment, I felt more like a hole - a void in the cosmos through which Harpocrates, the Sibyl, and a lot of people I cared about had vanished. (316)
I laughed - actually laughed - with satisfaction. It felt so good to be a decent archer again, and to watch Meg at her swordplay. What a team we made! (322)
This was how it ended, I thought bitterly. Not fighting threats from the outside, but fighting against the ugliest side of our own history. (323)
There had only ever been one choice. Deep down, I’d always known which god I had to call. 
“Follow me,” I told Ella and Tyson.
I ran for the temple of Diana.
Now I’ll admit I’ve never been a huge fan of Artemis’s Roman persona. As I’ve said before, I never felt like I personally changed that much during Roman times. I just stayed Apollo. Artemis, though...
You know how it is when your sister goes through her moody teenage years? She changes her name to Diana, cuts her hair, hangs out with a different, more hostile set of maiden hunters, starts associating with Hecate and the moon, and basically acts weird? When we first relocated to Rome, the two of us were worshipped together like in the old days - twin gods with our own temple - but soon Diana went off and did her own thing. We just didn’t talk like we used to when we were young and Greek, you know?
I was apprehensive about summoning her Roman incarnation, but I needed help, and Artemis - Sorry, Diana - was the most likely to respond, even if she would never let me hear the end of it afterward. Besides, I missed her terribly. Yes, I said it. If I was going to die tonight, which seemed increasingly likely, first I wanted to see my sister one last time. (332)
Ella rummaged in her supply pouches, pulling out herbs, spices, and vials of oils, which made me realize how long it had been since I’d eaten. Why wasn’t my stomach growling? (333)
The emperors obviously wanted to send a message: they intended to dominate the world at any cost. They would stop at nothing. They would mutilate and maim. They would waste and destroy. Nothing was sacred except their own power.
I rose unsteadily. My hopelessness turned into boiling anger. I howled, “NO!” (340)
A few months ago, I would have been happy to let Frank take this hopeless fight on his own while I sat back, ate chilled grapes, and checked my messages. Not now, not after Jason Grace. I glanced at the poor maimed pegasi chained to the emperors’ chariot, and I decided I couldn’t live in a world where cruelty like that went unchallenged.
“Sorry, Frank,” I said. “You won’t face this alone.” I looked at Caligula. “Well, Baby Booties? Your colleague emperor has already agreed. Are you in, or do we terrify you too much?”
Caligula’s nostrils flared. “We have lived for thousands of years,” he said, as if explaining a simple fact to a slow student. “We are gods.”
“And I’m the son of Mars,” Frank countered. “praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. I’m not afraid to die. Are you?” (345)
Commodus punched me square in the chest. I staggered backward and collapsed on my butt, my lungs on fire, my sternum throbbing. A hit like that should have killed me. (348)
My first punch left a fist-size crater in the emperor’s gold breastplate. Oh, I thought in some distant corner of my mind. Hello, godly strength! (352)
Commodus fought, but his fists were like paper. I let loose a guttural roar - a song with only one note: pure rage, and only one volume: maximum.
Under the onslaught of sound, Commodus crumbled to ash.
My voice faltered. I stared at my empty palms. I stood and backed away, horrified. The charred outline of the emperor’s body remained on the asphalt. I could still feel the pulse of his carotid arteries under my fingers. What had I done? In my thousands of years of life, I’d never destroyed someone with my voice. When I sang, people would often say I “killed it”, but never meant that literally. (360)
I cobbled together the last shreds of my courage. I channeled my old sense of arrogance, from back in the days when I loved to take credit for things I didn’t do (as long as they were good and impressive). I gave Gregorix and his army a cruel, emperor-like smile.
“BOO!” I shouted.
The troops broke and ran. (362-363)
I grinned at the newcomer. “Hey, sis.”
Then I keeled over sideways. The world turned fluffy, bleached of all color. Nothing hurt anymore.
I was dimly aware of Diana’s face hovering over me, Meg and Hazel peering over the goddess’s shoulders.
“He’s almost gone,” Diana said.
Then I was gone. My slipped into a pool of cold, slimy darkness.
“Oh no, you don’t,” my sister’s voice woke me rudely.
I’d been so comfortable, so nonexistent.
Life surged back into me - cold, sharp, and unfairly painful. Diana’s face came into focus. She looked annoyed, which seemed on-brand for her.
As for me, I felt surprisingly good. The pain in my gut was gone. My muscles didn’t burn. I could breathe without difficulty. I must have slept for decades.
“H-how long was I out?” I croaked.
“Roughly three seconds,” she said. “Now, get up, drama queen.”
[...]
I beamed at my sister. It was so good to see her disapproving I-can’t-believe-you’re-my-brother frown again. “I love you,” I said, my voice hoarse with emotion.
She blinked, clearly unsure what to do with this information. “You really have changed.”
“I missed you!”
“Y-yes, well. I’m here now. Even Dad couldn’t argue with a Sibylline invocation from Temple Hill.”
[...]
I checked my stomach, which was easy, since my shirt was in tatters. The bandage had vanished, along with the festering would. Only a thin white scare remained. “So... I’m healed?” My flab told me she hadn’t restored me to my godly self. Nah, that would have been too much to expect.
Diana raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’m not the goddess of healing, but I’m still a goddess. I think I can take care of my little brother’s boo-boos.”
“Little brother?”
She smirked, then turned to Hazel. (382-384)
I suppose I’d been too focused on Thalia, wondering whether or not she was going to kill me and whether or not I deserved it. (388)
“You also saved me,” I said. “You’re here. You’re actually here.”
She took my hand and squeezed it. Her flesh felt warm and human. I couldn’t remember the last time my sister had shown me such open affection. (389)
“It’s just a guess,” I admitted. “Frank went into that tunnel knowing he might die. He willingly sacrificed himself for a noble cause. In doing so, he broke free of his fate. By burning his own tinder, he kind of... I don’t know, started a new fire with it. He’s in charge of his own destiny now. Well, as much as any of us are. The only other explanation I can think of is that Juno somehow released him from the Fates’ decree.” (393)
“How did you survive the fire?” Hazel asked.
“I don’t know. I remember Caligula burning up. I passed out, thought I was dead. Then I woke up on Arion’s back. And now I’m here.” (395)
“Hey, Apollo, you- you know the difference between a faun and a satyr...?”
[...]
A moment later, his body collapsed with a noise like a relieved sigh, crumbling into fresh loam. In the spot where his heart had been, a tiny sapling emerged from the soil. I immediately recognized the shape of those miniature leaves. Not a hemlock. A laurel - the tree I had created from poor Daphne, and whose leaves I had decided to make into wreaths. The laurel, the tree of victory.
One of the dryads glanced at me. “Did you do that...?”
I shook my head. I swallowed the bitter taste from my mouth.
“The only difference between a satyr and a faun,” I said, “is what we see in them. And what they see in themselves. Plant this tree somewhere special.: I looked up at the dryads. “Tend it and make it grow healthy and tall. This was Don the faun, a hero.” (398-399)
She folded her arms and stared at the fire. “I don’t blame you, Apollo. My brother...” She hesitated, steadying her breath. “Jason made his own choices. Heroes have to do that.” (402)
“It seems so cruel,” she continued. “We lose someone and finally get them back, only to lose them again.”
I wondered why she used the word we. She seemed to be saying that she and I shared this experience - the loss of an only sibling. But she had suffered so much worse. My sister couldn’t die. I couldn’t lose her permanently.
Then, after a moment of disorientation, like I’d been flipped upside-down, I realized she wasn’t talking about me losing someone. She was talking about Artemis - Diana.
Was she suggesting that my sister missed me, even grieved for me as Thalia grieved for Jason?
Thalia must have read my expression. “The goddess has been beside herself,” she said. “I mean that literally. Sometimes she gets so worried she splits into two forms, Roman and Greek, right in front of me. She’ll probably get mad at me for telling you this, but she loves you more than anyone else in the world.”
A marble seemed to have lodged in my throat. I couldn’t speak, so I just nodded.
“Diana didn’t want to leave camp so suddenly like that,” Thalia continued. “But you know how it is. Gods can’t stick around. Once the danger to New Rome had passed, she couldn’t risk overstaying her summons. Jupiter... Dad wouldn’t approve.”
I shivered. How easy it was to forget that this young woman was also my sister. And Jason was my brother. At one time, I would have discounted that connection. They’re just demigods, I would have said. Not really family.
Now I found the idea hard to accept for a different reason. I didn’t feel worthy of that family. Or Thalia’s forgiveness. (403-404)
“My whole life, I’ve been living with other people’s expectations of what I’m supposed to be. Be this. Be that. You know?”
[...]
“But you showed me. When you proposed dating...” She took a deep breath, her body shaking with silent giggles. “Oh, gods. I saw how ridiculous I’d been. How ridiculous the whole situation was. That’s what healed my heart - being able to laugh at myself again, at my stupid ideas about destiny. That allowed me to break free - just like Frank broke free of his firewood. I don’t need another person to heal my heart. I don’t need a partner... at least, not until and unless I’m ready on my own terms. I don’t need to be force-shipped with anyone or wear anybody else’s label. For the first time in a long time, I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So thank you.” (405-406)
As we stood to accept the legion’s thanks, I felt strangely uncomfortable. Now that I finally had a friendly crowd cheering for me, I just wanted to sit down and cover my head with a toga. I had done so little compared to Hazel or Reyna or Frank, not to mention all those who had died: Jason, Dakota, Don, Jacob, the Sibyl, Harpocrates... dozens more. (413).
Usually I was against re-gifting, but in this case, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I couldn’t remember when or why I’d given the legion this bow - for centuries, I’d passed them out like party favors - but I was certainly glad to have it back. I drew the string with no trouble at all. Either my strength was godlier than I realized, or the bow recognized me as its rightful owner. Oh, yes. I could do some damage with this beauty. (415)
We’d have to trust the gods for some good luck. (Insert HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA here.) (422)
131 notes · View notes
notthecanadianaverage · 4 years ago
Note
All 65 ho! 😤
1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?
I mean I guess kind of sometimes? As someone with ADHD, object permanence is a big thing so if I don't see you, you aren't real xD
2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?
Um, it varies, actually. Generally speaking, I'm not afraid. But sometimes I have lots of nightmares and the darkness is awful and I will deadass sleep with the light on. Also while I'm not afraid, if I hear sounds, I am terrified xD
3. The person you would never want to meet?
Jason Mamoa. He seems like a fine person but something about his appearance triggers my fight or flight.
4. What is your favorite word?
Hippopomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?
I think maybe either a birch or a weeping willow?
6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?
That's not yellow
7. What shirt are you wearing?
I'm wearing a green Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time shirt that my sister got for me a few years ago at Fan Expo.
8. What do you label yourself as?
Panromantic asexual. Gender identity wise, demigirl. I recently learned what omnisexual is and I'm curious, but I don't want to come out again so panromantic it is xD
9. Bright room or dark room?
Bright! Lots of sunlight for plants and reading!
10. What were you doing at midnight last night?
I was being trained at work
11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?
I think 18, just because mentally I'm still there.
12. Who told you they loved you last?
My boyfriend :3 I miss him.
13. Your worst enemy?
Dickface. He called me his step daughter once and I almost fucking lost it in that Tim Hortons. I had to fight so hard not to say anything. I was also fighting some pretty rough food poisoning that week so I was not in the mood to argue xD
14. What is your current desktop picture?
On my computer? I think it's a rat xD it's either me with Cortana on my shoulder or Willow peeking through some bars, I can't remember.
15. Do you like someone?
I like my boyfriend. A lot. I mean I hope I do since we have been dating for 6 years xD but I also have a celebrity squish. Patrick Dempsey. Motherfucker. Yes. That smile. Those EYES.
16. The last song you listened to?
https://youtu.be/0Eh4b0Ge-sM
17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?
That power hungry cheeto. But only if I wouldn't get caught.
18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?
Dickface. He is a child abuser and just a shitty person all around. I called him a stupid idiot on my birthday and lost my fucking mind because I didn't actually mean to and he looked PISSED.
19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?
I don't know who, but I would make them cuddle because I am touched starved and need a fucking hug xD
20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)
I'm doing this all in my phones notes so I can't add a picture, but I love my tattoos and piercings! I have both nostrils pierced, my septum and snakebites. Tattoo wise, I have the Triforce of Courage on my left hand, a small blue hard on my right thumb, a beautiful memorial rat tattoo on my left leg, Midna's Fused Shadow on my left arm and Expecto Patronum on my right wrist. I. Need. More.
21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?
Not gonna lie, I'd probably jerk off xD
22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?
If I shared it, it wouldn't be a secret.
23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?
I... don't know
24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.
I would stick with my normal Subway order: lettuce, tomato, red onions, LOTS OF PICKLES, cheese, black forest ham, mayo and salt and pepper.
25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?
Not gonna lie, I would probably get some Subway and maybe some candle making supplies.
26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?
California. I miss my boyfriend. Let's go.
27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?
Joke's on you, I don't really drink alcohol! I would instead request all the apple juice :')
28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?
Pet rats for everyone!!!!
29. What is your favorite expletive?
I enjoy cunt :3
30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?
My little stuffed lion. I would also grab my teddy bear seeing as they are always together.
31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? (Tw rape for this question)
I mean... all of these experiences have made me who I am. But if i can erase one experience without changing who I am, it would be nice to not have been raped.
32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!
I would say Indonesia because volcanoes! But I am also very gay and I don't believe that is a gay friendly country... so... maybe Japan? All of this assuming that the boyfriend is with me. If not, then California.
33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?
My grandpa. I really miss him... I want him to see how far I've come and I want to spend more time with him.
34. What was your last dream about?
I have been having a weird amount of sex dreams lately...
35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?
Rat mom? I like to think so! Shameless plug, but I have a blog here called @ratpotatoez where you can see my beautiful chonks. I'm also on Facebook and YouTube.
36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?
I mean yes? But not for like an overnight stay.
37. Have you ever built a snowman?
Yes
38. What is the color of your socks?
Fuck socks
39. What type of music do you like?
Depends on my mood. I love heavier, alternative rock but my heart will forever belong to Simple Plan.
40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?
I think they're both really lovely!
41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?
Vanilla
42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)
I don't like football. The only sport I watch is hockey.
43. Do you have any scars?
I am covered in self harm scars (I'm working on covering them up with tattoos). I don't really have any scars with cool stories. I had one that went down my arm but somehow it healed??? Someone in gym class accidentally took a chunk out of my arm with their finger nail and I had a hole in my arm for the longest time!!! I also have a scar on my knee from when I was really young, maybe 3 or 4. I was balancing on some bricks in someone's garden and I lost my balance, fell, and hit my knee on the brick. I remember there being blood running all down my leg as I screamed and cried. So that was fun.
44. What do you want to be when you graduate?
I don't know. I do know, though, that I want to go to culinary school. I also want to go to school for creative writing.
45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My weight. I gained 100+lbs when I went off my anti-depressants and I swelled up like a balloon. I've felt like shit about myself ever since.
46. Are you reliable?
I sure as shit hope so!
47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
Was it worth it...?
48. Do you hold grudges?
I try not to, but I think I do ._.
49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?
PIGEON RAT
50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?
"I just really want to punch this horse in the face, okay?"
51. Are you a good liar?
I think so, yes. Trauma does that to you.
52. How long could you go without talking?
When I get super super drained, I go mute. I can stop talking for days at a time.
53. What has been you worst haircut/style?
I once left the hair dressers with essentially what was a fucking bowl cut. Yea, I wasn't thrilled. I refused to remove my hat.
54. Have you ever baked your own cake?
Yes. At 3AM. Because fuck a healthy sleep schedule.
55. Can you do any accents other than your own?
I can do an okay British accent and an okay Indian accent.
56. What do you like on your toast?
Butter. Just butter.
57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?
Um... I don't remember the last time I drew. Actually, that's a lie. I tried drawing a "small town doctor" while playing Drawful. I drew a very tiny doctor with a city skyline behind him.
58. What would be you dream car?
Literally anything with the popup headlights.
59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.
I talk to myself in the shower. Granted, I do that everywhere xD it's the only way I can work through my thoughts. I also cry in the shower a lot.
60. Do you believe in aliens?
Yes. We can't be the only ones here.
62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?
I don't really have a favourite. But I do like D. Mostly because it's the first letter of my boyfriends name, but also it reminds me of a woman I helped while working in tech support. She needed help figuring out her gif keyboard so I helped and she was so excited when I told her how to search for gifs. She then started giggling like a little girl saying she wondered what might happen if she searched for DICK. She made my day xD I think about her a lot. I hope she's doing well.
63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?
Don't do this to me...
Dragons are obviously amazing but haVE YOU EVER SEEN A DINOSAUR?!?!? LIKE THOSE THINGS ARE REAL. THEY WERE ALIVE. THEY FUCKING RULED THE EARTH. HAVE YOU SEEN A STEGOSAURUS?!?!?!?!?
64. What do you think about babies?
I like babies a lot. Like so much. I have super colourful hair, too, so they seem fascinated with me :') but their little chubby cheeks omg
65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.
Fun fact: I actually really like the smell of wet dog. It's kind of a really comforting smell.
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levisbyjean · 6 years ago
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Why Jean Kirstein is the best character in SnK: An essay w/ references/RECEIPTS
(This essay spans from the beginning of the story up to the current chapter 117 of the manga. Also, almost 90% of the quotes I use here are from the manga; not the anime)
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Jean was introduced as a selfish snob, who was born into luxury and raised with class. His plan was to join the military police and live in the safety of the interior, far away from any titans or danger. And from the very beginning, Jean was—and has remained—an honest person. Keep that in mind.
During the 104th scouts training, which is also where Jean and Eren first met, Eren says he plans to wipe every single Titan off the face of the planet, & Jean just laughs. Eren says he must be the guy who plans to live a laid back life in the military police. In the anime, Jean’s reply is “I’m no liar. I’m a straight-talker, unlike someone who pretends to have balls of steel, even when he’s about to piss himself.” Similar to the manga version, where he says “I’m nothing, if not honest.” [vol. 4 ch. 15] And he is true to this statement.
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Jean’s mentality towards joining the military police does not change until the battle in Trost district, where he encounters titans for the first time. The main characters, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, (I’ll be referring to that trio as EMA throughout this essay) have already been exposed to the horrors of the titans. EMA have already been traumatized because they were kids when they first saw the titans face to face. However Jean is a teenager and also fresh out of the academy. He barely knows how to use his EDM gear and now he is expected to face those monsters, not run, because that’s what he trained for.
When the rest of his squad is trying to think of what to do, Jean says “it was a boring life. But I guess if it’s gonna end like this, I might as well say let’s do it everyone! Come on! Up on your feet!” [vol. 2 ch. 7] & he actually was the first one to have a positive attitude when everyone else was preparing for death. That was the first moment where I really enjoyed his personality. Thats pure courage and strength in itself right there. Continuing on the positive-Jean train, when Mikasa is the first to run off to face the titans, Jean yells to the rest of the people who didn’t step forward “were we taught to let one of our own fight alone? All of you really will make cowards of yourselves” and runs after her, followed by the rest of the brave 104th cadets (the Jeanmika/Jeankasa ship is SAILING)
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As the battle continues, he watches his comrades get killed in front of him, but instead of running, he LEADS everyone to safety. He assumes the role of leader ON HIS OWN, maybe before he even realized it. I want to note this first pivotal point in his thought process. He uses his other comrades sacrifices to lead the others to safety. To put it into other words, he sees his classmates getting eaten all around him but he doesn’t break down or run away to save himself. Instead, he quickly analyzes the scene unfolding in front of him and orders everyone to charge for HQ while the titans are occupied (eating his comrades) [vol. 2 ch. 8]. Granted, once they make it to safety, he later feels the guilt, saying “how many died on my signal?” You can see it on his face that this decision weighed heavily on his conscience.
After finally breaking down and losing his cool, he realizes that this was real life. His dreams of living in peace were crushed at the sight of reality finally setting in. He wanted a long life and a family but now it all seemed over with. His perspectives had changed, and when he almost lost all hope, it was Marco that brought him back. His friendship with Marco is probably the first—and probably the biggest—factor in his character change.
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Marco tells Jean that he thinks he would make a better leader than himself because Jean isn’t a strong person so he can relate to weak peoples feelings. He knows what’s going on around him at all times, knows exactly what needs to be done [vol. 4 ch. 18]. At first Jean is offended at this, but when he is watching the bodies of his comrades burn, he then accepts that Marco was right. If Jean had never become a soldier, he would never have had to worry about people dying, it never would have crossed his mind.
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Mentally-strong characters like EMA have it natural to want to fight and be brave. But what I respect about Jean is his honesty to say he is scared. He doesn’t want to die. He doesn’t want to face titans. However, even though he doesn’t want to die and he’s afraid, he knows what must be done. There are people who are ignorant of the terrors of the titans, just like he used to be. But he knows now that it’s reality. After Erwin’s speech, Jean has a moment to choose to either leave or stay, and if he had chosen to leave, he would’ve “hated himself more than he already did”. And so he chose to join the survey corps so that he could fight for those weaker people. I respect that he isn’t hotheaded like Eren, saying he wants to kill every last titan out of revenge. But he wants to protect people, the defenseless people who have the safe life he used to dream about. He knows trauma now, and instead of let it tear him down and run for the hills, he chose to use that fear to protect people. SELFLESSSSSSS KINGGGGGGG.
The next pivotal point in his character development was when he joined Squad Levi. Being faced with titans and killing them was one thing. But in the Retaking of Shinganshina arc (aka season 2 of the anime), they were now fighting humans. Jean is almost shot and killed by an enemy MP, but Armin saves him by killing her, which ended up scarring Armin for a good while [vol. 14 ch. 58]. Realizing that he freaked out and panicked, Jean promises to never let that happen again and apologizes to Levi for letting him down by almost becoming a casualty, but he also apologizes to Armin (I also ship Jearmin like HELLA)
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After this, Jean has multiple leadership moments where he saves and protects others. When they’re pursuing the female titan, he backs up Armin and Reiner and tells them to stay focused and to keep a distance [vol. 6 ch. 23]. When Sasha shoots an arrow that got too close to Mikasa, he scolds her for almost shooting her (this was more so because of his undying crush on Mikasa but I still wanted to throw that scene in considering the anime bastards took it out and it was beautiful) [vol. 13 Ch. 54]. He’s also covered for his teammates a numerous amount of times and has never panicked in a crisis because he keeps a level head during times of trouble.
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He is an excellent leader and it’s even proven after the time skip, when he becomes commanding officer of his own team!!! [vol. 26 ch. 105] (OUR FRIENDS ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE ALSO OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS) He tells them to keep civilian casualties to a minimum as their primary focuses are the Marleyan government and Eren, not the civilians. Jean also doesn’t let personal feelings get in the way of carrying out a mission. So when the squad was about to kill Pieck, after firing off a thunder spear and it backfiring, he ordered his team to fall back because it wasn’t worth their deaths if it wasn’t part of the mission at hand [vol. 26 ch. 104]. (He also proved this when, even though he’s stated countless times how much he hates Eren, he still protects him in battle because he knows Eren is an important figure to saving humanity). The last piece of evidence of this fact is after Gabi and Falco stow away on the airship, and Gabi shoots Sasha dead, the crew asks Jean if they should throw the kids out of the plane, to which he just replies “is throwing some kids out of an airship really going to stop all of this bloodshed?” This part really hurt me, not only because of Sasha’s death, but because even though Jean was in pain after witnessing one of his best friends die right in front of him, he didn’t lash out. He couldn’t. His composure and facial expressions gave off that he was angry and distraught, but he didn’t let that get the best of him. Killing those kids wouldn’t have brought her back and it’s that maturity to not avenge the murderer of his friend that hurt. Again, KEEPS A LEVEL HEAD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE. [vol. 26 ch. 105] (I would post screen caps of the emotional facial expressions from that chapter but there are just too many, so read it for yourself to feel the pain. Instead, here’s this cute picture of my favorite AOT trio).
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Jean has also noted his care and affection for his friends before. Shortly before the attack on Marley, the team is having a discussion on who should inherit Eren’s attack Titan, and Jean is super quick to shoot down Mikasa’s offer because he cares about her. & instead suggests himself as a candidate. However, Eren rejects it, along with Sasha and Connie’s proposals, stating he doesn’t want to give it to any of them because they are all important to him and he wants them to live long lives (.....okay this note is mainly about Eren’s sweet and soft heart more so than it is about Jean, I just wanted to throw it in because I don’t think Eren is the heartless, emotionless bastard that he makes himself out to be after the time skip) [vol. 27 ch. 108] But in all seriousness, Jean’s heart does show when he is talking to Mikasa and Connie after Eren‘s suspicious & traitorous actions. Because of how much Eren and Jean didn’t like each other, you’d think Jean would get angry that Eren cursed out Mikasa, aka his dream guuuuurl. But instead he disagrees with Connie on his loyalty and says “I don’t think he’d do something like that without any reason. Somehow, aren’t his real intentions somewhere in there?” [vol. 29 ch. 116] Remember, Jean is an honest person—almost to a fault—so you know he really believes that and isn’t just trying to cheer up Mikasa. Aw we love a loyal sister *cue applause*
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Anyways, I could go on for days fawning over this man, but I’m sure you’re all as exhausted from reading this as I am from writing it. SO. In conclusion, Jean Kirstein was a snotty ass bitch in the beginning because he had no reason to believe his perfect life would ever change, until it did. And instead of go on to live a selfish lifestyle, he chose to protect people and lead them because he didn’t want anyone else to go through what he and his friends did, and he did not want to let anyone down who believed in him, thanks to Marco for opening his eyes first. He isn’t arrogant, he doesn’t think he is a god. He accepts his mediocrity & doesn’t try to get on a higher level than anyone else. He’s fucked up before, has made many, many mistakes, and he lives by his choices and decisions even if they come back to haunt him. He is just an average human being, there is nothing special about him. But he is honest and he is caring. He may be a hardheaded, stubborn individual, but he will go to the ends of the earth to protect his comrades and the people he loves.
P.S (This essay also doubles up as an argument explaining why Jean deserves to become the next commander of the survey corps, after Hanji. I believe wholeheartedly that he will lead the survey corps as passionately as Erwin did 💔)
P.P.S (It’s also no surprise that the creator of the Shingeki no Kyojin series, Hajime Isayama, has admitted before that his favorite character is Jean. HE’S THE MANGAKA FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, so I trust his opinion, too. Hehee)
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bishie-haven · 5 years ago
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Graceful Equestrian: What Should You Play?
Hello again, fellow Princesses and Princes!
Horses are such elegant creatures, aren’t they? Because of my older sister’s love for them when I was younger, I’ve seen and heard a lot about these animals. Although the one thing more impressive than horses are the riders and trainers able to tame them from being wild creatures to the majestic beings we see them as now.
And the best rider of all the UtaPri boys? None other than Camus, who has finally received his first Collection Event to wrap up Rotation #5!
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Just like equine being trained for dressage, we need to run through what needs to happen before the real show can begin. And I’m here to help you do just that! Come on, let’s get to it!
(Note: Please read this guide until the end, I have something I want to say...)
IMPORTANT REMINDER
Despite Cecil’s little change in the Event Song type with Crown of Agna...the Alternate Arrangements aren’t finished yet. But unless our prince will get his audition song made into one in his next event, Zettai Reido Emotion should be the LAST ONE!
However, like I’ve said in every single guide I’m typed onto this platform, if you cannot acquire enough Event Song Passes over the course of the week...
DO NOT PLAY THE EVENT SONG (ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENT) MORE THAN ONCE A DAY!!
Now then, let’s start with the basic training with the reins: AKA our Plans of Action!
Plan A: Two for One
We have come to the difficult kink of Plan A: having both a ST☆RISH and Quartet Night member in the same event. However, we don’t have just Golden☆Star (2:14) that includes both of our long-haired bishies...have we forgotten the one song that shows off their ultimate sex appeal?!
Oh YES, Baby! My Strawberry! (1:54) is a great song to use during this event, not just because it includes the featured boys and is a Crowd-Pleaser in the second half...but because it’s just a pure BOP to enjoy!
Plan B: Separate and Swift
Alright, I’ve said this in 5 of my last 6 guides, you get it: for Camus, since he’s a QN member, Poison Kiss (1:15) is the best song for him, blah blah blah...what about if you’re sick to death of the quartet’s song from Maji Love 2000%? In the main tab, there’s a couple of really good options for the platinum blonde. Pairing up with his kouhai in Northwind and Sunshine (1:27) is a great song to play, or what about going with his groupmate, Ai, in Tsukiakari no Dearest (1:33) instead? 
Going onto Ren, the song you want to play for him is his jazzy audition song, Akuma no Kiss wa Honou yori Hageshiku (1:27) geez this is a long title...! But besides this, we also have his trio with his rival and senpai with Dream More than Love (1:34), AND his original group’s performance of Maji Love 1000% (1:41) to account for!
Okay, so we’re done with the basics, so now let’s get the saddle on with those Crowd-Pleasers!
“Graceful Equestrian” Crowd-Pleaser Songs
1st Half (Day 1-Day 4 (first half))
Joker Trap- 1:13 (PLAY!!!)
You’re My Life- 2:01 (Do NOT Play!)
Mellow x2 Chu- 1:44 (Play!)
2nd Half (Day 4 (second half)-Day 7)
Baby! My Strawberry!- 1:54 (Play...)
Saintly Territory- 1:58 (Play...)
Sekai no Hatemade Believe Heart- 1:28 (Play!!)
We’ve got the basic maneuvers, we’ve got the saddle, now comes the most important part: adding the rider! In our case, our rider is how we can get the most aqua corsages in our hands with the best efficiency!
Daily Efficiency
1st Half (Day 1-Day 4 (first half))
(Plan A)
Joker Trap/Baby! My Strawberry!: 8 times
Zettai Reido Emotion (Alt): 1 time
(Plan B)
Poison Kiss/Northwind and Sunshine/Tsukiakari no Dearest: 7 times
Akuma no Kiss wa Honou yori Hageshiku/Dream More than Love/Maji Love 1000%/Mellow x2 Chu: 8 times
Zettai Reido Emotion (Alt): 1 time
2nd Half (Day 4 (second half)-Day 7)
(Plan A)
Baby! My Strawberry!: 8 times
Zettai Reido Emotion (Alt): 1 time
(Plan B)
Poison Kiss/Northwind and Sunshine/Tsukiakari no Dearest: 7 times
Akuma no Kiss wa Honou yori Hageshiku/Sekai no Hatemade Believe Heart/Dream More than Love/Maji Love 1000%: 8 times
Zettai Reido Emotion (Alt): 1 time
Now normally I end these guides with some funny quip saying that the guide is done and that I wish you all the best of luck during the next seven days of chaos...but this time I want to address something that has been brought to my attention. 
Over the past couple months of releasing these Collection Event Guides, I have received multiple anonymous messages questioning the point of these posts. I have been asked why I recommend playing any other song beside Crowd-Pleasers, as they have “calculated” and said it would only take small minutes off their play time. I have even been accused of misleading players just because I talk about playing shorter songs instead of longer ones that can give a slight boost, and that I should put a disclaimer in every guide that those 6 songs...DO give that boost. I want to address these concerns real quick before I end this post. Nothing of what I say comes with any malice: I am simply answering the questions that those who asked have.
The shorter address relates to the message saying my guides are misleading and that I should provide a disclaimer:
While I believe that the guides I make are great resources, there is one resource that should be trusted even before me: the Shining Live app itself. When every event begins, no matter the type, an announcement is placed in every player’s inbox, stating all of the rules and the explanations of every aspect of that event type. For Collection Events, this also includes an explanation of how Crowd-Pleasers work:
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But the bigger address goes to those questioning why I recommend shorter songs, songs with only one idol instead of both, or any other song instead of “the ones that get you more points”:
I make these Collection Event Guides for players of all types. I have talked to many players since I started creating these guides, and almost every single one has been in a different scenario. There are some people who want to go in it for the long haul over the week, trying to tier for their best boy. There have been others who can’t play the entire week and only have a short time span to get the cards they want. There have been people with LP gifts aplenty to spare, while others only have a limited amount stashed away and rely on the ones they can get through the exchange. Some have just wanted one SR copy, one UR copy, or even wanted to go all the way to the top of the ranks. There are many types of players in Shining Live, and many ways players may tackle a certain event.
And that’s why my guides are so multi-faceted. I state what the shortest songs are for those who have a limited time-span or are spamming at the last minute to pass the threshold of points or corsages needed for a specific reward. I explain different Plans of Action for idol combinations that aren’t the most common and that there is more than one way to tackle a problem. I show the times of each Crowd-Pleaser because, like I explained in the very first Event Guide that had these songs, Dreamy Aquarium: What Should You Play?, if you are in a state where you are not worried about LP, you can actually earn more points and corsages in the same time frame by playing more of a quicker normal song instead of a longer Crowd-Pleaser in some cases. I provide lists for Daily Efficiency for those wanting to net the corsage rewards for playing both songs of the featured idols and playing the event song enough times (if possible), as for those wanting the UR copy in the exchange, the highest cost there at 35,000 flower bouquets, this is one of the best ways to rack up enough to pay for it if they play throughout the week.
You do not have to follow every piece of advice I give in these guides. You could follow the Plan A route of Daily Efficiency through the week but play some of the longest songs in the game. You can play the shortest songs in the catalog but be completely unmatched from the boys featured. You can play every Crowd-Pleaser there is if you want to! What I put in these guides is not gospel:
You can pick and choose whatever you feel will help you in your specific situation, all of it or none of it. It is all completely up to you. 
And with me stating my peace, I hope you can enjoy this Collection Event, no matter how you choose to engage with it.
Hope to see you again soon, Princesses and Princes.
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toonstarterz · 5 years ago
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BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #164
Hey, not dropping the ball actually worked!
We’re just a hair’s length away from summer vacation, but unlike last year when Tomoko approached summer with not much consideration, she’s now taking a proactive role in deciding how to spend her last summer in high school. At first glance, Tomoko appears to have become a responsible, young lady. But as we soon will see, that can-do attitude may not be as refined as it looks on the surface.
Chapter 164: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Do My Best Starting From Summer Break 
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There’s that time period during the day when most students have already left but school hasn't quite closed up. It’s pretty creepy, even more so before summer break when you’re expected not to stick around.
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Have I mentioned Itou is a cute? ‘Cause she is.
It’s usually her looking after Komiyama, so it’s really sweet to see the dynamic flipped around like this. Despite, well, everything, Komiyama is a good friend.
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Assuming that cheering for the baseball teams is optional, it’s endearing to see Itou go through with it. Even though baseball isn’t her thing, she’s likely doing it to support her bestie, which I can 110% get behind.
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Ah, right. Dude’s in the manga club. That said, I wonder if their plans are for just being attendees, or if they’ll actually be manning a booth and selling their work. With his skills and, er, preferences, I think Hatsushiba could do the latter.
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Don’t be so modest, Tomoko. There’s no slouching either when you’re a three-year veteran of the Going-Home Club. 
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Studying during summer break? Outrageous!!
It’s intriguing to see just how Tomoko’s study habits have evolved throughout the series. The early days would see her spend summer goofing off on her hobbies, with bare minimum concern for academics. But now, Tomoko is actually considering studying on her own accord. Sure, it’s more-or-less a fallback when she has nothing else planned, but the thought itself is still worth mentioning.
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Is that one of those mini-fans that you can carry around in your bag? I love those things.
Study camp, huh? Any other day, Tomoko would be apathetic to the idea, leaning more on the side of brushing it off. But having Katou bring it up makes all the difference, ‘cause let’s be real. Katou could ask her to sign up for a hostess bar at the Red Light District and Tomoko would still seriously consider it.
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Miss you, Yuu-chan.
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I second that, Komi. Fourteen hours of studying a day is brutal, even if that’s to be expected in what is essentially a boot camp. I’ve always questioned the efficiency of cram schools and the like, mostly because they seem to prepare more for short-term memorization than long-term understanding. But even it actually works in principle...
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...I’m not sure Tomoko will be able to handle it.
Perhaps it’s just me, but it feels like Tomoko is overestimating her discipline for studying. She already struggled with Katou’s flashcards and study sessions that a whole training camp feels like it would have a more detrimental effect on Tomoko than a positive one. “Work hard, play hard” was never meant to be that extreme, Tomoko.
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That’s...genuinely uplighting. Tomoko has missed out on several of the key “memorable” high school moments, and she usually lets it go with only mild regrets. But here, Tomoko’s actively trying to gain what she once lost. Sure, she’s trying to “game the social system” a little, but what did you expect? She’s a person, not a saint.
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This was Yuu’s only line in this entire chapter. My girl deserves more than this.
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Will the 2% of Tomoko’s personality that is tsundere ever realize that if you really “didn’t care either way”, then you wouldn’t have asked the question to begin with? Doubt it.  
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That romaji tho.
It comes to the surprise of absolutely no one that Komiyama has some pretty...vivid fantasies about Tomoki. But what stands out to me is how deep into the relationship her thoughts go. Most people fantasize about their crush first in their sexual attractiveness, but only a few ever dream beyond that. Ironically, you know your crushing has gone off the deep end if you start thinking about them in domestic, SFW ways. Least Komi’s committed, yeah?
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Gee, I wonder what’s that “and stuff” Tomoko’s talking about?masturbating
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Nothing like a fresh bowl of Grossi-Os and Gross Juice to start the day!
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If what Yuri says is true, then that would mean that she and Ucchi have probably walked to school together several times before–more than the couple of times we’ve seen, at least. And even so, it doesn’t look like they haven’t gotten much closer as friends, if at all. Some people just don’t click, I suppose.
Not sure how blind Ucchi is because anybody with a pair of eyes (beady or not) would see that Yuri has friends, even if you only count Mako. Poor girl just can’t accept the truth even when it's right in front of her face.
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Ah, Yuri. Why can’t you just drop the “savior” act and just admit you want to spend time with her?
I’m inclined to agree about Yoshida, but who knows? She’s surprised us before. Mako's a safe bet, though. Especially if the former’s going. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
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Boy, does that take me back. It still blows my mind that all of Ucchi’s problems originated from one night of misunderstandings. The art nerd in me really appreciates the subtle improvement in Niko’s art style. The character models feel “weightier” and more consistent without compromising the stylization. 
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You don’t see it in the previous panel, but Ucchi was totally blushing at the prospect of reliving her trauma/dream. Perhaps she was also looking to live out that ping pong match she never got.
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I’m not sure if there was some kind of wordplay in the original text. Either way, it kind of sucks for Yuu-chan that she got such a “flattering” nickname when she wasn’t involved in that scenario whatsoever. Though it sure is a tad classier than Miss Akari “Dick Sister Jr.’ Iguchi.
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It’s kind of (read: absolutely) frightening how Katou’s envy towards Yuu feels a lot more intense than Yuri’s. Perhaps it’s because Yuri’s so transparent that you know how to deal with her. But with Katou, that air of secrecy feels like a nuclear bomb about to go off. 
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I always wondered where girls picked up that thing where they intertwine their fingers as a sign of affection. It’s precious.
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Praise modern technology for convenient storytelling.
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Wow, Fuuka’s already made her mark on Tomoko’s “bitch” list. Though exactly why she’s on that list now is kind of odd. I mean, yeah, she asked Tomoko about the whole fondling thing, and she unintentionally presented herself as a pervert for the whole “hair” thing, but Fuuka hasn’t really done anything all that terrible. If anything, Tomoko is probably expressing a rare bit of jealousy towards someone else supposedly perving on Katou besides her.
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The most striking part about Fuuka’s inevitably failed plan is that she describes Tomoko’s appearance as “sudden”. It was touched on before, but it further emphasizes that Tomoko’s friendship with Katou was just as unexpectedly quick in-universe as it was for the readers. And in doing so, it brings us one step closer to the real mystery over why Katou is so enamored with Tomoko in the first place. 
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Ya’ll know Sayaka’s got her homegirl’s back on this one. Let’s see (hopefully) how Akari screws it up. 
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Chapter 58, mothereffers!
I don’t know whether I’d say Nico Tanigawa has been playing the long game, or if they just found a convenient throwaway to capitalize on. But the acknowledgment itself is very much appreciated. Tomoko may have forgotten, naturally, but us overzealous fans certainly never did! 
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The chills, man. Chill’s right up the spine.
It’s certainly true that Tomoko’s words can be interpreted in a good or bad way, so it’s pretty telling that Katou’s gut reaction went for the latter. It suggests that Katou may actually have some insecurities that can easily set her off. Then again, a defining part of Katou’s personality is that she takes everything Tomoko says at completely face value, so maybe she’s starting to see Tomoko’s negativity even if it’s not there. Just more of the enigma that is Asuka Katou.  
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Not a bad save, Tomoko. Countless battles with shame have made her quick on the fly. Unfortunately, while she’s improved at starting a save...
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...she still doesn’t know how to end it.
It would’ve been a clean getaway if Tomoko had just ended about half-way in the above panel. But because Tomoko’s anxiety causes her to try and cover all the bases, she ends up rambling suspiciously. The part about Nemo isn’t even that relevant, but in her burst of defensiveness, Tomoko ends up saying things that could just exacerbate the problem even further.
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Fucking shit, Katou is damn scary.
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The one fortunate thing about Tomoko’s defensive rambles is that once she starts to cool down, her honesty starts coming out more organically. Self-deprecation becomes self-reflection, and brings to the forefront Tomoko’s endearing side.
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Only Tomoko could spout such a cliché moe line and sound so pure of heart. Must be the irony. 
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Aha. Ahaha. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
–that totally didn’t happen.
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Tomoko, girl, you’re in the CLEAR! Stop trying to fan flames that have already been put out.
But on that note, it does affirm that while Tomoko is honest with Katou about certain things (perversion, laziness), she isn’t quite ready to be honest on anything that would paint Katou in a bad light. I’d say tha’st about 85% due to fear.
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Death Flags raised all around.
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I had a feeling that Nemo would take the plunge this time and invite Tomoko out somewhere during the summer. It seems like such an insignificant gesture, but considering that this is the very first time a classmate has asked to hang out with her during the summer, it warms my heart.
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Hey now, Tomoko. Don’t get cocky when you’re maximizing your own goof-off time by taking a study camp.
The easy guess is that Nemo wants to go to Comiket. But really, it could be anything that Tomoko would have an interest in. And because it’s implied that Nemo is going for research purposes, it could be anything from a seiyuu panel (the last one went so well) to a hot spring to a hentai game company. Hope they bring Okada along...
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Mama senses her daughter’s giving in to peer pressure.
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Not gonna lie. This hand gesturing from Rena made me think that she was thinking about doing...something else.
Damn mind-in-the-gutter.
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Even though Anna doesn’t appear to be the studious type, it’s pretty cool to see that she can respect people who are. Also, I dig the way she wears her tie (or is that a ribbon?). 
Emoji II really has become an honorary delinquent and it fits her perfectly. 
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I guess no matter how much more grounded Tomoko becomes, she still thinks reading manga is legitimate practice for playing in real-life (though tabletop games may actually allow for some truth).  
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Sub!Tomoko confirmed.
What a way to end a chapter. For the longest, Katou had always viewed Tomoko through a pair of rose-tinted glasses, always seeing the girl’s faults as endearing “quirks”. But as her soul-piercing gaze seems to indicate, Katou has reached a revelation about Tomoko that she can actually disapprove of. Whether or not it’ll shatter her illusion of Tomoko is still unclear, but how she treats Tomoko from here on out may finally give us a deeper look into Katou’s psyche. 
160+ chapters we’ve followed Tomoko, and we’re still learning new things about her. The very extent of Tomoko’s agency has always been a tad murky. She’s good at (poorly) executing short-term ideas, but hardly does she plan out and follow up on her long-term goals. Even her greatest milestone of making friends involved a lot of pushing from outsiders (Ogino, the most obvious case). That said, having to take charge of herself for once is inescapable with college on the horizon. How she goes about it amongst her various mom-friends may end up being Tomoko’s biggest personal challenge yet.  
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hiiggsmonaghan · 5 years ago
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Are you fuckin’ kidding me--?
Alright, I’ll answer them ALL. 
1. Name: Higgs Monaghan Silver/Silvio
2. Nationality: Canadian/Acadian
3. Age: 22
4. Birthday: July 19th 
5. Zodiac sign (or your primal zodiac sign): Cancer
6. Gender: cis male
7. Sexuality: Gay
8. Your looks (add a picture or describe yourself):  This will have to wait until a special reveal. (Future cosplay things.)
9. What do you/did you study?: ... Does Egyptian history count?
10. What's your current job like?/What job would you like to have?: [Nervous laughter] I have no idea what I’d like to do for a job. 
-
11. Your birth order: First child
12. How many siblings do you have?: 1 “real” sibling, but so many siblings by bond.
13. Do you have good relations with your family?: Biological family? Absolutely not. Except for two of my cousins. They are cool.
14. How many friends do you have?: Too many that it’s obnoxious. [Just kidding, I appreciate you all.]
15. Your relationship status: Taken/Engaged
16. What do you look for in a SO?: Someone who can kick my ass. [Who can handle my anger outbursts]
17. Do you have a crush?: No. 
18. When did you have your first kiss?: When I was 14. It was forced and was a terrible experience. 
19. Do you prefer serious and meaningful relationships or casual dating/one night stands?: Meaningful ones, funny enough.
20. What are your deal breakers?: Overly clingy, too loud, not respectful of my music choices
-
21. How was your day?: Cold. Snowstorm happened today.
22. Favourite food & drink: Pizzas/cheeseburgers || Strawberry slushie with tapioca pearls/orange juice
23. What position do you sleep in?: Fetal position. [Hahahah... ha.]
24. What was your last dream about?: Cannot remember.
25. Your fears: The ocean [drowning], deep forests.. uhh... There are others but I cannot think of it at the moment
26. Your dreams: To be on my goddamn motorcycle, livin’ a good life without my mental illness in the way.
27. Your goals: See above.
28. Any pets?: Not yet! Planin’ to get a black cat soon!
29. What are your hobbies?: Music and readin’
30. Any cool places in your area?: Pfft, no. It’s so fuckin’ boring here.
31. What was your last awkward situation?: I was at Tim Horton’s and there was a baby cryin’ behind me so I looked over at it and played... peek-a-boo with them. It was...weird. But at least the baby shut up. The mother didn’t do shit to make the baby stop cryin’ so.. Great Parenting.
32. What is your last regret?: Well too many to really talk about but I’ll go with the funny route and my last regret was not goin’ to Burger King yesterday and eatin’ salad instead of a burger. 
33. Language/s you can speak: English
34. Do you believe in astrological stuff? (Zodiac, tarot, etc.): Not really. It’s all just whatever for me.
35. Have any quirks?: I bite my nails often... I pretend to conduct music while it is playing... uh...???
36. Your pet peeves: Everything.
37. Ideal vacation: Anywhere away from North America.
38. Any scars?: Many. 
39. What does your last text message say?: “Nah”
40. Last 5 things from your search history: Twitter, Vargskelethor’s twitch, Cloud Strife, YouTube, FF7 remake release date
41. What's your [device] background?: RK900 from Detroit Become Human
42. What do you daydream about?: Usually having super strength and throwing people whom bother me across the world or just... punchin’ them. 
43. Describe your dream home: A  simple house, really. Nothin’ too fancy. Just the idea of havin’ my own house? Even if it isn’t that big or anythin’... That is a dream for me. Oh, and I want it painted black. Hah.
44. What's your religion/Your thought about religion: I’d say I’m atheist but... I do believe in God. I AM God. :)
45. Your personality type:  ISTP-T
46. The most dangerous thing you've done: [Looks at the list of dangerous things I have done] ... There are too many
47. Are you happy with your current life?: At the moment? Yeah. There are things I am still angry about but it’s... fine.
48. Some things you've tried in your life: Smoking. Drawing. Singing. Writing. Playing the guitar. ???
-
49. What does your wardrobe consist of?: Black and reds. 
50. Favourite colour to wear?: Black.
51. How would you describe your style?: Goth/punk
52. Are you happy with your current looks?: Eh.. Not really but it’s all I got.
53. If you could change/add something to your appearance - impossible or not - what would it be?: Grow. Damn. Facial. Hair. Holy FUCK.
54. Any tattoos or piercings?: Snake bites. But I took one out so only one lip piercing now. And tattoos? Soon. Very soon. [Gonna be Higgs’ themed, baby.]
55. Do you get complimented often?: No and when I do I make it Stop. I hate it. Never compliment me. 
56. Favourite aesthetic?: Black/gold aesthetics as of late.
57. A popular trend that you dislike: Everything. I hate them all.
- [FINALLY THE ONES I WANTED, JESUS CHRIST]
58. Songs you're currently obsessed with?:  Allesfresser by LINDEMANN 
It’s a great song to listen to for me because I just punch my punching bag to this song. Makes my anger just... go away. It’s fuckin’ nice.
59. Song you normally wouldn't admit you like: .... Let’s Dance by David Bowie
I am a new fan of David Bowie. It just literally started in July or late June. I’m the typical metal head but for some reason Bowie just caught my ear? I dunno, man.
60. Favourite genre?: METAL. Well, Power Metal. I love all sorts of metal except for like.. most death metal/black metal. It is too much for me sometimes. But yeah, if yall are into metal... I’m all ears. I love talkin’ about metal.
61. Favourite artist/band/genre?: Well I already spoke about my favorite genre. For favorite bands? God... Uh.. I have a list here of favorite bands/musicians. Check it out if you’re interested. 
62. Hated popular songs/artists?: Honestly? I’m gonna be one of those guys and say pretty much everything on the radio these days. I don’t like pop/rap and all the most popular stuff. Turning the radio on is ear torture these days. Except for the rock channel, that one is okay most of the time.
63. Put your music on shuffle and list first 5:
1 - System of a Down’s Chop Suey in the Style of Ghost by Ten Second Songs
This guy is simply AMAZING. If yall haven’t already, you NEED to check out his channel. He is wicked talented and he has different styles for different songs. Like for example, Metallica’s Enter Sandman in the style of David Bowie. It’s amazing. 
Check him out. His YouTube is Ten Second Songs.
2 - City by Hollywood Undead
This one just gives me my inner Higgs’ vibes. That is really all I can say.
3 - Mein Teil by Rammstein
4 - Cars by Fear Factory
5 -  龍が如く極 - Turning Point [From Yakuza Kiwami]
Yeah, hi. Yakuza fan here. Do I have to say any more? 
64. Can you sing or play any instruments?: I can kind of sing, [very badly, mind you] and sort of play the guitar. I’m tryin’ to learn Come as You Are by Nirvana at the moment... but that’s about it
65. Do you like karaoke?: 
.... Yes. My inner Nishiki in me just cannot lie about this.
66. Own any albums?: Absolutely. I am a firm believer in albums rather than just buying them digitally. I love having an actual copy in my hands rather just on the computer. 
67. Do you listen to radio? What stations?: Not really. I only listen to the rock station.
-
68. Favourite movie/series?: Star Wars.
69. Favourite genre of movies/books/etc: Uhhh... I don’t know
70. Your fictional crush/es: Sam Fuckin’ Porter Bridges, General Hux, RK900...
71. Which fictional character is you?: [Chuckles nervously] 
Higgs Monaghan-- 
Too many to write down. I’ll just pass myself the trouble.
72. Are you a shipper? List your otps, if so: Eh not really. Only like.. Gavin/RK900 [Reed900] and General Hux/Kylo Ren [Kylux/Huxlo]
73. Favourite greek god?: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh? I don’t know?
74. A legend from where you live that you like: None.
75. Do you like art? What's your favourite work or artist?: I’m gonna be cheesy and say all of my friends because it’s true. I love my friends art.
76. Can you share your other social media?: Yeah sure. My twitter is @hiiggsmonaghan
77. Favourite youtubers?: Markiplier, Jacksepticeye... Streamers: Vargskelethor and Vinesauce
78. Favourite platform?: Tumblr and Twitter
79. How much time do you spend on the internet?: .. Too long
80. What video games have you played? Which one's your favourite?: Ones I have PLAYED that are my favorite: Pokemon, Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy XV, Yakuza 0/Kiwami. 
I also have a lot a games I love that I just watched. Like a lot of Legend of Zelda games and of course Death Stranding!
81. Your favourite books (manga also counts): Anything really by William Blake. I guess that really isn’t a “book” but.. all I really read are poems, Shakespearean plays and Egyptian history books.
82. Do you play board/card games?: No
83. Have you ever been to a night marathon in cinema?: No
84. Favourite holiday: Halloween
85. Are you into dramas?: Not really.
-
86. Would you use death note, if you had one?: ABSOLUTELY. And I do have one. Well... a replica. Not the real one of course.
87. What changes would you make in the world, no matter how impossible, if you had the power to?: Get rid of the racists, rapists, pedos and homo/trans phobes. The world would just be more pleasant to live in, yeah?
88. Could you survive a zombie apocalypse?: Probably. Because I stay inside a lot anyway.
89. If you had to be turned into a paranormal being, what would it be?: A demon because I am that fuckin’ edgy.
90. What would you want to happen to you after your death?: VOID OUT, BITCH. Uh, I don’t know. 
91. If you had to change your name, what would be your pick?: I did change my name so I am happy with it. 
92. Who would you switch your life with for a week?: Uh.. No one. Can that be an option?
93. Pick an emoji to be your tattoo: The devil smiling one I guess?
94. Write 3 things about yourself - only one of them must be true
1. I am in a poly relationship while I am also engaged.
2. I have a knife collection
3.I still used an mp3 instead of using my phone for music
-
95. Cold or hot?: ... Cold because you can get warm with blankets and sweaters while if you are hot, it’s damn impossible to not be hot.
96. Be a hero or be a villain?: Hero in my eyes, but to all of you I’m the villain for some DAMN reason.
97. Sing everything you want to say or rhyme?: Sing I guess. Imagine singing in metal. Holy SHIT
98. Shapeshifting or controlling time?: CONTROLLING TIME.
99. Be immortal or be immune to everything aside from natural death?: Immune to everything. I’m sick of being sick.
====
And there you have it. I’m... fuckin’ DONE. This took literal HOURS, ANON. I hope yall read through this.
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briskythesovietspy · 6 years ago
Text
85 questions tag
I was tagged by @honeyixing9. Thank you! 😊
rules: answer 85 statements about yourself, then tag 20 people
last
1. drink - water
2. phone call - my mum
3. text message - my sister
4. song you listened to - Skeletons by Heartist
5. time you cried -  at work last week during a supervision session with my mentor. We were talking about how stressed she felt by me keep asking for leave to go and see Yixing in concert, and I was mad and embarassed. But she gave me the leave so who’s the real winner? 😆
ever
6. dated someone twice? - not even dated anyone once
7. kissed someone and regretted it - never kissed anyone either
8. been cheated on - no
9. lost someone special - I have lost lots of friendships over the years just because I’m rubbish at keeping in contact. Luckily I had not lost any close family members.
10. been depressed - yes
11. gotten drunk and thrown up - no
fave colours
12. scarlet ❤️
13. crimson ❤️
14. pink ❤️
in the last year have you…
15. made new friends - yes, I have made lots of lovely new friends on Tumblr, also I made several very good friends when I was travelling around China.
16. fallen out of love - I’m trying very hard to but no, it’s not working
17. laughed until you cried - yes
18. found out someone was talking about you - If you count work colleagues ratting on me to the manager... then yes.
19. met someone who changed you - no
20. found out who your friends are - yes, someone who I went to college with invited everyone in our friend group to her wedding, but not me. I guess she didn’t count me as a close friend like I did her.
21. kissed someone on your Facebook friends list - still not kissed anyone!
general
22. how many of your facebook friends do you know irl - All of them. Some I don’t know well, but I either went to school/ college/ university with them, work with them or I have met them on my travels.
23. do you have any pets - no
24. do you want to change your name - no I actually like my name. You don’t meet too many Briony’s and I like being kinda unique 😊
25. what did you do for your last birthday - I organised my sister’s hen party so it fell on my birthday too, so I was in Porto, Portugal with my mum and sister.
26. what time did you wake up today - 7am ish
27. what were you doing at midnight last night - sleeping
28. what is something you can’t wait for - Yixing’s concert in Nanjing!
30. what are you listening to right now - Journey to the Past from the Anastasia soundtrack
31. have you ever talked to a person named tom - at some point yes
32. something that gets on your nerves - where to begin?? 😆 Right now I’m going to say people not filing the notes in alphabetical order at work.
33. most visited website - tumblr
34. hair color - dark brown
35. long or short hair - long to my waist
36. do you have a crush on someone -  many someones
37. what do you like about yourself - my independence, that I can travel alone without having to rely on other people
38. want any piercings? - no
39. blood type - probably A- but I’ve never had it checked
40. nicknames - B, Bri, BB but I’d rather you just use my full name
41. relationship status - forever alone
42. zodiac - Leo/ Sheep 🐑
43. pronouns - she/her
44. fave tv shows - Spartacus (also the only TV show to ever make me cry. Watch it!!)
45. tattoos - none and don’t want any
46. right or left handed - right
47. ever had surgery - 3 times, one on each eye and one on my hand
48. piercings - none
49. sport - none
50. vacation - favourite place I’ve been to is Singapore, and I want to go to Japan, Thailand, India, West coast USA, the Middle East, and South America
51. trainers - Regatta... though they’re more like walking shoes
more general
52. eating - favourite foods are pizza, lasagne, and enchiladas aka anything smothered in cheese. And dessert wise I’m obsessed with Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and Cadbury chocolate.
53. drinking - currently I’m loving orange and mango cordial, yummy!
54. i’m about to watch - Trinkets on Netflix
55. waiting for - my trip to China in July, Yixing’s concert, EXO to come to Europe, my university course to start in September so I can get it over and done with.
56. want - to figure out what my dream job looks like and then go get it, to become fluent in Mandarin, to lose like 80lbs
57. get married - yes one day
58. career - that elusive dream job! Something that let’s me see the world.
which is better
59. hugs or kisses - hugs
60. lips or eyes - lips
61. shorter or taller - I would like taller, but if Yixing asked me out I’m not going to be fussy about it 😆
62. older or younger - either
63. nice arms or stomach - not gonna lie, I love a good pair of arms
64. hookup or relationship - relationship if that ever happens
65. troublemaker or hesitant - hesitant
have you ever
66. kissed a stranger - no
67. drank hard liquor - no
68. lost glasses - no
69. turned someone down - no
70. sex on first date - no
71. broken someone’s heart - not in a romantic way at least
72. had your heart broken - again, not romantically, but by friends and family, yes many times
73. been arrested - no
74. cried when someone died - yes
75. fallen for a friend - I had already fallen for him before we became friends but I just fell harder when I actually got to know him. He’s also really unavailable.
do you believe in
76. yourself - no
77. miracles - I would like to, but I don’t think so
78. love at first sight - attraction at first sight of course, but not love
79. santa claus -  you’re saying Santa isn’t real?? 😲
80. kiss on a first date - I wouldn’t at the moment but who knows
81. angels - no
other
82. best friend’s name - I don’t think I have one at the moment. My primary school best friend was called Jennifer and my high school best friend was called Katie.
83. eye color - brown
84. fave movie - Stand by Me
85. fave actor - River Phoenix
im gonna tag (20?? wow ok then 😆): @kafkascupcake @greentaolatte @laycitos @xing-a-tune @layverse @sefuns @castielsinwhite @my1ady @zyx-1 @1osecontrol @layallyourloveonxing @thegreatxingmibeyond @softxingdae @xiuminscheeks @zhangzjs @2baekxing @exo-chinaline @pinkxingmi @amaxing-daes @reddwarf93
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