#i made all of this exclusively for my own entertainment! enjoy!

[domaindiver]

A full timeline of the RTVS Forewarned run in which Scorpy no-clips into the crypt and needs rescuing: Complete with timestamps for Wayne and Scorpy’s POVs.

Wayne’s POV [Orange, everyone’s in by 24:44] Scorpy’s POV [Blue, in at 43:40] Gir’s POV [Not timestamped, everyone’s in by 29:00]

Forewarning (haha) that this is VERY LONG! If you click keep reading you will be subject to quite a bit of text. Let me know if there are any edits I can make to this for accessibility! Notes and post-scripts may be added at a later date.

[No timestamp] > Scorpy is having connection issues, and cannot walk particularly fast as he’s stuck in a constant crouch position. Wayne suggests he try to fix his headset, but he is reluctant, and instead picks up a torch, a camera, and a medkit off of the supply table.

[38:04 | 56:30] > While attempting to fix his headset at the Tomb’s entrance, Scorpy no-clips into the wall and falls down a floor. None of his companions (Gir, Trog, Wayne) notice, as they are distracted by their iPads. 

[57:06] > Scorpy resumes viewing the game, and in doing so clips even further down. He lands in a massive room with a ball of blue fire marking the entrance, and begins to explore, calling out for his friends.

[39:15] > Wayne realises Scorpy is missing and begins searching outside for him, chat informs Wayne that Scorpy has no-clipped through the map and is in the tomb. Trog steals Wayne’s boombox.

[1:00:25] > Chat tells Scorpy that he is being searched for, he walks into the blue fire and begins to explore the area he was teleported into. 

[42:39] > Wayne picks up a sheet of paper and the Mejai appears for the first time. Trog begins to think that chat was fucking with Wayne, and Scorpy isn’t actually in the tomb.

[1:02:00] > Scorpy drops his torch in an area he can’t reach due to collision. He takes a picture of a skeleton.

[44:36 | 1:03:05] > Scorpy ventures into a puzzle room, but cannot solve the puzzle because it references cardinal directions, and he does not have a compass. He speaks to Wayne and Trog through a wall, and tells them he is “moving heads” (the puzzle requires you to rotate the heads of the Four sons of Horus)

[47:13 | 1:05:40] > Wayne continues to explore, and eventually hears Scorpy again, this conversation leads both parties to a gate, which Scorpy is trapped behind. Wayne runs off in an attempt to find the corresponding lever to open the gate. 

[48:05] > Wayne runs wild in the tomb, repeatedly running into the Mejai (who he thinks is repeatedly putting out his torches) [Note: This is later proven to be false, as Dekan the Lost does not interfere with burning fires.] as he talks to chat. Wayne is very quickly rendered completely lost, and spends the majority of his time screaming and running around in circles as his torch burns out.

[No timestamp] > Trog and Gir lose Wayne, and assume he has died. 

[1:09:20] > Scorpy attempts to reconnect with Trog and Gir as he can hear them discussing Wayne’s death, but is repeatedly scared away because of the Mejai outside of the gate. 

[1:10:23] > Trog eventually tells Scorpy that Wayne isn’t dead, but they can’t find him. Scorpy hangs around the gate but still cannot make it all the way due to cobwebs blocking the path. Chat tells him that he needs the torch to burn the webs, so he makes his way back down to find it. 

[52:33 | 1:11:03] > While downstairs, he speaks to Wayne through another wall. Wayne informs him that “shit’s bad, dude!” but there is nothing Scorpy can do as the lever still has not been found. The rest of the crew (Gir, Trog) are able to locate Wayne shortly after.

[1:12:40] > Scorpy continues downstairs, and manages to retrieve his torch. He burns away all of the cobwebs and waits by the gate. 

[54:55 | 1:13:55] > The Mejai physically manifests, so Trog, Gir, and Wayne decide to regroup upstairs away from it. Scorpy speaks to the group through the ceiling, and informs them of his current situation.

[56:23] > Wayne and Gir decide to split off and attempt to search for the lever together. 

[1:15:50] >The Mejai lurks outside of the gate, and while trying to figure out what to do, Scorpy drops his torch through the bars, out of reach. His attempts to retrieve it are all interrupted by the Mejai attempting to kill him through the gate. He takes a picture of himself, but only manages to capture the top of his helmet in the shot. 

[1:17:23] > Scorpy decides he should spend his time attempting to figure out what Mejai they are being chased by, figuring he is safe from it on his side of the gate. Trog visits Scorpy and gives him his torch and the boombox, nearly getting killed twice in the process. 

[1:21:25] > Trog speaks to Scorpy through a different wall, telling him that Wayne is nearly dead. Scorpy informs Trog that he is most likely “occupying the monster” in his gate. [Note: This is later proven to be true, as the boombox was attracting it to his location while preventing it from actually getting to him]

[1:22:50] > Scorpy continues his investigation, hopping back into the blue fire and exploring the area he originally no-clipped into.

[1:24:51] > Scorpy returns, and is once again visited by Trog, who confirms that Gir and Wayne are missing. Scorpy takes a picture of Trog, using his last piece of camera film.

[1:27:20] > Trog leaves and returns with “toys”, an iPad, geiger counter, and  assumed “walkie talkie”, actually a spirit box device used to communicate with the ghost. None of these objects are ever used practically. 

[1:11:04 | 1:29:30] > Wayne and Gir finally return. Scorpy warns them of the Mejai outside the door, and Wayne informs Scorpy that they have travelled for 30 minutes and still have not found the lever to get him out. Scorpy asks for a compass to complete the puzzle on his end of the door, in hopes that it may substitute for the lever. 

[1:12:20 | 1:30:50] > Wayne gives Scorpy the compass and he leaves to do the puzzle. Meanwhile, Wayne tells the rest of the group that he thinks solving the endgame tomb puzzle may be the only way to get Scorpy out of the room. He suggests the group make a guess as to what the Mejai is based on what they’ve been experiencing so far and run with that.

[1:13:15 | 1:31:43] > Scorpy is instantly distracted by a second iPad, Wayne begins to make his guess.

[1:32:35] > Scorpy begins to solve his puzzle. 

[1:15:25] > Wayne guesses that the Mejai is Necraph the Shadow, and is incorrect, so he makes his way to the afterlife. This incorrect guess locks the tomb door, leaving Gir upstairs and Scorpy and Trog trapped downstairs. 

[1:16:00] > Wayne reincarnates as a hostile mummy, and trails Trog upstairs to scare him. 

[1:34:40] > Scorpy, hearing that Wayne has died from chat, goes upstairs to get his torch as defence. While upstairs, the actual Mejai (Dekan the Lost) finally manifests inside of the wall because he is drawn to the boombox Scorpy is holding on his side of the gate. This spawn location unfortunately instantly kills Scorpy. 

[1:17:11] > Trog kills Wayne and hides on top of the stairs, Gir and Trog recuperate. Following this point, Wayne is stuck spectating, and nobody can hear him. [Note: This happens at the exact same time that Scorpy is killed, leading Gir and Trog to believe that it was Scorpy who Trog killed instead.]

[No timestamp] > Trog tells Gir to go over to the car and end the level. For some reason, the car’s trunk will not close, and Gir notes that because he cannot die they are effectively softlocked. 

[1:36:10] > Scorpy reincarnates as a live person, and respawns on the other side of the gate, albeit completely lost because he no longer has a torch.

[1:18:25 | 1:37:02] > Scorpy finally locates Gir and Trog. Trog and Scorpy decide to search for the lever so they can escape.

[No timestamp] > While attempting to find a way to quit the game, Gir discovers they have mapped out 97.9% of the crypt. He begins to trail them using the mapping device. 

[1:24:15 | 1:42:44] > Trog finds the lever with Gir’s help, and in pulling it is almost instantly killed by Dekan the Lost. Gir shouts to Scorpy, who takes off running for the door. Because the tomb door is now open and all of their companions are dead, the car door is no longer bugged.

[1:24:50 | 1:43:19] > Scorpy grabs a scroll off of Trog’s dead body, himself and Gir escape the tomb together. 

FIN.

[stxrvel]

absence (1)

series summary. the holy grail of the seven men who ruled the country's entertainment used to be your friends at school. now, ten years later and between successes and failures, what reason would they have to want to come back into your life? pairing. eventually ot7 x f!reader... or not? content. first of all, english is not my first language so sorry for any mistakes! curse words, fangirling a lot and some self-deprecation. no proofread. this is just silly writing, we're on the safe zone for now. a/n. hi guys! i was gonna wait a little bit but i'm really excited about this one so you're gonna have earlier! thank u all for the support and i really hope you enjoy this 🫶🏻

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You met them all at school. Each with their own ambitions, their different dreams, but so similar in the nature of their core. It was almost funny how everyone with their dissimilar personalities fit so strangely well into one school group. There were times when you could still remember how you used to tell them that all together they could rule the world.

Maybe that's why you didn't see them years ago.

Jeon Jungkook was an idol. There wasn't an hour in the day or a screen in the city where you weren't watching him. He was so popular around the world that you suspected that not even one person didn't know him. His voice was on every radio station, on every cell phone of the people you passed on the street and on the buses, his face on the TV sets with the last interview he had done, as if it were a national achievement. You even saw him in restaurants, chefs naming dishes after him, production companies releasing collaborations with his company. There wasn't an object in that city that didn't have Jungkook's face on its forehead. It was impossible to escape him.

He was closely followed by Kim Taehyung and Park Jimin, two of the most promising models of the last decade, a national pride hand in hand with Jungkook. You didn't see them as often as Jungkook, but they still swept the international public and there was hardly anyone who didn't talk about them. Invited to catwalks in Paris, choosing their contracts and collaborations, wearing the most expensive clothes that you wouldn't even think of buying, wearing beautiful matching jewelry, expensive enough that a single outfit from each of them could buy you five houses in the small town they all came from. Taehyung and Jimin were known as the Siamese twins of modeling. Wherever one went, the other always had to be. Their exclusivity was incomparable.

In levels of recognition, Min Yoongi followed them in line. A great rapper who was well received by the general populace. Yoongi had managed to captivate a large audience thanks to his incredible command of the production of his music and his ease and gift for writing his own lyrics. His growth was gradual, but when he touched the sky he never went down again. His popularity was not low even though his presentation to the public was not that high compared to the other three. Still, Yoongi had enough charisma and talent to stand out, especially when his fans were obsessed with highlighting the duality he had when he was on stage and when he did those seventy question interviews with Vogue or whatever… that had made him one of the best rappers of his generation and probably of the last century.

Kim Namjoon was the owner of the company that made Jungkook's debut and welcomed Yoongi with total creative freedom. If he were not solely focused on music, he would surely also be Taehyung and Jimin's agent. Namjoon had inherited a company from his parents, but the success he had turned it into over the past few years, into one of the most profitable businesses in the country, was entirely to his credit and effort. His popularity was also high, because everyone said he was too handsome to be a mere businessman; not knowing, of course, that everything involved in maintaining such a business required much more than a pretty face. Of Namjoon the public didn't know too much, not probably like the other guys and you, if he was still half the person he was before.

Hand in hand with Namjoon were Jung Hoseok and Kim Seokjin. Hoseok was and still is to this day a national pride as he passionately played tennis since school and turned professional, reaching to participate in major international tournaments representing his country and winning one of them. However, two years after that great feat, an accident involving one of his hands prevented him from continuing to play. No one knows exactly what happened during the more than a year and a half that he almost completely disappeared from the public eye, but when he returned with his huge smile he announced that he would dedicate himself to dance, opening his own academy throughout the center of the city. Although he was not a recurrent teacher, his academy was one of the best in the country, and of course, it was financed by Namjoon's company. At one time Hoseok became Namjoon's associate.

Seokjin, on the other hand, was the one who kept the lowest profile. He was a great doctor, cardiovascular if you were not mistaken. In addition to being an amazing surgeon, his research projects were the ones everyone looked forward to the most at the end of each year. You didn't know much about the subject, but he was almost like the guru of medicine in his field specifically. The only reason he was so much in the public eye being a doctor was because he was regularly seen in the company of Namjoon, Hoseok and Yoongi. The four of them made up the holy grail of dilfs.

They had all had incredibly successful careers and you were glad that they had been able to accomplish everything they once talked about on the rooftop of Namjoon's house, with sneaky steps so their parents wouldn't scold them when they sneaked out in the wee hours of the morning.

You didn't know exactly what it was - or you didn't want to acknowledge it - that succumbed inside you every time you saw or heard about any of them on the news or on social media. Because yeah, no matter how low media exposure any of them had, always the faces of all seven appeared on your TikTok every week.

It was amazing how they had all moved on and you… well, you-

“Weren't you supossed to leave?”

You lifted your head from your phone, trying to hide it with trembling hands as you let Taehyung's face next to Jungkook's plunge into the darkness of your apron pocket.

“Huh?”

You tried to look distracted, returning your gaze between your boss and the notes next to the cash register. She had a soft gaze, between amused and sisterly. Her brown eyes shifted from your eyes and hot cheeks to the notes you held upside down in your hands, pretending to work as if she herself hadn't seen you completely frozen and gawking at the pair of the country's great casanovas.

“I thought you were leaving earlier today,” your boss shifted, settling her trench coat and long brown strap bag over her shoulder. At that moment she was leaving to walk around to each of the locations she had in town, just to do follow-ups. “Don't tell me you forgot.”

You followed her index finger until it landed on the red circle you had drawn on the calendar placed in your little cubicle a couple of weeks ago, with hearts surrounding it and exclamation points. Yes you remembered, of course you remembered, but at the point where you were at the time no one was going to miss you if you didn't attend.

“I didn't forget…” your voice trailed off as you looked down, your fingers finding the tips of the pages more entertaining than your boss's worried expression.

“y/n, you asked me to leave earlier this day from four months ago,” her high-pitched voice echoed in your head, reminding you how excited you had been a while ago for this day to come. “You can't just give up like that. Come on. You still have time.”

You began to shake your head, releasing your grip on the woman who was looking at you with the same worried eyes of a mother. Your boss had been one of the most encouraging people you'd ever had in your life, besides the handful of friends you had stored in your phone's contacts.

“It was a bust last time. I don't plan on going through that again.”

“But hadn't you told me afterwards that you weren't going to let that stop you? You said… what was it? I can't drown in this glass of water.”

You grudgingly resisted the urge to roll your eyes. Really you of four months ago was a deluded fool.

“I had no idea about life at the time.”

Your boss clicked her tongue, dropping her hands on your shoulders, giving little squeezes whose familiarity stole your breath.

“I'll leave Patrick waiting for you in case you change your mind.”

You shook your head, evading the memories. The man outside the store shook his head in greeting as the two of you turned to look at him, as if he knew you were talking about him.

“Don't miss this opportunity because you're afraid. It may change your life.”

You watched her leave, the clacking of her low heels drawing the attention of everyone in the store, earning every possible stare as she did every time she entered any room. Her chauffeur, Patrick, greeted her with a similar nod of his head as before and stood leaning against the black car parked right where he could get a perfect view of your nervous face.

You, unlike the great and successful lives of your high school friends whose company you still used to miss like a fool, had not had such a great and successful life.

You were a writer. Well, an attempted writer and, worse, part-time. The other part-time was this job behind the cash register at the largest pastry chain in the country. Or sometimes as a waitress, it depended on the day. There was good pay, mind you, at least it allowed you to make up for the losses you took every time you tried to sell a book and then had to market it on your own, only to have five purchases once every seven months and three of them were from your parents and brother. The other two were from your friends.

Four months ago you had been invited to a sort of convention for readers, how they had found you and why? You had no idea, but the idea of being considered in that way drove you crazy at the time. You were so excited that you had more copies of your failed books printed and prepared your booth several days in advance to present them to the horde of people who, you were sure at the time, would come to meet you.

Only one person came by to ask you about the bathroom.

You never recovered from that.

Even with all that failure, that same day you were invited to another convention and, for a while, you were excited to attend. Everyone goes through those kinds of bumps at some point in their life, right? You have to work hard to earn that kind of fame, you kept telling yourself. But as time went on and your networks didn't grow and your videos didn't get more than ten views, or fifty views at most in a week, you began to lose that spark of excitement you held for your dream. Your parents had never turned your back on what you wanted to do, but it was too demotivating and discouraging to have spent so many years at it, so many headaches and tears invested for you to just keep losing and losing money.

That was why you were sure you wouldn't go to that convention if you had to go through that mockery again. You hadn't even bothered to go and fix your booth so surely they already knew you weren't going.

“Have you seen them yet??????”

The female voice coming from the wine cellar made you jump up on your chair.

“Jesus, Yuna, you almost killed me here.”

“I don't care! We could die right now for all we care!”

“Wow, speak for yourself.”

“Haven't you seen theeeem?”

Yuna held up her phone, the screen at full brightness blinding you for a moment. The blurry dots you saw from the proximity of the device told you nothing, as your friend jumped excitedly beside you.

“God, hold still.”

Grabbing her wrist, you leveled the phone to see her TikTok and a picture of three men.

Namjoon, Yoongi and Jungkook coming out of a building. From Namjoon's building.

“They look amazing, don't they? They just came out! That means their car will pass in front of us any minute!”

Yes, Namjoon's building was just a few blocks away from your boss's place. In fact, your boss knew him and many times they would prepare large orders for parties at his company. You had never seen him set foot in this place or any other in the country, but every time he went to celebrate something he had to dial your boss's personal number and you would work until your backs burned because everything had to be perfect for the big businessman.

“Are you going out to greet them or what?” you frowned, letting go of her wrist and returning your gaze to the notebook next to the cash register.

Yuna let out an excited exclamation.

“Ohhhh~, should I? Should I?”

You grabbed her by the collar of her uniform as she tried to pass behind you.

“We're still on business hours.”

“I'm sure Sol wouldn't mind,” her almost heart pupil eyes stared down the street, her hands moving in front of her like she was a zombie. She almost seemed possessed by her fanaticism. Though of course you didn't blame her, if you didn't know any of the seven knights of the underworld you would surely be as excited as she was.

“Don't put words in her mouth. You'd better tell me if the lady's batch of cakes is out yet-”

Commotion erupted throughout the room. You almost saw in slow motion how all the people in the premises got up and running in the direction of the glass doors when you heard the screams coming from far away.

“They're comiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!”

Sometimes you wondered how they dealt with this level of fanaticism.

The ground almost shook with the amount of people running after a black car, where the three men who were causing such a furor so early that day were most likely to be, and the commotion was not tiny inside the venue where the screams erupted.

Having to deal with that on a daily basis would easily turn someone into a hater. Not that you were one... strictly...

“God, for a moment we breathed the same air,” Yuna plopped down on the table, her body doubled over with her eyes lost. You resisted the urge to smack her forehead.

“Their car windows were up.”

“So you saw them, right?????”

“Argh.”

You had to drag her back to work as the excitement in the store dissipated. You attended to another batch of consumers while Yuna fixed the display case and, in a moment of lapse you could almost tell, her back suddenly straightened and she turned to look at you with her eyes a little too wide. You passed the change to the man in front of you, who barely sent you a confused glance before continuing to claim his order at the other corner of the store.

“What's wrong with you?”

“You shouldn't be here.”

“Don't say that with that face. You look creepy,” you pulled out the bill to tuck it under the cash register as Yuna approached, leaving the frightened face behind.

“Wasn't that convention today?”

You sighed. “Yes.”

“Then why aren't you there?”

“Do I look like I want to be there?”

“Y/n! It's a great opportunity. You should-”

“A great opportunity for what, to be a laughingstock again?”

Yuna pursed her lips, looking almost pained that you would remember in that way the experience that was supposed to change your life. She had been one of the ones who had accompanied you to set up the booth and she was sure she had never seen you smile so much during all the time the two of you had known each other. Yuna was aware of how over time you seemed to have lost interest in this new convention, but she didn't think you would finally decide not to go.

On the sly, she had prepared your booth with the help of your mother and Sol, your boss.

“You were never a laughingstock! Don't say that,” Yuna patted your forearm harder than necessary. “Besides, I recently logged some purchases on the site! How do you-?”

“I know it was you and mom,” you raised your voice to interrupt her, stepping archly away from her body.

“What the… Of course not, ha, ha!”

“You're the only fools who would write down celebrity names to register purchases. Besides, the addresses don't even exist.”

“Fuck, I told her that wouldn't work.”

Under your heavy gaze, Yuna had the decency to look embarrassed.

“Okay, I'm sorry! We wanted to motivate you to go to the convention.”

“Can't you just let me do my own thing? If I don't want to go, I won't go.”

“Even if you leave Patrick waiting there?”

You followed his gaze, watching the man pull an umbrella out of the trunk of the car as the slightest breeze brushed against his body and the water droplets were smaller than a dew that the two of you had to squint to see them on the glass of the entrance.

“Whatever it is, I'm not going.”

“y/n…” Yuna pleaded, coming closer with her puppy dog eyes.

“No.”

“y/n, please…”

“No and stop doing that. You look weird.”

“I don't,” Yuna pulled away to frown at you. “I once heard you agreed with Seoyeon about my puppy face being cute.”

“I never agreed with that!”

“Seojun told me so!”

“Your first mistake is believing Seojun.”

“Do you blame me if the reason is your demonstration of love for me?”

“That was your second mistake.”

“Y/n!”

_____________________

That day you arrived home a little later than usual. Since Patrick had been waiting for you all day in the sun and mini rain and refused to let you take a cab on direct instructions from Sol, you asked him to take a ride downtown so you could buy the teokkboki your mom loved and incidentally bought some for him, even though he didn't want to accept it at first.

“y/n, dear, how did it go?”

Your parents were in the living room when you arrived playing Go. Your father left the table when he saw you carrying the bag of food and came over to take it from you.

“What does our little writer bring here, a contract by any chance?”

You watched out of the corner of your eye as your mother tried to get your father's attention by wildly waving her fan, while the man rummaged through the bag to find something warm and delicious smelling.

“Oh, it's teokkboki.”

Your mother stopped waving her arm to stare at the bag with sparkling eyes.

“The ones from the center? From Mrs. Wang?”

You nodded in her direction, taking a seat in their midst on the floor. Your parents started a pitched battle to see who would break the bag first to try the first batch of teokkboki and you could only watch them with a smile on your face. The day may have been difficult, but being home at the end of the day always made you feel so much better.

Amidst laughter and anecdotes, trying to avoid the elephant in the room because you knew your mother's furtive glances weren't for nothing, the three of you ate teokkboki until you were bursting at the seams. You organized the kitchen with your father while your mother grumbled from the living room whatever he said about her. You watched the three of you favorite soap opera on the fixed schedule and finally got ready for bed.

With your body more relaxed and lighter, you let yourself sink into the softness of the sheets, completely ignoring the messages Yuna had sent earlier and the stupid questions your brother asked at the most inopportune moments.

How do I unclog a bath?

Do I add salt to the rice???

Where do I get the kimchi mom makes?????

His independence was probably one of the worst things that could happen. You being the older sister thought you would leave home first. Even according to your twelve year old diary, you should have been married by then or at least planning your amazing, mega giant wedding, complete with helicopters and puppy dogs carrying drinks through the reception. You didn't know what kind of crazy dreams you had when you were younger, but up to that point you hadn't been able to fulfill any of your inner child's desires except to study for a career you were passionate about.

Still, what good had that done in the end? Maybe you should've listened to your grandparents to study medicine. Maybe your parents should've been a little more conservative instead of libertarian, which your grandparents always complained about when they had the chance. If you were a disgrace to anyone in the family, it was to them.

Ah, what a long day.

You didn't know at what point you fell asleep, but the incessant sound of your phone vibrating next to your pillow woke you up. With a grunt, you moved your hands to put the device in front of one of your half-open eyes to find Yuna on caller ID. Your eyes moved upward.

It was one in the morning!

“What the fuck are you doing calling at this hour? It better be an emergency because-”

“WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING THAT YOU DON'T CHECK YOUR MESSAGES?”

“WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT? IT'S ONE IN THE MORNING! WHY WOULD I BE DOING ANYTHING ELSE BUT SLEEPING?”

“I'VE BEEN TEXTING YOU FOR A WHILE NOW, Y/N!”

“YUNA HOW CAN I NOT FUCKING SLEEP-?”

“Well, whatever!”

You let out an exasperated snort, giving her time to say what she had to say.

“You're going to fall on your ass.”

“I'm lying down.”

“Your books have sold a thousand copies in the last hour!”

Silence. Absorbing silence…

“Yuna, if you really woke me up to play a fucking prank on me I'm going all the way to your house to pull out every single one of your hairs with a fucking tweezer.”

“First of all, gross. Second of all, I'm not kidding! Get on your fucking Instagram! What's worse is that's not the most shocking news. Well… depends on how you look at it.”

“Yuna, I don't think I'm following you.”

“Fucking Kim Taehyung was at the reader convention and he took a picture of your books and UPLOADED IT TO HIS INSTAGRAM STORIES!!!!! AN HOUR AGO! The damn shopping notifications woke me up and I think I took too much time trying to process what was going on because they already tripled!”

“What the fuck are you talking about, did you start smoking weed?”

“Ugh, why are you so insufferable? Just look at fucking Instagram!”

You didn't want to believe Yuna, but a part of you was vibrating in anticipation. You'd already seen her text messages, her exclamations and voice notes, you'd barely processed the images she'd sent you. You logged on to Instagram. The first thing you noticed was the exorbitant amount of notifications and direct messages.

You had to search for Taehyung's account because you weren't following him.

There was the colorful arc around his profile picture. The story.

You clicked on his picture on the screen.

Your books were all over his story, with his hand holding one of them.

It jumped out at you that there was a stand of your books that you had no idea where it had come from.

A description loomed between the image.

One of the best fantasy books I've read in recent years. And by one of the best writers I've ever met in my life.

Your user was next to the description. You had no idea how fucking Kim Taehyung had gotten your user when it wasn't even something related to your name. You hadn't even uploaded pictures of yourself once in all the time that account had been open.

“Did you see it?? Can you see I wasn't lying?”

With Yuna's malevolent laughter in the background, you felt your mind escape into an unknown mental space.

“You're going to be rich!!! And I'm going to meet Kim Taehyung!”

Your mind was racing a thousand miles an hour trying to make sense of what your eyes couldn't credit. His story was replaying on your screen. So many things you could say and just…

“What the fuck?”

--

tag: @rinkud @futuristicenemychaos @pastelpeachess @parapiop7

[mirai-e-jump]

Uchusen Vol.184 (Spring 2024) Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger | Detail of Super Sentai ft. Main Cast & Staff Interviews (translations below)

Publication: April 1, 2024

Iuchi Haruhi x Hayama Yuki x Suzuki Miu

"First, regarding the three of you, we'd like to ask, what motivated you to pursue the entertainment industry and acting in the first place?"

Iuchi: When I was in my second year of middle school, I saw the TV drama "Death Note" starring Kubota Masataka-san, which motivated me to become an actor. When I was in elementary school, I was really lacking confidence and always wanted to be someone other than myself, so when I saw Death Note, I felt that I could become someone else if I was an actor.

Hayama: I joined my current agency at 16 after being contacted in Osaka. At the time, I wanted to become a hairstylist, and at first I was thinking of turning down their offer, but the agency contacted me for over six months, and my mother said, "Since they're going this far, why don't you take atleast one audition?" And so, I took it and passed, and now I'm sitting here (laughs). I can say this now, but I did my first job without knowing what I was doing……But as I did it, I learned to enjoy the work, and from there I decided to become an actor.

Suzuki: When I was little, I was a regular reader of "Nicola," a fashion magazine for middle schoolers, and I'd carry it with me everywhere I went every day. It started when my sister recommended that I audition as an exclusive model. I applied when I was in my fifth year of elementary school and made it to the final round, but was rejected there. I was so disappointed, that I applied on my own the following year and was accepted.

"Why did you decide to also pursue acting after joining as a model?"

Suzuki: It started when I took acting lessons at my agency. At first, I wasn't very good at the lessons, but after 2-3 years, I had a moment where I felt that acting was fun. It all started with something trivial during a lesson, but from there I wanted to become better, and now I'm working hard at acting.

"Have you watched any of the previous Super Sentai or other tokusatsu productions?"

Hayama: I loved "Kamen Rider Kabuto," and had the transformation items for all the Kabuto Riders and I used to play with them with my younger brother.

Iuchi: I also watched alot of them. My house was full of Kamen Rider toys and my cousin's house was full of Super Sentai toys, so we used to play with them at each other's houses. I remember "Kamen Rider Wizard" being my favorite.

Suzuki: My older sister liked Super Sentai, so because of her, we used to watch "Mahou Sentai Magiranger" together. The other day, when Director Watanabe Katsuya asked me, "Have you seen any of the older tokusatsu shows?" I said, "I watched Magiranger!" and he said, "I used to film that too." I was deeply moved and happy to think that I'm now creating new heroes together with the people who created heroes for me to admire when I was a kid.

Hayama: Someday, we'll also become the ones who people admire.

Suzuki: I want to become one!

Iuchi: There's no doubt.

"What were your first impressions of Boonboomger?"

Iuchi: When I saw the materials for Boonboomger at our meeting, I felt that the designs and naming were back to the "taste" of the old days compared to the recent Super Sentai (laughs).

Hayama: When I read the script, my impression was that Boonboomger would be a cheerful and easy to understand show that both parents and children could enjoy together.

Suzuki: When I first saw the visuals, I thought it was quite original (laughs). It's like it was etched into my mind at first sight. The tires being slapped onto their faces leaves an unprecedented impact.

"How do you feel about the characters you're playing?"

Hayama: I had heard that he was a really cool character, and that's what I thought when I read the script, but as the story progressed I couldn't help but wonder……Is Ishiro really that cool? (laughs). My impression of him changed.

Suzuki: Mira is an innocent, energetic and cheerful mood maker, and I get the impression that she's similar to me. I think it's very easy to play, and that I'm able to project what I have into the role.

Iuchi: My first impression of Taiya was that he was interesting but difficult. When I read a script, to form my first impression, I often think about how the character's personality is similar to that in an anime or movie, but that didn't come out at all with Taiya. Gradually, I'm trying to find my own version of Taiya.

"What were your first impressions of each other?"

Iuchi: I've been together with Yuki-kun since the audition. I was Red and Yuki-kun was Blue, which is a common combination, and while everyone at the audition was nervous, my first impression of Yuki-kun was that he was sharp, cool, and very much Blue. It's completely different now (laughs).

Hayama: Hey?! (laughs).

Iuchi: Once I got to know him, there wasn't a hint of coolness (laughs).

"What about Suzuki-san?"

Iuchi: My first impression at the meeting was that she's someone who pays close attention to her surroundings, and she gives off the image of treating each person in the way they'd like to be treated.

Suzuki: That was your first impression?! I'm glad (laughs).

Iuchi: My impression of Suzuki-san hasn't changed (laughs).

"Hayama-san, what about you?"

Hayama: As Haruhi mentioned, I often worked with him from the early stages of the audition. I wasn't aware of it at first, but Haruhi had also passed the audition, and I was happy that the partner I was competing with for so long was there. My first impression of Haruhi was that he was a quiet person. But when it comes to acting, his voice changes, or rather, the way he speaks changes. His on and off switch is amazing. Now that I can see more of Haruhi's natural side, the image I get is that he acts appropriately for his age (laughs).

"What about your impressions of Suzuki-san?"

Hayama: The four male members of Boonboomger are surprisingly shy, and when we're unsure of what to say, Miu-chan will talk to us and bring the four of us together, so I have the image that she's a caring person. Now, she's surprisingly outspoken and is showing new sides of herself.

"Suzuki-san, what are your impressions of these two?"

Suzuki: Haruhi-kun has a very distinct voice. I got the impression that he was someone who spoke in a very calm and comfortable tone. Also, at the first costume fitting, when they asked if anyone had any problems with their costume, Haruhi-kun raised his hand and said, "I don't know how to walk in these sneakers." The heels on Taiya's sneakers are about 6cm high, and I was really impressed by the way he walked in a very unusual way, without bending his knees, he looked like a penguin (laughs).

Iuchi: They had a high bottom like heels. I've never worn heels before, so I didn't know how to walk in them (laughs). I ended up having the insoles lowered so I could walk safely.

"What about Hayama-san?"

Suzuki: My first impression was that he was a cool person. It's different now (laughs). He's very silly, very meddling, and an interesting Kansai person.

Hayama: How strange (laughs).

"Filming has progressed and we think you've gotten a feel for your characters, but what parts of your performance are you mindful of?"

Iuchi: As mentioned earlier, I still haven't fully grasped Taiya himself yet, but I decided to create Taiya not by thinking about him, but by thinking about the kind of character he is when he's with "this person." I'm getting to know Taiya through his relationships with the people around him, such as the sense of distance between him and Ishiro, and between him and Mira.

Hayama: There are many things about Boonboomger and our character's pasts that I can't talk about yet, but I've had the opportunity to learn more deeply about Ishiro's relationships and the way he interacts with people, and thanks to that, I feel I have a better grasp on my performance as Ishiro.

Suzuki: It's a small detail, but when I speak with a loud voice, my voice tends to come from higher up. However, Mira is an aggressive kid who's always moving forward on her own, so I try to act with the image of putting her voice forward as much as possible. When I saw the broadcast of the first episode, I felt that my voice came out too high, so now I'm trying to express Mira's momentum by bringing my voice forward.

"Did you two get any feedback on your performance from watching the finished footage?"

Iuchi: Taiya's a character who isn't overly emotional, but the Director pointed out that I was too conscious of this and that there was little intonation in my line delivery. When I watched the first episode again, I realized that when the sound effects and BGM were added, my dialogue was drowned out and lost. My voice is loud during battle scenes, but I thought it sounded kind of monotonous in other scenes. I felt that alittle more inflection and speed could be added from the time I'm Taiya before transforming into BoonRed.

Hayama: For me, it was more a reflection than a new discovery. At first, there were parts where I didn't fully understand what the Director was saying, but after watching the footage, I finally realized what it was he was trying to say. I'd like to make the most of it in future shoots.

"After watching the footage, It seems that everyone's performance may change in future episodes. So, is there anything you'd like to challenge yourself with in Boonboomger?"

Iuchi: I'd like to act with more emotion. Like Mira, she's happy, angry, or sad to the fullest, Taiya hasn't had a scene like that yet, so I'd like to try it.

Suzuki: I'd like to try the so called "swapping episode." The other day, we all practiced for a possible situation where our roles have been swapped. For example, I tried predicting what Ishiro would be like in Mira by saying certain lines. So, if there was a swap, I think everyone would be able to do it at a pretty high level (laughs).

Hayama: For me it's action. The first time I practiced action, it was so difficult that I couldn't imagine what it would be like to film it while acting and saying lines. But, I think I can learn alot from it, so I want to give it a try.

"And finally, please tell us some key points to watch out for to make Boonboomger even more enjoyable."

Hayama: Some may feel that Ishiro is a cold person based on his attitude toward Mira at first, but he's a character kinder than anyone else. He doesn't view things with a biased perspective, and is a man who treats people with respect. So, as the story progresses, please pay attention to the relationships between Ishiro and the people around him. I especially hope people look forward to his relationship with Mira.

Suzuki: The five of us are all unique, and if we were in the same class, we would never belong to the same clique. What will happen to these five going forward? I think we may clash with each other when we're together, but how will we change and "become one color"? I'd like you to pay attention to that.

Iuchi: I'd also like you to pay attention to the battle scenes. The staff told me that they place importance not only on coolness, but on how to incorporate a comical touch to the coolness. The voice actors adlibs are also amazing, for example, in the first episode, Mizuki Nana-san, who plays Ittasha, adlibbed "Ka-click" before saying "Ignition," and Matsumoto Rica-san, who plays Bundorio, also adlibs, which is always fun. Because I've read the scripts, I can see that there are alot of lines that aren't in them, and I think you can especially see that in the battle scenes. I'd be very happy if you could pay attention to the comical side within the coolness.

Saito Ryu x Soma Satoru

"First, please tell us how you both became interested in the entertainment industry and acting."

Saito: When I was in my second year of high school, I won the Grand Prix in the Junon Superboy Contest, and that's when I entered the entertainment industry. When I was in middle school, I had the opportunity to think about my career path, but at that time I couldn't find what I wanted to do. However, I admired heroes and wanted to do something to help others, and after that I studied to become a high school teacher. Still, since we only have one life, I wanted to do something even bigger, so I applied to Junon, and that's when I decided to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

"Does that mean you admired (super) heroes? Did you watch tokusatsu shows?"

Saito: I watched Super Sentai and Kamen Rider. Heroes who purely fight for the sake of others are cool, I admired them. Boys like that kind of thing even after they grow up, don't they? I thought that I wanted to get a job where I could protect people, like a firefighter, policeman, or a school teacher who leads people.

"BoonBlack, who's also a police officer, is a perfect role for Saito-san."

Saito: This character is the very embodiment of my dream!

"Soma-san, what about you?"

Soma: When I was in high school, I was thinking about what I wanted to do, but nothing came to mind. I thought that I might be able to change if I came to Tokyo, so I moved to Tokyo, found employment, and worked in sales for four years. I had alot of connections during that time, and as I worked at my current agency, and was given the opportunity to do things like model, my desire to do acting grew stronger……and that's how it all started.

"What kind of roles do you want to play?"

Soma: I'd like to play characters who are psychopaths (laughs). Genba Bureki isn't a psychopath, but he's a mysterious person whose true identity is unknown, so I think there are some similarities. I've always wanted to take on a role like that, so I'm really looking forward to discovering many new things about myself by playing the role of Genba.

"Saito-san, you said you admired heroes, so can you tell us about the tokusatsu shows you watched during your childhood?"

Saito: I'm from the generation of "Engine Sentai Go-onger," but I was really into "Kamen Rider Ghost." I love historical stories, especially "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," so I was waiting to see if any generals from the Three Kingdoms would appear in Ghost.

Soma: I used to watch "Kamen Rider 555" and "Kamen Rider W," and for Super Sentai, I still have the "Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger" book that I got in preschool at my parents house.

"Soma-san later made an appearance in Avataro Sentai Donbrothers……"

Soma: After playing the role of a playboy (the one who tried to pick up Sononi in episode 8), I finally became a hero this time (laughs). The first filming location for Boonboomger was the same for me in Donbrothers, so I thought, "This is where I was picking up women!" It's kind of inappropriate to say though (laughs).

"When it was announced that the two of you would be appearing in the next Super Sentai production, including your family, what was the reaction from those around you?"

Saito: I didn't tell my family until the very last moment before the production announcement. On the day of the announcement, I told them in a video call that, "I'm going to be playing the role of Black in the next Super Sentai." My father, mother and older sister froze for a moment and then burst out laughing for some reason (laughs). They congratulated me, but then my mother immediately said, "More importantly, there's no snow in Akita, so we can't make snow huts (kamakura)." I thought, "What do you mean more importantly?!" (laughs). No matter how hard I tried to explain it to her, my mother kept talking about snow huts. Especially since I don't come from a family that makes a living off building them (laughs). Still, rather than them expecting too much, I think I preferred it being this easy, so I didn't feel any pressure.

Soma: I think my mother was particularly pleased. Also, my older sister has a 3 year old child, so I'm hoping that when they're older, they'll watch Boonboomger. I want to tell them that their uncle is a Boonboomger.

Saito: If my nephew asked me to "Henshin!" I think I'd do it immediately (laughs).

Soma: I'd call Ono Yukimasa-san (BoonOrange's Suit Actor) to transform for me (laughs).

"What were your initial impressions of Boonboomger during the auditions?"

Soma: At the time of the audition, I didn't even know the name "Boonboomger" yet. However, when I read the script, I felt that the atmosphere would be alittle different compared to recent Sentai.

Saito: I went into the audition thinking that I wanted to be Red, but my image of Red was that from older productions……I imagined Red as a super hot blooded and serious character, but Taiya isn't like that at all. Rather, I'm more like Jou, and as a result, I perfectly fit into his character (laughs).

Soma: Since I'm 27, I didn't aim for Red. I have the impression that recent Sentai casts include older members among the younger ones, so I was auditioning with a pinpoint aim for that position.

"Did you two meet each other at the audition?"

Soma: We met in the third or fourth round of the audition, right?

Saito: I remember my impression at that time. Satoru-kun was really mysterious and I didn't know what he was thinking. Because it was an audition, everyone was very intense, but for better or for worse, only Satoru-kun was just mysterious. He was so laid back, but he had such a strong presence that I thought, "Who is this guy?" That's why I was scared of him at first. But when I talked to him, I found out that he wasn't like that at all (laughs).

Soma: He spoke clearly and had a fresh feel to him, and I felt at ease knowing that he wouldn't be playing the same role as me.

"What are your impressions of Red, Blue and Pink?"

Saito: To be honest, from the beginning of the audition, I felt that Haruhi and Yuki-kun were Red and Blue.

Soma: That's for sure.

Saito: Haruhi's voice and way of speaking are truly Red. The moment I heard his voice at the audition, I immediately "shifted gears" that Haruhi was already Red (laughs). It's not good to focus solely on Red, as Yuki-kun's way of speaking and personality are also Blue. Then I thought about what I could do and gave it a try.

"What about Suzuki-san?"

Saito: I'm not very good at remembering women's faces and names, and I don't really remember much about Miu-chan from the audition……However, I was impressed by a girl who gave me a fist bump, and later I found out that that girl was Miu-chan (laughs).

"Now, please tell us about the characters you're playing."

Saito: Jou's a character with a high amount of freedom, and I'm often asked to adlib or "try something" on set. It's a really incredible role, but it's difficult. The other three male members are cool or mysterious and don't show much emotion. Jou shows his emotions, so I try to express them through my face and body, but it's still difficult. I'm learning how difficult it is to express myself, because I sometimes feel that I'm not expressing myself well, or that it's unnatural. I hope to bring out more of the pitiful and clumsy, yet still lovable character of Jou.

Soma: Up to the current episode that's aired, there are many aspects of Genba that even I don't understand. However, he's the kind of character who will reach out to you when you need him, so I hope I can express both his sketchiness and kindness. He's a character I've never played before, so it'll be difficult.

"What are you mindful of when playing your roles?"

Soma: I'm the oldest of the Boonboomger members, and Genba is also older than the other characters, so I'm conscious of giving off a sense of seniority by speaking in a calm manner. And then there's being suspicious (laughs).

Saito: I feel that Jou's a character that's as close to me as possible, and I think it'd be good if I could bring him closer to me. However, when I try to express Jou's straightforward feelings, I find it difficult to do so. Because the character is so close to me, it's difficult to express the parts of him that are different from me.

"Was there anything that the Director told you during filming that left an impression on you?"

Saito: Director Watanabe Katsuya told me, "You're a rugged and passionate guy like the old Reds, give it your all." I was happy and could feel the Director's passion.

Soma: Genba's hair is orange and permed, so the Director's first order to me was, "I don't want him to come off as a player." I was conscious of the way I spoke and the tone of my voice, keeping my voice low so it doesn't sound too loud.

"Have you spoken with the post transformation Suit Actors?"

Saito: At the beginning of the story, when Jou doesn't appear much and doesn't transform, I didn't have much of a chance to talk to Shige-san (Ito Shigeki). However, I had alot of performances where I was suspended by wires, and Shige-san gave me advice on how to move.

Soma: I can't talk about BoonOrange in detail yet, but I'm trying to make him look more mature while talking with the Suit Actor Ono Yukimasa-san and the Directors. Other than my own role, I'm paying attention to the performance of the Nejiretta. Within Boonboomger, I like the Nejiretta the most!

Saito: Satoru-kun imitates the Nejiretta any chance he can get (laughs).

"Going forward, is there anything you'd like to do in an episode of Boonboomger, or is there anything you'd like to try as an actor?"

Soma: I'd like to do a swapping episode, which may become an annual thing. I'd like to play a character that I'd never play, someone like Mira.

"In our interview with Suzuki-san, she also mentioned that she'd like to do a swapping episode. However, she predicted that Ishiro would be in Mira (laughs)."

Soma: She's been taken (laughs). But, it'd be fun to swap characters with anyone.

Saito: You love the Nejiretta so much, that you'd swap with one of them (laughs).

Soma: I'll go all out when the time comes! (laughs).

"Saito-san, what about you?"

Saito: I'd like to do a battle scene before the transformation. Of course, I want you to see Black's battle after his transformation, but I also want to fight myself. I've been taking action lessons and I think I can do some basic things, so I'd like to do some pure action scenes. I hope the time will come when I can show you the results of my daily muscle training (laughs).

Soma: When changing clothes, everyone else changes in the dressing room, but he changes his clothes on set and shows off his muscles (laughs).

Saito: I'll pull myself together and make sure I'm ready for you all to see me without being embarrassed (laughs).

"And finally, could you tell us about some key points to watch out for to make Boonboomger even more enjoyable?"

Saito: I think Super Sentai in recent years has had many heroic action scenes, and the Robo battles are also very powerful. I hope you'll enjoy the real thrill of tokusatsu. And then there are the Sanseaters. They're not just villains, but rather, lovable characters who are somewhat clumsy, so I think you'll enjoy it even more if you pay attention not only to us Boonboomgers, but also to the enemy characters.

Soma: Don't forget the Sanseaters and Nejiretta (laughs). The members of Boonboomger have distinctly different colors and personalities, so I think you'll be able to discover new aspects of each character every time. I'd be happy if you enjoy discovering these new aspects of every character each time you watch.

Producer Kuji Yoshito x Main Writer Tomioka Atsuhiro

"Kuji-san has been involved in the production of many Super Sentai series, but this is his first interview with this magazine. May we ask about your background?"

Kuji: I joined Toei in 2011, and was one of the rare new employees at Toei who loved tokusatsu (laughs). I was involved with "Space Sheriff Gavan The Movie," and for Super Sentai, "Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger" and later "Shuriken Sentai Ninninger," but after that, I was transferred to the Educational Video Department and was separated from tokusatsu. Last year, I heard about the use of LED walls in King-Ohger and was very interested, so I gathered information within the company and visited the filming location. I don't think this had anything to do with it, but I was later transferred to the Drama Planning and Production Department and joined the team as a Producer for King-Ohger. As a tokusatsu enjoyer, this was something I couldn't have hoped for, but on top of that, as I was entrusted with the job, I was told that, "You'll also be the Chief Producer of the next Sentai…"

"In addition to the production currently being aired, he'd soon take charge on a new one…! Did you have an idea who the Main Writer would be at that point?"

Kuji: I originally loved "Battle Spirits," which Tomioka-san wrote for. Because of that impression, I was hoping to work with him someday. So, as soon as I started thinking about the new project, I consulted with Tsukada Hideaki, who had worked with Tomioka-san on the anime "Fuuto PI" as Chief Director, and said, "I'd like to meet Tomioka-san! Please introduce me!"

Tomioka: Suddenly, I received an e-mail from Toei, so I assumed it was a request from Toei Animation.

"Tomioka-san has participated in many productions by Toei Animation, such as ONE PIECE and Dragon Ball Super."

Tomioka: When I read it carefully, I was so happy that I jumped up and down because it was a request for a live action production, which I had longed to do. However, there was no mention of the "to" character for "tokusatsu" in the e-mail, so when it was decided that we would meet……I wondered if I'd be able to write about "Kasouken no Onna." After hearing about the Super Sentai series, I wanted to write a live action drama, which is why I originally entered this industry, and furthermore, I wanted to write a tokusatsu hero story, so I said, "I'll do it!"

Kuji: He was very enthusiastic. I was also very happy because we were taking a chance. Joining in on Tomioka-san's high motivation, the conversation proceeded at a rapid pace from there.

"What was the reason you originally wanted to write tokusatsu?"

Tomioka: I love toys! Even when I was working on my debut work in anime "Brave Exkaiser," I was collecting toys of the Gattai Robos. I always wanted to write a tokusatsu show that's closely intertwined with the toys, but I could never find the right opportunity to do so. And then, Kuji-san approached me. I had written stories for various productions in the past while keeping pace with the toy release schedule, so there was no trouble in creating the story. When I heard that the motif this time was cars, I was excited and thought, "I can do car action!" but then I calmed down and realized that you can't really do car crashes in the city nowadays. Nagahara Hideichi-san, my Scriptwriting mentor, wrote "Seibu Keisatsu" in which they drive an armored car through Ginza and had car action, so I'd like to create a world like that someday (laughs).

"It was decided from the beginning that cars would be one of the motifs, right?"

Kuji: Although the keyword was ultimately decided after discussions with TV Asahi and Bandai, I originally wanted to use "creative" as a keyword. Of course, there are many Sentai productions that use cars as a motif, but if we were to upgrade them to modern values, I thought it would be possible to incorporate the "manufacturing" that children are familiar with from videos and games. For example, in the past, the super machines would be given to them by a large organization or an unknown entity like, "We'll give this to you guys!" So instead of that, I thought that building and riding machines from their own hands would be an easier choice for admiration in the modern day. From there, I expressed to Tomioka-san this desire to portray a team doing something creative while gathering together for a mission.

Tomioka: In other words, it's like "Fast & Furious" (laughs). In addition, it's tempting to make cars talk as a way to appeal to younger viewers, but if you're really conscious of the fact that they're cars, it's better not to make them talk. I wanted to express that a machine is the best it can be because of the awesome power of the human driver. Also, in addition to the Boonboom Cars, the five of them would've had a car (through production), and I suggested that their occupations be car related, but that didn't work out……As you can imagine, we can't send out five cars all at once.

"At the same time as Tomioka-san, was pilot Director Nakazawa Shojiro also sent an offer?"

Kuji: When I was thinking about the image of the heroes I wanted to create, I wanted a Director who would take the direction I had created with Tomioka-san and push it even further beyond our imaginations. I think that Nakazawa-san is a Director who adds twists to the story, not just pure coolness. I asked Nakazawa-san to direct the pilot because I wanted him to take Boonboomger to a place where my sensibilities couldn't go. Besides, Tomioka Atsuhiro x Nakazawa Shojiro was the combination I most wanted to see. This combination is "alchemy" at its finest.

"Because of the use of LED walls in the previous work King-Ohger, we think there was more filming on set than on location. On the other hand, in this production, there's alot of filming on location due to driving cars. What were your guidelines for filming?"

Kuji: They really pushed King-Ohger to the limits to see how far they could go with their technological capabilities. This allowed the staff to share the work "calories" for each process. As Tomioka-san mentioned earlier, it's difficult to produce five regular theatrical cars. However, I had alot of discussions with the staff about the possibility of producing many Boonboom Cars by using assets (3DCG model data). Live compositing is used to represent the Boonboom Cars cockpit, the highway space, and the maintenance room. While considering sustainable work calories, I thought about how to produce the best image in a timely manner.

"In the first episode, Mira joins the Boonboomger and the story begins with a three member team. How did you come up with the story?"

Tomioka: We were thinking of doing something that would be most pleasing for children, our main audience, in other words, the classic battle hobby for boys. Taiya and Ishiro, and even Bundorio were already a team, and were strong from the beginning. In my experience, this structure, where it's important to be strong from the beginning, and then add the newcomer Mira to further strengthen them, is something that children feel good getting into. When I heard Kuji-san's idea of each person being a car related professional, Shirakura Shinichiro-san, who happened to be present at the meeting, said, "It's like the Hissatsu series." Actually, I love the Hissatsu series, and Shirakura-san's words made me really excited, thinking, "I can do something that I've always wanted to do but haven't been able to do!" I hope I can portray adults that children will admire to become. The style that's often depicted in the Hissatsu series is that a newcomer (Mira) joins the professionals, and the pasts of the other members are slowly revealed. Then it naturally becomes a story about the bonds of the team. The story line of Boonboomger is moving in an increasingly interesting direction as we incorporate ideas from other Scriptwriters one after another.

"Looking back at the Super Sentai series over the past few years, Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger, Avataro Sentai Donbrothers and Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger have been written almost exclusively by a single Scriptwriter. Tomioka-san, you're working with multiple Scriptwriters to create Boonboomger, what's your goal?"

Tomioka: I believe that by incorporating ideas that come from other people, not just myself, the characters will be able to develop. I'd love to write all the episodes by myself, but I think it's more appropriate if this production is written by a team of multiple people. Besides, it'd be boring to keep the heroes I've always wanted to myself. The style I like is to call my friends and then we all go wild in this new world together. First, since I was approached for "Fuuto PI" by chance, I was sure that Higuchi Tatsuhito-kun, who was in charge of the composition for the Fuuto series would be invited. Additionally, I approached Yamaguchi Hiroshi-san, who worked with me on "K-tai Investigator 7," once the project had been decided to a certain extent. Yamaguchi-san also writes to the extreme at full power. When I came to the Toei Tokyo studio with Yamaguchi-san, he said, "You're always on the opposite side, right? (at Toei Animation)" (laughs). Also, we have a younger man named Morichi Natsumi-san participating. Higuchi-kun and I are inspired by each and every tokusatsu scene, and our members have a deep and reassuring love for the characters. I've also reached out to Konuta Kenji-san, a former Writer for "Uchusen," and I'm hoping to work with this team until the final episode. There's also the fact that each of us wants to write only for the characters we have a strong attachment to (laughs). Like the Sanseaters……

"We'd like to ask you about the enemy characters here, but the Sanseaters seem to have a formation that we've seen in a production that Tomioka-san has worked on…….?"

Tomioka: Team Rocket from "Pokemon," right? (laughs). This time, due to various restrictions, the enemy doesn't have a hideout, so I wondered what kind of enemy I should make…..When I thought about it, I suddenly remembered the Greeed from "Kamen Rider OOO" and Heart and the others from "Kamen Rider Drive." Every time they're in some unknown place, they're talking to each other. When I thought about if I could get any inspiration from that……I came up with Team Rocket. I thought, "Villains who sleep outdoors!" (laughs).

Kuji: It was Tomioka-san's idea. There was no reason to hit the brakes anymore. We all stepped on the gas during the meeting.

Tomioka: To begin with, Yamaguchi-san and I grew up watching "Himitsu Sentai Gorenger," so when we think of Sentai enemies, we got the impression that they're monsters who are abit stupid and do interesting things.

"Listening to his story, we can see that Tomioka-san, who is an authority in children's productions, is putting into full use what he's cultivated. However, you haven't worked on a tokusatsu show since K-tai Investigator 7, and this is your first time working on a Toei tokusatsu production. Did you feel at a loss in that respect?"

Tomioka: In "K-tai," the enemy wasn't monsters. The main focus was on fighting hackers, and the only thing "tokusatsu" was the cell phones (Phone Braver) moving. In contrast, in the Super Sentai series, there are monsters, they become giant, the heroes announce themselves, they transform, and…..alot of other things. I thought I knew what I was getting into, but when it came time to actually write the script, it was difficult.

"There's something you have to do each time."

Tomioka: That's right. On top of that, in order to create something interesting, we received a variety of ideas from tokusatsu Director Butsuda Hiroshi for the giant battles, as well as feedback on what to do with the regular sized battles from Directors with past experience. The interesting part is the drama part, where the Directors don't often express their opinions. Therefore, when thinking about the drama part, I prioritized what Kuji-san wanted to create. I think this is the biggest difference from anime.

"Do you mean that you put the Producer's opinion first?"

Tomioka: In my experience, it's rare for a Producer to lead a production by himself, because in the case of anime, the opinion of the author is important if it's an original story, and the opinion of the Director or series creator is important if it is an original production. However, when Toei's tokusatsu shows are first announced, fans are always wondering who the Chief Producer is, aren't they? It's refreshing to know that fans are also paying attention to who will lead the production.

Kuji: That's what Tomioka-san says, but from my point of view, I'm being too dependent on him. Normally, the Chief Producer of Toei tokusatsu productions usually leads the discussion in meetings, but Tomioka-san took my opinions into consideration and organized the discussion by saying, "This is what you want to do, isn't it?" By incorporating the opinions of other Writers, he makes it even more interesting by saying, "This one's more explosive!" I think this is reflected in the footage in a good way. Maybe this is a style that hasn't been used in the past 47 series.

Tomioka: Come to think of it, in anime, a series composition chart is created to show what happens from the first episode to the final episode, but it seems that they don't usually prepare one for the Super Sentai series.

Kuji: Even though we have a rough idea of what we want to do, it has a strong "live" feel, so there's a possibility that we'll have to adjust the story halfway through.

Tomioka: I couldn't help but be anxious about that……So, before writing episodes 3 and 4, I told Kuji-san, "I want to decide how the story will develop until the end." Of course, taking into consideration the scheduled release of items and Robos, I made a series composition chart, and decided to some extent how many episodes with Taiya would be depicted in the series. But basically, we hope that everyone will enjoy each week's explosive episodes. And then, I'd be very happy if you thought, "That was fun! Let's play with toys too!"

"Boonboomger is finally airing, and it's going to be a year of excitement. We'd like to ask you about some key points of interest that readers who are looking forward to Boonboomger can enjoy even more."

Kuji: Boonboomger is a show that'll cheer you up when you watch it. The staff has put together what they think is "cool," so whether you're an adult or child, there's sure to be a key point in each episode that'll stick with you. We're working diligently on this production, hoping that it'll be a show that'll allow people to absorb the exciting energy on Sunday mornings and look forward to the following week. We'll continue to rev our engines so that we can provide excitement to everyone of all ages and genders!

Tomioka: I see this production as a story of friendship between Taiya and the alien Bundorio, and a growth story depicting the relationship between the Boonboomgers. In addition, as a toy lover, I'm excited to write about how much I can make the Boonboom Changer and Gattai Robos more appealing. Of course, we'll do our best to bring out the charm of the untransformed actors and make this a production that'll make children want to play as Boonboomgers. Now that they've finally started running, where will they go from here? I'd be happy if you look forward to watching them all year long!

[girlwithamissingpearl]

I understand things have been dry in Outlander land but even desert dry has me smh. Ladies, if you have to try that hard to shit all over SH, I’m not saying it makes you a hater but it sure as shit doesn’t make you a liker.

Back after a bit- admit it, we all need to occasionally take a break- I feel I needed to pace myself during the drought. But after a bit of scrolling, I felt compelled to dive right in. Isn’t this fandom about fun, entertainment and guilty pleasure? That’s why I’m here. So why the endless posts from the SH haters? Do people dislike SH, enjoy the snark or just think the man is stupid?

So just for fun (or insomnia) I thought I would play a short game of SH: Stupid, Smart or just SMH?

1. SH and Cons/Private events for $

Why do people have such a problem with SH trying to make a living? Most if not all actors part of a series or movie franchise participate. In my opinion SH is doing it now, so he won’t need to in his 60’s to pay the rent. While most fans are priced out of the more exclusive events, all I can say is the paying fans are the only ones that never complain. Supply and demand. If any charitable component is part of the deal, great. So can we finally put a line under this?

Verdict: Smart as hell

2. SH always “Shilling” SS to his Fans and on SM

Uhm, he is the brand. It’s his company. Can it be a bit much? Yes. Promotion to the fan base and the use of sm is marketing 101. In order for people to try the product they need to know about the product. We can disagree as to his methods or success to date, but fans are not the only ones buying bottles. As for the constant and consistent presence of AN with SH during events? Suddenly they are a couple? WTF. AN is a business partner. He owns part of the business. They both work hard promoting SS, and so far it looks like they will continue to release more SS. Ladies, don’t put your lawn chairs away yet!😉

Verdict: Smart

3. SH and boundaries with his fans

Regardless of the letter you attach to SH, he is a recognized actor around the world. Definitely a people pleaser, in imho, he will happily take a selfie with anyone. Obviously, he never wants to disappoint any fan, but his lack of boundaries and security at events can be cringe worthy at times. If a female actor was touched, mauled, or asked to sign fans boobs or t-shirts it would be a #me too moment. Someone, anyone in security or a handler needs to be bad cop if he won’t. How far is too far?

Verdict: Stupid with a side of SMH

4. SH as a Philanthropist and Charitable Causes

This one really bugs me. MPC has raised over $6m for charity. SH’s name attached to any cause raises awareness and $. The BS from the haters who discount this based on the fact SH apparently never donates his own money is petty nonsense. Gentleman’s ride is one example. Agree it was his female fans that made it happen. And? This is my only fandom but SH is held to an impossible standard. Apparently he is a hypocrite in his support for clean oceans because someone on his team had a catered lunch using single use plastics. Great topic for discussion, but the man didn’t throw the containers in the ocean. Also let’s not judge a person’s commitment based on sm posts. SH can literally, yes ladies literally never win. Thankfully the causes he supports do. I dare you to disagree.

Verdict: Smart

5A. SH’s dating life

According to an extremely ardent part of this fandom, SH has dated😉 every fit blonde 👱‍♀️ within a 250 mile radius of everywhere. I wish that someone would keep track of all the mysterious initials and lack of any literal proof of these women. This is where I separate the snark from the hater’s. While I’m in owe of the investigative skills of some, and enjoy the gossip-even though mom thought gossip was a sin, sorry mom- not all women aka initials welcome the attention. Any woman save CB that SH is remotely warranted or not attached to, has an avalanche of hate comments and 💩emoji in their future, welcome or not. Personally, I believe SH, goes out of his way to protect the people he cares about, and perhaps even those he may not. I think we can agree he is not a monk. However an actor is entitled to privacy. Ginger Jesus included.

5B. SH ‘s Sexuality

From the beginning, 3 years for me, I’ve read posts about someone who knew a friend of a friend of a bartender’s friend who knew for a fact SH had a boyfriend. WTF. You know the drought is real when this bullshit gets recycled. We all know the question has been asked and answered by SH. More than once. Next.

Verdict: SH keeping his private life private: Smart as hell.

6. SH and the use of all things Outlander related

If you don’t get it, I don’t have the time and am too lazy to explain it to you.

Verdict: Smart. Smart as hell

7. SH and CB

The only real problem here is obvious. And I don’t know why the fans or even the haters- btw, I use the term haters like I do profanity- perhaps not the best word, but like GFY, FU, MF, C, etc. I’m lazy and it saves time and no confusion to whom I address. So where the actual f&ck is the audition tape we all want to see? You know the part of which I speak. If only the fandom investigators could put aside any petty differences and uncover the SH, CB chemistry kiss tape? I’m not saying it will be a unifying and CTJ moment, but it would give SH fans something to make the drought less….thirsty.

No verdict necessary. 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨😚😉

And last but definitely not least…

8. SH and Thirst Traps

Ladies, because of Outlander and all things Outlander related, we’ve had the pleasure to observe SH from every view and lovely angle. Come on, if you 👀 closely it’s all there. Why the actual f&ck people in this fandom have a problem with his shirtless posts is beyond me. Not only is he promoting the results a good fitness regime can produce, he is literally, yes literally giving his fans something they want. And don’t even try me with- you’re treating him like an object. This is a 100% consensual relationship. And if the word “hater” seems harsh about the same gang that complains and shits all over his shirtless thirst traps, then please find me a better name.

Verdict: Smart as hell and thank you

So for those who may not get it, this post is silly and something for my handful of friends or any SH fan to have a laugh. If anyone has the patience to read the entire thing😉 So any comments are welcome, but to the people or person sending awful and cowardly anon messages: save your time. Or GFY. See what I did there?🤓

[magdawal]

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[cinamun]

hi! okay—first off? the masterful way in which you’re able to invoke such thoughtful conversations with your storytelling is everything to me. every update of TFA feels like a character study of people we’ve all encountered at some point in our lives! it’s beautiful, really.

secondly! with that being said, i wanted to pick your brains a bit about indira! i don’t know if you’ve ever talked about this before, but regarding our girl’s preference for non-exclusive relationships—how much of it would you attribute to her personality, and how much could be considered a trauma response?

considering all that she’s been through, given her own experience with an overly (wrongfully) possessive man in her life that overstepped SEVERALLLL boundaries [+ having to witness the aftermath of what elijah…rip…did to hope] i just always got the vibe that those things collectively made her very wary of wanting a man to ever feel that comfortable with having a ‘claim’ to her. which is understandable! but the idea also makes me very sad for her; since so much of her current mindset towards dating seems like more of a trauma response than anything.

like yes! as a 21 year old myself, i get the idea of wanting to be free and wanting to date around! but is indira really dating? or is she just entertaining people to avoid looking deeper at a bigger problem/fear that she has, and isn’t willing to overcome at this current point in her life? both things are valid, but i just wanted to hear your take as the storyteller because indira is SUCH an interesting character to me, and i’d love to get a deep-dive on her mindset because i relate to…well…almost all of her story 😭 and i’ve found that my own take on dating has shifted drastically due to my experiences with men in the past. where indira is avoidant but still interested in pursuing SOME form of intimacy/companionship, i’ve staunchly sworn off sex and use dating apps as a means to test the waters to ‘see if i’m even ready to date’ … and i’m not. which almost always leads to me getting overstimulated and ghosting after a day or two of light conversation, lol. so this could easily just be me projecting! but either way, i’d love to hear your thoughts!)

Good morning friend! If we aren't taking a deep dive at the human condition, what are we even doing? lol I very much enjoy picking apart our behaviors and why we do the things that we do. Why not put these pixels in Situations™ and then pick it apart in the replies and asks and sometimes DMs?

About Indira...

She is her mother's child and her wanting to date with no strings attached is part of her personality. Indira is healthy, she's happy, she's wealthy and she's beautiful. Why can't it just be that she has no desire to be anything more than what she wants? If a man sleeps around, we don't question it most times. But as soon as we saw a grown, independent, emotionally stable Dira sleep with two men while telling them exactly what their role was, we decided she was foul and something must be 'wrong'.

I find that fascinating!

Why can't it just be that Indira is having fun and living life? Why can't it just be that she is young, carefree and likes big dicks and big wallets?

Having said that, we have yet to hear from Dira how the experience with Rahul and Ryker may have shaped her as an individual (not just who she sleeps with). We saw bits and pieces about how Elliot's demise impacted her and certainly it wasn't a positive impact. Luckily, Dr. Carter, the family therapist, took turns with each of the Drake children after The Tragedy on the Pier™. She didn't have to go through it alone and worked hard in theraphy to develop healthy boundaries and work through the trauma.

Needless to say, there is so much more to come with her. We've only caught glimpses because the story has gone in a few different directions since her debut in Tomarang as a brand new young adult. I do hope you stay tuned for what is to come!

[ketaks]

“so, why Atlantis?”

I shared some very quick and informal thoughts a while back on why I hoped enough children grew up with the movie (or are discovering it now) to be influenced by Kida despite her exclusion from the “Disney Princess” brand; or by Milo as an unconventional hero who might remind them of themselves. that post received a couple of standout personal additions from mutuals, so I thought I would share my own “Atlantis story” whether anyone asked for it or not, because it is a bit different. it’s a so-so sample of my writing to lead with and came out schmaltzier than intended; but it’s how my pen happened to hit the paper in the moment and shows pretty clearly my typical romanticism, for better or worse.

I was eight years old on opening day in 2001 and as ecstatic as a little girl could be. my mom and I had taken a day trip to see my dad, who out of the goodness of his heart had agreed to sit through a local children’s entertainer in the afternoon and then a Disney movie in the evening. but in between singing puppets and my difficulty keeping still and responding as expected to questions and social cues, his patience started wearing and my mom slipping into a helpless bystander role. when we got to the theater, I had a gut feeling nobody was in for a fun time.

“two adults, one child for Atlantis,” my dad groaned at the ticket window.

I felt I was sitting between one person having teeth pulled and another smiling for the most awkward photos of her life. my mom was always my animated movie buddy, so her silence especially was deafening. her chuckle at Milo in the boiler room was a pin dropping, and her breath in on Helga’s “ho, ho, ho” was a disquieting hiss.

…alright, my dad finally motioned as the Leviathan tore across the screen.

“they talk so fast, it’s hard for me to understand them. and there aren’t even any songs,” was the most explanation my mom would give. the ride home was long, silent, and pitch-black as I lay across the backseat. I wanted to know what happened to Milo, but the wooziness of shame swirling through me let me know that wanting wasn’t even worth it.

pin trading was at its peak the next year at Disney World, and I was on a mission to fill my new pink lanyard with all my favorite characters before the trip was done. in very little time I found myself gazing up at a cast member wearing a Milo pin, and I shocked myself how quickly I asked her for it. I hoped holding onto it would reassure me that that wonderful story and character would wait for me as long as I needed.

watching the movie in high school felt a bit like the very rare party I was lucky enough to inexplicably find myself. I loved what I saw, but I felt my simply being there was a fluke. I wondered at first why I struggled to enjoy beyond arm’s length, but the damage was still in effect. it only reminded me again what I wished every single day: that my brain had kept developing normally, and all the things my autism either distorted or outright forbid would have happened exactly as they were meant. and since attitudes toward special interests had far to go, what would have fed me soup and covered me in kisses at age six could only visit through the glass at sixteen.

the days of LiveJournal and early Tumblr and Instagram came and went, and “Disney adult” culture went from a trickle to a wave. I attended community college as an English major and met my sister-bestie @scp-113 there on Halloween 2013, she dressed as Violet Parr and I as Minnie Mouse. our Anna and Elsa cosplay just a month later on opening night of Frozen couldn’t have been more fitting. a decade later, she made my dream come true of finally seeing Disney World as an adult, and no planning could have prepared me for the personal growth that trip would inspire. I loved throwing my arms around Mirabel in the Magic Kingdom because of, not despite, the emotional control that had finally taken hold at thirty. I wouldn’t have traded that interaction for the one awaiting the costumed little girl right behind me. that realization shook me to the bone.

“don’t cry because it’s over. smile because it happened,” my dad would tell me countless times since childhood with only the best intentions. “I haven’t been able to stop smiling,” I told him week after week following my trip. falling asleep for months scrolling back through those four special days was the most satisfying thing ever.

then one night, deep within a Magic Kingdom dream like any other, there they were. Milo Thatch and Princess Kida, just as they appeared in the “rare character guide” videos I had watched before the trip many months ago. they were hugging a child who had just run up to meet them: a young girl who looked very familiar. that settles it, I thought. the circle had at last closed.

now about once a week, my darling pup hears, “ready for Atlantis?” or “ready for Milo?” and leaps to my side in bed as I start the movie on my laptop. indeed, it feels exactly like a big warm hug every time. the artistry, the story, the characters, the humor, the heart. Milo is every bit the hero I needed as an uncertain child who loved words and language but hated being different…but he’s the one I got as an adult finding peace with her brain and eager to keep chasing her dreams. I’m writing more original words every day, journaling again, and speaking and thinking more fluidly all because of jotting down random thoughts about this movie and liking how they sounded. I’ve also put aside the idea that the influencer path might bring me joy, and I feel comfortable online again and have met some great folks so far through fan works and discussions from silly to profound.

and so I thank that little voice that whispered for 23 years: “…Atlantis is waiting.”

[i-want-my-iwtv]

♥♥♥ Carbonated Blood ♥♥♥

(ノ°∀°)ノ’.:*・°☆

Inspired by recent interest in this blog, and for ppl newly landing on it, I made this pinned post as a welcome, a warning, and some tags I would recommend that are specific to my blog for my favorite stuff. Here's why it's called i-want-my-IWTV.

🤘 A welcome: I'm Burnadette (21+) and this blog is an unofficial Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles appreciation blog started in July 2013, but it's not an authoritative resource, I'm just collecting fanworks and other dash goodies based on my own rubric, sprinkling catnip out to the fandom, and answering asks for ppl who are curious about my opinions on things. I encourage positivity and optimism! ✨

My AO3: Burnadette_dpdl

Co-mod @wicked-felina and I typically run the @vcsecretgifts exchange, you can check out the archive there. We had to take a 2 yr hiatus for real life reasons, we hope to revive it in 2024 💕 In the meantime, go check out @vamptember (@hekateinhell and @monstersinthecosmos), for a wealth of VC fanworks!

⚠️ A warning: You may encounter things you dislike on this blog, such as ship art of ships you dislike, discussions about dark fiction, problematic characters, and other such topics. My free time for fandom is limited and I do this for free for my own entertainment, so I don't engage in bad faith discussion, and I'm generally picky about engaging* in all discussion posts or personal posts.

You may have noticed that I don't post/reblog much about it if I can help it: While I do not like the current IWTV AMC 2022 adaptation, I can talk about it, and I do appreciate that it's brought fresh blood 🩸 into the fandom, a lot of talented fanart and writing! And yes, ppl can enjoy IWTV '22 and other adaptations and canon and absolutely whatever 🤝, these things are not mutually exclusive 😎 (I tag it #iwtv 2022 and #iwtv amc if ppl need to block those tags.) With that said, I think there are some fabulous ppl who can embrace it all, like @xxhellonursexx! There are role models like Nurse, able to venn diagram the VC content with a sense of humor and respect.

So I welcome new fans, and encourage them to ask questions and engage with ppl like me, there is limitless room for everyone.

ANYWAY.

Behold, my STUFF: Some of my favorite tags in no particular order, this may evolve over time:

(Cut for length)

Lin, get in here and settle this - (Not a tag but this is my 20 second magnum opus 😎✨)

vampire physiology - Both about Ricean and other vampire media, studying them like lab animals and talking about it!

Fandom laws - Fandom's been around a long time, and I think a big part of having a great experience in it is mutual respect, which ppl have codified in fandom laws. When/if you break them, you may turn other ppl off and that can spread quickly; you build your reputation by your actions.

digging up an oldie from the archive - when I need to throw an older post on the dash to share again, maybe there's a reason, or a great addition.

hello dinner - Various amusement about vampires and their dinner.

messy eater - Related to the above, it's less common (canonically) for a Ricean vampire to spill a drop of blood, so it used to be more dramatic when we'd see art/fic of spillage! There are vampires from outside VC in that tag, too, I couldn't resist reblogging them.

vampiredevelopment/interviews and rec - this is some of my favorite textmeme content 😂

memeything - y'know, memes, some are embedded in more serious posts, but I think when I first heard the word "meme" I didn't think mine really counted? So I made it "memeything" so as not to land in a "meme" tag if they didn't count, but eventually I decided that "meme" can be pretty widely defined, so mine kinda do, but by that point I was far into the habit of using my own word, so there it is.

how to make a post a vc post - when you just gotta insert your fandom into an unrelated post bc it FITS.

VC fandom hunters - when you're looking for other VC fandom ppl to role play with, etc.!

Lestatiquette - Lestat ettiquette.

Lestatuesque - Someone/something is acting like Lestat.

Lestats closet - Something you might find in Lestat's closet, a resource for fanartists/writers looking for inspo 🙏

Its a coffin - fanart and works involving coffins!

We appreciate and love Louis in this house - There was a wave of sentiment criticizing Louis for various reasons and these are thoughtful responses to that criticism. Tag started by the magnificent @covenofthearticulate/@theballadofmrslovett (go check out her ideas, and her AO3 covenofthearticulate, she is so so good 💞)

Defending Antonio - There's periodic discussion about Antonio Banderas as Armand in the '94 IWTV movie, I love him, and I'm totally rational about it

Louis has canon hair I know that will make at least 2 ppl I know very happy - and idk if I would even reveal privately who they are but definitely not publicly! I don't want to put them on blast! 😅 I appreciate Louis with different hairstyles and I've debated about it enough that like... I can appreciate Options but some ppl would prefer to see his hair as it's described in canon 😙

VC wedding hysteria - What it says on the tin.

iwantmyiwtv has opinions - a way to signal that these are my opinions only and not presented as fact.

Iwantmyiwtv rp - I sometimes take asks for Lestat or Louis to help inspire my fanfic. Specify who you're asking and they might respond 😎, Lestat response starts with ♛, and Louis with ♠.

vc news/vc casting - For sharing news and post casting ideas, as there are multiple adaptations and there's always fantasy casting! It never ends.

not vc/vc adjacent - I see some ppl have adopted these two! I made these out of a kind of purist approach, I wanted to reblog smtg and share it but it wasn't exactly VC, soooo, it's my acknowledgment accordingly.

VC - I may have used this in the past but I don't anymore, bc there are tons of things that could have that abbreviation, I assume, so I don't find it too be descriptive enough for use as a Vampire Chronicles tag 🤷🏼‍♀️

*You may see older posts that were written in a bubblier/sassier manner than I'd be comfortable with now, but I find those to be charming now, it's a 10+ yr old blog, after all! Our internet experience has evolved. What's cringe or even rude now was normal then and I know that my intention was always positivity and anti-censorship, so that includes not censoring myself. ✨ I ask that you have patience with those responses that may not have aged well as you have patience with an artist or writer's earlier works, or your own growth over the years! 🌱

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

4.25/5. Releases 10/1/2024.

The Vibes: video games, workplace rivals, snowed in, pining

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

Rival indie video game design companies end up on a work retreat to collaborate on a new project. The problem for lead designer Viola? Her co-lead is Jesse, the quiet expert she had a crush on for years... until, of course, he made it very clear that he wasn't interested. They're equally invested in making this project a success, however. And as the snow falls, extending the retreat even further, Jesse and Viola realize there's a lot more to their friction than what initially met the eye.

The Review:

So cute! I needed something quick and refreshing, and this was exactly it. With a heavy dose of heat, especially for how quick a read (listen? This is a Spotify exclusive and audio only) it is. I actually started the book a little curious as to whether or not it would feel too crunched; it's half or less than half the listening length of a typical Hazelwood audiobook. But it kind of worked perfectly?

The retreat is key, I think. This is going to be perfect as the autumn and winter temperatures close in. I loved the details of the retreat, the snow, the hot tubs, the warm beds... it was all very cozy, and coziness is absolutely in Hazelwood's wheelhouse. However, it's never a boring coziness. The snap of her dialogue, the humor in the character dynamics, keeps it from being slow even when it's wholesome. Which is easier said than done!

Viola and Jesse are charming, likable leads. Speaking of Hazelwood's wheelhouse—nothing here reinvents her wheel. Which I think is less "big guy, small heroine, they are nerds" and more "He's into her from afar but for reasons can't act on it and she interprets his ambivalence as loathing" (though Not in Love was a notable exception). Personally, I think she does it very well, and as long as I'm entertained, I'm good with it.

You're not going to be shocked by the fact that Jesse's feelings for Viola may be more complicated than she thought. I found his reasoning to be pretty solidly realistic, even if the problem could've been resolved sooner. It's a normal miscommunication to me. Not too dramatic, not too slight. Just right.

I found the video game backdrop pretty fun and not too difficult to follow (I say as someone who knows approximately nothing about video games). I actually really liked the insight on the art of designing a video game, which I've always been tangentially aware of but enjoyed learning more about. There was a sweet, not super subtle but still fun, connection between the love story and the game—and speaking of? Kinda want to play the game now.

Side note: There's a subplot that's not quite a secondary romance between Jesse and Viola's bosses... I want SO much more of that situationship. I'd take a whole book, Ali!

The Sex:

OOH BUT THIS WAS SO GOOD? And I didn't expect it. I mean, Ali always writes good sex scenes, but I kind of thought this might skimp a little since it's on the shorter side. But uh... no. You get several sex scenes, and they're all very hot (I didn't expect THAT in a quick book, but I wasn't mad about it) while also maintaining a bit of emotional softness.

But what I loved most about the sex scenes was how confident Viola is. She's a good lay! Jesse's very overwhelmed! We love an overwhelmed hero!

It's quick, it's to the point, it's going to scratch your itch for a Hazelwood "nerds in love and also banging" book. And it's ideal for fall and winter.

On an audiobook note, Kelsey Navarro Foster did a great job with this one. This format served the book well; it felt like a little treat. I'd definitely recommend, especially if you're going through a bit of a reading slump.

Thanks to NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Two Weeks of Pure Personal Hell and Humiliation for Meghan by u/Cultural_Ad4935

Two Weeks of Pure Personal Hell and Humiliation for Meghan I filled in some blanks here, but this is my whole-hearted belief on what’s been happening in Montecito:This has been the worst two weeks of her life. Harry has been gone for over 21 days and counting. He was only supposed to be gone solo for a week in London, and then she’d join him at Heathrow, just like she did en route to the Nigerian boondoggle, and then they’d head off to southern Africa. Together. Like salt and pepper. They flake together. They would enjoy red carpets, banquets, glittering parties, fire pit chats, and other opportunistic visits that take advantage of the disadvantaged. But Harry changed his mind. At the last minute. While in London, he told her he had to go to Africa alone (with staff and security). He had unfinished business there that only he could navigate. She was not welcome on this trip.And then she went ballistic. She had planned every freakish detail for this trip. She had already packed her favorite slit-at-the-hip Staud dresses and flat sandals. She had her beach curl hair products all ready to go. She was supposed to be the one going to Lesotho and South Africa and getting the adoration and attention. There was supposed to be dancing in the streets in her honor, just like the people of South Africa did for Nelson Mandela.But instead, she was left home alone. Humiliated, left out in the cold, and made a bitter fool. She had already contacted all her favorite tabloids like People and Vanity Fair and shared exclusives about her “trip back home” to Africa. In an instant, her dream was dashed.To save face, she had to turn things around and make magic happen. So she summoned up the chutzpah and devised some of the most asinine schemes the world has ever seen. She got the idea to show up uninvited to a children’s charity event and wear her Carolina Herrera inverted nipple dress, with even less fabric. So unexpected. That’ll be sure to gain positive attention. And then she would get papped at a pre-teen event telling kids how she is one of the most bullied people in the world. Again just another winning proposition!Until it’s not. Because no one believes for a second she was sincere or serious. And by now, even she realizes that she couldn’t think fast on her feet after Harry’s curveball. She couldn’t salvage this defeat. And try as she did, she just couldn’t make lemonada out of lemons. Harry went all the way to Africa and all she got was this lousy sour taste in her mouth. post link: https://ift.tt/k9MBChJ author: Cultural_Ad4935 submitted: October 13, 2024 at 05:25AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[mecachrome]

I just wanted to say huge thanks for the support and love for papaya boys which you share with us all. I’m quite new to this f1 fan internet stuff and I was shocked to see how much hate is spread around, especially on twitter. It was really not fun after the race yesterday. I haven’t seen so much hate being spread towards someone in a very long time. idk why but mclaren team just resonated with me from the very first moment I watched f1. I support the team and landoscar as one, might be weird but that’s how it is to me. team. And I would never hate another driver to be honest, I kinda like and enjoy every single one of them. Anyway… thank you 🧡 your blog is one of my favourites and brings me so much joy.

wahhh hello anon and thank you for this kind and thoughtful message! i'm glad that my blog is able to better your online experience even if just a little bit T__T

honestly i haven't really seen much if any of the vitriol so i'm not even fully briefed on the situation asldfkhdflk... my fandom experience is significantly improved by being a reclusive introvert viscerally averse to maintaining any form of public social media profile 🥲 but i do want to say that as a new fan you should never feel you have to justify your approach to fandom to anyone or feel bad or weird for how you consume the sport!!! professional sports are just entertainment products after all... and imo f1 especially exacerbates strange amounts of zealous discourse because of its relatively individual nature and the fact that it is in itself a nearly unmatched symbolic expression of gross socioeconomic privilege, so you can understand why people buying into its high camp façade of exclusivity experience a disconnect between person and celebrity.

tbh there are many drivers i don't like or rate haha but i guess i just don't see the point in doing anything about that on my oscar blog... and even with oscar himself i would never say that i rep him to such an unconditional degree that i'd always assume he's been wronged by mclaren or that he's never made a mistake or that lando is being favored etc. etc. (first of all literally what would they achieve by trying to sabotage him... toto we're not in Line Distribution Video comment sections anymore), and in the grand scheme of things i also don't really care if people hate him or express dislike for his character! being an oscar fan during crbgate was interesting though because of how much people genuinely detested him and gleefully spread misinformation wrt the circumstances of his contract situation, so i know how frustrating it can be to watch inane moments get blown out of proportion & spiral into senseless or uninformed negativity

honestly i've been in hockey fandom for so long i think i'm just used to sports culture that is much less sympathetic to athletes individually but also less… i don't know, i suppose "defensive" in the sense of not perceiving them as projections of fans' own selves and personalities and sensibilities. i know most people on twitter are young so i'm not going to moralize this behavior or anything, but as you mentioned it can & does lead to unproductive externalizations of aforementioned parasocial attachment. really i'm sorry you have to deal with that because everyone deserves a space to engage in fandom comfortably! TT__TT

sorry this response is way too long asdflkhdsf i just wanted to lay out my thoughts on fandom spaces + my own personal engagement definitively i guess... i do always try to contextualize situations objectively and honestly i barely have enough time and energy as it is to reblog all the stuff i LIKE about oscar, so why would i waste it getting mad at other things you know! anw i hope you can continue enjoying your time in this fandom because eye personally think being a mcl fan is great 🧡 sending u my love anon!!!

[frauleinandry]

a persona 3 reload review

uuuuuuh so i was meant to post this like... two weeks ago, but then real life hit me in the head like a frying pan. now that i've had the time to edit this though, here are my thoughts on p3re! this is also a minato route review, as i played kotone's in P3P (i know it's not his canon name, but i don't want to use makoto due to P5 confusion).

on the whole, reload is a fantastic game. the gameplay easily rivals P5R, and surpasses it in some aspects. the new content is typically great. i also enjoyed minato as a character (well, as much of a character as persona protagonists are anyway), though that leads me to the main gripe i had with reload...

... and that's the lack of kotone's social links. to be precise, two of her social links, the absence of which greatly hurts the overall story.

don't get me wrong, i'd still rank reload a solid 8/10, but it could have been a 10/10 with the addition of those two links (plus one other spoiler thing), and I think that's a shame.

my in depth analysis is under the cut - note, it's very much not spoiler free.

okay, so, i'm gonna split this into 3.5 segments - the good, the mixed, and the bad (you'll find out what the 0.5 is later).

1. the good:

minato - while i'm still a kotone girlie at heart, he's not a bad protagonist at all! his dialogue options have a very distinct personality to them unlike joker and yu, and his character arc is one of the best of all of the persona main leads. an aloof, apathetic boy who learns to love the world/his friends so much he's willing to die for them... it's good!

koromaru - minor, but worth mentioning. you can pat him, and it's so cute. in fact, everything about him is perfect. from his all-out attack screen, to his animations, to... well, everything. no joke, if I needed to sell this game to a non-persona fan, i'd use him as the main draw.

hangout events - while I think being able to chat to everyone in the dorm already made SEES one of the more developed casts, having additional scenes really helped flesh out the party members who are less prominent in the plot (fuuka, pre-january aigis, ken). more things to do at night is also great, given there was nothing to do in the evening after maxing your social stats in the older versions. the perks they give you are great too, but i'll talk about that more later.

voice acting - not gonna lie, i generally don't like the persona dubs, and normally always play with the JP audio. given reload features some of my favourite voice actors though and was basically fully voiced, i decided to give it a chance this time. and i don't regret it! while some actors are definitely stronger than others, none of them were actively jarring, and quite frankly, they hard carried a lot of the social links. kudos to the cast!

strega - while they could have gone a bit further with it (jin needed a linked episode for sure), takaya finally got the development he sorely needed, and his and jin's final battles were actually interesting, instead of being annoying distractions from nyx. in fact, i'd say takaya's new content is easily the best of the new reload exclusive material. in portable, he made no impression on me whatsoever, but now, he finally gets to be the anti!minato he deserves to be.

1.5. the tartarus (aka good part 2, electric boogaloo):

i have so many things to gush about in terms of the new combat/exploration system, i decided it needed its own section! the glow-up tartarus got was massive. i was pretty disappointed when i heard they were keeping it randomly generated, but somehow, atlus pulled it off! i'll talk about individual things below.

collectables/monad doors - one issue with OG tartarus is that it's monotonous. breakable collectables make it much more entertaining to romp through though, as smashing things is Fun. the monad doors interspersed throughout are another good addition - if you want a break from roaming, you can challenge them, but if not, that's fine!

floor layout - another thing that makes tartatus more fresh to explore is that the HD graphics really make the differences between the blocks pop out. the generally smaller floors with more unique layouts really helps too.

shifting - it's baton pass, though without the ridiculous power/sp bonuses that made baton pass a little bit too gamebreaking in persona 5. in other words, perfect!

theurgy - out of all the battle-specific improvements, theurgy and the personality traits have got to be my favourites. showtimes were fun, but too random/gimmicky to be that useful, and ultimate skills tended to fluctuate between being absolutely gamebreaking or too SP intensive to be worth using. blending them into one feature with a content-specific gauge fixes all the problems with them while keeping everything that made showtimes/ultimate skills good.

ambush mechanics - this was one of the things i was most worried about before playing reload. ambushing in P5 is fun, but ambushing in the other persona games...? not so much. reload manages to fix this though by making the shadows less sensitive, which makes the early game a lot better, and but introducing dash-ambushes once the floors get bigger. if the persona 6 ambush system works like this, i'll be happy.

navigator skills - fuuka being retooled to work more like a playable character was an A+++ decision. making her skills player-activated but with an SP cost is so much more immersive than randomly getting a stat boost/enemy info.

unfortunately, while i think most of the tartarus additions were great, there were a few new mechanics which weren't... dreadful, per say, but could have been implemented better.

great clocks - they're better than nothing, but quite frankly, i would have preferred it if benched units got 50% exp instead. they incentivise you to drop two units for a period of time, which is annoying, given i want to use everyone on my first playthrough. late game, great clocks are also a pain to summon, for reasons i'll talk about below.

twilight fragments - i think they're a neat idea in theory, but they need to be easier/more reliable to farm. once you finish off the bulk of your social links/elizabeth's requests, replenishing them becomes a nightmare, which is annoying because you need them for great clocks.

2. the mixed:

while reload did a lot of things right, as per above, there were some things that didn't quite hit the mark.

linked episodes - i'm gonna be blunt. anyone who thinks these are better than social links is smoking something. one thing i like about party member social links is that it gives them a subplot outside of the main story, focusing more on their mundane struggles as opposed to their supernatural ones. half of the linked episodes just develop the main plot more though (and really should have just been included in it), meaning the linked episode exclusive subplots are underbaked.

another problem is that some of the linked episodes are just... kinda badly written. ryoji's completely lacks his existential dread, akihiko's comes off as a poor attempt to make his arena behaviour less OOC, while shinjiro's... it feels like persona 5 writing, in the worst way possible. it's like atlus completely forgot that subtext is a thing that's Good, actually.

while I have been fairly critical of them so far though, there are a couple of linked episodes i liked. koromaru's actually worked with the format, given he's a dog, but the real winner here was takaya. i loved all of his. if linked episodes appear again, i'd rather they be locked to antagonists like him.

art direction- i'll say right now - the UI is fabulous, the model shaders are great, and tartarus looks fantastic. the environmental design on the whole though is a bit iffy - a lot of the environments didn't translate to the super HD very well, and the lighting sucks in general. i needed to turn down the brightness it was so eye-searing. the animation of the 2D cutscenes is also pretty mediocre, and while the 3D cutscenes tend to look better, they're held back by some of the character models looking a bit goofy (mitsuru's is probably the biggest offender). i also think they were too scared of making the sprites 'ugly', and therefore on the whole they're slightly less emotive than the ones in the older versions of the game, which is a pity.

3. the bad:

minato's social links - the vast majority of the minato-exclusive social links are just flat-out not great. serious props to the voice actors here, since they hard carried them. quite frankly, they're just... bland, except for maya's and suemitsu's, which. uh. have problems. on the topic of social links, while i'm happy the romance isn't mandatory anymore, i don't like how half the girls explicitly confess to you. i much prefer the more subtle vibes of the P5/P4 romantic options, as yeah, most of them can lead naturally into romance, but they don't make the MC feel like a harem anime protagonist (derogatory). it kinda brings to mind this twitter post; sometimes, subtlety is simply better.

the absence of shinji and ryoji's social links - i can live without saori, rio, and most of the new and improved SEES member social links, but this is where i draw the line. while shinji dying is better storytelling, just like with chidori, having the option to save him is also important. lock it behind new game plus, yes... but keep it. also, him priming kotone to support akihiko one he's gone is far better than him just flat-out telling minato that he's dying. ryoji's missing social link though is infinitely worse. where is his slowly mounting horror as he starts poking holes in his backstory? his desperation to validate that he's actually real? that he exists?! like yeah, it's nice that the linked episode doubled down on his bisexuality, but i'd rather keep the psychological breakdown aspects of it, y'know?

the difficulty - i started playing reload normal - the level i'd typically use for a blind run of a persona game - aaaaand swapped to hard the second i unlocked theurgy. even then though, the game was a cakewalk until january hit. while i love theurgy, the game is absolutely not scaled around it, especially since you can charge/concentrate them. doing that, you can easily rack up thousands of damage without even going ham with fusion. unfortunately, reload is just... really easy.

the plot's too faithful to the original - while reload added new content, it pretty much left the story untouched outside of the beach scene. that's... not good, as persona 3's narrative had some pretty big problems. the biggest issue is the unchanged pacing - the strega storyline really needed to start a month earlier, and ryoji needed an extra month to integrate with the characters due to his lack of social link. this is one of the things i'm explicitly docking a point for - reload still doesn't kick off until the yakushima arc, which is well over a third into the game.

despite my criticisms, i do want to note that my experience with reload was predominately positive. it's (extremely) sad that you still need to play portable to experience the full persona 3 story, but p3re is still a fantastic game, and has a lot of gameplay features i'd be delighted to see in persona 6.

that's all i've got to say for now - until next time!

[solemn-marauders]

Broken Glass, Broken Hearts

Ominis’s POV, kind of

A continuation of A Regretful Visit

Disclaimer: More of my Hogwarts Legacy drabble that I’m posting. These are written quickly while the ideas are fresh. They are short and most likely sprinkled with errors. I’m posting these for me, but if other people enjoy them, then all the better. I will be using my MC’s name, Thea, since this is her story. I also keep the time period in mind. I do my best to keep it as period accurate as possible.

Trigger Warning: None

Additional Information: Takes place the summer after their 5th year. Includes the PS5 exclusive storyline of MC owning a shop in Hogsmeade and befriending a house-elf named Penny. I also have a HC that Garreth spends the summer in Hogsmeade apprenticing with Perry Pippin. 

It had taken many weeks and several heated words before Ominis found himself willing to be in Sebastian’s company again. He had missed him terribly, he was the brother he always wanted, or rather, the brother he never wanted but somehow couldn’t live without. No matter the love Ominis had for Sebastian, it didn’t excuse his recent actions. It hurt Ominis beyond words to see his brother fall victim to the Dark Arts. Sebastian was going down a path that was much too similar to the one his blood relatives had all but sauntered down.

It was Thea who had encouraged him to at least reach out. Ever the Mother Hen, she hated it when the two boys fought. Either in a moment of weakness, or one of strength, on a cool summer evening, Ominis had found himself on Sebastian’s doorstep. They talked, they yelled, they spilled tears that either refused to acknowledge. He could feel Sebastian’s sorrow and regret. He’d never experienced his friend so broken before, not even after Anne had been cursed. Sebastian had truly been alone in this world for the past several weeks. Alone to ponder and atone for his actions. Alone in his grief and self-loathing. Alone, because “it’s the way it should be” or so he said.

Ominis was very glad that Thea had convinced him not to report Sebastian to the Ministry. After their reconciliation, he began spending the rest of his summer in Feldcroft just like before. He still visited Thea in Hogsmeade often, something Sebastian avoided adamantly. He always had some sort of excuse to not make the trip. Ominis was blind, not stupid, and he knew Sebastian better than anyone, but even he couldn’t get him to confess his reasoning behind avoiding Thea. It made him quite perturbed to be honest. After everything she had done for him and he’s just so willing to let their relationship wither away. Personally, he would have wagered a significant amount of galleons on Sebastian spending the summer courting her, or at the very least, a courtship once the happenings from months ago had been addressed and resolved. Now it seemed even the thought of her made his friend blanch. Every time Ominis tried to bring it up seeking answers, Sebastian would immediately become irate and shut him down. Their friendship was in a very delicate state at the moment and he decided to let it go, for the time being. 

Thea had her arm through Ominis’s as she made him escort her to the Three Broomsticks.

“People will think that we’re courting.” He grumbled making Thea chuckle. She had been so sad since the events in the repository and yet somehow, lately, she seemed even moreso melancholy. It gave Ominis a sense of pride that he could still get a laugh out of her, even if it was just a chuckle.

“Ominis! I’m hurt! Would it really be the end of the world for you to be seen with me like this?” She was teasing now and he would play along for as long as she liked.

“You’re practically my sister. It’s not a thought I like to entertain.”

“Fair enough, but do not fret, people will just think you the proper gentleman escorting a lady to her destination.”

“Right, and what about the fact that I stay in your shop overnight with no chaperone?”

“Oh pish posh! Penny is a fine chaperone, and besides, you’re hardly the only guest of mine to stay in one of my spare rooms.”

“Natty, Poppy, and Imelda don’t count. There’s no scandal there.”

“True, but Garreth visits often as well.”

Ominis’s eyebrows shot up, “Now that is something I’d like to discuss further.”

“You’ll have to buy me a butterbeer first. We’re here!” Thea held the door open for them as they entered. 

Thea was such a frequent patron that Sirona had started reserving her favorite table just for her. It was in the back right corner near the fireplace. She came to the Three Broomsticks almost every evening, sometimes with Penny, but mostly alone. She had no skills when it came to cooking and she felt terrible relying on her elf companion to make her every meal. Penny swore that she quite enjoyed it, but Thea had freed Penny and often encouraged her to spend her spare time doing absolutely whatever she wanted.

Oftentimes the feeling of loneliness would become too much for Thea to bear and she would try to ease it by people watching in the bar. When she was alone, her thoughts would wander to the darkest corners and would completely incapacitate her. Her heart would race, her lungs wouldn’t fill with enough air, and the nausea would keep her from eating for days. These bad-spells would happen more often than not, and her night terrors kept her awake almost every evening. But she buried those thoughts deep, she currently had the company of one of her closest and dearest friends, she refused to spend their time together wallowing with her demons.

She led Ominis to her table and they both settled in.

“Now, tell me about Weasley. I must admit that I am intrigued.”

Thea glanced up at the bar and caught Sirona’s eye. The Three Broomsticks owner held up two fingers with a questioning look. Thea gave her a nod and turned her attention back to her friend. “I’ve changed my mind. This is more of a Firewhiskey kind of conversation.”

“So, how was your visit to Hogsmeade?” Sebastian’s attempt at nonchalance failed miserably. His back was to Ominis as he washed the dishes from dinner.

Ominis knew what he really wanted to know was how was Thea. He was over whatever game Sebastian thought he was playing. He hated the pain he heard in her voice every time he would visit. He knew Sebastian had hurt her deeply; so he felt no shame in making him squirm.

“Hogsmeade is always pleasant enough. It was wonderful to see Thea again, she’s looking as lovely as ever. You know, she told me the most interesting thing while I was there.”

“Hmm?”

“Apparently her and Garreth have grown particularly close. She didn’t go into much detail, but it seems that he visits her quite often and has taken it upon himself to teach her the more…physical side of courting.” The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the cottage and Ominis could barely keep a triumphant grin from gracing his face. The air around them thickened, almost palpable. “I’m not sure if they’ll continue their dalliances once school starts again, but I doubt Garreth would be opposed to a proper courtship eventually.”

Sebastian’s grip on the edge of skin had his knuckles turning white and the veins in his arm protruding. His body had the sudden urge to expel his dinner from his stomach. Garreth?? Garreth Weasley and Thea?? What kind of personal hell was he in? Weasley certainly had no business making any type of advances towards Thea, and he most certainly needed to keep his hands and lips to himself. Sebastian had to take several deep breaths to steady his rising rage. After the fifth exhale, his grip on the sink loosened. He had to remind himself to let go of any and all thoughts of Theadora Gravethorne. A task that seemed most impossible. He’d be more successful telling himself not to breathe or not to blink. Thoughts of Thea were as much a part of him as the beating of his heart. But this was something he had to do. Something he had to remind himself every minute of every day since summer holiday began. He busied himself with picking up the shattered remains of the drinking glass that fell from his grasp at the news.

“That is interesting.” His voice was cold and unwavering, a skill he had mastered over the past several weeks. A complete opposite to the burning temper raging inside of him.

[maryellencarter]

have started a new playthrough of breath of the wild with the intention of practicing the combat techniques, which i am quite bad at. (look, shield surfing and flurry rushes both require using three of the control inputs at once, i know i have ten fingers but i was never very good at playing chords on the piano either)

i don't know how far i'll get on any of these goals, but i'm also sort of vaguely considering:

* 100% run? have never finished one. there's at least one korok (near the akkala tech lab, uphill boulder golf with a lynel in the middle of the course) that i'm genuinely just not sure i can complete. i want to do this part glitchless if at all, so no seed duping allowed.

* clear all enemies no blood moon run? this is technically possible, although the timing to get the blood moon shrine to spawn without actually respawning enemies is quite tricky. there's a save-reload exploit that lets you delay the blood moon for a full cycle at a time, which would be pretty necessary for some of the night quests to be completable. my main interest in trying this is to force me to actually fight more enemies (and therefore get better at the combat) rather than rely totally on sneaking around and avoiding them. also to make weapons rarer and therefore more valuable/exciting to find, because in a normal playthrough i usually get overloaded on high tier weapons pretty quickly, especially once i get woodland tower with the respawning royal claymore. it's not actually possible to completely clear the map, because there will always be random spawns, like nighttime stalkoblins, or yiga after you defeat master kohga, but i feel like it'd be pretty entertaining to just be waltzing around past enemy camps you cleared and having them continue to have been cleared.

* all chests run? this would not be a true 100% objective because i have no interest at all in the glitching required to get "impossible" chests. perhaps "poke my nose into every nook and cranny" run would be more accurate -- there are so many tiny hidden things in BotW that even people who've spent thousands of hours in the game have never seen. this kind of goes hand in hand with the no blood moon run, because i'll definitely run out of hero's path time long before i finish any such playthrough, so the main way to tell if i've already been somewhere (other than my own memory, which *is* pretty good for BotW locations because the geology is so realistic it feels like an actual landscape and sticks in my memory the same way) will be if i already killed off the enemies there.

* no guides run. at least until like 99% completion or so. i've been playing pokemon violet with a collectibles map constantly open, which is about the only way i can enjoy that game because the geology/geography is just impossible for me, and i have played BotW the same way on other saves, but... hyrule feels, idk, homey enough? it already lives in my bones enough that i can, and want to, run around it like a real place and get to know every corner. like i did with my childhood hometown, and have not had the spoons to do irl since. i'll definitely make a great deal of use of the sheikah sensor (i've done all shrines before -- on the switch lite, which is a *trip* for motion controls shrines) and any other detection things like the korok mask, any ingame method i'm granted to find the collectibles.

* no amiibo run? this is more practicality because i left my botw amiibos at leia's. but also they always feel a little game-breaky, not even so much with the exclusive drops as just with the extra resources you get early -- i don't even remember most of the places you can find safflina in the game, just because i always get so much from zelda amiibos if i'm scanning them daily, for instance.

i'm playing on my switch lite again because the regular size switch really kills my hands in handheld mode. my beat-the-game save is also on the switch lite and i didn't want to overwrite it so i made a secondary profile. so far i have done the magnesis shrine (failed deeply at using the metal boxes in the shrine to bop the guardian on the head, which will kill it if you do it right but you have to either use motion controls to fling it down or get the guardian to stand under the box while you drop it from a great height) and almost shot king rhoam for a squirrel because he was wandering around in the forest (as the old hermit, of course) and i didn't know he could spawn there if you dick around long enough before completing the plateau. so i'm already discovering things! ^_^

(the main issue with attempting a no blood moon run is that i am absent minded and usually fail to notice it's a blood moon night until it drops the cutscene on me. that will probably be the major obstacle there. i don't expect to run completely out of weapons -- at minimum i can always get more yiga gear, champion gear, and once i have the master sword it recharges. i've never attempted trial of the sword, idk if i will? certainly not until i'm much more confident with my combat techniques)

one of my favorite things about playing video games is that there's always an intended way for you to solve whatever puzzle is presented to you. in games where the intended way is the only possible way, i get pretty frustrated, because i do not have the 30+ years of gaming history knowledge that most games assume -- i got my first controller in 2021 (for PC, so as to decide if i even wanted to get my first console, the switch, which i also did in 2021). but botw is so committed to the open-world creativity thing that there are usually a bunch of different ways to solve the puzzles -- for instance, there are many "stand on this switch and the door opens, now find something to put on the switch and hold it down so you can go through the door" puzzles, and there's always something provided like a barrel or a chest to put on the switch, but on many of them you can also use the stasis rune or 1-3 campfires (which are weirdly heavy) to hold the switch down. so it feels... idk how to articulate this... when i know i *can* just use stasis or a campfire, it's more fun and less frustrating to try to figure out what the game devs were thinking, what the intended method is and especially how they signposted it. (i have watched so many botw streams just trying to get a feel for how the devs handle signposting, because i don't have much of that assumed gaming background -- mainly mass effect trilogy, which handled signposting and loot placement extremely differently in each game -- and i'm not naturally very observant. leia says i'm high INT/low WIS, and that definitely applies to my irl perception score too :P another reason to try for an all chests type of run. getting in the habit of Perceiving things more)

(mass effect 1 is why i even bought botw though. i absolutely love the open world aspects of dicking around on the uncharted planets, except when i trip over thresher maws, so i was like "people are calling this the best open world game ever? i will Investigate" and they were correct)

(also i am very impressed that moldugas are not thresher maws. so damn many things copy dune and have their desert sand burrowing giant enemy be sandworms, complete with the blue tongues, which i always think of as thresher maws because i encountered those way before dune. moldugas are completely unlike thresher maws except for the burrowing and popping up at you. i genuinely can't figure out if there's any rl critter they're supposed to resemble, but by god they're not fucking sandworms)

[aeinova]

welcome to novatober!

here is a timeline of events that will happen for nova as she turns 30. woohoo! don't worry, October will be a light month in terms of character development, especially because she will have a rough November and partially rough December due to the accident being heard in court.

for now though, have some breakdowns of two parties (one exclusive in the Hamptons, the other in Seoul).

#1: the Hamptons!

only a few select muses were invited to this one. if your muse did not receive an invite via Twitter DMS or isn't a plus one to those said muses, please skip ahead.

this party is directly inspired from the Ralph Lauren fashion show that happened a few weeks ago in the Hamptons. the theme for this party will essentially be Ralph Lauren, to match the pictures that exist already of Krystal:

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A post shared by KRYSTAL (@vousmevoyez)

so think what your muse would wear to something such as a Wimbledon match or a very chic fashion show. it will happen on Saturday, October 19 (EST because that is my current time zone). i will link a few instagram posts, and these are free to use for inspo or for your muse to post:

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A post shared by Ralph Lauren Home (@ralphlaurenhome)

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A post shared by Ralph Lauren Home (@ralphlaurenhome)

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A post shared by Polo Ralph Lauren (@poloralphlauren)

a general timeline:

• Arrival for muses: October 18 or October 19 in the morning.

• October 18 — Free day: Nova will be heading to NYC for shopping with any muses who would like to tag along. She will shop in the fashion district where ultimately she opts for the brown gown seen in the Ralph Lauren videos.

• October 19 — Party starts at 6pm EST: Arrivals for all muses. Cue an orchestra at arrival. A few celebrity NPCs will be there, such as the CEO of Ralph Lauren, Jessica, Aespa members, Models, Nova's team, etc. The party will include food and music. It's generally going to be quite entertaining.

• October 20 — Brunch @ Poolside. Let your muses enjoy the last bits of warmth the New York state can offer. The pool is heated, and so is the hot tub. The breakfast buffet is endlessly with tons of staff on hand.

• October 21 —. Departure. 🤍

accommodations:

your muse will have the option to either stay at the Jung's private residence in the Hamptons:

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A post shared by Goldbar Real Estate Coaching (@goldbar)

or, stay at their own choice of hotel/house. all expenses are paid by Nova's sponsors.

#2 The Four Seasons – Seoul!

this will be a general party for those who still want to celebrate Nova on the day of her birthday, October 24 @ 8pm korean time. this party will also have the same sort of theme, except imagine it as a full Itaewon club. the music will be blasting, there is VIP rooms and the booze is endless in the main ballroom of the Four Seasons:

https://www.fourseasons.com/seoul/meetings-and-events/function-rooms/third-floor/grand_ballroom/

i will let this party be something muses can freely plan and roleplay around a bit. you can have them be messy, go into VIP areas and do whatever they want, have them dance all night, let them have a really good time or a really bad time— up to you! drama is allowed.

at some point, everyone will sing happy birthday to Nova, so let that be something to include in any posts made.

andddd that's about it. it's supposed to really just show what kind of idea i have going on. if you have any questions, feel free to DM me!

[mil-doo]

The antifascism of surfboarding robots

Wow. Look mom, I’m blogging.

So I just need to type up my thoughts on my Eureka Seven rewatch before they’re totally diluted by my next here and gone hyper fixation.

The first time I watched E7 was in high school a redacted amount of time ago, but to give you an idea I watched a lot of it in parts with severe buffering. I loved it. I loved love then, I love love now. I also love big robots and had my mind pressed through an Evangelion shaped playdoh press at the age of 15 and I feel I have that to thank for me becoming a real person. But that’s a bit of a  tangent.

In my teens if I liked something, I mean if I really liked it, I’d rewatch it incessantly. SO I watched Eureka Seven over and over until my junior year of high school, around when I started getting a lot more self conscious about the art and entertainment I enjoyed.

Jump to today-ish and I’m right back where I started. I love Eureka Seven. I’ve gone through a bit of a light Gundam phase over the last year or so. Robots are in. Of course I was going to return to the surfing mech show.

The mech designs are great! They’re bulky, they’re colorful, they’re animated with an occasional expressiveness and when they explode they’re a bright powdery pink. What’s not to love. The palette of this show in general is lovely, it’s firmly set in an aesthetic that I find difficult to describe beyond the toy section of a mid aughts Discovery Channel store at your local mall.

More than the robots I was most captured by the character designs, the look of the landscapes and world, and the ship designs. I’m a sucker for flying wings and the ones here are Neat. The Gekko is also just such a wonderful ship design, inside and out, and I love that we get such a good feel for it as the show goes on.

It’s also impossible not to be grabbed by the politics of Eureka Seven and I’m kind of surprised I haven't read more about them elsewhere. Eureka Seven has one of the better portrayals of fascism and more importantly one of my favorite portrayals of antifascism I’ve seen in anything aimed at an all ages audience like this.

The show is deeply concerned with climate change and the ecosystem of the world at large, and in a way that goes much farther than just the comfort and survival of people. As a result our leader principle obsessed little freak, Dewey Novak, is a human supremacist driven by what he sees as the dignity of his species in the face of an environment that can’t support it unconditionally.

This feels incredibly prescient with the rise of eco-fascism and the increasingly inevitable rise of climate leviathan states (Joel Wainwright and Geoff Mann).

And thankfully none of this is to the exclusion of fascism’s violent cultural divisions. Being a show from 2005 produced by studio Bones, Eureka Seven is very much thinking about the United States’ wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and bombing campaigns across the globe. As a result the show demonstrates the process of alienating religious minorities and forcing them into violent acts of preservation that can be cleanly categorized by the state as terrorism.

It even shows how the decaying and ineffectual bureaucracy of the state can be consumed by the fascistic elements it had itself propagated and groomed in its own ranks for its benefit.

All of this resulting in a very holistic and digestible presentation of fascism in a show made for a younger audience.

We’ve talked about our fascism, let’s talk about our anti-fascism because it’s something I deeply appreciate in this show. For starters this it is unavoidably pro eco-terrorist. The Gekko and its flying circus of mechs is soaring across the globe being directly and lethally confrontational with the state and its destruction of the environment. And while the show does grapple with the human toll of these actions it’s never in a way that condemns those who fight the state in this fashion.

We have characters who share a conviction to safe guard the world that allows them to surf the waves they love without always sharing in the same tactics. Our romantic duo by the end of the show embrace a non lethal antifascism, destroying the tools of the state without destroying the bodies that composite it due to their discomfort with personally partaking in any greater violence than that. Meanwhile the crew of the Gekko continue to face the state head on with lethal means. By the end this is all done with a mutual respect and understanding.

It shows a multifaceted approach of antifascism as some characters only assist as medics, others in the capacity of artistry and journalism, and others still in a much more mundane logistical capacity. It shows a respect toward each individual’s unique toolset and the need for a great variety of hands working toward a kinder world.

All of this is steeped in the countercultural aesthetic of surfing and a deep love for music (and as a result we’re blessed with a unique and killer soundtrack). I really appreciate how Eureka Seven demonstrates what it’s for, what it loves, and what it wants far more than what it hates. It is a jubilant resistance.

To make a sharp turn back to our characters I couldn’t love the show without loving the relationship between Renton and Eureka. A relationship all about the powerful emotions of first love. It’s a romance that feels lived and earned. We start with one sided infatuation, with something that feels much bigger to our protagonist Retnon than it really is. And through the the course of their encounters we see the consequences of that culminating in a realization that what Renton has considered his love for Eureka was something that was initially selfish that resulted in convictions to protect her that she never asked for.

For a show made in 2005 it also nearly feels like it’s in conversation with the geek culture misogyny to fascist pipeline that blossomed in full in the 2010s.

After this realization, and as Eureka starts to understand her own feelings, we’re left with the development of a relationship that feels a lot more precious and tangible.

Okay, so it’s an abrupt close but I’ve talked enough. This was way more than what I originally intended to type. If you read all this, thank you. If you read some of this thank you but just not as much.

I think I plan on using this blog as a way to journal my thoughts about art I love as I find it or find it again. So maybe I’ll keep doing this blogging thing, who knows.

Anyway, thanks for being kind and get it by your hands 😌