#i mean i appreciate the new villains' introducting

[wegog]

Damn! Boruto's using Flying Thunder God Technique... So, it means he's taken almost all techniques from his relatives/ancestors.

They have given Hima only the Byakugan... Not surprised at all.

[harfanfare]

Hey! I really love your "how to win the heart of." Can you do one for Vil? If not that's totally fine I'm just curious.

How to win the heart of Vil Schoenheit?

Be a fan.

You like to think that the oldest memory you can recall is how you became Vil’s fan.

Until then, the recitals your school took you on were boring. Only in fifth grade, the teachers realise that, hm, maybe ancient plays might be a bit too much for those little brains, and in a spark of determination to change something, your class was taken to watch a staged version of a fairy tale, played by youngsters for youngsters.

The memory of Vil, the villain of the story, entering the scene is much more vivid. Even as a child, he was inarguably elegant and strikingly beautiful, it left you agape and your curious heart beating loudly in your chest.

“It’s better than having a completely fictional crush,” your classmate said after you confessed how much endeared you were by Vil and his acting. You listened as you typed a password to a newly-created Magicam account, solely for following him there. “There is a chance that you and him will be together.”

“A big chance?”

“Uh, like this?” She tries to show how big your chance is with her fingers. She wants to leave a gap between her fingers, but ultimately, they touch, and she puts her hands down. “I mean, we are almost the same age, so maybe you can go to the same high school as him? In a very long future…”

“I am not delusional…”

Nonetheless, the thought did make you hope.

After you reached the age of sixteen, the invitation came. For a whole year — since you saw Vil’s post on his new college choice — you’ve been pondering whether you’ve possessed enough magic talent to get into Night Raven College, the school of chosen. In good dreams, the Magic Mirror deemed your soul to be solely fit for Pomefiore. In nightmares, you were doomed to… well, any other dorm, if you were a student at NRC at all.

And maybe dreams really come true because the future you’ve anticipating has turned into a reality.

“Alright, is everyone from Pomefiore here?” Your heart stops when you hear that wonderful voice, this time not from your phone nor from 100 meters away from the speakers. You turn around, and there he is, Vil Schoenheit in all his glory stands and guides the students to the hall of mirrors. He looks like a portrait, and even if you saw his face thousands of times, the glint in his eyes redeems you speechless. “Congratulations, everyone. We will hold the welcoming introductions at our dorm. Follow me!”

Yes, Vil Schoenheit is your idol. And in the first seconds of meeting him, you were ready to follow him to the end of the world.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎

2. Get rejected. Have your heart broken.

“I apologize,” Vil says slowly, and you notice how his voice is a little monotonous. Just a bit, as if he had repeated these words countless times like the lines before a recital. “And while I wholeheartedly appreciate your feelings, [Name], I want to focus on my studies and career. It’s a bad time for me to think about dating. Nonetheless, thank you for being brave and sincere enough to tell me all of this.”

You nod. The pain in your chest gives you goosebumps. It makes your head spin so fast your legs feel unstable as if there is some shift in gravity. You bow with curtsy because every Pomefiore student should be able to do so elegantly even on a space station. “Thank you for listening to my confession.”

“Of course,” he says and looks down at the letter he got from you. It’s neat, somehow cute with how carefully his name is written on it. He holds it gently so as to not crinkle the delicate paper. “I will read the contents tonight.”

“Thank you. No need to write a response,” you force a little chuckle and excuse yourself. You will be overthinking how could you say something like that after you get over your stupid letter and even dumber confession.

Vil doesn’t say anything as you walk a little too fast to keep the step elegant. He sighs at this view and mindfully tucks your letter amid the pages of the book. Now’s the time for history class. He shouldn’t get distracted—

—and soon enough, you’re out of his mind.

That is until he reads your letter.

It's a beautifully crafted confession, put into elegant lettering and a pale pink envelope. It's sealed with red wax in the shape of a perfect heart; if you haven't used magic, it must've taken several evenings to get the precision you wanted.

You’re his fan. He knows it even if you hadn’t pointed it out; the well-tailored sentences betrayed your utter attention on him in the last several years. You’re his fan, but you don’t cheapen yourself. He is the idol you admire and love, but you don’t degrade yourself to a servant or a worshiper. And that is, unexpectedly, uncommon.

The letter is—also—a challenge to yourself. “If you were to reciprocate those feelings, I will prove myself worthy to stand by your side,” it reads.

He likes that letter. Once he finishes it, he skims over the text one last time and puts it between many other letters he has gotten. Between them, another envelope seems unremarkable, yet the words there…

Unforgotten.

He sighs. Maybe he will pay more attention to you from now on.

‏‏‎ ‎

3. Don’t remember all the etiquette rules.

“You wrote in your letter that I've inspired you to learn. Go on, then. Show me how motivated you are.”

So, now Vil bullies you over your letter.

He can’t be satisfied with your scarce etiquette knowledge—he wouldn’t be content if it was decent, as it would be a dishonour to Pomefiore—but amusement crinkles in his eyes at your utter confusion over the numerous forks, knives, spoons and glasses. They’ve been spread out in several rows and columns varying from the oyster forks to champagne flute.

You hesitate. Maybe you could point out which one is the butter knife or sugar spoon, but you never cared enough to discover which fickle knife is a fish knife. Should you be looking for the one with grooves or an extremely thin one? Would it hurt to use a normal knife to eat the salmon?

Oftentimes you’re thankful there is no awkward silence between you and Vil after your confession, but you can’t shake off the impression he’s been harder on you.

“On second thought, maybe I wasn't motivated enough to learn all the names of cutlery,” you say, not daring to try your luck in labelling each piece.

To your surprise, Vil smiles and uses a teasing tone that leaves you stunned and wide-eyed. “Is that so?”

You take a breath and huff, lowering your eyes. “Yes. The power of—,” unrequired, you bite your tongue on that bitter word, “—love ends here.”

Vil cracks another delighted smile. You start suspecting that someone drugged him with a smiling potion, as you should have received a severe scolding by now. You don’t have anything against the change, so the mention of Vil’s (relative) laid-backness goes unmentioned.

“I will have you seated next to me on tomorrow's dinner, so don't even think of slacking off,” he says, putting a hand on your lower back and gently pushing you towards the next table where the heavy textbooks look so very uninviting. “I won't have any student under my wing not know the basic etiquette. Especially if it’s my fan.”

‏‏‎ ‎

4. Have opinions and the courage to voice them.

Because standing for your own makes you flourish in your own colours and not blend into the monotony of the mainstream. Seek truth, good, and beauty and you will bestow the brilliance upon yourself.

‏‏‎

5. Try to have a healthy lifestyle.

You’ve never imagined Vil barging into your room with a tray of food. Why would he? But here you are, sitting in front of an aesthetically pleasing breakfast, mouth-watering pancakes with cream and a bit of honey, and the deep green shake in question that suits the colour palette but probably tastes awfully, like all good stuff packed with vitamins.

“You should never starve yourself if you want to live healthy.”

It’s hard to swallow anything as your dorm leader glares at you, but Vil refuses to leave you before he sees you eating the stuff he brought. You wondered if he prepared the breakfast himself. Probably not.

“No? I thought that keeping a diet is good.”

“If you are dieting you eat,” Vil hisses and sinks a little more into the couch. He brings a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose as if he suddenly got struck with a headache. “Oh, heavens. What am I going to do with you?”

“Maybe—”

“Quiet,” it apparently was a rhetorical question. Maybe Vil would be mad at any answer from you as he considers you a fool. He waits until you take another bite of the pancake. “A dinner break will be in two hours, and I expect you to be there.”

“I think I will still be full by that time,” you admit, glancing at a pancake and a half. “These pancakes are savoury but so very filling.”

“Savor them as much as you like,” Vil says somewhat proudly. …Maybe he did make those pancakes? No. He wouldn’t bother this much. The satisfied note in his voice makes you ponder nonetheless. “But you have no excuse for yourself not to sit with us on the meals. Also—”

His gaze grows unexpectedly impish as his eye catches something.

“I will reeducate you on the topic of a healthy lifestyle,” he glances at the bowl of bland lettuce you prepared for yourself. He smiles, either in amusement or light pity. “It should have a little more… spice.”

‏‏‎ ‎

6. Take an interest in high culture.

“It feels like the hellish lessons of Heartslabyul…”

“The Queens’ 810 rules?” Vil’s smile is lopsided and his eyes render into a knowing look once they meet your gaze. “They are nothing compared to a number of customs in etiquette.”

You take a turn. The classes for today might have ended, but if hearing all that useful stuff meant you would walk with Vil back to Pomefiore, you could bear another few minutes of a lecture. You know that everything he tells you about, he already mastered. He wouldn’t teach you anything half-heartily.

“The etiquette of speaking, the dress code, the knowledge of dinner manners (well, you’ve mastered some part of it already, with the cutlery lessons), the control of body language, the indication of voice, the honorifics, the art of writing letters and emails… You don’t want me to list all of the things I expect from you?”

You would like to, because Vil’s voice is beautiful, but the student part of you takes over control and shakes your head. Just like Riddle, who has a reputation for demanding impossible care and inquiring rules, your dorm leader is not much better — maybe even worse, because while Heartslabyul has to oblige the absurd in chosen hours or circumstances, you are on your toes in every moment.

“So much to master in just four years in the NRC…”

“It’s a lot,” Vil says, and he’s the only person you would doubt if he speaks the truth in that matter. Especially if through your walk his strides seemed perfectly calculated and hand gestures finely planned. “But if you put a mind and heart into it, you will learn all of this in no time.”

You hum. It’s hard to think of having any more motivation than from where you were a zealous Vil fan.

You ask (ponder) and he delivers.

“Actually, I have an offer: if you’ll learn it all in ahead of time, I will teach you a dating etiquette.”

…

What?

“…Dating etiquette?!” You shriek so loudly, that several students turn their heads. You cover your mouth as if it would do something, and ignoring Vil’s delighted gaze, and lower your voice to a whisper. “There is such a thing?”

“Of course. Who should invite who on the first date and where, what gifts can you give and what can you accept, and how to behave with your loved one, like,” he pauses a little, and you almost know he bites the sides of his cheeks to contain himself from smiling, “How to kiss someone in particular situations.”

You want to die. How else should you react? How can he tease you so much when he rejects you? (Not like you were expecting much at the time, yet…)

“There is no kissing etiquette. You tease me…”

“Just a little,” Vil laughs, and you slowly relax. “But take my proposal seriously. If I can give you another motivation to engage in your studies, then I will by all means do so.”

‏‏‎ ‎

7. Get an access to his private Magicam account.

“Do you have Magicam? If you want to, you can add me.”

Vil asks the question. He should have chastised you for mindlessly scrolling through social media because you can probably put your mind and hands to better use. The casual tone surprises you, but the inquiry gets you defensive as if it questioned you being Vil’s fan.

“I’ve already been following you for years,” you declare and pull up your phone.

Before you get to his profile, Vil sighs.

“Not the promotional account,” he says. “Mine.”

You frown. Many times you’ve seen Vil posting the photos on the “promotional account” with his personal thoughts. Maybe because you've been blinded by the elegance and harmony of every post, the idea that he would operate the Magicam profile solely for business purposes has never occurred to you.

“You have another account?” You ask, flabbergasted.

Vil rolls his eyes at the surprise in your tone and sits next to you. Your phone beeps as you get a notification about a new user following you. In a heartbeat, you follow the account back. You almost gape at the pictures there; they are beautiful, elegant, and all in Vil’s manner, but he looks like… a common student. Not ethereally, not otherworldly, but still enchantingly.

“It’s a private profile, so I ask you for discretion. I would like to keep this one for my close friends and family,” Vil says, and you hastily nod, your heartbeat sounding like a drumbeat in your ears. Having access to his personal account felt… personal, ironically.

I would like to keep this one for my close friends — he said that, didn’t he? Does he consider you a close friend?

That’s more than you ever imagined.

And yet you dare to dream for more.

You pull your phone close to your chest. “I feel honoured.”

Vil smiles at the statement. “Of course. As you should.”

‏‏‎ ‎

8. Let yourself be pampered.

“Don’t move,” Vil asks for impossible because you want to bolt as he leans to you once again and only the glare he staggers you with as you push away the urge to close your eyes. You hope the foundation is thick enough to cover a blush that creeps on your face. “You will ruin my work.”

You give up and glance down, earning another heavy sigh from your superior.

“Maybe I should finish the eye makeup myself?” You offer. “I am unused to anyone doing my makeup, so it’s hard not to flinch.”

Your good intentions get ruined as the question aggravates Vil even more because he frowns at you. Staying put and keeping quiet about that whole ordeal would seem like a lovely idea, you question whether your heart could manage another hour in this setup.

“Don’t be absurd,” he says. “We need to handle your sensitivity to the touch or you will struggle in the future if you decide to be a model.”

“I am not—”

“Stop.”

“I—”

“Silence. Be quiet, potato,” he presses his finger to your lips to seal them shut. You feel something sticky, and as his finger traces your lips, you realize it’s the lip gloss, and it’s a very good-smelling one like a strawberry; you didn’t expect something so sweet-tasting to be in Vil’s liked products. “You are under my care now. It also brings me satisfaction to see my skills used on someone.”

“Vil—”

“Shut up,” it’s hard to get offended at him, as he uses such a gentle tone. He takes a good look at your lips and as he glances up at you, probably to see if the colours of the whole makeup are consistent, your mouth goes dry. “Before I tell you to do so, don’t speak. You will mess up with the lip gloss and it’s… difficult to apply one on you.”

What? It’s difficult to apply the lipgloss on you?

Alright**,** you nod, pondering if the lip makeup is really that difficult. Do you have an unusual shape of lips (it’s probably not that?), or is this balm so hard to spread? You sit still, as Vil moves closer to you.

Yeah, except for the touch you need a way to ignore the beating of your heart.

‏‏‎ ‎

9. Move on from your heartbreak.

“Would you like to go out with me today?”

A kind smile convinced you to agree, although you barely recognize the name of the boy standing in front of you. His voice was hopeful, and you were reminded of the time you bore the same expectant expression.

You had no heart to let it fall, not right now, not so quickly, so you paint a delighted smile over your face. “Thank you. I would love to.”

…

You should’ve done this a long time ago.

For the sake of your friendship with Vil, you decide to stop hoping that the man of your dreams might change his mind after getting to know you better. He found a friend in you, and you would hate to disappoint him with your longing for him.

So, you should distract yourself from him and fall in love with someone else.

Today’s date will be a perfect opportunity.

You dress quite stylishly, not enough to steal all the attention, but enough to impress your date. You put more effort into the makeup this evening and spend some time picking the most fitting jewellery. The perfume you picked is subtle but alluring and chic, an excellent concoction, but you could’ve expected nothing less from Vil’s recommendation.

…It feels kind of wrong to use everything he taught you to prepare for a date, but you would’ve used this knowledge one day either way, no? It’s not like he is your first… and last love.

“I heard a boy from Scarabia have confessed to you,” the familiar voice you love but don’t want to hear like now spooks you. Vil leans on your door frame, and you wonder how much he has stayed here.

“I just agreed on a date,” you say, standing up and adjusting the folds of your outfit. You look him in the eye. “How do I look?”

Vil snorts, and his lips stretch into a mean, devilish smile. “Are you expecting an approving comment from me?”

Asking the fashion icon to rate your outfit might’ve been a wrong move. You shake your head.

“Nevermind. He’ll have to deal with however I am if he doesn’t want me to be late,” after glancing the last time into the mirror and receiving a smile from your reflection, you pick up your phone. “Well then. I shall get going.”

Vil is still, as if he hasn’t been blocking the exit or as if he wanted to keep you here. You would have loved for him to stop you here. It’s hard to stop the disappointment from flooding over your composure when Vil moves away.

“Alright. Your look is satisfactory so that Scarabia boy better be grateful for being able to go out with you,” he says something ambiguous again, and you feel bad for your date who will have to deal with such a lovesick fool as you. “Enjoy your date.”

The pang of pain pierces your heart. You smile slowly and leave the room.

The heartbreak better goes away as soon as possible, or you’ll go crazy if the thought of dating anyone else hurts that much.

‏‏‎ ‎

10. Look kissable.

“You’re late.”

Maybe you are, but you haven’t been expecting Vil waiting for you. He sits on a sofa, a book is in his hand and the tea that was served in front of him looks cold. You can guess he’s been sitting here for a while.

“How did it go?”

“It went well, I think,” you say. The date went well. Yet, you couldn’t have enjoyed it. The throbbing pain in your heart strained each of your smiles, and it surged when the Scarabian student started to be flirty. You felt as if you were cheating. “He is a kind guy. He has some hobbies and is quite charismatic, so… He’s alright.”

Vil hums. “Will you settle on ‘alright’?”

You stare at him wide-eyed, but he doesn’t look bothered at all. He didn’t lift his gaze from his book, and his tone was nonchalant, so he almost seemed not interested. He was. He is because Vil never asks the question to whose answers he doesn’t want to hear.

“Pardon?”

He spares you a glance.

“I thought your resolution was stronger. What happened to the person who confessed to me and was so willing to determine their worth to me?”

“Are you jealous?”

“I am furious,” he lifts from the sofa, the book forgotten. The air around suddenly grows warmer, and the shiver you didn’t mind that much runs down your spine. Vil’s strides are slower than usual, creating an imposing image of himself before he stands just before you. “If you want to set the bar so low, go on. But let me give you a taste of ambition.”

He twists his head so his eyes meet directly yours. He doesn’t touch you — not yet — but you can feel a warm breath on your cheek, and the scent of his light perfume envelops you. You have the urge to move away and cling to him at the same time. They balance, and you stay still.

A taste…

Vil puts a hand on your cheek. The gesture is much softer and more benevolent than when he was putting makeup on you. His eyes lock with yours, your heart stops, and then they drop to your lips. He moves a thumb over them.

And he kisses you.

In your dreams, you had him kiss your hand, the top of your head. The corner of your mouth. In your boldest wishes, you wanted him to kiss you like that, so lovingly, with so much care. It makes you want to push away for more air, but it makes you worry Vil will disappear if you break the kiss, as all the dreams shatter upon the morning.

He moves away, not breathless, yet not unaffected either. His cheeks burn slowly into a red shade, and his eyes look somehow glassy. “I told you, I will give you just a taste.”

How disappointing.

Before you can say something, he pushes a letter between your fingers. Its envelope matches the one you gave him several months ago. “Read it. I want an answer by midnight.”

The big clock on the wall shows you have over three hours. So much time, and you already know the answer. “You will wait this long?”

“I am giving you a chance and hope,” he says with a subtle smile. The blush on his face makes him more beautiful than you’ve ever seen him. “It’s my duty of your idol to do so.”

[hestzhyen]

Chapter 55 Stress Posting

Greetings, dear void. It is time... FOR A HAKURI PoV CHAPTER! And more JP-EN yapping from me than usual because honestly, this chapter was cool, but it was mostly set-up for whatever's going to happen next week. There's not much to muse on without trending towards pure speculation rather fast. Plus I finally got access to the JP version so I've been despairing at how far I have to go to actually learn the damn language...

But hey! Another color page next week! Hokazono-sensei's really suffering from success isn't he? Kagurabachi's getting the top-tier marketing push now that it managed to get over 1M copies in circulation with only 4 volumes out. Maybe we'll start to see the same level of CPs as Akane Banashi soon!

Samura and the Makizumi

Who the hell are you?

Does whatever he's got going on explain the female bearer's super young appearance...? The EN TL leaves it vague here, but JP is pretty specific that his body is that of a child but he isn't one in truth.

Why the adult in a child's body thing at all though? Why mimic Samura like that too? And why are we getting that packaged with a lazy-yet-competent commander archetype? Something about the combination of traits for this character just rubs me the wrong way. The cognitive dissonance worked -I'm interested in him and his situation- but it's unpleasant to deal with. This introduction felt unexpected in a bad way. I bet I'll be a minority on that though so I'll keep my rubbish opinions about him to myself. Maybe.

I have a theory on why Mini Samura is copying our favourite blind fighter guy at least. The official name for the squad in Japanese is 神奈備御庭番-座村親衛隊 [Kamunabi oniwa-ban - Samura shineitai]. The professional EN TL will parse all that much better than I can, but I just want to point out something fun. The last word (親衛隊) means "elite guards"/"bodyguards". Most of the time. It can also mean "groupies" or "ardent fans". So take that and stuff it in your back pocket in case the squad doesn't job here.

Anyway, this chapter is why we met the Makizumi [巻墨] a few weeks ago in chapter 50. Yes, it's the same kanji as "Masumi" that they were introduced as. I'm not sure why since my Japanese is, uh, not great. But it's not an EN translation error. The original JP indicates that Uruha says ますみ [masumi] in Ch. 50 via the Ruby next to the kanji. This time, however, the Ruby over their name in the spread says まきずみ [makizumi]. At least it's not truly a new name I suppose? The meaning -Rolled Ink- stays the same regardless.

At any rate, these guys are definitely all going to live and fight another day. Because named teams full of elite personnel formed for a specific purpose have great survival and success rates in this series. Yup. (Maybe being ninja will make the difference? Somehow???)

Who trained these guys, I wonder... Samura's hella scary for an "assistant master".

Samura getting annoyed that his disciple joined the fight...! It's sweet of him to care and still treat Uruha like an apprentice in some ways. They're both war veterans who have seen and experienced too much, but some dynamics don't change with the passing of time.

I appreciate that the villains and their tactics are well-thought out. Adjusting to fight a blind man with super senses isn't done as well as one would like in many series, sadly. They often get to style all over their enemies because they're underestimated, then are treated like a sighted person with a gimmick thereafter. But the Hishaku ain't about that and have actively planned against him by scrambling his smell and hearing while also sending Mr. Hatshaku and his undetectable trees. Very smart on Hokazono-sensei's part!

This is just so awesome! The spreads of Chihiro and Hiyuki meeting and parting again in ch. 29 are two of my absolute favourites in the series so far, so to see it again (kinda) makes me happy.

Samura cut part of Uruha's topknot here. He played it that close, huh. It's pretty cool that Samura has a wild fighting style that his allies have to adjust around. Normally blind fighters are super precise but Samura's just slicing and dicing anything that's living and ready to kill! But if you're that good then I guess it's worth training a few people to be able to compliment your moveset so they can safely support you.

Samura and Uruha aren't in perfect sync, and Uruha's still willing to take risks and throw himself into danger. But he's more than capable of being an asset in this fight without guaranteeing he'll become a burden later (unlike a certain someone...).

Uh Oh

He's so cute with his big ol' eyes and pensive expression.

Did Chihiro whip out his phone while keeping Hiruhiko pinned to the seat with his foot!? Anyway, this is only the second time in the series where he hasn't appeared in even a single panel. So we get to spend a whole chapter getting exposition via Hakuri!

I'm gonna take some time to yap about him because it's been nearly three weeks since he showed up a lot and I missed him terribly.

Stop, stop, STOP!!

Note: Hakuri's line in the panel before (...俺だけじゃないか" ["I'm the only one."]) doesn't directly match up to Kyora's final line from Ch. 43 (私だけだ... 私だけが全うできなかった ["I'm the only one... who failed to fulfill my duty."]), so it's not a direct reference even if the TL makes it seem like one. Hakuri's sentiment is different- his is "I can't be the only one" vs. Kyora's "I'm actually the only one". There are just a lot of characters who are convicted in their beliefs in this manga!

So much for getting to recover in 30 minutes, I guess.

Really cool that we see the mask "assembling"! It's only been shown intact when he activates the storehouse sorcery up to this point. So it's a neat visual representation of his resolve coming together during the time crunch as well. Hakuri is nothing if not dedicated to hurting and throwing himself into danger for the sake of others. Even after Healer Lady set up a flag for him to become useless or worse if he does so here. Oh, Hakuri...

He's helping Chihiro because he wants to make the world a safer place. Plus his whole thing after Ice Lady is that he'll "never let a life slip through [his] hands again". It's exceptionally noble and heroic of him! But is it worth potentially derailing the plans via brain damage or permanent ability loss?

Hakuri's not gonna die, obviously. I'm also 50/50 on him losing access to his sorcery at all, much less permanently. But something's going to get fucked up here and it'll probably be his fault. Again. He's gotta learn how to value himself the hard way, apparently. All we can do is wait to see what price will be paid for Hakuri's reckless disregard for his own well-being. (I'm not sure how I feel about this, but what if Hakuri gets Healer Lady killed? He could go 2/2 on women who were kind to him dying because of his actions right in front of him. Man that would suck.)

This is looking to be like one of the developments I was hoping for at the end of the Rakuzaichi arc. Hakuri does NOT chill when it comes to saving lives. Being borderline suicidal about this is his way of atoning for his and his family's sins, in my mind. But is it better to risk your life every time, or let people get hurt -possibly die- to keep doing greater good in the long-run? It's a common question raised in super hero comics, and I hope we get to see it explored with Hakuri (and Uruha) here. I'm really interested in what Hokazono-sensei has to say about it and the dissonance it would cause in Hakuri's character.

Arc Soothsaying

This is just a supposition, and I've been wrong so many times that I'm kind of hesitant to put this out there, but here goes. I know I can be as cringey as I like in your ambivalent embrace, kind void.

I think... I think... Hakuri's growth this arc will be specifically learning to value himself enough that he's able to act against his ideals.

Recall how Hakuri was the one to point out that Uruha knew the value of his life in Chapter 48 when he would have charged right in. And now he's with Samura, the guy who fights and kills to preserve himself despite it going against his Buddhist beliefs. Hakuri's constantly pushing himself to the limit, refusing to let other people get hurt for his sake. He won't let himself be the only one risking his life even if there's no strategic value for him to act- even if it would most helpful for everyone if he ran to safety. So I think he's going to have to put saving his own life above anything else later this arc and it's going to be terrible for him.

It would compliment the theme of negative self-image that's been set up with Chihiro too. They're both heroic, though it usually comes across in completely opposite ways (Chihiro's in his villain era right now, for one). And both of them have a lot of work to do when it comes to learning how to love themselves. Hakuri to understand his own "value", Chihiro to understand he's not a monster.

Learning more about the Bearers, Kunishige, and what happened in the Seitei war will almost certainly help Chihiro to realize he really isn't so different from the heroes he idolizes. As for Hakuri, it's hard to say right now. Uruha's going to be important to his growth I'm fairly certain. But we haven't even met all the Bearers yet so I don't want to start thinking in absolutes about who will help who and in what way.

We also have to wait and see what becomes of Hiruhiko after this encounter. He's obviously meant to be a counter to both Hakuri and Chihiro; how that manifests, exactly, is something I'm looking forward to seeing. It'll give more insight on how we can expect them to develop. Chihiro and Hiruhiko are pretty blatant right now with their outlook on what it means to kill and such, and there's set up for Hiruhiko to clash with Hakuri over what it means to be an equal and a friend.

For Chihiro and Hakuri... too early to say. Need to see what happens at Senkutsuji. My instincts are saying a rift of some kind will form between them over killing, equality, and/or their self-sacrificing tendencies but I'm always wrong, so. Just waiting and watching on that for now.

Anyway. Thanks as always, void. Here's hoping our boys don't have to suffer too much in the coming weeks/months. Except Hiruhiko. He can suffer enough for all of them.

[oliverdeend]

Introduction!

I’m Oliver and I’m a 19 year old hobby artist from Germany ☺️

This is my first time being active active on here, soo.. I’m still new to this 🫶🏻

I’m autistic and I may have spelling mistakes because I’m dyslexic and I’m not a native English speaker (please don’t be mean if I write something wrong🥲🙏🏻)

This is a tickle blog and I thought I’ll post the stuff i usually post on instagram here too! (Most of them have bad quality because I deleted the original pictures, but from now on I’ll make sure they’re in good quality😅)

I think it’s also important to mention that I don’t do commissions or anything because I’m a very slow drawer who takes lots of monthly breaks 😵‍💫 (but you can always ask/ DM me and I’m always reading asks/ DM’s ☺️ and if you’re lucky I might just draw you something if life isn’t too consuming and you’re not a demanding jerk entitled to my time)

(Help on how to do things/ run a blog and things I can do better is appreciated🙏🏻🩷)

Fandom list under the cut!

DC villains and Heroes

Tabaluga

Marvel (x-men too)

Slashers Movies

Disney Villains (maybe heroes too depending on who)

Adventure Time

Transformers (hopefully I’ll manage to get the details 🥲)

Sh-Ra (on Netflix) / He-Man

Stop motion Movies/ Short Movies (a Mister Brothers Christmas, Peter cottontail, Wendel & Wild, etc..)

Ben 10 (and everything else that belongs to the franchise)

The Octonauts

Hilda (on Netflix)

Hazbin Hotel/ Helluva Boss

The little Prince

The Sandman (on Netflix)

9 (the movie from 2005 with the little “dolls”)

Star Wars the Clone Wars

School for Vampires

The amazing digital Circus

Anime⬇️

Welcome to demon school! Irim-kun

Assassination classroom

Seven deadly sins

Overlord

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle

One Piece

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts

I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss

Ancient Magus Bride

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Reborn as a Vending Machine, Now I Wander the Dungeon

Delicious in Dungeon

Dragonball Z (idk about completely all of it but I’ll try my best)

Comics/ Manga/ Stories⬇️

Siúil, a Rún - The Girl from the Other Side

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife

The Property of Hate

Vast Unknown

Creepypasta And SCP (not all of them but some)

Video Games

Dead by Daylight

Poppy Playtime

FNAF (again idk much about the new stuff but I’ll try)

Undertale (maybe Deltarune too but i don’t know much about it)

Backrooms

Lethal Company

Fran Bow

Little Misfortune

Night in the woods

I’m pretty sure I forgot some but this is all for now 😋

You can always ask for a Fandom even if it isn’t on the list, I’ll let you know if I’ll be doing it (and hey, maybe the new fandom even lands on the list if I like it :)

Side note: these are the ones I’ll be drawing or Writing for, not all I know. I know plenty more wich I just didn’t want to include because they’re too hard to draw or just not my cup of tea

[fortune-fool02]

The Way It Has To Be

Miguel O'Hara x Villain female reader

Summary: He's reminiscing once again and wonders why canon can be cruel.

Warning: Spoilers for Miguel's past, angst. Use of both the movie and comics. Light mentions of body-horror and insects -mostly centipede- Blood.

Word count: 1,603 words

Thank you for taking the time to read this! Please leave feedback/comment and reblog as I really appreciate it. Thank you. Also, if you guys want, I am up for writing a second part of this?

Please enjoy.

Over the time he had spent watching over the multiverse, Miguel had seen many things, many tragedies and hardships that all of them must endure to continue on their own stories and their own universes.

It was part of being Spider-Man. It was their 'curse' in a way. The canon events were moments that had to happen, something decided long before they were event born, carved out just for them; and it would not be denied of those events.

Miguel stared at the screen in front of him, unable to help himself, he knew this wasn't going to solve anything but he had to watch it again. His fingertips lightly brushed over the keys before he typed in a name and began to scroll through the different events like flicking through chapters of a book. A book that he had helped to construct and compose.

The warm hue of the amber glow painted his face as he stared at the screen in front of him, then pressed play.

He was standing beside a young woman, a look of concentration on his face as he examined a sample of blood under the microscope. His hair swept out of his face a little, faint clicking heard as he gently adjusted the magnification to get a more clear image through it. The cells seemed to be reacting to the introduction of the new drug, and for the moment, held stable. Hope flickered inside him as he watched, mentally counting the seconds before that hope was snuffed out as the cells began to try to reject the drug, and soon decomposed. Another failed attempt.

"Maldita sea." He cursed, leaning away from the microscope and running a hand through his hair with a low, heavy sigh. [Name] looked at him, sympathy painting her face as she rose her hand up and gently patted his back.

"Hey, it's alright, Miguel. We'll get there, okay?" She tried to encourage him. This project was one they had both been assigned for, and had a bit riding on this. Alchemax always demanded the best with no exceptions. They wanted this drug ready as soon as possible, no matter what. [Name] picked up the clipboard and recorded down the results before adding on a possible solution.

Miguel looked at her for the moment, a light smile on his lips. Even when pressed with failure after failure, she always found a way to look for the brighter side of things, to find a solution to the problem and gain the results they seek. She always tried to find light. [Name] often stood there with Miguel, offering her torch to keep him from being consumed by his troubles, and she didn't mind at all. Someone to help keep his head above the water, to lean on for comfort.

"Okay, let's see." [Name] spoke softly, glancing up at Miguel and showed him the structure of the idea. That soft smile of hers that radiated possibility and hope.

The video ended there. The last frame frozen on her sweet smile as she looked up at Miguel. He let it linger for a moment before moving onto the next moment.

"What do you mean you're off the project?" Disbelief dripped off Miguel's voice as he stood there, his expression contorted with shock as he watched [Name] poured herself a cup of coffee. Despite her, seemingly, calm expression, Miguel saw the way she gripped the cup's handle. The light tremble as she poured the hot liquid into it.

"That's exactly what I said to Stones. Apparently, he thinks my skills can be put to use elsewhere." She said, bitterness chewing away at her. She had spent so long ironing out this project and they were so close to a breakthrough only for that bastard she called a boss to kick her off. "I then told him that he can shove his pen up where the sun doesn't shine." The empty cups shook a little as she slammed the coffee jug back onto the counter a little harder than intended before bringing her hand to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose and breathing deeply to calm herself. Both her and Miguel worked on this project together, they worked so harmoniously with little issue. But their boss didn't see it as such.

A soft frown tugged Miguel's lips at this and he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her to pull her into a comforting embrace. "Va a estar bien." He softly whispered against her, his hand moving in steady, slow circles on her back as she leaned into his warmth. The light tremble in her shoulders grew as a faint dampness did on his chest from her. If her face was not pressed against his chest, he would have noted the look in her eyes as the tears fell. It wasn't sorrow.

His hand hesitated lightly as it hovered over the next video. Something cold gnawing away at him. He was fully aware of the next video, but he couldn't stop now.

Something was off. Miguel could feel it. [Name] had been acting distant since she was cut off from the project, occupied with her own little thing that she refused to share the details of with Miguel. But it wasn't just that. Chemicals were going missing. Samples vanishing from their secured containers. And she would not stop fussing over the centipedes. They were a branch of the department that studied them and she had taken quite an interest in them. The few times that Miguel actually saw her out of work, she would look exhausted, worn down to the bone. More so than when she had been working with him.

"Don't worry about me, Miguel. I've got it all sorted." [Name] would always tell him with a smile. But it was always strained, lacking that sweetness to it. Now, he was worried.

An alarm had been triggered Alchemax and he was the first on the scene as Spiderman. There was blood splattered along the once white corridors, smears running all the way along the ceiling as if the workers had been dragged along it. Their bodies torn apart, mangled piles of flesh and bone that it was close to impossible to identify them. The people he worked with. Colleagues of his. He followed the trail, avoiding disturbing the bodies, and soon reached the source. There was shouting in one of the larger observation rooms, a bloodied handprint on the glass of the door.

[Name] turned her head towards the sound of the doors opening, her eyes blinking in surprise. "Spiderman? I wasn't expecting you to get here so quickly." Miguel took one look at her and felt dread claw inside him but he kept his voice steady. Her hands, her body, covered in blood that didn't belong to her. Something close to claws emerging from her nails and something about her stance seemed off. Like she was struggling to remain still. Twitching.

Stones laid at her feet, still alive, with her foot on his chest. "Miss [Surname], back away from him now." Miguel ordered. She was his friend, someone he cared about, but he didn't want to do this. He didn't want to have to arrest her. He prayed she wouldn't make this more harder than it had to be. Her eyes narrowed lightly, something flickered across them that he didn't like.

"You don't get it. This bastard worked me to the bone for so long, he pushed me down at every chance he got, and then he stole my work after kicking me off my own damn project!" Her foot pressed harder onto his chest, earning a crack from the bones and a pained cry from him. That anger he caught a mere glimpse of in the break-room all those weeks ago was equivalent to a forest fire, and she was going to ensure innocent people got burnt. "Never good enough for it. Never good enough for anything! So I proved him fucking wrong! I proved him that I am stronger than him!"

Her bones cracked sharply, a light groan slipping her lips as she hunched over, her arms wrapped around her abdomen. "I am capable of great things, I know I am. You never gave me the chance. Now, I'll fucking show you how strong I am!" Before Miguel could do anything, he watched as [Name] threw her head back, letting out a pained scream. Two large appendages burst forth from her back, layered with pointed spikes along the edges of them, blood splattered around, dripping off them as they coiled and thrashed about. Flesh crawled up along them, forming along the appendages until they finally stopped growing, now trailing behind her like a twisted cloak. Her jaw unhinged, her fangs elongating as her lower jaw split open, developing into mandibles before she finally turned back towards him.

Her eyes completely blacked out, showing no sign of the sweet, compassionate woman he once knew. How could this happen to her? How could she willingly do this to herself?

The video stopped just as [Name] had turned to lunge at him. Miguel staring at the frozen image of [Name]'s twisted form and that pain he felt that day still present. He couldn't bring himself to watch their fight again. To relive that pain. He didn't stop her that day, and, in truth, he didn't even know where she was anymore. A part of him hoped that there was a chance that she could still be saved, still be redeemed. Being Spiderman was a sacrifice, he knew that. But it didn't mean he liked it.

[amayaonly1]

Verses Unwritten: A Rap Odyssey

Eminem x Rapper!OC

Verse 6

About: Eminem steps back into the spotlight after years away, bringing raw honesty and unmatched charisma to the stage of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Through candid banter, a dive into the making of his album Relapse, and teasing a potential collaboration with Genji, the rap icon reveals the layers of his artistry and resilience.

"Verses Unwritten: A Rap Odyssey" Chapter List: Verse 1 | Verse 2 | Verse 3 | Verse 4 | Verse 5 | Verse 6 | Verse 7

Disclaimer: This work is a work of fiction, and any involvement of the character Genji is purely fictional and not representative of any real person.

The studio lights dimmed momentarily, casting a soft glow as the band wrapped up their smooth, jazzy rendition of "Crack a Bottle". The audience buzzed in anticipation. Craig Ferguson strode to his desk with his usual infectious energy, ready to introduce his next guest.

"Alright, folks," he began, his signature Scottish brogue rolling off his tongue. "My next guest hardly needs an introduction, but I'm gonna give him one anyway. He's the best-selling rapper of all time, a lyrical genius with a knack for controversy, and a man who's made a career out of turning pain into platinum hits. After a five-year hiatus, he's back and rawer than ever with his new album Relapse. Please welcome the one, the only… Eminem!"

The entire crowd were instantly on their feet and applauded loudly, some even screaming in excitement. Eminem emerged from backstage, cool and collected in his sleek black hoodie and jeans. His neutral expression made it clear he was still the enigmatic figure his fans adored. He gave the crowd a brief nod before approaching the desk. Craig stood to greet him, offering a firm handshake and a knowing smile.

"Welcome, welcome" Craig said warmly, gesturing toward the couch. "Have a seat. Should I call you Eminem or Slim Shady? Or Marshall? You've got more aliases than a Bond villain!"

Eminem looked at the audience, who was still buzzing, before taking his seat on the couch with a casual ease. His posture was slightly hunched, his arms resting loosely on his knees. He shot Craig a look and replied, "You can call me whatever you want, man. I mean, they're all just different sides of the same guy, right? But, Eminem works just fine for now."

"Alright, Eminem it is, then," the talk show host said, settling back into his chair with a grin. "Can't have too many names flying around, or we'll need a name tag." The audience laughed, and Craig waited for the room to settle before continuing. "So, let's start with the obvious question: How does it feel to be back? I mean, it's been five years! And now you're back with a new album."

"It feels good, man," he replied, his tone calm and measured. "Real good. It's been a minute, but sometimes you gotta step back, clear your head, and get right before you come back. I had a lot I needed to get out, so it feels like the right time."

Craig nodded thoughtfully, clearly appreciating the weight of those words. "Well, it sounds like you've been doing some serious soul-searching, huh? I like the 'getting right before you come back' approach. You're like a superhero who went off to recharge his powers, and now you're back to save the world — or, y'know, just make awesome music." The crowd laughed and applauded.

Eminem smirked, his eyes glinting slightly. "Yeah, well, if I'm a superhero, I'd be the kind who's got way too much baggage and a knack for making things messier than they should be. But, y'know, it is what it is. Gotta clear your head and let the dust settle before you go save the day."

Craig leaned forward, his expression softening. "It's no secret you've been through a lot: addiction, recovery, loss. But this album — it's raw. Like, unapologetically raw. Was that intentional? You didn't exactly hold back, did you?"

The rapper's gaze dropped for a moment, as if contemplating the weight of his own words. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet but resolute. "Yeah, it was intentional. When I was making Relapse, I didn't wanna sugarcoat anything. I went through a lot, and I had to face it all. The album's pretty much me being as honest as I could be, even if it's uncomfortable. It wasn't about trying to make something 'radio-friendly'. It's just… what came out when I was in that headspace."

Craig studied him for a moment, the usual cheeky humour fading as he recognised the depth of what Eminem was saying. "And does it help? Putting it all into music?"

The latter nodded slightly, his eyes distant for a moment. "Yeah, it helps. It's like therapy. When I put it in a song, it doesn't feel like it's weighing me down anymore. Once it's out there, it's not sitting inside my head, y'know I'm saying? It doesn't fix everything, but it helps."

Craig sat back in his chair, the moment heavy with understanding. After a pause, he broke the silence with a change of pace. "Let's talk about one of your singles — 'We Made You'. It's catchy, funny, and sharp... classic Eminem, right? But it's also got this funky, almost theatrical vibe to it. Like you're having a lot of fun with it. Was that your intention? I mean, you're poking fun at pop culture, but there's this whole… vibe going on, y'know?"

Eminem allowed a small smile, just a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Yeah, that was the point. I wanted to make something catchy, something people would have fun with. But it's still me poking fun at the craziness of the industry and pop culture. I can get pretty serious in my music, but sometimes I just wanna mess around a bit, make people laugh, and keep it light."

The talk show host raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the banter. "You know, I was jamming to it the other day, and I noticed something… there's this little touch, like a layer of mischief in the background. Almost… Genji-like?" His playful grin widened as he glanced at the audience, raising the stakes with his speculative tone. The crowd caught on immediately, and the room erupted in laughter as they caught the reference.

Eminem's lips twitched into a faint smile, though his eyes remained ever so composed. "Yeah, she worked on that track."

Craig sat up, a delighted glint in his eye. "I knew it!" The audience laughed along, and he continued, practically bouncing in his seat. "I could tell from that twist in the bridge. She's got that unique touch, right? I've been a fan of hers since her collab with De La Soul. Mind-blowing stuff. Ever listened to any of her songs?"

"Yeah, I've heard some of her stuff. She's dope, for sure. She's got this way of blending different sounds, real unique vibe."

"I'm curious, what's it like working with her She's like a musical wizard, right? I mean, she's got this almost otherworldly ability to shape sound. It's incredible."

Eminem nodded, his expression more relaxed now. "Working with her's cool. She knows what she's doing, no doubt. She gets it, man. She hears things in music that most people don't, and she pushes you to do things you might not have thought of. And yeah, it's dope that she's still killing it. Not a lot of people can do that."

The talk show host grinned, eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint. "Ah, I love that. She's got that magical touch, huh? Like a musical wizard with a PhD in sound. It’s like she's got a magic formula for keeping things fresh. You know, I've always wondered… does she have a secret lair somewhere? Maybe hidden under a mountain, with a keyboard and a cat wearing glasses? Because it sounds like she might!"

Eminem chuckled, the rare smile stretching slightly wider. "Yeah, something like that. Maybe a secret underground studio with a bunch of cats running around, plotting the next big hit."

The room erupted with laughter, and Craig leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying the banter. "So, does that mean we could hear more of this collaboration in the future? A Genji and Eminem album? Imagine — a vault of secret tracks released only after a big mystery tour. Maybe even involving some dragons or a moonlit mountain."

"Yeah, man, maybe… as long as the dragons are kept to a minimum. I don't know if the world's ready for that, though. Could be epic, or it could be a disaster. Who knows? We'll see. We're both busy, but you never know.'"

The crowd's excitement spiked, with shouts of "Yes!" and "Do it!" echoing from the audience. Craig smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that's not a no, folks! Mark it down — Eminem just left the door wide open. You heard it here first!" He then leaned in with his usual charm. "So, what's next for you? More music? More surprises?"

"Yeah, more music, I guess. Whatever comes, it comes. You'll hear it when I'm ready."

Craig grinned widely, his tone warm and genuine. "Well, whatever it is, we'll be watching and listening. Give it up for Eminem, everybody!"

The audience leapt to their feet, erupting into applause. Eminem stood, offering a small nod of appreciation before making his way offstage, the cheers continuing for a while as the crowd showed their admiration.

Eminem Drops Candid Insights on Music, Life, and Future Collaborations on "The Late Late Show" The rap icon opens up to Craig Ferguson about his raw new album, working with Genji, and the possibility of a future collab that fans are already calling "legendary".

ShadyNation99 🔥🔥 Eminem AND Genji?? A collab album would break the internet! Make it happen, Slim! 🙌 #Relapse #TheLateLateShow FanofFireSpits Genji and Eminem as a duo? Someone check on Kanye. He's gonna feel that earthquake. 🌍🔥 #CollabOfTheCentury GenjiFanatic Can we take a moment to appreciate how Genji's magic keeps inspiring legends like Eminem? 🙌 Future collab? Yes, PLEASE! #MusicalWizardry LateShowFanGirl Craig Ferguson hyping up a Genji x Eminem collab has me believing in unicorns. 😂✨ Make it happen, universe! #TheLateLateShow

Eminem: Yo, saw the Late Late Show? Craig put you on blast. Secret lair with cats, huh? Should I bring tuna if I visit?

Genji: Haha, he's got quite the imagination. But no cats, just a keyboard and maybe some midnight ramen.

Eminem: Midnight ramen sounds more my vibe. You cook, too? Or is it the instant kind?

Genji: Instant, but I jazz it up. Soy eggs, scallions, some spice. Good enough to make you forget it's instant.

Eminem: Sounds like you're tryna flex on my frozen pizza dinners.

Genji: Maybe a little. But I'm sure your microwave skills are top-tier.

Eminem: I'm a pro. Even my microwave be asking me for pointers.

Genji: Haha, impressive. So, are you hinting I should teach you how to cook real food?

Eminem: Maybe. Or maybe I'm saying you should cook for me next time we're in the studio. Call it inspiration fuel.

Genji: Oh, so you're trading bars for bites now? Interesting currency.

Eminem: Gotta keep it creative, right? But seriously, that track we're working on... still can't get over your verse. I mean, I know shit about writing verses in Japanese. But how'd you even come up with that switch-up in the middle?

Genji: Just felt like it needed something unexpected. Gotta keep the energy alive.

Eminem: Yeah, well, mission accomplished. You had me rewriting my lines just to keep up.

Genji: Pretty sure you're exaggerating... But I'll take the compliment.

Eminem: Not exaggerating. I don't hand out compliments for free, y'know. But if I did, you'd still owe me for how much I've been hyping you up.

Genji: Guess I'll have to return the favor next time you drop a verse.

Eminem: Next time? Sounds like you're already planning another collab.

Genji: Only if you're ready to trade more pizza for ramen.

Eminem: Deal. But only if you bring those soy eggs.

[cyrusthedragon]

Okay, I know this post will read only one man and his dog, but I really need to write down all my thoughts on season 4, and just keep it structured. If you're interested in discussing it - you're always welcome!

HUGE SPOILERS BELOW, CHAPTER 1/2

Word count: 1,057

Includes: Vicky Neuman, Zoe, Kimiko, Frenchie, Hughie, Hughie's mum

1. Victoria Neuman + Zoe

First of all, I really need to appreciate this intro cuz, excuse my goddamn french, Vicky Newman is HER. Vicky Neuman is absolutely HER, I'm really looking forward to her character development. I honestly don't think she's a villain, she's just an antagonist, but a very good one. She is not a bad person in any particular way, she has an Idea in her, she has a Meaning, she has Reasons and Motivation. More Neuman please, especially in GEN V. Thanks.

Like Vicky, her daughter is also a scary ass Supe, but unlike Vicky, who's a bloodbender, Zoe's powers hardly can be used for anything good. Some headcanons here:

While Vicky thought that she was the monster because of her “terrible” abilities, she, by injecting her already grown-up daughter CompV, somehow created a real monster. She stupidly turned her child into a freak, who will be very difficult to accept by society, because her... superpower is something that u often see in nightmares. And it’s unlikely that the typical "don’t judge a book by its cover" slogans will be enough to accept that someone can pierce your mouth while kissing you with their four...tentacles? Whatever they are. I personally find them cute, btw, but in The Boys Universe, I'm not sure ppl will accept Zoe. Zoe, forgive your mom. She's not thinking rationally when she's worried about you.

It is also very much worth thinking abt her willingness to kill without any questions asked. That was definitely not her first murder. Vicky could use her power, as a politician perhaps, and bring victims to Zoe so that she could kill them and get used to it.

2. Kimiko

These are just very beautiful shots that I want to share with yall. First - Zoe tore off Kimiko's hand, it just grew back :D I love this scene for its absolute absurdity. God bless Karen Fukuhara. + Demonstrated that Annie can fly, also a good introduction to new abilities! Well done!

Secondly, I ADORE Frenchie's reaction here, it just shows so much love he has for her: Kimiko's face literally peeled away, she REATTACHED IT, and Frenchie, her platonic soulmate, at first was confused af, and then he UNIRONICALLY SMILED to his girl being literally unkillable. I feel you, Serge, I love her too!

Kimiko is very balanced. Information about her comes up every season, and each time there is enough information left to theorize but be satisfied. She's small and cute, like a mouse. She loves girly stuff like doing hair, wearing jewelry, and dressing up. She’s all about having fun and smiles a lot. Her gentle, kind personality totally contrasts with her powers of mega strength and near-immortality from regeneration. She was raised to defend and attack, but her empathetic nature is well shown in the smallest details.

For example, new information: Kimiko gets wasted super fast. I adore her.

3. Frenchie

Next to Kimiko, literally being her soulmate (i fuckin' can't believe that we're so lucky that in addition to the chaos of dicks and murders, we also have the genuine, platonic love between a man and a woman AT FIRST SIGHT), is Frenchie. We've already seen he's bi; this isn't the first rodeo, but now he shows it ON THE SCREEN, HURRAY, COMRADES. I'm very proud of him, he's my baby 🥹 we finally, with the help of his new love interest, found out about all the murders he committed when he worked for Little Nina and even before that. Frenchie is a very balanced character, just like Kimiko, you learn a little about his life in each season, and each time enough to build theories and be satisfied. I wanna know how to write like that.

My favorite things about Frenchie are his wild love affairs and his doglike loyalty. He's got an unbelievable knack for forming strong platonic (with Cherie also sexual, but you get the point) bonds with women, who end up adoring him. Probably because he has a heart of gold and doesn't act like a jerk. He also sincerely tries to be better. C'mon now, he's doing his best! All the love for my boy.

4. Hughie

Hughie loses the only person who has been with him his whole life. His father was a great, excellent parent. But it’s time for Hughie to stand on his own two feet and become at least a little bit the main character - which means, eh, i guess rest in peace, Mr Campbell?... If this doesn't happen, I'll be overjoyed. Although besides pushing Hughie to mature, the coma plot also provides a chance for us to learn about his mother. His dad is in a coma - won't she come? Here we learn a lot of interesting things about our babyboy.

Hughie's emotional outburst when he sees his mum for the first time since he was just a kid is very realistic and I love everything in here, including the cast choice. Because Hughie is a spitting image of his mother. This kind of attention to details makes me wanna chew Kripke's brains off.

Hughie is very similar to his mother: in speech, in movements, in facial expressions. For some reason I really like this. He, like his mother, has tenderness and a steely core, they are both very stubborn. Although he also has a note of “cowardice” from his father, his desire to push forward and that decision in the first episode to go help Butcher and take revenge on Reggie were just visible sides of his mother’s character.

Not gonna say that was the original idea, but I think Hughie saw Butcher in his mother. Because 'I'm not made to be a father'. And he realized that Butcher was almost just like she was. At least it seems to me that way. That being like Butcher is... normal. Ppl do fear being parents. And this is currently the best representation of postpartum depression, very realistic shit, Kripke, I'll stuff your brains into a Thanksgiving turkey. With all love and respect.

If you've made it this far, congratulations, you're a survivor! If suddenly s/o wants to be tagged in the second part of this review (well, sort of), write in the comments and I’ll tag you!

[oodlyenough]

now that i've finished dual destinies here is how i'd rank the aa games that i've played.

this started as a bulleted list but then as always i ended up rambling forever, so, some of it is under the cut. spoilers for AA1-5 & AAI1. anything not listed is a game i've not yet played

1. Ace Attorney (1)

can't beat the original. ok so maybe the first time i played turnabout samurai i got so bored i took a 3 year break. that's not the point. i was weak. i think this game is the tightest and as the introduction to the concept and the characters it does a surprisingly good job of balancing and developing all of them. pretty satisfying arcs and relationships for every major character. also 1-4 and 1-5 are two of The best cases ever.

2. Ace Attorney 3/Trials and Tribulations

this one coasts on the strength of the dahlia throughline. all three of her cases are great. the fey lore develops so well and so interestingly, i loved getting a chance to play mia, dahlia is the best AA villain, bridge to turnabout has so many great things going on, edgeworth v franziska rules, phoenix investigating with franziska rules. it had some of my favourite puzzles and puzzle solving. the weak points that lose it top spot for me are that i didn't like how edgeworth and franziska evaporate from 3-5 in the second half, i wish maya had a bigger role in 3-5, and i don't enjoy anything about godot. also the two middle cases bored me to tears

3. Ace Attorney 2/Justice for All

this is a messier game than the above two for sure and i also thought it had the worst puzzle writing of the original trilogy. the magatama's use here is a bit clunky. i also think the way edgeworth's disappearance and return is handled is not quite as satisfying as it could've been for such a big emotional thing. the execution of the start of 2-4 with maya's kidnapping and engarde hiring phoenix could've been done much smoother.

BUT: i love the expansion of the fey lore, introduction of morgan and pearl and kurain, and franziska is my specialest little girl and i love that she's here. and 2-4, especially as it goes on, is such a good interesting case and some of the BEST character stuff for phoenix and edgeworth and truly made me unwell about the ship indefinitely. edgeworth hunched over his desk with bugged out eyes through gritted teeth "the prosecution... rests..." ??? peak romance

4. Ace Attorney 4/Apollo Justice

this is a really fun game that has the difficult task of introducing a lot of new characters and it pulls that off fairly well. apollo, trucy and klavier are all really fun. it's super interesting to see phoenix as an NPC and see what a mysterious galaxybrain he is when you're not given a front-row ticket to his scattered thoughts. i think the mystery writing here was coherent and pretty tight and i had fun solving the puzzles. 4-1 is one of the best tutorial cases for sure.

downside is that it's underbaked and you can tell. the new characters, while likable, barely get a chance to shine or really develop. apollo is not really much more than an avatar, the story is still about phoenix. and even when i'm enjoying the game, it just does honestly feel kind of... mean... the way the game drops every character from the trilogy and does what it does with phoenix.

5. Ace Attorney Investigations 1

fun pixel sprites, some fun new characters, it's cool to be able to walk my lil dude around and click on stuff. some of it is pretty funny. there's a surprisingly large variety of new female characters in different kinds of roles and personalities and designs and i always appreciate that.

the mysteries are not very good and the puzzles are frequently frustrating. the lack of trial day structure means the pacing feels wonky in many places. the returning characters are not written very well, franziska in particular is a flanderized shadow of herself, and most damning of all: edgeworth, the main character, is not written particularly well. the bratworth flashback in particular shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the character established by the trilogy imo.

6. Ace Attorney 5/Dual Destinies

this game had most of the same flaws as AAI and it didn't even have nice art or fun investigation banter to save it. i like athena a lot, i love aura and canon lesbians, it's nice to see phoenix as a lawyer again and get some confirmation edgeworth and the feys didn't fuckin die off screen. aa5 klavier is fucking hilarious. some of the new NPCs are funny s/o to the orca and plonco and robin.

the non-chronological plot was unnecessarily convoluted, the dark age of the law was emphasized so much only to be totally underdeveloped, the phantom plot twist was cool for three seconds and then pretty stupid in retrospect. apollo's storyline is a disaster. trucy has been replaced by an automaton that talks about panties. the lack of being able to investigate scenery makes the investigation days short, hurts character development and contributes the pacing that makes every final trial day feel interminably long and infuriating. too many plot twists rely on the game simply not providing evidence until the last second, at which point the twist becomes obvious. the nicest thing i can say for dual destinies is that it didn't irreparably break anything i loved in the previous games.

[j2spntranscripts]

☆ 2008 Fangoria (Jared solo)

Official name: Creation Entertainment present’s FANGORIA Weekend of Horrors Location: Renaissance Austin Hotel, Austin, Texas Time: Saturday January 19, 2008, 12:00 PM (GMT-5) Panelists: Jared Padalecki Last episode: 3x08 "A Very Supernatural Christmas"- 12/13/2007 Next episode: 3x09 "Malleus Maleficarum"- 1/31/2008

Question Index: 1- Hair Products 2- Sandra McCoy returning (*Questions with estimated chronological order:) a1- fav SPN music a2- Texas vs. Vancouver a3- Height a4- Sam’s biggest motivation; Gilmore Girls a5- Writer strike impact; On set culture a6- SPN Dirty Secret a7- Acting opposite to Evil!Dean; 2x14 a8a- fan appreciation; Jared a8b-Sam’s theme song a8c- Sam’s music a9- Characters affect on brother dynamic; Bella, Ruby, Bobby, John a10- s3 airing schedule; 3x11, 3x12 a11a- Jared on working with Sandy McCoy; Don’t kiss Jensen in public bit a11b- Adlib; Creative Control; 3x06 a11c- appreciation; J2 brother chemistry a12- Fan Interactions; Surprising/Overwhelming a13- SPN Appeal; McG, David Nutter a14- Jared on horror roles a15- When are Sam’s powers coming back? b- Future projects c- fan appreciation; 3x08 d+ Supernatural Movie* d1- Writers' strike impact; s3 d2- 3x08; Act Five: Int. Motel- Night, Unsaid dialogue e+ Jared on producers/directors; Kim Manners; Phil Sgirccia; Pranks; On set culture* e1- unknown f1a- fan appreciation; hair; 2x14; Evil!Sam f1b- fan appreciation; 3x03; comedic timing f2- Emotionally draining episodes; 2x17, 2x09; 2x14 f3- Impala 67; Driving off the clock f4a- Fanfiction f4b- Supernatural Novels f5- s3 Dean’s deal outcome f6- fav s3 villain; 3x01, 3x02, 3x03; Gordon, Sterling Brown g+ Jared’s dogs*

(video playlist/links and transcript below the cut)

(*if you notice any mistakes in the video transcripts or found more video coverage of the con please point them out thanks*👍) (*tumblr doesn't like dailymotion vids so I can only hyperlink them*)

[click here] - Jared Fangoria 2008 1_0001 by psychoactivtoad [click here] - Jared Fangoria 2008 1_0002 by psychoactivtoad

◘Jared at Fangoria in Austin (1) by LauraTX1◘

Jared walks on stage patting his mic. The mic doesn’t pick up sound and the audience laughs. A member of creation staff walks across the stage and hands him a new mic.

Jared: (holds up working mic) Hello? (holds up malfunctioning mic) Hello? (switches) Hello? (audience chuckles)

Jared hands the staff the malfunctioning mic. The staff member then walks off the stage.

Jared: Can I sit, (?probably right?)? (?I’d get?) to see you all coming from the same angle?

Audience member: You can sit right here! (audience laughs)

•(0:12 L) - Introduction

Staff member drags a chair upstage for Jared then leaves off the stage.

Jared: Hi, guys! (?I’ve heard-?) I’ve heard from Jensen, he had to do some stuff in Los Angeles. So, he couldn’t make it out. But, he was very sorry, but he has to do some stuff involving the show. So, (?I’m going to go up?) produce that and prepare that. (audience woo) (pats leg) I actually just did, um, ADR on our next three episodes and they’re rockin’.

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Jared has nice hair by BabyBlueSteel◘

So, I don’t know when they start airing, but strike or no strike we get four new episodes until next season. So.. I hope you guys will be excited. (audience cheers)

I wonder if anybody has questions? I’d love to- I mean, y’all let me talk and give me a microphone and stay in here too, I might talk for, like, six hours. (audience chuckles) So, before I get on that tangent I would love to hear if anybody has anything that they were wondering and think I could help. (points to the audience) I- I saw you first.

•(0:54 L, 0:29 BBS)- Fangoria08;Q1- Hair Products

Fan: Um, (Jared holds his mic up in the air for the fan) you have nice hair. (audience laughs) Sam has nice hair.

Jared: (laughs) Thank you.

Fan: I just wanted to know what, like, products do you use? (audience and Jared laugh)

Jared: Um, you know what’s funny is that, um.. Thank you very much. (audience laughs) Um, I- this is so funny. I- I usually do- I usually just get out of the shower and, um- I blow dry it. I probably shouldn’t admit that in Texas. (audience giggles) I’m gonna get my ass kicked. (audience laughs) But, um, I-I was told a long time ago that if you towel off your head, you go bald. (audience laughs) That’s like a whole (gestures) wear a hat, go bald.

(points into the audience) Is that what you did? You toweled off your hair? (audience laughs) (points again) (?He really toweled better than I could do. Holy-?) Thank you.

Um, and, so I started blow drying my hair. And now it naturally sort of does this. And so, I’ll just spray it with hair spray. But I’ve been- For the last month or so, I’ve been waking up and not having my hair professionally done or my make up put on. So I look at myself in the mirror going like, (grimaces and sways) “Uuuh” (audience giggles) So.

(?Audience member: that’s the episode?)

Fan: Yeah, okay. (audience laughs)

Jared: Thank you so much.

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Will Sandy return to SPN by BabyBlueSteel◘

Jared: And then.. (points into the crowd) I saw you next

•(0:29 BBS)- Fangoria08;Q2- Sandra McCoy returning

Fan: Is Sandra going to come on the show again any time?

Jared: That’s a fantastic question.. (nodding) She did a great job. Thank you so much. She did. That was, uh- that was, uh- uh, a really interesting-

We started shooting that scene at midnight. And it was freezing cold and she had on.. (smiles) I liked it, but (audience laughs) a very thin dress. And it’s windy and it’s cold. And.. it was- and she was, you know? She’s not going to snitch. But, it was like, (scrunches up and shivers) “Ehvuvuh.” She was (?key tagged?) and they’re like action. So, she’s having to break in. (audience aw) And I felt so bad for her. And here I’m with my coat and everybody is running up to me and, like, bringing hand warmers or jackets. And I’m like, “Thank you. Thank you.” (audience laughs)

Um, but, right now we’re still wondering if I’m gonna come back on to the show, you know? Or if the show is gonna come back. So, unfortunately we’re at a standstill. I’d love to have her back though.

And, (points to the crowd) then I saw you in the back.

(missing coverage *which may mean content isn’t listed in the correct chronological order)

◘JARED PADALECKI on his favorite song on SN by Yeya◘

Jared: (?I say I went for the breath walkers and things?) (points to the crowd)

•(0:29 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qa1- fav SPN music; 1x12, 1x17

Fan: Hi. (?Jane Boleyn) Uh, we know that (?per?) the music on the show is a really important part. (Jared starts to take off his jacket) And I know that you come in and talk about how you go back and watch (?the after?). Is there- Is there-

◘Jared Fangoria 2008 1_0001 by psychoactivtoad◘

Jared dramatically strips off his jacket off his arm. The audience laughs and then catcalls. Jared then fans his shirt. The audience giggles.

Fan: Is there a (?musical?) that you thought was really outstanding in the show?

Jared: Yes. Yes. My favorite, um, was actually the, uh, episode “Faith.” My favorite was the- duh,.. The reaper song. That musical in that whole- Was that the episode where the spoon in the mouth thing and he’s singing “Fire of Unknown Origin.” (audience laughs) I thought that was funny.

Audience member: That was “Hell House.”

Jared: (points at audience member) That was “Hell House,” okay. So, I like that.

But the same band, Blue Öyster Cult. Um so, but the “Don’t Fear The Reaper” montage with, um, the girl running through the woods and being chased.. by the reaper, I thought it was really well used. And, obviously, I- I knew the song, but I really knew it from Saturday Night Live with (?Will Ferrell hitting that cowbell?) (mimics hitting a cowbell). (audience laughs) (laughs) And so, um, it was exciting to- to.. associate that with something else.

(points to the crowd) I will getchu, but I think (points to another person in the crowd) I saw a hand.. over here did I? (swipes his hand) I was just kidding. (points again) Yes.

•(0:59 P)- Fangoria08;Qa2- Texas vs. Vancouver

Fan: Do you like Texas better or Vancouver?

Jared: I like Texas better. (audience woo’s) I’m from Texas. (pumps fist) I was born and bred, so I- I do like Texas better. Um, I think it’s just more my speed? But maybe I’m more it’s speed since I was raised here.

But, Vancouver has also been tough because, as you know, Jensen and I are pretty much in every scene. Or, if we’re not in every scene- The way they shoot television shows, f-for those of you that don’t know, um, if-if you watch some, it’s shot out of sequence. But, they shoot it with locations. So if we’re doing a scene in a hospital then we’ll do every scene that’s in the hospital that day. So even if we’re not in this scene in.. this in the hospital or that scene in a hospital, we’re probably in the others. So, we’re there all day anyways.

And so, I’ve seen a lot of Vancouver. Unfortunately, it’s been, you know, during work hours. Which is great but, you know, you’re busy, you’re doing your thing. And on the way to, uh, work, Jensen and I are head down in our script running our lines and memorizing our lines. And so, we don’t get to do (?that kinds of stuff.?) But I like the people here. I like the people here.

(turns a little to his left and points into the crowd) Let me go over way over- I think- Yes. (laughs) Yes. That was fun.

•(2:04 P)- Fangoria08;Qa3- Height

Fan: (laughs) Um, I have a quick question. I was just wondering- I’ve been a fan for a long time and I was wondering if you could tell us how tall you (Jared smiles) are since just in case you don’t know (?it throws papers?). (audience laughs)

Jared: (shocked face) How tall I am? (laughs) Um, at the- You know, what I- I have to say, my answer changes depending on where I am. If I’m at an audition I’m like, “How tall is the leading lady?” (audience laughs) “5’1”?” (shrugs) I’m like, “5’11”, 5’10 ½”.”  (audience laughs) But I think, I think I’m actually, um, 6’4” (nods). So- And in Texas I would say, like, 6’7” (audience laughs) or 11”. So, it depends on where I am.

Like, if I want to go to.. (?) I’ll say, you know, 6’2” or 6’3.” (?But I’m certain y’all are 6’2”?).

Audience member: No, you’re not 6’2”.

Jared: (nods) Yeah, how tall are you?

Audience member: (?6’5?)

Jared: (points to audience member) Yeah, you know. (audience laughs) Yeah, he knows. He stood right there next to me.

(points towards his right) Yes.

•(2:52 P)- Fangoria08;Qa4- Sam’s biggest motivation; Gilmore Girls

Fan: I want to know what Sam’s biggest motivation in (?)

Jared: Sam’s biggest motivation’s changed, which has been a really, uh, exciting thing to do because unfortunately on television shows, um… You can kind of just do one thing for a really long time and it gets so mundane doing the same thing over and over and over again.

And I don’t want to bad mouth the show or my character, because I-I loved it and I did a, uh- I did a lot of years on it. But on “Gilmore Girls,” my character gradually became more one note. Like it sort of started out exciting, but then as I started doing other things I couldn’t do as many episodes. And so I sort of became this character and there was less exciting things to play.

But, obviously Sam’s motivation has changed from, um, you know, after adventures because of Jess’ death to being (?aspired by his?) father- trying to look for his father. Now obviously he’s, um- he loves his brother and, uh, he wants to get his brother out of the deal.

It’s so weird talking about it. I haven’t filmed in such a long time.

Um, but his main motivation has been his love for his brother and his family. And a little bit.. half that and half just refusal to accept that he is, you know, not the same as the other evil children just running around. (audience laughs) (?That he’s?) (finger quotes) special.

(points) I’m going to go back to my (?cowgirl?)

•(4:06 P)- Fangoria08;Qa5- Writer’s strike impact; On set culture

Fan: Has- has the, uh, writer’s strike been hard on you and, uh, the people you work with? I mean, is it trying to cause strain and tension like you’re not coming to work?

Jared: You know what? The writer’s strike has been.. awful.. awful, awful, awful. Um.. There are- Supernatural has been really lucky. Um, and half- (head tilt) uh, half the time, I think, you know, we’ve been pitching over the (?barrel?). I mean, we’re just stuck in our own little microcosm and we don’t know the world around us. But, on the flip side of the coin, we’ve all been so close. Because we’ve now done 56 episodes together.

And literally, um, it’s funny because I-I hear every- every guest star that comes by, every guest director.. looks at Jensen and I and Kim Manners and they’re like, “Y’all guys have the closest-knit crew.. I’ve ever known.” And it’s funny because our crew members will tell us, “I’ve never done more than one year on a show, because after one year I wanted to get the hell out of there.” (audience laughs) “Because I’m tired of this person, or I hate that person, or I’m tired of this person.”

But the strike, I don’t.. I don’t know just yet because obviously the strike’s not over. But, I know that some of the, uh, some of the grips, some of the gaffs, some of the, um, you know, some of the- We have a 125 crew members. Some of the office workers.. um, have sort of.. explained to us- Because we left on December 26th, because s- we were done shooting “Mystery Spot.” And, um, people were saying, “You know what? I hope the strike ends,” because there was going to be a talk by next the Tuesday. And they’re like, “If the strikes, we’re totally back.” And they’re like, “Listen guys, I’m so sorry, but if the strike goes till January, I got kids. I’ve got a mortgage. And I have to go get work elsewhere,” because obviously there’s still (?) shooting.

Unknown: (speaking into another mic) Check. Check. Check.

Jared: (looks around) (audience laughs) Um… (to audience) it’s all good. (laughs) (audience laughs) (swipes hand) I throw my voice sometimes. It’s- I’m practicing. With the strike going on I-

Unknown: Check. Check. Check. (audience laughs and Jared pumps his eyebrows.)

Jared: I’m- I’m trying to practice my ventriloquism. (audience laughs) So, uh, I’m trying to get some extra gigs here and there.

But, anyways, point being, we’ve had some c- a tight knit family and now some crew members had to go and, uh, (shrugs) you know, put food on the table. So, we’re gonna- we’re gonna lose a lot of people that we became real close to. Because they just- (shrugs) I mean, it’s understandable. They have to feed their family.

(points over to his right)

•(6:17 P)- Fangoria08;Qa6- SPN Dirty Secret

Fan: Tell us a dirty secret on Supernatural. Okay, something that’s not going to make you (?confrontatious?) of all your (?experience?) (audience and Jared laughs) Bro, I want to hear something (?). Show me that.

Jared: Uh, thank you so much. (audience laughs) A nerdy secret.

Fan: Dirty! A Dirty secret.

Jared: Oh! A dirty secret. (audience laughs) (smirks) Um, a dirty secret. I was scared enough by nerdy secret. (audience laughs) Now a dirty secret.

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Dirty secret and acting evil by BabyBlueSteel◘

◘JARED PADALECKI on Supernatural's dirty secrets by Yeya◘

I’ll have to think about that. I think- I, uh- probably my.. publicist kills me, but I probably have a big enough mouth already. So, I dish all the dirty secrets out. Everybody already knows. Like, everybody has already seen me farting on the gag reels (audience laughs) and stuff like that. So, I don’t want- I don’t wanna pretend I’m not, you know… prone to.. normal human problems. (audience chuckles) (holds a hand up) I’m just kidding. See? There I go. Um.. cotton mouth.

Uh, (nods) but I’ll think about that and I’ll think of a good answer while I’m answering you (points to his left in the crowd)

•(7:11 P, 0:38 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qa7- Acting opposite to Evil!Dean; 2x14

Fan: Uh.. In the- In the show- the-

Jared: It’s written down that’s scary. (audience laughs) (Fan: I have to) (points back to last fan) I’m going to go back to dirty secret. Uh, (laughs).

Fan: I’m sorry I get nervous, so. (Jared: No, no. You’re good.) Uh, in the show the writing staff has, uh, made a lot of references to Cain and Abel this season. Okay? (Jared nods) And in the past, when that’s happened.. it’s eventually come to be their subtle way of telling the fans this is going to happen. (Jared: [nods]Right.)

So, my question is, um, I- everybody is expecting- everybody is expecting Sam to go evil. (Jared: [nods] mhmm) Personally, I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think it’s going to be Dean that turns because of his deal. (Jared makes a silent oh) But, how- how would that, I mean, how would that make it, uh- How- how much more difficult would that make it for your acting? For you- character? Well I- (laughs)

Jared: Umm, well obviously going back to sort of- (points at fan) That’s a very interesting. I-I’m- I’m glad that people were thinking about that because that is certainly something that the writers have alluded to both in Sam’s character and Dean’s character. So, it’s exciting to know that it’s coming across and that people are on to it.

Uhm, but, obviously Jensen and I have established a sort of rapport with the sort of brother banter, back and forth. And um, there’s a lot of, ah- I wish I could talk about this because I just saw three episodes that y’all haven’t seen yet. So, I’m going to know right now. But there is some funny, funny scenes that I was really proud and really happy with. Um, and I wish I could talk about them with you.

But, you become so.. used to.. that rapport that it will be very- very tough to all of a sudden.. go crazy. However, we’ve both have, in past episodes, both in, um, “Born Under a Bad Sign,” when I was demonic, to- (audience claps and woo’s) Thank you. To- (audience woo’s) thank you. Thank you. (mimics slicking back his hair) No. to, um- thank you. But, to “Skin” you know when-when Jensen was a shapeshifter and, um, sort of (?things all inbetween?). And actually, um, we see in the next four episodes- we see a bit more of both Jensen’s sort of crazy, um, dark side come out and Sam’s crazy dark side come out.

So, it would make it much more tough, but I think it’s an exciting thing. And, I certainly hope the show gets a chance to go there. (nods) That would be really awesome. So-

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: What would Sam’s theme song be by BabyBlueSteel◘

(points to his right in the audience) I just saw three hands. (audience laughs)

Audience member: I can go last!

Jared: Alright. (points to another in the crowd) I’ll go with you first.

•(9:24 P, 0:05 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qa8a- fan appreciation; Jared

Fan: Um, first of all I want to tell you I think your work has always been really good but (Jared: Thank you) this seems to be really- I-I don’t know what you did. You seem to have stepped it up a lot. I just think-

Jared: A lot of drugs. (audience laughs) (shakes head) I’m just kidding. (waves hand) No drugs. But, thank you. Thank you very much.

Audience member: that’s a dirty secret!

Jared: That’s- (points in the crowd) dirty secret! (audience laughs) Th- (laughs)

•(9:38 P, 0:20 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qa8b- Sam’s theme song

Fan: Um, and I wanted to know, back to music, the car has a theme song, does Sam have a theme song? Or what would Sam’s theme song be if he had one?

◘Jared Padalecki at Fangoria by shadowfax220◘

Jared: What would Sam’s theme song be.

Audience member: “Bow Chicka Wow Wow.” (audience laughs)

Jared: (nods) Yeah, “Bow Chicka Wow Wow.” That commercial with “Bow Chicka Wow Wow” in it.

That’s gonna have to be another one that I think about. Because there’s just so many, you know- I mean, I have songs that I love. I’d have to think about.. what’s Sam’s. I think- I think everybody’s theme song sort of changes, you know, depending on the episode or the mood. So, I think it’d have a few. One would certainly be, um, “You Sexy Thing” (audience laughs) So- (laughs and then shakes his head) I’m just kidding. (?I don’t know this?)

•(10:16 P, 0:57 BBS, 0:33 S)- Fangoria08;Qa8c- Sam’s music

Fan: What makes- Does Sam even like the same music as Dean does? It-

Jared: Maybe “Give It To Me Baby,” Rick James? (audience laughs) (?That would embarrass him.?) (to fan) Does Sam- Does Sam which?

Fan: But- Well, he- It’s always like, the classic rock is always represented as- as Dean’s music. Wha- what is Sam’s music?

Jared: Sam hasn’t had any music. Sam was just in college- probably the classic college like-

Audience member: Morrissey

Jared: Yeah, Morrissey. Morrissey would work. Some ABBA. (audience laughs) What’s the- What’s the- (?Ace of Base.?) (audience laughs) (?Remember??) A little ole school ha-ha. (audience laughs) (laughs)

That’s a- that’s a very good question. (gestures to fan) I never thought about that. But, obviously, the car and music have been more given to Dean. Um, which is sort of going in tune with who’s character it was at first and sort of still is and sort of like, “Hey,” you know, um, Han solo type character, so.

Fan: Sam (?strikes me more?) like Coldplay and Radiohead.

Jared: Yeah, yeah. I think he’s probably like Coldplay and Radiohead.. type guy. Pensive. (fan laughs) (points to next fan)

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: How characters affect the dynamic by BabyBlueSteel◘

•(0:00 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qa9- Characters affect on brother dynamic; Bella, Ruby, Bobby, John

Fan: Back to the dynamic and how your character changes each season, with the addition of Ruby and Bella, has that change the brother dynamic more so that you’re not actually working together so much as you’re relying on other outside factors?

◘Jared Fangoria 2008 1_0002 by psychoactivtoad◘

Jared: It.. It has, um, changed the dynamic- the dynamic a little bit. Um, but I think the- the brother connection is so strong.. that- I mean, because we’ve had- Even though Bella and Ruby are so now, uh, I guess, (finger quote) technically called series regulars, which means they’re.. for a whole year? But we’ve had cast members like Jim Beaver (Fan: Right.) (audience woos) or Jeffery Dean Morgan, (audience woos) (fist pumps) who we love that have done a lot of episodes and a lot of really tough scenes with us.

Um, at the end of season one, we’d just had all those scenes with Jeffery. Obviously that was more- I-I’d say those scenes with Jeffery… more changing of their dynamic. Because just by the nature of (gestures) here’s Daddy, you know, with two brothers that changed that dynamic. And, um, the child of Dean came out and the.. you know, rebel, um, in Sam came out.

But, with Bella and Ruby it’s still been- We’ve only did twelve episodes. And I think they weren’t in three of them. And so, we haven’t had a lot of time to explore that relationship. (nods) But it will change the br- the brother dynamic. And I-I know that because I talked to Kripke. So, we just have to get the chance to do it. (smiles)

Fan: Great. (?Well, Heck yeah?)

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: The schedule before the haitus by BabyBlueSteel◘

Jared: (points in the audience) You were-you were the last you said. So I have to go back to you.

•(1:20 P, 0:04 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qa10- s3 airing schedule; 3x11, 3x12

Fan: Yeah. Well, I watch the show religiously and I don’t know half the stuff people here know when- (Jared and audience laughs)

Jared: I’m in the show and I don’t know half the stuff people.

Fan: And all I wanted to know is when I get a new episode. I know the 31st i-

Jared: (nods) The 31st we have a new one-

Fan: Is like it’s the start of.. more episodes (Jared: We have four-) than the new one and then we have to wait another month and a half or two.

Jared: Well it’s tough. I wish- I mean, the first thing I heard for a while- the- the general consensus was that the 31st we come back and then we’re gonna run four straight. Um, only three episodes are done right now. Um, the episode 12 will be shot- which is actually gonna air.. in the spot before 11. We-We switch- Or, they switched the airing order of episode 11 which is called, “Jus In Bello,” and episode 12 which is called, “Mystery Spot.” Because “Jus In Bello” has more of a cliffhanger ending, in case we have to.. cliffhanger the end? Just- (shrugs) (audience giggles) Without any more episodes.

But, they’re not done with all of them yet. Um, and so they’re gonna have to do some (nods) post-production and some ADR. But, from what I know, it’s gonna be the 31st straight- straight through February. That’s (?speed’s?) month. So they (?don’t?) want to do something else.

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Working with Sandy by BabyBlueSteel◘

(points to his right) I see a couple guys over there.

•(2:22 P, 0:02 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qa11a- Jared on working with Sandy McCoy; Don’t kiss Jensen in public bit

Fan: Um, S-

Jared: Or a girl and a guy. (holds hand up) Sorry. That’s a Texas thing. (holds mic out to fan)

Fan: Um, I just wanted to know, um, how was it-

Jared: Louder. (holds mic out higher towards the fan)

Fan: How was it to get to film with your girlfriend?

Jared: Louder. (holds mic out to fan. Then shakes head and  laughs while lowering his mic) I’m just kidding (audience laughs) I could totally hear, “How was it to work-

Fan: Can you hear me?

Jared: “With my girlfriend?”

Fan: Yeah. How was it?

Jared: It was- It was great. And it was absolutely bizarre. Because you- you ac- you get so close to somebody- I mean, Jensen and I are obviously so very close now too. But, I don’t.. (tilts head and smiles) kiss Jensen (audience laughs and catcalls) ..In public. (audience laughs and woahs) (holds up hand) I’m just kidding. I’m totally.. (audience laughs) (laughs then briefly looks to his left) (?I’ll trying to get?) some dirty secrets right here. (shakes head) (audience laughs and squeals) I’m just kidding.

Um, and it was- it was great, but also it’s-it’s really tough to get past the dynamic of someone who you’re in love with. You know, that you.. sort of want to call in between takes and be like, “Baby, I was sucking.” (audience giggles) You know? It’s like, you can’t really call them. But it was great.

◘Jared Padalecki at Fangoria #3 by shadowfax220◘

I’d love to do it again. And we met working together, so, um- so there was that saving grace. Um, probably but other than that, it was- it was really exciting (smiles).

•(3:24 P, 0:13 S)- Fangoria08;Qa11b- Adlib; Creative Control; 3x06

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Ad-Libbing by BabyBlueSteel◘

Fan: Do you and Dean ever adlib on- while you-

Jared: Yeah. Yeah. We will. Nothing big, you know. Not like, “Man I’m tired of you.” But we’ll- we’ll.. They don’t make us stick strictly to- Gilmore Girls was very- It was like Shakespeare. It’s like, you have to pause where it says pause. And if it’s.. “When or- When.. are you guys going to the store,” you can’t say like, “Hey, when are you going to the store?” Like, “Uh there’s a guys in there.” “Really?” Like it’s-  And it’s so fast paced that it just becomes.. about the language you know?

But, Jensen and I, we’ll kind of.. (“sort of” gesture) go off here and there. And we’ll add some things. Like, did y’all see the episode where, um, where it was called.. “Red Sky at Dawn”? “At Morning”? (audience yells out affirmatives) “Red Sky”- And- and I come out and I’m with Geer kind of (mimics dancing) dancing with, um- (Audience Member: Yes, tell us about that.) Well, the whole.. Jensen going, “You smell like sex,” (audience laughs) (shakes head and hand swipes) was totally out of- That was Jensen. So, certain things. Well cer- We’ll throw (finger quote) buttons on the scene. They’re called buttons because there’s something to break out on to. And I don’t have to like do the soap opera stare or something like that.

So, we’ll add stuff at the end of certain scenes.

•(4:27 P, 1:16 S, 1:03 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qa11c- appreciation; J2 brother chemistry

Fan: Do you guys- I mean, you can actually believe your brothers. You have great chemistry together. (Jared: Thank you.) It-It what makes the show, you know, one of the things that makes the show so worth, um-

Jared: Well, thank you so much. And It was really exciting working with him because he and I hit it off right off the bat. I mean, he’s from Texas. He’s an- he’s a Dallas boy. (Fan: Yeah) So, we just got along really well from the git-go. And it made it really easy to work together (nods). (Fan: Yeah)

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: OverWhelmed by the fans? by BabyBlueSteel◘

Um, (points to his right) I’m gonna go with you.

•(4:50 P, 0:03 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qa12- Fan Interactions; Surprising/Overwhelming

Fan: Um, obviously you’ve done a couple of these conventions, and, you know, there have been different fan campaigns, like the postcard campaign (Jared: Yeah.) and stuff like that. Has there ever just been one of those moments when... the fan reaction is just kind of surprising and overwhelming?

Jared: Um, absolutely. There was definitely that moment in Chicago. I mean, there’s that moment here. It’s-it’s weird because, um- I mean, Jensen and I have obviously been very lucky. Um, we’ve both pretty much working right off the bat. We both kept working and we’re around people that even if they do like us, they are sort of working for us? And so- what’s the term? Like, they’re not brown nosers, like, everything we say is perfect. But, they’re nice to us. They let us kind of get away with murder? Um. (audience laughs) Dirty secret. (audience laughs) No.

But, we’re around people who… even though they don’t need to be scared of their jobs, or scared of what they’re jobs, they’re kind of still scared (finger quote) for their jobs when they’re around us. Like, they won’t really.. um, they’re there because they’re making a living.

But when you’re here, (gestures to the audience) around people who are here, not because they’re making a living off of you, or they want to make sure, you know, you don’t get beat up because then they’re going to lose their job or something, which they’re not. But I’m just around people right now who are coming because they just like the show, and (shrugs) hopefully the work, it’s really- it’s-it’s really, really humbling and amazing to see a big crowd of people who came.

And so anytime, thank y’all guys. (nods)

Fan: (?Thank you.?)

Jared: (to fan) thank you. (points to his far left) I’m gonna go that way because I see some- I see a couple hands (?fighting?) for it. Sure.

•(6:18 P)- Fangoria08;Qa13- SPN Appeal; McG, David Nutter

Fan: Um, what made you first, like, interested in doing “Supernatural?” Like, want to be in it.

Jared: Um, you know what? When I- when I first heard about “Supernatural,” um, I was working on Gilmore Girls obviously, and I heard about this, um, show called, “Supernatural” that was going to be the WB’s new, um, (finger quote) supernatural type show? (audience chuckles) But, I would go- I was a fan of-of Buffy and Angel and stuff like that. I didn’t want (audience clap) to be another Charm. (turns to clapper) Yeah. I didn’t feel like I was kind of right for that kind of genre.

Um, like, I love the campy horror, like I love camp horror films and- and stuff like that. But, I didn’t feel it was right for me at that point in time? But they were like, “No, listen. It’s totally real. It’s totally raw.” And I knew McG because I tested for Superman with him and he was a producer. And I knew David Nutter because I worked with him before in like “ER,” um, and I knew his work obviously because he’s a legend in the pilot business. He’s the only director ever to get ever single pilot he’s directed to get picked up.

And so, I was like, “Okay, I’ll read it.” And I read it and I was like, “Woah, this is super cool.” And I-I studied, you know, Joesph Campbell mythology and stuff like that in high school. And I was very familiar with the whole reluctant hero aspect like “Star Wars,” like, you know, the Luke Skywalker. And it was my chance to play Luke Skywalker. Um, so I (?took a try on it?). And here I am.

Uhh, (points forward) I’m gonna go with you.

•(7:36 P)- Fangoria08;Qa14- Jared on horror roles

Fan: Well, obviously- (?Well, I’ll just say?) horror (Jared nods) is why you’re here. (audience woo) (?Because we love?) horror ourselves (Jared: Yeah) (?we’ll have?) a lot more fun doing horror scenes. (Jared: Right.) And we’ve noticed you’ve done a lot of horror and camp (Jared: I have) in “Supernatural” (?and probably “Cry Wolf” scenes.?) Did you have more fun playing the more scary roles?

Jared: Um, absolutely. It’s sort of a mixture of, um, you know, I’m certainly not at the point in my career, nor was I a couple of years ago where I could just go, like, (sits up, waves hand, and says with a fancy accent) “Find me a copy.” (audience laughs) (?Nor could I go like,?) “Find me a.. Shakespeare piece.” So- so it’s half what you’re excited about doing and half what sort of just happens. What- what turn the industry takes.

Um, and so for a while the horror movies were the ones that were… in comparison basis easier to shoot because it’s cheaper, uh, (shrugs) or less expensive, (holds up hands) not cheaper (audience chuckles) (holds up hands again then smiles) Uh, and- and they- they have, uh- It’s easy to get a following, or easier if it’s good if it- if it strikes a cord. There’s something so fun about going to the movie and (mimics flinching) kind of getting scared and then realize everything’s okay.

And so, that happened to be what came my way. Though I’m very interested in the genre and I’ve always have been. But, um, I think after.. (?Superna-?) I did a movie last year. A Christmas movie. And it was so weird. It was like, “So, I don’t scream ever?” (audience chuckles) And then I was like, “I don’t like ever get killed in the movie? What’s going on?” It’s been so weird, you know? I’m so used to getting killed or then seeing scary things. So it’s weird to go back to it, doing a non-horror. But, um.. But I do love the genre.

(points to his left) I’m gonna go back over this way.. (nods) Sure.

•(9:07 P)- Fangoria08;Qa15- Sam’s powers

Fan: When are Sam’s powers coming back? (audience chuckles)

Jared: Um, Sam’s powers.. were.. actually gonna come back, um, pretty seriously, um, in the last half of the second season. It was- it was actually just about to go full horror.. with it when we had to stop, um, because of the writers strike. Which sucks, um, because I really wanted to do that. I was really excited about.. being a badass. Like, Jensen’s had the ability to play badass for 56 episodes. It was my turn (audience laughs) to (?do good stuff?) and save him or not save him. Um, so, soon. (nods) Whenever we come back it’s gonna be- it’s gonna, you know. It’s been two and half years now. We’re not gonna waste anymore time. (?We’re-We’re?) going full speed ahead.

(points to his right) I’m going-

(missing coverage *which may mean content isn’t listed in the correct chronological order)

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Jared looking for other projects? by BabyBlueSteel◘

•(0:00 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qb- Future projects

Fan: (?) are there new projects that you’re looking at or what’s going on?

Jared: There are new projects that I’m looking at. For a while, I wasn’t sure- we weren’t sure how the, uh, strike was gonna affect us, and when it’s going to end. And so, you couldn’t really go out for projects. And pretty much the show- the-the engine shutdown, um, early December. Because we already knew about the strike. And it was like, you know, “Let’s just take an extended holiday.” So I (?fumbled an extended holiday?) And I just started taking meetings. This week we’re going to have the director’s guild settle with the producers (fist pumps) which we’re all very, very happy about because that hopefully means that the writers will.. just accept that, you know? Or actually- (holds hand up) I don’t want to just say, “accept it.” But, um, they’ll find some grounds now with the producers.

But it looks like, fingers crossed, (cross fingers) uh, the writer’s strike will end soon. We’ll still be able to salvage out this season. So, yeah.

Fan: Yeah-

(missing coverage*)

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: A Very Supernatural Christmas by BabyBlueSteel◘

Jared: (points to his right) Yes.

•(0:01 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qc- fan appreciation; 3x08

Fan: Um, the Christmas episode this season was wonderful.

Jared: Good, thank you.

Fan: So, good. Um-

Jared: I spent a lot of fun doing that.

Fan: And I remember hearing before it being aired there was like, “Oh it’s gonna be a Christmas (?for some reason in?) Supernatural.” (Jared: Yeah) (?Lies?) and it’s perfect. And I really like how you, um, (snaps) the things up there that- that you (laughs) (?cry out?) And they were the first time that it really seemed like Dean was actually gonna die, you know? Like, you all have come to this.. realization that’s unbelievable (?to deny?) (laughs) (?)

Jared: Right. Exactly, exactly. (?Think that’s one of the-?) But-

Fan: But, you all really sold it despite that- You know, despite knowing he’s not going anywhere in some way, (Jared: Yeah.) however y’all that figure that out. (Jared: Yeah.) And it’s just really.. (?)

Jared: I like playing (?without that.?) I give that straight to our writers for figuring out a way to, um, make a (?code?) for us and.. and, um- That was actually another- (points to his right) kick back to the (?book?) It was a very, very great episode to sho-, uh, Supernatural episode to watch really. It was like, October and (?) than you, but you’re, like, in your Christmas stuff and you’re going, “Yay, it’s Christmas time.” But then it’s like October 2nd? (audience chuckles)

(missing coverage*)

◘Jared Padalecki at Fangoria #1 by shadowfax220◘

•(0:00 S)- Fangoria08;Qd+- Supernatural Movie* (missing question, might be mislabeled)

Jared: (audience laughs) that- they wouldn’t cast me. Um, but thanks for the reinforcement. (audience laughs) And I think Supernatural absolutely can make full feature length. And we’re actually hoping for that, um, and trying for that. So, uh- I mean, they’re making the second X-Files right now and we kick their butts. (audience yeahs and claps)

(points towards the center right) I’m going to go you. You. (nods) Yes.

•(0:22 S)- Fangoria08;Qd1- Writers' strike impact; s3

Fan: I was wondering, you talked about trying to salvage the third season if the writer’s strike came to an end. If it did come to an end, would you actually be able to finish out to be where you want it to be.. if you had the third season?

Jared: Um, either way we’ve lost episodes, because the way it’s going to work out is because we wouldn’t shoot the show beyond April because, um, I think when we go back to our 3rd or 4th season you have to have a two month hiatus or something? It’s SAG rules. Um, and so..

What I meant by salvage this season is that we sort of came to an abrupt halt. ‘Cause no one knew if the strike was actually going to happen. So, it was almost like, “Ah, alright. You know, whatever. It’s not going to happen.” And so when we stopped it was like, “Oh man, like, it really is over.” But if came- If the strike ended then we would know we have five episodes left now and then the season’s over. And so, they’d have to cut some stuff. They’d probably have to cut some of the, um, Creature of the Week episodes. One- Like, some of the ones that don’t have to do with the mythology of the show where we can get back and sort of, um, continue Sam and Dean’s, um, descent into.. wherever their decent leads. (audience chuckles)

(points center left) Uh, I’m going to go to you. I-I faked you out, sorry.

•(1:22 S)- Fangoria08;Qd2- 3x08; Act Five: Int. Motel- Night, Unsaid dialogue

Fan: (?Oh, I’ve got a salt piece. Probably should know this it’s there.?) (Jared: [laughs] thank you.) Okay, no. Actually, I’m going back to the Christmas Episode. My question for you is at the very final scene, (Jared laughs) Sam- Sam started to say something and then he just said, “Do you want to watch the game?” (Jared: Oh okay, I thought you were gonna ask about the eggnog.) What do you think Sam was going to- (audience laughs) (?Probably a keg or two?) I- I vote for keep you here longer telling him that Sammy won here. (Jared: thank you.) But, what do you think Sam was gonna say? Do you have any idea what.. where you stand?

Jared: Umm, I think he was going to apologize and say, you know, “I love you. I’m sorry I missed yah.” And-and Dean kicks back into high gear with, you know.. We leave it unspoken. Um.. it was going to be- Yeah, it was basically gonna be, you know, “Sorry I doubted you. I’m sorry I’ve been such a prick.” Because the whole- the whole season- the first few eight episodes- the first seven episodes Sam’s been like, yelling at Dean, “Why don’t you care about your life?” You know? “Here I’m trying to save you.” (fakes cries) “And you don’t even care.” (audience giggles) Um, and so finally he- he was saying, you know, “I’m sorry. You know, my- my anger at you has been.. driven from I love you and, you know, I don’t want you to leave.” And Dean- It didn’t need to be said. You know?

Fan: Well, actually it was perfectly m-unsaid, but I just wondered.

Jared: Thank you. (points to center left) I’m gonna go here.

(missing coverage*)

◘Jared Padalecki at Fangoria #2 by shadowfax220◘

•(0:00 S)- Fangoria08;Qe+- Jared on producers/directors; Kim Manners; Phil Sgirccia; Pranks; On set culture* (missing question,  might be mislabeled)

Jared: -love all of our producer, directors. We love it when Kim Manners shows up, because we.. just.. f’ around the whole time. (audience chuckles) (laughs) I don’t thi- W- It’s constantly making fun of him. We’re constantly standing up and, like, (stands up) Kim is right here (holds his hand up below his chest) or something (audience chuckles) (?in his direction?). We’re going (turns around without looking down), “Where’s Kim? We’ve been hearing (?).” (audience laughs) He’s sitting there and he’s just pissed off. (sits down)

And so, we have a great time with Kim. Um, because we just love to make fun of him. And obviously, he lives up there because he’s of- he’s are on set producer most of the time. And so, we’ve got this constant relationship with him. And we have a lot of fun. Yeah, we always have.. a beer after work, which is nice.

Um, and then, on the flip side, another.. director producer who I love, who I know it’s going to be draining is, um, Phil Sgirccia, who makes amazing episodes. He does a brilliant, brilliant job. But, um, he- he’s a very, very.. artistic director. He likes to shoot a lot. And so, you don’t know how many times you’re going to do something necessarily, but you’re like, “Oh, I’m so tired. I’m gonna suck.” And then you see the episode and it’s awesome.

So, um- like if everybody just has their different way, you know? They both make great episodes. But they go about it different ways. Sometimes Kim will do a shot. It’s literally a shot where you only say two lines, and then he’s like, “Okay, moving on to after that.” And you’re like, “You don’t want us to do it again from the top?” He’s like, “No. We already did that.” Like, (shrug), “Okay. Crazy, but alright.” (audience giggles)

And, um, Phil does a lot of different- But he also makes cool.. like montages and stuff like that. And his next episode rocks. So, we already really excited with it. It’s going to be the last episode with (?)

(points up high and to his center right) Go way in the back.

•(1:34 S)- Fangoria08;Qe1- unknown

Fan: Um, have you ever taken a role you re-

(missing coverage*)

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: His comic timing in BDABR by BabyBlueSteel◘

Jared: Um, (pointing up high and to his center left) I’m gonna go way in the back.

•(0:02 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qf1a- fan appreciation; hair; 2x14; Evil!Sam

Fan: (?Sam’s hot?) (audience laughs) (?) longer hair? (?I did it.?)

Jared: Thank you. (?I just had it cut?) because- (?It depends on the set?) And so I was like, uh, (?)

Fan: (?) about. Um, I just wanted to say (?) “Born Under a Bad Sign”? (?But my friend says?) Evil Sam hot enough to (?get?) himself. (audience laughs)

•(0:02 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qf1b- fan appreciation; 3x03; comedic timing

Fan: And I just want to say, “Bad Day at Black Rock,” I was so impressed with your-

Jared: Which one?

Fan: “Bad Day at Black Rock,” your comic timing in that episode. (audience claps) (Jared: Oh.) I want to know how much fun (?) you. There was so much fun stuff in that episode and I was- I just know that’s the (?community claim?) but I was very impressed with your comedic timing in that episode.

◘Jared Padalecki at Fangoria #4 by shadowfax220◘

Jared: Well, thank you. And I- Anybody who knows me, knows that I’m.. I think I suck at comedy. (audience chuckles) Like, I- It’s like I steer clear of it. I like, (holds hand up) “ I don’t have comic timing.” Like, “Get me away from it. Make me cry or something.” (audience giggles) “Because, I can’t- I’m not the funny guy.” But it was very exciting to do that. And that was, um- I’ll chuck that up to Bob Singer, who’s our producer, who is also, obviously, directed a whole bunch of episodes. Um, and- and I guess he just knew how to prod me into doing the right things. And that was just a funny episode. I mean, he could’ve.. stuck.. (shrugs) anybody in that and it’d been funny. (Audience members: No.)

But I’m glad that- But, I’m very glad you liked it. (nods) And, um, uh, and I’m very glad you liked Evil Sam also. (audience laughs) I want to see it come back.

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Emotionally Draining scenes by BabyBlueSteel◘

(points to his right) I’m going to go this way. (points) Sure.

•(0:52 S, 0:03 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qf2- Emotionally draining episodes; 2x17, 2x09; 2x14

Fan: Okay, um, which- I’ve heard Jensen several times saying you had trouble episodes that have emotionally drained you all. (Jared: (?ten?)) Has there been, like, any, like, one particular episode that, I mean, kind of.. I don’t know, that you had to walk away from and just-

Jared: Yes, absolutely..

Audience member: What? (chuckle)

Jared: Um, she was saying that they’re, uh- Jensen was talking about certain episodes that emotionally drained him and she was wondering if- if the same happened for me.

Um, a lot of episodes, um… I mean, my mind, I-I guess, goes.. to… My mind immediately goes to.. “Heart”? Because the last scene in “Heart” really- We shot at the very beginning of the day, and so I was really fresh. But, um, (throws up hand and shakes head) it just did me in, for whatever reason. Sometimes- And sometimes it’s too much. 

Croatoan was another one where Sam.. thinks he’s going to die and he’s saying, “You’re an idiot. Get out of here,” like, “Stop that.” (shrugs) It just becomes- Every now and then it just becomes very, very real. And- and you’re done. And- and like, you can’t even.. (shrugs) stand up, um, because it takes it out of you in a bunch of different levels.

So, um, “Bad Day at Black Rock” I’m not- (holds up hand) Sorry, sorry. “Born Under a Bad Sign,” was very exhausting because there was Latin and then I was getting sprayed with water, and (audience laughs) I mean, just physically tiring. But, I’d say emotionally tiring, I’d have to think first about “Croatoan” and “Heart.” (nods)

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Driving the Impala by BabyBlueSteel◘

(points high up to his right) Go way in the back.

Fan: Me? No.

Jared: (points and nods) Yeah.

•(0:04 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qf3- Impala 67; Driving off the clock; Donut story

Fan: Oh, I was gonna ask do ever get to drive the Impala when y’all aren’t filming?

Jared: I do. (laughs) Um, (audience laughs) (finger quote) Do I get to? Or, (finger quote) Do I? (audience laughs) Uh, I don’t know if I necessarily get to, but I-I certainly get in the drivers seat and take her around every now and again.

◘Jared Padalecki at Fangoria #6 by shadowfax220◘

And a lot times we’ll be doing a scene in the Impala right before lunch and so, um, instead of leaving the Impala on set and get driven back, we’re just like, uh, you know, on the walkie going, (mimics talking on radio) “We’re taking the Impala back to the base camp.” (audience laughs) So, you know, we tear ass out of there. But, uh, I don’t think it’s- I don’t think it’s (shrugs) road insured or something? (audience laughs) And so (?it stays off the street?) But, we still do.

We actually got in trouble one time because we were shooting, uhhhhh, maybe “Salvation” with Jeffery Dean Morgan? Um, at the end of season 1 we were shooting in base camp. Trailer park was in, um, this pebble, gravel, uh, parking lot. And so we went back (chuckles), and we started doing donuts, (audience laughs) um, in the gravel parking lot. And, uh, there are no mud flaps on the Impala and so.. we didn’t realize at the time because we were just going, “Wooo!” (audience laughs) But we were just shooting these pebbles and people were, like, getting punched (mimics a flailing protective pose) (audience laughs)

And they were, like, terrified and the guy who, um- who (chuckles)- I feel like an idiot. The guy who, um, was watching the- who was our location guy, who’s in charge of making sure it was okay? Like came to get us to stop. And was, like, (mimics covering his face and slowly inching forward) was trying to come towards us (audience laughs) and not get run over by the car and not get shot by the pebbles. So, we definitely had fun, um, (audience laughs) in the Impala.

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Does Jared read fan fiction? by BabyBlueSteel◘

(points center left) I’m gonna go right there.

•(0:01 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qf4a- Fanfiction

Fan: You mean her? (Jared: Okay. Yes.) (laughs) been waiting for forever. I was just wondering- I just recently saw something online called fanfiction for Supernatural. Do you guys ever read that? What do you think about that?

◘Jared Padalecki at Fangoria #8 by shadowfax220◘

Jared: Um, I-I know of it. And I think I’ve- I’ve- I’ve read a little bit of it but.. I haven’t read a lot of it. I’ve- I’ve heard- I’ve heard funny stories. I’ve heard some of it’s fantastic. I’ve heard some of it’s bizarre. (audience giggles) Um-

Fan: Really bizarre. In a lot of them you’re a girl. (audience laughs)

Jared: (?A lot of them I’m a?) what?

Fan: In a lot- In a lot of them you’re a girl.

Jared: That’s very bizarre (gauffaws). (audience laughs) Um, you know what? It’s- It’s weird because usually when I’m, like- like, Supernatural mode or when l’m looking at stuff and I’m reading something it’s like I- I rarely get to read books when I’m shooting during the year. Because I feel like if I’m sitting down reading, I should be reading my script, you know, like, really reading or working on the character?

And so, it’s hard for me to convince myself to sit down in front of a computer or in front of a book, which is terrible, because I’m going, “I should be working on the script right now. I’ve got a monologue tomorrow. I’ve got to learn it.” And so I haven’t had a whole lot of chance to read that.

That sounds funny though.

•(0:59 BBS, 0:50 S)- Fangoria08;Qf4b- Supernatural Novels

Fan: What- What about the novels? Did you read- (Jared: The novels?) Yeah.

Jared: Um, I actually (throws up hand), um, have not read that either. I have a copy of it now, but I’d love to read it. I just haven’t yet. I know there’s a comic book that Peter Johnson does.

I’m gonna go to someone (points to his far left) over that way. (points higher) I’m gonna go with- with my buddy with the Longhorns cap. (a few audience woos and aws)

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Will Dean die this season by BabyBlueSteel◘

•(0:05 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qf5- s3 Dean’s deal outcome

Fan: I wanted to know, does Dean ever die in a year?

Jared: In- In a year?

Fan: In a year, (?the first time?).

Jared: Oh, well we haven’t got that far yet, uh, because we got the stop by the writer’s strike, you know? But as of right now, it seems like he’s on certain course- certain death course. And I’ve spoken with.. Eric Kripke, who’s our show creator, and he- I don’t know if he was just.. playing with me, but he’s like, “I don’t know if Dean gets to die.” (laughs) (audience laughs) I think he was sort of hoping- We were sort of hoping for, if it hit him. I don’t know if it has yet. And so as of right now it looks like- it looks like he’s going to. But obviously we get nine episodes left and that’s- that’s forever. But I’ll get back to him (?once we resume?).

◘Jared at Fangoria Austin: Favorite Season 3 Villian by BabyBlueSteel◘

(points to his center left)

•(0:01 BBS)- Fangoria08;Qf6- fav s3 villain; 3x01, 3x02, 3x03; Gordon, Sterling Brown

Fan: Yay! (Jared woos) Um, so far into season 3 of the episodes that have aired, what is your favorite bad guy?

Jared: My favorite bad guy in season 3? What were they? First episode of season 3 was?

Audience + Fan: The seven deadly sins.

Jared: Seven deadly sins. Ew, I love Josh Daugherty who played, I guess, as Ego? Who’s got (?)- (Audience + Fan: Pride.) Right! No, no. (points) (Audience member: He was actually Envy.) Pride was awesome. (nods) (Audience member: Pride could have had his own episode.) Pride was a lot of fun.

◘Jared Padalecki at Fangoria #5 by shadowfax220◘

And you know what? Um, before- before.. Or the take that you saw was actually toned down. And he was doing this sort of crazy Independence Day, Vincent (?Crawford?). I think at first (audience giggles) it was brilliant. It was perfect. But they decided to tone it down a little bit in the next take. And they ended up using the tone down version.

But it must have been Ego, who was sitting in the chair? (Audience: Envy) Envy! (audience chuckles) Um, yeah, it was, uh, he was.

And then the second episode was, those little dudes scared me. (audience laughs) Yeah, that was actually my favorite episode of the year was “The Kids Are Alright.” It was a lot of fun for me to watch. Half because I- it was a smaller episode for me? And so, I was really watching it as an audience member as opposed to like, “I suck there. Sucked there.” (audience laughs) “That was passable. Sucked there.” Um, so I got to watch it and enjoy it, because, um, it had been a while since we shot it and I wasn’t in a lot of it. So I try to kind of watch.

And, I was really proud of Jensen. I thought he did a great job. I thought it was funny. I thought it was scary.

Um, and then “Bad Day at Black Rock” that was the… (Audience member: Rabbit’s foot) Rabbit’s foot. No real villain, I guess. Just sort of.. (Audience member: Yeah.) Then what was four?..

Audience member: What about Gordon?

Jared: (?Ah, oh?) God. I forgot about that. (briefly looks up and throws up hand) (audience laughs) Gordon- Gordon I love to death.

Audience member: That was a great episode.

Jared: Gordon’s awesome. Sterling Brown.

Audience member: Literally? (giggles)

Jared: (side eyes with a smirk and nods) Literally. (?That’s funny?) I wish I could claim that I meant to do that, but, uh.. (audience laughs) (sits up and pushes bangs behind his ear) Yes, I meant to do that.

Um, no. I-I love Gordon. (looks towards fan) Probably Gordon. You know, it was good to have him back. He’s a great actor. A great dude. Um, so, I’d have to say, yeah, (nods) Gordon. In fact I was (holds leveled hand up above his head) (?tinier?) than him.. (audience giggles) logically. Yeah.

(missing coverage*)

◘Jared Padalecki at Fangoria #7 by shadowfax220◘

•(0:00 S)- Fangoria08;Qg+- Jared’s Dogs* (missing question, might be mislabeled)

Jared: (?Don’t have problems in?), um- I’m a- I’m a big believer, um, of that. But, um, I-I guess Digo refers to sort of- I (?read of something?) in Los Angeles and so it just refers to sort of a wild dog and (?queer?) dog, with the big ears and sort of a body that’s meant to run all day long.

Um, and then yeah, Harley. They actually came from the same rescue shelter so.. Yeah. Go rescue shelter. (audience giggles)

(looks to his left) All right guys, I think-

(missing closing)

[roachliquid]

DP season 3 is really turning out to be a mixed bag, quality-wise. I appreciate the higher animation budget, and the introduction of some new enemies (Skulker was getting p. stale), but it's got more than its fair share of bad plotlines and crappy character writing. In some ways, it feels like they combined the worst issues of seasons 1 and 2 - cloying conservative moralism, and a kind of hasty ambition that makes a lot of the new elements feel both too abruptly inserted (especially after the relative lull of season 2) and poorly planned in general.

Danny's ice powers are a good example of what I mean. It's not the the concept is awful or anything, and of course keep in mind that I'm over 20 years older than the show's target audience, but to me they didn't really sell the concept successfully.

See, supposedly these new powers are an extension of Danny's ghost sense, but like... that's not how the metaphysics of that were implied to work? The reason he can see his breath when a ghost around wasn't because he was particularly cold, initially; it was based on that bit of lore where ghosts suck heat out of their vicinity and living people feel colder as a result.

And to get into pure nitpicking territory, there's the fact that they just happened to arrive at the exact time that he needed to take out Audrey II and Poison Ivy's horrible offspring. Which isn't the only time I've felt like a new element would have benefited with some amount of foreshadowing. Unfortunately, this just wasn't the type of show to do that kind of thing, so yanno. I will just have to go on unfulfilled. :P

(I do quite like the new villains, though.)

[beevean]

"NFCV turns Dracula into a tragic figure!" They say when they just copy/pasted his origin from SOTN and then simply proceeded to make him sad and give him a forced happy ending with absolutely zero repercussions for his actions. No regrets for what he's done, no saying sorry to Lisa for doing the exact opposite of what she'd wanted him to do, Lisa herself is seemingly perfectly fine with the fact that her husband has killed and maimed thousands of people: including toddlers!

I mean look I get it Lisa's a saint, she wants to bring out the good in him yadda yadda...but the fact that she has absolutely NOTHING to say to him about it, NO reprimands, after her dying words were to beg him not to harm humankind, after trying so hard to get him to understand and empathise with humans, no she just gleefully rolls on a bed with him saying she wants to spend the rest of her days with him.

Yeah you can tell Shankar didn't think of Dracula as a villain

Dracula's introduction, indeed the very first seconds of the show, is literally Lisa walking through the impaled skeletons decorating his footsteps. How can you not see him as a villain is beyond me.

(btw, turns out that in the MF manga, apparently Dracula impaled people too: if we take Hector's nightmare for real, he stumbled upon them as a child. But they're all in armor, implying that Dracula defended himself against knights who attacked him at his castle. There is no indication of who were the people that Dracula killed, if knights or mere unfortunate peasants, and when you remember the flashback we see in S2, yeah no he did not defend himself. Totally not a villain, guys!)

As I said, I appreciate the idea of giving more focus on Dracula's grief and how it drove him mad. The games hardly approach this concept after SoTN.

And that's it AFAIK. In PoR and OoE he's just a bastard. So yes, I welcome Dracula being presented as a grieving man! Show how twisted his idea of love is! But they went way too overboard, and instead, they turned him into a weakling who can't even get respect from his generals, and who is too depressed to properly command ("Braila. Fine. Braila it is. I no longer have the strength for these petty decisions"); he terrifies Godbrand into submission when he presents one good argument, but lets Carmilla insult him and Lisa in front of everyone and accepts her flimsy explanation with a laugh. Ah yes, that's how I've always imagined Lord Dracula to be: a depressed man stuck in his chair.

And yeah, that ending. Way to miss the point of his character. Way to ignore how he doomed himself to a lifetime of death and rebirth at the hands of the worst traits of mankind, how he'll never break free from his hatred, how he'll never see his beloved ones again let alone earn their forgiveness. No, he'll just live happily as a man again! Until Lisa dies for real, I suppose :)

also yeah lisa what the hell? girl really decides to spend a new honeymoon with her anthrocidial husband but doesn't want to see her son because "he needs closure" :) mother of the year :)

She didn't even have the same last words in the show. She says "Don't hurt them! They don't understand! I know it's not your fault, but... if you can hear... they don't know what they're doing. Be better than them. Please!". For reference, in SoTN she says "Do not hate humans. If you cannot live with them, then at least do them no harm. For their's is already a hard lot."/"Those unable to forgive mankind will walk the path of their own destruction. Those who do not belong to that world shouldn't do anything..." It's not the same thing, and we don't even know if in the show Alucard heard those words, let alone Dracula.

[rhineposting]

I trust you on everything rhine-related more than Hoyo themselves. There is so much build up on this character, what do you think is the best/ easiest way the folks at Hoyo could introduce rhine to the main story/ archon quest? I am asking as most of the lore is sadly from limited events, so there is this clear disconnect from what the canon traveler knows and what players ( that have not been through every event ) knows. Thanks!

OH MY GOD THANK YOU!!! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A RHINEDOTTIR RELATED ASK FOR SO LONG, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM - AND HEARING THAT SOMEONE TRUSTS ME MORE ON RHINE THAN HER CREATORS THEMSELVES???? I'm gonna combust, I think!! BUT! TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION...!

Before we even get into the writing of that possible scene, the most important thing is that she serves cunt. We're speaking astronomical, gagging levels of serving cunt. If it's not the most out of fucks to give, yet simultanously the most theatrical entrance of all time, then what's the point? None. Absolutely. Zero. You know how Signora was first introduced? Yeah, that, but serving even HARDER. There needs to be a soundtrack with the hardest beat drop known to man. Choirs. Synths. Bass. Everything. Big introductory caption all over the screen. A camera zoom on her eyes. You KNOW exactly what I mean. It needs to look like straight out of a movie and a TikTok edit to Megan Thee Stallion or phonk music at the same time. If she's not the star, the queen of her own big entrance after almost three years, then I'm quitting the game. She's a girlboss and she deserves a girlboss introduction. End of story. Okay, as for the actual lore, writing and stuff... I think it'd be a nice idea to introduce her during a Dainsleif quest, possibly branching off from the player investigating the Rifthounds around Wolvendom and meeting up with Dainsleif once he comes back from his nap in his cardboard box home. As the quest continues, we get more and more insight into the nature of the Cataclysm and how crucial Khemia was to Khaenri'ah. Eventually as the quest goes into a mandatory dungeon sequence with tons of notes dropped around everywhere, at the end of the dungeon we meet... Her.

She recognizes Dainsleif and Dainsleif recognizes her. The two exchange words. Preferably with Rhinedottir taunting Dainsleif, who in turn reminds her of what she had done. The player is forced to remember Paimon exists as she repeats what was said for the last five minutes and says something that's supposed to be funny. Eventually after an incredible cutscene, Rhinedottir makes her girlboss exit and leaves Rifthounds behind that we have to fight off or something. Maybe a boss-fight. Then we talk to Dainsleif, who explains even more again. He says something about going to investigate her to see if she isn't working with the Abyss Order by any chance. That of course results in Dainsleif disappearing for another year, leaving us with even more questions and girlboss vs manfail footage. Fin. That way, the player knows what they're dealing with regarding Rhinedottir, with the events being extra flavorings to that, so older players know she's extra messed up while the new ones can still appreciate her as a villain. However... Considering that tomorrow HoYoverse might release a Chapter Interlude trailer that likely features the Hexenzirkel, we might get her introduced Winter Night's Lazzo style. Which is just as good. Incredible, even. But yeah, that's about it!!! Thank you for asking and for your kind words!!!!

[twinsunstars]

Reflecting on Star Wars Celebration 2023

For 2023, Star Wars Celebration was held in London, England, part of Europe. Fans had a blast, whether they actually attended in person wearing cosplay or just regular clothes, or tuned into the live broadcasts on the Star Wars Youtube channel. Like last year in 2022, there were a lot of surprises and awesome guests, but 2023 had a lot of special moments and emotional responses. The hosts of each panel also need some appreciation, I loved the energy and relatable moods they brought to each day. In this post, I’ll recap some of the amazing highlights of each celebration day, and share my thoughts on the panels I attended while tuning into the lives at home. 

Starting off with Day 1, the excitement was at the top-level. Considering it was in London, the live started at 5 AM for me where I live. So I definitely did not get any sleep, but it was worth it. The Ahsoka series got the most recognition of the day with the teaser trailer dropping to all the fans. I woke up to the trailer being posted and immediately watched it, trying not to scream so loudly. Rebels fans were truly getting fed with the new live-action debuts of Hera, Sabine, Ezra, Thrawn, and Chopper. The Acolyte cast were given introductions, and I had no idea that a star from Squid Game (Lee Jung-jae) was going to be in it. I’m really excited to see more of this show. The Making of Andor was discussed with a few of the cast members and creators there, and Diego Luna really highlighted what Andor means to a personal level. Season 2 is in the making, and that will be something worth looking forward to. The next Star Wars films were also announced, and Dave Filoni’s directing one??? Let’s see what he has in store for us.

Day 2 included just as much fun as the first day had. There were more discussions on the Ahsoka characters, and Lars Mikkelsen IS PLAYING THRAWN?! Definitely a good live-action casting choice. Ming-Na Wen came to celebration to host the panel celebrating 40 years of Return of the Jedi, looking back at the characters and how that movie’s plot set up a lot of iconic memories. She also came to an interview to discuss her character, Fennec Shand, and how she is a “badass”. Andy Serkis came to the stage and certainly incited a powerful audience (”ONE WAY OUT!”). It’s unbelievable how it’s already been 15 years of The Clone Wars, with Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, and Ashley Eckstein looking back at the legacy of all of it. Ian McDarmid served the iconic laughter of Palpatine, and Anthony Daniels arrived with his usual charm that makes C-3PO lovable, and got to meet one of his droid fans. Billy Dee William’s charm is irresistible, and we love to see Star Wars authors getting recognition.  

In Day 3, there was a lot more looking back to look forward to. Starting off with the panel celebrating a few of the villains of the Sequels-Phasma, Snoke, and Palpatine-it was interesting to hear their perspectives. Cameron Monaghan served his look on the stage while rocking a poncho, and we love to hear the discussions about ponchos. He even gave it to a cosplaying fan, which was so sweet. Discussing “Jedi Survivor”, the sequel to “Jedi: Fallen Order”, there’s a lot more action to look forward to in the next game. Vivien Lyra Blair is just too adorable, and we have to agree with Hayden Christhansen; “This is where the fun begins” is one of the best Anakin lines. Along with Ewan McGregor and a few other cast members and creators, the team looks back at the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, getting nostalgia between the relationship of Obi-Wan and Anakin. 

And finally, Day 4 was sad as it was to be the last day of celebration, but the energy was extra hyped this day. This day was filled with content of The Bad Batch, and we love to see everyone fangirling over Dee Bradley Baker performing the voices of a few clones. (Tech and Phee are canon now after they talked about it, you can’t change my mind.) Michelle Ang is so pure at heart, and we love to hear her takes on Omega and having her grow up a bit. The fact that Season 3 will be the last Bad Batch season is saddening, there’s still so much to discover. Ashley Eckstein is truly such a kind human being, and we love to see her giving the Ahsoka recognition that is truly deserved. A second season of Tales of the Jedi was announced, and we will be getting a Volume 2 of Star Wars: Visions, and I am in love with the animation. The fact that the studio who produced the film “Wolfwalkers” is getting to create a short in this makes me happy. Listen, Nubs, that little jedi from that upcoming Disney Junior show, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, is so CUTE! The closing ceremony was filled with a lot of emotions, but we can’t wait until the next celebration to see everyone again. Star Wars Celebration is truly home.

My first celebration was back in 2022, and I had attended that one through the lives at home as well. Whenever I sit down to attend the live streams, I really feel like I’m there at celebration, and I have tons of fun every time. Let’s look forward to enjoying ourselves again in 2025 in Japan!

[thebookbin]

Heat Wave

TJ Klune

Publisher: Tor Genre: superhero, young adult Year: 2021

While I think the book started off strong, and by strong I mean embarrassingly horrifically took-me-four-days-to-get-past-chapter 1 teenage hormone riddled mess, the book definitely suffers from second-book syndrome. While I appreciate some of the directions this book goes in—Aaron has to reconcile his time on the police, Nick has powers that were pretty heavily implied in book 1—there were many directions that I didn't fully understand. I liked that all of the adults in the crew knew what was going on, but the fact that Seth reveals himself to the public is... a choice.

While I like the fact that this book plays with a lot of the superhero tropes, I wasn't a fan of how quickly they disregarded the "secret identity" part of the trope. Not because I'm a fan of the whole angsty "there's something going on I can't tell you about" trope, just for practicality's sake. The other thing I didn't like I'll talk about in a separate post, because it's the major spoiler at the end of the book.

While I very much appreciated the introduction of new extraordinaries, I felt this book lagged a lot compared to the first. The fight scenes weren't as interesting (I also felt like the author couldn't keep track of what had happened to the characters. There were a lot of chokings/head injuries that were completely "healed" 3 sentences later), I felt the stakes weren't as high, the villains not as compelling—the classic second book in a trilogy. Without the last reveal I'd give it 4 stars, but I'm really nervous about that which brought it down to 3.

storygraph | bookshop.org | local houston

★★★★ I CAN'T BELIEVE HE ACCIDENTALLY BLUETOOTHED SUPERHERO PORN TO HIS DAD'S CAR STARS

[the-acid-pear]

Okay I'm home now and i can fully and freely type. Anyway mild spoilers for into the spiderverse i guess?

❌❌❌

Anyway uh. Yeah it... It was a tiny bit of a disappointment. It didn't do it for me at all. I feel like this movie is more of an art exhibit and i mean that as a fucking insult. Like sure the animation fucks my ears are ringing and my head aches horribly (that's on me for thinking i can be autistic and watch this on theaters) but like, the story man? It just so much (DEROGATORY).

It commits the sin a lot of spiderman movies make and that is that it bit more than it could chew. Not because they're bad at handling a complex story, but because they tried to juggle like 5 at once. And that never fucking works (my ear is still ringing and it hurts I'm in pain rn -_+ just wanted y'all to know)

Like it introduced SO FUCKING MUCH and it all was cool yeah! Just like electro was cool, and Harry, and Gwen, and captain Stacy. You know what in trying to fucking say? There's only so much you can do in 2 hours and you can just throw all you have all at once at the viewer because all you'll do is leave them disappointed wanting for more of that.

I feel like a baby. They show me this cool thing but nuh uh! Enough of that! Here's this new cool thing! But nuh uh! Enough of that- and so on. Like there were so many cool characters and ideas and concepts and shit but it could barely balance it all. YOU KNOW HOW BAD I WANTED TO SEE MORE OF THE SPOT?! HE BARELY WAS HERE!

It's like, you cannot fucking make a whole movie as the introduction to your next movie. That just sucks. You're setting yourself up for failure.

Like I'm just so upset bc it was full of amaizing things but it didn't fucking deliver in any of them!!!! And God don't get me started on the references. I think this was one of the worst ways to fill your movie with references. Like at least let me fucking process what I'm seeing if you are gonna waste so much time here, but also just... Don't make it so fucking blatant.

Like man i... This was a very experimental spiderman movie which i appreciate in a way but... It's not what I was expecting. To me, personally, it was disappointing. And also not designed at ALL to watch on cinemas. I think that last bit is just a fact.

I'm just kinda sad man. Like i loved Miles and Gwen's drama and i loved Miguel but I also wanted to see more of, you know, THE WHOLE FUCKING NEW CAST AND THE NEW FUCKING VILLAIN THEY INTRODUCED BUT SHOWED ONLY FOR LIKE 2-3 SEGMENTS MAX???????

LIKE HANDS ON HEAD EMOJI WHAT WERE THEY DOINGGGGG 😭😭😭😭

[vilefiction]

𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐒𝐒, 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

alias: paw name: whitney pronouns: she/they age: twenty-three birthday: aug 18 (leo sun, aries moon, scorpio rising + infp) location: usa (est) favorites: sanrio, villains & antagonists, collecting manga, playing video games, making playlists for people, writing

𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄

hello! please call me paw or whitney. i'm a twenty-three year old who loves to write about things. when i was a kid, i dreamed of being an author but things just don't always work out. however, i am currently studying in medicine and use writing as a stress relief hobby since it's something i still cherish. this blog is mostly going to be for writing fanfiction and sharing things that i love. you can find my original works on my main blog! my fanfiction writings will be an array of different genres, including but not limited to angst, fluff, and smut. if you ever take a moment to read something i wrote, thank you! i appreciate any and all feedback when it comes to my writing, as it is something i take pride in and want to constantly improve. i'm not very good at talking about myself so this is as much of an introduction as i can manage. one of the reasons i love writing so much is because i couldn't be like the girls in the books, so i wrote about them instead. i hope you enjoy scrolling through my tumblr and stay awhile if you'd like.

if you've made it this far, congrats! i really appreciate everyone who takes the time to visit this page. it means a lot to me when people try to get to know me, even if it's from something written in a post. i love making new friends, so feel free to shoot a message or send in an ask! i like to think i'm relatively friendly. ＼(＾▽＾)／

anyways, have a wonderful day or night wherever you are! if you ever need someone to get advice from or just talk to, i'm all ears. make sure you drink water, eat a meal, and take some time to take care of yourself. byeee~ ♡( ◡‿◡ )