#it might revive jobs in it it might get productions to use it again

[dkettchen]

I was thinking while watching this like- as a trained 2D handdrawn animator who because of my RSI can't actually, physically 2D animate anymore (even if there had been jobs in it rip) and is now going into film instead, it would be neat to be able to animate from footage like this, but also at its current state this would literally drive me insane over tiny differences between frames, like- once we get to the point where the AI can spit something out in vector lines, on separated layers, where I can go in and futz with the lines and colours individually (or until then, using it for auto-inbetweening, which seems to be the direction it is evolving in with this new warp program they used in this one), then I will probably learn this stuff to use for myself and with my art cause it's getting to a point where I can see that being the future (and it would provide A future for my own animations they will not otherwise have)

[mychlapci]

For cybertronians, both carriers and sires produce energon for sparklings. Since the Megamag divorce happened when Sentinel and Optimus were still at the age where they needed refined energon from their parents, they had to get it from Ultra Magnus. Problem was though, Magnus is not doing a carrier's job, it's demeaning of him to be seen with sparklings on his pouches in public all the time. Sentinel and Optimus are bottle fed babies when Magnus pumps his energon alone. They have an awful time with it at first, being unresponsive to the cold bottle put in their tiny servos versus being snuggled up by their mama to drink from the nozzle, but it was bottle or starve so they had to eat.

Optimus and Sentinel grow up, Optimus is on the repair team, and he gets very clingy to Ratchet. He's so fixated on their cranky old medic, he has the worst staring problem in the wash racks as he tries not to get caught watching Ratchet removing his heavy duty plating to clean his pouches. Eventually they get to earth, the stasis thing happens, they wake back up, Optimus gets killed and revived, TFA rundown. The thing is though, when Optimus is revived his systems are still bouncing back from the shock of being brought back from a snuffed spark. His tanks are sensitive and he's having a horrible time keeping his energon down.

Ratchet basically has to manhandle the prime to medbay. His big fussy sparkling of a boss is resisting the help he needs, and Ratchet isn't playing around with him. He gets Optimus into the med berth and pops off his plating to let his breast free, which makes Prime stop struggling instantly. Ratchet sees it as a good sign, so he keeps pushing his luck. He sits Prime up a little, but the damn mech is still bigger than him so Ratchet has to straddle his lap. Now that they're practically panel to panel, Ratchet can pull Optimus' helm down and press his nozzle to his lips. Optimus is a little lost at first, it had been so long since he had this opportunity, but his reflexes kicked in. He snuggled his face into Ratchet's breast and drank away while the medic pet his helm. It was so good to have fuel that wouldn't cramp his tanks, and in his milk drunk haziness he could make out Ratchet say "There you go kid, that's a good boy."

Might come back to this later, but I think Sentinel's lack of breastfeeding comfort comes out in how he treats the jet twins. He's got Magnus' view of sire and carrier relationships, he's the big mech and he's not feeding the bots he made out of his pouches. He wasn't allowed to have milk from the tap, and look how he turned out! Turns out that encouragement actually just makes the twins pin him down and drink from him like they would offline any second so they would not turn out like him -🌱

NOOO they weren’t breastfed as babies, that explains so much about Optimus and Sentinel. I bet that Ultra Magnus had them put on formula the moment he could, immediately turning off his energon production so it’s once again a choice between the bottle or starving. I think this should mean Optimus and Sentinel both are just really weird around boobs. Optimus gets flustered and stares. Sentinel gets flustered and pretends to be grossed out by them.

oh yes absolutely, post-resurrection Optimus needs milkies to keep functioning :) Ratchet has him on a whole feeding schedule, and Optimus is always very eager to suckle on his pouches. He’s like a big sparkling when Ratchet whips out his titties, it’s almost sad. Ratchet can tell Optimus didn’t get a lot of motherly bonding as a sparkling…

Sentinel would totally think that the experience of not being breastfed made him tougher and stronger or some shit like that. When the jettwins brave up and ask to feed from him because the fuel they’re fed makes them sick (post re-frame system jitters i guess) Sentinel scolds them for being needy and weak just like Ultra Magnus used to scold him and Optimus. They get their milkies anyways though :) and i bet it feels kind of weirdly good for Sentinel, who would never admit that.

[francisballerhide]

An older viewer's perspective on I Saw The TV Glow

(content warning: discussion of spoilers, depression and suicidal themes.)

x-posted from the subreddit of the same name.

I am a queer, non-gender conforming (back in the day we said "genderqueer") person in their late 40s. I saw this the day before yesterday. I'm about five years or so older than the main characters (Owen and Maddy.) The equivalents to "The Pink Opaque" for my friend group that were on TV when we were the same age as the characters were Liquid TV and/or the 1992-era X Men cartoon (so as you can imagine, I've been ecstatic about the X Men 97 revival.) We were also obsessed with the film The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai: Across The Eighth Dimension.

I liked Buffy, but I was already in my 20s when it was airing.

And woah, this movie is very powerful and made me feel all sorts of things.

Like Maddy, I experienced a "break from reality" in my 20s. And I was deadset on finding someone to go on that "break" with me, to experience a folie à deux with, I guess. To help me validate that the imaginary world I was living in was "the real world," and the outside world where I was expected to "get a job and be a productive member of society" was fake.

I know in the context of the film, it's supposed to be implied that Maddy's story is true. She is really Tara, and Owen is really Isabel. But as someone who has been through something very much like Maddy describes (apart from the "being buried alive" part) it was difficult for me not to see Maddy as someone who did exactly what I did - who rejected reality as it is, and tried to check out from it completely.

But also, it's easy to see what Maddy ended up doing as a metaphor for attempted suicide - and that she might have been trying to talk Owen into going along with her on a second attempt, together, when the first attempt failed. And this may have been how Owen saw it, when he rejected it.

Because for me, adulthood felt the same way. You get a job. You try and fit in, or at least fly under the radar. It's not what you want to do - but society is constantly telling you, pressuring you, hassling you, that it's what you should be doing, what you need to do. Maybe you meet someone and settle down, maybe you don't. Maybe you have kids, and maybe you don't.

But one year passes, and then another. And then five years. And then a decade. And then three decades have gone by. And you don't feel it. It's just like skipping forward to the next scene on a DVD. And then you're old, and wondering where your life has gone. You haven't been living your real life.

And the thoughts running through your mind go: "This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. This wasn't supposed to be my life. What happened to my life?"

And as someone with left-of-center politics and a not-always stable mental state, I think: "how much of this is down to reality being screwed up, how much of this is down to us living in a "Black Iron Prison"-style reality construct; and how much of this can be blamed on "late stage" or "end stage" capitalism, which never allows people who exist outside of a certain tax bracket to self-actualize at all?

What if it is "just the suburbs?"

The answer is to try and live your truth and be your authentic self, no matter what is going on in the world outside of that - no matter how difficult the world makes it. But not everyone is strong enough, or has the psychological tools to find their way to that.

I think I need to go back and watch this film again.

I also would like to recommend Matrix Resurrections to anyone who was bummed out by the end of I Saw The TV Glow, for what happens when the person who has been insisting "that beautiful, powerful person can't be me" suddenly decides to be that, anyway.

[practically-an-x-man]

So... callbacks!

(tagging the friends I've been talking theatre with, just so I don't have to re-type the story a bunch of times: @can-of-pringles @negative-speedforce @sashathedoge @witchy-self-shipper @noodles-07 @kyberinfinitygems)

First of all, incredible pool of talent here. I think at this point it's not about skill, just about which rendition of the character the director likes most. Each actor who auditioned clearly rehearsed and put together their own version of the character, so it's just which version aligns with the director's vision.

^ This is good, I'm glad it's by no means a runaway game and I know whoever gets chosen for the role will do an incredible job, but it also makes me very nervous about if my rendition will make the cut

Singing went well, there was an interesting thing with the lyrics (the videos they gave us had the revival, the printed lyrics they supplied were the original Broadway, apparently I was the only one who chose to prepare the original Broadway lyrics bc I thought the discrepancy was intentional [like they wanted to force us to make our own choices rather than copying the Broadway actor]) but again, everyone clearly prepared, it all went well, I'm feeling good about my choices but it's very tough competition.

Dancing also went well!! I'm very glad I practiced beforehand - for one thing, I was comfortable enough to make character choices rather than having to focus on the technical dancing, and for another, I was comfortable enough to have fun!

That's the thing - I enjoyed these callbacks! The stress didn't get me nearly as much as it normally does, possible because of how much I prepared and possibly because I've worked with the production team before, but I just thoroughly enjoyed every stage of the process and I think it showed. I'm just... all-around excited for this show, whether or not I get cast.

Reading for the sides was mildly disappointing - we were low on time so we only read for one scene, and I was paired with an actor who was a little hard to work off of.

^ But that being said, I feel like that one scene did go pretty well, I think the director could see my choices and the emotion I put into the scene, I think I made the best with what I had available to me.

Both the people who were called back for the Leading Player, at two different moments, quietly said they were rooting for me for Pippin :D One of them said that she expected me to be called back for Pippin after hearing my audition, so apparently I give off at least some vibes for the character?

As with any theatre thing, I try to be encouraging and respectful towards my fellow actors - the production team already knows this, having worked with me before, but I feel it's just as important to the callback as the acting itself. Hell - maybe I'm not the best Pippin, but if I'm the Pippin that's always lifting people up and volunteering to help out, that might give me just enough of a boost to get cast. (That's not why I try to be positive, but it is something I'm aware of when it comes to auditioning. Presence offstage is just as important as presence onstage, and nobody wants to deal with an asshole through 3 months of rehearsals)

I didn't actually get to read for Lewis at all - part of me wants to believe it's because they really saw Pippin in me, but I know it's more likely that it just was getting late and they ran out of time for more scenes.

All in all... I feel like it was one of my best and most prepared callbacks I've had, I'm proud of my effort and my rendition of the character even if it's not the director's choice, though I know at least some of my audition-mates are encouraged that I'll get the role and that feels really nice. It's funny how quickly my intent shifted: when I wasn't called back for the Leading Player, I dove headfirst into playing Pippin instead and I think it showed. I'll still be disappointed if I don't get the role, that's natural, but I trust this director and I know I put in 100% of what I had to offer.

Time for three days of irrational anxiety as I wait for the cast list - I know I did the best I could, but the waiting game is so hard for me. Especially since this is my first real opportunity for a lead role, and the first time I feel like I've really stood a chance against the competition.

[rallamajoop]

Resident Evil 7 Ending Text

The ending sequence of RE7 features panning shots of a document containing various photos and text about the project that created Eveline. The text repeats every few paragraphs (often several times in the same image), but it does include some interesting details about Eveline that don't show up elsewhere in the game.

A few lines of the same text even show up again on the side of the Rose flasks in RE8 ‒ Recently deceased. Procedure is untested and early subjects were destroyed too quickly to collect definitive data ‒ and elsewhere, If injections are skipped for prolonged periods of time, the product will age rapidly... (If you have really good eyesight, you might even notice this snippet continues underneath the 'Stabilising Compounds' header.)

But the complete text from RE7 is much longer. I've stuck what I could patch together from the ending sequence under the cut.

The product is a bioweapons commodity created by the Bioweapons Division. It takes the form of a child (in this case a girl named Eveline) which can be purchased and raised to suit individual client needs. Its purpose is mind control — up to and including inducement to violence. Application can vary from political to military to economic destabilization. Method of inducement: chemical transference of psychotropic compounds via skin to skin contact between Product and Subject inducing a mentally suggestive state in the subject responsive only to the product. Known dangers: The Product is currently in the prototype stage and is both mentally and physically unstable requiring regular maintenance injections of stabilizing compounds. If the injections are skipped for prolonged periods of time the Product will age rapidly — 25 Xs faster than normal. Eventually the Product will become insane and a danger to all around it. No tests have been run on subjects depriving them of maintenance chemicals for more than 6 months as the situation became too dangerous for observation. The Product also affects its environment mutating plants and promoting the growth of a highly toxic psychotropic mold, the ingestion of which causes insanity and severe mutations in those who ingest it. There is some indication the use of the mold could revive the recently deceased. However, this has yet to be tested. Early subjects were destroyed much too quickly to collect definitive data on this. Product should ship with a minimum of two Handlers each with serum immunizing them to the Products mental control as well as Stabilizing Compounds. Handlers should be equipped with equipment tuned to Product's biochemisty. One of the Handlers should imprint on the Product as a close relative, either as a mother or as a father figure. This will aid in controlling during field operations. Product is ready for field testing which should be initiated as soon as possible. Suitable clients exist in the Americas, and one should be selected ASAP for test delivery.

Among the more interesting details is that bit about having a handler 'imprint on the Product as a close relative', which is made to sound like it's simply a part of transport procedure ‒ just another thing for handlers to be equipped with. I'd assumed the 'imprinting protocol' Mia refers to in the game meant she must have been involved with the project that created Eveline from early on, but this makes it sound like part of a pre-departure checklist. Could Mia have met Eveline and been 'imprinted' only shortly before they left?

Far creepier is the loud implication that the 'parental' bond of handler to 'Product' would 'aid in controlling during field operations'. Mia gets an awful rap around this fandom, but it's hard to imagine she'd be happy being shipped off as Eveline's permanent field-handler to some foreign government or terrorist organisation ‒ especially given how eager she is to be done with her "babysitting job." But once Eveline was past the 'prototype stage', that sounds like exactly what the Connections intended for handlers like her to do.

Then there's the bit about giving handlers a "serum immunizing them to the Products mental control," which could certainly explain how Mia was able to resist for so long, and is presumably the same agent the Connections supplied to Lucas (I wonder if Zoe ever got her hands on some?) Must be a different serum to the one that actually cures you of the mould, however, since Lucas pretty clearly isn't cured.

Also: There is some indication the use of the mold could revive the recently deceased. However, this has yet to be tested. Early subjects were destroyed much too quickly to collect definitive data on this. Yeah, I'd say that one's been pretty well tested by the end of RE7!

As for that part about Eveline aging 25x faster than normal if not regularly injected with the stabilising compound, the numbers add up surprisingly well! Eveline escaped in October 2014. By September 2016, when Lucas reports she's showing grey hairs, she'd have aged around 2x25=50 years, making her apparent age close to 60. By Ethan's arrival in July 2017, that's 2 years and 9 months, or almost 70 extra years of aging, for total of 80 years old.

Yeah, looks about right to me.

Getting back to RE8, what does it mean that some of this text was reused on the side of the Rose flask? All that stuff about rapid aging clearly applies to Eveline, but seems completely irrelevant to baby Rose.

Much like the RE7 ending, I don't think the text is meant as much more than a bit of convenient lorem ipsum-style filler material ‒ though the fact she's labeled EVE No. 3 is obviously a reference to the project that created Eveline (and yes, the same number appears on all four flasks ‒ it's not a flask number). Which raises the question: who were 1 and 2? Eveline's referred to as E-001, so could 2 be the other member of the E-series we see being killed in necrotoxin tests in the lab photos? Or was Eva 1 and Eveline 2, by Miranda's reckoning? Were these flasks previously used to hold the remains of a previous E-series member tagged E-003?

It's not like it's essential lore or anything, but it'd be interesting to know which version was on the mind of whoever created that asset all the same.

[ticiie]

week 1: the first time

prompt from the off-season winter sport fandom challange

characters: Marco Odermatt, Gino Odermatt (mentioned), Paddy Kälin

lenght: 667 words

author's note: as happy as I honestly am about the revival of the osws-prompts, I had a hard time coming up with something for week one. I had to bend and break the prompt in order to find the minimum ammount of inspiration and this is the result that has me apologizing already. Let's hope week 2 turns out easier and therefor better 🤞🏼

The friendly lady that had accompanied Marco through the highly confusing insides of the studio gave him a sign to walk through the corridor. The audience was pretty huge, a lot bigger than the last time he had been here. Marco gave them an awkward wave that only seemed to fire them up. Paddy, the host of tonight’s broadcast, just shrugged. He tried to say something but Marco couldn’t hear a word through the applause. Paddy pointed him to the table and Marco gladly took a seat. He had spotted his sister and one of his best mates sitting in the front row, Alina gave him a secret thumbs up and Marco tried not to laugh at her too much. The crowd eventually calmed down again so Paddy got to fulfil his job as anchor-man.

“Welcome back, thanks for taking your time!”

“Thanks for having me.”

The medals of the world championship were lying at the edge od the round table, close to the three crystal globes Marco had won this season. Paddy didn’t hesitate to use them as a hook to the interview:

“Let me summaries some statistics of your season: Two-time world champion, three-time globe winner, one of them being the overall globe, your second I may add, most points won in a single season on men’s side which got you tearing down a 23 year old record, and since yesterday: national champion in giant slalom. Congratulations.”

“Thank you very much.”

“It sounds a bit unbelievable but this is the first time you’ve won that title! Does it mean as much to you as the other victories?”

“Well, it’s certainly a great feeling to have it secured as well, especially since I can’t compete at the nationals every season, so it’s nice how it worked out this year alongside everything else. But it’s not comparable to winning Adelboden for example. It’s a bit more down to earth, less hectic.” Laughs came through the audience, Marco felt his shoulders relax. After that, the rest of the interview went by smoothly. At one point, Alina gestured Marco to sit up straighter and Marco had to bite his tongue in order not to burst into laughter. As they reached the end of Marco’s screen time, Paddy brought up the topic of vacations and time away from training. Marco chuckled. “It’s really not as much as people might think. I’ve got some more appointments and testing sessions scheduled and I’ll try to get a few weeks off before the first training camp starts again in June.”

“How does an athlete like you spend his vacation? Are you allowing yourself a week on a sunbed with a good book and no physical exercise or do you need to spend it actively? Taking sightseeing-tours, getting an adrenaline kick?” Paddy pointed over his shoulder to the big LED-screen where the production had pulled up a picture on which he and Gino were hanging overhead from a bungee rope. Again, the audience laughed, just like Marco.

“It really doesn’t matter what I do or where I go, you can always be sure to find Gino calling you on day two, complaining about him being bored and asking what the plan for the day is.”

The program was being shown live on national TV. Marco had forgotten to leave his phone in the dressing room so now he could feel it vibrating in his pocket after saying the thing about Gino. He knew that the text message probably didn’t contain the nicest expressions without having to read it and Marco might would have to make amends by getting Gino a year-supply of those disgusting frog-shaped candies that he loved so much. He had never understood his boyfriend’s obsession over those and they also didn’t taste like the soft drink they shared their name with but Marco knew it would make Gino happy and that was the least he could do after deliberately teasing him in front of a good quarter of the Swiss population.

[more-than-a-princess]

Based on a few current threads that have revived an interest in my post neo world program/Post-Despair/Post-SDR2 verse, I'm reminded of a few angst headcanons (let's face it: this entire verse is angst. Mostly angst. Most of the time) about Sonia's thoughts, feelings, and actions where Gundham is concerned. Mostly these:

When he's still in a coma/in the pod, Sonia visits him daily. The first time, she'd brought a chair to set up beside his pod and every day after, no one had the courage to move it. The more she's able to remember her life, and especially her friendship with him, at Hope's Peak, the more she tries to bring things that aren't triggering regarding The Tragedy but things they shared. If she's up to eating (she isn't always: mostly for psychological reasons. Sonia possesses a lot of guilt over her actions, including feeling like she failed the one thing she was never supposed to fail at, and takes it out on herself), she might bring two servings of a snack they'd shared together at school and only eat one of them. She also combs through the library and pulls out novels and short stories she thinks he'd like: gothic literature mostly, and reads them aloud to him.

Not that he's likely to hear her or anything, but for Sonia, it's one of the few comforts she has in her day: reading to him, sharing with him, telling him about her day. Things she's too guilty or ashamed to admit to the other survivors, or things she doesn't trust with members of the Future Foundation.

Additionally, while he's still in his pod, Sonia takes it upon herself to see to the animals on the Jabberwock Island (formerly Usami's) Farm. Just like in the simulation, there's chickens and cows, but there's additional horses, goats, a few geese, a couple of pigs, and some barn cats (with the possibility of more barn cats). Sonia knows next to nothing about taking care of animals, but after seeing what supplies (and minimal care) the Future Foundation has left the Farm, she studies books from the island's library and gets a basic idea of feeding and cleaning (and milking the cows).

This does not mean she's got any expertise in regular cleaning products (for human home maintenance), but she can dish out fresh grain, hay, and other meals as needed, and throw out the old straw/add new straw. She's a bit better with the horses, as her family owned several back home and she's an experienced rider, and so she learned proper feeding and grooming techniques for them. There's also a few saddles, bridles, reins, blankets and pads, brushes and combs, and other riding equipment that Makoto had brought over from Novoselic, in case Sonia wants to use them (she does).

Mainly, Sonia sees it as looking after the animals until Gundham is revived, and can do a much better job than she ever could. Animal care and breeding had been his greatest passion, according to her: if she could help him find that again one day, it's worth a try.

In short: Sonia will always love him. She may not always be in love with him (that's depending on the thread/interaction/mun interested in writing that sort of ship), but she will always care for him.

[metadermgroup]

Chemical Peels for Dark Spots: A Path to Brighter Skin

Do you also have hyperpigmentation or dark spots? Well, these can be irritating and downright difficult to deal with. However, what might be the cause of this? Well, these dark patches may be due to acne scars, sunburn, or hormonal changes, and they can make you feel less confident in your skin. 

But there’s good news! If you need specific treatment for your skin or in cases where your skin can be revived, then chemical peels could help. So, are you ready to know about chemical peels for dark spots? Without any doubt, this blog post will do the job. Get into it now!

Chemical Peels: Get Familiar With It!

A chemical peel is a skin procedure that helps to peel off the outer layers of the skin by applying chemicals. The peel initiates exfoliation of the outer layer of your skin, thus exposing the new skin layer, which is healthier. There are different types of peels that work depending on the kind of skin problem you might have, including fine lines, acne, and dark marks.

There are three main types of chemical peels for dark spots: light chemical peel, medium chemical peel, and deep chemical peel. It is important to note that the intensity of the peel depends on how deep it goes into the skin as well as the strength of the peel. If we talk about light peels, then these are less invasive as opposed to deep peels, which are more aggressive and have a longer healing period.

How Do Chemical Peels Help with Dark Spots?

You should know that a dark spot is formed when the skin in a specific area gives out an excess of melanin, which is responsible for the skin color. This may be due to sun exposure, hormonal changes, or hyperpigmentation changes after having acne. To get rid of it, chemical peels may be useful because they remove the layer that contains excess melanin and promote the generation of new skin cells.

You can visit Meta Dermatology if you are looking for a dermatologist near Moorestown, NJ.

Here’s how chemical peels can benefit those with dark spots:

Exfoliation and Skin Renewal

Chemical peels are primarily used to remove the outermost layer of the skin. Chemical peels work by exfoliating your skin and getting rid of the dark spots by removing the affected skin layers. This can eventually result in softer and better-toned skin. It is recommended to get this treatment consistently in order to minimize the effects of such spots.

Stimulating Collagen Production

Another advantage of chemical peels is stimulating collagen production in the skin layers. Collagen is a protein that helps your skin maintain tightness and a glossy look. The stimulation of collagen production can also aid in the clearing of scars or skin discoloration that is usually associated with dark spots. This leads to making the skin appear to be in better condition or healthier.

Targeting Hyperpigmentation Directly

Certain chemical peels include ingredients that have an effect on the removal of areas of hyperpigmentation. For instance, glycolic acid and salicylic acid can get into the skin and break down the melanin in the dark patches to provide even-toned skin.

What Are The Types of Chemical Peels for Dark Spots?

Now, in this section, we will discuss the types of chemical peels for dark spots:

Light Chemical Peel: Peels off of the outer skin layer, known as the epidermis. Fights fine lines, pimples, hyperpigmentation, and dry skin. Usually done every 2–5 weeks.

Medium Chemical Peel: Peels the epidermis and a small portion of the dermis as well. It also covers wrinkles, acne scars, and skin discoloration. May need a few sessions to get the expected outcome.

Deep Chemical Peel: Used in the management of deep wrinkles, scars, or precancerous growth and removal of the deeper skin layers. It is not required to perform the procedures again and again to achieve the intended outcome fully.

If you are still confused, then get the complete information at Meta Dermatology, which offers the best chemical peel in Moorestown, NJ.

What to Expect Before, During, and After a Chemical Peel Procedure?

If you’re considering chemical peels for dark spots, it’s important to know what to expect throughout the process:

Before The Procedure

Your dermatologist or esthetician will evaluate the skin type and the darkness of the spot to suggest an appropriate peel. They may also advise you on what to do before peeling, such as staying away from sunlight or using some skin care products on your face.

During The Procedure

With this chemical solution, your skin will be treated with it. You may experience some tingling or burning sensations during the procedure, but the treatment is not painful. The procedure generally ranges from fifteen minutes to an hour, according to the type of peel.

After The Procedure

The skin may look a bit red or irritated, particularly if you have undergone a medium-depth or a deep peel. Just like any other treatment, it is advisable to follow the aftercare information from your dermatologist, including applying moisturizer, avoiding sun exposure, or using mild skincare products. After some time, you realize that the skin surface is peeling and what is coming behind is fresher skin.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that chemical peels are highly recommended if you want to decrease the look of the dark spots and get a lighter complexion. By exfoliating the skin and stimulating collagen synthesis, such procedures can help you get rid of hyperpigmentation and welcome beautiful skin. Therefore, you should consult a professional to know which of the chemical peels for dark spots are the right fit according to your skin. To get amazing services, you must visit Meta Dermatology, which has the best dermatologist in NJ.

[yfyjhfyfyj]

HOW TO CONVERT A ROOM TO A LUXURY ROOM.

In order to transform your regular room into a luxurious one, you need skilled workers who can deliver exceptional quality work. In case you are struggling to find an interior designer in Kerala for the job, there may be some challenges that you will have to overcome. Nonetheless, with the right team of workers, you can easily turn your ordinary space into a spectacular haven

If you're looking to add a touch of luxury to your bedroom, there are some easy steps that you can take

The idea of bringing the dead back to life refers to reviving items that are no longer in use and making them useful again. This concept is commonly used in the context of recycling and upcycling,

To change the background of a room with a polished surface, you need to replace the existing unpolished surface with a new polished one. This involves carefully selecting the appropriate flooring

Renovation

This one of the luxury rooms for example you will get by following the right instructions with the right mentor for designing the interior 

We will also surely assist you in developing an embellishment

Light

The bright lights can be used to bring objects that are not visible to the naked eye 

Expense

Adding this kind of luxurious items is gonna cost a lot of money

 therefore we must reduce the cost of expense by minimizing the number of products to expand the space in the room and add more

Some of the factors that could save the amount of expense is through expanding the business into a vast area there are many ways to do that 

So these are not the only things that will save, these are some of the factors

If you have a design or a designer who crafts this kind of wooden pieces into tables and other materials, they might be able to do them at less expensive compared to the expense of buying from a readymade shop 

So it's like a kind of bonus when having saved some extra money than when you have a lot of rooms to turn into luxury and who is doing the project is following the same step would be able to make some change in the industry of luxury rooms and stand in the top among the designers 

It's kind of an opportunity for designers to grow and become part of the business of the modern world where everyone is turning small rooms into luxury rooms without having to spend tons of money. This method would have a huge impact on the luxury world 

Keeping the floor plain as it is will also help but keeping the room clean and cool would be better 

Most of the luxury rooms are found in the luxurious hotels in the world like burj al arab those hotels charge 20 to 30 thousand dollars per night 

Put some carpets on the floor (plain carpets) are more favorable

Luxury rooms need a lot of expense so there are multiple ways to reduce the expense 

More about looking luxurious rather than making luxurious 

*get yourself some beautiful curtains

To look beautiful and luxurious we need beautiful curtains

Tables and utensils need to look luxurious such as glass bottles, marble table

Adding some extra furniture to make the room luxurious would be better

Hanging some quotes on the walls but don't make them over decorated  

Keep the room fresh at all cost

This requires maintenance such as vacuuming and cleaning the room for interior designing experience

Last and final “the smell” 

Suppose a guest comes into the room and does not find the room pleasant he or she will not have a good opinion of the odour of the room

Having a beautiful and clean window with an amazing landscape 

These are the major steps to keep the room luxurious

[alunclewe]

So I attended the @sequentialartistsworkshop Friday Night Workshop, hosted this time by E. Joy Mehr (@ejoymehr on Instagram), although I got there a bit late and missed the instructions and thought I might have to sit this one out, but they ended up repeating the instructions, so I could participate after all, though I had to kind of rush (again).  The project this time was for participants to produce six-page “zines” (plus front and back covers) about... themselves.  The front cover was just a title page; the first page was a general about page; on the second page we listed some of our interests; each of pages 3 through 5 expanded on one of these interests; page 6 was a “fun fact”; and the back cover had our contact info.

On the previous occasions I’ve attended these workshops, I’ve done my art digitally, but for a zine it seemed right to go ahead and do things the old-fashioned way.  But since I hadn’t been expecting to use traditional media, I didn’t have any at hand, so I grabbed some pieces of paper from the printer and went looking for whatever other art supplies I could easily find, ending up with a technical pen and a box of old markers.  (And not, unfortunately, any correction fluid, which I would have used, among other things, to fix my having mispositioned my pupils on the cover page; instead, I tried to hide the mistake by making my eyes half-closed.  It does not look good.)

I’m afraid doing so much digital art has made me grow complacent; working digitally it’s easy to redo, resize, or reposition something, but with ink I have to be more careful to get it right the first time, especially when I’m going straight to ink and not penciling first.  Hence, for instance, my arms being so horribly differently sized on the cover.  Bleh.

Anyway, I know my handwriting is hard to read at the best of times, let alone when I was rushing this like I was, so in case anyone cares I’ll put the text of the “zine” behind a cut.

FRONT COVER:

ALL* ABOUT ALUN CLEWE

*SOME

PAGE 1:

ALUN CLEWE* is a cartoonist living in Los Angeles.  He had several webcomics in the past, one of which he plans to revive in August and one next January.

He is way too wordy

*Not his real name**

**Yes, I use a pen name as a cartoonist.  No, I don’t know why.

PAGE 2:

SOME OF MY INTERESTS:

Role-Playing Games

Writing Music

Writing Fiction

Acting/Filmmaking

Animation

Comics (obviously)

PAGE 3:

Role-Playing Games?

You know, like Dungeons & Dragons.

But there are others, like RuneQuest, Chronicles of Darkness, Symbaroum, and many others I’ve played/want to play.

I’m also working on my own RPGs, but... haven’t finished any yet.

PAGE 4:

ACTING

I’ve acted in a number of independent movies and webseries, although I use a screen name for that.  (A different name than “Alun Clewe”—I don’t know what it is with me and pseudonyms.)

I have my own webseries that was put on hold with the pandemic, but that I want to start producing again soon.

PAGE 5:

COMICS

In addition to the aforementioned webcomics, I have participated in 24 Hour Comics Day every year since 2006.

For a while, I tried to do a 24 hour comic every 24 days and post a page a day, but I only kept that up for about a year.

You can see all my 24 hour comics at d24comic.com, but the site is very ugly and bare-bones and needs a lot of work.  (This is the comic I plan to relaunch in January.)

(The other is called Soup, https://www.soupcomic.com)

↑ There’s nothing there now but will be in August

PAGE 6:

FUN FACT

As my day job, I work as a studio teacher—I work with child actors on film sets.  (Whenever there’s a minor on a film set*, the production is required to have a certified studio teacher present.)

*Okay, there are exceptions, but they’re rarish.

BACK COVER:

CONTACT

My website is

https://alunclewe.com

(but it, like my 24-hour comic site, needs a lot of work.)

You can also find me on Tumblr at @alunclewe (alunclewe.tumblr.com)

and on Instagram as @alunclewe

[procrastinatorproject]

I was terrified for years that if I ever stopped keeping an extremely tight grip on myself and berating myself constantly for Not Doing Enough, I would just... stop. I would lie in bed or on my couch all day, scroll tumblr (if that), binge tv shows, and let my flat turn into a complete dumpster. The only thing that was keeping me even marginally productive was the constant self-flagellation and self-loathing.

As proof, I usually took that even with all that constant pressure and self-punishment, I still spent a ton of time Not Being Productive, but just lying in bed and bingeing tv shows or scrolling tumblr. Clearly, if I ever let up, even the tiny bits of productivity would disappear.

And then I reached this summer term break, the first time in well over a decade when I didn't have any "should be"s hanging over my head. No "I should be studying for an exam", no "I should be writing a term paper", no "I should be doing my job" (my contract ended in April), no "I should be making progress on this Major Life Decision". Just... eight weeks of nothing.

And I very intentionally banned myself from doing anything for university for the entirety of September. No "I should use this time to prepare the classes for next term" or "I should revise all my notes from last year", none of it. Just free time to do with as I see fit. As long as there is some kind of food in the flat and I am wearing marginally clean clothes, I'm good.

It didn't even take three days before I had created two new tumblr blogs revived five old hobbies, written about 10k in new stories, and tidied my bedroom to a higher standard than it had seen in a very long time.

And you know when I started binge-watching tv shows and being unable to get out of bed again? When it became abundantly clear that getting a new kitchen, the one real project I had planned for my eight weeks off, was going to take some hard decisions and lengthy preparation, and my old "you should be working on this"-mechanisms kicked in again.

It wasn't the things that needed to be done that triggered the procrastination and avoidance, it was the relentless self-punishment in response to a completely understandable nervousness about having to make difficult decisions.

And the thing that actually got me to move wasn't berating and blaming myself for being "lazy" or punishing myself some other way. It was being kind to myself and going: "yup, instead of ordering that fridge, a thing that Scares You To Your Core, you spent the entire day writing 14k words worth of daydreaming. I see how that happened. You clearly needed that, so well done for channeling the anxiety into something that gave you joy. Now, let's call a friend to talk this through and make a plan for tomorrow so you have support while you give this fridge-thing another go."

(Also: "yup, you had planned to do and write and blog SO MANY THINGS, but the kitchen anxiety has made it incredibly hard to spend your time with anything other than binge-watching. i'm sorry your brain is going through such a rough patch, it's very understandable you couldn't follow through on all the things you'd hoped. But you did some of them! And you can always come back to it. It's okay!")

Is this a magical cure? Of course not! My executive function is still all over the place. Even in those weeks where I got A Lot done, I still didn't manage to cook as often as I'd liked or start to go swimming again, and there were things I thoroughly avoided.

But what this experience has demonstrated to me very clearly is that OP is right: you can't punish, berate, and hate yourself into not being disabled. It Does. Not. Work. No, not even for you.

It might work temporarily, but it'll do much more harm than good, especially in the long run.

I was terrified of letting go. Really utterly existentially terrified. I won't go into details, but trust me, it was bleak.

And a lot of that fear is still there, because I've built it over decades of being undiagnosed and unmedicated and convinced I was a moral failure because I didn't understand my disability.

But it really is okay to let go.

Our lives will not disintegrate. We will not suddenly become a blob of inertia that will never ever move again.

We might crash for a while because we'll need to heal from years and years and years of abuse.

But in the end, we all, yes, even you, will find that we want to move again.

Not out of fear of punishment and rejection, but because we want to.

And it's okay if you're not there yet.

I wasn't for a really long time, and I've been incredibly lucky because I finally have medication that mostly works and an amazing therapist.

But you, too, can get there.

You, too, are allowed to let go.

It'll be okay!

And we'll be here, cheering you on!

the thing about having horrible executive function issues is that sometimes you don't do something that should have been done and that has consequences that are unpleasant for you. and sometimes you feel horrible about it and berate and beat yourself up for it and drill into your head over and over that the terrible thing that's happened to you is all your fault. and then the next time a similar situation comes up, you remember how you felt the last time, and mostly out of fear of how bad you'll feel if you don't do the thing again, you do the thing. and then, this is where it gets dangerous, you'll start to believe that this is an effective method of managing your executive function issues. you'll see that berating yourself scared you into making yourself do the thing once and you'll, without even knowing, go...oh. if I'm horrible to myself, it'll motivate me.

and then you'll learn to do this. over and over and over. and if this becomes your strategy, it becomes very hard to stop doing, because you can develop this belief that your own self directed cruelty is what keeps you in line. I can't forgive myself when I fuck up, because then I'll fuck up all of the time.

Let me absolve you all of this problem right now: it. Doesn't. Work. It works once. Twice, maybe. But it doesn't keep working. Self-directed cruelty and punishment is not an effective form of modifying your own behavior. It might work once or twice but like all punishment based techniques it will quit working very fast and then all you'll be left with is pointless, ineffective self-inflicted cruelty and misery and the misguided belief that you're not allowed to stop.

Stop.

Let it go.

Berating yourself is not "the thing keeping you in line."

You are a good person.

You do not need the threat of punishment to want to do the right thing.

And if just wanting to do the right thing isn't enough to make you brush your teeth or do your homework or whatever, it's not because you don't care. It's because you have a disability.

And being horrible to yourself because you have a disability is bad, and perhaps more importantly, ineffective. You cannot shame and torture the disability out of yourself. It's not "keeping you in line." It's not doing anything other than making you miserable.

You can let go.

You can be gentle with yourself.

Nothing bad will happen. You will not suddenly become worse at keeping up. You will not lose your focus and progress.

Be kind to yourself.

I love you.

[sohotthateveryonedied]

Hiii!! I really love your tumblr posts and I'm pretty new to the Batfam (meaning I have only read fics and textposts about them, no comics) and I wanted to ask about the year Bruce/Batman gets "lost in time". I know general things of what the kids have been doing–Dick became batman and fired Tim from robin, giving it to Damian, everyone thinking Tim was crazy for believing Bruce was alive, (don't really know what Jason was up to though, was he still murderous towards Tim? Does the pit still affect him? Also I have no idea about Cass and Duke, were they introduced at this point??) Anyways, my real question was why was Bruce lost in time, what villain put him there? And how did he get out? And how long was he "dead"? Was Bruce in another reality or like just asleep the whole time? Oh! And how soon did this happen after Damian got introduced to the family–a couple months?

I'm so sorry this is so long, but I hope you answer and thank you!!

(I’m going to try and cover all my bases here by going into how exactly Bruce “died,” what went down during the Battle For the Cowl, what the Batkids did while Bruce was gone, and how Bruce came back. Hopefully it all makes sense?? We’ll see how it goes lmao.)

Part 1 - What Happened to Bruce:

So there was this event called Final Crisis (which I won’t go completely into since it would make this post a million times longer than it already is), but the bottom line is that Darkseid wants to overthrow reality and release his Anti-Life Equation, which would overthrow the whole planet and turn everyone into slaves. (If you’re interested in knowing more about the storyline, here’s a Reddit thread that explains it WAY better than I could.) 

What I CAN tell you is that during his final confrontation with Darkseid, Bruce is hit by an Omega Beam and turned into a burnt chicken nugget killed. Poor guy.

Final Crisis #6

Clark and Diana bring the body back to the Batcave and break the news to the Batfamily. Batman #687 covers a good portion of the aftermath such as Bruce’s funeral, the Batfamily grieving, and Dick coming to terms with his new responsibility of becoming Batman.

Batman #687

Part 2 - Battle For the Cowl: 

Musical chairs time, fellas! After word gets out that Batman is gone, Gotham erupts into chaos. Dick doesn’t want to take over the mantle, Tim needs Dick to take over the mantle, and Jason says “fuck it” and takes over the mantle himself because somebody around here has to. He becomes this murderous psychopathic Batman and starts taking out criminals with deadly force because someone’s gotta do the job, so it might as well be him.

Batman: Battle For the Cowl #1

(Okay honestly, this series had some pretty bad characterization overall, which sucks since it’s such an important storyline. Jason is portrayed as this violent psychopath, which...okay, he was kind of insane after the Pit and all, but not to this degree. Personally, I choose to owe the bad characterization to Bruce’s death because as much as Jason resents Bruce for all he’s done, he does still love him and losing him would be devastating, which would exacerbate his already fragile mental health. As for Damian, this happens roughly three years after his first appearance, so we can assume it’s been a few months since he first joined the family. He’s still relatively new at this point, so nobody knows how to write him yet. He ends up being depicted as if his main two personality traits are Bratty and Assassin-Child and that’s it. It’s all just a mess.)

Anyway, Tim tells Dick to become Batman and stop Jason’s reign of terror. Dick says no, so Tim follows Jason’s lead by saying “fuck it” and putting on the cowl himself. He goes to confront Jason, which ends in Jason beating the crap out of him (again) and leaving him for dead after Tim declines his offer to become Jason’s Robin. Dick goes to save Tim and ends up fighting Jason. 

Battle For the Cowl #3

Dick wins, Jason disappears, Tim is fine, and Dick finally gets his head out of his ass and becomes Batman. 

Part 3 - What Happens to Each Batkid While Bruce is “Dead”?:

Dick: 

As I said, Dick becomes the new Batman a month after Bruce’s death. He’s got big shoes to fill, and it takes some time for him to get used to his new role. He and Damian end up flipping around the classic Batman and Robin dynamic, with Batman now as the fun counterpart to Robin’s edginess. Dick, Damian, and Alfred relocate to the penthouse above the Wayne Foundation building, operating out of a secret Bat-Bunker in the basement.

Batman #688

Jason: 

After Battle For the Cowl, Jason is still batshit insane and determined to make Dick’s already stressful life even harder by becoming a supervillain with an ugly costume and an even uglier hairstyle. (I know it’s just because the artist sucked, but still. Jason is horrifying to look at during this time.) He mostly just gets on Dick’s nerves by running around Gotham with his new sidekick Scarlet and killing criminals as Batman and Robin wannabes. Eventually, Dick has Jason committed to Arkham Asylum and he hangs out there until Bruce returns.

Batman and Robin (2009) #5

Tim: 

Tim...doesn’t do great after Bruce’s death, mentally. Dick makes Damian Robin, his reasoning being that Robin is more of a sidekick and he sees Tim as his equal. By making Damian Robin, Dick hopes that it will give him the stability he needs to keep him from straying back toward the “bad” side. (It’s the right move ultimately, although his execution was pretty messed up since he didn’t discuss it with Tim beforehand, but he’s allowed to make mistakes. Dick’s father just died and now he’s in charge of picking up the pieces of their broken family. It’s a lot to handle.) 

Long story short, Tim has a breakdown, realizes that Bruce is alive, dons the Red Robin identity, and cuts ties with his family to travel the world in search of proof. It’s a rough time. 

Red Robin #1

Damian: 

Our little guy becomes Robin! So proud of him! As I explained earlier, Dick makes Damian his Robin with the assumption that it will keep him out of trouble, and he’s right on that account. He mentors Damian, teaching him how to channel his violent instincts into something productive, and it works! Slowly but surely, Damian makes the transition from bratty assassin to actual hero!

Batman and Robin (2009) #22

Cass:

Duke sadly was not introduced at this point in time, so he missed out on all the pandemonium. Cass, however, has been Batgirl for years by now, but she got kind of pushed aside by the writers after Bruce’s death. Bruce disappears shortly after adopting Cass, but once he was “dead,” the writers sort of moved Cass around for a while, not quite knowing what to do with her. First she was with the Outsiders. Then they got disbanded and Cass tried forming a new network of heroes to take over for Batman if needed. Then she helped out in said network during Battle for the Cowl, taking care of a newly ravaged Gotham. Then Cass gave the Batgirl mantle to Stephanie Brown after she became disillusioned with the role, thanks to the loss of her father and mentor. Then Cass picked up and moved to Hong Kong to “follow Bruce’s plans” by continuing whatever work he had set up for her there. It was all very vague and confusing, and Cass more or less got swept under the rug during this time. Thanks, writers.

Batgirl (2009) #1

Part 4 - How Bruce Came Back: 

When the Blackest Night storyline happens, the Justice League realizes that the corpse buried under Bruce’s grave is apparently not the real one and that he’s actually alive out there somewhere! How wild is that! This is further proven by Dick after he places Bruce’s body in a Lazarus Pit to revive, which has the same result because it’s very clearly Not Bruce and they should have listened to Tim from the start.

Batman and Robin (2009) #9

Anyway, what actually happened is that the Omega Beams that Darkseid shot at Bruce didn’t kill him, but rather blasted him back through time to the prehistoric era with his memories wiped. The Omega Energy inside of Bruce ends up catapulting him through various time periods, which is all part of Darkseid’s plan. With each time-hop, Bruce builds up more Omega Energy in his body which, when he gets back to his original time period, will be unleashed and destroy everything.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5

It’s been a little under two years since Final Crisis, though in-universe it’s uncertain exactly how long Bruce has been “dead.” We can assume it’s been a year, give or take. The way he comes back is too scientific and complicated for me to understand, so uhhhh the bottom line is that Tim and a few Leaguers save Bruce at the Vanishing Point and the day is saved! Hooray! 

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #6

(If you want to read about how it actually goes down, then I seriously recommend reading Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne. It’s only six issues, so it’s a quick read and it explains the situation far better than I ever could.)

Bruce eventually reunites with his family after spying on them for a period of time as Insider to see what has changed in his absence:

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home

After that, things quickly settle back into their new normal. Dick and Damian stay on as Batman and Robin. Bruce goes back to being Batman as well, with him handling Batman Incorporated business and Dick continuing as Gotham’s defender. Tim keeps the Red Robin outfit, Steph stays on as Batgirl, and Cass becomes Black Bat. Jason stays in Arkham for a while before filing an appeal to be moved to a regular prison. He kills 82 inmates in less than a week and gets transferred back to Arkham, which he promptly escapes from. It’s a ride, I tell ya.

Aaaaand that’s about it! I hope this answered all of your questions!

[damnhotmsimmons]

Assuming the cm revival is still happening, here's a list of what I want in the revival and what would make it better:

Tara, Luke and Matt getting more screentime and decent characterization

No more Reid angst and unnecessary drama(*cough*15x06 & 15x10*cough*cough*)

Garcia being in the revival, whether she returns to the BAU or not, it would be nice to see what she’s up to whether it’s about her new job or date and relationship with Luke

Garvez, seeing the development of their relationship since the end of 15x10

Resolving the Garcia stalker storyline from 15x04, maybe Alexei Stanovich resurfaces and Garcia needs the BAU’s help to stop him. Maybe it’s also coincidental that he resurfaces the moment Garcia starts a relationship with Luke

Letting Paget go gray when playing Emily again. The crappy wig has got to go

Have the team struggle to adjust to Garcia’s departure, maybe a callback to 11x20 or 6x03 when Garcia walks past JJ and Morgan’s empty office. Maybe Emily, JJ or Reid walk past Garcia’s empty office, which was once filled with light and colors

Emily struggling to find a convenient replacement for Garcia, which is tough as Garcia is irreplaceable but the team are not able to complete cases without a technical analyst

Have a realistic timeskip, maybe a few years have passed since 15x10 and we see how much has changed since Garcia left and so much has changed

More friendship moments with the ladies(and yes, this also includes Tara)

More Luke and Tara friendship moments

Give Tara more to do, I mean she was the only one who didn’t have an episode in the final season and I felt that Aisha was underutilized in that season especially when she’s been on the show since season 11

Same thing also applies to Matt, sure he has gotten some focus in three episodes in the last season but he was still underutilized and characterization from cmbb was ignored. Kinda jarring especially when some of those writers came from cmbb

Assuming that the revival will continue and knowing that Daniel has commitments to another show, maybe give Matt a proper send-off, just don’t pull an NCIS. Leave it open ended incase he’s able to return

If they want to revisit past cases, maybe resolve the escaped prisoners storyline, the one with the Romani family in 4x13 or bring back the unsubs from Lo-Fi/Mayhem since we didn’t know much about them and their motives. The latter could also be beneficial for Tara, Luke and Matt since Tara can use her forensic psychology skills when it comes to profiling the unsubs, Luke being from the Bronx indicates that he has some familiarity with the streets in NY and Matt utilizing his tracking skills and connections

Since the revival will be on Paramount+, I’m hoping that means the revivial gets a decent budget. I’ve never seen any original series from Paramount+(CBS All Access then) but I notice from gifs and commercials that the quality of those shows look good and I’m hoping the same applies to the revival, which means better lighting and no more of that ugly yellow filter

I’m also hoping that means better quality in the writing, maybe get new writers that understand the characters and show well. Fire the writers who suggested Jeid

Better wardrobe, it seemed that the quality for the wardrobe aside from Garcia’s went downhill

Be more consistent and acknowledge the character’s ptsd. I hate how they have the characters act like things are suddenly alright after one episode

no more gross and creepy unsub like the guy seeing the goat man or cutting off faces like wtf?!

give the revival a tone similar to the early seasons. Use the early seasons as a reference

another episode like 15x04. Since the revival will focus on one case as opposed to the usual “case of the week” type, maybe there’s room for a breather episode, and we see the characters on their day off, a little break from whatever serious storyline 

Let Rossi retire, honestly, he’s way out of his prime and it’s getting obvious that he’s too old to be going on the field especially when he got ambushed by Everett Lynch who is much younger than him. Honestly, the finale should have ended with Rossi retiring, especially as he’s been in the BAU since the beginning and it make sense that it ends with him leaving and moving on while the rest of the team move on without him

unpopular opinion, I think the show can last without Rossi/Joe

More Willifer moments and Katt moments. I’d also like to see Matt and Kristy taking care of baby Rose. I’d also suggest JJ and Matt bonding with their kids but that seems uncertain since depending on when the revival will be greenlit for production, there’s a chance that the kids grow out of their roles(JJ’s kids might not be that affected but Matt’s kids definitely will). Unless they either recast the kids(which isn’t uncommon for some shows) or have a timeskip which explains the kids being a bit older than in s15

Fix JJ’s character, I hate how the writers ruined her by making Jeid happen. AJ is a great actress and she cares about the character. Maybe have her interact with the newer team members, build up more of her friendship with Tara and Matt. I’m not sure how the writers can fix her characterization but I wished they push the whole Jeid storyline out and focus on her as a character

I’d love Hotch and Morgan to be mentioned or acknowledged, making it clear that the team still keeps in touch with them even though they’re no longer working for the BAU. Cameos would be nice but that depends on Shemar’s availability due to commitments to SWAT and the whole situation with Thomas during filming of s12

Guest appearances from other former characters would be nice but also unlikely since Gideon and Stephen are dead, Kate is mostly forgotten(plus Jennifer is on 9-1-1), and while Elle returning as an unsub would make an interesting storyline, it’s clear that Lola has no intentions on returning to CM(based on her IG stories)

seems like Blake, Jordan and possibly Seaver are the only likely candidates that have a better chance of returning as a guest but that depends on the actresses decisions and if the story allows it

Maybe learn from 15x05 since it was the highest rated episode, and has more ratings than the finale. Maybe the writers can learn from this and realized maybe they shouldn’t focus too much on Reid and Reid angst. There’s seven other characters, make the revival focus on all of them 

An update of Reid’s personal life, if he and Max are still together, and no angst

Getting to see the new BAU Jet

More BAU family bonding moments, whether it’s them having drinks, eating dinner together or celebrating something like a Garvez engagement, Rossi’s retirement or Matt’s first book being published

Retaining the opening title sequence. It’s not CM without it

 I know I might get my hopes up for this and be all disappointed if this post was all for nothing. Still, a girl can dream

Tagging: @illegalcerebral, @dreatine, @marvelfanlife, @jaqren, @yeoldespacebuns, @ropoto. Feel free to add anything incase I missed something

[canary3d-obsessed]

Lost Tomb Reboot Lewks: Part 13

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff)

Warning: Spoilers for both seasons of The Lost Tomb Reboot and also vaguely for Daomu Biji in general

Look 66 belongs to Ah Ning, who has chosen, for this adaptation, to go with short hair, heavy makeup, and all-black clothes, but with a bit of a club vibe, rather than her more usual tactical vibe. 

The short hair is a weird choice. The whole schtick with DMBJ adaptations is that you have to tell who's who by their costuming and styling, since the associated actors toss roles back and forth faster than Wu Xie and Xiao Ge on a date with Liu Sang. 

Hot guy in a hoodie? Xiao Ge. Slightly dorky but ridiculously charismatic guy who dresses like Joey Ramone? Hei Yanjing. Man who's too old for fluffy bangs and puppy-dog eyes but is working the hell out of them anyway? Wu Xie. Ponytail, gun, and a whole bunch of disposable sidekicks? Ah Ning.

Ah Ning, Lost Tomb 1 version, with her signature ponytail & disregard for human life.

For this look, Ah Ning has gotten rid of her long hair, henchmen, weapons, and the part of her shirt that normally would cover her belly. This is an outfit that says "I am finally ready to fuck Wu Xie." 

Unfortunately she decides to accessorize this outfit with a giant deadly snake. 

This snake, unlike the equivalent snake in uhhhhhmmm a different DMBJ show that Ah Ning might theoretically die in, does not appear to be poisonous or have an unusual instant-kill-you ability. It just squeezes her a little bit, and the boys don't make any attempt to revive her, even though not-breathing is a super survivable condition, if it's corrected quickly. 

This non-poisonous snake accessory is all about killing a woman so that men can feel manpain, and I am kind of offended that this version of Ah Ning went out like that, after being a badass in every other adaptation. 

(more after the cut!) 

The hypothetical other show where a version of this scene perhaps also happens does correct this, by having her talk about her acceptance of the risk of death, and by having the fucking snake be POISONOUS. I am not naming the show because where’s the fun in that? If you watch TLTR first, like I did, you get to be worried about Ah Ning in every other show she’s in, which is exhausting but also kind of fun. (I don’t mind women dying in fiction, as long as their deaths are an important part of their own stories, rather than just being important for the growth of the men around them.)

Thanks to poor accessory choices, Ah Ning and her snake necklace go the same route as Ye Piaopiao and No-Longer-Mute Chick; fortunately Xiao Ge didn't fall for Tattoo Artist Ah Tou or she'd be in the morgue with the rest of them.

Look 67 is young Wu Xie's jungle adventure outfit, featuring a bright white popover jacket with cream color sleeves from Scotch & Soda’s Club Nomade collection. Scotch & Soda have have thoughtfully printed their name on the string so that those of you who share Wu Xie's clothing tastes will know where to shop. You know who you are. 

You would think highly visible bright white would be a bad choice for a jungle adventure, but apparently snakes in these parts are only attracted to goths.

Wu Xie is also wearing wired ear pods, which did not exist whenever this flashback supposedly happened, but if we're cool with sentient crustaceans and clams that can incapacitate a ruthless trained assassin (clams got legs!), we can be cool with ear pods.

The show conveys flashback-Wu-Xie's youth and naiveté by having him smile sweetly, not watch Ah Ning take her clothes off, and not attempt CPR after she gets lightly squeezed by a snake.

Looks 68 and 69 belong to Not Ah Ning, who is played by Liu Yuqi, who also plays Ah Ning. Her makeup is much softer and prettier as this character than as Ah Ning; this character’s job is to be pleasing to men, whereas Ah Ning’s job is to get male underlings killed on the regular, so I guess that makes sense. 

This outfit is an amazing body-hugging soft green jumpsuit with raised quilty detailing on the arms and shoulders. Her jumpsuit perfectly matches the couch she's sprawled on, which is her subtle way of telling Jiang Zisuan that she is a nice comfy place to have a lie down. 

She accessorizes this look with her usual soft wavy brown hair and a scattering of gold finger rings. I think she also accessorizes this with ass pads, because Ah Ning does not appear to be draggin’ this wagon in her scenes. I checked. For science.  

When the first outfit doesn't work, she ditches the subtlety and goes for a Chanel-style suit in black, white, and red, with a with a black leather bustier underneath. 

Unfortunately this is a wasted effort, because the Jiang Zisuan she tries this on is actually Wu Xie in disguise. 

Wu Xie only likes girls if they are 1. secretly manipulating him while acting like a tiny adorable sidekick, 2. trying to kill him repeatedly while adventuring together, 3. planning to kill him as soon as the roads are clear but willing to bone in the meantime, or 4. are a skin effigy with a sentient crustacean in their head.

Sorry, Not Ah Ning; this was a good effort. 

Look 70 features Wu Xie in a white thermal shirt, dark blue jeans, and fake facial hair. This is a good look for sitting with your not-quite girlfriend and wondering how you both managed to have romances with Bai Yu in parallel universes. (OP recently watched Love O2O, which is a trip for fans of DMBJ, Guardian, or feminism)

Fortunately Wu Xie doesn’t know that his second-favorite doctor/Zhan Rishan’s girlfriend also had a romance with Bai Yu or his mind would be entirely blown. 

This is a soft, comfortable look, perfect for torturing someone, with help from your first-favorite doctor, by pretending to poison someone with nicotine, all so you can have a few moments of quality time with a cigarette before said doctor takes them away again. 

Wu Xie's cigs are stored in a buttery-soft leather case that completely covers the brand name of the cigarettes, so apparently cdramas don’t go in for ciggy product placements. 

Wo Xie wears this outfit with a silvery-metal watch with a black leather wrist strap. The watch appears to be round, and it probably tells time. (If you’re new to the Lewks series: I lack watch knowledge and that’s not likely to change.)

Wu Xie finally peels off his fake facial hair so we can see his pretty face again, only to replace the facial hair with an entire fake face. Fortunately, this face, belonging to actor Wu Lipeng, is also pretty. 

Look 71 belongs to Wu Xie, initially (for this outfit) played by Wu Lipeng until his inevitable unmasking. So many actors have played Wu Xie, this whole disguise thing is barely worth blinking at. Wu Lipeng does a nice job changing his mannerisms to play Wu Xie, and this whole schtick eventually gives us Zhu Yilong's delightful performance as Wang Meng, so even though we eventually get way too much of not-Zhu-Yilong in the role, I’m good with it.

This outfit features black jeans, black tactical boots & gloves, and Ah Ning’s coin bracelet, although it’s mostly hard to see the bracelet. The outfit’s main feature is a possibly-leather jacket that’s been molded into a hideous and disturbing voronoi pattern. 

This jacket is probably very expensive and took a lot of work to craft, but it makes him look  like he’s wearing a Glad Force Flex garbage bag. I mean, I guess that's cool. 

This outfit is good for several episodes worth of adventures, including getting tied up and being sassy...

...and underwater cave exploration, which is totally a thing that a person with critically damaged lungs can do.  

This outfit is good for homoerotic wrestling...

...and also for heteroerotic wrestling.

This is also a good outfit for being gently cradled in the arms of your doctor, while you massage your throat in order to swallow what he's putting in your mouth.

The fingerless gloves are useful for helping Xiao Bai get out of not one, but two different situations in which she stepped on a trap without realizing it, requiring Wu Xie to get down on the ground and have a tense encounter with her foot. 

Scenes like this are where costuming really makes a difference. In this shot, we we watch a stunt hand (Zhu Yilong has never had that long of a thumbnail in his life) hold a wire steady, while a stunt foot is pulled out from under it.  

This shot includes a lot of visual texture and interest, from the hatch lines on the palm of the glove to the cross-striping of the boot lace. The complexity of this glove and this boot help to hold our attention when they’re in the frame, allowing the tension of the scene to build, instead of dissipating when the viewer runs out of things to look at.

Bonus Look 1

Carrying all that tragic baggage has given Jiang Zisuan spectacular arm muscles.

Bonus Look 2

Zhu Yilong with not-fake facial hair. 

Daaaaaamn.

[emptymasks]

I’ve seen a lot about your thoughts on Elisabeth and Tanz der Vampire, and they’ve been really helpful getting into those musicals! But you have a huge list of other musicals that people can get into…

So I was wondering if you had any musicals you hadn’t mentioned in a while that you really like or would like to talk about??? (preferably something from your lists that has a blue heart please?)

Oh if only you knew how long the list of European musicals really is... I however have only seen 9 (if I counted right) and I have a lot more that I still need to watch. Oh also, I only put the blue hearts on any musicals that I was providing multiple links for so people could see which version I reccoment the most highly. If a musical only had one link and didn't have a blue heart it doesn't mean I didn't like it.

I've watched: Mozart das Musical, Elisabeth das Musical, Tanz der Vampire, 3 Musketiers, Mozart L'Opéra Rock, Dracula (the Graz production), Rebecca das Musical, Roméo et Juliette and Schikaneder.

If you enjoyed those two you're likely to enjoy Rebecca! It's written by the same composer/lyricist team as Elisabeth and Mozart (and same lyricist as Tanz der Vampire - though if you're listening to any German musical, original or translated, 90% of the time the lyrics will have been done by Michael Kunze that man is everywhere). The Stuttgart production has my favourite set design of any musical! Well... Actually probably. There are so many big set pieces it's insane, way more than I've seen in some Broadway and West End musicals. You can tell so much work went into it and the visual effects that I won't spoil if you don't know the plot but if you know the plot you know what I mean by the effects at the end are so good and I didn't expect them at all and I freaked out so much the first time I watched it. Jan Ammann as Maxim in the Stuttgart production is the best Maxim. No I won't take any argument. Other actors feel a bit one-dimensional to me, but the way Maxim acts at times comes from trauma and some actors and productions seem to forget that, but Jan really goes for it and his Maxim is a lot more sympathetic and I just want to give him a hug. Pia Douwes as Mrs Danvers, if you've seen her in Elisabeth what more do I need to say, she's amazing. A musical goddess. Her Danny is a bit more wild than some, but she kills it. My favourite video, which I put the blue heart next to, has understudy Christina Patten as Ich/I, but I adore her she's my favourite. She adds some spunk to Ich in act 2 and her voice is so pretty and aaaa. I just love these three actors together in these roles.

Roméo et Juliette is another favourite of mine! It's hard to choose which one to recommend, but it has to be the original 2000/2001 production because of the sweetness and chemistry and voices of Damien Sargue and Cecilia Cara as Romeo and Juliet. They're so pretty and work together so well. The only reason I say it's hard to pick is Mercutio. I adore him, but in the original production they cut out a song they had planned for him and he doesn't really do much at all? In the 2010 revival they gave him two more songs and you care about him so much more and John Eyzen plays such a good Mercutio. So I'd recommend the original but if you want to like Mercutio more, which you should he's amazing, I'd recommend watching at least clips of John's. It's an interesting musical because all productions are non-replica and also change around the order of songs, add or take away characters, all sorts. The Hungarian production is also very popular and I'm sure it's great, I just haven't' gotten around to watching it yet.

Mozart das Musical was the first non-English language musicals I watched so I have a fondness for it, but it's not my favourite. However, I do realise I have forgotten most of the songs and the few I've gone back and listened to are better than I remember.

Dracula isn't super popular and I understand why, I don't love the plot of the Dracula/Mina romance in it, however. I do love this musical because despite how I find the plot lacking, the songs are so good! At least, I love them. And the actors are all doing a great job. And it's one of the few Dracula adaptions to keep Quincy Morris so they get bonus points for that.

Mozart L'Opéra Rock and modern French musicals... This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but they're often more like pop-rock operas now. So if you're not into musicals with that style of music it might not be for you, but I still enjoyed it even though I didn't think I would because of the style of music. Mozart and Salieri's chemistry is very good, Salieri's bisexual crisis song is iconic, actually all of Salieri's songs are iconic.

Schikaneder... eh. I didn't like it that much and I didn't really like any of the songs. There's no English subtitles, but someone sent me the entire English synopsis and I watched it with a German friend so I had double the help of understanding it. Doesn't mean others might not like it, just none of the songs stood out to me and I had no desire to listen to any of them again. It's by Steven Scharwz of Wicked fame and I love Wicked, but I didn't love this.

3 Musketiers!! God it's so underrated and not spoken about within the European musical fandom that I even forget about it and literally forgot to write about it earlier in this post. It's a Dutch musical (though did also have a German production) and it's really good!? Faces you might know are Pia Douwes as Milady de Winter, Stanley Burlseon as Cardinal Richeliu (Netherlands Der Tod in Elisabeth), Henk Poort as Athos (Netherlands Phantom and Jean Valjean). The dialgoue is funny, the songs are good, some of the set pieces have no right to exist in this tiny musical?? They made this giant boat and pelt the actors with rain just for one 5 minute song and then we never see the boat again? And while I recommend the Dutch one because Dutch musicals deserve more love and it has official English subtitles!! Official ones, not fanmade! I have the DVD and it comes with English subtitles (and Dutch and German subtitles) which is so nice. The German version is also good, good cast, Pia came back and Uwe Kroger as Richeliu and omg they rearranged the songs and the German arrangement of Nicht Aus Stein is insane and amazing and frankly iconic.

That's all of the ones I have watched. Next on my list to watch are Rudolf and Notre Dame de Paris, both of which I have listened to some songs from and already love (I've listened to way too much of Notre Dame de Paris and am so in love).

I want to start organising streams where I'll host the musical either by getting the video from Youtube or my own files and anyone who wants to join can come along and watch with us, chat with us if you want or just watch there's no pressure to chat. I thought about doing weekly streams? This would also make me finally watch some of the ones I've been meaning to for ages. But I keep wondering about time zones. I'm in the UK and would want to stream at about 11pm at the latest (11pm BST/GMT+1 as we’re in daylight savings at the moment, if the streams continue past the end of October which would be wild then I’ll make a note of the time change that would be to 11pm GMT), which I know can work for other UK and Europeans, but for any Americans would be in the afternoon. So, I wondered if doing it on a weekend would be better? Then it doesn't matter if it's in the afternoon? Maybe Saturday evenings then? It would either be Saturday evenings UK time or Friday evenings UK time. What do you guys think? If people are down then I'll make a separate post with a list of what we'll be watching each week and if anything happens to me that means I can't stream one week then everything will just get pushed back a week, but I don't see that as likely to happen. And I'll only be streaming those that have English subtitles, so don't worry about not being able to understand anything.

edit: am also open to 10pm bst if others want that, im just trying to think of what time works best for everyone so sorry if 11pm is a little late for europeans, i know 10pm could be a little early for americans. also in case it sounded like these are the only musicals i will be streaming, thats not so, ive got more than just the ones mentioned on this list!

(Tagging some people who I know are or might be interested in streams to see what you think of that plan: @sirona-art @ringwraith100 @tanz-der-trash @smilingwoland @the-weird-dane @witchgaye @ami-fidele @kisstheghouls @looking-4-happiness @ladysapphire928 @sloanedestler @tinywound @persephonaae @phoenixdewinter @uwucoffee @freshbloodandgothicism )

[rolandtowen]

Prince Zuko was a harsh, entitled boy.

Firelord Zuko is a ruler who makes amends. - a study in the various side characters that Zuko came across in his banishment, and how he repays his past actions.

Read Chapter One on ao3 or under the cut! TW for referenced non-con and colonialism

[I believe @flamehotman and @flameomcfirey wanted to be tagged?]

Chapter One: Song

We will get there when we get there, don't you worry Feel bad about the things we do along the way But not really that bad We inhaled the frozen air Lord, send me a mechanic if I'm not beyond repair

- The Mountain Goats

It happened on a Tuesday afternoon.

Zuko was meeting with the agricultural council, a collection of both scholars and farmers, to discuss best practices for renewing the Fire Nations agricultural trade. For so many decades, the Fire Nation out-sourced its agriculture to land in the colonies and imported much of its food. But with the land being given back, the Fire Nation was either going to have to begin growing its own food again, or import their food at a fair price. The economic committee decided on Monday that reviving the Fire Nation farms would be far more cost effective - and of course, would create more jobs in the Fire Nation. With the war over, the number of soldiers that the military required had dropped dramatically, and there were many citizens without work. Zuko had instated severance benefits for unemployed soldiers - the ones not found guilty of war crimes of course, mostly the young recruits - but it couldn't last forever.

It was maddening. Every time Zuko unraveled one problem, he undoubtedly found or created another one. He was trying, really trying, to keep his people safe. But he also had a duty to the rest of the world. The nations that his lineage colonized, pillaged, and destroyed. He resists the urge to write to Aang, to ask him how he does it, how he balances all of the nations in every action he takes. But Aang is busy, all of his friends are, spread thin to the four corners of the world.

Uncle visits him occasionally, when the letters from staff concerned about Zuko's health pile up on his desk. One too many servants have found him, asleep at his desk, face down in treaty papers. But Uncle has his hands full. He already splits his time enough between the Jasmine Dragon and Ember Island, looking after Azula.

Azula.

She was improving, and that's really all Zuko can ask for. He sees her a couple of times a month, pours her a cup of tea, and they sit on the balcony of their vacation-house-turned-mental-retreat. Most of the time, they don't talk. Zuko won't push her; he remembers his silence in his first few months of being banished, how Uncle had to coax him to say anything at meals. Sometimes the only words he uttered in a day were in prayer before meditation. Zuko had thought to himself, speaking out got me into this mess: I'll never speak again.

He's not sure what words were exchanged between Azula and Ozai before he left her and went to burn down the Earth Kingdom, but he can guess it wasn't good. Few of his father's words were.

So they sit and drink their tea. Sometimes, on a good day, Zuko will fix up Azula's hair for her, and she'll reveal some bits of information that he files away for future examination. Something like, I saw Mom before you came with Master Katara. Or she'll double check her reality, asking, you let Ty Lee and Mai out of jail, right? and Zuko will say yes, her friends are safe, they should be visiting any day now.

As painful as seeing her may be, spending time with Azula is far preferable to sitting through an agricultural council meeting.

He looks down at the paper in front of him, a comprehensive budget list for all of the supplies needed to revitalize the Fire Nation's agricultural sphere. Dozens of machines that he's sure Sokka had a hand in inventing, hundreds of varieties of seeds that Omashu is generously selling to them, and -

Thousands of ostrich-horses.

"Councilor Yichen, can you elaborate on the number of animals in this budget? Certainly with the machines we'll provide, farmers will not need so many working livestock."

Councilor Yichen stands, giving a little bow in Zuko's direction. "Of course, Lord Zuko. While the machines will certainly boost productivity, we only have enough for one per farming village at this point. Each family needs at least one working animal, if not to plow the fields, then to transport goods. We decided on ostrich-horses on a recommendation from farmers in the Earth Kingdom colonies, who found them to be invaluable. An ostrich-horse is, in many ways, more valuable than a machine."

Zuko's stomach settles uncomfortably, but he isn't entirely sure why. "Thank you, Councilor. I understand now."

Yichen gives another little bow before he sits, and the rest of the meeting goes as planned, with the exception of a strange seed of unknown guilt now growing in Zuko's stomach.

"Uncle, do you remember when you made tea out of that poisonous plant?"

Uncle laughs, hands faltering as he pours Zuko a cup of jasmine tea. "I remember, Nephew. How could I ever forget?"

"Do you remember the girl who helped you?"

Uncle takes a sip of the warm tea. "Song. Her mother made the best roast duck." He looks at Zuko out of the corner of his eyes. "Why do you ask?"

Zuko looks out over the gardens. He's able to see the whole palace grounds from where they're seated on the second-floor balcony, watching the sun rise. As far as the eye can see, Zuko is upheld as a flawless ruler, his word taken as law. He's sick of it.

"I stole her ostrich-horse," he murmurs into his tea, taking a sip to calm his nerves. "I just remembered, in that agricultural meeting a few days ago. I - I never knew how essential those were to farmers, I just thought I was taking their ride." He turns to fully face his Uncle. "But I think I took a lot more than that."

Uncle meets his eyes with understanding. "And now you want to give it back."

"I know there's no way for me to fully apologize for how I acted in exile, but it feels like I have to try." The cup quivers a bit in his hands, and so his hands drop to his lap. "I'll need someone to watching over the Nation while I'm gone."

Uncle places one of his warm hands over Zuko's shaking ones. "I'm sure I can deal with your advisors for a few days." He squeezes his hand just slightly around Zuko's. "I'm proud to see that even in a few short months, your wisdom as a ruler is growing. Go, make your amends. The Nation will be here when you return." Uncle calls for Zuko's secretary and tells her to clear as much of the Firelord's schedule as she can for the next week. Their voices fade into the background as Zuko stares into his tea, wracking his brain to try and figure out how to track down just one girl in the entire Earth Kingdom. Sending scouts or soldiers from town to town is a recipe for disaster, and the Earth Kingdom villages have been traumatized enough. He supposes he could always call in a ride on his favorite air bison but - this feels like something he should do on his own.

If Song hates him, it might be hard for her to show it in front of the Avatar.

So he'll go alone. No friends, no royal guard. He'll come into Song's town the same way he came last time - defenseless. She can hate him if she wants, he'll give her that.

And he'll try to give back what he took from her.

He packs light, pulling an old tunic and boots from the back of his wardrobe. Though they've been thoroughly cleaned by the palace staff, the scent of campfires and smoke linger upon them. He grabs a cloak - the Earth Kingdom will be starting to chill at this time of year - and he slips out of the palace, using the servant's entrance to get onto the streets unseen.

Autumn comes quietly in the Earth Kingdom. The trees slowly lose their color, giving the last of their strength into vibrant leaves. Soldiers previously conscripted to fight in the war have either returned to their families or have gone to tend to the scorched earth where the Phoenix King made landfall. They clear the debris of fallen airships, making room for the earth to slowly restore herself.

Song envies those soldiers.

Their lives have changed with the ending of the war, but Song's life continues on, its mundane routine continuing over and over again. She cares for a small garden, crafts herbal remedies for her neighbors, and tries to make her mother comfortable. She curses the Spirits for their cruel sense of humor - her mother survives the greatest war ever seen, lives through the attempted invasion of her homeland, only to be struck down by frailty months after the end of it all. Hasn't she suffered enough? Song has whispered those words to the woods on her way to the well time and time again. Now, her body is just - stopping.

Her mother is dying and there's nothing she can do.

Song knows all living things have their time. And she's seen too many living beings go before their rightful time. But she never imagined her mother's time would be in a time of peace. Wasn't ending the war supposed to stop all this pain? Apparently not. She tries not to become bitter, knows that that's the last thing her mother would want for her, but - it hurts. And there's not a damn thing she can do about it.

The leaves from dying trees crackle under her feet.

She arrives at the well, alone. Her hometown is just barely beginning to wake up, rising from its slumber as mothers bring in dry clothes from the clotheslines and fathers begin to toil in the fields. Children run freely from street to street, with a joy that was forbidden during the Fire Nation's occupation. They're kicking at a ball, passing it from one pair of bare feet to another, and Song smiles at them. Someday, maybe.

She sets her water jug on the stone wall of the well and begins to lower the bucket before hearing the ball make impact and a man's voice grunt, "oof!". She spins rapidly around to see a young man, rear planted firmly in the dirt, one hand rubbing at his forehead while the other wipes at a watering eye. The group of children stand, frozen, and she gives them a look, and unspoken command to stay and apologize to the man they just hit with their ball.

"Here, take my hand," Song holds out her right hand, and the man takes it. When the young man meets her eyes, she almost drops him back in the dirt. He has those amber eyes, and she can just see under his loose hair - a burn scar. "Lee?!"

He stands, brushing dust from his cloak, and she catches the hints of red fabric that lie beneath. She recoils. He sighs. "Um, about that." Song sees his hands tremble against his cloak. "My name's not Lee - and I'm from the Fire Nation."

Song reacts as if she'd been slapped. She trips backwards, away from Not Lee, landing hard against the stone of the well. Her leg is aching, feels like its on fire all over again, looking into those amber eyes.

"How could you? I let you into my home." She braces her hands against the well, her leg threatening to give out at any moment. "Now it all makes sense, that you stole from me. That's all you ashmakers are good for." She spits, and it lands on his scarred cheek. "You take land that isn't yours, take women that aren't yours, you take lives!" Her leg finally collapses, and she sinks to the ground with her back against the well. Not Lee makes a move, and she throws her hands up. "Don't you touch me," she grits out, clutching at her leg. He stills, and she wraps her arms around herself, bringing her knees to her chest. "I pitied you, you know? I thought your mother must've been - I looked at your eyes and thought you were a victim like me, like my mother." Her whole body is trembling, but she doesn't care. "But I bet you know who your father is, I bet you're proud to have his eyes."

Not Lee mirrors her, curling in on himself, not even bothering to wipe his face clean. "I do know who my father is, but I'm not proud of him." He looks up to meet her eyes, and Song is struck by how young he looks. When she'd last seen him, he'd looked gaunt, malnourished, with sharp cheekbones. Now, his face had filled out and he looks - young? The scar makes him look older as well, but when you look on the opposite side of his face - all she can see is a kid, couldn't be older than a teenager.

And he was crying.

Stubborn as he is, Not Lee is resolutely ignoring the tears slowly falling from his eyes, but nevertheless - they fell. Song didn't expect that reaction. Tears are not what she expected from a Fire National. Anger, rage, violence - those are the things she's tasted at the hands of firebenders, but this? This is new.

"I'm sorry," Not Lee whispers, looking at his feet. "I came to apologize, I wanted to repay you for your kindness and return what I took. But I think I've overstayed my welcome." He scrubs at his face roughly with the heel of one hand. "But I am, truly sorry. I acted selfishly the last time I was in your home, and I took advantage of your compassion. And I understand that my nation has done even worse. I'm trying to make it better." He pulls his hair back with a band. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I would like to purchase you a new ostrich-horse. And anything else you or your mother may require."

Without warning, Not Lee shifts from his seat position to a bowing one, kneeling with his head pressed to the dry earth. Song stares at him for a small eternity, before realizing that he's waiting, unmoving, for her response. For her judgement.

She lets out a small breath. "Okay," his eyes flick up to hers and her stomach twists. The way he bows is so precise - it must have been drilled into him hundreds of times before. Another thing she wouldn't have expected from a firebender. "Come to dinner."

He stands after she does and gives another slight bow. As they begin the walk back to Song's home, he offers to carry her water jug, and Song feels more weight than one lifted from her.

"What did you say your name was again, young man?" Mei pokes at Zuko's shoulder as she hobbles to the table.

"Mom, I'm sorry about her, she's getting older," Song sets a bowl of fragrant roast duck in front of him and Zuko feels his mouth begin to water.

"No, it's okay, I don't think I've actually properly introduced myself." He takes a quick sip of tea - bracing himself for whatever will happen next - and calmly sets the mug back down. "My name is Zuko," he begins slowly. "AndI'mkindoftheFirelord."

There's the sound of Song dropping a bowl in the kitchen, and Mei leans in a bit closer to Zuko.

"Sorry, dear, could you say that again? My ears aren't what they used to be."

Zuko opens his mouth to respond, but Song slowly enters the room, her eyes narrowed in on Zuko. "You said - you're the firelord?" He nods at her, waiting for her to swing a knife at him, kick him out of their home, call some earthbenders to rough him up -

Before his panic can start to set in, Song runs out the front door, slamming it behind her.

Zuko looks helplessly at Mei.

"Give her a moment." Mei brings her pair of chopsticks to her mouth. "Hmm, she still doesn't make it as well as I used to."

"What about you? Do you hate me?"

Mei sighs, putting her bowl down. "I'm too old for hate, dear. My time in this world is almost over. I can't spend it hating world rulers." She takes a sip of her tea. "But Song? She -" Mei sighs again. "She's been hurt deeply by the Fire Nation, in more ways than one. And it isn't just you. But for a long time, the monarchy has been the embodiment of everything terrible that's ever happened to her. And now you're here, standing in front of her."

Zuko nods. "I understand. And I am sorry, to you as well. I don't think I fully understood the reach of the war. I was always taught that the army acted with honor, that women and children were untouchable." He looks down at his folded hands. "I can see that was false."

"Unfortunately, you are correct." She reaches between them to refill Zuko's cup, then Song's, and hands them both to him. "Go to her. A bit of tea should help bring you some good favor."

The screen door opens and closes, and Zuko finds himself out on the porch. Song sits on the edge, absently massaging her leg, peering into the darkness of the forest.

"Can I join you?"

She shrugs, and he takes that as a yes. Handing over her tea, Zuko sits besides her and tries to find what she sees in the darkness.

For a few minutes, the only sounds are those of them drinking and crickets chirping. Then Song speaks.

"His name was Bao."

Treasured. Precious. Rare.

"That's a lovely name."

"What happened to him?" Song turns abruptly to look at him with shining eyes. "Did he...?"

Zuko shakes his head emphatically. "My Uncle and I traded him to a florist for safe passage to Ba Sing Se. The florist seemed like a good man."

"You went to Ba Sing Se?"

Zuko runs one hand down the back of his neck. "I might have conquered it, actually?"

Sing snorts. "That part I've heard about. You've lived an interesting life, Zuko."

"If by 'interesting' you mean messy, then yes." He sighs. "You had no reason to trust me. Why did you let me back into your home?"

Song laughs, tinged with bitterness. "My mother says I'm too trusting, too gullible." She swirls the dregs of her tea around the bottom of her cup. "But I think there's strength in being kind. And I really did want to forgive you. But you have to be ready."

"And do you think I am?"

She smiles softly at him. "For me, yes. But my guess is I'm not the only person you hurt in exile." She gulps down her remaining tea. "They may not be as forgiving as I am."

"I'm preparing myself for that possibility."

"Does it scare you?"

Zuko ponders it. "I think it does. The idea that I've hurt someone innocent so badly that they may never be able to move past it... that keeps me up at night."

Songs turns towards him, tucking her knees up to her chest. "We can't control how other people see us in this life. How they react to our actions is up to them - all that we can control is our response. You have to be ready to accept that someone may not be ready to forgive you, and you can't let that eat you up." She stares at him intently. "You have to confident that your own actions are enough. That they're good."

It's Zuko's turn to laugh sourly. "Easier said than done," his hand wanders to his scar. "Sometimes I'm still not sure if what I'm doing is right."

"You don't have to do it alone, you know," Song gives him an understanding look. "You need other people around you, Zuko, to remind you what's good."

He huffs, looking down at his hands, folded in his lap. "Do you want to be one of those people?"

"I think you have more than enough goodness surrounding you already. You just have to be confident enough to ask." She sighs, looking back out into the darkness. "Besides, I have to stay here with my mother. She doesn't have long."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do? I could send my healers -"

She shakes her head, cutting him off midsentence. "It's her time." She begins to rub at her scars again. "I just didn't know how much it would hurt. We finally have some peace, and suddenly it's her time."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, not for this. It's due to you that she'll be able to die during peacetime." Her hands come to her eyes, wiping tears away before they can spill down her cheeks. "Her biggest fear was that she'd die and leave me alone to fend for myself during the war. You released her from that fear. Of course I forgive you, Zuko. My mother's no longer scared of dying because of you."

The two of them are silent for a long time, watching fireflies flicker off and on in the trees, listening to the crickets sing.

"I'm going to find Bao for you."

Song looks up in surprise. "You don't have to-"

"I want to, I'm sure he's still out there somewhere." Zuko rises from his seat. "If you ever need anything, anything, you write directly to me. I'll tell my staff that you're a priority."

"Are you leaving?" Song stands as well. "You could stay, if you want."

Zuko shakes his head silently. "I have to get back, and travelling by night is best for a Firelord who doesn't want his identity revealed," he smiles, his scarred skin relaxing into it. With that, he pulls his hair out of its topknot, grabs his pack and swords, and starts to disappear into the night.

"Firelord Zuko?" He stops and turns back at the sound of Song's voice. She makes the sign of the flame and bows. "Thank you, for everything." He bows back, lower than protocol dictates, but he doesn't care.

Three weeks pass, and the air has turned bitterly cold.

Song again makes her daily trip to the village well, with snow crunching under her feet instead of dead leaves. The soldiers have returned from their work in restoring fields for the season, and so the village feels alive when she steps into it. Despite the chill, children still run in the street, under the watchful eye of their mothers and fathers. Song feels a twinge of longing, but she tries to focus on the happiness she feels for the children instead. Song sets her water jug on the side of the well, breathing hot air into her palms to warm her hands after touching the freezing stone.

"Excuse me, miss, are you Song?" A voice comes from behind her, and she turns to see two men dressed in red tunics.

"I am," she replies, tucking her hands into the pockets of her hanbok. "And you are?"

They bow to her. "We come on behalf of Firelord Zuko, to deliver a gift." A third man rounds the corner with an ostrich-horse on a tether. "We found him at a desert settlement, he's been well taken care of, but if there's anything you need -"

They're cut off as Song runs to throw her arms around the neck of the ostrich-horse. "Bao!" She strokes his beak, looking into his eyes. "Do you remember me?"

Bao cocks his head to the side, pupils widening as he chirps softly, and then he lets out a loud whinny, pushing his head into Song's chest. He purrs, closing his eyes and relaxes against her.

"Sweet Bao, it's really me, you're really home," Song can feel her eyes dampening, but holds it together as one of the men hands her a bit of parchment.

"A note from the Firelord. He wanted us to remind you that you can write to him anytime you need anything."

Song nods. "And tell him I said 'thank-you' again." Bao whinnies loudly again, and she adds on, "Bao says 'thank-you' too."

"Of course, miss." With a synchronized bow, the men depart, and Song unrolls the parchment.

Song,

I've followed your advice and surrounded myself with good people. It helps.

Give my best to your mother - my Uncle still talks about her roast duck sometimes. I've established a fund specially for women and child victims of the war, inspired by some of what you and Mei shared with me. Write me if you feel like you or anyone in your village wants to apply for it.

And, thank you for trusting and forgiving me. I'll try to keep earning it.

May the Spirits continually bless you,

Zuko

She tucks the parchment into her pocket, fills her jug, and finds herself back in Bao's familiar saddle after more than a year. "Come on, Bao," she says as she takes the lead into her hands, guiding them back to the empty farmhouse.

"Let's go home."

[if you read through this whole thing, go drink some water! I'll know if u don't :) ]