#it was really fun my theater was packed!

[beatsfornone]

I took Tiny mclennon to One Hand Clapping

[nezukoo-channn]

Me, before watching Barbie (2023): oh this will be so much fun and I will enjoy every single moment!

Me, after watching Barbie (2023): *in tears* oh this was so much fun and I enjoyed every single moment!

[fancyfeathers]

Since Daughter!Reader is normally shown to be afraid of the batfamily(based on multiple asks) which I understand why, do you ever think Batfam has seen her at school, or maybe Damian, has caught her being her at school? Maybe she's a little aggressive she has some pent up feelings. Like Damian is watching from outside Daughter!Reader's classroom as she battles a boy for her paper, and uh oh she curses. "Gimme the- Gimme the goddamn paper! You little rat." She grits out at said boy and smacks him with her paper once she gets it back. (To me Goddamn isn't a curse word but i think the batfam has banned her from saying anything of the sorts so to them it probably is.) Then the rest of the day he just watches as she practically tackles people, hits them playfully, or even lets them play fight her.

Yandere Batfam w/ Wife/Mother!Darling & Daughter/Sister!Darling Masterlist

this reminds me of one of my friends in high school, he was on the lights crew for theater, and the cast and crew all called him Rat, affectionately.

So I went to a private school and stuff definitely happened. Still, the thing is it did not happen often cause you would get in trouble, so let's be honest Damian and her would definitely be private school kids, so if this was to happen it would probably be if she had an extracurricular that Bruce would approve of, so not sports cause she could get hurt, she could be a tutor, choir is okay. Still, probably theater or some form of preforming arts and let me tell you as a theater kid who does ballet for a living now, theater kids are the most unhinged people on the planet and this sounds like pure theater kid behavior.

So Damian would be going by the rehearsal room because she forgot the snack that Alfred packed for her because Bruce is tired of her skipping meals so now what she eats is monitored. He just slightly opens the door and he just hears...

"Give me my script you fucking whore or I swear to god your mother never loved you."

Damian just sticks his head in and sees his sister running after one of her friends and people are just talking and acting like nothing wrong, even the theater teacher is just sitting there like this is completely normal behavior before rehearsal.

"oh, I'm the whore? We both know your boyfriend gave you head in the gardens after his tennis practice."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

It just ends up with them chasing each other around the room before rehearsal starts and the teacher gets them in line, then Damian comes in and gives her her snack while they are working on something that doesn't involve her yet and he just looks at her with the harshest glare she has ever seen.

"Say any of that foulmouthed language again and I will tell Father and I am sure he would be more than happy to have you homeschooled."

"Fine, whatever."

After that, her friends really start not liking Damian because he is always keeping an eye out to catch her again, just one slip-up. Like they will be walking in the hallway, chatting during the passing period while on their way to their next class and they pass by Damian and right as they reach their next class she gets a text from Damian...

Your uniform skirt is pulled up four inches too high, go to the bathroom and fix it before I see you again.

But this gets so bad that her friends have even started to confront Damian about it. Like it will be at the end of the day and he is putting stuff back into his locker and they come up to him and they are nice at first, trying to explain things to him, making fun of each other is sort of their love language and they promise they aren't getting his sister into any trouble of anything, they just want her to have fun and not feel lonely because she was so depressed when they asked her to join the preforming arts department and now she is actually happy now that she has a small bit of freedom in her life-

"None of that matters, you are encouraging delinquent behavior, and none of your fun matters when my sister's safety is at stake when she spends time with your sort of people."

"God, you have a stick up your ass, did your mother not love you or something?"

"Jesus, calm down he has a step mom."

"Oh, so he was from an affair, not surprising."

After that, Damian realized how popular his sister was because the next day more than half of the school hated him, it's really not surprising she was a very likable person and her boyfriend was the top student at the school, student council president sort of person. When he came home he had photos of what his locker looked like, completely defaced with the foulest of language and when he tried to report it the principal told him that with all the talk in the school at the moment about him there was just no way to prove who did it, but she had the audacity that maybe if he tried to be more likable than it would stop.

"Maybe if you tried to act your age and not twenty years older then people wouldn't have a problem with you. You are not an adult yet, so you should not act as if you are your sister's keeper because I know your sister and she is a bright young lady who does not need you breathing down her neck."

[felassan]

Some more DA:TV and related snippets from Sylvia Feketekuty, Part 2. rest of post under a cut due to length and spoilers. [Post One, Post Three]

The dev team really wanted to deliver on Emmrich's romance [source]

Sylvia Feketekuty has now left BioWare so there are likely some things she can't answer now "just because I can't look them up with certainty anymore" [source]

When Emmrich is first introduced, he has a skull helmet. Why does it never ever appear for the next 40-100 hours? "The helmet does indeed look wicked! I believe it actually shows up on his shelf in the Lighthouse eventually. (If I had been a smarter writer I would've asked if we could have it appear again, that one's on me.)" [source]

User: "In another post you mentioned shops in Nevarra City near the Necropolis. How far IS Nevarra City itself is from the Necropolis? Do only senior MWs get to go?" / Sylvia: "I'm reluctant to say what the distance is since I never defined it in game so it's Unknown™. But I imagine they can either walk or take a carriage, depending. Also I never imagined junior MWers are forbidden from going into town or such. It could be they have set hours and times where they're allowed. But got to get all those chores done first..." [source, two]

On the DA:I goat scene ([link]) - "The GOAT! God bless them, that was a delight." [source]

Brian J. Audette, on [this thread] - ""Better late than never" addendum to this thread. I just noticed that Isle of the Gods' writer Sylvia is on here now and I'd be remiss not to tag her in this thread. I can't say enough wonderful things about having worked with Sylvia on this mission." [source] / Sylvia: "Thanks Brian! You tackled an absolutely jam-packed mission with aplomb." [source]

Jo Berry: "Thank you for everything and everything else, on both Veilguard and Inquisition. Sunlight on your road, wherever it goes." [source] / Sylvia: "Thank YOU for all your writing Jo. Seriously, you were a godsend on Veilguard and DAI both." [source]

Trick Weekes: "It's been fantastic working with you, Sylvia, and I know you're going to crush it with whatever you do next. Thank you for finally letting me make you "the person who has to do journals so Trick doesn't" on one of our projects." [source] / Sylvia: "Thank you Trick! I'll miss working with you. It was an honour to finally be given the awesome responsibility of the journal system that still haunts my dreams." [source]

John Epler: "sylvia did you see i told the world Emmrich sleeps standing up like a horse" [source] / Sylvia: "It's days later but: yes. Yes I did." [source]

User: "As someone who also has a truly debilitating fear of death, Emmrich is so special to me. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen it represented in such a clear and concise way." / Sylvia: "Thanks, definitely felt that fear myself. I really wanted to express it clearly and was hoping would resonate with others." [source]

User: "Do you have any thoughts or opinions on what nickname Emmrich might have gotten from Varric if he'd ever gotten one?" / Sylvia: "Oh man that's a good question, but ultimately since I didn't write Varric, that must remain a mystery. Nicknames can only be bestowed. ("Bones" like someone suggested below is funny though.)" [source]

User: "If Emmrich's hobby is alchemy/plants, Vorgoth's is art, and Audric's is architecture... what's Myrna's? (Next to Emmrich, she's my favorite Watcher - sorry Vorgoth!)" / Sylvia: "Myrna has a one off line, you may not have heard it yet, where she talks to Vorgoth about getting tickets to the Sword of Drakon.* She enjoys a night out at the theater, whether it's a play or an opera. *(I think that's the play I named, I hope I'm recalling my own line haha.) It's a bit indulgent of me, but I chose Sword of Drakon because it was one of the plays I made up for a series of codices in DAI about Orlesian theater. I had a lot of fun with these and wanted to give them life once more. [link]" [source, two]

User: "During Rook’s disappearance in the prison, how did Emmrich react? Considering their intense romance, did he fall into depression, or did he show a more vulnerable side? Could his fear of death have influenced the situation? In the immortal romance💀, Emmrich promises that nothing will separate them, not in this world or any other. How likely is that? Would he go to great lengths for Rook, even crossing boundaries? Or, at some point, would he accept Rook's death?" / Sylvia: "1) Very strongly! I think it's a bit more interesting if I leave details to your imaginations, but Emmrich feels things deeply and probably had some sleepless nights. 2) So this I can't say much on even though it's a juicy topic. The truth is, I wouldn't even know unless I was actually sitting down to write it. Again, Emmrich feels things very passionately, but this is the kind of scenario where I might want the player's choices to have an effect." [source, two]

User: "Any chance that color scheme [of Emmrich's coat] was based off the corpse flower?" / Sylvia: "I couldn't find anything on the colour scheme and the corpse flower. Afraid this one's a mystery to me." [source]

User: "I'm really curious if there's a Nevarrese language? We have Orlesian, Antivan, Tevene, Qunlat..." / Sylvia: "I wondered that myself, especially given its ancient ties with Tevinter and also Orlais which would certainly have affected the languages of power and influence. Could also have roots with the Planasene. We never talked about one though, as far as I know, so the answer remains...unknown. 💀 (I did introduce tomb-script, the language you see etched into stone in the Necropolis, but I thought of it as more of a specialist's language for occult and magical things specifically.) (If we did define a Nevarran language in some corner of the lore, now I'm going to feel embarrassed, but I don't BELIEVE we did.)" [source, two, three]

User: "I wanted to ask if you have anything you can share about MW grave dowry jewellery - is it the sort of thing they keep on at all times? Also, would Emmrich like jewellery gifts or give them to Rook?" / Sylvia: "I figured it would be something they wear most of the time, or at least in public. You don't want to be without your grave-gold if you pass away! Emmrich would love to get jewellery, especially if it marked a special occasion like his other pieces do! He'd also probably like to gift Rook a piece of grave gold himself, though he knows a non-MW Rook might look at that part askance." [source, two]

User: "Question: how much if anything can you tell us about the circumstances surrounding the emergence of Emmrich's magic and him going to the Mourn Watch? In my mind, his parents' death could certainly be a catalyst for the emergence of mage powers, but I'm so curious why the butcher's boy goes to what seems the equivalent of Nevarran Harvard instead of a regular Circle unless he immediately demonstrated outstanding ability?" / Sylvia: So timeline wise, I think his magic manifested after he was taken in. This part isn't canon, so much as a background thought I had that maybe the spirits of the Necropolis nudged the MW to scoop up this future corpse-whisperer. It seems like a kind of place ripe for that sort of omen. That said, it could've also been a kindhearted Watcher who saw how shattered and alone this young boy was, and thought an upbringing in the Grand Necropolis would be the better place to deal with his grief. It's the kind of thing I want to leave open unless someone goes back one day to fill it out!" [source, two]

User: "what’s the overall Mourn Watch opinion on the whole Weekend at King Markus’s the other Mortalitasi are pulling? I can’t blame Emmrich for not wanting to be involved with that political mess!" / Sylvia: "No clue what you're talking about. King Markus is in the finest of health!!!!! ahahahahaha (To my mind Emmrich's response indicates a tension between the orders, but that they're going along with the polite fiction to avoid a mess. I can't say what the future holds though.)" [source]

User: "Ah, one last note: whoever decided “DA liches are immortal protectors and not always evil?” Chef’s kiss. It’s all I’ve ever wanted!" / Sylvia: "Thanks again! It was in Emmrich's first draft. The other writers and editors gave me good feeback on lichdom and the philosophy behind it especially" [source]

User: "I'm an ICU nurse, and that is imagined to confer a comfort with mortality. Suffice to say Emmrich has been a huge comfort to see." / Sylvia: "Thanks so much. I really wanted him to struggle with it while also engaging with it, because it's something I find hard as well. And I hoped it would find purchase with players." [source]

User: "If you’re willing, can you share a bit about the other orders within the Mortalitasi? Is there a rivalry with the Tevinter Imperium?" / Sylvia: I'm afraid I don't have much, sorry. I left the other Mortalitasi orders a big open canvas in case we wanted to invent more some day. (We've mentioned the palace Mortalitasi are separate from the Mourn Watch, so there's one. As you probably caught, Emmrich's not a fan of theirs.) Is there a rivalry with the Tevinter Imperium? I can't really point to anything in the game talking about that, so I hesitate to call it canon. But to my mind it would be very natural and also very funny. So if that ever manifests, I approve." [source, two]

User: "was any of Emmrich's design or personality modeled on British actor David Niven? I think there is resemblance just wondering if that was intentional." / Sylvia: "Oh I love David Niven. But the more direct actor influence for me was Peter Cushing in a few old Hammer Horror films." [source]

User: "just wanted to say thank you for creating the character of Josephine in Inq!! Helped me learn some stuff about myself when I was younger and meant a lot." / Sylvia: "Thank you so much on all counts! I'm glad the lovely Lady Montilyet was there for you (and enormous credit to her actor, Allegra Clark. She absolutely nailed Josephine, straight away.)" [source]

User, on Emmrich: "He mentions he thought he would marry - is that permitted for Mortalitasi when it wasn't for regular Circle mages? Can they now raise their own children?" / Sylvia: Mortalitasi have a lot of power. I imagine the Nevarran Chantry might grant them permission to marry outside the Circle more regularly than in places where mages are given less respect. (Mages can also marry within Circles, so no permission needed in those cases.) The same might be true for mages raising mage-born children in Nevarra, but I say that with less certainty. I think that's a topic I would've wanted to discuss with the rest of the narrative team." [source, two]

User: "is there a particular reason why emmrich is always wearing a glove on one hand?" / Sylvia: "I like to think it's mostly because he works a lot with his hands. The glove seems useful if he has to, say, grip a rough outcrop of rock when traversing the Necropolis, or deal with a bitey corpse." [source]

User, on Emmrich: "On my 1st run I played a trans Rook and romanced him. It felt incredible how he was so accepting of Rook's identity, and in return she could support him as he did a transition of his own as well. Beautiful mirroring!" / Sylvia: "Thanks very much! If those scenes worked, it's thanks to some people at work who kindly gave feedback that helped get the tone right." [source]

User: "I've been wanting to thank you for writing Luck in the Gardens for 4 years. Hollix was the first time I ever saw a non-binary character given a real voice." / Sylvia: "I loved writing Hollix in that story, they were a treat, and I'm glad they meant a lot to you. (And a shout out to a nb friend who gave me some good feedback on the character, I don't think the story would've been as clear without their help.)" [source]

User: "I was curious about Audric from TN, and if he originally was planned to have an appearance in veilguard, and what he's up to now" / Sylvia: "Love Audric, but I never planned to bring him into VG. I'm not AGAINST it, but I didn't want the short stories to feel like required reading for the game, and I liked where his arc ended in DatDM. That said, I dropped in a few references to Audric to let people know he's around and well. And I imagine he's doing what he loves: being a force of order, in the library. (And reading books during the more quiet hours below.)" [source, two]

User: "As a consumer of (and probably future creator of) so called "erotic" fanficfion, I'm wondering how you feel about the fact that fans make it about a character you created?" / Sylvia: "No issues with it whatsoever. We put sex and romance into the game itself, after all. I think people use fan art and fanfiction to extend their time with a story they've grown fond of, or to figure things out. So it feels like a natural extension of that." [source]

User: "Maybe one day my rook will join the mw!" / Sylvia: "Well, the Grand Necropolis is always eager for more company...🪦👻" [source]

User: "did the flame eternal (short story) come first or the flame eternal (quest)? i’ve been wondering if the quest was named after the story or vice versa" / Sylvia: "I wrote the scene first, the short story came after. But I named the quest AFTER the short story had come out, so I'd say the quest is named for the story because I liked the callback." [source]

User: "1.I know John answered already that Emmrich sleeps like a horse but is there really no bed for this man? 2.How would he react to a bouquet made for him?" / Sylvia: "1. Unknown. Perhaps he brings out pillows and a blanket for the slab in his room (after scrubbing it, of course!) Perhaps he goes home to an elaborate silk-covered bed in his Necropolis apartments. Or the horse thing. (TBH: I never decided myself, so I've leaned into impish mystery). 2. Emmrich would be absolutely delighted and flattered by being presented with a flower bouquet." [source, two]

User: "I hope it's okay to pop here but it might interest you to know a lot of us have been headcanoning that he has a secret bedroom behind one of his bookshelves! It seemed to line up with his sensibilities somewhat." / Sylvia: "That would honestly be great. Pull out the right book and snooze time." [source]

User, on the cemetery date: "This makes me feel like Mourn Watchers include the dead in important personal milestones/events and, if so, I love that so much. Like they want to share these events and the joy/love/excitement/etc. with those who have passed (and perhaps linger.)" / Sylvia: "That's absolutely how I thought of it too." [source]

User: "was there any game/book/show/film that inspired the Mourn Watch and Emmrich? When I saw them in the preview content, I got reminded of the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir and playing through the game cemented those vibes." / Sylvia: "I hadn't read any Locked Tomb when writing Emmrich, I think we must both just have impeccable taste. (I actually tried to stay away from contemporary stuff on necromancy when writing him, out of a superstitious fear I'd be unduly influenced. I do want to talk about influences later though!)" [source]

User, on Josie: "Do you think she’s open to having kids/adopting with the Inquisitor? Lord Ontranto and Yvette are so ahead!" / Sylvia: "I think that falls firmly within the category of what you imagine she and your Inquisitor's romance looks like, which means: absolutely, if that's where you imagine life would take them." [source]

User: "Emmrich, his story & everything surrounding him absolutely played a huge part in helping to lift me up & connecting me with new friends online" / Sylvia: "Thank you! And I'm very glad to hear Emmrich and his fellow Watchers helped you out when you needed it. He'd be pleased to know so himself." [source]

User: "Was it ever considered for him to appear in the game?" / Sylvia: "(short answer is no, but I wanted to let people know Audric's doing well.)" [source]

User: "I enjoyed your short stories in Tevinter Nights. Emmrich mentioned working out in the morning. What does his morning routine look like, and what kind of exercise does he do?" / Sylvia: "Thanks so much! Those stories have a special place in my heart, so that's especially nice to hear. On exercise: He likes a brisk stroll, and does morning stretches, and for something more strenuous, he likes to go swimming. Why? It's a workout where you don't have to worry about sweating. That just seemed to align with his fastidiousness in a funny way to me. (I also imagine exploring the Necropolis keeps him active, climbing all those stairs and crumbling ledges and the outsized walls of hallowed tombs, etc.)" [source, two]

User: "Harding will turn to a MW Rook who's been talking nerdy necro shop with Emmrich, and goes (paraphrasing), "You're so different when you're talking about this stuff than you are when you hang out with us!" and I loved that" / Sylvia: "Yes indeed! And thanks. I really wanted a beat where you realize MW Rook has learned to swap between being a fancy nerd and talking a bit more like "regular" people in Thedas. It seemed like a fun trait for that background." [source]

Sylvia, on how she came to BioWare: "No formal training. The closest to practice I had was running tabletop RPGs for friends, which actually helped me a lot with understanding the different kind of RPG players out there and what people want out of a story. And honestly: I just kept applying, over and over. That was my main virtue. I was rejected the first couple times I applied to BW. And rightly, I think, I wasn't ready and practicing in between really helped me become a stronger writer." [source, two]

Some more on this topic ^ from Sylvia: "To be honest: mostly luck, some perseverance, and then writing skills, in that order. I was rejected at least twice from BW before I got in, and I think they were right to do so. I wasn't ready yet. The third round someone I knew passed on my sample to a writer there, I did two more rounds of samples while taking feedback and revising over the next month. And then I was lucky enough they liked it enough to interview me. I wish I had better advice than perseverance. I think having a small, completed game, even something text based or a mod, isn't bad either. Even if it's short, it shows you finished it. But: my entry was over 15 years ago now, and to be honest I'm not sure what BW's applicant process are anymore. I don't want to be discouraging though. I would say keep applying, and make friends with like minded people who also want to make games, and best of luck." [source, two, three, four]

User: "I've been wondering something about Mourn Watch Rook's background - their bio says they were found as a baby + raised by the MW, and they reference it in-game, but then they also say they were a street kid and left their old life behind to join the MW to Taash. I'm just curious how one - being raised by the MW - lead to the other - street kid era. I just hc'd it as a euphemism for my Rook's party girl phase lol but it did leave me a little confused." / Sylvia: "This is a case of the background changing slightly over time, and me not squaring it in time with dialogue. In my mind: MW IS found by the Mourn Watch, raised by them, and work for them. But MW Rook also had period(s?) growing up where they explored Nevarra city, to explain why they're more. street savvy and worldly than your typical Watchers who never leave the city. I've seen people noting some discrepancies, and in a perfect world I would've caught those lines in time to smooth them out to encompass the whole story. But perhaps your Rook gives slightly different answers to different people for their own, mysterious reasons! (Or, in reality, it's writer error.)" [source, two, three] "Anyhow, I encourage any head canons that help square these discrepancies" [source]

User: "I romanced him on a Rook that I perceived as about 42ish and my running interpretation of the lines acknowledging her being young were either Emmrich not realizing how old she is, a running bit between them, or some cute form of flattery to not remind her of her own age haha" / Sylvia: "That's adorable, I love it" [source]

User: "1. What would Josie's ideal date be? 2. Could adopted kids be heir of the Montilyet estate or would it go to Yvette? 3. What does Josie think of the Crows?" / Sylvia: "1. I think she'd try to structure something, but the Inquisitor taking her away from her strictly scheduled routine to relax would actually be better for her. A picnic in a garden, a stroll around a lake followed by a meal in a quiet little restaurant. Something with a soft evening. 2. I don't think I ever said so in the game, but to my mind Josephine had some nieces and nephews in line to be heir. If she adopted a child and thought they'd be a better candidate, they could absolutely inherit the estate. (And of course, she could bequeath money or personal effects as she liked.) 3. She thinks of them as a necessity in Antiva, and that it's important to appease them. There's probably highly placed Crows she would get along with. But she'd never be comfortable with them. At the end of the day they're contract killers, and she's no lover of violence. (If I actually DID mention who Josephine had lined up to inherit the estate after her, but just forgot, I will ask for mercy because the game came out over 10 years ago.)" [source, two, three, four]

User: "Would you ever consider making a playlist on spotify of the sort of music you could picture Emmerich listening to? Or perhaps sharing any of the music you listened to while writing Emmrich?" / Sylvia: "I actually have an itunes playlist of what I listened to when writing Emmrich on my old computer. If I dig it out, I'll post a screenshot! (A lot of ambient stuff, probably unsurprisingly)" [source]

User: "I utterly, completely adore the way Josephine was written, she's such a wonderful and complex character. Her history as a bard, her ruthlessness, her kindness and sweet nature and how CUTE her romance is." / Sylvia: "Lady Montilyet herself would be flattered to hear you liked it." [source]

User, on Sylvia's comment about Peter Cushing being a go-to for what Emmrich would be like: "This makes me so unbelievably happy given my love for Peter Cushing 😭 my love for Emmrich was inevitable." / Sylvia: "I want to talk a little more about it later but Cushing was such a wonderful actor. Wish we'd had him around even longer." [source]

User, on death and working in death care: "In the end, it’s always about memory." / Sylvia: "That's so true. We want to be remembered, or to have something that lets people know even a little about who we are. (It's why I'm glad newspapers still print obituaries, you can read about the most amazing lives.)" [source]

User: "I was starting to think the game was reading my mind and tailoring to me once he said his favorite color was lilac, and I was given the option to say darker purple." / Sylvia: "I'm glad you enjoyed Emmrich and his romance. And that the bit about colours worked for you, I was trying to think of what would be something fun there, and purple is one of my favorites too. (Fine taste!)" [source]

User: "“Down Among the Dead Men” is one of my favorite chapters from Tevinter Nights. I loved Audric and I was so happy when Myrna mentioned him in Veilguard! Was there any chance he might’ve appeared in game?" / Sylvia: "basically I didn't plan it, but I wanted to let TN readers know Audric is living well" [source]

User: "If Hezenkoss was also you ALL of that was a sheer stroke of brilliance!" / Sylvia: "Thank you! Hezenkoss was me, so glad you liked her. She was a blast to write. Oh my god, I meant to write Hezenkoss was one of my favorites not "me". (I think I snipped out something and consequentially sound like a maniac in that post above. SORRY. She is not me, I wish I had that kind of confidence.)" [source, two]

User, on behalf of their friend: "Well, spontaneously I'd be interested if she can say any more about Emmrich's past romances. Was there someone really serious among them, or all just fun and casual? I'm also curious how the whole mage training works in Nevarra. Are some trained from the start by the Mourn Watch or does everyone go to the Mortalitasi equivalent of a Circle first?" / Sylvia: "1. I think there was probably a mix of more serious romances and more casual ones over Emmrich's life. The serious ones just never panned out. (Until Rook, if you're romancing him.) 2. I pictured the MW taking in promising members from other circles, but I left their selection criteria vague on purpose, in case we needed to define it later. Of course, there's also exceptions. We've seen they take in some orphans or foundlings (MW Rook and Emmrich, for example) when fate, chance, or pity allows it. (I had an idea spirits might sometimes nudge MWers to take in someone, but that's not in the game, so it remains, I suppose now, my own head canon.)" [source, two, three, four]

User: "Emmrich is every bit the warm and kind academic that I looked up to in my undergrad/postgrad days, and I have taken time in the game just to wander the Grand Necropolis and take everything in." / Sylvia: "My pleasure, and thanks very much for saying so. (Props to all my teammates, it took a lot of people to bring those characters and places to life, and they were all so enthusiastic about our weird gothy corner of Thedas.)" [source]

User, on Emmrich's dream: "One of few cases where writers don't go for "actually immortality is lame" lesson to appease the audience for whom immortality is unattainable. Refreshing to have a character who wants to live forever, can do it, and it isn't treated as a mistake. One of the boldest bits of writing in the game." / Sylvia: "Thanks Mary - that was one of my aims, because so many times in stories, immortality is a fool's errand. I wanted it to have its rules, and its price, but not something disastrous or out of reach." [source]

User: "The MW as a whole was beautifully done and the way they handle life and death was deeply healing and aided tremendously in my own personal journey with grief." / Sylvia: "I'm very glad meeting Emmrich and the Watchers helped even a little, that means a lot to hear." [source]

User: "Amazing work in veilguard and inquisition honestly and the flame eternal was such a fun read! Unless it’s been answered before my query is where do the Mourn watchers live/sleep? Is it a case of they live in the higher parts of the Necropolis or do they live in the city and commute?" / Sylvia: "Flame Eternal was a fun one, hadn't written a story that short before but I enjoyed introducing Johanna and Emmrich's dynamic back in their good old days... As to your question, there's one line of banter between Emmrich and Neve that talks about this (so, very easy to miss.) The Mourn Watchers live and sleep in the upper (safer) levels of the Necropolis." [source, two]

User: "does mortal!Emmrich return to the Necropolis or spend more time in the world first? He plays detective with Neve & camps in Ferelden with Harding feels like he’d want to experience more of the world before returning home." / Sylvia: "Impossible for me to say what the future will hold with certainty, but I think Emmrich's enjoying exploring the world too much to go back to living in the Necropolis full time just yet. He'd certainly want to keep visiting regularly, but there's so much more to see." [source]

Sylvia: "The Watchers have a special place in my heart." [source]

User: "I just wanted to say how much I love Emmrich" / Sylvia: "Thank you very much! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed getting to know him." [source]

at this point tumblr stopped letting me add to this post !

[yumeka-sxf]

Thoughts on Spy x Family CODE: White

My thoughts on CODE: White will likely be different from most people since I knew pretty much the entire plot beforehand. I'm a spoiler fiend when it comes to my hyperfixations like SxF, so I read the novelization of the movie back in January and kept up on all the promotional videos and images that were released. But when it was finally time to see the movie for myself, did that ruin my enjoyment? Not at all. For me, it actually made me enjoy it more because 1) I knew what to expect so I wasn't disappointed, and 2) I found myself looking forward to seeing all the scenes I only read about or saw short clips of.

With that said, yes, I enjoyed the movie so much! If you're a Spy x Family fan, or even just a casual enjoyer of the series, it's a ton of fun. It has all the elements we love about the series: clever humor, sweet family moments, and spy action/drama. And because it's a movie, we get to see all of this with a movie animation budget instead of a TV series budget, which is another plus!

One thing to keep in mind with these original, stand-alone anime films based on series is that they're meant for a more general crowd than just fans of the series. Since theaters attract a wider audience than late-night TV and online manga chapters, movies like this serve as a means to introduce the series to people who may only have a vague idea of what it's about. That's why these movies contain a storyline that can fit mostly anywhere in the series chronology and don't have anything canon-altering.

CODE: White is an interesting mix of plots that, for the most part, blend together well. There's the main plot that continues throughout, which is saving Operation Strix by having Anya learn how to make the meremere for the cooking contest, but then there's the Yor jealousy plot B which is resolved in the first half, but is then replaced by the next "plot B" in the latter half of the movie, which is saving Anya from the military.

A lot of people didn't like the "Yor gets jealous" subplot when it was first revealed before the movie even came out, since it seemed to be a rehash of her being jealous about Fiona. I personally didn't have a problem with this since I don't think it's unreasonable for her to get jealous a second time, especially when she thinks she sees Loid doing something extreme like kissing another woman (as opposed to just talking). But the way it was resolved could have been a bit better in my opinion. The ferris wheel scene in the movie very much mirrored the bar scene from the series, but the reason the latter is so effective is because we get to hear Loid's inner thoughts during it; we know he's going full Twilight-mode and isn't being sincere, and that's why Yor kicks him. But then at the park, he talks to her much more genuinely and they work things out. But in the ferris wheel scene, we don't get to hear his inner thoughts so we don't get any indication as to whether his repeating of the marriage vows, etc, is him being sincere or not. Then she smacks him, they insist they aren't fighting when Anya brings it up, and that's the end of it.

I do like the fact that Anya reads their minds and seems happy with what she "hears" in their heads, but I still think the subplot would have felt more complete if it ended after Yor realized her mistake rather than have Loid do the ambiguous Romeo act again. Or it could have been brought up one more time later in the movie, for example, Yor apologizes for hitting him, he talks to her more sincerely, etc. If you're gonna rehash the bar scene, at least rehash the scene that brought it closure, which is the park bench scene. Again, I'm totally fine with the jealously subplot overall, just thought it could have been wrapped up a bit better.

Other than that, there were just a few little issues I had, like how was Anya able to afford what was probably an expensive liquor? (was she really packing that much dough in her little bag? She went straight from the bedroom out the window so it's not like she "borrowed" any money from Loid). Also seemed weird that she didn't pick up on Yor's infidelity worries until last minute. A few things stretched the line of believability a bit far too, like Loid's ability to make perfect masks so quickly, and Anya just happening to hit her head on the button that conveniently opened all the windows on the bridge. Also something here and there that didn't align with the manga, like Yor not having any reaction to sharing a room with Loid, whereas she has a totally different reaction to this in chapter 94. Maybe a bit more resolution for the fates of the villains too. I guess Luca and Dmitri survived the crash, but what about Snidel? Did Loid actually kill him or just knock him out? And if it's the latter, Snidel seems like the type who would want to get revenge. A quick cameo of what happened to them in the end would have been nice.

Speaking of the villains, normally I wouldn't like the fact that they're pretty one-dimensional and not that interesting, but for a movie like this where most people just want to see the Forgers being themselves in fun and exciting scenarios, taking time away from that to make more developed villains who likely won't be seen again in the franchise, would have not been the best choice, lol.

But even though I had some criticisms of the movie, all of them are minor and not enough to overshadow everything else that was enjoyable about it. Besides all the humor, of which there was plenty, there were so many cute "awww" family moments that perhaps didn't lend anything to the plot, but were still important to establish the characters and their relationships, and thus make us care about what happens to them. Like the scene of Anya, Yor, and Bond playing at the hotel...it could have been skipped without anything seeming out of place, but it reveals so much about the characters without being blatant about it: how Yor wants to please Anya despite being a bit embarrassed at first to take part in her game, and then how Anya's eyes light up with happiness when Yor starts playing with her...for a series like SxF that's character-driven rather than plot-driven, scenes like this are so important and I'm glad the film creators realized this too!

There were also so many cute, subtle scenes as well, like when Loid and Yor smile at each other after chiding Anya, as if they're happy to share this moment of exhausting yet satisfying parenting; when Anya reads Loid's mind after he saves her but doesn't reveal what he's actually thinking yet we can imagine what it is based on her expression; Loid showing feelings of comradery with the restaurant owner because their pasts are so similar; Anya quietly and sadly hugging Bond in the bedroom; and in the ferris wheel after Yor feels so embarrassed about misunderstanding what happened with Loid and the woman but then can't help but smile with motherly love when she sees Anya waving at her...the movie is filled with moments like this that are like little love letters to fans who know the true heart of SxF isn't so much the action and spy drama as it is the family relationships.

And of course, as I mentioned before, the animation of the movie is fantastic! Not just the action scenes, which are great by the way, especially Yor's fight with Type F, but the character expressions as well. Anya's always had the most varied and hilarious faces of all the characters, but the movie goes even harder with her expressions, especially when she has to hold in her stool! Her faces were making me both cringe and laugh at the same time! The animators did such a good job making me feel sorry for her but also laugh at her.

I'm not a fan of potty humor, but I was confident SxF would make it funny, and I was right! The poop god sequence in particular was as equally cringe as it was hilarious!

To conclude, CODE: White is a must-see for anyone who likes or loves Spy x Family. I can't say it's a cinematic masterpiece or anything, but for what it's supposed to be - a fun and enjoyable film for those who like the series, it definitely delivers! Can't wait to see it at least two more times during its showing in the US...and more times in the future!

[spinji]

I NEED TO YAP ABOUT THIS MOVIE MY GOD-

YOU'RE NEXT SPOILERS UNDER CUT

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaokayokay-

Can I just say I DO NOT recommend seeing this the same day as watching the new episode because I have had a DAY-

Unfortunately, the theater I went to didn't have the booklets or promotional cups but not a huge loss. It's the price I pay to have my boyfriend by my side; worth it. ♡

As with all my other MHA theater outings the screening was packed with delightful weirdos (dubbed, if you happen to care). One guy had an extensive set of custom MHA lego guys (very cool) and two very enthusiastic Toga cosplayers were so kind and kept me from feeling like a dork going out in public in a Deku wig. All the love to them, fr.

The movie itself though ohhhhh MY~

If I'm being honest this one didn't surpass World Heroes Mission or Heroes Rising for me, but also I don't know what you could do to beat out the movies that gave me such extreme brainrot it got me to be a part of this fandom in the first place. Personal rankings for the movies, best to "worst" is 3, 2, 4, 1.

Maybe it's because I had higher expectations instead of being given the best character in the franchise suddenly with no warning but I did still really REALLY love it. The highest point I can give it is easily the animation. Absolutely zero scenes in this movie feel like they fell to the standard of the anime. Everything was fluid and detailed and so fun to look at. And yes, of course it made every attack flashy as fuck. I was giddy every time Bakugou let out an explosion.

The premise did sound insane going in, and it is, but it's an anime side movie. Caring about the plot is a bonus, not a requirement. I guess my only real gripe is that it felt a little too fast? Very few scenes had time to breathe and unlike the other movies there wasn't really any slow establishing opening. If you come to MHA exclusively for the action, I think this one will be your new favorite.

Okay- I'm gonna just bullet point my highlights because I'm barely restrained enough to sit down and type.

First of all GIULIO!!!

Listen- I knew I would love this guy but oh my god babygirl~

He responds to literally everyone approaching him by pointing a gun at them. No comment this is just great

When Deku tells him to stop shooting at someone, he just pulls out a SECOND GUN and points it at him too

His motorcycle also has guns. Ngl I have expected his eye implant to also have a gun for a moment there.

He is SUCH an asshole to Deku in the first half and I love it. Their dialogue exchanges were so funny.

And in the second half he just,,,,cracks under the pressure so hard,, Man is having the WORST day of his life fr. It's really nice to know he and Anna are safe at UA rn. Poor things deserve it.

Anna and Giulio are really cute romantically, Giulio is definitely adult but he's going in the Deku harem anyway. You can't stop me, I am capable of worse.

Anna herself unfortunately doesn't get much time since she spends most of the movie mind controlled but she's harmlessly sweet and adorable. Anna they could never make me hate you.

I want to smear Dark Might across the side of a wall and given how much they overanimated his expressions, I believe this is the intended effect.

Am I the only one that hopes he sees the Mech Might livestream just to rub salt in the wound? Don't you dare let All Might's name fall from your mouth again, you bag of scum.

I really REALLY wanted Izuku to get pissed off and start naming off inconsistencies between how All Might and Dark Might look: "His eyes are SKY blue, not ocean blue, and while his broad features don't make it obvious, his chin was actually much slimmer, also you got the silver age colors wrong-!" alas... you know he was thinking it though-

Big tiddy mind control gf Deborah my beloved- she has pretty privileges for everything

Actually a lot of the lesser goons of the family were kind of dorky and odd. I loved the energy! Why was one of them literally a D&D nerd that put on a wizard robe OVER HIS SUIT. Most entertaining movie villian group for sure.

The personal dreams everyone had under the mind control? Kill me. Kill me right the fuck now!

Shoto literally just wants a happy childhood with his family??? Where Touya wants to play with him????? And Rei was still happy????? UUGAHWAAAAAAAA

Tenya and Tensei being heroes together STOP-

Shoji with the little girl he saaaaaaved,,,and he didn't have his face scars anymoooooore,,,

So glad they didn't show Ochako's because you know they would have just animated that what if pixel animation of her and Toga being childhood friends and I would have vomited in sorrow.

Absolutely infuriating they broke continuity to have Katsuki call Izuku "Deku" and not "De-Izuku". Never forget what they took from us.

"Beat it, cool side character!" is the best line in the movie. Katsuki does not forget what happened with Rody and he does NOT forgive.

Followed closely by "I'm falling down crotch-first!" And you wonder why I write the fics I do about you, Deku-

Deku being a legend as a jailbreaker hunter is so amazing?? Yes baby, they're so scared of you! You're doing amazing sweetie!

I might think of more but tldr: YOU'RE NEXT IS A REALLY FUN TIME AND YOU SHOULD WATCH IT!

[nb-octopus-writes]

once you’re in the hive, the other bees assume you’re supposed to be there

[Masterpost]

Chapter 3: A Series of Unintended Events

Wordcount: 1.3K

~~~~

The pancakes are delicious, light and fluffy. Virgil only has two, because he did already have cereal and unlike Remus his stomach is not a bottomless pit into which he can pour an unending stream of nutrients. But they're delicious, and he's glad Calico convinced him to try a bit.

After breakfast, Virgil helps with the dishes because Remus still isn't up yet, and neither is Janus—probably still curled around him like a hot water bottle—and he has nothing better to do.

Princey meanders in after him, and despite having just demolished an entire stack of pancakes and a decent amount of scrambled eggs, starts rooting around in the fridge. He emerges with a plastic-wrapped plate of tiny pumpkin pies and leans against the counter to eat them directly off the platter, clearly pleased that the party having ended means he can have the leftovers.

“So you're the reason the chinese buffet has a twenty plate limit,” Virgil teases after Princey eats several in a row without pausing. Virgil had a few of those tiny pies last night, so he knows they're good, but Princey is absolutely chowing down on them.

“Hey, that was not my fault!” Princey protests. “Besides, a place that calls itself ‘all you can eat’ shouldn't even have a limit.”

“It shouldn’t,” Virgil agrees. “But I've never hit the limit myself, so I thought it was reasonably high. I suppose that a buffet operating in the same town as twin black holes would need to be cautious to protect their profit margins though. How much did you two pack away before they asked you to stop?”

“Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy,” Princey says. “Anyway, it really wasn't us.”

“No?”

Princey sighs. “No, Count Woe-laf,” he says. He is just too much fun to tease. “If my father is to be believed, it was actually him and a couple of his college buddies.”

Virgil laughs. “Oh, so it's definitely genetic, then!”

Princey chuckles, popping the last tiny pie into his mouth and setting the plate on the counter. Virgil takes it and rinses it off so he can put it in the dishwasher with the others. “Yeah. Dad says they absolutely cleared out the seafood section, and most of the mac and cheese, and ate a sizable portion of pretty much everything else. If you get him going, he'll give you a very long and probably quite embellished retelling of the many courses they had. They never got kicked out, but the next time they went, they were told that there was now a limit to just how much they could eat.”

“Ah, alas,” Virgil says. “I bet it was a fabulous feast, though.” He finishes loading the dishwasher and checks under the sink for soap. They have pods, which is very convenient for measuring, or rather for not having to do that. He pops one in and turns the machine on.

“So, if I'm Count Olaf antagonizing you, which Baudelaire does that make you?” he asks. “Not bookish Klaus, surely. Maybe Sunny? I think she could demolish a plate as quickly as you, though her small stomach wouldn't have the same capacity.”

Princey's eyes light up and he leans forward. Instead of answering the banter, he says meaningfully, “I have the full series on dvd.”

“I'm not doing anything right now,” Virgil says. Princey beams.

“Great! I'll make popcorn!”

~

They have a dedicated home theater. The tv is large, the seats are comfortable, and the speakers are crisp and clear without being too loud. Princey made a bucket of popcorn for each of them, and Virgil isn't very hungry right now considering he very recently had breakfast, but he munches idly on it as they watch, and comment, and theorize. Princey is fun to watch tv with, and doesn't mind Virgil talking while they watch.

They're in the middle of an episode when Remus appears in the doorway.

“Hey Emo,” says Remus. “I gotta get home and feed my cat before she figures out how to unlock the front door and hunts me down. I was gonna take you home on the way, but it looks like you're in the middle of something.”

Virgil considers. He looks at the screen, where Lemony Snicket is explaining that if you're allergic to something, it's generally best not to put that thing in your mouth, especially if the thing you are allergic to is a cat. He looks back at Remus. “You swear you'll come back for me?”

“On my favorite dildo and Janus's two cocks,” Remus says with feeling, and Virgil can't help the chuckle that escapes him.

“I'll be okay,” he says. “Go get Diesel Fuel her lunch.”

Remus salutes him and disappears.

They finish the episode and Remus hasn't come back yet, so they go on to the next one. During the theme song though, Nerdbot appears to inform them that they too need to eat lunch.

Virgil thought Princey might protest, given how invested he's been, but he pauses the show and gets up. “C’mon, Tall Dark and Stormy,” he says to Virgil. “If we skip lunch to watch tv all day we get a lecture about why proper nutrition is important.”

“You do,” Nerdbot confirms. “Points of note include the necessity of proteins and vegetables in addition to carbohydrates.”

“Is popcorn a vegetable?” Virgil asks.

Nerdbot raises an eyebrow. “It is a carbohydrate, actually. It is also primarily air.”

It seems that all the other guests have gone home, so it's just the four of them now. The table is back to its smaller size, and Princey has Virgil sit at the corner beside him, so they can keep talking. Nerdbot sits on Virgil’s other side, and Calico sits at the head, across from Princey.

Lunch is baked chicken and a vegetable dish that Virgil doesn't really expect to like, but he takes a polite spoonful anyway because he's sure Nerdbot is capable of a very powerful ‘eat your vegetables’ lecture, and he doesn't feel like hearing it right now.

The vegetables do not taste bad. Virgil’s not sure why he's surprised anymore considering everything he's eaten in this house so far—with the possible exception of the cereal, which doesn't count—but the vegetables are the opposite of bad.

“Why are you such a good cook,” Virgil says to Calico, who brightens. “I need to come eat your food more often.”

“He has a magical tongue,” Princey says, making heart eyes across the table at him.

Calico blushes slightly (not nearly as deeply as he had last night) and clarifies, “I'm very good at tasting, and I have a lot of practice combining flavors. I'm also not afraid of fats and salt, and that helps.”

Virgil has two servings.

Remus still isn't back yet when they finish lunch, and Virgil is starting to get concerned.

Don't forget me, he texts, and goes into the room with the couches to wait.

This couch really is comfortable. And Virgil got barely any sleep last night, between staying up late and waking up so fucking early, and also probably never actually falling into a deep sleep at all since there were other people in the room. And his stomach is full and warm. And the couch is so comfortable. 

He barely has time to notice how heavy his eyelids are becoming.

~

Virgil wakes, briefly. The room is dark. Someone has covered him with a blanket. He finds his phone and checks it. There's a message from Remus, about half an hour after Virgil’s last text.

came to get you but you were very asleep, it says. text me when youre awake and wanna go home

Attached is a selfie, with Virgil in the background passed out on the couch.

Virgil groans. fucker, he texts back, and falls back asleep.

~~~~

Chapter 4: The Second Morning

[justanotherwriter140]

Kung Fu Panda 4 - The Movie

The last really, really long discussion post (for now).

Major spoilers ahead!

This review is full of spoilers, so please refrain from reading through it until you've watched KFP4. I would highly suggest doing so, as I want everyone to form their own opinions without my influence. The movie has its flaws (some of which admittedly being a bit distracting), but it's a fun film that has things to offer.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a fun movie (take that as you will) that takes its audience on an action-packed, surprisingly funny, yet relatively contained adventure on which Po doesn't really do much. It's an inconsequential, safe sequel that doesn't really hurt the franchise but adds close to nothing.

I had a good time watching the movie. It was obviously produced with its theater experience in mind and the action scenes especially reflected that priority. The humor was actually funny sometimes and I enjoyed Po and Zhen's dynamic. During the film, I was able to put most (most!) of my grievances aside and take the movie for what it is. I've discovered that the best way to watch KFP4 is with low expectations and an open mind.

I have a lot of things to say about KFP4, both complaints and compliments (though the former might be taking the forefront in this review), and I hope this review can help those of you who have seen the movie organize your thoughts. I've been having a lot of trouble with that specific aspect of things myself. Those who get it get it.

With that said, let's get into my full review of KFP4! I've been waiting for nearly 2 years to write this and I'm so excited to share every single thought.

I'm going to follow the format of my first discussion post and curate a bulleted list of my thoughts, followed by an analysis of each of these points. Keep in mind that everything I say is IMO and this is more of a rant post than anything else.

Here are my main points:

The Furious Five's role is comically minuscule in the context of the film. Their actions are inconsequential and add nothing to the plot (a confirmed last-minute add), and they have 30~ seconds of screen time. Shifu is also largely irrelevant.

Mr. Ping and Li's presence has little to no effect on the movie (though I won't complain too much because they were pretty fun to watch and this movie has bigger problems). In almost any scenario, I am adamantly against having characters present that don't add anything to the narrative; however, Mr. Ping is an exception. I love Mr. Ping. James Hong is a gem.

Zhen's screen time is not utilized well and her character is underdeveloped. She definitely wasn't annoying, but I didn't find her either compelling or funny enough to warrant the screen time she was given, especially considering it wasn't used to establish a backstory/strong motives. This makes me feel bad for the character because the movie kind of screwed her out of any substantial development.

The Chameleon, while complimented greatly by Viola Davis, is an underwhelming villain. Viola Davis is amazing in this film and I would suggest watching it for her performance if for nothing else, but the Chameleon is underwhelming considering the super cool concept behind the character.

The film feels very rushed. Apologies to those who disagree, but I think the pacing is atrocious and the final fight is anticlimactic. The movie felt like a word-vomit with no discernible intermissions that stops abruptly when the film ends.

I felt as though Po didn't change/grow as a person and the audience never had a chance to either bond with or relate to his character. His internal struggle is kept to a minimum and we don't spend a moment alone with him as an audience, which is disorienting and distracting. Watching the film felt like running into an old friend at the store who's too in a rush to have a real conversation.

The action scenes were strong with few exceptions. Creative art direction was utilized and I thought the martial arts choreography was entertaining and dynamic. I love the color palette of the film and many scenes were very impressive visually.

With my main points established, I do believe it's ranting time. Strap in, folks.

Let's start strong with the Furious Five: I'm gutted. Chagrined, despondent, crestfallen, etc.

The lack of the Furious Five negatively affects KFP4 so much, because not only does their absence hurt the atmospheric integrity of KFP as a franchise, it also forces KFP4 to bring in a slew of different characters—all while still noncommittally including the FF at the very end because I believe the marketing team required it—that clog up the cast a bit. It all goes to show how important strong, established side characters are.

The Furious Five are side characters, but the role of "side character" does not equate to being irrelevant, expendable, or exchangeable. I recognize that the Furious Five aren't super developed as characters beyond a handful of lines that allude to traits sprinkled sparingly among the members; however, I believe that the tiny bits of development we have been given have proved impactful in the past. Tigress's development in KFP2 is a prime example of how much narratively conscious changes (however small they may be) can positively affect these movies.

Because of limited runtimes, the Furious Five often operate as more of a singular unit than five individuals. Even so, I don't think discarding them is valid. They're so important to the KFP universe (to Po's universe!) and not having them with him feels so wrong. The Furious Five are fully integral to the heart of Kung Fu Panda, which is why I believe a lot of those who have seen the new movie have expressed something feeling "off" or something being missing.

I agree with this sentiment. To me, KFP4 didn't feel like a KFP movie. I don't need a Furious Five spin-off movie and I can be fully content with a KFP5 centered around Po's journey as an individual as was intended from the beginning, but he can't carry an entire movie on his back. As strong as he is in every sense of the word, he is only one character. He's the centerpiece of the franchise, but a centerpiece can only go so far without the rest of the design, so to speak.

For me, the Furious Five's absence is one of this film's biggest faults. It's huge and glaring. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, either, because the friends with whom I saw the film refused to talk about any other aspect of the movie after seeing it. Seeing them at the end was better than nothing, of course, but it was a disappointing culmination after eight years of waiting.

That all is to say I feel robbed. Despite all of this, though, I understand that there were reasons why the Furious Five weren't included in the movie. I don't believe the production team would exclude the Furious Five unless they weren't given a choice.

Shifu and Po's dynamic continues to be thoroughly delightful but their interactions are short and simplified. I would have loved to see more of them in this film, especially considering the extreme relevance of teacher-student relationships in KFP4. I (somewhat) digress, though, because the idea of Shifu having to live at the Jade Palace with only Po for an extended period of time is hilarious enough on its own. Maybe that's what the short film is about!

The comedy is odd but has some jokes that stand out. Po maintains a healthy relationship with his inner sass, which I think makes him more fun to watch and kind of eradicates the man-child verdict. Some jokes don't land, of course, but I genuinely thought KFP4 had some funny moments. Mr. Ping was consistently awesome and Po had some good lines sprinkled throughout the film.

As for Mr. Ping, he and Li Shan are the subjects of the film's B-plot as they follow Po to Juniper City out of shared concern for their son's safety. In my mind, they don't add anything to the story that couldn't have been brought about by other characters, but they had their moments of being entertaining. I enjoyed their silliness and thought they had a cute dynamic if nothing else.

Speaking of other characters, I want to discuss KFP4's deuteragonist and why I genuinely feel bad about the way her character was treated.

I want to let it be known that I'm still not on board with Po passing the Dragon Warrior torch to another character. While I agree that his arc is now calling for him to have a student, I disagree with the notion of him retiring from his DW role.

As I stated in my first discussion post:

Didn’t the initial significance and nuance of the title come from the fact that there is only one person who can be the Dragon Warrior, because the concept of the “Dragon Warrior” isn’t so much a title as it is Po himself? The universe (Oogway) must choose the Dragon Warrior because they are a singular being of legend. It is one person, and that person is Po. Wasn’t the point of the first film that the title ultimately doesn’t really matter because there is no “secret ingredient,” so to speak? The title doesn’t actually give Po anything. “It’s just you,” Po says, and that was the resolution.

When it comes to Zhen as a character, contrary to what I predicted I would think of her, I thought she was okay. While I was still a bit distracted by how out-of-place her design looks, I wasn't truly annoyed by her at any point and she and Po had some cute moments. Even so, I think their relationship could have been a bit more refined and developed.

While it's evident that Po and Zhen are meant to have a teacher-student/mentor-apprentice dynamic, I think their relationship feels half-baked. There were parallels that contradicted one another and ended up being confusing come the film's conclusion, and the nature of their relationship seems to vacillate depending on the scene. Additionally, the strength of their bond goes from zero to one hundred within thirty-ish minutes and left me with a bit of whiplash.

We're shown that Po and Zhen care about one another, but we're never shown why. They have a brief conversation during which they bond over being orphans, and Zhen says at one point, "You're actually a good guy," but that's it. This obvious lack of development is a bit disorienting because we're later led to believe that Zhen and Po care very deeply for one another when there's almost nothing to back it up.

A scene that sticks out to me when discussing this is when Zhen attack-hugs Po in a way that explicitly mirrors Tigress's hug from KFP2. This happens around the beginning of the third act, and while it had the potential to be an endearing moment, I think it fell flat.

The impact of Tigress's hug was brought on by her character's hardcore nature and reputation of being heartless, further strengthened with the knowledge that she was hugging Po (which was obviously way outside her comfort zone) as a show of companionship and fundamental understanding. Tigress hugged Po because he needed someone to recognize his strive for closure.

Zhen's hug had little to no impact because she had no reason to do it and it didn't indicate growth. She hugs Po because she's sorry for betraying him and doesn't want him to be killed by the Chameleon, but neither of these things are newly-established via this hug; we have already gathered by now that Zhen regrets betraying Po and doesn't want him to get hurt.

The hug is far from the movie's weakest point, but I think it's unnecessary given the context. I'm big on hugs in movies (an underutilized form of platonic affection, in my opinion), but it didn't fit here. I don't hate it, and I see it as an honest effort to bring emotionality to Po and Zhen's relationship, but it seems arbitrary.

Zhen and Po's relationship has a lot of potential and I'd be open to seeing more of them in the future, but I think some more thoughtful development needs to occur before I can humor it further. Even so, I can see myself featuring Zhen in some future post-KFP4 one-shots—sparingly, of course, because we have a lot of Furious Five content to compensate for.

Overall, they had a cute dynamic and some sweet moments but I'm not attached. I'm on board with Po having a student but I think their relationship needs a lot more development, something that this film unfortunately didn't give them time to either accomplish or earn.

Now, onto the Chameleon!

The concept of the Chameleon's character is admittedly super interesting. She's the deuteragonist's fastidious mother figure who feels that Zhen owes her a debt and as a result holds her to an impossible standard. That dynamic had the potential to be so interesting but I didn't think it was explored at all. There is no indication of Zhen having any internal conflict about fighting the Chameleon, no emotional complexity between them at all; it's disappointing because I think it would've added a bit of earnestness to the film.

Additionally, the idea of a shape-shifting villain is versatile. A shape-shifting villain gives those telling the story a lot of room to experiment with the protagonist and different ways in which the main character can be challenged and tested. It's yet another good idea utilized poorly. Just one idea: the Chameleon could have disguised herself as one (or several) of Po's family, friends, etc. and brought to fruition a new arc with his character (seeing as he arguably doesn't have one in this film), but she only disguises herself as Zhen very briefly in the movie.

Furthermore, the Chameleon completely relies on the powers of previous villains to pose any sort of threat to the main characters. She summons Po's former nemeses from the Spirit Realm (despite there being little logic in doing so considering Kai's literal evisceration) and takes their kung fu abilities for herself.

An excerpt from my first KFP4 discussion post that I think is relevant to the point I'm trying to make:

I don’t think it would be in the best interest of anyone if the past villains were to come back in any way that’s not a flashback (even then, I’m not sure I’d see the point). In all honesty, I thought that the whole point of the villains was that they died and stayed dead. They were defeated by Po once and for all as a testament to the idea of establishing Po's character growth and journey as a person through the bad things he’s able to overcome. It’d be highly contradictory to the messages of the other films if these villains were to suddenly come back.

While there was an honest effort made to portray the Chameleon as intimidating, I never felt as though any of the characters were endangered by either her or her army of lizard henchman. She's a visually appealing character (aside from her eyes, which I thought more resembled those of a gecko than a chameleon) and I greatly enjoyed Davis's performance, but overall I don't see the Chameleon as a notable villain.

The return of Tai Lung (had he been on his own) had the makings to be an excellent story, especially considering the importance of teacher-student dynamics in KFP4. To see him interacting with Shifu would have been incredible and could have led to further closure on Tai Lung's end (because I think that's kind of what the team was going for anyway), but it didn't happen.

It was nice to see Ian McShane reprise his role, but I wish Tai Lung's characterization had been more reminiscent of the way he was in the first film and more complimentary of his overall character arc. Tai Lung isn't a one-dimensional villain with a singular goal and motivation, and I couldn't help but feel as though the complexity of his character was simplified for the sake of KFP4's narrative.

Tai Lung's presence in KFP4 may be odd, but Shen and Kai's appearances are even more so. Kai, if I remember correctly, was fully obliterated by Po, reduced to literal particles on screen (which is kind of wild now that I think about it). Shen being in the Spirit Realm makes sense all things considered; however, Po and Li had no visible reaction to his presence, which seemed a bit unlikely considering Shen's deeds. This plot hole can likely be attributed to the fact that Shen and Kai's cameos (to my knowledge) were last-minute additions to the movie.

I have to talk about the pacing. I have to. I'm sorry, bear with me.

To me, the film's pacing is erratic and disconcerting. While I can appreciate a quick-moving narrative that doesn't dawdle on storylines that aren't interesting/important, KFP4 kind of flings itself too far in the opposite direction and ends up being frighteningly fast-paced. Once the credits began, I felt like I had been holding my breath for the entire movie.

KFP4 is confusing because while the runtime is standard for a KFP movie, it feels incredibly short. At the same time, the film's story moves at a breakneck speed and leaves little time for heart and development. These things culminate into a barreling boulder of a movie that simply doesn't have time to let its characters, story, or audience take a breath.

A fast pace is not inherently negative, but I don't think it worked in the favor of KFP4. The KFP franchise has always been very emotionally grounded (and just very grounded in general), so to see a film in which emotion/heart takes an aggressive backseat in comparison to action and comedy is jarring. While I think it's unreasonable for fans to expect the same emotional integrity as the original films to be present in the current and upcoming ones, I still think there's room for Po to grow and I felt as though the notion of him developing further was brushed aside in this film.

As for Po's growth, I felt it was nearly nonexistent. The previous trilogy wrapped up his character's journey beautifully and I know that KFP4 was bound to struggle with this particular aspect of making another KFP film; however, just because the strongest pillars of Po's character are established doesn't serve as a valid excuse to reverse his development and repeat what he learned in KFP3.

In KFP3, Po learned firsthand that he is capable of spreading wisdom and teaching kung fu. He also learns that he is constantly growing and that change is inevitable; there is always something more to learn.

"If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are now."

"I don't want to be anything more, I like who I am!"

In KFP4, Po pushes against this narrative despite fully accepting it in KFP3, actively reversing crucial parts of his character development achieved in the latter. KFP3 was non-ambiguously about learning to cope with change and responsibility, and I can't help but feel like KFP4 is simply copying this message while not adding anything to it.

Additionally, I felt that KFP4's Po generally felt less personal than he has in the past. In every KFP movie up to the franchise's most recent addition, I felt very connected to Po as an audience member. I felt like I was truly seeing the world of KFP through his eyes. I consider this to be one of the franchise's most impressive feats; it's incredibly difficult to build a universe around a character without making the audience feel limited to one perspective and one part of the world.

With KFP4, I felt both limited and disconnected. The world didn't feel as vast and all-encompassing as it has in the past and Po didn't seem fully like himself. This could be me nitpicking (as I'm prone to do), but I can't recall a single moment in the movie in which Po was alone on screen. Scenes like these are crucial for me because I see them as a meet-cute between the character and the audience, a moment for us to cross the bridge into their world in a way that's silent and intuitive. These little bonding moments are absolutely integral to feeling connected to a character.

Po's dream sequence in the first KFP movie is one of the best examples of this. It presents his aspirations, alludes to his way of life up to the point of the movie, and showcases his personality. During Po's dream sequence, the audience is quite literally inside Po's mind; we're there with him, seeing what he sees, subsequently feeling what he feels. Po is a dreamer at heart and makes the audience feel like dreamers, too.

In KFP4, I felt like I little to no point of reference when it comes to how Po was feeling. I didn't feel immersed in him and his world.

I know I've been very "doom and gloom" throughout this post, which is an exhausting mindset for everyone involved. I want to end my critique with something positive because I think some praise is deserved. Let's just say the movie could have been a lot worse, the details of which I'm sure you're all well aware.

Congratulations, you've reached the end! Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to read this unnecessarily long and detailed review. As long as I help someone translate their conflicted feelings into coherent thoughts, I'll call it a win.

KFP4 has its flaws and there are a lot of aspects that I dislike, but the I greatly admire and respect the hard work put into the film by those of the crew who put their efforts forward and tried their best to make it work. This does not at all excuse my issues with the movie, but it's worth saying.

As for the future of the series, I only hope that the next installment is more considerate of the franchise's origins and why Po's story is being told in the first place. I fully believe that another sequel could be good (even great!), but only given a strong, passionate crew with a great understanding of the characters and world (and I wouldn't be averse to some previous directors returning, just to put it out there).

Thanks again to those who took the time to read this crazy excuse for a movie review. Feel free to either disagree with me or add things in the replies/reblogs, I'm always looking for more thoughts to think.

Until next time!

[deconstructthesoup]

Some STP Human Headcanons (Voices)

-Cheated reads ex-military to me, which does fit in with me headcanoning him to be a) quite a bit older, and b) trans. In a lot of my modern AUs, he got dishonorably discharged after he was outed, and he immediately fell into the punk scene in order to properly send a big middle finger to his former bosses. He's got serious "fuck the police" energy now.

-Hunted also feels quite a bit older to me (he and Cheated are that older gay couple where one of them is crotchety and the other is very nice yet very quiet), and I like to imagine him working as a camp counselor while also volunteering at a soup kitchen on the side. If you put him in the modern day, his need for survival might start translating into a need for community, and I really enjoy that for him.

-Paranoid has OCD and anxiety, which manifests in a lot of different ways, but one of the most notable ways is that he's always dressing incredibly nicely, just so he can put on the best impression possible when he meets new people. Also, cuff links are very good fidgets.

-Hero is the unquestionable "mom friend" of the group---always checking in on everyone to make sure they're okay, always packing extra snacks for when they go on trips, always remembers everyone's birthdays. He's also the reason the group actually stays together, since while some of them are still figuring out how to get along, they're all Hero's friends.

-Broken, rather than being all mopey and depressed all the time, is actually surprisingly serene. While not really subscribing to any one religion, he does have a spiritual vibe to him, in that he believes that nothing matters, the universe doesn't notice you, and most things are out of our control... and that's okay. He feels comfort in that there's no big divine plan and that life is an unpredictable rollercoaster, and he's never felt more at peace than when he's staring up in awe at the stars. (He's a big astronomy nut.)

-Smitten is a theater kid to a T, but more importantly, they are a swords-and-sorcery fanatic. They always dress up for Ren Faires, they're always LARPing on the weekends, and they belong to at least three different D&D groups (where they play an elf paladin whose oath is his wedding vows, a fire genasi bard who was a career matchmaker until their business got sabotaged, and a gnome warlock who's on a quest to find her kidnapped wife. They're allergic to playing anything other than a charisma caster.) Basically, they're a gamer in the opposite direction.

-Even if it's set in modern day, Skeptic always dresses like a noir detective---though, no fedoras if it's not the 1940's, he knows exactly what kind of message that sends. He just loves the swish of a trenchcoat and the reliability of suspenders. And ties.

-Speaking of my best guy, Skeptic is an incredible piano player. He's been taking lessons since he and Smitten still needed different colored clothes for their parents to tell them apart, and---like me---he started off playing jazz standards. At first, he kind of thought that they were boring, and nothing like the way they sounded on all of his Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday albums, but once he learned that what made them fun was improvisation, Skeptic kept on improving his skills until he could do full-on original piano solos on the spot. Also, he learned some Tom Leher songs to annoy his parents and Smitten. Every time spring rolls around in that household, the faint sounds of "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" sound from the music room.

-Smitten and Skeptic are the rich kids of the group, and they are teased constantly about it. Yes, they're usually the ones fronting the bill when they go out to eat or go shopping, but it doesn't take long for one of the more anti-establishment guys to call them the "nepo twins." Surprisingly, both of them are good sports about it.

-Cold smokes. He is well aware that it is an awful habit, and he is well aware that it will come back to bite him if he doesn't switch over to lollipops, but it just fits with his mall goth aesthetic. And there's nothing more Cold than doing things just for the aesthetic.

-On that note, Contrarian and Cold are absolutely the ones who dive head-first into shenanigans. Contrarian knows that they can always suggest something absolutely buckwild, and Cold will always shrug and join in just to see what happens. Hero has his hands full getting them out of trouble.

-Contrarian has a bright blue mullet that clashes horrifically with every single one of his outfits. They chose that color for their hair specifically to offend the eye, and everyone knows it and hates it.

-Opportunist's wardrobe is filled to the brim with brightly-colored floral button-ups, which definitely don't do much to counteract their used-car-salesman vibe, but they do somehow give them a lot of gender euphoria. Also, they've got double helix piercings and gauges. It unfortunately looks really good.

-Stubborn's very much a rock music guy, but his tastes are more grunge-focused---Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Green Day, very dad-rock energy. It definitely adds to his "Eliot-Spencer-if-he-was-six-foot-three-and-was-raised-in-a-city" vibe. You know that man is blasting "American Idiot" whenever he's got the aux cord.

-I debated for a while about what sport Stubborn would like, and I eventually settled on two: boxing for the beat-you-up vibes, and bouldering for the climbing-up-a-sheer-cliff-face vibes. I just love the image of Stubborn attempting to climb the rock wall without a harness and failing miserably.

-Opportunist is also a theater kid, and they usually wind up playing opposite Smitten more often than not. The two of them kind of joke about it---oh, wow, the two they/them using people in the group both love acting, isn't that hilarious---but really, they're kind of grateful for it, since they used to hate each other before they realized that they actually had something in common.

-Hero is the only member of the group (aside from Hunted, but he and Cheated are the older dads so it doesn't really count) who can actually cook, and he's really good at it. Every time someone comes over, he asks them what their favorite meal is, and he always puts a fun spin on it that turns out exceptional. His grilled cheeses are good to the point where Stubborn has declared that he will actually kill someone if it means he could eat them for the rest of his life. (Also, Hero's favorite one to cook for is Contrarian, because he always suggests the most insane combinations---and Hero will somehow, against all odds, make it work. He likes a challenge.)

And... yeah, that's all I got for now!

[bexorok]

All my thoughts on sonic movie 3 that I can write out in one post (spoilers included)

Where do I start? There’s so much I love about this movie, and just a few things I’m a bit disappointed about. The good stuff first of course.

They’re a family! Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles really act like brothers here and I love that! I also love that Tom and Maddie are still there as parental figures but don’t hold them back from being ultra powerful beings. They trust that they’ll be alright on their mission, and are supportive when they ask for help.

I loved Shadow in this, because of course I did. I was a little hesitant about Keanu voicing him at first, but it really grew on me. Every scene with him looked amazing.

Shadow and Maria are so cute! We’ve never gotten to see them having fun together and it just feels so special that we get that now.

The parallels between Tom and Sonic versus Maria and Shadow! So good!

The action scenes! Every single action scene was awesome!

I kind of like what they did with shadows origin story. It leaves it kind of open ended whether he’s from the same planet as the rest of them or if he’s from the black arms. It’s something that could be explored more in depth in a potential spin off.

LIVE AND LEARN!

AMY! She’s here and she looks great!

METAL SONIC! This leads to so many questions!

God they really turned up the fruitiness of stonebotnik. If you thought they were gay af in the other films they take it to another level. Robotniks last message was basically a love confession.

Both so many references to the games and call backs to the previous films.

I know it isn’t everyone’s favorite thing, but I enjoy the goofiness in these movies. It’s just unadulterated fun, and I feel like that’s really at the core of what Sonic is. Along with the seriousness and the hardships, he just loves life and his friends so much. And we to get to see him growing as a hero from this, balancing that carefree attitude with moments of reflection and maturity when it’s really needed.

And now, just a few things I was left a bit disappointed with:

Look, Maria’s illness doesn’t define her as a character. It’s not her one and only trait that makes her notable. But I think they missed out on the deeper connection that she and Shadow have because of it. That Shadow was literally created because of her. She is his very REASON for existing, she is his whole world. Her death takes such a deep toll because of that. His reason for existence is gone, taken away from him, ripped from his arms. Of course their story is still touching in the movie, and grief over a loss like that is powerful, but there’s a bigger character arc that they’re missing out on. Who is shadow now that she’s gone? What purpose does he now live for?

The pacing is just a bit too fast. I know that’s really saying something about a Sonic movie, but it just stood out more to me than in the other films. It felt like we didn’t get to take in a lot of the hard hitting scenes. Instead most of the more long drawn out scenes were focused on the comedic scenes. And I know I said I like the goofiness of the movies, and I do, I just think it shouldn’t be the only aspect we really get to take in. While the second movie I felt like they should have cut down, I think they could have benefited from just a few more minutes of runtime. Just something that let us breathe and take in a scene or two.

Those are probably my only real complaints about the movie, but they really hold be back from being absolutely in love with everything about this movie. But just like the other movies, despite my few complaints, I had an amazing time with it! My friend that came with me really enjoyed herself, we were laughing together at it, and it was great! I’m already gushing with my other friends who just saw the movie about everything I loved in it.

My one regret is that I didn’t go to a fan event to watch it. My theater was packed, but everyone was just so quiet? Like, everyone after was talking about how much they enjoyed the movie on the way out of the theater, but there was just something in the air. It was a smaller theater, and everyone there either had kids with them or was clearly a Sonic fan wearing merch and dressing up, but there was just this weird vibe. It’s hard to explain. It’s sort of like everyone there was afraid to be seen as a “weird fan”, and while I admit I was low key worried about people cheering at Maria’s death, I think we somehow over corrected? Like even at parts that got a laugh out of me and my family it felt like everyone was just quiet. Maybe the jokes didn’t land as hard with them, but even the moments that I know got everyone hyped felt quiet (I know from what people walking out of the movie were saying). Which is totally fine, but it’s just nothing compared to the energy when I saw the second movie. Of course that was because our game club had rented out the theater as a big trip. Still, I really just missed that energy. I loved feeling as excited as everyone around me that was watching it. As much as my friend enjoyed herself, it just wasn’t the same feeling as being in a room of people cheering.

I’ll admit though, I was the exact same. I’m an autistic person who’s been masking my entire life, if the audience is dead then I’m dead on the outside while I’m internally screaming. I at least had my friend to whisper all my excitement to.

I’m sure there will be many people who have the opposite experience in the theaters. If you can find a fan event to go to, I hope everyone who looks forward to things movie doesn’t feel the need to hide their excitement. (Except maybe don’t cheer at a child getting killed, that is just a bit too much). But for everything else, don’t be afraid to show your excitement. Don’t be ashamed at cheering at a laser shooting the moon, or pissing on the moon if that’s the meme that got you into this franchise. Cheer at super sonic and super shadow. Cheer when live and learn plays. Cheer at the end credits (which is when I really got to hear my theater whisper in excitement). Please, never be ashamed of your interests and what makes you excited.

TLDR: 8/10

[kylekozmikdeluxo]

I've been thinking about it, and...

In a weird sort-of way, both THE WILD ROBOT and TRANSFORMERS ONE - two animated robot movies that came out a month ago that I really enjoyed - are like a redux of my personal fall 2004...

In the year 2024...

I was 12 in fall 2004.

I had a few scattered interests back then that I was *locked* into.

One of them was a more recent Disney animated movie...

... that was set in the wilderness and across more than one season, but it didn't have a robot in it. It did have a surrogate family member, though...

That movie was BROTHER BEAR:

I had rented the DVD of that movie a few times before finally getting it as a birthday present, and I watched it A LOT throughout October, November and December of 2004. BROTHER BEAR was my j-a-m circa fall 2004, I was just obsessed with it.

And what else was I really into back then?

This thing in question had machines, with feelings. And it was set in a fictional world that was all these machine beings...

BIONICLE!

Oh yeah, I was one of those BIONICLE kids. That was my Roman Empire throughout most of the early 2000s... and by 2004 there was a second direct-to-video movie (LEGENDS OF METRU NUI) and plenty of new sets for me to feast my eyes on, a whole new chapter of the story to follow. For my birthday, I got those sets *and* the METRU NUI movie.

So, now... In fall 2024...

I have the seasonal story set in the wilderness with tons of North American animals, and I have the heavy metal machine action-adventure set in a made-up world...

It's Kyle 2004-Core all over again!

THE WILD ROBOT was directed by Chris Sanders, who had directed Disney Animation Florida's LILO & STITCH. The Florida unit was where BROTHER BEAR was produced, it was the last feature-length film completed there. It was released in fall 2003, and the unit was closed down in spring 2004. WILD ROBOT may not be a 2D animated movie, but its stylized CG visuals channel that special feeling I get from drawings and paintings, so it links up to me in my mind. The autumnal/winter setting, the emphasis on nature, the animals, the story being told... Yeah, it kinda feels like it to me.

TRANSFORMERS ONE, to me, recalls those shiny BIONICLE movies in both looks and feel. Specifically the first half or so, where it's this retro-style space adventure B-flick that's overall fun and loose, though later getting a little more serious and action-packed after Orion Pax and D-16's friendship severs. It also reminds me of the Cartoon Network shows I enjoyed back then too (Toonami and Miguzi existed then, which also had action cartoons), along with THE INCREDIBLES, another animated action-packed movie that came out in fall 2004 that was pretty was much my whole world for a little while. (I saw it in theaters FIVE times.) So yeah, those all link up in my head, too.

Weirdly, I wasn't a Transformers kid. I was aware of the franchise in 2004, and I loved robots and cars (I was a Hot Wheels addict too), and caught a little bit of whatever the new TF cartoon that was out at the time was (it was either ARMADA or ENERGON)... But I just... Never really got into it? That's weird, isn't it? It's like, "Kyle, you loved robots and cars in 2004... Why weren't you into Transformers???"

I guess, like many an autistic young'un, I was stuck in the loop of a few select interests (which included Hot Wheels and BIONICLE) and didn't add a new one at the time. I also wasn't a STAR WARS kid whatsoever, even though I dig space adventures... make of that what you will. I hadn't seen a single STAR WARS movie all the way through until 2011.

But you know what I was REALLY into in fall 2004 that also happened to combine cars, robots, and space adventures?

Hell yeah! MEGAS XLR! This was another one of my jams back then!

Everything but Transformers... I'm sorry, Autobots.

Afterwards, I had seen the first three Michael Bay movies and know some general knowledge of the franchise (I still have yet to see the 1986 movie all the way through), but TRANSFORMER ONE was so good. It felt like something I had seen and loved in 2004, at age 12, but also great to me as a 32-year-old with only a few goes at the franchise. I just loved it.

Yeah... WILD ROBOT, TRANSFORMERS ONE... It's all like my 2004-Core, lol.

[oliverreedmasterass]

Words: 3k

Synopsis: Greta Van Fleet attend a midnight screening of Rocky Horror and discover something extraordinary. Could this possibly be the best night of their lives?

Warnings: language

Chapter 1

“I can’t believe you two have never done this before,” Josh couldn’t help but muse to himself as he, Jake, Sam, and Danny walked from their parked car to the small indie theater sitting in the outskirts of Nashville. 

“We really let them down, I think,” Jake agreed, looking at Sam and Danny with pity. 

Sam and Danny looked back at the twins, who were both wearing costumes that they couldn’t wrap their heads around. Sam had asked Josh earlier if he was really sure he was legally allowed to be walking around in public wearing nothing but a golden speedo and a white robe. Josh had retorted that he looked good, so it wasn’t a crime. Jake, while covered up significantly more, was wearing all leather, which made him squeak with every step. They had tried to get Sam and Danny into corsets but, not knowing what they were getting themselves into, Sam and Danny had made their stance firm that they were going to remain in their street clothes, thank you very much. 

“I’m just glad we’re getting out tonight,” Danny admitted. “I feel like you’ve all collectively been going through it.” 

Their group chat had been flooded with negativity over the past few weeks, to the point where Danny was starting to wonder if they needed to go on a retreat to another haunted cabin to clear their minds. Hearing about Jake’s sapped creativity, Josh’s chronic perfectionism, and Sam’s overwhelming lack of direction made him worried. This was what happened when they took a break from the studio and touring: they tended to get trapped in their heads to a concerning level. It had been Josh’s suggestion that they meet up for a movie night, and Danny couldn’t be more relieved that everyone accepted the invite. It was time for a little escapism. 

They made it to the front doors of the theater, and Josh looked around at his friends in glee. “Get ready for the best night of your lives,” he told them, wiggling his eyebrows. 

“We played at Madison Square Garden,” Danny murmured under his breath. “That’s gonna be pretty hard to beat.”

Josh tore open the front door and flung himself inside, prepared to be greeted by a hoard of other cult classic film fanatics. What he was met with, instead, was a dead lobby with only a single high school employee standing behind the cash register next to the borderline empty popcorn machine. Jake joined Josh’s side and frowned at the scene. 

“Maybe we got the date wrong?” he murmured to Josh. All that Josh could give in return was a half-assed shrug. 

“You guys here for Rocky Horror?” the teenager asked them, looking up from his phone. 

“We were told it was gonna be the best night of our lives,” Sam replied, unable to stop himself from mocking his older brother. The teenager gave a small smile, but it was obvious that he felt bad for the four men. 

“The troupe all caught food poisoning. I’d be more than happy to get my manager to still play the movie for you though, considering you made the trek out and all,” he offered. Everyone looked around at each other. A part of the magic was having the actors in front of the screen, bringing the movie to life. The other fun part was having a packed theater full of superfans. 

“Are we the only ones here?” Jake had to ask. The teenager nodded, his lips pursed with an apologetic look. Jake was ready to throw up his hands and call it a night. It would probably take him the rest of the evening to peel his body out of the leather clothes anyway. 

“I think we should still do it,” Danny chimed in. “I mean, I’ve heard so much about this movie, I really do want to see it.” 

“You’re still gonna be considered virgins at the next screening we go to,” Josh looked between Sam and Danny. “This won’t count.” 

Sam and Danny shrugged. They really didn’t know what Josh was going on about with virgins and stuff, so they could care less. 

And so, with their tickets scanned and their arms loaded with rice, toast, and newspapers, they made their way into the empty theater. “We have to be in the front row, that’s where the action is,” Josh chirped, rushing towards the screen. 

“My neck is gonna hurt,” Sam whined. He went in the opposite direction and planted himself in the center seat of the back row, throwing his hoodie up over his head and placing on some dark sunglasses. Danny looked back at his friend, sighed, and joined Jake, who was sitting in a more respectable place in the center of the theater. 

“What should I anticipate?” he leaned into Jake’s side. Jake’s clothes let out a tiny squeak.

“Josh is about to become the most insufferable version of himself.” Jake paused and seemed to be pondering something. “I probably will be too. Sorry in advance.” 

Out of habit, Danny clutched onto the arms of his seat to brace himself. Especially in an empty theater, there was no knowing how out of hand things were going to get. Sam seemed to be two steps ahead of Danny in reaching this conclusion, because he was sinking farther and farther back into his seat, trying to disappear. 

The projector flicked on, which was met by applause from Jake and Josh. After the Fox logo briefly flashed onscreen, a pair of vivid red lips appeared. Josh immediately let out a primal scream and tore his robe off, baring his exposed chest to the screen. Jake joined his brother, standing in the aisle, and jumped up and down in antici[...]pation. 

As the mouth sang the opening, Jake and Josh bellowed along at the top of their lungs. 

“Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still, but he told us where we stand…”

Danny shoved his fingers into his ears and felt the dread wash over him that he should have just stayed home and watched golf. 

“Sing along, you know this one!” Jake said down to Danny, smacking at his arm with the back of his hand. Danny shook his head with a frown. 

“I literally don’t.” 

Jake left Danny’s side, to Danny’s relief, and joined Josh so they could continue to holler at the top of their lungs and flail up and down the aisle. Danny thought it couldn’t get any worse until the two started conspiring. 

“We should do the performance!” Josh shouted to Jake, holding his hands and looking at him with a wide grin. Jake was so gobsmacked at the suggestion, all he could do was eagerly nod, his eyes wide. 

“I call dibs on Janet!” Josh announced to the theater. “Which makes Jake Brad.” 

“I wanna be Meatloaf too,” Jake added, motioning down to his leather garb. “It would be a crime to let this costume go to waste.”

“You can be the background characters!” Josh pointed at Danny, nearly smacking him in the face, and then Sam, who had fully planked to the floor in the background, hoping he could go unnoticed for the rest of the evening. 

“Come out, Sammy!” Jake barked. “You gotta shake your ass!” 

“I don’t wanna,” Sam’s soft whines wafted down from the back row. Danny managed to hustle around Jake and Josh so he didn’t get in the way of their continued dancing, and jogged up the stairs to join his friend. Whether it was to coax him down or hide alongside him, Danny wasn’t entirely sure yet. 

“You doing okay?” he softly asked the curled up ball on the floor. All he got in return was a grunt. “If I got popcorn, would that help?” Sam’s low grunts came to a halt. 

“Can you get it with extra butter?” he unfurled himself and bat his eyelashes up at Danny. 

“You got it, bud.” Danny retreated back down the stairs and booked it to the concessions stand. Whatever it took to get Sam as backup for whatever chaos Jake and Josh were about to unleash. It was looking more and more like an all hands on deck type of situation. It had been a while since he had last seen the twins look that energized, and he was terrified. 

“Everything okay?” the high schooler looked at Danny with concern. 

Danny was quick to reassure him. “Oh yeah, just wanted to get some popcorn.” 

“We, er, really don’t have that much left,” the high schooler trailed off as he peered into the machine. Danny took a peek as well and noted that there were definitely more kernels than actual popped corn. He mulled it over, and then finally shrugged. 

“Got an ICEE machine?” 

“Yup.” 

“That’ll do.” 

A few minutes later, Danny returned back into the theater and was almost immediately taken out by a flying bouquet. “Gah!” Danny hollered out, spilling part of the blue ICEE down the front of his white shirt. “Darn,” he grumbled down at the growing stain. 

“You gotta throw the bouquet to me, Betty!” Josh called from the front of the theater. “Quick, before the scene changes!” 

Danny knew that it was best to play along and ask questions later, so he made sure to pelt Josh in the face with the bouquet. Unphased by this, Josh held it up for everyone to see. 

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it,” he mouthed along with Susan Sarandon’s character, Janet, who was plastered on the screen. 

As Danny trudged back up the theater stairs, still bummed out from his destroyed shirt, Jake and Josh broke out into an enthusiastic lip sync to “Dammit Janet.” 

“Here’s your drink,” Danny stated with a monotonous tone. Sam looked up at him in confusion. 

“I didn’t order a drink?” he whispered. 

“Just, take it,” Danny sighed, placing the blue ICEE in Sam’s hands. While he looked uncertain at first, it didn’t take long for Sam to start happily slurping down on it, without a single care in the world. Danny gazed back at the front of the theater, where Jake was now on one knee, proposing to a surprised Josh with one of his hoop earrings that he had hastily unfastened from his ear. 

“Oh, J-A-N-E-T, I love you so,” Jake sang along with the film, forgetting that he was supposed to be lip syncing. 

“Wanna hide with me?” Sam looked at Danny in between sips of his drink. Danny couldn’t help but shoot Sam a small smile when he saw that his tongue and lips were already starting to turn blue. 

“Kind of,” Danny admitted. “But I also really want to watch what’s gonna happen.” 

At this point, Josh was singing along to the track at the top of his lungs in a falsetto wail, running circles around Jake, who was struggling to catch up with him. Danny was frankly dumbfounded by the entire experience. He had always associated sex and scandal with Rocky Horror, but what was playing in front of him felt more like the opening to some goofy romcom. 

Things started to make more sense to Danny when the scene shifted to Janet and Brad getting stranded with a flat tire, and approaching a spooky castle to use their phone. Josh was upping the ante at this point in his performance, juggling between Janet and Riff Raff. It was hard to watch him force all of his lines out before he had to shift characters, and Danny found himself dragging Sam down to them. 

“No, no,” Sam choked out in shock. “I need to stay incognito.” 

“No one else is here,” Danny tried to comfort his distressed friend. “It’ll be okay, just let loose.” 

“If they try to make me sing, I’m leaving,” Sam warned Danny. 

“That’s only fair.” 

Danny led Sam to Jake and Josh and gave a small wave in front of their faces. 

“Sam and I want to join you,” he spoke quickly when there was a break in the dialogue. 

“It’s about time!” Josh snapped out of character. Jake nodded enthusiastically. 

“You can be Brad,” Josh instructed Danny. 

“Which means I’m Janet, right?” Sam’s face contorted into a scowl. 

“You’ve got the legs for it, sugar,” Jake joked in a creepy voice, leaning into Sam’s side. Danny held onto Sam’s coat sleeve to keep him from booking it out of the theater. 

“It’s astounding, time is fleeting, madness takes its toll…” Josh began to sing along with Riff Raff, opening up his arms to his friends, encouraging their participation. 

“What’s happening? I don’t know what’s happening,” Sam whispered to Danny. 

“Nice improv, you’re really keeping in character!” Jake congratulated him. Sam looked beyond lost. 

“But listen closely…” Josh continued. 

“Not for very much longer…” Jake joined in the song. 

“I’ve got to keep control!” Josh hollered. Danny and Sam gaped at Josh, who was now wiggling around like he had a thousand bees shoved in his golden speedo. As he roared along to the soundtrack, Jake pushed Danny and Sam forward, which caused them to both call out in surprise, barely catching themselves before they tumbled to the floor. 

“What was that for?” Sam barked back at his older brother in shock. Jake shrugged back at him. 

“LET’S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!” boomed around the theater. 

“This is the dance number!” Josh hurried to Sam and Danny’s side to enlighten them. “They tell you all the steps in the song, you just have to follow along!” 

Sam opened his mouth to release yet another complaint, but was stopped in his tracks when Jake, Josh, and Danny took a jump to the left, taking him with them. 

“Oh Christ!” he yelped out, flailing around. 

Danny was having an admittedly better time than Sam. It didn’t take him long to catch onto the dance moves, taking a step to the right, putting his hands on his hips, bringing his knees in tight, and then doing the pelvic thrust. Before long he found that he was singing along with the film, and had broken away from his friends to give himself more space to dance around. 

Perhaps the sight of Danny having the time of his life was enticing. By the second chorus, Sam had started to come around. His movements were exaggerated, and his previously furrowed brow was long gone. Sam Kiszka was deeply enjoying himself at Rocky Horror. So much so that he started to lose control. Danny chuckled at his friend’s clumsiness as he started to teeter over while he was doing the pelvic thrust. That laugh came to an immediate stop when, instead of toppling into the screen, Sam went straight through it. Danny’s eyes bulged and he shook his head, trying to make sure he had just seen what he thought he saw. He couldn’t believe it, but it seemed true. 

Sam had disappeared. 

Still uncertain, Danny crept to the screen and pulled it away from the wall, looking behind it. No Sam. He gazed back up at the rest of the theater, scanning around for his friend, just in case he was playing a prank and hiding. But Danny wasn’t seeing him anywhere. 

Beside him, Jake and Josh were still dancing, entirely oblivious to what had just happened. While Danny was typically a more strategic and thoughtful problem solver, the panic that filled his body from head to toe was overboding. 

“Sam’s gone!” he shrieked. That did the trick, getting Jake and Josh to stop their dancing. They scanned around the theater, like Danny had done just seconds earlier. Jake scratched his head. 

“Like, to the bathroom?” Josh tried to put the pieces together. He was troubled by how horrified Danny looked, but couldn’t conjure up any explanation that seemed fitting. 

“Through the screen!” Danny managed to sputter out. Jake and Josh shared an uncertain glance. Apparently today was the day that Danny officially went off the deep end. Jake was on the verge of recommending they take Danny home so he could sleep it off when his eyebrows shot into his hairline. Above their heads on the large screen where the Rocky Horror characters were still dancing was Sam, dressed in a matching suit to the cast, looking around in confusion. 

“How in the hell…?” Jake trailed off, unable to form a coherent thought. 

Josh had evidently spotted Sam as well, because he was already running towards the screen at full speed. “We have to help him!” Josh called out, before disappearing. Danny and Jake both gawked at the empty place where Josh had just been. Then, slowly, their eyes tracked up to the screen. Josh was now standing next to Sam, wearing a similar suit, flamboyant sunglasses, and a tiny hat. Seeing that Josh had successfully crossed over, Danny gave it no thought. Without a word, he hurried behind his friend, eager to get to Sam and comfort him. 

This left Jake standing alone in the theater, squeaking uncomfortably in his leather. He mulled over his situation. It would be best if he stayed in the theater to get help if they needed it, right? But he was really jealous of his friends. He had always dreamed of being in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It wasn’t fair that they all got to experience it, and he didn’t. 

That thought was enough to get Jake to jump through the screen, into the blinding light. 

Chapter 2 coming soon!

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

PHIA SABAN INTERVIEWED FOR CONTENTMODE MAGAZINE.

CONGRATULATIONS ON HOUSE OF THE DRAGON! HOW HAS THE PROCESS BEEN SO FAR?

"Thank you! It’s a cool thing."

"When we’re working on it we’re in our own little microcosm with each other and those characters, and now it’s coming out and we’re seeing it all link up and become something else."

"It’s very new to me."

"Acting on screen still feels very new to me."

"I am so lucky to get to work with this group of people, they are so clever and loving."

"Recently we’ve been promoting the show and have been asked for opinions and explanations about our characters and the story."

"I’ve found it a new and funny facet of the job, to be asked sometimes to represent myself and speak from the character and for the bigger picture."

"It can feel different from acting, where you engage with the contradictions and spend more time with the mystery and the magic than the answers."

"I guess I’m saying that I’ve found this process contains multitudes."

"And watching the show is surreal — there are all my pals in wigs!"

MANY DIE-HARD GAME OF THRONES FANS HAVE READ THE BOOK SERIES AND ANTICIPATE PLOT POINTS IN THE TELEVISION SERIES. HOW DO YOU PROVIDE A FRESH TAKE ON FAMILIAR MATERIAL?

"It’s major to be part of something that people already feel passionate about, but it’s also exciting to have the chance to subvert expectations."

"It’s fun to make up little secrets that only you know about."

"As a viewer, I always like to be surprised anyway."

"I think it’s important (and fun) to have some irreverence for the genre so that you’re not patronizing your audience."

"The hope is to be part of something that challenges people!"

YOU'VE FOUND SUCCESS IN THE FANTASY AND DRAMATIC GENRES. ARE THERE ANY OTHER GENRES YOU'D LIKE TO EXPLORE?

"Yes! I miss being in plays so much."

"I cannot wait to be in the theater again."

"I’ve never been in a film, I’d love to make an independent one."

"Oh! To be in something people call a ‘picture’!"

"Recently I’ve been fantasizing about learning motion-capture and playing some sort of animal or creature."

"I’d love to be part of a suburban coming-of-age film, like the ones I obsessed over growing up."

"I’d like to do a great limited series, an intense crime one."

"And I could narrowly avoid being eaten by a shark, or an alien."

"I have dreams of doing a time-spanning project."

"I’d like to be the voice of an animation!"

"I‘d love to have a go at the present day."

"And maybe a dystopian future."

"And a Western?"

"I always want to do something funny."

"And strange."

"There are so many TA and filmmakers I admire (I won’t list them but they’re always being lovingly scribbled in my notebook.)"

"I’ll learn Norwegian and French for them!"

"I’m excited to keep finding new people too."

"More than all these, there are so many more things I hope to do, if I’m lucky."

"Not that I give it much thought or anything…"

HAS YOUR REAL LIFE INSPIRED YOUR APPROACH TO YOUR CHARACTER IN ANY WAY?

"Sometimes a character can be an expansion pack for your real life, like a new way to see things."

"So maybe it’s more that the fantasy inspires your real life!"

"It’s been really fun to explore Helaena’s interests."

"I’ve thought quite a lot about bugs."

"I get a huge kick out of investigating how her mind works and finding all the ways her’s overlaps with mine."

"I do lots of people-watching, which is great because now when I’m staring at people on the bus I can tell myself that I’m ‘working’."

WHILE FANTASY CAN SEEMS UNTETHERED FROM REALITY, DO YOU THINK IT CAN REFLECT THE REAL WORLD?

"Haha I hope so, otherwise that would be boring!"

"I suppose these stories are full of archetypes, which should mirror universal truths."

"But maybe that’s just good TV?"

WHAT TYPES OF NARRATIVED DO YOU FIND YOURSELF DRAWN TOWARDS WHEN READING SCRIPTS AND CHOOSING ROLES?

"Something surprising and honest that doesn’t tell me what to think!"

"And I love it when a script lets sad things be funny."

WHAT INSPIRES YOU AS AN ACTOR?

"Other actors, a lot."

"On a good day, almost everything can…"

"That might be one of the best things about being an actor."

[moonlightisdancing]

Snowed in & Undone/ j.m.k

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x Female Reader

Word Count: 4515

Warnings: NSFW 18+ MINORS DNI, a teensie bit of yelling, being trapped(snowed in), soft josh, oral sex (m&f receiving), gagging, fingering, unprotected sex, breeding (lmk if anything’s missed!)

A/N: ‘U.P.’ is the Upper Peninsula in Michigan!

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Your mom is best friends with Karen Kiszka. This caused you to practically grow up with the Kiszka siblings, having weekly Sunday dinner with them after church for years. She had always hoped that you would “fall in love with the curly haired one” and insists that “he’s a nice boy, you’re just being stubborn.” But you couldn’t stand “the curly haired one,” Josh. He’s loud, obnoxious, very full of himself and worst of all a former theater kid. After graduation you had really hoped your mom would drop it. You liked Jake, Veronica and Sam, hell, even Sam’s best friend, Danny, was better to hang out with than Josh. You have made a conscious effort to avoid Josh since graduation, even taking a gap year in the off chance he would go to any real college instead of whatever the hell he was doing. You felt guilty for not liking him, but you had your reasons even if nobody else understood.

“Honey! The boys are going up to the U.P. this weekend for some skiing thing, Mrs. Kiszka said Ronnie’s sick and can’t go. She wants to know if you’ll go so she can change reservations, the pass is already paid for!” You hear your mom shout down the hallway into your room.

You have gone 6 months without seeing Josh, why the fuck would you WILLINGLY do it now? It was tempting though. A weekend getaway with the hot one, Jake? Naturally at the expense of the same weekend being spent with his weird twin brother, the thought of a weekend stowed away with Jake kept you thinking. You’ve always had a thing for Jake, ever since he sat behind you in preschool and complimented the red bow in your hair. He was a heartthrob in highschool, but somehow remained single the whole time. He plays guitar, he’s funny, he’s damn good looking and definitely out of your league. The more you thought about Jake the closer you got to caving in.

“Um… sure! I haven’t really seen Jake since graduation, so it might be fun!” You’ve officially signed yourself up for what could be the best or the worst weekend of your life.

You start packing a bag, with only 1 day’s notice it was a tough time digging through what might not even be clean clothes. You’d only been to the U.P. once when you were little, not even old enough to remember anything other than getting sick in the car from driving for too long. You toss through some clothes until you find ones you think will catch Jake’s eye in the cabin. It’s been instilled in you that red’s his favorite color. You never asked him but why else would he have complimented your bow so many years back? Excitement made it hard to sleep, you watched the clock hit 4:23. You were so tired you wouldn’t have remembered what time you started dozing off if it wasn’t Jake’s birthday. The excitement washes away and you’re finally asleep.

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“HELLOOOO!! WAKE UP!!” You heard someone right in your ear. It didn’t sound like anyone you lived with, and nobody who comes over is that fucking loud but one person, Josh.

“Dude, what the FUCK are you doing in my room?!” You start to open your eyes and turn towards who you presume to be Josh.

“We’re supposed to leave soon… your mom said to come wake you up,” he just stood bedside as if he belonged there, his presence shaking you to the core. He looked different, a good different. Haircut, a little stubble, did he get his eyebrows plucked…?

“Josh, I mean this kindly, get the fuck out of my room. Right. NOW!” You felt a little bad for yelling, but decided he deserved it for intruding.

You hear his footsteps leave your bedroom, Josh grabs your suitcase on the way out to start packing the Suburban. Feeling guilty for what happened, you slowly roll out of bed and get dressed in warm clothes to beat the December chill. You try not to let the situation bother you, this weekend was a spur of the moment and Mrs. Kiszka paid for your entire trip. You would finally get some time away from work and do something fun. Midway down the hall, your mom stops you to give you some money for your trip and a kiss on your cheek.

“I heard you yelling up there… Now you be nice to my future son-in-law, don’t scare him away, that boy will do good for you.” Was she seriously still on this?

“Mom, for the THOUSANDTH time, I hate Josh. Always have. Why can’t you root for maybe… his better half? Jake is so much cooler.” You’ve been begging her for years to drop this narrative, and yet she continues with it.

“Honey, Jake’s too quiet for you, and if I’m not mistaken he has a lady, or maybe I misheard Karen… You know he’s just- he’s an interesting boy that one. Not bad at all, sweet kid, he’s just a little odd, darling. I think Josh’ll grow on you.” She was adamant on you and Josh being together, but she was so wrong.

You head outside and hop into the van behind the passenger seat. You assumed the usual position, Josh driving, Jake passenger, Sam behind Josh. That’s how it had always been when you guys took trips together. Jake was the first one in, he got in the driver seat. Very odd, but no way Josh’s ego would let his 15 year old brother in the front seat. You would have to sit behind him but that’s not worse than next to him. Sam approaches the van, he’s getting into the passenger seat. ‘Not a fucking shot…’ You thought so loudly you were afraid you might have said it. Following behind Sam was Josh, speak of the devil and he will arrive. The devil gets into the seat behind the driver, making this the most unfortunate seating arrangement ever. You didn’t know how long of a car ride this was, but you knew every second spent next to Josh would be insufferable. Worst part was Josh brought an extra bag and instead of placing it between the two of you, he scooched himself into the middle seat and placed his bag on the seat behind Jake.

Halfway through and Josh still hasn’t really spoken to you. Your main source of interaction was little Sammy boy in the front seat, asking him how school was going and if he had any plans for college yet, how Danny was, boring older sister-esque stuff. You didn’t say much to Jake so he could focus on driving, the last thing you wanted was him getting into an accident with ¾ of the Kiszka kids and you, an only child. The Michigan roads weren’t as bad as usual, but still not the greatest with black ice and slushy snow. There was a silence in the van amongst the people, the only thing playing was one of their CD’s Sam put in for you to hear. He had just started making music with his brothers, which was just about the only thing 15 year old Sammy had going on, poor kid. Their music was probably the only bit of Josh you could stand. His voice sounds nice when he sings, so why is it when he speaks you want to tape his mouth shut?

Jake has been driving for who knows how long, looking at the clock would only make it worse. Staring out of the window you start to feel tired, this was uncommon for you but the lack of sleep last night was really doing a number. You start to drift off with the light sound of music humming in the background. You let your head rest against the seat, and slowly fall to the left. You’re so used to the original seating, you didn’t think about whose shoulder you would land on. Sam, right? You’d only done this one other time, and Sam didn’t mind too much until you started drooling and he pushed your head into the window so it had somewhere to lay. But this shoulder felt different then Sam’s, much more broad and definitely had less bone going on. You didn’t care, maybe it was his jacket, all you cared about was getting some damn sleep. You feel a cheek press against the top of your head, and you nuzzle into the feeling of comfort.

“Okay, we’re here guys. Just barely in time to check into our cabins. C’mon sleepyhead.” You feel a hand reach back and shake your knee to wake you up. Your eyes open to Jake staring back, his hand on your knee and Sammy peering over the passenger seat. Suddenly it hits you.

‘If Sam’s up there… who’s shoulder am I- oh my fucking god…’ You felt shivers go down your spine. You realized you had been asleep on Josh’s shoulder this entire time, simultaneously (and unfortunately for you) realizing it was the best nap you’ve ever taken.

‘He smelled nice, he didn’t push me off of him, he’s really warm, NO! Ugh’ You lift your head off of Josh’s shoulder to apologize to him, only to realize he had fallen asleep too. You wondered for a second if he thought the same thing, and you wondered why you felt so much comfort and content on his shoulder if you disliked him as much as you thought.

All four of you get out, grab your bags and head towards the check in area. You hear Jake mention two cabins to the lady at the desk. Your heart thumps faster at the thought of a cabin with Jake, quickly bringing yourself back down remembering Karen probably put the twins together, and the two youngest together. Bunking with Sam isn’t who you were hoping for, but he’s a good kid, the lesser of the two evils. Jake approaches the group with the keys for the cabins.

“Okay, me and Sammy are in 21, Josh and Y/N are in 22, sound good?” Another thought struck so loud you again felt people heard it. ‘No, Jake, it doesn’t sound good. Why would Karen break it up that way, this has to be some sick joke, maybe Ronnie isn’t sick at all and mom put this together.’

“Shall we?” Josh reaches his hand out for yours in a curtsy. All you could think was ‘What a dork…’ Instead you push his hand down, knowing if you grabbed his hand it would be accompanied with a kiss on yours. The group makes their way to their assigned cabins, the snow started picking up and made the 5 minute walk feel like eons. Once you reach the cabins, you wave a sad wave to Jake and Sam as Josh gets the door to your impending doom. He grabs your bag for you and enters the cabin, you follow slowly behind.

“You can pick which room you want.” He says quietly, completely not the Josh you know.

“Josh, are you okay? I’m really sorry for yelling at you this morning. I just- I went to bed late, I was frustrated was all,” you were on the verge of tears trying to make amends with someone you usually didn’t care about hurting. You hate to admit it, but your mom was right, he is a sweet boy. Maybe that’s why you feel so guilty, that and the fact he’s been different towards you since then.

“You know what? It doesn’t matter, it’s fine really.” His voice came out shaky, you knew it wasn’t fine but you didn’t know how to undo the past.

Trying to think of the right words to say, you begin lugging your bag into the direction of the smaller room. You figure it’s the least you can do after being so mean to him.

Each in your own rooms unpacking, you get deep in thought again.

‘Why do I hate him so much? He’s gotta know after 15 fucking years, there’s no way. Why’s he always so nice? Maybe it’s me.’

Your thoughts are interrupted by Josh tapping his knuckles on the door. You turn around to see him timidly standing in the doorway, probably because the last time he entered a room you occupied, he choked back tears.

“What’s up, Josh?” You try to approach him like a stray cat you’re trying to befriend for the first time.

“Jake just called me, him and Sammy are snowed in. I was gonna go help them, but we’re in the same boat, ‘bout halfway up the door…” He places one of his hands on the side of his head awkwardly fidgeting with his curls.

“So, what do you want to do then? I think I saw some board games under the coffee table. Or maybe a movie?” You were trying to make the best of an even more unfortunate circumstance. Not only were you stuck in a cabin with your least favorite Kiszka, but now there was 4ft of snow locking you in the cabin with him.

Josh’s eyes widened in excitement, “Wait, actually? Usually you don’t want… nevermind, I’ll be at the table when you’re done.”

‘Fuck. He definitely knows. I mean how wouldn’t he know. I can’t even talk to him without being a bitch. I wish I could like him. I really do.’ For once you actually feel bad for the consecutive years of poor treatment towards Josh Kiszka on your behalf. You decide it’s time to make amends, become his friend instead of his enemy. Hey, one day you’ll be married to Jake, right? Can’t have your brother-in-law hating your guts.

You try to stall putting your clothes in the dresser, just trying to figure out the right words to make this apology perfect. You have 15 years to make up for, that’s almost your entire lives, although you’d like to think you didn’t start hating him until the 6th grade. You walk out to the living room area, gathering the words and courage up. He made hot cocoa, started the fireplace and already had a game of Monopoly set up. He shuffled one of his playlists that had a mix of a bunch of old people you’d never remember the names to. You were met with his dorky smile as he waved his arms out and wiggled his fingers followed by “Ta-daaaa!” You tried not to blush, the sentiment was touching.

“Josh, before we start the game, can we talk?” You feel tension in the air, your palms growing sweaty.

“Sure, you can sit down y’know, I don’t bite… anymore…” You giggled because as far as you can recall, you don’t think he’s ever bit someone.

“I’ve been thinking lately about how I am with you. I feel bad for avoiding you and always making plans with Jake and Sam when you’re busy. You’re really sweet and fun. Maybe too much fun for me, I think I need to dial it up and we’d be okay. I guess what I’m getting at is I’m sorry, Josh. I’m sorry for always being a bitch.” You feel like you pulled words out of a hat and threw them together.

“Y/N, it’s okay. I try not to take anything personally. I just try to put the energy and positivity into the world that I’d like to get back. I’d hope that in and of itself makes us ‘okay’ not the fact you feel bad. Please, I just want what’ll make you happy.” All you can think is how he captures the essence of the sun perfectly. He radiates warmth and love, you finally realize that it hasn’t been Josh this whole time, it’s been you.

You get up and walk towards Josh, reaching for a hug. He gladly stands up and takes you in his arms. His body against yours feels warm and you’re fully engulfed in his scent as you nuzzle your face into the crook of his neck.

“I felt particularly bad when I fell asleep on you and realized I liked it.” You were afraid of ruining the moment, but Josh giggles at your statement.

“I felt particularly bad when I thought about moving your head to stop you from drooling on my shirt, but I wanted you to be comfortable. I was trying to avoid being a Sammy 2.0” You couldn’t even be mad at him after all the shit you’ve put him through.

Josh is still holding you tight in his arms, soaking in the first good interaction you’ve had in an overdue time. Can’t Help Falling in Love comes on shuffle, you hear Josh start humming only making you want to stay there longer. He starts to gently sway with you. You move your arms up from around his shoulders to around his neck as you pull away to look at his face. Taking in all of his features, you realize how gorgeous Josh really is. His coffee eyes sparkle with hints of amber and his light winter complexion paired with his curls gently resting across his forehead. His perfectly sculpted nose sat above his plump, deep colored lips. Had you spent any of these years getting to know him you’re afraid you would have fallen in love. Josh’s been looking at you this entire time and you’d wondered if he was thinking the same things.

“What’s going on in there, gorgeous?” He broke the silence, having you melt in your spot with widened eyes.

“You’re the gorgeous one,” You blushed, feeling it was the wrong thing to say, but remembering he started it first.

Josh’s cheeks grow rosy, “That’s two firsts in one sentence…” you raised your eyebrow at him before he continued “… being called gorgeous, and being complimented by you.”

It’s like his body was calling you, you cradle his face with one of your hands. Rubbing his cheek with your thumb, you start to lean in for a kiss, hoping it’s the right move to make. Josh leans right into you as if this was a familiar occurrence, making it feel as if your lips belong to his. The room around you feels as if it’s spinning, a feeling of ecstasy fills the space around you. He moves one of his hands from your waist to the nape of your neck, tangling your hair between his fingers, he pushes you in gently. You let out the tiniest moan, the feeling of his fingers on your neck sending shivers down your spine. You slowly inch forward forcing Josh backwards toward the couch, you’re yearning for his touch more than you ever thought. He plops down onto the old couch and you fall straddling him making sure your lips never leave his.

You knew what you wanted but you weren’t sure how Josh was feeling. Hesitantly, you pull away from him to ask, “Do you want to do more…?”

Josh looked at you with thin eyes for a second before he realized what he thought you were implying. “Wait like by more do you mean, it.”

You giggled at his terminology. It. “Only if you want to, I’m okay with this, too,” you say reassuringly, you’re afraid maybe you pushed your luck.

Josh doesn’t speak, but the expression on his face says everything. He has a fiery look in his eyes, his cheeks red to the touch. You start kissing him again, feeling him against you through all layers of clothing. Even if this was as far as it got, it was much farther than you ever imagined with either of them.

Josh slides his hand down the small of your back past the waistband of your leggings. He drags his finger tips across your asscheek making you whimper into his mouth. You grind forward on his clothed cock, eager for some sort of relief.

“Josh, please,” you’re begging him to do something at this point, you knew you needed more.

“What do you need?” You can’t tell if he’s being serious, or if he’s really gonna make you ask for it.

“You, I need to feel you.” You barely managed to whine out what you hope he wants to hear.

Josh decides not to waste anymore time. He taps your thighs signaling you to stand up.

“Take those off,” he says pointing to your pants, “and take that off too.” He moves his finger up to point to your shirt.

Josh begins standing up from the couch removing all of his clothing. He’s standing in front of you entirely naked leaving you in your undergarments. You stare at his cock in disbelief of the size. Without hesitation you get down on your knees infront of him, mouth wide open letting him take the reins. He grabs your hair into a makeshift ponytail as you work your tongue around his tip. He’s so big you’re not confident it’s going to fit in your mouth, let alone other places, but you try to take him entirely. You rest him on your tongue and brace your hands on his thighs, slowly working him down your throat. You drag the fingers from your left hand up his thigh and cup his balls. Josh bucks his hips forward in pleasure, causing you to gag, your eyes filling up with tears. He reaches his free hand to your face and wipes away the tears before removing himself from your mouth.

“I wasn’t done!” You teased him.

“Your eyes are watering, I’m not gonna do that to you.” He said gently before lifting you off the ground.

He holds you close to his body in a sheltering hug as he unclasps your bra. He follows this up with a strange question.

“Heads or tails?” You raise your eyebrow in confusion, because what the hell does that have to do with anything?

“Heads?” You say as you see him reaching for a coin.

He flips the coin and catches it, flipping it onto the back of his hand.

He sucks his teeth, “Sorry baby girl, tails.”

He signals you to the couch, you sit down on it but he flips you over, your breasts touching the back of the couch, knees sinking into the cushions. ‘So this is what he meant…’ you think to yourself.

Josh is standing behind you, you feel his hands on either hip, and his breath at the small of your back. You feel his teeth grab your panties as he pulls them down. Josh is on his knees, staring right at your heat, panties around your thighs. You feel him spread your asscheeks, getting a full view, and then you feel his breath again. He licks a stripe from your clit all the way to your entrance before dipping his tongue into you. You let out a moan at the anticipated relief you’d been searching for. He starts lapping at your clit like his life depends on it, working two digits into your entrance. It feels so good you feel like you might cum before the best part happens.

“Are you ready?” He asks, pulling himself away from you.

You didn’t want him to stop touching you with his tongue, but you wanted him more in a different way. You shake your head yes to him, but deep down you’re nervous if he’ll even fit. Josh lines himself up with your entrance, his hands spreading you wide open for him to see. He places his tip at your entrance before slowly pushing in. He moves his hands to your hips. You’re breathing halts, the sensation sends a fuzzy feeling across your entire body.

“Are you okay?” He asks.

“More.” You could barely speak through the high but you still knew what you wanted.

Josh pushes himself deeper until you feel his pelvis touching your ass, he lays across your back, arms around you and plants a kiss between your shoulder blades. He stays there for a second as your slick covers him. As he begins working at a slow pace, he reaches an arm down to toy with your clit. He starts to thrust at a normal pace, working you down to nothing for several minutes.

“Are you close?” He whispers into your ear.

“Uh-huh, are you?” You ask back.

“Yeah, but I want to see that pretty face when you do.” He lays you down on the couch, facing the ceiling as he works his way on top of you.

He wraps your legs around his waist, he shoves his cock back into your dripping pussy, tucking his arms under yours and around your shoulders. He nestles his face into your neck and digs his fingertips into your shoulders. You’re scratching up his back so hard, you’re anticipating open wounds and bloody nails. You feel Josh’s pelvis rubbing against your clit, making you tighten around him again.

“Are you on birth control?” He frantically asks, but you’re assuming for good reason.

“Yeah, IUD.” You respond through sharp breaths, fighting the urge to cum without him.

“Oh, okay, good.” He chuckles a little.

“Josh, I’m gonna cum.”

“Yeah, me too, c’mon show me what ya got.”

You start to moan through shortened breaths, digging your nails deeper in his back, body twitching under Josh’s, you can feel yourself tighten around him as you reach your climax. Following your release, Josh starts to slow down, taking longer, deeper strokes, pulling you down onto his cock by your shoulders.

“Josh, cum in me.” You never thought those words would ever leave your mouth.

He starts to kiss all over your collar bone between low register moans. He thrusts into you one more time, filling you with his cum, followed with a deep sigh. He immediately pulls out and goes to get something to clean you up with. He comes back with a roll of toilet paper as a temporary fix until you make it to the shower.

“Holy shit man, I can’t believe that just happened.” Josh says while wiping his cum off of you.

“Yeah, me either.” You admit.

Josh helps you sit up on the couch, and he places a kiss on your glowing cheek. You get up to get into the shower, barely able to walk and unable to figure out where to go from here. Do you try to take it further, and let your mom be right about the boy you fought years denying? You decided that was something you could figure out later, right now you just wanted to get cleaned up and watch a movie with Josh. You spend about 20 minutes in the shower before strolling out in a pair of pajamas Josh grabbed for you from your room. He made a makeshift fort and had ELF ready to play with some fresh hot cocoa and popcorn that was just popped. You snuggled up with Josh for your little date night, and let all the future explanations wash away as you fell asleep in the warmth and comfort of his arms.

[scoops404]

Did you enjoy college? I’m currently learning stuff and I love it so much but idk if that’s normal

I really enjoyed college, actually. Even some of my non-major classes helped me narrow down what I definitely didn't want to do. I took a journalism class my freshman year thinking I wanted to go in that direction and hated it, so I pivoted with enough time to do English with an emphasis in creative writing.

I took a few theater classes, because the overlap is good and I needed electives -- intro to acting (I was bad), screenwriting (fascinating!), and then a science fiction class that was a study in the novel versus the movie adaptation, and that was really really cool. I learned a lot there. I took 16th century English poetry (interesting! i liked the professor more than the material) and then "dreaming through the middle ages" which was dream poetry -- a very common archetype of writing poetry back then. Also, ps, everything is about religion and Christianity so if you grew up in the church like I did, you get a step up.

I took african american literature which was, i kid you not, literally life changing. You think you aren't racist and then you take a class like that and you see how it's all stacked against black people and always has been. Eye opening. I studied abroad in oxford, England for a semester and that ruled too. I took japanese and British literature through colonialism. Really important to study. I can see how if I hadn't studied those things then I could have easily been complacent with life and settled for being a mediocre white woman in the south and let that be my entire identity. This is why it's important to learn about minority voices.

I took soccer. I took creative writing classes that i think i rambled about a few weeks ago. I took weight lifting for my PE requirement over a maymester so i was suddenly in the gym for 3 hours a day for 3 weeks... weird but i didn't mind it over the summer when it wasn't as packed. Take classes that seem interesting to you or with professors you've heard good things about. That's how you find fascinating subjects. The more things you know, the better. I can't tell you how many times my classes have made an impact on my life.

Have fun! Learn lots! My biggest piece of advice is to talk to your teacher, even one or two things after class. Let them get to know you. It'll help so much with your confidence and if you ever need their help.

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] ★ Main Story | Act 14 - DREAM CATCHER | Episode 7 - Medium-Hot Review

Yuki: The clean copy is done.

Hato: Thank you. I appreciate the help. Well then, you’re free to go for today.

Yuki: Good work.

Koro: Woof, woof!

Yuki: You went for a walk just a bit ago.

Hato: Koro, it’s time for Rurikawa-kun to go home, so he can’t play with you anymore. It’s time for you to say goodbye.

Hato: Ah, that reminds me… I’ve been asked to design costumes for an upcoming play, but I’m a bit short on staff…

Hato: Since you have experience with stage costumes, I was wondering if you’d be able to help me, Rurikawa-kun.

Hato: I can’t give you any of the details yet, but have you heard of Aiko Kataoka-san? They do costumes for Hollywood movies--. 

Yuki: --I’ve heard of them.

Hato: Good. Since you do costume design, I was certain you would.

Hato: What would you say if I told you that the same Kataoka-san is involved with this project?

Yuki: I’d love to do it, but… I’m more busy with my theater company at the moment.

Hato: Right. It is an important time for you guys right now, isn’t it?

Hato: Well, I’m sure there’ll be another opportunity like this at some point, so I’ll let you know when that time comes. Good job today.

Yuki: …

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Passerby A: Yua Troupe’s performance was so novel and interesting~!

Passerby B: I honestly thought they just created a theater troupe for clout, but they called in some real hardcore theater people to be on their production team, so it was way better than I thought it’d be!

Passerby A: The contents of it had that typical Yua Troupe feel that gives things a sense of stability, and the audience was packed with OG fans, so overall, the whole thing seemed to be going pretty strong.

Passerby B: I’m gonna write a review on Encom!

Yuki: (Encom, huh… I’ll check it out just a bit, for the sake of researching other theater troupes.)

Yuki: …

Yuki: (That Yua Troupe they were just talking about was selected as a notable troupe. And they were ranked pretty high during the pre-voting…)

Review: “And the costumes were cool too! They didn’t look a whole lot like stage costumes, but Yua Troupe’s got such good taste~.”

Yuki: …

Yuki: (There’s a MANKAI Company review too… I don’t know if I really want to see something like this, but, well, it’s for research…)

Review: “Spring Troupe’s performance was literally the best thing ever! I never thought they would’ve done a sequel, but the way you could feel how much they’ve grown had me sobbing!”

Review: “I can’t wait for Summer Troupe’s either~. If they go with this trend, that means it’ll be a sequel to their debut, right?”

Yuki: (Seems like people generally liked it…)

Review: “The costumes had that same stable feel they always have. But don’t you think that as Yuki Rurikawa’s become more established as a creator, his costumes have started to lack a bit of surprise and unexpectedness?” 

Review: “Maybe I’m just noticing it more after seeing Yua Troupe. I guess it’s just inevitable when you have the same designer do things every single time~.”

Yuki: --.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Troupe Member: Good work today, Ikaruga-kun. There are only a few more shows left, but let’s keep up the good work until the end.

Misumi: Ka~y! Good work~.

Misumi: (Being on a stage other than MANKAI’s was a little weird at first, but once I got used to it, it’s been fun~.)

Misumi: (It’s interesting to see all the different actors, scripts, and stage direction~.)

Syu: …Good work.

Misumi: Huh? What are you doing here~?

Syu: My bad. I didn’t have your contact info, so I just had to wait for ya to come out.

Misumi: Did you see my performance?

Syu: Yeah. I happened to know someone who was in the show, so I came to watch and was surprised to see you there too.

Syu: While we’re at it, I thought I’d invite ya to come have a drink with me.

Misumi: Sure~. And after that, we can exchange our LIMEs~.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Syu: So you’ve been doin’ a few guest performances here and there lately, huh? Didn’t think ya were the type.

Misumi: Director-san and Tenma and all the others suggested it. It’s been really fun getting out there!

Syu: Is that so? Well, with actin’ talent as good as yours, I’m sure you’ll be in high demand.

Misumi: And they also said that I can grow by gaining lotsa experience on different stages~!

Misumi: I’ve also gotta try even harder for the Fleur Award.

Syu: Huh, I’m surprised you’ve thought about it that much.

Syu: Did Hakkaku-san teach ya about theater?

Misumi: Nope. But he showed me videos of old MANKAI Company performances~.

Syu: I see. Well, given the way Hakkaku-san was, I dunno if he was really the type to take his grandkid by the hand and teach ‘em everything he knows step-by-step.

Misumi: What was it like performing on stage with one of Gramps’s scripts?

Syu: Let me think… Well, simply put, it was excitin’.

Syu: I like Hakkaku-san’s scripts and I was happy to be the first to read ‘em before they were released to the public.

Syu: Hakkaku-san’s scripts ain’t just interestin’ to talk about, they’re pretty actor-friendly too.

Syu: He made sure to think about how to make each and every role shine onstage.

Syu: You could really feel that he trusted ya as an actor, which in turn got ya fired up.

Misumi: I see~. I wish I coulda also been on Gramps’s stage before he died~.

Syu: Did you start actin’ when you joined the troupe?

Misumi: Yep.

Syu: Gotcha…

Syu: Your actin’ has its moments where it shines, but it lacks depth. If there’s anythin’ you should be more aware of in the future, it’s that.

Misumi: Depth…?

Syu: Ya can’t control your own life experiences, but ya can experience the lives of many different actors on stage.

Syu: The more experiences ya have, the more depth your actin’ will have.

Syu: In that sense, you’ve made a good move by adding guest performances to your deck.

Syu: I know you’re prolly busy with the Fleur Award right now, but if you’re interested, get in touch with me. If it’s you were talkin’ about, I’m always ready to welcome ya.

Misumi: Okay, got it~.

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