#its that Lois hates when people use magic for romantic means

[sisaloofafump]

I know that possession is ranked third most likely canon superbat kiss but it is first in my heart… solely because of Lois’s hypothetical reaction.

[anihacc]

This one is for my power hungry maniac, Ernaline

Is it possible to save someone from a life-ending situation? Yes, but it depends on the situation and her current capabilities. Is it possible to save someone's soul? No. The better option is just to eat it.

Depends on the situation.

"How would I describe myself? Hmmm... driven, determined, and goal focused. But I'll be honest, that's a light and fluffy description for me. I'll be blunt~ I'm a power hungry maniac who wants to consume every soul in existence to become the strongest being in all the multiverse, and NOTHING will stop me! But I am amazing at hiding that fact on the week days~"

She thinks of herself as a manhwa protagonist. Specifically an action protagonist, and the only manhwa protagonist who isn't an idiot.

Looming ominously in the fog

Fog, because she can loom ominously

She would rather take the train

Very. She simply chooses the route that rewards her the most and hurts her the least.

A strawberry shake- whatever they call those over there-

Tapping her arm and tapping her feet against the ground, getting faster the more irritated she is with how long things are taking.

She goes on long tangents about the thing she likes most, manhwa.

Books. Lots and lots of books and blankets and comfy things.

Crimson. It means her enemies are either hurt, or dead.

If it gives her more rewards, she could care less if something she says is a lie or not.

She hates being tied down by both people above her and people below her. Even if it's someone she "truly loves~" she won't marry.

Blood. Lots of blood. Oh! And a nice misty day in the forest.

Apples. It's the forbidden fruit after all. She doesn't care if something is forbidden. If she wants it, she'll take it. And that includes eating the apple

Uhhhh... fuck, I have no clue. Genocidal tendencies fall under butch, right?

Ghost type, Chandelure

Milk chocolate because it's sweet

The knight of swords reversed

She never gives up in anything she does.

She believes her insanity makes her better than everyone else.

She would read the book, as it would outline everything she ever goes through, and she can use that to grow stronger, seeing where different choices lead her until she eventually finds the path of greatest reward and least risk.

They are deceptively cute when they put on their shy act~

Move the singular person onto the track with the others, let the train do its magic, and eat their souls!

She desperately claws her way out of her situation, uncaring for if she lives or dies as she believes that EVERYTHING will happen eventually, including her coming back from death, even if she can't right in that moment

She seeks out her comfy blankets and books.

Ernaline is non-romantic, believing human relationships to be weaknesses, as you will lose them all eventually

She will actively slam the heads of people that show a romantic or sexual interest in her into the sidewalk

Genocide

"Will this hurt me more than it will reward me?"

She is considerate of others to the extent that, if it rewards her, it wouldn't hurt

They aren't an effective communicator, as their main communication style is violence

(I have never played those before, so I have no clue)

Lois lane from My adventures with superman, as girls who look like that are usually strong enough to survive apocalypses in manhwa

Cherry blossoms. Specifically the violence aspect, but the beauty is there too I guess

It was my friends character originally (Shout out to my artist friend, Alex!), I just did a major overhaul because the only description I was given was that she was a reaper.

All the meats

She eats souls and occasionally a soda or two. She'll eat food if offered.

Not really a spell, but her favorite magic is her soul stealing, as it weakens her target while strengthening her at the same time, making the gap wider and wider

She likes people who give her power for a trivial cost like massacring humanity. Of course the cost has to be proportional to the power or less

She answers for no one but herself. She lets the person that needs to answer do it for themselves.

DND Ask Meme but it's random questions I've asked other players apropos of nothing within the last 6 months

Does your PC believe it’s possible to save someone?

What does saving a person involve?

How would your PC describe themselves?

How do they perceive themselves?

What is your PC’s idle animation?

What weather does your PC prefer? Why?

So if your PC had a car what kind of car would it be

How decisive is your PC?

If your PC rolled through a McDonald’s what would they order 

How does your PC fidget?

How does your PC show affection?

If your PC had to set up a date, what would they plan for it?

What’s your PCs favorite color

How does your PC feel about white lies?

How does your PC feel about marriage? Weddings?

What scents do you associate with your PC? 

What are your PCs favorite fruits (not including gay people) 

Where would your PCs fall on the futch scale? 

What is your PC’s Pokemon Gym Leader type and Signature Pokemon?

What type of chocolate do they prefer? 

What tarot would your PC be? 

What is your PC’s #1 personality strength?

What is your PC’s #1 personality flaw? 

If your PC found a book that detailed their whole life, from birth to whatever death they’ll have, would they read it and why? 

What are your PC’s charm point(s)! 

How would your PC answer the trolley problem? 

When your PCs hit rock bottom, what do they do?  

When your PCs want comfort, what do they seek out? 

Please describe your PC’s romantic type 

How does your PC flirt? 

What’s your favorite part of playing your PC? 

How much does your PC think about their actions before they execute them? 

How considerate is your PC? 

Is your PC an effective communicator? What is their communication style? 

If your PC was a dating option in a farming simulator (a la harvest moon or stardew valley), what kind of items would they like? 

Your PC meets a trickster being whose face changes to the most beautiful face a person has ever seen. Whose face is your PC seeing? 

What flower represents your PC? 

How did you choose your PC’s name? 

What would your PC put on their pizza? 

What are your PC’s eating habits? 

Does your PC have a favorite spell, and if so, which? 

Who is your PC’s favorite NPC(s) and why?

When your PCs make decisions, who or what are they making those decisions on behalf of?

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #453

Top Ten Films That Make Me Happy

So every once in a while I do one of these things and the world ends up moving so fast that between me having an idea, writing the list, and it going up on Tumblr of a weekend, the plates have shifted and it doesn’t seem quite as relevant anymore. I remember listing ten films I wanted to see because cinemas were reopening; I think only two of them ever actually saw the inside of a Cineworld. And so we have this week; when I came up with the idea for the list, I thought either we’d all be in a celebratory mood, or else need commiserating. And at the time of writing, it’s looking – thankfully – that we’ll have enough reasons to be cheerful to be getting along with. But who knows? If you’re reading this on Saturday there may be a new president, or maybe the old one’s bombed China.

It’s a funny old world.

Anyway, like I said, my initial thought was that, in this time of darkness, we might need a little light; that everything is rather remorselessly grim and difficult, and we could do with a bit of cheering up. We’re all back in lockdown, the idiots are in charge, and Halo Infinite was delayed till next year. Lots of crap is going on. And, yes, fingers crossed, maybe we will be celebrating the Idiot in Chief getting booted out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before too long, but life has taught me never to count chickens, and you can always do with a little restorative nip in your pocket, just in case. And what is a good curative for the blues? A fillum.

Yes, feel-good films. Cheerer-uppers. Movies that make ya happy. There are lots of them, of course; it’s practically a genre. But one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and one man’s (end of) It’s a Wonderful Life is another man’s (middle section of) It’s a Wonderful Life. Which is to say that what makes me happy might not make you happy. I found this when doing a bit of research for this list; as is common, I often have quite a few ideas when I’ve thought of a topic, but I like to Google it (or Bing it, as I get Microsoft Reward Points and I’m saving up for a few months of Game Pass), just in case there’s some obvious film that has escaped my mental grasp. In this case what I found was some of the films that people consider to be uplifting are downright weird – Forrest Gump? Really? And a lot of truly mediocre romcoms seem to float people’s happiness boats, from the wildly uneven Love Actually to the tepid You’ve Got Mail to the overlong and overly twee The Holiday (a film which I hated on first watch but which has grown on me, Stockholm-style, as I’ve seen it over and over again every year). And some people even list stuff like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean; good movies, true, but are they feel-good? I mean, loads of people die in all those films; in one of them an actual planet blows up. I know we like zombie monkeys and Harrison Ford in a waistcoat, but they’re not really the most relentlessly cheerful films, are they?

Or are they? I mean, when I got right down to it, there were quite a few blowy-uppy pictures that are genuine comfort blankets for me (Air Force One, which I watched so much at one point that I used to fall comfortably asleep to it when I was on my own, nearly made the cut). So, y’know, who am I to judge? I think what makes us feel comfortable, happy, and upbeat can be wildly diverse and erratic, even within our own taste window.

And really that’s what I was after here; comfort movies, films that uplift or inspire or just, well, make you smile. Not just because we’ve blown up the Death Star or because Tom Hanks has snogged Meg Ryan again. But there’s something about the film, from its story to its characters to its composition, that is continuously joyful.

So whether we’re lifting a glass in celebration or drowning our sorrows with an armful of Stella, here’s to the films that make us feel better. Chin up, folks. It might never happen!

Paddington 2 (2017): what is it about this film that evokes such joy? I’d say everything, from the script to the performances to the music to the shot choices. The bad guy is funny, the dire situations rarely threatening, almost everyone is nice, and it ends with a redemption and a musical number. Beyond all that, though, Paddington himself is such a supernova of absolute goodness that you can’t help but feel optimistic just by watching him. It’s perfect, really.

WALL-E (2008): a film that starts with the end of the world but it gets better. It’s a cinematic joy, the virtually dialogue-free opening giving us dystopic vistas and a real sense of mood. But it’s WALL-E himself who brings the real feels, a mechanical wonder who does nothing but make other people happy and improve their lives almost by accident. he saves the human race and the planet simply by trying to be nice to one person at a time, and that’s a hell of an optimistic message.

When Harry Met Sally (1989): far sarkier than the other two films, and obviously a bit more, well, grown up (we all know what you must not do with Mister Zero), this is nonetheless a beautiful film. A slow-burning romance between two friendly, funny people, witticisms flying from every mouth, some absolute, genuine emotional stakes that you really, really care about, and the single most romantic ending a film has ever had.

Groundhog Day (1993): let’s face it, it’s the best film either Harold Ramis or Bill Murray has ever been involved in, and I bought every issue of Transformers/Ghostbusters. A tour-de-force of cynicism and sourness from Murray, but he gradually unravels (in more ways than one), becoming a happier and better person. It’s funny, it’s sweet, and the complexities of its chronally-displaced plot means there’s loads you can unpick. Masterfully written, directed, and edited, and that’s some of its joy, too.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994): the Coens have, obviously, made a lot of very good films, and not all of them are darkly serious (No Country) or darkly hilarious (Fargo); they also have lighter fare, but none as floaty-light or so supremely joyous as Hudsucker. The script is pure screwball but also a precisely-honed, fast-spoken, Golden Age charm; the performances are all fantastic (we also get the best Lois Lane, Perry White, and Steve Lombard scene ever shot, and it’s not even in a Superman film). Look, it’s hilarious, it’s arch, it’s fantastically put-together, and it’s actually, genuinely hopeful and optimistic. It’s my favourite Coen Brothers movie.

Singin' in the Rain (1952): I’ve always got a lot of love for movies about Old Hollywood, but Singin’ isn’t really some kind of backstage satire; really, it’s a story about love, honesty, and creativity – movies are just the backdrop. But it’s the songs. Let’s face it, it’s the songs – and dances. These are some of the most joyous songs put to celluloid, and Gene Kelly absolutely attacks them from all sides. But I’ve gotta say, my favourite number is probably Donald O’Connor running up the walls in “Make ‘Em Laugh”.

Strictly Ballroom (1992): there’s a personal touch to this one, as my wife and I chose “Love is in the Air” for the first dance at our wedding. But there’s more to this film than memories of me being a shit dancer: it’s a supremely romantic film, possibly the most enjoyable straight-up romance from Luhrmann’s Red Curtain trilogy (spoiler alert: no one dies). A great underdog tale, two kids taking down a corrupt system, a story of the unlikely girl nabbing the hot guy; it’s timeless, it’s well-told, and its unusual setting (ballroom dancing competitions in Australia) gives it an extra kick.

My Neighbour Totoro (1988):  Ghibli films often present us with a nicer, fairer world, where even the nasty monsters are there to teach us important lessons, or at the very least plucky kids can do the right thing and save the day. Totoro is different in that there isn’t an antagonist; there isn't much drama or, really, plot. It’s two very small girls dealing with a complex life situation, and also a giant bear-monster thing with a massive mouth who could be scary but is actually really nice and magical and saves the day because the girls deserve it, and also there’s a hollow cat that’s also a bus. It’s fantastic, but it’s also so nice, just a load of nice people and nice monsters being nice to each other, and if – let's say – the elements can be good, can't we be good too?

Die Hard (1988): yeah, okay, contradiction corner; a supremely violent and sweary action movie that makes me “feel good”. Is it the bit where he throws a bomb down a lift? Or shoots a dude from beneath a table? Or when Ellis dies? Honestly, yeah, there’s a little bit of that; the action stuff is so well-done. But it’s also a film with a ton of heart and soul and wit and life. John McClane is a masterpiece of character design, a gruff cop with a heart of gold, a capable action hero but also a working-class schmo who just wants to try to get back with his wife. He struggles and bleeds and doubts himself; he’s not a superman. The villains are incredible, with great lines and great designs and a great scheme; you care about these guys, they’re interesting. There's a part of you that wants Gruber to get away as much as you want John and Holly to get back together. It's a Christmas movie, all about family and forgiveness, and It's just plain fun, uncynical and sentimental and really, really funny. It's the best action movie ever made, I watch it every year, and it brings me great, great comfort and joy.

The American President (1995): oh no, too soon! But I couldn’t include The West Wing in a list of feel-good films, so this is the next best thing; smart public servants being smart, as well as moral and just, wearing their immense power with the right amount of humility. Sorkin really believes in the majesty of the office of President, and the founding myth of America and what that means, and he makes you believe in it too. His dialogue is, of course, exceptional, witty bon-mots and one-liners, but the love story is great too; two people finding each other later in life and trying to make it work despite everything. So it’s a great film, a funny film, a sweet film, a romantic film, but also kinda important; a film that makes you aspire to higher ideals, that gives you hope and confidence in the institutions of government.  I suppose it is a fantasy – God knows, the last four years have shaken these institutions to their very core, over here as much as in the States – but The American President can make you believe again.

There you go. Ten films that just make me happy if I'm down, or cement that happiness if I'm already in the mood. All of these films, you’ll notice, are also very, very good; not some kind of “guilty pleasure” (if such a thing exists; don’t pleasure-shame!). Funnily enough, it’s the quality of the films that adds to their charm; I appreciate the craft as much as the plot or theme or performances.  Like when I watch American President (or, more accurately, The West Wing) and I just enjoy seeing people good at their jobs be good at their jobs, then watching a well-made film makes me happy because I like seeing people good at their jobs be good at their jobs.

Anyway. Tear yourself away from Twitter, stop refreshing fivethirtyeight.com, pour yourself a drink, and – hopefully – make yourself happy this weekend. Unless you voted for Trump, then you can get in a bin.

[faithandfairies]

OUAT 6x20 Bullet Point Review!

So I haven’t done one of these bullet point-type reviews in a while and  part of me doesn’t feel like doing this review because my soul is tired of this show with its possibly slowest burn ever potential couple curse. And I’m sick. I thought I was getting over my cold but apparently I’m not. Anyway, I can’t not do one. So here goes.

The best thing about this episode was Regina, but then again, I think when you ask me it usually is.

Emma originally seemed to have her wedding dress choice narrowed down to two dresses, neither of which seemed to be the Grace Kelly one. So what happened?

Snow asking Emma whether she wanted to wear her dress.  I mean, it is the closest to a swan outfit I think Emma would be able to get her hands on bar using magic, but still. Really? I’ve never been a fan of the “borrow your mother’s wedding dress” gig. Emma’s face seemed to agree with me. Even though her words didn’t.

Emma: “Kill me now”

*The Black Fairy shows up to do just that

(Me: Never let it be said that fairies don’t try to make your most secret wishes come true)

Emma: “Shit! I take it back!”

Also, Yikes! If death by dark magic happened to my wedding dress on my wedding day I think I’d seriously rethink getting married

Regina didn’t seem to agree with me on saying no to the dress either though. She looked smitten seeing Emma holding her mother’s dress in front of her. (This was before dark magic killed it.)

Regina’s heart: ♫ I thought my heart had learnt its lesson...At least out loud I won’t say I’m in love ♫

I mean, look! And this look actually started at Emma’s feet and went up too. I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried.

All of which really brings me to the songs. They were so good! So good. Although the singing threw me off a bit. Maybe because I had already seen the performances. But seriously,the singing was amazing! I loved all the performances.

But all I could hear through the songs was emphasis on why Emma and Regina are perfect for each other, why Emma and Hook won’t work out. And how Regina is devastated about that. At least in every song except for Hook’s. But more on that later. 

Snowing’s song was about love being the most powerful magic. I mean, Emma and Regina’s magic put together has consistently been the most powerful on this show.

I mean look at this shit. Look at that heart. Red and white [magic].

(x)

Regina’s song was all about how love doesn’t stand a chance. On Emma and Hook’s wedding day. And how she was gonna “rip the song right from their hearts”, demonstrating that by ripping up Emma’s baby blanket.

Me: I... No, I won’t say it. [No comment]

Again, seriously? I’m just gonna say this is the Evil Queen’s version of “I won’t say I’m in love”

Zelena’s song was about how the wrong one was chosen. And how devastated Regina is over that. How Regina will now “dream of could-have-beens.” [So basically Emma and Regina are so obviously gay for each other in the present-that a sister in another realm Regina didn’t even know about could feel it to the point that she had to sing about their love 50 years before Emma was even born. Emma and Regina are gay for each other and I’m tired. *long-suffering sigh] Also, casting a spell/curse that allows someone to see that they should have chosen you? Sounds about right.

And Hook’s song? Well, Hook’s was about revenge. But the thing is, that entire performance and location reminded me of Tangled’s “I’ve got a dream” in the tavern that I think was called “The Ugly Duckling” or something like that, where Flynn was told his dream sucked. While Rapunzel had a different one that everyone loved, no lie. I mean, seriously?

(x)

I loved Regina or rather the Queen drawing magic from her fire during her sing-off with the Charmings. I love when we get an inside look at the intricacies of magic. Regina’s magic is elemental as far as I can tell. She can control nature/earth, mainly tree branches, and fire. But here her magic fire balls fail her and so she draws from the hearth fire in the room. She literally re-lights/reignites her own fire. It’s a nice little throwback to her using the branches from her wallpaper to incapacitate people. Not to mention to the scenes where Regina lights Mal’s fire and Mal reignites her own with Regina’s encouragement and using leftover fire from a tree.

Also important, just because you take someone’s ability to speak, or in this case sing, their truth away from them doesn’t mean their truth stops existing.

Regina was with Emma every step of the way in her wedding planning. In the background, sure, but she was there. Which, I can’t imagine what that must have done to her insides. She gets all the best friend/ pining love points. And I love that Zelena was there too. 

Rumple was standing by his mother. Which, I feel like he must have a plan or know something I don’t otherwise I don’t understand. I do understand Rumple choosing his family over everyone else and with it the Black Fairy’s side. But it seems like choosing his family this time would mean either choosing Emma and her family’s side or make the Black Fairy think he had chosen hers without actually doing so.

Interesting that it seems that lack of belief/ lack of love (or rather feeling unloved and alone) is what blocked Emma’s magic. Very interesting.

I don’t know what the deal was with her giving up her heart either. Because honestly, what was to stop the Black Fairy from killing her entire family, especially after she was no longer there to protect them? This show.

I think it’s interesting how Emma completely skipped over Regina while singing her family back to life an animated state. Completely. 

I also don’t understand why they didn’t try the freezing potion again. Or brainstorm for something else if Rumple stole all the ingredients Regina needed for that one. Instead they were like “Nope. We get cursed later today. This calls for a wedding!” *claps hands

What is this, the Titanic?!

(x)

I hate to break it to you, but y’all took the wrong ship.

So. very. wish realm. “Let’s not fight. Let’s just ignore the problem, party and hope it goes away.” Emma and Hook are trying to outrun storms alright. Who died and was replaced leading to this becoming the new approved approach? *rolls eyes

Now for the wedding. It was actually a really beautiful wedding

And look at this beautiful family sitting together!

[Reciting my script] “Look how happy they both look for Em-” 

[Throws script in the air]

“I can’t do this.”

To me Regina still looks like the Pine Queen.

And another thing, the vows. Aside from the fact that half of Emma’s vows were about her family, which she started looking at Regina and Henry no less, neither of the self-written vows put the emphasis on “forever and always”, which is...odd to say the least. 

Let’s compare TV Show vows, shall we?

TV Show: Castle

Couple: Castle and Beckett (Caskett)

(x)

Both of them ended their vows with a promise of forever. Beckett with “Always”, Castle with “For the time of our lives”.

TV Show: Smallville

Couple: Clark and Lois (Clois)

(x)

(x)

Oh, and look at that, they too ended their self-written vows with a promise of forever.

So why didn’t Emma and Hook?

Instead Emma ended her vows by basically telling Hook that thanks to him she found her true love.

And all I could think was “Did Hook bring Emma and Regina together? Did Hook make Emma realize that she actually loves Regina?”  

(x)

I mean Hook was there in the background when Aladdin and Jasmine finally got together, so I guess anything’s possible, right?

Hook basically ended his vows by saying that Emma had his heart. Which on any other show would have been romantic. But this show ruined it. 

1.On this show having someone’s heart doesn’t mean much. Regina basically tossed hers at the first man willing to hold it for her basically going 

(x)

2. What having someone’s heart does tend to mean on this show is control over their fate against their will. Their willpower in itself. This show just sucked any romance that could have ever been in that line out of it. Completely. Total romance-killer.

Also, the lyrics to that Emma/Hook duet? They definitely say happy beginning and not happy ending. I mean, Emma singing that she thought she wanted a happy ending but basically no more. Singing about outrunning storms together instead of facing them? I mean, it fits the couple, but it doesn’t actually scream successful lasting marriage.

Then there was this. Hook telling Emma that she did it. She got her happy ending. While Regina is in the shot.

I love the shots of all the couples though. So great.

And look at Granny and Geppetto in the background. You know those two have a thing and have for a while.

Also, look at that chessboard floor. Things are coming to pass.

Shall we dance?

Also, Regina’s singing voice is angelic and I will never get over it.

Another thing. Regina asked a woman to dance. Sure, it was her sister, but she could have asked Henry first. Just like she didn’t have to be in the shot when Hook talked about Emma getting her happy ending. Alas.

I’m thinking Swan Queen will happen. Whether it will last, I don’t know. But if it doesn’t I suspect Regina will still end up with a woman. My money’s on Mal. I’d really rather have Swan Queen last, but I don’t know that it will.

Surprisingly Emma and Regina end up either next to each other or back to back a lot near the end of the dance. 

There was also this curious exchange between Emma, Regina and Zelena where Emma went over to Regina and Zelena. We see her hug Zelena, but not Regina. Regina is actually somewhere entirely different as Emma hugs Zelena, where she’d been next to Zelena a moment before. And then as Emma turns back to Hook she literally looks over at Regina. Curious, curious indeed. I’d add pictures, but I think I’ve reached my limit. Oops.

I’m out.