#like this scene just delivers in every aspect

[imastoryteller]

Write Like a Director: Crafting a Cinematic Novel (With Examples)

Writing a novel like a movie means propelling your reader through scenes with relentless momentum, slashing through fluff, and ensuring each word drives the plot forward. Trust your readers to connect the dots through dialogue and action, immersing them in vivid, immediate experiences without drowning them in verbose descriptions. Every chapter should feel like a high-octane scene, keeping readers on the edge of their seats, hungry for the next twist, the next revelation. Keep it tight, keep it thrilling. Here are some examples to illustrate each aspect of this dynamic storytelling approach:

Fast Pacing

Chase Through the Alley: Jake sprinted down the narrow alley, the thud of heavy boots echoing behind him. A sharp left, then a right—no time to think, just run. This example thrusts the reader directly into a high-speed chase, emphasizing immediate action and urgency.

Heist in Progress: The vault door creaked open. "Thirty seconds," Maria whispered, stuffing bonds into her bag. The alarm blared. "Move!" The scene conveys a sense of time running out and rapid movement, maintaining a brisk pace with no room for delays.

Dynamic, Fast-Going Plot

Kidnapping Twist: Laura opened her front door to find an empty stroller on her porch. A note inside read: "If you want to see her again, come alone." The unexpected discovery of a kidnapping sets up an immediate and compelling conflict, driving the plot forward swiftly.

Escape Plan: The prison lights flickered. "Now!" whispered Tom. They climbed through the hole, hearing guards’ shouts in the distance. The urgent breakout from prison keeps the plot dynamic and intense, with characters constantly on the move.

Show, Don't Tell

Fight in the Ring: Blood trickled down Max’s face. He clenched his fists, dodged a punch, and delivered a powerful uppercut that sent his opponent to the mat. The physicality and immediate consequences of the fight are shown through actions rather than explained through exposition.

Silent Farewell: Tears streamed down Lily’s cheeks as she handed Jack the letter. Without a word, he turned and walked away, his shoulders slumped. The emotional impact of the farewell is conveyed through the characters' actions and expressions, not through internal monologue or narrative explanation.

No Tedious Descriptions

Quick Change: Sam grabbed the nearest shirt and jeans, pulling them on as he ran out the door, glancing at the clock—he had five minutes to reach the station. The scene moves quickly from one action to the next, providing only essential details to maintain momentum.

Sudden Revelation: In the dim light, Sophie saw the glint of a ring on the thief’s finger. Her father's ring. She gasped, stepping back. The revelation is made through a brief visual detail, keeping the description succinct and impactful.

No Infodump

Mid-Battle Realization: Amidst the chaos, Sarah recognized the tattoo on the enemy soldier’s arm. Her brother. She hesitated, the war raging around her. The revelation about the brother is integrated into the action, avoiding lengthy explanations and keeping the focus on the immediate situation.

Urgent Discovery: Ethan flipped through the ancient book, stopping at a page with a familiar symbol. "It's the same as the pendant," he muttered, pocketing the book and running out. The discovery is brief and directly tied to the plot's urgency, with no extensive background information provided.

Avoid Fluff

Straight to Action: Ben didn’t bother with pleasantries. “We’re out of time,” he said, throwing the bag into the car. “Get in.” The scene cuts straight to the critical moment, avoiding unnecessary dialogue or description.

No Idle Chatter: Emma answered the phone, cutting off the caller's introduction. “What’s the plan?” she demanded, glancing at the clock. The character immediately seeks vital information, eliminating small talk and focusing on the plot's progression.

Tight, Immersive Narrative

Immediate Danger: As the elevator doors slid open, Mark saw the bomb timer: 00:10. He dived for the wires, heart pounding. The imminent threat and the character's swift reaction immerse the reader in the tension of the moment.

Critical Decision: The bridge was collapsing. Anna had seconds to decide—jump or try to save her friends. She took a deep breath and ran back. The character's quick decision-making in a life-or-death situation keeps the narrative focused and engaging.

By applying these principles, you can craft a novel that feels as dynamic and engaging as a blockbuster movie, keeping your readers hooked from the first page to the last.

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[kanpaeki]

heyy. can u do a fic about dom being needy on tour? just always talkin bout y/n during his sets any chance he gets & being clingy underneath of them right after.

not nsfw this time lmao. sex mentioned but no acts. not proofread. love you guys <3

x

this time around, dom was way more involved in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the tour, walking around and making sure everyone on the team was good and helping them when they weren't. the authoritative tone in his voice as he told them, respectfully but firmly, what he was looking for. walking up and down the same hallway, carrying out tasks from person to person, it was so amusing to watch. you only saw him with this same passion when he was in the studio, his lips pressed and a slight arch in his brow. most people wouldn't notice but you'd studied this man at every given chance, you noticed every tick of his. which is why you knew, he couldn't wait to pull you to the green room and shoo everyone out so he could get you alone.

with a knowing smirk on your lips, you're leant against the doorframe of said green room, watching as he's on his way to deliver electrical tape to who knows. "you're gonna tire yourself out before the show even starts," you warn, knowing how he tends to take on more than he can chew.

"nah, i got plenty left, trust. get in there and close the door, i'm coming in there after this." he shakes his curls out before breaking into a jog, hurrying to whoever he had to pass the tape to.

you just watch him pass you, eyes trailing over him until he's out of sight, pressing your lips together to hide your smile as you step back, closing the green room door while it was still empty of stragglers.

it didn't take too long, scrolling on tiktok to pass the time when the door opened without a knock, signalling it was dom. he closed and locked the door behind himself, strolling right over to you and before you could get any words out pressed his lips to yours. he was eager and needy, kisses rushed but yet like he was trying to savor your taste before he had to hit the stage. putting your hands on his chest, you kissed him back but gently pushed him away.

"after." you smiled knowingly, watching him deflate with disappointment.

"i've been hard for the past ten minutes." he complained, not trying to make you feel guilty. he knew you were right - you always were. but you were sure he was starting to hurt. "you're wearing those fucking jeans." burying his face in your neck, leaving little kisses and nipping you right where he knew you were sensitive.

you laughed, knowing exactly what he meant. his favorite pair of jeans on you. he claimed they made your ass look 'even hotter'. you couldn't disagree. with the hefty price tag, it better be working wonders. rubbing his back, you only soothed him, knowing better than to give in.

"i'm flattered. but you have soundcheck in like... twenty." you checked your apple watch. you got used to wearing a watch after he started up doing shows and public appearances again. he tended to run late.

"twenty whole minutes? that's plenty of time!" he gasped, whining like a child, only making you roll your eyes.

"you have to have your mic pack on before then. people are gonna interrupt any minute." you cup his cheek, bringing his face up to meet yours, pecking his lips chastely. "and as much as i love you and i love quickies, i want to take my time with you. is that okay with you?"

it took him a few seconds to take in your words before he gives you that crooked smile, "well i'm not gonna say no to that."

during the show, he couldn't help but to mention you. he often did during his sets but not like this.

"this next song is called bodies. and i wanna dedicate it to my fine ass girlfriend over there," he slouches over the mic, guitar strap around his neck as he points to you waiting in the wings, "cuz we're starting fresh right after this show's over. let's go!" he goes into the song, bypassing the innuendo that he made and leaving your jaw dropped. he laughed into the lyrics as he looked back at your reaction, fingers flipped to send him the bird playfully as he continued into the song.

[djarrex]

in this moment

here’s a little thing I wrote on dad!Steb if he’d gotten a human pregnant. I have a couple of headcanons about his character in here, too. cw: pregnant!reader and non-descriptive birth scene. very, very soft. nothing explicit. about 1.3k words.

read on ao3 | masterlist

Neither of you had thought that it'd be possible for you to get pregnant–which is not the best excuse to not have been using protection–but miraculous things happen when you least expect them to.

You’d planned on telling Steb the news on a picnic to his favorite quiet spot on a well-deserved day off, but instead you’d caved in on yourself early and told him one late night when he’d just gotten home after a long, hectic shift. He reacted pretty much the way you’d expected him to. It was confusion, at first. Motionless and wide-eyed. It was actually comical in a way, since he’d literally just walked through the door and was in the process of shimmying his duffle bag from his shoulder. You repeated yourself, and that’s when you saw it click. Steb’s brows knitted together, and he ripped off his beret before practically running to you and enveloping you in a hug. He whispered his surprise in your ear, his pure disbelief – his concise utterances all layered heavily with excitement. 

When it really started to settle in, you weren't even sure if you knew the first thing about carrying a non-human baby. Steb wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, either; he’d been hatched from a soft-shelled egg laid by his mother, but his father was human, which is why Steb has many human features: like having hair and eyebrows, and blunt teeth. The sexes of the parents were reversed this time, so neither of you had a faintest clue how it would work, or if it was even viable.

Using the extensive database at the station, Steb was able to find the sole doctor in Piltover who specialized in non-human medicine, holding a practice in the quieter part of the city. This doctor helped tremendously, and had better insight than the previous doctor you’d tried, someone who had too much unspoken judgment paired with zero knowledge of Steb’s species. The whole situation was unprecedented, but that didn’t stop your new doctor from giving it their all. 

From very early on, the two of you were assured that the baby was healthy and growing as it should, comparative to a human fetus carried by a human mother. You were expected to carry your child the full term and have similar symptoms as any other expectant mother.  At home, you had done plenty of your own research, and Steb had read up as much as he could when it was slow at the station. Being a practiced medic meant he was able to retain a little more of the medical aspects of it all, and he proved just how dutiful of a partner and father you knew he’d be. Steb almost anticipated your needs, knew what techniques to try when you were uncomfortable and sore, and made sure you were eating plenty of nutritious foods. 

Taking into account what you’d researched, it really did feel like a normal, human pregnancy – just with something a little bit different growing inside of you. Both of you slowly grew more confident. Less time was spent worrying about the unknown and instead that time was used to set up the nursery, gather the most important items necessary, and still make sure there was time set aside for the two of you as a couple.

As the weeks turned into months, and with every check up, your baby had similar behaviors to human fetuses; but the three of you–Steb, your doctor, and yourself–knew that the baby would need to be born in a similar way to its father, so it was suggested and agreed upon that you would deliver in water.

The two of you wanted your child to be born at home, and a proper birth plan was made. When your water broke, Steb was on shift. You quickly called the station – and Steb must've sprinted the entire way home, no doubt weaving his way through citizens promenading along the streets, because when he arrived he was out of breath and eerily bone dry. His concerning condition shoved to the back burner, Steb immediately went into action. He filled the tub, grabbed everything on the list the two of you had detailed prior, carried you in, and called the doctor. You’d strongly encouraged him to take a quick, cool shower to rehydrate, but he denied, concisely stating that being by your side for every moment was the most important thing.

Labor was no walk in the park. You were pretty sure you’d nearly broken Steb’s fingers with how hard you’d been squeezing his hand. Ever the calm and collected medic, he coolly guided you through it all, modeling your breathing and providing the doctor with an extra hand when needed. Between his tasks, he would reassure you in his own, unspoken way when you started to visibly falter.

A final, prolonged push and you felt it. Breathless, you looked to Steb first, gauging his reaction. He was panting in disbelief and was utterly motionless with shock, staring wide-eyed into the discolored water. His hand was still locked with yours, but it grew limp in your grasp, distracted. When you finally looked between your bent legs, you saw a faint glimmer of scales, and the most beautiful set of little webbed fingers and toes as they curled up in the water.

You don’t remember the last time you’d seen Steb tear up – but he was absolutely beside himself when he reached in the water with shaky hands to carefully grab his baby girl. Cradled in his arms, she started to cry with her first breaths of oxygen. He shushed her softy, slowly rocking her back and forth. Steb looked at you with all the love in the world, and the rush of hormones caused you to start bawling.  Through blurry eyes you watched as she blinked her own bright, glassy ones up at him. He blinked back, stray tears streaming down his cheeks. 

You were totally exhausted, but you wanted to commit her to memory, as if you’d never see her again. You were in awe of the little being that you’d just pushed out of you – a spitting image of the man who was holding her.

Her skin, a paler shade of teal, glistened with moisture. She already had quite a bit of thick hair that had grown on the top of her head. Too small to protrude at this age, her pointed ears were instead pinned back against her head. On her face under her eyes were pink shimmery scales and frills, similar to her dad’s only miniscule and a little lighter in comparison. The same, striped patterns stretched across her tiny body. Steb adjusted her to lay her head on his other arm, and during the switch you saw the fins that looked like little bumps line her spine up to the back of her head.

You wondered if this was exactly the way her dad looked after he’d hatched, when his infant body started to take shape.

She had your nose, but basically everything else belonged to Steb. Flawless. 

He said her name, the one you’d agreed on long before that moment; it came from Steb’s homeland. It fit her perfectly. 

A million promises swam in his eyes as he kept his adoring gaze on her. He looked so at ease with his newborn daughter in his arms. Natural. Fatherhood suited Steb for sure.

Closing your eyes and tilting your head back, you recalled just how unsure and anxious the two of you had felt at the beginning, after the initial shock had faded. You never could have imagined what it would be like, living in a moment quite like this one.

[midnight-bay-if]

OMG i just have to say the way you write your characters is amazing! Often times when I read books with a large cast of characters a lot of the characters feel like the same and their characters aren't the most distinct but each and every one of the RO's feels like their own individual, with their own voice. If someone threw a random quote from one of your characters in my direction i feel like i could easily distinguish which characters said it because they are each so unique, which is amazing writing on your behalf! 👏 I'm currently working on my own IF and I was wondering if you had any tips on making unique characters or just writting in general? And I hope that your feeling better after your illness and that your writting is going smoothly <3

This is such a nice compliment! 🥺 I'm a little speechless, haha. But this is precisely why I like answering asks from each character's POV. It's great practice, and I've learned a lot about my own characters doing it that way.

Firstly, do not be afraid to start with a trope. They can be great stepping stones to get you started. For me, the beginning stepping stone for the wider story was Umbra. I was going through a really personally tough time when I created them. I needed a way to voice my desperation. Then came N, and with them came the devil on my shoulder. I played around with the character tropes I've loved for so long while figuring out the greater story after. So much of The Midnight Bay was designed alongside the characters.

Empathising with your characters will help you find their struggle and voice. It can be uncomfortable for me to write Umbra at times because so much of my own anxiety has been put into that character, but some people will connect with it, and that's important.

When it comes to finding a character's voice, it's best to start with their background. Consider how the character got to their position and how it has affected them. Their psychology will determine a lot about what they say and how they say it. But equally as important is what they choose not to say, and why.

Their personalities are going to play a large role in their speech. For example, S is a tactician, smart, to the point, but can turn on the charm when desired. All good things, right? Well, yes and no. They have a bit of a hero complex and will always put their teammates in the most advantageous position, even to their own detriment. A fatal flaw of character will always make your characters more interesting. Their best traits can also be their greatest weakness.

Sometimes, it can be fun to switch up which aspect of a character you choose to keep secret. Taj wears all their flaws out in the open, unlike the others. They stand out against the others because their softer side is what is secret.

Also, this is an old tip that gets passed around quite a bit, but it's one I think about a lot; could each of your main characters work as the story's protagonist? Are they fleshed out enough to work as a main character? Can you imagine following them through the main story and still have a compelling story to tell? If the answer is no, consider why not - what's missing?

I'm fighting my imposter syndrome right now in order to deliver these tips, but hopefully, they are helpful and don't come across as pretentious, haha.

This is going to be an anticlimactic final point, but it deserves saying. Writing often is going to be the biggest help. Even if you can only manage a couple of lines a day, it'll help. Some days I really struggle; my imposter syndrome takes over and I feel utterly hopeless. On days like that, I'll search my inbox for a new ask to inspire me, reread my favourite novels or move onto another scene entirely to unstick my brain from its patterns. The most important thing is to have fun with it.

Anyway, hopefully, this was at least slightly helpful. I fear I have just rambled nonsensically, but it's pretty accurate to what my process is like, haha.

Thank you again for such a kind message. It really helped brighten up my day since this illness has been lingering much longer than I would like. I'm getting better as the days go by now, and I'm hoping to get back to work on chapters 3 and 4 starting tomorrow :)

[xxgothchatonxx]

This scene was exactly what I had hoped for with the start of Devil's Minion.

Beautifully written and exceptionally acted by Assad Zaman and Luke Brandon Field. This dynamic has never been adapted to screen before. And yes, there are adaptation changes... but the core features are still there.

This episode was horrifying. Armand was horrifying. Psychological and physical torture galore. But then... rest.

Look, I'll keep saying this every time something like this happens in the show - I have seen tone shifts like this be executed so poorly in other shows. Hell, this entire speech sounded eerily similar to another scene in another show that just missed the mark on every single aspect except the acting. (Yes I am talking about TVD) And the common denominator is that the writing just sweeps the horror under the rug and acts like it never happened.

But these writers understood that for a dynamic like this, we needed to see the horror. This needed to be horrifying. And this show delivered on that. But then we got this hauntingly beautiful speech. In the same episode. Literally their next scene. And I think I can work out why it worked here. It's honest. And I feel like that's one of the biggest allures of Devil's Minion. It's brutal, it's horrifying, it's toxic, but it's honest.

Armand was literally lulling Daniel to his death. Yes, it was gentle and tear-jerking (oh God, I was a MESS!) but it was still horrifying. But it was honest about it. I'm also happy that this is how it 'ended'. Yeah, it's not over. But I expected that. I hoped that was the case too! Let the tale seduce me until the inevitable reveal that makes me burst out crying again!

So, thank you for being honest, show... yes, I see the irony of that statement.

[screamofdespair]

山本泰一郎 Yasuichiro Yamamoto is a veteran artist who has been working on Detective Conan since 1996 and has directed many memorable episodes, such as The Mountain Villa Bandaged Man Murder Case, The Mist Goblin Legend Murder Case, The Night Baron Murder Case, and many more.

Back then, the series director was こだま兼嗣 Kenji Kodama (1–118). After Kodama left his position, Yamamoto took over the director role and continued delivering memorable episodes (118–332). He later took a long hiatus but returned to direct the series starting from episode 667 and continues to serve as the director of the Detective Conan anime to this day.

山本泰一郎 Yasuichiro Yamamoto storyboarded and directed episodes #927 and #928 - The Scarlet School Trip (#1000 to #1005 in the manga)

Despite the limitations and the lack in some departments such as the art direction or the color design, which have made it difficult to create a strong atmosphere for several years (it's still the case today), and despite the heavy workload, Yamamoto managed to make the two 40-minutes episodes both interesting and different from what we are used to, offering a different perspective given the constraints.

Rather than attempting to create something with a variety of different shots and opting for a contemplative atmosphere showcasing the beauty of Kyoto during the dialogues, Yamamoto used a significant amount of effects based on the manipulation of the layers in the composition of the scenes (the parallax effect). Since there were many conversation scenes, the director ensured not to overwhelm the viewer with many static face drawings where only the mouths would move, choosing instead to replicate a more dynamic feeling to compensate for the lack of strong character acting animation. Simple, yet very effective and eye-pleasing.

To avoid deviating too far from the main theme, which is the "school trip," many shots emphasize the feeling of constantly being surrounded and almost cramped by the Kyoto residents who live in the area, the students, the tourists, those staying at the hotel, the police later and so on. Either the main characters are in the background with people in front of them, or they are in the foreground surrounded by people behind them. With that philosophy in mind, every drawing of random people becomes important, it's even a must. There are only very few moments where Shinichi is left alone on the screen. This realistic framing also prevents Sera, for example, from interfering too much in his life while trying to get answers to her questions. Even when he is alone, there are always random people around him. Heiji, who is simply there to help his friend, is also framed that way, and the same goes for Momiji. The feeling of being cramped is present even in the smallest alleys.

Throughout the episodes, the director doesn't hesitate to use close-up shots to establish a sense of needed intimacy between Ran and Shinichi. This is perhaps my favorite aspect of the two episodes, the focus on specific parts of the body and precise gestures to convey certain emotions, to build up the final scene. It's a way to update the characters and show their current state in a subtle manner and also a form of visual storytelling. This approach feels particularly powerful for a chapter that needed to be adapted this way. It's something that i find generally impactful when used in different medias, and something that was especially lacking in the chapters.

Cool color change and clean rotation.

Some storyboard sketches by the director :

Basically, with this post, I wanted to say that the director, despite all the constraints, managed to create two very complete episodes with a clear vision. Of course, the episodes aren’t perfect, there are some janky moments and weak drawing/corrections here and there. Directing isn't just about putting beautiful shots on screen with crazy angles and things like that, it's also about knowing how to adapt and create something coherent while sacrificing certain aspects (in his case). For example, I find that the TV Special Episode One, also directed by him, much more polished than these two episodes. In any case, he deserves respect!

[deus-sema]

Disclaimer: This is the rant of a shipper who had expected a bit more combined with the concerns of an audience member who was left dissatisfied on certain fronts. It will contain both conjecture and wishful thinking.

What I genuinely liked about this season was that the performances were all par excellence and many dialogues were well written and masterfully delivered. One aspect that the finale did complete justice to was Annatar and Celebrimbor’s doomed partnership with Sauron’s ultimate betrayal culminating with the infamous Celebrimbanner. The entire season was leading up to that one last scene between them, which was flawless.

That being said, they couldn’t stick the landing with other subplots and  I might have an idea why.

A Finger In Every Pie

There were too many conflicts that needed to be addressed – if not outright resolved – by the time we reached the finale. Gandalf vs Dark Wizard, Isildur’s subplot, Numenor, Balroggate at Khazad-dûm, and Eregion, which was supposed to be the subplot driving this season. Ideally, most of these should have been resolved in the previous episodes with the finale focusing on Eregion and Khazad-dûm. Call it a side effect of having no more than eight episodes but the rest of the subplots were rushed or resolved abruptly.

The First Season: To embrace it or reject it entirely?

Some believe that the second season is an improvement from the first one but that was possible only because the first season laid the groundwork for every character, their dynamics, and the subplots, some of which paid off in S2. The risks the writers had taken with S1 were too major and there was no turning back the moment those decisions were made. Let’s make one thing clear. The opinions of that bigoted grifter gang who hate the show maliciously do not, and will never, count even the slightest bit. As far as the rest of the fans who simply chose to turn away from the show because of the liberties it took are concerned, then they cannot be appeased or wooed back. Once people make up their minds, it’s difficult to change it. What the showrunners should have done was embrace it fully as a fanfiction based on the source material and, gradually, let it evolve into its own thing The fans who liked it for what it was would stay for sure; with time, new ones will join in. Attempting to “fix” the perceived errors of the first season by divorcing the rest of the show from it isn’t going to work. Galadriel’s screentime was reduced, Bronwyn, one of the most important OCs of s1, was killed offscreen and wasn’t even afforded the dignity of a recast – if Nazanin’s desire to quit was the sole reason for this creative decision – like Adar was. Speaking of Adar, the way his arc was wrapped up was perhaps more anticlimactic than the Saurondriel showdown. Having him be betrayed and killed by the very children whom he cherished, in the same manner in which Sauron was assassinated, would have been poetic provided we had a season worth of development leading upto it. Having his protectiveness for his children turn into paranoia at the possibility of Sauron’s return, the Uruk’s discontent and disillusionment with him and Sauron preying on both to obtain his revenge on Adar would have been diabolical on his part and tragic for the Uruk because by the time they would’ve realised their folly, it would have been too late. But that didn’t happen and, just like that, another important link to the first season was severed and a subplot with immense potential was wasted. It also serves as a setback to one of the most ambitious objective the show flirted with: the humanization and a nuanced portrayal of the Orcs. It would have been one thing to have Glug be the only one to betray Adar at the last minute but all it took was two seconds for Sauron – the person whom they know doesn’t give a fuck about the Uruk and won’t think twice before torturing or killing them - to turn the lot of them against their Lord Father who had protected them until now. Sure, that makes Sauron appear super competent and Adar sympathetic but the Uruk got the shorter end of the stick. They came off looking like a bunch of gullible, bloodthirsty fools who have no integrity or loyalty and who live for carnage. The only reason why some of them started doubting Adar was because they believed he was leading them on a suicide mission chasing Sauron’s ghost. So, logically, finding out that Adar’s fears were right and Sauron – their tormentor and former oppressor – is back should have reinforced their loyalty to Adar. Instead, they all went back to square one. Adar – their representative - died. Glug - the most prominent one among them - died as well. What reason does anyone from the general audience have to care for them anymore? Rather, some would think they got what’s coming for them. Serves them right to betray poor Adar for Sauron who didn’t even have to lift a finger to manipulate them.

Much like everything else, Haladriel/Saurondriel is a child of s1 and it stands to reason that they backpedaled on it, like everything else. But I am also of the opinion that they aren’t willing to abandon it entirely yet. There is the marketing, for instance. Then, Sauron and Galadriel’s confrontation in s2 was predictable, rushed and somewhat lazily written. There are multiple ways in which it could have been improved. But he is still obsessed with her and she is still affected by him, despite hating him. From here, the writers can either grow a pair and further explore what they themselves established, that they want to emphasize on, through mind palace interactions or forced proximity – because time and distance matters not in tv world – or in any other way in the upcoming seasons or they can keep trying to appease the haters. The ball is in their court. Creatives chickening out is nothing new for shippers.

The Random Shock Value Effect

A certain show called GoT changed the landscape of television forever. No other pop culture phenomenon, save for the MCU’s Infinity Saga, came close to the craze it commanded in the last decade. Its influence on the tv shows that followed it cannot be overlooked. One aspect of it that was and still is overdone is including scenes that serve no purpose within the narrative for no other reason but momentary shock value or to ‘subvert expectations’. The Elron/driel kiss? Doing a Ser Barristan Selmy with Adar? All that isn’t going to work in the long run. It certainly didn’t for GoT.

[adamnablelittledevil]

I'm excited for Devil's Minion but I hope the Lesmand aspect isn't undermined in its favor. That ship may not be endgame but it's so important to both Lestat and Armand.

I only know Devil's Minion content from what I've seen on the tag, but I share the same feeling! I also enjoy Armand and Daniel's dynamic on the show. I can't wait to see more if it (and any possible duo, romantic/endgame or not, because they're all so appealing) and I hope they did have something in the past as well (and I think it's highly possible), because both Eric and Luke are great. And, well, this chemistry is too extraordinary to ignore.

Sure, this scene wasn't a positive one, but tell me they don't have potential to deliver the romantic content?

So, about the books, I'm still on chapter 5 of The Vampire Lestat (I'm leaving IWTV for last), but so far I don't see how they could reduce lesmand. I guess you could say there is some romantic aspect to them, but there's so much more than that too. Now, I might be interpreting this wrong or things will naturally change over the course of the books, but I believe they have this soul ties/mirrors/foils/two sides of the same coin aspect. It's only been a little over one chapter since Armand was firstly introduced, but their dynamic already feels so important. They're so similar and yet so different, they're fascinated by each other, they see parts of themselves that they don't like on one another, they see things they can't understand but want to, there's empathy, there's protectiveness, they're attracted to one another and not even just in a physical/romantic sense, but there's some genuine curiosity, admiration and magnetism there, but they're still afraid of each other, they still despise one another, they hurt each other, they know it's better to stay way, but don't really want to so it challenges them to the point they also HATE each other... I even feel like it's more frustration and projection than actual hate, but still... They're very INTENSE, in every sense of the word. And it keeps fleeting all the time, sometimes it's warmer, sometimes it's more explosive, sometimes they have similar reactions to one another and sometimes they don't... Which leads to different types of tension that is entertaining to play with. Plus, they have the best conversations and arguments for me. They touch on some really relevant topics about each other's existence, their collective existence as a species and as individuals (which is part of their conflict). Basically, we can call them whatever we want, but they're never boring.

So I can't see them being able to change that even if they want to? Also, because Armand is the first vampire Lestat meets after his maker and fledgling. Magnus kills himself shortly after turning Lestat, Gabrielle and Lestat are almost on the same level when it comes to powers and knowledge about vampirism. Armand exists out of their sphere, has been a vampire for a while, has more abilities/knowledge than them... I feel like you need that in order to 'shake' things up on the flashbacks instead of just being in the bubble of Lestat and his fledglings or using Armand as a small character.

And Assad is one of the main actors, he's paid for main actor screen time, so it would be a waste not to use him as such? And, like you said, it's so important for both Armand's and Lestat's arcs, and this is a main character + main character dynamic, it's not like a side plot with a guest star. It would be killing multiple birds with one stone, because you'd find a way to use two fundamental characters, tell the story in a proper and also engaging way. Not to mention they would be insanely stupid to waste this.

Yeah, I know this is different on the book, but my point is that the enigmatic chemistry they're supposed to have is there and Rolin should make the most of it. Like, I'm still a bit frustrated they didn't play a little more with Jacob and Assad's chemistry too.

So let's not do it again? I mean, this is the first show I watch where everyone has amazing chemistry and good reasons to have lots of scenes together because they live forever and need to have more than just one company, lol. I say let's explore all of it, whether something is romantic/endgame or not.

Anyway, I believe we'll see a lot of Armand in the 1700s flashbacks and that lesmand will be top 2 of Armand's dynamics on season 3. Depending on what they want to do with armandiel, they might even explore more of lesmand next season, since that's 'Lestat's' season and they can have all future seasons for armandiel? I mean, I can see something kind of like season 2, when we had loumand, but dreamstat was still a significant presence and then the big scene at the end. Plus, I'm expecting Daniel to have a lot of screen time with Louis and Lestat, respectively.

Btw, sorry I deflected so much, I just had a lot to say, lmao. Thank you for the message. :)

[canmom]

100%ed neon white.

it took about 32 hours. lots to say about this game...

mechanics/design

it is fr an absolute tour de force of mechanics and level design. call it a platformer or an FPS (it's kinda both), it delivers a sense of speed and flow like few games I've played. since this is a pretty big inspiration for types of game I might want to make (such as the backburned THRUST//DOLL project) let me break it down a bit.

the learning curve is excellent. like many games, it gradually introduces new movement options with interesting ways to combine them, and levels themed around the new movement option. but the shortcut hints system adds an extra dimension. essentially, levels are scored on time, with bronze/silver/gold/ace medals; generally speaking the level will guide you along a route, and a clean run will get you the gold, which will unlock a hint to guide you to a shortcut which will let you reach the ace. the ace times are far from optimal, but do tend to require a bit of execution skill.

the result of this design is that it's hard to get stuck, but you are gradually given an introduction to speedrun routing over the course of the game. I was, inevitably, the type of player to insist on getting an ace on each level (and grabbing the gift) before moving on, but it is totally optional. that said, it's perfectly designed to retry levels until you nail it: restarting is near instant, the music doesn't get interrupted, and it's very easy to get into a flow state, gradually getting more familiar with the level and discovering new tricks.

along with this is the gift system, required to unlock additional dialogues and backstory scenes. every level has a gift box hidden somewhere, and while this isn't timed, it takes on more of a puzzle aspect as you have to figure out the right way to use the level's movement resources to platform to the gift.

the design of the levels has something in common with a Sonic level: a series of rapid dashes forwards interspersed with moments of floating in the air, when you need to spot the next thing to target. generally speaking it's built to facilitate flow: if you're on the main route, you typically get a movement card just at the moment you'll need it, mixing between sections of shooting and using the discard to keep you on your toes. (even so, it does kind of have a rhythm game aspect). the level design, colour palette etc. does a solid job of guiding your eye towards the next place to go.

enemies are stationary, and only barely a hazard - generally more of a tool. they're part of the level design, with many of the later levels designed around specific enemies which either kill other enemies or help you move. since most levels require you to kill all the demons 'when to kill which enemy and how' is a large part of the routing, but generally speaking you kill enemies nearly instantly if you're on pace.

I ended up playing most of the game on controller; there is a pretty helpful aim assist that makes this possible at all, though I switched to kb+m on the last few levels where rapid aiming became more important. in my previous post I said the controls are 'tight' - what I mean by that more precisely is essentially loads of air control. indeed, you have pretty much the same horizontal acceleration in the air and on the ground, making it very easy to steer into position to line up moves.

in general I think a huge aspect that makes this game work is that it's very predictable. there is essentially zero RNG beyond the chaos of physics; enemies have predictable attack patterns and always stand in the same place, so you can plan like 'I'll grab the shotgun and shoot that guy then dash through that guy which will give me the rifle and let me dash into that balloon' etc. etc. it is also very visually readable, making it pretty easy to make a split second judgement of where to go next while hurtling through the air.

this is exactly how speedrunners tend to approach games, minimising sources of randomness and exploiting predictable behaviours; in general the genius of this game is to take the jank out of speedrunning so that you don't have to master complicated tech or rely on RNG to get the experience of gradually refining your movement through a level.

but, it's not just 'easy mode speedrunning'. even just looking at friends' times, I can see there is a huge degree of room for improvement; the global leaderboard even more so. there are special secret red medals if you can beat the lead developers' times, of which I have so far managed to get only one (it took me by surprise on a late-game level), and even then I'm still like forty seconds behind a friend's score on that level. I bet there's some crazy tech in the fastest runs. maybe at some point I'll go back and see if I can tighten up my times on other levels, though I feel pretty satisfied as thing stand.

all in all, should I manage to return to solo game dev projects (or even if we ever make a speed game at work), there is a lot to learn from Neon White.

narrative/aesthetic

so mechanically, very positive. on the aesthetic aspect: it's a very slick game, particularly with machine girl's latter-day breakcore soundtrack (machine girl is the most trans-ass name for a band but is actually two guys, unless some eggs remain uncracked here...). the UI flows very nicely - not quite as flashy as something like Persona 5 but definitely in that direction. it's a game that wants you to know it's stylish; Paradise Killer comes to mind.

and visually it's very solid! the levels are varied and, while generally consisting of 'floating architecture over an ocean', appealingly lit and coloured. the enemies have distinctive silhouettes and there are some cool unusual designs, like the giant laser heads, as well as some classics, like mimic chests (not particularly stealthy).

but of course the main visual aspect is the character portraits, illustrated by Rebecca Ryan. which is to say: white clothes with monochrome accents according to each character's colour name (curiously the characters are known only by colours in both life and death), animesque illustration, and hannya masks. and a bunch of symbolic manga-like expressions (blush, anxiety gloom, etc.) these portraits (plus, here and there, CGs) show up in the visual novel-style story sections and generally speaking, they work - if in a very 'Americans paying tribute to anime' way.

the story... most of what people react to is the whole weebcore thing it's got going on, finding it either cringe or endearing depending on taste. I feel like there is little to say about this that has not already been said. apparently the intent was to fit the style of dubbed anime, and... yep, it does.

instead I want to talk about... the religion thing! because what's going on there!

well, it's not that complicated on one level. the smarmy 'believers' stormed heaven and killed god, setting up essentially an american mall in its place. but this 'heaven' is actually Sheol; God was managing it using two macguffins called the Books of Life and Death. your goal turns into restoring God to His rightful place. these Books come with a Star of David on the cover, with a bunch of smaller ones around it...

the game is also however full of crosses, which generally speaking seem to be the Believers' symbol/weapon, as seen here in the Third Temple area (you know... not clear why this is in the afterlife as opposed to Jerusalem)

so it's fairly easy to read: most of the old school 'Heaven as it should be' stuff is associated with Jewish symbolism, but the dang Christians ruined everything.

the plot, meanwhile, rather heavy-handedly focuses on a theme of the importance of forgiveness. broadly speaking the story is that our lovable MCs - dorky MC White, slightly dommy love interest Red, childish and violent Violet, and laid back bro Yellow - who were all treated as disposable tools by the group's abusive leader Green. who is basically Vicious.

right down to the hairstyle!

the characters in this game, while decently voice acted, are all terribly one note archetypes. the story flashbacks almost all concern the botched job where Green - with White's support - led the whole group to their deaths for the sake of a long held grudge.

later in the story, Green gets a new 'destroy this shoddy universe' motivation, but it is honestly pretty unconvincing. probably the best aspect of his character is the dark yaoibait interactions with his object of obsession White, but this isn't the kind of game to go all-in on that front (its attitude to sexuality is very much a 'tease but don't depict').

all this leads up to a final decision to basically decide whether Green goes to heaven or hell. if you send him upstairs, White also gets to move on (I picked this since the game was blatantly angling very hard towards this being the true end); if you don't, White apparently remains trapped in Sheol until the next cycle. the thrust of it is basically you need to forgive and move on instead of obsessing over those who have wronged you.

Green remains unrepentant throughout - if you Book of Life him, he's not exactly happy about this, going like 'what do you have to gain from this' lol. the point is pretty explicitly not 'your enemies deserve forgiveness' and more 'don't let them live rent free in your head' I guess.

as a theme this is... reasonable enough? probably best not to stay mad about shit if you can avoid it, though certainly easier said than done. but the presentation suffers a lot from, well, telling/showing issues. you know this is the theme because towards the end of the game, the characters talk about it, a lot. ironically for a game in which you get sermonised at by comedically smug preachers in between chapters, it feels very much like sitting in a sermon: abstract ideals that don't really connect because the characters are so one-dimensional.

(it turned out, reading the credits, that one of the co-writers of this game was Aevee Bee, of WKTD/HWBM. I have lingering beef with her because she joined in brigading a friend of mine out of the indie game sphere over spurious vague accusations back in the day - a peripheral player but still very much on the wrong side of it, and to my knowledge she never apologised or anything. so it all feels kind of 'bit rich coming from you' for her to go off about the importance of forgiveness and moving on. but, even aside from that, on a craft level the story's approach to its theme already felt heavy-handed and unconvincing.)

beyond that... I'm just plain not convinced that resurrecting God is all that. the game's presentation of God is basically distorted audio and blurry shapes for text, with the characters reacting as if they understand; the Angels are presented as cute cartoon cats with the explicit conceit that this is just White's brain comprehending the incomprehensible (though we do get a brief wheel of eyes appearance near the end). but the reason the plot has to play out as it does, with God essentially choosing White to put things right because of the remorse in his soul... well, let's just say I don't much like chosen-one narratives in general, and the Abrahamic set dressing does not help. it feels very arbitrary, but also a bit straightforward and comfy for all this vague guesturing towards being strange and alien.

all that said, as much as I'm ragging on it, I do appreciate that it tried for something. a distinctive identity which doesn't fit my taste is better than a game with no identity. the character interactions are generally pretty charmingly silly. White and Red do at least make a convincing couple. Sungwon Cho is there, playing a father-figure office worker angel in his characteristic style.

other observations

the game's team is very small, with one developer (Esposito) doing most of the programming and mechanics; besides that we have a couple of level designers, a couple of artists... However, it had the funding of Annapurna Interactive, who recently made the news for basically imploding, but have been a pretty big player in the indie sphere of late. and obvs Machine Girl are kinda huge in their scene, but really a lot of the names are also pretty familiar ones if you've been hanging around indie games for a while. it's sort of like... indie but by broadly established names. still, small team makes me wonder: how feasible is it to make a game along these lines, either as a solo project or with a similarly small team at work?

what is notable is that it seems to have gone through a pretty long period of iteration; apparently an earlier version of it used randomly drawn cards, before the current predictable speedrunning focus came in as a clearly better approach. which is interesting: it has such a laser focused design that I would have guessed that it would be a speedrunning game from the outset. definitely a testament to experimenting around different ideas, which is really the essence of game dev.

the main thing I feel like I should take away if I return to working on THRUST//DOLL - which had a very similar planned structure, of fast levels that focus on time and visual novel sections to tell the story - is that if you're moving at high speed, it's absolutely essential that the information that you need to make a decision is readable, and acting on it is not too finicky. I might have to rethink the bullet-hell aspect, and introduce similar 'snap to enemy' mechanics to the dash abilities in the later stages. something to think about another day, anyway, I'm not sure when I might be able to continue that project.

all in all, fun game, very addicting, I have so much work to catch up on now...

[lazuliquetzal]

Comedy Is A Lie: I’m Going To Explain The Joke And It’s Going To Make Everything Worse

A buddy asked me why I cut a good joke from one of my fics and my immediate answer was “it killed the tension,” which, upon reflection, is a pathetic answer that is mostly inaccurate and does not even come CLOSE to how much thought I put into comedy in my writing. So I guess I’m going to write this out and excise the demon of over-explanation. 

Part The First: What Is Funny

The biggest thing I try and keep in mind when writing editing comedy (and anything, really, but especially for comedy) is rhythm. Lots of parts to rhythm! Most obvious is the word-to-word/sentence-to-sentence flow. Timing is a really important aspect of verbal comedy, which is why performance is a good medium to use. You get to control the delivery of every sentence and the spaces in between. But when you’re writing, you have significantly less control over how a reader will interpret the rhythm: all you can do is word your sentences as best as you can and give them rhythm cues via punctuation. (This is why I use so many em dashes and commas… I'm working on that…)

The other part to rhythm is on a more macro scale. There are jokes that will roll along with the flow of a story. For me, these are jokes that don't deviate from the context of the scene too much. They connect one subject to the next, or they build off of each other (a ‘yes, and’ sequence, for example). Alternatively, the joke is delivered in a really understated way. Like passing off something objectively batshit as status quo. Either way, they flow!

Then there are jokes that will halt a scene in its tracks. These are jokes that recontextualize a situation, or make a particularly large leap from the current topic. Or, you've been setting up for this punchline for a while and this joke is payoff. Or the joke is just really, really funny. These are the kind of jokes where you need to give the characters (or the reader) a beat to process them. Sometimes. We’ll get back to that.

Part the Second: How Is Funny

So the point of all that rhythm stuff is that comedy has a flow! If every line is a witty one-liner, none of the lines are witty one-liners! If every joke is a one-hit-KO, you have left your reader unconscious. Basically, if you are constantly being #Funny, you become repetitive and predictable, and that is the death of tension (and humor is a tension-driven element). 

One way to think of comedic pacing is setup (AKA building tension) and punchline (AKA payoff). It’s a balancing act: the more you build up tension, the more satisfying the payoff is going to be, but if you spend too long building up, you start dragging. You want the reader to think, “I can’t wait for the punchline!” and not, “oh my god, PLEASE get to the punchline already.” 

Fun way to make the tension last longer is to put all those flow-y connector jokes along the way. The reader’s anticipating the Joke, so by giving them little jokes, it meets their expectations in little ways so that they don’t get too antsy.

Hey, what’s tension, you ask?

Part The Third: Why Is Funny

When I read a book, there are two emotions that get me to turn the page:

I don’t know what’s going to happen next, and I’m curious!

I know X is going to happen, and I’m anticipating it!

That’s tension. (Something something semantics—I’ve never taken a creative writing class, I don’t have a vocabulary) 

You can have the calmest, low-stakes fluffiest fic in the world but as long as your readers are experiencing either curiosity or anticipation, Congrats! You have tension! I, however, like putting readers on fast-paced rollercoasters, so that’s the lens through which I’m tackling this section, which is: how do I use jokes in a story structure context? What purpose does a clown serve?

I mentioned earlier that some jokes are bricks to the face: they demand to be processed. Most of the time, I put high-impact jokes in places where I need the story to “reset” in a way: force a beat so the reader can process both the joke and the plot. That’s using humor to release tension. Literally. Laughter relieves stress.

But! You can also use those jokes to make the tension even worse! If you drop a bomb and immediately press forward, no processing allowed, you get stressful comedy. You want to laugh, but also a bunch of other stuff is happening and it feels kind of rude to laugh, so you get stressed. Sometimes humor can undermine a climactic moment, but if you use the right joke in the right spot you create shrimp emotions. If you’ve read DotF ch8 you know what I’m talking about.

Jokes also just make for good plot points? A lot of jokes are built on recontextualization. Everybody loves a good twist/reversal/surprise in a plot. Just make a joke and re-frame it, and bam! You’ve plotted! (Everything I’ve ever written started off as a joke.)

Wait, What Was The Question?

Why did I cut the joke? It was a waste of a brick to the face. It was too referential, it required the audience to know/agree with something completely unrelated to the story, it didn’t build upon what I already established. It ruined the rhythm.

I need to emphasize that, despite all my Thoughts on this, the way I appraise my jokes is 80% vibe-based. I probably could have kept the joke, and it would have been totally fine. But I would know. I would know that my intended rhythm is broken… it would haunt me until the end of time…

[stanfordsweater]

what are your favorite wincest episodes

hehehe

in chronological order rather than in order of preference:

dead in the water -- i really latched on to this one as a kid and so it still holds a big piece of my heart. i love the slow aching reveal of how traumatized dean is, all with sam right there watching. i will always be preoccupied with the times where dean get peeled back and exposed all vulnerable

what is and what should never be -- another great vulnerable dean episode, i loved the insight we get into his thoughts on sam, more specifically how clear it is that his self-hatred clouds his understanding of sam's motivations and why he sticks around with dean beyond "the job." it helps that sam looks so unbearably sexy in dean's perfect world created from his most desperate desires and deepest insecurities. i want to connect this one with DSOTM, but that ep didn't make the list because season five is PAINFUL and i hate watching it 😭

metamorphosis -- kind of out of left field, but this episode is a great example of how their relationship is breaking down in season four. dean punching sam and sam just taking it and keeping his chin up is such a gut-punch + sam's reaction to the reveal that they angels are watching out for him, for all the worst reasons, while dean is getting closer to them himself... you also get sam's desperation to save dean, to be something good, and his despair and teeth-grinding resolve to stop using into his powers... which only lasts so long. TENSION. delicious.

swan song -- AGONY.

i love so much about carver era, but to whittle it down:

there's a lot of aspects i love about season 8 spread across a number of episodes, like the way dean is just freaking out and trying to protect sam in the great escapist, the tension cas and more immediately benny brings to their relationship, the attempts to reconnect and the feeling that they might actually work through it this time, even with all the jealousy, but every time you think they're about to work it out something else gets worse-- it's really fun. i don't think any individual episode makes this list but they all get honourable mention.

i think i'm gonna like it here & road trip -- double feature because of the way dean's decision comes home to roost. dean's absolute despair in 9x01, it's SO wild and hurts my heart, the way you can understand exactly how they've ended up here, the betrayal, dean's guilt but the lack of apologies, sam's righteous anger and his deep-down buried soul-rending shame... i want to drink it all up with a straw, i'm obsessed. sam is in fine fucking form in road trip. he's NOT BUDGING and it's so good. also he looks fine as fuck and you know dean is burning inside. all of it leading directly to my favourite death scene in the entire show at the end of season nine. fabulous.

safe house -- this one is just a fun reprieve from all the angst of the seasons before, where sam and dean are working a case and making fun of each other and spending hours across from each other in a motel room at a table too small for them and not getting sick of each other. there's also the end scene where sam is so pleased that dean was haunted by visions of him dead <3 affirmations with the winchester brothers!

carry on -- i know many finale haters and i understand their points, but i was so shocked that the show remembered what it was about and delivered us that beautiful monologue and the forehead touch and the heaven reunion, all wrapped up in sam finally having the life he had wanted in a way he would hate. it's poetic and it finally resolves that last lingering question that allows him to actually enjoy heaven, and the final piece dean needs to not feel like a monster for "failing" to provide sam with the apple-pie life. jared has this interview from season eight where he says that sam carries that resentment over being dragged back into hunting with him, and while it's not rational-- ultimately he was not dragged, he made his choice in an impossible situation, manipulated by outside forces-- i really loved that the finale actually gave us (and dean) absolution for this last desire of sam's. i don't know.

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#20: I Don't Have A Problem (S3E12)

Clear. 🤩 One of The Walking Dead's best episodes for many reasons, but especially for the beautiful seeds it planted between Rick and Michonne. The fence is where their lives became interlocked, and Clear is the start of where their hearts became interlocked. And in this scene right here, Richonne became absolutely inevitable...

This whole episode is something special, and I love Rick and Michonne's every interaction, with an honorable mention to their “the mat said welcome” scene. 😋 From the moment they met, these two had some romantic tension brewing, and it nearly boils over in this scene that just had to make the top 20.

Rick has brought Carl on his first run and decided to bring Michonne along to help and to see what she’s about. It'll forever be telling to me that Rick felt comfortable enough to have Michonne on this run alone with him and his kid.

Despite some arguing that Rick was strictly skeptical of Michonne during this era of their relationship, I think the fact that he brought her out here to his former neighborhood and then, even more, let Michonne go out unsupervised on a crib run with Carl showed that there was some level of trust here that I don't think Rick would give to just anybody. Like while Rick initially tried to fight how drawn he was to Michonne in season 3, his behavior with her still painted a clear picture that to him...

And Michonne shows both Rick and Carl just how special she is and proves that she’s the real deal in all aspects throughout the episode. Especially in this scene here. 

So what I love about this scene is that in a moment where Rick is feeling visibly frustrated and disappointed, Michonne’s regal calm spirit practically tames his defensive energy. He asks if she has a problem with the new approach they have to take, despite her showing no signs of having an issue. And Rick asking this will just always make me amused because no one got him hot and bothered quite like Michonne just existing.

Like she was silent for a literal second, but that was enough to evoke a reaction from him. And Andy, to me, found the perfect way to ask where it was defensive without sounding overtly challenging or particularly offputting.

And then Danai just makes all the right choices in this scene cuz Michonne knows that she doesn’t need to match that testy energy. Instead, she turns slowly and looks right at Rick and sets the tone by gently saying, “No Rick, I don’t have a problem.” 👏🏽👑

Something about even just her saying his name has some weight to it. And I love that this is the approach she takes. This is genuinely me every time I hear Michonne perfectly deliver that line...

Michonne had been a bit quieter and apart from the group prior, and this line is her elegant offering to let Rick know she isn’t his opponent and wants to help - that she isn’t a problem and doesn’t have a problem, not with his approach, or just doesn’t have a problem in general that he has to worry about.

And then to make that verbal offering of her alliance even more physical, Michonne hands Rick the lone bullet she picked up. Rick takes it and the way they focus on their hands again feels like it’s an important exchange. It’s like their first peace offering. And it’s one of the first of many things Michonne and Rick will hand each other, including a very special pack of mints that parallels this scene a bit. 😊

I love that Carl is visible in this scene and noting this exchange between his dad and the woman who will become his mom and his best friend. Carl knew something was up here and that something was different about this. He was still skeptical of Michonne at this point, but I think it was at this moment he began to tell that Michonne has some sort of unique impact on his dad. 

This scene is also special because this is Rick in the freshest stage of being a single dad. He has to raise his son, who went through the trauma of having to put down his mom, and he also has a newborn to take care of, who he knows is actually Lori and Shane’s baby. And he has to deal with all this madness with the Governor. The weight of the world was on Rick's shoulders, and you see him really frustrated that the lack of guns at the station is yet another L. But Michonne is just so calm about it which is the energy he truly needs in his life. 

She just asked if there’s a new solution cuz she only envisions winning. Even just when hearing Rick earlier explain how he was the police in this small town and there are other places to check and all that you can tell that he’s used to being second-guessed and challenged by people, and having to prove himself...But Michonne isn’t other people. She gets him, and she’s not rattled by their situation, so he doesn’t have to prove himself.

I also love how, even as they speak, it’s tense but not harsh. There’s just always this passion pulsating between them, even as strangers.

There’s so much power in the fact that Michonne wasn’t hostile back, but rather calm, collected, and compassionate. The way she looks at him here just says she sees Rick in a deeper way than most. Even that early in their relationship, she understood him.

So even with Rick bugging out, it doesn’t intimidate her or put her off, Michonne gets it and she handles it beautifully. If Rick and Carl didn’t know they were rocking with a queen before then, they knew now.

And y’all, I know Rick knew they were with someone special because of his reaction after this exchange.

Rick’s reaction to Michonne after she hands him the bullet and looks right in his eyes with that soft knowing expression before walking away is the cherry on top of this golden scene because homeboy looks like he’s been fully enchanted. Like Rick's whole energy is giving...

Rick pockets the bullet and takes a whole moment to collect himself after the way Michonne looked at him. His look up to the sky was a 'dang, can Lori see me falling for another woman in just a few short days?' look. #DirectMindQuote 😂

Rick and Michonne felt a spark right then and there. I know it. And no characters would have an exchange like this unless it was a seed toward something romantic growing. 

Even deeper than that, I love that this moment was an insight into so much of what makes Rick and Michonne's relationship special. They can speak to each other and reach each other in any state. They can be a calming presence. They can enchant each other. They are so clearly the exact type of person the other needs in their life. They have such a unique and positive influence on each other, and this was the beginning of many moments that show that. 

I love that it was this moment that had even Danai wondering if Rick and Michonne were endgame and that it was then confirmed that for Gimple, Richonne really was in the works during this episode. I mean after an exchange like this, the road to Rick and Michonne falling in love was pretty much guaranteed. 

So I love seeing Rick and Michonne in this early stage, especially knowing they will go on to become beloved family to each other in the fullest sense. #Husband&Wife 😌

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I love all the information on your blog! If you have a moment, would you confirm something? In every fanfic with Lilia he seems to use his bats to watch over others (particularly Silver) and can even use them to spy. (Basically, he's the bat master.) In the game does Lilia ever use bats for anything or are they just part of his aesthetic?

I checked all the Lilia content I could and (surprisingly) Lilia never mentions the bats or their relation to him in TWST canon. In fact, he never states that he has them do anything for him at all either. The fandom/fanon emphasizes the “bat” aspect + utility of Lilia far more than official content does, with fans often incorporating bats into his regular activities.

Lilia usually does tasks by himself in canon (even delivering Malleus’s holiday note to Yuu himself rather than relying on bats to do it). He doesn’t use bats to help spy on others either, even in situations when it would be a considerable boon (such as during the human-fae war, when having bats scout the area ahead for human soldiers would have been beneficial). This is consistent with other characters’ accounts as well. When Silver describes his childhood, he recalls that Lilia would go on globe trotting journeys and leave Silver alone in their cottage to look after the house and himself. Not once does Silver ever remark that bats watched over him in place of his father; it was either his woodland creature friends or the Zigvolt family that watched Silver in Lilia’s absence.

(Note: one scene that’s difficult to interpret due to the visual novel medium of TWST is when Yuu and co. meet General!Lilia in book 7; there is a part where a bunch of bats flood the screen, but it’s unclear whether they’re just wild animals of the forest or if they’re following Lilia’s command.)

The only prominent time Lilia mentions bats is in his own Dorm Uniform vignettes, in which Silver and Sebek bring home an injured bat and Lilia nurses it back to health. Lilia demonstrates knowledge of bats, but nothing more beyond this (as he takes care of the injured one just as he would look after a human infant like Silver). At the end of the vignettes, Lilia prompts the bat to return to its family; he does not indicate if he is already familiar with the swarm of bats the recovered one is going to.

Bats are definitely a part of Lilia’s “aesthetic” though! He wears bat motifs in his clothes (such as on his Clubwear T-shirt and on Suitor Suit’s chain). Bats are also commonly included in his “image” artwork, such as his Birthday cards—and bats are even featured on Lilia’s character coffin design. They’re clearly a very important symbol for Lilia as a character.

I think where the confusion (or headcanon?) comes from is that Lilia is seen with bats helping him in or appearing during lessons (the gameplay mechanic). Most notably, a swarm of bats holds Lilia’s broom for him in Flight Class. The bats also appear in other aspects of gameplay, such as Alchemy Class and in battles (although they aren’t shown actively “helping” Lilia in these instances; it’s more like the bats are just there).

This probably led to fans speculating or assuming that Lilia has the ability to communicate with bats and can get them to do his bidding. (Isn’t it crazy what a few little animations can spark in a fandom? 😂) Part of this may also come down to the fact that Lilia himself is a nocturnal fae and displays many bat-like or vampiric tendencies himself, such as being averse to sunlight, staying up late/being nocturnal, greeting others while being upside down, and his preference for tomato/berry juice.

So! It’s just a “logical leap” to make, I guess 🦇

[therantsofawriterrr]

The Umbrella Academy Final Season: My Version.

Part One: We Also See Each Other At Birthday Parties

Overview: After getting back to a normal world with no powers, we see the Hargreeves trying to adjust to normal lives which somehow seems a lot harder to navigate. TW: uhh, emo discussions and stuff, mature language, sad people overall, some storyline changes because I'm writing it as the characters are playing it in my head, also long ass fic, I'm sorry. Pairings: Luther×Sloane, Diego×Lila, Allison×Raymond, Klaus×Dave, Five×OC, Ben×Jennifer A/N: Sooo, the fourth season made me want to forget it. Like I was literally thinking that I wanted Sir Reggie to use his memory-erase thing on me. This is for me and many others who wanted to see a happy ending, so uhh, here goes. I'm sorry if any of my imagination goes against fan canon, just think of them of my own hcs. also, im kind of using this to practice third person omniscient, so constructive criticism is appreciated. Btw, THIS HAS SPOILERS (potentially) because I'm also using some of the scenes from the season, stuff that I liked and all that. So, here goes ig.

Masterlist

What happens when you put seven superheroes into a normal world and strip them of their powers? It's an interesting question, a loaded question to be precise.

Well, that's what has happened now, with the Hargreeves siblings living their respective lives, trying to deal with the fact that they just had to live without their powers. They felt good about it, yes, but in some ways, it also posed a few difficulties.

Six years later, they were pretty well-adjusted. Or so it seemed.

Let's go to Number One, shall we? Luther Hargreeves, the self-proclaimed peacemaker of the family. At the moment, Luther was snoring in bed, drooling onto the sheets as he dreamed of a different life. A life with his wife, Sloane. A white picket fence, two dogs, and maybe even kids? But then, the scene changed. The kugelblitz appeared, taking his wife and world away, waking him up in a frenzy.

As soon as he did, he sat up, reaching out for her instinctively, only to find nothing but cold sheets. Tears started welling up in his eyes as a lump lodged itself in his throat, his hands going up to his face and his shoulders started shaking as he sobbed. This was pretty much like a morning routine, wake up, cry because of overwhelming grief, then get up and have some coffee.

The goofball of the family had turned into a depressed lover looking for his lost love.

As for Number Two, Diego Hargreeves and his wife, Lila Hargreeves, were quite literally living Luther's dream, with three kids and a wonderful house. But, suddenly going from crime-fighting and assassinations to dealing with kids, in-laws, a shitty boss, and the housewife life would be hard for anyone, don't you think?

Every day, Diego went out to work as a mailman, trying to get the mail to their owners with perfect precision. But, he failed, for his power was the reason for his perfect aim. And every single time, he felt insecure about himself. Now, he could get out of the truck and just deliver mail like a normal person, but then, this is Diego we're talking about.

Lila, on the other hand, has book club every other week. What the family didn't know, is that there is no book

They were a cute family, but they did need to talk to each other about some things.

Number Three, Allison Hargreeves was living with her husband and daughter, Raymond Chestnut and Claire Hargreeves Chestnut. While Raymond was happy living in a world where racism was a lot less than before and worked in a 9-5 job, Allison was struggling as an actor, trying to make time for family and land a good role. She also didn't really talk to the family except Klaus because she was afraid that they wouldn't want her, but she did regret her actions and felt lonely in that aspect of life.

Number Four was Klaus Hargreeves, the weirdest out of the group. It's those weird antics that also made him the most adorable in the group. Granted, he was a bit of a faint heart now that his immortality was gone, but the vibes were still there. But there was still the fact that he was three years sober, a fact that enabled him to wake up every morning with pride. Staying in Allison's basement, he had bubble-wrapped whatever surface he could, but being in charge of taking care of Claire finally made him feel useful in a way, so in short, he didn't really have any complaints.

And now, with his favourite brother Benerino coming out of jail, he could finally make him realise that he has a family as well!

Number Five, who was fine with being called Five, was working in the CIA, mainly investigating a cult that dealt with memories of another timeline. He used to dress up as a man named Jerome, putting on a fake mustache and a generic outfit to fit in. He clocked in early and left late, making people think that he was just another workaholic who didn't have anything to do at home.

But, there was a different reason. A reason that he wouldn't even tell his family. The PTSD of the previous many years, that he'd decided to ignore had finally started getting to him. He couldn't sleep without having nightmares of another apocalypse. The only way he could sleep without dreams was if he tired himself out to the point of passing out. Which is what he did.

Number Six, Ben Hargreeves was getting out of jail for being embroiled in a crypto scam. Granted, he had pretty much scammed too many people into losing too much money, but then why do people get involved in these markets if they don't keep in mind that it's risky? He could never understand people, really.

Now that he was out, he was free again, and he already had a plan to get away from the family once and for all. He didn't think he deserved to stay in a family full of love.

And finally there was Number Seven. Viktor Hargreeves, who was pretty much the strongest out of the group. But now, he just saw himself as an emo fuck-up who couldn't have a proper relationship, neither with his family nor with his partners. Building a life for himself in Nova Scotia had been hard, getting his bar business to take off had been harder, but what was hardest, was to actually commit to a person.

But then, could anybody blame him? He had lost too many people that he loved. There was Sissy, there was Harlan and there was the whole thing with Harold Jenkins. He was starting to think he needed to stay single for a while so that he could process his feelings and then put himself out there again.

But, even though they would do anything else, they did think that they needed to be there for Diego's first daughter, Grace's birthday party. So there they were, with smiles pasted on their faces in an arcade, where the children screamed while Diego and Lila yelled at each other.

"Diego! What are you doing?" She yelled into his ear, making him cringe.

"Getting the cake ready!" He yelled back.

"Piñata before cake! Go hang it!"

Diego went ahead and hung the fake horse with all the love he could muster and more. Though, Lila couldn't help but stare at him as he did, wondering how he knew that she had forgotten the piñata. She had called Diego up at the last moment in a panic, telling him about how she forgot to buy the West End one, and instead bought the East End one. Diego had just assured her and told her to breathe, telling her he'd handle it. He'd shown up with a vibrant horse, pretty much like the one she'd bought, but still different.

"What the hell are we going to do with two piñatas?" she'd asked, starting to panic again.

"We'll give the other one to Luther, babe. We both know he needs to get some of that anger out. Don't worry too much."

Diego stalked over to Luther carefully, handing him a bottle of beer and leaning back against the bar of some game, children shrieking with happiness.

"Hey, big guy," he said, internally wincing at Luther's answering grunt. "Where have you been these days? It's been what, a month since you'd called?"

"Just been busy," he said, taking a swig of the beer. They both knew how he'd been busy, but neither had the will nor the strength to discuss it. Diego missed him, but he sort of understood where he was coming from. He knew he'd go crazy if it had been Lila who had gotten lost after everything. He was pretty sure he would have been the reason for the world ending a fourth time.

Whereas Luther was mentally checking the wool-stringed map hanging in his house again and again in his mind, trying to figure out just where Sloane could be. He was hell-bent on finding her, to have the happy ending that they both deserved. He couldn't bear the thought of him living on while she died.

Elsewhere, Klaus had just entered the place with Claire and Raymond, with gloves on his hand and every other precaution he could think of.

"It's just a kid's party, Klaus. What's the worst that could happen here?"

"Oh, too many things. You of all people should know how dirty children can get, Raymond," he drawled in the typical Klaus fashion. Raymond only chuckled, shaking his head as Klaus cooed in excitement at the various candy stalls and selfie booths that were placed around the place. He had definitely been a weird addition to the family three years prior, but also an adorable one. His quirks made the house livelier for sure.

Allison, on the other hand, was sitting in her car, with her white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. She was trying to convince herself to start the fucking car, to get home and practice her lines, but her eyes kept flitting to the rearview mirror, where the neon sign was glowing brightly. A sudden knock made her jump in her seat, and she turned to see Viktor, who she thought would be the last person to approach her.

She rolled the tinted window down to meet Viktor's cold but warm eyes.

"You aren't coming in?" He asked, voice frosty, but with a tinge of sadness in it.

"No, not really," Allison said, guiltiness lacing her voice. "I probably shouldn't ruin the party."

"Grace is your niece, too, you know," he said, looking at her firmly. "It's her birthday, and she deserves to see her aunt. Plus, the others care about her just as much you and I do, so they won't make a fuss."

Immediately, when she entered the place, she regretted it. Because while Diego and Lila were a bit warm towards her, Luther's gaze turned stony before he turned away. She wanted to run away and hide, but Raymond's comforting hand in hers gave her a little strength.

On the other side of the room, Ben was talking to Five, the one Umbrella sibling that he could tolerate to some extent.

"What was it, again? Ponzi scheme? White-collar fraud?" Five asked him with a smirk.

"Crypto exchange. Web 3.0, baby. Feds only went after because I'm an outsider. A fucking maverick like Elon.

"Well, that and you bankrupted a 100,000 people."

"The whole thing was like a witch hunt. I think I'm just gonna stay home now that I'm out."

"Yeah, well, say what you will," Five said with a small appreciative smile. "It's still good to have you back."

Klaus seemed to spawn beside them suddenly, putting an arm around Ben's shoulders. "Hello, Benjamin."

"Get your hand off of me, I don't know where it's been," he said with irritation lacing his voice, but Klaus was unconvinced. Even if he wasn't their Ben, he was Ben, and there was no one else that knew him better.

The party went on with the same vibes; somehow, it was the only Hargreeves party that's been normal. Usually, it ended up getting very chaotic and weird.

But then, all of them knew that they actually had fun in those parties.

Another A/N: I originally planned for this to have ten chapters, but nvm every chapter will get too long, so ig we'll just see how many parts this thing will have. Likes, reblogs and feedback is highly appreciated, please tell me if the transition from one character to other was too confusing or hard to process, I do that sometimes. Also, I do have a lot of changes, according to what I've seen on the tua tag, so I'll try to make stuff up too haha. Anyway, tell me if y'all like this or not, and tysm for reading

[elitadream]

have you seen the new transformers movie yet? i’ve been seeing a lot of videos of it and have been thinking of you cause of your user

Yes I have! 😎 Went to see it in theaters last week!

I gotta say, first of all, that the absence of a human cast was both refreshing and needed- though I give Travis Knight's Bumblebee an amiable tap on the back for handling its relationship dynamics so much better than the Bay films ever did. xP

I've always loved the concept of lifelong brothers turned sworn enemies, and the movie's premise had a lot of potential to offer in that regard. Watching it, it was hard for me not to be reminded of The Prince of Egypt (which in my eyes still holds the gold trophy for that trope btw, it is such an absolute masterpiece 🏆💗) and I really enjoyed how gradual and organic the shift in their friendship was. Both of their point of views was shown and expressed in a genuine way throughout the story, and by the end, the colossal and inevitable divide between them felt entirely believable. That aspect of the film was very well done and it surprisingly delivered in the angst department, which I wasn't expecting considering how bright and family-friendly the trailers looked. All in all, I think it did justice to Optimus and Megatron's epic rivalry! 👏

On the downside, the portrayal of Bumblebee and Elita-One was where the movie fell flat imo. The antagonist having a bland and more shallow personality was fitting because it suited who he is at his core, but the "young comic relief" and "tough as nails woman" character types were made abundantly clear in every scene Bee and Elita appeared and it frankly got a bit old for me after a while. Granted, Elita showed a bit more nuance towards the end, but it came about late and her development didn't feel very satisfactory.

The first impression I was ever given of her was in The Search for Alpha Trion, where she appeared for a total of less than five minutes; and yet, to this day, it still is my favorite version of the character. She was strategic, rational and highly intelligent, but also collected and calm. She had a gentleness and wisdom about her that beautifully echoed Optimus' own innate sense of nobility and compassion, which was also what made their chemistry so special and great. They felt like equals, and tenderly valued each other as such. Making her distrustful -and even disdainful- towards Orion in the first half of the film was an alteration that I didn't like and I would have much preferred if she was more tempered and kind like her G1 counterpart.

...But, oh well. That's just my personal nitpick I guess. 😅 It was still a good flick. 7/10!

[class1akids]

who had the better development and who is the best written among origin trio so far including a part of the endgame?

I don't think their arcs are comparable like that:

Deku has a flat character arc as he is the moral paragon of the series

Bakugou has a redemption arc

Shoto has a healing / recovery arc

All 3 have strong and weak points.

I think for Izuku, his arc in Act 1 was the strongest as we discovered who he is as a person, his ideals, his strengths. He started to fade into a POV character post-Overhaul arc, and generally the narrative stopped challenging him enough. I think his endgame was a bit sacrificed to give others highlight (the way he was used to escalate Toga, react to everyone). I disliked very much the role of the Vestiges, who didn't add much and took a lot away from having Izuku in center as the character driving the resolution. Let's see what happens in Phase 3 of this fight.

Bakugou has a classic redemption arc, which is certainly the flashiest and most recognizable for fans as it is the type of arc where a character changes the most. Hori put a lot of effort into it, and I think it was spectacularly written until Ch 322. I personally dislike several things about his endgame so far (the death fake-out, the tremendous effort to save him and revive him being swept under the rug and trivialized, the whole weird off-balance of his "team"/"solo" fight aspect of him going against AFO). I think his scenes in Ch 360 and 362 were really well done, as well as the All Might rescue was great. But also he feels weirdly "pampered" by the narrative compared to nearly everyone else. It feels like Hori went into extremes both on his death and revival. Like Bakugou got everything he ever wanted, and arguably a bigger highlight than Deku himself in the eyes of the public, while all the other main characters, including the MC are being denied their wins, which makes me feel uneasy where this will go.

Shouto has a healing / recovery arc, which is written with quite a lot of nuance. I like how it's non-linear, how much Shouto struggles with his relationships with his family. He also has hands down the best quirk progression in the story, where every improvement is tied to some aspect of his healing or step he takes towards his family. It is really well done. Just like Izuku, Shouto's arc was very strong in Act 1, and he lost a lot of prominence in Act 2, which became dominated by Endeavor's redemption arc. though his main milestones were still present. Also, Toya's backstory being backloaded to the end of Act 2 and into Act 3, also meant that in the Todoroki plot there was a struggle to fit in all three of the POVs, at a time where Horikoshi was already growing impatient and was cutting a lot of corners. I think in the Dark Deku arc especially, Shouto would have needed a proper focused chapter for the fall-out of the Dabi reveal. His endgame power-up (Phosphor) and his fight against Touya were narratively pretty good. I think Hori delivered on the "family hero" part, but I think he still owes Shouto a proper resolution both with Touya and with Endeavor and the promise of the "become who you want to be" - where he actually gets to make a choice of his own, because Enji steps up as a father finally and it's not on Shouto anymore to pick up the pieces.