#maximum truth movie

[dylnsohbrien]

[stuffobrien]

[theinternetisfulloftrash]

I have seen, but... not enough, if you know what I'm sayin'

[ecnmatic]

Maximum Truth (2023) dir. David Stassen.

[raurquiz]

#happybirthday @dylanobrien #DylanOBrien #actor #MazeRunner #TheScorchTrials #TheDeathCure #Bumblebeemovie #transformers #TheInternship #Flashback #TeenWolf #DeepwaterHorizon #AmericanAssassin #LoveandMonsters #Infinite #TheOutfit #NotOkay #MaximumTruth #WeirdCity #AmazingStories

[teencopandthesourwolf]

MAXIMUM TRUTH (coming june 23, 2023)

[bluerosesdiary]

maximum truth (2023) dir. david stassen

watched: 01/07/2023

my rating: 3/10

#76 movie watched in 2023

"A documentary crew follows political grifter Rick Klingman as he teams up with his sketchy buddy Simon to take down a rival congressional candidate." via. IMDb

[saeun]

BOO! gotcha~ gojo satoru.

sum. he meticulously planned the night out, she was busy with her routine. ( basically gojo trying to be bold and manly but the bold and manly doesnt want to be him )

"BABE! COME QUICK — NOW!"

voice louder than ever, gojo's curled into a ball, on the couch, diverting his eyes everywhere but the tv screen. it was movie night — or so it was supposed to be. you left him alone in the creeping dark. left him all alone to tend to your nighttime routine.

you see, truth be told, he's absolutely terrified of horrors. the setting, the music, the jumpscares, the plot — everything. poor gojo wanted to be a romantic "i'm here for you," man for his girl but it seems like that plan is screwed! he does not have a plan b in mind. there was one sole plan and it didn't consider the possibility of him being scared shitless.

you both decided on having a horror marathon. as the month of halloween dawns closer, it's only fitting to watch horror-themed stuff, right? not quite. there's one person who's covering their eyes with the blanket every time it gets intense and it's no one other than gojo satoru.

the plan was picture-perfect:

a) get the scariest horror movie.

b) watch to see when you're scared.

c) put his arms around you, bring you into his body, and whisper, "it's okay, don't fear."

d) become your knight in shining armor.

clearly, this plan was not properly thought out. he's shivering in fear, waiting for his knight in shining armor to save him from the misery — and also from the thought of some demon waiting to jump at him from behind the tv.

the movie's soundtrack quiets, only the character's hesitating footsteps towards the locked room can be heard. as they walk closer, the door creaks open. nothing's in the room..? "that's... strange," they whispered, stepping into the room with their oil-based lamp. the camera pans to the left: nothing suspicious. it pans to the right: nothing out of the ordinary. it goes back to the center and—

"FUCK no," gojo turns the tv off. he knew what was about to come, and he wasn't going to sit through it.

suddenly, as if the saying of art mimics real life comes true, he hears the same hesitating footsteps. strange, the tv's off. absolutely not, he thinks, balling up the blanket ready to leave. fastening his steps to the front door, he grabs the keys off the counter. the keys have gone in the keyhole, and so did a hand on gojo's shoulder.

he freezes. body gone stiff. breathing halted. heartbeat intensifies. what the fuck.

"babe? where are you going?" you questioned, confused as to why gojo's ready to sneak out in pajamas and a blanket.

gojo doesn't respond. he's watched that movie for long enough to realize it doesn't have to be you who's talking.

however, it is you, and you're very confused. after finishing your routine, you came down to watch the movie with him only to be met with a mess of popcorn, tv off, and a missing gojo.

"babe? you alright?" you questioned again, this time grabbing him with both hands and turning him to face you.

"who are you?" it's his turn to question. you look like you, but are you really you? a question that only makes sense to the man himself.

"i'm y/n, duh."

"then prove it," he demands. if it's truly his beloved, he knows how she'd react.

hands on hip, your face twisted into a mix of confusion, deadpan, and slightly amused. "what are you on about, satoru?"

"oh my god you're an imposter," his conclusion makes him turn back to the door, frantically twisting the keys to unlock the barrier that keeps him from safety.

without looking back, he walked out the door, tripping on himself as he sought his safety. all you can do is shrug. he'll be back in two minutes maximum.

[morbidology]

On April 23, 2006, a quiet Canadian community was shattered by a gruesome discovery. The lifeless bodies of Marc and Debra Richardson, along with their 8-year-old son Tyler Jacob, were found in the basement of their home. The couple's 12-year-old daughter, Jasmine, was missing from the scene, sparking fears that she had been abducted by the killer.

However, the truth behind the Richardson family murders would soon emerge. The day after the bodies were discovered, Jasmine was picked up in Leader, Saskatchewan, over 130 kilometers away, accompanied by her 23-year-old “boyfriend,” Jeremy Allan Steinke. Both were charged with the brutal murders of Marc, Debra, and Tyler Jacob.

The motive behind the murders sent shockwaves through the community. Friends of Jasmine revealed that her parents had vehemently opposed her relationship with Steinke due to the fact he was an adult and she was a child; he had evidently been grooming her.

According to friends of Steinke, he claimed to be a 300-year-old werewolf and an affinity for the taste of blood. Reports emerged of Steinke's fascination with violent media, including the film "Natural Born Killers," which he allegedly watched with friends just hours before the murders. In a chilling echo of the movie's plot, Steinke reportedly expressed a desire to emulate the protagonists' violent spree, sparing no one, not even Jasmine's young brother.

Further investigation into the couple's online activities revealed a disturbing trail of communication on websites frequented by young Canadians, including VampireFreaks.com and Nexopia. Richardson posted under the username "runawaydevil” while Steinke's accounts painted a picture of a troubled individual fascinated by dark and macabre themes.

The couple ultimately stood trial, and during Richardson’s trial, it was revealed that Steinke had broken into the family’s home armed with a knife. Debra had come down the stairs after hearing a noise, and Steinke stabbed her to death. After hearing the noise, Marc came to investigate and he was overpowered during a struggle and stabbed to death.

As for Tyler Jacob, Richardson admitted to stabbing him. She said that after stabbing him once and handing the knife to Steinke, her little bother cried: “I’m too young to die.” Steinke then slashed his throat. Richardson also claimed that she was in a “zombie late” state when Steinke carried out the murders.

Both Richardson and Steinke were convicted of the murders. Because of her young age, Richardson was sentenced to the maximum that was allowed for somebody her age – ten years. She was released in May of 2016. As for Steinke, he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

[nalyra-dreaming]

IWTV s2... an (emotional) recap

Between the spoilers dropping before the last three episodes and the content of the episodes themselves we really have gone through the emotional wringer.

I think I have rewritten this three times over, because my feelings kept changing.

I had hoped for more, I got more than I wished for, I wanted something else, they hit the nerve precisely...

And now with the season 3 announcement:))))

Maximum emotional carnage - indeed.

Everything ... up to that NOLA visit in episode 8 and the actual ending... is not the truth. Let that sink in.

The trial: scripted (and Lestat breaking out of it for the important bits)

Claudia's turning: So much... more raw.

Claudia's death: brutal. That final look between her and Lestat was one of the most painful things to witness.

Her diaries (pages): mostly unused. I am a bit unnerved bc of that wasted Merrick reveal and aftermath implementation tbh. Louis is not freed up after it, but... he should have been, imho. Though, that said, with Dubai likely a stand-in for Trinity Gate... maybe the arc fits after all - BUT I still think they could have done more with her diaries. I get why they wanted to escape the “white savior trap“ but this way Louis did not get that power-up that will ultimately bring him to where it frees him. But who knows... maybe they will implement a version of it all still.

The broadcasting and Loustat's relationship in general: Armand putting a fantasy retelling into Louis' brain. Holy shit.

Flashbacks to 1790: Self-indulgent fanfiction.

Dubai: Stepford Wives via mind gift. 💀

Daniel: Supposedly(*) turned out of spite. I absolutely get why DM fans are besides themselves with this and the comments after.

The story itself: More or less ending exactly where the first book puts us. I do NOT know why they kept that title a secret, it's not hinting at anything other than that simple fact, imho. :)

So.

You know, them using the movie "Gaslight" for the poster reference makes more and more sense now, because that is how I feel a bit at least: gaslit. Just a little bit.

Because... Nice reunion that you had there... too bad it will turn out to be the contested NOLA one, I would bet real money on it. 😅

......

Sarcasm aside, this is a brilliant show. But I am NOT looking forward to another two years of bullshit accusations (by some) because they were mostly/only spelled things out in the episode insiders, and only broke things up in the last episode. Or of people confusing the meta and social commentary level with the in-universe one.

Which, by the way, I'm happy that they went there. And I am relieved that they spelled things out in the episode insiders. Truly. But as experience has shown after season ONE... implied manipulations, episode insiders and interviews, and cast/crew/writer statements don't mean jack shit to some people.

So yeah, where does this leave us?

This was a dark season. I think I'm not totally wrong when I say that most of us did not get what we wanted from it, neither DM, nor Loumand, nor Loustat. Or Claudeleine.

"Locked together in hatred" comes to mind, though "hatred" is obviously (way) too strong a word. (But that quote fits so nicely 😏🤓)

We DID get some of what we wanted. But for a show which built so heavily on other books... to follow the first book then so closely?? I don't know, it leaves me a bit unsatisfied(**). It feels as if they just shut the book, to be done with it, you know?

I still enjoyed the season, there were brilliant parts in it. But it feels... bloodless. Sexless. Empty of affection. Harrowing. Which is, of course, the point.

This... is a depressing, hinting at suicide-through-vampires note.

Which won't happen, of course.

Because here we get to (**), which is of course ™️ them announcing s3 just prior to the last episode;))) And thereby making some things clear by that fact alone :)) 🙌🙌🙌

I said it before, I expect them to revisit... again. Given that this will be in what, 1,5 to 2 years from now? Well. Hopefully still in 2025. And I hope the arc they spun over these three seasons will be done then. And we can move forward.

I do hope this show will get 10 seasons. But for the first time since it aired I wished we'd already be ahead, in season 4 or something. 😅 Because this heap of loose endings is... taxing^^. Though definitely coming very softened as a blow now with the s3 renewal that’s for sure^^

Can't wait to hear your thoughts, if you want to share them. But these are mine. For now.

I'm sure there will be a lot of details, and analysis and meta to follow, and I'm looking forward to it. 🥰🙌

S1 and s2 were a tale... I mean we knew. But I would have preferred a bit more... truth.^^

Because that Magnus‘ tower scene?! No way. The metaphorical push off the tower??? No way, sorry Rolin but if they let that stay… that’s not giving agency that’s removing Lestat‘s suffering for their weird “toxic masculinity arc“ that Sam hinted at and which was - IN THE BOOK!!! - a misjudgment of Akasha.

AND it is removing Lestat‘s suffering to give more nuance to other characters. -.-

Given Hannah‘s episode 5 comments I hope they do not make a misjudgment of his character there. The red flags are there though, especially after the recent interviews, have been ever since that DV drop, and I have people come to me via DMs now to tell me they’re leaving the fandom bc they’re scared of another GoT…. which I get.

I… still have some faith. I know Rolin tends to put his foot into his mouth at times, he is a troll, and for all her takes on ep5 Hannah also wrote other brilliant scenes.

And we have Sam and Jacob as trump cards.

I‘m determined to enjoy this - this is what we‘ll get. I waited 30 years. I won’t go anywhere. I will enjoy what they give us.

I won‘t like all their decisions. That I am aware of.

BUT I will enjoy it, going in open-eyed, nonetheless.

(*) okay that is obviously bullshit, Armand would not turn him out of spite. Which is another hint I guess. But I talked about that in asks^^ At length 😅

[delopsia]

delly 🍓✨ i’m glad you’re feeling better 🌻

let’s say rhett and bobby are late coming back from the stadium… reader has hopped in a bath with all the fixings when—just as they’ve reached maximum relaxin’—the beloved husbands come (lovingly) barging in with a big basket of goodies from the mortons (y’all missed the first farmer’s market of the autumn season), and bobby (for once) is trying to get one (let’s be real, two) of those giant chocolate chip pumpkin cookies right now. that is, until they see you, looking pretty as a picture, glistening in the warm glow of the lights. are they trying to climb in the tub with reader, or are they content to sit beside the tub and hold reader’s hands while telling them about what they missed down at the stadium with archie?

💐 t

ps. OMG THEY (WE? lmao) GOT MARRIED!! I’M SO HAPPY!! I LOVE THESE THREE AND THIS STORY AND YOU FOR SHARING IT WITH US OMG 🌻💛🌻

pps. i love your CREEPIN IT COUNTY header omg 🧡

I'm glad that you like the Creepin It Country thing because that was my first and only attempt at making my own header 😭🧡 But yes!! Omg, I'm just glad that the wedding is finally over 😭 because now I can finally move on to expanding on the rodeo stuff and formally introducing the Floytt family critters.

I have this image in my head of Bob freezing mid-bite when he sees the Reader in the bath. Full on deer in the headlights type thing. Just a few seconds ago, he was half-assedly trying to evade Rhett (because, for some reason, that menace doesn't want one of the cookies in the container; he wants Bob's cookie), and now he's just barged in on the Reader's bath.

Rhett's the one that breaks him out of it. Finds the perfect chance to swipe in and steal a bite big enough to take a fourth of the cookie and just bounces right on in. Watcha doin'? How long you been in here? What all did you use? He's already curled up next to the tub by the time Bob remembers that he can move.

Truth be told, Rhett really wants to climb in, but he waits to be invited, sits there like a big ol' puppy dog until the Reader actually opens their mouth and tells him that it's okay to join them.

Bob very well could fit, too. Technically speaking, this thing can fit Reader, Rhett, Bob, and Mr and Ms. Morton (this was learned when y'all were experimenting to see if this tub would be big enough before buying it), but Bob is a little more content to watch and show off everything they brought back.

There's all kinds of stuff in this wicker basket. A little gnome with leaves on his hat, a tiny pumpkin, three of those locally made ceramic mugs that sold out in the first hour, a few bath bombs from the little business across the street from the farmer's market.

Pumpkin bread, apple cobbler, pumpkin bundt cake, way too many cookies to count, oh, and Willow (Archie's wife) sent a whole tray of her homemade maple cinnamon rolls!

There's so much that they nearly forget about the rodeo in its entirety. They had a bull nearly break through the fence, and another one decided that he was not going to be wrangled out of the arena. Rhett brought Maeve, Isabella's filly, out for the first time to try and get her used to the environment, and she...may have gotten into trouble for poking her little head over the fence and trying to bite the horse Bob was on.

"She's still a baby," Rhett grumbles.

But Bob just glares at him. "She's a menace."

...he says as if he didn't just buy her a new custom halter because she outgrew the other one. And there's definitely not a bag of treats for her downstairs...and he definitely did not buy those for her right after the biting incident...definitely not.

The bickering about how he's unintentionally spoiled that little horse continues long after Reader has gotten out of the bath, crawled into some comfy pajamas, and snuggled up in bed to watch a movie.

[dylnsohbrien]

Dylan O'Brien in Maximum Truth (2022).

[osakanone]

I think I found our anthem.

I think if a movie or tv show ever got made about "being a mech pilot", this scores unbelievably high as competing to be the opening theme

Its a cover of Kate Bush who's about the most emotionally radical feminist musician imaginable

This cover is by Brian Molko, an infamously genderqueer pansexual musician -- half of whom's roster is songs about feminization, or the pain of living as a male, and how despite humanity recoiling from sex, pleasure and pain for pleasure's sake, they are maximums of human expression and human truth.

The concept of "running up that hill" is what sets a mech apart from any other vehicle, letting it go where nobody else can, to afford and stride whatever the land dares imagine for you like some bizarre multitonnage ibex

The beat itself... Is it weaponsfire? Is it a heartbeat? Is it a reactor? Is it footsteps? Can we even know?

"If I only could make a deal with god, and get him to swap our places" -- I can't think of a better descriptor of what piloting like, IS. You ARE a god among gods, a theistic sexual nightmare of weaponized bliss striding the plains of human history, dragging it kicking and screaming into the future under the grind of war's very gears and servomotor roar.

There's so many more reads that can be made here.

I'm sure you can hear them too.

I swear I'm gonna burst or explode thinking about this.

I had to share it. Its criminal not to.

You hear it too, right?

Edit:

Soundscape in youtubemultiplier, to test

Holy fuck

[theinternetisfulloftrash]

Did you see arm?!

I SAW!

The bts photo hit and then the next day we got a fucking nekid showering scene? We were FED. TAKEN TO A FUCKING BUFFET.

anon is referring to the Maximum Truth bts photo that you can see HERE. I don't think I reblogged it, but I was kinda offline there for a bit, but I do still see the shit, don't worry ;)

[pikmininaplane]

Fine whatever nobody asked but here’s how I would rewrite SAO if I had a say in the matter

Aincrad:

– Have the arc be its own season. Let it last the whole 24 episodes!!

– Have some more early Aincrad/pre-beater episodes showing Kirito already struggling to fit in with the others before the reveal. Underline how the whole beater thing is a way for him to both reinforce the others’ cohesion and go do his own thing no matter how detrimental it is to him. Hell, the Re: Aincrad manga has a few chapters about both a floor 1 experience and another first meeting with Asuna and it's really good!

– See the side stories from Kirito’s POV. Don’t switch to Silica’s and Liz’s POVs at random, have Kirito hear about them and seek them out or smth. Also please stop making all the girls have a crush on Kirito... maybe leave that to either Sachi or Liz? And Asuna ofc

– Make the characters from the side stories appear again!!! Have the leader of the Moonlit Black Cats survive, show up again later and have Kirito deal with it! Show Kirito returning to Liz to take care of his weapons and armor! Have Silica appear during the slice of life portion? Idk just spitballing ideas. Also Agil side story I'm so serious why does he get so little screentime

– Show the stuff that's mentioned in later arcs too! Have an episode/part of an episode dedicated to that expedition where they neutralized the Laughing Coffin players so it's more impactful when it's mentioned again in Phantom Bullet! Have Yuna and Eiji (from the movie) show up in the background or in minor scenes! The world is your oyster!

– Show Kirito’s time in the KoB and how he struggles to fit in with such a massive structured guild and would much rather do his own thing. Maybe have a fun dynamic with Asuna being above him hierarchically?

– Make the slice of life cabin part longer and have Yui show up at the very beginning of it. Have them go on nice fun adventures to give the viewer time to get attached to her and eventually get maximum heartbreak

– Setup the Heathcliff reveal more. Have Kirito notice more and more inconsistencies during his time in the KoB. Have people around the game whisper rumors about how his health bar never goes too low and how he might be a cheater. Have Asuna praise him, too – make him an important figure to her before the myth gets falsified

– I’m fine with the duel being the way it is just give it its own episode

Fairy Dance:

– Also have the arc be its own season!!

– Ok hear me out. I actually think the Kirito & Suguha plotline could work if you, y'know, removed the incest. Show that the two of them used to be close before SAO happened, but that two years of absence drove them apart – maybe have kendo be a thing they used to do together, but now Kirito's still in rehab and too weak physically to resume. Show that Suguha got into ALO because she wanted to understand what had driven Kirito to VRMMOs, in an attempt to get closer to him despite everything. Have them meet in the virtual world and have Leafa find an actual friend in Kirito, someone she can finally confide in about her brother (and maybe other stuff, too). Have the details get more and more precise until Kirito finally realises who she is and doesn't dare tell her the truth but distanciates himself from her nonetheless. Have Suguha feel abandoned by her one friend, only to find out that he's actually her brother and feel shocked and betrayed. Make them reconcile!! The identity shenanigans can work it doesn't have to be gross

– Give that boy trauma!! Show that despite there being a chance that he will find Asuna in ALO, he is legit scared of diving back into VR and getting stuck in another world again. Show that the other world feels alien in a whole new way, now that his real body is weak and his virtual body feels different. Maybe touch on the horror of controlling another body than yours and being unable to move your real body a bit? As a treat?

– Build That World! ALO has such an interesting setting, with its nine races and references to Norse mythology, but we only ever get to see three of them (Cait Siths, Sylphs and Salamanders) in this arc and one of them is overtly The Bad One. Switch it up!! Show more of them!! Get into the geopolitics of it all!! I genuinely cannot believe that there isn't a single major Pooka character in the entire show. Why create nine races if you don't show them off?

– Actually here's my pitch for a fully reworked plot: Kirito arrives in this new world, reunites with Yui etc, and drops directly in Alne. After finding Leafa and getting explanations from her, he goes to conquer Yggdrasil right away, but gets fucked up by the creatures inside and victory seems impossible. He then remembers something: Agil, the one person from SAO that he managed to find in real life (along with comatose Asuna), told him he could find him in the game if he needed help.

Kirito and Leafa therefore travel to the capital of the Gnomes to find Agil, and accidentally get involved in some kind of local conflict (maybe the Gnomes and Spriggans don't get along so well and he unknowingly steps into a wasps' nest?), but manage to resolve it with Agil's help and happen to get in good terms with the Gnome leader.

Agil then tells them that he heard some of Kirito's old allies have started playing ALO, too, but they're all members of different races, and suddenly their quest becomes a journey throughout the map to visit the different nations and find all of their old friends. They go and find Silica, Liz, and Klein in their respective nations, and, on their way, meet new allies in the other nations, befriending new (or returning?*) Imp, Pooka and Undine characters. Finding his old friends allows Kirito to get a new perspective on full diving – they all returned to it despite their trauma for a variety of reasons, but ultimately it was healing for them, and it can be for him too.

They also keep accidentally (or voluntarily) getting their nose into the other nations' business (acting as an intermediary for those of them that are in conflict, finding lost reliques and settling old feuds, solving interpersonal problems) and getting the various leaders' support, until finally they decide to try taking on Yggdrasil again, this time with all the races' combined support, making it a game-wide event.

Same thing as the original from here on out, Kirito finds out the quest wasn't supposed to be doable but still gets past the door, he meets up with Asuna, they defeat the villain, get the seed, happy ending!

– Speaking of Asuna, screw making her a damsel in distress. Instead of being held captive in a cage and abused by her fiance, have her stuck in a nightmare of her own. She's getting experimented on in her sleep, and that reflects in the game as, idk, some kind of unending series of trials and enemies that she has to go through everyday. She's still stuck and unable to contact people, but at least she's active and she keeps having cool fights! Also, no tentacles, by god no tentacles

– Her fiance can still be a creep but maybe dial back the sexual abuser thing and dial up the mad scientist aspect instead. He can still be possessive whatever. Oh, and move the wedding deadline to like a month away or something, just so the plot has more room to breathe

Phantom Bullet:

– I don't actually think I'd change that much about this arc? I actually think it's the best arc in the series. I mean the BoB could hypothetically be made longer, with more enemies and all, but I don't really think that's necessary.

(– Actually scratch that make Kirito transfem. Slash half joking :))

Calibur:

– Just edit it out? It doesn't really add much to the plot. All it does is give Kirito Excaliber and introduce Sinon's ALO avatar, so uh. Not much to say

Mother's Rosario:

– I also don't think I'd change that much about it because damn this arc made me cry buckets. Maybe use the additional episodes from deleting Calibur to flesh out the other Sleeping Knights, outside of Yuuki and Siune? Also have the whole gang show up to hold back that one guild, not just Kirito and Klein, what on earth were they doing back then

– Wait actually. Don't make Asuna a healer. I'll never understand why Asuna was turned into a healer when she was literally a skilled swordswoman in SAO. Have her fight in the front!! Make a cool duo with Yuuki, drawing direct parallels to when she fought by Kirito's side!! She Would Not be an Undine I'll tell you that much

[silverdragon889]

@blueorchid-95 @eod-agent-13-12 @agentwraith @agent--shadow

For the RP, since I'm not in the scene but I wanna establish a Moment(TM) to help set up future scenes. So, I welcome you all to:

Bluenix's B-Side; When Does A Comet Become a Meteor?

Bluenix was nudged awake once the chopper had landed. He groggily and half-presently walked himself through the building to medical, barely paying attention until he's given the all clear. It was only when he returned to his temporary lodgings that he came back to himself, and sighed; a long, low, weary sound.

He lost himself back there, and it burned him inside to admit it. He'd grown so used to Crane, Prism, and Ollie being able to understand his motives and reasoning at a glance that it cost them.

He hates it. Hates it a lot. But something has to give here.

Truth is, he's been holding back his maximum ablilities for a while now; less risk of hurting others. Less risk of losing himself. But as of right now, Bluenix is desperate and alone; he has to swallow the fact he can't take on this mission by himself.

Can't take it on as just Phoenix.

And so he turns to the mirror in the corner, sits down, and lets himself float.

Talking to the God of Death for anyone else would be a nightmare right out of a movie. But he's known Thanatos personally for a long while now; since a mere 5 years old all that time ago, and this moment will mark the first ever time Bluenix asks to meet Death first.

When Bluenix looks in the mirror again, Thanatos stares back.

You do not call upon me in times of peace, my charge. This is most unusual for you; what troubles you?

The God's voice echoes and reverberates with the din of multiple people speaking, and yet it is soft in tone. Bluenix- no, just Phoenix for now. Phoenix stares Death in his sapphire eyes and whispers.

I lost myself, Than. She wanted me to slip and I fell for it.

The deity merely nods,

I remember, my charge. I remember your desperate call to save the Shadow as she fell, and I answered.

Death grants Phoenix a small smile, sad yet knowing all at once

Yet I feel from you that you believe your efforts to not be enough. Have you forgotten the Typhoon's words?

Phoenix shakes his head

It's because of what he said that I called you, Than. If this is war, then I...

Breathe in, breathe out.

I need to use our full power. All of it.

Thanatos' gaze hardens sharply.

You know what you are asking cannot be undone until you return to your dimension, correct?

Phoenix nods, but won't look Thanatos in the eyes. Said deity growls.

Look at me, young avatar.

Phoenix meets his gaze.

Being an Angel of Death, even for a short while, will be immensely taxing upon your body; your telekinesis will increase in use, and my wings of fire will be yours to command, but not even a mortal such as you was ever meant to wield such power. So I ask again:

Are. You. Certain?

Phoenix steels himself, and speaks without hesitation.

Yes, Thanatos.

Thanatos nods, satisfied.

And so it shall be, my charge.

When Phoenix blinks next, wings of ethereal blue fire rest upon his back, scorching nothing and yet ever burning bright. And when he turns his gaze to himself; his face?

His eyes are no longer emerald green.

From scelera to pupil, they are hellfire blue.