#obviously i can remake this at some point if you absolutely hate this

[littlebvtterfly]

GIFT EXCHANGE

Kaylee Hummel for @ginevrastilinski-ocs

inspo/playlist

I hope you like it!

[nickssidewitch]

👾🕹️ List of Games the Triplets Should Play if They Stream Again 🕹️👾

Can y’all share this everywhere if you like my list because I’m sick of Fortnite-only streams and I damn well do not want to constantly see Roblox…

Obviously no hate to Fortnite because yass kings grind 😤💪🏾‼️. But like… let’s switch it up a lil’ bit, boys. Get sexy idk.

Horror🔪

💉 Outlast: Horror. Thee scariest game on this list!!! Great story, but even if you’re not interested in the story, the gameplay is interesting and nostalgic. May be a bit jumpscare-y at times. Not too much gore, but enough to make the spine tingle.

🧸 Five Nights at Freddy’s: Horror. Honestly, I highly doubt they’d actually play this because it’s probably the second scariest game on this list and they don’t seem like they could handle it. But, a one-off stream of this game would be nice idk. If they do, I’d suggest the first and second ones because they are good, Otherwise, the third one is ass, and the fourth one is way too scary. The other installments are forgettable (no shade 🥱).

🌙 Little Nightmares: (Mild) Horror. One of my personal favorite games. Right amount of scares, but definitely nothing like Outlast or FNAF. The main character is literally the cutest little thing!

🌺 Poppy Playtime: Horror. Similar to FNAF in the sense that you’re in a world where childhood characters come to life wnd become murderous villains, but the story is incredibly unique and eye-catching. There are a few Gaming YouTuber surprises in there as well.

🩸 Fears to Fathom series: Horror. This series is an indie gaming community favorite! Real-life people sent in submissions of their actual true experiences, and the developer made each story into actual games! I love the simple retro feel of the design, and the stories are very intriguing especially since they are all true stories.

🧟‍♂️ The Walking Dead: Horror, Story, Action, Adventure, Apocalyptic. The hype for this game never dies (imo)! Matt would absolutely fall in love with this story and its characters!! I feel like it would definitely cement his love for TWD as a whole. And if he ever played the Michonne DLC?? omg. Someone get this man to play TWD! Chris and Nick would love it too I feel.

Story 📖

📸 Life Is Strange: Story. A story-based decision game series. You play as young adults who have special powers that develop through difficult life experiences. Each game delves into different aspects of sexuality, love, mental health, and other real-life experiences. I’d like if they played only the first one, but the other games are also pretty cool if they like the first story.

🌄 Until Dawn: Horror, Story. A story-based decision game set u like a classic “cabin in the woods” thriller… with a twist. There’s a new remake as well, so that adds a bonus point to the overall enjoyment and the hype of the experience.

🤖 Detroit Become Human: Story, Sci-Fi. I know the hype for this game is gone, but I need it! The world is set in the future where robots and androids roam the Earth amongst humans. It’s such a great story with great graphics. And every single one of the choices matter. I feel like they’d genuinely enjoy it if they immersed in it.

😷 The Last of Us: Horror, Sci-fi, Story. It’s the game that inspired the TV show. I personally think the game is better than the show, but I digress. Great story, the best characters with such various traits.

🐈 Stray: Adventure, Sci-fi, Puzzle. (This is more for Matt than anyone else lowkey highkey). You play as a stray cat, but it’s more than just a cat simulator— it’s a journey set in the future. Everyone, but especially Matt, would love this. Very great graphics. Pretty calm, but can definitely get the heart racing at times. Will pull at the heartstrings.

Miscellaneous 👾

🍄 Mario Kart / Mario Party: Multiplayer, Party. This is a given 🤷🏾‍♀️

☠️ Dead By Daylight: Multiplayer, Horror. When Nick’s computer is finally fixed, they can all play together and probably even get some friends (or play online).

💎 The Sims: Simulation. Honestly, this can be like a game they play ironically. 🤷🏾‍♀️ I just wanna see them argue about how to customize their characters.

🌚 Among Us: Multiplayer. They’ve played it before both online and with fans, but I’d love if they played some rounds that were more organized with real-life friends and maybe even their mods/subscribers on Twitch!

🔫 Call of Duty (any of them): Shooter, Action. Literally just wanna see how good they are since they were flexing in that one stream they did a while back. 😒 Like where’s the proof?

🤺 Mortal Kombat: Fighting, Action. Any of the recent additions. I don’t need Story Mode if they don’t care to know the lore! I just wanna see them beat tf outta each other 🤫 ! Nick playing as Mileena would be a gag! 🤷🏾‍♀️

🦸🏻‍♂️ Injustice 2: Fighting, DC Universe. It’s similar to Mortal Kombat, but just set in the DC universe with characters like Batman, Harley Quinn, etc. I think made by the same developers as MK? Wanna see them beat each other up.

🎰 Liar’s Bar: Multiplayer, Gambling (not actually, but—). You play as up to four characters. You get cards in your hands. It’s up to you whether you play truthfully, or lie and place whatever cards you want all without getting caught. And if you get caught, now you gotta survive a round of russian roulette. It’s actually so fun for a few rounds if you have a good party.

Please share this across platforms! I’d love that! I really wanna see them at least try some things from this list. It’d make my little gamer heart so happy 😭 And I’m sure the other fans who like videogames as well would agree.

And I’m sure the boys would definitely appreciate the ideas since they seem open to them. 🥰🤍

[williamnfms]

Silent Hill 2 Remake Review (No Major Story Spoilers)

Silent Hill 2 Remake was a blast. I was someone who really had no knowledge about Silent Hill before this past year. Unfortunately, and I say this because of future context, I had just played and beat in January, Silent Hill 2 Enhanced Edition, which is a fan made remaster of the original game. It is incredibly cool and is worth checking out. I had such a good time on my own experiencing the atmosphere of Silent Hill. Experiencing the story of Silent Hill 2. I enjoyed a LOT about the game. But, the gameplay is lacking and I personally felt it held back some of my enjoyment. I didn't grow up with the game, so no nostalgia goggles (which I absolutely have for games I grew up with to be clear). This brings me to the remake. I'm gonna be honest, I was pretty interested when it was shown during the first intermission. I thought it looked good. Not that I didn't understand that huge fans of the original game in particular were very protective of it, and didn't want it to get ruined. But it looked cool to me at the time. Obviously, time went on and I played the original and gained some perspective on why some were so eager to criticize even if I think a little bit of it reached a bit too far into just hate. Well having beat Silent Hill 2 Remake, one of my conclusions that I had was that, I wish it had been my first experience with the story. I had a blast with the remake. There were some advantages to play the original first with just noticing the differences and where things were moved, changed, added, and removed which was cool. But the story plays such a large part, I wish I wish I had just waited for the Remake because I would have thought it that much better had it been my first experience. I think Bloober Team did such a great job, and even took some criticism from the initial reveal to change some things to improve and created a really well-done modern remake. The gameplay is much more fun playing than the original, and I think they nailed a lot of the redone designs and aesthetic. Some will disagree and that is fine. I haven't really listened to anybody else's review and am going based off of my own experience. Either way, very cool game, loved the remake, wish it had better optimization. 😅

Also as per usual, here are the thumbnails from the finished playthrough of the game that you can find on my YouTube channel. Unfortunately, and also maybe fortunately, I am changing how I am doing thumbnails from this point forward with the channel art rebrand. Taking note from some smaller creators I watch, and cool looking edited stills don't really stand out if you aren't a big channel already. I still want to put work into thumbnails, but if I post them here again they likely won't be as wallpaper-esque as I will be working around a new thumbnail border. I probably wouldn't include the thumbnail border on here so they might end up looking a bit off as a result. Time will tell.

[everygame]

The Making of Karateka (Nintendo Switch)

Developed/Published by: Digital Eclipse Released: 29/08/2023 Completed: 04/10/2023 Completion: 100% of the museum, beat Karateka (Apple II) beat Karateka remake. Trophies / Achievements: n/a 

If you’ve been following my writing for a while, you’ll know I’ve been playing a ton of old games, and yet I never ever thought to make a point to play Karateka until this release (you can read my thoughts on it here.) Although it has pedigree–its creator Jordan Mechner would go on to make, I think most famously, Prince of Persia–it’s also an Apple II game from 1984, and I think a strange choice to launch a deluxe re-release line, Digital Eclipse’s new “Gold Series'' (outside of there just being a lot of historical material available to pull from.)

Using that material, The Making of Karateka is described by the company as an “interactive documentary” and while it is that, it’s also sort of a digital museum exhibit… and sort of like a Criterion edition of a classic movie if the blu-ray was designed in such a way that it directed you to watch Charlotte et son Jules and read Jean Luc Godard’s treatment before you actually got to watch Breathless.

So it’s kind of an odd sell, really, and the contradictory thing I have to say about it is that I think The Making of Karateka is absolutely brilliant, but I also don’t think it makes a ton of sense as a product (although I do think you should run about and buy it immediately so they make more.) The question that lingers, you see, is what actually makes someone who isn’t retro game-pilled like me pick this up? It’s “The Making Of” to express that there’s something more here than just a re-release of Karateka, but hang on, if you don’t care about Karateka, why do you care about the making of it?

I don’t think it’s something that Digital Eclipse manages to answer, exactly, although what they have produced is beautiful anyway. Clearly using the same front-end as Atari 50 (which could have done with being made a bit more fitting for Karateka? I mean the music sounds exactly the same? ["Though it's not the exact same piece of music"--Pedant Ed.] they’ve created a tour through Jordan Mechner’s life as he started developing video games, from the aborted project Deathbounce, through the release of Karateka and its sequels, and then with some postscript concerning a possible sequel that hints towards what eventually became Prince of Persia.

It is heavily curated (I sort of wanted to read more of Jordan Mechner's diaries than I got to...) and definitely some irrelevancies (sorry, I hate famous talking heads telling me why they like something. It’s not as insightful as you imagine!) and some bits feel a bit… ad-hoc. It also (and I noticed this about Atari 50, too) keeps quite a narrow focus and doesn’t widen context to deepen your understanding. Everything about Spartan X and the path from Prince of Persia to Tomb Raider and beyond that I wrote of in my Karateka write-up is my own, er, research [“*cough* Wikipedia *cough*”--Ed.] and I think that’s a line that’s missing and (honestly) needed to make players understand Karateka’s place in history.

That said, what’s there is still fascinating. It’s simply a matter of curatorial choice. It’s obviously challenging to try and make an Apple II game chime with audiences in 2023, and the choice here was made to not just release Karateka with a “museum” glued on and I’d agree it’s more likely than not in that situation new players don’t go into the game with the right mindset. But I’m not sure that going for the “museum” first angle is correct either. While, yes, you can absolutely click through to a menu and just play Karateka straight away, the experience is absolutely not framed like that, and if you play through the “interactive documentary” in order, you spend a long time playing prototypes of Deathbounce, a game that Jordan Mechner never actually manages to make any good!

It’s a strange priority, and I think it comes from locking the interactive documentary into a strictly chronological format. No one is asking for my advice, but I think there’s a middle-ground here, and I think it’s the Turner Classic Movies system. You know how you used to turn on TCM and then like, Robert Osborne would be there, and he’d explain how this random Humphrey Bogart movie was actually very interesting, and then suddenly you’re watching Sahara and really enjoying it?

I think that’s what I’m imagining. You load this up, you get a nice intro, an explainer, and then you’re playing Karateka. Then once you stop playing it (you don’t have to finish it or anything) it goes straight into the documentary, armed with knowledge of Karateka. Deathbounce makes more sense once you’ve played Karateka. You can actually see the evolution because you know how far he was able to go!

So, yes, my main complaint with The Making of Karateka is simply one of pacing and structure and awkward priorities, the last of which is most exemplified by another example: the inclusion of modern remakes of both Deathbounce and Karateka. Structured as it is, I have to question whether they were worth the time and expense?

(An immediate aside as I discuss this. Retro re-releases are getting wildly disparate in pricing now. Arcade Archives are putting out excellent stand-alone titles for $8, but you also have ININ putting out a bare-bones version of Cannon Dancer for an absurd $30, so it’s actually a bit hard to declare the correct value of a re-release, and how much extra value remakes or improvements offer in terms of how much you can charge versus how much it costs to produce…)

The Deathbounce remake doesn’t feel simply unnecessary, it feels counter-intuitive to the thrust of the documentary. It doesn’t succeed in making Deathbounds good, and the lesson I read from this section is that Mechner spends far too long trying to make a simple arcade game into something more rather than just releasing his first version quickly (which is probably the most fun version!) and just ends up with something that’s kind of a bloated mess, and seemingly far from his goals. The “what if” here is “what if a mess, but it��s 2023.”

The Karateka remake, however, is fantastic… it’s just that it is basically at the end of the entire museum and it wasn’t until I got there that I even knew it existed! Developer Mike Mika has done exactly what he set out to do, which is to make a hyper-smooth version of Karateka that feels like it was developed for an ideal VGA PC in the early 90s, and it includes a brilliant director’s commentary system (there’s an entire director’s commentary for the Apple II Karateka too, but it’s not particularly highlighted, which is a bit of a shame–although you just watch a playthrough for that one). 

It makes the game really accessible (perhaps too easy to play, even) but by the time I got to it it felt completely redundant! Sure it’s slow, but Apple II Karateka is perfectly playable, and the director’s commentary in the remake even just recounts a bunch of stuff you’ve already learned. So the whole thing feels like it’s working at cross purposes to the rest of the release–like they could have simply released a remake, but something changed their minds about doing that, and it ended up here as essentially bonus content.

If it really comes down to it, though, this is all just my classic “well, this isn’t exactly how I want it” complaints, and I sincerely hope the “Gold Series” can be sustainable enough to continue–perhaps this is as much a proof of concept as anything. I’m just not sure they actually need to put in this much effort, as counter-intuitive as that sounds. 

Will I ever play it again? From an educational standpoint, I sort of wish there was just a folder with all the materials in it to refer to rather than having to walk the halls of the digital museum each time, but there’s stuff here that I’ll return to, absolutely.

Final Thought: Actually, a (much needed!) re-release of MULE, for example, could benefit from an expansive museum and including a remake (which should be front and center if they do, the original is a much harder sell than even Karateka) but for many games–and I think in the end Karateka felt like this for me–a Turner Classic Movies-style release would be enough. Either way, I’m still going to show up every time.

Support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi! You can pick up a digital copy of exp. 2600, a zine featuring all-exclusive writing at my shop, or join as a supporter at just $1 a month and get articles like this a week early.

[speakyskelly-1999]

Okay so the one peice live action is insane to me

I've never watched the anime nor really intended to as it's super long, for one, and for two, not the biggest fan of the art style, I know I'll get hate for that (it's in of the shows like JoJo that's I'll come to like the art style the more I watch it and get into the characters but it's too long to do so rn)

And so the trailer if the live action comes out and it looks funny as fun so I try it with two of my friends (the one who's seen like 80 episodes of one peice and the other one who eventually wants to try it)

Friend who likes one peice hates the fact that it's not accurate enough (which like tbf fair but like when as an accurate live action been good)

Friend who wants to try it is more accepting of it not being a shot for shot remake stating that how while the cowboy Bebop adaptation was good, she respected it for dong it's own story (which I also do)

(I also respect it for star trek reasons)

Now I on the other hand... I kind of love the live action. Let's be real it's not great. I have only seen one episode but erm you know. Some of the CGI could be better. I feel like the acting prowess varies from scene to scene. (I'm not shitting on them it's just a bit rough around the edges) (context I use to do acting) and nothing is gonna be able to achieve the hype that the first private if the Caribbean generated fist came out.

However, I absolutely love it. It's so gay and just silly and goofy and I will be watching all of it like the minute my friends go home

Now Tumblrs reaction. To get back to the point

So I don't remember if I found out about this show via the Netflix adverts like trailers for it or one of my friends texting me "why on earth is Luffy on my Tumblr feed?" And then for me to subsequently go onto my Tumblr I'm look up the little luffy tab and go omg that making a One Piece live action w"ell I have to see this."

Just slowly watching as each day Tumblr put up a different character to like slowly count down to when the show came out and then the show came out and you can see it was all just the Netflix posts about one piece on Tumblr which was insane to me when I looked at it this morning.

An obviously I didn't bother to tune in for when they put every single character up. I saw when Nami was put up and when Zoro was put up and that was about it.

So then to go on the hashtag on PS because it's like the top trending hashtag on Tumblr at the moment and for so many people to be complaining about the The clown buggy is hilarious to me because I've never had an issue with clowns personally and I know Japan doesn't have a fear of clowns at all and they do just occasionally put clowns in the media and then for Tumblr to be like weird and freaked out going "Get him off my dash use ad blocked to get him off my data right now" so so funny

Also while watching it my friend discribed buggy as hatsune miku jack Nicholson looking clown ass was very funny

[imonlyherebecauseofthisbandilike]

#2000 is A Lot of rats. that's two thousand smart little individuals with distinct personalities#I really really hope they were treated well. I can't really imagine any way they would ethically house and adequately care for 2000 rats#on a film set#like. the absolute minimum recommended cage size is two cubic feet per rat. I do not think they had that much cage space#let alone the correct set-up#I mean maybe I'm being too pessimistic. I certainly hope the rat actors have loving homes outside of that job#I just have my doubts is all#oh. I just looked this up and there were actually Five Thousand rats#ugh the director also said he 'didn't know rats are incontinent' they are NOT#article says 'having 5000 rats instead of 2000 also means that the level of discomfort in the castle scene is even higher than imagined'#shut the hell your mouth#they can be litter trained and naturally select a toilet corner in their space. if they pee on you that's on purpose :)#anyway I can't find anything about the housing conditions of these rats#all I can find are articles that call their use of live rats Disgusting and Disturbing#(in a complimentary way seeing as this is a horror movie)#and peta protests against the depiction of rats as disease carriers#which as much as I hate agreeing with them is also a decent point I guess.#but I care more about how the actual living animals that they used for their film were treated#love seeing rat actors if it's a few obviously well loved little guys scurrying across the floor towards a treat off camera#five thousand is a lot of rats.#anyway sorry to be a downer on this post. i just had some thoughts

Hopefully this is not a 1979 remake situation (they were treated horribly).

Merry 2000 Trained Rats, everybody

[noblechaton]

Persona 3 Reload - finished!

I have a lot on my mind regarding this game and a lot has happened since I started it too so uh

as with P5R, I'mma just do a big ol' writeup of my thoughts!

to get straight to the point and dispel anything my admittedly brief/thin liveblogging might indicate otherwise - I love this game. I really love this game. I have issues, of course, but yeah. this is one of those that'll stick with me, and I don't regret my time spent in the least

I went into this having very little knowledge of the original or any of the ports/etc., likely because 4 and (obviously) 5 were just that much more popular. I knew the original kinda started or refined a lot of the trends and mechanics seen and further refined in the later games, I knew Aigis was in it, but that was kinda it as far as what I knew beforehand (beyond some cast announcements and such of course)

so I was pretty blind and had no idea what to expect - and that was for the best, I feel. getting to experience this game outright without any bias for the original or what have you is probably the best way to approach it; I know a lot of staunch P3 fans who hate this game for one reason or another, for example, but obviously my view on it isn't really colored by what came before

....sort of

I tried not to let P5R linger too hard in my thoughts while playing P3R, but it's kinda hard not to compare the two given, y'know. they're in the same series, lmao. I actually found it fun seeing where a lot of things I loved about P5R sorta stem from, that I could trace elements back to this game was really neat, and I will say that while I think I like P5R a bit more overall - first timer's bias and all that, I'm sure - both are so similar and yet so different, more so than I'd expected

there's some basics that I learned from my time with P5R that helped here - related to persona fusion, social links, that sorta stuff. but P3R is very much its own beast in a lot of ways, it differs so heavily that I can say there are things it does leagues better than P5R - just as well as I can say I think P5R does things better than it. the social element is obviously way better in P5R, there's so much more to do that I actually ran out of things to do in P3R well before the end lmao

but again, it's kinda not fair to compare them - this is largely untouched from what I know, but it's also kinda...not?

again, I don't know the ins and outs of the original release(s) of 3, but I know some things were altered, removed or added just as well - and I think that's kind of a problem I came away with, in that I feel like this game is trying too hard to be a simple remaster while just as well trying to be a remake; I imagine it tries to straddle this line in the presumed hopes of delivering the "one true Persona 3 experience", but I don't think it should have or that it needed to if only because that was never gonna work - for me and those like me who have never played any of the originals, sure, this is probably the only P3 we'll ever experience, but there's a lot in the audience who already have "their" P3, too

but I also kinda like that there's multiple versions of this game, this story, that you can find one you like more, that every version is its own and can be the "one, true P3 experience" for you. like, I think I'd have liked Kotone a bit more than Makoto, tbh, from what little I've heard about her, and it's a shame they didn't include her, but I don't feel her not being here robbed my experience necessarily, that the lack of a fatigue system made things worse (or better, tbh), etc., it only makes this version more unique and better catered to certain players

which is why I wish they'd have leaned more into being this being its own thing, like there were moments that absolutely could have done with some touchups and things they could have taken out but didn't in the name of a faithfulness they were never gonna be able to fulfill. this doesn't lower my opinion on the game or anything, but it does make me wonder just what might have been if they'd not felt the need to beholden themselves to the original

which does lead me into some of my actual gripes - the pacing is kinda bad, I like the slower nature early on but it kinda stays slow until about the third act, and that third act sorta starts with maybe the single worst written series of cutscenes I've seen in my entire life lmao. I won't touch on it due to spoilers and my fondness of preserving experiences for others, but that shit was rough. there's other moments like it, too, and a lot of instances of wondering why the characters are holding still, not really reacting or doing anything. I also felt really disappointed with Strega, a really cool concept that just completely faltered in execution - I'd also say similar of Tartarus, which grew dull after the early hours and never really improved from there

but none of those felt as egregious to me as Makoto McProtag staying dead fucking silent through, basically, the entire game. he has a voice, they use it in places, and yet he stays this blank, silent protagonist even when it just straight up doesn't work and it bothered me just how quiet the guy was - even Ren McP5R felt like he could actually speak despite similarly staying quiet. I dunno, given the situations he ends up in, I found myself wishing he would just say something

but that comes with the territory, I suppose, and isn't really game breaking or anything - my largest issue is really some of those later attempts at twists and how things don't always feel that well gelled together, more so as if attached by string on a conspiracy board. due to the whole "30 days between big story events" thing, it feels as if the wheels are just sorta spinnin' for a while

yet, I came away from this game satisfied, all the same, sad and yet happy - bittersweet, for sure

because this I feel is a case where the parts within the game are better than the whole - where the main narrative fails or dips with offscreen happenings and sudden cults, the cast shines. they're all handled so well, so maturely, even most of the social links carry that same vibe. and I wanna harp on that, that the game feels so mature - P5R did, sure, but I wasn't expecting this game to handle itself just as well as it does

Junpei is a great example of a guy who develops so well, he goes from such a shithead to a fully fleshed out best friend type in a way that feels so satisfying - and yet the same can be said of the rest of the cast, too. I loved Fuuka having a whole thing with a side character, I loved Yukari and Mitsuru growing together, everything about Sanada, Shinjiro and Ken was strong, and Aigis, man. classic notes, sure, but played really well. I suppose Koro's a bit of the odd dog out, but he's....a literal dog. so like, it was always gonna be hard to do much with him, lmao, but I love him all the same

so I don't think it's a stretch to say that this game was carried for me by the character moments and the cast itself. for every pitfall in the main narrative, for as sluggish as it could get, the cast made up for it and then some, and I think that's why despite my issues with the third act, I teared up during the ending sequence, even while speaking to the social links I'd completed who weren't main cast. almost all of them are so endearing in such well realized ways, nobody feels like some Saturday morning cartoon character or wholly stagnant as a person, which is fitting given the themes at play in this game, and I'm really happy to say that those all came together really well for me

now, this is where it gets kinda personal

because, at least to me and how I took it, Persona 3 Reload is a story about maturity and change, about growing up and growing old, about morality and mortality. I don't think I could have picked a "better" time to play this game if I had tried

bluntly, since I started playing P3R, I lost my dad, my diseased sister who struggled at times to breathe and surely hadn't had high expectations for her future had a successful lung transplant, and it looks as if I'm going to be living anywhere else but where I am now and in short order, too. life has certainly changed for me, and I've been brushed, again, by mortality and the human condition

which, again, is what this game is kinda all about, and why I think it speaks to me in spite of my issues with it. it's not perfect in the least, I have problems with the narrative and the pacing, and yet as I watched that last scene, I teared up all the same. so much of this game resonated with me in ways I never would have expected, I came to relate so much with so many in the cast, I feel so closely linked to the protagonist despite my qualms with how he was handled

the core of this game, its cast and style and themes, is so strong that any issue I had otherwise was overwhelmed, made small in comparison. I sat there as the credits finally rolled, as Memories of You blessed my ears for what was thankfully the first time, with a shiver up my spine and tears welling in my eyes, wearing a smile I know is tired and weary, but that I wore all the same

because, despite it all, I enjoyed my time here, with this game and the life that's kinda ending with it. because this game and its cast spoke so much more to me than I ever could have expected, and I know I'll look fondly back on these characters for the rest of my life.

because I don't know what my future holds, for maybe the first time in my entire life I can't envision my own tomorrow, but I'm gonna carry on all the same. keep the faith, even when there's not any. do what I gotta do for those I'm connected with. be there, for those that I love

cuz, really, that's what life's all about

[honkhonkrichard]

Theory: Stanley Uris was Murdered.

Tagging @vvanini I hope you can follow this okay it’s very word vomity lol

Okay So TW because this post will touch on Stan's death ad the methods behind it

I propose that Stan Uris was murdered. by IT. In his home on that fateful night. I think that Stan posed the biggest threat to IT and therefore IT felt the need to take him out before the battle even started.

Allow me to explain.

Okay, so, I need to lay out some basic "rules" or "facts" before I make my case. They are as follows.

- IT planted it's roots in Derry, and finds it difficult to leave, but still can at it’s own wil.  If you read the book (I honestly don't blame you if you haven't) You'd know that once the Losers kill IT for the final time, Derry (the Physical town) is obliterated. Buildings explode, sinkholes appear, things are flooded. The town is in ruins by the time that the Losers leave the sewers. The movies don't adapt this so If this is news to you thats fine. the bottom line is that destroying IT destroys Derry, like ripping a tree out of the ground with all it's roots. Because of this, we can make the claim that while it can Leave Derry (as it does every 27 years) it probably takes tremandous amount of power to do so, which is why IT only goes when the cycle is over. Why does this matter? Well, what if IT left Derry to get to Stan? The murders had stopped for about a week when they're all in the Jade of the Orient. Plenty of time for IT to cross from Maine to Georgia. Side Note: We KNOW IT leaevs Maine to elsewhere in the world because of King's extended universe all interconnecting. it's not far off at all to make the claim that IT is the same evil that haunts, say The Shining's Overlook Hotel, which is in Colarado.

- IT is omnipresent This is also a given, IT lives everywhere, and can fuck with time and space in godlike (or maybe eldritch like) ways. in IT: Chapter Two, when Mike claims "IT Doesn't know I know what I know" he's unfortunately wrong, because we know that IT can be in A) Multiple places at once, B) can manipulate anything on the drop of a hat (See: Stan being teleported away from everyone else in Chapter One, Everything about Neibolt, etc) and C) Knows everyone's deep fears. This is further proven by IT Saying things like "Beep Beep Richie" (although this is Horribly Horribly executed in the films, ugh.) and so on and so forth. On top of all of this, We can make the claim that IT can exist outside of Time as well, given that IT is immortal. SO, what's stopping IT from Knowing Mike was going to call them all back (Espically considering that IT TOLD Mike to do this?). Even if we keep IT's omnipresence to the location that IT inhabits (in this case Derry) IT would still have knowledge of where the losers are through Mike. And if you take the Lucky Seven/Chosen Seven route (oh my god I got theories on that too) you could argue IT knows where they are inherently due to their cosmic status.

- Stan is the "most Powerful" loser So, obviously all the Loser's are powerful, espically considering they're the ones who Defeat IT (Again going on to the Lucky/Chosen Seven theory). This next claim is going to be less focused on what the 2019/2017 Movies do because they are Bad Movies and that's a whole other rant. However, in the book, Stan is (to my knowledge feel free to correct me on any of this) the only loser to Actively ward off and 'defeat' IT on his own without running away. He uses his belief in this what is Real (birds) to ward off what is "not real" (IT). The other losers do manage to take down IT in their own Right, but Stan is ultimately the one to Really get IT. This is because Stan's character revolves around Belief and Willpower. These are, in some form or another, the ways to Defeat IT. the ritual of Chud is a battle of Wills. in the book, Bill takes IT down and Eddie does the final blow. In the Remake (ugh) the losers can defeat it Technically using the belief that IT isn't as powerful as it claims because IT's "just a clown" (Ihatethatfuckingendingsomuchugh). Stan being much more skeptical than the rest of the group in his ability to understand Reality vs IT's illusions is a powermove, and IT knows that ability doesn't go away as Stan grows up, but rather he gets more powerful. Stan is the Only loser out of the 6 who left that has any sort of knowledge about IT, where the other losers have nothing. Bev has nightmares, yes, but she still forgets them. We're told in his chapter (Chapter 3, Six Phone Calls (1985), Part One: Stanley Uris Takes a Bath) that he has some hazy knowledge of his place in the Lucky Seven, and even goes so far as to MENTION it sometimes, even if he doesn't quite remember or understand any of it, his knowledge of IT and Derry is worlds more prominent than that of the rest of the losers.

(page 52 of IT:  "Stanley, nothing's wrong with your life!"  "I don't mean from inside." he said. "From inside is fine. I'm talking about outside. Something that should be over and isn't. I wake up frmo these dreams and think, 'My whole pleasent life has been nothing but the eye of some storm I don't understand.' I'm afraid. But then it just... fades. The way dreams do." OR  page 45: He had been smiling a little. Now the smile faltered, and for a moment he seemed puzzled. His eyes had darkened, as if he looked inward, consulting some interior device which ticked and whirred correctly but which, ultimately he understood no more than the average man understands the workings of the watch on his wrist. "The turtle couldn't help us," he said suddenly. he said that quite clearly.)

So, Stan has some cosmic knowledge of IT and Maturin and his role in the battle against It. What does any of this have to do with his death? Well, let me point out some other things about Stan's death that always stuck out to me. - His death chapter is narrated by his wife, Patty, rather than himself. The other chapters - almost all the other chapters - are narrated by their respective Loser (the caviot for this is Ben, but Ben is also wasted out of his damn mind so its understandable.) - Stan's personality is few and far between in the book, but we know he has a weird little sense of humour and that he's incredibly logical. I think that this logical part of him would be able to understand that Suicide is Never Ever the answer, and that it would cause FAR more problems than it would solve. (the 2019 movie tries to reexplain his death and it's crap and i hate the letters i hate the letters so much im gonna explode) The other losers try to rationalize his death by saying "He would rather Die Clean than Live Dirty (Page 506, Chapter 10, The Reunion, part 3, 'Ben Hanscom Gets Skinny') but he had already BEEN Dirty when he defeated IT the first time, and I think he would've recognized that. - upon finding him, Patty (in her narration) notes that Stan's head is bent back over the edge of the bathtub, so from his sight she would have been upside down. If Stan DID kill himself, why would he be positioned like that? It's unnatural, like someone Posed him. - the cuts on his arms are two length wise cuts. I'm no expert but.. that's suspicious. That's weird. - IT is written in blood on the wall. Why? Why would Stan right THAT of all things? You know who DOES like to paint with blood? IT.

Alright, returning to my thesis statement, Stanley Uris was murdered. Do I think Stan genuinely was going to take a bath at 7pm (which we're told is weird for him)? Yes. I think that's absolutely a thing he could have done or planned to do. Do I think he slit his wrists and commited suicide so he wouldn't go back to Derry? No. Not even remotely.

Let me paint a New Picture.

It's May 28th, 2016, or 1985. Stanley Uris gets a call from Mike Hanlon. Stan is incredibly hesitant to go to, and says he needs time to think about it. Or tht he'll try. He can feel the starts of a Panic attack, and as he's remembering the circles of Hell he went through as a child, he tries to hold himself together. He doesn't want his darling wife to see his break, so he says "I think I'll take a bath" and nothing else before going upstairs. he hides in the bathroom. He closes and locks the door, because, well, he's panicking. Locking doors is one of The Small things he does. Is it usually the bathroom door? no, but still (OCD is a bitch, and even with medication, but this is a special case). He looks in the mirror and tries to breathe. This is fine. He can do this. They killed IT once before and they can do it again. He thinks about his younger self, the promises made, and how he could explain all of this Patty in time to catch a flight to Maine. It's terrifying, but if his friends are going to bite the dust, he wants to be there with them, wedding vows be Damned. Then he looks at his reflection again. A younger, rotted version of himself stares back at him. IT crawls through the mirror. Stan freaks out, obviously. This isn't real. This Can't be real. But IT utilizes this notion against him. It digs it's claws into his arms, and forces him to bleed out in the bathtub. IT then sets the scene nicely. Razorblades on the counter, a bloody signature on the wall, a horrible posture of Stan's neck. So on and So forth. and then IT returns to Derry. IT's a little weak, yeah, but Stan is dead. That's what matters. the Lucky Seven has now Officially broken, and the balance shifts in favour of the clown.

So that's the theory. feel free to correct me on anything or engage I have plenty of theories on this story and I like discussing this stuff :).

[the-invisible-queer]

THOUGHTS ON WEST SIDES STORY

Spoilers below obviously

First the cast is hot. Is that shocking? No.

I want to see every resume of every Jet because I BET they were all Newsies at some point.

THE LATINOS WERE HOT AND AMAZING

Seeing so many Latino names in the credits made my parents so happy.

I would risk it all for David Alvarez and Josh Andres Rivera.

THE LEGACY OF BERNARDO BEING THE HOTTEST CONTINUES

Every alight towards the Sharks made me want to scream which is good because this film actually established the hate and hostility between the whites and the Puerto Ricans.

The character of Valentine is SO MUCH more important and better than the character of Doc.

Her relationship with Tony was much more fleshed out. The scene when she's teaching him Spanish is so fucking sweet.

I appreciate that the new choreography was reminiscent of the old choreography.

Loved the sets! My dad has a mental map of NYC and knew exactly where everything was.

THE COSTUMES WERE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING

Corey Stoll with hair is something that took me by surprise.

BRIAN D'ARCY JAMES MY BELOVED DID PHENOMENAL AS KRUPKE! Played the clueless cop so well!

Mike Faist, my boy, did a good job as Riff. I very much like his Riff more than the original.

David's Bernardo can not only hold a tiddy he can take me home. Make me his. My ass now belongs to his portrayal of Bernardo.

ARI AS ANITA! Anita is my first comfort character. My first role model. The first time I looked at a Puerto Rican woman and said THATS WHAT I WANT TO BE! She did phenomenally! Her singing, dancing, THE FUCKING OUTFITS

Let's talk about Ansel and Rachel. Yes that man is tall as fuck. Saw him in person like 4ish years ago. Rachel is so beautiful. She had my mom stunned.

They're onscreen chemistry is good. They're Tony and Maria are *chef's kiss*

I loved how Chino was portrayed. He didn't have a personality in the original film. But I this one you saw that he genuinely cared for Maria. And he was a hot nerd. We stan.

Riff's death was ROUGH! Mike performed that scene beautifully.

Tony beating and then when he stabbed Bernardo was a bitch move. I don't give a shit.

AND I STILL SAY WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU MARIA???? THE MAN MURDERED YOUR BROTHER AND YOU REALLY DECIDED TO FUCK HIM????

My beef with this story is Maria barely mours HER FUCKING BROTHER! Like I have two brothers and I cannot imagine pulling the shit she did.

But the morgue scene that they added when Anita has to identify Bernardo's body WAS UNNECESSARY LIKE FUCK

That scene shattered me. Ari did so good.

The everything after the rumble had me fucked up as it always has.

When Anita is being attacked by the Jets AND EVEN THE RACIST JET GIRLS are telling the boys to stop BECAUSE THEY KNEW

When one of the Jets told Anita to "go back where you came from" my mom OUTLOUD said "fuck you"

And then when Anita said "Soy Puertoriqueña" my dad cheered! And normally those outburst would embarrass me but they were both genuine reactions

When Valentina called out the Jets by saying they grew up to be rapists, it was such a STRONG fucking moment.

Tony's death hurt as always.

TO SUMMARIZE THE WEST SIDE STORY REMAKE IS GOOD AND YOU SHOULD SEE IT

It's not perfect but given the subject material and compared to the original IT IS SO FUCKING GOOD

[ronans-sepiaphotograph]

Since @andrews-jort-loving-pipe-dream made the post of Andrew having hobbies and it's been a month that these have been sitting in my drafts so here you go-

Andrew and embroidery:

It's one of their sessions when Andrew eyes the plate of his favourite chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa and Bee sitting with her eyes gleaming. Uh oh something is up, is what he says to himself.

"Come on Bee, say it" "what makes you think I want to say something?" "Bee" "well you got me"

She doesn't get to the point in the next half an hour or so. Yes, he's happy Bee. Yes, he did not forget to feed the cats. Yes, he still hates Neil. Yes, he talks about his feelings sometimes.

"Andrew, what do you think about doing something in your past time?" "I spend my past time being perfectly productive" "Watching Bake off while eating ice cream doesn't really count" "Fine, what proposition do you have?" "Embroidery" "what the fuck?"

Bee chuckles lightly as she hands him a package. There's various types of needles and colourful threads and a few pieces of cloth.

"what am I supposed to do with this?" "Sew things, whatever you like" "and who'll teach me?" "That's upto you. But I think it will help, and you can learn and knit whenever you feel anxious or not okay. Give it a try?" "Fine" "and you give the things you make to me or Neil or any of your foxes" "they're not my foxes" "but they call you theirs, don't they?"

Andrew doesn't know what to say so he just pops a cookie into his mouth, and eyes the box of colourful stuff Bee handed him. It's too much colour and he hates it already but he supposes he can try.

Bee wishes him good luck and Andrew leaves. If he Google's embroidery tutorials on YouTube while sitting in the Maserati, nobody has to know.

He secretly begins practising. And it's not hard because he lives alone and it's Neil's last year at Palmetto. But they visit each other often.

He's frustrated initially because the needle hole is so goddamn small and half the time when he's trying to sew he's just stabbing himself with the needle. It takes him a good two weeks when he can comfortably sew with a needle and threads. He's out of the cloth Bee gave him and he doesn't know anything about embroidery or whatever.

So he steals one of Neil's hoodies when he's visiting one time. Neil won't notice anyway because he wears Andrew's clothes most of the times. Andrew latches the chest of the hoodie into the wooden ring and locks it before turning to his box.

It's an old wooden box he's had for a while, which is currently filled with threats and some beads and needles, all neatly arranged. He had threads in a ton of colours but somehow he likes it.

He picks up the white, grey and pink and grabs a pen and draws rabbit ears on the hoodie. He secretly smiles to himself. He begins to sew and it's grey and white patched rabbit ears with pink in the centre. It looks entirely adorable. He's quite proud of it. He sends Bee a picture before keeping everything away.

He strategically nonchalantly keeps the hoodie in their room so Neil will pick it up.

He obviously does. He's beaming and smiling so wide when he sees the hoodie and the little rabbit ears on it.

"Andrew, did you learn to embroider?" "No" "Andrew" "yes" "I love it, they're adorable" "shut the fuck up"

Neil gives him a thank you kiss. Fucking junkie.

He now wears the hoodie most of the time. Andrew is so annoyed after a week or so he just grabs a couple more of his hoodies and attacks them with his needles and threads.

Soon, a key and then a fox and then a cat appear on Neil's hoodies. Neil can't stop beaming with happiness after Andrew shoves them in his face. Neil looks so happy, Andrew hates him more.

"you should do it more it's really pretty. We should get matching ones" "324% junkie"

He does not oppose the idea.

Renee is so proud of him when he tells her that he's doing this. She tells him to make patches and put pins on them so he can put them anywhere. He just hums in agreement.

After a month, he has a lot of patches made. He gives Bee a few, who instantly pins one of the smaller ones to her dress (it's a bumblebee) and one to her bag and neatly keeps away the others.

He makes little fox faces all while hating the foxes as he knits them aggressively. He has to remake one because it's eyes weren't placed properly.

The foxes meet at Abby's the following Thanksgiving and Andrew drops small packages in various places throughout the house, with everyone's name on the nearly wrapped brown bag.

It's like a game because he literally drops them anywhere. Kevin finds his on the lawn, Matt and Dan's is in the trunk of Matt's car (he finds it two hours later), Allison's in her bag and she searches the whole house because she's the last one who hasn't found hers. Aaron finds his in his coat and so on.

They all collectively beam at Andrew when Wymack tells them who they're from. Of course Bee had to tell her dear friend that Andrew embroidered now. He doesn't mind actually.

All of them get a common fox face and then other things that definitely did not remind Andrew of them. They absolutely geek over each other's patches

"Ally you got a heel" "And Boyd got boxing gloves" "And Kevin got a queen pawn"

He makes them their respective pride flags

Andrew hates them the most that evening.

They all post on their social media about their patches being pinned. Allison's dress, Dan's jacket, Matt's Bandana, Kevin's travel bag, Nicky's refrigerator (he stuck a magnet to it) and Aaron's goes on his phone (Andrew made it for him and Nicky, it's a bunch of Gardenias) (Gardenias symbolise family)

Andrew does not absolutely stop. He makes them when he's anxious and happy, and he enjoys it. Not that he would tell anyone. Bee is so proud of him that he threatens her that he'll stop.

Neil knows he's happy when he sees his foxes all proudly sporting Andrew's creations on their stuff. Neil's bag is covered fully. He actually whines to Andrew about where to put the new ones. They go into his binder that he made for his family of foxes.

For their anniversary (Andrew denies calling it that but anyway), Andrew embroiders two pairs of armbands with a garden of flowers.

They all mean things to him. Family. Friendship. Moving on. Resilience. Loyalty. Truth. Love.

Neil is speechless when Andrew gives them to him.

"I love it Andrew" "400%" "Wasn't it 324% last time?"

[iamanartichoke]

So this is kinda random, but um, do you have any favorite films, and if so, what are they? Also sorry if this is kinda a broad ask, you don't have to answer - no pressure!

I like random! I have a lot of favorite films, tbh, films that I rewatch a lot and films that I forgot about until I rewatched them for the first time in forever and remembered how much I loved them (for example, I started writing a "review" on this 90s movie, Can't Hardly Wait, that I love but forgot about until I found it on Roku a couple of weeks ago, there were gifs and everything, smh, and abandoned it bc I doubt anyone cares lmao). For the sake of being (somewhat) less long-winded than I could be, here's five films that immediately came to mind:

- Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. Just gonna get this one out of the way first bc I am legit embarrassed about it, but it did come to mind immediately bc I just watched it a few nights ago, so in the interest of being transparent, yknow. Like, I'm not proud of this; it's just a lot of stoner/weed jokes, sexual innuendo, and literal toilet humor. It's sorta gross and problematic af and I don't actually recommend it - but, at the time it came out it was a fairly original premise and it's kinda impressive how absolutely random the narrative is while still managing to tell a perfectly cohesive story with beginning, middle, climax, and end. Plus, Kal Penn and John Cho are both charismatic enough to sell it. I do find about 70% of it genuinely funny, bc my sense of humor is trash, but. *helpless shrug* (Incidentally, I did not like the sequel and didn't bother watching the 3rd installment; the first time around, the material was original and funny; the second time around, it was just gratuitously trying to cash in on what made the first film good and it shows.)

- Little Women (1994). Until I die, this will be one of my most beloved films. It has been not only a favorite film but a comfort film since I was a teenager, and everything about it is beautiful. I think that the casting was perfection, the story was done so well, the acting was on point, and the music is gorgeous yet heartrending. A few years ago, when I was living in Boston, I got the opportunity to visit the Louisa May Alcott house in Concord, which was an amazing experience. I'm so emotionally attached to this film that I refuse to watch the Little Women remake that came out last year or whenever. I'm sure it's a wonderful film, but the 1994 version is just too dear to me, and that bias would certainly color any reaction I had to the update.

- Breakfast at Tiffany's. I love Breakfast at Tiffany's. I first discovered it when I was a teenager bc I was really into Jennifer Love Hewitt as a teen (I'm dating myself) and she did an Audrey Hepburn biopic, which led me into an Audrey Hepburn obsession, and well. I think that the film is so well done and perfectly captures this tangible sort of quintessential experience of New York in the 60s. Moon River, in all its forms, will never not tug on my heartstrings. What I also like too, though, is that I did read and fall in love with the original novel and though the film takes its own liberties and differs a lot from the novel, it doesn't diminish the quality of either? Each incarnation tells a good, solid story. I also like that they can stand alone; you don't have to have read the book to understand and enjoy the film, and obviously vice versa.

- Serenity. I haven't watched this in its entirety in a hot minute but I was watching clips from it about a week ago, hence it springing to mind. Serenity is very well-written and hits all the right emotional punches, but I will say that those emotional punches land due to the film being an extension/conclusion to Firefly. I adored Firefly and I love that we were able to get a film to show how those characters' stories wrapped up. (That said, I know some Firefly fans hated it, which - well. Subjectivity and all.) I think this film has all the best Joss Whedon elements - drama and tragedy perfectly balanced with sharp wit and genuinely funny comedic relief, satisfying character arcs (and development in general), and no one is safe from a sudden, shocking death (in 2005, this "trope" was actually outside of the norm and the shocking deaths hit hard and mattered, unlike today where everyone and their mother shockingly dies at least once), plus the cast is incredible and the score a thing of beauty.

- The Dark Knight. When this movie first came out in theatres, I probably went to see it no less than 12 times. I like the entire Nolan Batman trilogy but the Dark Knight is the best one and also just a really well-done film in general. I adore Christian Bale and loved him as Batman (he gets a lot of flack, mostly for the voice, but imho he was the best Batman, I will not be taking constructive criticism on this opinion), and I had been a Heath Ledger fan since The Patriot (another of my favorite films, now that I think of it) and thought his Joker was flawless. Plus, it's so damn quotable; it's impressive to me how many quotes from that movie have become part of the modern cultural zeitgeist, in that at this point they exist almost independently from the source material and just belong to everyone and everything. "Some men just want to watch the world burn," "You either die a hero ..." etc.

... so yeah.

I truly apologize for the length of this answer. But thank you for the ask and the opportunity to ramble (and procrastinate at work)!

reblog if you want your followers to ask you anything they’re curious about.

[hidingoutbackstage]

infodump to be about resident evil handsome <3

Ohhhh my gosh where to start.

Honestly I'm just gonna talk about my favorite characters and why I like them, and also the problems I have with them

It'll be under the cut, for those who don't care lol

Gonna start with Rebecca because she's the fave that I have the most issues with. I really like her character, she's smart, she's strong, she's a good fighter, and she's witty, and for all of those reasons she's fun to watch and play as. My issues with her are that Capcom has absolutely no clue what to do with her. She's a side character in the first game that doesn't get to do much except get told to stay out of the way, in her own game, RE0, she's literally the main character but ends up feeling like a supporting character for Billy's arc, and holy fuck is she nerfed in Vendetta. She has that scene at the school making the antidote in the lab, and has a good scene where she fights off some zombies before hiding and getting rescued. She tells Chris what she knows and they go find Leon before she gets kidnapped and gets to do absolutely nothing else for the rest of the film. She's a damsel in distress, is almost forced to marry the villain because she looks like his fridged wife, and is infected with the virus and rendered immobile until Chris and Leon rescue her. Like that entire scene she's just sitting on the table writhing and moaning makes me so uncomfortable. Capcom made a great character, they just didn't know what to do with her (and apparently STILL DON'T considering she's not even in Welcome to Raccoon City) Also, can she not be older? It's impressive that she graduated from college at 18, it shows her incredible intellect, but that doesn't mean she has to be 18 in the first game, does it? Can she not be more adult-like? Idk

Next is Claire. Claire is great! Claire I have less issues with, considering the franchise has been nicer to her character recently. Obviously the peak of her character was in the RE2 remake, but she had other great moments too, I liked her a lot in the darkside chronicles, but also like Rebecca, it seems like the game doesn't always know how to use her character, or end up sidlining her for the male characters. Example, Code Veronica, she's fine, but she's way too broken up about Steve imo (maybe I just hate him) and once she's reunited with Chris she's kind of a player 2 to him. And in Revelations 2 she's kind of just a catalyst for change in Moira. And holy fuck don't get me started on how nerfed she was in Infinite Darkness. She is TOTALLY the B story to Leon's A story and even has her damsel in distress moment with the acid. I liked the ending of ID and I liked the story but I just wish there'd been more Claire.

Leon is fine, I love his character arc from RE2 to Vendetta and all the bits in between, I just think because he's so popular it gets exhausting lmao like Capcom knows how popular he is so they milk it for all it's worth and with there being so many fans there's obviously going to be a lot that I don't like/don't agree with. That's probably splitting hairs though, I do think he's the best-written and best handled RE character Capcom has by far

Jill Valentine my sweet summer child you deserve so much better. She's never been overly sexualized (if you don't count whatever the fuck was going on in RE5) which like. The bar is on the floor but something about Capcom's treatment of her character always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. The character herself is fantastic, do NOT get me wrong, I just wish Capcom had done things differently like not make her version of the RE1 playthrough "easy" mode or not incapacitated her for days in RE3 making her totally useless (not that I don't mind playing as Carlos, mind you) her popularity is well earned, I wish there was less fanart that sexualized her but whatever, and I love her friendship with Chris, definitely one of my top 3 platonic RE relationships.

Chris needs to stop being in so much RE content or I'm gonna go insane. There rlly was no reason to include him in RE7 other than to connect it more to the other games, but his "not a hero" dlc is pretty alright. Obviously his inclusion in 7 led to his role in 8 and oh my g-d I cannot forgive that ridiculous plot point of not telling Ethan about Miranda impersonating his wife. It's so dumb. His rivalry with Wesker never felt earned, but it was always entertaining to see. His rivalry with Arias was fucking stupid and completely unearned (I know they only had one movie to make it happen but still. I love that movie and hate it all at once) Also RE5 is unforgivable except for giving us Sheva so y'know Chris is a mixed bag for me.

Ada is a great character that gets treated like absolute shit. I love morally grey characters, and Ada is a great example of one, and the fandom almost always ruins her somehow, or Capcom finds ways to use her that I typically just personally don't like (like honestly that Ada clone shit in RE6 is ridiculous and totally unnecessary) She's done fantastically in RE2 remake which I love, and I'm honestly glad Capcom somewhat knew to pull the reigns when it came to the idea to have her in RE8 that was ultimately scrapped (it would've made no sense, it was ridiculous, I would not have liked it) so Ada is also another mixed bag for me. I also wish she had more of a connection to this stuff than (for the most part) Leon. Her mission doesn't always involve him, but she's only ever really there when he is, and it irks me.

Ethan Winters sucks and I don't like him and don't care about him and the whole RE7&8 fandom is wrong for liking them and yes that includes my boyfriend

Sorry about that. He's a fine character, he's a protagonist you wanna root for, especially in 8, but man do he and his story get on my nerves.

Alcina was just fanservice and gamerbait and for that reason I can't bring myself to like her, sorry guys. Same goes for Heisenberg even though he was less fanservice-y and a little more interesting than Alcina

Yeah that's all I got, if you read through all this, I am kissing you on the mouth

[sunnysaylorboy]

my opinion on/a surprisingly passionate defense of Mulan (2020) (SPOILERS)

I’ve seen a lot of ppl ragging on the new Mulan for so many reasons, so I will go over why these (mostly) are stupid reasons and why I love the new movie.

1. Liu Yifei supporting the Hong Kong police. Now this is not a stupid reason, this is valid. I am an East Asian studies major, and as much as I love Disney, when I first heard the news I knew I could not watch Mulan (2020) in good conscience. It went against everything I have learned in my studies, and everything I believe. However, now I am almost positive Liu Yifei was forced to make those comments- I've seen several sources saying so recently. You can look for these sources on your own, because this isn’t the whole point of my post, but I think it's true. A movie about a woman defying her government and social expectations of the time? Hong Kong citizens could absolutely use her as a symbol for protesting against China. It makes sense that the government would take preventative measures before this could happen. But anyways, I was not planning on watching Mulan (2020) until I found out that what she said was most likely fake/forced.

2. The removal of Mushu. Yes, I too miss Mushu but I completely understand why they did that. A lot of ppl make these sort of complaints about the live action remakes not using humor in the same way as the original, but that’s bc it doesn’t translate well. Humor in animated movies is exaggerated or silly, and it works in that medium but if you do the exact same in a live action film, it will come off as too slapstick. Think Will Ferrell in Elf (still a good movie). Mushu’s whole character is based off of this humor that appeals more to kids, and it would have really made the dialogue with him super cringey. and I know if they made him a more serious supportive character people would've complained about that too, so I understand why they did it.

3. The removal of Li Shang. I miss our bisexual boy too, but I actually think they did a really great job with the new guy Honghui. The directors removed Li Shang because he is in a sense, Mulan’s boss, and they felt that it was too much like the #MeToo movement, which I applaud. At first I was upset that supposedly this new character would be a jerk to Mulan until he found out she was a girl, but that's not what happened in the film fortunately. Honghui and Mulan start off on the wrong foot but they grow as comrades and sort-of friends, and Honghui is the first to stick by Mulan’s side when she reveals who she is. Even if there aren’t as many signals of him being bi, I think they progressed their relationship nicely. (I was sorta hoping for a kiss at the end though).

4. Mulan’s “chi.” Apparently people do not like that Mulan already has a sort of warrior streak inside of her already, as opposed to the 1998 version where she struggles to get used to the army. I think this is an overgeneralization. Mulan does struggle to become a soldier, as we can see in the training montage. Similar to the pole and the arrow at the top, she cannot reach the top of the mountain carrying the buckets with her arms outstretched like everyone else at first- then when she manages to do it, she knows she has proven herself. Plus, I like that they gave her more character. We don’t see any of Mulan’s childhood years in the original, so it is a little hard to understand why she is such an outcast. She only had one incident with the matchmaker and suddenly she is questioning her identity. But the 2020 version establishes that Mulan has been different from the start and everyone has known it since then. It makes it more believable that she brings dishonor on her family so easily. And just because she has strong chi doesn’t necessarily mean she is already a warrior. She is told to hide her chi as a child, and she does not tap into it easily- her commanding officers can sense something is holding her back. She is special, yes, but she isn’t “the chosen one.” She still works hard and she still relies a lot on her strategy instead of brute force just like in the animated version.

5. Lack of musical numbers. I do miss the musical numbers. But they did well with incorporating the musical themes from the original into the movie. The little “Honor to Us All” theme playing while she gets ready for the matchmaker? Perfect. The bit of “Reflection” playing when she reaches the top of mountain? Beautiful. And “Reflection” playing at the end when she is recognized as a hero? I was bawling. Also, this isn’t the first remake that Disney hasn’t made as a musical- the 2015 Cinderella did not include “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” (except in the credits like Mulan did), or “Bibbidi-Bobbido-Boo,” or “So This is Love.” I know that Cinderella is an older movie and may not be as beloved to this generation as Mulan, but those song are still incredibly iconic to the Disney brand and I didn't see anyone complaining about those songs being removed. Idk, I don’t think it’s a big enough deal to be upset over it, especially because they included instrumentals of the songs for the live-action version.

6. The addition of the witch. I can’t believe people are complaining about the personification of the hawk from the first movie- seriously, watch the remake and you’ll see how great Xian Liang’s character is. I love the parallels drawn between her and Mulan. Despite fighting for opposite sides, she sees herself in Mulan, and Mulan sees how she might end up if she had chosen the route of evil. I think they did it wonderfully and I’m definitely not gay for Gong Li...

7. The cost. This one, I understand. $30 is a lot to pay for a movie, but I get it because they’re losing money from not going to theaters for a few months. I paid the $30 because I felt like I had waited long enough to see it, I was foaming at the mouth the night of its release, and I had $30 I was willing to spend on it. Ofc Disney is a multi-million dollar company, so I don’t begrudge anyone pirating it bc screw capitalism.

I just had to get this off my chest because so many criticisms of this film seem so unjustified, weak, or deliberately negative. I swear, not just with Mulan, I see so many people who hate the live-action remakes- it’s like they’re trying to find things to hate about them, and I'm frankly getting sick of it. Like damn bitch why you gotta be so negative about everything?? The acting is great, the music is phenomenal and timeless, the costumes are so extravagant, the action sequences make you hold your breath in anticipation... y'all will find anything to whine about and I'm TIRED. And it seems like some of y'all are purposefully ignoring WHY they made these changes. These changes were made to adhere to the Legend of Mulan more closely, to make up for some of the racial insensitivity/cultural inaccuracies in the original, and to appeal to their Asian audience. the 1998 version is a VERY Americanized way to tell they story- so stop complaining, you got “your version” that appeals to you.

Some things I loved were

1. Mulan’s sister. It’s not often we see Disney princesses with siblings. Even though she didn’t have much screen time, I loved Xiu and the relationship she had with Mulan.

2. The phoenix symbolism. In Mulan (1998), there is heavy dragon symbolism as Mulan is preparing to run away to the army. This insinuates that Mulan is the dragon, the protector of the family, and that is why the Great Stone Dragon doesn’t awaken later. In this version, she is instead guarded and represented by a phoenix. In Chinese mythology (correct me if I'm wrong), the phoenix stands for yin and yang, harmony and is often the female counterpart to the dragon. The wings specifically represent duty, which is why the wings of the phoenix spread behind Mulan when she saves the emperor singlehandedly. Though I don’t know if they intended this, in Greek mythology the phoenix is a symbol of death and rebirth. Mulan is reborn again as Hua Jun, but ultimately in this version she is not discovered as a girl, she chooses to fight as one. The moment she does, “Hua Jun died, and Mulan was born again,” as she sees the phoenix once more. Mulan is the phoenix, and she brings harmony after defeating the Rourans. It’s beautiful.

3. The avalanche scene. A lot of the battle scene was different, but I loved that they kept in the avalanche from the original. Mulan’s planning in this one shows how big her brain is, and how well her strategy works.

4. Xian Liang and Honghui. As I already mentioned, I really loved how they portrayed these characters.

5. The fight scenes. God they really got the perfect actress to play Mulan. Liu Yifei leaning back to avoid an arrow from a Rouran? Impeccable. Mulan’s display of her techniques when she and Honghui get into it when they’re supposed to be practicing? So cool. 

All in all, I loved this movie just like I love all of the other Disney princess live-action remakes. Disney obviously spent a lot of money on the action sequences, the costumes, the backgrounds, the historical accuracies, the casting, the storyline, everything is amazing. I will definitely be watching again.

[gggno]

SUPPLEMENTARY / forgery.

it has been three days since xingqiu purchased a five-volume publication from his favourite wanwen bookhouse, and being the bookworm he is, he has spent all of them holed up in his room, immersed in a new, flavourful adventure.

to his family, this is just as natural as the change of seasons. as long as xingqiu is still eating, they are not bothered. every time xingqiu falls into periods of seclusion, several people come to check on him. lately, a new visitor has joined the roster.

to be visited by an adeptus is surprising enough, moreso when it’s the lonesome yaksha who claimed “ lantern rite is meaningless ” and refused to come to the harbour on the ceremonial night of his own festival.

( is lantern rite about xiao? that depends on who you ask. to xingqiu, he finds it endearing and fitting: remove the demons and rain some love on him — there you have it, the xiao lantern festival. )

nonetheless, xingqiu gets it. if you were away from the crowd for eons, you would be anxious to get close too.

what is more surprising than xiao showing up, is that he shows up with a request, something obviously only the bestselling writer — only in inazuma! — chenqiu can pull off.

“ you want me to write you a story? ” xingqiu blinks once, then twice, still baffled by the yaksha’s request. for a few seconds, all he can do is stare — the ever reclusive xiao has decided this was such an important matter that he personally came by liyue to seek his pen.

xiao never asks for help, let alone favours. naturally, this must be significant. after a year of dedicated offerings, xingqiu seems to have finally softened the adeptus’s shell — this progress leaves xingqiu giddy inside, and he could not have said yes any faster.

“ what kind of story? who is the main character? do you want to be the main character? how many chapters? ” overjoyed by his first ever commission — not to mention for someone he absolutely adores — xingqiu launches into a series of questions. he digs through his drawers at the same time, grabbing his notebook and starts to scribbling like a mad man.

though already used to the human’s antics, xiao is still amused by xingqiu’s display of passion and commitment. however, the lightness on his features is short lived. 

 “ not a long one, ” he elaborates after a moment of thought, eyes narrowing solemnly. “ maybe not even a story. just a scene or two... ” clasping a hand over his mouth, the adeptus falls silent once more.

“ what kind of scenes? ” xingqiu glances up, curiosity simmering in his eyes like molten gold before being made into mora.

for a long while, xiao remains seated quiet. xingqiu knows better than to rush him, so he simply sits there and waits, no matter how impatient he is feeling inside.

then, after a small eternity, xiao speaks again.

“ several hundred years ago, a girl lost her life because of me, ” there is a sudden pause, followed by a painful and gutting confession, “ i killed her. ” 

the sudden reveal hits xingqiu like a rock, yet xiao leaves no room for any response.

“ my mistake has costed her everything — her life, her family, her memories. ” xiao reaches for the cup of tea, gloved hands carefully tracing the round edges. “ i cannot remake what is lost... but i can give her something similar. cloud retainer has a soft spot for children. i can convince her to create a domain with the girl’s family there— ” xiao pauses again, wincing sharply. “ —this is the only way i can repay my sins. ”

xiao has lived for thousands of years, and most of his existence was full of blood and tears — xingqiu knows that. however, hearing the yaksha admit his faults in such a vulnerable tone is no less heartbreaking.

the truth sets in xingqiu’s throat like a hard-to-swallow pill, and he turns around to fiddle with his books. he stacks them up one by one as to collect his thoughts, but nothing seems to clear his head.

“ what are you saying? are you asking me to make up a story for her? ” 

xingqiu waits for a moment but xiao doesn’t respond. biting on his lip, he presses on.

“ i don’t want to lie to her. do you really think this is a good idea? ”

“ when has mortals ever minded a beautiful lie? ” xiao raises a question, tone so calm yet somehow insulting. this is the gap between adepti and men. “ all the tales you read, they are nonetheless mesmerising despite being fantasy. ”

“ that is not the same, ” xingqiu retorts sharply. “ you don’t even know if she ever had one. ”

xingqiu has a point too. clenching his jaw, xiao mutters lowly, “ she must have had one. even if she did not, we are going to give her one. ”

for the first time, xingqiu realised how stubborn xiao could be. to be honest, xingqiu isn’t sure what exactly convinced him — was it xiao’s persistence? or the suffocating guilt in his tone? his tightly held fists? or the way he said ‘ we ’? — maybe he simply hates rejecting someone who has never asked anyone for anything in his life.

“ alright, ” he sighs. “ i will do it on one condition — she has to know this is but a story. ”

[giuliafc]

Stuck in a Cabin (with you)

Stuck in a Cabin (with you)

Read on: Ao3 || FFN || Wattpad

Summoned to save his Lady's life, Adrien gets stuck with her in a cabin during a blizzard. Identities get revealed, feelings come out...but who's been plotting to kill Marinette? Will the culprit be punished? Read to find the answer :) (Adrienette)

Written by: JuliaFC

Betas: Khanofallorcs, Agrestebug, Etoile-Lead-Sama and genxha. Thank you all so much!

Cover Art credit: Rosehealer02 on Deviantart

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 1 — Lila’s plan

Lila sighed looking at the message that had just pinged on her phone.

Mamma: [Sorry, tesoro. I got stuck at work because of the snow, don’t know when I’ll get home tonight. If you want, you can order something. Otherwise dried pasta is in the first cupboard at the side of the hob. I’ll make it up to you. Love you!]

Even after all those years, messages like those left a hollow feeling into her heart. Lila had been moving around a lot in the last few years, because of her mother’s job. She hated her mother’s job. Because of it, Lila had had to leave her grandparents and aunt in Sicily and all her childhood friends. Besides, her mother had been completely absent since she started working at the embassy, sometimes not even coming back home before Lila went to bed. Sometimes she wouldn’t see her for days in a row because when she woke up to go to school, mamma was sleeping and when Lila would go to bed, mamma wouldn’t even have started to come home. Mamma tried to make up for it by filling her days off with a lot of activities they could do together, but that wasn’t enough for Lila. She wanted more. She wanted her mother all for herself, like she had been at home, when papà had been there and mamma hadn’t yet obtained her role at the Italian Embassy.

She had been moved around like a pawn: Vienna for a couple of years, then Berlin, Geneva, Dublin and finally Paris. A lot for a 14 year old girl, having to leave it all behind way too many times.

When she moved to Vienna, she had been bullied quite badly because of her accent and her difficulty speaking the language. She had been ostracised and had spent the better part of two years fighting against stupid kids that she couldn’t even understand very well. Add to the mix the fact that papà ended up having an affair and mamma decided to divorce and leave him, and Lila’s life became even worse, even lonelier.

Luckily her mother had been moved to Berlin, but the situation hadn’t improved for her. Vienna or Berlin, the language was still incomprehensible to her and the kids didn’t like her because she was new, uncool, and because her accent sucked. Because her skin was too olive. Because her hair was too brown, or her eyes too green. They used to make fun of her hairstyle, of her clothes, of anything they could put their hands on. Lila started developing a huge amount of rage, frustration and anger. Plus, she missed her papà terribly, and she couldn’t understand in her mind why her mamma had decided to leave him.

Then she moved to Geneva, and on her first day there she met a girl who ‘acted’ cool. She was a couple of years older than Lila; her name was Charlotte, but she allowed Lila to call her Lottie. She took her under her wing and gave her some very interesting lessons. Lottie was a manipulative wench. She used to be the most popular girl in class because she always knew what to say in order to flatter the interlocutor, twist words around and obtain their favour. Lila was fascinated by her ability and craved to learn how to do the same. She worked for months to copy Lottie’s mannerisms and behaviour.

‘In life, you need to always take the upper hand,’ Lottie told her. ‘Tell people what they want to hear. This will automatically bring them to your side, and when you have them wrapped around your little finger, there’s nothing that they won’t do for you. You just need to keep up the appearances and you’re set for life.

‘Always settle for the best. If you set your eyes on a boy, make sure that he’s the best catch in the whole school. Make sure to understand what he likes and slowly set your trap. Let him fall for you, and you’ll be automatically the most popular gal around.’ Lottie had proved her own advice right easily, and had ended up in a relationship with a pop singer that attended their school. That increased her popularity even more and Lila became much more envious of her.

‘If someone bothers you, destroy them before they can attack you, or as soon as you can after that,’ was Lottie’s last bit of advice.

Lottie taught Lila to act cool, taught her that image was everything. Soon ,they had become like twin sisters and instead of being the bullied one, for once Lila enjoyed the feeling of being the bully. They were L&L’s, and they were respected. Her heart broke the day her mother told her that they were moving again, but she had no choice. Saying goodbye to Lottie was one of the most difficult things she had to do in her still young life.

‘Stay strong, Lil,’ Lottie had told her. ‘Remember, image is everything. Teach those Dubliners how great you are and you won’t have any trouble. And if you do,’ she added with a wink, ‘send me a message and I’ll hop on the first flight!’

That had made her laugh. Lottie acted strong and rich, but Lila knew that in reality she would never have been able to uphold her promise, as she was still too young, and had no money.

Dublin hadn’t been that bad for her. Except the weather. The HORRIBLE Irish weather. She still had nightmares of the torrential rain and the storms. But at least, there was the sea. Lila had missed the sea so much in the last few years. She used to make excuses that she was sick, to skip school, take the DART metropolitan train and get off at Portmarnock, Greystones or Bray (more the first two than the latter, because the sandy beach reminded her more of the shores at home). She would walk on the beach without a care in the world, listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the sand.

She had followed Lottie’s advice and had acted cool as soon as she started in her new school. She had gotten used to lying when she was in Geneva under Lottie’s wing, and now the lies came out more natural than the truth. She had become immediately popular when she started, managing to get into a relationship with the most exclusive guy in the class (she didn’t like him, as he was a twat, so full of himself that you could hear him boasting from a distance, but she didn’t care. He was popular and that was all that mattered. He would never realise that she was only using him). She learned how to trick everybody, making them think that she knew all sorts of actors and celebrities. It was fantastic, she was loved and popular and her life was amazing. She was so upset when her mother was moved once more.

And that’s how she ended up in Paris — again far from her beloved sea. She hated the city, she hated the noise and the frantic way of life. Despite the horrible weather, she had loved Dublin because it was smaller and reminded her more of the small town she was born in. But Paris was massive, full of people, of noise. She couldn’t stand the noise. And she hated all those lights. Ville lumière my foot.

Immediately as she started in Françoise Dupont, she tried to remake the same setting she had carefully created in her previous location. But she found the big obstacle of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The most annoying girl Lila had ever dealt with. Except Ladybug, obviously. Such a tiny girl, but such a big problem for her, and for her resolution to follow Lottie’s footsteps. From the very beginning, Marinette had never fallen for her lies. From the very beginning, she had tried to unmask her and show to everyone her true colours. From the very beginning, she had been an absolute and utter pest.

Lila had fought back. She wouldn’t make it easy for Marinette to win against her; Lila had soon managed to get every student in the class wrapped around her little finger, as Lottie had taught her. She had hoped that soon Marinette wouldn’t be a problem anymore. But unfortunately, she still was. Even more annoyingly, Adrien, whom she was trying to charm in order to again be the most popular girl in school who dated the most handsome and popular guy, seemed to believe Marinette.

Lila had tried all her tricks. She had tried to bring the whole class to her side, she had tried to even manipulate Adrien’s father and make him think that Marinette was a bad influence on his son. But nothing seemed to have an effect on the blond model, and Lila had gotten desperate. She had finally managed to set up a great trap and had gotten Marinette expelled. However, the joy hadn’t lasted long because Adrien had threatened her and had gotten to the point of making a deal with her so that Marinette would be readmitted to school.

Lila was seething that day, but she had no choice. Losing Adrien’s friendship would have been even more detrimental to her image. It didn’t matter if it was only a fake friendship; it would add to her image, and image was everything, as Lottie said.

The more time passed, the more Lila hated Marinette. She had tried everything she could to make her life miserable, but the young designer somehow always managed to resist. Even getting akumatised and trying to use Hawkmoth’s power against Marinette didn’t work, because Ladybug and Chat Noir would get in the way and protect her. They would try to expose Lila’s lies. She had had to make her lies become bigger and bigger and create more and more imaginative excuses in order to keep up with the popularity she craved. And it was never enough, because Marinette always managed to dismiss her claims and most of the time prove her wrong.

From Lila’s point of view, Marinette was the enemy. She was the sole obstacle left in her path to getting what she wanted, and she would get what she wanted, no matter the cost. In her mind, there was only one path left to take to get rid of her.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had to DIE.

Finally, she had managed to come up with the perfect plan. The perfect opportunity.

The perfect excuse: a school project. She had cheated the sorting and gotten paired with Alya, and the weather today was giving her even more help. When something is meant to be, it’s meant to be. It had already been a cold winter up to then, but very unusually for Paris, in the last week the temperature had dropped way below zero. In fact, it had dropped so low that it had been declared the coldest winter in history, only topped once in the late 1800’s.

Lila didn’t like the cold. Her family came from a little village on the sea, where it was always warm even in the bad season. Yes, it had been cold from time to time, but the sea warmed the temperature up and made the chill more bearable. Her beautiful sea, which she missed so much after having gotten a taste of it back in Dublin. But there was no sea in Paris, only that stupid river… and no warm weather in the winter, especially not this year.

But that cold weather, for once, wasn’t upsetting her because it was helping her craft her plan; she had faced the freezing temperature that very morning before school, and had set up her trap. She would use the cold to her advantage. And this time, she’d have the perfect alibi, and not even Adrien would suspect of her.

This time Marinette would be gone. Forever.

“Are you all right, Lila?” asked Alya, her face showing genuine concern when Lila dumped her phone on the desk in front of her with a pout.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just another charity event being cancelled this week because of the snow,” she made up. Alya’s frown disappeared and the girl gave her a look full of admiration.

“I don’t know how you do it, Lila, your commitment to charities and people in need is admirable, really.”

Lila gave Alya her best puppy eyed glance. “This city, and especially Ladybug and Chat Noir, have done so much for me with all the times I have been akumatised. It’s only nice to give something back!”

Alya put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a truly amazing person, Lila. I have been akumatised four times, and I guess half of Paris has been in a way or another, but nobody does all you do to ‘give it back to the community’.” The girl with glasses looked at her door thoughtfully. “But if you’ll excuse me a moment, I need the restroom.”

And that’s when the perfect opportunity arose. Alya’s phone was resting on the desk in front of them. Lila gave a cunning side glance to the brunette who had just stood up and was fixing her glasses on her nose and, with a graceful flick of her finger, she pushed Alya’s phone slightly making it fall to the ground, quickly kicking it with her foot underneath the computer desk so that Alya wouldn’t find it.

“Uh… I’m sure my phone was here a moment ago…” muttered Alya looking at the computer desk and scratching her head. She moved her gaze around superficially, but since she couldn’t see the phone anywhere, she sighed. “Well, never mind. I’ll be right back,” she said, looking at Lila before disappearing from view.

“Take your time,” said Lila, her lips curling in a wide smirk as she picked up the phone from the ground. Things seemed to be going her way this time. The phone was unlocked. Lila’s eyes had a triumphant gleam in them as she looked for a conversation with Marinette.

She quickly peeked to ensure that Alya was still in the restroom and opened the chat with Marinette. Then she typed the message she had been planning all day, clicking send immediately after.

Alya (Lila): [Hey, girl! The girls and I are planning to go to Lac Daumesnil. Fancy doing some ice skating with us?]

She kept eyeing the door of the restroom with concern, but Alya was still there. Soon she saw the three dots of the conversation flashing, meaning that Marinette was answering.

Marinette: [It’s been some time since I went ice skating. Last time was a disaster. Sounds like a good idea, Alya. I will be there in an hour]

Alya (Lila): [Great. Start skating if you get there before us. We’re on our way!]

Marinette: [OK!]

Lila looked at the messages with a smirk and took care of deleting each of them one by one. Alya wasn’t going to find out. It was after she had just deleted the last message that Alya emerged from the restroom and she put the phone down immediately.

Alya frowned at her. “Are you okay, Lila?”

“Yes. I found your phone; it was on the floor here.” She pointed at the side of the desk. “I thought I heard it notify you of something, but there’s no notification, nothing at all.”

Alya looked at her phone with interest. “Oh. Maybe an akuma alert?” She started scrolling through her phone, but she didn’t find anything new. “That’s peculiar, there’s no new announcement.”

“Don’t worry, I must have made a mistake,” said Lila, dismissing the conversation with a gesture of her right hand. “So we were saying, about Napoléon?”

This took Alya’s attention away from her phone and brought her back to concentrating on the project they were working on. Lila smirked — her plan was unfolding well.

Author’s Note:

Hi again! I know, I know, another story. I told you I was going to unload everything I had this weekend. This isn’t finished yet (well, one part is, and in theory it could be left like that, but the second part I thought is worth writing!) so I will update this, the AU and “When Magic Fails” as soon as I can. Hope you liked getting inside Lila’s head. The next chapters are not about her, don’t worry. Or rather, worry, because the next chapters are her plan unfolding. And the title of the next chapter (and the beautiful cover art) is kind of revealing… so, well, I’ll hide again… ^^;

In the next instalment of “Stuck in a cabin (with you)”, “Drowning”:

— “I don’t know, Marinette. This sounds fishy. Why aren’t your friends here yet?”

— “I can’t move, Tikki, I think I have cramps! HELP ME!”

— “Sugarcube! It won’t happen again, not if we can help it, don’t worry!”

Ehrm… I know. Doesn’t sound good, right? ^^ Please subscribe if you’re interested in knowing what is going to happen, so you will know when the next update is!

Last but not least, as usual, if you read this and you’re not part of our wonderful Discord server already, but you enjoy reading, writing and talking about Miraculous, please join our Discord server, Miraculous Fanworks (for people on FFN, discord dot gg slash mlfanworks). See you there soon. Not sure when I will update this story but it won't be too long! Promise!

[peony-pearl]

As like one of the minimum of maybe 3 people who like Hollander (and that’s probably being generous), he was absolutely written and executed horribly.

His introduction and motive is brought up out of the blue by other characters in the midst of a LOT of stuff going on. When we see him in person for the first time, the only words out of his mouth are taunting, his only words being about how he alone can heal the degradation. 

His first actual scene, being the flashback, only shows him talking to Angeal and Sephiroth about Genesis’ treatment. His only words? ‘The problem is the mako energy that seeped in through the wound - first he’ll need a transfusion - you aren’t viable’.

There is no hint or tone of his disdain for his job; we don’t see him at work or in his office or element. (there is no point in the game that he does any research or science). It really only serves to help the initial surrounding mystery of why things are happening and how the copies exist; but that’s it. The characters have background knowledge that Hollander has been unhappy in his job. Yet his initial cutscene offers only that he is being knowledgeable about the treatment Genesis needs. His body language and words are professional and to the point; almost with an air of concern.

But immediately after, Hollander’s actions in his scenes consist of ‘oh no I’m in danger/run/gloat’. He’s there, he says something, typically a few one liners to answer a situation that Zack is immediately going to interfere in, and then that’s it.

How many times does Hollander himself mention the word ‘Shinra’? None. He only offhandedly tells Angeal ‘it’s time to exact vengeance for our family’s suffering’, which is most likely shorthand of his view of how Shinra treated them. 

He viewed Angeal as family and very obviously told him - offscreen, about his relationship with Gillian. We don’t even see Angeal’s initial reactions to Hollander telling him and Genesis about their origins. Angeal’s had very high esteem for his parents, but most of his inner conflict comes from his views of his sense of humanity when he reveals to Zack that he’s a product of Jenova cells and science. Not that his family dynamic has been ruptured. (Angeal is a whole other conversation). Hollander was so open and quick to call Angeal family; laughing off Angeal’s objections and his statement that his father is dead. What if Hollander’s laugh and his change of subject (to Gillian) was due to his years of feeling pushed to the side to begin with? If only we’d had any reason to believe that; that would have actually been emotional development.

In Junon, even after everything he put shinra through, Hollander is still kept safe as per the President’s orders. He’s performed some heavy transgressions and yet he’s merely jailed for it for the time being because of the knowledge he has about the Jenova Project. Wouldn’t that be just as infuriating to him as his time before his rebellion? Being held under Shinra’s thumb after another scathing failure?

 We see him escaping; reacting to Zack’s interference with his usual smarm. That desperation we saw from the last scene he occupied in which he tried to keep Angeal whole or to get another piece of his hair for another sample has been completely erased and is never mentioned again. He looks at Zack with a harrumph - the puppy who has consistently been nipping at his heels; the boy who was forced to kill Hollander’s pride and joy - a hmph. A smarm, a grin, chasing mech after him. There is no true reaction. It’s hollow; it’s meant to serve as a chase sequence and it does. 

It is no character growth, it is no revelation of those missions in which Zack is chasing Angeal and Genesis and the copies; that time as Zack finds his footing as a 1st class SOLDIER and performing Shinra’s work to find them; as Zack continuously forced them to relocate again and again. Hollander never mourns Angeal. His ‘family’; his perfect monster; at least we don’t see it. According to the FF7 timeline, he is held in Junon for a year and a half. A year and a half to stew, not only in his failed attempt to thwart Shinra, another failure to add onto his shameful collection, but to remember Zack, the boy who took his creations and turned him back over to Shinra. 

IDK I feel like the most appropriate way would have been actually getting a peek into Hollander’s frayed psyche. We already know his morals are skewed. While he, like AVALANCHE, opposes Shinra, his motives aren’t for the better of the Planet or the people; it’s for his gain, and he spared no qualm about the Genesis Copies attacking civilians. He still spares no guilt over the Genesis copies attacking Junon. Hollander’s motives are for him - but we barely even know him. He’s just there to be the road block, but with important bits here and there; to prop up the more compelling bits that supposedly wouldn’t have existed or happened without his intervention. So why is he so empty?

Seeing Zack again, and again, and again, foiling his goals, taking everything away from him; you’d think he’d almost put Zack on the same pedestal as Hojo. The only man we’re told (TOLD) that Hollander hates so much.

Speaking of Hojo - Hollander mentions Hojo’s name ONCE. His supposed arch-rival and we only hear his name once from Hollander himself - in passing. 

‘No one knows where the Jenova Cells are being kept! Not even Hojo knows! You’ll never find it!’

Cool.

So... Even Hojo recognizes Hollander has this chip on his shoulder as seen when Genesis threatens him (via Hollander’s command; a command we don’t see him give); but we never actually hear Hollander outwardly despise him. No annoyance, no loathing; nothing.

We get virtually NOTHING in terms of who this guy is save for some smarm and he runs from danger. He wears that Banora shirt just so folks can be like “HMM I WONDER WHAT THAT COULD MEAN. ANYWAY.”

Almost everything about his character is phoned in by everyone around him except himself. There are a couple of soldiers with lines pertaining to Hollander’s character - and it’s probably more development than he himself provides on screen in actual scenes. Which is a real shame considering Hojo could have gotten a really great foil; we could have discussed more about rebellions against Shinra; discussed more about what Hollander could have seen with Aerith and Ifalna and Gast; discussed more about Angeal and Genesis and Gillian THROUGH Hollander besides that one (1) cutscene that doesn’t actually explain anything (Except what Angeal’s abiliies can do); discussed the dichotomy of folks going against Shinra, such as motives vs actions. Hollander and Zack could have had some great conversations as Zack becomes more jaded and Hollander could have used that to his advantage; but then when Angeal is killed, even at Angeal’s own forcing of Zack’s hand, would Hollander have only wanted to see Zack suffer as he did? A hellish sentence of decades being either overworked or ignored?

“What is this? Are they putting me out to pasture?” - A line Zack says after being sidelined for a while. A line I can easily imagine Hollander saying after being declined the Director of Science, or when he’s held in that jail cell in Junon.

So many Connections - just not even explored. And that doesn’t even count the characterizations of folks like Genesis and Angeal. While we at least learn motives and personalities, we see them so rarely that they continuously jump from one extreme to the other. Just to keep the player in that loop of ??????? for you to keep going. Regardless, Zack is the emotional core, and he serves it so well and is a fantastic hero and main character.

But I can’t help but feel like there’s a missed thread; several really all things considered. Nothing that’s crucial; but something to help tie things into a neater little bow; just a little extra effort for these new characters would have made this already wonderful game something a bit more integral to the overall lore of FF7. 

Of course, now that FF7R is here and is making something new of everything provided, this whole discussion is kind of moot lol. All I can do is wait (Very excitedly) to see how the Remake continues to expand on these amazing characters; and whether or not my dumb scientist returns or not. I have great faith in the future of the franchise (except the whole ‘Intergrade only being on PS5′ really sucks but boo hoo I guess); so regardless of what happens, I’m more than certain I’ll keep enjoying what happens.