#obviously nobody will understand the costume but i figure i can just also bring my New Spring paperback and point

[eeveekholin]

...seriously tempted to do a closet costume of Moiraine this Halloween

[jenneyquinn]

𝐢𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐞𝐮: 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝟐 — 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐨

in which i give you the summerween part from ilyieu 3 (well the rough outline for it anyways)

yep, it’s that time of year again: the holiday so nice, gravity falls celebrates it twice

what holiday, you ask? actually, of course you’re not asking—you read the title

anyways, it’s mabel and dipper’s second summerween and since they’re technically teenagers now, it’s understandable that they want it to be BIG

lucky for them, soos is thinking the same thing too—after all, he’s the owner of the mystery shack now and he can do just about anything he wants

yes, they throw a summerween party—which brings me to my favourite part: the COSTUMES

soos is a mummy, melody is medusa, gideon dresses up as elvis, wendy dresses up as marceline (from adventure time), candy is a gummy bear, and grenda is a vintage doll

nate and lee don’t really put much of an effort and came in wearing masks (the purge led one and anonymous), thompson dresses up as baby brent (from cloudy with a chance of meatballs—yes, the group made him dress like that)

robbie and tambry dress up like grim and malaria (from grim adventures of billy and mandy; robbie pretends he was forced by mabel to participate, but didn’t really put up much up of a fight about it and just wanted to act like it was all mabel’s idea)

also grim makes sense for robbie—he’d just be wearing a black hoodie instead of a cloak and have the makeup on (jack and sally was considered, but robbie wouldn’t wear a suit—let alone own one)

mabel gives makeovers to the stans, turning them into a vampire and a werewolf (i’ll let y’all figure out who’s who)

last but not least, we have pacifica as rapunzel, and dipper and mabel—as tradition—matching again! this time as donald and della duck

mabel has an aviator cap and goggles on, as well as a scarf, leather jacket, and shorts while dipper has a black sailor beret and jacket on along with a pair of white jeans (if it weren’t for the duck bills, people would easily mistake the twins for amelia earhart and a regular sailor, respectively)

dipper hates the beak and thinks the photos definitely come out dumb, but for the sake of mabel’s scrapbook—he puts up with it

it absolutely does not help that pacifica finds it funny, but she finds it cute that he and mabel still matching costumes

though dipper plans to dance with pacifica, the latter had other plans as she spent more of the night with mabel, candy, and grenda

it’s not that she’s consistently shutting him down, but in mid-conversation, pacifica just freezes, then whips up some excuse to leave and go back to mabel and her girls

unbeknownst to dipper, he doesn’t see that wendy enters his radius, prompting the blonde to freeze up and freeze him out

wendy, noticing dipper down in the dumps, obviously goes up go him—suggesting that he cheer himself up by joining the group in some cup pong (with pitt cola, of course)

he ends up having fun for the most part, but he can’t help but to steal glances in pacifica’s direction every now and then, but nobody notices except robbie

and for majority of the night as dipper stares at pacifica, robbie’s trying to figure out why his former enemy is staring so miserably at his sister and her friends—did he and mabel have a fight? or did he do anything to upset her… or her friends?? he doesn’t confront dipper about it though, after all, his old rival being sad doesn’t bother him

on the other hand, dipper doesn’t know that pacifica is looking at back at him whenever he isn’t staring at her—and, of course, mabel notices

so… when are you gonna ask him to dance?

*sputters* WHAT?

c’mom paz, you know he likes you, right? and the whole world knows you feel the same—why not?

pacifica doesn’t say anything to deny or confirm mabel’s words, just staring back at her crush and his ex-crush laughing together…

she knows she doesn’t really have much reason to be jealous�� after all, wendy’s much older… naturally popular and well-liked by everyone close to her… not to mention not being noticeably ugly…

no—dipper said he was over her, and pacifica trusts him—friends trust each other, after all

yeah… friends… just friends

as pacifica is left losing the fight in her head, mabel is deep in thought as well—brows knit together, lips pursed and all

when she gets it, she turns back to grenda and candy, and the three exchange mischevious smiles and giggling before turning back to the blonde

hey, i know what’ll cheer you up!

with that said, mabel runs up to soos—also deejaying despite being the party’s host—to request a particular song

*insert pacifica taking over the karaoke and singing blondie’s “call me” with mabel, candy, and grenda as backup*

dipper is left speechless, which doesn’t go unnoticed by robbie; the latter looks between his former rival and the also-formerly rich blonde—and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together

the girls karaoke the night away, which puts a damper on dip’s plans to ask pacifica to dance…

suddenly, a familiar song fills the room, and a particular pair locks eyes with each other

pacifica smiles at dipper first, and when he smiles back at her, mabel calls him over to join them

so maybe he didn’t get his chance to put the moves on paz they way he hoped, but at least the night ended with everyone smiling and laughing

a/n: sorry i’ve been super swamped this month guys, i barely got a chance to work on ilyieu but i hope this’ll be enough for now… i was originally considering this to be included for part 3, but i figured taking this out and posting it separately was best since it is halloween after all and as a mini thank-you to everyone who enjoyed ilyieu—from the start or even if you just started reading like a week ago :)

[divine-motion]

my rewrite of tmnt 2012 is turning more into “my fan iteration within the story of 2012 which i change a bit to suit my self-indulgence” (which it pretty much was from the start but hey) so i’m just gonna write down some General Stuff abt it like arcs and stuff

Tang Shen is alive but did get sliced by Shredder like when she dies in canon, so she has scars and Shredder believes her to be dead. Tang Shen also believes that Yoshi went and disappeared on her when he went to buy those turtles so, you know, rough couple of years for her w/ regards to thinking her infant daughter is dead, moving away from japan w/ her husband, and then her husband mutates into a rat and doesn’t tell her abt it. now she works as a robotics engineer at Stockman labs and while she’s still depressed she’s getting better, she likes her work, and she’s working on a certain nanobot project which is going good

(Nano is in this version but they instead are in an arcade cabinet that the turtles then bring to the Lair so that Nano has a family and they get to play with the turtles often. Happy end for Nano!)

Raph is the one who first meets Shen and Shen starts signing the adoption papers for the turtles

Splinter is pretty much the same as in 2012 but like, he gets confronted abt his shit instead of just being Flawless Wise Mentor, mainly by Michelangelo and then Shen when she meets him again. think he’s still gonna die but only once instead of. what. three times?

the turtles have known April for about three years since they went to the surface in secret and met a curious human girl. April quickly decided she has four brothers now and they agreed whole-heartedly

April’s parents are both alive btw and very good parents, though since “the Kraang want to kidnap April” isn’t a thing here they are both unaware of her mutant friends

April isn’t trained as a kunoichi and instead relies on her telepathic powers, which would grow at the same rate as the turtles become better fighters. i have a whole list of her powers and their limits - for example, tinfoil hats do work to keep your head protected from telepathy, much to everyone’s surprise. a metal pot also works, or a metal helmet. Shredder is unknowingly immune to it with his helmet always being on...

the brain worms serve a slightly bigger role, but they are instead creatures from Dimension X, a weak, telepathic parasite that crawls into people’s brains and controls them to keep the worm safe while it feeds on the person. they are what Kraang Prime mutated himself with to create the Kraang hivemind. they are also called “mind maggots” in Dimension X, “brain worms” is just what Stockman and Donnie started calling them when first discovered. removing a brain worm from a person without using telepathic powers can result in the person’s death or severe brain damage

also the Kraang are a more literal hivemind. if one of them sees you, they all see you. the turtles have to use all their ninja stealth to deal with them, and it’s always a risk because the Kraang can easily overwhelm them with how many of them there are

Kraang Prime is probably gonna be offed at the end of the “season 1 finale”, probably by Leatherhead. he deserves it. offing Prime also frees the Kraang hivemind from his control and the Utrom have their autonomy back. either that, or they manage to release the hivemind from his control another way, and it leaves Prime like weak and useless somehow. maybe by plucking off those weird crystals on his head, i dunno, still thinking abt it

oh Leatherhead! Leatherhead is a doctor for mutants, being a bit of a mix between his 2003 and 2012 self. he wants to help other mutants since he knows they’re victims of the Kraang too, however indirectly, and that they can’t exactly get medical help. mutants do have greater regenerative properties, but that’s only going to help you so far, and your bones might grow back wrong quicker. so, Leatherhead spent his years of freedom studying medicine and mutant biology, using stuff he stole from the Kraang during his first escape.

it would be a lot more focused on helping mutants in general. like, there would still be mutant villains that would be fought when needed, but Mikey and Donnie would put their feet down and try to offer the mutants help in settling into their new life. the turtles would also not be disgusted with mutants like they are in 2012 like jeez, dumbdotcomm really put it into words

anyways the Kraang would cease being a threat after “season 1″ and the truce Karai suggests between Foot and Hamato does happen. Splinter hates it and doesn’t trust it at all

Baxter Stockman has his own lab which is pretty successful, and he is an incredibly smart and eccentric guy with a bubbly personality - until you threaten him or talk down to him, at which point he shows himself to be calculating and ruthless, still with a smile on his face. he doesn’t pick up on sarcasm very well, though, and if you ask him to explain something, he will happily do so in great detail, whether you’re friend or foe. also, he doesn’t get mutated into a fly, and he doesn’t get turned into just a brain, either. he’s just a funky regular human guy

Timothy becomes The Badger in this version. he’s also treated better by the turtles, especially Mikey who takes it upon himself to train Timothy, partially bc Mikey wants to be a superhero but knows he can’t show his face. in fact, Timothy was inspired by Mikey specifically as he saw Mikey trying to be a costumed superhero at one point. when Timothy mutates, he becomes a human mutant like Hun and Ravenwood from IDW, so he can become like an actual superhero with powers

more female characters. like just in general more girls please. i beg of you.

Angel is Casey’s older sister who’s off at college as a STEM student, and she is also Nobody here bc i absolutely love that for her, IDW was galaxy brained when they did that. Alopex is her partner here too same as in IDW, and they jokingly call themselves “Batteries, the Double-A Crime Fighting Duo”. Angel is very much against Casey being a vigilante despite being one herself, but she’s an adult so it’s different, obviously

the turtles ask Alopex to be their teacher, too, especially since Raph notices that she fights using anger in a controlled way, and she is a bit surprised and slightly awkward about it but she accepts. Alopex is an arctic fox instead of a red fox here btw, though she has a summer coat most of the time and only gets white fur during winter.

April would also have an arc where she strives to understand her mutant side and powers better, so she would venture into Dimension X alone to find the Utrom, and learns about their society before and after Kraang. Rook and Queen (named Quin here bc Bishop isn’t a Utrom in this version, and Utrom don’t have a concept of queens and kings) would have bigger roles, as they would help April out with her powers and figuring out what being part Utrom/Kraang means for her identity.

Rook is also an alchemist/scientist who created mutagen in the first place, and Kraang was her assistant. this isn’t super important to April’s arc but i just thought it’d throw it out there

the brain worms/mind maggots would result in a City Fall arc i’ve decided. but it would be the only time mind control/brainwashing becomes a plot point in this series bc i think 2012 really overused that trope. like it was there with Splinter and the Rat King, with the parasite wasp mutant episode, and then again with the brain worms but like, several times over.

this also means that Karai doesn’t get the brain worms pumped into her brain. remember that scene where she’s hooked up to the machine and Shredder’s like “damn that shit sucks i’m sorry Hamato Yoshi’s doing this to you”?? that scene was pretty fucked up. anyways Karai has like. agency in her own arc this time

in the City Fall arc Splinter would die and at the end Karai kills Shredder, and Leo and Karai as new leaders of the clans would be like “alright this stupid fucking ancestral cycle of vengeance” ends here

Northampton time after that because it would be a Lot

after that i think it would be space arc time? it would start with the turtles being separated across dimensions and planets a bit like when SAINW happened, but without SAINW. like, Donnie would get to Neutrino (elves with crazy hair version), Leo would get to Usagi’s dimension, etc. etc.

also in case it wasn’t obvious Tang Shen will play a big role as the turtles’ Better parent and she’d have her own stuff to work through, like meeting her daughter she thought was dead and finding out her boss, Stockman, is evil, that her husband got turned into a rat, and that her new kids get into all kinds of dangerous trouble constantly

anyways that’s um. already quite the wall of text so i’ll shut up now ‘til i have more art to post, digital art this time so you can like. actually see what things look like.

[seblos]

no grave can hold my body down

words: 1,664

series:  dreaming like we'll live forever (but live it like it's now or never)

read on ao3

Carlos dreads lab days in physics.

It was every Friday, tacking the 45 minutes that would be his study hall onto his class.

And the assignments were always partner work. You would think after two years of having him in his class, Mr. Mazzara would begin to understand that Carlos doesn’t exactly have friends.

Well, he does have friends now. He has the people in the show. But most of them are in the grade above him. The ones that are in his grade, like Gina and Ashlyn, are in the honors class. (Why they chose to take honors physics of all classes is beyond him.)

Nevertheless, it leaves Carlos alone and, by default, partnerless for all of their lab assignments.

It was Halloween this particular Friday, and Carlos wanted nothing more than to just go home, change out of his Halloween sweater, (it was black with two skeletons dancing together) and into his costume, (he was dressing up as the little March of the Falsettos character from Falsettos, respectively,) for the cast Halloween party that Ashlyn was throwing.

Unfortunately, before he could do that, though, he had to face the living nightmare that was his physics lab.

He takes a seat in the front of the classroom, gathering his notebook and pen and just hoping that someone will feel bad enough for him that they invite him to their group.

Carlos is met with no such luck, though. When Mr. Mazzara calls for people to partner up, he’s once again left to do the lab on his own.

That is until another figure appears next to him.

Literally appears. The seat next to him that was once empty is now being occupied by a certain blonde-headed spirit.

Seb Matthew-Smith had been following Carlos around for a year now, ever since he choreographed their fall production of High School Musical his sophomore year. From what Carlos has gathered, it was in high school when they were filming the original movie. It was some accident in the theatre that… you know … and caused him to be cursed to the auditorium.

He also didn’t appear until Carlos showed up, leaving them technically the same age. (Where he was before he showed up, Carlos is still trying to figure that one out.)

“Need a hand?” the ghost asks, leaning forwards.

Carlos is still surprised to see him here. So far, he hasn’t been able to leave the auditorium. Most of their conversations have taken place before or after rehearsals, or any other time he’s been able to sneak out of class.

And yet, there he sits in Carlos’s physics class.

He’s about to ask how Seb even got here, before remembering he’s still technically in class. Talking to himself probably wouldn’t go over great with his peers.

Instead, he turns to his teacher. “Mr. Mazzara, can I go work in the hall?”

Thankfully, the lab they’re working on is about speed-conversions and requires them to walk and hop around, (when are the people who make these things going to start making them with actual useful skills? If Carlos wanted to speed-walk, he wouldn’t be trying to skip gym every day,) so Mr. Mazzara gives him the go-ahead.

He gathers his phone, lab sheet, and pencil case, before subtly motioning for Seb to follow him out of the classroom.

“How did you get over here?” he asks the boy, not even batting an eye when the door passes straight through him. “The science wing is like, all the way on the other side of the school from the theater.”

Seb shrugs. “You seemed distressed, so I just… left.”

That’s another thing that’s been happening. The more Carlos talks to Seb, especially about something he feels strong emotions about, the closer he feels to the ghost. Like, spiritually closer, as if their souls are beginning to connect in a way that he can’t quite put words to. (That is, if Seb still has a soul. Are ghosts just souls, or is it the souls leaving their body that makes them die?)

Either way, Seb has been able to sense a lot of Carlos’s emotions recently. He always knew exactly how Carlos feels about rehearsal, making him the perfect outlet for frustration if needed.

Although, recently, Carlos hasn’t been talking about rehearsal as much to Seb. Nowadays, he’s been more interested in Seb’s life— or, more accurately, what his life was back when he still had one of those.

He hasn’t been able to gather much so far, but he treasures what he has. Seb lived on a farm with seven siblings. They had cows and sheep. He went to East High and was set to graduate in 2011 before he died. He was in a few of the school productions, either in the show itself or as the piano accompanist. (Carlos made a mental note to look at some of the old yearbooks in the library.)

And Seb is gay. Not that it really mattered.

Carlos doesn’t know much else besides that. He has bits and pieces that don’t make sense together, but every time he brings them up, like how he died or more about his family, Seb gets really quiet and changes the subject.

On really bad days, Seb will just poof out completely and then come back 15 minutes later when he feels Carlos distressing.

It’s an odd little relationship, what the two of them have, but it works. And Carlos would do anything to help Seb feel alive again.

Even if that means crashing his physics lab.

“Looks like you need a little help with your lab,” he smiles, gesturing towards the papers in his hand.

Carlos rolls his eyes. “I could do it by myself, you know,” he defends.

Seb just raises his eyebrows, still smiling. (The kid almost never stops smiling. Even while dead, he looks livelier than Carlos.)

He sighs, continuing. “But… if you want to time me while I do the speed things, it would be helpful,” he admits. He holds out his phone towards the ghost, but just as Seb is about to take it, Carlos pulls back. “But keep it on the ground so it doesn’t look like it’s floating in midair. And don’t laugh at me!”

“I would never laugh at you,” Seb says, laughing.

He hesitates before handing his phone over again, this time allowing for the boy to take it. Luckily, it doesn’t pass right through his hands and drop on the floor like he was having trouble with the first time Carlos met him. All Carlos can hope is that nobody is watching him through the window on the classroom door.

“What do you have to do?” Seb asks, settling on the floor and leaning against the wall in the hallway. (Carlos has no idea how he can choose to go through some things and not go through others.)

He reads out the directions. “Hop 5 meters on one foot. Then do the same for 10m and 15m. Record your speed for each distance.”

Which won’t be mortifying at all to do alone, obviously, judging by Seb’s grin.

As Carlos measures out the distance with the yardstick Mr. Mazzara gave him, the ghost kept talking. “So what were you upset about, anyway?”

He sounds genuinely interested in helping, so Carlos explains his situation. “I don’t have any friends in this class, and we always have partner labs that I just end up doing alone.”

“Well, you’re not alone now,” Seb says. “We’re friends.”

“Yeah, not that anyone else knows,” Carlos laughs more to himself than to the spirit’s comment.

“Doesn’t matter who knows. Just matters that you have me,” Seb points out.

Carlos doesn’t respond. “Start the timer,” he says instead.

While he’s hopping down to the 5 meter mark, though, he can’t help and think about what Seb said. It was true, it didn’t really matter who knew about him. Although… it could be interesting if he did tell someone about the ghost from the theater. Perhaps Ashlyn would believe him.

The thought of his friend reminds him of their party later, then of what day it was, and a question sparks in his mind. He stops hopping. “Why are you here today, anyway?”

“Your speed was 3.14 seconds. And what do you mean? I told you already I came because you were upset.”

“Well, yeah, but today is Halloween. Shouldn’t you be out haunting people, or whatever ghosts do today.”

Seb’s face falls, and Carlos immediately regrets bringing anything up.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed yet, but I don’t exactly have any ghost friends. I wouldn’t have anywhere to go even if I could leave the theater now on my own.”

“Oh, so that’s why you follow me around all the time,” Carlos teases, trying to lighten the mood so Seb doesn’t poof out.

“Well, that and because I like you,” he responds with the same tone, and Carlos is taken aback a little bit. (Never in his life did he think a ghost would be flirting with him on Halloween.) (At least, he thinks it’s flirting.)

They finish the rest of the lab in silence. He wishes there was a way to bring Seb around to places. His friends would love him if they could meet him. But there has to be a reason he’s the only one who can…

“Wanna come to our Halloween party?” he asks when they finish up, more as a joke but hoping that maybe Seb would consider. (He at least would have an escape if anything happened that left him isolated tonight.) “You would make a great sheet ghost.”

“I don’t think I can voluntarily go places.”

“Well, then, maybe I’ll have a panic attack just to summon you.”

“No,” Seb hands Carlos his phone, leading him to the door. “Enjoy tonight. I’ll be here to hear about it tomorrow.”

And with that, he poofs out, leaving Carlos to enter his classroom alone again.

[bigskydreaming]

Lilith Clay is one of those characters that I never ever would actually want to be friends with, because she would be EXHAUSTING.

But as a reader? I adore her, because she is amazing and when allowed to be, hilariously entertaining.

For the record, I have been maintaining for decades....forget your headcanons about Donna being like a big sister to Jason in his Robin years, or all the back and forth about Kory and Roy as Jason’s friends now instead of Dick’s.

No. The true potential....and the true danger....has always been if Lilith had decided to take Jason under her wing.

(On a whim, no doubt, as that’s how she decides most things. including whether or not she feels like getting up and superheroing today or if she’s going to just sleep through the alarm indicating intruders in the Tower and trust the others to handle it. Like if they can’t, they’re probably all going to be killed by the intruders anyway, whether she’s in bed or out of it, and no one’s going to care at that point. Whereas if she doesn’t get at least three more hours of sleep, she’s going to be cranky all day and she absolutely will take it out on everyone. So really, trusting in her friends’ capabilities and ensuring she’s not a cranky bitch at them all day after they’ve just fought off intruders in their own home - when you think about it, really, isn’t this the most noble choice available to her right now? 

Welcome to the mind of Lilith.)

So yes, I maintain the real Titan to worry about Jason catching the attention of, is and always was....Lilith.

Like, the very first time Dick brought Jason to the Tower and introduced him to everyone, it would have been perfectly in character for her to wander into the room deliberately late, managing to somehow look like she was gliding, because she practices that the same way the Batfamily practices walking without making noise. And then ignore everyone else and just zero in on Jason, point a finger straight at him, and intone in the same ringing inflections she uses to tell the team she’s had a vision about the end of the world:

Lilith: Him. I see his potential, just waiting to be unlocked. The Bat knows not what he has there, but I will mold this young man like the Clay from which I take my name, and he will be. A legend.

Jason: ....huh?

Dick, throwing up his arms: This! This is why I didn’t want to bring Jason to the tower. This is exactly what I was afraid of. Bruce just thought I was being a jerk because I’m mad about the Robin thing still, or that I was just being possessive of my team but no. I KNEW putting the two of you in the same room was a bad idea, and it was going to bite me in the ass big time. I even told Donna this was going to happen.

Donna: Its true, he did. I can confirm.

Lilith: Look, Dick, I just really really think he has a lot of potential and there’s a lot I can teach him and I promise I’ll be super careful with him and I won’t break him...

Dick: See, its the fact that you think “I won’t break him” is a legitimate reassurance to make about being around a thirteen year old that concerns me. Along with fifteen million other things.

Lilith: Ugh. Fine. Well if you’re gonna be a little bitch about it, I might as well tell you I’ve seen a great calamity coming, and he’s going to play an important role in it and only I can make sure he’s prepared in the way he has to be, or it could mean the end of everything! Now is not the time to be all Neurotically Overprotective Bat Big Brother, Dick, the fate of the world is at stake!

Dick: Well when you put it that way....I don’t believe you.

Lilith: Great, so now you’re calling me a liar?

Wally: You lie all the time, Lil. Just last week you told me I was going to die before the end of the year because you were mad I recorded over your Real Housewives on the DVR.

Lilith: Stay out of this Wally or I’ll prove myself right.

Dick: Nooooot helping your case, Lil.

Lilith: Okay fine, but I only lie about stuff I don’t care about. This is obviously different!

Jason unobtrusively sidles over to Garth, whose usual calm face alongside the chaotic back and forths of his teammates makes him stand out as the clear island of sanity in the room.

I mean, Jason’s totally wrong on that count, Garth’s as ridiculous as the rest of the OG Titans and Lilith. He just has a really great poker face.

Jason: I think I just figured out why Dick labeled the bottle of Ibuprofen in his bathroom “Lilith Pills.” So is this like...should I be worried about her uttering some Chosen One prophecy sounding shit, or is she just full of shit like Dick’s saying?

Garth, considering the matter gravely, so as not to give Jason the wrong idea. Just. Its hard to know what would be the wrong idea here.

Garth: The problem is, with Lilith, those things aren’t as mutually exclusive as one might hope.

Jason: Oh. So she might be for real? I knew one of Dick’s teammates was a psychic and had visions sometimes, but Bruce’s face did that twisty thing when he mentioned that. Like, where he looks like he just took a shot of some bad vodka and that means he doesn’t believe someone’s for real but he can’t prove it. But also, sometimes he only looks like that because he just doesn’t like that someone’s for real and he can’t prove otherwise.

Garth: Good eye. If you’ve picked up on that already, you’re clearly insightful. That’s very good. You’ll need it, in this place. And yes, Lilith is legitimately a precognitive and does have visions of the future sometimes. Its just...

Jason: Its just what?

Garth squeezing out the words reluctantly because he doesn’t like speaking ill of his teammates, even though Lilith absolutely knows her own reputation and sculpted it with zeal as she says remaining unpredictable is the key to never being taken for granted...

Garth: Its just that Lilith is a bit like Cassandra of Troy....if Cassandra had prophesied the Trojan War and nobody believed her but the reason was not because of some divine curse, but because Cassandra had a bad habit of saying things like “We should invade Greece first or else they’re going to invade us,” because she was bored.

Jason: ...gotcha.

Garth: And I’m not saying Lil is....I don’t mean she does it on that kind of scale....so much as just...an example of that kind of thing. So to speak.

Jason: So listen to everything Lilith says, but take everything she says with several grains of salt, and as soon as you’ve got some free time, maybe examine those grains of salt under a high-powered microscope just to be on the safe side.

Garth: Exactly. Congratulations, you’re now as prepared to survive Lilith as anyone can be.

Jason: Survive, huh?

Garth: We’re all still kind of hoping she’ll grow into being responsible with her powers while accepting this might just be her version of being responsible with her powers.

Jason: I am maybe no longer as jealous of Dick being the leader of his own team.

Garth: Hey, then you’ve already got your big brother beat. It took us three years before he’d admit regretting he ever volunteered to be team leader.

Anywho....

Buckle in, because I’m in a Lilith mood this week, so am gonna get lengthy about her and her appeal as a character to me, lol.

Like, the first thing you gotta understand about Lilith, is she is the uncontested reigning queen of drama. And don’t even try and come for her crown. She will destroy you. Dramatically.

This is a woman who repeatedly makes herself costumes that have a full on cloak - not a cape, but a CLOAK - so that when she flares it dramatically, its not like a sheet of fabric that’s normally hanging from her back but now swishes around her front, no, she’s got a full on CLOAK that when it flares dramatically, the whole damn thing is moving and swishing and flying every which way. 

And because that isn’t enough, she also makes a point to have a hood - and not just a cast shadows covering your face hood, a full on DROWN EVERYTHING WITHIN THAT HOOD IN TOTAL DARKNESS Hood. The kind of Aesthetic that doesn’t just happen naturally with hoods. You have to have that shit custom made.

And does she need this hood for any particular reason? Is her secret identity super top secret? No. It is not. She barely ever even has one. Her civilian name is no big deal if it gets out.

Look, she just really needs the hood, okay.

And sure, one time she came back after being away from the Titans for a few years, and pretended to be a complete stranger who didn’t identify herself as ‘your old pal Lilith” and refused to divulge any personal details, or like....go anywhere without her full cloak and hood identity-shrouding regalia.

And did she need to hide her identity and be super secret hush hush for any particular reason? No, she did not.

Look, she just really didn’t want to tell anybody who she was, cuz then it’d be a whole thing and everyone would be like omg where have you been, tell us everything, and can’t a girl just wanna fight bad guys and save the world and just show up and then clock out and keep it professional? Like, she was just having that kind of a week, is all.

If that week lasted about two years, well that’s the calendar’s fault, not hers.

This is a woman whose base powerset has always been telepathy with a side of apocalyptic visions, but beyond that has gained additional powers at various points over the years.

Like telekinesis. Which she legit, literally had, spelled out definitively in canon as an ability of hers, which she had and could use.

But that she only ever used to levitate. 

Thus allowing her to hover. Dramatically. In her cloak and hood. At all times. For no reason.

To be perfectly, abundantly clear: she could fly, but did she fly? Nah. Instead she’s like “is it not enough to just use one’s telekinesis to merely hover in place above everyone else? Dramatically?”

Or teleportation. That was another power she acquired randomly at one point. Mostly inexplicably.

And which she only ever used to teleport into a crowded room so she could impart Urgent Tidings of DOOM. Or to teleport out of a crowded room when people got a little too noisy with the whole “can you give us any more details? A time frame, a context, a guest list for this particular doomsday?” She’s like, look, I just had the vision, its not like I took notes, I’m not some kind of nerd. UGH.

And then dramatically teleporting out of the room with a dramatic swirl of her dramatic cloak.

There were hardly any limitations given for her teleportation, given that there was hardly any context ever given for her teleportation, but there was no sign of any particular limit to how far she could teleport or if she could take anyone with her.

Was this ever explored as a possible advantage for the whole team to make use of in some way? No. But given that its Lilith, its actually NOT a plothole that noted strategist and master tactician Dick Grayson at no point is ever shown asking Lil if they could try seeing if she could teleport with someone else.

See, because Lilith doesn’t LIKE when people know exactly what she can do.

Because then they have the pesky habit of like....asking her to do them.

That, she does not care for.

So those conversations would probably have gone something like this.

Dick: Lilith, do you think you could teleport with someone else? If you could teleport the whole team, that would be very useful to know.

Lilith: So what is it about me, exactly, that makes you look at me and think: this is a soccer mom van? Is it my hair? My posture? Or do I just give off a certain vibe?

Dick: That wasn’t....*sigh* Never mind.

Or....

Dick: Lilith, do you think you could teleport from the Tower here to Gotham?

Lilith: I’m sorry, do I work for you? Am I getting paid? No, no and no to the power of I’m trying to take a nap here. You can take an actual cab home like any normal person, I do not come in shades of yellow and I never go beep-beep.

Dick: I wasn’t asking you to...look, I’m purely trying to establish a baseline for your teleportation.

Lilith: And I’m purely trying to establish a hard line for respecting my right to privacy. You don’t need to know every little thing about me and my powers just so you can jot that down in your little Bat Trapper-Keeper notebook where you anally note every other thing nobody actually needs to know, like a record of your poops.

Dick: I don’t do that....no. Nope. Not doing this.

Lilith: Well is there a reason you’re keeping me from sleeping then? Some of us actually need a certain number of hours of rest to function. We don’t all hang upside down in coffins once a week while our Bat-butler tops off our tanks with IVs of blood.

Dick: Its the middle of the day, you’re in the common room, and you’ve been watching a Real Housewives marathon for the last four hours.

Lilith: Oh, so now you’ve been spying on me this whole time? Where does it end, Dick? Where. Does. It. End.

Dick: Never mind. I just realized I’m not getting paid for this either. I’m gonna go do something productive, like bang my head against a wall.

And then he’d leave while regretting everything, and Lilith would settle back onto the couch smirking because she’s not actually a terrible person and refrains from doing shit like that in actual high stakes situations, but at any other time, successfully running out the clock on Dick Grayson’s Bat-tier patience is like, Peak Entertainment in her book. Wally meanwhile has been sitting on the couch unacknowledged the whole time.

Wally: Why are you like this.

Lilith *shrugging*: I blame my mother.

Wally: You don’t even know who your parents are.

Lilith: Way to rub it in, West! You wanna go? Huh?

Or one more for good measure....

The Titans could be in the middle of a battle far enough away from the Tower they had to take their jet to get there....and out of nowhere, Lilith would teleport in mid-battle, hovering just overhead, and conveniently appearing right between Roy and a villain who’d been sneaking up on him but now was stumbling back in shock and then is backhanded through a building all the way on the other side of the street by Donna, who also only noticed him when Lilith’s arrival drew everyone’s attention there.

Lilith to Roy, whilst hovering (dramatically): I just saved your life there. You’re welcome. You owe me now, but in a few years you’re going to have a super hot brother and if you get him to go out with me, I’ll call us even.

Roy: ....I don’t know what to do with that.

Lilith: There’s a good chance he’s gay, but he could just as easily be bi. Hard to say. The spirits aren’t big on outing people years ahead of schedule.

Roy: Yeah that doesn’t help any.

Lilith: That sounds like a you problem then. Well, my work here is done. 

Lilith then proceeds to teleport away. The battle is not actually over yet.

And then of course, we can’t forget that time she got light and fire powers.

Which.

I feel like by this point, I probably don’t have to spell out the hazards of pyrokinetic Lilith.

That of course, led to what at the time was thought to be the culmination of Lilith’s lifelong quest to figure out where she came from and who her parents were.

Because of course Lilith’s backstory has to be as dramatic as everything else about her, this quest took the whole team to Mt. Olympus itself.

Where it was established that Lilith’s development of light and fire abilities were because she was finally coming into her true power...as the daughter of one of the Titans of old....the Titaness of the sun, who had conceived Lilith as a weapon she intended to use to kill all the Olympian gods so she and the other Titans could reclaim their thrones.

Y’know. As one does. Some parents have kids to continue the family name, some for the tax breaks, and some to assassinate their other kids, the Greek gods. No big deal.

Anyway. There is a case to be made that ridiculously high parental expectations are a big part of why Lilith is Like That.

Granted, she was Like That long before she even knew who these parents were, let alone their expectations, but perhaps parental expectations this ridiculously high transcend the usual ordering of time and space. Who can say, really.

Of course, despite how dramatic and difficult Lilith can be at times, and the zeal with which she occasionally torments others whose only real crime was Existing Within Her Vicinity And Thus Totally A Valid Target....

Like, her heart has always always always been in the right place. She is a hero through and through, and has never wavered from doing the right thing when it really matters, or protecting people. 

So needless to say, she wasn’t exactly on board with her long lost mom’s life plan for her. Even if that argument did veer more towards “You made me grow up on Earth and think you still get a vote in how I live my life? Hah! Do you have any idea how much Earth sucks?”

Her teammates, who all live on Earth: Hey!

Lilith: What? Oh shut up, you all know its true. Don’t @ me, I’m right.

(Another missed opportunity that I maintain would be perfectly in character for her...I like to imagine that Lilith’s visions sometimes let her glimpse memes and pop culture references years before they become a thing, and so she’s always making references no one else gets and when they call her on it, she insists they’ll get it someday, its not her fault she’s a trend precursor rather than a follower. And of course, the references she makes are only actual memes from the future some of the time. The other times she’s just pulling them out of her ass to see if she can get them to catch on with anyone).

Anyway, Lilith’s overbearing mom, who absolutely is one hundred percent the source of her daughter’s Drama, if that is at all something that can be passed down as a hereditary trait....of course tries to make Lilith play ball.

Dick, flopping down right on the spot, wishing he had popcorn: Oh my god, someone who isn’t me trying to get Lil to do what they want her to do and with not a chance in hell of succeeding. You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment. Nobody talk during the movie, I need to savor every second of this.

Of course, everyone who’s ever been in a room with Lilith already knew how that movie was going to end, so ultimately Lilith’s evil Titan mom and her nefarious plots were defeated by her daughter’s Obstinacy.

That didn’t mean, however, that repercussions of Lilith’s newly revealed origins didn’t linger.

Dramatically.

Lilith: Anyway, so that’s what I think we should do next. So hop to it, Titans! Let’s get a move on.

The rest of the Titans sit around their living room eating breakfast and watching the TV and just in general not budging.

Wally: And you suddenly think you’re in charge because...why? Exactly?

Lilith: Our team is the Titans? I am an actual Titan? It’s literally right there in the name. C’mon, Wally, look alive. Irony isn’t a good enough reason for you to be this slow on the uptake.

Wally: Anyone else wanna field this one?

Roy: Lil, don’t take this the wrong way, because I love you to pieces despite your lifelong commitment to playing Devil’s Advocate on behalf of all the reasons we shouldn’t....

Garth: Great start Roy.

Roy: But the day you’re calling the shots around here is the day I tender my resignation and leave a Roy-shaped hole in the wall as I flee and seek sanctuary with the JSA, the JLA, the Green Lantern Corps....hell, even Bruce.

Lilith: How dare you say such things to me, a celestial being.

Dick: Lil, in the interest of saving time and getting you to move so I can actually see the TV, now would be a perfect occasion to look into the future and see what the chances are of us actually putting you in charge.

Lilith, flopping down on the couch: Oh never mind, I already knew that, and its not like I even actually want the stupid job anyway. Look how grumpy it makes you, and you have way more patience than I do. I just wanted to see how far I could push it. I’m booooooored. 

Garth: You do know our TV is rigged to get reception from even other planets, right? We can watch pretty much any entertainment program in the galaxy with this thing.

Lilith: Yes, but none of them have me, so its like, what’s the point, y’know?

Wally: Well do you mind letting us keep watching it at least? We do have lower standards, after all.

Lilith: Fine, whatever. I’ll just...exist, I guess.

Two minutes later...

Lilith: Hey, Donna’s an Amazon and I’m a Titan so that still makes me Donna’s boss at least, right?

All of them, in unison: NO.

And then of course, ultimately it was revealed that all of that backstory was a lie and Lilith’s real parents are both normal humans and she’s just a psychic.

Wally: You mean we went through all of that for nothing? And put up with Lil lording being a demigoddess over us for years?

Lilith: Hey, you still got a free all expenses paid trip to Mt. Olympus out of it, so you’re welcome, and you still owe me. Don’t make me sabotage your meet-cute with the woman you’re gonna marry. I’ll do it. I’ll do it so hard, she’ll think she’s allergic to you.

Wally: ...wait, does that mean I’m not going to marry Frances?

Donna: Oh Wally. You didn’t really ever think you were going to marry Frances, did you?

Wally: No, I guess not. She never really clicked with the rest of you, and to be honest I don’t think any of us would ever work out with someone who didn’t get along with the group.

Donna: ....that was a dig at me, wasn’t it.

Wally: What? No! I swear. I literally just forgot Terry existed for a second there.

Roy: Lucky bitch.

Yes. Lilith wears the title of Drama Queen with PRIDE. Its the entire basis of her claim to being royalty, after all, and no, that’s not at all how that works either, but do you want to try telling that to the woman who can and will get the Lamb Chop’s sing along song stuck in your head until it drives you insane? 

One does not simply cross Lilith and get away with it, much in the same way as one does not simply walk into Mordor. 

No, one should stock up on Plot Armor, magic rings and immortal wizard companions before even making the attempt, expect to be spotted by the all-seeing, all-knowing Eye of Sauron Lilith from the moment you even try and pull some fuckwittery within her domain, and make peace with the 90% chance this will ultimately all end in a slow motion fall to a fiery demise in a volcano with a super ominous name anyway.

Like, speaking of ominous, let’s note the fact that this is a woman whose psychic powers are at best 10% precognition, comparative to their being 90% telepathy. When picking the only codename she’s ever used, did she decide to go with something that focused on the majority shareholder of her powerset, her status as one of the most powerful telepaths in the DC universe? Something like Esper or Psyche or Brainstorm or like, idek, Sir Thinks-A-Lot?

No. No she did not.

Instead she went with Omen.

(And even that was probably only because the other Titans wouldn’t let her just flat out call herself something with Doom right in the name, on the grounds that would make most people assume she was a supervillain. To which she probably replied something like “Well that’s because most people are dumb and that’s why I don’t like most of them. Why am I even a superhero again?” She’d frame it like a real question she was asking, fully expecting an answer, but then she’d wander off while they were still trying to come up with a response to that because she’s bored now and also she doesn’t really care. Being a hero for her wasn’t always a vocation or calling like it was for the other Titans. It was more like she figured “Eh, I have superpowers and no other major life ambitions, might as well be a superhero. I guess.”)

So yeah, screw the telepathy, she’s like, “Call me Omen.”

An omen for whom, people often want to know? Just how exactly is that name meant to be taken? Is she an omen for the people the Titans try and protect, meant as an aid, to help avert some terrible fate that would otherwise befall them? Or is it meant as like, she’s an omen of doom for the bad guys they fight, a forewarning that thirty seconds from now, the Titans will be kicking their asses? 

Or maybe its meant to indicate she’s an omen as to the fate of the world, and her career as a superhero is really her attempt to avert one of the terrible apocalypses she foretells every time she pops back up after a superhero sabbatical and says “Hello, valued friends and comrades. Tis I, the unfortunate bearer of grim tidings. The fate of the world once more rests in our hands, and if we are to have any hope of saving it, we gotta take a road trip. I call shotgun.”

Donna: “You know Lil, you don’t actually have to show up with an apocalypse we have to avert, whenever you get bored or lonely and want back on the team again. You could just say hey guys, I’m back, what’s for dinner.”

Lilith: Wow Donna, I guess you don’t care about the fate of all humanity, since I am trying to prophesy here and you’re totally killing the ambiance and its ticking the spirit world off and messing with my connection to it.

Donna: You don’t have a connection to any spirit world, you drama queen. You’re a psychic who has precognitive dreams sometimes which means whatever you came here to warn us about, you already saw and definitely won’t have an update until you, y’know. Go to sleep again.

Lilith: Umm, excuse you Miss Know It All, that’s not even remotely how my visions work.

Donna; That’s literally what you told us about how they worked. 

Lilith: Well I was lying, obviously.

Donna: Why would you have lied?

Lilith: Because I do that sometimes. Are we really at all unclear on that by this point?

Donna: Right. And, you do that, why again?

Lilith: I don’t know, Donna. There you go again, always expecting me to have an answer to every single one of life’s little mysteries. Maybe some things just aren’t meant to be understood, did you ever consider that? Like, why is Dick so inexplicably drawn to redheads and yet he’s never once hit on me, a Known Redhead? If a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s around to hear it, does anybody honestly care? God, is the universe allowed to keep a little of its mystique? Is that okay with everyone?

Dick: If I could cut in for a second. Lil, just to clarify, you’re not lying about this apocalyptic vision for any mysterious reason that’s of course, undoubtedly beyond our ken. Correct?

Lilith: Obviously. I never lie about the end of the world, Dick.

Dick: Great. And just for clarity’s sake, the difference there, that makes that a no-lie zone would be....

Lilith: These end of the world situations always end up involving a lot of work for me, and would I do that much work for anything less than the end of the world?

Wally: Yeah that checks out.

Lilith: You’re going to ski straight off a cliff and win a Darwin Award for how stupid your death is.

Wally: Hah hah, joke’s on you, you already tried using that one on me and I’ve made my peace with it.

Lilith: Dammit.

Dick: Okay. And since we just established you’ve made up so many fake deaths for Wally over the years that you’re actually recycling old ones at this point, I gotta ask, one more time, just for complete clarity....so the intel about your vision is one hundred percent down to the letter accurate, to the best of your recollection?

Lilith: Oh. Well if you’re going to be technical about it, I might have embellished a little here and there. But that’s just about the aesthetic.

Dick: ....the aesthetic?

Lilith: Just because Destiny decided to make me its glorified secretary and insists on me reading off the minutes of each and every celestial meeting about “Should we end all existence yet, yay or nay,” that doesn’t mean I have to be boring about it.

Dick: I miss your fake mom.

[joseshin]

CATS: 1998 vs 2019

Alright, going to do this already.  Note: these are my personal opinions.  Intelligent rebuttals will be considered and replied to, anything else may likely be ignored.  Also spoilers, and LONG.  So onward to a comparison of the 2019 movie against the 1998 filmed stage version.

Edit before posting: Apparently I never queued this.  I feel a little silly now

Plot/Framing:  The use of an abandoned Victoria to frame the introduction of the plot of the Jellicle Ball and Munkustrap acting as narrator/guide to Victoria is a decent idea, and one that worked fairly well.  Granted, when you take a book of poems and turn them into songs, it’s a little hard to create plot for a musical, but inspiration comes from everywhere.  Victoria is a pretty blank slate for directors to work with, so having her be the framing vehicle is a really good idea.  She’s the white cat, the dancer, doesn’t have any specific lines of dialogue or song attached originally.

I think that Munkustrap didn’t have enough presence in the movie.  He’s the primary narrator, he needs to be someone we want to pay attention to, not just because he’s the one who happens to be singing or speaking at the moment.  Maybe it’s a difference in how the two versions were filmed, and the focus was a little more on Victoria as our window into the world of Jellicle Cats, but I didn’t catch myself looking for him, or even noticing him in some shots, and you want your main source of information to be someone/thing you’re aware of, if only to see the mood of the scene.

“Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” and “The Naming of Cats”: I thought the pacing was a touch fast, but I can understand trying to get all the material of the musical to fit into a film.  Same with the cut lines here, and it did flow very well for the most part.

Having each cat introduce themselves via their song, and thus their entry into the competition for the Jellicle Choice, is interesting, and it does give a reason for not doing either the songs “The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles,” or “Growltiger's Last Stand,” as they are the Jellicles entertaining each other in “play within a play” scenes.  It also gives Growltiger a reason to be a villian/henchman of Macavity’s, by using a snippet of his song during one of the capture sequences.

“The Old Gumbie Cat”: I was not happy.  Rebel Wilson is an amazing singer and actress, and I was very much looking forward to her interpretation of Jennyanydots.  What I saw was a petulant, whiny brat, instead of the example of Edwardian do-gooder.  Also, the mouse costumes were ridiculously bad, and the replication of the cockroaches was just showing off CGI work for no real effect.

“The Rum Tum Tugger”: No.  Why would you use this version, it’s a trainwreck?  And the music choice made no sense!  Jazz by itself would have been fine, but as far as the hip-hop/rap elements go?  Are we trying to make the timeframe screwy?  I miss the rockstar Tugger.

“Grizabella: The Glamour Cat”: Alright, Jennifer Hudson is amazing.  That said, I don’t think she made sense as a casting choice.  Grizabella is older, she’s past her prime and her singing should have more of that age and grit to it that shows her experience.  If you’re going to use someone younger, at least put some convincing age makeup on her, and choose a singer who has a huskier tone.

“Bustopher Jones”: James Cordon did a very good job to make this about more than a cat who eats his way through life, though I’m not sure about his scavenging through the trash.  He’s supposed to get huge amounts from the gentlemen’s clubs he attends, I would have thought the proper attitude of “the St. James’ Street cat” would not allow for his digging in the garbage.  And the sensitivity about his weight was stupid.

“Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer”: Perfect.  The mischief makers in their element, and Victoria having to deal with the fact that they can be not nice cats, it works.

“Old Deuteronomy”: Judi Dench was an interesting choice for the role, but it works.  There are some slight differences that come with having a matriarch for the Jellicle tribe instead of a patriarch, and they were handled with grace.  It also is a way to give Dame Dench a role in Cats that fits her experience, since her injury during the rehearsals for the original London opening meant her planned dual roles didn’t happen.

“The Jellicle Ball”: The dancing was nice, and I liked the way several other cats became more than faces in the crowd during it.

“Memory(Prelude)”: Again, I just don’t think Jennifer Hudson has the age for this to work.  Beautiful rendition though.

“Beautiful Ghosts”: A Victoria solo.  Huh.  It makes sense, given that Victoria is the primary viewpoint character in this version, for her to have something of her own.  And it’s a pretty little song.

“The Moments of Happiness”: It doesn’t have quite the impact it should, since the only real witness to Deuteronomy is Victoria here.  It works better when the entire clan is being given this lesson, even if most of them don’t understand it yet.

“Gus: The Theatre Cat”:  Ian McKellan, ladies and gents, in a role that suits his age and expertise?  I almost don’t miss Jellylorum.  Also the lead up to it, with him giving some words of wisdom to a fellow performer?  Yes, and yes!

“Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat”: The vocals and dancing went very well, but I kept getting distracted by the costume.  What’s up with that facial hair and the suspenders?  Also, the way the scenery shifted during this song where it never had with any other Jellicle performance.  More questions than answers here.

“Macavity: The Mystery Cat”:  Hoo boy.  Where to begin?  Making Bombalurina one of Macavity’s cronies sits a little funny with me, but I understand the logistics behind the choice.  The one place though, the one place that lyrics should absolutely have been changed in the entire show and you MISSED IT!?!?!?!?  Idris Elba is not a ginger cat, there is no way to make him a ginger cat, and you didn’t try to make him a ginger cat, so why does the song define him as one?  You couldn’t try, I don’t know: “Macavity’s a midnight cat/ He’s very tall and trim”?? Instead, you call him ginger, and thin.  Ugh.  Also, as much as I love to watch Elba, a lot of the threat of Macavity in the musical comes from the fact that this is the first time he’s been openly on stage, and not just a shadowed figure hiding along the fringe.  Using Macavity often earlier in the movie, having him spirit away the other competitors for the Jellicle choice so obviously, damps down on that.  Shadows crank up anticipation better than overt threats most of the time.  The stage version creates a scarier Macavity, though I’m sorry to say it.

The use of catnip is kind of hilarious as a drug, though I’m a little sad there was no fight between Munkustrap and Macavity, and that the Jellicles all came under Macavity’s power so easily.  Little annoyed that Griddlebone and Bombalurina seem to just melt away after the song, but understanding not wanting to use T Swift for “lesser” plot type issues.

“Magical Mr. Mistoffelees”: Mistoffelees is adorable here. This show is as much him coming into his powers and abilities as it is introducing Victoria to what it means to be a Jellicle.  His attempts, as he tries again and again to bring back Deuteronomy, are laced with just enough desperation that he’s trying his hardest without making it overacting.  The final success, when he’s sure he’s failed utterly, is so very sweet.

“Memory”: Same critique as before.  The thing about Grizabella’s songs is that they are reminiscing.  Looking back on a more golden youth.  Crying for understanding that those without experience in the shades of gray life throws at you won’t have.  It’s significant that Victoria (or Jemima, depending on the rendition) reach out to her, but Deuteronomy is the only one who has no problem with her, even from the get-go.  You need someone with either a hell of a shitstorm life experience, or just plain experience to get that.

“The Journey to the Heavyside Layer”: I liked the transition of the broken chandelier into a balloon carrying away Grizabella.  Little confused at Macavity’s loss of power, but okay.

“The Ad-dressing of Cats”: Deuteronomy addressing the crowd certainly brings the magical nature of cats to the fore, leaving the audience wondering how long she and the rest of the Jellicles have been aware of our view into their world.  I liked how when she was describing the food gifts a person can give to their cat, all of those surrounding her got excited.

Costuming: Just bodysuits and CGI ears, tails, and whiskers do not turn people into convincing cats.  The giant wigs of the stage show, while an 80′s throwback to the extreme, also change the profile of the face to better mimic a feline skull.  I get it, having that poof would have been annoying with having to deal with the CGI ears, having to compensate for every fur twitch, but still!  Also, nobody’s fur had any significant fluff amount to it whatsoever, it was all extra elements, like the coats and other accessories, but you could have used the legwarmers and armwarmers of the stage show give a better illusion of volume to fur.  Having everyone be sleek shorthairs is boring.  To my mind, the makeup was not convincing enough either.

Final thoughts: The movie version was okay, casting choices were decent for the most part, but I have to say that all together, I prefer the 1998 version.  It could also be that the actors for the filmed stage version had been doing these roles for some time and it shows, especially in movements.  Don’t get me wrong, the movie actors are good at their jobs, but there’s a difference in living a role for months or perhaps years during a stage run, tweaking things each performance, research and changing your approach, and making a movie, trying things only to have to move on to the next shot.

[lifewithparanormal]

Today is a very special day for me and for this blog. 

Phantom Investigators is turning 18 today. Yes, may 25th in 2002 was the day the show premiered, and it’s already been 18 years. Man how time flies. 

Lots of time have passed, we aged, we reached adulthood. This gang was 12 years old in 2002, 18 years later they would have been 30...

...But fictionnal characters have one advantage: they have the power to never age, staying as they are and continue to influence other generations.

.........Unless someone does a small alternate universe where the gang is now grown up and 30 years old in 2020...

...To tell the truth, this one-shot small fanfic wasn’t supposed to exist. But I fell lazy drawing the whole gang together as fanmade adults on the same sheet. I wanted to at least do something for this very specific birthday! So, did a small part AU/fanfic instead.

Click on keep reading to read the whole stuff and enjoy!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night was almost falling in San Francisco. In the nice season of fall, the weather was getting cold. But to one particular adult, that wasn't really important right now. In a house, a red-haired adult, named Daemona Prune, looked distressed. She was making calls, preparing  food and tried her best to make the room presentable. She seemed to receive visit very soon. ...Well...in her head, they were supposed to arrive, but they seemed very late.

''What are they doing?'' she thought.

Sitting on her couch for some time, a souvenir picture was lying side to her. She looked at it with a very nostalgic feeling. A 12-year old kid, dressed with a green detective coat and a green mask, was standing along with her three friends: a black girl; a boy with glasses; and a orange-haired guy wearing fashion right out of the 2000 years.

On the back of the picture, the four names were written, in order of left to right. Casey, Kira, Daemona and Jericho.

''They're late! What are you doing? I hope you didn't forget me, cause I sure remembered you!'' she suddendly spoke.

It's been a few months since she found back this picture and that she remembered simpler times. Oh, sure, in her now-30 years old, she did see some of her friends again. But often alone, and not together. Now was going to be the first time, and boy there were some catching up to do.

But right now, Daemona was anxious, a lot happened in her life and she was scared to be forgotten. The more someone can grow up, the less time some people have to contribute to their friends. What if they didn't come? What if they only stayed for one hour after all the preparations she made?

A lot of these nervous questions quickly fade away as soon as she heard the doorbell. Waiting a few seconds to not look too awkward and impatient to herself, she then rushed into the entrance and opened the door. She went silent for some time....oh, it was not in the negative way, never was she more happy than now.

''...After all these years, you managed to all come at the same time!'' Daemona happily greeted. ''Yeah, for old time's sake, it's good to see you again Daemona!''

It was one of her old friends from the picture, Jericho, who was just saying that. 

Meanwhile, Kira and Casey were transporting boxes out of the car. They were all wearing a coat for outside temperature. The gatherer looked at all her friends with admiration, they all grew into fine people. Jericho had longer hair, tied like a ponytail; Kira let her hair down; Casey, a little gain of weight, transported two boxes at once with great force.

The admiration changed slowly into question, Daemona wasn't really aware about all these boxes.

''Uuuuh...did you make a detour? I only asked you to come directly...'' ''We allowed ourselves to make a special stop.'' Kira explained, while transporting her box into the house. ''You will understand after dinner. You must be hungry after preparing everything.'' Casey added, entering the house. ''Well duh!'' Daemona added.

-----------------------

The dinner went along for some time. Not only eating, but talking about life in general: where the gang is at this point, their jobs, their family, their love life. Only Daemona seemed to be quiet about her own. Nobody seemed to know about that. ....At least not Jericho and Casey.

After dinner, the gang showed Daemona what was inside the boxes. What she found, was the surprise of her life.

''Oh by all the elementals of the netherworld, you brought the stuff from my parents's home at my old attic?'' She exclamed herself. ''Yes, we just thought it would be nice to bring some souvenirs.'' Kira explained. ''Just like old times, the more you grow up, the less you forget.'' Casey added.

If any of these objects in the box would be normal, Daemona would probably have taken this more likely, but what could she expect when she was leading the Phantom Investigators at 12 years old in an halloween costume?

Most of the adults Daemona knew in her childhood were likely oblivious to all that was paranormal or ghosts. And now, it was her and her friend's turns, it was to wonder if they still had their powers or thought about ghosts, due to their idea to bring full boxes of gadgets, books about paranormal and the netherrealm, added with souvenirs pictures of them as childs, along with Jinxie and Wad, monsters they have worked with.

''All these things? But don't you think that we're quite too old for this? I mean...we're thirty now and...'' Daemona quietly brought. ''Daemona, you're not fooling us, Kira told us about your job.'' Casey revealed, smugly smiling.

The women backed up from surprise. She directly stared at Kira.

''Wait! I told you to keep silent about this!'' Daemona frowned, pointing at her DJ friend. ''Hey, they're your friends too, they have the right to know!'' Kira shrugged.

Jericho, who was kind of silent since the dinner's end, had his eyes widened up from the realisation.

''Wait! It was really true? It wasn't a joke?'' Jericho shouted, out of surprise. ''Indeed, the books, the double identity, her cheesy rhymes about how her new book deserves the look, everything was true!'' Kira precised.

During the speeches, the mysterious job hider felt stuck in a corner. Oh well...what she did right now kind of had a close link to what she was doing as a children. It couldn't hurt to show to the same friends with which she founded the Phantom Investigators in 2002.

Warning that she'll be back in a minute. She ran into a closet right in her room. She opened it, inside was hanged a green detective coat along with green shades and a pile of books. She took one of the books, on it was written...

Putting the complete costume, she went out of the room and showed the book to her friends. Jericho was the most surprised of the gang, exclaiming himself.

''So it's really true! YOU'RE Monie! Now I recognise the outfit and the book title!'' ''She literally has the same haircut as before and it took you this long to figure this out?'' Kira weirdly gazed at his friend.

Daemona laughed, looking at all her friends.

''So, I see you're an avid fan of my teenager novels about paranormal!'' Daemona proudly boasted, playing with her hair. ''My kid loves your stories! But we never saw you in person! Do you think you could autograph one of his books now that I know it's you?'' Jericho asked.

The now-revealed author nodded, with a flattered smile.

''Sure, next time you visit my signature booth, bring your kid!'' she informed.

Kira was mocking Daemona a little, the simple look on her costume made her remember some hard, but good times.

''You know, in the end, you really haven't changed! Your excitement about supernatural and getting out with your weird outfits.'' ''You get a pass Kira, since you're one of my best friends...'' Daemona gazed.

Casey scratched his head.

''To be perfectly honest, I think my job doesn't fit with reading these kinds of books. But I guess I could shuffle some of them in my waiting room. Your stories are so light-hearted.'' ''Thank you, but you know, just because you're a vetenary and serious at your job doesn't mean you can't have feelings anymore...'' Daemona advised, putting his hand on Casey's shoulder. She seemed to know that he was hiding his true excitements. ''....I guess I... read them when I have free time.'' Casey blushed, a little shy to admit it.

Putting her hand out of her friend, Daemona sighed, looking at all the boxes of souvenirs.

''You know...I was kind of ashamed to admit my job to all of you, because I was scared that you would regret our childhood together, or that your forgot about all our trips to the netherworld.'' she revealed, out of worry. ''Seriously, how could we forget THAT?'' Jericho asked. ''I mean, we're adults now, obviously at first I thought you passed that age.'' Daemona said. ''Oh please girl friend, we're not like our parents or all the adults we knew. Being part of a team who investigates ghosts and almost got hurt everyday, it's really hard to forget. I'm an overbooked DJ, but deep down I still have the good memories of the PIs.'' Kira patted her friend's shoulder.

Daemona was really flattered about this small speech. 18 years have passed ever since she was the leader of Phantom Investigators with all her three friends present here. How surprising to her that in the end, they also kept their heart of child? Maybe less, but they were kind enough to visit her and bring her all these souvenirs.

With a wave of nostalgia, her eyebrows slowly changed of emotions, lowered down. She had a more serious voice.

''I wonder if right now, our mentor Navarro would be proud of us.'' ''Wherever he is right now, I'm sure he would be proud, same being said for your grandparents.'' Casey affirmed. ''How about Wad and Jinxie? They also were of use most of the time.'' Jericho added. ''They're monsters and eternal, I'm sure they haven't forget about us. At the very least, if there's children out here going through the same stuff as we did, I'm sure they're helping them....or scaring them.'' Daemona presumed.

Everyone looked at each other. This wasn't really an idea to throw out of the window. Maybe there was actually another team of children with powers, similar to the Phantom Investigators, seeing the same thing as they did.

Maybe this kind of mystery would be eluded one day. But right know, the memories were continuing....

''So Kira said you're still doing cheesy rhymes? ....Hey...how about one right now? For old time's sake?'' Jericho suddendly asked.

Daemona playfully rolled her eyes, fists on her hips.

''All right, just for you...''

Saying that, the costumed girl looked for a certain object in multiples boxes. Finally searching what she was looking for, she took it...

...A green phone straight out of the 2000 years. Acting like she was speaking, she held it close to her ear. Her friends started to get excited about what she would come it at that moment, so they could make jokes about it. It's after a few seconds that Daemona cleared her throat and finally said the following sentence...

''...Phantom Investigators, it's been a long time, describe us your slime!''

[worddevdealswithml]

Side Effects Include: Empathy

Chapter 5:

As the window closed in Lila’s face, Adrien’s apologetic expression turned to one of pure relief.

He looked forward again, and saw his driver giving him a quizzical look.  Then, without a word (well, without a word wasn’t exactly a surprise) they were leaving.

It wasn’t until they were well out of sight that he could start thinking ahead, but when he did…

He needed to talk to Ladybug, that much was clear.  Beyond that, though, everything was blank. Blank, because for maybe the second time since he’d met her, something was making him reconsider his crush on Ladybug.

Besides that, he needed to ask Plagg, needed to be certain that the feeling in his stomach when he thought of Marinette wasn’t a fabrication, or some magical effect of touching her, because, if it was…

His heart sank further. If it was, how could he ever know for certain that his feelings were real, and not some mirrored delusion? And then, what if it wasn’t!? Would that really be… Any better?

Plagg had said he’d have fun with this, but Adrien was beginning to doubt it.

What he wanted to do was ask Plagg, but… He’d have to wait if he wanted to do that.  He wanted to talk to Ladybug, but he’d have to meet her in costume, and he couldn’t transform right now, either.

Yet another part of him wanted to just go, visit Marinette, and let the beat of her heart drown everything else out.

Let the beat of her heart drown everything out?  Really, Agreste?

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Plagg first.  It had to be.

The good news was, of course, that there was nothing stopping him from just… Doing a bit of finagling with his piano practice.  After all, it wasn’t like anyone was going to randomly come and check on him.

With that thought in his mind, he just, had, to…

…

Wait.

A few minutes of scales to make sure Nathalie had time to walk away, and…

He queued up a recording of one of the pieces he was supposed to be working on, and set it playing.

He stood up.

“Plagg?  We need to talk.”

Plagg floated into sight.

“Yeah… Figured you’d want to.  Alright, what’s the problem?”

“It’s… About Marinette.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

He sighed.  “I guess you already knew she liked me, huh?”

Plagg… Didn’t answer.

“Well…  It’s actually, also about my new powers.”

“Not surprised.”

“I…” he almost didn’t want to say it out loud.  “I was wondering…  After… After what happened with Marinette, and she, ran into me…”  He closed his eyes, and took a breath.  “It feels like I like her back.”

There was a long silence. “And I’m supposed to…?”

“I-  I don’t know.  I just need to know if I feel like that because she feels like that, like, something about my new powers makes what other people feel stick with me, or if…   If that’s just… Me.”

“Just you.  I mean, obviously you wouldn’t be feeling this if you hadn’t touched her, but it’s not, like, magical.”

“So…  So I do, actually… Like her.”

Plagg shrugged. “Maybe.  Or maybe you’re just a stupid romantic, who’s overly excited that someone likes him.”

Adrien stopped.

He looked at Plagg.

Plagg shrugged.

Adrien sighed.

“I dunno, that’s not exactly, my thing.”

Adrien stared blankly at his kwami.

The music from the top of the piano seemed a strange backdrop to the peculiar dissatisfaction that was sinking into his stomach.

Sure, there wasn’t anything magical about what he was feeling, but… Plagg had a point.

Maybe what he felt for Marinette was a fabrication of his mind.

The void in his stomach sank a bit deeper.

What if his feelings for Ladybug were just desperation, too?

What if-

He let out the low moan that would have been more at home in the mouth of someone turning over in their sleep.

“Plaaagg?” he said.

Plagg gave him a look.

“Plagg, you’re giving me an existential crisis.”

If Plagg had had eyebrows, he would have raised them.

“Oh!  Well that’s nice.”

“It’s not nice, Plagg.”

“Well, it’s refreshing.”

“Do I even really like Ladybug?  Or is it… Is it just that she was one of the first people I met?  What if Ladybug had been someone else?  How bad would she have had to be before I wouldn’t have fallen in love with her?”

“I dunno, not my business.”

“Plagg…”  His tone was almost pleading.

“What?  You really want my advice?  It’s been millennia since I’ve been young enough to have any idea what you’re feeling.  I just eat cheese, and watch things disintegrate, and I’m happy.  You humans are weird, with your whole… Picking people, thing.  I don’t know, maybe you’re just easy to please, but you didn’t fall in love with anyone else that whole time.”

“Yeah, and all it took was Marinette… Well, not telling me, but… It’s like she told me, without knowing it.”

“Mm.”

“What if it had been someone else!?  Would I be feeling like this about them now?”

“I seriously don’t understand why you’re asking me this question.”

“Because how am I supposed to…”  He trailed off.  What if… What if someone had told him that Marinette felt like that about him, yesterday?

Well, for a start, he’d have laughed them off.

What if… Marinette herself had told him?  He tried, for a second, to forget what he now knew.

If she’d come up to him, told him to his face, and left before he’d had a chance to think on it…

He’d have been flattered, of course.  After all, it wasn’t everyday someone as great as Marinette told you…  Of course, what did that even tell him?  Of course he’d be flattered.  It was Marinette for crying out loud, anybody would be flattered!

Or…  Would they?

His mind seemed to twist, under the almost paradoxical question.  Would he be flattered, and, presumably, feel like this, because Marinette was great, and anybody would be lucky to have her, or did he think anybody would be lucky to have her because, on some level, he’d already felt like this?

Surely it wasn’t normal to look at someone, and write off liking them because it was too obvious.

And Ladybug…

Well, of course, she could easily have been a celebrity crush, but it wasn’t like that.  He knew her, personally.  And it felt like he fell in love with her a bit more every time he saw her.  That didn’t, sound like he was just fooling himself.

So… What.  He had a crush on two people, now? At the same time?

That was… Allowed?  

Apparently.

He sighed.

Well.

No matter what, he still had to talk to Ladybug.

And to get there, he needed to finish his piano lesson, to get the eyes of the world, or, Nathalie, at least, off him.

He walked back to the piano, and…

He blinked.  His phone, plugged into the player, had a notification on it.  Looking behind him, he sat down, and retrieved it.

For a second, his heart felt strange; It was a message from Marinette.

He took a breath, and opened the message.

He let the breath out, because… Had he really been expecting some declaration?  No.

“We need to deal with Lila.  I’ll be busy for a while, but hopefully I can text you at 6.”

“It’s a date.”

“Sounds good to me.”

He sighed.

He really didn’t like the idea of making Lila angrier than she already was, but they had to do something, didn’t they?  If they just left her to her devices, maybe she wouldn’t turn into a supervillain (not to say she didn’t have a surprisingly itchy trigger-finger for it, so to speak) but…  She was malicious, and altogether too powerful; too many people trusted her, listened to her.  Even he had misjudged her, and he had known she was a skilled liar.

Well, at least the timing would give him a chance to talk to Ladybug; A chance, because there was no telling whether she’d even be out and about at the same time as him.  Hopefully, he’d have chance to talk to her, and clarify his feelings towards Marinette.  With any luck, it would be easier to talk to her when she did text him.

…

When Ladybug landed on the rooftop, a little unsteadily, he was reclining against the shingles, lounging out as if he was utterly relaxed.

The image was, of course, far from the truth, but he was Chat Noir.  He didn’t get nervous.

Ladybug straightened up, and caught sight of him.

He grinned, another fabrication, and gave her a cheery wave.

“Lovely weather we’re having, isn’t it?”

She gave him an unimpressed look.

He straightened up, and let the grin drop.  “Yeah… What brings you out today?”

She shrugged.  “Probably the same thing as you.”

“The beautiful day?”

She didn’t respond.

He sighed.  “New powers?”

She still didn’t say anything, but from the shift in her posture, he knew he’d hit the number.

“Yeah… Me too.”

She sighed, looking at him. “More trouble than they’re worth?”

He shrugged.  “Maybe?  What did you get?”

She scoffed.  “Strength.”

“Oh.  Well that actually doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not me! I can barely walk without tripping over my own… Well, maybe that’s uncharitable, but I’m not exactly graceful, at the best of times, and now it feels like I’m kind of out of control, even as Ladybug!  The first time I jumped, I completely overshot where I was going, and landed on the next roof.”

He laughed.  “Well.  I’m sure that’ll get better with time, right?  I mean, if I recall correctly, you didn’t exactly know what you were doing the first time we met.  I bet once you get used to it, you’ll be even… Well, stronger is the wrong word, but better.”

“Yeah… Maybe.  But what about you?  You said you’d gotten a new power of your own?”

He sucked in a breath, and let it out.

“Yeah…  Yeah I did.”

She looked a little concerned.  “You okay there, Kitty?  Nothing went too wrong, right?”

“No!  No, I just… It’s a weird one, and it’s got all this… Thinking you have to do.”

“Thinking isn’t your strong suit?”

“I mean… Not as much as yours.”

“Well?  What is it?”

“I can feel people’s emotions.”

She blinked.  “You can what?”

“When I touch people,” he said, “I can feel whatever they’re feeling.”

“That’s…  You’re…  Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking? If you want, I can prove it.”

“I-  Yeah, sure, go ahead,” she said, shaking her head as if somewhere between confusion and disbelief.

“Well,” he said, stepping up.

“Oh.  Right.  When you touch them, and… There’s nobody else around.”

“Yeah, it’s- If you don’t want to, I can-

“No, no, it’s fine, I don’t really have anything to hide.  At least, not right now.”

He nodded, and reached out.

She closed her eyes, and he pressed his thumb against her forehead.

//

Ladybug is calm, and collected.  There’s the disbelief and confusion there, mild, but present. Beyond that, she seems at ease, which, he has to say, is flattering, given that he has his hand on her forehead, and could technically disintegrate her at will.  No fear at all.

Ah, but he’s off course, is he.  He pulls himself back, and tries…

The mind behind the emotions, is…  Familiar?  He can see it clearly, as if looking at the bottom of a pool, when the water is clear, and still.  Too still, in fact.  He tries to find emotion, and just finds himself running into… What she is behind her emotions, he supposes.

“You’re…  Well, not feeling anything in particular.  I’m not sure what you expect me to tell you if there’s nothing to sense.”

“Well,” she says, “I can’t exactly, just, change my mood.”

“Mm…” he says.  “Well, I could try.”

She laughs, and he wishes she hadn’t, so he could have known she was amused without it having been obvious.

“Uh… Oh, what’s a good one…  Well, the weather’s nice, but every day beautiful when you’re around.”

The response is… Almost nonexistent.

“Really doesn’t land, huh?  Probably works better if it’s spur of the moment.”

“I mean, the fact you’re not insisting it did ‘land’ is pretty weird, for you.”

He sighs, and lets go.

//

“Yeah…  I mean, it’s kind of a paradox, right?  If you’re experiencing strong emotion, either you’re trying to hide it, or you’re not, and either way, I’m not sure it’d do much good to go feeling around for it.”

She laughed.  “Yeah…  I do believe you, for what it’s worth.  It’s just, kind of strange.”

He sat down.  “Right.  Right.”

And what had he gained from this?  She wasn’t secretly in love with him, which honestly… didn’t surprise him. Then again… If nothing else, there hadn’t been any annoyance, or mistrust, or doubt…  Really,  Things could have been so much worse.

She sat down next to him, and for a while, nobody moved.

“I’ve still got a while before I need to be anywhere,” he said.

“Yeah.  Same here.  And then…” she sighed, “There’s some stuff I need to handle.”

They stared out across the city, the sun still shining down.

It was a beautiful.

“So… how far do you think you could throw me?”

[dcarevu]

Batman TAS: The Clock King

Hi, guys! Gee, it’s been a while! For another week or two, doing these blogs are going to be incredibly difficult to accomplish. It’s the last two weeks of my school semester, meaning that it’s crunch time. Overall, school has kept me so busy that watching the episodes has been doable, but writing about them has been a huge problem. It sucks, because doing this blog and venting my thoughts is incredibly satisfying. To be honest, if I didn’t include screenshots and captions for most of them (like how I used to do things), these posts would likely still be coming out regularly. But they are a lot of extra work. It more than doubles the creation-time, believe it or not. It is work that is worth it, mind you, it adds a massive leap in awesome-factor. But I just don’t have time for it at the moment. I have watched up to Robin’s Reckoning as of the moment I type this. Because of how far ahead that is without actually writing anything about those episodes, it’s going to be hard to write meaningful blog posts about them, simply due to the episodes not being as fresh in my mind. I will try to rewatch them (or at the very least skim through them and read about them). I’m in a bit of a rut. I didn’t want to stop watching episodes entirely, because I’d like to get through the DC Animated Universe in a somewhat timely manner (I’d watch an episode per night if only I could). Luckily, after the 10th of May I should be back at it in full. I’m likely way more excited about it than you are, but hey, I’m mainly doing this for me (with a hearty “welcome” to anyone who happens to discover and enjoy these along the way). Just figured I’d keep any readers updated! This is the last post for the next couple of weeks. I’ll check in soon! In the mean time…

“Thirty-seven pages? That would take a copier exactly one minute and forty-nine seconds. One more delay like this and you're fired!”

Episode: 25 Robin: No Writer: David Wise Director: Kevin Altieri Animator: Sunrise Airdate: September 21, 1992 Grade: B

So lately I’ve been watching these episodes using my Blu Ray copy, and receiving the screenshots from my DVD copy. There hasn’t been too much for variance, aside from one looking obviously better, but The Clock King is an example of a pretty drastic difference in how two episodes can be presented. The Blu Ray copy is much brighter than the DVD copy, and while that does allow us to see what is going on a little bit better in dark scenes such as when Batman and Temple Fugate face off inside the clock, it also makes other scenes uncharacteristically bright, and honestly a little bit tacky. Seeing Batman walking around in broad daylight is odd enough, but when you further get rid of the illusion of how cool he looks by upping the exposure an additional amount, it makes him look really out of place. In the series bible, I can see why they wanted to keep Batman only appearing after dark. In the real world, it would be a lot easier to see Batman as a normal guy in a dorky Halloween costume when not cloaked in the shadows or when the ability to see him before he attacks is present. Of course, this isn’t saying that if Batman were to see trouble during daylight that he should just ignore it. It makes sense to break the rule sometimes, and it’s not even a problem to me in this episode, I just don’t think that the remastering of the Blu Ray release does it any favors in this case. The brightness also brings out the budget, revealing a whole lot of bland blues, grays, and browns. These colors have not been shy since the beginning, but there is no disguising them this time.

Fugate is a villain who’s main flaw is not only how obsessive-compulsive he gets about his schedule, keeping track of things, being on time, etc, but also the fact that he extends this to other people. He expects them to fall in line with his standards. For example, he keeps track of how long he and Mayor Hill have been taking the subway together, and expects Hill to know his name just from that. Also, his employee/intern who brings him a stack of papers too slowly for his standards, because apparently a photocopier should only take “one minute and forty-nine seconds” on that particular stack. And then, the biggest one of all, when he expects Mayor Hill to immediately know the significance of the time 3:15. This is the time that Hill suggested Fugate go on his coffee break, indirectly leading to Fugate losing the court case, ruining his life and creating the Clock King. But this was seven years prior! If someone came up to you and went, “1:47!” would you have any idea what they were talking about? Sure, a lot of things have happened at 1:47, maybe even some significant things, but as far as what they are, most people probably do not keep track. Another theme that I noticed was the idea of hindsight. Have you ever been in a situation where you gave someone a mere suggestion, they willingly took it, and then when something happened to ruin it, they blame you and insist that they knew it was a bad idea? Right, of course in hindsight it’s easy to say that, but truth is, neither of you saw the consequences coming! On top of that, any bad things that happened were completely unrelated to what you suggested, and luck just did not happen to line up. Maybe if Fugate hadn’t gone on that coffee break at a different time than usual, something else would have happened (not to get Final Destination-y on you). Point is, Fugate is completely missing the mark by staying mad at Mayor Hill for that long, and it’s like the old saying goes, “Shit happens.” Ironically, for a man so precise and knowledgable when to comes to all things time and clock related, looking back in time without heavy distortion does not seem to be something he is capable of doing in this case.

The main thing I liked about this episode (as I think a lot of people did) was its incredibly cruel nature. Just how mean to a guy can the writers be? “All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy”. That’s a Joker quote (taken from The Killing Joke), and it’s something I think about from time to time. I often wonder how much is between a rational brain and a completely irrational one. How much subconscious effort does being sane take? What’s keeping any of us from letting go and succumbing to the lunacy? Do our minds even work that way? Well, I sure as hell don’t know. And nobody worry, I’m not even the least bit afraid of snapping or anything, hahaha. It probably greatly varies from person to person as far as what would be enough to drive them crazy. In Temple Fugate’s case, it was a lot less than it would take for the majority of us. But this is hammered home by the drama of him being late to court. The bloody browns, dramatic shadows, and violent ticks of a clock do not necessarily represent how Fugate sees the situation, but they are there to represent how the situation affects him. If we were to be affected like him, this is how we would have to experience the situation. After all, everything is relative. This is juxtaposed brilliantly by the prior scene where birds are chirping and the sun is shining. Fugate seems like an alien trying to act casually as he struggles to relax for those few seconds. This is also more from our point of view than Fugate’s. These two scenes being back to back make us feel confused and baffled over our villain, all while allowing us to understand him completely. To me, understanding does not necessarily mean that something makes sense to us. Understanding is knowing the why. But, as an analogy, someone can tell me why they like the taste of zucchini. But that doesn’t make it any more clear to me those reasons can be enough for someone can like it. It just is what it is, and the bottom line is that all of our realities are different. For Temple Fugate, this is an unfortunate reality.

The producers of Batman set a goal of having a crazy set piece at the third act of every episode. They wanted it to aid in the excitement and to be memorable. I’m pretty sure not all episodes did this (it would become formulaic is abused), but this, along with Prophecy of Doom are the two that come to mind as demonstrators of this concept. Unfortunately, the animation lacks the spark that it needs. Luckily The Clock King wasn’t infected by Atom disease, and so the climax downright corny like Prophecy of Doom, and seeing the inside of the clock was neat, but… It wasn’t beyond just neat. I wish we got a bigger sense of scale, seeing further to the bottom of the clock, and maybe getting some better angles along with quicker action. I wanted a sense of height like what Mayor Hill was experiencing from the outside, as he was tied to the clock-hand. Plus just better fighting. It was such a tease of an action scene. I wanted to be at the edge of my seat, but feeling that way would require forcing it. And I just don’t have that kind of energy, man. Sunrise tried, they really did. The scene (and the whole episode in general) looks passable. But the blandness holds it back. It’s like eating the macaroni and cheese from my college. It’s mac and friggin’ cheese. So of course it’s going to be edible. Of course I’m going to like it. But where is the usual flavor? Where is the element that I usually am head-over-heels for? I can make vague comments about what it’s missing or what I would personally do to make it better. But probably the most firm statement I can really make is only, “Just do it better next time.”

I feel bad for people like this. We’ve all met them. They hold themselves (and others) to an impossibly high standard. Think about how much energy that must use.

The shock of Fugate hitting his coffee break at an odd time. She’s worked with him a long time. 

Batman’s idea of a nice, sunny day. As noted, it’s brighter on the Blu Ray. One of the scenes where the brightness adds to it. That tree is casting a shadow, but it almost looks like the clock is the one causing it...

The Blu Ray variant.

Great stuff! The tick of a clock gets louder and louder through the scene. 

“Then perhaps this will teach you to be on time for a change.” This line holds so much weight, as to someone like Fugate, it cements the idea that one moment of leniency was one too many.

This drawing could have been a little more grotesque, but not bad!

“I take it taxi-drivers are no longer required to obey traffic signs.”

I find it a little whacky that Bruce Wayne noticed trouble from way down on the streets.

Bruce going through that car was animated incredibly strangely. It looked like he entered the car, but then it looked like he emerged from behind it. But anyway, maybe this was a Superman homage? In one of the Superman movies, he walked through a car and emerged completely changed. Batman doesn’t have that amount of speed, so maybe this is kind of like his version of it. In the shadows, where he belongs. 

Wow, ugly screenshot. But see how odd it is to see Batman in the daylight?

Again, here is the Blu Ray version. And on a much better frame. 

Why he didn’t hurl the explosive directly at Batman is beyond me. He just kinda threw it into the distance. Maybe as a warning (much like Walter White vs Tuco for any Breaking Bad fans). 

See what I mean by blandness so far? A little more style would have gone a long way.

What an awful way to die this would be. Split in half by two hands of a giant clock. Imagine the impact this would have on Gotham if it had have worked. 

A few bits from inside the clock, including Fugate’s apparent death. But Batman doesn’t seem to think he’s gone... Some of these drawings of gears frankly suck. The line-work just isn’t there. This episode felt like a Twilight Zone episode, I’ve gotta say. I think it had to do with the personality of the villain along with some of the events that happened. Batman and Twilight Zone... Now there’s a crossover with possible potential...

Char’s grade: B Next time: Appointment in Crime Alley

Full episode list here!

[artificialqueens]

Here I Go Again! (Group Fic) - Chapter Three - pureCAMP

A/N - ta-dah!!! i hope everyone enjoys this next installment and i promise u im working hard hard hard on my other fics as well as trying to study for school - which obviously has to take priority x

Voulez-Vous - Gimme, Gimme, Gimme! - Our Last Summer - Under Attack

It was almost impossible to keep track of what was going on. As the hen party began, Trixie found all different types of alcohol being poured down her throat, with cheers erupting every time something was drained or spilt in some way. She’d been dancing, with no recollection of any of the songs, and then all of a sudden her mom and friends were on the stage.

That had to be the highlight of the night. Trixie felt oddly starstruck, even as she danced with her mom. Her entire lifetime had been spent with her mom, singing and dancing to get through the days, but she hadn’t expected The Supermodels to come across like real superstars as they had.

“Hey there, gorgeous!”

Trixie spun dizzily on her heel, gasping in delight as her eyes fell upon Brian. The stag do had supposedly been fancy dress, although the costumes had long been discarded in the heat of the warm summer night. Brian was shirtless, his hair slightly damp, and he held a necklace of delicate pearls and seashells in his hand.

“Guess what I retrieved for you?” He almost shouted, trying to be heard over the music. “Let me see it on you!”

She smiled knowingly. The age old story of Aphrodite’s necklace was one that the islanders all knew, and it was tradition that on the eve of the wedding, the groom dived down to try and retrieve it. Supposedly, it ensured a perfect marriage and a life of happiness for the couple. However - and Brian didn’t know this, but Trixie wasn’t going to tell him - it was also tradition to plant a necklace near the corals, for the unsuspecting groom to find.

“What’s going on?” She laughed. “Why are the guys crashing the party? It’s supposed to be no boys allowed!”

Brian grinned. “We got bored! What’s a man without his woman? He’s nothing!”

Next to her, Sharon put her hands on her hips. “And what’s a woman without a man? Successful, that’s what. Go on, lovebirds, don’t be shy. I’m gonna go and dance with Jinkx.”

As they watched her go, shaking her hips and dancing, Brian shook his head. “Shit. Your mom is cool.”

Trixie snorted. “Right?! I want to be as cool as her when I’m her age. I want to be a cool mom too.”

Brian’s eyes lit up. “Oh, you will be. Think I’ll be a cool dad?”

He flexed his biceps, wiggling his eyebrows in a manner that was supposed to be seductive, Trixie assumed. In spite of herself, she giggled.

“A crazy dad, maybe. I wish I had a dad.”

She couldn’t help it. It seemed too late in the game to tell Brian what she’d done, but with the alcohol clouding her mind, she was more open than she wanted to be. The party was amazing, and she was enjoying herself fully, but in the back of her mind she was still disheartened that she didn’t know which guy was her dad. Before, she’d been certain she’d know straight away. Now she wasn’t so sure at all.

“Come on, Trix.” Brian gently cupped her face, keeping her away from the sea of moving bodies. “You don’t need a dad. I think I’ll get jealous if there’s more than one man in your life. You’re my only girl - I want to be your only guy.”

Trixie’s heart skipped a beat. “You big old softie… But I think you’re gonna hurt mom’s feelings. She’s not your girl?”

Brian laughed. “Sharon? She’s not anybody’s girl! She’s the strong independent type, she doesn’t need me. She’s nobody’s girl.”

She used to be Justin’s girl, Trixie found herself thinking. And Jaremi’s, and Willam’s. And I’m still no closer to finding out which one is my dad.

It bothered her more than she wanted to admit. There was no indication as to which one could possibly be the right guy. Trixie resembled her mom so closely that she didn’t really look like any of them. All of the dates were so close together that it was anybody’s game. And she knew that for once in her life, her mom didn’t have the answer.

“Babe? Trix, you there?”

Blinking, Trixie realized she’d spaced out. “Sorry! I’m here. I, uh…”

In the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar head of blonde hair, dancing up a storm next to a group of young men and women who were cheering him on. With a jolt, she recognized who it was.

“Brian, will you dance with mom? I have something I wanna do real quick!”

Leaving her confused fiancé no choice, Trixie dashed away, threading herself through the crowd towards where Willam was dancing. Upon spotting her, he broke away from the group.

“Trixie! Last night of freedom, huh?” His voice was jovial.

“Uh, yeah, I guess…” She murmured distractedly, looking for an escape. “I need to talk to you, can we…?”

Understanding immediately, Willam nodded. They made their way out of the courtyard, heading out to one of the balconies that looked over the whole island. With the moon reflecting off the gentle rippling waves, and the music fading to a quieter, more manageable level, Trixie felt a little bit calmer. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“It feels good to be partying back on this island, you know. Definitely brings back memories, especially with your mother being here. I haven’t had a chance to speak to her properly yet.”

Willam leant against the wall, mirroring Trixie as he stared out at the sea. Trixie breathed deeply, trying to calm her nerves.

“That’s probably a good thing.” She shuddered. “I’m starting to think this was a bad idea… I really thought she’d be happy to see you guys.”

He chuckled. “Listen, Trix - there’s no point lying. Your mother found us, and we each gave our excuses. She doesn’t know it was you, but she sure as hell knows that we’re here.”

“She wasn’t happy about it, was she?” Trixie asked glumly.

Willam shook his head. “Not quite. She mostly seemed mad at that Justin guy, though he seems pretty nice. Now, Sharon… she’s never talked about us, has she?”

“If we’re coming clean… then no. Never.”

“You found out about us, somehow. You’re as sneaky as your mother, I’d wager. But why us? And why now?”

Trixie lowered her head. “Willam… I think you know why. My birthday is in mid-April… nine months after Justin, Jaremi and you all found this island and my mother with it.”

One of us is your father.” Willam’s voice was quiet, like he didn’t want anyone to overhear. Trixie was incredibly grateful for it.

“And I don’t know which.” Trixie sighed. “There’s no evidence either way. I don’t know, you don’t know, I don’t even think mom knows.”

Willam tentatively squeezed her hand, unsure of whether it was an appropriate amount of contact or not. “Trixie, if you don’t figure it out by tomorrow, I just want to say… It’d be an honour to walk you down the aisle. My husband will get a kick out of it. Fancy me having a daughter.”

“Thanks, Willam. What’s this about a husband?”

The blonde man grinned. “Sharon doesn’t know this, but she’s the first and last woman I ever loved or, uh… touched, I suppose. Through no fault of hers, I realized women weren’t quite what I wanted. I mean, girl… you understand me. I’ve met your Brian, he’s cute.”

“Hands off.” Trixie smiled. “I should let you go back to the party now. Sorry about all this confusion and drama.”

Willam shrugged. “I live for drama. I’m off to get a cocktail.”

It felt as though a weight had been lifted off of Trixie’s chest - but she still didn’t feel good. In fact, as the weight was lifted, it felt as though a rope was constricting her insides. One person knew the truth, and time was running out. In just a few hours, everyone would know.

Re-entering the party, Trixie was utterly overwhelmed. Music throbbed in her ears. Someone grabbed her hand for a dance, spinning her and flinging her somewhere into the middle of the dancefloor. Sweaty, grinding bodies pushed her this way and that. Heels trod on her feet. Backs slammed into her. The air smelt of alcohol and she wasn’t sure she could even still breathe.

Someone was calling her name, but the voice didn’t sound right. It was as if they were speaking underwater, garbled and confused. Trixie blindly stumbled forwards, falling straight into somebody’s arms at the edge of the party.

“Trixie?”

“Jaremi!”

He was drunk, clearly. His skin was tinged a merry red, his clothes slightly dishevelled and stained from dancing and drinking. Sweat glistened on his forehead. Even though he hadn’t been on the island for long, Trixie had gathered that he wasn’t particularly social. When she returned to the three men she’d hidden at the back of the resort, she’d talked for a long while with Willam and Justin, but Jaremi had wandered off to be alone. It seemed that alcohol had loosened his tongue considerably.

“Oh, my god.” He set his drink down, leaning Trixie against the wall. “I’m your dad!”

“Not so loud!” Trixie squeaked. “I - I just… Please keep this a secret! I can’t have anyone knowing!”

Jaremi nodded. “Absolutely, I nill wot - no, I will not tell a single soul. Until tomorrow when I walk you down the aisle.”

“What?!” Trixie screeched. Panic was rising.

“It’s a father’s duty to give his daughter away!” Jaremi declared, far too loud for Trixie’s comfort. “You sent those invites hoping for your old pops to walk you to your husband, and I accept! Congratulations!”

She was thrust back into the party once again. Trixie was aware that she was sweating, but her body was wracked with shivers. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Wobbling over to the drinks, Trixie selected the nearest bottle and downed as much as she possibly could without having to breathe, and then some. There didn’t seem to be any other way to solve the mess she’d gotten herself into.

She needed to just let go altogether.

Trixie had made her way into the centre of all the dancers before she realized it was a mistake. A loud and familiar song was playing, and everyone had begun the well-known choreography, holding hands and swapping partners and moving around in dizzying circles. The entire courtyard was encircled in dancers, kicking their legs out and threading back and forwards surprisingly well considering the combined amount of alcohol that had been drunk.

A few lines of people away, Brian grinned widely at her. Her mom, arm in arm with Jinkx and Raja, blew a kiss and a smile. Naomi and Kim were dancing together. Scattered in each of the lines were her three hugest problems, the three men she’d fucked up massively by inviting.

Justin made eye contact with her across the lines, his gaze unwavering through the weaving and clashing of the dancers. Even through her drunken haze, Trixie could read the message in Justin’s eyes clear as day - We need to talk. A horrible, nagging feeling in Trixie’s chest told her that she knew exactly what would be the topic of the conversation. Everything was happening all at once.

When the song ended, Justin was quick to approach, leading her away from the speakers and dancers so that they could talk properly. He was breathing heavily, his hair pushed back as though he’d been raking his fingers through it. Judging by the revelation that Trixie was sure he’d been hit with, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all.

“Why didn’t Sharon tell me?!” He demanded, sounding distressed. “All these years you’ve been here, and I didn’t know!”

Trixie bit her lip. “Justin, I-”

“She should’ve told me! I-I would never have left if I knew! Trixie, am I your father?” Justin’s eyes were filled with hurt, shining bright under the moonlight.

Trixie’s heart felt heavy. “I think so!” She told him. “But mom didn’t know about me! Not until long after you were gone!”

Justin sighed. Despite the loud music, Trixie heard it clearly. He sounded pained, like the news was hurting him.

“Why did you leave my mom?”

He turned away, this time facing the horizon with his back to the celebrations. “I had to… It was the right thing to do! At least, I thought it was. I was wrong.”

Trixie began to lead Justin away, making her way out of the courtyard completely and down towards one of her favourite spots, a small crest in the cliffside. The area was quiet, private, and allowed her to think and stare out at the sea without the distraction of the party.

“Why were you wrong?”

He sighed raggedly. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t plan to fall for your mother. I had a fiancée, I needed to go back to her. Even though I knew I didn’t love her, not like I loved Sharon. I didn’t know love until I knew Sharon.”

Trixie sensed that Justin was talking more to himself than he was to her, sorting through his thoughts and feelings. It just so happened that Trixie was there to carry and listen to it, but she didn’t mind. He clearly needed to let it out.

Gently, she touched his arm. “What was she like?”

“The fiancée?”

Trixie shook her head. “My mom.”

“A firecracker.” Justin said, and laughing slightly. “She really was. I remember every moment that I spent with her as though it were only last summer. She has that effect on people. She changed my life forever.”

“Help me fill in the gaps.” Trixie murmured, chewing her lip. “I know a little bit about after you left from my childhood. You know the bits before that. You tell me something, I’ll tell you something.”

Justin smiled, his face kind. Some of the panic in Trixie’s chest began to settle, though she knew it was a trap. She felt calm now, but later it would rise up again and threaten to spill.

“We… we first kissed right on that dock where I arrived yesterday.” He said, his eyes faraway. “It wasn’t too long after we met, but I could’ve sworn I already loved her. She just took my heart and kept it.”

Trixie’s features softened. “But you already had someone else.”

“Yes. No.” Justin sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Mom always told me it was a summer romance.” Trixie admitted. “I kind of accepted that was all I was ever going to know. She’d met somebody and then they left and she had me. As if that was the entire story.”

“Not at all.” Justin whispered. “It was… It was definitely a romance for the ages. But I think we were both afraid, more than anything. We rushed. We never stopped to think.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Growing old. Slowly dying. It was almost as if she was convinced the world was ending, and she had limited time. We were both afraid of growing up into mundanity, so we spent all of our time trying to be amazing. Falling in love and singing and being young. If it’s true, if… if I am your father… I guess I forced her into mundanity. We both became what we didn’t want to.”

Trixie pursed her lips, the new information unsettling her slightly. She wasn’t at all offended at the notion that her mom might not have wanted her at first - she had been eighteen years old, after all - but the knowledge that she had once been desperate and fearful was so strange to her. This was her mom, the woman who had always been proud and strong and brave for as long as Trixie had been alive.

“I don’t think it’s all bad.” Trixie hummed.

Justin nodded in agreement. “She had it better than me. She had good company, eh?” He nudged her arm jokingly.

She smiled. “She said I was a dancer before I could walk. I sang before I could talk.”

“You took after her, that’s why. She strikes me as a good mom, even if it has been twenty years since I’ve known her.”

Trixie knew she shouldn’t say it. The night was already a catastrophe thanks to a plethora of reasons, and this would only add to the complications, but she couldn’t help herself. Her heart was racing; her head was spinning; her stomach was turning.

“Will you give me away tomorrow?”

Her mood worsened the second she’d uttered the words, but Justin’s face morphed into a mask of pride and gratefulness. His eyes shone with newfound happiness.

“Trixie, if that’s what you want, I’ll be there. I have about twenty years of lost time to make up for.”

What have I done?

She wandered back into the party, trying to calm herself.

This was a mistake.

Someone grabbed her hand, pulling her back into the ring of dancing.

I shouldn’t have invited them.

The music was thumping loud. Trixie felt dizzy.

Mom is gonna be so upset.

Darkness began clouding her vision, making her feel woozy.

The wedding is tomorrow.

She started to lose consciousness.

“Trixie? Babe, are you okay? Sharon!”

“Everybody move away from her! Trix, sweetheart, can you hear me?”

“Is everything alright? Is she okay?”

“It’s okay, Trixie. Mommy’s here now, and you’re going to be okay.”

—

Trixie was in a boat.

It was only a small rowing boat, with enough room for two. Opposite her, rowing steadily with strong arms, was her mom. Sharon smiled up at the sun, like she couldn’t get enough of its warmth. Her skin was tanned and freckled. Her blonde hair was slightly wavy, blowing in the gentle breeze. She was much younger than Trixie had ever known her.

Trixie peered down into the water below. She could see Brian - her sweet, loving Brian - fighting desperately against the grasp of some unseen monster. Her heart leapt into her mouth. She had to save him!

As she dived, it was as though the water disappeared. All of a sudden, she was falling down into a dark abyss, with no end in sight. Invisible arms grabbed at her, unintelligible voices spoke to her. She was under attack.

“Come and rescue me!” Trixie cried out. “I’m falling apart!”

A strong hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her fall somehow. Trixie looked up, meeting eyes with Jaremi. He was younger too - his skin smooth, his eyes bright yet dark.

“My daughter…” He spoke tenderly.

“NO!” A cacophony of voices challenged him, each one of them reverberating painfully inside Trixie’s head. It was disorientating.

“My little girl…” Justin took her hand, almost snatching her away from Jaremi.

“NO!” The voices repeated. Trixie’s head spun, her eyesight blurring. She was nauseous.

“Mine…” Willam smiled.

“NO!”

“NO!”

“NO!”

“NO!”

“You don’t need a dad!”

“NO!”

“It’s a father’s duty to give his daughter away!

“NO!”

“Why didn’t Sharon tell me?!”

“NO!”

“One of us is your father!”

“NO!”

The voices drew closer, louder. They were taunting her.

“WHICH ONE, TRIXIE? WHICH ONE’S YOUR DAD?”

“WHO’S YOUR DAD?”

“TRIXIE? HAVE YOU FOUND HIM YET?”

“WHICH ONE?”

Trixie kept falling, screaming and grabbing at nothing as she tried in vain to stop herself. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? So why was she scared as hell, shaking with fear at the very idea?

“YOU’VE GOT NOWHERE TO GO!” The voices reminded her. “YOU’RE UNDER ATTACK!”

“Please!” Trixie struggled. “Somebody, have a heart!”

“Oh, my god! I’m your dad!”

“I-I would never have left if I knew!”

“Fancy me having a daughter!”

“I want to be your only guy!”

—

She screamed.

“Shh, shh, Trixie. My baby girl. It’s okay, you’re okay.”

Trixie shivered and buried her head into her mom’s chest, letting her heart rate begin to slow as her reassuring hands slowly rubbed her back. She felt like a little kid again, cuddling into mommy’s lap after a scary dream. Even though she was an adult now, she still needed it.

“N-Nightmare…” She stuttered.

Sharon smiled weakly. “Probably stress-induced. You really freaked out back there, is everything okay?”

Trixie nodded, then shook her head. She couldn’t tell the truth. Not now. If she even tried, she was sure that all of the alcohol that she’d consumed would crawl back up her throat and make a mess. No, she definitely couldn’t tell her mom what she’d done.

“J-Just a little overwhelmed.” She paused, hearing faint music. “The party’s still on?”

Sharon nodded. “I got you out of there once you fainted, but it’s only 2.30am. People are still partying. I’m a little relieved to be free, though.”

She stopped for a moment, her eyes searching Trixie’s face. “Something is bothering you, I know it. You can talk to me about anything, I promise.”

Pulling the blankets up to her chin, Trixie decided to be a little bit truthful. “Mom… I’ve gotten myself stuck in a bad situation and I don’t know what to do. I’m so c-confused… I don’t know what I want. I don’t know what to do.”

For a moment, there was silence.

“You know what to do.” Sharon spoke softly. “You don’t have to do anything at all. You’re young, you have all the time in the world. If you’re feeling afraid, or unsure, you don’t have to have this big wedding-”

Trixie froze. Unreasonable anger bubbled up inside her, fuelled by the alcohol and the stress and the panic. Against her better judgement, she saw red, tearing the covers off and standing up. Her mom leaned back in surprise, eyebrows knitting together.

“What the fuck are you talking about? Why wouldn’t I want to get married?!” She swore, not caring at how her mom’s eyes widened with shock. Trixie never, ever swore at her mom.

Sharon stood up, too. “Hey, calm down! All I’m saying is, if you’re not sure what you want then-”

Trixie shook her head. “No, but I’m sure what you want! You don’t want me to get married, you don’t want me to get it right! I know what I want, I want Brian! You don’t understand!”

“What don’t I understand, then?!” Sharon argued back.

“You don’t understand what it’s like to want to do things the right way!” Trixie yelled, frustrated. “I want to get married! I want to know who I am, get married, and I want my children to grow up with two parents! I want to do the whole marriage-and-babies thing, not just get knocked up like you did!”

As soon as she spoke the words, she regretted them.

Sharon flinched as though she’d been hit. “I didn’t have a choice!”

“You could’ve been a little less careless!” Trixie shouted. “Look at me, mom! I did it all how it’s supposed to be done! I fell in love and I got engaged! I didn’t just - I didn’t just throw all caution to the wind and let my future children grow up not knowing who their dad is! It’s shitty!”

Tears glistened in Sharon’s eyes, but Trixie could see she was fighting tooth and nail to hold them back. “I did everything I could for you, Trixie. I worked whilst I was pregnant until I could no longer stand up and carried on working days after you were born. I slaved to give you a good life, and it wasn’t enough?”

Trixie sniffed, tears forming in her own eyes. “You just don’t understand, mom! You never will!”

“I don’t know why you’re going off on me right now!” Sharon defended herself. “What did I do?!”

“Just leave me alone!” She cried. “Please!”

The day had been too long. The stress had gotten too much. In reality, Trixie wanted nothing more than to clamber into her mom’s lap, the way she did when she was a little kid, snuggle up to her, and breathe in the scent of her perfume as she slowly rocked her to sleep. What she needed was to be held, comforted, for her mom to work that strange motherly magic that she seemed to possess, and make everything better again.

But that wouldn’t happen. She’d been a stressed out, angry brat, and now she had to pay the price. After her mom had gone to all the effort of organising a wedding by herself, setting up the hen party, performing in her old girl-group and hell, raising her all alone for twenty years - Trixie had thrown everything back in her face.

It stung Trixie, so she couldn’t even imagine how it had made her mom feel. In her whole twenty years of existing, she’d never seen her mom look so hurt. As a child, she was convinced her mom was practically bulletproof. She was a superhero - always right, mega strong, a mind-reader with magic powers and a warm heart. Now, Trixie was beginning to realize two things. Her mom was human, painfully, normally human. And she had feelings. Feelings that Trixie had stamped all over.

The urge to apologise rose up within her, but she fought it down. It wouldn’t do any good anyway; Sharon had stormed out after Trixie told her to leave, and she would need time to cool down. Trixie had been foolish to think she could get away with inviting her dads to the wedding, and now she was simply pushing her luck by pushing her mom to breaking point.

She was a horrible daughter.

Please forgive me, she begged internally, stepping out onto her balcony for some air. Upon staring at the sea, she started to feel a bit calmer.

Everything was wrong. It was all horribly, terribly, disgustingly wrong. And yet…

Almost twenty one years ago, Trixie was sure that her mom had felt the same. She pictured a young Sharon, alone, staring out at the same sea as she cradled a bump that wasn’t quite there, but soon would be. She was eighteen, and surely it must’ve felt like her world was turned upside down. She was alone, pregnant, with no family to lean on. She would’ve stared out at the sea and wondered how everything had gotten so bad.

Time had passed and fixed it again. It wouldn’t have been easy, Trixie knew that. But she knew that Sharon had pulled herself up and opened a business, working full time, earning little amounts of money that she could put aside for a crib, a rocking chair, clothes and nappies and toys. It would’ve in no way been easy, but she’d followed her heart and made it work. Time fixed it. It wasn’t so bad anymore.

In a way, the thought was comforting. In a moment of painful desperation, her mom had been looking out at the same ocean, of the same beach, of the same little island. Everything had turned out okay for her.

Everything would turn out okay for Trixie, too.

Rationalize, she told herself. Break it down sensibly. The main problem is that you have three dads trying to give you away. Two of them are surplus. Something needs to be done about that.

She watched the water, timing her breaths with the steady peak and crash of the waves. After that, you need to admit to mom what you’ve done. Tell her everything and why you did it. And Brian, too.

Deep down, Trixie knew that her heart knew what to do. She was just too afraid to listen, too afraid to take the plunge.

Then you’re gonna get married, and it’s going to be amazing. You don’t need to know who your father is to know who you are.

You’re Trixie Needles. Tomorrow, you’ll be Trixie McCook. That’s who you are.

[cantcomeupwithacreativename]

The Experiment Chapter 4

(Bro the spaces are even weirder on here)

On my way back to our alley, I overheard a conversation between a mother and a pro-hero. He is black with locks all over his costume. The mother has a small child in her arms. He looks about 5 years old. The mother is sobbing, and the child looks terrified, with red eyes, like he had been crying.

"Thank you so much… I- I can't ever repay you. I thought I would never see my baby again… nobody else cared… he was gone for so long… a month… they- they said he'd most likely be dead after a week. They… they wouldn't look anymore. "

"It's all right. I can't imagine if that was my little one. There aren't enough heroes who understand." His deep voice rang through my ears.

"How-how old are they?"

"Just over a week now. I gotta go. Be safe, keep him close."

I started to think, what would've happened if that hero wasn't there, if he didn't find him. Would the kid be sold? Experimented on? Obviously they didn't plan on killing him, or they wouldn't have kept him alive for over a month.

This led me to think about how many people are missing right now, with no heroes to find them. There aren't enough heroes in this world. Maybe Kei could be a hero. She would be good at it. She caught those freaks so easily.

I think of this all the way home. How Kei would be a good hero. On my way back, I hear a muffled cry. My head snaps to attention. Two figures are in a dark alley, one tall, with broad shoulders, and the other small, feminine, and young.

"Don't scream." His voice sounds disgusting.

A young girl, younger than me, looks terrified under his gross hands.

I creep behind him. He doesn't see me. I smash the back of his head with my wings. He falls to the ground, unconscious. The girl took one look at my scarred body and sprints away. She probably thinks I'm another villain.

I had a weird, happy feeling in my stomach, and I didn't realize the smile creeping on my face. It felt good to help people. Is this what heroes save for? This feeling? I liked it. Maybe I could be a hero.

I left the alley after wiping the smile off my face.

After I got back to Kei, I went to bed.

In the morning, I talked to Kei.

"I was thinking… what if we became heroes?"

She looked at me to see if I was serious, then burst into laughter.

"I don't want to be a hero!"

Oh. I didn't say anything after that. She noticed my silence and added,

"But you'd be a good hero. You could always just try for a school. and see if you like it. I heard U.A. is free, so long as you pass the entrance exam."

I thought it over. Maybe. I'd have to train really hard. I heard it's extremely hard to get into. Plus, you have to be smart. Maybe I could start working out and ask Kei to teach me. I never bothered before, I just didn't care. I remember those workouts that one winged guy taught me. What was his name? Keilo?

"Hey Kei?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you teach me school stuff?"

Her eyes lit up. "Sure!"

(Time skip: a week later)

My wing muscles are burning from the workouts I've been doing. I can lift myself off the ground now. I've been following the workouts that boy gave me. Thank god for Kei. When I need water, she's there, a fresh shower after every workout. She's been an amazing teacher, and I was a fast learner. My favorite was (favorite subject)

There was one thing that I didn't understand about Kei. Why did she live on the streets? She was smart, pretty, and had a strong quirk. I just could figure it out. It had never been brought up, and she had never told me.

"Hey, Kei? Why do you not have a house?"

She was silent for a moment, and then said,

"I was kicked out."

"Why?"

"My… my…. parents found out I had a girlfriend. They saw us kissing."

"Oh. I'm sorry… "

"No need to be sorry, it's not your fault." She said, faking a smile

(Time skip: Halfway through U.A. entrance exam)

I fly up to the 3 point robot, stabbing it with my feather-blades. That's 27 points! I just repeated that with all robots I saw, the ones that weren’t already being fought, that is.

(Feather blades look like this. You can harden your feathers/wings and shoot them out. [Like angel from X Men apocalypse])

(Time skip: After exam)

I don't have an address, duh, so I just put down a house a couple miles away from the alley. I hope I get in! I also put a fake name on my papers, for good measure. I don’t think any paperwork was done on me in the first place, or any records anyway, but better safe than sorry. After a while of deliberating, I end up with the name Y/N F/L/N. (fake last name, your real L/N will come in later)

The results are supposed to arrive this week, and I am currently at the house that I claimed I lived. As I open the mailbox I see 3 white envelopes. One addressed to a girl named Kyoka Jiro, which was coincidentally, also from U.A. the second looked like bills of some sort, and the third was addressed to Y/N F/L/N, from the U.A. hero course! I sprinted as fast as I could away from there, letter in hand, missing the pair of black eyes watching me from the window.

When I met up with Kei, we opened the letter together, and a hologram of Allmight appeared.

“Greetings Young F/L/N! I Am Here! To Welcome You! You passed the written exam, and the practical exam with a score of 31 points! Welcome to the hero course. You will be starting your long journey to the road of Heroism in class 1-B. School starts on…..”

Kei shrieks, cutting him off.

“YOU MADE IT IN! I’M SO PROUD OF YOU,” I open my mouth to say thanks, but she cuts me off, “HONESTLY, I DIDN'T THINK YOU COULD DO IT!”

“Uh, thanks?”

(Sorry for another skip, but nothing plot relevant happens between so, Timeskip: morning of 1st day of school)

First day of school! I’ve never been to school before! Kei says it’s nothing too special. I have to take a shower before I go, and we washed the clothes last night. Washing clothes is a weird process. We have to use this huge bottle of clothes soap that we rub in with our hands, and use Kei’s quirk to wet and rinse the clothes. Then we just leave them out to dry, or if we’re in a rush, use my wings. It takes a while, and we don’t need to impress anybody, so washing clothes is a rare occasion. Taking a shower is also a rare occasion, but I have a feeling it’s going to have to be less rare because of school. Kei got me deodorant the other day! It may not seem big, but that classifies as a ‘non-necessity’ so I’ve never gotten it before.

After my shower, I got dressed and I stretched my wings. Nowadays, I keep them out at all times, because, protection, the look, and they hurt to put back. They tuck nicely against my back so that I don’t hit much with them. I begin the long trek to school. It takes f o r e v e r.

Once I finally arrive at the infamous school, I spot a familiar face, or rather, hair. It’s the kid from the sludge villain attack, the one who all the heroes were chewing out. I was going to say hi, but decided not to, because it would be awkward if he didn’t recognize me.

On my way in, I notice more than a few people staring at me, mostly my scars. Whatever. I’ve never been self conscious about them, why start, you know? F you. I’d rather have a few scars than no arms at all…

Ok, class 1-B should be around here- Holy s h i t this door was huge! Are there giants here? Do I just go in? My lack of experience is really showing. I push the door open and glance around the room. Oh. Oh shit. They all have uniforms. I’m the only one not wearing one. I don’t know what to do, so I just walk in. Maybe the uniforms are optional. I pick a random seat, near the (back, middle, front) and sit. I end up next to a kid with pitch black skin and white hair. He doesn’t say a word. Good. I don’t want to talk. Unfortunately, the other girls don’t seem to understand this, and they bombard me with questions.

“What’s your name?”

“How’d you get those scars? Are they part of your quirk?”

“What’s your quirk?”

“Who’s your favorite hero?”

“Do you want to be my friend?”

“What are you named?”

That last one came from a girl with big, American eyes. She looks nice.

“I’m Y/N, What’s your name?” I tell/ask her.

“My name is Pony. I’m from America.” She says.

“Cool.”

To the rest of the group I say, “My name is Y/N, my quirk is Raven, my favorite hero is Midnight, and sure I’ll be your friend.”

They continued chattering until the teacher, a big burly guy with pointy bottom teeth and a glare, walked into the room and took us to ’orientation.’ During the assembly, Allmight gave us a speech about what fine young heroes we would become, and to do our best, Plus Ultra style! Then we spent the rest of the day learning where things were, the teachers, what we would need to bring, but most importantly, each other. Apparently, Vlad King thinks that socializing and making connections is extremely important for people our age. He gave us 15 minutes of free time to just talk before moving on with the tour.

The teachers called us out for a lunch break, and the food smells so good. I glance around the room, and, of course, there aren’t many seats open. The only one I see is an almost empty table, save for a kid with Half red half white hair and a scar on his eye. Looks almost like mine, but it doesn’t look like fire caused it. More like frostbite.

My feet are moving before I make my decision. It was like they knew.

“Hi! I’m from class 1-B, can I sit here?” I ask

He looks me in the eyes and says,

“No.”

“Oh. Uh ok…”

“You may sit over here if you please.” A feminine voice calls out. I turn to see, and it’s a really cute girl with a ponytail. She is tall, with black hair.

“Ok thanks!” I say, as I make my way over to her.

We ended up chatting for a while. Apparently, she is in class 1A, wants to become a hero to give back to the people less fortunate than her. Aka: a richy rich girl. I think we’ll be good friends. She even made me a uniform!

And my g o d Lunch rush is amazing. I haven’t had anything this good ever. To be fair, my standards are pretty low, but it was still amazing.

On my way back to the classroom, I see Pony being cornered by 2 guys and a girl.

“Stupid American! You don’t even know proper Japanese! Go back to where you came from”

I don’t think she completely understands what they’re saying. Naturally, I do what I would’ve done if I saw Kei being cornered. I walked right behind them, shouted at them, and punched the first one to turn around. It made a delightful cracking noise, as my fist made direct contact with her nose. Blood running down her face, staining her uniform.

“Bitch!” She shouted at me as her fist swung towards my side. I took a step back, and missed her ‘punch’ completely. One of the guys got into a defensive stance in front of the bitch, and the other stepped forward and tried to hit me. I simply hardened my wings around me, and his weak hit did nothing.

As I raised my fist to punch the bastard, I felt my wings soften back to normal and a string thing wrap around me. I stared directly into red eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?"

[marvelsuperfangirl]

Welcome To Brakebills (Avengers x Reader)

A/N: 🎃👻Happy Halloween!!!!👻🎃

I honestly don’t know what happened to the costumes, I tried to imagine each of them in the perfect costume. Originially Pietro was going to be a clown but I wanted him to be sexy and I wanted to bring a small agrument between Sam and Bucky. This is an Avengers / The Magicians cross-over. I’m not really proud of the end because I had trouble writing it and the writing became worse as I wrote.

Words: 2449

Trees, trees and still trees. The team has been wandering  in the woods during a good hour now and they lost track of Y/N. Actually it’s a funny story, she left the tower with a big backpack and with the excuse of having a really important meeting  to intend. But none of the Avengers believed it; it was Halloween, she loved Halloween and she was the one who brought up the idea of the horror movie night. With only one look to one another, they all bolted up and ran up to the elevator.  Something was up and they needed to know what  is was. They all entered the elevator, even through they were packed like sardines; that’s how the Avengers’ Halloween night started. When they reached the lobby of the tower and hurried toward the door they got stopped.

-“ Mr Stark!”

Tony stopped while some continued on their way out and some others stopped to wait for him.

-“ Excuse me, to interrupt your night activities but Mrs Y/L/N let something for you.” said the receptionist while fiddling with something under her desk.

Tony and the remaining of the team approached her and she finally pull out the backpack that Y/N had when she left. Tony took it and open it.

-“ What’s inside?” Natasha asked looking over Tony’s shoulder

Tony took hold of the content of the bag and took it out. It was a dress; a typically witch dress. The bag was full of costumes.

-“ She left us costumes, why is she doing? If she wanted to dress up she could have just asked!” Sam grumbled.

Someone cleared their throat.

-“ She said that you had to look at the bottom of the bag” the receptionist add.

-“ Move, we don’t have any time to waste if we want to know what Lady Y/N want us to know” Thor said pushing Tony out of the way. He grabbed the back and turned it upside down, it’s content hit the floor and a paper fell among all the costumes.

Bruce, took it from the floor and adjust his glasses before reading what was written on the piece of paper.

-“ She want us to put the costumes on and to find her”

They all groaned at Bruce statement and looked over at the pile on the floor.

-“ Okay, but I certainly won’t be the one wearing  this buny costume!” Tony said

-“ Well, she also made a list of wich costumes we should wear.” Bruce continued “ And you’re the bunny.

The billionaire let his head fall back and let out a dramatic sigh.

-” Which one is mine ?“ Natasha asked, walking to Bruce to have a look at the note.

-” Sexy Spider" Bruce said blushing a little.

The red head smiled

-“ At least I’m not a bunny” she smirked at Tony before going back to the pile to pick her costume.

-“ Oh which is mine? Which is mine?” Thor aksed cheerily bouncing slightly in excitement.

-“ Hmm you’re the bear” Bruce said

-“ I will have to thank Lady Y/N. A bear is a very good choice, symbol of strength and fearlessness; just like me”

The little group start to rummage through the pile to find their dedicated costumes when the sliding glass door of the tower opened, revealing the rest of the team.

-“What the fuck are you doing !?” Clint screamed panting .

The others entered the lobby just behind him and looked at the five avengers bend over a pile of clothes.

-“ Guys, we lost Y/N” Steve said

-“ No shit, sherlock, she want us to find her, so she obviously won’t stand in front of us, where’s the fun in that!” he scoffed

-“ What’s going on here?” Wanda ask going out of behind the Captain and walking toward Natasha who held her costume proudly.

-“ Y/N let us costume to wear” she said.

-“ And she choosed to make me wear a fucking bunny costume!”

Steve chuckled

-“ Come on guys, let’s put on these and find Y/N”

Once all of the Avengers were dressed in their costumes they all head out of the tower, earning giggles from the receptionist on their way.

-“ We look ridiculous” Sam whined

He has been one of the unlucky of the team to have a lame costume.

-“ Let’s be real, you’re nothing but a clown, she made a good choice, in my opinion” Bucky said, obviously mocking the poor falcon.

-“ Well, nobody asked for your opinion. And she choose to make you a ghost, it’s not better. At least we don’t have to see your ugly face”

-“ If you don’t shut up I will make you eat your fake nose, idiot!”

-“ Will you guys stop. We really need to find Y/N. I honestly don’t understand why she wanted us to wear costumes.” Wanda interrupted.

She, on the other side was wearing a beautiful witch dress with a hat to match. Natasha was also under Y/N good grace because her sexy spider outfit was fitting her perfectly.

Steve was a werewolf, he had a tored off shirt stained wit hfake blood, fake werewolf hands and a mask. Pietro was a devil, he had a jacket and pants in red leather and black shirt and black shoes; he was also wearing  red devil horns on top of his head. Thor was rather happy with his bear onesie, hiding him completely except for his face and some of his golden which escaped all round his face. Bruce was a doctor, nothing too different from his usual outfit, his had a white blouse and a stetoscope, Y/N knew he wasn’t the type to show off and he was grateful for her choice. Clint was wearing a bird onesie, with a beak and eyes on the hood and little wings on the back, his grumpy face described perfectly what he thought about this costume. Tony was cursing and grumbling since he put his costume on. And finally, Peter was wearing a unicorn onesie, the girls had assured him that he was super cute but he was walking with his head down with the hood falling over his face showing the unicorn face that was on the hood and he already tripped over his tail multiple times and decided to put it in the pocket of the costume.

As they walked through the city to find their teammate they got looks and even compliments on their costumes, some of them were sarcastic but the heroes ignored it.

They walked for a good quarter of an hour before they reached a small park with almost dead trees and flowers everywhere. They entered and as they went deeper into the park they found out that it turned into woods.

-“ Hey look!” Pietro exclaimed before zooming over the entrance of the woods and coming back in less than a second. He was holding a piece of paper, similar to the one Y/N placed in the backpack.

-“ Give me that!” Tony snatched the paper out of Pietro’s hand

-“ I’ve had enough of that. My reputation will be tarnished forever because of this thing” he said gesturing to his costume before resuming to reading the paper.

-“ Go in the woods and count fifty steps. Don’t give up yet, we’ll have fun soon XX” Tony read.

A collective sigh was heard before they all start walking again, making the dead leaves and sticks , that covered the ground, crack in their trail. The woods became darker as the time passed and as they reached the deeper side of the forest.

-“ Fifty” Bucky said

They all around, but there was nothing but trees, trees and still trees. Did Y/N made them go all the way through the city in those garments just to make fun of them?

-“ It’s a trick, I should have know it ” Tony screamed and yanked his hood down.

-“ Let’s go home” Steve said and they turned back to where they went.

-“ Hey guys!!!” a voice from nowhere said

The team all jumped and turned back again to see where the voice came from.

Then they saw it.

On the background of trees, suspended in the air, white glowing lines and geometrical figures appeared and the trees became blurry and finally a totally different place. And in the middle of the new background was Y/N, she was wearing a Harry Potter’s wizard gown  and was waving at her friends.

-“ Y/N?!” they called

-“ Come on guys” she said and gestured with her hand for them to join her.

They all looked to the trees around them and to the place Y/N was in and carefully step the magic line that separated the both different places. When the last of them passed on the other side the dark forest disappeared .

They were left to admire the new background. A grassy court was extending before them, leading to  a cluster of late Gothic buildings with contemporary architecture elements. The one in front of them was made in redish brown bricks with a clock at the top. Near this building was a stone panel which in majuscule letters was carved “ Brakebills”. Trees were scattered in the court as well as many people dressed in costumes, drinking, chatting and laughing.

Y/N walked to her friends with a big smile on her face.

-“ Welcome to Brakebills, guys!”

You extended your arms, like you were showing what was around you.

-“ What the hell is this place?” Sam asked

You chuckled

-“ It’s my university ”

-“ An hidden unversity? In the middle of the forest and invisible to outsiders? What kind of school it is?” Natasha asked

- You know, if it wasn’t hidden we would have been discovered and probably arrested or something"

-“ You didn’t answer our questions, Lady Y/N” said Thor.

Your smile got wider

-“ Come on, I’m gonna show you” you said, gesturing for them to follow you.

You start walking in the opposite direction of the building that was facing your little group, in the same direction as the other people were going.

The Avengers walked behind you, still on their defensive mode in case something weird would come out.

-“ Here at Brakebills, we learn how to become magicians, so we learn magic, pretty logical. But not the magicians that you can see at kids birthday’s parties; the kind who can do real magic.”

-“ Like in Hogwarts?” Peter asked in an excited tone with a big smile.

-“ Hum…yeah technically it’s like Hogwarts, we just don’t have wands.”

You continue to lead your teammates to god knows where when out of the crowd of people someone called out your name.

-“ Y/N! I’ve been looking for you, the ceremony is about to start!”

A young woman with tanned skin, brown hair and equally brown eyes was walking toward you. She was dressed as a witch, a kind of sexy witch; her cleavage was showing off her boobs and the dress was short, but it suited her very well.

When she stopped next to you, she put her hand on her hips, waiting impatiently for your excuse.

-“ I’m sorry Margo, but my guests were a bit late” you said pointing to the team.

Margo turned briefly to your friends and then back to you.

-“ Well, that’s interesting but we have a ceremony to attend; so let’s go!” she said clapping at the end and starting to walk back to where she came from.

You rolled your eyes but still obliged and followed her.

-“ Let’s go guys” you said to the team.

Margo led you further from the building where all the student walked earlier. They were forming a circle around something that the avengers couldn’t see yet.

-“ Come on, they’re waiting for us” Margo said and grabbed your hand to lead you through the crowd.

You gave an apologetic smile to your friends

-“  Don’t miss the show guys!” you screamed to them before disappearing between all the other students.

-“This is becoming too weird, even for me” Tony said.

The group walked to the circle to see what was happening in the middle and when they reached the front row of the crowd, they were meet by another circle. You, Margo and some other students formed a circle while holding each other’s hands. Around the heroes the laughter, chatting, and drinking stopped to let a complete silence take over.

The inner circle’s students separated  their hands from each other’s and placed them in front of them. They started moving their fingers, forming shapes in the air  and approximatives movements. A small light was emitting from the tip of their fingers  and the more they were moving, the more the light was becoming brighter. Then, they all stopped and raised their hands above their heads; the crowd mirrored their actions.

All the light from every fingers started elevating in the air and joining each other to form balls of light that floated above the inner circle’s students head. The balls flew high, so high that they became small points, ressembling stars and when they threatened to disappear, they blew up.

The dark, night sky was now illuminated by fireworks, thousands of colorful fireworks. Everyone was watching, their eyes reflecting the lights as they started cheering. When the fireworks had died down, bringing the obscurity back to the place, fairy lights that were previously placed in the trees, magically lighten the place as the crowd cheered again.

Then music started blasting from nowhere and the students started dancing as the avengers looked around with similar smiles as the other people there.

-“ This is beautiful” Wanda said and the other agreed.

They all started to laugh and enjoy the moment along with the students around them.

-“ Did you enjoy the show?”

They all turn to the voice and saw you, standing there.

- “ So…all those magical things were true?” Pietro asked

-“ I’m surprised that you doubted it. Our team has an asgardian god, an android and people with superpowers. ; me being a magician is pretty average.” you said, letting out a laugh.

-“ Now come on, the night is still young and the party’s waiting for us.” you add

Your teammates and yourself joined the other students to drink, dance and chat, for your friends it was mostly asking questions about how the kind of magic we learned at Brakebills worked. This Halloween was special, very special but who would complain, everybody needs a little magic in their life.

[randomnessnesity]

Who killed Markiplier: After the stream

Alright, its 8am. I’m drunk on red bull and babies I’m gonna rant about WKM because why not right? I know I’m like two weeks late but you know what....whatever...

After the live stream Saturday I feel like I needed to get this off my brain.

I believe that William (The Colonel), was a father/father figure to the gang. With the way he acts and his manor-isms saying 'Bully' and what have you, he's much older than the others around the Manor. (I only thought of this because even the butler doesn't understand when he says 'ol bag of bone." by saying "weren't you and Mark the same age?")

Damien (The Mayor), was Markiplier's best friend growing up. Celine (The Seer), was very protective/dismissive of Damion. For Abe (The Detective): Mark trusted him, 100%. He was the only person who knew how to get the job done and in a reasonable amount of time. Mark would know if something was to happen to him Abe would be the first person to try and figure out what had happened. Mark knew that Benjamin (The Butler) and the Chef would obviously be upset however they wouldn't worry about finding out who killed him. They're only here because it's their job. They could/will go find a new one. Markiplier's turn: Mark started to notice something was up with the house. In my head the senerio for the first time he noticed something was different was when he was in the kitchen cutting something for him and his new bride to eat after the Chef went to bed for the night and he dropped the knife and it stabbed through his foot, (1 of 37), and sticking through the floor; but when he looked down to examine the wound there was no blood. Even when he pulled out the knife and looked at the now open wound on his foot, there was no pain and no blood. That's the beginning of Mark trying to test his limits seeing what he could do to himself before something would happen. Mark tried to explain it to his wife Celine but she already knows and tells him not to tamper with it. She doesn't want him to become like her. But because the house is it's own thing it causes him to become obsessed. Causing Mark to do crazy things and see how far he can push his own limits. As for the house: After Mark explained it I saw more and more and made the explanation that much better in my head so I'm only going to tamper with it but that's going to be later on. (Lol sorry!) Now for my craziness to run off with this idea: Celine and William had met earlier in their lives and had fallen in love. However Celine thought William was too crazy and unsafe for the child they had together. (I imagine this after the newspaper article in the office where it says Safari Hunt Gone Wrong). Celine just left with the baby. Which explains Damion. Celine found a way to change herself with the powers. Because she feared death she wanted to become younger and the only way she knew how was to become someone else. After she became someone else she knew it would help her get away from William and protect Damion from the crazy man that he was. They moved away causing Mark and Damion to meet and become friends when they were just children. She got to watch the two of them grow older together. And before they went off to university Celine knew her body had gotten older and she didn't want to go (Die I mean). She became the form of Celine we know now from WKM. This young woman who Mark falls in love with. But before she does that, she tells William about Damion because she doesn't want him to know 1. That this younger person in their lives is her 2. She doesn't think Damion would believe her if she explained it to him (Which later on spoilers he will) and 3. She knew he was going to do great things with his life and she didn't the public to know he was a bastard child. I imagine that William stepped back into Damion's life because he wanted to know more about his son. Damion just kind of kept him around. He knew that when he would run for public office it might make him a better candidate. He also knew that if he became Mayor he could better hide public record about his dysfunctional family. I also believe that Damion didn't want anything to do with his parents once he became an adult. That's why he asks for the Colonel and doesn't use his name when he yells at him during the first episode but William doesn't understand and is trying to be his father and calls him Damion. I think that Damion resents his father for not being their for most of his life because he thinks with him there his mom (Celine) would not have gotten herself interested in Dark Magic. But since the four of them are hanging out more with each other that's Celine explains to Damion who she really is but not until after her she runs away again with William. Damion is trying to help his now heartbroken friend get over his ex. Mark decides the party is a great way to get everyone back together (or the house thought that for him.) Now buckle up because this is where my brain went into insanity mode: I believe that the house is showing Mark the path it should take to kill himself: Because the house was controlling Mark at this point it started making him believe these crazy stories about why his wife would leave him. Hint to the major story I came up with earlier. Mark didn't want to believe that she would just leave so the house created everything above. Because of this I believe that the house manifested everyone in this house. And I mean everyone except Mark obviously The house didn't want us to feel overwhelmed when we walked through the door to something we have no clue what's happening. When you walk into a home of a friends as a kid usually the first person you would meet is the parent right? The first person we are introduced to is William, the father of Damion. The Butler is next but only because it's his job but it's also the houses way to boost Marks ego, (Look man you're rich enough that you can afford a butler to open the door to the guests, makes you feel important right?) The Detective ducks away quickly because we don't need to know him right now. We get to know him really well during the series. But then were met with Damien. We know him, obviously putting us into a (false) since of ease as we walk around because we at least know somebody at the party. With the Chef (Also I picture this taking place during the same time as A Date with Markiplier, so the house would pick someone remembered maybe not fondly but still "Doing his job"). Then we meet the host: Markiplier. The house put's him there to foreshadow everything happening. In this crazy 'dream' (I don't like using dream because dream theory is not what I'm going for here.) When we wake up from our drunken night of fun the Butler is the first person we meet. (I thought that was weird as well but my explanation for that was obviously everyone would be awake except you. The Benjamin has to wake up early along with the Chef to make sure everything is set for the morning, so they are awake already. The others would have asked for something from the Benjamin as they woke as well. Damien is already awake because he's the next person you see and talk too and William doesn't ask for anything and is already roaming around the home. Abe I picture took a shower explaining why he's the only person in the Manor to have a costume change. Leaving only you left to wake up, explaining why he's creepily standing outside your door.) The next person we come up to is Damien, he says his things but the last line is: "I have work to finish but I'll meet you at breakfast." Why would he bring work on a weekend away? There's no reason for him to have his work with him unless his work is already at the manor. The house has him here this whole time. His office is here. Then we find Marks body that falls into frame. I believe Marks body just gave out before we get to talk to him this morning. The house is going on only what Mark would come up with. (From Mark's explanation from the live stream, why would the colonel make sure the only things left behind if he did it was a broken wine bottle and the dead body in the middle of the sitting room? That wouldn't make since but it also wouldn't make since for everybody to go down to the basement/wine cellar at 8:30am. Nobody is have morning wine with breakfast after the rager from the night before.) Causing the who done it's to start. Damien goes to the colonel for a shoulder to cry on. But when the colonel is dismissive of him he becomes more suspicious of him. Damien's already has covered too many things for William and now he doesn't think he can this time. He need's to own up to his actions. That's why at the end of the first episode he needs time to think and during the second he's trying to find the colonel to tell him. As for the Detective, he took over everything right away. I think the house brought him in to be Mark's since of humor through the whole thing. We question his examination of the body and in the second episode when he leads us though the entire house going up and down two flights of stairs, when we could have had the whole monologue told to us while standing around the beautiful portrait of the body outline in the sitting room. In episode two: I like to believe the backstory for the colonel is that he obviously had seen war. He was a decorated man of honor, he did what he had to during his service to come home safely. He drowns out his past because he feels guilty. That's why he knows the dictionary words for Zombie, it's his worst fear. He would obviously tell the one person he trusted, his love, Celine, obviously why she knows the terms as well. You tell someone you trust your worst fears right? (I actually had to look it up, thanks for the new vocab words ;] ) Okay, so this is the part of the second episode where I questioned everything. Why would the detective be looking for clues in the victims bedroom when he already "fingered" the killer. The detective doesn't trust us, he even said it to himself (out loud) in the film-noir scene as we walked through the house. Why would he trust us to tell us we are going to the Colonel's room? (As a person who does set design stuff the context clues are the things that were giving it away. If this was Mark's room why would he still have Celine's things in his room still? I picture he got rid of them out of rage.) The reason I also believe this is Williams room is the pictures in the room. Why would you have a single picture of your friend sitting in your bedroom? Mark wasn't in the photo with him, unlike the other three. I know this sounds mean however, Markiplier (in the video not the one we know IRL) seems to egotistical to have pictures of anybody by themselves in his bedroom. There would be more photos of himself. That's the one thing in the room (besides the crib,) that didn't make since to me. Then there's the last point, out of all 7 rooms (they said it in the live stream), why would the colonel come to one room in the house you are in? Unless he was familiar to the room, like as if it was his own.   To continue what Mark says before: "It's also why when the body moves the colonel suddenly becomes more amicable and he's like 'okay I see what's going on here' and he's just more conversational than he was in the first episode. Since I said earlier, the colonel's worst fear is people coming back from the dead.I believe that's why he becomes more conversational during the later episodes, the body's missing and none of them know where it went. He doesn't want to be alone, afraid of being face to face with a zombie. Explaining why he want's to talk to you, he just needs someone with him, he didn't really want to walk the grounds alone. He runs away thinking you had followed him, then comes in Damien. Damien is trying to be the leader that he is now that he's figured out what he's going to do for the colonel. He starts to make you question the Detective, only becasue with the Mayors power he's normally the people turn to in a time of crisis or need but this time the Detective just took over. He's not saying anything or pointing fingers, just planting a big enough seed to make you think. For episode 3: The only person surprised to see Celine is William, he doesn't want her back where she doesn't belong and worst he doesn't want her tangled up in all of this. The detective has no clue who she is. The chef knows, that's why he tells her what happened. The Butler has only heard stories of her, him being the new guy and all. As for Damien, he doesn't care, he want's her to have the same feelings as he does, with her being his ex and all but he also has odd emotions to all of this. The rest of the episode explains itself really. As for the 4th episode: The colonel never asks for Damien because he knows he's a good kid and wouldn't get himself caught up in the things Celine is doing. William is only looking out for Celine because she's the only thing keeping him sane over the years. The colonel also knows there something wrong with this house, nothing good ever happened in the Manor. So when he say "I won't let my friends die in this godforsaken house," he means the only two people he really cares about. And at the moment both are missing, but he only knows of one. That's why he leaves, in pursuit trying to find Damien. When we reach the office and find the research the detective has done, the colonel isn't mad about the detective keeping tabs on him, he's mad that he was even looking into the others. He realizes at that moment seeing everything in the office that he needs to step up for his actions and needs to do the right thing. However he feels like he needs to put the blame onto someone else for the two main people in his life, that are left, going missing. "He took my friends from me. He took Celine, He took Damien." He knows what happened to Mark, that's why he doesn't mention him in the list of people. He knows that's his wrong doing. In the gut-wrenching end, the colonel doesn't mean to shoot you. He planned on shooting the detective. The colonel is a very smart man, he knows that if you shoot someone in area's away from main artery's or from major organs the person wouldn't die immediately. That's why he shoots the detective in the stomach, it causes him enough pain to shut him up.  We are the odd person out. He want's to hide behind the walls that he's built. The only reason Damien is with Celine in the end is because she want him there. She want's to make sure her child is safe. But in the end, she got everything that she wanted, in a sad twisted way she died knowing her son never turned into something evil, because she made sure they died together. Damien is the pearl out of two evils. I know... I know... two wrongs don't make a right and two red's don't make blue but just hear me out alright? Mark states: "Yes the colonel was waiting there the entire night cradling Damien's cane. He was mourning the loss of his friend and he was standing over your body the entire night mourning his actions. That doesn't mean madness, that means regret. Madness comes from seeing this body you'd been staring at for 10 hours suddenly just get back up. That's where madness happens." That's why the colonel sits with the body all night. Nobody is there anymore to cover for him when something goes wrong. He's afraid that he's going to have explain to the police about why 7 people walked into the home (8 if you count the grounds-keeper but he was a minor character, so in this I don't) and why only 4 are coming out alive (maybe). He cradles the crane because he knows that was the only part of him that came into this world that was good or pure. The colonel knew he was evil, but war had made him that way. Desensitized him from death. He was mourning the loss of the only good thing he had left. He might have called for Celine more but he didn't realize until they both were gone that he loved Damien. That's why he cradled the cane, it was all he had left. He was standing over your body because you were not a part of any of this. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He became crazy when he saw the body move after 10 hours of it not. He just saw his worst nightmare come true.He watched as the dead rose from the grave. I think that would sent anyone into madness don't you? In the last scene, we pick up the cane. Or do we want to, we stare at it for a bit before picking it up, then our hand twitches (probably not intentional but still, its there) before our hand is not our hand anymore. That's went we look in the mirror, seeing that we are not ourselves but now Damien with the help of his mothers dark magic. But Damien was good, he was the pure child. That's why he doesn't look in the mirror right away, he's guilt stricken because he's becoming just like his parents, the one thing he didn't want to do. That's also why the blue is around him as well he's still the innocent person. But the longer he's trapped (You see it if you go back to ADWM and watch the Horror and what-not path) he becomes more evil and the blue fades. Then he finally looks up, making eye contact. It's not him upset at us, he's upset with himself. Then he walks away. Now my M. Night Shyamalan twist at the end here to make everything really questionable is: Why would Mark invite someone he doesn't really know over for a night with his pal's he hasn't seen in a long time unless the house put us there for/as Mark. Why would two of the people look exactly like Mark unless the house didn't know what to make them so instead it created these people especially for Mark. Mark wouldn't know the man that ran away with his wife, so why not make him this older chap that would be 'crazy' to steal another mans wife. As for Damien,the house has never seen him to put the face with the name. So why not go with someone who Mark can trust, but himself. (If were still going with the egotistical stand point here.) The only ones that repeat that is Damien, "It's good to get the gang back together but out of the blue like this?" Hear me out, The District Attorney of this town is new, Damien even says it. "Oh, there you are old friend. How are you settling into your new office?" Why would only the Mayor be the only one to know you, if Mark is planning his own death at some point in the night? Because each person in the house is important, except you. You're just a pawn, the eyes if you will. This house of evil wants to show Mark exactly what each of them would do. Why would you care if there's a murder or not? You don't know him like the rest of them do.The house knows that out of anyone Mark trusts its Damien. Why not invite an ol' friend? Everything happens the rest of the day just the way Mark would want it too, everyone blaming each other. Getting revenge on the colonel for the sin he committed. The wrench in the plan was Celine to walk through the door, or was it. Her things were already upstairs in the chair we were going to sit in, the house planned everything out for him to get exactly what Mark wanted. In the end The Chef quits, The Butler leaves as well. The Detective's shot, and Celine is become one with the Darkness. Everyone dies including you! But the special thing about you is, you become the shell of a person, Damien takes over your body. The three of them back together. Forever. But the thing is, Mark was just a pawn too. The house is what trick you in the end, it needs a body. You're the body it needs, not completely broken as the rest of them someone who's willing to just go along with everything. The house tried to host in Mark, "It's not fair is it?" meaning Mark already knows what's going to happen next. It's going to give you the two people who you think you need to see. Celine because she can easily convince you to do whatever it wants and Damien, your friend, the only face you would know at the party. Celine says "I wont force this on you, you have a choice here. It's the only way you can escape." Any other decision in any of the videos was followed by a very obvious shake, but this time we just stood there. Then she went ahead and sent us back. We never had the choice. We were the pawn.

[swamiamarjyoti73-blog]

Ashram Retreats

Top Satsangs Secrets

But if devotees gather together at Satsang, then you're going to be able to assist a fantastic deal more people within an efficient method. Adyashanti is on the list of most common professionals nowadays. This will be for the main advantage of those disciples which n't have the chance.

Book the package trips to learn more if you're planning to spend your holidays within this state this calendar year personally. When you need your group to 12, the time commitment is very important. There are plenty of chances on earth for it.

Everyone was coming to Satsang from all throughout the globe. Spiritual leaders must be more careful. People came from all on Earth to Satsang.

New Step by Step Roadmap for Satsangs

Attempting to let yourself feel your anger feelings often leads being unable able to proceed and therefore to never actually completing the procedure. It's similar to the net as you prefer struggle, you are currently fighting it, you've assembled. You may know for your self as it'll likely be quite obvious that you're not suffering whenever you're alert.

As stated by ayurveda and yoga illness is physical handicap of the body. Who I'm and transcends the physiological I experience within this human body each daily. I realised I had been not my body.

Since they get into the ground, feeling the senses of every element of both feet may be more effective. A distance of deep peace isn't a long way a way whatsoever! You can expect to share with you it using a roommate of the sex that is identical, if you select with this room all on your own.

Swami Tattvavidananda is just a pandita in either a classical and contemporary feel. We're an ashram that's open to all. Karma determines the method by which.

Aloneness is a perception, anyway. The silence may be.

This portion of Jainism is among the most. That's the reason I am a Hindu. It is our desire to keep and maintain in the path and heritage as much as you possibly can until the Sant ji's following advised us shape.

The technique is Self Inquiry. It is not easy to keep up that creative stream, however in the occasion you can accomplish that it will end up incessant prayer, deep meditation, through every vicissitude, maybe not simply as you sit in meditation but while you reside, as you talk, as you eat. The procedure is Self Surrender.

Details of Satsangs

The future of humanity is determined by it. If you merely possess Him, you're the most wealthy man on the planet then! The quest appears hopeless given that it's abandoned.

His industriousness may have left him an man. In the event that you truly require a beer, then visit with Roadhouse. Reveal or that you don't need to talk about such a thing.

Remind yourself that you're a priest and also don't focus on earth's joys. It takes that you don't forget the Earth's impermanence, also once you die you also don't get to consider any physiological things. It's precisely what you desire if you would like to access understand your true nature.

The Debate Over Satsangs

The Swami Amar Jyoti process is basically because we're looking to it in the spot that is incorrect. The fourth principle is having a comprehension of the nature of wisdom. Its primary task was likely to make utilize of the new techniques of mathematics to enhance the craft etc..

This may be the opportunity of experiencing the human form, because within this form you might have begun to understand the formless. Inspite of the fact you will find your self with a brand new new human body every moment a great deal of the guards are recreated through notion. This form is only a costume for some time.

It showed me the video games may truly have a beneficial effect on the whole world. Try to bear in mind this the moment, what satsang actually all is. Within this cast, everyone brings their A match' into the point for each operation.

It's at this point a variety of individuals to day become trapped within this thing named meaninglessness. You go through so they experience you are a portion of these and that others are a component of you personally Once you cause the facts of others. The traditionally dominant social groups additionally have hijacked the democratic path of action.

It was not really a void although It's possible to predict it that the void. If we would want to learn the piano, or French, we proceed. The preceding opinion by way of instance in the publication, was made in wonderful ailments.

Your buddies begin to offer you strange appearance. You cannot sit at home but still accomplish having friends. Recently a ropeway was assembled to ferry visitors into the surface.

You finding you in actuality Guru could be the only on the lookout for you and feel you're searching for Guru. Tulsi Sahib devoted a portion of one of his books that were chief to some commentary on specific factors of this poem.

|

The Upside to Satsangs

The task is really because we're looking to it at the spot. The principle is having a deep comprehension of the character of intellect. By figuring out what it isn't you may understand.

This tendency can create the form of surroundings that may get prone to abuses. Moreover, the Greater knows your face the society's psychology and the bandwidth to comprehend the circumstance. You're total and perfect out of.

It's the stage of not having the capability to genuinely admit to yourself what exactly is happening. There isn't any way to say that. There really are always a really good deal of pointers.

The world gets you the rest section of their time influencing all types of thoughts nonsense. Satsang of Prabhushri Swami Amar Jyoti That you don't exist. Please arrive, to ensure that others aren't disturbed.

The Ugly Secret of Satsangs

The accent in these types of Satsangs is about Devotion plus they are not formal than the principal Satsangs. On contrary there are lots of mantras in Vedas that talk about the movement of earth. Satsang ( Maintaining Company of those that are spiritual) Contrary to the normal grasp of this word, this Satsang isn't a religious discourse.

Rishikesh is called Hatha Yoga's birthplace, and thus one of the very famous destinations on our earth such as yoga. Consciousness is the owner in your area. It's perhaps not.

From that day onwards, she started to pay a visit to the temple every single day and give worship to Lord Shiva. Peace is there, but there isn't any peacekeeper. This mansion is known as Enlightenment.

The technique is self-inquiry. There can be a great deal of ashrams and manners of meditation and meditation . The technique is Self Surrender.

Satsangs and Satsangs - The Perfect Combination

There 's a little bitterness that lingers in my own psyche. They understand the section of relativity and esteem everybody's idea in lands. This is a promise you may come to be a lot more from the Greater than the 3's meanings.

Everyone is riddled around here. Since Adya mentions this will be the reason why we speak about such matters. Avoid being worried with anything whatsoever.

The sweetness within this religion is there was a end to your own suffering away. This merely is referred to as menstruation. You're not letting go it isn't happening.

It is designed for many individuals. If you seek consent you are not likely to understand happiness. Naturally, that specific same uncertainty torments a lot people.

Maybe not you are not sincere but there are aspects that are different along with it. Enclaves of Appalachian civilization can nonetheless be seen in a few of those communities. Naturally, scholars have many different perspectives on if He could happen to be.

Its spiritual mind Maharaj geared toward supplying the best center, at no charge, for this area who'd no other clinic of repute within the area's people. This program tuition comprises of the course sessions. It is going to also be regarded as a condition of no-self that moved or could be taught.

If you'd like it get anger management therapy. I spent residing in Rishikesh, and can return straight back. As in any De-Tox therapy the very first days may wind up being somewhat uncomfortable.

Some acquired lots of medical issues or allergy difficulties. Whilst the noise of the individual isn't present this really is understood. A spiritual individual has to be humble, and forbearing.

The point would be to come back into the heart. As even being or jiva it is known inside this state. So, reside accord to every life brings to us and the type Truth Consciousness of non violence isn't to hate any type of life.

Don't believe if some day that the world is going to be a better place to reside, you are going to be happy, Adams stated. Other cast members get embroiled with this answer and question session also. Kelly Anne did find yourself being sexual together with Swami.

There can be plenty of pointers. Discover your chair if you would rather ask a question and then arrive at the question and answer selection area.

Nobody becomes anywhere with this with a guru, even just in the event you meditate 30 decades. Stay inside this imageless seeing. We made a choice to go for breakfast.

|

Whispered Satsangs Secrets

It's possible to look this up on line though. The concept is called sva-dharma. You'll realize that the complete world is plenty of particles.

It is a break from India's pieces. In my opinion I am attempting to state I've found that planning and worrying ( which the mind is made to complete ) go on, obviously. The center may be an idea but still learning how to make use of your core in asana practice is a question of practice.

Nonetheless be certain you attract a lot of layers, including a warm jacket and a great deal of yarn socks if you see throughout winter months! But there wasn't any way a butterfly may possibly have arrived. Not only will this not address their own issues however it is going to be considered a waste of time to get people.

It's only at that time that a variety of individuals to day become trapped within this item. You don't exist. Please arrive to ensure that the others aren't disturbed.

Shakti Caterina Maggi has been exploring the practice of integration of Awakening within our day to day living for quite a few years has gathered direct experience and deep comprehension of all of the traps and processes where the spiritual mind will get captured after the very first recognition of this which we're. It is not important to travel that manner while helping in an ashram might be an intriguing experience. These meditation classes give a opportunity also to find community and to meditate alongside the others who have located the advantages of the meditation to meditators.

Not you are not sincere but there are aspects that are different along with it. It's beyond all sensory understanding. They become mechanical when you do these practices and you also start to drop interest.

It looks Colorado to me personally. Spiritual leaders must be more careful. Meeting with other likeminded folks seeking life's Truth is now called Satsang.

The Most Popular Satsangs

Individuals who'd want to get seated together should come together. Beauty is not simply a thing. Individual life is an privilege.

At case the genius really, truly, actually knows he could be God, able to do all of sorts of miraculous supernatural matters, he ought to be upfront about it. Any effort at perfection isn't expecting the Beloved. The mind isn't some thing in your head, its your planet, you reside on your own thoughts.

Go past the sorrows of the world, you're freedom itself. It requires that you don't forget this Earth's impermanence, also you don't get to consider any bodily things together with you once you expire. You might think you are crucial, you've come to earth to get enlightened, or to accomplish deeds.

You attempt to make a competent individual or yourself a individual. Try if you're traveling 11, to have a common one. It's simply knowing becoming, which you might ben't the man who you taken you to ultimately be.

People Almost all don't focus on the questions that much. The cost for your stay is dependent in your variety of accommodations. It's possible to tell that a lot about an individual with their library.

You finding you however actually Guru will be the only on the watch for you and believe that you're on the lookout for Guru. There might have been a photo of Ramana.

It is vital to not forget that Enlightenment doesn't be created by Sadhana. We're an ashram that's open to all. The way in which Desert Ashram the atman will likely be reborn over the life is determined by karma.

Fundamentally you are aware that you never understand and that I don't know is intellect. The silence may be your prayer one does there.

There's no darkness worth the name that Light cannot eradicate. Not just that but it's been composed by Lord Swaminarayan Himself. This won't be an typical lecture. https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=benefits of satsang

The Master is discovered to be no aside from the self when the identification of oneself with the body stops. There can be a lot of ashrams and manners of yoga and meditation to pick from. If your goal is to expand your consciousness but in addition to improve the collective consciousness of the earth your meditation practice may be type of Seva.

The Unexpected Truth About Satsangs

Besides the Ayurveda treatment, including the distinguishing herbs, diets massages and oils we pay attention to Meditation and Yoga. His spiritual energy is named Adya. Glorifying the significance of SatsangGunatitanand swami claims we should search such Satsang even when we must eat the loaf out of temples.

According to yoga and ayurveda illness isn't only physical handicap of the human body. Therefore thank the brain to what's happening within the torso attend. It wasn't my entire body and the light.

We will need to acquire enough rest as the amount of the procedure that is despair is very tiring. In addition they define dharmas, even though they typically make use of the expression rita for your own thought. The time nonduality is merely that.

}

[witchdoodle]

random dalish headcanons

halla are not raised for slaughter like goats or sheep, but when they die of illness or age or accident, every part of their body is used, to honour their life. usually a funeral is performed first. things like halla leather and halla horns are very expensive because of this; it’s rare the dalish will sell either to non-dalish, but the high price those goods fetch when sold to shems is a pretty good source of income if they get really desperate.

halla milk is definitely a staple of their diet though. halla milk isn’t as sweet as cow or goat milk but it is HUGELY superiour in terms of fat and protein content and makes really tart, tasty cheeses. you milk a halla for the same reason you milk a cow, it’s good for them.

all dalish can understand halla, who do not talk but make themselves understood to elves. it’s not just reading their body language like you would a mabari or a cat, but neither is it verbal words nor telepathic thought. the process is impossible to explain to shems. “you just /know/ what they mean,” lavellan says to cullen after trying to explain it to him for like an hour.

dalish spirits are strong as fuck, but their wines are typically shit, and mostly used ceremonially. that varies by clan, location, year, and luck, though. sometimes you forage some good shit.

lavellan was BLOWN AWAY by the ABUNDANCE of readily available sugar in haven and skyhold. sugar would have been an expensive luxury to his clan. that and the idea that shem are used to food just being like… delivered to them is like ????????? to him. most shem have never even butchered a chicken in their lives????????

like city elves, dalish marriages (they dont call it marriage, but lbr it’s marriage) are mostly arranged. dalish clans that we’ve seen are mostly small, and after a while everyone in it would be related to everyone else in some way, and i hc that they’re you know, intelligent enough to recognise incest = bad. there’s no stigma against a love match, it’s just kinda rare bc most of the people in your clan who you spend 99.99% of your time with are like, your first cousin. so chances are once you’re an adult your keeper eventually arranges a match, and it’s not like YOU MUST MARRY THIS PERSON OR BE CAST OUT FOREVER it’s like hey i found this girl from another clan who i think would be perfect for you, you should spend some time together and see if you’re into it. 

for them, it’s about tracking bloodlines for the purpose of knowing who everyone’s parents are; “pedigree” is a non-issue, unlike human nobility. you’re not matchmaking for pedigree kids, you’re matchmaking to create healthy, long-lasting, loving relationships that produce happy, healthy, supported children. 

family lines are tracked through the mother. they have no word for “bastard”

the attitude about homosexuality varies wildly both by clan and individual, but nowhere is it forbidden, no one sees it as inherently wrong or sinful, it would be refusing to reproduce that would be the problem.  at WORST, the attitude would be that it’s a selfish individual choice.

like the qunari, the dalish see transgender individuals as just being the gender they say they are, because surely they’d know best, right? nonbinary individuals are not unknown to them, and elvish has always had gender-neutral singular pronouns, and gender-neutral forms of gendered words, like lethallin (masculine), lethallan (feminine), lethallen (gender-neutral).

trans and nonbinary individuals are widely viewed as special and important. shem don’t understand but fuck ‘em.

kicking out mage children to die in the woods is stupid. if i HAVE to acknowledge it as canon because apparently it is now, i hc that was that an extreme minority view. one or two specific clans’ stupid decision is NOT a common, widespread practice. if a clan already has a lot of mages and is worried about templars, they make contact with another clan to harbour the mage child until a more permanent placement can be found. elves do not fear magic like humans do. magic is a precious commodity, and a USEFUL and RARE skill. it is a gift to them, not a curse.

dalish religious ceremonies involve a lot of song and dance, especially call-and-response type of songs. a lot of their song uses sounds that aren’t explicitly words, necessarily, but which are loaded with meaning anyway; this is a result of them substituting what they’ve lost of elvish.

they don’t really have the space to be hauling books around. they have an oral tradition, and most dalish are functionally illiterate in terms of the common tongue. they don’t really need to read. that said, some choose specifically to learn, and keepers/firsts usually make the effort to learn, since they’re usually the ones preserving and studying ancient elven artifacts which does include some books and scrolls.

their history being mostly oral, they also use song as a teaching tool. it’s much easier to teach a bunch of six-year-olds history lessons if it’s presented as catchy songs.

dalish dancing is way more expressive and interpretive than ballroom dancing. it’s meant to tell a story, not follow a set of rules, and how good you are at it is determined not by how well you follow predetermined steps but how good you are at getting your point across and how creative you are. your dance should make your audience *feel* something.

it’s also how the Youths flirt with each other, you gotta really practice ya moves for the next arlathvhen cuz what if neria from clan whatever thinks ur a scrub... ya gotta Bust A Move...

they craft elaborate costumes for their dances. everything on those costumes is symbolic in some way, meant to express something.

generally speaking storytelling is SUPER important to their culture. much of their values are taught by fables. elvish is an inherently metaphorical language, this has always been the case.

all dalish are taught to track and hunt with bow and arrow. obviously some are better at it than others, but everyone learns the basics just in case. everyone learns to provide for themselves just as everyone learns to defend themselves. children, men, women, elderly, everyone learns.

dalish courting involves a LOT of gift-giving on both sides. usually one party initiates it with a gift, and if the other party is interested, they return with a gift, and so on and so forth, the purpose being to show mutual commitment to providing for each other. it’s not regulated by gender roles.

the vallaslin ritual involves taking just enough lyrium and felandaris to trip balls and go into the woods and have a spiritual experience. used to be elves would take lyrium and meditate and receive a message from their chosen god, and that’s how you picked your patron, but the gods aren’t listening anymore, so you just kind of have to have your own epiphany about life and culture and yourself and stuff. it’s meant to purify your mind and clear any lingering fears or doubts away. then you purify your body and the keeper mixes your blood, their blood, and the keeper’s magic into an ink they embed under your skin.

vallaslin is applied when you are ready, not at a certain age. some get it as young as fourteen or fifteen, others have to wait until well into their twenties. it’s about maturity and being ready for adulthood. 

nobody has ever failed the ritual. that is, sometimes people can’t do it on the first or second etc attempt, but nobody has ever PERMANENTLY failed to complete it. a keeper who senses that a young adult is sensitive and might not do well at it is likely to encourage them to get a small design. it’s a keeper’s job to see their whole clan safely through the ritual. if someone fails, it’s as much the keeper’s failure as theirs.

everyone in the clan has a “job,” but if you’re not up to speed or where you should be, the keeper intervenes, finds out why, and fixes it – whether that’s through counseling, or assigning extra training, or figuring the individual just isn’t suited to the task and finding them something else that brings them pride to do instead.

they bathe a LOT, cleanliness is super important to them. shem stereotype them as being stinky wood savages but nah, once or twice daily bathing is widespread practise, and they’re super careful about keeping their water sources clean. 

nomadic life is hard as shit. most clans lose a couple members every year from age, illness, accident, starvation, or shem interference. some years are harder than others. babies and the elderly are especially at risk.

there’s a dalish saying of “two keepers, three opinions.” the arlathvhen can get… heated… with debate, but nobody takes being argued with personally, because if you can’t defend your position then it’s a bad position. debate is a bonding activity. it’s the keeper’s job, also, to make sure everyone’s opinion is heard.

you will pry shoeless elves from my cold dead fucking hands

[bigskydreaming]

I really do need to read more current DC so I can figure out more of Duke’s dynamics with the other Batbros, because Batbro dynamics are some of the richest and most varied in all of Fictionlandia or whatever the fuck.

I mean, the entire Batfam in general puts the fun in dysfunctional, but the way Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian can swerve in mid-air when shifting gears from “I hate this brother’s guts and literally threatened his life at breakfast and meant it” to “I will fucking end this shitlord for daring to ruffle a single hair on my brother’s head”....its really something.

Like Jason and Damian have both definitely stabbed Tim at times but also at other times they have both been like...competing to see which can throw themselves bodily in front of Tim to act as a human shield for him. All of which should theoretically suggest Jason and Damian have a ton to bond over but actually they hate each other’s guts more than they do anyone else except for when they don’t. And Jason loves to give Damian shit for doting on Big Brother Dick, because Jason thinks Dick is the Worst except for the times when Dick is Jason’s favorite because nobody understands Bruce Is The Worst issues quite like Dick and Jason do. And also, Jason will cut you if you bring this up, but the only reason he became Robin in the first place was because he hero-worshiped Dick-as-Robin every bit as much as Tim hero-worshiped Jason-as-Robin and the only reason Jason ever hates Dick in the first place is when he’s preemptively lashing out so he doesn’t have to angst about Dick not liking him enough.

And Tim also loves to give Damian shit for the same reason except for when someone points out this means Tim and Jason agree on something, which ewwww no, now Tim has to hurl himself off a cliff, which just makes Jason point out uggggh see, you’re copying me again, you’re only doing that because then you’ll die and have to be brought back to life and everyone knows that’s MY thing, see this is why I hate you, you’re such a copycat, you’re always taking my stuff!

Which is usually about where Dick points out you mean the way I definitely never like....gave you permission to use MY codename and costume, it wasn’t Bruce’s to give away which is really why I was so butthurt at the time, like I’m not so insecure I can’t handle Dad adopting another kid EVEN THOUGH HE TOTALLY HADNT EVEN OFFICIALLY ADOPTED ME YET AND ID BEEN HIS KID FOR 10 YEARS BY THAT POINT BUT WHATEVER, but I was only really ticked off cuz he did that AND you started running around in MY uniform with MY name after I got fired from it, so if ANYONE in this family should be griping about someone being a Replacement and a Fake Robin, its ME, but you don’t see me running around shooting my brothers over it.

But then that’s just grounds for Tim - who usually prostates himself at the altar of My Perfect Older Brother Dick Does Nothing Wrong Ever And When Will I Ever Be That Good At Life - to shift gears and be like, so REALLY one could argue that all the shit Jason gave me for being his Replacement was just learned behavior from YOU since we all know he copies everything from you in the first place and then either just denies it or else overcompensates by then doing the most extremely opposite thing he can come up with two seconds later. Way to set a good example, bro. AND ANOTHER THING, really funny how you’re still complaining about Bruce firing you as Robin and making Jason his new Robin when thats the exact same thing as when you fired ME as Robin and made Damian your Robin!

Which gets Jason snarking: “Uh-oh, is Timmy mad because somebody replaced him with a younger brother and new Robin? OH HOW ORIGINAL. SEE? COPY-CAT!”

And then Damian just sniffs haughtily, or maybe its allergies, nobody can ever be sure so its safest to just err on the side of him being an arrogant little shit: “I don’t see why it matters, as I’m the only biological son Father has, and thus his true heir - “

Which never fails to unite Dick, Jason and Tim in shouting “STFU, ADOPTED KIDS ARE JUST AS MUCH REAL KIDS AS BIO KIDS!!!” Even though two seconds later Jason’s like “I mean, not that I’m saying Bruce is my dad. Cuz he’s not.” And Tim’s like “Obviously. And also not saying that we’re even brothers, cuz we’re definitely not.” And Dick meanwhile has morphed back into Oppressively Cheerful and is all “I said what I said. I will make you all admit you love me if its the last thing I do.”

And Cassandra wanders by rolling her eyes like “I can’t believe I’m related to any of you.” And she kicks Bruce’s ass super hard in training later that day and when he asks what the hell was that for, she says (with body language that goes right over his head): “You just couldn’t have more girls, huh? I could’ve had four sisters instead, but nooooooooooooo, you needed a house full of idiot boys. Ugh. I’m gonna go live in Babs’ clocktower with Steph who you should’ve adopted years ago if you had a BRAIN, but also, its too late now, please don’t, I’m pretty sure I’m a lesbian and I love her so now it would be weird.”

Like I said. Fun and interesting dynamics!