#perhaps i will show my father . he likes horror movies

[mouseoho]

god i haven't been able to rewatch the sweet juice mv yet but i keep Thinking about it like the visuals are soo stunning and the references ! ! like ngl i was half expecting to see references to the shining bc like... hotel.... horror... but idk I'm still surprised they did it <3 so cool . can't wait to rewatch <33

[anxiousgaypanicking]

Oreo

Synopsis:  As a joke, Roman's forced to ask Virgil out after losing an oreo. Flustered, and somewhat embarrassed and humiliated by the connotation that dating him would be such a bad thing, he says yes out of impulse, and must now deal with what being Roman's "boyfriend" entails. Taglist: @renys @falsemood

Part Eight: Movie Theatre Mayhem Masterlist

“He’s running late,” Virgil hisses as he sits on Logan’s porch. Janus sits next to him on his phone, and Logan sits next to Janus with a book out. 

“He’s not running late,” Logan objects, flipping to a new page. “The movie doesn’t start until six. It’s only 5:30.” 

“That doesn’t even factor in the previews,” Janus adds, nudging Virgil playfully in the side. “The trailers and advertisements start at six; the movie itself probably won’t even play until a quarter past.” 

Virgil’s leg jumps as he sits. “I’d still prefer we leave early.” 

Janus gives him a smirk. “Why? Excited to meet up with your boyfriend? It was very kind of him to offer to pick us all up; you might want to consider thanking him somehow. Like with a kiss, perhaps-?” 

Virgil shoves Janus away, scooting away from both him and Logan. Janus snickers openly at his groan of disgust, while Logan presses the back of his hand to his mouth in order to hide his amusement (though, in Virgil’s opinion, he’s doing a terrible job). 

“What movie are we seeing anyway?” Logan asks, though he doesn’t really sound like he cares - more like he’s just trying to move on. “I believe we decided against the horror one?”

“Roman said it’s called ‘The Misadventures Of Ms. Marjorie,’ or something,” Virgil answers, pulling his knees to his chest. “I think it’s some stupid kids movie, but there isn’t really anything else playing.” 

“It’s a musical,” Janus further explains, turning to Logan. He shows Logan his phone, which has a synopsis of the film pulled up. Logan sets his book down on his legs in order to properly read through it, and seems to glance back up at Janus, before nodding in appreciation. 

Virgil meanwhile pushes his head into his hands with a groan. “Is it?” he responds, sounding more aggravated by the minute. “I can’t believe that’s what you and Roman decided on.” 

“It’s less stupid than plotless gore,” Logan replies. “It would have been dull watching poorly-achieved special effects splatter around what’s supposed to be a bloody scene. That, or outright bad computer-generated imagery used to create what could otherwise be done ten times better with props. At least a kids movie will have a story to follow along.” 

Grumbling under his breath, Virgil really has no counter and so just makes a few angry noises to just his discontent, though he’s mostly ignored by the other two. 

His phone sits right beside him, and he subconsciously keeps his hand rested on it, waiting absentmindedly for any vibrations. And when it does vibrate, he has it up within seconds, unlocking it and pulling down his notification bar in hopes Roman has some explanation for why he’s still not here… twenty till. 

Instead, there’s a message from Virgil’s father. 

‘I’m sending you grocery money. Extending my vacation by another week or two. Love you,’ followed by Virgil getting another notification of money being sent to his account. It’s enough to cover groceries - enough to cover a month’s worth of groceries in Virgil’s case - and it makes Virgil click his phone off and drop it back onto the porch, pulling his legs tighter to his body as he tucks his face into his knees and stares barely over them out towards the road. 

Janus and Logan are talking quietly beside him, as they’ve both set down their entertainment in favor of each other’s company, but Virgil can’t find the energy to join them. 

At 5:50 is when Logan starts to look a little antsy, and leans forward a bit to direct his words to Virgil as he asks “any word from Roman? At this point we’re set to miss the trailers, and I’m not too thrilled with that notion.” 

Virgil gives a half hearted shrug. “I don’t know.” 

Logan raises an eyebrow. “Can you check?” 

Staring at him, Virgil feels the brash impulse to chuck his phone at Logan and make him check, or ask why they can’t communicate with Roman considering they had no qualms regarding tagging along, but instead he just bites his tongue and lifts his phone briefly. Seeing no new notifications, he curtly responds “he hasn’t said a thing.” 

Reaching towards Virgil, Janus sets a comforting hand on his upper arm, which encourages Virgil to take in a deep breath. 

Focusing on breathing for just a moment, Virgil immediately finds himself feeling a little better, and so adds quietly “I’ll… I’ll send him a text, and ask what’s taking him so long.”

“You did remember to give him Logan’s address, right?” Janus jokes, which has Virgil frowning at him, but relaxing nonetheless. 

But as he pulls up Roman’s contact in preparation to text, a familiar white car comes rolling slowly into view, with it parking on the curb shortly after. As it stops, Logan and Janus look towards Virgil for affirmation that this is in fact Roman, and the flush on Virgil’s cheeks says everything they need to know. 

“¡Mi vida!” Roman calls, waving towards Virgil, and hurries towards the porch. “I’m sorry I took so long.” 

Virgil stands immediately, and avoids Roman’s affectionate hands, making a beeline towards the car instead. “It’s fine,” he sharply replies, in a way that lets Roman know it’s in fact not fine. “Let’s just hurry and get there before we end up missing the movie.” 

He gets into the passenger seat and watches Roman through the window as he talks a moment more to Logan and Janus, before they follow suit to the car as well. Janus and Logan slide in the back, while Roman gets into the driver’s seat, buckling up and checking around to make sure everyone’s done the same. He then flashes Virgil a sweet smile that Virgil responds to with a piercing glare.

“I am really sorry I’m late,” Roman begins again, as he starts the car. He speeds a bit down the block in an attempt to make up for lost time, though it just makes Virgil feel carsick as they hit a few turns too fast. “Remus’s tutor ended up having to cancel, and there was a whole issue between our mom and dad involving… custody stuff.” Roman looks uncomfortable, even while walking through the rather vague explanation. It has Virgil actually turning to him with a bit more curiosity, but Roman stares straight ahead at the road, lips pressed shut. Displaying visible discomfort, Roman didn’t look as though he was going to elaborate any further. 

And so Virgil shifts away again and musters up a meager “okay.” 

The car ride is silent past that point, with not even Janus and Logan making conversation in the back. The air is thick, and Virgil’s fingers run along the window’s buttons, debating whether or not he should roll them down to try and make things feel less hot and cramped. 

However, he doesn’t get the opportunity to before they’re pulling into the movie theatre parking lot. 

“Ha!” Roman exclaims, as he shifts the car into park. “We’re here! And with five minutes to spare! That’s plenty of time to get concessions and get settled!” 

“I’ll pass on the concessions,” Logan says, as he steps out and onto the asphalt. “I’d rather get into our auditorium as soon as possible.” 

Circling around the car, Janus stands a bit too close to Logan as he nods and says “I’m with Logan on this one. I’m not necessarily hungry for oversalted popcorn anyway.” 

Roman smiles at them as he moves towards Virgil, bringing out his wallet and pulling out two twenty dollar bills. Passing them to Janus and Logan, he explains “I assume we’re all going to sit together, but because I’d like food you guys can just buy your tickets separately. That way you won’t have to wait up.” 

Janus immediately plucks the money from Roman’s hands, as Logan can’t help smiling and thanking him for his consideration. Virgil frowns. 

With Logan and Janus walking ahead of them, Roman keeps at Virgil’s sluggish pace, and links their fingers together without hesitation. The action causes Virgil to whip his head towards Roman, hissing out an embarrassed “what the hell do you think you’re doing?” which just has Roman giving him a shy smile. 

“Well,” Roman answers, cheeks pink, “this is like a date.” 

“We’ve already been on a ‘date’ asshole; I don’t understand why you’re smiling like a dope.” 

Roman shrugs. “That was like… a trial date. This is like a date date.” 

“There’s no difference.” 

Cheesing from ear to ear, Roman responds “there totally is.” 

By the time the two of them step inside, Logan and Janus are already making their way down the hallway in line to their theatre, though Virgil watches Janus glance back and smirk at them as he sees their hands intertwined. Virgil is almost tempted to rip free of Roman’s hold, but doesnt, and instead lets Roman lead him to the concession counter. 

Virgil pulls out his phone while Roman strikes up a short but friendly conversation with the worker, before he tells Roman what seats Logan and Janus got so they can sit by them. Getting a good look at the concession screen, Virgil can see the theatre is completely empty, which does make him feel a little better. Then Roman’s ordering a large popcorn and two drinks, before nodding towards the candy racks. 

“Hungry for chocolate or anything?” he asks, though he seems more like he’s encouraging Virgil to grab something as opposed to just merely asking. 

Virgil doesn’t answer him verbally, but reaches over to grab sour Airhead bites, which he tosses onto the counter with a grunt. 

Seemingly pleased, Roman hands Virgil the two empty cups. “Could you please get me cherry coke? And then you can get whatever you’d like,” which has Virgil walking off immediately to go do as he’s told, giving them both a little ice and a lot of soda as Roman finishes up his transaction. He comes over while Virgil’s pressing the lids on and then trades Virgil the drinks for the popcorn. 

“I’m not sure how you like your popcorn, so butter and salt how you’d like!” 

“I don’t care how it’s done.” 

Roman seems to soften a bit, and his smile falls as he places the drinks on the counter. He sets a hand on Virgil’s upper arm. “If you don’t want to be here, we don’t have to be. We can go home if that'll make you happier.” 

Virgil feels guilt swell in his gut as his head falls away from Roman’s gaze. Wordlessly, he pushes the tub under the butter machine, and moves it around so that the entire top layer is coated. He then gives it a little shake in an attempt to mix it around, before adding a few dashes of salt and setting it before Roman, as if presenting it to him. 

“The stuff underneath won’t be as good, but whatever,” he says, which again has Roman frowning. 

“Virgil, I’m serious. We don’t have to stay.” 

Uncomfortably shifting his weight back and forth on his feet, Virgil wraps his arms around himself. “Are you wanting to leave? Because I never said I wanted to.” 

“You just…” Roman trails off, and then also looks away with a sigh. “You just look miserable. If you stay here while upset, you're just going to end up associating this place with feeling upset. Or… or me with being upset. I don’t want to be the first thing you think of when you feel bad, and I never want to keep you somewhere that’s making you feel that way.” 

Roman’s phone vibrates in his pocket, which briefly throws him off, but he ends up shrugging it off and pushing Virgil’s drink towards him. 

“Please… do you actually want to stay?” 

Virgil stares at the drink, and then takes it. Though it’s difficult, he ends up giving Roman a small smile. “Yeah. I want to stay. There’s just… a lot going on.” 

Groaning playfully - seemingly relieved by the tonal shift - Roman goes “tell me about it,” and then chuckles to himself. His ease regarding the situation does help alleviate some of Virgil’s own tension, and he watches as Roman grabs three straws. He gives Virgil one, and takes one for himself of course, before winking at Virgil as he slides the third into the popcorn. Then, he very carefully positions it under the butter dispenser and pushes the button, causing the butter to spill down and into the straw, where it’s efficiently and cleanly transported to the popcorn at the bottom of the tub. And Roman lifts the straw slightly until he’s sure the middle is coated too, and then gives the tub a few more shakes. 

He then proudly lifts the tub up. “There! Now it should all be just as delicious as the top!” 

Virgil can’t help but snicker at his dramatics. He grabs his coke and candy, and walks with Roman to their theatre. “Where’d you learn to do that?” 

Roman doesn’t answer for a moment, his smile seeming a bit more forced now, before blinking twice and responding “my mom. She was a stickler for making sure the popcorn was all properly coated. Before the butter machines were moved to the self-serve counter, she used to terrorize the concessionists to make sure they did it right. Everyone was relieved when it became a do-it-yourself thing.” 

Virgil bumps lightly against Roman’s side as they walk, and neither of them say anything more. 

Once they get to their seats, the lights have already dimmed and the trailers are playing. Janus and Logan are talking between each other, but both greet the duo when they arrive. Virgil sits between Janus and Roman, with Roman and Logan sitting on the outsides. They’re in the middle of this otherwise completely barren auditorium, making it feel a lot more vast than it actually is. 

All of the previews that play are brightly-coloured, animated PG films that Virgil really has no interest in, but Roman sets the popcorn in his lap and then whispers in his ear a variety of praises, ranging from “the animation in that one is extremely experimental, and I really like it,” to “the CG there looks kind of average, but I’ve heard the story’s going to be really good,” which encourages Virgil to pay more attention to the preshow. He starts to notice the nuances in character movements he wouldn’t have picked up on otherwise, or certain words that the characters say that apparently allude to earlier movies, and when the previews end, Virgil almost wishes they weren’t late getting here so he could have seen more of them. 

The lights in the theatre darken completely as the movie starts, with all four of them reclining their seats back to get comfortable. Janus reaches over to take a handful of popcorn. And then the studio’s logos flash across the screen, leading into a live-action film with a very bubbly undertone, similar to Mary Poppins but somehow even more whimsical. 

“What’s the plot of this movie again?” Virgil quietly inquires as the main character - presumably Marjorie - starts singing. 

“Marjorie falls into another world and has to adjust to the crazy rules implemented there,” Roman explains, as he takes a sip of his coke. “Think about like… Where the Wild Things Are but with less of a ‘home is where the heart is’ moral. This is more so about how being curious is a good thing, with a dash of learning to question authority.” 

Virgil raises an eyebrow. “That feels like a rather complex message for a musical.” 

Roman smiles wide. “I know, right?! People think kids are a lot dumber than they actually are. A lot of them internalize the actions of those they look up to, including figures in media! If they see Marjorie questioning ‘well, why do we do this?’ then they’ll mimic it, which’ll help them learn more about the world! It’s actually really thoughtful…” 

Sensing there’s more to that sentence, Virgil goes to ask Roman to elaborate, but he hears Roman’s phone vibrate against the seat before he can. 

Roman’s cheeks go red in embarrassment as everyone turns to look at him, and he apologizes as he quickly fumbles to pull it out. He doesn’t silence his phone as he clicks it on, instead checking a notification. Virgil doesn’t mean to snoop, but can’t help noticing a message that says ‘You have to come over. You’re a kid, Roman, you have no choice in the matter.’ 

Roman’s Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows the spit in his mouth before he shuts his screen off and slides it between his thighs, so that he can feel it if it goes off again, but so it won’t make a noise. He then turns back to Virgil with a weak smile. 

“Sorry,” he says, “what was I saying?” 

“Kids will echo what they see in movies?” 

“Right! Yes, well… not every child has a good role model to look up to, which is why some kids grow up acting… bad.” Roman sounds like he has someone in mind. “Of course, you’re responsible for the things you choose to do, but not everyone knows better, if that makes sense. Sometimes it’s all they’ve seen. And that’s why people like Marjorie-” Roman waves his hand towards the screen, where Marjorie is in the middle of skipping through her daily routine, smiling at the people she walks past and buying a hot dog for a kid who lost his money, “ -are more important than people realize.” 

Staring, Virgil just watches the way Roman’s eyebrows crease. He’s still smiling, but he doesn’t look happy. 

“... Do you wish there were more people in the theatre?” Virgil then asks. 

Seemingly surprised at the question, Roman doesn’t have an immediate answer, but after a moment nods his head. “I do. Though, this movie has been out for a while. There was a chance it was popular when it first came out, and the lines slowly dwindled as more and more people came to see it.” 

“That makes sense.” 

Roman seems pleased at Virgil’s understanding, and then turns back to the movie. He takes some popcorn into his hand - letting Virgil keep the tub even when Virgil attempts to give it back - and tries to stay focused on the screen. 

But as Virgil watches Roman in his peripheral - weirdly focused on him instead of the film - he watches as Roman checks his phone again. And then again twenty minutes later. And the third time it happens, and Roman unlocks his phone, Virgil can’t help but read over his shoulder. 

He can’t see well in his current position, but he does see ‘...if you don’t, I’ll take David back to court’ followed by ‘do you not love me? Is that why you won’t come?’ and then ‘it’s that failure of a brother of yours poisoning your mind. You know I love you, Roman, I just want what’s best.’ 

Roman starts typing, but his thumbs quickly still. When Virgil looks up from his phone and to Roman’s face, he sees tears welling up in Roman’s eyes. 

Hearing the faint vibration in Roman’s hands, he turns his attention back to the screen to see ‘I’m your mother, Roman.’ 

Phone screen shaking slightly, Virgil can see that Roman’s trembling. His other hand is pressed over his mouth, and he’s fighting back tears - a feat that is only impressive for a few seconds until inevitably they fall past his cheeks and onto his laps with every blink of his eyelids. He’s silent, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less… terrified. His chest rapidly rises and falls, as if he’s struggling to breathe. If Virgil could hear him, he’s sure Roman would sound like he was gasping for air. 

Before he realizes what he’s doing, Virgil reaches over and sets his hand atop Roman’s, subsequently covering up the screen. 

Roman immediately turns to him with wide eyes, and is quick to turn away again to wipe his face. He smiles at Virgil - a smile that’d be rather convincing under different circumstances - and opens his mouth to apologize, but Virgil is shoving the half-empty popcorn tub into Roman’s hands before he gets the chance. 

“Let’s go get a refill,” he whispers, and Roman shuts his mouth and nods. 

Virgil grabs both of their drinks as Roman carries the tub out, and they convene at the self-serve counter. Roman’s quiet, and Virgil is at first as well, until he’s done filling their drinks up. 

“Are you… going to take the popcorn up for a refill?” Virgil asks, which has Roman - who was just staring at the tub - nodding absentmindedly. His thoughts are clearly elsewhere, and Virgil can imagine why, so he walks beside Roman as they pass their popcorn to the concessionist. It’s filled and handed back, but instead of going back to the movie, Virgil guides Roman to sit on a bench right outside their auditorium. 

He then passes Roman his coke. “Drink,” he instructs, and Roman does. Then, he picks up a few pieces of popcorn and brings it to his own mouth, before motioning for Roman to do the same with the simple encouragement of “eat.” 

That has Roman shaking his head. “I’m not hungry right now,” he replies, sympathetically. 

“Eat,” Virgil further pushes. “Trust me… just for right now. At least a handful. And then you won’t have to eat anymore if you don’t want to.” 

Roman looks unsure of Virgil’s words, but he doesn’t seem to have the energy to argue, and so does as Virgil wants and eats a handful of popcorn. He chews slowly, and wipes the excess salt on his pants, but after he’s swallowed he looks back towards Virgil. 

“Why’d you want me to eat?” he asks, and Virgil can see that though Roman’s eyes still shimmer with noticeable wetness, they’re at least not filled with full-on tears. 

Sighing, Virgil scoots a bit closer to him on the bench, letting their shoulders touch. “It’s… it’s like…” Virgil struggles for a moment, as he places his own drink between his thighs, resting his hands on the sides of it and rubbing over the condensation that drips slowly down the sides. “It’s like… a grounding mechanism? Typically when people get anxious or panicked it triggers a primal fight or flight response, even if there’s no one to fight and nothing to flee from. And because it’s a response that we had hundreds of years ago to protect us from danger, there are sometimes really simple ways to calm down following it. So your brain thinks ‘hey, if we’re running from something, we don’t have the time or safety to stop and eat,’ so if you sit down and eat something, it can help calm you down because your brain will realize that if you’re safe enough to eat, then you’re safe overall…” Virgil folds his hands around his cup, and weakly adds “does that make sense? Logan could probably explain it a lot better than I could… but it typically helps me, so I thought maybe it’d help you.”

Roman’s quiet, but after a moment eats another few pieces of popcorn, and then gives Virgil a closed-mouth smile. “Yeah. It helped.” 

Virgil glances towards him, away, and then towards him again. 

“We can… we can go back into the theatre if you want. Or we can stay out here. It’s up to you.” 

Roman smiles wider, more embarrassed this time. “It’s up to you, actually. I’ve seen this movie before.” 

“You have?” 

Roman nods. “I didn’t want to just tell you outright because I didn’t want you to think I’d be bored by the film or anything, but I came to see it when it first came out. I love animation of course, but I also love musicals, and this movie was getting high reviews from critics so I thought I’d come and see it myself.” 

Virgil reaches for some popcorn. “And you liked it enough to come see it a second time?” 

“Yes.” 

When Virgil doesn’t respond to that immediately, Roman awkwardly laughs and ends up further insisting “but really it’s only because there was nothing else playing. If you and Janus and Logan didn’t come to the movies, I probably wouldn’t have bothered with it.” 

“If you like it, then there’s no problem with you coming to see it again.” Virgil squeezes his coke, and ends up playing with the straw with his fingers. “When I was little, I used to have a stack of burnt DVDs. Apparently they belonged to my mom, but a lot of the movies were kid films, so they were entertaining enough to keep child me occupied. Well, one of the DVDs was The Nightmare Before Christmas. I don’t know if you can tell, but that’s exactly the kind of movie I would like.” 

Roman chuckles at Virgil’s words, and so Virgil relaxes further against him. 

“I watched it over and over again on loop. Of course, there were skips caused by scratches on the back of the disc - I was a child after all, and was left with a DVD that had no case to go with it - but it was watchable for a good long while. So believe me when I say I get wanting to watch a movie you like a few times over. Sometimes multiple watches help you appreciate nuances you didn’t see before.”

Roman’s hand creeps into Virgil’s lap, slowly guiding Virgil’s fingers away from his cup and entwining their digits together. 

“I think you’re very smart,” Roman says, quietly. “Thank you for sitting out here with me. Even though I totally would have generously gone and got us refills myself if you’d have let me.”

Virgil snickers, and pushes Roman away, saying “well, in that case, I’m sure you won’t mind properly buttering the popcorn then.” 

Huffing, Roman stands with the tub. “You just want to get me off the bench.” 

“Oh? Are you not feeling so ‘generous’ anymore?” 

“You’re lucky I-” 

Roman cuts himself off abruptly, cheeks going dark red, and gives Virgil a proper, cheeky smile as he scoots off without another word. Virgil watches him from afar as he heads down the hallway, and leans a bit to try and catch bits of Roman’s body peek into view as he moves about the self-serve counter. 

He’s so caught up with watching, in fact, that he doesn’t notice Janus and Logan leaving the theatre until Janus taps him on the shoulder, startling him and causing him to nearly crush his drink between his thighs. 

“You missed the end of the movie,” Janus says, as he grins at Virgil’s embarrassed display. 

“Got too caught up talking,” Virgil admits in reply, grumbling under his breath. “Didn’t realize how long it’d been.” 

“Shame,” Janus says, “Mary’s growth throughout the movie was truly spectacular.” 

“Marjorie,” Logan corrects, “but I’m inclined to agree nonetheless. I really admire her inquisitive attitude. I think it’s very realistic to question rules in a new environment, especially considering how odd some of them were.” 

“What about the music?” 

“For an original soundtrack, not too bad,” Janus answers. “I think jukebox musicals are guaranteed to sound great if proper music is picked out, so I’m always a little skeptical when a movie makes its own songs, but these ones weren’t horrid. Maybe a bit too cheesy, but nobody’s perfect.” 

Logan reaches for Virgil’s drink, which Virgil hands to him. “I personally didn’t care much for the music. I never understood why characters will randomly burst into song and everyone will treat it like it’s normal… it’s absurd!”

“It’s fiction,” Janus says with a laugh, as Roman comes back to them. 

“Oh…” he breathes, as he sees everyone convening around the bench. “Is the movie over already?” 

“It seems that way,” Virgil responds, as he pushes himself to his feet. 

Roman frowns, but it’s a very overdramatic pout as opposed to any real disappointment. “Well that sucks! Though, I guess now we have popcorn for the road…” he hums in thought as they begin walking towards the exit. Janus and Logan - having stolen Virgil’s cup - fill it with what they want before they leave, and then they all get to Roman’s car. 

It’s only once the car’s turned on that Roman suddenly lights up, and turns in his seat so that he’s facing everybody. 

Motioning wildly to the popcorn tub he’d set on Virgil’s lap, he excitedly proposes “what if we all came back to my house for a movie night?! My dads and I can hook up a sheet in the guest room, and I’m confident we have a bluetooth projector somewhere! And that way we can play whatever we want!” 

He looks between each of their faces with cute anticipation, which has Virgil brushing his bangs out of his face as he’s the first to answer “sure. I don’t have anything else going on tonight.” 

With Virgil’s confirmation, both Logan and Janus answer with affirmative “sure, why not?” and “that sounds pleasant” respectively, which has Roman happily patting his hands against the steering wheel in a rapid battering pattern. He’s nearly shaking with sheer delight, which Virgil can’t help but smile at as he relaxes in the passenger seat and pops a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth. 

Roman opens his phone to put on some music for the ride home, connecting it to the speakers and setting his phone carelessly in his cup holder. It’s unlocked, and the screen is on. 

Halfway through the first song, Virgil barely hears the phone vibrate over Roman’s belting to some cheery love-song, and instinctively glances towards it. When he does, he sees the words ‘I’ll see you next weekend’ followed by a singular period - sent separately from the prior sentence - only for the message notification to disappear up into Roman’s notification bar, reduced to just a little text icon. And suddenly Virgil’s prior pleased mood melts away, because something about that message has his hands clamming up. 

It makes him feel uncomfortable. It makes him feel sick. It makes him feel dread.

[kerubimcrepin]

Liveblog - Dofus, livre 1 : Julith [PART 11]

As I've mentioned, Kerubim and Julith have Beef.

As far as she is concerned, whether he was behind her framing (he wasn't) he is one of the people to blame. He defeated her that fateful day, and then she never saw her son again.

I've already went into detail, on the way "killing" her has affected him, (A mixture of horror and duty. Killing a mother and making a child an orphan for the sake of a city. Being grateful for her dying because it made him a father instead. Feeling awful for that thought.) but it is interesting, how he reacted to her turning out to be alive, when he killed her with his own hands.

Seething. Perhaps even coping.

This is chichala, which we had seen. I suppose he uses it to buff himself up before the boss fight. Drinking alcohol before a fight is very much RPG logic.

Sadly, there are no interesting buffs to it in-game:

I think a lot about the way Kerubim, Joris, and Atcham would be characterized in video game logic, by the way. I still have no working theory of how the hell their fighting styles would synergize. Would Joris be their buffer/debuffer? Their glass canon? Both? And do any of them take ranged weapons on missions...?

They probably do. It'd be kinda dumb not to. Personally, I like to imagine that Atcham would be the one using those, most of the time. He has that "skyrim stealth archer" vibe to him. (Though they're all melee users, through and through.)

Despite how smug he is at a couple of moments, he really was struggling during this fight.

My honest reaction whenever Kerubim does this fucking face is just:

This is very much a "deeply mentally ill adoptive father (who inadvertently ruined his child's life by adopting them to atone for his sins + because he was abused as a child) fighting through an army for his child before dying in their arms and saying they're the only good thing he ever had" look for him.

Another reason that one has to support both women's rights and wrongs when talking about Julith, is that, like.,.. what was she playing at, here? There are two possibilities:

That she would destroy whoever has the dragon's soul and set it free, giving her an advantage.

That Kerubim would shield that person.

Either one is good. :)

Either way she was perfectly willing to risk/attempt blowing up a random, innocent person, who was hiding from her.

My personal headcanon is that while Julith is physically stronger than Kerubim, she lost ten years prior because she couldn't stop thinking about The Baby. Where were they taking Joris? Did Bakara leave with him? Is Joris alright? Didn't Jahash give him to this cat man, who was now trying to kill her? What the fuck is going on, who did this, why, why, why?

I imagine seeing him lose for the exact same reason brings her great pleasure.

the nonbinary slay here was insane

Guys I think this might be bad for Joris's long term mental stability.

On a more serious note, I think there should be more content about Joris fucking hating Julith. During the movie? There's too much going on to work out what he feels.

But after? He has all the time in the world to hate her for everything she did.

I do think that he probably grew up and found whoever framed her to take revenge on/to get justice. But hating her, and wanting to clear her name of the crimes she DIDN'T commit so she could have some peace in death, so that people would stop smearing her name, — are two things that can coexist.

Like to slap his bald scaly head, reblog to slap his bald scaly head.

Kerubim never changed his stupid ass baka "George George the Farmer Farmer" name.

Though we've been knew.

BAD. I DON'T LIKE THIS.

AND she recognizes him by the blue eyes. AND, this implies that, for the entirety of the Dofus show, — and the entirety of Wakfu as well, since he, once again, has yellow eyes there, — he had dragon eyes.

Imagine being Simone, waking up at 3am, realizing because you forgot something in Joris and Kerubim's bedroom, sneaking in, and seeing this.

It also raises some questions about adult Joris, because we know he no longer has Grougalorasalar in him. The easiest explanation is that he spent so much time with the dragon, that after their final separation, his eyes couldn't change anymore.

After all, — the changes the dragon made to his height/skin/hair are permanent. It would make sense that, with time, even his eyes would be permanently altered.

I don't think it's a sad thing, by the way. Imagine going your whole life with beautiful brown eyes that look a bit like your adoptive father's. Then imagine suddenly having blue eyes (scary) and that they're your Dead Father's Who You Never Met but whom everyone misses. Like which pair of eyes would you choose? Because I think there IS a right answer to this riddle.

I think Julith has convinced herself that whoever took her and Jahash out wouldn't want loose ends, and that Joris was taken out as well, or something. Maybe that's why he wasn't really on her mind.

Mind you, this is a tinfoil hat headcanon.

This is so beautiful, to me... She was so emotionally stricken by seeing him again as his mother, that his father, who was both fatally wounded and stricken by seeing her perform deeply painful dark rituals on his son after traumatizing him, could land one last hit on her to save said son.

Julith has been a mother for a grand total of a few days to a month, while Kerubim has been for 10 years. Of course, her first concern is getting surprised it's him, and not that she hurt him. Because she couldn't even dream that she'd ever see him again.

There's a tragedy in that. She never even had a chance to learn how to be his mother, or who he is as a person, — she was the mother of an infant. Her love for him is far more theoretical than Kerubim's.

It's a love for Joris not as a person, but as a lost opportunity.

So she has no regrets about hurting him, — and she will hurt him as many times as it takes, if that's what it takes to get back her family.

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

My avatar tla hot take ACTUALLY UNPOPULAR and not just minority opinion is that Azula is a terrible addition to the series. On her own? Oh, her character was great, complex, etc. She is a queen, a great diva, wonderful villain, interesting, deserved a great redemption too (She is 14! A baby!) etc. She just would have suited a magic girl show, a horror movie (in the typical scary, powerful little girl fashion), or a darker, more mature show with more characters like her, meaning child prodigies, better.

Combined with the rest of the atlab story? Kinda makes me laugh. She is such a ridiculous addition that makes it obvious this is a kids’ show. When I first watched the show, Zuko's father and the fact he had branded him was such a serious “oh shit” moment. Like, that is a father whose expectations are truly ridiculously high. It was scary. I mean who could meet them?

Zuko, whether a villain or an anti-hero, was a special, unique character the first few episodes because he was intimately acquainted with the scary main villain in a way no one was.

Then comes Azula. Come at me to debunk me (I may not even try to argue because this is such a weird opinion in the fandom, for real I haven't heard it) but she feels like a writer self-insert. Not a little kid’s writer self-insert, mind you, she feels like a well-written, dark, and complex self-insert or oc written by a talented fic writer in her 30s with years of experience that may become an original writer someday, but an oc nonetheless.

Azula feels like “oh, Zuko could never live up to his evil father’s ideals? Oh here comes my oc Azula, despite being 2 years younger she is soo much better at firebending and does everything better, even being evil, she is the main villain’s golden child and sidekick! And the sister of the main antagonist who interacts with him constantly!” (oh isn't that so cool?) “oh shit wait she needs flaws otherwise she is a villain Sue, let's see.… perfectionism! Perfect flaw! and at the very end after needing a 2 against 1 setting to be defeated she has a mental breakdown, perfect!”

“But gifted children and prodigies exist!!” you may say. Yesss I knowww. She is both too dark of a concept and too corny for atla. I see the flaws and contradictions in the ~vibes~ Azula gives me, thank you anyway. But regardless of rationally being aware of this, the reveal that this powerful character that comes to replace Zuko in causing the gaang trouble (Because let's face it, the beginning of Zuko's redemption arc and needing an even bigger bad to replace him and shock the viewers by how much more dangerous/powerful they are is the whole reason for Azula’s existence) is his 14-year-old LITTLE sister is so… dorky and laughable for me personally. And not only because of her gender in case you come to attack me from that angle. Zuko's prodigy little brother would perhaps have been an even worse and more ridiculous big bad replacement (Girls being shorter is understandable, but with a little brother we would visually see how much Zuko would be able to beat him if this weren't a kids’ show with magic, it would be even harder to suspend my disbelief to). Like, I am sure the reasons I hate the concept are the very same reasons some others love it, but you are telling me that the one capable of fulfilling the evil child burner father's expectations is… simply some rando younger child? It is not that Ozai was a freak who wanted the impossible, it is just that Zuko wasn't it. It is corny, it is dumb. It is so obviously meant for kids. Thanks, I hate it.

Azula also combines in a very weird and bizarre way with Zuko's tragic origin story (Also it is just another source of angst that is completely unnecessary, that distracts from what his father did to him and never living up to his expectations or being too compassionate for his own good, now there is a little sibling in the way being better than him at everything). Call me crazy, but Zuko as an only child, or at least a child without crazy op YOUNGER siblings would have had a MUCH more interesting relationship with his father. Perhaps an even ANGSTIER and more complex relationship where his approval is just within reach but also not quite there. Where it seems conceivable and yet out of reach. Where Ozai is the type of abuser who gives him praise when he does something right just to tear him down mercilessly when he doesn't.

What Zuko has in canon with Ozai and Azula is also interesting, painful, and angsty, but it is “never be able to be this other random younger child who happens to be a prodigy so what is even the point of trying when dad always reminds me of how meh I am compared to her” instead of “never be able to be like my father who is putting all his hopes and that of his empire on me, who at times seems to care so much”. That last one is much more compelling for me personally for a character that ends up being the opposite of his father and learns being like him is not a good thing, it also gives Zuko a good, believable reason to keep trying to please his father: there is actually a chance, there is no one there who has already won the race. Oh my, his search for the Avatar would have made so much more sense without Azula why does Azuka exist in this universe whyy 😭

Don't get me wrong, the sibling rivalry and abusers putting children against each other, having a golden child and a scapegoat, is realistic in many families, but from a storytelling perspective I find it VERY whatever, MEH. Like, the moment Ozai burns Zuko would have been a much greater instance of utter betrayal and shock if Ozai actually acted at times like he had some hope in his son instead of being constantly comparing him to his sister. Now everytime I am made aware of what Ozai did to Zuko I am like “duh” what were you expecting, Zuko, baby? It is still evil as fuck, but no longer shocking or a wtf moment, it is just the boring, edgy and predictable culmination of Ozai already having a “better” child he prefers to succeed him, a total overkill, and in fact, knowing Ozai, he should have done so earlier or straight up had Zuko killed, it makes no sense he is still alive when Azula is a much better successor from his perspective. It means nothing and Zuko should of fing course be traumatized and emotionally and physically distraught by the damage done to him by his own father, but he should not longer logically be that shocked or struck dumb. From a fictional, storytelling perspective, for me personally, the moment loses a tiny bit of its power, at least from the betrayal-someone-who-should-care-for-you—hurting-you���instead aspect.

If I had been there to write the ~big worse bad before Ozai~ meant to replace Zuko as he begins his journey of redemption, I would have chosen something much more serious (I get “abused child soldier” is serious, duh, I just mean serious in a way that makes me fear for the gaang being faced not with a peer but with someone bigger and much more experienced, and not just distract myself with how horrible it is that a “father” makes a 14-year-old girl into a soldier for an invading army). I would have chosen an equally or even more powerful, ADULT, right-hand man (or woman) of Ozai. If it really had to be a sibling of Zuko, it would have been a brother or sister 5 years OLDER, and that is AT THE VERY LEAST, perhaps the son or daughter of a minor wife or concubine (To fix the issue of why they are not the heir and why Zuko could be jealous of their much better skills while at the same time still having a good reason to keep trying to earn their father's approval, which is that there is still time to learn and improve as the younger party, this could have also made Ursa more sympathetic since the “evil” sibling is no longer a child of hers that she emotionally neglected). This could also give the character depth in the sense that they hate the fact they have no claim to the throne despite being older and “better”. They could still care for Zuko while having a love hate relationship with them, a sibling rivalry, Ozai turning them against each other, same as Azula, without taking away from Zuko's interesting relationship with Ozai (I just want his urge to overpower his better sibling to come from a place of his father actually expecting him to do it and be mad he doesn't instead of just Ozai putting all his hopes on the other sibling and Zuko for some plot related reasons still wanting his father's impossible approval despite never being able to earn it because Azula is there, better at a younger age, is that too much to ask? Like at this point Zuko should be smart enough to see that firebending skills are inborn and related to ~fantasy-version-of-genetics~, he should logically have seen it is not his fault and stopped trying to be Ozai or Azula MUCH earlier).

So in summary, believe it or not, I like Azula. I like the whole child prodigy golden child psychologically groomed and abused by evil father angle and I would love a redemption arc for her. I just don't like her AS an atla character. I feel like she does a disservice to Zuko by even existing due to how complex and interesting yet overpowered she is, actually. She ruins his motivations imo. Ironically enough, Zuko does not do a disservice to her, he makes her more interesting because he is a warning of what could happen to her if she is not perfect, he makes her vulnerable. But here is the deal, this would work better if she was the protagonist.

Edit: I just realized it is not just Azula who does a disservice to Zuko's story, it is the whole “Ozai straight up hated the little fucker since birth and tried to kill him before as a child therefore what he did to him was not a consequence of Zuko being compassionate as fuck, Ozai might as well have been looking for an excuse”. It just cheapens it immensely.

Zuko caring for those soldiers still counts just as much (of fucking course), but it would have been more poignant story-wise for his suffering to have also be a direct consequence of his first signs of goodness + his father being an abuser pshyco and not just the latter + Ozai always hated him because Zuko is the good guy and his father’s empire is evil so we need a way to make the children see Zuko is good and not like the rest from the beginning in a painfully simple way by making Ozai inherently hate him or smt because abusers “loving” their children in fucked up ways is too complicated

[nightghoulz]

I finished reading Horus Rising. Here is what I enjoyed! And several thoughts/theories that were possibly explained away in another novel.

I'll put it under the cut just in case anyone else, like me, is newer to all of this. Of course most of us know what happens in the end, but not all the details :)

Sanguinius throwing fruit at Horus. Saw a post that the two of them are wine aunts and that is totally true. Lowkey want to draw this in a little comic!

Loken contemplating material possessions after Jubal's death. What would become of his things someday? Is it just junk that another brother would toss out, or would they hold onto it? This part felt very human to me. I am one of those people that will keep a chunk of ribbon from a gift. A fake cardinal that my job deemed haunted sits on my key holder. Every ticket to every event I have been to (cheapest movie being only $5!) So I really liked that little bit.

The whole Whisperheads part of the story. Felt like it was a horror novel at points. I would still like to know who took Jubal's lodge coin thing.

Loken's little initiation ceremony. Felt very cool even if it was just for show and tradition and freaked him out at first (same with the whole lodge fraternity)

Warmed up to the remembrancers. I enjoyed the growth between Mersadie and Loken

The Xenobia weapons museum being broken to and stolen from at the end. I have my suspicion that it was Abaddon that stole it, though could've missed the part if he was off doing something else.

Horus talking about the zodiac signs and how each brother was supposed to represent one. Thinking back on this makes me notice something. "He told me that the twenty signs in the heavens would one day be matched by twenty sons like me" (Horus on page 354). Does this mean Horus knows about the two forgotten/lost primarchs? Or that Omegon isn't known about by anyone yet? I guess there were another eight zodiacs added (or seven if you count that other proposed one-Ophiuchus-though I am not entirely sure how 'official' that is) over the many years that would have passed between now and then. Perhaps it is just one of the contradictions in the novels, however fun it is to contemplate. (I like Horus picking Leo as one of his favorites/he gravitates towards. I am biased though ;) Now I am curious to know what the other brothers picked/were assigned!)

My favorite foreshadowing bit:

Sanguinius says "I see those looks. Are you honestly nursing concerns that our Warmaster is contemplating defiance of the Emperor? His father?" (P 387). It's even sadder if he has foreseen what will happen and keeps up the spirits for the men around him. I'm assuming he hasn't had a dream/vision/premonition of what is to come, so if he has, props to him for not going insane (cough cough Konrad. Sorry dude. Even though I don't think he's insane for most of his time. That comparison can be fleshed out when I get to his books.)

I am so glad that I finished this damn thing. Honestly, it is the first full length novel (I've read shorter stories. VERY picky with books.) I have finished since I read one for a class in college, though that one was read out of spite in one day :') I am very particular in what I read between all of my other hobbies, so I am glad for this lovely community here.

Perhaps some of the other books will magically appear in my life. It's happened twice, strangely enough. I had read a book in school and wished for it dearly, then found it in the mud on my last day there. I still have it! Then another time, I found one in the dirt near the small pond by my old house. The copy was far too beat up for me to repair it as a kid (though looking back, entirely possible) so I cannot recall what the hell the book was. Anyways.

One down, fifty three left to go!

[rockandroar]

Hello, my name is Jonathan.

I really like the character, Grant Ruffalo. He is officially one of my favorite characters now.

Can I ask a question? Does this character has a backstory on how he started to form this amazing metal rock band?

Thank you for your answer? 😊

Hi Jonathan, thank you very much for your question!

Grant has a lot of stories to tell from his many years as a musician. His father was a blues guitarist who moved his family from the US to England when Grant was still small. As an unusually intense and focused calf, Grant quickly picked up guitar playing from his father and dived deeply into it. Throughout his childhood and teen years he would continue to spend countless hours practicing, as well as obsessively listening to every blues and rock record he could get his hooves on. He quickly developed a reputation for his amazing guitar technique, powerful vocals, and...aggressive temperament which he'd need to work on improving, but that's another story.

Grant went off to college in the late 60s. At that time, the music that was popular was quite a bit...janglier and lighter than what Grant wanted to do (this was the time of hippies, after all). Grant loved the psychedelic rock, acid rock, and blues rock bands of the time, but he had a vision for something darker, heavier, and definitely louder - and together with his friend and bassist Onyx Slater, they'd start working on this strange new music. They soon recruited Billy and Gunnar, and started rigorously practicing. As an already creative guitarist, Grant had no problem figuring out new ways to experiment with all sorts of distortion in his sound.

Bassist Onyx Slater had a passion for horror movies and spooky stuff in general, so that helped the band figure out the visuals for their music and their overall look. Grant was already fairly popular with the other bovids on campus (as herd animals, horned and hooved folks tend to gather together), so he had no issue finding audiences for his band's local shows. With all of these friends showing up to the concerts, word began to spread among the herds, and new bands with a similar sound - inspired by Steel Stampede- began to sprout up all over the region. Aside from these bands all sharing this heavier sound, all of them had members with horns, so they came up with the "🤘🏼" hand gesture as a way to show support to each other at shows and as a symbol for their growing subculture. Local media took notice of the rapidly growing numbers of oddly-dressed fans and named them "headbangers" for the way they rocked their horns in unison to the music at shows.

Through the years, Steel Stampede continued to grow and innovate. By the mid 70s, they'd moved past much of their blues origins, and instead focused more on playing faster and louder, perhaps inspired by the alley cats of London and across the pond in New York City who were developing a fierce new style of rock music called "punk". Meanwhile, having now been signed onto a record label, and with their popularity rapidly growing amongst young animals all over the world, Steel Stampede, and especially Grant himself, were being credited in the media as the pioneers of this music genre now known across the globe as "heavy metal".

To this day, Grant is still regarded as the father of metal. And while he will humbly shrug this off, just ask any metal-loving animal who they think is the king of the genre, and they will almost certainly tell you that Grant Ruffalo is the leader of the herd.

[justforbooks]

“Feelgood” movies are often thought of as big-hearted romantic comedies, comforting classics, or childhood favourites that still hold up decades later. Guardian writers reflect on their go-to flick, and explain why their pick is endlessly rewatchable.

✔ Defending Your Life Starring: Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks

Directed by: Albert Brooks

Why our writer loves it: “Life-affirming” is perhaps an overused adjective, but few movies have successfully illuminated the human condition as well as this one. Fear is commonplace in our daily lives, but Albert Brooks’s film might hold the key to ridding the worries of anxiety-ridden people such as myself. As the new year often brings about feelings of regret and unease, Defending Your Life is the warmest hug you can receive.” (Oliver Macnaughton)

✔ Notting Hill Starring: Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant

Directed by: Roger Michell

Why our writer loves it: “What is so wonderful about the film is how effortless it all seems. The story isn’t complex; there are no gunfights or CGI raccoons; the greatest jeopardy in the film involves Grant having to catch Roberts before she goes back to America – a problem that reads as plausibly insurmountable in 1999 but today would be remedied with a few WhatsApps. But, despite the illusion of effortlessness, getting everything right in this way is deceptively tricky. Has a single romcom ever managed to marry all of the necessary elements – cast, script, timing, an intangible magic – so perfectly? (No. The answer is no.)” (Ralph Jones)

✔ Married to the Mob Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Modine

Directed by: Jonathan Demme

Why our writer loves it: The movie is a long list of quirky pleasures, including a “starter kit of premium 80s college rock (New Order, Pixies, the Feelies), well-placed family dog reaction shots, and an FBI agent who dresses himself like Wallace in the Wallace & Gromit shorts. Few of the laughs in the film feel like punchlines or payoffs to some heavily orchestrated joke. Demme’s approach is more low-key and breezy, cruising confidently on the assumption that his DayGlo gangland will be fun enough without him having to push too hard. He catches a rhythm and does the mambo Italiano. It feels like your feet never touch the floor.” (Scott Tobias)

✔ Rush Hour Starring: Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker

Directed by: Brett Ratner

Why our writer loves it: “Rush Hour taps into something that stirred my heart then and now: an ease settles into the two actors, Chan and Tucker’s joviality feeling so genuine that the east-meets-west tropes evolve into characters who have something real at stake, and who are also having fun.” (Tammy Tarng)

✔ Father of the Bride Starring: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Martin Short

Directed by: Charles Shyer

Why our writer loves it: “Why do I come back to this film again and again? As a girl and younger woman I was emphatically against marriage (though I’ve since softened) and watched it more as a comedy horror than anything aspirational. The only aspect of the Bankses’ life I’d want is the kitchen. And yet watching Franck and the family put on their ridiculous show makes me want to be part of it. I love ritual, and ceremony, and Steve Martin, and Martin Short, and Diane Keaton.” (Laura Snapes)

✔ Diggstown AKA Midnight Sting Starring: James Woods and Louis Gossett Jr

Directed by: Michael Ritchie

Why our writer loves it: “Diggstown is the perfect feelgood movie – a breezy but exciting genre mashup with enough of a hangout vibe that you can have it on in the background, but also enough stakes that you will inevitably end up giving it your full attention.” (Zach Vasquez)

✔ Head of State Starring: Chris Rock and Bernie Mac

Directed by: Chris Rock

Why our writer loves it: “I’ve come back to this film so many times after the election for laughs, only to wind up seeing the whole picture as a clearer allegory for Kamala Harris’s defeat than Obama’s victory. Like Harris, [Chris Rock starring as Mays Gilliam, a small-time politician turned presidential hopeful] was a party sacrifice, offered up to make a certain loss look less bad on the cards, thrown into the fray at the 11th hour, plugged into a humming campaign apparatus, and touted as a history maker. It really makes you think about how close comedy is to horror.” (Andrew Lawrence)

✔ A Knight’s Tale Starring: Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon and Paul Bettany

Directed by: Brian Helgeland

Why our writer loves it: “To me, watching a feelgood film is an intensely nostalgic exercise. That’s because whenever a film is special or timely enough to take up lodging in your heart, rewatching it is also an act of remembering an old version of yourself. A Knight’s Tale is shaded by the genuine sadness of Ledger’s death only seven years after its release, but when I watch it I also remember the way it used to make me feel, as a girl who loved the jousting because her older brother did, all the while secretly cherishing an action film for being so brazenly sentimental.” (Francesca Carington)

✔ Alita: Battle Angel Starring: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz and Jennifer Connelly

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Why our writer loves it: “My feelgood movie for when humanity lets me down is Alita: Battle Angel, a movie where much of humanity hangs out in a city-sized junkpile. And though I don’t press play with this aspect particularly in mind, it’s nice to imagine a future where things have gone terribly wrong (that just seems realistic at this point) yet unforeseen triumphs still emerge from the tech-nightmare garbage heap. There are plenty of more time-honored films that take a more direct path to temporary bliss, including sci-fi movies better-equipped to restore faith in humanity.” (Jesse Hassenger)

✔ I Know Where I’m Going! Starring: Wendy Hiller, Roger Livesey, Pamela Brown

Directed by: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Why our writer loves it: ”I Know Where I’m Going! offers up such portentous moments of mystical and romantic significance lightly, alongside comical asides and colourful eccentricity. It’s a disarming strategy, which tends to leave the audience every bit as bewitched as (the film’s main character) Joan. In this corner of the universe, anything might be possible, even an ancient curse.” (Pamela Hutchinson)

What are your ultimate feel good movies❓ I'd love to hear what your favourites are❗

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[reliquiaen]

Solomon is set up to be a trustworthy and reliable character. He is gracious when Sarah gives him a piglet, he warns her to be careful in the woods (or is he just worried she’ll catch him; if he knows about the parties, then he probably knows they visit Widow Mary, hm…). He is kind and understanding when she tells him she loves Hannah, he is protective when Pastor Miller tries to kill her in the chapel. He tries to talk sense into the other townspeople. He seems like a genuinely good man. But he’s not, and when I did my rewatch, I looked at his words and actions through that lens instead.

It's fairly self-evident that he’s selfish and cares about others only insofar as they can be of use to him, but knowing what he is from the start allows for some interesting reads.

First, this exchange right at the end with Sarah; the tinting of my lens:

Solomon: “Consider, Sarah, a single soul,” (Cyrus Miller) “Just one. And in return, what no amount of praying could ever bring. One person every few years seems a small price to pay.”

Sarah: “One person? The pastor slew twelve children.”

Solomon considers one person to have been sacrificed. Sarah argues it was thirteen. Both of them leave out poor Widow Mary, a total of fourteen people. Neither of them mentions the other costs: the divisions and suspicion it sows in their community, the dead livestock and the toll that will take on a small village’s food supply, or the potentially unending casualties this will have going forward. Obviously, given the situation and how shocking this is to both of them, I’m willing to put aside these things. Heat of the moment and all that. And Solomon expects there will BE no consequences in the vein of poor harvests and such.

What I really want to emphasise here is this: Solomon views his only victim as being Cyrus Miller, Sarah considers all of them to be his victims. This is interesting because it highlights not only the completely askew moral compass Solomon is working with (and I mean, yikes, you know), but also how he views women. Again, this is an “at the time” thing that I’m mostly willing to wave off as being pretty standard. Men did see women as less than at the time so it makes sense that he’s not really visualising Widow Mary (who had a Reputation for being a bit of a weirdo anyway) as a Victim Who Mattered. Children were also, generally speaking, a woman’s concern. He shows no remorse at all for the children being killed; the children who would’ve been Union’s future. And he WAS a father. We never find out how his wife and child died (or maybe I’m just not sure I believe his story), but I’d be very curious to know if this is his first foray into the occult or if perhaps he had previous victims. A trial run or some such.

HOWEVER. This idea of Solomon not actually giving much of a shit about women got me thinking about another scene from earlier in the movie (and this is where I really started to re-evaluate his actions based on new knowledge).

This is Solomon upon entering the chapel where Cyrus has just murdered a dozen kids. You can see in his expression and movements that he’s unsure what to expect; he doesn’t know what he’ll find in here. He clearly knew there would be SOME effect on poor old Pastor Miller, but my guess is he just assumed the man would die horribly and that’d be that. So imagine being Solomon here and having to confront what you’ve REALLY done.

This is the shot where he fully comprehends what’s happened. The horror on his face. He was not expecting this. Something bad, yes. Gouging out kids’ eyes? Not so much. (There’s a slightly zoomed out shot of Solomon on his knees just after this and it’s great, it’s like here you are Solomon. Behold the consequences of your actions. And he’s sitting among all these dead children, we as the audience are getting a moment to fully take in the horror of what’s just happened, but HE is taking this moment for it all to sink in. In this moment, he’s got to be wondering “Is this really worth it?” and I wonder what kinds of things he’s weighing up in his head. I wonder what would’ve happened, what he would’ve decided later, if Sarah hadn’t stumbled onto his secret and condemned him for it. Anyway.) Please also note the lighting behind him: not an accident, he is literally being posed here as a saviour of some kind, a vengeful angel, perhaps. We are being positioned to see him as the guy who will Do Something about all this, starting with Cyrus Miller we must assume. Very good framing in the “don’t let the audience figure out he’s the bad guy” kinda way. But wait up a minute.

The townsfolk spill in the doorway, they find the children relevant to them and have a horrified moment and then there's Sarah in the front row. The pastor comes around the stand with the clear intent to kill her, and Solomon has a moment. He knows what’s gotta be coming, he has to know, there’s this anger in his face, and he calls out to Sarah as a warning. Goody Miller says, “Cyrus no!” and then Solomon impales him. No hesitation. This is a man beholding his works and being very conflicted about them.

What’s interesting to me is that the first time you watch this scene it is VERY easy to say that he does this to protect Sarah whom he has feelings for. Super easy. It’s set up right from the start with Sarah’s conversation with her dad and her lil visit out to see Solomon and their friendly banter. It’s established and it’s understandable. The contrast is between Solomon and literally everyone else in the room, however.

The townsfolk with children come charging in to find out what’s gone on and they all go right to their children because they love their kids/siblings obviously and want to look after them. Goody Miller’s instinct is to go to her possessed, murdering husband because she CARES for him. But Solomon does not go to Sarah. He stands there, staring at Cyrus and that’s it. He doesn’t even LOOK at Sarah. Why not? He’s supposed to care about her? But does he? Does he value her at all outside her potential as a wife?

Now, Solomon is obviously Going Through It, here. He did a thing, it escalated WAAAAY beyond his expectations, and now he has to wrestle with that. He has to decide is all this worth it? Does he care so little about people that’ll he’ll do it again?

This is largely the scene I was considering. But there are other little changes to a reading of Solomon. Such as when Sarah tells him she loves Hannah, which she did right before this scene in the chapel. Here’s his expression:

This is Solomon’s face when Sarah says, “And if it wasn’t? […] That’s why I’m so afraid, because it was not just a dalliance.” That is the face of a man whose grand plans are crumbling. On a first watch, it's the face of a man hearing something he's not expecting to, something he might find a little distasteful about a person he cares for and respects. On a rewatch?

He KNOWS that she and Hannah have been having a lil thing going on, he SAW them in the woods. But he’s clearly decided that it doesn’t matter, he’s got his own reading of the situation happening in his head and it goes like this: a woman loves a man, they get married, they have kids, there are no deviations from this; if there ARE deviations, they are just… practice for the real thing, nbd. Therefore: Sarah will love Solomon, they will get married, have kids, all will be well and as people expect. So when Sarah very much has no intention of going along with this view… he’s got to be wondering how it’ll work with his devil plans. He MUST have this niggling doubt in his mind that she's even worth including in his master plan. And when he saves her in the chapel but never so much as looks at her? He has a decision to make, there.

And it makes ME wonder: how much did he ever really care about Sarah? Did he love her? Or did he just love the idea of having another wife? A take-two at being a family? Did he love the idea of proving his brother (and the town) wrong and being a hero with a thriving farm and a quaint lil family? Because he turns on Sarah easily enough, he chooses the devil pact over her and the other townsfolk. He chooses not to live his life but to end others. (Solomon Goode has two hands and he's making that everyone elses' problem.)

So when he’s standing in the chapel over the body of Cyrus Miller (his one and only victim, we PROMISE), what’s he really thinking? Yes, more than one person has died. No, that doesn’t have to put a dent in his plans. Perhaps Sarah can still come around. Is he considering how to get rid of Hannah? Is he wondering if Sarah is worth it? She’s a very strong personality (she is no lamb, after all), it’s not like she’d let him go about his business without any questions, she’d stick her nose in everywhere, maybe find him out. Is that risk worth it?

Solomon actually says when they’re wrestling at the end, “Don’t make me hurt you, I love you, Sarah.” And it’s the ‘don’t make me hurt you’ that’s so typical of men like him. He doesn’t love her, he loves the idea of her, the idea of what she could give him or be for him. He's a man who lost his wife and child and he feels that keenly; a failure or absence in his manhood. So his faults and shortcomings become her problem. Any woman could be substituted and as long as they were malleable and suggestive enough, it’s all the same to him. Which is clearly the conclusion he eventually arrives at since he turns on her and she hangs.

Should Sarah have figured out he was untrustworthy and insane earlier? No. I don't think so. It's not like Solomon was waving red flags around everywhere. He seemed like a normal dude on the surface, definitely pretty great in comparison to Thomas or Caleb, which is what makes him so dangerous. It is interesting to watch again knowing the truth, though. The things that make your hackles go up with more context, the subtle hidden meanings in his words, the way everything he does is for himself, it's a very nice reframing.

Sarah’s final line also drives me absolutely insane: “I will never let you go.” She didn’t want anything to do with him, but now? When it ends like this? When he’s decided she’s not worth it and he doesn’t want her after all? When he's taken away her chance at happiness? When he's ripped all the solid ground out from under her? That’s when she says she’ll never let him go? And that word choice? It's not 'I'll never let you forget this' or 'I'll never let you rest' or something more like that, it's 'never let you go' she'll hold onto him forever. He's made his issues other people's problems and now she's making herself HIS problem. Taste of his own medicine. Never let him go. Vicious, outrageous, iconic. I love her.

Everything is about HIM, and he uses all the tools at his disposal to make sure things come up Solomon. He chooses himself every time. A great juxtaposition to Sarah who chooses Hannah every time (even when Hannah tells her to run and she does, Sarah still goes back. It's a stupid decision, monumentally dangerous, but she wants to help Hannah, she goes back because she CARES). And I think the really great part is that to everyone else in the town, it looked like Sarah was just being a bitch, but she made her choices with the goal of protecting people; she tried to protect everyone in Union – Hannah, foremost, sure – but even that is a selfless act. She knew it was one or both of them so she saved Hannah. Solomon knew it was him or like… hundreds of people. And he chose himself. Would love to know what Hannah did after this, we don’t see another Miller in ’78 or ’94 so like, where’d she go? (The answer is probably ‘got married, took her husband’s name, no more Millers’ but like, c’mon, something more interesting please.)

And listen, I know Solomon must’ve gotten married again and had more kids, that’s obvious enough; and we know he kept going with the rituals, but I BET he pictured himself as the poor, sad, unsung hero of Union, doing this for the Good Of Everyone™ and having to live with the suffering in silence. I bet he thought he was living a miserable life because it didn't turn out EXACTLY how he wanted. Because he had to justify it to himself somehow, and it started with his ‘these lands are fertile’ so he’s got this picture of himself in his head where he’s solving everyone’s food problems as if he didn’t cause them in the first place.

He’s the very epitome of “be careful what you wish for” because he wished for Sarah Fier and by god he got her, teeth and all.

[odetokeons]

I just KNOW that all of the Papas enjoy musical theatre, so here's my headcanon about each Papa's favourite musical

Primo ⸸ Little Shop of Horrors

A classic

Funky tunes, spooky vibes and alien sentient carnivorous plants taking over the world, OF COURSE peepaw would love it

He definitely has at least one venus flytrap in his garden that he named after Audrey II

Secondo ⸸ The Phantom of the Opera

He may not seem like it, but he's a romantic at heart

In Papaganda, Special Ghoul said “Papa is from the same bloodline as Leonard Cohen and Dracula, Phantom of the Opera, all the Vincent Price's and Don Corleone's.”, so it's only fitting that POTO would be his favourite musical

The Phantom being a misunderstood, scary-looking, lonely, 'miserable old wounded bitter man' who just craves companionship and understanding? Sounds familiar.

Terzo ⸸ The Rocky Horror Picture Show

It's spooky and queer and horny just like him <3

Terzo (especially in the From the Pinnacle to the Pit and Square Hammer mvs) gives me the vibes of someone who would be into both witchcraft AND science alike, I can just picture him in his secret lab doing his silly little mischievous rituals and experiments and his gayass would DEFINITELY try to 'make a man to relieve his tension' (that's how he ended up summoning Omega)

I bet he made Omega dress up as Rocky (while he dressed up as Frank-n-Furter, of course) at least once, perhaps on Halloween (hc inspired by these two gorgeous fanarts)

Copia ⸸ Repo! The Genetic Opera

"Hope this doesn't awaken anything in me" [realizes he's bisexual AND trans right after watching this movie] I'm definitely not projecting WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT (also he took one look at Pavi Largo and said 'I WANT HIS GENDER'. No, I will not elaborate further.)

He has daddy issues, OF COURSE he would eat this up (and be super invested in Shilo's storyline in particular) again I am NOT projecting

A (shitty) father deeming none of his three children worthy of carrying on his legacy and instead leaving everything to an outsider (who's the child of the woman the aforementioned father loved in his youth)? Sounds familiar.

[teaberrii]

Chapter Twenty-Four: Right Around the Corner

Alhaitham has the looks and the smarts. He will also be the stand-in CEO for his grandfather's company for a year.

But, he's been mysteriously cursed to turn into a cat every night since his eighteenth birthday… until he meets you, an employee at his grandfather's company, who rescues him as a cat and changes him back with one kiss.

Alhaitham/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on AO3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

When Childe walks in through the front door of this parent’s place, he knows something is wrong. The place is nearly empty with only a couple of boxes—big and small—lying around the living room. The floor is also dirty, which Childe guesses are from the remnants of packing. He knows his mother. She cannot stand a dirty floor. So, where is—

“You came.”

Childe looks up and sees his father carrying a small box and slowly coming down the stairs.

“Of course,” Childe says. “Did you expect me not to come when you said you were moving?”

“Moved,” his father clarifies. Childe is about to take the box from him but his father dodges his attempt and puts it on the kitchen counter. “...I’m just back to take care of some last-minute things. Your mother is already in Snezhnaya.”

“I didn’t think you’d be in such a hurry to leave.”

His father turns to him. “We had no choice.”

"Do you hate Sumeru that much?

“Is that what you think?”

“If it’s not, then just tell me,” Childe says, the last of his patience leaving him. “You and Mom have been ignoring my calls… my texts.” He sighs. “I have no idea what’s been happening.”

His father inhales sharply. “Your mother had to leave... for the sake of her health.”

“...Her health? Wasn’t it because you got a promotion?”

His father leans against the kitchen counter and looks his son in the eyes. “Your mother’s sick.”

Childe’s gaze hardens. This is a bombshell he obviously isn’t expecting. Sick? With what? For how long? And… how? She sounded healthy on the phone. Every time he saw her, she also looked well. How can—

“...It started with her saying she was having difficulty seeing. She went to a doctor and they didn’t find anything wrong. But then it started to escalate.”

For a brief moment, the rest of his father’s words fall on deaf ears as it sounds like something out of a horror movie. But what Childe can’t believe is that his parents kept this from him.

“...It's getting harder for her to move,” his father says. “One of the doctors recommended someone in Snezhnaya who specializes in these kinds of diseases. She’s staying at a hospital right now.”

“It’s… curable, right? She will get better… right?”

“That’s what I’m hoping,” his father answers quietly. “There’s no known cure, but people have recovered.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?" Childe demands. "Because you didn’t want me to worry?”

“What could you have done, Childe?”

The question throws him off guard. Yet, it’s also true. What could he have done if he’d known?

His father sighs. “...Even I didn’t know what to do.”

“...Is that why she asked me to move back?”

“I hope you know we want what’s best for you,” his father says. “Isn’t that the case with every parent? Your mother knows you’re talented. She knows you’ll get better opportunities at Snezhnaya, and… you would be with her.”

“That still doesn’t address the core of the problem. Mom is sick. That’s a separate problem from the fact that even after all these years, you still don’t accept what I do for a living.”

“Maybe we’re too old-fashioned. It’s true we don’t know how the entertainment industry works. But everything is still dependent on numbers, is it not? A show or a film does well because this many people streamed it? Viewed it? Whatever the correct term is.”

“...Yes, that’s true.”

“So, it really doesn’t matter if the content is good. It just depends on the numbers.”

Perhaps Childe underestimated how much his father knew about his industry.

His father walks up to him. “I’m not in the mood to have this conversation with you right now. I’m leaving for Snezhnaya the day after tomorrow. It… would be nice if you could visit your mother. Not for my sake but hers."

As Childe hears his father walk back upstairs, he looks around the empty living room. The house he grew up in that was once full of life—the good and the bad–was now… dead.

That evening, when Childe returns to his apartment, he’s on the phone with Lumine.

After telling her what happened after he left his parent’s place, Lumine says, “...I’m really sorry this is happening to your mother.”

“Hey.” Lumine looks up as if Childe is right in front of her. “Don’t look so sad.”

"How can I not?" she huffs. Then, her shoulders fell slightly. "I just… I also can't believe they kept this a secret from you."

Childe sighs. “It’s just such a coincidence I found out about this now.”

“A coincidence?”

That’s when he tells you about his conversation with you about the curse. All of the secrets that the curse wants them to find out.

“...Does this mean your curse will start changing?” Lumine asks.

Childe looks at the clock. “It already has. I’m already late.”

Lumine smiles. “That’s progress… I think.”

“Well, I’m getting more time talking to you, so… yes. It is progress.”

“I… I wish I could be there for you right now.”

“You are, aren’t you?” Childe smiles. “I’m thinking of visiting her next week. What my father said to me tonight… I might’ve underestimated how much they really know.” He sighs. “Maybe it’s time we can have an open conversation about it without letting our feelings get in the way this time. It just… sucks that it took something like this to get us here. But… maybe I should consider myself lucky.”

Lumine chuckles softly. “You know… I was kinda thinking the same thing.”

There are too many stories where people leave things unsaid or problems unsolved and then regret not saying anything when the person was still around.

“Your mother will get through this,” Lumine says. “I know she will.”

“...Thanks, Lumine.” Then, in a slightly lighter tone, he says, “I know she will, too. She has to meet you formally after all.”

“...Formally?”

“You’re my girlfriend. A formal introduction is necessary, don’t you think?”

She feels her face grow warm. “How long will you be gone?”

“...I don’t know.” He smiles slightly. “Hey, you used to say that you would never miss me if I wasn’t around. What changed, huh?"

“That… that was just a joke!”

“I’ll miss you, too, Lumine.”

Her shoulders fall. “It’s just… so sudden.” She flops on her bed. “I really hope things go well, though. You’d better keep me updated!”

Childe chuckles. “Of course.” Then, jokingly, “I’ll send you my breakfast pictures every day.”

“Of what? Your buttered toast and black coffee?”

"Hey, I'll have you know I've been upping my cooking skills."

“You? Cook?”

Childe almost feels offended. “My cooking isn’t that bad!”

Is it?

“Well… you did make us that crisp, black… thing last year. It was, uh, very unique.”

“I’m a changed person, Lulu. I’ll have you know that I’m constantly improving myself.”

“Riiight… But I don’t think you can beat Mr. Neighbour.”

Childe’s jaw almost drops. “You don’t think I can beat Alhaitham?”

“Sis showed me some of the stuff he makes, and it looks amazing!”

Childe frowns. “Just wait and see. He’ll have nothing on me.”

Lumine laughs. “Are you jealous?”

“...No.”

“Whatever you say… Kittyman.”

Childe is about to retort when…

Poof!

Then, all Lumine hears is a long, annoyed meow that almost makes her laugh.

◆◆◆

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Before Childe got to work the next morning, he'd already told his father he'll be visiting Snezhnaya next week. Now Childe relays the same message to his manager but adds that it's because of his mother's unexpected illness.

“But, I don’t want to stop working,” Childe says. “So, I want to ask if I can work remotely.”

“You know, Childe, you work very hard. You’ve never taken more than a day off since you started working here.”

Childe blinks once. Twice. Is that… bad?

“You aren’t indirectly telling me to take a break because I’m not needed or something, right?”

“Not needed?” His manager almost laughs. “Where in the world did you get that idea from?”

Childe awkwardly scratches his head. "Well, isn't that usually the case? Managers tell people that it's okay not to come back or it's okay to take long breaks because that person isn't really… needed."

“You’re watching too many dramas,” his manager says, standing. “I meant that you shouldn’t have to worry about work while visiting your mother. That’s a lot of stress.”

“...But I can’t just put everything down.”

“You're one of the most hardworking ones on the team, Childe. You’re also talented.”

“Where is this going?”

His manager chuckles. "This is going off on a tangent, but I'm just wondering why you aren't willing to expand your horizons a little bit. You've been doing so many commercial scripts you can probably write one in your sleep. Why not try something more difficult?"

It was late evening, and Childe thought he was the last one at the company. That was until he bumped into you in the lounge.

“You’re still here?” you asked.

“I could ask you the same thing. What are you still doing here?”

“Well… I'll let you in on a little secret.” Then, you smiled. “I just got news from the production team that Love in the Spotlight was chosen to get the biggest budget of the year. They also told me that the leadership team loved the script!”

The rest of your excitement fell on deaf ears. Childe kept his usual smile on the outside, but a storm was brewing on the inside. So, this was it, huh? You still got chosen despite his hard work. Little did you know, Childe also submitted a screenplay to the production and leadership team. He'd worked on it outside of work as it wasn't part of his usual responsibilities. But he'd wanted to give screenwriting another shot.

The feeling of losing to you was still fresh in his mind. You had come in second. He came in third. He was happy for you, but he wasn't. Regardless, he strived to get better at the craft. The two of you were close friends. Perhaps that was why he compared himself to you. That aside, it didn't help you have a supportive parent, and  his parents gave him hell for pursuing creativity as a career.

After years of honing his craft, he still lost... to you. 

“...I’m happy for you,” he finally said. Then, he put a hand in his pocket. “To celebrate, I’ll grab you a coffee tomorrow morning.”

“Well, it’s a little early to celebrate."

“Why do you say that?”

“I don’t want to celebrate just because I got a big budget.” Your smile widened. “I’m crossing my fingers that this does so well that it gets nominated for awards."

So, you were aiming for something bigger. Of course, you would. You'd already overcome the first hurdle. Then, there was him. Still stuck at the starting line.

“I… have my reasons,” Childe finally says. “I’m comfortable writing commercial scripts. It’s something I’m familiar with.”

“Well, you’re a good teacher, that’s for sure. The interns we had this year said that you were the best mentor.”

Childe smiles. “See?”

"It's just a shame if you ask me. But, I can't force you to do something you don't want to do. If you ever change your mind, let me know. Oh, and you can work remotely. But don't hesitate to let me know if things get too much."

“You’re the best.”

His manager gives him a deadpan look with a little smile. “I try.”

After Childe's meeting with his manager, it's just about lunchtime. He heads back to his desk, grabs his wallet from his bag, and heads to the restaurant to meet you and Tighnari for lunch.

When Childe arrives, you and Tighnari are already sitting at the table. Childe walks over just as you lean over and gasp at whatever is on Tighnari's screen.

“Oh, you do know how to pick ‘em, Nari,” you say with a small smile.

“Who are we talking about?” Childe asks, even though he already has a good idea. He takes an empty seat.

“Nari’s mystery boyfriend. Well, he’s not so mysterious anymore.”

That’s when Tighnari shows Childe a photo of him and a man who looks around Tighnari’s age with tan skin and medium-length gray hair.

“Why does he remind me of a mini Alhaitham?” Childe asks.

You laugh. “What?” You take another look at the man in the photo. “Oh, I can kinda see it.”

“Let me guess…" Childe moves into a thinking pose. "This guy’s quiet, mysterious, and kind of intimidating.”

You and Tighnari look at each other. “That… actually sounds about right,” he says. “But he’s actually really nice.”

“What’s his name?”

Tighnari smiles. “Cyno.”

“I… guess this means we have the same taste in guys, Nari,” you say.

Tighnari chuckles. “I guess so.”

After Childe orders his food, the three of you briefly chat about work before Childe drops the news he’ll be leaving Sumeru for a while. You and Tighnari are in shock when he tells you about his mother.

“That’s… so sudden,” Tighnari finally says. “I’m so sorry, Childe.”

“Yeah… I’ve been hearing that a lot. Don’t get me wrong. I do appreciate it. It’s just… after hearing it again and again, it gets a little much.”

“If there’s anything we can do,” you say, “just let us know.”

Childe smiles. “Just don’t have too much fun while I’m gone.”

“...Does Lumine know?”

Childe nods. “She was the first to know.”

“Lumine?” Tighnari looks at you. “As in your sister, Lumine?”

“That’s right,” Childe says. “I’m dating her sister.”

Tighnari’s eyes widen. “Oh, wow. I… Wow. When did this happen?"

"I'll tell you the full story another time."

Once the food arrives, the conversation takes a different turn, eventually leading you to reveal that you’re going to have dinner with Alhaitham and his mom this week.

“Ooh, it’s getting serious,” Childe says.

“Any advice?” you ask.

“If it’s you, you’ll be fine."

Tighnari nods. “Agreed. My parents loved you the first time they met you, remember?”

You laugh. “Oh, I remember!”

"I was getting jealous that they were giving you all the food," Childe says.

A short laugh later, Tighnari says, "I know you're going to a restaurant, but maybe you can impress her with your cooking."

"Uh, maybe if you want her to get food poisoning."

"Rude!" you say, half-jokingly. But you have to agree with Childe. "Hey, I've been getting lessons, though. Haitham’s been teaching me.”

“I heard he’s a good cook."

“Did you hear from Lumine?”

Childe nods. “I told her I can compete with him.”

“Ooh, does this mean we’re getting a cook-off in the future?” Tighnari asks.

You smile. “Nari and Cyno can be the judges. Gets rid of any bias, I think.”

“I, uh, I don’t know about that,” Tighnari says. “Even if it’s temporary, Alhaitham is still the CEO of our company… I wouldn’t want to say anything that might be taken the wrong way.”

"So, you only care about his feelings?" Childe asks, feigning dramatics.

“Maybe just a tiiiny bit more.”

Childe gives him a deadpan look just as you say, “Regardless, it’ll be fun!”

After some time, Tighnari leaves early for a meeting, leaving you and Childe at the table. There's a short silence as you and Childe finish what's left on your plate. Then, the conversation takes a serious turn.

"...Remember our conversation about the curse the other day?" Childe asks. You nod. "When I found out about what's been happening to my mother, I changed much later. Love might be the key to solving this, but it's like we're getting there one step at a time by discovering these secrets."

“...And it seems like we can’t run away from them.”

“Yeah… By leaving Sumeru, I’m pretty much forcing myself to talk to them.”

“I know you’ll be fine,” you say reassuringly. “And… your mom’s strong. She’ll get through this.”

Childe smiles weakly. “Thanks. But, hey, doesn't this mean there’s still something between you and Alhaitham you have to find out.”

You sigh. “Yeah, good point. And…”

“...And?”

You’re silent for a moment until you finally say, “Nevermind. I… I think I’ve been watching too many dramas lately.”

“Watching or writing?”

“Both.”

Childe chuckles. “C’mon, lunch is almost over.”

After you and Childe pay for your respective meals, you head back to the office.

◆◆◆

This isn't the first time Alhaitham has visited a TV station. However, it is the first time he's been invited as the CEO of a company and not as a researcher. Along with other experts and company executives, he will appear on the evening news as a speaker to discuss views on the ever-evolving technology industry and artificial intelligence. Alhaitham has just finished speaking to the producers when he overhears another interesting conversation a few feet away.

“What? Ayato didn’t get the role?”

“Shh! It’s supposed to be confidential.”

When Alhaitham happens to meet that person’s eyes, that person quickly walks away with his colleague. Alhaitham walks into the hallway, looking for a washroom, when he bumps into someone unexpected.

“Oh, Haitham.”

“Ayato. This is a nice surprise.”

Ayato smiles. “Yes. I saw you filming for the evening news channel. Very interesting perspectives.”

Alhaitham nods once. "How have you been?"

"Well... I can live without any surprises for a while."

"Is everything alright?"

Ayato glances around before quietly saying, “...Thoma told me everything. The truth of what happened to my ex-fianceé.”

“...You’re telling me she killed herself?”

"I’m… truly sorry, Ayato. I shouldn’t have kept it from you for so long.”

“...So, why are you telling me this now?”

“I don’t want you to shoulder this burden anymore. I thought… it’ll help you gain strength to pursue what you really want in life.”

Ayato closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “What I really want in life, huh?” Then, he looked Thoma in the eyes. “I didn’t get the role.”

“What? They… made a decision already?”

Ayato smiled wryly. “I guess… my best wasn’t good enough.”

"...We talked for a bit, and he told me that you and she knew about it long before I did," Ayato finishes.

"...That's true."

Ayato sighs. "Is it bad that even after knowing what really happened to her, that is the last thing on my mind right now?”

“...I don’t think so.” Ayato looks at him as Alhaitham continues, “It happened so long ago. I would assume you’re focusing on your problems… in the present.”

Ayato smiles. “Yes, you’re correct in that regard. It was my first time auditioning for a lead role, and… I lost it.” He looks down. “...The casting director said I lacked purpose.”

“Purpose?”

Just then, Alhaitham’s phone goes off.

“Ah, my apologies,” Ayato says. “I went off a little on a tangent. You must be busy.”

Just as Ayato walks past Alhaitham, he hears his name. Ayato turns around and sees Alhaitham looking at him.

“Don’t give up.”

Ayato smiles. “I appreciate the encouragement.”

As Ayato walks off, Alhaitham answers the call from his mother.

“The table has been booked!"

“You sound excited,” he says.

“Of course, I am. I’m meeting your girlfriend, after all.”

Alhaitham thinks back to Layla's conversation with his mother and says, "Are you sure you haven't met her somewhere, perhaps?"

“Why would you say that, Haitham? If I did, I would tell you.”

Alhaitham looks over his shoulder as two TV station employees pass by. "...I'll see you tonight at dinner."

Then, he ends the call, puts his phone inside his pocket, and continues on his way.

◆◆◆

Is this how Alhaitham felt when he met your mother? Nervous? Jittery? Because that’s exactly what you’re feeling. You close your closet door and look into the full-length mirror. You're wearing a casual, beige evening dress; you also opt for a natural make-up look to match. When you hear the knock at your door, you grab your small bag hanging on a hook and go to open the front door.

Alhaitham is wearing a teal, collared shirt that snugly hugs his athletic figure. He leaves the first two buttons unbuttoned, giving you a little tease of his chest. His black pants emphasize his long legs. When he steps closer to you, you get a whiff of his cologne. He takes your hand and lightly kisses it.

“Good evening, my lady.”

“My, what a greeting,” you say with a small smile. Then, you lean closer and kiss his cheek.

Alhaitham bends his arm, signalling for you to loop your arm around his. Once you do, he ushers you down to his car.

“I bumped into Ayato at the TV station today,” Alhaitham says as the car weaves through the busy Sumeru streets.

“Really? How’s he doing?”

“...Thoma told him what happened to his ex-fianceé.”

“Ah… and is he… okay?”

“I’m sure it came as a big shock,” Alhaitham says. “But he seems to be fine."

“That’s good to hear. Does he know if his curse changed?”

“I didn't get a chance to talk to him about it." A small pause. "I think there's a lot on his mind right now.”

Does it have to do with the acting role you last heard about?

Alhaitham pulls up to a fancy restaurant in the heart of the business district. Eventually, you two walk into the building, holding hands, and meet up with Alhaitham's mother.

As soon as she sees you, she gasps.

"Hello, hello!" She stands, walks over, and gives you a hug. "It's so nice to meet you, dear."

Alhaitham subtly glances around. It looks like Layla decided not to show up. What excuse did she give his mother? And… how did his mother take it?

“...What did you say your name was?”

Alhaitham tunes back into the conversation just as you repeat your name. He looks at his mother and sees an expression of shock break through her polite smile. But, it disappears as quickly as it came.

“That’s such a pretty name, dear.” She gestures to the table. “Shall we sit?”

You and Alhaitham sit beside each other while his mother sits across from you. As his mother starts another conversation with you, Alhaitham subtly takes note of the slight stiffness in her actions. He can see the gears turning in her head.

Something’s up. He can feel it.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @lxry-chxn @seirenspinel @sakiimeo @ash-in-lavender @forsh4dow @ceylestia @deathkat657 @kalpie @elernity @sentieence @chichibleeps @sunsethw4 @hjjks @tanspostsblog @nqctre @just-simping-over-genshin @uchihaeirin @vynbin @ayanokomu @dksfl920 @rin1802 @itztaki @thetwinkims @imkaaayy @angeilix @starlighttotheleft @letthewindlead @certaindreampost @winterpein @theprinceofkhaos @vvyeislazzy @warrior-of-justice @thelonelyarchon

[kathyprior4200]

Rolando Infests Blitzo

“You call yourselves assassins!” Rolando mocked Blitzo and Millie in the pool room of the One Star Wonder Hotel. He moved his head, and all the lightbulbs shattered, leaving the room in darkness, save for the glowing pool. An invisible force rammed into the imps, knocking them backwards. The pillars cracked and yellow sparks rained down from the broken bulbs.

Rolando cocked his head. He hovered off the ground and spoke in an eerie voice.

“Eenie, meenie, miny…”

Blitzo and Mille looked up with terrified looks.

His glowing yellow eyes widened. “…mo!”

Blitzo screamed as Rolando zoomed at him and entered through his head in black goo. Blitzo collapsed to the ground.

0 0 0

Blitzo found himself chained to a chair in an old movie theater. Rusted chains were wrapped around his wrists and across his chest. Coral and seaweed poked out from between the seats. The walls had large eye designs, and an old projector sat high within the wall. He glanced around fearfully, struggling to escape the rusted chains to no avail. More chains held his horns in place.

Rolando floated out of Blitzo surrounded by glowing ocean goo and grinned. He licked his neck with his long yellow-green tongue and Blitzo flinched and whimpered.

“Welcome to the show, asshole,” Rolando mused. Rolando flew in an arch of black goo before settling in a seat behind him. He held a bag of popcorn in his hand and propped his legs up.

“I hear this one’s a real titilator.”

The curtains opened. He grinned and pointed at the screen. The overhead projector blinked to life. The screen was tinted green and did the old-fashioned round “3, 2, 1,” on the screen.

To Blitzo’s utter horror, his own memories flashed before him.

0 0 0

A young Blitzo spotted a young Fizzarolli balancing on a large yellow ball decorated with a red pentagram on it. He supported himself using only his hand while balancing spinning plates on sticks. He balanced the sticks with his clown nose, his other hand and with both his spread-out legs.

Little Blitzo enviously peered at him from behind the red curtains.

“Fizz, Fizz, Fizz!” cheered the audience of imps.

An older Blitzo peeked behind the circus tent flap at a teen Fizzarolli, wearing a black bowtie, white shirt and suspenders. Fizzarolli’s outfit was purple and white. Blitzo’s greedy father, Cash Buckzo stood with his striped shirt and worn-out top hat and small white goatee under his chin. All the imps had the black circus posse mark on their foreheads.

“Fizzarolli!” he smiled. “That was one fantastic performance out there! Here’s a birthday card for ya!”

Fizzarolli laughed as another imp put a red clown nose on his own nose. “Aw, thanks Cash!”

He opened the card, decorated in blue with gold letters on the cover: “WISH YOU WERE MY SON.”

“I’ve never seen such talent, such grace,” Cash Buckzo exclaimed. “You make my own son seem like a sad excuse.”

Blitzo flinched at his words.

“Your presence will make you a star and hopefully bring great profit to our greater family circus! I’m counting on you, Fizz!”

Cash Buckzo then wandered off.

Fizzarolli glanced over and waved happily to Blitzo. Blitzo shrank back.

Fizzarolli, Blitzo’s close friend…yes, he was envious of him, but at the same time, he was mesmerized by his friendliness and charm. He had dreams of him and Fizzarolli performing together, traveling across the Rings and sharing passionate kisses under the moonlight.

In the chaos of performing and trying to please his father, Fizzarolli had been a glimpse into a more carefree childhood. Blitzo could be himself around him.

Of course, being one to keep his feelings heavily guarded within, Blitzo found no courage to tell him his feelings directly. Blitzo sadly held in his hand a red flower with an eye in the middle and a white envelope with a love letter inside.

Blitzo thought to himself, ‘Perhaps Fizz and I are not meant to be. My acts are nothing compared to his. If my own father favors him, perhaps I should just leave…’

Blitzo glumly pushed aside an imp who was carrying a birthday cake with green candle flames on it. The cake read “Happy Birthday Fizz!” It fell to the ground and the flames quickly caught the ends of the tent curtains.

Blitzo angrily dropped the flower and the card to the ground, not noticing the flames licking up the tent and racing to the top. The imps inside screamed and scattered in every direction. Beer bottles crashed to the ground. Green, blue, and purple horses with flames for their manes and tails galloped from the flames as fast as they could, plumes of feathers on their heads.

Teen Blitzo stood outside the tent in disbelief as more imps screamed and ran for their lives. Fizzarolli peered under a tent flap and spotted boxes of fireworks and dynamite.

The flames reached the box of explosives, and a loud BOOM rang through the smoky air. Fizzarolli and Blitzo were forcefully knocked back.

“AARRGHH!”

Blitzo covered the right side of his face…now charred from the fire.

But as he looked down, he saw something…or someone that shattered his soul.

Lying on the ground was his dear friend Fizzarolli. He screamed and cried tears as flames burned his body. His horns were reduced to stubs and flesh burned off his long extending arms, reaching desperately for Blitzo.

Blitzo stepped back, still clutching his face. How in the world was he supposed to help?

“Blitz!” Fizzarolli pleaded in pain. “HELP ME, PLEASE!”

Blitzo was about to reach for him…

…but a shrilling scream sent a chill through him. A scream that was all too familiar.

“MOM!”

Blitzo rushed ahead without looking back.

“BLITZ!”

Fizzarolli pleaded one last time before losing consciousness.

Blitzo maneuvered around the emerald-colored flames. He looked to his left and saw several imps trying to put out the fire.

He looked to his right…and heard the screeching neighs of the circus horses, their skeletal faces illuminated by green.

The screaming was beginning to fade, but Blitzo kept running.

He soon reached the spot where he heard her…

Nothing.

No trace of Tilla.

There was nothing left except her little red pendant with two black eye-shaped holes.

Blitzo clutched it tightly in his hands. A nearby picture of a smiling Tilla, Blitzo and Barbie Wire with “Us” and a heart at the bottom was quickly engulfed in flames.

“MOMMA! M-MOOOM! NO, NO, NO, NO, SHIT!”

Blitzo sobbed and coughed as he moved ahead.

When the flames were mostly put out, Blitzo could see the lifeless bodies of the circus horses…his beloved animals he and Fizzarolli used to ride during their shows.

In the distance, nurses and firefighter imps hurried to the scene. Fizzarolli was carefully placed on a stretcher and whisked away to the hospital.

No sooner had Blitzo turned around…

“ARRGH!”

His father slapped him hard in the face.

Blitzo flinched away as Cash Buckzo grabbed his collar, hard.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!”

“Father, I-I didn’t do anything!”

“LIES!” he bellowed, fighting a stream of tears from his eyes. He jabbed his son hard in the chest. “You started this fire! You killed my precious Tilla, you practically killed my star imp and worst of all, my circus is ruined!”

“IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, I SWEAR!”

“You’ve been a thorn in my side since the very beginning! You really think you’re worthy enough to be my son at this point? I taught you how to survive in this world, how to steal, perform, and THIS IS HOW YOU THANK ME?!”

“Y-you never cared about me!” Blitzo squeaked. “You only care about yourself!”

“I care about this greater family. And based on your reckless act, you obviously do not. And your sister…you don’t give a fuck about her either?”

Blitzo glanced at a shadow in the distance. A downcast Barbie Wire approaching; long curly black horns with white stripes, worn striped dress, but luckily no burns.

Barbie Wire went over to her father and sobbed into his arms. Cash Buckzo spoke lowly to her, then she, too, glared at her brother.

“Y-you, you did this?”

“Barb, no, I didn’t! I didn’t! It was an accident.”

“Where’s Momma?”

Blitzo stared sadly at his feet.

Barbie Wire seethed and leaned toward his face.

“WHERE IS SHE?!”

“G-g-gone,” Blitzo stuttered, his voice cracking. “I tried to save her…”

“But you didn’t!”

Barbie Wire sighed. She turned to her father.

“What do we do, now?”

Cash Buckzo sighed. “Check on Fizz, rebuild from scratch. Try to impress Mammon enough to maybe get a stable budget. You’ll be my new star. Your brother…is no longer welcome here.”

“What?!” Blitzo cried.

Cash Buckzo whirled around.

“YOU HEARD ME, YOU SISSY EXCUSE OF A SON! You are no longer welcome in this circus, this family. Leave us.”

Blitzo hesitated.

Cash Buckzo growled, “NOW!” He turned around and angrily stomped away.

Barbie Wire wiped her eyes with her arm and began to turn around.

Blitzo reached out to her in desperation.

“Barbie, please, I’m sorry. Please don’t leave…”

“I don’t wanna see you again…ever.” Her voice cracked. “I…I have to stay with Dad. Goodbye, brother.”

Blitzo slumped in defeat and fell to his knees under the darkened sky. The figures of his father and sister faded into the distance.

At the hospital, Blitzo saw Fizzarolli resting in his bed, covered with bandages from head to toe.

“He’s still alive…barely,” a doctor mentioned.

“Oh thank, Satan,” Cash Buckzo sighed. “Hopefully he should be back on stage in a few months.”

Blitzo rushed over toward his friend.

Cash Buckzo blocked his way with a glare.

“I told you that you are no longer welcome here.”

“Father, please, let me see him, just a few minutes!”

“Let the gem of my business meet with reckless scum like you? Out of the question.”

“He’s my friend!”

“Not anymore. You’ll never see him again under my watch!”

Cash Buckzo snapped his fingers. Blitzo struggled in vain as two imp doctors led him out of the room.

“Fizz! Fizz, No! Let go of me!”

Blitzo’s thoughts pounded in his head:

 “Your poor sister…look where she ended up because of you. You took away her home…her future…and her family.”

Barbie Wire had been reduced to a drug addict. A rehab patient. A drug trafficker and a groomer of a human male teen.

She had all been a forgotten character.

“BARBIE?!”

“BLITZ?!”

Barbie Wire’s fuming face appeared as another memory surfaced.

“What the fuck are you doing here, shithead?” she snapped.

“I should be asking you the same thing!” cried Blitzo. “You check yourself out of rehab, no call, no note…and I have to track you down to this shithole with...who the fuck is this?”

She shoved Jimmy aside.

“No one…he works for me. And who’s the little twink here?”

Blitzo glanced at Moxxie. “No one. He works for me.”

“Sir! That guy’s the target!” Moxxie exclaimed.

“Oh shit, Barb! Looks like your little boy toy got himself into some trouble.”

“The fuck are you talking about?”

“He killed our client, and now our client wants to kill him back.”

“You fucking WHAT?!” Barbie Wire glared at Jimmy.

“He found out about your drugs.”

“I don’t want to fucking hear it, kid.” She glared at her brother. “Look, you’re not killing my supplier.”

“Oh fuck, supplier of what? You’re not back on that H-8, are you?”

“FUCK NO! It’s just heroin!”

“Oh, thank Satan! So now you’re peddling heroin? What’s the point? That shit barely gets rid of a headache!”

“It’s honest work, okay? And I thought it would be sure to keep me as far away from you as possible.”

“So you teamed up with genius here, because?” Moxxie asked.

 Barbie Wire smirked. “Do you have any idea how easy teenage humans are to manipulate?”

“Hey! No, I’m not!” Jimmy protested.

Barbie Wire wiggled her butt at him. “Oh Jimmy-wimmy, can you pwease keep loading up deez dwuggie-wuggies for me?”

“Heh. Sure Barb, whatever you say.”

“Sir…I’ve spent a week on this, I’m finishing it, one way or another,” Moxxie waved his knife.

“Don’t you dare!” Barbie Wire growled. “Come on, Blitzo! Haven’t you fucked my life enough already?!”

After a long fight in the boathouse, a rocket smashed through the window and exploded against Jimmy’s head, raining blood onto Blitzo, Moxxie, and Barbie Wire.

“SATAN FUCKING DAMMIT!” Barbie Wire yelled. “Thanks a lot, Blitzo, I’m out of a job! FUCK!” She stomped away.

“Barb, wait! I want to help you! Let me help you. Please? You’re clean now, right? Let’s…grab dinner, we’ll catch up and we’ll talk about…”

Barbie Wire laughed forcefully. “You don’t fucking GET IT!”

She got into his face. “Just cause I’m outta rehab doesn’t mean I wanna see you.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “I DON’T WANNA SEE YOU EVER!”

She created a portal with her Asmodean crystal on her wrist.

“Next time you wanna find me Blitzo…DON’T!”

She vanished back to the Sloth Ring.

Blitzo choked and sobbed as hot red blood raced down his arm. He felt a searing pain in his shoulder. He looked around, but no one was there.

He blinked several times, breath shaking…

…and cried out as the red blood turned black.

The movie theater came back into focus…

…and Rolando was sinking his teeth deep into his shoulder.

“NO! STOP! LET ME GO!”

Rolando looked up with an evil grin, licking the black blood around his lips. “Oh sorry,” he mocked. “Your despair was so delicious, so I had to start feeding on you. You barely noticed, poor thing…”

“Blitz?!”  called a voice from outside. It was Millie. She raced over to the unconscious Blitzo. “Blitz!”

“Looks like someone’s trying to ruin our good time,” Rolando mused next to him. He briefly stroked Blitzo’s chin with a claw before morphing into liquid shadow and rematerializing in front of the screen.

“That was a nice heart to heart you had earlier.” He looked back at Blitzo with a mischievous grin.  “Be a shame if you ruined it like you always do.”

He turned into liquid again and black waves washed over the seats. Fog obscured the screen and cold black liquid crept up Blitzo’s body. He felt like he was suffocating, his eyes getting heavy…

…the pressure making him surrender…

“Blitz, are you okay?!”

No sooner had Millie gotten her words out when Blitzo’s arm landed a hard punch to her face of its own accord. He felt like a puppet with invisible strings controlling his body.

Millie rubbed her face with a hand, sitting against the pillar she had crashed into. She looked up in fear as a shadow rose over her. Blitzo’s upper half rose up solely like a zombie. His eyes were yellow and blank, his teeth abnormally sharp. Even his tongue had turned an unnatural shade of yellow-green.

Rolando’s distorted voice vibrated eerily from Blitzo’s throat.

“Oh, the filthy little Wrathian wants to help!”

Millie darted out of the way before Rolando crashed Blitzo’s head into the pillar where she had been moments before. Blitzo’s head cocked to the side as he looked at her.

“You can’t help anyone, you’re just the muscle, remember? It’s all you and your imp kind are good for. You said it yourself.”

Possessed Blitzo raced forward to attack.

Millie stepped back and avoided his quick jabs.

“I’m in his mind, bitch! I see everything!”

He wrapped Blitzo’s tail around her, tossing her to the ground. He hoisted himself upside down with a grin, Millie barely avoiding his foot which crashed into the ground.  

“Every thought, every opinion, and boy…does he have some nasty shit to say about you!”

He grabbed her wrists and twirled her around in a dance. He headbutted her hard, laughing as she stumbled backwards.

Before Millie knew it, Rolando had grabbed her wrist again and tossed her over the pool, where she slid to a stop on the floor on her back. She flinched at the pain, trying to stand up.

Rolando posed with a grin and a hand under his chin.

“NO! STOP!” Blitzo cried, tears falling down his face in his seat.

“Your level of insecurity is intoxicating,” Rolando mused, licking his lips. “I can’t wait to see how you taste when you drive away the one person left who puts up with your bullshit.”

Rolando controlled Blitzo’s body again, diving under the water and leaping into the air with gaping jaws.

“He thinks you’re a brute!”

Rolando smashed Millie into another pillar.  

“Too stupid to do anything but kill!”

He spun around another pillar and leaped toward her, his feet extended. She blocked his attack with her arm.

“You never should’ve left the farm!” Rolando added, leaping forward, Millie avoiding him.

Millie kept blocking his attacks with her arms in front of her. Rolando kept swinging Blitzo’s fists.

“You’re nothing but a backwards, filthy, inbred, lowborn fucking hick!”

“Ya done?” Millie asked, grinning, holding his fist with her hand.

Rolando paused.

“No…”

He glanced at Blitzo’s shoulder, and a slow evil smile appeared.

“…but I think your boss may be.”

Back in Blitzo’s mind theater, Rolando bit down into Blitzo’s neck, hard. A sickening crunch was followed by Blitzo’s pained cries.

Millie stepped back and gasped. Black blood trailed down from Blitzo’s shoulder and neck from wounds slowly appearing on his possessed body.

“Ohh, I don’t think little ‘Bethany’ can last much longer in his head. When someone sees their memories too long…”

Rolando chuckled darkly as Millie kicked him, tripping him onto the floor.

Millie landed more punches, which Rolando blocked.

“…that’s when I drain them dry!”

“GET OUT OF HIM RIGHT NOW!” Millie fumed, teeth bared, eyes wide. She snarled and punched him hard in the gut several times.

“Blitz can handle this, combover!” Millie yelled, punching him again. She slammed Rolando into the wall, landing a deep hit to his stomach. He groaned.

“Nobody cares about you or what you want. They’re too caught up in their own misery to even remember you exist.”

“Buckle up, buttercup!” she barked, slapping him in the face. “Your words don’t mean shit to me!”

After several more hits, Rolando slid to the floor.

Millie raised another fist, and Rolando moved to the side. Millie kept going.

“I’M GONNA BEAT YOU OUTTA HIM YOU FISH-FACED SHITBAG!”

More wounds appeared on Blitzo’s body. Millie’s arms trembled and she froze.

Rolando breathed heavily, cracking Blitzo’s neck. “Are you sure you want to hurt him more now? Even if you get me out…he probably won’t stand a chance.”

Blitzo sobbed some more as more memories flashed before him…

Robo Fizz mocking him in Loo-Loo Land…

Verosika Mayday breaking up with him after he had stolen her credit card and her glaring at him at Ozzie’s…

Moxxie and Millie kissing on Earth, making Blitzo feel left out…

Loona growling at him at the beach and on Earth after finding Octavia…

Stolas handing him the Asmodean crystal, walking back up the stairs to his palace, signifying their breakup…

Blitzo moving his hand away from Stolas at Ozzie’s…

Stolas and a male pink incubus tongue kissing at the anti-Blitzo party…

Stolas, Verosika and Vortex singing about how they hated him…

Stolas sobbing at the party…

Millie berating him for his costume and behavior…

Rolando pounded thoughts into his head that hurt about as much as the wounds…

“You’re a sad little imp boy craving attention when you only deserve the worst kind…”

“You ruined your sister’s life and your best friend…”

“Stolas would never come back to see a riffraff thief such as you…”

“Loona and your co-workers don’t care about you…”

“You make everyone’s lives worse!”

“What would Tilla think of you now?!”

“NOOOO!”

Soon, Blitzo couldn’t tell whether the thoughts were Rolando’s or his own. His vision blurred through his tears as Rolando chewed into his chest and lapped eagerly at his blood.

“SNAP OUT OF IT, BLITZ!” Millie pleaded. She had to get Rolando out of Blitzo…fast.

Millie lifted Rolando up and slammed him hard to the ground. He lifted his head, but Millie landed a mighty kick to his chin. He fell backwards and hit his head. Blitzo’s head hung over the side of the pool. Rolando poured out from Blitzo’s mouth in black liquid, disappearing into the water.

Blitzo groaned and opened his eyes. He sat up.

“Ugh, good work, Mils.”

Millie accidentally punched him in the face.

“Oh-ho! AH FUCK! IT’S ME!” Blitzo glared.

Millie covered her mouth. “Oh! Shit, sorry!” She chuckled and leaned down beside him. “Good to have you back, boss.”

Blitzo suddenly screamed as clawed arms pulled him backwards into the water.

“BLITZ!”  Millie cried, diving in after him. She kicked Rolando away and grabbed hold of Blitzo and reached the surface, steading him upright.

Holding Blitzo with one arm, she swam as fast as she could over to the step ladder on the side of the pool.

Rolando rose up menacingly into the air and hovered over onto the floor.

Another sinister smirk crawled up his face as he noticed Blitzo’s ghostfucker device off to the side. The device hovered a few inches in the air and moved to a stop by his feet.

Realization came to Millie’s wide eyes, and she swam at full speed, dragging the semi-conscious Blitzo with her.

Rolando kicked the ghostfucker device in and electricity raced across the water.

Blitzo and Millie screamed as the electricity raced through their bodies. Black blood oozed from their eyes and their heads reared back.

Their screams soon ceased and with a sickening finality, their bodies sank to the bottom of the pool.

Rolando’s grinning reflection swayed in the water. He leaned his head back and bellowed out malevolent laughter.

“THE TIDES HAVE TURNED ON YOU, LITTLE RED FUCKS!”

[sinzkiller]

Let's go to the shopping mall! With Bleach Characters!

"Welcome to the world of living, today we are going to a place called shopping mall, where we can do many things there which you can figure out yourself later~" said Rangiku to the Soul Reapers. "The rules are simple, no stealing, no fighting, no Zanpakuto, no kidnapping, no killing, no experimenting...." she glares at Kenpachi, Mayuri and Ikkaku, hoping they listen to what she said "and don't get lost! We will gather outside shopping mall right at 6 pm, ok?"

~

"I...I think we're lost..." Says Hisagi as he pinching the bridge of his nose. Renji's face expression became serious, he looked around cautiously as if he's encounter a hollow. He let out a sigh, looking back at Hisagi with a huge grin on his face. "THIS. IS. HEAVEN" both of them shouted with sparkling in their eyes, but in reality they're just in women's underwear store

~

"I don't think you should eat that" Worried, Shunsui snatches the donut from Jushiro "Heyy that's not nice!" Jushiro looked at Shunsui and frowned. "This is your 10th Donuts! Knowing that you're not good in health I think it's better if we avoid too much sweets... anyway I'm going to buy something for old man yama, see you later bro" He gave Jushiro a worried look and walk away. Jushiro waved at him and waited until his brother figure was out of sight... Once Shunsui was far enough from him, he took another donuts from his pink tote bag and ate it. "No one can stop me hehehehe..."

~

"Hmmm...I wonder what I can do here" Mayuri said as Nemu followed him from behind. Everyone looked at him in awe, well going to the World of Living doesn't mean he will change his appearance at all....some of them even think that he's a cosplayer. "Perhaps we can go to the arcade, Mayuri-sama" Nemu pointed to a nearby arcade, hoping that Mayuri would go there with her. "No, I am not interested, that place looks disgusting" he replied. As expected he would says something like that. His answer upset her but she couldn't do anything about it anyway . "Hmph, that's not how you treat your little girl" Kenpachi says from behind, heading to the arcade with Yachiru sitting on his shoulder, a huge cheerful smile plastered on her face. "None of your business, Zaraki." Mayuri snarled at him. Kenpachi pushed Mayuri aside so he could see Nemu clearly "How about you join us?" The girl looked at Kenpachi, her eyes lit up, mouth slightly open and she's blushing. "Don't go with them, Nemu" Mayuri hissed at her.

"Well, seems like I'm the best father figure after all, better than Mayuri Kurotsuchi" Kenpachi smirked at him, as Yachiru got off of him to grab Nemu's hand, leading her into the arcade with Kenpachi walking behind them. "Let's go Nemu!!!"

Father's instinct kicked in, Mayuri hurriedly followed the three of them from behind. "Give me back my daughter you freak!" He shouted.

"If you want her back, you will fight me at dance battle since we can't use our Zanpakuto" Kenpachi pointed at the Arcade's dance machine

"Challenge accepted."

~

Rukia and Byakuya definitely going to the cinema. At first Byakuya wasn't interested, but with some convincing from Rukia he finally give up and join her. They' are going to watch horror movie! "I'd like this one, this one and this one please" Byakuya is a rich man, of course he will buy every popcorn the cinema has to offer. "Big brother, this is my first time watching movies here in cinema! I hope both of us enjoy this!" Rukia says excitedly. The movie has started, for someone who often sees hollow and spirit, it's quite surprising when Byakuya and Rukia start to get scared and scream at every jumpscare scene. You know this is serious when Byakuya starts to show his emotion.

~

Iba and Kira has their eyes locked on every men's clothing store in the mall. Well Ikkaku wasn't that interested but he has nothing to do anyway so he joined Iba and Kira. He most likely, will starts a fight with human. It's all started when he accidentally hit a stranger in the face while swinging his wooden sword, who happened to be a hot-tempered person. "Yeahhh??? Wanna fight you little weak anchovies???" Definitely had a huge smile on Ikkaku's face after saying that. Instead of stopping the fight, Iba and Kira joined him, their excuse is "a real men would never abandoned his friends, with the power of friendship we will win this battle"

~

Yumichika is having a peaceful shopping day with the girls. That's all, they're enjoying themselves ✨ Most of the time he help captain Unohana to choose which one of the dress that suits her. "You have a good taste, Yumichika" the captain praised him, which only increase his ego.

~

Finally it's 6 pm, and everyone gathered outside the shopping mall. "What the hell happened to you guys????" Rangiku almost faint after asking everyone how's their day.

Summary:

Ikkaku, Iba and Kira almost got arrested by the cops

Mayuri and Kenpachi break all the machines in the arcade which cause them to pay a huge amount of money

Shunsui takes Jushiro to the dentist because he ate too many donuts and now he has a bad toothache

Rukia and Byakuya destroyed the whole cinema with their Hado 31

Renji and Hisagi.. surprisingly not getting into any trouble today except that they were kicked out from women's underwear store.

"I don't think I'll let you guys join us anymore.." Rangiku said and lean on Isane as her support. "You guys are not shopping beautifully!" Yumichika added.

[partnersatfazbear]

FNAF Movie - Full Review / SPOILERS

Alright, my full review after seeing the film once in theatres, under the cut:

Let me preface by saying a few things. I've been a fan of the series since Sister Location and if you follow my blog, you know my main interests would be William and Henry going into the film. Let me say: Henry was not in the film. :( In fact, nothing of Fredbear's was even referenced. Yeah, we expected too much... You may also know how bleh I am towards Vanessa as a character, especially after her botched introduction in Security Breach. That doesn't change here. I went in expecting to hate her inclusion and as expected she adds nothing to the film. But let me start from the beginning..

The first ten minutes is so good. The opening feels like a horror movie and sets the tone really well. Characters, although many, are introduced fairly quickly, including a very stereotypical / evil Aunt Jen (Aunt Jane). Given her actress, I should have expected that... Luckily, she has such a minor role in the movie that it doesn't detract. In short, she wants custody of Abby and wants it now.

Michael was the shining star of this movie. Without his character being everything I'd ever want from a character, I would probably rate this movie way lower. He's a little brooding, he's fucking trying his damndest to raise Abby on his own, and the movie opens with him having major anger problems. PTSD does that to you, though.

Shortly after Michael beats up some guy walking off with his kid, we get to a meeting with his career counselor, Afton (under a different name I don't recall--it's shown a lot in the trailers). But before I say that, I wanna discuss where I thought the film was going... If you played the games you know William is Michael's father. That is NOT the case here, very very very much to my disappointment. When we see an angry father drag off a kid and Mike get upset about it, I thought perhaps it would allude to Michael's troubled childhood. Nope. He's got different problems, which aren't really bad, but I really wish they had kept that familial connection given the scene following with Mike and ("Not")Afton. William recognizes Mike's name, which at this point it's unclear why. If a fan goes into this, they already know William was going to say Schmidt--Michael's alias in the games. My thought here was maybe William abandoned his family and recognized Mike, but Mike didn't recognize him. Again, more on that later. Anyway, "Not"Afton invites Mike to a job at FNAF as a security guard, which due to the night shifts, Michael can't take yet.

But Aunt Jane is back trying to get custody (god, this trope is so badly used here, but it serves it's purpose) and so Mike HAS to take the job before he's evicted from his home and loses Abby. Abby also has some problems of her own. She wasn't around during Mike's life-changing incident, but she is his sister. Due to their parents splitting/dying/whatever I don't even remember it's so unimportant, Abby also isn't told about said incident. She draws a lot, too. (I loved being able to see a bit of my version of Charlotte in her, so that was nice!)

Note: Mike's Dream Theory book is not only plot relevant but a funny nod to the infamous FNAF 4 Dream Theory. Also, MatPat shows up as a waiter very briefly.

Mike takes his first shift, leaving Abby with a babysitter. I know her actress' face, but her character is like a slew of others about to be introduced as 90's slasher fodder. Mike's first night is mostly uneventful, but he takes his sleeping pills and puts on Sounds of the Trailer Park Nature tape and gets a nap in where he recalls a camping trip with his family (unnamed mother, father, and little brother Garret). Garret is quickly kidnapped in a car--and because it's so different from how Charlotte's death is portrayed in FNAF 2, I actually didn't put it together until the 2nd or 3rd short dream sequence. I can see some people not liking these sequences, but for me it made it feel more like it's own movie, it's own thing--it felt like an original horror film and I loved these sequences a lot. They don't overstay their welcome, either.

Now the film kinda goes downhill. Aunt Jane actively PLOTS to get MIke fired to win custody of Abby. It feels very cheesy and it's... kind of bad writing. It serves it's purpose as her character does, but it's a really low point for me. We see she's hired the Babysitter and Unnamed Man A to go trash Freddy's when Mike isn't there in hopes to get him fired. There are two other people as well. Unnamed Person B and Hank (or, Uncle Hank as he was called in casting). And no Hank is NOT Henry--he's just an adorable buff bear that screams like a girl and he's excellent for the short time he appears.

Proceed with them trashing Freddy's and having a nice, quick sequence of them all being picked off by the animatronics. There's good nods here, especially Chica in the kitchen. Chica is a bad ass bitch in this movie and I really enjoyed how everyone (except Freddy) had a pretty solid personality. Foxy even gets a bit of a run sequence, but this may have been later in the film...

Vanessa was introduced somewhere between all this, I don't remember. Everytime she's on screen she's like a paper doll (no complaints to her actress, she was great), but she's... Generic Cop Y. She chunks a few "Don't investigate, Mike"s and "This place's backstory, Mike!"s and that's her character for 99% of the film. Hate it, hated her inclusion from the start, and she TRIES to be romantic with Mike but luckily the movie's plot cuts her off really quick. There isn't a kiss scene or anything like that, but there's a scene where she wants to dance with him and another heart-to-heart that gets cut off by her police radio and both were so dull and boring I will not recap them as her character only serves to infodump to the audience (and Mike) and it's bland and I hate it.

Mike returns to the Pizzeria with his sister since the animatronics killed the babysitter, and she wanders off and makes friends with the animatronics. During this time, Mike starts seeing a group of five children in his dreams that shouldn't be there. We all know who they are and after an 80's style montage of Mike, Vanessa (again...), and Abby building a fort with the animatromos, we learn Vanessa knows who they are.

My wife and I both thought Vanessa would be like... Suzie's sister. You know, something kinda fun and different and help her relate to Michael more and have a stake in the movie. Nah, nah fam. Scott's bad writing shows badly with Vanessa and it gets worse.

I am skipping some stuff, but namely you should know that Mike almost leaves Abby with Aunt Jane forever after Vanessa threatens to literally shoot him if he brings her back after Abby almost dies activating Bonnie's guitar. It seems kinda odd, since Vanessa was encouraging Abby to play with them, but it's supposed to.

Mike goes back for another shift to investigate further with the dream children and knowing that Abby has been seeing the ghost children and talking to them. The children promise to show Mike who kidnapped Garret (again, you should've figured it out) if they offer up Abby. He agrees at first, but then he wakes up and is nearly killed by all the animatronics. I really miss the bit from the games where they wanna kill Mike because he looks like his father, not because Mike broke an arbitrary promise and the animatronic kids are evil (similar to the novels... There's a lot of novel influence here, and this INCLUDES a Golden Freddy kid who is basically FF's Andrew / TOYSKHK from UCN).

Vanessa rescues Mike off-screen and Mike returns to Freddy's with a taser after learning she's Afton's daughter. Yeah. Remember that old deleted / AR email "Vanessa A."? The movie tries to get you to think it's clever by naming her Shelley or something, but no, A COP is the daughter of a SERIAL KILLER. Not like game Afton, either, where he started killing with Charlotte. No, he killed Garret too. Why? Who fucking cares, the movie isn't gonna tell you because... why bother. Also I don't remember when it happens but Vanessa also explains the springlock suits when they find one in the storage of Freddy's that looks a lot like Eleanor / Baby. The springlocks themselves aren't as much like the novels / comics and more like a robotic ribcage that slams shut (think Saw 3's Angel Trap but in reverse).

Speaking of, in the intro to the movie we see a device that's basically a Freddy head with blades inside it where the user is strapped to a chair to have their face sawed off (as is the fate of Security Guard A). Never explained. Only shown again with Mike very late in the film and he escapes rather easily... I DON'T KNOW what the point of this Saw trap is except to provide trailer fodder! I wanted to believe it was the SCUPER, but guess fucking not. You could remove this from the film with literally NO CONSEQUENCES.

Abby finally stops throwing a fit and wakes up to meet Golden Freddy and a dead Aunt Jane (so much for her, I guess). This taxi just fucking ubers her and GF to Fredbear's. I guess the driver thought he was a creepy cosplayer, but the entire segment is played for laughs (which is fine, I guess) but also makes no sense. it's an excuse to get Abby to Freddy's and show off GF. Who, by the way, disappears as quickly as he appeared in the movie, which is kind of shitty considering how important he's played up in some of the original screenshots we saw.

Mike goes to save Abby at Freddy's, electrocuting a bunch of the animatronics with the tazer Vanessa gave him after saving him off screen and taking him back to the police station and info dumping. If she hadn't said that was where Mike was I would've thought it was still Freddy's TBH. Oh, Vanessa? She's not gonna help because she's "scared of her daddy" -.- Just fucking kill me Vanessa it's better than sitting through your shitty character.

Abby is nearly put into the Saw trap by Chica, but Mike saves her. However... THE BEST PART OF THE FILM IS HERE GENTLEMEN. Spring Bonnie finally makes his appearance.

William/Bonnie can somehow magically control the animatronics (it's not explained) and so they all start attacking again. Which is it? Mad at Mike? Want Abby for their kiddy carnival? Or William wants them to kill to build his found-family of child labor force? I DON'T KNOW, IT'S NOT EXPLAINED.

Spring Bonnie's intro is fucking glorious, but it is disappointing we didn't get to hear him hum the Toreador March. In fact, it isn't in the film anywhere that I recall.

Tangent for a second because the march song, the power down noise (despite the power going out 3 times during the film), and the Freddy bonk are ALL ABSENT. Key elements fans wanted to see... not here.

Vanessa tries to shoot daddeh but Spring Bonnie's bulletproof~ Fuck you, it's FNAF, I guess. (It's a bad ass scene though. And Lillard's Afton is everything I wanted. Just creepy enough to not be a Criminal Minds villain but just twitchy enough to be how I imagined William). In a tussle, Wiliam tries to strangle Vanessa (I audibly cheered for him--kill the bitch, Will) and he stabs her shortly after when he brandishes the knife on Mike. Thank God.

Abby shows the animatronics her drawing with Mike's instruction, revealing and reminding them that Afton / Spring Bonnie killed them. They all descent on him and when Cupcake takes a very familiar bite out of Spring Bonnie (see: Springtrap), the springlocks start going off. The animatronics cart off William to the back. Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed it wasn't MORE dramatic, but I think that it would have upped the rating... so I'll let it slide. Mike and Abby leave with Vanessa's "corpse".

Vanessa is in a coma at the hospital. Fuck this movie.

Mike and Abby are happy, although Abby misses her friends. Mike has learned to look forward instead of back, giving him a decent character arc. I think if Garret's killer had been random it would have been better... except my theory for FNAF 2 is that Garret may end up being our Puppet! I really hope that's the case!

There's a final scene of William in his FNAF 3 glory, twitching as Spring Bonnie and reaching out for the door closing on him, in a very "Hello, Zepp" theme kinda way. I LIVED FOR THIS IT WAS EXACTLY HOW YOU'D WANT IT AS A WILLIAM FAN. Andrew/TOYSKHK/GF ghost closes the door on him, showing that at minimum he hasn't moved on, although I suspect the others haven't either.

Only cut in to the credits is that taxi driver again. No post-credits scene of Springtrap. EVERYONE in my theatre stayed the entire time (Living Tombstone song was great) but we all left a little sad about that. It was one of many odd decisions plaguing this movie, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility if you have any experience with Scott's writing. So... I went in expecting the worst, wishing for some things we didn't get to see (FREDBEARS), BUT I left loving this movie. As my wife said if we had a No-Vanessa-Cut I'd give this movie a perfect 10/10 despite the odd writing choices. She's about 45% of those choices.

I hope they leave her for dead so we can watch a PERFECT movie for Part 2.

In conclusion, A-. Good acting, score, effects. Dialogue didn't come off wierd and there's a ton of fun references for fans. A mostly good story with some weird inclusions that slow down the pacing at times. Lack of post-credits scene was disappointing to all and lack of Fredbear's disappointing to all Willry shippers. Also, casuals may be annoyed at how little screentime William gets overall. Fans of the animatronics will die over this film--they shine with Henson's work behind them. Bonnie has toebeans. I love them. Spring Bonnie is a hulking behemoth and I wish he was shown more. Just go see the fucking movie, even if you aren't a fan of the games. It's a fun little romp.

EXTRA NOTES (rewatched on streaming):

I wonder if the Saw trap thing will get explained in a future installment. A big thing now having seen the film is how to set up part 2. If it's a prequel, Mike won't make sense. If it's a sequel, it changes the lore slightly.

THE PIXEL INTRO OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO MENTION IT. IT'S SO GOOD. I LOVE 'YELLOW RABBIT'

I was VERY confused on WHEN the movie took place on my first watch. There's a very minor establishing shot that reads 4/6/2000. Unsure if this date is / will be important. Luckily the use of VHS and flip phones does help give a timeframe as well. (Saw crossover, anyone?)

I really wish the ghost kids in the real world (namely, at the end in the Pizzeria and in the final shot of William) were transluscent. IDK if this was a stylistic or budget choice. It doesn't bother me in the dream sequences but it's a touch I wish was added for viewer clarity (a problem this movie and Scott's writing in general has)

I didn't get to rant about Spring Bonnie enough lol But one thing that really does show his power is how he tosses Mike around like a footballer and stomps like he owns the place. The other animatronics are very stilted and slow in comparison, showing the difference well between an animatronic and a springlock suit. I also LOVE how accurate the suit is to the few models we've seen of Spring Bonnie. It's bulky to hold a human, but it's also bulky to show William's power and ego. I can't remember if I mentioned before when he first shows up and has to adjust his stance to stand up straight--it's a very powerful and evoking moment! (Probably helps that Lillard is very tall to begin with...)

A small thing about streaming VS theatre: way easier to see details in the theatre. I highly recommend you experience this film on a big screen or a very large TV (our 50" is not enough). Also, alot of the backgrounds in the film are purposely blurred, which is kinda weird? But little things like the details on the chalkboard, the map in Not!Afton's office... you'll kind of miss that on home viewings.

I didn't say this enough but the lack of Fredbear's really sucks in the long run of letting this movie soak in. There is literally no mention of Henry, Fredbear, or the diner. Vanessa's photo is at the diner in question where the film takes place. I feel like it's a very personal decision on Scott's part to completely ignore Fredbear's (I even partially suspect because of blogs like mine with a specific ship in mind, but I won't read a lot into that as I have an anxiety disorder) But to completely disregard a big chunk of the lore that fans are really dying for feels a little like a slap on the wrist for spilling juice on a new carpet. Like, come on, Scott. This kinda sucks. It doesn't diminish my love for the film (or this continuity) but as a fan it really hurts. I don't think clarifying Fredbear's in any way, given us more insight to Henry or William, would harm everything, but it is what it is.

A minor detail I noted early on in my theatre watch was how all the Yellow Rabbit drawings are pretty centralized on the wall of drawings in the restaraunt. Not only does it draws the viewer's eye (especially an unsuspecting viewer's) but it adds to William's narcissism / ego as a character. If you look at it in that light, the scene with Abby ripping down the drawing is way more impactful!!

[agitowarrioroftheforest]

Long post - Meta on my Transmasc Agito headcanon 🏳️‍⚧️ ( I am unhinged about it)

This Will have Spoilers(however vague) for the movie: Origin: Spirits of the Past!

Long story short, My headcanon is basically:

everything is the same, except that he used becoming Enhanced to speed-run his transition

First you have the concept of becoming Enhanced, making a deal with the Forest, which Agito expresses is something he wants in the first scene he speaks in. Being Enhanced is just getting superstrength and plant powers within the story, sure,

But if Agito is trans, receiving the power of the Forest can be seen as his steps towards self-recreation, becoming the person he wishes to be/have his body be the way he wants. Agito knows there are risks to being Enhanced, he’s thought this through for a long time it seems. He wants this and tells his father such when he has to say goodbye to him.

Agito then makes his way to the heart of the Forest and is given a new form after the forest twin spirits tell him “We will trust your heart. We will give you the power of the forest.” His Enhanced body is different from his old one. Along with the power he gains, there are aesthetic changes. He has more defined muscles now, his hair is silver, his eyes are green, and he’s baring significantly more skin than his earlier outfit. (Old outfit was 2 baggy t shirts and a jacket and baggy pants)

His new skintight crop top also does resemble a binder in some ways xD

But what i’m getting at here is that Agito’s confidence absolutely skyrockets as he gets used to his new body. He needs time getting used to it of course but he also barrels straight into battle, he throws a missile shell over his head, busts out of a jail, chases down a train. He seems like a different person, or perhaps, this is who he’s always wanted to be.

Then there is the way Ragna, and especially Toola reacts when she first sees Agito after he get his powers. She tells him, with him chained to a wall that they can “Return his body to normal” and Agito is deeply insulted, telling her he made the choice to change his body this way of his own free will. Given Toola’s attachment to the past/ her idea of normalcy, she is scared for him at first and asks him “Why? Why did you do that?!”

Neutral City on the other hand, and his father, and Yolda especially, affirm him in this path.

Idk…. Like, Agito’s enhancement reads so much as a transition allegory to me...then Toola’s first reaction kinda just solidifies that. This is something she grows out of, seeing that Agito’s happy about the changes and just as much her friend as before.

Agashi, his father, showed support for him to live as he is. When Agito sees childhood memories after he sacrifices himself, His younger self wishes to be stronger and his dad affirms that is strong enough as is and is proud to have him as a son.

When the Forest brings him back to life, Agito seems much more at peace. Way more comfortable in this body than his old one and even shows off while carrying Toola down the side of the volcano. (It’s ridiculous and I love it) He enjoys this, telling her that everyone’s power, the Forest, and his father’s strengthens him.

A detail I adore is Agito’s love for his father and vice versa is symbolized as a flower.

The enhanced form = transition allegory isn’t perfect though. Agito’s powers will eventually turn him into a tree, this is what happens to all enhanced after over using their strength. Tho he’s still at peace with that in the story.

This interpretation is going off Agito knowing he’s trans before being enhanced, and I will also add that as a transmasc person I definitely felt connection to the character for a lot of these reasons, his unique style and his expression of masculinity. Some are self projection reasons haha.

Omg I forgot to mention the body horror. Agito can turn parts of his body into tree like branches as an extension of his link to the forest. It’s seen as something almost romantic in the animation itself. Even if Ragna calls him a monster for it, it is clearly something the movie itself sees as beautiful.

This analysis doesn’t go over all the reasons Agito wanted his powers, others being that he wanted to protect his home and couldn’t fight the Ragna army/Shunack without superstrength and he wanted to help Toola who didn’t know she was being manipulated. Also I didn’t mention Yolda’s scene, but she has the same powers and helps him to get used to some of the changes, giving him some tips on channeling his strength because she knows what it’s like.

[derangedanomaly]

[scampers over on all fours like some fucked up horror movie creature] good afternoon. i heard people liked my oc a bit (which is making me EXPLODE from happiness that’s so so sweet, all of you guys are so creative too!) which led me to think more about her!

a big question i had while developing her is WHY is Ellinette there? i’ve thought about SO many reasons but i really like the idea that Ellie was actually raised with a loving family. a mother who surprised her in the morning with a warm breakfast, carrying it up to her and gently shaking her shoulders with soft whispers to wake her up. a mother who always did as much as she could for Elle before she left for work for the day, playing short games or listening to her ramble for a bit. anything to show that she cared for Ellinette, her darling daughter. a father who cares just the same, making one of her favorites for dinner whenever she felt down. a father who taught Ellinette everything she knew now about cleaning and made it fun, made it a game so it wouldn’t bore her to death. he even taught her how to sew. a little sister who forced her to play dolls, but the two loved creating such silly stories even when irritation struck. a sister who scribbled various ‘get well’ cards when she heard Elle wasn’t feeling good. such an understanding and kind family, how could she ever part?

Nightmare promised her the one thing her family couldn’t. a cure to her severe depression, a way to set all those agonizing thoughts aside, a way to never think about them again. she knew it was too good to be true ans she knew she was stupid for not even asking what he wanted in return. Elle jumped at the chance to feel normal. to be normal for her family, so her mother didn’t berate herself for leaving her eldest daughter who she could tell was unwell everyday for work. to be normal for her father who practically made her comfort food every other night, confused on how to approach her feelings but wanting to show her he’s there. her poor little sister who couldn’t understand why her older sister just wasn’t getting better, why Elle would lay in bed all day long for months at a time, why her short bursts of excitement lasted barely a day before she crashed again. her sister never even understood that she didn’t have a cold.

Ellinette needed to be normal for them. perhaps she should’ve thought it was suspicious even more so when he only agreed she’d just not feel that aching emptiness in her mind. now, she knew what he meant. forever serving, at anyone’s beck and call, leaves little time to contemplate if you’d be better off dead. it didn’t fix her, not one bit, hell her anxiety spiked. Elle was worse than ever before but now? nobody here would help her, whether due to Nightmare or because they didn’t care. the small inhumane breaks Ellinette had left her to reflect on her family. how was momma doing? what about papa? dear god, if there is any at this point, what about my sister? those were all she could think about before something else had her attention. the only real thought she can come up with even while working is that she wished she’d never taken Nightmare’s hand, nodded her head, and let herself be taken away.

- yugioh anon, ramblin’ again >n<

YES! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!! That's exactly what Nightmares did to (almost) everyone working for him lol. Offering them the "one thing they can't resist"

[timextoxhajima]

10 favourite characters from 10 different things

tagged by the lovely @haechanhues, and will be including my own details explaining why i loved them (even if nobody asked) [UNRANKED]

Okju from Ballerina (Netflix)

FRESH in my head. I just watched this yesterday and I LOVED how nonchalant she was. I loved her facial expressions - the ones where you can tell she's devastated and upset but she fights against the need to cry because perhaps she finds it useless to cry (no, i'm not projecting (?))

2. Levi Ackerman from AOT

NEED I SAY MORE?

3. Monica Geller from FRIENDS

Watching the show, she definitely irked me here and there, but it's not like nobody on the show didn't. She might be nit picky and a tad bit of a control freak but she gives the most imo, cooking for everyone and constantly making making sure that no one is left out.

4. Erin from You're Next

I watched this movie at the ripe age of 15 or 16 and by this age, I've already watched a good share of horror/violence/gore/slasher films and I never appreciated the concept of a 'Final Girl' until I watched You're Next.

5. Han Sunwoo from Soundtrack #1

It could be because I'm a simp for PHS but ever since he busted out his heart eyes in this melodrama (and also because back before my boyfriend was my boyfriend, PHS was both our favourite actors and then in Soundtrack #1, his character is basically how my boyfriend became my boyfriend), Han Sunwoo truly has my heart.

6. John Keating from Dead Poet's Society

Sure, I love old classics. But this one went beyond the definition of a classic.

7. John Coffey from The Green Mile

I promise I'm not depressed.

8. Rosalie Hale from The Twilight Saga

If you were making a list that included strong women who hated showing their feelings and were sarcastic but didn't hesitate to snap your neck, how could you omit Rosalie Hale?

9. Kat Stratford from 10 Things I Hate About You

The girl that I wanted to be... but I was like 7 years too late.

10. Murph from Interstellar

I used to dislike her character, until I rewatched it and realised how much she had to go through to grow up without a father, and still stayed true to what he was studying and researching - to the point where she broke the code on the other end.

not tagging anybody but feel free to rb and continue! <3