#pretty cool sequence before this kick too

[novampiresremain]

ooooog

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super manga ch.84-86

“Hey, honey, I got the crap beat out of me.”

“Well don’t just stand there!  Go show the baby!”

“Oh yeah, good call.  Hey, son.  I got worked over pretty good.”

Currently, Goku and Vegeta are trying to stop Gas, who became nearly invincible thanks to a wish on the Dragon Balls.  Their only chance is that Bardock once fought Gas before, and as Goku listens to the audio recordings on Bardock’s old scouter, he suddenly has a recollection of his infancy on Planet Vegeta, up to and including the moment when his parents shot him into space. 

That scene is shown in here as well, but I think I like the above page the best, where baby Kakarot was just watching his mom putter around the house throughout the day.  He didn’t see much of his family while he was in the incubation tank, but he saw some, and now he finally remembers it. 

You might think the Bardock audio would be useless, since it didn’t provide any special insights into how to defeat Gas, past or present.  Bardock just hung in there and kept sluggin’ away until he won.  But that’s actually exactly what Goku needed to hear.  As Whis tried to explain to Goku earlier, the key to mastering Ultra Instinct is not to devise some cool new transformation, or to imitate Whis’ angelic calm.  Goku has to be himself so he can find his own path to Ultra Instinct mastery.  Hearing his father’s voice, talking about victory and survival above all else, that reminds Goku of who he is, and who he’s always been. 

And Vegeta needed to hear it too.  He had been trying to use Destruction energy like Beerus, who had advised Vegeta to cast aside his guilt over the sins of the Saiyan people.  Now he’s finally figured out how to do that properly.  Before, he was just acting like he no longer cared about the Saiyans’ crimes.  Now, he finally accepts that their crimes are not his responsibility. 

So when Gas finally returns to Planet Cereal to settle things, he finds Goku and Vegeta are ready for him.  This time, they fight him together, and their Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego forms are much more focused than before.

Elec tells the Heeters that he expected something like this, and it doesn’t matter that these two power-ups gave Granolah some trouble, since Gas is stronger than Granolah.  But Goku and Vegeta don’t give a fuck.  Screw the odds, they just want to kick some ass. 

Let me skip a bunch of this fight.  I feel bad about doing that, since the action sequences are probably the best feature of Toyotaro’s art.  But I’m here to talk about the plot first and foremost.  Basically, Vegeta sets up a beam struggle with a big Hakai blast, and while Goku pushes it, Vegeta tries to flummox Gas at the same time.  It doesn’t quite work, but Vegeta still manages to hang in there, because Ultra Ego feeds on the damage Gas dishes out.  So it becomes a question of whether Gas can take down Vegeta before he surpasses Gas in power. 

Gas tries to solve that dilemma by killing him all at once, but good luck one-shotting Vegeta.  Of course, eventually Vegeta does fall, because Gas hits like a speeding truck, and Vegeta can only take so much punishment.  But while he’s fighting Gas, it gives Goku a chance to figure out how to optimize his UI.

I should really write about this in a separate post, but it seems like Goku is just sort of inventing a new form specifically for the way he plans to use Ultra Instinct here.  With the silver-haired form, he could use it well, but it only lasted so long, and he had to keep his emotions in check.  Now, he’s using this other version that looks pretty close to his base form, but he can use his turbulent emotions and Ultra Instinct at the same time.  And this freaks Gas out, not because of Goku’s methodology, but because the result has him looking a lot like Bardock did right before he kicked Gas’ ass forty years ago.

To be clear, Goku always looks like Bardock all the time.  The resemblance isn’t what got in Gas’ head.  It’s the confidence Goku found in this moment, where he’s totally in synch with who he is and what he’s trying to do. 

By contrast, Gas had some pride in himself as a warrior, but all he ever does is what Elec tells him to do, in the name of some grander agenda for the Heeters, which I doubt Elec has ever deigned to explain to him.  And that plan involved Gas surrendering his warrior pride to get a boost from the Dragon Balls, so his morale is shot, even if he won’t admit it. 

Sure, Gas may be stronger than Goku... no, wait, maybe he’s not.  As Goku fights, he seems to get just a teeny edge over Gas.  It’s not much, and it won’t last long, but it’s just like Vegeta warned Granolah earlier.  The rankings don’t mean much in the long run.  Strongest, second strongest, it all changes with the weather. 

But then Elec gives Gas another scolding/pep talk, and that reawakens Gas and he starts to fight even harder.  Also his body looks messed up.  Macki and Oil begin to get concerned, even as Gas seems to have Goku on the ropes.

But then Granolah shows up to make the save.  So somehow, Monaito managed to heal all three of them up during the 20 minutes while Gas was away.  That’s not hard to believe, except Monaito kept complaining about how he could heal people very fast, and now he seems to be improving. 

Anyway, Goku agrees to keep Gas busy while Granolah charges up his full power for a single attack.  You know the drill.

Goku has trouble, but fortunately, Vegeta gets a second win and helps buy more time.  Then Oil and Macki try to jump in but Monaito stops them... with the power of hypnotism!  Well, whatever works. 

But it still isn’t quite enough, so then Goku activates his Stand, or whatever that giant Goku thoughtform is supposed to be.  It’s the same thing he used against Moro, so I guess it makes sense.  Anyway, he grabs Gas and chucks him into the sky so Granolah can get a clear shot, and Oatmeel helps him aim, since his eyes are still hurt from before.  The power of teamwork!

Granolah fires, and it looks like one of those classic anime blasts where the bad guy disintegrates into nothing, but instead Gas falls back to the ground, and Granolah explains that he didn’t kill him, because he’s decided to forsake revenge.  Then he apologizes to Goku and Vegeta for the trouble he’s caused them, and it looks like that just about wraps things up....

... or does it?

[messenger-of-stupidity]

Redacted Incorrect Quotes Pt. ?

Haha you really thought my lazy ass was gonna work on WIPs? Nah. Have some redacted incorrect quotes based on tweets I saw, either on the app or screenshots of.

No I don’t care if the dashes are uneven.

Redacted Masterlist

----

Angel: *Flirting poorly with Davey at the grocery store* Hey so do you eat food often?

----

Sweetheart: Curious George is not a monkey because he has no tail. He is an ape. He will grow into a silverback gorilla and kill the man with the yellow hat in a display of dominance.

Milo: I’m literally just trying to read to Aggro.

-----

Milo: I love when kittens yell, but their heads are too big so they squint.

----

Guy: Roommate broke up with boyfriend that cooks for us. Excuse me while I go die.

----

Angel: In 1920 we took children out of the coal mine. In 2020 the most popular game on the market is minecraft. 

Baabe: Children yearn for mines.

-----

*3 AM*

No one:

LITERALLY no one:

Asher, in wolf form: I wonder if I can break the record with how loud I can lick my paw.

-----

Darlin: If civilization crumbles, I have a little flashlight in a drawer somewhere.

---

Sweetheart: Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” is about friends practicing magic but when someone walks in they have to play it cool.

Milo: No. It isn’t.

Sweetheart: *starts singing* The moon is bright, the spirits up. We’re here tonight, and that’s enough. *whispers* This is the part where someone comes in. *Continues pointedly* Simply having a wonderful christmastime!

----

Angel: My husband gives people a thumbs down instead of flicking them off when driving. He reports that a thumbs down makes them a lot more angry.

----

Adam: I would be such a good “dead wife”. Like, can you imagine how good I would look in a dead wife flashback sequence? Someone make me their “dead wife.

----

David: As a kid I thought Simba was crazy for running away after the death of Mufasa. But now watching it as an adult, I get it. It did look pretty incriminating of him leading Mufasa to that gorge. Witnesses saw him singing “I just can’t wait to be king.” A persecutor could do some real damage with that conviction.

----

Honey: I don’t like the saying “don’t speak ill of the dead”. It always struck me as disingenuous. People are multi-layered. Yes, I did light up a room. But I also stole my roommate’s milk to make mac and cheese blackout hammered. Let’s acknowledge both sides.

----

David, giving a pep talk to the pack: For anyone feeling down, just remember Velveeta cheese has been on the market since 1918. If trash cheese can succeed, so can you. And for anyone who likes Velveeta cheese, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you like trash cheese.

----

Angel: Lying awake thinking about the time I ordered a giant magikarp plush from Japan but then got refunded because the plushie got crushed under a shipping container.

----

Asher, and maybe Guy too: I’m here if you need moron support. It’s like moral support but I’m stupid.

-----

David: If I have to throw a party for my pack, it will be breakfast. Not lunch. Not dinner. It will start at 8:30 am so there is a valid reason for no one to come and I can kick them out before noon because I only promised breakfast, not lunch. The introverts will win even if it kills me.

----

Milo and Ollie: My cat has no responsibilities, but all day he walks from around the house, from room to room, with this sense of purpose, as if he has a long to-do list of tasks no one asked for. Just a weird small furry dude going about his little cat errands.

----

Freelancer: Aww my microbiome fancies some high quality fermented foods, does it? A little kombucha perhaps? I don’t give a shit. I’m a megabiome, I do what I want. I’m having a fanta lemon. I’ll swallow coins.

-----

Lovely: I would be an awesome drug dealer. Like, can you imagine? *giggles* We don’t have coke, is pepsi okay?

-----

Freelancer: Math professors be wildin like “a man tossed a coin, find the probability of him getting a head?” BRO WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU GOT A H-

Huxley: I wanna reply back same to my data analytics professor so badly!!

------

David, at the pack solstice parties: I, myself, am understaffed at this time.

----

Milo with Marie watching Aggro for him:

-----

Asher: Fuck your zodiac sign, what button do you press when it says “press any button to start”

[accirax]

initial thoughts on DCAS episode 17

so it's definitely gonna be something big and flashy. i just still hope that it doesn't have any impact on who actually wins.

see, the funny thing is that i genuinely don't think Derek has actually done anything wrong...? like, afaik, he wasn't trying to dismiss Trevor or belittle his feelings, he just... had a crush on Kristal and acted like it. am i misremembering something? or is Trevor just being really petty for no reason? (this isn't Trevor hate; i actually find it quite impressive that i still root for Trevor despite him like objectively being in the wrong. that's just the silly billy rizz i suppose.)

"i started thinking that because of you! but, if your character ends you in a place where you do realize that what people think matters, maybe i'll believe that too, because i care what you think."

this was a nice save from Connor.

so the Sharma family has one daughter who's 31, and one daughter who's <18? that's a pretty big age gap (minimum 14 years), though obviously not an impossible one. i wonder if things just shook out that way, or if they aren't (fully) biologically related?

what did she have against Hunter? hilarious if she only wants her bi daughter to date a women. or maybe she was just a big tessally shipper.

oh this is really sad actually. wild that his parents haven't talked to him in two years, but were willing to send him a letter for the show???

WHO THE FUCK IS EXCITED TO SEE YUL?????

Grett is so cool.

🎶Me encanta el poder y no perder--

REAL ("Connor, you can't be this stupid" echoes in the background)

BRO WHAT--

MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS THAT SHE WAS GOING TO SNAP HIS NECK

WHAT THE FUCK. okay so even a day later i am still reeling from this obviously but i do want to say that it's hilarious that Riya can get directly drop kicked by a horse so hard that it flings her like 60 ft up into the air and be completely fine, but Connor falls off of a horse and nearly gets permanently paralyzed. sucks to be an OLD MAN ig 🔥🔥🔥 (/j)

also i can't believe the break Connor's legs challenge was foreshadowing oh my god--

and that was when Riya knew

she fucked up

this sequence is so melodramatic it's honestly kind of hilarious. also Jake is ready to throttle a bitch.

this was a really nice acting moment, even if the context surrounding it wasn't the best. although, even then, was this move even a bad writing decision? i kind of want to say it was, just because of how out of nowhere it was, but i don't think it was actually a bad choice. like, yes, i too am disappointed that they "gave Riya plot armor" in not having her eliminated this episode, because i don't really think we need to spend more time unpacking her deal.

however, if they're going to keep Riya around for another episode (or even until the finale), i think that giving her another concrete thing to be a part of is a good idea. it'll certainly keep her character memorable for several seasons to come. and, i like how this parallels her tossing Aiden off that cliff in the s2 finale! in that situation, she had just become a villain, and purposefully endangered Aiden with no remorse. this time, she's been a villain for the entire season, but is now forced into the position of hurting Connor on accident and being full of remorse for it. being a villain is exactly what people expect for her, and Riya is nothing if not what people expect. it's a real moment of facing exactly what you've become.

to be honest, even a day after watching the episode, i'm still reeling so hard from what happened that i find it difficult to parse out exactly how i feel about this episode. i may wind up changing my mind, and, who knows, i might even change my mind again after that. all i know is that. we wildin. All Stars is such a season.

given how this game works, i'd honestly be more worried about her sudden athletic prowess. but, a threat's a threat either way.

why did they have him say this directly before Tribal if he cast his vote on Grett? i guess it's foreshadowing for Ally being threatening later?

i mean, i'm not too surprised. if it wasn't going to be Riya, it makes sense that they would eliminate Grett as the biggest threat. plus, Grett was being too obviously awesome. put her on the "best to never win" list.

o7 slay queen

i expect nothing less... than a Jake/Ally/Connor finale, lmao.

what an episode! i'm really glad i wasn't at all spoiled on this one, 'cause i think it was important to go in truly blind to the what-the-fuck-iness of this plot. unfortunately, with Riya still in the game (for now), i do feel like next episode's boot is going to be pretty predictable, but... i've been saying that Riya's elimination is really obvious for the past two episodes now, so, maybe i'll be wrong again!!!

[jamboreeofsurprises]

wow I totally forgot to post the fantastic dream i had this morning. I was having a really good Sparks dream and then got a phonecall from my aunt telling me extended family were coming over and being the only person home i needed to be the host, so it ended possibly before it ever even got to the meat and potatoes. but as it was...

I was with my family in our old family van, which is technically my car now, but back then it was the family van. anyway, here comes a recurring theme from many past Sparks dreams: the boys were set to play a venue close to my old hometown, so we needed to give them a lift for some reason, although I guess Russell already got to the venue so Ron was riding with us.

We got tremendously lost. I meant to tell my mom to circle around to a different parking lot to redirect us and instead we drove to like...a whale exhibit (?) and the whales were huge and splashing overhead with no glass or anything while we walked up a ramp to get to the next part of town. didn't make much sense but ron liked the whales. It was really surreal seeing him just sitting upright in a carseat i'd sat in many times, completely blasé to the whole situation as if he were just a random man we picked off the street. i always look at him then look away quickly in my dreams. he would sometimes reply to situations in a very drab and matter of fact way that we found amusing.

anyway, guess what our mystery venue was? my childhood church, although as is typically the case in dreams, it looked nothing like the real thing, yet by dream logic nothing seemed different. Russell plus the band's entourage were there setting up equipment, i think russell was kind of like "what took you so long?" as there were a lot of mishaps along the way (including us accidentally hitting a kid on his bike while parking but don't worry he was fine). I asked ron if he ever considered reversing their roles and doing the singing while russell played the keyboards. he said he could probably sing but russell only knows how to play one note on the keyboard. they both snickered at this. I do not know what this means.

in the church auditorium with my family + the audience, there was an opening act of a magic show that involved. eggs? it went on for too long and impressed nobody. And then there was like...a free-for-all act where we voted on Simpsons characters. I don't know either. this briefly fused into a family guy segment before we were like "its 11pm can we please get Sparks onstage" so we did. but i don't remember anything about the show and i'm not even sure there was a show, because for all the talk of playing and equipment, apparently tonight's event that we reserved tickets for was actually the premiere of a brand new sparks BIOPIC.

it opened with 70s-esque footage of a teenage girl talking into the camera from her bedroom reminiscing about the band from her perspective until "amateur hour" kicks in and pretty decent-looking actors portraying the boys are shown playing onstage during the 70s. i'm thinking, this is pretty cool, i always wondered if a movie like this would happen. and then...

through some sort of stylized shot transition, the band are being played by kittens, singing and prancing around onstage. russell doing all his usual movements but in feline form. Haha what a funny and oddly stylish bit, i'm thinking to myself. what a fun way of depicting their personalities. but it just...continues like that? punk russell in 1976 singing "i wanna be like everybody else" while twirling around with the microphone but as a kitten, thrashing about? everyone is laughing. it's so good.

the movie truly does continue on in this fashion yet for as confounding as its sudden shift in direction is, we become oddly immersed in its storytelling enough not to even notice the boys are still being played by kittens, in a stroke of auteuristic magic a la todd haynes' superstar: the karen carpenter story. a sequence depicting "girl chasing" in their younger years in the form of kittens climbing onto the legs of girls who are walking away from them up some stairs while they mew desperately has the audience both cackling and aww'ing. another scene that stands out is a roadie saying "you guys don't eat enough!" and putting both ron and russell kittens in a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy.

I was under the impression ron and russ were really proud of the film and likely had direct involvement themselves, but had kept it so tightly under wraps that no one knew what was coming. I wish I could tell you more but then i got that phonecall.

[shuublebunny]

Reunion

Hey gang, I wrote a quick little drabble of how I personally think Aphmau would have reacted to seeing Garroth again during the first dream sequence. I could never understand how she wasn't angry with him and just went "omg shawty I missed you <3"

Enjoy!

♪ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ

Tired. That seemed to sum it up pretty well--only it didn't--Aphmau was beyond tired, she was exhausted. Fifteen minutes, no, fifteen years she spent battling that damned priest and his brother. That stupid, horrible brother in whom she had put so much trust, toward whom she felt such deep affection.

That same, wretched brother who stood before her now. No, that's impossible. Of course, she had experienced a good few things that should have been impossible recently, and she supposed this shouldn't be too much of a shock. She could be hallucinating, for all she knows; after all, she hadn't been able to sleep in days, and this environment certainly didn't resemble anything short of some twisted dreamscape.

Whatever the reason for this vile man before her, she couldn't help how she burned with rage at the sight of him (of course, she hoped to suppress the slight, cool wave of relief that soothed the scorching fire of contempt that coursed through her veins--he was safe). She stood there, glowering at him from a decent distance of a few paces opposite from him under the cascading branches of the wisteria they were situated beneath, and he stared back, his gaze soft, warm, and full of admiration as he shifted slightly in an attempt to conceal his anticipation.

"My lady? Is that really-" "Don't," she cut him off, her tone icy enough to crystallize the knight's blood in his veins, "speak as though you are so pleased to see me."

Her interruption was met with a moment of palpable silence from the traitor, who looked like a kicked puppy. After a while, though, he bravely (stupidly) spoke again. "But I am. My lady, I am so glad to see that you're safe."

"Are you, now?" This was a very different Aphmau from the one Garroth saw as he regathered enough of himself to fend off his brother; that Aphmau was confused, afraid, and teary-eyed at the thought of leaving him behind. This Aphmau was cold, distant, and livid, yet somehow as radiant as ever. "Because you didn't seem too concerned with my safety--or anyone else's for that matter--when you sided with Zane."

He could have hissed at the sting of her words, true as they were. "I know. It was wrong of me to act in such a disgraceful manner." She stared at him, unimpressed, through half-lidded eyes and a quirk of her brow, but she let him continue. "What I did was horrible, and I cannot apologize enough. But you must understand that Zane took advantage of my love for you and used it to control me. He turned me into something I'm not." Aphmau's barely-maintained composure snapped at the ridiculousness of his excuse. "Your love for me?" she spat, venom dripping from her tone. "What you did wasn't love. You were upset that I held affection for another man that wasn't you. It was an act of possession."

"You think I'm possessive? You led me on," he retorted through gritted teeth. "I did nothing of the sort." "You kissed him!"

Aphmau nearly doubled over in laughter at the incredulousness of his accusation. "I beg your pardon? I have done nothing of the sort." Garroth's pulse pounded so harshly at her denial that he could hear it. "Don't deny it, I saw you. You led me on and then you kissed him!"

"I can't lead either of you on when I'm not actively pursuing either of you," she retorted with a wry, humorless chuckle. "I never chose to be pursued by either of you, and if you perceive me being friendly as an attempt at courtship, that is your own damn fault." Garroth opened his mouth to defend his wounded ego, but his lady continued, "And even if I did, you have no right to claim me if we never explicitly determined what we are outside a lord and her guard. You didn't just betray me, but all of Phoenix Drop! Do you even know what's become of our home?"

That seemed to shut Garroth up for a while, and Aphmau could feel her chest swell slightly with a cold, sick sense of pride. She didn't really feel much better. Her guard, who looked thoroughly shaken at the realization, finally choked out a hushed plea. "What happened?"

The lady felt everything she had experienced come rushing back to her, images of decrepit, overgrown homes and her now adult children flashing behind her eyes in rapid speed. "'What happened?'" she seethed, "Well, for every minute spent in Irene's Domain, one year passed in the overworld. So you can imagine my dread when I returned to my village abandoned, in shambles, with everyone gone." Garroth could feel his head begin to spin as his lady continued, "the only one left in the village was Dante. Did you know that he spent every day, for the past fifteen years, going to that same spot where we all disappeared in hopes that we would come back? That he stayed in the remains of Phoenix Drop as people slowly started leaving because there was no hope for a lordless village? How he's now an adult in his thirties, with a wife and two children?"

She felt her eyes start to burn with tears that she refused to shed in front of him. "Yip is all grown up now, and Donna and Logan have kids of their own now, as well. And Laurance came home to find Ungrth's grave was robbed. You should have seen how distraught he was." Her chest heaved as her rage caught up to her. "And Dante looks so tired. Nothing can seem to bring back that spark in his eyes. Cadenza has fully taken over Metelli as their lord, and Nicole is the lord of Scaleswind. They're both incredible." The tears continued to burn, and her chest continued to tighten. "And Zoey gave up her immortality to bring us back. She could still live forever if you weren't so stupid," she spat. "And the worst part? My sons are all grown up. Malachi looks to be my age now, and Levin has been lord of what remains of our home for the past year. Levin didn't even recognize me--he couldn't even look at me without glowering at me. He tried not to show it, but he resents me, and I can't even blame him. He took on lordship at sixteen! And he feels that he has to live up to the standards of a woman he didn't even know, a woman who abandoned him!" Her last statement came in choked sobs, the tears finally daring to burst forth and roll down her cheek in fat, hot streams.

Garroth, who could only stand bewildered and ashamed for all of Aphmau's evisceration of his character, buried his pride and did the only thing he knew to do; he pulled her into his arms, as if to shield her, whispering a plethora of 'I'm sorrys' and sweet nothings until her ragged sobs and labored breathing calmed down. The tidal wave of emotions had finally crashed, and Aphmau couldn't find it in herself to push away. After everything that had happened, it was nice to be comforted, to be seen. This was her guard, her Garroth. The one who was always there, who never faltered, unless he dealt with wounded pride--

She ripped herself out of his arms with a newfound fury, flames dancing wrathfully behind her amber eyes as she scowled up at him. "You took away everything! You stripped Phoenix Drop of their lord--and by extension, their validity as a village, robbed Dante of his youth, and robbed me of my sons' childhoods! I will never get to watch them grow up. I missed so many of their firsts, their joys, failed to comfort them in times of grief…everything! You robbed me of my motherhood." Her vision blurred, and she could see red. Her senses only seemed to do her any good when Garroth reached for her, and in a moment of clarity, she swiftly slapped his hand away. "I swear to Irene, Garroth Ro'Meave, I will find a way to bring you back to our realm and you will help reverse all the damage you've done."

"…Of course, my lady."

[bropunzeling]

Perspective Flip of any scene from linger, please!

a flip of the start of the 2021 - February sequence for you!

It isn’t until near the end of the first period that Leon smells it.

At first, he thinks he’s imagining it, it’s so faint. Barely a hint of something other than the ice and sweat, just enough to make his nose itch. But as the clock ticks down and as their lead grows from a couple goals to six, that faint something grows stronger, more present, sticking in his nose, the back of his throat. Almost inescapable.

By the time they’ve won and the Flames have headed down the tunnel, Leon’s certain. He knows what that scent of cinnamon and nutmeg means. He remembers how it filled up his chest, warmed him up from the inside out. Even though he’s only ever smelled it once, that once was enough.

He doesn’t know if Matthew’s realized that he’s going into heat. On the one hand, Leon doesn’t know the guy’s heat schedule. It’s entirely possible this is supposed to be happening now, and kicked in a little earlier than it should’ve.

On the other hand, he remembers how vehemently Matthew had refused to believe him last time, even though the evidence had been as plain as the nose on his face. Tonight could be the same way. After all, the guy played the whole game, never went down the tunnel, even as his scent deepened into the same spicy, sticky thing that had filled Leon’s head and his hotel room a year ago. It’s entirely possible he has no idea what’s happening now.

As he quickly goes through his cool down and hits the showers, Leon tries to decide what to do. Matthew’s not—Leon knows he doesn’t have a claim on him, or anything. They’ve fucked once, and Matthew had been so insistent about what it was and wasn’t the entire time. When he’d walked out of the hotel room at six in the morning, smelling like hotel soap and wearing Leon’s joggers, it had felt—final. An ending before Leon had known anything could begin.

That didn’t stop Leon from thinking about it, though. Didn’t stop him from replaying the memories over and over: the warmth of Matthew’s skin; the small, desperate noises he made when Leon fucked him. How every part of Leon’s body had burned, like he’d always been on fire and only just realized it. How badly he had wanted to pull Matthew closer, not let him move away even for a moment. How whenever Matthew demanded something, Leon wanted to give it to him.

It’s not like Leon didn’t think about Matthew before. He knows how the guy is on the ice, after all. The way he gets under Leon’s skin, always finds the exact way to make Leon lose his temper. The way he pushes and pushes, refusing to give an inch. Funny and infuriating in equal measure. Ticking Leon off, sure, but—in a fun way, almost.

It’s just that now Leon knows how Matthew is in bed, too. Hard not to think about it. To wonder what would happen if they did it again.

By the time he’s dressed, Leon’s made his decision. He’ll just—give Matthew a heads up. Just in case. It’s the polite thing to do. He can ask Alison for the heat room code, so the guy has a place to be. He’s pretty sure Calgary is flying out tonight. And then after he does that, he’ll—

He’ll go home. Matthew had been pretty clear, after all. Last time was it. It was only ever going to be once.

It takes a while to spot Matthew coming out of the visitor’s room. Leon has to call his name a couple times before Matthew even notices, head jerking in his direction. Spice curls in the back of Leon’s throat.

“Why does Draisaitl want to talk to you?” Bennett asks. He’s less than a meter away from Matthew. When he speaks, his scent spikes, basil clashing with Matthew’s cinnamon. Leon has to work not to grimace.

“It’s fine,” Matthew says. He stares at Leon evenly before facing Bennett. “I’ll go see what he wants. You don’t have to wait. I don’t think he’ll do anything.”

The two of them nod at each other. Leon shoves his hands into his pockets so he doesn’t do anything stupid like try and touch Matthew, pull him away.

As Matthew follows him down the corridor, away from his team, his scent grows stronger and stronger. It puts Leon in mind of mulled wine in the winter, heady enough to get drunk on. But nothing in Matthew’s expression shows that he’s noticed. If anything, he just looks annoyed.

Leon leans against a wall, careful to give Matthew space. “I think you’re…”

Matthew scowls at him. “What?”

So he doesn’t know. Leon glances at Matthew’s face, at the curve of his neck. Matthew’s sweatshirt bags enough that Leon can see his collarbones, the spot at the base of his neck. Leon’s tried not to think about what it would’ve been like if he’d put his mouth there last time, if he’d breathed in. But that doesn’t mean the temptation is any easier to ignore when it’s right in front of him. “You smell like last time,” he says, working hard to keep his tone even. Helpful. “Like you did at the All-Star Game.”

Matthew reels at that, rocking back, eyes widening. They’re so blue. Leon had noticed that even before they fucked, couldn’t not. How bright they would get when Matthew would chirp him; how focused they’d be before the puck dropped. How they fluttered shut when Leon first pushed his fingers inside him, mouth opening as he came.

“I smell like last time?” Matthew asks, his scent blooming in the space between them.

Leon nods, clenching his fists in his pockets to keep from doing anything he shouldn’t. “Yeah. Like…” How is he supposed to describe it? He’s never known anything like this. Not the way Matthew’s scent seems to stick in his nose, until it’s the only thing Leon’s aware of. Not the way it makes his whole body flushed and warm, like the heat in Matthew is trying to burn him up, too.

Matthew steps forward. Leon wants to move closer, but holds himself back. He can’t help opening his mouth, though, breathing Matthew in. The scent goes straight to his head as he watches Matthew take a breath of his own.

The effect is immediate. His pupils dilate; his exhale is harsh. When Matthew curses and sways, Leon moves to catch him on instinct. When his fingers brush the back of Matthew’s hand, the skin is fever-hot under his fingertips.

“Hey, hey,” Leon says, even as his own head spins. Now he can feel desire, too, sparkling up and down his spine. But that’s not—Matthew might not want that. Fuck, if he did, though—

Matthew exhales hard, shivering in Leon’s grip. He already looks like he’s coming undone, like he could fall apart right here and now. Leon grabs his shoulders to keep him from falling over. “Hey,” he repeats. “Matthew. Look at me.”

Matthew opens his eyes, stares unseeingly at Leon’s face. They’re so, so dark. His mouth is so, so red.

“I can get you the code to the heat room here,” Leon says, trying to remember what he meant to do here. Be polite. Helpful. He can help by getting Matthew into the heat room, giving him a place to ride this out. He can help by stripping Matthew down, by pressing his fingers in where Matthew must be wet already, by giving Matthew what Leon knows he needs—fuck. He’s not doing that. He’s not. Not if Matthew doesn’t want him to. “I—if you tell me who,” he says, even though it goes against every instinct he has to say it, even though he knows he could take care of Matthew better than any of those fucks on the Flames. “I can go find someone from your side—”

Matthew jerks in his grip, recoiling. His scent turns, becomes harsher, scorching Leon’s throat.

“Okay,” Leon says quickly, until Matthew relaxes again, until that heady spiciness is back. “Okay, so, not that.” A tiny spark of triumph burns in his stomach—he knew Matthew wouldn’t want any of them, he knew it—but he tramples it down. “I’m sure they have supplies.”

“You could. Like last time.”

At first, Leon thinks he’s imagined it. That he wanted it so badly that he made himself hear it. But slowly, he realizes he hasn’t. Not when Matthew’s looking at him, eyes dark with desire. Not when Matthew’s still so close to him, hasn’t yet pulled away.

“Is that what you want?” Leon asks. He has to know. He has to be sure.

For a long moment, Matthew doesn’t move, doesn’t speak. Then, he nods.

Leon stares back at him. He can’t keep track of what he’s feeling. For a year now, he’s tried not to think about this exact moment. About what he would do if he had the chance to take Matthew through heat again. He’d figured it wouldn’t happen. That St. Louis was a one-time opportunity. That he’d have to be content with memory alone.

But Matthew doesn’t want one of his teammates, and he doesn’t want to do it alone. He wants Leon. 

Maybe Leon won’t have to be satisfied with just once.

“If that’s what you want, then I—” Leon’s voice catches in his throat. He rubs his thumb along Matthew’s upper arm. “I can help.”

Matthew’s scent curls between them. It coats Leon’s tongue, fills up his lungs, until every inch of him burns.

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #36

Batgirl (2000) #16 - July 2001 Writer: Puckett Pencils: Scott Inks: Campanella Colors: Wright

Another solo one shot, another resonant and memorable stand alone story that Cass fans from back in the day will remember clearly. Got a bit more time to work with, gonna try and pull some more images this time, because the art in this one is just really good. Honestly, this issue is peak early days Batgirl - the kind of story she was literally made to tell, and it's really well executed. If I had to pick a single issue of Cass's entire Batgirl run as sort of a 'this is what she's all about' encapsulation for someone completely new to Cass and her book, this would be on the short list. If you've never read her ongoing before, i strongly recommend you actually read the issue for yourself before the summary here.

The issue opens on a bunch of kids playing a mean game where they throw a rat in the air and get points if it lands in a circle they drew on the ground. The nerd in my has to point out that it's kind of unrealistic. Rats aren't quite as fall resistant as, say, cats, but while they could be hurt or maybe even killed by a fall from only as high as a grade school kid could throw them, most are going to scamper away and none are going to land so badly that they splatter like a water balloon.

Anyway, it's gross and its cruel but also kind of cute as the kids argue about the rules and 'nuh uh' each other, and Scott draws their faces really expressively, and the whole scene starts with a rat silhouetted in front of the moon mid toss in an image that's as aesthetically compelling as it is disturbing in context before plummeting back down

I could talk about how Cass is flying high through the city as Batgirl while her mental state is hurtling towards a painful crash, but that's probably reading too much into it.

Anyway, after the first splat there's this kind of cool sequence where the next kid throws the rat up and they all run back and look down at the circle...

Only the rat never comes down, and when they look up like 'where did it go?' there's Cass

The image of Cass swooping down from above with the kids all looking up is pretty cool, and the way the panels create a pacing for the scene is really good. Effective storytelling through sequential art.

Cass drops down, and the kids scatter. Not a situation that needs any more intervention then that, and we get a nice panel showing just her hands and feet as she crouches down to gently let the rat go. A pretty standard inverse kick-the-dog moment to establish Cass as the good guy by having her be nice to an animal, but for those who have been reading along from the first issues of her book it also reminds us of how Bruce once praised her for being 'gentle', and how despite everything that's happened that part of her is still in there.

As the other kids scatter, one stays behind to kick off the main plot for the issue. I like how awkward Cass is here, towering over this kid when she's used to being around allies and enemies taller than herself, not knowing how to talk to him.

Also, I haven't talked about it in a bit, but I just really love the way Scott draws Cass as Batgirl? Her proportions with her big head emphasizing her youth. The way you can make out her expressions despite the full face mask - and the way he gives her the same expressions that he gives Bruce. Her prominent jaw line making her feel tough and defiant and stubborn. The way you can make out her expression through the mask, the sleek lines of how her cape drapes from her neck to the point shoulders and then down, or the way the cape flows when he draws her in motion, all with an oil-slick feel that likely owes as much to Campanella's inking as to Scott's pencil work.

There are aspects of how others draw Cass in her batgirl suit that I like - most recently I love how Leonardo Romero draws the pointy ears on her cowl in the recent Birds of Prey run, it gives Cass a retro feel that really fits his vintage newspaper comic aesthetic. But Scott's version of Cass-as-Batgirl is always how I'll see the character in my mind.

The kid, Tim, takes Cass back to his home, a messy apartment with a mattress just dropped on the floor. You can feel the poverty, and start to form an image of this kid's dad in your head as, like, a decent man pushed into crime by desperation to provide for his kid.

An impression that Tim then explicitly reinforces.

The scene cuts to the bank mid robbery, and we meet someone who seems to fit the mold - Jake. The way Scott draws Jake's expressions, you can tell he doesn't want to be there, and when asked what he's going to do with the money they steal, he just says he's going to pay some bills. But when a security guard surprises them, Jake is startled and shoots him, almost by accident....

The boss, Chaco, compliments Jake on the kill, rubbing in how this isn't a guy who would normally do something like that with the 'didn't think you had it in you' line, and as they walk away you can see how horrified Jake is at what he's done.

In contrast, Chaco shows just how comfortable he is with killing by shooting one of his own guys point blank when he realizes the guy was stealing traceable jewelry from the vault, the way the panel suddenly goes red, and Chaco's calm expression just the panel before, emphasizing how sharp and sudden the violence is.

Chaco's a professional. Ruthless and dispassionate, about the job, about killing, even with his allies. He clearly didn't even feel any malice towards the guy he shot - he was downright friendly with all of his crew, even Jake, just a few panels ago, and that friendliness was probably even genuine. But this guy became a liability, and Chaco doesn't have any time or pity for liabilities.

It's around this time that they notice Jake is missing. More liabilities.

A couple of the crew find Jake in an alley, overwhelmed by guilt over killing that security guard, and again, I just have to say, the art in this issue is really good. The perspective in that first panel looking down, with the shadows stretching forward guns first, the expressions on Jake and the guy who has a gun drawn on him, the detail on the background cobblestones & brickwork. All really good.

Anyway, this is when Cass shows up, in terrifying shadow form, knocking out the two goons with the guns in as many panels.

Cass sees Jake, like us assumes he's Tim's dad, and takes pity on him. For Tim's sake.

But Jake is overwhelmed by guilt.

Guilt is one thing Cass understands.

Tim wanted Cass to stop his dad before he did something bad, something he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for, something Tim wouldn't be able to forgive him for. But Cass was too late. Once again, she's failed.

Only, Tim isn't Jake's son.

He's Chaco's son.

Chaco the remorseless killer. Chaco who can be friendly one moment and commit murder the next. Cass wasn't too late to stop Tim's dad from doing something bad, Tim's dad had been bad the whole time.

And bad dads are also something Cass understands.

I need to take a step out of the story for a moment here though to talk again about how Scott draws Cass, and in particular the bit about conveying her facial expressions through the mask. Scroll up a bit and look at the downcast resignation on her face when Jake says he has to pay for what he's done, then the surprise when he says he isn't Tim's father, and then the absolute fury here.

The expressions are so vivid, and carry so much of the load when it comes to conveying Cass's thoughts and emotions and personality.

Bringing back another old chestnut of this blog, Cass can speak now, and think in words and sentences, but there are no thought bubbles or narration blocks in the entire issue. The book just doesn't need them, not when Scott's Art is able to put everything going on in these characters heads right on their faces.

Cass lays into Chaco, stopping only when she realizes he's already unconscious, and you can feel the sharp snap of her attacks in how the panels are layed out.

Bringing back another old chestnut, the action panels are practically perfunctory. They're there, and they're good, but there's no back and forth, there's never any question of the bank robbers so much as landing a hit on Cass. Who will win in a physical fight was never where the story's tension was. It was all about the emotional stakes.

Tim arrives on scene just in time to see his dad carted off on a stretcher to the hospital, and as Cass takes him home he looks back, through the spikes on her gauntlet, as through through the prison bars that are going to separate him from his father for the rest of his life.

And the last page is this somber, heartbreaking moment of Cass trying to console Tim that just because his father is a bad person, doesn't mean he is too, and it's obvious that Cass is thinking about herself and David Cain here, but while I might be reading too much into the panel, the way Cass's shadow forms Bruce's symbol to me draws attention to the fact that Cass has two fathers, and just because one of them isn't a murderer doesn't mean he isn't also bad.

...

So yeah, this really is more or less the archetypal Cass Cain Batgirl (2000) issue. A somber, contemplative tone. Street level / no super-villains or over the top scenarios. A focus on the individual humanity of the minor characters, including criminals who would be faceless mooks in any other bat book. Story and characterization conveyed through expressive artwork and deliberate panel use rather than blunt narration, taking advantage of the specific strengths of the comic medium. Violence and action scenes sharp, short and snappy rather than heavily drawn out, with the main conflict grounded in personal and emotional stakes. Narrative themes - guilt, parenthood - that tie directly back to Cassandra's core themes, history, and character motivations. All concisely contained within a single issue episode that works as a stand alone story.

Although there might be a bit too much emphasis on the stand alone part. Sometimes Cass's stories do come back to be referenced again later, we'll have an example of that next week, but we never see Tim again, we never see Cass following up or checking on him which is kind of a shame.

[arbitrarygreay]

Scourge action sequences from 3x10

Characterization in the cute Abigail-Adil sequence! Adil has never been trained on scourge work. So he can only do basic swings, and is just imitating Abigail doing them first. Abigail, of course, can still do the more advanced full spin techniques to finish.

Tally using spins to keep a space clear. The full body shot highlights the footwork needed for such techniques.

Full Tally and Abigail cooperative sequence! Lots to break down here:

Abigail using a charged scourge for a direct offense stab, though the Camarilla soldier is able to dodge and parry it.

Tally charges in for close quarters combat instead.

The Camarilla soldier that dodged Abigail's first strike charges her, trying a sliding low baton swing. Abigail dodges it by raising her leg (rather than giving ground), and follows up with a scourge swing to hit those behind her, similar to her stance when she finished the stairway sequence.

Tally's close-quarters combat ends with a backfist. She dodges under another soldier's swing, and then uses a shortened scourge length for semi-close offense, using a kind of figure-eight loop on both sides.

Behind Tally during that shot, Abigail is basically matching her movements, breaking from a grapple and then doing the same kind of one-side-then-the-other figure-eight, and pretty much in unison with Tally, too.

Abigail using the scourge for entangling her opponents so she can shove them away.

Tally does a back-kick on the opponent behind her? and then a haymaker punch on the one in front.

My favorite part of this sequence, which is Abigail's scourge double tap. First a horizontal sweep, and immediate reeling back straight into the finishing vertical strike TO THE FACE.

Tally axe kicks her opponent, and then does a horizontal scourge swing. Presumably she then repeated the swing on the axe-kicked soldier who was getting up behind her.

Abigail has a brief grapple with a soldier, and they both shove each other back. However, the soldier is surprised by Tally doing a sliding leg sweep out of nowhere, leaving him wide open for Abigail's scourge swing finisher. TEAMWORK!

It's just a really great sequence, as we see a wide variety of ranges and techniques. Far range, mid-range, close-quarters. Strikes, kicks, grappling, chaining into scourge offense whenever they can open up the space for it.

(Obviously Windstrikes weren't a part of the choreo for Rule of Cool reasons, but I also wonder if there are Rules of Engagement at play for the military, since we only saw the face-flaying when Abigail and Anacostia were emotionally compromised. We did see the Biddies mulch a guy in the Tarim, but Alder considered herself above the Hague's edicts, which probably extended to their rules on Canon.)

Production logistics aside, there are characterization implications to it being Tally and Abigail we see doing this. I noticed that we saw Tally and Abigail dance together twice, while never seeing them dance with Raelle. That dance affinity obviously would lend itself to the footwork for the scourge spins. But also, Abigail and Tally were very much honors students when it came to these things. Raelle demonstrated that she had the power for her scourge to do more than just bounce off of the dummy, but that's not the same thing as having beautiful technique. I made a joke post about it before, but there is an imagery of Abigail and Tally as twin flanking tall guardians. That point 10 teamwork certainly speaks to lots of practice together, given that they have to coordinate such that the scourge wielder does not accidentally hit the leg sweeper, and the latter has the trust the former on that.

(Even outside of S3, the writing does seem to go out of its way to avoid Raelle fight scenes. She's missing from 2x3 close quarters class while the 2x4 practice scene pointedly avoided showing her take her turn while the camera loves on Ashley and Jessica's swings. I think the only two times in the entire series we saw Raelle doing non-vocal combat was 1x8 and 2x8?)

[multitrackdrifting]

G-Witch Episode 22 Thoughts/Theories

First things first: Calibarn is Unicorn.

At first I thought the similarities were merely aesthetic, but I don't think it's a coincidence. There's not a lot of pure-white gundam out there and that Calibarn exists alongside Aerial & Schwarzette really does complete the trifecta of Unicorn, Banshee & Phenex. Phenex is Aerial because Eri is a ghost inside a machine, Schwarzette is Banshee because it's very much the sibling unit to both of them constructed to foil the Calibarn (well, Suletta specifically).

This episode was pretty nice because if you noticed, Suletta doesn't stutter or squeak out any of her sentences, when she's reciting the mantra with Guel she speaks with resolve, when she talks to Mio and everyone else in the episode she speaks like she's found herself.

She pretty forwardly addressed the fact that a lot of what has happened in her life is not her own, and I said in previous weeks that her choosing to do this for herself is proof of her own autonomy and growth as a young woman.

She's made precious friends, found someone to love and be loved by, and even if her existence was not always hers, when has that ever stopped a clone from being able to self-actualise (points at Tales of the Abyss).

Calibarn's entrance is quite literally a reference to Unicorn, so I am not reaching with this one at all.

While the three gundam play different narrative roles, it is really cool they found a way to tie together the tempest with an homage to Gundam Unicorn that does actually go beyond the surface.

When Suletta is panting from the stress the Permet is applying to her body, she sounds exactly like her father piloting Lfrith, so that was a cool detail. As I expected, she is not exempt from the curse (as I argued Eri was not either, hence the entire premise of this show).

Miorine spends the episode still pretty broken up by everything, but she shows a lot of resolve to face the atrocity she unwittingly facilitated in the previous episodes - whether she intended to do this or not is beside the point, do you really think the people of earth would welcome Mio with open arms and just go "well that makes perfect sense", no way, there were children that saw her face appear before their entire towns were destroyed in an instant - of course she's right that it's terrifying to face what's taken place.

Still, she manages to come out of her shell after Suletta's words reach her, for once, she is the one relying heavily on Suletta to save her where their relationship began by and large through Suletta being the shield that protected her from potential suitors yes, but she also gave Suletta the kick in the butt to go out there and seize the life that she could make for herself. The nice thing about the two of them is that they make each other better, and that's a nice way to write a blossoming romance where not everything is about kissing or holding hands - it's in the way that they fill the gaps in their aspirations and desires and make each other whole without being like some entity the other depends on. They had plenty of time apart this season, and that's good because it let them grow in any which direction without one another and that's more interesting then being conjoined at the hip imo.

Being cooped up in her room, shut away from the world outside - Suletta knows all too well what that means and how she wanted to move beyond that, and for the first time, she was able to help someone else find the courage to step out the door - as her mother did before her, except the difference between the two of them, is that she just wants Miorine to be happy and to be free, she doesn't want anything in return despite the very give and take world they live in.

Something crazy about this episode is the tomato's genetic code having a message to miorine in it, but I think that also means that one of the deactivation sequences is also given by that phrase.

I won't over-analyse the background details & diagrams, that's for twitter nerds (jk)

I'm sure this week's discourse will be whether Guel let Suletta win the fencing duel or not and my opinion is that he did, not because I don't think Suletta is good - Fencing is such a specific type of combat and you can't do some anime shit and just crouch to win a duel. A fencer would just bop your head if you tried to do a crouch that low lol.

Guel is good with melee weaponry, so I figure he's probably a good fencer.

I've done a little fencing before and the crouch Suletta does is surprising but a fencer wouldn't really let that catch them off-guard, that's not to say that Guel let her win either by the way - I'm just saying that the scene was pretense to give up the role of holder so you don't really take away "who is better" from the situation because the scene places different circumstance and demands on you as the viewer to understand what has to happen.

The Guel that would lose a battle is larger than life, talks a lot, and very loud - but he's dead silent, he's very laid back the entire time because he knows what's at stake here is more than pride.

Guel doesn't want to play the bad guy, nor does he intend to stand in the way of Suletta like he did in the first three episodes - that's not who he is and he has not been for over 19 episodes. This is why he's like "what a fool I am", because he likes Suletta, but has zero plans to act on that because what is there to be done, he already got rejected and he respected her decision. By feigning a loss here all that's happening is him reversing the sabotage that lost her Miorine to begin with.

I believe that Suletta is by far the best pilot in the series because of her ranged capabilities, that's never been in question, but yeah I can see this scene drumming up inane discourse because people don't understand a narrative device even when its bonking them over the head with a sign that says "This is not the f-ing point of the scene".

The way that Guel encounters his brother is exactly like his fight with his father, forced into battle with little to know information about the enemy but Lauda reveals himself quickly as the Schwarzette pilot.

Now to my final point of discussion: Lauda

Lauda is Guel Jeturk's half brother,

he has been robbed of his father, the parent that binds him to Guel, and then his brother, who has been "taken" from him by Suletta Mercury.

The way he has made sense of the world and carried himself the entire series has centred on his attachment to his brother, and now that this everyday life centred on Guel has disappeared, and Patra is in the ICU, he wants to lash out at the ones who have taken everything from him.

To this end, he probably wants to kill Guel and here's a crazy thought: I think he will actually succeed in mortally wounding Guel. The story seems to suggest that Guel will win, but if they're baiting for another season they might pretend to kill Guel off.

What's more likely is that Lauda is killed by Guel and he has basically nothing left and becomes a nomad or goes to earth and takes care of the kids - it's not super clear what they're going to do with Guel if another season takes place.

I'm a diehard Guel fan but honestly his endgame is up in the air, he's not going to be a Char clone though, he's far above things like revenge and whatnot since Shaddiq is off the table.

If they sequel bait he will die, if they don't he won't.

Anyway, it was a great episode overall and this ties up another week of my thoughts & theories.

The unicorn thing was the best part by far tho imo.

TL;DR ANOTHER WEEK OF G WITCH LOVING OTHER GUNDAM SERIES

[shinygoku]

Rubber Soul (1965)

I've been looking forward to this one! It's arguably the point where the band shifts from Consistently Good to Consistently GREAT, and also where some point to as being their apex. While that may seem premature, given what will soon follow, there may be truth in these takes, and I know this album harbours absolutely amazing numbers. Interestingly, the US release actually modified the track listing to be Acoustic Only, which results in some people's preferred version, but I disagree as it means one of my Top Favs is cut (and it goes against the Band's Intent lol). I'm only covering the Original UK Canon for the albums, except for [spoilers lol] MMT and when I gather singles together.

The famous serendipitous distorted image! It's sure conveying A Mood, though I can't say it's a favourite of mine. But I can say that it's possibly the cover I've seen the most, as the music classroom at school had it on the wall among several other non-Beatles records, though I persistently misread the title as "Rubber Soup" instead due to the placement lmao

SIDE ONE

Drive My Car: A bodacious and unique opener here, their first song with a Female Protagonist (if via a Male POV character)! Now only that, but one with ambition and confidence, which really makes this song fun. Even as a Car Disliker, I'm fully on board with the high energy and witty lyrics, and there's something infectious about Beep Beep, M-Beep Beep YEAH! The new Red Album version makes the instruments clearer like the cowbell and tambourine, and it's such a strong first song for this collection~

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown): The famous Sitar debut! This one's narrative gives it a bit of infamy too, as it seems to be another tale of misread signals, but this one with a somewhat shocking twist at the end! Still, the music is very good even with iffy implications lmao. I also dig the waltz timing and clever description of the scenery.

You Won't See Me: I sometimes get this confused with I'm Looking Through You, as they're both Paul songs with pretty much the same jist. However, I'd call this one the weaker of the two. That's not to say it's bad, but the pessimist vibe and the song seemingly losing energy as it progresses make it less of a bop than the sister song, to me at least.

Nowhere Man: I would like to tentatively claim this song as my Favourite of The Beatle's whole catalog. For one thing, it's their first Original that is NOT about love/sex/"dancing" lmao, which makes it more relatable on top of an already empathetic tale. Hmm... the songs John writes quickly after an art block are real easy to relate to for some reason! ^^;; - The Electric instruments meant the song was omitted from the US version of RS, as they were going for an acoustic only feel. Some people think that was a cool idea, but if it comes at the cost of Nowhere Man, I can't agree!! And of course, while the song is another one of John's autobiographical #mood tunes, the use of this in Yellow Submarine as Jeremy's leitmotif and that gorgeous, lovely animated sequence help this one stick in the noggin even more. I always look forward to hearing it~

But anyway, the music itself has SUCH a beautiful distinct feel to it too, the spoken word intro before the Twang of electric guitar kicks it off! The simple but steady driving bass and drums with beautiful little rolls periodically, the way the song repeats and goes back on itself~ I appreciate how the narrator does offer a little bit of reassurance, too... the Nowhere Man might be going in circles, but there's still hope and potential aid to be found...! Opportunity lies in front of you as long as you can find a path!

Think For Yourself: Here's George's moody number for the album! The buzzing bassy twangs offset by the jingle of what I presume is a tambourine, to match his disinterested lyrics about rejecting someone too keen on hearing his take on things. It's solid and distinct but we still have a ways to go before Peak George (at least, those are my own thoughts, dohoho).

The Word: Hmmm.... this kinda feels like a beta test for what would later become All You Need Is Love, albeit with a decidedly different backing music flavour. Unfortunately the lyrics aren't doing it for me, somehow it feels more repetitive and a bit droning, even though (like AYNIL) it's sending a positive message and psychedelic vibe.

Michelle: I love this one, it's so warm and quite sweet. I'm bad at French so the small amount sprinkled in here sounds convincing enough, I think he's saying something like "My Beauty" "[something something] Very Good Combination" and other such phrases. There's a curious atmosphere, like Paul's already kind of come to terms with the inevitable failure due to the language barrier, but he's indulging in a fun what-if daydream. The loud guitar twangs and gentle pace really sound lovely too~ (Note: Upon googletranslating the French I was a bit off lmao)

SIDE TWO

What Goes On: I want to like this song. I want to enjoy so bad, but I'm afraid I'm struggling to. The backing music is great, and the story being told is solid (if in a Beatles For Sale type scenario lol), but the title getting drawn out over and over kind of irk me. Maybe cause that's where the Harmonies get put instead in a better part of the song? I'm a certified Ringo enjoyer but this doesn't seem to be highlighting his strengths the way previous and future songs do.

Girl: I'm not into ASMR so the part where John goes right up to the mic to suck in air doesn't please me at all! XD;; The rest is fine, I like the gentle guitar rhythm, and the lyrics are clever, but when I keep cringing away from the speakers, it does rather affect my enjoyment of a song.

I'm Looking Through You: Hey, it's the sister song to You Won't See Me! I think this one is a bit stronger. I'm also inclined to wonder if Paul's recurring vagueblogging in song form about his dissatisfaction about his relationship to Jane Asher raised any red flags? I mean damn, twice in one album?! And again in the next one? Still, this one has groovy backing tunes and memorable lines, which YWSM lacked to me.

In My Life: This is another favourite for me! And yet again John's autobiographical lean makes a banger lol. This one is ambiguously framed, it's easy enough to see as Romantic but with how much the past people alluded to, I feel like it makes a better memorial song than the many Lover type numbers they've done. And of course, I must remark on the sped up piano/harpsichord(?) bridge/middle eight (???), as that really gives this already more unique song another serving of special sauce~

Wait: This has suuuuch a great backing instrumental, and the vocals and lyrics ain't bad either~ This feels like (yet) another case where a perfectly good, solid song got overshadowed by the competition, and if it were a non-Beatles release it may've topped charts...! Not to say it's the best of the album or even a favourite, but it's Solid! According to youtube comments, this was actually rejected from the Help! sessions?! If true then that only reinforces my point about how odd the perception is, though it's also possible that they did some improving in the time passing lmao

If I Needed Someone: This one is fine too! I don't have as much to say though, the lyrics are a bit wishy-washy but I can't fault the "Aaaaaaaahhhhhh" harmonies or steady drums :>

Run For Your Life: Oooouuugggghhhhhhhhhhhhh 😬 Isn’t it a shame when an incredible instrumental is tied to awful misogynistic words?! [AVGN Voice] What a shitload of fuck! What were they THINKING!? - Before I heard it I knew there was at least 1 incredibly iffy line, but that was wrong, it's the WHOLE damn thing!

I don't wanna come across as the Purity Culture type, who thinks there isn't room for Le Problematique aspects in art, but the entire song leaves not just a bad taste in the mouth, but it also kneecaps the album at the last hurdle. Rubber Soul is close to a no-skips album for me but this is a bummer. And it could have been amazing if it was less aggressive and unambiguously threatening. Homaging an Elvis line in a way that makes me wanna avoid Elvis songs too. Woopieeee. I know John came to regret this one, and again I emphasise it coulda been great if they didn't pick a shitty gimmick for the Words.

CONCLUSION

Best 3: Drive My Car, Nowhere Man, In My Life

Blurst 3: You Won't See Me, The Word, Run For Your Life

If Help! was the band hitting their stride, Rubber Soul is where they really pick up on speed! Almost every song is either fun, clever, beautiful or just plain catchy, and the ones I'm less into personally remain very strong. I still lament Run For Your Life and find the YWSM/ILTY twins a bit more of a drag, but they aren't numbers where I scramble to avoid the songs as a whole either. And on the other side of the coin are a few I'd call my faves!! In fact, this might just be my favourite album as a whole - if not in the entire release catalog, then absolutely So Far, but time will tell...! So, overall I must brand this album Amazing, while trying to keep in mind the next few that are similar quality but with different flavours, but one at a time XD;;

🪲🪲🪲🪲

The next collection keeps coming around, having some of the most beloved and iconic numbers within and being more of a twirl into the Psychodelic. Revolver shall rotate into position in due time~

[bluecheeseinmyoffwhites]

RWBY Fight Scenes Ranked (Volume 9)

So this is a series I’ve wanted to do for a while. I love RWBY’s action, but a lot of times it’s hard to distinguish a fight scene from just an action sequence. With Volume 9, it’s been a little easier to understand which parts of the episode are full battles. I’ll be ranking them based on my standards

5.) WBY & Jaune vs NeoCat

This was just a quick teaser fight for the actual showdown in the finale. I do wish we got more fighting of NeoCat. Their fighting style & movements were very interesting. This was the last chance for a Yang vs Neo rematch, but whatever. Jaune however had some pretty solid animation, although short. He’s finally getting what I like to call the “Monty Treatment”, one on one grounded high-tempo choreography (I hope that made sense). We got a tiny glimpse of it in V8 against Ironwood but here it’s a little longer. The Pyrrha sneak was cruel but exciting.

4.) WBY & Jaune vs Jabber Walker

Another quick battle. Was expecting a little more quicker paced based on the teaser in the trailer, but it’s understandable based on the later fight against the Walker Clones. The bird was an interesting addition to the battle, wish we saw more of him (RIP). Jaune’s entry was amazing, he mostly used Juniper (MVP) but he helped a bunch. Weiss Blake & Yang have great chemistry, always following each other’s attacks perfectly. Weiss grounds the Walker, Blake restricts its attacks, and Yang deals the blows. Short & sweet.

3.) WBY & Jaune vs Walker Clones

These last three fights had amazing animation, but this one was a standout in terms of fluidity. Not a lot of people talk about this battle. The camera angles, the movement, everything was done so good. The “couples” were paired with each other, which was fine with me. Blake & Yang steal the show yet again. A lot of interesting combos. Yang’s supersaiyan switch in this fight was cool to see, the bees going back & forth with the Walkers was amazing, the bungee jump maneuver was interesting. Weiss & Jaune did great too. They made up for each other’s slip-ups. I’ve noticed by this fight that Weiss’s reflexes have increased significantly, catching Jaune’s sword almost instantly. Jaune’s gravity maneuver was pretty cool too.

2.)Team RWBY vs Final Form Cat

It was really hard to decide between this and the first pick but I chose only because I had more time with the other one. This fight was amazing. Ruby hasn’t had a consistent performance like this since Volume 4 (yes 4, not 3 like people keep assuming). I’ve always said that V4 was peak Ruby Rose action, using her semblance to zip around and slice away with her scythe. I’ve only had one request for the finale and it was to have something like this, and it definitely delivered. Weiss continuing to carry the battle being a quick support for her teammates to attack the Cat. That whole part with the glyph atmosphere was amazing. Seeing Ruby, Blake, & Yang zip around the Cat gave me huge Sonic Heroes vibes. The final strike with all 4 girls was a perfect finish.

1.) Team RWBY vs Red Prince

The infamous chess match. I was already excited for this volume, but THIS is when I was locked in. There were quick snippet matches with each girl before the actual fight, I just wanted to shoutout Blake’s part. Her quick whip movements were cool to see. The actual fight later kicks in & immediately Blake & Yang are doing their signature swinging move. Weiss handles some Red Pawns with ease & confidence love that for her. You can tell she’s starting to fight like Winter here. Always enjoy seeing her use her semblance to skate around. Blake has the least firepower of the three, but she makes up for it in movements. She does some cool flips & maneuvers around the board with her shadows. The fight really kicks in after Ruby boosts them up. Weiss really proved her statement in V1 that she would be the best teammate. She was projecting gravity glyphs for Blake WHILE activating a Nevermore summon then did it again WHILE catching Blake’s weapon WHILE activating a sword for Yang, which by the way was peak RWBY action. Yang is usually the one to deal the heavy blows, but it’s so much better when she has assistance from her teammates. This fight, as well at this whole episode, was a great callback to Players & Pieces, one of the most famous episodes of RWBY, & it’s so funny because they’re fighting chess pieces.

Alot of people thought Volume 9 wouldn’t deliver on fights because it wa said to be a more “toned-down” season, but honestly they haven’t missed on a single fight this Volume. My only gripe is that we didn’t get one with Neo, and I’m not counting the Tea Party because it was just Ruby getting her ass beat. Besides that, the fights definitely delivered for me. Can’t wait for more!!

[gildedmuse]

So, for the first time in a long time I haven't had someone to watch episodes of One Piece with, meaning Tumblr has to suffer the full hit of my first impression. Which starts even before this title screen.

[Wano, you used to do such cool title sequences that you fit into the show in really interesting visual ways but now it seems you've switched to just the black title all the time for what I assume are valid artistic reasons. I just want you to know if you "slip up", ignore your own sense of artistic integrity, and go back to the older ones that looked way cooler, we'll still respect you. In case that was your major concern.]

Because I'm my mind the last episode ended with an ACTUAL Zoro cliff hanger when the truth is probably closer to....

The FUCK Luffy!?

You mean to tell me for ALL of Dressrosa you had a MUCH COOLER version of Gear 4! A version that doesn't physically bring my head pain from the wincing and eye rolling. One where you go all shadowed and glowy eyed and get a God Cloud Boa for some reason...

And you didn't use it?

[Also, we could have called it something like Snakeman & The Strings which just sounds like the most hard core orchestra you've ever heard.]

As someone whose siblings were so excited for me to see Gear 4 and whose reaction of "wait this isn't it, right?" wasn't exactly popular why would you do this? "You know, Doffy is pretty much kicking my ass right now and I DO technically have another form that's more powerful, but if I use it NOW hos strings might block out some of my natural lighting and I really want to hit that perfect shot for this last move ..... "

Why!?

[He even looks older! This retroactively makes all that Luffy x Zoro fic I read seem Perfectly Reasonable and yes that's the excuse I'm sticking too.]

[dallasurr]

Hi sorry i accidently sended you a anon without finishing it my hand slipped i am sorry

What i tried to mean was the butterfly landed on simon's face can be readen as his upcoming healing too because when i researched about butterflies most of the time they mean change,hope and growth..

i know i am problaly looking into too much but still good to think about l

Anyway again i'm sorry for sending half finished writing i hope didn't confuse you that much

(First part of the Question for context)

No bother at all, I've been there myself xD

I don't see a future version of Infinity Train where Simon comes back alive, and there's a couple of scenarios where I imagine he could come up organically like when we hear more of Samantha's backstory or if we were to get a Grace episode or Apex Kid focused episode/season. I find it highly unlikely that Amelia's season doesn't have Hazel in at least some of it, so maybe he and Grace would be mentioned there.

But I also wouldn't put it past the writers to have parts that focus on Grace or an Apex kid or Hazel bring up the Apex in general and not mention Simon. I know sometimes it's just them picking fun at him, maybe i'm too sensitive, but it's pretty clear that some of the writers and storyboard artists didn't care for him by the way they talk about him on twitter.

However I love where you're going with this, I've had story ideas where he gets reincarnated as a denizen, i wrote a one shot kind of teasing his train journey as a groundhog day from samantha's perspective, my friend wrote an awesome little one shot where he comes back as a ghost, another friend and i kick around the idea of him being reincarnated/resurrected as a ghom, and i love the idea of Grace finding her way to samantha, amelia or one one and them working together to resurrect him.

Google has a lot of different descriptions of this concept and it really made my mind run wild with ideas, like the second one above makes me think about Ghost simon trying to warn him about what's to come. I also kind of feel like if a groundhog day-esque sequence were to happen to him, it probably would have been in the mall car shortly before they first see signs of tuba in the jungle car (I didn't realize until I was typing that out how much I need self-aware groundhog day simon trying to keep it cool even tho he keeps getting reset to day one, dude would be so stressed and mad about it /affectionate)

[risu5waffles]

Dev Diary #??

[ed.'s note: due to really bad sound balancing, risuko has chosen to re-pub this one. it ought to be better now]

This isn't so much a current dev diary as a look at some of my old hubs.

i did all of these in the same... i dunno how long it was and i'm not digging out the right notebook from the pile of wrong notebooks... anyways, the same however many weeks sequence that was the unstitched in time bit from the old show. i need you do understand, except for the End of Time hub, which got used twice, i was making a new hub, roughly on par in difficulty, every freaking week. i'm pretty sure this was when honeybunny had moved out, but before we'd actually gotten divorced (that whole story's just messy, so we'll leave it too the side for now); the dates seem roughly right, and i figure that's the only way i would have had the time to devote to it.

i really liked all of these hubs, tho' i feel like the Infernus one is the weakest of the bunch. They were all me trying new things, learning limits, both in-game and personal, and pulling off some cool effects. Buuuuut.... they were all. Such. A. Pain. Just, absolutely miserable to put together and test and retest and fiddle wiv and then test again. Like, once i'd got done wiv the episodes, i pretty much never wanted to use them again. i think Infernus and End of Time showed up in title cards, and i know i tried working Marinara into a functional hub for LittleBite-sizedPlanet, but even for those limited uses, they were just a big ball of no-fun. The faux-LBP level hub... it was so bad.

i don't know how well my explanations in the video come off; they were all recorded under a fair amount of stress, and, like, either first thing in the morning or last thing at night? i needed to get a bunch of stuff deleted off my profile 'cause it'd been on one of those "crash every time you look at it" tears, and i'd been kicking around doing this episode anyway, so, like, ok let's do it sez i. One take quick and dirty for each sequence and then delete the hub. Hopefully the video's a good last show off for them, 'cause they do be gone now.

[orpheusilver]

ok awake sober ready to finish tlou ep1 but i just cannot get over how fucking well-made it is like. the entire fucking crew was at peak performance at least for the first episode like. the cinematography is absolutely inspired the sets are so detailed and cluttered the dialogue is harrowingly realistic and the acting only elevates it like that last scene with sarah..... ...god the vfx too like i cant point to the parts of the cgi that are genius but at no moment did i ever doubt that that was actual human grey matter on the ground and im pretty sure theyre using makeup fx for most of the clicker infections which is always a slay, ALSO i have never seen anything build horror, tension, unease so neatly and Terrifyingly like the shot where sarahs in focus completely unaware while the actual focus of the shot plays out blurry behind her, the shaky cam extreme wide shot after shes kicked out of the shop with no explanation, the bit in the kitchen when you see her horrified reaction for like a full 5 seconds before it shows what shes actually reacting to which doesnt sound like a long time but for a single shot where youre hanging tf on waiting for the cut so you can see where the fuck all this blood came from that is A Long Time, also the way the whole sequence in the car was SOOOOOOO effective like ik they were probably just replicating the game at that point but idc the pov shots from the backseat the way it immediately establishes what kind of person joel is in this situation (someone else will come, drive through the crowd, knowing the most practical escape route off the top of his head, "oh shit the military", trying to reassure sarah despite everything) the believability of the chaos the fucking PLANE!!!!!! HOLY SHIT WHAT A MOMENT not film analysis just cool. god this show is fucking good i cant wait to keep watching it