#she's my inner grim badass

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Wednesday Addams.

WIP.

See the finished piece here: Wednesday

And the walkthrough-process-thingie.

[hessobbingincabo]

Rating Betsy Braddock and Kwannon’s Outfits Throughout Their Comic Book History

Ground rules

I’m gonna start from the left side, top to bottom and do the same on the right

My opinions are highly subjective, keep that in mind

I may discuss some costumes that are not pictured and will add to the quiz if I find a good image of said costumes

Warning: LONG POST BELOW THE CUT.

Credit

Art - Russell Dauterman, Hellions #12 Cover Variant

Costume Galleries > http://psylocke-butterfly.blogspot.com/2015/02/psylocke-costume-gallery-update-beyond.html < & > https://uncannyxmen.net/characters/revanche/costume-gallery <

Dissassembled Psylocke II (from Uncanny X-Men [vol.5] #2, 2018) - starting off strong, this one is actually one of my most favorite Betsy looks. The soft purples are a really nice change of pace from her regular deep indigos and it’s a welcome one at that! The details on her bodysuit really add to that “psychic powerhouse of an elite team of mutants” vibe. A solid 9/10.

Astral Plane Princess Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Force [vol.2] #3, 2013) - to be completely transparent, I don’t really dig the whole “warrior princess” vibe it gives off. The dress looks unpractical and way too frilly, the headband is out of place and the boots are too voluminous (but do match the shoulderpads, I’ll give ‘em that). Confidently, a 2/10.

X-Treme Psylocke (from X-Treme X-Men [vol.1] #1, 2005) - even though it is very reminiscent of her original costume, as sexy and revealing as it is, it looks very dull and unimaginative, sticking to the basics. Only adding an awkward red streak that doesn’t match anything, on her face, solidifies this as a 3/10.

Puzzle Quest Revanche (from X-Men [vol.2] #21, 1993) - not even gonna lie, I lowkey enjoy spy-catsuit Revanche. In my opinion it holds up well even to this day, adding a certain flaire to miss Kwannon. The pink also compliments really well her deep purple, rounding up the score to a good 6/10.

All-New All-Different Psylocke (from Uncanny x-Men [vol.4] #1, 2016) - weirdly enough I feel somewhat indifferent towars this costume. It does it’s job of revitalizing the original costume into something more slick and stylish well, but it lacks flair and elegance as it is basically “Ninja Psylocke”. A decent score of 6/10.

Mutant Massacre Agent Braddock (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #213, 1987) - as tacky and a “product of it’s time” it is, I absolutely adore this rendition of Psylocke. Despite the grim title, this costume is very happy, bright and comforting, with soft pink hues and bulbous sleeves. It strays far from Psylocke’s usual ensamble, but maybe that is a good thing and so I give it a happy 7/10.

Original/The Hand/Blue Team Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #256, 1989) - ah, the original Psylocke costume, giving you and me all the flashbacks. Absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is the most iconic Psylocke costume, though, that doesn’t mean it’s even close to being a favorite of mine. The version where every X-Men just put on a jacket over their regular costume and called it a day, actually looks a bit more dashing to me. Maybe it’s too simple or maybe it’s the oversaturation of media picturing Betsy/Kwannon with this suit that has me sighing at the sight of it. For it’s time it worked, but I’m glad we moved onto bigger and broader horizons with her. Still, an iconic look nonetheless, so a decent score of 6/10.

Acts of Vengance Lady Mandarin (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #257, 1989) - I’m really conflicited about this look - on the one hand our girl looks badass and truly formidable, on the other hand, she becomes unrecognizable and even looks messy, as cohesive as it TRIED to be. It was an interesting change, along with her moniker, that never truly paid off. An even score of 5/10.

This Is Forever Kwannon (from Uncanny X-Men [Vol. 5] #16, 2019) - channel your inner ninjas everyone, Kwannon has opened a dojo. No really, this look is the epitome of “mysterious ninja”. It’s a classic trope that suits Kwannon’s personality as a calculating assassin, perfectly balancing the darkness of her palette with the shadows (and perfectly contrasting with the brightness her psi-blade), while still having that panache usual for Kwannon and Betsy’s outfits. So, in secret, here is a shady 8/10.

Psi-War Psylocke (from X-Men [vol. 2] #78, 1998) - I’mma straight up say it - Psylocke looks like she is Blackheart’s daughter. Like legit! But anyways, if you didn’t know would you even CONSIDER that this is Psylocke? In some cases straying from a character’s original design pays of but here we just flopped, as there is nothing memorable in this design. And to top it all off, guess what? The red streak is back. And the low scores are also back - 2/10.

X-Uniform Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #273, 1991) - as is costumary, Psylocke also has the iconic yellow and blue garb. Nothing much to say as every X-Man has to, at one point, wear these colors and show their worth to mutantkind. That warrants an equally costumary score of 5/10.

Revolution Psylocke (from X-Men [vol. 2] #100, 2000) - is it just me or does she look like an anti-hero/rogue (pun totally intended) type of character with that scarf and bandana? I kind of like how silver looks on her but the red streak AND the red bandana are back which really lowers the score to a 4/10.

Australian Outback Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #232, 1988) - and here we have the inspiration behind one of Revanche’s costumes, as Betsy donned the “knight” look as the X-Men were stranded in Australia. Honestly I really don’t mind this look, as it was a refreshing take on Betsy’s colours and costume as it stayed true to her mysterious persona. Some may find if bland, but I do love a good costume switch-up once in a while so here is a good score of a 7/10.

R.C.X. Agent/Original Captain Britain (from Captain Britain [vol. 2] #13, 1985) - taking her brother’s mantle for the first time, Betsy was experimental with her look and it really shows. Her hair is supposed to represent the flag’s colors, but they left the pink for some reason? I prefer the Lady Brtion outfit, to be completely fair. I mean nothing really stands out, except for the hair and even with it’s flaws and partial blandness, this suit still recieves a rating of 6/10.

Marvel NOW Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Force [vol. 2] #1, 2013) - putting it as bluntly as I can - I like this outfit. Nothing that special or eye-catching about it. Just a simple black suit with markings and a belt for good measure.Remember - sometimes simple doesn’t equal dull. Decent look gets the decent score of 8/10.

Dawn of X/New Captain Britain (from Excalibur [vol. 4] #1, 2019) - now we’re talking! Not only is this the last look from the cover, it’s also the newest one, so far, in terms of comic books! This costume is probably one of the very few times where I enjoy how the red and pink clash and mix together, as the look itself IS cohesive. The psi-sword is also a nice touch, so here is our first 10/10.

Ranking of more of Betsy and Kwannon’s costumes is below the cut!

Runner-Ups/Honorable Mentions

Hellfire Gala Captain Britain (from Excalibur [vol. 4] #21, 2021) - I’ve already stated my thoughts on this outfit, in the post where I rank the Hellfire Gala looks, so I’m just gonna rank it. The butteflies really made this one grow on me so here you go - 7/10.

Dark Angel Saga Death (from Uncanny X-Force [vol. 1] #17, 2011) - so... um... Betsy became a Horseman of Apocalypse. Don’t ask, it’s complicated. I just want to say that I am astonished at how different she looks. It fits her archetype and the story allows for a costume change so I’m giving it a deathly 8/10. (PS. The psi-blade in blue looks SO GOOD.)

Planet X Psylocke (from Uncanny Avengers [vol. 1] #19, 2014) - as far as alternative universes go, our girl in purple runs the show here. Her costume actually makes her look x-tra powerful and authoritative, as she is one of the most powerful psychics in the world! I even like the clash of red and purple! I’m happily giving away a 9/10 here.

Horde’s Illusion Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men Annual #11, 1987) - Jocasta called, she wants her body back. Honestly as far off as this look goes from Psylocke I actually kind of like how it looks. It’s like if Betsy & Colossus had a kid, this is what her “steel” form would look like. An iron 5/10.

Danger Room Psylocke (from X-Men [vol. 4] #13, 2014) - all the bad and good clash in this outfit. The damn bandana is back, but at least it’s steel now. The shoulderpads really don’t match the rest of the outfit and what’s up with the psi-bow? The lack of shoes also baffles me but the top actually looks very good, so I present you - 6/10.

Viper’s Pawn Psylocke (from Wolverine [vol. 2] #125, 1998) - I would be reaching if I said it’s one of my favorites, but this specific shade of green actually looks so good on her. A bikini with shoulderplates really doesn’t make for good battle armor but it’s sleek, it’s sexy and it captures Betsy’s personality as a “deadly seductress” pretty effectively. Here comes the slithering score of 7/10.

Contest of Champions Psylocke (from Contest of Champions II #3, 1999) - no. Just no. Why is she wearing bones? Is she Marrow’s sister? Is she a spider goddess? And my dear friend - the out of place red streak is back, looking as dawdy as ever here due to the equally hideous armor. A definitive 1/10.

Danger Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 2] #16, 2012) - hear me out... I’m not even into anime but the “mecha queen” vibes this gives me are immaculate. I also like how reminiscent it is of her original suit, even with all it’s stylistic touches and armor. The palette also only works in it’s favor. So in summary - 9/10.

.EXE Psylocke (from What If? X-Men [vol. 1] #1, 2018) - moving swiftly from anime to cyberpunk, I present - 2077 Psylocke! Not really, but the cyberpunk vibes really ARE at hand. The visor/glasses are really a strong point of this outfit as they realy stand out against the dark palette. The soft purples as armor features also add to that “soft blade runner” type of feel. An 8/10 is due!

Excalibur Psylocke (from Excalibur [vol. 2] #1, 2001) - only strong contenders down here! While you could say it’s very basic and bland, this costume serves it’s job as a momentary costume change well. It isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s simplicity works in it’s favor. Also the mark is pink now! Such an easy change that makes everything look superior and more cohesive. And yeah the sword is actually pretty cool (glowing along with the streak to signify she is using her powers). An easy 7/10.

X-Women Psylocke (from X-Women #1, 2010) - nothing really screams Psylocke here. If anything, I’d say this is Chimera with a hair colour change! That isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. The coiling dragon on her dress is nice, but I would’ve liked them to stick to Psy’s original color palette as it is iconic and would’ve worked well with this outfit. I’m dishing out a 4/10, strictly because I’d like to see them keep to the purple and pink hues.

Warlock Psylocke (from New Mutants Annual #2, 1986) - we can all agree on one thing, right? Yellow is NOT Betsy’s colour. At all. I understand the purpose of the Warlocke (get it?) suit and why it looks the way it looks, but c’mon. Almost ANY colour would’ve been better than yellow.Thankfully the black makes-up for it slightly. For that, I’m bestowing it with a sunny 2/10.

Psylocke’s Dream Marvel Girl (from New Exiles [vol. 1] #8, 2008) - what did I just say? What did I say? Yellow is NOT Betsy’s color. And mixed with the red? AND the purple hair?! This outfit is a pure travesty on all fronts. I get the Marvel Girl idea, but some tweaking of the colors to suit Psylocke would’ve been the better move. And so this outfit moves to the bottom of the list with a 2/10.

Days of Future Past Red Queen (from Wolverine: Days of Future Past #1, 1997) - I REVERE the idea of Betsy joining the Hellfire Club. But as far as alternative universe titles go, we really couldn’t get a “Violet Queen” in huh. As for the outfit, it is absolutely all over the place. The weird spikes, the red bodysuit, the weird cape that doesn’t match anything and even the DAMN RED STREAK. Sorry, but for how much I love the idea of Betsy being part of the Hellfires, this outfit is not it and so a 1/10.

Earth X Psylocke (from Universe X #2, 2000) - a GODDESS. A DAMN GODDESS. I would be lying if I said that Betsy doesn’t deserve that status, because you and I know her power. As far as the outfit goes it isn’t anything crazy - the cloak is basic, guiding your eyes towards her head, which is understandable as it is the main attraction (now that I’m thinking about it couldn’t we have had something similar as a Hellfire Gala look for either Betsy or Kwannon?). It does it’s job of her looking divine, but something more interesting with her body could’ve been done, so I grant it a 5/10.

Fantomex Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Force [vol. 2] #7, 2013) - so... this is a thing that exists... I can understand this was never meant to last, but really? Much more could’ve been done to tie together this look - adding some dark purple lining along her body, a buttefly design on her mask or gun, darker boots and gloves and a longer ponytail would’ve sufficed. And a disappointing 3/10.

Psychic Armor Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Force [vol. 1] #33, 2012) - is it just me or are you getting Deathbird vibes too? Maybe it’s the helmet. There is literally nothing cohesive about this look - the random pieces of bright pink details, the random lines on her bodysuit, the shoulderplate that’s just there? And drum roll please... the award you recieve is.... a 2/10.

Mojo’s Pawn Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men Annual #10, 1987) - the late eighties had some gems. Note that I said some. This outfit, is not one of them. The weird green, the random lines and the unsuitable hue of Betsy’s hair make for an unsatisfying ensamble. The highest score I can gift out is a drab 3/10.

Original Astral Plane Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #456, 2005) - you know what? I actually don’t hate it. As much as I go on about “sticking to the colour palette”, here the mint actually matches her purple accents very masterfully. Much better than her later dress, which makes you wonder why’d they even change it? If it ain’t broken... Anyways, a decently high score of 6/10 is proper. I’m only some taking points away for lack of detail on the kimono.

Utopia Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #514, 2009) - the catsuit is the most basic you can get with character design. That isn’t always a bad thing, I mean look at Black Widow and Catwoman for example. But Betsy always had a taste for the flashier, for the bold. Seeing her like this is a far cry from her regular flamboyance and not a welcome one at that. You could say it’s too far of a cry. So as far as I can get, 5/10 is the farthest I can go.

New Exiles Psylocke (from New Exiles #1, 2008) - all of Betsy’s Exiles costumes follow the same formula. A deep, almost black-ish blue with very little purple as details. The colours really don’t do it for me, as in this outfit especially she just could be any random woman. How can you even tell that is supposed to be Psylocke? Anyways, without too much rambling I rank all her Exile uniforms at a firm 4/10.

X-Force Psylocke (from X-Force [vol. 4] #1, 2014) - what is this? I’m expecting an apology video in the very near future. I can say literally NOTHING good about this outfit. I really tried to find a single good thing, but even that is notably abscent. 1/10. Sorry.

2099 Prechronal Collapse Psi-Girl (from Spider-Boy Team-Up #1, 1997) - you cannot tell me this isn’t Saturn Girl. You just cannot. The colors are altered slightly and her hair is down, but this is Saturn Girl. At least her Postchronal Collapse look is better (look it up)! A 5/10 for copyright infringement, and for the way too vibrant pink.

Movie Adaptation Psylocke (from X-Men The Movie Special Edition, 2000) - so as we all know in the early X-Men movies, the cast stuck to the black outfits as the “yellow would’ve been too tacky”. I call bullshit. Psylocke does lowkey look badass though, but I do wish the purple on her suit was a bit more visible and prominent all around. Overall not a horrible depicting though! An anchored-in-reality score of 7/10 is adequate. I’m only taking points away for the red streak, as you could’ve guessed.

Age of X Psylocke (from X-Men: Legacy [vol. 1] #245, 2011) - okay, okay I see what they did here. The softer pink hues are a suprisingly good look on Psylocke. I even kind of like the yellow scarf. Can you believe that? A good mix of yellow and pink on a Psylocke costume? Someone write that down. The only thing throwing me off are these beige boots and the weird shaped daggers, but everything else really bounces off of each other and creates a coherent silhouette. Adequately, 9/10.

Sword of the Braddocks Psylocke (from X-Men: Sword of the Braddocks #1, 2009) - the black catsuit makes a return and so does the Spylocke look. Honestly nothing much to say, as it is just a skintight black one-piece. I like it, but again - some violet lining could’ve elevated the outfit much more. 6/10.

Weird War Psylocke (from Excalibur: Weird War III #1, 1990) - the name of the suit really summarises what I think. It is very out there in terms of colors and vibrancy, but other than that it really has nothing going for it. It’s again a simple one-piece with a weird funky design. It’s something straight out of the 80′s, despite the release date of the comic it debuted it. Something MARINA would wear, so this pin-up doll gets a 5/10.

Nocturne’s Reality Psylocke (from Exiles [vol. 1] #42, 2004) - why do I kind of dig this look on Psylocke? The blue mixed with the 60′s dress really makes me happy for some reason. I really don’t have any major gripes with this design so I present you with another 8/10.

Ultimate Psylocke (from Ultimate X-Men #84, 2007) - the Ultimate universe is really infamous for a multitude of reasons. This costume is one of them. I don’t know about you but when I think of Psylocke, I am far from the thought of Sailor Moon. And that is exactly what they did here. The not so stellar score of 4/10 is the highest I can I go.

The End Psylocke (from X-Men: The End - Book Two #2, 2005) - listen... I don’t loathe this design. The red is incorporated well as just a logo on her chest, whie the rest of her clothes are a simple dark, almost black-ish blue. It gets point for actually managing to stay cohesive so a nice score of 6/10 is owed.

All-New X-Men Psylocke (from All-New X-Men #25, 2014) - so this is basically what Psy would look like if she joined Alpha Flight or the Corsairs full-time. While I don’t hate it I have the complete opposite problems with it, compared to her other suits - it has too much detail. There is just way too much to look at and the purple becomes a tiny bit overbearing. Still, not a bad outfit, so this space girl that I saw a lunar eclipse with gets a 7/10.

Sentinel Territories Battleworld Psylocke (from Secret Wars Journal [vol. 1] #4, 2015) - I’m getting “sorceress” vibes from this for some reason. Like if Scarlet Witch and Psylocke merged this would be the result. That being said, I wish the violet colors were more prominent and the blue was less so. In fact, if her suit was purple, it would be a straight-up 9/10. But due to the pure blue, it’s a 6/10 from me.

Arcadia Battleworld Psylocke (from A-Force [vol. 1] #5, 2015) - so big Marvel NOW inspirations all-around. It’s super visible, but maybe that is the point? I loved that outfit and I love this one too, the white accents on the black with the purple hair are a really enjoyable combo so again a good 8/10. Almost perfect :)

O-Chiyo Braddock (from 5 Ronin #4, 2011) - okay but bathouse owner vibes anyone? Try telling me that she doesn’t meet Chihiro at point. Enough Studio Ghibili references for now, but I really do dig this ensamble. The blue waves/flowers compliment the less saturated red on her belt well. Real talk, a good 7/10.

Captain Britain Corps Captain Britain (from Excalibur [vol. 1] #44, 1991) - contrary to our last entry, here the blue and red don’t mix well AT ALL. It is a very messy design and I really don’t get the shard/sharp motif around her costume. The hue of her hair also clashes with the 2 already clashing colors. The score I can give, as low as it is, is 2/10.

The Hand’s Illusion Betsy Braddock (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #256, 1989) - to be fair, out of all the Hand Illusion Betsies, this one is my fave. As basic as her outfit is, here simple = elegant. And if you look up the other 2, you will understand why this one is the best out of the 3. But no matter, still a good 6/10.

House of M Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #463, 2005) - as far as House of M looks go, I really like the shapes and how they play on Betsy’s figure. The dragon is literally such a good inclusion, sadly it isn’t in too much of her other designs. The psi-katanas are also an insanely simple but smart addition that just boosts the vibe of the suit. The only thing stopping me from giving it a perfect score is that damn belt. If it was removed or was a different color to match, this look would’ve been flawless. Nonetheless, a good 9/10.

The War Day Lady Mandarin (from New Exiles [vol. 1] #7, 2008) - the Lady Mandarin looks have never been strong, but this one is especially weak. Psylocke doesn’t fit the “knight” shtick as she is too elegant and mysterious for that. The weird armor, the blue cape, my dear friend - the red streak all make for a chaotic look, and so a chaotic score of 1/10.

Barbarian Warrior Besty Braddock (from New Exiles [vol. 1] #11, 2008) - like I just said, the “barbarian” vibe isn’t Betsy nor Kwannon’s vibe for that matter. The 2 are way too elegant to be putting on animal skulls, leather bandanas and weird thigh rings. But this is exactly what was done here. I know that there can’t be done a lot with a viking age X-Men, but some unrealistic colors that fit Betsy could’ve been overlooked for the sake of cohesiveness. At least the blade adds a point up, so a 3/10.

S.T.R.I.K.E. Agent Betsy Braddock (from The Daredevils #3, 1983) - this outfit is basically the lesser sister of the Mutant Massacre Agent Braddock costume. This is technically Betsy’s first “superhero costume” so I can cut it some slack. I mean it’s just normal clothes that don’t really match her hair... I really don’t get why red but whatever. I strike it down with a 4/10.

Original Psychic Armor Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #324, 1995) - in fairness her latter psychic armor is worse. The design, while messy - the headgear, the choice of a bright blue as a primary color, the kneepads, the metallic accents that are just there for the sake of being there is still slightly more cohesive than her later armor. Sorry Psy, but it is another 3/10.

X-Club Psylocke (from Uncanny X-Men [vol. 1] #512, 2009) - I don’t know if it’s the pose, the look or the outfit itself but I’m getting a retro “desperate housewives” from this. It looks like Betsy just gave up on being a hero and just retreated into a cottage to take care of her 3 children while her husband is at war. For this grieving widow, a 3/10.

Mystery in Madripoor Psylocke (from Hunt For Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor [vol. 1] #1, 2018) - despite how sleek this looks, nothing stands out. I would’ve added some rings, bracelets, earrings to really add to that powerful vibe. The boob window is kind of ridiculously big. I like the color of the bodysuit tho, so I’m giving it a 5/10 as it’s not dissapointing, just lackluster.

Multiverse Captain Britain (from Excalibur [vol. 4] #17, 2021) - bland, dull and boring. I’ve said it. I think it’s supposed to be bland, but in reality something COULD’VE been done. I like the ponytail though. A dazzling 3/10.

New Captain Brtain Corps Captain Britain (from Excalibur [vol. 4] #16, 2020) - one of my personal favorites from the Captain Britain Corps, this Betsy looks full with confidence and authority. Her fur and cape really signify the “I’m powerful” vibe (and also leave me thinking about Lionheart and her time as Captain Britain) and her belt adds to that, referencing her time in the X-Men. A fantastic score of 7/10 is due.

Captain Britain Corps Titania Captain Britain (from Excalibur [vol. 4] #16, 2020) - I can see that this costume is trying to reference Brian Braddock and his simple but tasteful look. Buff Betsy is never a bad thing and her hair is also a really nice shade of purple, fitting for the unsaturated reds and blues on her costume. A bloody 6/10, love.

Captain Britain Corps Elspeth Braddock (from Excalibur [vol. 4] #19, 2021) - another strong contender for the best Captain Britain Corps costume title. I really love this medieval look on Betsy, with the lantern that (pressumably) has glowing will-o-wisps in the form of butterflies. Very “witch from the woods” vibes. Fancy a 8/10 rating.

Captain Britain Corps Queen Elizabeth III (from Excalibur [vol. 4] #19, 2021) - okay but our girl looks absolutely royal in this garb. I wish the dress was more intricate and clever with the inclusion of the Captain Britain colors and flag, but the hair, the cape, the sword and the forehead dangles really sway me to the 8/10. 

(Also thank you so much if you managed to reach all the way down here, you a real one! Let me know which Betsy/Kwannon look is YOUR personal favorite, even if it isn’t on the list!)

[silver-wield]

Hi this is not Cloti related but do you have an analysis on Cloud's relationship with Jessie? Particularly during chapter 4 after the bike mini-game? Cloud looks worried

Sorry this took a while, Nonny, I get a bit done in from life lol

So Cloud and Jessie, the girl who absolutely has no issue throwing herself at our boi. It's pretty good for him because at least he gets used to girls being all over him and helps him make his mind up just who he wants to show attention to #cough# Tifa #cough#

Ok, spoiler warning for ppl who haven’t played – do I still need to do this? Eh ok, (I tag FF7R spoilers as final fantasy 7 remake spoilers) and it’s gonna be smol.

Also, this is one person’s interpretation of the scene, so if you disagree that’s cool and we’ll agree to disagree.

You’re also gonna have to excuse the janky quality on some of the screens, I’m grabbing them from Youtube and it’s frustrating af trying to get the exact moment I want.

Please check my master post to see if I've already covered your question, thanx

Let's mosey!

Recap time!

Chapter four and our reluctant hero has been roped into help the avalanche trio go topside. Problem is they missed the last train and have to take their bikes instead. Cue a few problems with security and a meeting with the master of extra, Roche. Once that's out of the way, Jessie rewards Cloud depending on your expertise.

This scene has 3 optional endings.

Quick aside, I find it hilarious that Cloud literally tells Jessie to shut up and get off the bike when she starts annoying him during the minigame.

Ok, ending one. The bad ending where Jessie's beyond disappointed with you. These are hard to pick apart because a lot of Cloud's attention is on the road, so the usual microexpressions are even harder to catch.

But look what I caught anyway! Check that brow quirking like “excuse you?” and it's accurate because he says he's a great driver in the next moment. I really love going over these scenes and spotting all these because they build such a clearer picture of Cloud is as a person. And clearly boi doesn't like his driving ability being questioned, especially seeing how Jessie didn't do squat to help him, aside from being annoying lol

Well, Cloud does seem a bit worried here if the frown is anything to go by. I'm guessing it's because this is the bad ending and as much as he's not into Jessie, he doesn't like people having a bad impression of him. He doesn't like the idea that he's not thought of as the big badass capable merc in all ways, so this could well be hints of that self-doubt coming through. 

Although, after watching the other two endings, this is the only time we see this typical cycle of expressions he does before concluding something. This is what I like to call a real!Cloud inner debate. Cloud often goes through a lot of quick expressions or his eyes dart around. Since they can’t do that here, we get the former. Judging from the frown at the end, he’s not impressed with his own performance and likely berating himself for not being good enough. Again. Someone call a therapist for Cloud, plz.

And moving onto the second ending, which you get if you did ok on the minigame. These are making me wonder which one's canon. I don't think it's the kiss and actually, it may well be the bad one since that's where we get the most facial expression and close ups from Cloud compared to the others where we see the back of his head or a mid range view.

For this scene we only get one close up of Cloud's face and it's pretty much SOLDIER!Cloud and then the next time he speaks you can't even see his face. This is the kind of thing that hints to me which optional scene is the one we're supposed to be getting for Cloud's narrative story (and that I actually forgot about for my playthrough as Cloud lol I got the middle one because I kinda suck at fighting Roche, but I try).

Yeah, so a lot of sighing from Cloud at Jessie, the annoyed kind. I mean, we know she kinda irritates him, but he likes her too, just not in a romantic way. You also don't see his reaction to her “I might be falling after all” line and only hear him say “hmm?” Then when his face is next in frame it's full on SOLDIER, so there's really nothing to pick apart.

And now the good ending where you get a kiss from Jessie! Ooh lala!!

CLOUD'S FACE HERE! OMG I'M DYING! He's such a boi in a man sometimes! Adorable af! Definitely never even had a kiss on the cheek before in his life and look at the ott reaction to it!

WAIT! Wait! I've seen that face before somewhere!

YES OMG I'M DYING! It's the same reaction as the one to Aerith's best dress! OMG!

I'm sorry, I genuinely need a minute....

Ok, so...looool ok....I can be sensible here....maybe loool erm, the unrealistic expression on Cloud's face shows that it's unlikely this is the outcome that happened. But, on the other hand if the red dress happened then so did this kiss, so choose your poison lol

omg I love the devs for this! I really do! This is hilarious! I can’t even look at these two pics without laughing!

Ok, sensible. Kinda. 

And last one where Cloud looks grim af as usual, but with a hint of “what do I do about this?” because Jessie kissed him and he's not interested and he has no clue what to do with women and likely wants to reject her, but still doesn't know what to do with women, so you can see the dilemma he's in lol

It doesn't help when Jessie tries calling him out on it and he has this tiny frown in response. His attention is split between trying to talk to her and driving, so it's no wonder he's not that talkative and abrupt. If I wanted to speculate I'd say if he actually had an interest in her as more than friends he'd have tried harder. He had his little chat with Marle already, so he's not opposed to putting himself out if he wants to. He doesn't here, but he's still trying to concentrate, so that could explain the lack of attention, but still, Jessie kissed him and he got scowly.

Conclusion.

Well, I for one didn't remember there were 3 of these endings – each with their own remix of Jessie's theme, just like another 3 optional scenes with a remixed theme lol the parallels are killing me!

The music for each should also hint at which one is the narrative canon – I'm useless with music analysis so bear with me. The first one does sound like it fits with the other girls' themes, so very simple, easy to listen to in the background and memorable in its way. The second is louder and has more techno notes in, making it seem less like a background piece and more in your face. The last one has vocalists and is a full on pop song! No way is that right lol

For two of the three of these we don't really get much in the way of Cloud's face. It could be put down to him driving, but we get a couple of very good close ups on the bad one with varied expressions, one of which definitely goes towards his personal motivation to be thought of as a hero. Having people point out his faults would cause that kind of reaction.

The second result really doesn't have much in the way of facial expression and Cloud's voice is brisk because he's driving, so I can't really say much about it one way or the other. It’s the one I get the most when I’m playing and it’s kinda blah. Like your standard minigame pass screen. That probably didn’t help.

The last one is hilarious! That's such an exaggerated expression! Do people really believe Cloud pulls that kind of pikachu face on the regular?! I legit needed to stop because I couldn't stop laughing! That's not Cloud or real!Cloud, that's just bloody funny! Also, Cloud doesn't seem too impressed by the result if that last minute frown is any indication. He doesn't want Jessie kissing him, even though it's probably the first time any girl has kissed him – poor sweet summer child lol

If I had to make a guess at the narrative canon I'd say number one, because we know for a fact that Cloud hasn't been driving for years. Boi gets motion sickness ffs! And when did he ever drive a motorcycle? I'd definitely buy that being one of the first times he's ever driven, which would explain why he did so poorly and why he has multiple varied expressions in that result.

[mrs-berry]

Like the Sun

Read on AO3!

Summary: Marinette asks Chat Noir a question she really should not have asked. Chat Noir is ecstatic to give her more of an answer than she wanted, which leads to some regret and a major mistake... (Inspired by this post!)

Word Count: 2366

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was an ordinary evening, just like any other. Chat Noir had come to visit his favourite civilian on her rooftop balcony, which was dimly lit with fairy lights.

The pair sipped on hot chocolate as they leaned over the railing and gazed at the beautiful view before them. The sun had begun its journey to the horizon, leaving a stunning array of oranges and reds amongst the sky.

Marinette set down her mug on the table behind her, rubbing her hands together to gather warmth from the slightly cool air.

"I'm probably going to regret asking this," Marinette mumbled to herself, but Chat's keen ears picked up on it anyway. "But why did you fall for Ladybug?"

Chat Noir's jaw dropped open in shock and he stared bug-eyed at her as if it was dumbest question he had ever heard. Which, in his mind, it just might be.

He put his hand to his chest as if the question personally offended him.

Then, a silky smooth cheshire grin slowly overtook his initial expression.

Now, he looked like the cat that got the cream.

Marinette was already regretting her question.

"Marinette. Princess. Mousinette. My little lady. Heh. I'm so glad you asked— even if the answer should be blindingly obvious," he spoke with a smug grin and air of total confidence. "Ladybug is amazing."

He paused dramatically, giving her time to brace herself for the holy reasons that only she would have the privilege of hearing. During his silence, he set down his mug as he would need both hands for his impassioned gesturing.

"... That's it?" she asked, clearly unimpressed.

Chat burst into laughter, the thought of that being all there was to say was completely laughable and insane. He loved Marinette, but she sure could be silly sometimes!

Wiping away the tears that had sprung to his eyes, he shook his head emphatically and put his hands across his chest in a big "X" to indicate she was totally wrong.

"No, you didn't let me finish—haha—my impatient princess," he finally managed to say as his laughter subsided.

"Well, you stopped talking, what else was I supposed to think?" she said, a wry grin on her face. He may have been laughing at her, but she still enjoyed hearing his laughter. It felt good. It felt free.

"I was pawsing to build up the anticipation—the excitement," he stated as if it should have been obvious, throwing out his hands as if measuring said excitement.

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Well, purrdon me then. Carry on," she encouraged, bowing and gesturing that he had the floor now.

Chat beamed, glowing at her usage of a pun and her dramatics that mirrored his own. He was really rubbing off on her and it brought him immense glee.

"Well, where do I even begin? There's just so much! The first thing that made me realize she was amazing was when she threw me into the clutches of Stoneheart's fist. I thought she was crazy, but it turned out she was brilliant—a creative genius!" Chat gushed, relishing in the wonderful memory of their first battle together.

Marinette covered her mouth, kind of surprised he not only remembered it, but that he remembered it fondly. She also felt a bit embarrassed to hear him calling her a genius. He really did like to exaggerate and be all theatrical.

"It didn't take me long to fall for her. But the actual moment I knew I loved her—I'm talking head-over-heels in love—was when she stood up to Hawk Moth when she first met him. She made her declaration that we would find him and take his Miraculous and then she proceeded to capture and purify an enormous amount of Akumas. After that, she promised to all of Paris that we would protect everyone and keep them safe. It was the coolest speech I ever witnessed and I know I'm not doing it justice, but it was incredibly impressive and awe-inspiring. She was just... so badass and I'm lucky I got to witness it firsthand. I'm even luckier that I have the honour—nay, the privilege—of being her partner. I seriously love that girl..." he trailed off with a lovestruck expression and his hands clasped to his chest in pure adoration as he stared off into space, remembering the moment she stole his heart.

Marinette couldn't stop the liquid hot warmth that spread through her cheeks, her accelerated heart pumping blood throughout her body at ridiculous speeds.

His moment... it kind of reminded her of her moment with Adrien. Like her, Chat was able to pinpoint the moment his heart no longer belonged to himself; the moment the lightning had struck. She had that same moment on a stormy school day, outside with a new student who gave her a terrible first impression but spun things around so fast, she fell so hard and couldn't stop herself.

But with Chat, there was no specific moment she could pinpoint falling for him.

Wait.

She shook her head. That was a strange thought, seeing as she hadn't fallen for him.

Right?

"Anyway, that's just the beginning. There's so many more moments and things about her I love," he continued, complete oblivious to Marinette's inner dilemma and flustered state due to his own reminiscing.

"O-oh yeah, like what?" Marinette struggled to ask in a normal voice. She felt like she was in a sauna with how warm she had gotten.

Maybe she was getting sick?

(Of course! That would explain her delirious thoughts.)

"Milady is incredibly witty. No one else I know can banter with me like she does."

"Oof, I'm hurt," Marinette teased, having recovered slightly from her abnormal thoughts after chalking them up to her being unwell, and not actually offended due to obvious reasons (that is, her being Ladybug).

"Sorry, Marimouse, it's true you have sharp wit, too. Actually, thinking about it, you would probably give Ladybug a run for her money. I'd love to see you two go against each other in a battle of wits," he said, eyes alight at the idea.

"Eep!" Marinette squeaked, tugging at her sleeve nervously. "Uh, I bet she would win that. Haha."

Not that that can ever happen, she thought.

"Hmm, purrhaps. Anywho, back to my 101 reasons for catching the lovebug for my LoveBug," he sighed in bliss, his thoughts once again drifting to the girl of his dreams.

Marinette rolled her eyes again, trying to resist the blush that threatened to return. Her kitty was so silly.

Yet so cute.

Wait, what? Marinette mentally swatted away the totally uncalled-for thought.

"Ladybug can take the most hopeless and grim situation and turn it around. Her Lucky Charms are obscure, yet she always figures them out. She always manages to come up with a plan and I love how quirky they often end up being. It's exhilarating waiting to see what surprising ideas she'll come up with!"

"So... basically, you like her because she is crazy and weird?" Marinette asked, not really realizing what was so great about that.

"That's not how I see it. She's creative and unexpected. She makes things fun and exciting. She keeps me on my toes," he corrected her.

"O-okay. Well, is that it?" Marinette asked, kind of hoping that was all. She wasn't sure how much more praise she could handle.

"Not even close!" he retorted, as if shocked she could even harbor such a ridiculous thought. "Ladybug is a great leader. She takes responsibility, makes snap decisions, delegates tasks, and successfully executes her plans to thwart Hawk Moth. She trusts her instincts—and her instincts are good. She's a great problem solver. She really has a great mind and laser-sharp focus. She truly cares about Paris and her teammates. She is a good person, through and through," he listed with ease.

Marinette was speechless and felt a bit dizzy. She knew her partner liked her, but it never really sunk in how much and how highly he thought of her.

Marinette turned her face away. He was painting her way more highly than he should.

"Doesn't she ever make mistakes? Doesn't she ever get on your nerves?" Marinette asked. Surely, he recognized she had flaws as well.

"Of course she makes mistakes, she's still human even with the superpowers. But she does her best to fix them. Sometimes I wish she would rely on me and the others a little more than she does, but she's strongly independent. Still, when it really matters, she has always found the solution or gotten the help she needs. She's always been able to overcome whatever obstacles or mistakes she's made and come out stronger for it. Ladybug's resilient like that," he answered, still clearly filled with love for her.

Marinette didn't know what to say, so she just bit her lip and waited for him to continue.

"As for getting on my nerves? Sure, we've had our fights. Usually it's because she's stubborn about her responsibilities, so I can't really fault her for that. For example, I hated feeling left out about some things and I told her as much. I could tell she wasn't withholding information to hurt me, though. And shortly after telling her my feelings, she managed to convince one of our... 'teammates' that I should also be in the know regarding some matters. So she had taken my feelings seriously and I appreciate it. And when I was upset with her for not showing up that night—the one where I set up all the candles for her—she explained and apologized to me later after we fought Glaciator. Ladybug always has good reasons for doing what she does. She never intentionally hurts me or gets mad at me," Chat explained, a fond smile on his lips.

He was too good, too pure.

Marinette struggled to remain composed at how understanding he was. She hadn't fully realized before just how thoughtful her kitty was.

"Anyway, I love Ladybug. I love her for her strengths and how amazing she is, but I also love her for her flaws and how human she is. Everyone else probably just sees her as a responsible superhero—and she is—but I get to see her as so much more. I trust her with my life and with my heart," he confessed lovingly. Then sorrowfully added, "Even though she doesn't feel the same way."

Marinette felt her heart twist and put a comforting hand on his back. Even though he didn't know it, it was Marinette that had put that sad expression on him.

"You know, to me, Ladybug is like the sun," Chat admitted, his face suddenly brightening again.

Marinette raised an eyebrow at the change in subject, curious as to how he came to that conclusion.

"Her smile shines brilliantly," he began.

She couldn't stop the smile that spread. She quickly self-consciously covered her mouth, as she waited for him to continue.

"She's strong, mentally and physically," he continued. Then, with a chuckle, he said proudly, "She can lift and throw me like I'm the weight of a feather."

Marinette giggled at that, as well.

"She can give some good burns, with her sharp comebacks. I would know, as I've experience first-degree burns from her," he laughed again.

Marinette laughed too. He was very witty himself. Though he was usually too nice to "burn" her.

"She's impossible to miss. Rather than saying she lights up a room, I guess you could say she lights up any area she leaps into," he said with awe, gesturing widely with his hands.

Marinette shyly played with one of her pigtails. He was just exaggerating again, surely.

"She's warm and caring, she obviously loves Paris very much and I'm sure all of Paris can feel her warmth."

Paris wasn't the only thing feeling warm, Marinette thought as she began feeling like she had stepped back into that sauna again.

"She is needed and very important. Like the plants need the sun to grow, Paris needs her to survive and thrive," he spoke with sincerity, as he truly meant it.

Marinette was pretty sure she was going to combust any moment. She wasn't sure she could actually handle any more.

"Her mind is bright—blindingly so. I have never met anyone else quite as clever as her," he stated. Then he turned to Marinette with a wink, "Then again, I seem to know a few clever people. You're also one of them, of course. Again, you could pawsibly be competition for LB in that regard."

Marinette was about to protest again, but he spoke up before she had the chance.

"I cannot spend all my time with her. Just like the sun sets, she too must leave after a battle. But my heart is assured that she will reappear. Just like the sun rises, Ladybug will return when Paris needs her again. Though I wish it were more often." A bittersweet sigh escaped his lips.

Marinette just stared at him in wonder at this point, mouth agape and cheeks flushed.

"And, finally, I'd happily let my life revolve around her if she'd let me. Just like the planets revolve around the sun, which is centered in the solar system, I'd love her to be the centre of my life." He raised a hand to his heart as he gazed at the setting sun.

Then, Chat turned his whole body towards Marinette. He was looking at her with unconditional love in his eyes—the look he so frequently showed to Ladybug.

The look of pure love and adoration.

Oh.

And on instinct, without any coherent or logical thought, Marinette lurched forward, grasping his cheeks, pulling him down toward her, closed her eyes and kissed him point blank on the lips.

Chat froze in shock, eyes wide and pupils dilated.

Before he could even properly react, it was over.

Her lips suddenly felt cold from the sudden onset then absence of warm, soft lips. It took a moment for her to process what had just happened; what she had just initiated.

Oh god, what had she just done?

[amostimprobabledream]

My thoughts on Peaky Blinders...

Now I’ve finished Season Five, I wanted to get out my thoughts/ideas/opinions regarding the show. So strap in! - So first of all, the fucking cinematopgraphy in this series is gorgeous. You could take almost any scene and it looks like a painting. The lighting, the way it’s staged, it’s all just so visually pleasing to look at. My inner film student was just sighing dreamily at the shot composition. There’s a shot of John, Arthur and Tommy walking somewhere and you could fucking frame it and put it in your wall. - CILLIAN MURPHY, CILLIAN MURPHY, CILLIAN MURPHY. I mean, I always knew he was a good actor and also a pretty one, I think the role I remember him best in is Batman Begins, but holy shit, I never realised how hot he is until like two months ago. I know he apparently hates his Tommy haircut, but good lord, he can pull it off. The cheekbones! The eyes! The eyelashes! The sexy voice! Needless to say I saw him and immediately developed the biggest fucking crush. Apparently when I talk about Tommy to people my face goes pink. Thank you so much, show, for enlightening me to this human. Tommy is such a fantastic character, and I do wonder if another actor could pull him off quite as well. So much debate over his actions, motives, mindset, etc. I could probably write essays about the complexities of Tommy, but I won’t because this is a long-ass post anyway. He’s such a boss and I would die for him. - I actually really like Arthur??? So the very first clip of PB I ever saw was accidental, when I happened to turn the TV on and the Blinders were taking over the Eden Club and Arthur was glassing a guy in the face. I thought, “Oh, he’s probably like the dangerous thug character everyone is scared of.” (I didn’t know he’s Tommy’s brother at the time.) But actually he’s kind of endearing despite being the Shelby’s pitbull? Idk, the concept of the “failure” elder brother, how Arthur is the character the verbalises PTSD the most out of everyone, how one minute he can be lashing out like a rabid bear and then sobbing like a kid the next... I’m always like, “Oh, Arthur,” because you can see he wants to be a better person, but he just...doesn’t know how. - JOOOHN. I miss him! And it’s weird because in the early parts of the Season John doesn’t DO much but tag around after Tommy and Arthur, but his marriage to Esme is actually So Good and again, he’s actually kind of a softboi under the hard gangster act. (Also his “Do THIS, John, Do THAT, John, KILL YOUR FOOKIN’ TEACHER, JOHN!” is so fucking good.) He kind of provides a lightness when contrasted to Tommy and Arthur that I really do miss, because the last two Seasons have been very grim and I think John’s absence has something to do with it. I liked Esme too, even if she’s a stroppy bitch, her love for John but resentment of her role in the family and also she’s HELLA PRETTY. I’m sad her character has gone for now, but at least she wasn’t killed off. - I also love Ada a lot - I was really shocked when I read that Sophie Rundle hasn’t been acting all that long before she got the part in PB, because honestly she’s very good! And her concept again is a fun one - the only girl in a family of violent gangster boys. (Or as Freddy puts it, “The only princess”, which she is.) Having said that, I’m not sure how I feel about Ada’s character arc over the course of the season. In One she came off as kind of childish and still sort of stuck in her Rebellious Teen phase, then she became a mother and Freddie died, then in Season Two she’s trying to distance herself from the family and go legit, then in Season Four and Five she’s helping run the business and taking money from Tommy. Idk, I wish she’d play a more major role like her brothers because her motivations seem to change based on what the screenwriter wants, not what feels natural for her. Plus it annoys me that Ada blamed Ben Younger’s death on Tommy, but Tommy gets a lot of blame for things that aren’t his fault so I guess he’s used to it. Still, Ada is still a lot of fun when she does get to play a big role and gets some great lines later on. “Tommy Shelby is going to stop a revolution with his cock.” - POLLY, MY QUEEN! Easily the best woman on the show (sorry, Ada) and such a fucking badass. She’s definitely the voice of reason within the family and conflicting loyalty is a really interesting theme that gets explored with her, between her arguing nephews and niece, between her family or whether she wants to marry again and leave, her relationship with Michael, it’s all so great. Helen McRory is such a brilliant addition to the show. Also I love that Polly kinda represents women taking over after all the men went away to war and now they’re back, but the women aren’t just going to creep back into the house - World War One changed the workplace forever for women and I think Polly being the second in command after Tommy reflects that really well. - I think overall my favourite seasons have been Seasons One, Two and Four, I tend to find I get a bit bored in Peaky Blinders whenever it gets especially heavy on politics like in Season Three and Five and I admittedly kind of miss the simplicity of the early days of the show when it was about horse-racing, but the Changretta vs Shelby feud was genuinely really gripping and Adrien Brody was also Very Good. (I mean, I couldn’t take him seriously because of Brodyquest, but I like him a lot.) - I HATE GRACE. There, I said it. And honestly I have SO MUCH to say on why I hate her and also why I think she is the epitome of bad writing that has happened on this show that I might as well save it for a whole nother post, but Tommy and Grace’s relationship always felt so unnatural and forced to me, like they are in love because the screenwriter said so - Grace is the only woman Tommy knows who isn’t related to him and also because it pisses off Campbell. Like, she was tolerable if highly irritating in Season One, but then Two came along and she just got worse and worse. She’s annoyingly convinced she’s better than everyone else, pulls off a LOT of questionable shit that NO-ONE except Polly ever pulls her up on and Tommy repeatedly pining over a woman who lied to him and betrayed him makes no goddamn sense. I wish Stephen Knight would just let him get over her, because her showing up over and over again in the show after the bitch died two Seasons ago is so infuriating I want to throw my remote at the TV. The best bit of Season Three was someone finally putting a bullet in her, honestly. /rant - On that note, I really wish that they’d use May properly. She was introduced in Season Two and honestly her chemistry with Tommy is about a thousand times more believable than anything he had with Guuuhrayce and also May doesn’t consistently talk in that annoying, breathy voice and also she doesn’t shamelessly manipulate Tommy constantly. It’s too bad Stephen Knight couldn’t get Charlotte Riley back for Season Three owing to her pregnancy, because I think the trajectory of the show would have been very different. But her scene where she spoke about her husband and tried to hide that she was crying? So good. The fucking Face Tommy gives her when she asks for a mixer in her gin? Priceless. Agh - May’s been chronically underused in the show but she keeps getting mentioned every now and then, so I’m hoping there are plans for her to come back in Season Six. I really like her and I honestly think Tommy/May has been the best relationship he’s had, because it’s the only one that’s felt A) Natural and B) Equal. - Lizzie Stark. Okay, so I have mixed feelings about Lizzie. I liked her in Seasons One and Two, because she was this down-on-her-luck woman who was treated like crap by everyone, but she wasn’t wholly without her own flaws or personality - she did lie to John and Tommy did act in his brother’s best interests to tell him the truth. The scenes she had with Tommy in Season Two when he promotes her to his secretary were honestly very cute and my heart broke for her when that solider nearly (?) raped her in Season Two and she cried in John’s arms. But over time she’s started to irritate me. I know that people feel bad for her because Tommy honestly does treat her badly at times, though other times she’s also one of the few people he’s nice to, their relationship is complicated. But truthfully I don’t see Tommy/Lizzie every working out properly because Lizzie was a whore. She’s always been Tommy’s inferior and while I do think he cares for her, she never seems to think it’s enough. He doesn’t love her enough and she’s never satisfied with it and she’s always resentful of him. But you can’t FORCE someone to love you and it’s interesting that the minute she learned she was pregnant, you could see her thinking of how to make this work. She pulled the Baby Trap on him just like Grace did and got married like she wanted, but Tommy still doesn’t truly see her as his equal. And honestly, I don’t think she’s smart enough for him. Add that to Lizzie being EXTREMELY petty to other women (including her being really rude to May and slut-shaming her - bit rich from you, isn’t it, Lizzie?), and I don’t think they have a healthy relationship. I do like little Ruby a lot (way more than Charles, who is a spoiled brat because he’s Grace’s son and has a martyred dead mummy), but honestly I don’t see Tommy/Lizzie working out. I just hope that she doesn’t leave and take Ruby, I think it’d break Tommy to have his daughter taken away from him. - Alfie Solomons. So...I have to confess I have mixed feelings about Alfie. I liked him in Season Two because he’s batshit crazy, Tom Hardy is clearly having the time of his life and it’s refreshing to have a rival to Tommy who isn’t cartoonishly evil like Billy Kimber or Sabini. He ties into Season Two very well and yeah, I can see why he’s so popular. Also he’s pretty attractive, so that always helps. But. Alfie is starting to come across a bit like a creator’s pet to me. He consistently betrays Tommy every goddamn Season and while I know the fandom love to joke about this, it’s pretty inexplicable that Tommy would bother to continue to do business with him after being burned so many times and now it turns out he’s alive. Why? Why bring Alfie back? I feel like he was brought back because he’s a fan favourite and to add another suspect to who betrayed Tommy. I don’t hate Alfie at all, but I am starting to wish he’d face actual consequences for his actions, considering every Peaky Blinders character who fucks with the Peaky Blinders tend to suffer horribly for it, but not Alfie...for some reason. - Michael. Okay so Michael’s actor is pretty damn good and I thought it was cute that he and John’s actors are actually brother irl - you can see the resemblance. And honestly bringing back Polly’s missing kids was a really clever idea because there’s a family tie, but one that isn’t so strong you can always be sure of where his loyalties lie. His subplot with Father Hughes in Season Three was both very sad and very well done - I was cheering him on the whole way. But Season Five has made my opinion of Michael take a dramatic nosedive. He’s gone from sorta-sympathetic to an entitled brat almost overnight. I get he’s probably salty about being banished to America by Tommy in Season Four, but where has this sudden desire to rule the company come from? How did he meet Gina? Is he lying about Gina being pregnant because he figured it’d win him sympathy? I don’t know. He’s changed so drastically, and when Polly gave him that slap, I think she was doing what everyone wanted to. It’s too bad they just wrote Anna off as being dead, though, Michael having a sister and Polly a daughter would have been interesting. - The music?? Is so good?? I love it! Especially the themesong, obviously, but so much of it is always ON POINT. It makes me wanna buy the entire soundtrack. - Unpopular opinion, but I think Campbell was the best antagonist of the show, mainly because he was a vile person but still believable and had the best dynamic with Tommy.  - Season Five was honestly kind of hit-and-miss for me, it seemed like a lot of people are pissed at Tommy for fairly silly reasons in the beginning and I just didn’t find the political subplot all that interesting...but I still will definitely tune into Season Six. (Also these are all just opinions, so please don’t send me hate if you don’t like something I’ve said. Ain’t nobody got time for that.)

[theoptimisticdaydreamer]

Hotel del Luna finished yesterday and thus, possibly one of the most interesting and innovative dramas of 2019 concluded. 

It still possessed strengths and faults and here I will break it down (for my own sanity so I can stop thinking about it 24/7).

Some Strengths in Plot:

The theme that it is entirely about choices. You can choose to hold onto hatred and resentment and can similarly choose to let it go and absolve yourself of those feelings. You can choose to stay the same or you can choose to grow. You choose who is important to you in your life and the things you believe and the friendships you decide to cultivate. It may not be a choice to fall in love, it may happen without you knowing it, but it is a choice to pursue that and cultivate it. You can choose to hold onto someone or you can choose to let them go. As such, one’s choices ultimately dictate their future and their chance at a happy ending.

The overarching message of the Hotel del Luna itself. I think the idea of a place of rest and respite for ghosts to fulfill their lingering desires and move on without regrets was fresh and creative. 

The message that it is possible to let go of one’s hatred and resentment and gain closure is an important one - that inner peace is possible to achieve and people can change for the better. 

The thought that the people you interact with and form close bonds of friendship with can become your family is also a huge one - especially for those who grew up alone or whose blood family was awful, the thought that you can create that happy family you want is great. 

Hotel del Luna also showed the influence that people can play in each other’s lives. Chan Sung literally pulled Sanchez out of darkness when they were younger and the promise that Hyun Joong made Mr. Kim and Mrs. Choi make was the only thing that kept Mr. Kim from succumbing to humiliation and running off to the afterlife in shame without resolving his resentment.

Other Positive Points:

-IU literally carried the character of Man Wol singlehandedly as well as most of the allure of Hotel del Luna. She played a tough, sarcastic and wounded boss lady with a protective heart and an inner vulnerability with such skill. Both the verbal and non verbal element of her character were embodied. She made Man Wol perfectly imperfect. The character growth of Man Wol is one of the strongest points of the show. Her styling was also off the charts which added to the badass-ness of it all. She stole every scene she was in.

-IU also had amazing chemistry with Yeon Woo and especially with Chung Myung. The latter’s chemistry truly lifted Man Wol’s past story and gave her character so much dimension.

-The supporting characters of Hyun Joong, Mr. Kim and Mrs. Choi, along with the Grim Reaper were amazing as they provided unspoken support to Man Wol throughout her 1300 years of punishment and as much as she would never admit, she learned from them and they became people she felt protective of (not so much the Grim Reaper) before Chan Sung was ever in the picture. They weren’t flat or static characters in the slightest but were instead characters that the audience could empathize with even if they were just supporting characters.

-The ability of the actress portraying Ma Go to portray all of the different sisters with different personalities to the point where you love some and hate others and it’s hard to believe its all the same woman. 

-A special mention goes to Yu Na, the 98th Manager, Sanchez, Mi Ra and Yeong So for taking the stage and tugging on the audience’s heart strings with the limited amount of screen time they had.

-The plots of the ghosts also touched on important aspects of forgiveness as well as problems in today’s culture (such as the hidden camera thing). I think this was a nice touch. 

Faults:

-Yeo Jin Goo and IU together. He is no doubt a talented actor and Chan Sung was an interesting male lead but I felt that his chemistry with IU was just a little flat and off somehow. I cared for Chan Sung but I was not invested in Chan Sung like I was with Man Wol, Chung Myung or Yeon Woo. There was no emotional attachment there. It felt hard to feel the connection between Man Wol and Chan Sung as a result (partially probably due to her chemistry with Yeon Woo and Chung Myung being so powerful and more compelling). I think if they had played it so Man Wol and Chan Sung become reluctant allies and later strong friends and almost siblings, it would have been more fitting and believable- I think they would have been able to play that dynamic much more convincingly. His portrayal of Chan Sung was good though and the charisma and stubborness Chan Sung had as well as his ability to transform any situation were only effective due to his convincing acting. I just wasn’t emotionally involved in their relationship whatsoever and looked forward to every other part of the episode. All that being said, Hotel del Luna is one of his better works undoubtably (My Absolute Boyfriend in comparison was a trainwreck).

The plot had many faults in it of itself:

-Chan Sung’s goals and aspirations, life in general pre-Hotel del Luna, seem to have vanished within the first couple of episodes. He was this cocky Harvard graduate who wanted to be the world’s best hotelier but besides a few mentions of the high brow people he used to serve and the mention of him coming from Harvard every five seconds (it got a little annoying at the end), it is never spoken of again. You also get little to no interaction between Chan Sung and his friends during the episodes and that is a complete shame. I wanted to cheer on the Chan Sung-Sanchez-Mi Ra (even though I loathed her in the beginning) friendship gang as they navigated life and weird paranormal events but that never happened because you never saw them together. 

-The division of character angst was ridiculously unbalanced. Sanchez, though the naive and rich chaebol he is, did not deserve the titanic of angst he got at the end. Yes, we wanted character development but not through the hellfire of intense tragedy! 

Chung Myung, without a doubt, deserved better. I will utter that until my last breath.

Man Wol and Chung Myung deserved peace and reconciliation instead of the minute of whatever that was that they got. 

They suffered for 1300 years for what? 

They did him dirty especially because I think they were never anticipating he would have such chemistry with Man Wol. The writers were intending to write him as this horrible person they could easily cast aside but Lee Do Hyun brought such emotion to his character that Chung Myung no longer fit that mould and we were just left with the sense of after all this time, this is all we got? This is not closure. They had so many routes to take with the back story and they chose to take the drowing-in-angst-so-much-it-may-as-well-be-an-angst-tsunami route (and the miscommunication and ignorance due to lack of knowledge KILLED ME!) and for the life of me, I can never think of that as nothing less as completely avoidable saturation of angst. They went so far overboard you can’t see the ship anymore. Due to character chemistry and development, I wish they focused more on redeeming that story line and doing both characters justice with HAPPINESS and potential togetherness than the Man Wol/Chan Sung romance train (though what it represented overall was important- but I still think you could have gotten the moving on without the romance). 

 Yeon Woo deserved better, no if ands or buts. 

Man Wol is the pinnacle of unnecessary character angst. The show has ended and I still don’t believe that her actions in setting a palace on fire and killing an admittedly large amount of people needed to result in 1300 YEARS (looking on eternity) of punishment. 

In general, there was an unnecessary amount of angst given to the characters (excluding the princess) of Man Wol’s sageuk past. 

Chan Sung on the other hand, had hardly any personal angst pre-Hotel del Luna. Mi Ra (whose past life was the Princess who ordered the deaths of all of Man Wol’s gang of bandits) had no angst in her present life. None whatsoever. 

Yes, Hotel del Luna was never meant to be a light TV show but whatever- the characters didn’t deserve to suffer that way (and I haven’t even mentioned the painful back story of each one of the Hotel del Luna gang).

- I think in general because the leads were two major names in the acting business ( IU an idol and actress and Jin Goo a child actor turned adult actor) and were drawing in most of the hype (because the promotions and the summary of the show did the show no justice), the writers decided to cram as much of the pair of them in each episode as possible- to the detriment of the development of the supporting characters and the overall plot. Again, pretty sure Man Wol didn’t need so much angst as she was given. I think if they spaced everything out a little more evenly, there would have been more plot development by far.  

-The application of justice also was unbalanced and made no sense. Man Wol’s questionable punishment aside, we are introduced to this unfair justice with the hidden camera ghost. She had suffered so much because of the actions of one scum bag and his hidden camera and Ma Go#4 never sought to punish the guy. Yet, she stepped in and prevented the ghost from getting the justice she truly wanted by her own hand. Why?! She had hurt humans, yes, and this would be another human. Before and after her fate would be burning up in ashes but why not let her have that one victory? Then there is Seol Ji Won, the psycho killer ghost. At no single point did Ma Go #4 step in and burn up his ghostly self. He was allowed to run free for so long that it was almost a joke when he got caught by the Grim Reaper. It causes you to wonder what Ma Go in general is all about.

- The plot dragged on as far as individual ghost redemption stories. Each did have a different message and redemption and justice were delivered in different ways each time (just showing how smart Man Wol actually was) but it just took up too much time. I would have rather seen that time delving into the back stories of Mr. Kim, Mrs. Choi and Hyun Joong earlier (INSTEAD OF IN THE LAST FEW EPISODES).Or give me more time with Man Wol’s past in the form of her earlier interactions with Yeon Woo and Chung Myung- I would love to see how their relationships developed more or just interactions not tinted with doom, gloom, betrayal and death, even getting to know Yeon Woo and Chung Myung better individually would have been great. 

-There was also a lack of time given to the supporting characters in Chan Sung’s modern life. We barely see Sanchez, Mi Ra and Yeong So and even more rarely see Chan Sung interacting with the three of them. 

At the beginning, the show didn’t look like it was going in the direction of new romance at all and so, the friendship dynamic was especially important and although the direction shifted, the dynamic remained nonetheless important (especially since it was what he had to fall back on once Man Wol left) yet was given no opportunity to develop and grow. If we weren’t literally given flashbacks to Chan Sung bringing Sanchez out of contemplating suicide, you would have never gotten the impression that they were best friends (and rarely afterwards is that emphasized). We also have no link to Mi Ra and know barely anything about Yeong Su either. The ball was just dropped as far as connections Chan Sung had with other living people in his life as soon as the romance with Man Wol was introduced. 

As a person who is friends with a lot of people in relationships, it is incredibly annoying when a person drops everyone else to solely spend time with their lover as if the friends around them never existed. Though I appreciated seeing Man Wol and Chan Sung’s relationship develop, I felt the same about them and yearned to see them interact with anybody else. It would have been great to see more interactions between Man Wol and Yeong So, given that he is the reincarnation of Yeon Woo, because it would have been nice for her to get a second chance at knowing him before her time was up.

-Ultimately, each episode was so long yet at the end I still felt unfulfilled with how much I’d learn about each character. An hour and a half would pass and I would still think about the number of things I wanted to see more or know more about that just never happened even though so much time had passed.

-The 12 Ma Go sisters were great but I was still confused at their individual purposes and motives from time to time because it had never been explicitly stated what each of them did.

-Life post Man Wol I felt was also in a way unsatisfying. I appreciate that he chose not to take that medicine so that he would always have that connection to her and that Yu Na would be able to move on with her life having taken it. Yet, the moving on process seemed very isolating. Unnecessarily isolating. One of the points of the show was that it was okay to lean on others and not have to be strong all the time, but we never see Chan Sung leaning on anyone. Even after Man Wol’s passing on, instead of leaning on his friends in Korea (some who probably need to lean on him too, I’m thinking of Sanchez here), he is shown to be up and leaving to go to New York. This method of grief further goes to push the importance of supportive friendships out of the picture. His Mount Baeku-esque dream that featured all of them again in one place and happy was a little odd in terms of composition. The location did nothing for me because at no point were all five of them ever previously in a park together. Their individual actions were also kind of confusing (though Man Wol and Chan Sung’s embrace and final words to one another were cute): yes Hyun Joong was playing basketball like the typical college student made sense because that was one of his dreams to finish his education, but Mrs. Choi never had an attachment to dogs and Mr. Kim had never been seen running a second this entire season. For his idea of an idyllic reunion to look like this was confusing and out of character even within the realms of a happier reincarnation life. I think him simply staring at the photo of the five of them that was taken in the last episode that he obtained a copy of (perhaps one of the more goofier ones) and smiling wistfully would have been a better scene to end on. 

---

All in all, it was a brilliant show. One that challenged normal main character qualities and had me more invested in individual stories and character growth (in the modern time) than in the love story. The parting of the main characters at the end was tearful but fitting as the entire season and all of that character growth on Man Wol’s behalf had been leading up to it. The ending overall was bittersweet but I appreciate that each individual character got closure because it was nothing less than what they deserved. There are a lot of important messages weaved in between the mystery and the intrigue that Hotel del Luna possessed which was definitely an unexpected addition to such a genre. The costumes, setting and cinematography was fantastic and aided in the storytelling. 

Will it be a drama I watch again in its entirety? At this moment, I am not sure. There are definite scenes that I have replayed and replayed already but I don’t think I am at the point where I can rewatch it all again. Even so, it was a show that I watched in its entirety (which is rare for me) and was on the edge of my seat throughout it all. 

With all of its strengths and faults, it has been a worthwhile gem of a show to captivate my summer weekends.

I will miss it. 

[dafukdidiwatch]

Troll Rank 15

1. Karkat

2. Sollux

3. Nepeta (RIP?)

4. Kanaya (Undead)

5 Equius (RIP)

6 Vriska

6. Terezi

8 Gamzee

9 Feferi  (RIP)

10 Aradia

11. Tavros (RIP)

12. Eridan (RIP)

So this is having some jumps and mix reviews, I don’t know where to begin.

Well...Gamzee went down for starters. His Dark Villain Reveal wore off pretty fast. I still like him, but not as much (especially with nepeta’s blood on his club).

Sollux and Nepeta switched. Nothing major about that, Sollux just has a low-key sass to him that I admire.

Kanaya and Equius rose up too. Kanaya for her badass moment of vengeance (which was so so cool) and thinking about it, I still really do like Equius’s relationship with Nepeta. I mean, I was against it at first before I knew what it was like, but now I dig it and appreciate the new side of Equius (before he fucking died of course).

Vriska rose and is tied with Terezi. She is so fucking complicated, but at the same time so very relatable and I know that she messes up A LOT but the fact that she still tries give me hope, I guess. So they are tied in the middle.

Feferi went down. It isn’t on her persay. Just that, 1) She seems too perfect and 2) not a lot of screen time. So she got pushed down for more favorable trolls.

Same with Tavros. Sorry bud, you seem sweet and I do like you. But you are also WAY too passive looking back in hindsight.

Aradia increased. A little. I like her chill gentle vibe as a grim reaper person, so emotions are boosting her up. But not much, I need to see more before she can go up farther.

And Karkat....I don’t know why Karkat is staying as number one. Maybe it is because I feel like I would betray him if I choose someone else? Maybe because I have seen him the most compared to the other trolls and thus make him my favorite by default? Maybe I just love the inner softy type person, gruff with a heart of gold. Either way, he is still number one.

[mystery-moose]

get to know the writer meme!!!

I got tagged by @philosoverted so you can blame her for this. (<3)

1. Which writing advice do you dislike the most?

“Write what you know.” The most limiting advice I’ve ever gotten. If I only wrote what I know, I’d never write anything interesting.

That, or those posts with a million words to replace “said.” Just use said. Please. Please.

2. How do you create your characters?

In genre stories, I tend to rely on archetypes; there’s nothing better than a smug fancy villain or a revenge-obsessed vigilante.

But when I’m feeling more literary or low-key? I think about people I would like to meet. Not necessarily hang out with all the time, or even meet more than once, but meet. And then I try to build out an inner life for them based on what that initial meeting might be like.

That all sounds very pretentious, but in essence it’s just “imagine if I were actually interesting and then write that.” Putting yourself in another person’s shoes, y’know?

3. How long does it take you from getting the idea to actually write it down?

Depends. If it’s an idea that I latch onto, that I can’t stop thinking about, and I think I could bang it out in a couple hours, I’ll work on it almost immediately. If it’s an idea that I know will take tens of thousands of words, or an idea that isn’t fully realized yet, then it’ll take weeks, months, a year. It’s terrible and I’m trying to combat it as best I can.

4. What’s the most you’ve written for a story (aka word count?)

Incomplete? I believe at the final count it was 103,000 words. Complete? A little over 54,000.

I don’t post incomplete projects anymore.

5. Do you have a headcanon which you haven’t told yet for your current story? Which one?

For AMatMMP: Angus has been on precisely one (1) proper date before in his entire life and it was when he was fifteen. He has no idea what he’s doing.

6. With which of your MC would you get along the best?

Angus or Lucretia, probably. They’re very nice and we share similar interests. I’d have more fun hanging out with Taako or Lup, though, even if by the end I’d probably want to push them off a bridge.

7. Where do you get your inspiration from?

Music, mostly! A good tune can evoke a very specific mood, and mood/tone are usually the thing that first sparks an idea for me.

Also? Chillstep is just relaxing. And I do my best work when I’m relaxed.

8. Do your wips (if you have more than one) fit together? or if you only have one: do you plan on having fitting stories?

Hell yes they do. Well, some more than others -- I’ve got a few that are standalone/what-if sort of stories, but there IS a central “canon” I’ve been adding to ever since before Balance ended. I can’t help it, I love worldbuilding! Taking minor details from previous things and adding them in again with greater focus is like the coolest thing to me, and when people notice it? It feels great.

9. Which one of your characters do you like the most?

Sticking to original characters? Probably either Rocco or Priscilla. Rocco because he’s got an interesting job and some neat family bullshit I could really dig into if I ever felt like it, and Priscilla because she’s a stone-cold badass with a messed up backstory. I probably won’t ever dig too deep into that because it’s a tad too grim, but I plotted out a whole little origin story for her, so she’s clearly taken up some significant brainspace.

(If we’re talking about original fiction characters you’ve never heard of and never will? Charlie. Or Nick.)

10. Would you like to get published?

Hell yeah. That’s the dream. Well, part one of the dream, actually. And it requires me to actually send things out to publications, which requires the possibility of rejection, which sucks. But I’ll actually do the work one of these days! It’ll happen! Someday!!

11. Do you prefer to schedule your writing time, or go only whenever the creativity strikes?

I should do the former, but instead I do the latter. I’m trying to get back into the former again. The most productive I’ve ever been is writing for an hour every day, because sometimes I build up inertia and can’t stop!

12. Home, coffee shop, or library for writing?

I do the vast majority of my writing at home, but I also enjoy a good library. The coffee shop I enjoy less, if only because there’s more noise and people; I always worry that someone’s going to bump into my table or spill something or I’m going to trip someone or whatever.

13. Would you ever collaborate with another writer on a story?

Hell yes! There are a few writers I would adore collaborating with. But it’s a matter of feeling like I’d be bothering people constantly, y’know? Like even more than I normally do. And also fearing that I’d be a real control freak about it. I don’t think I would be? But it might be a struggle. I don’t know.

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

My Favorite Korean Celebrities

*Not in any particular order

1. Gong Minzy

This woman is outstandingly talented. She is a decent rapper, has established herself to have amazing vocals, and need I even mention her dancing? Despite all that, she’s still a very humble person. Her abilities are extremely well-rounded, and I also love how she’s started participating in variety shows - they really allow her to show off her own personality and aptitude.

2. Song Ji Hyo

Ji Hyo is one untamable woman, and I love that. She’s easygoing and carefree, but her ire can intimidate anyone. Even the guys who work alongside her in the variety show Running Man can be cowed when she really gets serious. In addition, she’s very multi-talented - she has a wide acting range, but she’s also enough of a badass to be labeled the “Ace” of the cast members ofRunning Man - and that is no easy feat.

4. Lee Yoo Ri

Lee Yoo Ri is an amazing actress who also has a wide range. She took South Korea by storm in 2014 with her role as Yeon Min Jung, a ruthless and selfish woman who will let no one stand in her way of obtaining her goals. However, she was also fantastic in the drama Father Is Strange in 2017, where she plays a fiery lawyer. Despite playing these tough-as-nails characters, Lee Yoo Ri is generally very polite, playful, and optimistic - but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have her own tenacity. Suffice to say that during her appearance in Running Man, she pushed the Tiger himself off the designated platform and into the mud, literally.

4. Seo Woo

Yet another actress on this list, and one that is exceptional at captivating the audience with her portrayal of antagonistic roles. Her acting in the film The Housemaid had me quaking in my boots - there was this scary intensity in her eyes, and her voice was eerily soft and sweet in the most venomous way posible. In reality, though, Seo Woo is rather courteous and well-mannered, and it makes her acting all the more incredible.

5. Kim Jong Kook

Ah, The Commander, Mr. Capable, The Tiger, Spartakook, Kook-minator - the list of nicknames goes on and on. Although on Running Man, Kim Jong Kook seems temperamental and appears to be a pro at nagging pretty much everyone else, it’s obvious that he really does care a lot about his fellow cast members. They’re all practically family, after all. He’s also quite the gentleman, and his singing is wonderful - it always makes me melt.

6. Cha Seung Won

Cha Seung Won is an outstanding actor. His range is nothing short of staggering, and as someone who has watched many of his works, I can safely say that he is masterful at any and all of his portrayals. Be it a pretentious and arrogant but somehow lovable top actor, an outwardly harsh cop who is haunted by his perceived role in his son’s death, a frighteningly badass detective who struggles against his inner femininity, or an extremely powerful millennia-old demon who has dedicated a thousand years to saving the love of his life, Cha Seung Won acts out each character with skill, style, and charm. Although he’s extremely well-known and well respected in Korea, he remains kind, down-to-earth, and reliable.

7. Lee Dong Wook

From what I’ve seen of Lee Dong Wook, he is many things - a self-aware, easygoing person, a talented actor, and a good friend. He can go from portraying a widowed doctor who fights against the corrupt bureaucracy of ancient Korea for the sake of his beloved daughter, to an adorably clingy boyfriend, to a centuries-old Grim Reaper who lost his love hundreds of years ago. Not to mention, he was absolutely hilarious during his appearances on Running Man, during which he erupted into a play fight with his close friend, Song Ji Hyo, gave her a piggyback ride, and temporarily lost all ability to function at the prospect of bungee-jumping off the tower in Macau (Ji Hyo had to lightly slap him to get him to gather his wits).

8. Yoo Jae Suk

A natural leader with enough talent to be labeled “The Nation’s MC”, there is nothing that can’t be loved when it comes to Yoo Jae Suk. He’s fit, snarky, clever, and absolutely hilarious. In addition, it’s easy to see how much he cares about the numerous people that he works with, regardless of how many verbal battles occur between himself and his cast mates. Besides that, he just puts people at ease with his easygoing, humorous charm.

[perfectackeracy]

February’s PSA - The real war can begin!

Here we are for a brand series of new PSAs! The reason why I started these in February is because February chapters always gave a consistent volume conclusion (as it was the case with last year’s chapter, which on top of that also closed a whole perspective), that the chapters were eventually satisfactory (Bertolt taking action, Floch calling the SC out, Eren finding a new, but grim resolve), and because the owner of this blog is a major narcissist whose birthday is the same day of the chapter’s release in Japan.

Isayama just finished chapter 102. Last chapter felt like a first part of an upcoming battle. The fandom’s predictions on what’s going to happen next were mixed.

While I’d love to have an explanation as to why and how Eren and company came inside Marley, I feel like putting a flashback now would break the current action. The audience needs to know why Eren left at that time and how the current state on Paradis is. At the same time, we could have all the information spread on several chapters: we would keep the most on-topic information for this month and leave the rest after. Paradis isn’t the only faction I’m curious about: there’s also Reiner, Falco and Zeke missing from last chapter, Lady Tybur if she isn’t blown off by the thunderspears, Pieck and Porco’s counterattack… I think Gabi and Colt can wait; they’re out of danger for now.

My personal wishlist for not only this chapter, but also the next one will be:

An explanation as to why Eren acted at that time.

Levi reigniting himself through his last vow to Erwin and rampaging his way to Zeke, the same way the warriors slaughtered SC squads as a parallel. Levi reaching Zeke but dying before he can kill him.

Falco’s fate. My personal bet is on fatally wounded and unable to continue.

Reiner trying to find some inner strength in him and taking part in the battle. Bonus if he has flashbacks of Bertolt the way Historia had flashbacks of Ymir.

Jaw and Cartman Titans in action versus SC members.

And finally, who came to Eren’s rescue. Bonus if Floch is there as well and eyerolling endlessly.

According to reliable sources (/u/Moonwalking_Eren), the spoilers are going to drop the 6th. As a reminder, I’ll keep the #snk_spoilers and #snk_102 as spoiler tags, as usual.

EDIT: the editor added there might be a surprise in this chapter. So who else thinks it’s Levi?

Now let’s look at the birthdays for this month.

2nd: Best Sis Frieda Reiss

4th: Your Man Kenny Ackerman

10th: Best Girl Candidate Mikasa Ackerman and Soft Boi Falco Grice

14th: Badass Tall Laydee Traute Carven

17th: Actual Best Girl Ymir and Lynne who Died For Zeke’s Sins

20th: Best Titan Bait Candidate Mitabi Jarnach

28th: OH BABY IT’S A TRIPLE: Marlowe Sand, Peaure and Papa Smith

You can find 2017’s PSAs in the masterpost.

[schraubd]

Review: The Last Jedi

*Warning: Spoilers* We saw The Last Jedi last night at a theater in Destin, Florida. Apparently, the goyim know about the "see a movie on Christmas trick" (I suppose they all could have been Jews, but we're on the panhandle, so I doubt it). Overall, I thought the movie was very good. But before we go any further, I should probably address the issue that's at the foremost of everyone's mind. To wit: The Last Jedi decisively proves (as if there ever was any doubt) that Poe Dameron is no Wedge Antilles. By my count, Poe's impulsiveness and "I know best" arrogance ends up ruining carefully-laid Resistance plans not once but twice. Losing the bomber squadron may have been forgivable, but Vice Admiral Holdo's escape plan would have worked were it not for the infiltration plot that Poe decided he just had to try. Poe Dameron has the deaths of literally half the Resistance on his hands thanks to that stunt. Okay, that's out of the way. Overall, The Last Jedi is clearly better than The Force Awakens. If the latter was a shot-for-shot remake of A New Hope, the former is an amalgamation of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. But not only is it different enough from both of these films to not feel derivative in the way The Force Awakens clearly was, focusing on its original-trilogy predecessors distracts from the bigger influence on The Last Jedi: Rogue One. One of Rogue One's greatest strengths was how it started to turn away from the "one true hero whom everything revolves around" tenor of the series, in favor of a narrative equality between main characters and side players. Like��Rogue One, this is a grim movie, and not only does not everyone get a happy ending, not everyone even gets a glorious, cinematic ending. In both major revelations and smaller, more subtle moments, The Last Jedi continues to reinforce a refreshingly egalitarian message that to my mind opens up more storytelling potential untethered to the "What are Luke/Han/Leia and/or their children/relatives/secret lovers up to" well. Obviously, the big iteration of this is the strong implication that Rey is, in fact, nobody. Not a child of destiny, not secretly related to the Skywalker clan, just ... a nobody, who happens to be force-attuned. But for me, some of the most powerful moments in the film were where it made clear that every member of the Resistance has a rich inner life and story that (for them at least) is on par to that of any of the main characters. The knowing nod between two starfighter pilots as they prepare to take off -- only for both of them to be vaporized when a proton torpedo enters the hanger bay. The bombardier clutching her necklace charm as she desperately tries to complete what she now knows is a suicide mission (this was an effective scene even without the later revelation that she's another major character's sister). None of these characters "matter" in the grand scheme of the narrative. But people who don't matter, still matter. They have their own lives, motivations, relationships, and personalities, and The Last Jedi does a very good job communicating that throughout the film. What makes these sequences so effective is that they are not emphasized or given any special significance. Most directors don't bother to pay attention to such side players at all, and those that do often revel in accentuating the head fake ("Oh you thought so-and-so was going to be a main character? Surprise! Laser to the face!" Looking at you, Joss Whedon). By playing it straight, The Last Jedi reinforced one of the most powerful narrative themes there can be in a war movie: everybody has a story, everybody has a narrative, and so having a story and a narrative doesn't make you special and doesn't offer any protection. From a fan-boy perspective, I appreciated some of the new tactical permutations that were shown in space combat. Getting to see B-wing bombers was pretty cool, and the "slice open the Star Destroyer by hyping through it" was a neat trick (though if that works, its unclear why the Resistance wouldn't have used it more often as a Kamikaze tactic -- it is a brutally effective way of neutralizing the First Order's capital ship advantage). We can quibble with some details (has nobody invented autopilot yet?), but for the most part I was able to suspend disbelief. Obviously, the newer iterations of Star Wars are light-years ahead of their predecessors in terms of gender equality. A slew of excellent female characters are well presented and fully fleshed out -- and again, what's most important aren't their presence among the leads (Rey and Leia, though they both are fantastic) but as integrated up and down the supporting cast. Plenty of action movies have one or (maybe) two Strong Female Characters surrounded by a sea of indistinguishable dudes. Rarer is the film wherein women are just a normal part of the universe -- occupying mid-level command posts, serving as infantry grunts, working as unremarkable technicians, and so on. The Last Jedi is exceptional along this front, and deserves much credit for it. Overall, The Last Jedi was to my mind the best Star Wars film since the original trilogy. I don't really understand the backlash against it, and I do think it works very well as a strong second act setting up a potentially epic Episode IX. So well done Disney, and well done Rian Johnson. The Force is strong in this one. Assorted bullet thoughts:

Where are all the aliens? If the Resistance and the First Order are finally gender-integrated, the conflict still seems strikingly human-on-human. Aside from Chewbacca, I counted one indeterminate alien starfighter pilot and one Sullustan (apparently Nien Nunb -- his fan club can rest easy). There actually could be something darkly amusing if this huge galactic conflict really was basically an intra-human spat and the other species of the galaxy just didn't care ("Humans ... there they go again"), but that doesn't seem to be the message of the film.

Captain Phasma continues to hold the "Boba Fett character who seems like a total badass even though she actually doesn't really do anything award. The Praetorian Guard certainly made a good run at it, though.

I love the humor in The Last Jedi. All the major laugh moments do it for me, but the one that really killed me was when Rey "reaches out" to grasp the Force. Mark Hamill's eye roll game is on point.

Speaking of, I have mixed feelings towards how Luke is portrayed in the film. I neither love it nor hate it, but I do think that Mark Hamill gives it everything he has. His "brush your shoulder off" move is also on point.

Kylo Ren is turning into a pretty solid villain. It might have been interesting had he succeeded in turning Rey, though. Now that would have been a plot twist nobody would have seen coming.

I appreciate Vice Admiral Holdo is shown to be competent along all dimensions. Again, her escape plan would have worked had Poe not ruined it. And she also seized an opportunity to escape her captivity when it was presented.

Man, Jedi have gotten a lot more powerful in the past few decades. Remember when Yoda could impress us by lifting one starfighter out of a swamp?

via The Debate Link http://ift.tt/2pDXJR1

[giraffles]

Stay The Night

forgot to post this one here, whoops! some post-canon sweet taakitz for y’all, because I’m weak for these boys. 

Stay The Night (Taako/Kravitz)

His solution, brilliantly, is to not sleep. Not until he falls over from exhaustion or passes out while cooking. He's even got everyone fooled that he's a-okay. At least he thinks he does. No one says otherwise, and that suits him just fine.

you can also read it on AO3 here!

The world doesn't end. And that's a good thing, because they didn't have a backup plan. There was no second chance, no desperate bid for freedom, no tedious reset. It was all or nothing. And they came out on top with all the sweet victory they could ever want. Against all odds, they won. They won, and it's a flood of joy and relief and tinged with a little disbelief. And it's absolutely exhausting. Taako isn't sure if it's physical or mental or just an ungodly combination of both. Maybe it's the weight of over one hundred years of memories finally catching up to him. It's a lot to have lived through, and then to have lived through again, much less cobble back together a coherent understanding of his place in the world. Like, holy fuck. That's a lot to wade through. Sometimes it gives him such a bad headache that it's easier not to think about it, and focus on the here and now. On rebuilding. On reconnecting with those he'd lost but some how found again against all odds. Lup has taken to finding new ways to scare the living hell out of everyone, from floating through the bureau at night to phasing through walls. She even startled him and wasted a whole pot of soup when she popped her lich head up through it. (He had chased her, for all the good it wouldn't do, while she cackled and made full use of her incorporeal form. It had been equal parts nostalgic and aggravating.) Magnus carves ducks in between rebuilding jobs, even though Fisher has long since departed their universe. Merle is trying, and mostly succeeding, to boost morale as they shift through the wreckage, finding what can be saved and mourning what cannot. Everyone is there. Everyone is safe. And yet there's this looming feeling of impending doom that just won't quit. It's as though that through the act remembering, Taako has forgotten what it's like to feel safe. Ignorance really was a sort of bliss, as much as the fuzzed out edges of his life had caused a constant turmoil, because now it's a struggle to stay on top of everything. So much is the same and yet so much can never be the same again. You can't go through something like the apocalypse and not be changed. Sure, at his core he's still Taako, from TV, a living brand name, a hero to be sung about down the ages; but now he's a different kind of Taako. Literally. It still takes a lot to convince himself he doesn't need the illusion spell every morning, and sometimes he does it anyway. Just a little. Nothing too noticeable, but enough to make him feel better, especially on the very likely chance that he hasn't slept much. Sleep is hard now. Meditation is straight out the fuckin' window. Nights and days get stretched together when he's plagued with either insomnia, or worse, the dreams. No, not dreams, because that would imply fantastical but harmless mind adventures. These are memories. Always back to the goddamn memories. The worst ones, the times they almost didn't make it, when he had to watch friends die or feel the cold sting of death himself. Or memories that his brain decided to make up new, more grim endings; his sister, turned to ash, his boy, bleeding out on the floor. Endless rounds of games in a horror carnival that leaves everyone he ever cared about in pieces. Things that leave him awake and gasping and on the edge of tears. Things like that. His solution, brilliantly, is to not sleep. Not until he falls over from exhaustion or passes out while cooking. He's even got everyone fooled that he's a-okay. At least he thinks he does. No one says otherwise, and that suits him just fine.

Date night rolls around. Taako has been looking forward to it all month, a distraction and an excuse to monopolize Death's free time. No business talk. No family. No not-actually-family-but-kinda-sorta-maybe-adopted family. Just the two of them, together, for a nice evening. And god, did he need a break. There's still so many loose ends to tie up, so many things that still need to be sorted out. Not to mention the new void of what the hell he was going to do with his life now. Kravitz stops when he sees him. He squints at Taako, and frowns. "Are you okay?" "Just fine, babe," as fine as he could be, really, "Why, didja forget how gross I looked now?" When all else fails, self-deprecating humor is where it's at. He can preen and put himself down at the same time. Win-win. Kravitz pauses, brows knitted and looking at him intently, seemingly gathering up the right words. "Taako," he begins carefully, "When was the last time you slept?" "Dunno. What's today?" The reaper sighs. He rubs his forehead. Taako drapes himself lovingly in his arms. He's dizzy on an endorphin high and ready for a night out on the town with his most beloved bae. Even if said bae keeps looking at him with such a sour face, and-- "You're going to bed. Right now." "Oh no--" Taako attempts to bolt, but has already made the fatal mistake of allowing Kravitz so close. He might not technically be alive, but he has all the strength of a man his size, and Kravitz has him in a vice grip. He struggles. Any other day of the week and he'd be admiring those guns, but today they're helping commit a great betrayal. Taako whines. "Babe! C'mon!" "No," Kravitz picks him up and starts carrying him inside, "You look like I should be collecting your soul soon, and frankly, that's a little alarming." Taako does his best to wriggle out of his grasp, but it's fruitless. Kravitz can be just as stubborn as he is. Taako resorts to flailing and complaining. However, neither of those slow down the reaper, who's drawing ever closer to his dormitory door. "I don't need sleep! It's for the weak!" "Yes, you do," Somehow Kravitz manages to keep a hold of him even as Taako flips himself upside down, which is both impressive and infuriating, "We can go out another time." Taako huffs and crosses his arms, braid swinging freely and dragging on the floor. This sucks. He can't even get one lousy night to not think about how overwhelming everything is. Kravitz is the worst and he hates him. (He doesn't, of course, he adores his hot boyfriend who's sometimes a skeleton, who's both a badass and a giant dork. He's just mad at him at the moment.) Taako gives him the silent treatment. It's harder to do than it looks, because he'd much rather be vocal about the injustice that's happening to him. Kravitz sighs again. "Taako--" "I'm not talking to you." "Love, please," the pet names have come out, and he resolves to not let it affect him, "You know I care, right?" "I guess," Taako pouts as he's gently set on a couch, "But I wanted to spend time with you." Kravitz looks conflicted. Taako sulks and makes a point to avoid eye contact. So maybe he's a little cranky for only sleeping three hours out of as many days. It's still not fair. "I could stay." Kravitz says. He blinks dumbly up at him. "Do what now?" "Stay with you. While you get some rest. That's a lot creepier out loud than it was in my head." "Do you even need to sleep?" "No," Kravitz admits, "But I wouldn't mind. I mean, if you wanted me to. I don't have to. But I could, I have the whole night off, not that I expected to... do anything. For the whole night. I should stop taking now? I'm stopping now. Sorry." He can't believe he's in love with such a ridiculous, stupid, wonderful, and kind person. Entity? The definition was kind of up in the air for that one. Taako doesn't have to look to know that Kravitz is blushing, probably all the way up to his ears, off-kilter and rambling. He's still wrapping his head around the idea that there are persons out there who, honest to gods, want to put Taako first. Taako doesn't even think Taako deserved that. Sure, that's not what he tells people-- because no one needs to know how bad the inner battle gets. In some ways remembering has made it easier. In others, it's that much harder now. He thinks, that maybe, it would be nice to have someone at his side. Someone who liked him before his life's story got broadcast through reality. Taako considers the proposal for a moment. "Okay." "Okay?" "Okay as in, you best be ready to get super snuggled. I'm clingy as hell." Kravitz gives him a shy smile. "I think I can handle that."

Kravitz has a bigger frame than he does-- nothing like Magnus or Killian who are built like brick shit houses, but he's not as slight as Taako is. Even as a flipwizard, there's not much he can do about genetics and non-athletic career choices. It takes him a minute to fish out some of his more drapey clothes that have half a chance of fitting Kravitz. As much as he enjoys the suit and cloak ensemble, it's not exactly practical sleepwear. And it would be a shame to excessively wrinkle it. Unless it was gonna be in a sexy way, but that should probably wait until another time, when he's fully present for all the fun. Taako's fanciest skirt goes flying across the room, landing on a bookshelf that has less books than colorful knick-knacks and choice pieces of junk. The first time Kravtiz had come over, in a panic he had tried to cover everything in sheets instead of cleaning up, but somehow managed to trip and pull them all down at once. It had been equal parts hysterical and mortifying. Kravitz said that his collection of garbage was 'charming'. Taako still isn't sure he believes that, but it's still sweet. What's also sweet is the way that Kravitz pointedly looks away, trying to be respectful or something-- as though they haven't fucked wildly on various flat (and not so flat) surfaces around his room. He's flustered and it's still as cute as the first time it happened. And nothing would top that first morning, that so called walk of shame where Merle gave them a knowing wink when they came down for breakfast, and Taako had 'accidentally' burned his pancakes in return. At least everyone else had a little more tact and kept their opinions and eyes to themselves. None of them also wanted burned pancakes. But he sets aside those more recent and pleasant memories for pajamas instead, wiggling into them and undoing his complicated orante braids as Kravitz dons his spare clothes. They're still a little tight on him. Taako is very okay with this. "Just sleeping." Kravitz says firmly, catching his gaze. He pouts back. "Not even a little smooching?" The reaper pauses and seems to think on it a moment, though he knows what the answer will probably be. Taako makes his eyes extra big and disarming anyway, having perfected the cute puppy look years ago. You could never be too sure. "Fine, a little smooching," Kravitz yields, "But you have to get some rest." Taako dramatically falls forward into those strong arms again, knowing he'll be easily caught and securely held. "Then take me to bed, big guy." He doesn't miss that breathless laugh, and revels in the way his heart lifts as he's easily swung up and onto his unmade bed. There's no illusions here that if Taako really wanted to he could have a dozen different spells incapacitating his lover, leaving escape for him wide open. Power acquired over decades of study and practice and mad dashes across planes has given him abilities previously only talked about in legends. And so maybe he is a legend, something that should be mysterious and untouchable, always sought but never found. Just like a light they'd once chased through realities. A story to be sung, a name to be called in hushed tones, an abstract ideal to be strived towards. So it's nice, he thinks, when Kravitz looks at him like a person. When Kravitz gets frustrated with him, exasperated, or even bemused. When he looks at Taako like he's the whole world and then kisses him like it's ending all over again. It's nice to have that grounding force to remind him that he's not entirely a fuck up and that he's also not just a product of good marketing. He never thought it would matter to him so much. But it does, and every action is an affirmation, from the way Kravitz smiles at him to the way he runs fingers so gently through his hair. It's wonderful and it hurts and it's so good. He's drunk on the feeling of being wanted. "It's... not too cold, is it?" Kravitz asks him nervously as he curls up on that broad chest, nestling into the crook between neck and shoulder. Yes, he's cool to the touch-- he's never been anything approaching warm since Taako met him. But he's gotten used to it, adapted even, because Kravitz doesn't feel icy and doesn't leave him with a chill. It's almost pleasant in weird way. "S' fine," he mumbles back sleepily, "Kinda nice, actually." Already something is different from all the other times he'd recently crawled into bed or dozed off in the foyer. Something shifts, puts a damper on the rolling anxiety and dread. It takes him another few long moments to realize it's an aura of safety that he's been missing. A bit of calm in a turbulent sea that's been threatening to sink him for weeks. There's no heartbeat beneath his ear, and he's sure the breathing part is either habit or for his own benefit, but it's a piece of normalcy that soothes beyond a doubt. It's something he hadn't realized he even needed. Something solid. Something real. He wraps his arm around Kravitz and holds tight. Taako hadn't been kidding about the clinging part, knowing full well from his days of youth he had a tendency to latch onto things (or someones) in his sleep. This is still different, a conscious effort not to let go of a tie keeping him close to home. Because petty fears and insecurities only seemed to grow as time went on, feeding on each other and plaguing every thought both conscious and not, bringing him to the vicious cycle he was now caught in. And while usually the words would flow so easily, he now found them strangled in his throat. They died before Taako can give them a voice. Kravitz must have felt the tension reverberating through his body, because a hand comes up to push circles into his back. Yes, they've banged countless times, but this is a different intimacy. A different context for something slow and sweet. And he suddenly feels bad for being so needy and high maintenance, but can't summon the energy to do anything about it. "I'm right here," Kravitz murmurs into the darkness, "I'm not going anywhere." And really, that's all he needs to know. That there's someone there. That it's safe to let go.

[maedarakat]

Rtte Questions

Indirectly tagged by @lutavero

Best episode Twintuition

Best moment This is a complicated one to keep short. You know how Viggo kind of seemingly rambles and throws the other person off guard so he can get information on their true intentions by their reactions? He was rambling about the “Traitor” gamepiece when we first meet him in “Eye of the Beholder part 1″. This is how he figured out it was Heather who was the traitor, because Dagur was giving her a “Wtf is this guy babbling about?” look, and Heather kept her eyes on Viggo, looking like she was about to freak out. That’s how he knew she was a traitor “from the moment you entered my tent.”

He tried doing the same thing to Ruffnut after she was captured in “Twintuition”, talking at her rather than to her, so he could glean information. But Ruff gave him nothing. Just sat there stone faced like a Queen, and Viggo actually began to get flustered. Then Ruff completely fucking threw him off, first pretending to volunteer info on the other Riders for a reward, and then just straight up messing with him. 

So not only was Ruffnut a badass under pressure, but Viggo got quiet and his brother had to play ‘bad cop’ to help him save face. It was freaking awesome AND adorable. 

Best line

OH TOO MANY

But for now I’ll go with: “Are you sure that’s a flight suit? Cause it looks more like a plummet suit to me.”

Tuff can be a sassy little shit.

Funniest moment

“You will all have a feast of Chicken in my honor.”

Chicken: *panicked clucking from a distance*

“I’m sorry, I meant a feast FOR Chicken in my honor. Because none of you would ever eat Chicken, and if any of you ever did, I would haunt you to the ends of the Archipelago.”

Chicken: *relieved burbling from a distance*

Deepest moment

Tuff talking to his sis about how they’ll always be together even after she gets married, it’ll just be different. That he loves her too. Ruff calling him the best brother ever. ;A;

Best character development

Dagur has changed so much and been through a lot. He changed by the end of that last episode too, after finding his father. After reading that letter, he seemed to find an inner peace that has alluded him, no matter how much he meditated or . . . well, fruit-bathed. 😂

Biggest surprise

That Oswald fucking died. I don’t buy he’s dead. Either he faked his own death or someone captured him after he left. Why would Toothless have found those letters? Come on. Night Furies can sniff out heartfelt letters? Those were planted.

And Oswald would have been able to leave if he helped fight off the Grim Gnashers - Dagur impressed the Sentinels after one battle. Nah, I think those letters are fake. He got off the island eventually, and then hitched a ride with a certain Trader. Only he never made it home after that. How else would they know about Heather’s belt all of a sudden? Viggo could have so easily taken it before, so he must not have known about its importance?

The one thing you’ll never understand

WHERE the freaking HELL is Shattermaster?!? 

Tagging: @hvessa , @drekivinr , @snotwriter ,  @missiemoose, @clophia , @rikez and @everyone else!

[i-w-p-chan]

Miss- err, Mr. and Mr. Croft, Part 13/2013, Part 2

Important Author Note: Unless it is specified who says which part, the dialogue typically alternates between Tsuna and Hayato.

WARNINGS: OOC, Language (there is a lot of cursing), Violence, Indiscriminate Killing (Tomb Raider Typical Killing- applies to humans, animals, and mythical creatures), Dialogue Heavy, Set In The Tomb Raider Games 'Verses, So May Not Make A Whole Lot Of Sense If You Don't Know TR (unless you, like me, don't mind that), Uses Dialogue From The Game, Collection of Snippets/Drabbles/Scenes Featuring Tsuna's And Hayato's Adventures In The TR Games, Beware Of Unexpected Mood Whiplashes, Ship Teasing, Slight BoyxBoy (why do I even warn about this anymore?), Platonic 5927 (To The EXTREEEEEEEME!), Snark, Badass Tsuna And Hayato, Badasses In Dresses, Perverted Swords, Cute Hammers, And As Always: Shameless Self-Indulgence/Ridiculousness.

Disclaimer: Don't own TR or KHR.  

.

Tsuna resurfaced from the water and shook his head, "God, just what the hell's with those crazy slopes?! And just how far did I drop?!"

The radio crackled and a voice that Tsuna missed oh so much spoke through it, "Tsuna? Are you there?"

"Hayato?!" Tsuna pulled up radio, clutching it close, "Hayato!"

Hayato chuckled tiredly, "Hey there, sweetheart. You sound happy to hear me."

"Of course I am!"

"Listen-" Hayato turned serious, "-I don't have much time, I stole the radio from a guard. They're talking about a fire ritual."

Tsuna inhaled sharply, "Hayato, don't let them put you in it! Hayato! That's an ascension ritual! Listen, I'm coming to get you. Try to escape, if you can!"

"I'll try. The force attempting the bond is getting stronger- shit, they're coming, I have to hide the radio!"

Tsuna swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. He squared his shoulders and waded through the water. He had to get to Hayato.

.

"Tsuna?"

"Hayato!"

"What were you saying about an ascension ritual?"

"It's the ritual where the Sun Queen would transfer her powers to her successor. But-"

"Shit! Gotta go!"

Tsuna sighed and flopped to his belly, staring down the mountain. He kicked his feet in the air behind him; he should totally drag out the suffering of those guards, how dare they interrupt his conversation with Hayato!

.

"You still there?"

"Yessssss. Are you sure we wouldn't be interrupted anytime soon?"

"We have around ten minutes before they pass by again. Now, you were saying about the ascension ritual…?"

"I don't like the sound of it. The murals I saw in the monastery I was in implied that the ritual transferred power from the Sun Queen to her successor, but there is the chance that-" Tsuna licked his lips, "-it doesn't transfer just power."

"Alright, I'll try to escape if I get the chance. But… Sun Queen?"

"Himiko. Yamatai."

"Huh. Why would they pick me, or rather Sam, for the ritual?"

"She's a descendant of Himiko. She mentions it in a video recording I found." Tsuna sighed, "I should get moving to get down the mountain."

"Okay. I'll talk to you whenever I can."

Tsuna smiled, "I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

.

Tsuna heard and felt the glass underneath him crack.

Looking up, he spotted a parachute.

"I could have sworn I watched a movie with something like this."

.

Tsuna raised his gun and hesitated, cocking his head to the side in thought. Then he holstered his gun and raised his bow, nocking an arrow.

He looked at the man, the Solarii, attempting to shoot him and gave a nasty smirk.

Tsuna lit his fire on the tip of the arrow and let it fly.

.

"How did you get there so fast?"

"You can say that I took the Waterfall Express."

.

"Move carefully! She's using fire!"

Tsuna cackled as he shot off yet another flaming arrow.

.

Tsuna chuckled lowly, "Don't worry, kittens. Imma come and get you~" Tsuna jumped at the middle of one of the ropes strung between the two platforms, grabbed it and burned it to cut it in half.

Tsuna used the rope to swing into the platform with the attacking Solarii, he landed in front of one of them.

"Hey, there, darling~" Tsuna cooed as he raised his axe.

The Solarii choked, looking bewildered, "Is he- is he flirting with me?!"

"Wrong question, correct pronoun. But it's too late~" Tsuna cackled as he swung his axe, nailing the gaping Solarii in the head.

.

"Alright Grim, we're heading to the palace. There is a high chance we may have to climb to reach there. Are you going with me or are you going to stay somewhere?"

.

"Hey, Roth?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. I left Grim down by the gate. He said he'll make his way from there towards the beach to look for something to make our escape with."

"He'll probably meet up with Whitman and the others; I sent them down there as well. And Lara?"

"Hmm?"

"What did you do to Whitman and the crew members? They followed my words without complaints."

"My magical touch?"

.

"That bridge is swarming with guards."

"If I can't walk across on top of it, then I'll climb underneath it."

.

Tsuna followed the echoing sound of a man speaking about the Solarii. At the bend in the passageway, he peeked around, and his eyes locked with Hayato's; Hayato was drowsy and slumped against a big wood log, hands bound and mouth gagged.

Tsuna looked meaningfully at Hayato then at the Solarii. Tsuna may be suffering from flame exhaustion but Hayato wasn't.

Tsuna subtly sent a flare of his inner energy towards Hayato, reaffirming the bond between them and energizing Hayato.

Three.

Two.

One.

Tsuna rushed towards the Solarii, one hand had his gun with the silencer attached to it raised, aimed, and shooting down Solarii with disturbing accuracy, the other had his axe with his ice channeled to its edge swinging and catching the Solarii.

Hayato did not remain idle; his flames, red and angry, burst from him in a wave, turning his restraints and the wood surrounding him to nothing, and catching the two Solarii near him. The two Solarii caught in the flames screamed as the flames tore into them, leaving bloody messes behind. Hayato did not hesitate and jumped into the fray as well, his flames still swirling around him like a storm.

Tsuna and Hayato met up in the middle, Hayato's flames opening up enough to let only Tsuna in.

Then the flames burst out in a huge wave, overwhelming the Solarii around.

The two did not waste time in rushing out of the place, leaving ruined ground littered with dead bodies.

.

"Jump?"

"Jump!"

.

"Now we need to go look for the others. Do you know where they were held?"

"No. I was kept separately. But, let's look."

.

"Man, what a mess."

"You didn't see that room piled up with mutilated corpses in one of the monasteries here."

"Shit, this place is nasty."

"No kidding."

"So snarky, Tsuna. Have you been accumulating snark to unload on me?"

"Kind of, yeah. And Hayato?"

"Hmm?"

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too. Now, stop hugging me, we're both drenched in blood and feel disgusting."

"Okay, okay."

"I don't know if I'll ever feel clean again."

.

"You got arrows and now you're lighting them on fire?"

"Teehee."

"Don't 'teehee' me. Have you thought about channeling your ice?"

"Hmmm, no. I'll keep that in mind."

.

Reyes and Alex cheered and applauded while Jonah clapped lightly.

Tsuna looked at Jonah and nodded at him.

"That was badass, Lara, Sam! How the hell did you get in here?"

"I'd like to know the answer to that myself." Hayato looked at Tsuna.

"I had help from Roth."

"Grim?"

Tsuna smiled fondly, "We parted at the gate in the shanty town. I continued here and he went to the beach."

"Oho?" Hayato poked Tsuna in the side, "What's that smile for?"

"Hush, you." Tsuna playfully shoved him, "Roth told me that he already sent Whitman with four others down to the beach as well, so Grim'll be meeting up with them."

"Four others?"

"Yeah, three from the crew and one of the pilots of the rescue plane that crashed. Speaking of rescue planes-" Tsuna frowned slightly, "-there's a rescue chopper heading this way."

"You don't look happy about it." Jonah observed.

"No. Not when there's a chance that it could be brought down by a storm like the first one."

Hayato made a noise in the back of his throat, "How sure are you that a storm would pop up just to take down the rescue chopper?"

"Very. I've seen it happen with the rescue plane. The sky was clear one moment and the next there were storm clouds. After the plane was struck down by lightning, the weather cleared up again." Tsuna searched through his pockets, "Besides, I've found diary pages of other survivors around the island. A couple of them, written by a Mathias, mention how the storms showed up every time survivors attempted to leave the island just to destroy whatever means they made to leave."

"Hold up! Did you say Mathias?"

"Yes."

"That guy is like the leader of the Solarii."

"Oh?" Tsuna's eyes flashed orange, "Where can I find him, do you know?"

Hayato coughed, "He's… kind of dead?"

"What?"

"Remember when you came to get me? He was one of the two standing next to me."

Tsuna seemed to remember exactly what happened to the two who were standing next to Hayato, "Oooooh. Lucky blind throw!" Tsuna smiled brightly.

Reyes, Alex and Jonah stared at the two of them.

Hayato cleared his throat, "Let's get you three out of there."

.

"Hey guys? Brace yourselves, grab onto something and be quick on your feet. This ride is going to get rocky."

.

"Oh great!" Tsuna stared at the gaping chasm.

"Look! Go! We'll catch up!"

"We may have to take the long way around-"

"The very long way around."

"-but we'll catch up! And be careful of riding in the helicopter!"

.

"This brings back memories, huh?"

"The escape from a place before it blows up completely, taking us with it? Yeah, it does."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Except for the dying, falling men. That's new."

"It's raining men."

"Hallelujah."

.

"Look! I found a grenade launcher!" Hayato waved the aforementioned grenade launcher around enthusiastically.

Tsuna smiled fondly at him, "Oh, you."

.                                              

Hayato watched the Solarii run away after they heard the grenade explode, they were screaming, "She's got a grenade launcher! Run!"

"Tsuna… what did you do to them?"

Tsuna simply smiled angelically.

.

Hayato ducked behind a metallic cover, "Damn. What the fuck?"

"Heh. Glad to have you join us. It was getting lonely with just me and them."

.

"Hey, Tsuna! Get up! C'mon!" Hayato charged his green flame through Tsuna's body.

Tsuna jolted awake, "Okay! You didn't have to use that lightning-like flame!"

"I kind of did."

"Where's Roth?"

"Over there."

Tsuna rushed over to Roth, Hayato behind him.

"Lara, Sam, are you both alr-!" Roth stared at them, "You're not Lara and Sam."

Tsuna coughed, bringing the entirety of Roth's attention on him. Roth's eyes widened as he appeared to remember his previous interactions with Tsuna.

"Who are you and where are Lara and Sam?"

"I'm Tsuna, he's Hayato. As to where Lara and Sam are, I'd like to know that as well."

"Where did you come from?"

"Good question. Another world, believe it or not."

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you before I'm having it with Jonah."

"What does Jonah have to do with it?"

"He could see us from the first time I met him."

"You know, Tsuna, maybe we should tell him. Jonah may take it better from Roth rather than us."

"Okay. So, from the beginning. When Hayato and I were seven, a light picked us up and deposited us in another world where people believed that we were both a 'Lara Croft'." At Roth's incredulous look, Tsuna said, "We're not joking. No one was able to see us, Tsuna and Hayato. Everyone treated us as Lara Croft. Twenty some years later, when we were both thirty, the light picked us up again and left us in another world, seven again, and being mistaken for a Lara Croft again. Except that time, some people could see us instead of Lara. And then-"

"The same thing happened. But you became our Lara."

"Not quite," Hayato interjected, "This time around, people seem to think I'm Sam."

"You're taking this well." Tsuna observed.

"Not stranger than some of the things I've heard."

That was when Reyes, Alex and Jonah reached them.

.

"There's a PT boat on the beach. I should be able to fix it up."

"Yes. But." Tsuna raised a hand, "We won't be leaving anytime soon."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Until we're one hundred percent sure that whatever is controlling the storms is gone and won't hinder our escape, we can't just keep trying to escape." Hayato raked a hand through his hair.

"They're right," Roth said, "This makes it twice now that the storm took down whatever came here to rescue us. First the plane, now the helicopter."

"Does this have to do with what you said back inside?" Jonah stared at Tsuna.

"Yes. There is more, I'll tell you on the way down to the beach."

.

"So you're going to need the boat to go inland?"

"Yes. Whatever is stopping us is there, and I intend to get rid of it."

Tsuna and Reyes had a stare down.

"… … … Alright."

.

"Reyes?"

"Yes, Lara?"

"If you need any help with heavy lifting, the boys can help you." Tsuna gestured towards Whitman and the other crew members.

"Oh?" Reyes looked at the aforementioned four. They looked back at her, then at a smiling Tsuna. They nodded frantically.

"I will help as well," The pilot said.

"And," Hayato interjected, "If you need anything from the ship, just tell us, Lara and I will go get it for you."

"You're being very helpful."

"Well, of course." Tsuna and Hayato nodded, "You are fixing the boat and have agreed to allow us to use it to go inland. It's the least we could do."

"Alex could get me any tools I'd need from the ship."

"Some Solarii could be laying in wait for us there. Or they could be there to get materials for their own use from the ship. It's not safe to send a person alone."

"Since you're volunteering, I do need some tools."

"We'll go right away."

"Before you go." Jonah, who had just returned from a private conversation with Roth, took out a bow he had on his back, "I found this, thought you could use it."

"Thanks, Jonah." Tsuna smiled gratefully at him as Hayato took the bow with sparkling eyes.

.

Hayato stared at the huge, armored Solarii who dropped to the ground, dead at Tsuna's hands.

"Tsuna. You vicious fucker. How the fuck did I not realize earlier how more vicious you would be with an axe in your hands?"

.

"There are the tools!"

"And there are the Solarii laying in wait."

.

"How about we blow the wreckage up?"

"You're the bomb expert."

.

"We're back!"

"Sorry for the delay. We faced a bit of a problem."

"Of the Solarii type."

"And we found something on our way."

Tsuna offered the scientist's journal he and Hayato found in the bunker they passed on their way.

Alex took it and read some of the pages out loud.

"They wanted to find the key to controlling the storms?"

"And there's an answer in a tomb in the cliffs?"

"Let me guess." Reyes crossed her arms, "You two plan to go there?"

"Well, yes. It could shed more light on the matter."

.

"So, did you find anything?"

Hayato waved the small scroll he and Tsuna found, "We've got a corpse to burn."

.

"Look, guys." Tsuna looked at the group consisting of nine people, "You guard the entrance. It won't be just Solarii, but also the stormguard."

"Anything that's not either of us-" Hayato gestured to himself and Tsuna, "-shoot it."

"We got your backs, girls." The nine of them all raised their guns in unison.

.

"These are the stormguard?"

"Yep."

"Maybe we should sneak around? You said last time your flames reacted instinctively to them, you haven't recovered enough for my tastes to go against them."

"Ha. Ya. To."

"It's the truth. Don't do anything to overexert your flames again."

"What if I have to call on either Cal or Mimi? Does that count as overexerting myself?"

"How about we wait and see?"

.

"Boy am I glad that we decided to sneak in instead of barging in."

.

"Shit! They saw us!"

"Run!"

.

"GAH!"

"TSUNA! I told you to wait and see! Not to go and summon Cal at the first opportunity!"

Tsuna panted, "Cal!"

'TSUNA! HAYATO! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! I MISSED YOU BABIES! I CRY! FOREVER AND EVER! AND WHERE ARE WEEEEEE?!'

"Later, Cal!"

'Okay! You want me to take down those bastards? Imma show 'em the power of REAL swords!' With a roar, Cal stabbed himself through the nearest approaching stormguard, 'Aiyah! Whooo-wotchaw!' Cal destroyed the stormguard with his energy rays.

"Why is he imitating the sounds martial artists would make?"

"Hush, Hayato. Let Cal have fun."

"You're not planning to call Mimi too, are you?"

Tsuna heaved, "Do I look like I can fucking do it?!"

Hayato merely scrutinized him.

"NO! I CAN'T! I WON'T!"

"Good to know."

'ORAORAORAORA!'

"Let's go; we shouldn't let Cal do all the work."

.  

"So, she didn't transfer her power through the ascension ritual, she transferred her soul."

"All of the Sun Queens were Himiko. And they wanted me to go through the ritual?" Hayato was incredulous.

Tsuna stomped over to Himiko's statue and growled at her, "Listen you jumped up queen! You're nothing compared to the supposedly immortal, Atlantean goddess I killed yesterday!"

'YEAH! SHOW HER WHO'S BOSS!'

Hayato sighed, "Why don't you go and say those words to her face?"

"Who said I wasn't going to do that? I was simply practicing."

.

Tsuna and Hayato stood in front of what had to be the corpse, poised and carefully made up to appear doll-like.

Their hair and clothes whipped in the wind as they contemplated the queen.

"It feels a bit anticlimactic," Tsuna murmured, barely heard over the wind, "All of that hype, and all we faced on the way here were a mere handful of stormguards and the wind."

"Hey, Tsuna? Didn't you have something to say to her?"

"Yeah." Tsuna strode forward towards the queen, "Listen you jumped up queen! You're nothing compared to the supposedly immortal, Atlantean goddess I killed yesterday!"

Hayato snorted, "Well, then. How to take her down?"

Tsuna giggled as flames coated his fists, "I was thinking pounding."

"Oh no, you don't." Hayato lowered Tsuna's hands, "You've already tired out your flames, you idiot. Think of something else, genius."

'I was thinking penetration.'

"Well." Hayato contemplated for a moment, "That sounds like a great idea."

"Hayato!" Tsuna mock-gasped, "Have you been corrupted already?"

Hayato sent a deadpan look Tsuna's way, "You pervert, she's a corpse and Cal's a sword." Hayato plunged Cal deep into the corpse's chest.

The corpse twitched, and screamed.

"Ow. My ear."

"Cal?"

'Ehehehehe.'

Cal glowed green and red, completely disintegrating the corpse.

.

"Look. The clouds parted for sun rays to illuminate us."

"Cliché."

.

"Now that the clouds completely dispersed, we can go down."

"It feels nice not to have her bearing down on my flames."

"It does, doesn't it? I didn't know she was such a literal headache until she was gone."

.

"It's finished! Whoo!" Tsuna waved a hand at the other survivors, "We can leave the island now."

.

The boat was an hour away from the island's shore when Tsuna stiffened, "Hayato?"

Hayato looked worried, "Already? We've been here for only what? A day?"

Tsuna walked over to Roth and Jonah and whispered, making sure what he was about to say didn't reach the others, "We're leaving."

"What?" Roth whispered back, Jonah frowned lightly.

"Remember the light we mentioned?" Hayato interjected, "It's going to be picking us up any time now."

"What about our Lara and Sam?" Jonah questioned, putting a hand on Tsuna's shoulder.

Tsuna looked over at Hayato and Cal, Cal picked on his silent request and answered it, 'I don't know. After you two left the previous world, Mimi and I have been stuck in-between worlds.'

"We don't know what happens after we leave."

"Oh." Jonah's hand dropped from Tsuna's shoulder.

Not a moment later, light flashed and picked Tsuna, Hayato and Cal up, once again catapulting them from one place into another.

.

The moment the light deposited Tsuna, he took quick stock of his surroundings, making sure to flare his awareness as far as possible.

He was in a street in a town somewhere. The street was crowded with what could be described as an 'everyday traffic'.

He had landed just in between a little kid with brown hair, wearing a scarf and holding a giant book, he looked about nine or so, and a man in his late twenties to early thirties with slicked back, black hair and wearing a suit.

The man was about to grab onto the kid at the same moment Tsuna landed between them, causing him to crash into Tsuna.

Hayato was nowhere nearby.

"You brat!" The man attempted to grab at Tsuna.

Big mistake.

Tsuna avoided the hands reaching to take a hold of him, and kneed the man in the stomach. Tsuna then grabbed the man by his shirt and slammed him into the wall behind him; one of his hands burst into flames and punched the wall next to the man's head, creating a hole the size of his fist in it.

"Try me." Tsuna growled, eyes glowing orange.

The man was rendered speechless.

Tsuna shoved the man into the wall again before letting him go; he had to find Hayato-!

"T-Tsu-kun?"

.

End.

[ron-is-awesome-sauce]

Alright, so we all know that one of the most unforgivable things that happened in the movies concerning Ron is giving Hermione his" If you want to kill Harry " line, but the hatred I feel towards this is not just about me being angry at Kloves showing off his disrespectful favoritism by giving away Ron's lines, but me being angry at just how badly he screwed over ALL of the Golden Trio in one simple scene. The entire Shrieking Shack scene was a disservice to the book and the Golden Trio, and by extension Sirius and Remus( but that's for another day), so let me let breakdown exactly why I hate this scene so much.

Note that this is a long post because I have a lot of feelings about this.

Now, let us start with the most obvious problem, what was done to Ron.

In the book, the "if you want to kill Harry " line comes from Ron after he's just been bodily dragged by Sirius, who was in his Grim form, a form Ron was deathly afraid of, into the Shrieking Shack, after having his leg broken in such a brutal way, Harry was able to audibly  hear the crack. In the time that it took Harry and Hermione to get to Ron, he was stuck with Sirius; who took his wand, who Ron knows is brutal enough to escape Azkaban , a fortress he had grown up all his life being told is inescapable  and break into Hogwarts, who at the time everyone thought was a convicted murdered, who Ron no doubt grew up hearing horror stories about; completely alone, handicapped and in an immeasurable amount of pain. Could you imagine what could have been going through his head? A thirteen-year-old with no means to defend himself, trapped with the man who not only killed his best friend's parents but 12 innocent people and laughed about it while getting arrested.

Any normal person would have been terrified.

But not Ron. Ron was determined whereas other people would have been afraid. His first reaction when Harry shows up is to warn him of the danger through the pain that's he's feeling. When that doesn’t work his second reaction is to protect Harry when he puts himself in immediate danger.

Sirius addressing Harry, and Harry putting himself in danger gave Ron the sheer willpower to not only pull Harry back from the danger but to stand on a BROKEN LEG, look into the face of a convicted murderer and tell him that if he wanted to kill Harry he had to kill him first.

You cannot buy loyalty like that.

This is clear cut proof that Ron was perfectly willing to die for his friend.

In this moment, Ron is to Harry what Harry was to Dumbledore in the Chamber of Secrets.

When Ron said this line in the book, I had to put it down to absorb what he just did. The sheer impact had me shook.

And this is my ultimate problem with giving the line to Hermione. It takes away the impact. When Hermione says this line in the movie it's not an earnest declaration of loyalty but an attempt to put on a brave front. She doesn’t seem to think she can back up what's she's saying, whereas Ron had complete conviction behind his words. He wasn’t just trying to be brave, he was willing to stand beside his friend in the face of danger, injured, in pain and at a complete disadvantage. I think this is shown perfectly in that Ron is at Harry's side in the book instead of in front of him like Hermione was in the movies when this line is said. It's not 'I'm going to try to protect you' i t's  'I'd go to hell and back with you'.

There is none of this with Movie Hermione, there is no struggling through pain, no fear, no overcoming that fear. For Ron, it was a character  establishing moment, for Hermione it's just a throwaway line with no meaning or impact.

But it doesn’t stop there, because Kloves takes away another important line, this time from Harry, the main freakin character. The 'I trusted you' line.

This brings favoritism to a whole new level, because Hermione had absolutely no right to be given that line.

Remus was until this point Harry's only legitimate link to his parents. Sure there's Hagrid and Dumbledore, but they would not have known them as personally as Remus. Remus is an invaluable source of knowledge to Harry. He could tell Harry what his dad was like when teachers weren’t around, what his mom was like, and it would all be a personal account. It doesn’t help that Remus's formal introduction to Harry is him saving him from the dementors.  There would defiantly be some hero worship going one.

Finally, Harry had an adult that he could know on a personal level as a parental figure, even if he was a teacher. He spent hours with Remus alone and defenseless, thinking of Remus as someone who genuinely cares for him outside of him being Harry Potter, who helped him other come a great fear. But the most important thing he did was put his truest in Remus  even after the fact that one DADA professor was working for Voldemort and the other had no problem attempting to erase his memories.

You can just feel the betrayal and hurt that he experienced when he sees that Remus and Sirius are in league with each other.

(And yes we all know how it really turns out  but at this point Harry didn’t)

But once again the impact is lost, because the line comes from Hermione and to be frank, who cares if Hermione trusted Remus or not, or if she felt betrayed. She didn’t have that emotional tie to Remus, she didn’t put herself in a vulnerable position with Remus for weeks. Her feeling betrayed didn’t matter because she wasn’t the one who lost her parents to the madman her professor just embraced.

It made no sense to give her this line.

This was a moment that would have been amazing to see come to life. The tension is at an all-time high and it keeps going higher. It's the perfect blend of drama and action. Here we get our first in-depth glimpse at Harry's anger and what it can do to his character. Yeah, we see glimpses of it in the first two books, but it's really expanded on here. His anger makes him reckless, his hate make him murderous , and the betrayal from Remus brings these feeling to its peak.  It was the perfect look into how all those negative feelings altered him in the fifth book, but it came to its height in this moment. We could’ve all of that on screen, but we didn't get it.

Instead, we got that hammy scene in the movies with Harry crying under his invisibility clock.

And the injustice doesn't end there.

It comes full circle because this scene doesn't just take away from Harry and Ron but Hermione too!

In the book, Hermione is terrified of what is going on. She talks very timidly and politely to Sirius and Remus, she whispers all of her words, she freaks out when she helps stun Snape, She’s so horrified of Pettigrew she cannot physical speak when he comes close to her, she closes her eyes when Sirius and Remus are about to kill Pettigrew.

The words to describe Hermione in this scene all point to extreme fear. She's petrified, she's whimpering. And that brings a whole new level to her character, because though she's afraid of what's going on, she just as invested at protecting Harry as Ron, but in a completely different way than in the movies. She shows her inner Gryffindor by being deathly afraid but still tacking Sirius with Ron when she's given the chance. She helps hold Harry back when he  tries to go to Sirius , she offers support in every way she can while still being afraid. I don’t know about you but courage in the face of extreme fear is more admirable to me than being a hardened badass all the time.

But of course, this wasn’t shown in the movie because Hermione has to be a Knight Templar and tackle danger with no fear and basically be a warrior goddess always ready to bail everyone out.

Kloves favoritism not only damaged Ron and Harry but Hermione as well. The irony is he was so blinded by that favoritism that he made Hermione an entirely different character in the movies. She can't be dynamic. She can only be one of two things, Smart or Badass. She can't be a flawed character and thus she can't be herself at all.

I could talk for hours about everything wrong with just the Shrieking shack scene alone but this post is already long enough. Ultimately, Steve Kloves fucked up everyone's character, he didn’t get anyone right, not even Hermione his so called favorite character. The Shrieking Shack was the scene that showed me Kloves ineptitude at portraying these characters and even though four out of the eight movies are very important to me I cannot overlook just how badly they screwed up these characters.

[justkeeponsimming]

Some super, super late replies (so sorry! :()

Hey, guys!

I am so freaking sorry for the lateness of my replies. I have so many excuses (work commitments) and pretty much spend my free simming time queuing posts to keep the daily updates going - but this does mean my replies suffer. And it’s not cool! I love talking to you guys!

Please accept my humble apologies and I will try to improve! <3

kat88833 replied to your photoset “Finally I get to show you Poppy’s badass musician makeover! :3 I’ve...”

ooo pretty. she looks good in anything so this is just another fabulous look in her wardrobe. Thanks, Bae! <3 She was channelling a little bit of her inner rock chick (velvet inspired) for this aspiration. I feel your pain with the song writing. OMG it takes forever!

maimouth replied to your photoset “Before and After Tag! :D by @soft-almond This was so much fun! Thanks...”

So pretty!!! ����

Thank you, Mai! But I’m sure it’s not going to be as pretty as yours if you do this! <3

108sims replied to your photoset “For shiz and giggles, Poppy hangs out and gets to know Grim a bit...”

He had the romantic trait once in my game. I had a weird glitch where he got moved into a house. It was kind of funny to see all his info! OMG that’s the best glitch ever though? Any lovable batchelor needs to have a pad to woo the ladies! Was his house awesome? 

simalienn replied to your photoset “Forrest: “Oh…heh…hey..Mum. How’s it goin’?” Poppy: “Really well,...”

Poppy looks the same age as Forrest!! XD

She does look dang good for her age! It was whilst queuing the screenshots for completing the grilled cheese aspiration that I realised she still has an amazing figure after giving birth to 9 children! lol

simsomedia replied to your photoset “#dothedab!”

That syncness

My sims are the epitome of inappropriately timed poses, so I’d be disappointed if they weren’t in sync! :(

simalienn replied to your photoset “Poppy stays up all night and finishes the final stage of her...”

Eat one in space??? Holy Moly, that's commitment!

I’m sharing this comment because I’ve had quite a few people ask how I managed to get Poppy to do this. You need a fully built rocket and a grilled cheese sandwich in your inventory, then a special interaction appears stating: “eat grilled cheese in space” - or something like that! :)

myopiccc replied to your photoset “Poppy stays up all night and finishes the final stage of her...”

To talk to grim reaper, a grim reaper has to be invited. And we all know how......WHHHHOOOOOO

I didn’t have to be quite that evil this time, my dear! ;) Not pictured are the approximately 8 lots in total that I visited trying to find Grimmy but he wouldn’t show up, so I just decided to show a few of them. In the end, I invited Grimmy to the Bluffs and interacted with him there. Poppy had met him previously after bumping off Marcus Flex :) I’ve heard Grimmy can usually be found in night clubs, but he was determined not to show when I needed him to!

myopiccc replied to your photoset “Wesley: “That’s great, I love being the centre of gossip. My...”

nothing to hide behind!

I’m responding to this comment as well as a bit of foreshadowing. This is going to be important for the next few days of the queue. I spent far too much time writing these next few scenes, so I hope you enjoy them! XD