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stray-tori · 4 years

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TPN S02E09 - Initial Thoughts (anime-only)

[ Reaction video w/ captions/subs ] we collectively have a breakdown about the pen, please enjoy it pff-

... hmmm... yeah I... ain’t feeling it. I think my tpn feelings overall are carrying this more than anything pff. I didn’t hate it, it was just...... mediocre... like if this wasn’t tpn, I probably would have dropped it at this point.

BUT IT IS TPN SO LET’S GIVE SOME THOUGHTS.

. Random thoughts I don’t want to re-arrange

when Emma was like “share your pain with us!!”, I liked how Norman turned to Ray like “Ray. help. tell her I’m right” kind of like Ray did in s1 pfff-

Norman cried the words he didn’t allow himself to say in s1 :( I’M EMOTIONAL. it might not be the icing on the cake execution wise but GOD MY HEART. And knowing he’s going to die to it’s just- (well not if the pen has something to say about it but more about that later)

where- wheres my trio hug :((( RAY HUG THE CHILD NOW

it’s interesting that while Emma got the entire emotional speech spotlight, only Ray got a reaction shot to “I won’t live long”?? equivalent.... exchange...?

I thought Norman had a seizure when he broke down in front of Emma and Ray and I kinda wish he had because while it’s good to have him say it outright (a win for communicationnn), imagine THE ANGST. “I want to live with yo- *coughs up fountains of blood*”.

So. yknow that hideout Cislo or Vincent referenced when talking to Emma and Ray. Yknow where Norman hid the children they stole from farms, making it look like demons did it? ... w-what about them? will we see them? Are they getting left behind? it would have worked for Norman’s plan, since all they had to do was stay put and wait for demons to be yeeted. But now... he’d have to take them all too. But... I doubt we’re gonna introduce a bunch of new designs and characters? Or are we? Who knows. I don’t. I have unreasonably amount of protecc feelings for those children I’ve never even seen haha- WHERE ARE THEY. I mean... the plan rn is to immediately use the gate right? or is the plan to eradicte the GF farm staff and higher ups? I guess if thats the plan it might work. Or I guess the plan is to save Phil for now???

the idea of Sonju just... slicing his arm and throwing it at demons in a loop sounds so funny to me please someone make that.

I liked that Mujika turned to the lambda kids after giving a cup to the demon children but then we didn’t see their reaction or anything and then it cuts to the temple??? that was weird. was there sth missing there? confusion.

I also like Isabella remarking "[a radio] was supposed to be there" regarding the shelter, because it further heavily implies they know of the shelters and just let them be. Which further confirms that they should have just reframed the shelter and had the kids escape from it quickly but oH WELL.

I really liked demon Emma apologizing and Norman's reaction to that. it was a sweet little moment and like, the realization of apologizing for something that she didn't do but is aware of and all that. Cycle of hatred and all that shiz hell ye. Ik the anime won't rly delve into that but I kind of relish in the angst potential of the village - sure it was undone but some were still eaten and died and transforming people back won't bring those back. So, that’s some hella terrifying implications for families; and I'm assuming Norman is aware of those so. guilt time! not that he wasn't aware it was bad but yeah- I teared up at that moment :<<

I feel like this season really does its best when it’s doing the whole two worlds/species angle. Mujika and Sonju, the village, demon and human Emma... all that stuff.

I wish we had gotten more time (god this is really the season’s downfall) thought to see Vylk talk to the GF kids more often. it’s implied he told them not to hang out there before but I would have liked to have him show up a few more times before that but yeah. Runtime very RIP.

I also feel like CW is bending over backwards to put cliffhangers at the end of episodes. that was already a problem in s1 when they had Phil come in when Don and Gilda were in Isabella's room. it was obvious it'd be a copout but they still did it. I'm just wondering why we had to have Vincent disagree with the group to this extend (and if the shock value might play a part in that). we have 2 more episodes, why are they introducing more plot threads? Just streamline it you dofuses. I just don't know what good can come of it unless it's like an ultra big brain move to help them?? (and then we're back with the forcing cliffhangers thing) - if it's actual conflict, this'll just make things more confusing and clustered, and we don't have time for that right now imo. But who knows maybe it plays into something I just don't understand yet and it'll work out somehow

. Animation flow kinda dead.

I felt like this episode was kind of... awkwardly executed whenever something that was a slightly dynamic movement happened?

The whole bit while Emma is walking up to Norman could have been better, but it’s passable, except that a lot is spelled out for us.

But then she takes his hand really weirdly in a far away shot with bad inbetween timing?? what is that haha-

Or him collapsing is cut really weirdly. you barely really see it, you just kinda piece it together from Emma’s reaction and her catching him.

Most facial expressions are good though, which is arguably the more important part in this scene. I feel like a better execution just would have elevated it even more.

The only one I felt was really awkward in its entirety is Barbara’s scene with the children demons. I felt like that was in particular kind of stiff and the cut between the child and her was too sudden and felt jarring. TPN anime doesn’t really do that sort of stuff a lot, so imo it’s kind of “??” when they do it. With Norman it was too, but that at least had a good transition over to it (with bg and fg panning) and nice animation. Barbara’s just kind of switched. Tbh don’t switch it out, and as the child screams, switch over to her facial expression as her own voice fades into the scream? I think that would have done it too and also be low effort.

I think it’s moreso the flow of the shots than the actual shots though? it’s a bit too fast paced and sometimes missing inbetweens (like the wild demon eating sonju’s hand is literally just 2 frames) - it’s very weird. It’s jarring, but I can’t really explain why.

I’m sorry for the staff, I’m sure the production hasn’t been easy. maybe with the bluray release we’ll get some updated animations/inbetweens.

Some appreciation though:

as mentioned, most of the facial expressions, even if the body language was a bit stiff.

the cut from the trio talking to the eye-transition of the demon and the following breath animation looked nice. Also his arm regenerating!

Sonju smirking as he cuts his arm off, what a bastard

they didn’t have to show Vylk’s arm regenerating casually while they’re talking but they did.

. the lambda crew

If only I cared about you guys. Hahhh it’s just... introducing characters so close to the end is just. A mess. A recipe for disaster.

Where has the anime’s “show off the younger kids” angle gone? I thought they were always pretty good at that. but they haven’t really contributed anything since the whole tidbit about the older children always eating less for them. And even then it was just Lani and Thoma.

Potentially, what segments we saw in the shelter will come back for the GF raid thematically but I’m just... EH?

. the cure pen

at this point, just stick a syringe part at the end of the stick and just inject it and it’s gonna solve everything probably.

I just don’t understand why that needed to happen. Assuming they go to the human world, it’d be perfectly acceptable for me for medicine to be so advanced that it’d be able to like, lessen their symptoms and significantly improve their lifespan.

Don’t just... REMOVE their struggles. It’s okay to not be normal and cured. it’s okay for their lives to be impacted by it going forward. In fact, I’d much prefer that.

(added in later) OH wait they literally spell out why the cure being in the pen is meaningful - because it opens up a path where they can live through not having annihilated all the demons - it's essentially the moral "reward" for not killing them. Since they probably wouldn't have gotten it if they did that. I still think it wasn't needed and the blueprint on its own would suffice for another pen-convinience moment but I kind of get what they're going for, I just don't think it's worth it . In their case, going to the human world (while they don't know it) means having more medical expertise at their disposal which they can then use to survive. UNLESS they're actually not welcome over there and have to hide or something, in that case... that might be hard, true. I guess I'll come back to think about this once it's over. For now, it feels kind of unearned and it wouldn’t even have to be this way in my eyes which makes it somewhat worse.

But good, let’s say in-universe you need it NOW, then at least don’t put??? the medicine??? recipe??? INTO the hologram.

What if they just checked the GF blueprint and Norman goes “hey, Vincent... do you think this [database/archive room] could have some data on our experiments?” - Norman said he tried to develop a drug to help them but the supporters who had that data were purged. but... they had Smee to help them too. But SOMEHOW, a dude from 15 years ago just HAS the cure??? (at least let Norman develop it himself and have the data be just THE DATA and not the recipe).

It might still check out somewhat??

15+ years ago, James Ratri was assumingly still the gatekeeper since the switch to Peter seems somewhat recent considering his big "era of James has ended" speech.

I guess the implication is that just like Smee => Krone => Norman, a supporter all that time ago gave random person the pen when they escaped.

When Vylk found him, he also had just the data medium of the pen (not the entire pen), so maybe the farm thought they eliminated it and that’s why they didn’t change their methods to not work with those drugs anymore? It's still a bit curious that their experimentation hasn't changed at all in 15 years but maybe that's because they keep killing the smart people instead of making them scientists to research for them :D

Somewhere since those 15 years, Smee gave Krone the pen (probably a few years before she got to GF?), which means that at that point the gate the keyword "future" sent them to, was still in tact when Smee gave Krone the pen. Maybe WM wasn't discovered yet at that point?

then WM got discovered, James was chased. He made that phonecall update and was probably eventually killed, along with the human location (and likely bunkers since they knew a radio was supposed to be there, begs the question why they didn't remove it) being discovered (the one with the future keyword) and the gate there being destroyed.

The problem is just that it can make sense when you think about it for way too long and assume things in good-faith, but it still feels unearned.

Maybe I would care more or this would feel a little more earned if we knew ANYTHING about that person? They seemed fairly young, so it’s probably not Minerva/James Ratri. The “hope” talk reminded me of the book in the shelter, but I’m not sure if that checks out either? The cookies were rotten but not completely. I know cookies hold out relatively long, but would they rly not be completely rotten after 15 years? I MEAN. Maybe not. Who knows. I tried to google it but didn’t find anything.

But anyway. That tidbit is going into my “shelter kids OC project” I guess.

But even if the worldbuilding makes sense, I think the data set in itself makes little sense?? How did they find that pen part? Did a supporter give it to them? Why do they have the cure? Clearly their group of escapees wasn’t doing too hot (#help) and they seemed relatively young too so they probably couldn’t have worked in the farm.

Were the shelter escapees lambda escapees? but if that was the case, wouldn’t the WM group have secured the cure information more properly than in just one pen (maybe it was and those were just destroyed, to be fair) - it’s just WEIRD to put the cure for Lambda experiments on the same blueprint as the GF layout??? that makes so little sense.

Plus, why would you send them to GF, when it’s so secured and all that, and not just send them to the human support place our GF kids were sent with the “future” keyword, which had a gate. Maybe it didn’t exist 15 years ago (that the humans had control over it, that is), but even then it seems weird to me to imply to send them to GF instead of one of the other gates that existed. I mean. The “future” location’s gate wasn’t destroyed when Krone got the pen right?

I’m guessing maybe it was meant as help for escaping? But then again, why the cure? I guess if they met lambda experiments? I’m just confused.

Also: do we just accept that the layout of GUARDS and SECURITY MEASURES has not changed in 15 years???

*sigh* welp. Still looking forward to seeing some stuff with Isabella hopefully. Time... is not on their side and it shows. Neither run-time wise nor production wise.

#tpn anime #tpn s2 #tpn anime-only #tpn #tori talks #tori has opinions

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whitleyschn33 · 4 years

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Hey, I don't mean to bother you again, but if you're still feeling up to it, I'd still like to see your opinions on each member of the Schnee family. No pressure if you don't want to do it though; I still appreciate seeing whatever you do post.

Hey!

You’re not bothering me, trust me. My motivation for... well, everything, but this blog in particular fluctuates pretty wildly, and that means that asks can sit in my inbox for months. The world going to hell hasn’t helped much. Also, every single time I’ve tried to write this, I’ve ended losing chunks of it cause I was too dumb to just type this in a word doc and copy-paste, so that’s been frustrating, to say the least.

Now that I’ve gotten smarter, though, let’s get into the Schnees!

Jacques

I have mixed feelings about how he was (potentially) written out of the show (and I have a feeling I’m going to be saying that a lot in this reply). I said in this post awhile back that I didn’t want Jacques to become an agent of Salem because something like that would most likely become the focal point of his asshole-ness and shove everything else to the side. That feeling holds true, but not really in the way I had been expecting.

How he ended up benefiting Salem, I’m perfectly good with. Him not knowing about Salem or Watts’ motives for making the deal with him, making the deal because it of how it would benefit him and not to serve Salem/kill people - that I’m good with. He was an unknowing pawn Watts/Salem manipulated around the board, but not a mustache-twirling villain all on board with working with the genocidal maniac/serving on her council of villains, and that’s all I really wanted - for him to not be a knowing member of Salem’s board of evil. Being part of a group that desires global destruction just doesn’t fit his motives – can’t make money off people if they’re all dead.

However, the fact that that’s why he was arrested - that his downfall was due to and focused solely on being involved in a Salem plot that just popped up this volume rather than anything to do with his treatment of the Schnees or the Faunus - that kinda rankles. This goes back to the ask I answered a while back - the focus on all the new plots and characters that meant a lot of the old stuff that’s been built up was shoved aside. Jacques being taken down feels like it should have been this huge emotional climax, tensions running high with all of the Schnees there and a huge release of all of those tensions as Jacques gets taken down for the crimes that we as the audiences most revile him for – his treatment of the Schnees. Instead it was… none of that. Jacques is arrested by Weiss for his aid to Watts… and she promptly cracks a joke about it to kill the tension. Winter is able to get in a decent snap at him, but that’s it from her. The entirety of Jacques’ arrest is focused on the heating crisis. He’s dragged off, and only Willow and Whitley get to witness and react to it, and even that’s just a look from Willow and Whitley running off looking completely done with everything – they don’t even react with each other. There’s nothing in Jacques’ downfall about his abuse to his wife and children or even the Faunus, it’s all the election and Watts – plot points that don’t hold nearly as much weight to the audience as ones that have been set up for years.

So, TLDR for Jacques: I actually hope this isn’t the last we see of him, because that would be a disappointing way to end the Schnee’s arc as a family. At the very least, I hope we get to see him talked about between Winter, Willow, and Whitley if/when they actually get to talk to each other.

Willow

Mixed Feelings: Round Two.

Her design? Love it. Her conversation with Weiss? Gold. Willow as a character? A bit more involved than I would’ve thought from how very non-existent she’s been up until now and implied to have been in Weiss’s life, but I can roll with her being a bit more aware than I would’ve gone with. Willow’s role in this volume? Ehhhhhhhh….

I hate that she literally just has a camera hidden in Jacques’ office and recorded the entire thing. It seems like such a cheap way of Weiss getting the information she needed, and comes out of nowhere after there was already a way for her to get the information set up in Whitley. Seriously – we already had Whitley established as having seen Watts, seen Jacques’ reaction to him, look suspicious at Watts, and hear at least the man’s first name. Whitley absolutely had the information Weiss needed – so why the hell pull “Willow actually has cameras set up everywhere” out of thin air? And actually – wouldn’t Jacques have his office swept for cameras and bugs on the regular? You know, like the head of an extremely powerful organization and high-profile target of at least one major terrorist group probably would? To prevent something like this exact situation from happening? I just find it hard to believe that she could’ve set them up for long without being found, and setting them up just before something important to the plot happened in that room is just very convenient.

And like, there’s actually no reason that it needed to be that way. Willow and Weiss could have had the same conversation, just swap out the lines about the cameras with “I don’t know, but I know who would – your brother”, and you can even have Weiss still say that he wants nothing to do with her and Willow agree with her “you left him here with us” line, prompting Weiss to seek him out to get the information she needs and maybe even have a heart-to-heart with him. Whitley wouldn’t even have to give up the information in that conversation – he could be incredibly stubborn about it and unwilling to help until Weiss is called into a meeting about the heating crisis, which Whitley would absolutely follow into to listen whether he’s invited or not, and hearing what’s going done, decide to step up and come clean, realizing if he doesn’t, thousands of people will die. I can actually picture it in my head, and it would be so much better than just “Oh, yeah, I got cameras that recorded the entire nefarious conversation.”

And I’ve spent this entire section not really talking about Willow. Uhh… again, I really like her design. I like that she’s wearing purple, a color no other Schnee wears (except… Whitley with that wine… hmmm) – a mixture of red and blue, her freedom being drowned in something else until it’s completely tainted. Her voice is good, and for the most part, I really do like her conversation with Weiss. I also love that she finally points out what me and other Whitley fans have been screaming for ages – that you can’t expect someone that you basically abandoned (in his eyes) to look favorably on you, and I like that she acknowledges her own role in that, that she’s been a poor parent as well, and actively a detriment to Whitley.

TLDR, I like Willow, I just hate the damn cameras that seem to only exist for this plot point (since if they existed before, shouldn’t Weiss being hit be what they were meant to capture?).

Winter

Best girl, hands down. Not kidding, Winter basically carried this volume for me – rational, yet having very human reactions to things while recognizing that the emotional response isn’t necessarily the right one, the star of a badass fight with Cinder in which her Aura breaks but she still goes on fighting and holding her own against a damn Maiden, an awesome new outfit, wonderful conversations with Penny and just a very interesting relationship with her overall, actually gets to fight back against Jacques to his face – is there any point where this woman doesn’t exceed all my expectations?

I wasn’t a huge Winter fan before this volume, but I’ve successfully been converted. Second favorite Schnee for sure.

Weiss

On thin ice. Still my favorite of the RWBY crew, but considering how much of a nose dive the other three (in particular Ruby) took in this volume, that’s not saying a lot. A lot of what irks me with Weiss are… little moments. Implying that Winter shouldn’t trust Ironwood because he “could” be keeping secrets when she’s the one lying while Ironwood has been nothing but honest, the implication that Winter isn’t capable of making her own choices in regards to the military and the Maiden and that Ironwood must have been grooming her (I really hate this implication, both for trying to tear Ironwood down and for trying to rob Winter of her own agency – like, joining the military was her choice, her escape from Jacques, and you want to turn that into some kind of long game manipulation on Ironwood’s part? You want to prove Jacques of all people right in that he “stole” Winter, rather than Winter making her own choices and Ironwood recognizing her abilities and offering her the Maiden’s powers? Really?), trying to brush aside Ironwood’s concerns about just how much RWBY has done behind his back, calling Mantle “her home” when it’s never been that in front of Marrow who is almost certainly from Mantle – just, a lot of little things that I really dislike, not to mention that this is probably the worst design she’s had. But there hasn’t been anything that’s just blatantly ruined her for me, and she remains the most interesting and well executed character of RWBY for me.

TLDR, a lot of bratty moments that push me away from her, but still holds promise.

Whitley

My poor boy! He finally got more screentime and some of our headcanons comfirmed, but made the butt of a joke that could’ve easily been replaced with character development and underutilized so much. I’d say mixed feelings, but no – love his character, hate how he was used would probably be the best summary. Of course, I’m very much biased, but let’s not let something like that stop me.

More screentime! And letting him talk to someone other than Weiss! His banter with Ironwood was good, seeing his reactions to Jacques, how afraid and timid he was, was heartbreaking, and even if it didn’t go anywhere, his suspicion of Watts was nice to see. It’s always sweet to see headcanons confirmed too – the painting of him playing the piano was nice, and even if I’d have rather had it come out of his own mouth, Willow’s confirmation of him feeling abandoned by Weiss was such a satisfying thing to hear.

On the other hand, I absolutely hate the wine prank. It was way too drawn out and petty – seeing so much joy on JNR’s face while setting it up over the course of a whole minute and using an stack of food half his size to toss onto him – it was way too over the top. If they had to go for the food thing, having Oscar (or someone else, but Oscar is the one without a huntsman license, so he’s more believably clumsy) just pretend to trip with a regular plate and get it on his shirt would’ve been just fine, and we could’ve gotten a nice interaction between Whitley and someone new and get some character development. But nope. We got to have RBYJNR take way too much glee in dumping a mountain of food on a boy they’ve never met before for… talking to his sister and unwittingly getting in their way. It just puts a bad taste in my mouth.

And of course, what I talked about in Willow’s section, the set up of him seeing Watts going absolutely nowhere. Seriously – you set up the perfect opportunity, and then took an out-of-nowhere cop out. It feels like such a squandered set-up, and really disappoints me.

At least we actually got him reacting to Jacques, and it was given an appropriate emotion and fitting cinematography. I love the shot of Whitley sitting all alone on the stairs, watching the only person that actually gives him attention being dragged away without explanation, and seeing the weariness and sadness in his expression as he looks up – I love it, I love it so much. The last bit of hope that they may actually treat my boy right in the end…

TLDR: My boy!

And there you have it! Months late, my thoughts on the Schnee after the most recent volume! How will these change after volume 8? Hopefully for the better, but we’ll have to wait and see!

Thank you for the ask, and once again, sorry for the wait. I may try and take a few more hits at my inbox, but that’ll have to wait for tomorrow, since I’ve got work in the morning.

Have a good night, and stay safe!

#rwby #weiss schnee #winter schnee #whitley schnee #willow schnee #jacques schnee #rwby7 #ask reply

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harrysdimples · 4 years

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folklore track by track review

the 1: love me a piano intro. oh this guitar?? swearing in the first 5 seconds? I like these lyrics. never bleed????????? hmm.................it would’ve been you.............I..............it would’ve been fun if you were the one.........bruv..........dare I say it...............am I just clowning.....or like.......................is she....ya know.......talking about........you know.......h****?? oh these vocals ! bruv I don’t care this is about harry because I say so afhdjssa. I really love this production and her vocals, it already sounds so much more mature than lover and it’s only the opener, feels like a more-mature version of a deep cut on red. excellent start!

cardigan: oh this percussion?? the piano?? her voice sounds fab. is this about the met? black lipstick? or bleachella? her VOCALS bruv sound 10x better than anything on lover?? I love these lyrics omg. THIS IS SO GOOD. HEARTBEAT ON THE HIGH LINE ONCE IN TWENTY LIFETIMES. this so good?? try to change the ending peter losing wendy?? leaving like a father running like water????? I love this so much omg. the atmospheric vocal...the percussion....the lyrics.....the piano......LAV IT. I can’t get over how already this is more lyrically dense than lover and reputation but I ain’t complaining!! I’m both surprised and not surprised that they went with this for the single from this era but I really like it, it feels like it would fit right at home in the NFR tracklist.

the last great american dynasty: love these strings?? omg the beat? is this political? hmm I like the lyrics of the verses but i’m not 100% feeling the lyrics/structure of the chorus, feels a little like she’s trying to fit too many words into the line, but I love the storytelling aspect of it and it’ll probably grow on me. it’s like a grown-up version of starlight or the lucky one. Is this supposed to be like an alternate version of what taylor’s life could’ve been like? or am I just completely misinterpreting that lmao?

exile ft. bon iver: like this piano intro. love bon iver. oh the birds in the background?? ooft these lyrics....brutal. is this about calvin? is that a kazoo? afjdshjsa I promise i’m not trying to be like this but like......this is very......hm. I really love his voice. the bridge is really pretty with both their voices. I can see myself staring dramatically outside the window listening to this when we’re allowed to properly go back outside lmao. very nice and pretty, it’ll probably hit harder later on than my first listen but I like it.

my tears ricochet: this a-cappella intro? oh this is sad :( what a ghostly scene....................................I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace :( oh this buildup?? I still talk to you........omg these atmospheric vocals I. LOVE. I need to read the lyrics on my next few listens to this but I really like it so far.

mirrorball: this feels like the outro in a coming of age 80s movie. love the soft guitars. oh these vocals! I know she didn’t mean to but when she signs tallest it sounds like she’s saying toilet to me lmao. jack’s atmospheric vocals!!! yes!!! the bridge is really beautiful. all I do is try, try, try. I’m just trying to get you to look at me :( I do have to say, while I love how lyrically dense this album is and reflective it is in comparison to her last few albums, the instrumentation doesn’t change a whole lot throughout these songs on first listen, it’s more that atmospheric vocals/sounds are built on top of it, which is fine, but I think they’ll benefit a lot from me listening to them outside the context of the album. love the meaning behind this though and I think it’s really beautiful.

seven: (this is when I stopped doing live reactions and instead went for post track reactions) Is it weird to say that this did better at the “love letter to love” concept meant for lover than lover did? this song feels more like for her legacy/future family and how she’s grown than as an active, present moment which is nice. I will say while I did love NFR when it came out, it also hit a wall with me eventually where it needed some breathing space or something to break up the sections of the album (which harry does actually quite well) and I feel like we’re hitting that point (if we haven’t already). I’m always slightly apprehensive about long albums like this which is why I said this will benefit from listening outside the context of the album.

august: I’m really curious as to who this is about lmao. but this was excellent in the progression of the track and the buildup/atmosphere and dynamics of the track, this was what I was wanting a bit more with songs like exile and it did great at building a different sonic landscape which is what was needed in the album imo. one of my favourite tracks so far.

this is me trying: this is very...wistful and reflective. a hybrid of the archer and I wish you would to me. “I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere, Fell behind all my classmates and I ended up here” is a LYRIC bruv. feels reminiscent of what she said in the miss americana documentary about how you’re stunted in your growth when you become famous at a young age and you fall behind the emotional development of most people around you, which is really interesting. “Pouring out my heart to a stranger, But I didn't pour the whiskey” is that supposed to be like a metaphor for stopping herself from saying too much all the time because she knows it could get out/be perceived in a certain way? either way, these are some great lyrics. “you're a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town” hmmm.....

illicit affairs: I LOVE THIS. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS. I have nothing else to add. this is fantastic. favourite track so far. amazing. 10/10.

invisible string: this song is really sweet lol I wish I was in love with someone to relate more to this. very referential to her work as a whole and I liked the more stripped down production.

man this is a long album lol

mad woman: FUCK YOU FOREVER. scream. this is very lana-fied lmao. I wish she did a little more with the electric guitar in the back though, imagine this more being soft-rock? so this is definitely about scott and scooter right? I do like this but it does feel very sonically similar to some of the tracks we’ve heard so far and I wish she had switched it up a little to fit the excellent lyricism of this song, more guitar would’ve really elevated the song imo.

epiphany: lol I got a bit emotional listening to this, I can already tell i’m going to listen to this at night and cry lmao. I have a massive fear of death/the unknown and this song sort of touched on that concept to me and I really liked the production. this feels like it should be in a movie soundtrack or in like, grey’s anatomy. the heartbeat-like sound in the outro? beautiful. this is the sort of concepts I’ve been wanting from taylor for a while now and the execution of this was really good imo.

betty: ms swift it’s okay to be gay. the elaborate-ness of putting yourself in the position of a man just to say you liked a girl. how are the kaylors/gaylors holding out lmao this is a nice story (like an upgraded version of ybwm) but I can’t get over how effectively no-homo this is lmao. the key change? love story wishes. oh the wistfullness to be young......and in looooOOOOoooOOove.

peace: love the guitar in the intro. this gives me another more grown up perspective of a song on melodrama? I love her vocals in this. I feel like i’ve said this about 40 times already but the atmospheric sounds....chef’s kiss.

hoax: the closer. the LYRICISM bitch. “your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in” shut up :( the bridge is gorgeous. I’m not sure how I feel about it as the closer though, it ties up the themes of the album pretty well but I almost feel peace would’ve been a better closer? still really gorgeous though.

okay. overall thoughts. top 3 albums of taylor’s discography for me along with 1989 and red. It did feel long towards the end though and I still think her problem is editing and streamlining her projects which is why I think 1989 (as her best album for that) and red (while being longer than this has enough songs to break up the album so it’s not monotonous for the listener) rank above this for me at the moment, but that could change. If I were her, I would’ve taken out invisible string and possibly betty and seven to have as deluxe tracks. her lyricism is better on this album than both reputation and lover combined, she really did that in like 4 months. I will need more time with it as I always do with taylor’s projects but it was the album she needed in my opinion. I think part of the reason I disliked lover and to a lesser extent, reputation, was because they didn’t come across as if she needed to write them like her other projects, but more projects she felt she should to write because that was where the narrative of her public image was forcing her to go, this feels like a return to form, even if I would tweak a few things. the visuals for this album have all been great (her best album cover after 1989 imo) and I think it benefitted a lot from going into it with next to no expectations, without a single or anything and I hope she continues to just do whatever, rather than painstakingly plan marketing surrounding an album and just allow her talent to speak for itself. really good. favourite tracks are probably: illicit affairs, the 1, cardigan, epiphany and mirrorball. least favourite are probably: invisible string, seven and maybe betty too. i’d rate it about 8/10 at the moment. also: ****** never dies.

#ruth rambles #taylor swift

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m34gs · 3 years

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For the fic post:

🌝🖋✨

Thank you for the ask! From this post.

🌝-Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

Well, I do have a few. In a previous ask I mentioned one is Harry Potter, but I also have others I want to write for. For example, I haven't gotten to write Fatgum into the The Adventures of the League of Dads yet...though he is on his way :) (Here's a link to The Adventures of the League of Dads, which is part of the larger The Glorious Bar AU). I'm pretty excited to be honest, he's fun and I really want to try my hand at his boisterous personality!

🖋-Post a snippet from a current WIP.

Hmmm, this was a bit hard to decide, but I decided to go with a piece I've been working on for a while. This particular fic is going to be part of a series titled "If". The individual fics in the series will not be related to each other and may be different fandoms, but they are all ideas inspired by songs where the word 'if' is a recurring theme. This excerpt is from the Haikyuu fic I am working on in this series:

“Hitoka.” The voice that called her name was soft and gentle, cool and collected. It sent a warm feeling throughout her and made her open her eyes. Hitoka knew that voice. She would know it anywhere.

“Ki-Kiyoko-senpai?” Hitoka stared down at her beautiful upperclassmen. Kiyoko, who was so cool, so elegant. Who was so sweet and caring, and always knew more than she let on. Who was…holding a handful of rocks and standing in the alley behind Hitoka’s apartment with a duffel bag. “Wh-what are you doing? What’s in the bag? Why…wait…were you throwing rocks at my window?”

“I apologize for not replying to your text earlier. I…I couldn’t find the words to express what I wanted to say, and everything I typed sounded wrong,” Kiyoko called up to her. Her voice was gentle and her tone was calm, but her eyes held anguish. Hitoka could tell, even at this distance.

Her lips trembled and her hands shook slightly, but Hitoka forced her voice to be as calm as possible when she answered. “Th-that’s ok, senpai. I don’t mind. I was just…I mean I was sad, but I’m ok now. I’m happy that you came to see me.”

Kiyoko bit her lip and looked down. Hitoka couldn’t see her face. She waited, unsure what the older girl was thinking. Finally, Kiyoko looked back up at her. “Hitoka, I was hoping I…I…would you want to go for a walk with me?”

This is by no means the finished project and some of this may change prior to posting, but overall I really like how this little piece turned out.

✨ -Choose three adjectives to complement your own writing.

Oh...this is harder than I thought it would be ahaha. Regardless, you asked and so I shall deliver. Here are three words I would use to describe my own writing, and hopefully these are how my fics come across:

Emotional. Developed. Changing.

Let me know if you have anymore questions! And thank you again for the ask!!!

#asks #responses #swagwolfhandsneck #ask game #for fun #I really enjoyed these questions #feel free to ask more if you want #bnha #Haikyuu

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365days365movies · 4 years

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February 9, 2021: Doctor Zhivago (Review)

Note: WHOOPS! This one went out so late, it’s a day behind! My bad, guys. Next review is still coming tonight! Check out the bottom to see what it is!

Russia, man. It’s got one hell of a history, and while this movie definitely isn’t purely historically accurate, it definitely feels true to the time period. At least it does to me. Feels about as Russian as this:

And a pigeon photoshopped to look like it’s saluting Vladimir Putin definitely feels Russian to me. Honestly, this was going to be a longer joke, but...c’mon. Look at that. That’s perfect.

Anyway, the ironic thing is that this movie isn’t Russian at all. The book, of course, is Russian, but the movie definitely wasn’t. Then again, this came SMACK DAB in the middle of the Cold War, so...yeah, wouldn’t be Russian, would it? Makes it even more interesting to me that the movie was as popular as it was. Also interesting that, again, it inevitably came in second that year to another movie starring lovers in a country embroiled in a World War.

By the way, made a bit of an error in the Recap posts. This movie DID win 5 Oscars, but lost 4 to The Sound of Music. So, really, it won out more than I thought in the end, huh?

OK, so what did I think of this movie? Well, let’s get into it, huh? Check out the Recap (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3) for more about the movie itself!

Review

Cast and Acting: 9/10

Without fear of pretense, I can say that both Omar Sharif and Julie Christie are fantastic as the main couple of the film. Their chemistry isn’t quite as sizzling as some of the others from this month, but it’s still there, and feels like a whirlwind romance as much as that of a seasoned couple who rely on each other to get through hardships, whether together or apart. And, hell, that’s some good chemistry right there, to be able to pull that off. Individually, of course, the two are quite stellar as well.

This cast, overall, is restrained in their emotional performances, which seems deliberate. Alec Guinness, though barely in the film, is still quite memorable for his role. No wonder he and Sharif are some of the director’s favorite standbys, also appearing in Lawrence of Arabia. Rod Steiger’s turn as Russia’s biggest asshole is also quite good, and contains some palpable realism to temper out his qualities as a villain that is extemporary to the film’s main conflict: war and politics. Speaking of villains, DAMN, Tom Courtenay! Pasha’s the most interesting character in the film for me, solely from a character standpoint, and I DESPERATELY want to know what happened to him after the war, and why exactly he was wanted. And Courtenay’s turn, from sweet and soft protestor, to determined revolutionary, to FUCK MY FAMILY COMMUNISM FOREVER is quite well done, and weirdly believable. So, yeah, props all around. Oh, and Geraldine Chaplin and Ralph Richardson should also get some of that credit.

Plot and Writing: 8/10

Once again, like preceding films, this is one of those films based on a book, by Boris Pasternak in this case. The film is apparently mostly faithful to the book in terms of plot, with certain elements and characters having been dropped out. Haven’t read it, but let me know how crazy the differences were, and if it hurt the film at all. Now, here’s the funny thing about the plot: I originally thought that this may have been a little...overdone. After all, this came out during the Cold War, and anti-Russian sentiment was pretty high in the USA and the UK at the time. But, apparently, that didn’t factor in as much as I thought! I mean, sure, it was still banned in the Soviet Union, but that’s not exactly a surprise, now is it?

Anyway, what did I think of the plot and writing? Both were good! Not exactly groundbreaking, but it was definitely a pretty great screenplay. Robert Bolt wrote it, and he won an Oscar for it for good reason. If I have a single criticism, it’s this: why couldn’t we have heard any of Zhivago’s poems? They’re real! Pasternak wrote them out and everything; check them out right here, if you’re curious. No other massive comments here, so moving on!

Directing and Cinematography: 9/10

Yeah, uh, holy shit, this cinematography is EXTREMELY good. Full stop, it’s legit some of the best I’ve seen. Some of that credit is funneled into the production and art design as well, but...LOOK AT THAT SHOT, GODDAMN IT. Shot composition throughout this movie is gorgeous, and this is just one example. The lighting is used in a clear narrative sense, especially when looking at someone’s eyes as they look at someone else. I mean, godDAMN, Freddie Young, you’re a rock star! And director David Lean is obviously no slouch either! I don’t think it’s as good as his other most famous film, Lawrence of Arabia, but it’s still fantastic.

Production and Art Design: 8/10

Hey, fun fact for you! This movie’s gorgeous winter landscapes and cinematography actually helped to inspire the look of Disney’s Frozen! Neat! And I’m not surprised, because this movie LOOKS fantastic. It’s quite good at capturing the splendor of Russian upper class lifestyle before the Revolution took place, as well as the dour aftermath of the Russian Civil War. It’s an iconic looking film, that’s for sure. The most iconic? Ehhhh, no, not really, but it’s definitely one I’ll remember for a few key scenes.

Music and Editing: 9/10

Has there ever been an instrument more Russian than the balalaika? And honestly, this film’s score is STILL stuck in my head with Zhivago’s theme, played on that very same balalaika! That instrument serves as the core of Zhivago’s leitmotif, representing his past in poverty, the inheritance of his mother, his forced-but-willing return to a more pastoral existence, as well as the symbol of connection with his child by the end of the film. And that musical symbolism is good, but the music itself is quite memorable as well! Seriously, as I type this, it’s still paying in my head, it’s incessant. Credit goes to Maurice Jarre for that little earworm.

Editing, too, is great! A lot of interesting scene transitions that I noticed, some of which are quite good. Norman Savage, another of Lean’s favorite guys, does some serious flexing of his skills, and somehow makes what should be a 3.33 hour slog into a surprisingly smooth watching experience! So, yeah, lots of editing talent needed to do that.

86% for the good Doctor and Lara!

Is it odd that I’d willingly watch this again, maybe with some friends next time? Might be a long movie, but I surely did enjoy it!

Might want to sew up the historical films soon, though. Let’s do another one, probably the last. But this time, let’s have it set in the same country that made it, and not the United States...hmmm...take place in a later time period, less touched by war...what else...probably going to have some infidelity, I can’t seem to avoid that this month...not based off of a book this time...and by a famous director.

OK, I think that settles it! Y’know, I think I’m enjoying this month, romance and all. I guess, after all this, I’m...

February 10, 2021: In the Mood for Love (2000)

#doctor zhivago #david lean #omar sharif #julie christie #geraldine chaplin #tom courtenay #alec guinness #rod steiger #romance february #user 365 #365 movie challenge #365 movies 365 days #365 Days 365 Movies #365 movies a year #my gifs #mygifs #tuserjulian

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vgckwb · 4 years

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P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 33: Show Me How You Move

After school the next day, Ren got a message from Sumire.

Sumire: Hey Senpai.

Sumire: Um, if you have time, could you come with me to ballet?

Sumire: Whenever I’ve been going, Coach Hiraguchi tells me I keep falling back into Kasumi.

Sumire: I think with you there, it might be helpful because I feel best about myself around you.

Ren smiled.

Ren: Of course.

Sumire: Thank you!

Sumire: Oh, but Coach might want you to participate too.

Ren: ...I guess I’m bringing my gym clothes.

Sumire: Maybe you should go shopping with Ann for some better workout clothes. She’s great to shop with.

Ren: I’ll keep that in mind.

Ren went to grab her gym clothes and met up with Sumire. The two headed to the studio. They saw Hiraguchi looking at them. “Hi coach,” Sumire said.

Hiraguchi just looked at them for a few seconds. “What is she doing here?”

“Oh, well, um,” Sumire began, “it’s just, you’ve been telling me that I lapse into Kasumi when doing gymnastics. I feel a lot more comfortable being myself around Ren-senpai, so I thought bringing her here would help.”

Hiraguchi looked at Ren. “Very well. However, I expect you to do some practice as well.”

Ren smiled nervously. “Sumi-chan told me you might do that, so I came prepared.”

Sumire blushed. “Um… ‘Sumi-chan’?”

“Ak!” Ren exclaimed. “DId I really say that?” She started blushing as well.

Hiraguchi smiled. “This might just work after all.” She clapped her hand. “Alright! Get changed, and then begin!” Ren and Sumire nodded. They headed to the locker room to change. Both of them were a little nervous about changing in front of each other. Once they changed, they emerged onto the studio floor and began doing routines.

Hiraguchi taught Ren some basic maneuvers. Ren took to them surprisingly well, and by the end of it even Hiraguchi was impressed. “Not bad, for a beginner.”

“Thanks,” Ren said.

Hiraguchi looked at Sumire. “However…” Ren looked over as well. She noticed something off about the moves Sumire was doing. Hiraguchi noticed Ren’s concern. “You notice something’s off too, huh.”

Ren looked at her. “Well, uh, she gave me a demonstration of some of her moves earlier… but they didn’t look like that.”

“You’re right,” Hiraguchi said. “Sumire!” she called.

SUmire stopped her routine and came over. “What is it coach?”

Hiraguchi sighed. “I thought you said Ren being here would help you break from Kasumi. But if anything, this is the most Kasumi you’ve been in a little while.”

“WHAT?!” Sumire said, shocked. “I don’t understand…” She looked at Ren. “What do you think? Weren’t my moves the best?” Ren stared at her with a disappointed look on her face. “Not you too senpai?!” Sumire cried.

“It’s not that they were bad…” Ren explained.

“But they’re Kasumi’s moves” Hiraguchi finished sternly. “I’ve told you time and time again, you need to practice your moves.”

Sumire started letting out tears. She ran off for the locker room. “SUMIRE!” Ren called out. She chased her. Ren looked through the locker rooms for Sumire . “Sumire! Sumire!” When she found her, she exclaimed “Sumire!”

“Go away!” Sumire shrieked. She continued sobbing.

Ren was a bit heartbroken, but decided not to listen. Instead, she sat down next to Sumire. “Hey. You did tell me you could handle anything hard if it came from me, right?” Sumire looked up, her eyes still watery. She nodded. “Well, I think your coach might be right in this instance. In any other circumstance, you’re not afraid to be yourself. At least, when you’re with me. But during gymnastics, well, let’s say your movements were a little strange.”

“Huh?” Sumire said. “But how would you know?”

Ren smiled. “You told us you incorporated your gymnastics into your fighting style in the metaverse. But your moves today were different. They seem less practiced and more stiff.”

“Oh… I see…” Sumire said. She sighed. “I guess I still can’t break free of Kasumi, huh.”

“Well, that’s not entirely true,” Ren said. “In the metaverse, you seemed to be all you. But here…”

“Well, that’s different,” Sumire stammered. “I don’t HAVE to be the best at gymnastics in the metaverse.”

Ren looked at her, curious. “And you have to be here?”

“Huh? Well, yeah” Sumire answered. “It was always Kasumi and I’s dream to make it to the top of the gymnastics world. And now that she no longer can, I have to…”

“Sumire…” Ren said, mournfully. She grabbed her hand. “You don’t HAVE to do anything you don’t want to. When Kasumi pushed you out of the way that day, she wasn’t saving your chance at reaching the top. She was saving you. Because she cared about you more than any gymnastics performance out there.”

Sumire sat there silently, tears slowing, but still dripping down her face. “Right. I should know this. So why do I still feel like I’d be letting her down if I don’t win?”

Ren pulled Sumire in to lean on her shoulder. “Because, these things are complicated. You were already dealing with some emotional issues before that day. And then everything got worse. And it sucks, because you told me I’ve been helping you, but I don’t know what I can do in this situation.”

Sumire looked at Ren. She stopped crying for a little bit. “I think you’re doing enough right now. You’re sitting here with me, talking me through my problems. That’s all I could ask for.” She leaned against Ren more.

Ren blushed hard. “Uh… yeah…”

Sumire sat back up. “I think I might be somewhat of a masochist.” Ren was confused. “Ah! Not like that! But like… I think I invited you here today knowing this might happen. I think I need you to tell me when I’m not myself. I get so lost sometimes in what other people want out of me or Kasumi even, and I focus on that. Having you there and telling me to calm down and just be myself is really helpful.

...When I fainted, and you told me those sweet things, a part of me hated myself for it” Sumire explained. “Because I was still ‘Kasumi’ at that time. I guess I got jealous that my sister was getting help from this amazing person, and she didn’t even notice me. So, I guess I fought to get noticed by you for who I really am.”

Ren thought about what Sumire had said. She sighed. “When you first told me you weren’t Kasumi, I was surprised. But you were determined to tell me the truth, even if I ended up hating you for it. I like it when people are honest with me. So many times, I’ve had people ignore me or go out of their way to spite me when they didn’t like me. They didn’t have the courage to tell me that they hated me to my face.”

Ren turned to Sumire. “But you… You were honest. You told me your honest feelings even if you thought it would ruin everything we had. That told me everything about you as a person. Even if everything before that was not entirely honest, the fact that you wanted, no, you needed to be honest with me told me that you really are a wonderful person no matter what anyone else might say.”

Sumire was shocked. She then hugged Ren, surprising her. Sumire looked up at Ren. “I keep forgetting you’re going through a lot as well. Here I am being selfish with my problems again, when really I should be asking you how you’re doing.”

Ren was stunned. She smiled. She hugged Sumire back. “I’m doing just fine. Helping people, and hanging out with you and everyone else, that’s how I’m getting through everything.”

“Well…” Sumire said. The two girls let go. “I guess I can accept that for now. But please, don’t hesitate to tell me anything.”

Ren smiled. “You got it.”

Sumire smiled. “You know, I was never as good as Kasumi when it came to ballet. And there were plenty of moments where I wanted to give up. But Kasumi kept pushing me and making me try harder.” She got a little sad. “But now that she’s not here, I guess I don’t really have anyone like that.”

“What about me? Or your coach?” Ren asked.

“Well…” Sumire said. “It’s not that you aren’t helping, but no one could motivate me to do gymnastics like she could.”

“I see,” Ren said. “Um, are you thinking of giving up? Not that I would want you to.”

“Hmmm. I don’t know” Sumire said. “I’ve been doing it for so long, it feels like a part of me. But now, without Kasumi, I think it’s sort of lost all meaning.”

“I see,” Ren said.

Sumire stood up. “Well, I guess I could still do it. But I don’t know how serious I want to take it yet.”

Ren smiled. “I guess that’s as good a place to start as any.”

Sumire turned to Ren. “So,” she stood up, “do you want to see me do my actual routine?” Sumire reached her hand out to pick Ren up.

Ren looked at it, smiled, grabbed on, and said “Of course.” Sumire lifted her up.

The two headed out to the studio floor. Sumire looked around to find no one. “I guess we were in there longer than I thought,” she said.

“You wanna head out?” Ren asked.

Sumire shook her head. “I promised you a performance, so I’m giving you one.” Ren sat down against the mirror-wall. “I can’t promise you it’ll be any good. It’s been a while since I’ve done these moves, but here goes.” Sumire posed herself. She began her performance. Sumire remained focused on her moves throughout the performance.

Meanwhile, Ren was awed by Sumire. It was a lot different than the moves she was practicing earlier. These moves were like poetry in motion. They felt purely emblematic of Sumire herself. They were graceful, earnest, and full of passion. She was a little clumsy at times, but Ren found charm in that as well. Overall, Ren found it magnificent.

Sumire went into her final pose, finishing her routine. She was breathing heavily. Ren applauded. Sumire bowed. “Thank you.”

“My, what a truly brilliant performance” Hiraguchi said from behind Sumire.

Sumire and Ren both looked at her. “You… You saw all of that?”

Hiraguchi nodded. “THAT’S the Sumire I know.”

“Oh, well, thank you” Sumire said, blushing.

“I guess you were right after all,” Hiraguchi said. Sumire was confused.”Bringing Amamiya-chan over did help you be more yourself during ballet. It just took some time.”

“Oh, um, about that…” Sumire said. “Well, when I was talking with Ren-senpai, I came to a realization. Ballet and Kasumi are too intertwined for me. So without Kasumi, I don’t know what I want to do with ballet.”

“...I see” Hiraguchi said.

“I’ll still come,” Sumire explained. “And I think I’ll start working on my own routine more. But I’m not sure if I want to aim for the top anymore. Maybe one day, but right now I need to focus on figuring out who I am outside of Kasumi.”

Hiraguchi looked at her. She placed her hands on her shoulders. “I understand.”

“You? You do?” Sumire said, completely taken aback.

Hiraguchi nodded. “Whatever it takes. The most important thing is your well-being.”

Sumire was stunned. She rushed in and gave her coach a hug. “Thank you. You’re always there for me.”

Hiraguchi was a little surprised at first, but she quickly smiled and hugged Sumire back. “Of course. You’re like family to me.”

After a few moments, they let go of each other. “We should get going,” Sumire stated.

Hiraguchi nodded. “Be careful, and have a good evening.”

“Right” Sumire responded. Hiraguchi walked off. Sumire turned to Ren. “Come on Senpai, let’s go get changed.” Ren nodded, got up, and the two of them changed back. They started walking out. “Boy, today sure was something, huh” Sumire said.

“Yeah,” Ren said.

Sumire looked out onto the horizon. “But I feel like I have a better understanding of myself.” She looked down. “Those people… People like Shiho-senpai or that Kosuke guy… They lost part of themselves too. In a way, I can understand why they’re doing what they do.” Sumire looked at Ren. “But that’s what we’re here for. To help them. Like we’ve been helping each other.”

Ren nodded. “Right.”

Sumire looked up again. “Once I’ve fully figured myself out,” she looked at Ren again, “I want you to be the first person to see it.”

Ren’s face turned completely red. Her heart skipped a beat. She calmed herself down, nodded, and said “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Faith-Sumire Yoshizawa: Rank 3

They parted ways for the evening. Sumire went home and cooked herself up a meal. During the meal, Sumire was thinking to herself. Am I ready? She said she liked that in people. But… Maybe once I build up a little more confidence. Yeah.

#persona 5 #persona fanfiction #persona 5 royal #p5r #p5 femc #p5r rework #p5 rework #p5 #FeMC #female ren #ren amamiya #Sumire #coach hiraguchi

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dahniwitchoflight · 5 years

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Homesquared Chapter 2

Ohh the part where we get to see the Kids rendered! Id seen panels here and there of these three but now I get to see them see them :D

Vrissy lol cute

LOVING that symbolism of shedding the brackets like a snake sheds its skin, renewal of the ouroborous what is canon becomes non canon what is non canon becomes canon again

Also implying that over time like a snakeskin, Canon will just always degrade to being Non Canon, until its unceremoniously shaken off all at once and becomes Canon but Different each time

Man baby Tavros is just like, exactly like a baby Jake, is he gonna get nicknamed too? or not a problem since Troll Tavros isnt around anyway?

Actually, related: Names being associated with Heart should have been obvious all this time as Unique Identifiers seperating seperate people and identities like the walls between Souls, but it’s nice to have that sorta made explicitly clear, can probably add Names next to Heart’s symbols like Hats

and from that, People sharing the same unique identifier, like all Dirk’s simply being called Dirk, is probably referencing that they are all each part of the Hive-MIND of the being called Dirk

I do remember that once in Homestuck Brain Ghost Dirk was labeled as the full title, even when him and real Dirk never interacted, but now here he is just simply Dirk.

Aww, Tavros speaks in Gamzee purple ): That hurts my soul, that Gamzee would have affected his own self so deeply

Good on ya though Tavros for beating the shit out of his dead body, I’d have done the same

On the next note eyy here’s that bucktoothed child that somehow also encapuslates the rule of every strider being attractive-looking, Harry!

His design is genuinely cute! And maybe a bucktoothed nod to how Roxy may have ended up looking in a timeline where they decided Male was a gender they wanted

Now that I’ve been introduced to all three of the Kids I’m definitely gonna keep my eyes on any classpect stuff for them, which may or may not be relevant ever at some point in this comic maybe? Cuz like, Dirk and Terezi and Rosebot are all up to starting another session and Homesquared so far feels very like the “Journey of the Second Generation” and we just know theres bound to be sburb stuff happening sometime

With the main juicy tidbit being, are their classpects just gonna be mixes of their parents? Unique to them but also with the influence of the parentage, or are they gonna be entirely different?

Like, Harry just from first impression I can definitely see as being a Rogue of Breath, it’s fitting so far

Tavros then could either be a Maid of Hope or a Page of Life, tho I’m HEAVY leaning towards Maid of Hope seeing as that progression would be “relying on others at first for their hope, then learning to create hope for themselves” versus Page of Life being someone incompetently acting out confidence and authority until they gain a truer understanding of it and become rulers in their own right

First impressions fit that very nicely

Vrissy I think genetically is actually meant to be like, Vriska’s true descendant? I think? Like how Aranea was to Vriska, they have that looking up to the other and modeling after their behaviors as a role model dynamic going on, so in all likelihood Vrissy is at least a Light player, but I guess in the troll’s case the class is more up to the individual in question, but Vrissy will no doubt be trying to act out her own Class through seeing the comparisons in Vriska’s Behaviour, same as Vriska Molded her image of Her Ancestor as Thief-like growing up despite Aranea actually being a Sylph, so we may get more clues to Vrissy’s class by seeing how Vrissy idolizes and embellishes what traits she sees in Vriska, so far, she seems to be focusing on how Vriska kills bad people and is straight to the point about it, so nothing really yet. Vrissy seems to be really acting confident around Vriska, but not sure if that’s because she doesn’t really think Vriska is all that cool, or she does and is trying to impress her (The latter being very Vriska behaviour lol)

“ VRISKA: If you want to keep Hanging Out, I mean. Which I assume you Do. “ comes to mind, so definitely think this is Vrissy’s behavioural attempt at wanting in with the Cool People. Try to clarify that she is wanted from the people she values without coming off as wanting to want it haha

Overall she is definitely quite confident and is very open with what she knows and what she doesn’t, suggesting perhaps a Page-y behaviour? we’ll see

it would be like, a perfect little mirror for Vriska to see a younger healthier more stable version of herself literally acting and being like the thing she used to hate and torment herself and others about

so yeah, intital classpect thoughts, really liking these so far:

Tavros: Maid of Hope

Harry: Rogue of Breath

Vrissy: Page of Light

Damn Vriska is gonna get so much emotional trauma whiplash from all the normalcy on Earth C “What do you mean they dont have incinerators at school? where do they put all the viciously murdered bodies??”

“There is something incredibly reassuring, Tavros thinks, about someone who has absolute outward confidence in themselves. The soothing lull of following a simple direction is so overpowering it blots out the logical part of him that knows this is, perhaps, the most outlandishly stupid succession of decisions he has ever made. “

Yeah it is pretty comfortable behavior for a Maid class that isn’t confident to be more confident being led by someone, then again that is also pretty normal behavior for someone who has been abused like Tavros has been.

Hmmm, We get into the nitty gritty of what trauma might do to a person’s classpect as well, assuming the system is more nurture based than predestined nature based. I still lean towards it being predestined nature based, you were always going to be who you ended up being etc Homestuck is just like that after all where Nurture is valued and is absolutely an influence, but with Nature being tied up in timelines and predestination, its just sort of already taking Nurture into account when it’s basing on Nature, Nurture is just inherently a part of Nature already and etc

Imode, Silas and Avril are all 5 letter names, wonder if theres any significance to that? I’m reminded of 5 being a number that pops up in Hiveswap a lot, wonder if it just means “Normal Human bullcrap” in symbolism terms

“JANE: Oh, Tavros, no!

JANE: He wouldn’t--

JANE: Tavros loves his Gamzee! Those rebels must have captured my sweet baby and corrupted his mind.

JANE: My family! My entire family!

JANE: This cannot go unavenged.“

good old Jane, man she is just gone full tilt into only valuing her own perspective of things, her own wants and needs and expectations and the fact that she doesn’t even have a hint of what Tavros’s real situation is like, and she’s already set up to disbelieve any attempt at reconciliation with him

“I’m not bad/evil, it’s everyone else that’s out to get me and my family, even my own family is out to get me.”

hah lol ending on Harry’s “o shit” is great

#Homesquared #Harry Anderson #Tavros Crocker #Vrissy Lalonde #Homestuck

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seenashwrite · 5 years

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Notes From Nash: Season 15, Episode 3

It's ep three, and was third try the charm? Well, we're still in that little town, which is infuriating. But don't lose hope, chickadees. There was some character arc action and some plot advancing, and just drama in general, and it moved at a decently quick clip, all of which is refreshing after last week's ass-disaster of an episode.

If I were grading this ep, all things considered (including some damn fine acting moments that elevated the material), it's an A-. (Five points were docked immediately because we were still in the little town.) But seriously, this week's writer(s) had a LOT to make up for given the aforementioned last week as well as a largely lackluster premiere, so you know what? Props to them.

We got a loose end from season past tied up, got rid of some dead weight, and then there was a thing that happened that I’m not entirely sure was necessary at this interval, but I get why it happened. Of course, we had our requisite random hamfisted “solution(s)” and still-unexplained bits that should’ve been clarified ages ago, can’t not have those, it seems. Regardless, this episode was actually fairly interesting to watch. I’m still wary about the state of the season after the first two, but this one had some spark.

Spoilers below the cut, you know the drill.

This one's in order, I was jotting stuff down as I watched. Past ep breakdowns linked at the bottom. If you’re new, hello, welcome, etc., I don’t do meta shit or reading into the symbolism of the color of a blurry wallpaper just over someone’s shoulder, I look at writing and cohesiveness and structure and flow and all that jazz. I basically just call things as I see ‘em.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

More spooky-scary still seems to be pouring from the hellpit, but at least this crypt is pretty, and Harry Potter tent-esque because the square feet inside is seemingly bigger than the outside.

Rowena appears to be outfitted in one of my grandmother's housedresses, or a coffin lining, or a 1980s prom dress, whichever you prefer, and none of them have been pressed. I'm trying to say I don't like it. They also continue to do Ruthie's makeup in such a manner that she perpetually looks approximately fifteen years older than she actually is, so in a way I'm thankful this is likely her last episode. On the other hand, I trust these writers and the people who assemble/green light the promos about as far as I can throw them, so we shall see. In any event, Ruthie is quite the good actor and I hope she gets a million gigs after all this is done.

This Sam-Dean moment with Creased Brow Sam and Gruff Voice Dean is falling so flat, not because of them, but because we're hearing The Same Damn Thing We've Already Heard. Move the plot along, please----- Oh wait here comes Belphagor once again with a solution, this time a nice little plot rescue MacGuffin! Lilith's Crook. Just gotta blow it like a horn.

Motherbitch, this is stupid.

I got a thought: make it Gabriel's horn, so it calls in all the angels who should've come back with the reverse-y switch-a-roo, and they deal with sealing the hole, but bonus! At end of ep last scene is that it's also called Gabriel back, too. I'd announce to the universe that this show needs to hire me, but, welp.

Oh look, Ketch is in a hospital gown. Oh look, I bet Ketch is about to die in that hospital gown, instead of a badass suit like it should be. It looked like DHJ accidentally spoiled via a tweet that I happened to see-----

I dodge the promo images and articles and such so I can give a view of someone who doesn't know what is coming in these things.

-----because he talked about coming back just to leave again, that it was a pleasure, whatever, and y'all will have to fill me in on that because I kinda can't believe he whiffed that hard. I'm not looking it up, is my point. Did he whiff? Actually, don't answer that, I don't care. I mean, don’t go to trouble looking into it on my account.

Hmmm. Was Ketch’s death entirely necessary? At least, right now? I dunno. Maybe. I’m 50/50 whether this, or have him be double-crossy then get killed later. In any event, well-acted by DHJ. He's quite fantastic. He is wasted in all the Hallmark dreck he's been in, I really hope he gets some good work after this. That's that. Moving on.

We're 1/4 in, and I'll give it this: we've gotten some action, some drama, but they've GOT to make up for the lack of plot progression in episode 2. Belphagor is shady as shit, which we knew, and this just got reinforced by that demon who has such a hard-on for Belphagor getting axed.

I do not mind rando badass lady hunter having lines and playing a tangentially-important role in the ep, but this means if we ever see her again, she'll likely get killed, so I'm not getting attached.

So hell is an angry vagina. SFX, are y'all okay? Is that prick whose tweets occasionally come across my feed still working there? Y'all need some hugs? I know y'all need some better budget, that all the DC shows got it, but oh well, that ship's sailed.

Well done set dec, I dig the ghoulish statues in that hallway. And hey costume design, I like the ring that dude was wearing, I would wear that in real life. It would also look great as a wrist cuff. I digress.

We know this demon is not going to succeed in killing Belphagor, so once more we have a pointless halftime cliffhanger. Also, have I mentioned I'm done with Cas being a weak puss? I'm telling you, if stuff got rewound, he should be incrementally getting his mojo back, that tracks logically. See Ep. 1 notes for what I thought should've happened for a legit "Whoa" moment.

"Do you have any idea what he is?" --- he's a poop demon. Again, see the first episode of @youtotallymadethatup /shameless plug

[sighs]

Is this show gonna end with a Jack vs. Jack battle royale? Because fuck that noise. But! Writing-wise, it's okay that ol’ Belph may become the big bad. Nash, why would you say that, you ask. Easy.

IT WILL GET US THE FUCK OUT OF THIS LITTLE TOWN

A. Ny. Thing. to get us the fuck out of this little town. I am so goddamned bored.

Cas, this is a mistake. You should leave. What are you doing. Leave. Don't fall for that. Leave. Go now. Whoosh. Okay, or glow worm and barbeque the body. That was a nice little catch of emotion by Misha at the end. Except are the demons now gonna jump into his body? Better not, we've seen that season.

Commercials! Cannot believe I've not been inundated with the adverts for the convention here in the spring, that's usually the jam. Imma go get some frozen yogurt. Highly rec strawberry with a little warmed-up Nutella. Try it, then tell me I'm crazy. I'm not. It's heavenly.

Aaaaand, we're back!

Don't look so distressed Cas, y’all were gonna burn it anyway. But this takes Jack v. Jack off the table. Hopefully this means we'll be headed back to the Empty to get some progress on that hanging thread from last season sooner rather than later. Still, I'm glad we are down a character for awhile, this character in particular was starting to work my nerves and honestly, is just dead weight. I want it back to Sam and Dean for the most part this final season with sprinklings of Cas. Everyone else is secondary.

[claps] Very excellent Ruthie and Jared. One critique: Wish there could've been some sort of line from Rowena, re: "And perhaps I'll get to see my boy again", something of that ilk.

But I want to say this, and say it emphatically:

The nonsensical spells pulled from asses must stop

The soul-catcher thing is an example of a great move because it drew upon the past, then built upon for the present. This heart and angel blood and salt shit, and then this “Oh by the way it needs my dying breath” stuff is just obvious “um um um well how about bleh” writing stumbles, and it shows. The only reason that lameness worked? Ruthie and Jared’s performances. Period. Because y’all gave them absolute garbage to work with, and they made it shine.

Hey! There's the two convention promos with one short local ad in between, followed by the same local ad again! I was beginning to think they'd forgotten!

WE ARE OUT OF THE LITTLE TOWN, I REPEAT, WE ARE OUT OF THE LITTLE TOWN

DEAN IS IN A HENLEY, I REPEAT, DEAN IS IN A HENLEY

Oof, Dean. I mean, I figured this convo would have to happen one day, it's been building, because even though his intentions are good, Cas has been involved in his fair share of shit taking left turns. Hopefully Cas is going to go seek out other angels. Also, re: Cas saying he's getting weaker - because, why? WHY. This has never been addressed in a definitive, satisfactory manner.

Right, so, like we do each time, let's check in to see if we've had any character development and/or plot progression:

Do Ketch and Rowena and Belphagor count, since they've progressed to being dead? Dunno, that's more of a finality to their overall arcs. Dean's being an asshole and Sam's being weepy and Cas is being an Eeyore, that's about par. Meh. Okay. So did the plot get advanced?

YES THANK YOU FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER SWEET LORD YES. But, eh... a little weaksauce. Yes, that chapter of the initial onslaught is closed, yet we know it's not over. So I feel like the ep should've ended with, after the bunker door slams, a cut to a little scene that serves as a clue about what lies ahead. I mean, ahead-ahead, season-wise. Like, twenty second blip, not even, then hard cut to black screen, then on to promo which appears to be MotW.

So that's it, really. More adept writers could've made the material of #1 and #2 into the premiere (minus several things, most specifically minus Kevin, should've saved Osric for something else down the line), then this should've been episode #2 instead of #3. Can't unring that bell, though. Let's hope we hit some speed before Buckleming comes along to run us into a ditch, then (fingers crossed) we have a few eps after that to rebound for the finale.

See you next week.

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Past posts, from newest to oldest (and I sometimes do addendums if a response warrants)

Episode 2

Episode 1

#SPN Spoilers #15.03 #15x3 #SPN Season 15 #SPN S15 #SPN XV #Nash Notes #Nash Recaps #sort-of #Queueby Dooby Doo #Dad's on a blog post and #he hasn't been queued in a few days

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littlemisssquiggles · 5 years

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So I watched Young Justice Outsiders Episode 16. Another laid-back character focused episode. Young Justice has always been good with those. But now that I’ve watched the episode, I have one important question that I need answered

Are Bart and Ed like dating?

I ask this question because it’s something I didn’t consider until after the episode finished and I went online. Before I caught up to the sixteenth episode, I saw a couple of folks shipping Ed and Bart and was wondering why? The last time I checked, Bluepulse was the main Bart ship.

Remember when everyone shipped Jaime and Bart back in Invasion? Man, that feels like such a thing of the past especially now that the SSS Bluepulse has sunk since Tracy is officially in the picture. Have all the original Bluepulse shippers hopped onto Bartuardo?

But for real, I didn’t consider Bart and Ed to be dating. Even with Virgil’s line about feeling like a seventh wheel, it still did not click with me that Bart and Ed could possibly be a coupe. I dunno. I was more of the impression that they were just two bros, chilling in a bumper cart, two inches apart cause they’re not gay?

I think there’s supposed to be another episode down the line with Ed and Bart teaming up. Either way, that’s really the only take away I have from this episode really.

Well…that and…seeing all these couples in this episode made me ask where the Team Headbands duo were? Seriously it’s weird seeing Jaime hanging out with Static and Virgil and Tye and Asami aren’t there. Wasn’t Tye supposedly Jaime’s best friend. Tye was also really tight with Virgil and Ed and I believe it was even confirmed in a deleted scene that Asami was living with Tye and his family and that the two were officially dating. So it’s odd not seeing them in an episode like this. This could’ve been the perfect setting for a Superpowered Runaways reunion. But…I guess not.

Bummer. Well, from what I know there is still plenty to come from Outsiders. With 20 episodes, apparently there’s more to go in the season so we’ll see how things do go.

Also, is it just me or is Beast the new “face” of this Outsiders season. I know YJ is a show about the team and it does a good job at juggling developing everyone but there is usually at least one prominent member of the cast whose story plays a major part in the over arching plot of the season. In the first season, it was Superboy. In Invasion, it was Blue Beetle. Now in Outsiders, I feel like it’s Beast Boy. But that’s just me.

Also, also---while we’re on the subject of Beast Boy. I’ll admit, it’s both weird and cool to hear his OG Teen Titan’s voice for Young Justice. I say weird since I had gotten used to Gumball voicing him in Invasion. But beyond that, it’s so cool to hear Greg Cipes reprise his role of Beast Boy in YJ. Speaking of Beast Boy, I can’t get over the fact there was a spoof of Teen Titans Go in Young Justice. I found this hilarious cause it felt like YJ was getting back at TTG for making a spoof of them in their series. So it was a nice comeback,

Anyways, those are my overall thoughts for this episode. On a final note, can I just say it was sweet to final see my boy Jaime get some action this episode. It was so good to hear him and the Scarab bicker as always. I also love how it sounded as if the Scarab was a little jealous of Tracie 13 after she downed the ship.

Oooh Khaji Da. Never change you sassy, beautiful piece of alien tech.

I hope we get more Jaime. I missed my boy ya’ll. Speaking of boy, I loved how this episode also touched base on my other bug son helping out the emotional Cyborg. I hope at some point Foreger and Vic become BFFs.

Now I only have 4 more episodes to go. Hope to see more of my boy Blue and…I’m very curious about Bart and Ed. They are definitely more on my radar now.

I mean I was a lowkey Bluepulse shipper back in the day. Will Bartuardo win me over? Well, I do love Ed and Bart as characters. Will their ship win me over to their side? Hmmm, we’ll see in time.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

#squiggles talks: young justice #young justice outsiders #eduardo dorado jr #bart and ed #bartuardo

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smores100 · 5 years

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people have different opinions when it comes to public grand gestures. some people love it (say, a marriage proposal in the middle of a restaurant or a football game surrounded by strangers, or someplace where all your family and friends are present), other people hate it (and would prefer, for example, an intimate marriage proposal somewhere private, where it’s just the two of them). personally, i’m an introvert who gets extremely embarrassed when there’s too much (or at all) attention on me, so something like a wall with my big ass face painted all over it would’ve made me feel hella awkward and embarrassed. but it doesn’t matter what *i* feel about this kind of stuff, or what any of us feel about it. what matters is what *robbe* feels about it, and back when sander first mentioned it, he seemed to be pretty darn into it - at least in theory, so if a mural with his face is ROMANCE to him? enjoy!

having said that, i have mixed feelings about this, bc i’m not sure this is *currently* what robbe wants, and even if it is, sander couldn’t have been sure of that. yeah robbe was into it back when they were together, in their honeymoon phase, but the circumstances are different now. they’re not together anymore, haven’t been for a week, and back then there was no due date on when this mural would happen anyway, it was more hypothetically speaking at that time, a sweet sentiment but not something that would necessarily happen *now*. i think public grand gestures work best when you’re in an actual relationship with the other person and *sure* the outcome will be positive, otherwise things can get awkward and uncomfortable real fast, not just for the person making the grand gesture and getting turned down, but for the person *receiving* it and feeling pressured into reacting a certain way. what bothers me more in robbe’s case, is that he’s not out yet. the mural =/= outing robbe, bc despite what moyo believes (could someone please make him stfu for once in his life???) it could’ve been painted by ANYONE - a girl, a boy, no one knows! but a public painting like that screams 📢 SOMEONE’S REALLY INTO YOU!!! 📢 and that immediately turns everyone’s attention onto robbe, bc naturally people would be curious to know what the story behind it is! who is this person that’s soooo into you they would do something like THAT??? and that to me feels like a lot of pressure being put on a guy who’s still closeted (sander has no way of knowing whether robbe’s come out to anyone, and to whom), not to mention went through a gay bashing. bc either he has to tell the truth and come out, or he lies and pretends like he has no idea but it’s definitely a girl (which is what jens did for him when he said it might be noor). instead of his love life being kept private (as far as his friends - and probably everyone else too - know, he was with noor but it’s over), now all eyes are on him and everyone’s gonna be teasing him and bugging him with questions all ‘ooooh, what’s going on heeeere, who is this secret admire hmmm???’ he has no idea wtf happened b/w him and sander, he’s just now accepted that he’s ‘single’, and now this? he doesn’t need the added stress of trying to make sense of their relationship with everyone all up in his business.

i think what’s even more frustrating is that idrk what sander is trying to say with this mural? bc in og, despite even being hot and cold with isak, and the confusing mixed signals with the drawings, overall i understood what he was trying to say. by using the parallel universes theory they had talked about, he was saying - ‘the way things are in *this* universe, that’s just how it’s gotta be. but in *another* universe, things are different, there’s an alternative reality happening, one where we’re together.’, which is pretty much what he texted isak in o helga natt: ‘in another place in the universe we're together forever, remember that.’ it still made you go ‘ok??? why can’t he just be with him *now*, what’s he playing at???’, but you had a general understanding of the point he was trying to make with his drawings (which is what drove isak to text him in ep 7 and basically tell him ‘look idgaf about other universes, if you’re not gonna break up with sonja in *this* one to be with me, let me be’). but with sander, i have zero understanding??? which is a result of him going from ilu to kissing britt in just a few hours w/o even breaking up with robbe first + the fact that we have no idea what he’s been texting robbe all week! so yeah, i get that the mural is a romantic grand gesture, and obviously if he did that it means he still cares about him......aaaaaand? is he trying to apologize and win robbe back?? is he courting him?? or did robbe giving him the cold shoulder make him feel bad and he wanted to let him know he *does* still care, but he’s still gonna stay with britt anyway?? what is he saying! WHAT DOES IT MEAN.

i’m not saying sander’s public grand gesture was bad, and if robbe isn’t bothered by it then great! but i do think that due to current circumstances mentioned above (the state of their relationship and robbe not understanding what happened, robbe’s mindset and the fact that he’s not out yet), the timing might not have been the best, and something private, just b/w the two of them, something that would give robbe a little bit more insight and clarity, would’ve been better. for me, the mural reveal would’ve worked better if it had happened as part of their o helga natt. assuming we’re gonna get their version of it (so far they’ve followed most of og’s story beats, so i assume the mi storyline won’t be *too* different, but i guess we’ll see), can you imagine how powerful and emotional it would’ve been?? robbe is out to his friends, dating sander, not hiding anything from anyone anymore, something happens that makes him question whether sander’s feelings for him were real....then sander texts him a pic of the mural (along with a heartbreaking message) and robbe’s like ‘whoa, he really *does* love me!’ cue reunion and happy tears. now *that’s* an impactful romantic grand gesture.

#wtfock #mine #sometimes i have thoughts #when will we know what sander's messages said #when will we know what sander actually wants with robbe #when will i understand why the writers didn't have him text robbe 'sorry i need a break!' before he went on to kiss britt #when will moyo *not* be obnoxiously sexist or homophobic and *will* let robbe live #(will he ever???)#stay tuned #also js....not v cool how they're pulling a yann with moyo and having the only black guy react in a bad way =\#tumblr doesn't want this to go in the tag and maybe it's for the best

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jumukus · 6 years

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A3! Event: Harugaoka Quartet Chapter 10 Translation

It’s show time! Heads up on the characters: Ennis: Citron Youta: Masumi Yuu: Sakuya Katsumi: Tsuzuru Machida: Itaru Toujou: Chikage

Izumi: (The play is set in Private Harugaoka Music School, the best boarding school for music in the country….)

Machida: “Saionji, why don’t you participate in the school’s chamber music competition?”

Ennis: “Me? Why?”

Machida: “Why, you ask? You’re also one of the students in this school, you know.”

Ennis: “I don’t have any interest in chamber music.”

Machida: “Well, don’t say that. To tell you the truth, there are some guys troubled because one of their violinists has to miss out on the competition due to injury.”

“You’re not preparing for any competition right now, yes? Why don’t you go help them?”

Ennis: “Only if the others are competent.”

Machida: “There’s also the school’s solo competition held at the same time, after all, huh. Well, they are fairly competent….”

Ennis: “...All right, I’ll help out.”

Machida: “Huh, really?”

Ennis: “Why are you surprised when you’re the one asking?”

Machida: “No, I actually just gave it a try and asked you. I appreciate that. I’ll contact Katsumi Hino from the third year—he’s the coordinator.”

Katsumi: “To think that the emperor will really join our chamber music….”

Ennis: “...And you are?”

Katsumi: “Oh, so you don’t know? I am Katsumi Hino from viola major. You accepted to be the pinch-hitter for the upcoming chamber music competition, right?”

Ennis: “Yes. I’m Ennis Saionji.”

Katsumi: “Everyone knows your name even if you don’t give it out. I’ll introduce you to the others, come with me.”

Youta: “I’m the first violin, Youta Mukai. I’m in first year.”

Ennis: “The first year is the first violin?”

Katsumi: “He came on top among the first years during enrollment, in addition to having promising future.”

Yuu: “Uhh, I’m in charge of the cello, Yuu Yoneda. I’m in the same year as Youta.”

“Uh, I love Saionji-san’s performance! I went to listen to your performance at the final selection for the competition——.”

Ennis: “I’ll be the first violin.”

Youta: “Huh?”

Ennis: “That’s obvious, right? It’s only appropriate for me to be taking the role, and I don’t have any interest in taking charge of other things beside the first violin.”

Katsumi: “Ah… But we already started practicing…”

Youta: “.....All right.”

Katsumi: “Huh? You’re really okay with that?”

Youta: “I don’t mind.”

Ennis: “What’s the song?”

Katsumi: “Haydn’s ‘String Quartet, Op. 74’.”

Ennis: “‘Knight’, huh…. The first violin stands out too much, and to make matters worse, the others who are already inconspicuous don’t stand out even more. That’s reckless.”

“If you do it at all, I think we can play Mozart’s ‘Spring’.”

Youta: “Huh……….?”

Katsumi: “No, but, we’ve already——.”

Ennis: “You should be able to play songs at this level right away. Will you please prepare the score?”

Yuu: “.....Eh!? Ah, m-me!?”

Ennis: “Do it quick.”

Yuu: “Ye-yes!”

Youta: “.....”

Katsumi: “As expected of Saionji….”

Ennis: “Let’s try playing the song lightly.”

Yuu: “Eh? Just by first look?”

Katsumi: “Are you for real….”

Youta: “*sigh*...”

Ennis: “.....”

“.....”

Audience A: ——.

Audience B: Eh…. Is he playing it live?

Izumi: (The audience is surprised since they didn’t think we’d be performing for real.)

(This is the highlight of the musical part… The audience is immediately drawn in just by listening to this live performance.)

(Moreover, his performance sounds more cold than the time when he played for Prince Tangerine. The tone on the other parts also sounds like something that he plays without emotion…)

(The only one who can change such emotion for the musical part is Citron-kun.)

Youta: ——.

Katsumi: (Amazing….)

Youta: (This sound is…. too overwhelming.)

Yuu: (This is the emperor’s music….! It sounds like it will swallow you in.)

Izumi: (Masumi-kun is as good as usual. He manages to express how Youta gets really into Ennis’ rendition well.)

(Tsuzuru-kun and Sakuya-kun’s casting is also perfect. They don’t look out of place even when standing next to Citron-kun and the others.)

Ennis: “....Any objection is out of the question.”

Katsumi: “Give me a break. It’s impossible for us to be able to play like you.”

Ennis: “You can, with practice.”

Youta: “...”

Ennis: “——.”

Youta: “——Ennis-senpai, please hold back a little bit. Everyone can’t follow you.”

Ennis: “Then, you should make an effort so that you can follow me.”

Youta: “....”

Katsumi: “We wouldn’t suffer if we could do that.”

Ennis: “Cello, you’ve been off-beat since the 43rd bar.”

Yuu: “Ah, I’m sorry….!”

Ennis: “Overall, your performance hurts my ear.”

Youta: “What——.”

Katsumi: “Ah—…..”

Yuu: “I’m sorry….”

Toujou: “You don’t have to say it like that, Saionji. This much will do for today.”

Ennis: “.....”

Yuu: “Uh, Ennis-senpai——.”

Ennis: “I’ll take my leave.”

Yuu: “....”

Izumi: (Not only the musical part, but how Citron-kun executes Ennis’ aloof personality in the play also looks very good.)

(It reminds me of the Citron-kun that I saw when he was a crown prince in Zahra. Maybe this is also a side of Citron.)

Katsumi: “Just as I thought, asking the emperor to perform chamber music is impossible.”

Youta: “I can’t team up with someone who doesn’t feel like coordinating.”

Toujou: “Hmmm, this is bad.”

Yuu: “I shall withdraw from this competition.”

Youta: “Huh!? What are you saying? We’ve promised to perform together.”

Yuu: “But I’m slowing you guys down.”

Youta: “If this is about Ennis-senpai, the one who should be dropping out is senpai.”

Yuu: “Ennis-senpai’s skill is the real deal—It’s perfect. Compared to me who can’t match your rhythm, I’m bad.”

Youta: “——.”

Yuu: “Youta? Where are you——.”

Katsumi: “Hmm, are the two freshmen absent? Well, the practice is dismissed for today. Good work.”

Ennis: “....”

Toujou: “Huh? Is it only you, Saionji?”

Ennis: “I was told that my play sounded lonely.”

Toujou: “Lonely?”

Ennis: “It was the first time someone said it to me. My performance has always been perfect. I never think it’s lacking something.”

Toujou: “You cannot play a song with one violin when it is meant to be played by a quartet at the very least.”

“Don’t you think that it is the only thing “lacking” in your performance, Saionji?”

Ennis: “....”

Izumi: (The adult group has also been given specific roles; they are supporting the performance well with their relaxed acting.)

Youta: “Yuu? If you’re practicing, it’s——.”

Ennis: “....”

Youta: “Ennis-senpai….”

Ennis: “Why did you not show up to practice?”

Youta: “You don’t even need me, right?”

Ennis: “A quartet song won’t be completed with one violin.”

Youta: “——.”

“....Got it. It’ll be alright if I show up to practice, right, If I show up. But please apologize to Yuu before that.”

Ennis: “Why do I have to do that? I’ve never done something that I need to apologize for.”

Youta: “——You, really,”

Yuu: “Huh? Katsumi-senpai?”

Ennis: “I haven’t seen his figure.”

Youta: “He’s likely hanging out at that place.”

Katsumi: “Sweet, I got it!”

Youta: “See?”

Katsumi: “Huh? What’s wrong, guys?”

Ennis: “What is this place?”

Yuu: “Have you never been to a game center before?”

Ennis: “No.”

Katsumi: “Do you want to give it a try, then?”

Youta: “What about practice?”

Katsumi: “There, there. This is part of social studies.”

Izumi: (Even though Tsuzuru-kun has tried playing characters who are really different to his real self, this one feels a lot more natural. I think this is because he uses Itaru-san as a role building reference.)

Ennis: “....Can I push this button?”

Katsumi: “The emperor playing a crane game is such a rare sight.”

Izumi: (The relationship between these four gradually changes…. Citron-kun expresses the change in Ennis’ feelings well.)

Ennis: “You need to be more gentle. Be aware of the anacrusis.”

Yuu: “....”

Ennis: “Second, you need to pull yourself out more with the same spirit from before.”

Youta: “——.”

Ennis: “The fourth bar just now didn’t sound that bad.”

Youta: “Huh….”

Yuu: “R-Really?”

Ennis: “Yes.”

Katsumi: “That’s rare.”

Youta: “It’s only the fourth bar, you know.”

Yuu: “But that’s a huge improvement!”

Katsumi: “Yup.”

Ennis: “——.”

Katsumi: “The emperor is smiling.”

Ennis: “What do you mean by that?”

Katsumi: “It means what it means.”

Youta: “It’s the first time I’ve seen t.”

Yuu: “Yeah….!”

Izumi: (As Ennis finally opened his heart to the other three, a gentle smile is naturally born on his face….)

(Citron-kun has really gotten good at acting…)

(He has it harder than anyone since he has more words that he needs to remember, but he has grown into such a fine actor without us realizing.)

Machida: “Heey, good work. Sorry for asking you for something that you’re not used to.”

Ennis: “?”

Machida: “Hm? Haven’t you heard?”

“You know, the guy from the quartet group that I told you was injured—Hino Satoshi; he has been doing good in recovery and it looks like he can make it in time for the competition.”

Ennis: “....”

Machida: “Ah, and Toujou-sensei is calling you. Go to the lesson room after this.”

Ennis: “....Got it.”

Ennis: “Excuse me.”

Toujou: “Yeah; it’s you, Saionji.”

Ennis: “What do you want to talk about?”

Toujou: “No, it’s just—there’s an international competition coming soon. Please give it some thought too, Saionji.”

“You’ve always passed up on that since the genre is different from yours, but don’t you think you should give it a try this year? Your performance has changed incredibly too.”

“Well, I know you also have that quartet-thing of yours, so don’t take it seriously——.”

Ennis: “I’ll do it.”

Toujou: “Huh, but don’t you have practices over there?”

Ennis: “It’s not a problem. It looks like the helper is not needed anymore.”

Toujou: “....?”

Youta: “Ennis-senpai, why didn’t you show up to practice?”

Ennis: “There’s no need for three violins.”

Youta: “Huh? Ah, that guy’s injury——.”

Ennis: “Excuse me.”

Youta: “Please wait! There’s no need for you to withdraw this late, Ennis-senpai.”

Ennis: “I wasn’t even interested in chamber music to begin with.”

Youta: “——.”

Ennis: “Good luck on your competition.”

Youta: “——Just as I thought, you were lonely! Were we the only ones who were having fun!?”

Ennis: “....”

Katsumi: “So, what should we do?”

Yuu: “And this is based on Ennis-senpai’s strings…..”

Katsumi: “Should we go back to our original plan and play ‘Knight’?”

Youta: “....Yeah, that’s fine. Ennis-senpai isn’t here anymore, anyway.”

Yuu: “Youta…..”

Ennis: “....”

Toujou: “Hmmm… It sounds like something you’d perform in the past.”

Ennis: “In the past?”

Toujou: “You’re too fixated on perfectionism. It sounds serious and stiff. Since you can’t concentrate like usual, I think we should really give up on the competition.”

Ennis: “....It’s lacking sound.”

Toujou: “Hm?”

Ennis: “No matter how many times I play, the music that’s flowing through my head is lacking sound. It can’t become the music that I imagine. It’s lacking.”

Toujou: “...Then, it may be a waste to practice even when you already found the music that you’re looking for. Please go home for today.”

Ennis: “——.”

Ennis: “.....”

Youta: “...Ennis-senpai?”

Ennis: “....”

Youta: “What are you doing here, aren’t you still in the middle of lesson? You’re going to participate in international competition, right?”

Ennis: “It’s lacking sound.”

Youta: “Huh?”

Ennis: “No matter how many times I play, the sound is missing. The music can’t become perfect. Ever since I withdraw from the quartet, it has always been——.”

Youta: “....A quartet won’t be completed with only one violin. No matter how many times you play by yourself, it’ll always be missing.”

Ennis: “——.”

Youta: “Please come back. I’ve discussed this with Yuu and Katsumi-senpai, and we think it’ll be better for us take a rest now.”

“We’re lacking too.”

Ennis: “....I got it.”

Izumi: (Then, during the performance, the four once again played “Spring”....)

(The performance sounds different from the one in the first scene. It sounds like the one they played to Prince Tangerine, a warm spring melody….)

Machida: “.....’Spring’, huh.”

Toujou: “I was wondering what would happen when the emperor joined a quartet, but it turns rather interesting, huh.”

Machida: “Asking him for the impossible was worth it in the end.”

Toujou: “They struggled a lot, though.”

Host: “And the first prize goes to——.”

Izumi: (The “Spring” melody in the distance gradually disappears…)

Tangerine: ——.

«Nii-sama, you’re indeed amazing….!»

Mika: «I expect no less from Citronia-sama. He shines bright wherever he goes.»

Guy: «It seems he managed to pull it off.»

Izumi: Well then, for the success of our first day, and for us to meet Prince Tangerine and Mika-san again someday——cheers!

Sakuya: Cheers!

Misumi: Chee~rs.

Citron: Cheers!

Tasuku: This has somehow turned multinational.

Izumi: Japanese food and Zahran food?

Chikage: I wanted to master Zahran food while Mika is here.

Izumi: There are some that I’ve tried before, but there are also some that I’ve never ever seen.

Taichi: Ah, is this kebab? It’s tasty~!

Izumi: This one looks like fried rice, but….

Chikage: It’s cooked with spices.

Izumi: Whoaah, it looks delicious!

Omi: We have a lot of Japanese dishes, too.

Tangerine: Ah, I love sukisuki!

Omi: You mean “sukiyaki”, right. Since this will be the last time you eat Japanese food, you can eat as much as you want.

Tangerine: Yes!

Tsuzuru: You cooked a little bit too much, huh.

Omi: Well, it’s fine.

Sakuya: It’s delicious!

Tasuku: It tastes good.

Taichi: Second, please~!

Tsuzuru: You have a point…. The amount of food is gradually decreasing.

Itaru: Here’s a souvenir for you.

Tsuzuru: Ah, you avoided giving him capsule toy.

Chikage: He gave him a figure instead.

Tsuzuru: It doesn’t change that much, you know.

Misumi: I’ll give you a triangle as souvenir~.

Tsuzuru: A local pennant….

Itaru: The Souvenir, huh.

Izumi: It might be a very Japanese-like thing in a sense.

Citron: This one is from me! It’s something that is very popular among adults and children in this country!

Masumi: Plastic model….

Itaru: I expect no less from Citron. You understand.

Tsuzuru: If you only give him things like this, the image of Japan will be….

Chikage: Will the diplomacy be all right?

Tasuku: Anyway, the quartet play was very good.

Misumi: The music was sparkling and beautiful~.

Tangerine: Onii-sama, Masumi, Tsuzuru and Sakuya were all amazing!

Masumi: That’s obvious.

Tsuzuru: Thanks.

Sakuya: I’m glad you watched it, Prince Tangerine!

Izumi: (Prince Tangerine has completely fit in, too. I’m sure Citron-kun is happy——huh?)

(Where did Citron-kun go? I should go look for him.)

Tangerine: ——Director.

Izumi: ?

Tangerine: Thank you for letting me stay in the dorm. I had a lot of fun.

Izumi: I see. That’s good, then!

Tangerine: The play this time is wonderful as well. And then….

There’s something that I’d like to officially request from you as the crown prince of Zahra.

Izumi: Huh….?

Izumi: ——.

(This melody…)

Citron: …..

Izumi: (Just as I thought, it’s Citron-kun.)

Citron: ——.

Izumi: Citron-kun looks really lively when you plays the violin.

Both your musical performance and acting were really beautiful today.

Citron: I had fun too. I appreciate Tsuzuru for granting my request to play the violin.

I’m really happy to be able to play “Spring” along with Spring Troupe. I’m also happy that Tangerine got to watch the play.

Izumi: Good for you, Citron-kun.

Citron: I’ll be sad when the final show comes. I want to perform the play 2,000 times more.

Izumi: That’s quite the long run…!

Citron: That’s how much I’ve come to love the play.

Izumi: Then… should we hold additional shows?

Citron: Oh?

Izumi: I just received an official request from Prince Tangerine whether we could perform the play in Zahra.

In terms of performance, I think common culture subjects like music could be easily conveyed to people of Zahra….

I’d totally want to take this chance as a general director——kyaa!?

Citron: Director! That’s awesome!

Izumi: Wait, if you’re spinning me round and round like this, my eyes——!

Citron: I’m so, so happy!

Izumi: Hold, hold on. Let me go for once!

Citron: I can formally do my “minister of exploding art” job in the end!

Izumi: Is there such a job position….?

Citron: I’m sure the people of Zahra will be happy! I’m looking forward to it!

Izumi: Yes. Everyone in Spring Troupe is looking forward to that too!

We’ll be travelling to a new world again. Then, our unforgettable performances and memories are increasing by a lot too.

Citron: My journey is still going on!

< Chapter 9 | Masterlist | Epilogue >

#a3!#a3! translation #spring troupe #winter troupe #autumn troupe #summer troupe #misumi ikaruga #omi fushimi #taichi nanao #sakuya sakuma #citron #guy #masumi usui #chikage utsuki #itaru chigasaki #tsuzuru minagi

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phosphorescent-naidheachd · 5 years

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GOT 8x01 liveblog below the cut:

--Love the new opening credits!

--Poor Missandei and Grey Worm look so uncomfortable rn

--Jon: “I had a choice: keep my crown or protect the North.” But that’s... not what we saw onscreen?? Not unless some variation of political!Jon is actually true. But knowing D&D, this may simply be their retconned explanation for the nonsensical writing last year. Well, that or Jon is trying to make his stupid decision look better in front of the lords.

--Sansa, I love you, but do you have to smirk when you raise your (very valid) concerns? It’s not helping anything and you have to know it.

--Yessss, mentions of the food shortage!! Now let’s see if they’ll actually do anything with it...

--Show!Dany, I’m still trying to like you, but you’re not exactly making it easy, what with the whole “whatever they like” reply to “What do dragons eat, anyway?”, and smirking when the dragons swooped in and scared the fuck out of everyone in the Winter Town. The Northerners haven’t given you the warmest of receptions and I understand your frustration over that fact, but that’s no reason to think their fear is funny.

--Ah, yes, the oh-so-subtle handholding in front of the entire hall. *sighs at Jon and Dany* [ETA: never mind, they aren’t actually holding hands... Dany is just resting one of her hands on Jon’s arm. Which isn’t all that much more subtle lol.]

--It’s 100% my shipper confirmation bias at work, but the way that they’ve blocked this scene really does make it feel like a Dany/Jon/Sansa love triangle to me. #sorrynotsorry That said, if TPTB choose to go a belligerent sexual tension route w/ Dany/Sansa I wouldn’t turn it down. ;-)

--They’re actually letting Arya show human emotion again? *tosses confetti in celebration*

--Bran and Jon reunion!! My Stark Feelings heart overfloweth.

--Sansa and Tyrion reunion! I like that they’re keeping that hint of tension between them over the way they parted.

--Tyrion: “Many underestimated you. Most of them are dead now.” Subtext: I have no intention of repeating their mistakes.

--Sansa: “I used to think you were the cleverest man alive.” Talk about a burn!

--OK, Bran is looking at Tyrion Significantly(TM) with music playing in the background almost ominously.

--Confirmation that Yara is alive!!! Also, she and Euron are a disturbing but kind of hilarious dynamic at the moment.

--The Arya and Jon reunion was A++. Sweet and heartfelt, but with a hint of underlying tension. And Arya’s comment that Sansa is the smartest person she knows just made my heart an even bigger pile of Stark Family mush.

--Oh, and the “Have you used it?” line re: Needle just hurts because it shows us and Arya how little Jon knows about what Arya has gone through and who she’s become. And Arya’s “once or twice” line just tore out my heart. She doesn’t want to tell Jon what she’s done, both because she’s afraid of how he’ll react and because that will finally make it real to her.

--I feel kind of terrible for Cersei. Yes, she’s made her own bed, but the fact that Euron Greyjoy is lying in it... *shudders* The fact that she’s still forced to resort to sleeping with a man she despises despite ostensibly being the most powerful woman in the realm is incredibly depressing.

--Ahhh, and now we have The Temptation of Bronn(TM)

--The rescue mission! Theon getting to shoot arrows!!

--Greyjoy sibling feelings!!!!

--And Theon is headed to Winterfell! ...He’s going to die there saving a Stark, isn’t he? *braces self for emotional pain*

-- ...you couldn’t have proposed this Jon/Dany marriage, oh, four or so episodes ago, Davos?? The mind still boggles that no one brought this very obvious diplomatic solution up on Dragonstone last season.

--Varys: “Nothing lasts.”

Camera: *pans to Jon & Dany*

Me: I n t e r e s t i n g

Also me: Is this foreshadowing, or a red herring to up the dramatic tension?

--Is that... something resembling a smile from Jon around Dany? And he actually looks like he might genuinely enjoy her presence and/or care about her? It’s a miracle! ...A miracle that we really could have used some of last season too, GOT!!

--“She doesn’t need to be my friend. But I am her queen. If she can’t respect me--” *nods* That’s more or less what I figured their initial dynamic would be like. And their attitudes make sense on both ends of the equation! (Note: I can’t decide whether that was a veiled threat from Dany or not; if so, though, she jumped to them pretty darn fast.) I’m curious to see where D&D go with this.

--Oh, only that many goats and sheep. *rolls eyes* I mean, I get it, the dragons are huge; they need a lot of fuel! But on the other hand, that’s an awful lot of food the people don’t get anymore... It’s a no-win situation.

--“They don’t like the North.” Huh, I wonder what it means that the literal breathing symbol of the Targs aren’t fans of being in the North. [/sarcasm]

--Look, I’m glad Dany feels comfortable enough around Jon to be playful, but... would it have been that difficult for her to give him one or two tips before he mounted this incredibly dangerous flying weapon of mass destruction??

--How are these waterfalls not completely frozen over?! It’s the North and it’s winter. I know, I know, I shouldn’t expect anything resembling realism from this show, but still...

--Ah, so Dany is the one who has the line about how they could “stay here a thousand years and no one would find us”, not Jon. But on the flip side, Jon has his eyes closed for the kiss, not open... at least, not until the dragons start to talk lol.

--Emilia Clarke has such a beautiful smile!

--Yeah, I’m still not feeling the J0n3rys ‘chemistry’. Oh well; you can’t win them all. At least they aren’t totally unbelievable as a couple this episode.

--Ugghhh, yet another joke about balls (or the lack thereof) in this episode.

--Arya and Gendry reunion? Arya and Sandor reunion? Yes!

--Wow, Arya/Gendry are so awkward together right now! Sweet, but awkward. And yeah, here come the shippy feelings again... I’m predictable that way lol.

--“As you wish, m’lady.” *squeals delightedly*

--“You don’t know any other rich girls.” The look on their faces!!

--Can I mention again how much I love that they’re letting Arya and Dany emote so far this episode? It makes a world of difference. Now all we need is for Bran to be allowed to show emotions...

--Ooohh, this must be the promised Jon/Sansa argument scene.

--Good. I’m glad that there are already some consequences from the lords for Jon having bent the knee... the decision would feel incredibly cheap otherwise.

--And already we have more emotion from Jon in this one scene than in all of his scenes with Dany combined. I’m not saying Jon/Sansa is where the show is going, but it still works much better for me than Jon/Dany does. YMMV, of course, and that’s as it should be.

--”Do you have any faith in me at all?” “You know I do.” <3 <3 <3

--*sighs* Jon, it’s all very well and good to say that Dany will be a good queen, but you could, I don’t know, give Sansa some examples to help her understand why you think that instead of just expecting her to go entirely on your word?

--Ah, this must be the scene with Sam and Dany!

--Oh, poor Sam. I’m so glad they’re letting him be upset about it, though. His dad may have been an abusive dick, but his brother wasn’t... and besides, emotions aren’t always that clear-cut.

--“Now’s the time.” OK, but why now? Why now? Also, is it just me or did Bran’s voice sound different there?

--Jon and Sam reunion!!!

--Ouch, poor Jon. This revelation was always going to hit him hard.

--Jon (in a whisper, looking horrified): “That’s treason.” Uh, Jon, that doesn’t seem like the normal reaction of someone in love with another person? Just saying.

--“You gave up the crown to save your people. Would she do the same?” Samwell Tarly, asking the important questions! This question has always been one of--if not the--cruxes of Dany’s arc, IMO. That and her search for home/belonging.

--Ooo, is this the rumored scene with the WW symbols on the walls?

--Hmmm, this actually looks a bit like that clip from the trailers. Is Edd going to show up soon then?

--Hah! Called it.

--“Stay back, he’s got blue eyes!” “I’ve always had blue eyes!” LMAOOO

--Called it. I knew little Ned Umber was going to be the first named character death of the season. (For the record, I have him slated as the first named character death in my AU S8 fic outline, even though the chapter in question hasn’t been written yet.) Also, wow-- talk about a creepy way to display him!

--Still, that’s odd that he’s just dead rather than a wight-- oh, never mind he is a wight after all!

--Hmm, who are you, tall and mysteriously hooded man? (I mean, realistically everyone onscreen in the North should have their hoods up right now when they’re outside, but this is TV.) Could you possibly be... Jaime Lannister?

--Hah! Called it again.

--They’re going to cut to the credits now that Bran & Jaime have locked eyes, aren’t they? Yep, they just cut to the credits.

Additional Thoughts:

--I wonder where Brienne is... we haven’t seen her this episode IIRC. [ETA: Never mind, she is there in the background in several scenes, she just doesn’t say anything.]

--I wish D&D had given Dany more space to react to the news about undead!Viserion. This should be a big deal for her. Also, why is no one freaking out about the Wall coming down?

--Honestly, the pacing and tone of this episode could have used a little polishing IMO.

--I’m delighted that the show is letting characters speak positively about Sansa and her skills, but I wish the writing wasn’t so very heavy-handed about it.

--Ooo, interesting trailer, though still nothing terribly surprising. I’m curious to see what they do next episode... but not nearly as curious as I am to see what happens in 8x03 and beyond. ;-)

Overall, I enjoyed this episode! So many callbacks to earlier seasons. I may have deeper thoughts on a rewatch.

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dornishsphinx · 6 years

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T, U, and Y!

T: Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

Hmmm hard and fast headcanons that I’d die defending

From SOV, Conrad’s mother was a lady-in-waiting and close friend to Berkut’s mother who came with her to the capital when she married into the royal family. Lima was invited to the capital during the famine because the Rigelians were desperate. He saw her there and demanded she come with him in exchange for aid. (I may also be writing a fic on Conrad’s mother, watch this space ^_^)

Wrt Tellius, the United Bird Tribes eventually fall apart, the specific breaking point coming about due to arguments about over succession. The ravens end up putting forward Naesala and Leanne’s raven son and the hawk population are adamant that he not be considered (some going as far as to say that ravens in general shouldn’t be considered) due to lingering anger, the ravens getting angry in turn and moving to once again declare the independence of Kilvas (and taking a bit more territory with them this time since they’re in a stronger position.)

When it comes to Naesala and Leanne’s kids, the heron girl mostly takes after Naesala in personality, though the raven boy is more similar to Reyson than either of his parents (both also have traits from Leanne, but they’re less noticeable on first impression.) Both can sing galdr due to their mother but, especially for the raven boy, its effects are far weaker. (Maybe let’s say in gameplay terms that raven boy can buff and not actually refresh.)

Their heron daughter on one occasion also accompanies Naesala on a diplomatic mission to Begnion, where she decides to learn beorc magic—with Sanaki’s blessing and occasional direct tutelage—as a way to bypass herons’ inability to fight the laguz way, even staying there for a while when he leaves for his next destination. This is a major scandal in the laguz world.

U: Three favourite characters from three different fandoms and why they’re your favourites.

Oh man, it took me a while to settle on who to talk about, but:

Jason Todd (DC Comics)

Jason is the reason I got into DC generally, so I was already biased, but Jason is interesting because he’s a counterpoint to the idea that Batman knows Gotham City better than anyone, as someone who actively grew up on its streets rather than in the safety of a mansion, and someone who came to a vastly different conclusion on what had to be done to make it safer without being painted (mostly) as a clear-cut villain. Also, he’s a literary nerd and it’s such a cute little detail which is never really brought up explicitly on page but is a recurring thing in the background. The antique book collection in UTRH, reading Pride and Prejudice while in jail, really liking school as Robin, and in other bits I can’t remember the context of.

Where he gets fascinating is on a meta level though. We have the juxtaposition between what modern writers want Jason’s Robin to have been (I really love his run as Robin too, he’s such a cutie in comparison to what he becomes later) and how he actually was written, which kinda comes off as the characters themselves trying to convince themselves of something that isn’t true. And I’ve seen complaints about how people treat his death as being so much more important than others’ deaths when he’d hardly the only DC character to die, but it’s precisely because of real-world circumstances that it’s such a big deal–killed off by poll, left untouched for decades, his costume an ever-present ghost in the Batcave and for the Batfamily–it’s one of those things that can only happen in a big shared comicsverse medium.

I’ll never forgive the New 52 for being the reason we never saw, and can never see now, the Batfamily and Red Hood’s relationship develop.

He just became an ally again randomly in a way that screams editorial mandating “make them get along now, we don’t care how.” They just made everyone do a 180 without bothering to explain why or how and I hate it.

(Also, imo, grey morality Red Hood>outright villain Red Hood AND outright hero Red Hood.)

Laurent (Captive Prince)

Man, I know Captive Prince is controversial, but the story is just so good and even though it’s been a while since I read them, Laurent as a character has stuck with me. (I mean, I adore Damen too, but so many of the character concepts

I’ve come up with since reading the books have been Machiavellian princes shutting themselves off from their emotions, I’m pretty sure Laurent is the source.)

He’s had to adapt to survive the personal hell his uncle transformed the Veretian court into when he (and Damen) got the rest of their family killed—and, at the same time, anyone with the power or desire to protect Laurent from him—when he was just a little kid, and has just built up all the walls around himself. Seeing them slowly peel back and reveal the other sides to him he’s been forced to keep hidden for so long is one of the great things about the series. He’s such a well-realised character, and as you read along, you get to the point where you just need to see him succeed in taking Vere back from his uncle.

He always has the best comebacks too. Nearly everything he says when he’s not awkwardly trying to work his way around emotions he can’t properly express, usually when around Damen, is just pitch-perfect sarcasm even in dire circumstances.

Just a great character overall.

Franziska von Karma (Ace Attorney)

Last time I talked about a favourite Ace Attorney character it ended up being Ema, but I did say she only just beat out Franziska, so it’s her turn now. I’m so sad she’s not reappeared in any of the main games since the original trilogy, though at least we have Investigations. She still has to give Phoenix that card back!

But yes, I just love Franziska. She is very much part of the running theme of legacy families in Ace Attorney with her need to attain perfection and measure up to the Von Karma name, and her relationship with Edgeworth is sweet in a super competitive way. When she comes back later and spends the night trying to solve the puzzle locks to save Maya, you can also see that she has gone through a lot of development over the course of JFA and T&T.

(I maintain that 6-5 would have been vastly improved if she’d taken Edgeworth’s place, and am not entirely convinced it wasn’t originally written with her in mind. I mean, last time she appeared she was undergoing character development and trying to save Maya in a spirit medium-related setting, and this time had Maya being in a perilous situation in a spirit medium-related setting in a foreign country AND she has a history of working with Interpol. It would have actually made sense for her to show up as opposed to the Chief Prosecutor of a foreign country.)

(Also her design is amazing)

(Foolish fool)

Y: What are your second-hand fandoms (i.e. fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

Dragon Age is the big one I can think of. I played a little of Dragon Age Origins before Redcliffe became a never-ending zombie nightmare and I wasn’t able to progress, so I don’t count myself as having really played, but I pretty much know all the spoilers. And have even plotted out who I’m gonna romance when I finally do get around to it. Current plan: Alistair (while pouring one out for the F/F romance with Morrigan that could never be), Fenris and Josephine.

Also Marvel, kinda? I don’t really buy or keep up with Marvel comics anymore aside from going to see the movies. I’ll check it out, but usually it’s only on a whim. (If Agent of Asgard/JiM Loki ever get a run again, you can count on me jumping back in.)

#haha i didn't realise how long the jason bit got oops #my biases are clear #asks

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maxattack-powell · 7 years

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The Freshman 1-9

Book 1-9

Chapter 9: Sorority Ball (Part 1)

Masterlist - go here for other chapters and related original fics

Disclaimer: The following are fics (adaptations from actual game chapters AND original works) to Choices: The Freshman and The Sophomore stories. It is a fictional adaptation. I (we) do not work for Pixelberry Studios, the game developer or own the rights to the characters Chris Powell, Nicole or any other IN GAME character. All of the ORIGINAL characters, storylines and events were developed for my adaptation of The Freshman story.

Comments: I enjoyed playing Choices The Freshman… and then I found this awesome group of people and their works - I’ve loved it all, very much so. Deciding that I wanted more interaction than the options allowed, I’ve gone through the first book, chapter by chapter (omg painfully slow) to follow the story (95-99% I’d say) and add to it as I felt would benefit.

Basically, I wanted to include certain things that weren’t really full fic size worthy, adding to the story. However, I did add some full size fic moments also… some are included in cannon chapters, some are their own full chapters in between. I wanted to see MC and Chris through their freshman year… with more angst, fluff, sweetness, real life and overall detail. So, if you like that pairing then you’ll be satisfied, otherwise sorry James & Kaitlyn fans lol. I even added some parts from Chris’s POV, so that we have a chance to see what he’s thinking, knowing what she experienced.

There will be ADULT and/or NSFW moments in certain chapters - this is a warning lol. I will try my best to make it obvious as it occurs…

Paring: MC x Chris

POV: ~MC~ or ~Chris~

~MC~

The morning after the sorority sleepover, the girls wake up at the Kappa House and scramble to gather their things. They don't have a lot of time to find dates for the Sorority Ball as it's now only a few hours away. They also didn't have the most restful night, and MC had to see Professor Vasquez, and hopefully James. Still in their PJs, Abbie, Kaitlyn and MC dash across campus and head up to their suite.

Abbie and Kaitlyn enter the door first, with MC entering last, unaware of what was infront of her as she entered. Her friends don't stop as they quickly make their way to the hallway, squabbling over who was going to jump in the shower first.

Just as MC passes the doorway to the kitchen, Chris steps out and swerves last minute to avoid crashing into her and dousing her with his coffee.

“Holy shit!” Chris gasps as he quickly swings his cup out of the way.

MC freezes as her eyes go huge, afraid to move as he recovers. “Oh my god. I’m sorry.” She sighs and covers her face with her hands, rubbing them down her cheeks as she cautiously looks around. “Is everything okay?”

Chris avoids her direct gaze but gives her a small sad smile as he focuses on the hand holding his mug. “Yeah, it's fine.”

A small amount had spilled out and ran across the back of his hand, now heading for the floor. MC notices and quickly grabs a dishtowel and wipes his hand, not looking up to meet his eyes as he turns his focus to her, watching her movements.

“I’m really sorry… I was in a hurry and…” She sighs. “Nevermind. Sorry… again.” She throws the towel on the counter and quickly cuts around him and heads to her room, unable to be so close to him.

~Chris~

Chris looks down and watches as MC gently grabs his hand and runs the towel over it, removing the offensive coffee mixture from his skin. He tries to ignore how soft and light her hands feel, almost like feathers on his calloused hand. His brows come together as he slowly looks towards her face, instantly realizing that she's avoiding his eyes. He’s about to say something but she interrupts him.

“I’m really sorry… I was in a hurry and…” She sighs. “Nevermind. Sorry… again.” She throws the towel on the counter and quickly cuts around him and heads to her room.

Chris stands there in the same spot for a moment, watching her retreating form. His jaw clenches as he takes in and releases a deep breath. MC’s door closes with some force as he remains still. He closes his eyes for a moment, jaw still flexing and unflexing, mirroring his troubled thoughts. He sighs and shakes his head before he opens his eyes, glancing down the hall one more time before he finally finds the ability to move. He quietly grabs some of his books from the kitchen table and heads upstairs to the roof. Alone.

~MC~

She quickly runs to her room and tries not to slam the door, feeling only partially successful as it makes a solid connection with the doorframe. She leans against the door for a moment before shaking her head and rolling her eyes, irritated with herself. As she pushes off the door and heads to her closet, she scolds herself for letting his presence affect her like that. She starts thinking about everything that had happened since she arrived at Hartfeld.

Her thoughts end with his voice, stating his desire to stop the progression between them. He didn't want serious. He wants to have fun… to not get hurt. And even though she wishes they were more, she's trying to respect his wishes. Even though she doesn't fully believe him. Even though it hurts her deeply to be pulled to, then pushed from him with such force. And at the end, she still misses her friend.

She knows the others do too, but she feels his absence is affecting her differently. Being honest with herself, she knows that part of it is because, again, she wishes they could be more… but he has made it clear that they would never be, and that realization hurts.

She pinches her lips together as she dig through her clothes. She doesn't have time for emotional musings right now. She needs to get over to Vasquez’s office as soon as possible, so she can track down James… or let Vasquez know of her failure. Whichever comes first.

If by some miracle everything works out with James, she has to get back to her room as quickly as possible. The Sorority Ball is a big deal, especially if she wants a shot at getting into Kappa Phi, and she needs to prepare. As of right now she has no clue what she could wear, but her date needs to be locked down before she worries about that.

Grinding her teeth together, clearly irritated, she pulls out a pair of jeans and RHCP t-shirt. She changes and fixes her hair before jumping back in the hall, cutting in front of Kaitlyn as she tries to take over the bathroom after Abbie.

“Hey!” Kaitlyn jumps back as MC barrels past.

“I just need to brush my teeth, one second!” She works as fast as she can as Kaitlyn squeezes in behind, her arms full of clothes, toiletries and her towel.

MC does as she says and quickly finishes, thanking Kaitlyn as she runs towards the door. She heads to Professor Vasquez's office to update him on her progress. She enters his office with an upbeat attitude. "Good morning, Professor Vasquez." "Hmmm? Oh yes. Good morning." He gruffly replies, barely looking up from his desk. She notices the empty trash can in the corner of the room and wonders whether the professor's letter to his daughter went out with the trash.

She frowns and searches his face for any helpful information. "Everything okay? You're looking a little down." He pauses for only a brief second to give her an incredulous look. "What?" His nose crinkles as he makes a mild sneer. "This is how I always look." His turns his gaze back to the papers on his desk. Her eyebrows raise as she takes in a breath. "Guess I can't argue with that..." Without looking up this time, Vasquez sharply speaks. "Now, do you have an update on the task I gave you, or did you just come here to irritate me?" Shocked by his abruptness, MC does her best to remember why she was there. "Well, I’m on the final challenge... I just have to find an upperclassman to take me to the Sorority Ball this evening." He scoffs and shuffles through a pile of papers. "And what do you want from me? Boy advice?" "No, I... well, it's a bit awkward. Becca and Madison said that I have to bring James." She gives him a pleading look, hoping maybe he would take pity and let her off the hook or something.

"They were... very adamant about it." She sighs. His interest is piqued as he stands straight, looking at her with surprise. "Really? I have to say, I didn't see this twist coming." He thoughtfully rubs his chin. "Maybe I should hire Becca and Madison as story consultants for my novel..." MC frowns. "Professor!" He refrains from rolling his eyes but waves his hand at her somewhat dismissively. "Sorry, sorry. Regarding James... well, how do you feel about him? Is there... something there?" "I'd say there's nothing between us that's any of your damn business." MC snaps, her face screwing up into an angry frown, clearly offended by his intrusive personal questions. "I think you'll find that your romantic woes are very much my business." His eyes narrow as he looks directly at her. It lasts only a moment before his face softens slightly. "After all, what's a story without a little romance?" "Ugh." MC crinkles her nose in disgust. Just then, the door opens and James walks in. He stops short when he sees MC and Vasquez staring at him, sensing the tension in the air. "Uh... everything okay in here?" Vasquez actually puts on a neutral, somewhat pleasant expression to greet him as he stands up straight. "Good morning James. Do you have a nice suit in your closet?" Before MC can say anything James answers. "Uh, yes. Of course." Vasquez actually smiles, however small. "Good. You're taking MC to the sorority ball at Kappa Phi Sigma house tonight." James takes a step back, an extremely shocked look on his face. "What?!" MC tilts her head back, a look of contempt on her face. "That's your reaction?!" James quickly collects himself, nervously looking at MC as he raises his hand in defense. "Sorry, I didn't mean... I was just caught off-guard, that's all." His face melts, becoming sincere. "I'd be happy to accompany you to this... Sorority Ball." MC takes her turn to be surprised. "Oh, you would? Uh, I mean... thank you. I look forward to it. You can pick me up from my dorm at six. It's building 2, on the south side of the quad." "Great. I will... see you then." James looks at them both, judging the situation, assuming he navigated through well. MC gives him a small smile and heads out the door, making her way back to her dorm. Once she finally arrives at the suite, she finds Zack and Tyler in their usual spot in front of the TV, gaming controllers clutched in their hands. Zack warns her before she gets too far past them, his eyes never leaving the screen. "Careful MC. Kaitlyn's in full-on prep mode." She stops and backs up, causing him to look at her then. "Uh oh. Is that bad?" She gives him a concerned look. Tyler frowns at her from his spot next to Zack, pausing the game. "She's asked our opinion on, like, thirty different dresses! I don't have good input on these things!" Knowing this was his area of expertise, Zack chimes in. "And yes, they were all totally gorgeous, but I'm trying to focus on kicking Tyler's ass. I can't be distracted by fashion at a time like this." Tyler bows up next to him, his mouth open in a shocked smile. "Oh, you're kicking my ass? Really?! The score suggests otherwise, my friend." Before Zack can deliver a retort Kaitlyn strides out of her room and down the hall, straight towards the guys. She snaps her fingers at them both, glaring.

Tyler has a look as if he has been caught sneaking out of the house after dark. "What? What did we do wrong?!" Zack sighs dramatically and looks at Kaitlyn. "Could you use your words please? I may be able to read many things, but minds is not one of them." Kaitlyn's face turns into a huge scowl as she barks at them. "Up!" She halls Zack and Tyler off the couch and starts flipping over all the cushions. "Looking for something..?" MC asks the obvious question. Kaitlyn keeps digging, not making eye contact yet. "I lost my sparkly eyeshadow palette... bad enough that I can't seem to find the right dress, now my face is a total disaster too!"

She's clearly about to lose it, so MC steps in to help. She grabs Kaitlyn's arm and makes her stand back up, looking her straight in the face.

"Let me see…” She appraises Kaitlyn's look. “Don't be silly, you look great. I'm starting to wish YOU were my date." She squeezes Kaitlyn's upper arm softly, trying to reassure her friend. Kaitlyn looks surprised, but also relieved. "You... you do?" MC smiles at her warmly, hoping Kaitlyn is calming down. "Maybe a little." Kaitlyn finally laughs, causing the tension to leave her body. "Flatterer. You're just saying that to make me feel better. But... thank you." "I just tell it like it is." MC gives her a toothy smile. Zack randomly pipes in, the look on his face is a mixture of confusion and concern. "Why would your makeup be in the couch..." Before Kaitlyn can answer Abbie enters the room, looking stunning in a flattering dress. Everyone stares at her while she appears unaware.

"Oh, Kaitlyn.. were you looking for your eyeshadow?" She asks calmly. Kaitlyn, no longer concerned with her makeup woes gasps. "Damn Abbie!" Abbie suddenly focuses, finally noticing everyone staring at her. "What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" She shifts uncomfortably, mild irritation crossing her face. Zack laughs at her sassy attitude. "Cause you look hot, girl! Duh," MC grins. "Aww... doesn't she look great, Tyler?" Abbie's face turns even more irritated. "MC! Argh! I'm changing." Tyler steps towards her his hands up as if he's going to block her. "No, don't!" He suddenly blushes, hard. "Uh... not that I care. Er..." He looks down at the floor. Zack grabs him around the shoulder, a mischievous smile crossing his face. "What this mush-mouthed idiot is trying to say, is... you look nice. That dress really suits you." Tyler gives Zack a thankful expression then slowly turns his eyes to Abbie's. "You... you really do look amazing, Abbie." "Really?" She asks, a look of disbelief crossing her face. Tyler stands up straighter, takes a deep breath and holds her gaze. "Really." Abbie's face turns soft. "Oh, well... thanks, Tyler." She smiles bashfully before refocusing. "Anyway, here's your eyeshadow palette, Kaitlin. It dropped under the cabinet in the bathroom. Sorry, I should've mentioned it before." She holds out her hand, offering the makeup to her friend. Kaitlyn smiles as she takes the makeup from Abbie. "No worries! I'm just glad to have it back. Now if only I could find the right dress..." She slowly taps her cheek, then turns towards MC. "But let's focus on MC! What are you wearing to the dance?" MC makes a face, wiggling her nose playfully. "Hmm... I haven't really thought about it." Kaitlyn's face blanches, her mouth hanging open. "Are you kidding me? Picking the right dress is everything!" She forcefully pumps her fist in the air. "With the right dress, your crushes will drool over you... and your enemies will be insanely jealous!" MC listens to Kaitlyn's words carefully, causing her thoughts to wander slightly. She then realizes that Chris was apparently not in the suite, so she assumes he's no longer there. She knows there's a good chance he is already at the Kappa Phi house and sighs.

"I guess I'd better choose wisely then..?" She knows she needs to stop her thoughts from focusing on Chris. It was becoming very distracting. Kaitlyn and Abbie both go to their rooms to finish getting ready, and MC does the same. As she looks through her closet she pulls out three choices. One is a glittery midnight blue shoulder dress with an illusion neckline, very regal looking. The second is a halter type style, purple with lace overlay. And her third option, a strapless crisscrossed 'little black dress' that is just about perfect for any occasion. She remembers what Kaitlyn had said before about ‘dressing for the job’, a statement that is still relevant for this situation, at least in theory. She grabs the sparkly midnight blue ball gown and shuts the door. After getting dressed, refreshing her makeup and styling out her hair a little more than normal, MC steps out of her room and heads towards the living space.

Zack notices her first, his eyes going wide as he checks her out head to toe. "Careful MC. You go out looking like that and someone's gonna fall in love with you."

MC pauses her movements and blushes as she looks down at her dress. Kaitlyn enters from the hall at just that moment. "You could say that again..." She doesn't try to hide her staring. MC starts to wonder if she chose poorly, her face a mix between sadness and fear. "Too much?" She asks nervously. Zack shakes his head quickly. "No way! James is gonna be psyched when he sees you like that." Kaitlyn agrees, barely mumbling. "Yeah... definitely." No one seemed to notice her brief pout. Abbie walks in then, turning towards Kaitlyn, causing her to switch expressions quickly. "Did you decide what you're going to wear yet, Kaitlyn?" Back to her normal self, Kaitlyn squints one eye and gives her a thoughtful look. "Hmmmmmmm.... let me think. Oh! I've got it!"

She turns on her heels and takes off back to her room. A few minutes later she's leaping in front of everyone from the darkness of the hallway wearing a beautiful red strapless dress with a gold necklace. Her hair is pinned up off her neck in loose but still formal way. She spins for everyone, grinning. "Well, what do you think? It's perfect, right?" When no one answers her face completely flips, her smile turning into a scowl. "Right?" Tyler stutters, quickly trying to cover for everyone's lack of response. "Yes, yes, it's perfect!" Zack gives her a thumbs up. "Best one yet!" Kaitlyn smiles and looks down at her dress. "Better late than never. Do you like this one, MC?" MC cocks her head to the side a little, studying Kaitlyn's new look and nods. "You look amazing!" Kaitlyn smiles even wider and pulls MC into a tight hug. Leaning back she stares into MC's eyes, her hands on MC’s upper arms. "You're amazing." MC winks at her, jokingly. "I know."

Just then the doorbell rings, causing everyone to jump. They all jump a second time as the door to the suite swings open suddenly. Darren pops his head in first, then proceeds to step into the suite.

"Did anyone order two handsome... oh." He pauses, noticing Kaitlyn's grip on MC. James steps in behind him, also becoming aware of the setup in front of them. "Are we... interrupting?" Kaitlyn pulls away from MC as Darren limps into the room, James slowly following behind him. "Nope, not interrupting anything! How... are you?" Darren gives her a warm smile, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Can't complain. Especially when my date looks as good as you do." Zack laughs, wiggling his eyebrows at Kaitlyn. "Looks like this guy's got moves on and off the field." Abbie rolls her eyes and snorts. "Oh my god Zack." Darren just grins, enjoying the jokes and mood of the evening. "Sorry we barged in here like this. James told me to wait, didn't you buddy?" James gives him a blank look. "Yeah, I did tell you that... buddy." He turns away from them and makes his way towards MC, his hands in his pockets. She catches him glancing at her dress, his eyes lingering just a little too long around certain curves.

His eyes finally make their way to hers. "MC... you look nice. Really." She tuts at him, giving him a questionable smile. "'Nice,' huh? Really charming James." He flushes. "Well, I--" He lightly shakes his head and smiles. "We're both doing this for Vasquez, remember? It's not like..." He pauses briefly, deciding against continuing that line of thought. "...never mind." "I did remember that, actually, but I appreciate the reminder. I mean it." She winks at him. He laughs and rolls his eyes lightly at her. "So it's going to be like that, huh? I can tell this is going to be a long night..." Zack forces his way into their conversation as he makes towards the kitchen. "Only if you play your cards right, buddy." "Zack, cool it with the color commentary!" Abbie snaps from the living room. Tyler looks around, making sure he didn't miss anyone. "Where's your date, Abbie?" "Darren, I thought Logan was going to come?" Kaitlyn suddenly looks concerned, looking around the group. Darren sighs and frowns, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, about that... he ate like seventy eggs yesterday, and he's still sick." MC's face twists in disgust. "Uh, why did he eat seventy eggs, exactly?" Her eyebrow raises higher with each word. "Darren's face falls flat. "Gains. That's all he said." Tyler motions towards Abbie. "Maybe I could be your date? I mean... I'm not really doing anything." Zack's face falls dramatically and he turns towards Tyler. "Except hanging out with your best bud Zack!" He mock glares at him for only a second before he laughs and lightly slaps Tyler on the back. "Just kidding, you two should totally go together." Kaitlyn frowns deeply at their plan. "They can't... she needs to bring an upperclassman." Abbie's face draws up with irritation. "Ugh, this is so annoying!" MC tries to reassure her. "Don't worry about it Abbie. Just stick with us. They won't even notice Logan's missing." "Well, I don't want to be a third... or a fifth wheel... or anything." Her face shows her concerned thoughts. MC smiles and shakes her head. "You won't be." James agrees. "Yeah, no worries. If anyone asks, we'll say your date just went to get drinks or something." Relief began to creep onto her face. "Really?" James shrugs and laughs. "Yeah, why not?" Abbie smiles at him then turns to MC. "I like this guy MC. Nice catch." MC looks at James and crinkles her nose. "Yeah... he's alright I guess." James gives her a questioning look, his eyes narrowing as he judges her words, a smile on his lips the entire time. "Just 'alright?' I guess I should've expected that." Darren interrupts before things can go any further. "Hey, I didn't get all dressed up just to watch you two flirt. Let's go!" He starts ushering everyone to the door. The girls wave bye to Zack and Tyler. Only Zack notices Tyler's slight frown as they leave.

He pats him on the back. "Come on big guy, show me how to play this stupid game." After a short walk through campus, the five of them stand outside the Kappa Phi Sigma house in the soft light of dusk. Darren offers Kaitlyn his arm. "Oh... thank you!” She recovers from her surprise, quickly threading her arm through his. Darren flashes his ultra white smile. "Let's see if anyone's home." He walks up to the front door and raps sharply, his other arm firmly linked with Kaitlyn's. Becca answers the door, actually happy to see them. "Darren, so glad you could make it to our little soirée! And you've brought Kaitlyn. I have to say, I wouldn't have guessed that you were her type..." Kaitlyn gives her an irritated look. "What is that supposed to mean?" "Nothing, of course. Come on, the dancing's just about to get started." She waves everyone in without giving MC or Abbie a second glance. Becca leads them all into the house, through a winding path of guests. MC leans towards Abbie and whispers. "So far so good Abbie." James nods his head slightly, keeping his focus forward but addresses her as well. "Just keep a low profile, and you'll be golden." Abbie doesn't seem so sure. "I hope you're right..." Becca taps a fork to her glass to get everyone's attention as Madison queues up a romantic R&B playlist. "Welcome to Kappa Phi Sigma's first official call of the quarter! Darren, Kaitlyn... would you like to open the dance floor?" Kaitlyn is caught off guard. "Uhh..." Darren squeezes her arm slightly. "We'd be happy to. Here, take my hand Kaitlyn." She still looks unsure. "Okay.." Abbie leans close to MC and James as Darren slowly leads Kaitlyn across the dance floor, his actions hindered slightly due to his recent injury. "Is it just me, or does Kaitlyn seem actively disinterested in Darren?" “Maybe we should get out there, alleviate the awkwardness a bit." James leans towards MC. MC glances at him tilting her head with a smirk. "Are you asking me to dance?" James holds up his hands, his shoulders slightly shrug. "I might be. Professors orders you know." MC's face lights up as she laughs. "Riiiiiiight." They step out onto the dance floor, James putting his hand on her waist. She clasps her hands behind his neck and smiles up at him. "Hey James, ready to get this over with?" She jokingly prods him. James knowingly takes the bait. "Ouch." He pulls his right hand away from her waist momentarily to grip at his chest as if he was mortally struck. She laugh and smacks at his hand before he puts it back on her waist. "Oh, quit whining." She notices the ample amount of space he is keeping between them. "You can get closer if you want." His smile reappears. "Alright." "Wow, show a little enthusiasm. I could still change my mind." She jokingly threatens. He pulls her closer as he takes a step in as well, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I kinda don't think you will." He challenges. He gracefully leads her across the dance floor, both having a great time. She looks up into his eyes. "You know, you're kind of good at this." "Thanks. I have some experience... my parents used to drag me to charity balls and formal scenes all the time, and dancing was always required." She purses her lips a nods. "Wow, sounds fancy." He curls up his nose, clearly showing his distaste. "More like, incredibly dull. But at least I picked up a trick or two." He lifts her hand, leading her into an artful turn then winks as she joins back with him. She can't hide her growing smile. "Very nice." The song ends and another begins. "Wait right here. I'm going to get us some drinks." He gives her waist a light squeeze before turning towards the refreshment area. "What a gentleman..." She turns thoughtful as she watches him walk away.

Maybe Kaitlyn was right. Maybe James was someone she should consider as more than a friend. If he felt the same of course. That she wasn't sure of though, as she had been learning that he often kept his true feelings to himself. She turns her gaze away from James as he reaches the table, spotting a familiar face through the crowd. By the expression on his face, Chris has been watching her for a while, his face instantly softening when their eyes connect. A smile starts on one side of his lips at first, growing when she doesn't move her gaze from his. She notices his suit. It looks like it was built just for him, cut in all the right places to give his muscular form the best visual advantage. MC swallows hard, trying not to be obvious. Suddenly Abbie leans in and whispers to her. "Wow. Chris isn't exactly my type... but he definitely knows how to wear a suit." MC let's out the breath of air she was holding slowly through her nose, still maintaining eye contact with Chris. "Yeah... he's looking good.” She almost grumbles.

“I wish he didn't look so good." She whispers, biting her lower lip. She closes her eyes for a moment, wishing she was anywhere else. Abbie turns her back to Chris so only MC can see her face, she frowns sympathetically at her. "Seriously..." At that moment James returns holding some drinks. He hands both MC and Abbie theirs as he joins them on the edge of the dance floor. MC tries turning sideways to face them both, helping her avoid Chris gaze if possible. She does however notice as Becca pushes her way through the crowd as it caused some people to stumble as they regain their footing. When she reaches Chris she gives him an overly saccharine smile, wrapping her arms around him.

~Chris~

Unaware of her arrival, Chris startles as Becca is suddenly there, tugging on his arm lightly. "Come on Chris. I want to dance." Her sudden intrusion breaks his focus on MC, making him sigh as he is forced to look away. "Uh, sure." Becca drapes her arms around his neck, shooting a sly look at MC out of the corner of her eye, letting her know she was aware that MC’s attention had been on her date. Chris can't help but look back at MC and James, a small feeling of jealousy growing.

~MC~ MC's face scrunches up momentarily, unable to control her nauseation of the performance in front of her, courtesy of Becca. She turns her back to her friends, focusing on James and Abbie. James immediately notices though and squeezes her arm gently. "You okay MC? You kinda went away for a second." Realizing she had been caught, MC wipes all expression off of her face. "Sorry, I just..." She shakes her head as if trying to release something. "Let's dance some more." James seems satisfied with her response and gives in to her request. "Sure, whatever you want." He offers to take her glass and places both his and hers on the nearby table. They step back onto the dance floor, his hands once again finding her waist. MC tries to avoid eye contact with both Chris and Becca, but notices as she leans on Chris's chest possessively. MC catches Chris's eye over Becca's shoulder as they happen to line up on the dancefloor, making her pull James closer to obscure his line of sight. Chris’s intense gaze makes her cheeks flush. He shows his dance partner little attention, keeping his focus on her instead. It's then that MC decides that it would be best to ignore them both, concentrating on James instead.

She smiles up at him, her hands locked behind his neck. "I'm one hundred percent here now." He gives her a authentic smile. "I'm glad." She raises an eyebrow at him. "Really? Sometimes I can't tell when you're being sarcastic..." "I'm not being sarcastic, I promise." He holds up his hand, giving the boy-scout salute. She can’t hold her laughter, somehow not at all surprised he knows the boy-scout salute. "Suuuuuure..."

MC doesn't notice that her laughter draws even more attention from Chris. He intently watches them float around the dancefloor, clearly having a good time. James, unaware that his date is drawing the attention of another, looks at her with dismay. "I'm not! Seriously!" "I guess you just have one of those faces then..." She studies his face as confusion takes it over. "What's wrong with my face?" He frowns, almost pouting. She giggles even more at his questioning look. "Absolutely nothing." She smiles up at him, swaying together in time with the music. Being in the moment with James, MC doesn't notice Chris leaving Becca stranded on the dance-floor, quickly cutting through the crowd, straight towards her. His expression is unreadable as he gently touches her elbow, causing her to turn and meet his piercing blue eyes.

Chris doesn't look at James as he addresses him, keeping his eyes locked on MC’s instead. "James, can I borrow MC for a second?" James shifts to look at Chris, his face neutral as one hand let's go of her waist. "Why are you asking me? She's an adult. She can make her own decisions." MC squeezes James's arms as they begin to separate. "Thanks James, I'm sure Chris didn't mean it like that." He gives her an understanding nod. "I'll go check on Abbie. If you need anything..." He glances sideways at Chris, who's eyes are still set on MC's, "...just let me know, okay?" She smiles at him warmly. "Okay." ~Chris~

As James heads towards Abbie, MC turns towards him, finally holding his unwavering gaze. Her expression is mostly neutral, except for the hint of sadness he sees in it. "So... what did you want to talk about?" He takes a deep breath and let's it out slowly, his face now looking down at his clenched hands. He looks up slightly, almost avoiding her eyes now. "There are just some things I wanted to explain." He looks around the room, seeing multiple people looking their way, including Becca, James and Abbie. "But... not here." He starts to feel hot and uneasy. ~MC~

She can't stop herself out of curiosity. Knowing he's made his point a few times by now she assumes this time won't be any different, but even if she tries not to, she knows she will always give him another chance to say whatever he felt he needs to say. "Okay... I suppose we should go talk somewhere more private then." He motions towards the door. "Let's step outside." She follows him out, throwing a last look over her shoulder at James, making sure he doesn't see her slip outside, already feeling bad for leaving him to talk with Chris. They head around the side of the house, ending up at the same memorable spot they shared a breathless moment once before. She looks down at her heels, lightly tapping her toes near the foundation. "So... what did you want to talk about?" ~Chris~

Chris begins pacing back and forth by the garden fountain, a curious look on his face. "I..." He anxiously runs his hand through his hair. “I'm not sure.” Suddenly he frowns, feeling intense pressure on his chest.

"I guess I just wanted to say that..." He sighs, letting his hands drop defeatedly at his sides. "You and James look happy together." He raises his eyes to hers. "And I'm happy for you." His brow pinches as he ignores the painful feeling that is crossing his chest. Her brow pinches together briefly at his words before relaxing. "Well... thanks, I guess."

He awkwardly shifts his footing in front of her. His mind is racing, thinking about everything they've said, experienced and felt. His previous decisions feeling less important all of a sudden as he studies her face.

~MC~

"That's all you have to say?" MC considers his words briefly, before deciding he isn't being completely honest. He searches her face, looking for something specific, then sighs heavily his look becoming darker. "Yeah. That's all." Noticing this, MC decides to prod him again. "If you say so Chris... but I don't know if I believe you." His brow tightens with concern. "What? What do you mean you don't believe me?" He runs his hand through his hair a second time. "I don't believe that's all you have to say." She says softly. "I don't believe that you're happy for me and James." His jaw clenches. "MC, what are you--" She shakes her head, looking away from him as she fiddles with her necklace. "You're lying to me, Chris... and you're lying to yourself."

~Chris~ His face turns somewhat angry at her comment. "Well... so what if I am?! How am I supposed to feel when I see you with another guy?"

His arm shoots out sharply at the house, his hand pointing to the center, as his voice raises slightly. He quickly realizes and lowers it back down somewhat, trying to avoid drawing attention. Chris feels his blood pressure rising with his irritation. She looks at him in disbelief, her own anger making it's way to her face. "I don't know... the same way I feel when I see you with Becca?"

Chris feels a sting of pain at her words. He clenches his jaw and remains silent, the guilt of his words soaking through his body.

She tightens her fists and takes in a deep breath before continuing. "You barely even gave the concept of us a chance Chris." The anger melts off of his face instantly, a deep anxious look taking its place. "I... I was scared. I didn't want to ruin something that could've been..." He motions loosely in the air between them. "...real." "But you and Becca..." She starts. He sighs again. "Don't you get it? That's safe. I'm never going to fall in love with Becca." He watches MC’s face as he says the words. Watching to see if she understands what he's implying. "So you don't love Becca? That's so sad..." He could see a look of confusion on her face. "So long as you both know you're just using each other, I guess." His eyes are solemn as he looks at her before he pinches them shut. It's as if her words struck him, feeling like a punch to the gut.

"That's a harsh way to put it... but it's probably true." He rubs the back of his neck, opening his eyes but not looking up into hers. "I told you on the first night we met... I just wanted my freshman year to be a time to heal... to have some fun." He sighs, not sure if he believes that anymore. "So... this is fun?" She pinches her lips together, forming a thin line as she looks down at her dress, picking at a random sequin. He lets out a huff of air, deciding to be honest with her. "Seeing you with James is the opposite of fun." He shakes his head and looks up as she raises her gaze to his. "But... I can't be with you. Not now. I know I'd only hurt you." His voice grows quieter with each word. "And what if I'm willing to take that risk? Shouldn't I get a say in this?" Her lips become even thinner as she forces them together, frustration clearly taking over. ~MC~

"If I hurt you again... I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." As Chris hangs his head MC suddenly realizes how close they now are, all of his pacing leaving him here, only inches from her. MC takes his face in her hands, pushing up on her toes to close the small gap in height. Even with her low heels on, he's still an inch or two taller. He gasps at the contact, his eyes deep and searching as he stares through her. "MC... what are you--" She silences him with a lingering kiss, his lips warm against hers in the chilly night air. When she pulls back she sees a tormented look on his face.

“I…” She suddenly feels troubled, regret swimming through her.

"I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry." She speaks in barely a whisper as she quickly drops her arms from his face and wraps them around her body. "No, it's... it's fine. Don't worry about it." His face is a mix of emotions, confliction everywhere. "You're here with Becca tonight, and I... well, I don't know yet what's going on with me." She was yelling at herself internally. This really wasn't like her. She had to get herself in check immediately. "Seriously, MC, it's fine. Let's just... let's just go back inside, okay?" He look away sadly. She looks down, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles are turning white. "You go ahead. I want to stay out a while longer."

She sighs and mumbles very low. “Or maybe I should just go home…” Chris frowns as he believes he hears her last statement correctly. Unsure he shakes his head and looks away. "Suit yourself." As Chris turns to leave, she sinks onto the cold stone rim of the garden fountain, feeling a heavy weight settle over her heart. "When did things get so complicated?" She pulls out her phone and dials Zack. She immediately picks up on his joyful mood as he smiles into the phone. "Hey, MC, what's up? How's your fancy ball going?" MC frowns into her phone. "Not so great Zack, not so great." She can hear his demeanor change. "Uh oh, what's wrong?" "Ugh... just stuff with Chris, I guess." She shakes her head. "Well... you know I'm happy to talk boy drama with you, but isn't Kaitlyn there? I'm sure she'd know just what to say to cheer you up." He gives her a knowing look. "You know what? I think you're right about that. I'll see if I can find out where she disappeared to..." MC starts to feel slightly better. "Go for it. Just make sure to fill me in when you get back." Zack winks at her. "Will do." She heads back inside and searches the Kappa House for Kaitlyn. She finally finds her, leaning against a banister. A wave of relief washes over her as she speed walks to her side. As she gets closer she notices the sad look on her face, wondering why she she looks so down.

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