#steven merks

[puckspoetry]

Tumblr I’m in love with you

[individualkarpal]

Ok also ich bin in der Verarbeitung der ersten 4,5 Monate dieses JK- Jahres und hab mal gesammelt was da alles bereits passiert ist. (Notiz an mich selbst: Such dir n scheiss Hobby ey! 😄).

Die Liste ist ganz klar lückenhaft/ nicht unbedingt zeitlich linear und auch ganz bestimmt nicht vollständig- Ergänzungen? Haut rein!

Es ist der schlichte Versuch, mich zu sammeln, für weitere „Eskapaden“ (—> Go for it!) zu wappnen und dabei nichts zu vergessen… Die Fülle an Content und Material die die Zwei uns gerade liefern übersteigt meine kognitive Merk- Leistung jedoch um Längen😄. Und meine Fähigkeit zur Rationalität hat sich mit Pauken& Trompeten (oder einer Mariachi- Band) in die ewigen Jagdgründe verabschiedet.

Also viel Vergnügen bei diesem… naja, was auch immer das sein soll…;)!

************

Also erstmal fange ich an mit Aussagen die EXAKT so gefallen sind:

J: „Wenn wir das nächste Mal ausgehen kannst du die dann auch anziehen?“

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J: „Das fühlt sich an wie ein Fiebertraum…. Hier ist mein Freund und Kollege, ich darf in Klausi nennen, hier ist Klaas Heufer- Umlauf!“

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J: „Oh Gott ich liebe dich!“

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K: „Also sexy kannste ja ne…“ (leider OffCam bei WSMDS nach dem Tanzen zu Makeba-Jain)

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J zu Wildcard: „Wen von uns würdest du verheiraten?“

K: „Ich würd mich noch umziehen auch.“

Wildcard zu K.: „Ich hätte dich zu Joko gesteckt….“

K:“ … Es würde in 90% der gängigen Lebenssituationen an unserem Verhältnis nichts ändern.“

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J: „Ich bins, your worst Nightmare“

J: „Wie weiche Haut du hier hast!“ (#vielZuLangesNackenstreicheln)

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J: „… Du weisst, ich bin so gern in deiner Sendung!“ (legt seine Hände auf Klaas Oberschenkel ab).

K: „Du hast ganz warme Hände…“ (Legt den Arm um Joko und zieht ihn näher zu sich).

„….“ (Bringen ihre Köpfe zueinander, schliessen ihre Augen).

J: „… Du lädst mich viel zu selten ein… lad mich öfter ein….“

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K: „Wir haben eine Sache zu verkünden…“

J: „Wir heiraten und ihr seid alle eingeladen“ - „

K: „Genau!“

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Steven zu K: „Du machst heute alles so sexy. (Lacht).

J: „Klaas IST sexy!“

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J: „Und auf dem letzten (Foto) küssen wir uns.“

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K: „… diese Art unsere Sendung zu gucken finde ich sehr gut weil ich nicht genau weiss was als nächstes passiert.“

J: „Bring mich nicht auf Gedanken….“

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J: „… ich soll jetzt hier dein perfides Spiel spielen und du willst mich eigentlich einf nur in nem sexy Pyjama sehen? Ist es das was du willst?“

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J: „Schatz? Klaas, kannst du bitte kurz mit mir reden?“

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J zu Sophie: „Er ist der grösste Schatz von allen- mein grösster Schatz!“

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J: „Weisst du was wir machen? Ich steck mir den Stift in Po.“

K: „In Po?“

J: „Ich kriegs nicht hin. Der hält nicht Klaas.“

K: „Wie der hält nicht? Na komm her, das mach ich jetzt mal…“

————

„K: „Küsst du mich jetzt auch?“

J: „… Wir fahren jetzt in die Flitterwochen, tschau!“

————

Und dann all diese „Dinge“:

- Gefühlte 220983 Umarmungen bei WSMDS

- Gefühlte 220983 Herzchen- Augen- Momente

- Wie die zwei Arm in Arm reinkommen nach der letzten WSMDS- Folge

- J. bringt K. Herzchen-Kaffee, Spiegeleier und streichelt ihm über den Kopf beim Frühstück #24hJK

- J. wäscht K. Haare

- J. richtet K. Frisur bei JKP7

- DER 3. KUSS!!! (#Ringgate)

- LNB- BestOf mit Joko im Bett durch Berlin?!?

Und die Insta- Posts:

- Klaas im Igel- Shirt

- J: „Neue Folge WSMDS- mit meinem Gatten @damitdasklaasturbo“

- K: „This could be us but you‘re playing“ (Repost J. mit Herz bei Klaas‘ Profilfoto)

—> Ok, das ist jetzt etwas mehr eskaliert als geplant… 🫣…

Und zum Abschluss:

WIR KRIEGEN NOCH DIESES JAHR NE NEUE JK- SHOW!!!😍🥰🥳

Begleitmaterial:

[amplifyme]

S2 AND BEYOND WORDS, BEYOND SILENCE ARE COMPLETE!

(Disclaimer: this is looooooooooooong and probably riddled with grammar errors; but I've chugged down a few eps. and a book, so I'm not as bothered about those as I probably should be. ;)) )

Okay, so, in a weird way, these episodes were the most straight-forward for me in S2 (probably because of our discussions and Nan's excellent writing as a primer.) Not too many thoughts that are "new", but definitely some worth sharing and chewing over with you.

The Hollow Men: Cameron and Dale, what an introduction-- interesting that Dale, though he has less direct taste for it, seems to be affirming Cameron's quest for happiness by spearheading opportunities for him to kill (usually, dark eyebrow murderers are the "strong" ones in the dynamic while their blond friends are the loose link-- which they both are, but not completely.) The girls, bless their hearts. Joe warning Cathy about her lack of proof. Vincent, traumatized and avenging, trailing the boys like a shadow (he waits for them in the darkness)--and this time leading danger back to Cathy instead of the other way around (although... Cathy, you didn't learn your lesson again. Antagonism and blatant threats will do you no favors, especially when you give away a lot of your cards without anything in your back pocket to protect yourself.) The showdown in the theatre (CATHY), and Vincent taking a shot and powering through it, so different than that time in The Outsiders. The dull and boring and disconnected rich parents; and their shameless flaunting of their connections, power, and privilege.

What Rough Beast: Hated Spirko the moment I saw him. Paracelsus his cigarette reveal, and the lengths he will go is both impressive and a little amusing (and fascinating in its scope.) STEVEN'S BACK-- you baited his return; and seeing him and hearing his own twisted version of events was excellently worked into the episode. CATHY FINALLY WONDERED IF SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE AND FATHER DIDN'T ANSWER. Listening to the music Below is back. And, of course, Elliot's back; both in person and in impersonation. Vincent and Father's conversation about what Vincent is (and Father's uncertainty here is juxtaposed perfectly to "his" unabashed certainty in a certain climactic moment in the next episode) and setting up his "educated the man" for the finale when they discussed how books were all that kept Vincent from falling off the ledge all those years ago. "Father, I cannot control my thoughts. Father, I'm afraid"-- powerful stuff. Cathy believes Elliot is in the wrong the ONE TIME that he's in the clear (and her "we are beyond" statement-- including herself in the "otherness" that is Vincent-- is touching and disjointed, because she has only ever embraced the parts of him that are "human"... which she says as much in the finale to Peter after the blood analysis.) Spirko having the gall to still publish his evidence after Vincent spared him from death and Cathy tried to reason with him (also... JUST SWIPE HIS EVIDENCE AWAY BEFORE HE CAN LEAVE. I understand Vincent was too wiped, but I'm sure he could summon something up or Cathy could put up more resistance.) Cathy choosing to say goodbye rather than fighting for their romance is... huge and frustrating and makes me look even more forward to Diana in S3. (Which reminds me of Nan's AWTN where Diana spent weeks down Below with Vincent in the maze-- and more times before and after-- without batting an eye for him. Makes me ponder, makes me think thoughts.) Paracelsus merked Spirko, whoop whoop! Vincent staring into the abyss in his dark room is FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORESHADOOOOOOOOOOWING, and a great eerie cap to this episode.

Ceremony of Innocence: Full disclosure-- I knew Vincent/Paracelsus/Anna's backstory from Nan's work and even the twist of Paracelsus's death, but this episode was so well-acted I got confused and doubted myself. Excellent. The opening shot of Vincent is so, so eerie (picking up from the prev ep's close, I see.) Cathy's nightmare-- a lot to unpack: "He’s an animal-- what does that make you?” is probably why Cathy resists that aspect of Vincent the most, because their bond is a reflection of each other (Vincent staring at his reflection in the lake while her nightmare plays out, for instance) and more particularly, she fears, a reflection of herself. And horror and ugliness is something she broke down and shied away from in the first episode, the voodoo episode (which was a missed opportunity for Vincent's Otherness to be explored, a shame in retrospect), Trial, and this ep (directly opposite, I might add, to Diana's low self-esteem and "who cares?" attitude to her looks and "ugliness" in general-- I assume.) Nan tackles and "tames" that aspect of Cathy at the end of Beyond Words, Beyond Silence and in AWTN in Kansas... but I have to wonder: I don't think Cathy truly, fully loved Vincent as a whole before the finale (because there was always a part that held her back unless everyone else held back from Vincent too, which summoned her "call to action" or stubborn insistence of his humanity.) Father's "It's been a wonderful... dream" followed by Vincent's "No Father-- this is my tomb" certainly set up for the aborted plans George R. R. Martin had for S3, as did Vincent's wandering the catacombs for answers (twisted in death, as Narcissa calls it.) Cathy's lack of poker face continues, as does Joe and Elliot's endless supply of understanding and patience. Elliot exercising important brain cells by hiring a private detective saved everyone but Vincent in the end. Vincent "moping" around the tunnels while Father digs up old treasures and poems and literature to steer his mind off his troubles sets up perfectly for their conversation in the finale (about his past fugues.) Mouse's "he needs Catherine" practicality opposed to Father's longwinded rationalizations further emphasize how tied everyone's hands are. Paracelsus inviting Father to 666 (you dramatic man you) and challenging Father to fire a gun in the light (oh, the drama) and overpowering him and leaving him for dead while he goes to "release" his son from the imprisonment of civilized humanity was a great crescendo (not to mention the subtle hints of sending Vincent on a paranoid quest for more answers and asking the community for weapons and flawlessly transitioning from acting like "Father" to pressuring like Paracelsus.) Cathy was right-- that it was a lie-- but that's not what he needed reassurance about: what if it did, what would she do? Vincent's cruel birth story, scaring Cathy and sending her away, Cathy leaving but ultimately wanting to make Paracelsus pay and inadvertently saving Father (and leading Father back down), and the two arriving in time to see the aftereffects in Father's study. "You and Father-- you wouldn't admit the truth even if it stood right in front of you" is both right and very wrong: Cathy will deny it in the name of love, but Father does love if not embrace or accept fully that side of his son. Vincent driven to madness (to the Other, really, which at this point is pretty equivalent) and then dulled to near catatonic responses is the heavily necessary outcome. (A touch here that Nan added in BWBS was excellent and wrenching, will chat about it below.)

The Rest Is Silence: Vincent losing command over himself and running his body to the limit and sweating and tearing himself apart trying to contain the Other was fantastic to watch. Waking in the park, getting around Mary (who cannot read subtext for the life of her) to get to Father and his comfort and guidance, and pouring at his desperation and fear was an excellent way to start. Father's fear of Vincent's loosening grip (for his son and secondarily for everyone's safety) and steady reassurance added so much throughout, especially Vincent almost lashed out again: so similar to but completely different from the drugged scene in S1, Father showed no fear (as he had not then nor in the past with Lisa); and just exemplifies how much love and care and faith he has in his son and their relationship. They mentioned restraints again (one other time, I think) and Nan's written about the incident a little more clearly in her flashbacks, but I don't believe? I've heard the characters talk extensively about Vincent's previous incident (when he separated the Other from himself after injuring Pascal's wrist); so, maybe S3? Seeing the world through Vincent's eyes as he worsens was also fantastic; and Cathy did excellently herself this episode, asking him what she can do rather than pressing for impossible details, demanding more thorough answers from Father the right way, and keeping by Vincent's side when he broke into her apartment (kept chuckling because I remembered Nan's Diana laughing how he broke into Cathy's and out of hers.) Cathy's a very elemental and nostalgic person; and I wonder if her "flying" with Vivaldi was a reference (indirectly) to her memory of climbing the trees in the park while her father watched (or it could just be in-character, like her soaking in the sea or wanting to take Vincent to the mountains, or climbing a tree to reconnect with her dead father, etc.) Vincent so strung out that he talked out loud, snapped about Paracelsus, tried to insist the worst was behind them, tore his room apart, and rushed to and "attacked" Cathy's apartment in an irrational haze was excellent; but it kept getting better and better during his fever and "hallucinations" and the Other's hovering (now I know visually what Nan meant when she captured Buster's hovering and insistence) and Cathy's help and his progression to the bed and his waking better to watch the sun go down. Also, Vincent's finally in her apartment and for more than one day (noticed you had me take particular note of that so I've been waiting for that moment to happen.) I almost didn't notice how important Vincent's "love" was until BWBS (so thank you, Nan, for bringing that more thoroughly to my attention); but I did notice how he didn't directly agree to Cathy's request. And, of course, things are not better. Samantha and her book, wounding some members to get out, collapsing into Father's arms and sending him off, saying goodbye to everyone and leaving before he and Cathy return (what a moving scene-- they all love him in their own ways), and fleeing below the catacombs to potentially die in the attempt to master or free himself (a literal descent into darkness) was the cherry on top. Mouse following Vincent anyway made me want to cheer; and Pascal keeping up with him on the pipes made me want to cheer even more. Father staying back while Cathy insists on descending, too, sets up that puzzling little dichotomy: I believe Father loves Vincent more "completely" as he acknowledges all aspects of his son; but I believe Cathy loves Vincent more deeply? sacrificially? because she does not fear Vincent in his Other form, determined to believe he will never harm her. Beauty's love killing and then rescuing the Beast make a full circle here; and I'm glad the writers at least had a closed arc (in a way) before the restrictions for S3 upended the show (though not in a bad or worse way. Excited to dig into it~.)

On a separate note: I'm not in the habit of making everything about The X-Files, but I can see why a fan fresh off BATB would be drawn to this other show. Mulder and Scully had that near-instant connection between them that transcended words, social norms and expectations, and both of their fixed perspectives or parameters. But I think Mulder and Scully succeeded where Vincent and Cathy failed because they disproved, together, Father's assessment which Peter quoted to Cathy: "Maybe Jacob was right: when you go beyond definitions, scientific knowledge can only break down." The breakdown, or the hitch, was in the lack of complete acceptance.

And now,

Beyond Words, Beyond Silence: Nan ties these episodes together brilliantly. She also captures Cathy sooooooooooo well, building more on her self-doubt than the little bits of cursory examination we were given ("In telling her what he believed, he'd also been telling her what she desperately wanted to hear - that their relationship existed on a different plane from anything she'd ever known"-- I CALLED IT. Proud of myself.) Fleshing out Paracelsus's thoughts and linking in Vincent's waxing and waning confidence in himself and his relationship with Cathy (if it should continue or not) ties directly back to AWTN and her other book that I can't for the life of me remember right now; and it makes me giddy to see the throughlines (including the children and swimming, the Other and the cave-- both wanting that undivided, appraising attention.) Vincent's poem tying to back to Cathy and his fervency in tearing apart his room, breaking into her place, and driving himself into a fever until she quoted the poem back was superb. Again, Nan dug deep with Cathy; and these are a few powerful quotes that I couldn't pass up on: building on Cathy's toxic past relationships and tying it to her current pattern of behavior-- "...love that gave, and gave, and asked for nothing in return, she need never fear any physical aggression - from him or anybody else. A strong inducement to be oblivious"-- paired perfectly with "Absurd to imagine Vincent hurting anyone he loved.... Those were only dreams and had nothing to do with her and Vincent" and "Now she wondered if she'd been right to discount the unfitting things. If refusing to acknowledge all the anomalies - the number and scope of them! - she'd been dismissing the forest to see only the one preferred tree.... But they weren't deformities: they were Vincent. Maybe even the most of Vincent." Nan gives Cathy an arc where she marries her loyalty to both aspects of Vincent; but I shall have to wait for confirmation, denial, or nothing at all in S3 (I hope it's touched on a little); and giving Cathy the chance to explore that unfairness she expected or took for granted in her relationship with Vincent was refreshing and gave me another, brief glimpse what a functioning, healthier relationship between these two would have looked like.

As a final note, when Vincent speaks with shame about parts of himself and Cathy assures him those parts aren't him, I wondered how that would sound if he were a normal man with a comparable struggle; and the quickest comparison that I could think of-- though clumsy-- was mental illness. I'm mostly ignorant on this topic, so pardon my thoughts if they're too off target; but I sat wondering how it would feel if he were in the midst of a mental health crisis with everyone treating him like he needs to be "fixed", with restraints or with their love. And the shame and closed-in aloneness of that experience seems comparable in a few degrees, though of course you can't factor in his primal nature. Cathy's grand gestures of sweeping dismissal in the name of "this" not being "him" hits pretty close, as it would be denying an aspect of who Vincent is by pretending it can be weathered and then ignored-- and more tragic, because it would be spoken through well-meaning ignorance.

FINGERS CROSSED I miiiiiiiiiiiiiight? be able to squeeze in S3 Ep 1 (had lots of free time today~); but we'll see. Do you recommend I watch episode 1 separate or immediately follow it up immediately with episode 2?

I'm going to go ahead and chop this discussion up into separate posts just to to help me keep things straight in my own head. I'll dig into The Hollow Men here and then address the trilogy and BW,BS in posts of their own.

Follow me down...

Vincent, traumatized and avenging, trailing the boys like a shadow (he waits for them in the darkness)--and this time leading danger back to Cathy instead of the other way around

That was an interesting little twist, wasn't it? In hindsight it's another sign that all is not well with Vincent, and hasn't been in some time. Because if he'd been thinking clearly, he would have been able to think several steps ahead and glean that his actions might put Cathy in danger. And he would never willingly do that.

I completely understand his feelings of disgust, anger, and helplessness at the actions of these two kids. I have no problem rationalizing his desire to take matters into his own hands, and I thought his lecture to Father about the connection that exists between the two worlds was spot-on and something Father needed to be reminded of. But having said that, there seems to be a disconnect in Vincent here, when it comes to the risk to himself and the risks his actions may pose to others. And that's not at all like him. He's acting rather like Cathy here, jumping straight into the fray without thought of the consequences.

The showdown in the theatre (CATHY), and Vincent taking a shot and powering through it, so different than that time in The Outsiders.

Oh, Cathy; dear, dumb Cathy. Whatever possessed you to take the word of a person you don't know and duck into a dark, deserted theater when you know you have two killers on your tail? Oh, wait, I forgot. You also have very large, very strong, fanged and clawed protector at your literal beck and call.

Vincent is so done with everything by the end of this episode. I feel worse for him than I did at the end of The Outsiders. His "Nothing but madness, nothing but blood. When will it end?" is so heartbreaking because I know what's coming. And I kind of think he does, too.

Okay, gonna start another post for What Rough Beast. Stay tuned.

[zero-insignificance]

DND RECAP: Self Reflection

Cast Includes: Rose the DM, Yours truly (Bob and Alfie), Cream (Cassiandris and vice DM), Rascal (Zara and the Cat Girls), Brick (Truk and Bragar) and Digi (Mark of Haus Brisket)

First of all ALFIE GOT A REDESIGN!

Elizaria entrusts Astrea’s soul in Alfie’s care. He steven universes it to his pocket dimension. He has so many precautions. One of which is a pendant he left with La’far that he has to say a code word to gain access to. The code word is “Home diggity doggy doo” and Alfie hates saying it. She thinks it’s funny. The pendant isn’t required to enter his soul chamber. It is required to leave.

Zara stumbles over the sewer grate leading to her tunnels and Cassiandris asks one of us to lift the lid.

Bragar tries to pick it up with one hand, and fails. Alfie is like “dammit lift with your knees not your back” and Bragar lifts with both hands and his knees and succeeds.

Cassiandris sent out a duplicate ahead of the party.

As far as Zara and Truk are aware the only things done to the catacombs are renovations.

The walls are lined with skulls

And there’s a door.

And Zara can hear hearts beating and machinery churning.

*whirl churn whirl churn whirl churn*

And she opens the door and we see a machine

And Zara is overwhelmed with the power of 3 demigods.

Zara is terrified. This is the handiwork of The Lady. She lurches away.

Alfie softly goes “oh” and Zara shouts for Alfie to come over to her and he guides her through some breathing exercises.

And after pulling herself together she examines the machine. And she sees the remaining siblings cut apart and fused into the machine. Still alive. This is the divinity machine.

“She always talked about it… The divinity machine. I never thought she’d do it…”

Like this.

Alfie and Bob are examining it in an autistic clinical sense. Bob especially loves finding out how stuff works and he is fascinated in a morbid grotesque way.

We’re told to role perception. And those who get above a 20 see the massive mirror on the eastern wall. Zara investigates the mirror and is told to roll investigation. Nat 20. There’s nothing wrong. Except for her face. They’re not showing any emotions.

Zara tries to move forward and Cassiandris grabs her. Cassiandris’s reflection isn’t moving Cassiandris smacked the mirror with her sword. The mirror is shattered Rose: I so love it when you help me, Soda.

And Alfie face palms so hard it knocks his hat off. Bob took off one of his pins. Alfie pockets his hat and pulls his hair into a messy but still aesthetic bun (He’s been letting his curls grow out for the last 50 years so it’s down to his booty). This way Bob and Alfie both can tell they are them.

The clones have such names as “not zstinky” for Zara, “Fake Twink” for Bob, “Merk the merkenary” for Mark, “Alphie” for Alfie, “Trucker” for Truk, “Plastic Bag” for Bragar, and “fake Card” for Cassiandris on the owl bear map.

Mark tackles Merk into another room and they’re just aura farming. Mark is critiquing Merks fighting style. (digi couldn’t attend session 2 of the fight) Cassiandris uses her new magic item. And Fake Twink and Merk have slow cast on them.

And Cassaindris shreds her clone as Bob does the guitar riff from thunderstruck and we watch as the false cassy shatters into glass.

Not Zara sees this and gears up a 8th level spell. Everyone hears something tailored to them. Bragar hears screams of the fallen soldiers of Russia. And it is crushing. He’s the only one to fail.

Alfie hears the screams of the last attack on Ponyville Bob hears discord’s voice saying that he’s disappointed in him. Bob flips off the smoke. Truk is hearing the sounds of his parent’s screams.

We hear the sound of glass cracking from Fake Truk. And we can feel the scream more than we can hear it. He is raging. And he goes to attack Zara

Cream: Shadow martyr you’ll have to do the attack against Zara. Wait never mind, I got better uses of my reaction. And fake truk says nevermind and pulls out dazbolg. 42 to hit on Cassiandris.  Two attacks, one is critical. Divine smite.

Fake Bob and fake Bragar are slowed. And fake bob just gives fake Zara a bardic inspiration

Real Alfie walks over to where he remembers Bragar being and gives him fatherly encouragement. Advantage on the next thing they do plus 10 temporary hit points

And Then walks out of the smoke where he remembers nobody being. And casts fireball on fake Zara, Bob, Bragar and Alphie. Fake Bragar rolls two natural 1s. This gets past the fire resistance and then Rose used counterspell.

I fucking hate rose rn and i’m SO HANGRY. But at least Fake Alfie has no 9th level spell slots. 

Cut to the other party. Ingrid’s legion of bears is swarming one of Thozall’s legions like that one scene in The Fellowship where Arwen summons the water horsies.

And Truk tries to pinpoint where exactly Fake Truk is. And he knows what he sounds like and he hears a distorted version of himself but in reverse He charges and goes to tackle them

I got food finally and i'm eating when Bob's turn comes up and I'm like "hang let me finifh-"

Bob is facing off with himself and guiding bolts to his duplicate because you should really take out the supports and gives real Zara bardic inspiration.

Bragar rages. His entire body explodes in golden flame. He is a glow stick. And he roars.

He attacks Alphie. Rose tries to bitch her way out of it but takes the hit. "i teleport as a reaction" "nuhuh TELEPORTS DON'T WORK IN RUSSIA RIGHT NOW. YOU SAID SO" He slams his hammer into one side then the other. And the glass shatters and melts pooling around the clone’s feet.

Zara casts true sight and finds out that the clones have advantage on saves on spells cast by a creature other than the copied creature 

Fake Alphie casts psychic lance on Bragar and Bob and does Fatherly Glare on Truk. Frightened and 4d6 psychic as a bonus action

Cassiandris runs past Bragar doing something to undo the incapacitation and goes to attack NotZara.

Fake Alphie is desperately trying to counterspell what Cassiandris is doing. Succeeds. Bob uses Luck Point. Reroll and Alphie fails. Last 7th level spell slot wasted.

Fake Zara casts Mental Prison on Cassiandris.

Mark yeets not Mark back into the room through the wall. (Digi was here for session 3 of the fight!)

Alfie looks at his clone and goes “God I haven’t looked that dead inside since I was an alcoholic.”

What Cassiandris saw was too much and she is knocked out. Slowed and silence are dropped. (Soda wasn’t feeling good at the start of session 3 of this damn fight)

The fight stops as the Napsack lashes out some tentacles and slowly drags Cassiandris’s unconscious body into its gaping maw. Reminder that the Napsack is a subspecies of Mimic that feeds primarily on dreams and acts as a guard dog for the party when they are asleep inside it. The hotel section is one of two stomachs. That one is specifically for dreams. The other stomach is for meat. If you are not a friend of the party or have malicious intentions upon entering the Napsack it will just eat you.

Trucker pulls out Dazbolg. 29 to hit. MIss. The second attack hits. Truk uses Monstrous form as a reaction.

44 damage. “That the best you got?” and Trucker just stares at Truk with those empty eyes.

Fake Twink casts Tasha’s Hideous laughter. Fails.

Fake Zara and Merk get disintegrate twinspelled. Fake Zara starts melting like Gallium would in your hand turning into a puddle screaming “OH WHAT A WORLD” in shattered glass language and Merk is melting but still standing.

Bob is begrudgingly singing “I'm still standing after all this time” to the Merk clone because he’s filling in for Banjo the Frog.

Plastic Bag casts starfire havok. It hits Bragar and Alphie. They have no allegiance to each other, only to destroy us.

Truk uses Monstrous anatomy. He is going to try to grapple Trucker with his tail.

Wings rip out of his back and he takes flight and grapples him. He’s allowed to attack. Flying further up and then drops him from the ceiling, barrel rolling in the air and throws them down. 20d6. 61 damage. 

Bob looks at his clone and shouts “SO YOU’RE THE MOTHER FUCKER THAT’S BEEN RUINING MY LIFE” and chucks a level 9 guiding bolt at his clone. I have advantage because of my guiding bolt last session and the rules have been changed so we do advantage on our own clones. I got a nat 1 and a nat 20. 126 damage total.

And BOOM.

Fake twink is looking rough.

Bragar uses starfire havok on plastic bag. And his fist goes through their stomach like butter. And radiant flames burst out. Everyone in a 30 foot radius of Bragar has to roll a dex save.  That includes Alphonse, Bob and fake twink. Bragar goes “SORRY” and Bob shouts “ FORGIVE YOU I LIKE A LITTLE PAIN” Bob succeeds with a nat 20 Alphie got a nat 1.

After everything is settled not Bragar is gone. Just a puddle of glass and a dent in the ground. Fake twink is dead.

Merk got mental prisoned by Zara and explodes.

Me: I have the peaches song stuck into my head The chat: peaches peaches peachespeaches peaches- PEACHES PEACHES PEACHESPEACHES PEACHES- Digi: *belting* I LOOOOoOooOVE yuOOOOOO OH-

Alphie and Trucker are the last ones standing of the clones.

Bragar takes 18 radiant damage because sickening radience.

Mark runs past Alfie. They high five like “WE’RE BESTIES!” and then rips Alphie in half. Mark thinks an imitation of his best friend is a cardinal sin “Don’t imitate my friend”

Brick asks if Alfie and Truk can swap turns because they have something cool planned, I agree.

And Truk screams “LET ME SHOW YOU TRUE DIVINE POWER” diving down at Trucker mouth open. Not enough damage to kill Trucker and we want this done WE’VE BEEN AT THIS FIGHT FOR 3 SESSIONS and my family is going to see the minecraft movie tonight.

So we team up together and shatter the final clone.

“No one can imitate me.”

Bonus!

the notes for the campaign reached 102 pages

haha i'm the only one taking notes!

[i-am-q]

Graphic 1. A rare sighting of possibly natural dopamine release through a self oriented photograph of the subject, Addie aka Dr. Keating at the boardwalk beach in Santa Cruz, CA.

Graphic 2. A video acquired on an iPhone of an 8-panel at home drug screen after saturating the assay strips with human urine obtained from Addie Keating in a Walmart bathroom outside of the San Francisco area. Source: Addie’s iPhone. Date:

On Addie’s Sobriety Journey and Why it was only ever Was associated with alcoholism

Abstract:

An eight-panel at home urine analysis of molecules was taken to see if the fentanyl poisoning was real. The symptoms were consistent with previous observations of individuals with repeated opioid abuse or kappa receptor activation Should known better. It’s too nonpolar to be expelled through metabolism I (ie. kidneys to urine). At the very least, provides strong support in favor of the subject not needing medical intervention due to a lack of morphine use, previously suggested to be abused. The results indicate that the subject is in fact a stoner with ADHD. See previous posts for proof of legal amphetamine derived prescriptions (CITE). Had the subject used FAKE PISS WOULD HAVE ZERO POSITIVE RESULTS. THIS WAS THE EXACT RESULT WE ALL EXPEXTED. The assay was administered by the subject (ie. victim) the morning after Steven from Merk saved her life blocking all kappa-gamma receptors after an excellent independent Mexican restaurant employee was forced to accept a bribe from Jed Stone (see Dresher, F reference in earlier posts) to mix 40 g of fentanyl into my rice and beans plate. The results are inconclusive regarding real fentanyl but suggest that Addie, aka Ho-O, aka G, aka me/her/she never administered high polarity opioids including morphine, heroine, hydrocodone, and codeine.

Novelty: Further evidence that not all wooks are drug addicts.

[minervakarsh]

Mettaton - Hands Up by Merk & Kremont

Chara - Other Friends from the Steven Universe movie

Undyne (not the lyrics but the voice): La Guillotine Permanente (the French revolution song)

Noelle: Наступает ночь by Мираж

Queen: Not Evil from The Lego Movie 2

Rouxls - Eridan’s Theme from Homestuck

All for now(

Transcript: What song do you think would fit UT/DR characters? (could be any character you like, and you can choose one or more, whatever)

I'll start:

Chara: "Soulburn" by Masterplan

[tarditardi]

Il weekend targato Hotel Costez - Cazzago (Brescia): 26/01 Steven Nicola e Brio e 27/01 Festival 2000

Ecco un altro scatenato weekend all'Hotel Costez - Cazzago (Brescia), meeting point scatenato ad alto tasso di stile e da sempre simbolo di ottima qualità musicale... e di ciò che si può bere al bancone o tra i tavoli. Si parte venerdì 26 gennaio 2024 con un team artistico d'eccezione in console, ovvero Brio alla voce e Steven Nicola al mixer. Davide Briosi, in particolare, come vocalist da tempo dà energia ai club più importanti d'Italia. Speaker ufficiale del Basket Brescia Leonessa e conduttore televisivo presso la più importante tv della città. Da tempo collabora, grazie a professionalità ed umiltà, con molte delle più importanti realtà cittadine tra locali, lifestyle ed hotel. Come vocalist, oltre a mille altri, ha diviso il palco con star come Federico Scavo, Vinai, Merk & Kremont e molti altri ancora.

E che succede sabato 27 gennaio 2024 all’Hotel Costez - Cazzago (Brescia)? Il sound è quello degli anni 2000, sorprendentemente oggi lontani oltre vent'anni. Ovvero si balla a ritmo degli anni 2000 con le hit più belle di quel periodo, quelle del Festivalbar, che all'Hotel Costez diventa semplicemente #Festival2000. Chi non si muove a ritmo vuol dire che ha seri problemi... 

Dalla musica ai cocktail, dal design al servizio passando per l'energia dei vocalist, Paolo e Francesco Battaglia non lasciano niente al caso. E infatti Hotel Costez è un ritrovo di successo assoluto, da molto, molto tempo.  L'atmosfera dell'Hotel Costez resta unica. Non viverla ogni weekend o quasi della stagione '23 - '24 sarebbe un grave errore. Anche per questa nuova stagione il design è stato rinnovato, soprattutto per quel che riguarda l'illuminazione, che oggi è ancora più calda e coinvolgente.

All'Hotel Costez di Cazzago (BS), immerso nella meravigliosa Franciacorta, si balla con un certo stile e ci si godono ottimi drink: una serata qui è garanzia di divertimento e relax. Il team di giovani e allegri ragazzi che lavorano al locale è altrettanto coinvolgente (lo si vede nella foto) e lavora sempre con il sorriso. 

Riassumendo e venendo alla sostanza, Hotel Costez di Cazzago (BS), in piena Franciacorta, è perfetto per rilassarsi a ritmo di musica. L'ingresso è libero e la consumazione facoltativa, il che aiuta a divertirsi in modo spensierato.

Hotel Costez

via Pertini 2D Cazzago San Martino (BS) A4: Rovato

Ingresso libero 18+, Consumazione facoltativa

Info 331 1228756

Web App: https://costez.club/

Instagram.com/hotelcostez__official

[djs-party-edm-italia]

Il weekend targato Hotel Costez - Cazzago (Brescia): 26/01 Steven Nicola e Brio e 27/01 Festival 2000

Ecco un altro scatenato weekend all'Hotel Costez - Cazzago (Brescia), meeting point scatenato ad alto tasso di stile e da sempre simbolo di ottima qualità musicale... e di ciò che si può bere al bancone o tra i tavoli. Si parte venerdì 26 gennaio 2024 con un team artistico d'eccezione in console, ovvero Brio alla voce e Steven Nicola al mixer. Davide Briosi, in particolare, come vocalist da tempo dà energia ai club più importanti d'Italia. Speaker ufficiale del Basket Brescia Leonessa e conduttore televisivo presso la più importante tv della città. Da tempo collabora, grazie a professionalità ed umiltà, con molte delle più importanti realtà cittadine tra locali, lifestyle ed hotel. Come vocalist, oltre a mille altri, ha diviso il palco con star come Federico Scavo, Vinai, Merk & Kremont e molti altri ancora.

E che succede sabato 27 gennaio 2024 all’Hotel Costez - Cazzago (Brescia)? Il sound è quello degli anni 2000, sorprendentemente oggi lontani oltre vent'anni. Ovvero si balla a ritmo degli anni 2000 con le hit più belle di quel periodo, quelle del Festivalbar, che all'Hotel Costez diventa semplicemente #Festival2000. Chi non si muove a ritmo vuol dire che ha seri problemi... 

Dalla musica ai cocktail, dal design al servizio passando per l'energia dei vocalist, Paolo e Francesco Battaglia non lasciano niente al caso. E infatti Hotel Costez è un ritrovo di successo assoluto, da molto, molto tempo.  L'atmosfera dell'Hotel Costez resta unica. Non viverla ogni weekend o quasi della stagione '23 - '24 sarebbe un grave errore. Anche per questa nuova stagione il design è stato rinnovato, soprattutto per quel che riguarda l'illuminazione, che oggi è ancora più calda e coinvolgente.

All'Hotel Costez di Cazzago (BS), immerso nella meravigliosa Franciacorta, si balla con un certo stile e ci si godono ottimi drink: una serata qui è garanzia di divertimento e relax. Il team di giovani e allegri ragazzi che lavorano al locale è altrettanto coinvolgente (lo si vede nella foto) e lavora sempre con il sorriso. 

Riassumendo e venendo alla sostanza, Hotel Costez di Cazzago (BS), in piena Franciacorta, è perfetto per rilassarsi a ritmo di musica. L'ingresso è libero e la consumazione facoltativa, il che aiuta a divertirsi in modo spensierato.

Hotel Costez

via Pertini 2D Cazzago San Martino (BS) A4: Rovato

Ingresso libero 18+, Consumazione facoltativa

Info 331 1228756

Web App: https://costez.club/

Instagram.com/hotelcostez__official

[ask-codeearasure]

All of the above and more. And yet again, Color's choices on how to act with Killer despite how he may feel is very different in comparison to how Dream and Swap have approached Killer in the past.

Color took the time to get to know Killer away from the battlefield. That is one of the most important factors that went into their bond, because Color was invested in Killer as a person, not because he was a threat. This interest was the first thing Color did right to put himself in Killer's good graces, something Dream and Swap didn't do, because... really... how and where the fuck do you think they were going to start? What biases and ideas do you think they'd have about Killer when the only impressions they've gotten from this guy is that he's trying to merk them off the census every time he shows up? There is only so much one can do with that, and it's not like Killer had every intention to clear the air for them, so to speak.

Now here's the thing. I'm not specifying any of this to throw Dream and Swap under the bus for their efforts, because for some reason I'm seeing people mention Dream would have sucked in approaching Killer because he didn't see him as a person when that part was never fucking true. Dream has to balance a lot in the multiverse. He has so many problems weighing him down that only he can solve, and the idea that he wouldn't try, or that Killer is dehumanized in his mind, or that he'd have ulterior motives for trying is bastardization of his character.

Hell, do you not remember the comic Rahafwabas made of Dream finding Killer in a blank space with his cats and being afraid of him when he approached, thinking he was going to shank him or something? Dream has been threatened, harmed, and mauled by Killer more than enough times to fear more for his own safety in this moment than anything else, even though he did want to reach out regardless of that.

Dream wouldn't succeed in pacifying Killer. I agree with you there. But the reasons why that is are so much more complicated and need more context from both Dream and Killer's sides to decide if Dream is fucking useless in every regard for his case or not. Dream could help Killer to some degree, I believe, but in no means is he stable enough to be a consistently reliant source of security and support like Color is.

Dream, in isolation, is a character that is constantly moving and because of his aura and the life he leads because of Corrupted!Nightmare, he can barely have friends in general. He can't trust anyone, and he can't stay anywhere for too long. Looking to Dream to help Killer would be negligent of the influences Killer himself is going to need in order to recover in the best way possible.

I'm pissed at this fandom in general for jumping on every petty reason to be a cunt about anything at all, especially for cases like Dream. So let me get it out of my system before you decide to take this personally.

Now with Swap, the problem with him is Rahafwabas's version of him had a very Steven Universe-ish understanding of kindness and forgiveness and redemption. It's very basic, it lacks nuance, and most of all, his efforts in not only not listening to Killer and forcing him to "feel things again" were all works out of pure fucking child-like ignorance. It doesn't help that this version of Swap was indeed drawn as and written with childish behavior in mind. He resembled Blueberry more than he did Swap in general.

On top of that, given how dismissive early fandom was about any version of Swap!Sans and their intelligence, Rahafwabas's version was quite...

Well, there's no nice way to say this. He's fucking stupid. He actively goes out of his way to interact with characters who have hurt him in the past over and over and over again, characters like Killer and Error who could have fucking killed him and Swap was just lucky that he survived each encounter. No matter what happens to this guy, he doesn't seem to fucking learn his recklessness won't get him as far as he wants.

His idea of kindness is not universal. His ideas of redemption, forgiveness, and recovery, are not universal. Swap did Killer a cruelty by not considering that, because even though he was annoyingly insistent in helping Killer however he could and his intentions were in the right place, his impulsive and forceful actions were not.

Perhaps with a different version of Swap, one that was allowed to grow up and actually think with the best interests of others in mind, we would have been shown a different outcome. Perhaps he would have been shown as a partially helpful influence in Killer's recovery.

But this is what we got instead.

Another reason why Color is able to tolerate and resist the threats and attempts of harm Killer could use against him is the fact he's just stronger than Killer in general. This dude absorbed six human souls and can only die if he were to overexert his magic use to the point it breaks his fucking body. This doesn't mean he's invincible, but he can certainly compete with Killer's efforts until Killer decides his goal is not worth the struggle.

Dream is not powerful enough to do this. Neither is Rahafwabas's Swap.

Color might be powerful, but he's also strong enough to be gentle and kind. In fact that's his fucking default. He is the Optimus Prime of the Undertale Multiverse in that sense. He could fuck up Killer's shit if he really wanted to, but that wouldn't fix anything and he knows this.

Dream and Swap don't fail at helping not just because they lack the exact resources, abilities, opportunities, and outlook Color has, but because they can only survive so much, and it's obvious Killer has fucked them both up beyond an extent where they can just look away from it no problem.

-- Sarco

I’d imagine that color’s probably the first time killer has had the experience of caring if someone stays or not. And not just that, the very first time he’s wanted someone to stay (with him), and be around him—the first time another’s presence around him hasn’t felt intruding and invasive.

[puckspoetry]

DPS: Stolen Stares

Neil and Todd have some very obviously queer undertones and throughout the film are hinted at to be in some form of relationship (Anderperry shipper here!!) so I thought I would explore it.

So, as Todd’s impromptu poem is forced out of him by Keating, the camera stops and stares at Neil who is looking up at Todd with an expression nobody can describe as other than love. This scene is the first time we get a glimpse of Todd’s free and artistic side (even if it is forced out of him by Keating). Todd’s impromptu poem forces a cascade of creativity from him and eventually leads to him becoming more comfortable around the other Poets - especially Neil. Todd stands there open and vulnerable as he has just revealed his artistic nature and Neil stares at him with an obviously love struck expression on his face. We already know from previous scenes that Neil loves Todd for all he is when he tries to read his poem which ends in them chasing each other around. However, Todd stands at the front of the class now completely raw and instead of chastising or humiliating him, Neil stares longingly. Neil’s state demonstrates how much he truly appreciates Todd as he has now had a new side revealed to him. This adds to their relationship, some creative depth and complexity as Todd slowly unravels himself to Neil. Neil is basking in Todd’s vulnerability as it is a time where Todd has shown who he truly was and what he genuinely has a passion for and Neil loves every moment of it.

To compliment this, Todd is utterly awestruck at Neil’s natural talent for acting. Throughout the film, we see droplets of Neil’s passion as he shares it with Todd. Todd watches on as Neil engages with what makes him happy. Neil’s passion for acting is squashed by his father on multiple occasions which inevitably takes its toll on Neil. However, by pushing through Neil takes his place on the stage and performs his little heart out to a loving audience. For a brief moment, we see Todd giving Neil a very similar stare that was previously shown in the impromptu poetry scene. Neil’s undeniable radiance lights up Todd’s world and he has no choice but to be amazed by him. Neil has shown all sides of himself with Todd but he often opts for a happy-go-lucky facade to hide him feelings about his future and his father. But by being someone else entirely on a stage where little people actually know you, Neil gets to live a free life which translates to his uncontrollable smile. Todd can very evidently understand and acknowledge this and he has no other option but to watch on in awe as Neil lives his true passion.

In conclusion, that was my very convoluted way of saying they love seeing each other happy.

~

I don’t even know if this one makes any sense. Anyway I love them.

[yakuza-0]

[suworkbook]

She did that. Just casually smashed a barrel over him. Incredible.  

[marzipanilla]

And right now the only wall bashing happening is my head against the bricks lol

I love how we've totally managed to swap which thread is actually discussing SU stuff lol

Jasper finally breaking down like YOU HAVE THE POWER OF A DIAMOND. you are a diamond! And yet you wander around. paying for things. staring at the scenery. I WOULD CONQUER GALAXIES IN YOUR NAME. why aren't you ordering me to use MY power to do that? am I too small now, my diamond?

And poor Steven just having to be like, okay, first off, stop calling me that- here, eat this donut, we're gunna watch the sunrise and I'm not gunna unpack all that bc it's not my job anymore. you can figure it out Jasper. I'm pretty sure you already know the answer.

J: because you're weak?

S: -.- Try again.

lol Nolan hobbies powered by spite. yeah. Him suddenly being supportive of Mark going to college if he goes in for journalism xD Mark awkwardly meeting up with SpiderMan later after his dad has him shake him down like, hey dude, we good? you aren't secretly evil, right?? and Peter having to throw that line right back at his face and then they get the ultimate irony later. Aw, now I'm thinking about Peter and Aunt May hanging out with Debbie and Mark after lol

Would JJ lose his shit or actually start a Omni-Man was framed campaign??? he works against Invincible and Spidey now xD JJ and Powerplex in a room together. oof.

You saw my ep reorder ramble already but yeah !! Powerplex should have opened the season. Then the way I see it, Mark then has his future Immortal run in and is then all fucked up about having to kill him/not wanting to/being forced into it, and maybe he tells Cecil about what happened because they are still kinda buds at that point ! And then the Doc Seismic shit is happening and Mark is holding back bc he just killed a guy again and is wigging out and everyone gets screwed. Then when Mark loses it on Cecil he can be like the GDA doesn't get to decide shit. Powerplex worked for you, stole from you, and murdered his own family. And Cecil gets to be like You JUST came back from the future and told me you were an emperor who left Immortal in charge !! I NEED a way to contain you ! It would make his willingness to be so stupidly overhanded make more sense if he had just heard this kid merked and even older Immortal.

All of the pieces are there !! why is the narrative so out of sorts !! WHY

I actually legit thought Powerplex was new to the show for a moment before he said his name and I saw his family and my brain supplied an image of them flash fried and I was like, oh yeah, I kinda recall this xD

Oliver talking about what he remembered of his parents would have been so fucking important to open with ! I should not be learning this at the end of the fucking season ! And instead of bullshit with Paul we could have gotten a moment from Debbie expressing what she goddamn thinks about Nolan's legacy. What she actually has been telling Oliver about his family, if anything. How she feels about her role in everything and not some bs stock 'normal' shit which she has never expressed wanting before. There is a meter between 'world conquering jackass' and 'total stale white bread' and I think she deserves not to be stuck on world conquering jackass, but she should be nowhere near stale ass white bread.

Way back in S2 I was actually chatting with some other folks who had also read the comic, and honest to god one of the things we talked about that I hoped would happen aside from Oliver being totally written out (a fucking pipe dream but I honestly thought only 3 months had gone by in the show and not the 6 from the comic until the show ass pulled another three months out of Mark's time at high school somehow...) was that if they did keep Debbie raising Oliver that they LET her be weird and a little resentful and that was why he turned into such a prick who was down to murder. Because no matter how decent she was trying to be to this kid who didn't deserve being treated like garbage due to who his father was she couldn't fucking help it, and I would have been fine with her showing that bit of weakness. but they kept everything pretty much the same except they allowed her to not be totally into it from the get go like the comics.

Right now the stuff I like about S3 are, the Cecil flashback, Nolan's breakout, and ep6. Like. hope to god y'all saved your entire animation budget for the last two eps and they don't totally crash and burn so at least if the story continues to be meh I can at least watch something fun.

I know you want to put Powerplex and Mark in a room together but Debbie talking to him. like. I lost everyone. all my friends were murdered. my husband was a monster. my son nearly died. all my close friends of the last 20 years were murdered. You see me out there killing randos and picking fights? No. I'm getting my shit together and building something. You had a family and you pissed it away.

God. I think I just miss seeing her be a little mean to people. Even her talks with Cecil come across as sad more than angry. Let Debbie fucking yell at people again, what the fuck happened there. She was so dismissive of the white house attack ! of Nolan ending up in another dimension ! YES LET HER BE RECKLESS. let her be callous. stop having her suddenly being a fucking doormat for other people's freakouts. its okay baby, I support you no matter what ! FUCK THAT. she needs to snap or at least be shown getting some support so I understand why she isn't just fucking killing people lol

Debbie designating herself a fucking Problem when. Her and a crew of villain adjacent buddies coulda been so fun. Cecil not being able to spy on them anymore bc she now has resources to get that shit off her back. I need people in her corner so fucking bad. A much more gray morality Debbie tho. It's honestly one of the things I really appreciated about S1. She doesn't tell Mark to be good, she tells him to make choices he can live with. The closest she gets to a 'be a hero' statement is nobody is beneath help. God. I would love for that convo to come back up between her and Mark. for it to get nasty re: Nolan.

Eve just starting a business is like, okay whatevs, but that is a federal prison. Government contracts have so much shit built into them ! how they work what you need to do to qualify ! and this fucking teenager just gets the contract?? it definitely shows that heroes are above the law bc wtf. Is it bc she worked with the GDA before that it got greenlit?? If there were attempts to bring a fucking court case against Invincible in recent memory and the public was shaky on his image bc his dad just tried to take over the fucking planet why would he qualify for government contracts !!! if you really want to try and fucking double down on his stupid prison is the only option mandate, than fucking have him go into a damn job interview and give the best police brutality is justified cop speech ever, bc prisons are responsible for the health and safety of their inmates and them hiring man who punches things does not speak highly of the care they give. Tie his fucking job into why he is a hero and not 'damn I need money guess this'll do'. and it is once more something he does not pick. Doormat Mark expose when. just... damn.

Where did the character drama go ??? why do episode one off randos get more depth ??? The exchange between Kate and her brother was great, and it was 100% the kind of conversation Mark should have been having with someone. I also immediately wanted to be like 'oh are you going to mention that you were willing to let everyone believe you were dead just to run away and get out of things Kate? including your brother remember that? no? hm' Why is Rae suddenly living out Kate's apparent fucking dream of retirement. like wtf happened there.

While I'm not too familiar with the DCU- your batfam meta posts are intiguing- so in transfering some of the broader strokes from them- I think you tackling a 'Mark isn't Nolan's biological son' fic would be fascinating. Sort of a step to the side of the 'what if Mark never got his powers' fic that sometimes pop up in the fandom

OOOOOO chewing on this currently, hm, the much a distinct flavor of exactly what you’re talking about, but the potential for more family drama depending on WHO knows. Does Mark know?? Is he waiting every day only to be crushed? Does he confused non-Debbie features with Nolan’s? I suppose I’m not the most enthusiastic about non-power AUs, but I think there’s something very fun to explore about Mark having to settle with, if he knows all his life, he will never have powers? I think the trajectory of his dreams will obviously shift, I can see him still having that distinct fatherly idolization, but perhaps embraces being useful to the GDA? Cecil’s number one intern—only intern—curtesy of nepotism, ha! There is something tickling me about Mark taking the Robin Route/Role for the Teen Team in terms of having no powers, just insane skills, BUT there’s something way more delicious about intern Mark when s1e01 happens and Mark tries snooping around to find out the truth about what happened to his Dad.

I wonder if, with Mark having a whole another father, if they’re more or less distant relationship, depending on WHEN Nolan entered Mark’s life? Like if Debbie met Nolan later for this, or just for fun, they dated once, separated (Mark being born during then), then they happened to stumble into each others lives again and Mark’s already been born, anywhere from tween to teenager so there’s a gap in how close they are. I feel like one important aspect of the whole Family Drama is how close they’re supposed to be, a functional, loving family turned upside down? So I wonder what more distance does. I wonder how Nolan copes when his family is entirely human and he can’t project onto Mark.

I love thinking about these, omg.

[marksandrec]

Marks and Rec: Misc #2387

(She's a good ship, Merk.) (Dialogue from Steven Universe; suggested by @leeshajoy.)

[thanksforthedinosaur]

september 2021

1. julia wolf - falling in love 2. kito - steal my clothes (feat. bea miller) 3. spill tab - indecisive (feat. tommy genesis) 4. salem ilese - ben & jerry 5. jasmine sokko - cannibal (feat. hey violet) 6. phem - flowers 7. au/ra - hush 8. billie eilish - happier than ever 9. ezi - maraschino love 10. tessa rae - i dont miss you 11. lorde - secrets from a girl (who's seen it all) 12. tinashe - i can see the future 13. lizzo - rumors (feat. cardi b) 14. chynna - curly 15. atmosphere - strung (feat. musab) 16. sevyn streeter - nasty girl 17. amber mark - foreign things 18. marg - promise me 19. a l l i e - violet nights 20. love level - bad bye 21. emily vaughn - chaos 22. monogem - magia 23. cleo sol - don't let it go to your head 24. miloe - winona (with jamila woods and vagabon) 25. jaden - still in love 26. quickly, quickly - leave it 27. vessence - princess 28. cokiyu - tabibito 29. pinkii - sailor moon 30. sunmi - 1/6 31. red velvet - knock on wood 32. moshimo - 青いサイダー 33. hitsujibungaku - な��のせいです 34. the natsuyasumi band - tattahitosajinohibi 35. yonige - taigan no kanojyo 36. jizue - bask 37. wisue - sunny day 38. んoon - green 39. chai - miniskirt 40. poppy - so mean 41. jeff rosenstock - hang in the heat 42. pet symmetry - portland to portland 43. the world is a beautiful place & i am no longer afraid to die - invading the world of the guilty as a spirit of vengeance 44. a great big pile of leaves - water cycle 45. indigo de souza - real pain 46. laura stevenson - sandstorm 47. orla gartland - zombie! 48. angel olsen - eyes without a face 49. men i trust - sorbitol 50. big thief - little things 51. bad bad hats - walkman 52. kississippi - heaven 53. japanese breakfast - glider - from "sable" original video game soundtrack 54. cherry glazerr - soft drink 55. colleen green - someone else 56. penelope scott - dead girls 57. sufjan stevens - back to oz 58. ashmute - last dance 59. andrea von kampen - water flowing downward 60. sipper - woah 61. hovvdy - junior day league 62. mallory merk - devil laugh 63. david duchovny - holding patterns 64. pomplamoose - comment te dire adieu 65. amélie-les-crayons - petit caillou 66. the beach boys - deirdre 67. the greeting committee - ada 68. adoy - ny 69. porches - lately 70. munya - cocoa beach 71. saro - boy tears 72. litany - sleepover 73. elohim - treat you better 74. kim petras - future starts now 75. griff - one night 76. chvrches - good girls 77. jojo siwa - dance through the day 78. magdalena bay - secrets (your fire) 79. trophie - vampyre 80. snail's house - butterscotch 81. project skylate - ryokucha 82. stessie - with you 83. gaburyu - クジラの夢でもう一度 84. tomggg - license of love https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6vqLZT74HSV4bOPvGOWu3o?si=66b5afe228f0404c

[dweemeister]

Best Live Action Short Film Nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards (2021, listed in order of appearance in the shorts package)

NOTE: For viewers in the United States (continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawai’i) who would like to watch the Oscar-nominated short film packages, click here. For virtual cinemas, you can purchase the packages individually or all three at once. You can find info about reopened theaters that are playing the packages in that link. Because moviegoing carries risks at this time, please remember to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by your local, regional, and national health officials.

This blog, since 2013, has been the site of my write-ups to the Oscar-nominated short film packages. No pandemic was going to stop me this year, as I was able to view the short film packages virtually thanks to a local repertory, the Frida Cinema of Santa Ana, California. Without further ado, here are the nominees for the Best Live Action Short Film at this year’s Oscars. Films predominantly not in the English language are listed with their nation of origin.

The Present (2020, Palestine)

Since the 1990s, the Israeli military has set up hundreds of checkpoints within Palestine’s West Bank. These checkpoints have impeded Palestinian movement within the Israeli-occupied West Bank, supposedly to better protect the extraterritorial Israeli settlements there. Directed by Farah Nabulsi, The Present could have easily fell into an agitprop trap – leaning on political outrage rather than the individual emotions that power this film – but it deftly avoids doing so. On the day of his wedding anniversary with his wife, Yusef (Saleh Bakri) decides to go shopping with daughter Yasmine (Maryam Kanj). Yusef and Yasmine travel to and from Bethlehem (which is in Palestine, but is not easily accessible by Palestinians) to purchase a new refrigerator, groceries, and a few goodies for Yasmine. The process of traveling just a few miles from home proves onerous and humiliating.

Nabulsi’s film never feels like a lecture, instead preferring to juxtapose the cruel ironies that these Israeli checkpoints embody. The viewer intuits how militarized and confusing these checkpoints must be to the Palestinians. Israel’s apartheid mindset extends to the West Bank – the checkpoints have a single lane for Israeli drivers and a gated, narrow entryway specifically for the Palestinians. Past the checkpoint during their time shopping, life seems briefly normal. That Nabulsi can navigate the contrasting emotions between these scenes reflects the tautness of this film and its hints of Italian Neorealism. Bakri, as Yusef, is excellent during his tense conversations with the Israeli soldiers, even if some of these moments feel more stilted due to the actors playing the soldiers and the guerrilla filmmaking this piece employs. For Kanj, as Yasmine, one can see her anguish in seeing her father discriminated against on what should have been a special day. For Palestinian children, injustice is a rite of passage.

My rating: 8/10

Feeling Through (2019)

It is a chilly night in New York City at an hour where few are outside by choice. Teenager Tareek (Steven Prescod) is homeless. After saying good night to his friends, he happens upon Artie, a deafblind man (Robert Tarango, who is deafblind himself) holding up a sign requesting anyone to assist him. Curious and half-willing to help, Tareek taps Artie on the arm. Artie pulls out a tattered notepad and marker, asking for help to get to a bus stop. What follows is an uplifting connection between two cast-off souls, sharing each other’s good company and good humor if only for a brief time. Director Doug Roland based Feeling Through on an encounter he had with a deafblind man named Artemio. Roland’s film was accomplished in collaboration with the Hellen Keller Center.

Cynical viewers might view Feeling Through as syrupy, its swirling score too manipulative, the screenplay predictable, the filmmaking pedestrian. To different extents, each of those criticisms are true, but that does not undermine the raw inspiration responsible for this film’s pulse. It boasts solid performances from Prescod and Tarango – the latter a kitchen worker from Long Island and possibly the first deafblind actor in a lead role in film history. Roland’s screenplay beautifully strips away stereotypes of deafblind people. Tarango, as Artie, is neither overly dependent nor secluded from society. He knows that being deafblind sets him apart from those who can see and hear, and embraces the difference – lending a refreshing directness to how he communicates. Despite its lack of filmmaking or acting pedigree compared to its other nominees in this category, Feeling Through enters this Academy Awards season without a single loss in any of the film festivals that it screened in. No wonder: it is a crowd-pleaser in the best sense, without ever glossing over how difficult it is to be deafblind.

My rating: 9/10

Two Distant Strangers (2020)

Production on Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe’s Two Distant Strangers began in the shadow of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Its emotions are raw and there is no doubt behind the importance of the film’s messaging. Carter (rapper Joey Bada$$) has had some first date with Perri (Zaria Simone), and leaves in the morning to get home to his pet dog. Just outside the apartment building door, a police officer named Merk (Andrew Howard) stops Carter, profiles him, and ultimately kills Carter in cold blood. Once Carter dies, the film cuts to Carter and Perri in bed once again. Immediately, the viewer knows this film is a time loop a la Groundhog Day (1993), and, no matter what precautions he takes, Carter just cannot avoid execution from Merk’s hands. Through the film’s structure, Free and Roe capture the sinking, repetitive feeling that black Americans go through when hearing the news of yet another incident of police brutality.

Good intentions and urgency, however, do not necessarily make a worthy film. Some of the editing in Two Distant Strangers’ middle third shows too many images of Carter’s bullet-riddled body. After the first few instances of the time loop, the viewer does not need another glimpse of a lead-shredded corpse, blood splattering across pavement. The filmmaker’s fury towards Carter’s situation – that nothing will change – is already evident in the idea of such killings. Combined with the questionable dialogue in the final time loop and the mediocre acting, this all feels exploitative, an unwitting product of Hollywood’s history of fetishizing black trauma. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), historically, likes to reward films they perceive as demonstratively staged and thematically urgent. Two Distant Strangers meets both these criteria, but this material could have retained its rage without as much sensationalism.

My rating: 6/10

White Eye (2019, Israel)

Like Feeling Through, Tomer Shushan’s White Eye – the winner of the Narrative Short Film award at South by Southwest (SXSW) – was based on an actual encounter in its director’s life. Late at night in the streets of Tel Aviv, Omer (Daniel Gad) has spotted his stolen bicycle locked onto a rack. Omer lost his bike more than a month ago, has not filed a police report, and seeks to reclaim it as soon as possible. The police are of no help, and the people proximate to the intersection where these events take place are unwilling or hesitant to help. The now-owner of the bike is an Eritrean refugee named Yunes (Dawit Tekelaeb), and he insists to his manager (Reut Akkerman) and to Omer that he did not know that the bike was stolen property when he purchased it. And yet Omer’s tenacity and fit of passion spirals the situation beyond his or Yunes’ control.

White Eye is impressively staged, filmed in a single take – no cuts, no edits, all in real-time. To compare this film one last time to Feeling Through, White Eye accomplishes all it needs to say at a short film’s length. Some might claim Saar Mizrahi’s cinematography and 360º smooth-rotating is just another modern filmmaking gimmick; instead, it submerges the viewer into Omer’s mentality as he fights to retrieve his bike. The purposefully subjective framing questions the viewer on what our reactions might be in this situation, how deeply would we allow out outrage – and perhaps our ethnic/racial biases – to guide our actions. Shushan challenges the audience not to adopt Omer’s conclusions and emotions so readily, and he does a masterful job in appealing to and challenging one’s empathy as it becomes clear there will be no storybook ending.

My rating: 8/10

The Letter Room (2020)

By virtue of its central actor, The Letter Room is the most high-profile of this year’s nominees. Elvira Lind’s film is a dark comedy and its approach and tone are difficult to categorize. Richard (a mustached Oscar Isaac, who is Lind’s spouse) is a corrections officer who has requested a departmental transfer. With the transfer, he trades a more hands-on role for an office job. As the prison’s communications director, his responsibilities now entail filing through all of the prisoners’ incoming and outgoing mail – reading through all of the letters, reporting to his superiors for prison rules violations, censoring materials if necessary. At first, this role is as tedious as his previous position. But when Richard begins to read the histories of the prisoners and their loved ones, he becomes emotionally invested in a particular exchange between one death row inmate and his loved one (Alia Shawkat).

The Letter Room, despite a serviceable performance by Isaac as the unusual and stiff lead, has a milquetoast commentary about how the American criminal justice system imprisons more than just the inmates. These themes shambolically merge with Richard’s inherent loneliness, his inability to separate his own feelings from the voyeuristic work that his new position entails. This is a fellow looking for meaningful human connection, finding none, and attempting to understand something he has never found. The Letter Room curiously never questions the tricky ethics of Richard’s decision to intervene with the decisions made by Alia Shawkat’s character, and how the power disparities of his interactions color his life. The film’s conclusion is unearned, placing too neat a bow on a film that cannot balance its incongruous themes.

My rating: 6/10

^ All ratings based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

From previous years: 85th Academy Awards (2013), 87th (2015), 88th (2016), 89th (2017), 90th (2018), 91st (2019), and 92nd (2020).