#thank you toby god bless

[imminent-danger-came]

MY NEWS LETTER CARDS WERE SO GOOD Y'ALL

[yumekiki]

Happy Birthday to Undertale! I can't believe it's 9 years old now! Thank you Toby for making this amazing game, we couldn't have done it without you! Free Cheers and God bless for Toby and the crew! ❤️🎂✨️

[iridescentprose]

Hi 👋🏾 I recently watched a movie on netflix 'I came by' and there was this certain character who caught my eye 👁

Can you please write some headcannons (sfw) for Him? No specific topic

Toby Nealy please

God Bless you 🙏🏾

toby nealy headcannons - I Came by x reader!insert

author's note: thanks for the suggestion, anon! Please enjoy! God bless!

-Toby's hands are littered with scars. You can feel them beneath your fingertips as he's holding your hands, struggling to get the truth of what he saw off his tongue. His eyes are wide and he's stuttering as he pulls you close to him. He squeezes you tightly, as if to shake off the fear that's rattled his body.

-Toby smells of cigarettes. As he's you begging you to believe him, he refuses to let you go. You can smell the sharp stench of cigarettes on the collar of his jacket. You wonder if whatever he's about to tell you is going to get him to stop smoking. He's too young—too precious to smell like nicotine.

-Toby's eyes are always bloodshot. Not even you can help him get a good night's sleep despite the fact that he's called his 'little melatonin'. You've stayed up all night with him once before — the same night he told you he was the 'I Came By' tagger. Now you're wondering if you'll be able to sleep peacefully when he tells you about the body in the judge's basement.

-Toby always smiles when he's around you. It's a mischievous, crooked smile that tells you he's up to no good. It never stays around for long because he's paranoid something or someone will steal it from him. The news he whispers to you in the dead of night is haunting. He's not smiling. And as you peel back to look at his fear-stricken face, you're afraid you won't see his smile for quite some time.

[tobymybaby]

Fazbear Frights (especially after book 4) is so underrated 

You are doing god’s work ty

Toby prob wouldn’t do this but uh pretend like he would LOL

Also… I draw Toby with auburn hair and Tabitha w/ dyed red streaks in her hair, so Reggie, Tobes, and Tabs are like a red haired trio and I think it’s weirdly adorable tbh

Thank you for blessing me with this masterpiece 💕

(I also love your art he so scrunkly)

[yellowocaballero]

going ape crazy over the latest installment in the roleswap au holy SHIT. love this akatsuki. rin with her zealous conviction and manipulative kindness. the horror of her smothering and reviving shisui for no reason. she's SO GOOD. kakashi being fully aware that what they're doing is fucked but just using it as a club to beat himself w/ rather than doing anything about it. yahiko trying to make therapy no jutsu a thing. god fucking bless

THANK YOU I LOVE THEM ALL.

Rin was really difficult to write - I think I need to write out a short story featuring her as a kid. Having a mental idea of herself when she was good is an important anchor to her life when she's bad. She has utter conviction in her team and her village, and boundless kindness for everybody around her. I think this grows warped into utter conviction in herself, and boundless kindness for those who she decides deserves it. I think she can be really interesting and unique as a villain, and I really hope to do more with her. Her convictions, ideals, goals, and dreams are very important to her - human life is not. She was idly killing and reviving Shisui for no reason at all.

Very accurate summary of Kakashi, haha. He's permanently in his Hound era and I'd say his depression is drowning him. He has no interest in improving his or anybody else's lives. The only things he still finds important are loyalty and love, but in many ways he's only loyal to the ghosts of two dead children. In Kakashi typical manner, he'd rather hate himself than help anybody.

It's almost strange - while writing it, I was thinking of him as the member of the Akatsuki with the clearest moral compass (yes, including Yahiko). But while writing I found myself genuinely asking myself the same question he was asking himself. I don't think I decided on a single clear answer. I think Rin has greater capacity for genuine goodness, while Kakashi is more likely to turn away from the Akatsuki without Naruto intervention.

Yahiko is a beautiful beam of sunshine who deserves his god complex and adoration of the masses. He's my little cutie-pie and all of his atrocities are for a good cause. Unproblematic king, the Akatsuki ARE a peace organization, never let Kakashi tell you anythhing different!

Regardless, the love that Rin and Kakashi have for Obito is very real. They're still very devoted to him. Or...like, the concept/memory/idea of him...same thing...right...

I definitely want to write more. Something weird that keeps tripping me up is the question, 'What's more interesting: outside POV of Tobi or inside POV?'. Seems like a simple question but it's actually being a big roadblock for a lot of decisions. I haven't done any writing in a long time for way too many reasons, but I have a miraculously clear weekend so I hope I'll be able to finally get something written.

[taralen]

A Moment of Clarity 💌

So, over the course of my entire life, I have never once actually blogged any moments of mental breakdowns/madness until this year (specifically the past month or so I've been active here.)

For the record, when I say I'm crazy, I am not LARPing or just kinning a character because I think it's cute or quirky. I am a real deal nutjob who can actually say I know what a psychiatric ward is like. I've been through a slew of doctors, psychiatrists, and therapists over most of my life. Every day, I must take a cocktail of prescriptions just to stay functional, and even then, they don't always work. I'm not addicted to any substance, but sometimes I do feel saner on a substance than without. That's the really sad reality of how broken my brain is.

It's fascinating to me when I can look at posts I wrote while manic and think, "Did I really write that?" It reframes my perspective a bit. Right now, I'm stable, but I know it's not going to last. I feel the need to type this while I am.

I'm being transparent about this because I'm tired of pretending I'm sane and normal. Additionally, I really appreciate the kindness and support people have shown to me on this site. I can say for certain that aside from super close friends, I have trepidations about being open with others. I always feared that no one would want to be my friend, look at my art, or engage with me, knowing full well I am a trainwreck. I intentionally locked my heart away for nearly a decade now since I was terrified at the thought of someone getting close to me only for them to leave because they realize I'm insane.

Man, I don't know what else to say except thank you all for being so accepting and nice to a nutty sonofabitch like me. If it's because of a certain [[specil salesman]], then God Bless Toby for making an insane character handled with enough tact that thousands of people love. It honestly brings a tear to my eye knowing someone like me isn't totally worthless, haha. Love to all who have been so kind and supportive. Even one little hashtag or nice comment is enough to brighten my day.

I already know I'm going to read this while manic and laugh about it or scorn myself for being a piece of trash, but for now, I'm going to enjoy this moment, haha.

❤♥️❤♥️❤♥️❤♥️♥️❤♥️❤♥️❤♥️❤♥️❤♥️❤❤♥️❤♥️❤♥️❤

Credit to @superdrawer11 for the cute gif

[midnight-star-world]

#CountryMusic

59th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards (2024)

So today on the MSR (Midnight Star Review), I would like to talk about the 59th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards hosted by Reba McEntire. The show streamed on Prime Video by Amazon on Thursday May 16th, 2024 at 8pm EST (Eastern Standard Time) and the red carpet special an hour earlier at 7pm. And up first we will talk about who won what and as usual who should have won according to the stats from the MSR (Midnight Star Report) which is my weekly list.

Awards (Who won and who should have won) New ACM Male Vocalist of the year goes to Nate Smith (Looking at the choices, I would say this is the correct pick). Visual Media of the year goes to Parker McCollum - Burn it down (Some tough choices could have gone to Cody Johnson or Jordan Davis). ACM New Duo of the year goes to Tigerlily Gold (Not a lot of choices here but maybe Restless Road). ACM New Female of the year goes to Megan Moroney (She was the only choice with any chart success really except Ashley Cooke). Song of the year goes to Jordan Davis - Next thing you know (This could have gone to Cody or Luke as well). Duo of the year goes to Dan + Shay (They are the only ones to have any chart success this year out of these selections). Group of the year goes to Old Dominion (The only one who had any chart success out of the selections). Single of the year goes to Luke Combs - Fast Car (This could have gone to Morgan Wallen as well). Male Artist of the year goes to Chris Stapleton (This could have gone to any of the artists). Female Artist of the year goes to Lainey Wilson (She had more chart success than the rest of the selections). Music Event of the year goes to Jelly Roll & Lainey Wilson - Save me (This song had the most success of all the selections). Album of the year goes to Chris Stapleton (This had good choices for album of the year, which could have gone to anyone). Artist-Songwriter of the year goes to Chris Stapleton as well. Entertainer of the year goes to Lainey Wilson (This one should have gone to Luke or Morgan).

And that's a wrap for the awards, now let's talk about the performances from the night.

Performances (Who played and what they played for us). Megan Moroney - Tennessee orange (Pre-show). Lainey Wilson - God bless Texas (Little Texas tribute). Lainey Wilson - Hang tight honey. Jelly Roll - Liar. Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan - Mountain with a view/ Stick season. Tigerlily Gold - I tried a ring on. Cody Johnson - Dirt cheap (Performance of the night). Miranda Lambert - Wranglers. Kane Brown - Georgia's always on my mind. Thomas Rhett - Beautiful as you. Gwen Stefani & Blake Shelton - Purple Irises. Jason Aldean - Should've been a cowboy (Tribute to Toby Keith). Chris Stapleton with Dua Lipa - Think I'm in love with you. Post Malone - Never love you again -> I had some help. Reba McEntire & Post Malone - Ramblin' man (Allman Brothers tribute). Parker McCollum - Burn it down. Nate Smith & Avril Lavigne - Bulletproof. Reba McEntire - I can't.

And that's a wrap for the performances with Cody Johnson in my opinion having the best performance of the night. And on the MSR (Midnight Star Review), I would give this show a 3.5 out of 5 stars. It had some shocking moments and some choices were just too easy to pick. Jordan winning an ACM was awesome. And Reba did host for the 17th time overall. Thanks for taking the time to read this review. And yes I am still not a fan to have this on prime video. See ya all next time.

[bambithevideogame]

#TheeForestKingdom Stage #BambiPrescott #4thOfJuly #Jubilee #Event

Bambi: We just want to thank everyone who has supported us in our journey, thank you so much! God Bless The Magic Kingdom and America along with All the World! Thank you for believing in us!

[johnny-kobayakawa-television2015]

Thomas and Friends: Sodor Online Journeys, Starring Blue Train with Friends (Story 27): Mrs. Kyndley's Christmas

It was almost time for Christmas. Annie and Clarabel were packed full of people and parcels. Thomas was having very hard work. "Come on! Come on!" he puffed. "We're feeling so full!" grumbled the coaches. Thomas looked at the hill ahead. "Can I do it? Can I do it?" he puffed anxiously. Then to his surprise, he saw a handkerchief waving from a cottage window. Thomas felt better at once. "Yes I can, yes I can," he puffed bravely. He pulled his hardest, and was soon through the tunnel and resting at the next station.

"That was Mrs. Kyndley who waved to you, Thomas," his Driver told him. "She has to stay in bed all day." "Poor lady," said Thomas, "I feel sorry for her."

Engines have heavy loads during Christmas time, but Thomas and Toby didn't mind when they saw Mrs. Kyndley waving.

But then it began to rain. It rained for days and days. Thomas didn't like it, nor did his Driver. "Off we go Thomas!" he would say. "Pull hard and get home quickly; Mrs. Kyndley won't wave today."

But whether she waved or not, they always whistled when they passed the little lonely cottage. Its white walls stood out against the dark background of the hills. "Hello!" exclaimed Thomas's Fireman. "Look at that!" The Driver came across the cab. "Something's wrong there," he said. Hanging flapping and bedraggled from a window of the cottage was something that looked like a large red flag. "Mrs. Kyndley needs help I expect," said the Driver, and put on the brakes. Thomas gently stopped. The Guard/Conductor came squelching through the rain up to Thomas's cab, and the Driver pointed to the flag. "See if a Doctor's on the train and ask him to go to the cottage; then walk back to the station and tell them we've stopped."

The Fireman went to see if the line was clear in front. Two passengers left the train and climbed to the cottage. Then the Fireman returned. "We'll back down to the station," said the Driver, "so that Thomas can get a good start." "We shan't get up the hill," the Fireman answered. "Come and see what's happened!" They walked along the line and round the bend. "Jiminy Christmas!" he exclaimed, "go back to the train; I'm going to the cottage."

He found the Doctor with Mrs. Kyndley. "Silly of me to faint," she said. "You saw the red dressing-gown? You're all safe?" asked Mrs. Kyndley. "Yes," smiled the Driver, "I've come to thank you. There was a landslide in the cutting, Doctor, and Mrs. Kyndley saw it from her window and stopped us. She's saved our lives!" "God bless you, ma'am," said the Driver, and tiptoed from the room.

They cleared the line by Christmas Morning, and the sun shone as a special train puffed up from the junction. First came Toby, then Thomas with Annie and Clarabel, and last of all, was Henrietta. The Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt was there, and lots of other people who wanted to say "Thank you" to Mrs. Kyndley. "Peep! Peep! Happy Christmas! whistled the engines as they reached the place. The people got out and climbed to the cottage. Thomas and Toby wished they could go too.

Mrs. Kyndley's husband met them at the door. The Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt, Thomas's Driver, Fireman, and The Guard/Conductor went upstairs, while the others stood in the sunshine below the window.

The Driver gave her a new dressing-gown to replace the red one spoilt by the rain. The Guard/Conductor brought her some grapes, and the Fireman gave her some woolly slippers, and promised to bring some coal as a present from Thomas, next time they passed.

Mrs. Kyndley was very pleased with her presents. "You are very good to me," she said. "The passengers and I," said the Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt, "hope you will accept these tickets for the South Coast, Mrs. Kyndley, and get really well in the sunshine. We cannot thank you enough for preventing that accident. I hope we haven't tired you. Goodbye, and a happy Christmas."

Then going quietly downstairs, they joined the group outside the window, and sang some carols before returning to the train.

Mrs. Kyndley is now at Bournemouth, getting better every day, and Thomas and Toby are looking forward to the time when they can welcome her home.

Story End

[transgirl-gaming-thoughts]

My Thoughts On: EarthBound (MOTHER 2)

I beat this game something like 5 months ago and this prompt was rotting in my drafts.

Hey there! It's Alex! EarthBound has a rich history regarding it's international release, the series it's a part of, and people's thoughts on the game. Known in Japan as MOTHER 2, it's the sequel to a NES game that was never released outside of Japan. MOTHER 2, or EarthBound as it got named in North America, uses the same battle/overworld system and expands it, building an interesting and engaging experience!

I'll be leaving plot out of this so as to avoid any potential spoilers, but suffice it to say the writing is really good. You never known what level of quality you might get with SNES RPGs but EarthBound does it really well!

Moving on to gameplay, EarthBound uses a party system that allows the player to command four main characters in battle, as well as lead them all across the overworld as the leader, Ness (yes, the one from Smash Bros.). Enemies are visible in the overworld, and touching them will enter a battle. If you hit them from behind, you get a bonus round of surprise attacks to start the battle, and if they hit you from behind, they get the same advantage. This leads to a little more strategy when encountering enemies than just rushing headlong into things.

Battles use a turn-based system like most RPGs do, centering around the use of PSI abilities. Not every character has PSI, but those who do can learn various psychic moves that do various things such as damage opponents, heal allies, or teleport to previously visited locations. Different characters can learn different PSI powers, so you have to think carefully about who uses what and when. This leads to some of the best turn-based combat I've ever seen in a game!

EarthBound has quite a legecy. It spawned a sequel on the Gameboy Advance, MOTHER 3, which is another one of my favorite games. This one didn't leave Japan either, but there is an amazing fan translation available from this site! It also heavily inspired the style of Undertale, the influential RPG by Toby Fox.

EarthBound originally released on the Super Nintendo, but these days can also be played on 3DS/WiiU Virtual Console, as well as Nintendo Switch Online. There was also a Gameboy Advance release that was bundled with MOTHER 1, but that version was only released in Japan and has yet to be translated fully. MOTHER 1 has a full fan translation though, available here! (It also has partial menu translations for the MOTHER 2 half, so you can play that version but you probably should play another platform to get the story part of it.)

Thanks for reading, and be sure to ask questions and suggest new post ideas in my ask box! Stay safe, stay hydrated, and God bless! Happy gaming to ya!

~ Alex

[bonelyheartsclub]

So why did you decide to have the game be free? Why didn’t you decide to make money off of it? god knows I definitely would’ve payed for it anyway, bless you for the game btw literally I am so happy this game exists ✋😩 I require emotional intimacy from a skeleton

We do not own the characters in BHC; they belong to Toby, and the original creators of US, UF, SF, and HT. It wouldn't be right to charge people to play a game featuring characters that are not completely ours. Even if it was, BHC is a passion project that we're doing for fun and for our love of the skeletons; money isn't our priority, and it never will be. Thank you for your support though! We hope you enjoy the game once it is released ^^

[amyrallis]

Amazing

You've captured their characters so well and I absolutely love your style

dump

[motherofsquirms]

Fever Break: A Stricklake Short

"You are sunlight and I moon Joined by the gods of fortune Midnight and high noon Sharing the sky We have been blessed, you and I"

Walter padded lightly into the dimly lit bedroom wearing slippers and carrying a tray with a glass of water, medicine, and a plate of dry toast. Barbara was lying on her side under the covers, sleeping soundly on the far side of the bed. She was facing the doorway, one arm under her pillow, the other resting on it. Walt walked quietly over to her and set the tray down carefully on the nightstand. He gently checked the temperature of her forehead with the back of his hand. Good, he thought, the fever had broken. Thank goodness she had not needed to go to work, otherwise he’d have had to try to convince her to stay home, a losing battle if there ever was one. He had played the “this is your body telling you to rest,” or the “you would not want to give this crud to your patients” cards already a few times. The welfare of her patients usually won out, the exhaustion of her body and mind less so.

He ever so carefully drew a fingernail across her cheek, hooking and repositioning a stray lock of hair slightly damp from sweat back behind her ear. Her auburn hair reminded him of late summer and sometimes the bright colors of early fall; its radiance rivaled the sun, and her eyes when opened the color of an intensely blue and cloudless sky, which he was now unfit to enjoy. She was his sunlight now, as she had been and continued to be for so many, giving them life; a bright star that his world revolved around. He did not mind. Such a bright star; so bright in the darkness of the world. Were the decision to trade one for the other an uncomplicated choice for him and him alone, the warmth of sun versus the fiery incandescence of her whole person given generously to him, he would take that trade a million times over and without a moment’s hesitation at that.

They had learned to lean on one another, ministering to the other’s pain or discomfort, offering sanctuary from the storms of life. She and Jim must have been like that, he thought, but their relationship, his and Barbara’s, was more balanced, that of capable and responsible adults. Jim was capable and responsible, no question, but parents were supposed to take care of and watch out for their children, not the other way around; this era of human history had at least THAT part right. Walt sighed and rolled his eyes, because there was no telling Jim anything once he had made up his mind to do something. Must have been a Lake family trait.

No, he corrected, no that was not the case at all. The tenacity, the grit, the determination to stick it out, that was all Barbara’s side. James Lake Sr., that idiot, that insipid cur, that— that— Walt closed his eyes and took a calming breath else he may become apoplectic and snarl involuntarily. His loss, the blind fool, Walter concluded, calming himself. His momentous, egregious mistake; a reeeeaaaal piece of work, that James Lake Sr., wherever the hell he was.

Anyway, Jim was away frequently and often for long stretches these days, off with Toby, Claire, and the crew, handling the hiccups of troll-kind and valiantly trying to right the wrongs of the world, mend its ills.

He, Walter, was her *rock* now, Barbara liked to quip. Har har, he’d say, very amusing, knowing full well it was an exceptionally fitting Waltolomew Strickler joke. He adored her for that. They could riff off one another, each dedicated to their deadpan delivery, sometimes even darkly or mock-acerbically, until one of them broke, unable to stifle a laugh. Other times they were droll or punny, playfully bouncing cringe-worthy wisecracks between them like a ping pong ball. Goodness knows they needed the laughs, especially him; so unfamiliar a sensation it was in his troll form that his chest even ached in the beginning.

Walt belonged to her and she to him. Refuge, confidant, and lover; those things toppled his extreme cynicism like a house of cards. He had worked so hard and so long to build it up too, darn her.

Now in the cocooning, quiet darkness of the bedroom, Walter could not resist tenderly touching the smooth softness of her cheek and letting his hand fall to the side of her neck. He thought he saw her wince briefly before she noisily inhaled and stirred though still asleep. She smiled faintly and murmured a “Walt” sweetly, and almost longingly, her voice thick from deep slumber and a pillow denting her cheek. The changeling’s ears perked up, his maudlin smile and eyes nearly breaking his face at hearing her.

The euphoric feeling was short-lived, unfortunately. The wince bothered him. Had he really seen it or just imagined it? Had she felt a twinge of pain from that old wound because of his touch? Had he also at that same moment felt the same on the left side of his own neck? Was there still something remaining, some lingering fragment of the binding spell? Of the injury? His face fell and he panicked just a bit at the memory of her pain, a suffering which he had caused.

He had tried to forgive himself — but it seemed he never could, he reflected ruefully, despite how things had turned out, despite his sincere efforts to let go, despite her insistence that he should, she had forgiven him long ago— he sighed and tried his best to remember, to drill home into the bedrock of his mind that he could not change the past. “Silly Walt!” he chastised himself finally, shaking his head as he peered down at Barbara’s sleeping form. Even if Barbara had winced she was, in all likelihood, reacting to the coolness of his hand on her neck’s sensitive skin. His own extremely minor twinge a psychosomatic response, or a random nerve ending deciding to speak up at some minuscule outrage – a change in air pressure, perhaps - as they sometimes did inexplicably.

There had been nightmares, though; he did not hide them from her but he was reluctant to do much about them, as he considered them the most minor of penitence for all of the wrongs he had committed. Gruesome dreams plagued with scenarios where they did not make it to Trollmarket in time, Barbara did not survive, Jim getting crushed by the grief, and Angor Rott laughing, his sinister laugh rising in intensity after each breath from his gravelly growl to a high-pitched, ear-splitting scream. Walter would then abruptly wake to an alarm clock blaring it’s demonic electronic guts out.

He sucked in air and squeezed his glowing eyes shut, trying to rid himself of the sour taste of bile rising to his mouth. There may come a time when my debt is paid, he told himself, but not yet.

“I must bear this as a true Lake would,” he muttered resolutely to himself.

He relaxed and quieted the noises in his head by again peering down at Barbara, dreaming peacefully. How long had he stood there for? Too long. The toast on the nightstand had been patiently cooling, but it would have to wait a while longer.

Carefully Walt lifted the covers on the bed and cautiously crept in next to Barbara, slippers and all to keep from scratching her. He tucked his right arm under the pillow and deftly snuck his left under hers, wrapping it around her midsection, the palm of his hand cupping the space on her side above the right breast. Slowly and simultaneously he brought his head and horns down with deference to the pillow, burying his nose in her hair and nuzzling the back of her neck. Even now just after battling the illness she still smelled faintly of sweet, night-blooming jasmine and the tang of a weather-worn, wooden walkway along a sandy beach, baking in the sun.

She stirred again, moving the hand that rested on her pillow and wrapping it around his, lifting it and pressing it closely to her sternum, fingers lightly entwined.

“I love you, Walter,” she yawned softly, before her breathing quieted back down and became regular again. He gently kissed the back of her ear and whispered into it softly, “I love you, too, Barbara. So very, very much.”

[sweeneytoddblog]

Hi! Love your blog. I just saw my first production of Sweeney Todd and it was great! It was small though, chorus and stage wise. They did the best they could but God That's Good and City on Fire just needed more people to complete the atmosphere! However, I thought the smaller cast/stage worked amazingly well during Johanna Quartet (it was the peak of the show in my opinion)! Anyway, no pressure (and I haven't been following anything with the revival) but I was wondering if the production that you saw brought up any particular hopes for the revival? In terms of staging and direction. Would love to hear any more thoughts you have! :)

First of all, thank you! Second of all, I am so glad you enjoyed it! I get what you mean, a small stage can be a blessing and a curse, but Sweeney Todd is one show where they can do some interesting things with it.

I'd say the production I just saw was pretty standard Sweeney Todd in terms of staging, but I do have some hopes for the revival:

I would like for the revival to be Victorian-era but the more I see of the promos/images released the less I think that's going to happen! Who knows though (it is kind of weird to me what little info we have so far in terms of visuals.) At the very least, my biggest hope is for the production to be elaborate and larger-than-life, rather than toned down and minimalist. I think there is a lot of potential with Sweeney Todd in terms of set and costumes. The way that they keep touting the large orchestra makes me think that this will be the case!

Interactive! I am hoping for a Sweeney Todd that engages with the audience a little. Ex. the first time I saw Sweeney Todd, he asked audience members for a shave during "Epiphany." Now, idk if it's a good idea for Josh Groban to be menacing people with razors, but some kind of interaction would be fun and fitting, and to my knowledge it's never been done professionally.

Inclusion of iconic set pieces. I need the chair!!!! I will not have a revival without the chair!!!! The production I just saw didn't have fake blood, either. I need that in my life! I once saw King Lear live and they very convincingly depicted his eyes being gouged out, so I know they can do it.

More people on the stage. As you stated, sometimes there just needs to be more people to complete the atmosphere! And also, to me one of the joys of live theatre is when there are so many little details happening onstage that you never run out of places to look. There are also some scenes in Sweeney Todd that I think can be confusing if you don't have enough players or set pieces (e.g. Toby in the cellar during Parlor Songs, Judge Turpin's party/Lucy flashback, City on Fire). I think it has already been confirmed that there will be a large cast so I'm looking forward to this. :)

Idk how but I hope that the staging of "The Letter" is really creepy and innovative. That's one of my favorite underrated moments!

This made me think about it a little more so thanks for asking!! It's kind of hard to speculate right now because there is so little new info to work with, but hopefully that will change soon.

[rikalovesrice]

My Thoughts on Trollhunters : Rise of the Titans

WARNING : ALL THE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

.

.

.

Mmmmm. Okay. So I just finished the movie. I’m fatigued as always so this’ll be a bit of a mess lol. Gotta spew the thoughts while they’re still fresh, y’all know how it is.

Right out the gate, I definitely want to talk about the things I loved.

The animation was, of course, phenomenal and gorgeous!

Voice acting was incredible as always

MUSIC SLAPPED

Douxie. I just loved seeing Douxie again and honestly kept my eyes trained on him for most the of movie lol

OK DOUXIE AND NARI SWITCHING?? BODIES??? Definitely didn’t see that coming and I legit started screaming lol

Nari in Douxie’s body is the most precious, chaotic, and wholesome thing like holy cow that was so adorable LOOKIT DOUXIE CROUCHING AND CRAWLING AROUND ON ALL FOURS WITH THOSE NOODLE LIMBS OF HIS I CAN’T --

We called Nari’s mind control and Douxie trying to reason with her!

In the very few scenes they were together, Douxie’s love and affection for Nari really came through. You could really feel how much he cared about her. ALSO THAT TENDER HUG AND NARI’S LITTLE HAPPY SQUEAK MY HEART NO--

Loved Barbara. Always love Barbara.

Walter and Barbara getting engaged

Nomura back in action

Claire being the powerful sorceress she’s become

Loved seeing Aja, Krel, and Varvatos all together again.

NARI VS SKRAEL WAS ALL SORTS OF EPIC AND CRUSHING EMOTIONS.

The way Douxie yelled Nari’s name and ran to her after she died and the remnants of her magic falling all around him, like she was saying goodbye, just *UGLY CRYING*

It was so cool to see Charlie out of his den and flying about like the mighty dragon he is

Loved the Guardians of Arcadia pulling Excaliber out together.

All the gang all going after Bellroc together

YES JIM MY BOOOOOOY

BLINKY DIDN’T DIE

Aarrgh I love you so much

Stuart, what a bro!

We saw a hint of mercy in Bellroc towards the end.

Toby’s death... That was a huge curveball. Jim might as well have cut my heart out with Excaliber as he sobbed over his best friend.

Uh.....um....and.....Er...what else........ .___.

..........Alright so.......It’s about to get a bit brutal from here on out as I talk about the things I didn’t like at all. And the really sad thing is, at least to me, the cons far outweigh the pros in this movie. Because I’m actually having difficulty picking out things I enjoyed, they were so few and far between...which really sucks.

So here we go.

Gosh, where to begin... I guess I’ll go ahead and say this : I’m really disappointed. 

Like as I’m here typing this, I’m just thinking, “...That was it? That was the movie?? The big finale???”

So much of this movie just felt....unnecessary. I hate to say almost like filler. The entire intro re-caping the series really wasn’t needed. And then Toby went and restated it all again when he was being interrogated. The pacing, oh my gosh...Guys, the pacing in this movie was not good. The action started and it never seemed to stop. There wasn’t a single moment of rest, of levity, of our characters just being themselves, getting to know each other, being friends outside of the battle. No Reckless Club Segment. No fun, just... I mean Claire and Aja didn’t speak to each other at all. Douxie and Toby hardly interacted. Steve was turned into a gross male pregnancy joke. Jim and Krel barely spoke. Douxie and Aja had nothing to say to each other. Even Aja and Krel didn’t have any moments together. The list goes on. The whole movie was just go, go, go. And it’s so frustrating because there was time for it but it was poorly executed.

Like was the whole break-in to the Chinese Trollmarket really necessary?? Guys, I really found myself not caring. I didn’t care to see this random side quest involving an insignificant new troll character and a Trollmarket that had little to no bearing on the plot. Did I love seeing Charlie, Archie, Blinky, and Claire? Of course! But these scenes were so pointless. So needless. They could’ve written other ways for all our heroes to go after the chronosphere (Maybe we could’ve had Zoe for crying out loud). But instead this vital artifact was the hands of a character we don’t know and don’t care about in a place that turned out to have basically nothing to do with anything.

Deaths. The deaths in this movie. Because of the pacing in this movie, there wasn’t nearly enough time for the emotional impacts to sink in. Nomura? Gone and the only ones mourning her are Aaarrgh and Douxie, who barely knew her. Walter’s death was handled better since we got to see Jim and Barbara actually having a moment to mourn him. The weight of Nari’s death was singlehandedly carried by Douxie, but even that was over before it started. The immense gravity of Toby’s death, which really got to me, was also short-lived to make way for an ending that...I don’t know. 

ALSO DOUXIE JUST??? BEING OKAY WITH HIS FAMILIAR, THE ONE WHO RAISED HIM AND WENT THROUGH SO MUCH WITH HIM FOR CENTURIES, LEAVING HIM FOREVER TO BE TRAPPED IN THAT DUMB TROLLMARKET WITH CHARLIE LIKE???

“I hope he’s happy.”

WHAT. THE. EVERLASTING. FRICK. 

Douxie’s reaction objectively doesn’t make a shred of sense. Geez, it’s almost like Douxie was expecting Archie to up and leave him someday to be with Charlegmane. Just...what???

What also frustrates me so much is how this movie undid so much characterization and development that happened in Wizards. Or more like all that development didn’t even matter.

What was the point of Steve’s arc in Wizards if he was just going to be reduced to...this?

I was so excited to see Douxie really being a Master Wizard. To see him lead the Guardians of Arcadia alongside Jim. To see him in action as Successor to Merlin and Protector of this Realm.

But no.

Douxie, who had such an incredible arc in Wizards and a character who’s come to mean so much to me in my life, was nerfed and sidelined.

And then time restarts and I can’t help but wonder why any of this mattered at all. What the heck was the freaking point of the suffering, the loss, the pain, the growth, enduring and overcoming so much, the friendships and family spanning across three shows... All gone. Starting all over. Undoing everything, except what Jim went through. As much as I love Jim, I didn’t think he’d be the only character I’d be getting closure for at the grand finale of this entire franchise. But that’s what happened and I really hate it.

Just...all in all, this movie wasn’t satisfying. Not to me. It had its good moments. But not nearly enough. The comedy was misplaced and fell flat. The climax was sorely anticlimactic and didn’t hold a candle to Eternal Knight. The writing, the direction, characterization...For some reason it was all lost and confused and none of it felt right and so much didn’t make sense.

I’m not at all upset with the writers, though, because they still pulled through and did what they could. When the movie did something right, it was beautiful. The things I loved about it I truly adored. No, I’m not upset in the least bit with any of the creative team.

I’m upset with Netflix. I’m upset that Wizards was robbed of the seasons it should’ve had. I’m upset with big cooperations stifling creators. I’m upset that this’ll be it. This is the ending we got and nothing can be done about it.

Aaron did say there’s every possibility for the franchise to continue in some capacity, and I’m hoping for that someday. Because so much, too much, has been left unanswered. So much left to be explored that couldn’t. But until then....I guess this is it. This is what we get.

Now, I want to remind everyone that this is my own personal experience with the movie. These are all my opinions. If you enjoyed every second the movie, that’s wonderful! And who knows how my thoughts will change upon another viewing. But in the meantime, Rise of the Titans really missed the mark for me. I wanted found family badassery and fluff. But nope. Just fighting and heaviness and no payoff. It’s such a letdown...a real shame. 

But yeah...Thanks to any and everyone who read to the end of this haha

I still love Tales of Arcadia. It’s a series that has blessed and inspired me so much as an artist, writer, and as a person in general. I do want to keep making ToA content for a while. Cause this movie isn’t the end. Not my ending, at least.

I’ll continue to hope for more Tales of Arcadia in the future (a Douxie spin-off series please Lord pleaaase). We shall see. Until then, fics and fanart fixing this mess galore haha

Until next time everyone! God bless!

[madmothmadame]

Hello I am currently in the process of reading count your blessings (chapter 10 atm) and I am losing my MIND this is the first thing of yours I’ve read but you have a mastery of elevating tension. I’m laying in bed with the stress levels of a rabbit before a fox. My ears are literally ringing. Sorry for not commenting on ao3 I don’t have an account and I am reticent to comment with my email. However. I’m literally vibrating rn. Oh my GOD. I am making tobi a very nutritious meal and putting noise cancelling headphones on him playing soothing music. I am also graciously thanking you for posting your writing for people to read. Also I’m brushing izunas hair just for good measure. I am also partially writing this as a reprieve from reading. Sorry for the babbling I’m rather keyed up. Oh my god this is so much there is so much going on. Your writing is amazing. Also holy shit sorry but GOD I do not have even half the mental fortitude tobi does. I’ve never lost my temper or raised my voice in anger but were I him that may be different. Either than or I run head first into a wall. Ooooooooooooooo hoooooooo I’m not an articulate person in the slightest so this isn’t really saying anything I really want to say but very blandly put your writing is !!!!!!!!????!!!?!!?! So well done. The pacing? The instances of sabotage being shown to us?? Everything oooooooooooo so good.

...did you finish? Lol, jk. I am terrible at answering asks. I forgot I opened this and then.... oops. Listen. I got tired. And finished a new chapters. So... enjoy?

Thanks for reaching out. This was fun to read. I hope you liked the rest of it just as much as you liked through chapter 10.