#the half-blood was one of those iconic characters i could never forget in the story and giving tragic characters shitty endings

[gradelstuff]

I've been interested in reading TCF again, but I read the spoilers of what happens to the dragon half-blood and I think I will officially drop TCF from my hiatus list. I won't be reading the series in the future.

The dragon half-blood was a plot point I was genuinely invested in. Knowing he dies, never gets a real name, and becomes a bone dragon just hurts me. I genuinely cared about that guy, and knowing his pain and torture only led to him getting killed off just wrecks me. He did a lot of awful stuff but so did other characters in Cale's group and I was hoping he would eventually be redeemed.

No, I don't think him dying and becoming a bone dragon is a good ending for him. It only made him another useful powerhouse for Cale (which he didn't need imo; literally, the half-blood could live and STILL be useful to Cale in other ways).

Idk. I got too caught up in my compassion for the dragon half-blood. I can't help but feel like he was treated dirty. White Star ruined his life, Cale never cared if the guy lived or died, and the people capable of saving him never bothered to show him any sympathy. Every chapter featuring the half-blood was like reading a ticking time bomb, and knowing he does die in the end sucks. He has the worst childhood/past and he's reduced to a freaking bag of bones 🤦‍♀️

I'm probably missing a lot of context but I don't wanna continue reading if the dragon half-blood does become a bone dragon and stays that way. It just hurts too much

[mallowstep]

talking about my oc because i want to

so my blood sugar is doing a Thing and while i wait for that to regulate itself, i figured i'd ramble about my boy mallowstep for a while!

mallowstep, i.e. the title of this blog, is my warriors...oc? he's...not quite a self-insert, but he was the oc i made as a child, altho his backstory has been reworked many, many times, including very recently with inclusion of lore from the sisters.

anyway.

i figure if i type out some words i'll be distracted while i wait for the Good Food to sort itself out. (i'm fine btw. i don't talk about Personal Stuff here mostly but rest assured, i'm fine. just a lil shakey until i eat.)

on that note, my spellchecker is off because hands shakey means i do not want to navigate any way but typing.

right. mallowstep. key points:

he's got a white front left leg. i change the side a lot when i draw him but it's supposed to be left, and all of his paws are white.

i don't want to rework him bc i love him but also his whole deal is very much Impossible i was like eight when i thought of all of this

his vision is shit. he's not blind, but uh, somewhere around 20/400 vision. roughly. he can't see shit, is what i'm saying, he can't see shit.

or okay, so he's blind but in the sense of being "legally blind," not what people think of as blind.

this is because cats don't have opthamalogists. eye doctors. he has no glasses.

he's got a younger brother named deerpaw. same mother, different father. their mother is not around, so mallowstep is stepping in somewhat as a parental figure for deerpaw, but not fully.

he's a medicine cat? did i mention that? by choice. he chose this.

he sees the Ghosts. it's a whole thing with his backstory. but he sees the Ghosts.

his best friend is named kestrelwing (altho i'm considering kestrelsong), and her mate is mossytail. they've got three kits: eaglekit, kitekit, and dawnkit. (whose eventual warrior names are eagleclaw, kiteflower, and dawnstorm. i change those a lot rn tho it's just what i'm feeling at the moment.)

they're skyclan cats.

uhh there's a running joke about how mallowstep could have sired kestrelwing's kits and no one would know.

(he did not.)

deerpaw's eventual warrior name is deerleap.

okay, so...uh, idk?

mallow is born to the sisters, probably in a litter but his story Begins when he's left. he's not born with as bad of vision as he ends up with, so he does okay at first. he meets a cat named jag, who he grows close with.

(this is also in my about page, btw.)

jag and mallow are around the same age, and they're...they've got tallstar/jake vibes, is what i'm saying. (i'm not avoiding saying they're gay, here, but that's the vibe. tallstar and jake are gay in a different way to ravenpaw and barley, is what i'm saying.)

right, so anyway. jag is...fuck i forget his backstory, but he ends up meeting a different traveling group of cats. he falls for a she-cat named violet, and when her group gets ready to leave, he follows.

mallow is pissed. mallow basically writes off jag immediately. his vision is getting worse and worse, and he's pretty convinced he's going to end up blind. jag is like, "but i said you could come with us!" and mallow is like "bruh! i can't! for a very clear and obvious reason, i need to stay in an environment i know!"

so they part ways. they never meet again, this is all like, exposition.

mallow is pissed, but he also is kind of convinced jag is going to come back for him. so he stays where he is, because he just...in a way, he needs to believe that jag will be coming back for him.

the ghosts start talkin' to him, being like, "you should move on," and he's like "fuck no," but eventually they persuade him.

in part because it's becoming obvious he can't take care of himself.

(before you @ me, the most self-insert-y part of this is mallow's disabilities, and i'm not really listing what's wrong with him, because part of his story is figuring out his own limitations.)

anyway, he's a trash hunter, and he's got problems, and the ghosts are like! you know! there's some other cats you can live with. go live with them.

and because this takes place in a weird combination of canon and noncanon lore (the ghosts thing always was a part of his backstory, but when i discovered the sisters, i reframed it as that, and so on. basically, his backstory has been tweaked many, many times, so parts of it don't line up with canon and parts do. just keep that in mind.)

right because this takes place in a weird combo of canon and noncanon lore, mallow ends up w/ skyclan but a completely different set of skyclan cats than canon. i think the leader is dovestar? or rosestar? i don't remember, they're not super important.

so mallow shows up, like, hi! i can see ghosts, and passes out. the medicine cat, oakfrost, takes care of him, he meets kestrelpaw, mossypaw, aspenpaw, and birchpaw (i liked tree names okay?), and they're all good friends.

(aspenpaw and kestrelpaw are littermates, mossypaw and birchpaw are adoptive littermates. aspenpaw and birchpaw don't have much relevance in the story, because they don't.)

okay, mallow agrees to train as a medicine cat, he resolves some ghost issues, he's about a year and a half old, and deer shows up and oh i forgot to explain something, mallow leaves trail markers in case jag follows him back. it's four white stones bc mallow can see white p well and he has four white paws.

right, so deer doesn't know this, but he does know where mallow was left, and he actually is young, he runs away from the sisters because they're moving on, and he wants to find his brother. he's like four moons old. in an mostly unexplained manner, deer figures out the trail, and yeah.

this happens maybe like, two weeks after mallow becomes mallowstep. and the clan is kind of like...another one? but they take him in because well they don't really approve of the sisters and at least deer (now deerkit) is not blind.

(they don't say that part but it's on their mind.)

deer btw is adorable he looks kind of like a fawn. he's a dilute chocolate (which is called fawn but i didn't know that when i named him) ticked tabby, and he's got a white underside, and a white tail tip. they both have that, actually, but mallow doesn't care about his.

(mallow is a silver tabby? did i ever say that part. you can get an idea by looking at my icon, but he also has a lot of browm markings that aren't really shown.

woof okay sorry, you guys can't tell but i can i had to remind someone that no, i very much Need to Eat and you cannot unexpectly change dinner times on me.

right. but i am running out of time, so i'll wrap this up.

deer comes, and becomes deerpaw, we have a bit of a timeskip, kestrelwing is in the nursery, etc...

skyclan needs to leave. the villain was never specified, it can be darktail. the important thing is! they send a scouting party. the plan is, crew one will go, and the rest will leave in three moons. that gives crew one enough time to turn around. they leave a trail behind them a la mallowstep (who doesn't go with them, because, blind. oakfrost goes, she dies before the groups reunite, mallowstep is very sad.)

right, deerpaw goes! he leaves, it's all very symbolic, bc this time mallowstep does follow the trail and he does come back to the one he loves. with also a cute scene in between when skyclan is on its way and mossytail, mallowstep, and kestrelwing are each carrying a kit.

alright, and that's pretty much that. lots of me rambling for no reason. there's a lot of other stuff that happens, kestrelwing is a fun character, etc., but that's the main body of it.

<3

[yearningkindavibe]

Sybill Trelawney

Sybill Trelawney is actually an extremely interesting, complex, and important character. First of all, many of her seemingly radical predictions that sounded made-up in a second were actually true. For example….

Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet.

—Minerva McGonagall, Prisoner of Azkaban

While it seems ridiculous, if we look further into the future it may actually be true. In the Battle of Hogwarts, 52 died. Many were students, or former students that were taught by Professor Trelawney.

Is it too far fetched to believe that none of them were part of Trelawney’s predictions?

Again in Book 3, Trelawney turned down Dumbledore’s offering of a seat at the Christmas table, crying,

I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die.

According to her there were 12 people there and if she was seated there would be 13. However… Ron had Scabbers… or Pettigrew in his pocket. Making the number already 13! And the first to rise from that table was Dumbledore, who died first in the group. Definitely not a coincidence.

But that wasn’t the only way she predicted Dumbledore’s death. In The Half-Blood Prince, she stated:

The lightning-struck tower… calamity. Disaster. Coming closer all the time.

She was reading the signs from a pack of cards. Little did Harry know that disaster would strike, on the lightning-struck tower itself.

If you are still not convinced…

Remember how Harry had a piece of Voldemort in him? Well, Trelawney predicted Harry’s birthday to be in Midwinter, which was incorrect as Potter was born in July. She described him as dark-haired, mean stature, and having terrible losses early in life.

All of those things apply to Voldemort. Trelawney could sense the Voldemort inside Harry.

Creepy, right?

And not to mention her iconic line that one of us will leave us forever. That was Hermione.

But that is not the only interesting thing about her.

Many people also underestimate her importance in the story.

I don’t know how prophecies work in Harry Potter, but from what I know from other universes, things won’t happen if the prophet does not predict it.

Maybe I’m wrong, maybe it happens either way, maybe I have no idea what I’m talking about, but Trelawney could’ve been the reason why the Wizarding World wasn’t enslaved by Voldemort.

After all if my theory is correct, then if she never made the prophecy, Voldemort would never have hunted Harry. And if he never hunted Harry his power— would have never—been broken—

One more thing before you go. Sybill Trelawney was likely inspired by the ancient Greek myth of Cassandra. Cassandra was a seer who was cursed to utter true prophecies that no one would ever believe. Sounds a lot like our favorite professor, am I right?

Oh, and the word sybyl means oracle, which is basically a prophet in Ancient Greek. Notice how Trelawney’s first name is Sybill. Also, Sybill Trelawney’s great-great-grandmother’s name was Cassandra Trelawney. Which pretty much proves my point.

(not mine, found this on Quora by anonymous)

[k-pop-imagines]

AURORA || Chapter 4

> Aurora Masterlist <

Pairing: Park Seonghwa x Trainee!OC

Word Count: 3.8k words

Warnings: none 

A/N: I know y’all are probably getting impatient but we’re finally getting some good Seonghwa content! Hope you’ll enjoy! - Admin Soomi

° BESORGNIS UND ERLEICHTERUNG °

-> worry/concern and relief 

“I understand that you’re nervous, sweetie. But please, you’ve got to eat at least a few bites.” Yeseul let the spoon circle around in her bowl of cereal, occasionally picking up a few pieces of her chocolate-flavored breakfast food and staring at them as if they were her biggest enemy, before lowering them back into the milk. Some people eat more when they’re stressed, some eat nothing at all. She belonged to the latter group. Three weeks had passed since she joined KQ Entertainment. Today was Saturday and the day of her first monthly evaluation. Yeseul felt like she would throw up as soon as any food entered her stomach. 

She had heard her mother’s attempt at getting her to eat but decided to ignore it. “You’ve been practicing until late at night every single day. You’ve worked so hard, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” This time, she gave her mother an affirmative, but not very confident “mhm-mhm”. “I have to go now, I’ll see you tonight. You definitely need to get something in your stomach, you’ll only let your teammates down if you faint in the middle of the performance because your blood sugar is too low.” With those words and a gentle squeeze of her daughter’s shoulder, the older woman exited the apartment and left a silent trainee behind. 

Even if she didn’t want to admit it, her mother was right. If she didn’t eat now, she wouldn’t have enough energy later and might become even more of a nuisance to her team. Yeseul slowly started eating a few bites of the now soggy cereal and after managing to finish half the bowl, she got ready and left for work. 

The clock read 6:30 am when she entered the convenience store. “Noona! I haven’t seen you in quite a while!” Jinwoo immediately greeted her and she gave him a friendly wave. As she had started working the morning shifts right after joining the company and Jinwoo usually took shifts in the afternoon, they had only worked together once or twice. He had been extremely excited to find out that Yeseul had become a trainee and would not stop pestering her with questions throughout their shifts. She didn’t mind sharing her stories but always made sure that no customers were present when the topic shifted to her trainee life. 

Her shift felt like it went on for ages, even though her colleague had kept her busy with all his inquiries, but at the same time she didn’t want it to end. She wasn’t ready. But around noon, she had to leave and  face the inevitable. 

So many things had happened in these past three weeks. Her first classes had been interesting, to say the least. She always did well in singing class and felt herself easily catching up due to her already having taken vocal classes back in high school. Dancing classes were a different story. It was rough. Just as she had expected, everyone was way ahead of her and she had a hard time keeping up. Luckily, Jaehee had taken the time to give her some pointers and help with any questions about the choreographies. Her teachers were constantly scolding her but they had recognized her ambition during the first evaluations. But now, a big one was coming up. The monthly evaluation, where they had to sing while dancing. 

Another trainee joined the agency a few days after Yeseul, making them eight female trainees in total, so they were split into two groups of four girls. She had gotten pretty close to all of the other trainees in the short time she’d been part of the company, they all got along. But there was one girl who was a mystery to her. Annie. The trainee who had given her the stink eye when Yeseul was asked to sing on her first day. 

Annie was Korean but had grown up in America. She was a year younger than Yeseul, was tall and tanned, in general a very beautiful girl but had an awful personality, as far as the others could tell. Yeseul didn’t like to judge people quickly but she soon learned that Annie wasn’t here to make friends. She was here to outshine everyone else and make sure she debuts, no matter what it takes. 

And with her luck, Yeseul had ended up in a group with her. Thankfully, she also had Jaehee with her and the youngest trainee, a 15-year-old named Miyoung. Each of the groups had to learn a song together without much help of the trainers. As they still had to normally attend their classes, they weren’t left with a lot of time to practice, so they split the work. Jaehee and Annie learned and taught the choreography and came up with a formation while Miyoung and Yeseul distributed the lines and helped everyone perfect their singing parts. 

They spent a lot of time discussing their song choices but eventually settled on Peek-A-Boo by Red Velvet, which luckily got approved by the teachers. The dance wasn’t as difficult as some of the others she had learned so far but singing, and especially hitting the high notes while dancing, was even more difficult than she had expected. The others had shown her some breathing techniques but she still found herself having trouble keeping her voice stable by the end of the song. 

Yeseul entered the agency and greeted the few staff members that she walked past on her way to the practice room. There, she was set to meet the other members of her group to run through the choreography again and work on some details. They had practiced until late at night every day, one time Yeseul came home at 3 am in the morning only to wake up for her shift at the convenience store two hours later. But all the hard work paid off. They were in sync and the others thought their performance looked quite impressive. Still, Yeseul felt like she stuck out like a sore thumb since her lack of dancing experience was very obvious. Jaehee had helped her tremendously, which she was extremely grateful for, but would it be enough? 

Speaking of Jaehee, her and Miyoung were already busy practicing their steps when Yeseul entered the practice room. Annie was in a corner warming up her voice. When Jaehee laid her eyes on Yeseul, she immediately ran over and greeted the older girl with a warm hug. They had grown close recently. They had exchanged phone numbers on Yeseul’s first evening, after they exited the restaurant, and frequently texted when they were not practicing together. Almost every single day, if the other wasn’t occupied otherwise, they got together for lunch and sometimes dinner. Yeseul even went as far as to say that they had become best friends in only three weeks, judging by how well they got along despite spending so much time together. Jaehee’s bubbly personality always managed to cheer her up even on days when practice had been particularly stressful and exhausting. Though she wasn’t sure, if her friend’s happy character would help her today. Her nervousness was way too overwhelming, maybe not even Jaehee could lift her mood. 

But at least, Yeseul wasn’t the only struggling with her nerves. While Annie and Jaehee seemed relatively relaxed, Miyoung was white as a sheet. She had been at KQ for a few months already but her last feedback hadn’t been very good so she was worried that this might be her last chance to prove that she had the talent and ambition to become an idol. 

After 3 hours of practicing and fixing every little mistake they came across, the group had to go see their stylists. 

“Ah, I can’t wait to see what they have come up with this time! You’ll be surprised, the stylists only have a very small budget and often re-use old outfits because it’s just an evaluation but they always come up with great things!” Jaehee excitedly clapped her hands together as they waited in the small dressing up. “I’m just praying that they won’t put us in heels. We really should have practiced that.” Considering that the original choreography was usually performed in heels, Miyoung’s interjection was more than valid. 

When Yeseul saw herself in the elegant outfit (that was paired with flat boots, luckily) and dark makeup, she was speechless. Sure, she liked to dress up once in a while but it had never been done professionally. The difference was gigantic.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yeseul saw Jaehee staring at her with a scowl on her face. “What’s wrong?” “You look good. Probably even better than me. I’m not sure if I’m ready to accept that.” Yeseul half-heartedly punched her friend’s upper arm. “Was that a compliment?” “I don’t know, maybe?” “Don’t do that.” “Compliment you?” “Yes, I don’t know how to react to that.” “Well, normal people would say ‘thank you’.” “Thank you.” “Good, now you better get used to that because I won’t stop complimenting you until we’ve built up your confidence.” 

“That’s sweet but don’t forget that too much confidence can be toxic. Don’t get arrogant. We need to go, evaluation starts in ten minutes,” Annie interrupted their talk, voice dripping with venom. Yeseul only let out a big sigh. 

As they all walked towards the practice room where the CEO and various teachers would probably be waiting already, they ran into a few familiar faces. Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Wooyoung, and Yunho were headed towards them but had yet to notice the group as they were too engrossed in their own conversation. By now, Yeseul had been introduced to all the members of KQ Fellaz, the eight-member group that was set to debut sometime in the second half of the year but hadn’t talked to them that much. 

Wooyoung was the first one to take note of the girls. “Oh, it’s evaluation time again, right? I completely forgot since we don’t have to do those anymore.” “Wow, that’s a whole new concept, what song are you performing?” Yunho asked as he stared in awe at their bold outfits. “Peek-A-Boo~” Jaehee playfully sang the iconic line while mimicking the dance move. “Very good song choice. It’s your first evaluation so you must be super worried, right?” Hongjoong directed his question at Yeseul. “Honestly? I’ll call myself lucky if I can make it through without throwing up from nervousness,” she answered, letting out a shaky laugh. “Don’t you dare throw up on me or anywhere near me,” Annie said with a disgusted grimace on her face, clearly not getting that Yeseul’s words hadn’t been completely serious. Sure, she still felt like throwing up but she had enough control over her stomach not to. She hadn’t eaten much since her modest breakfast, so there wasn’t much to throw up anyway. “Don’t worry, I’ll be aiming at Jaehee.” Jaehee and Yeseul sent each other playful glares but Annie just rolled her eyes and went past the boys, towards the practice room. “That’s nasty. Let’s just go, everyone’s probably waiting already.” The rest of the team decided to quickly follow her before she would be even more annoyed. The boys gave them some words of encouragement and even though she would never admit it, the encouraging smile that Seonghwa, who had been quiet the whole time, sent her, made her feel a tiny bit more at ease. 

It didn’t last long, though. All of her fears punched her in the face as soon as she found herself standing in front of their judges, who were awaiting their performance. Three dance teachers were present, two vocal teachers, a producer she didn’t know, and the CEO himself. They had multiple cameras set up to record from multiple angles. “Are you ready?”, the CEO asked and Yeseul almost instinctively sad ‘No’ but there was no going back now. If she couldn’t do a simple performance in front of six people, how would she ever be able to stand on stage in front of hundreds, maybe thousands in the future? 

When the first notes sounded throughout the room, Yeseul tried to forget everything around her and completely focused on the music. As quickly as the performance started, it was over. Vocally, she thought she had done well. As their team’s main vocal, she had gotten most of Wendy’s parts and even though she wasn’t yet very stable while dancing, she had managed to hit the high notes. Her dance was a different story. Yeseul was just glad that she didn’t mess up or forget any steps but she knew that she hadn’t done too well compared to the others. She found herself breathing heavily and almost shaking, as she anticipated the reaction of their audience. They were asked to leave the room for a few minutes as the teachers and CEO conferred. Once they were called back in, the CEO addressed every single trainee separately. 

“Jaehee, I’m surprised with how you managed to pull off this performance. You usually do the best with hip-hop concepts but I liked how you implemented your own style while still fitting in here. This wasn’t your best rap, however, your flow was off somehow. It didn’t quite meet my expectations today. Also, while you’re a good dancer, you tend to overdance, I’ve told you before that you need to pay attention to that and adjust to your teammates so work on that.” 

“Miyoung, I’m glad that you took our advice from last time to heart. You haven’t improved as much as I had hoped but I see your ambition. Your coordination is still off but you blended in better than last time. Your voice seemed really strained today so it wasn’t very pleasant to listen to. I know you can do better than that. For now, we’ll let you stay, but you will have to work harder. We need to see more improvement next month.” 

“Annie, sometimes I get the feeling that you’re dancing against your fellow trainees and not with them. This is not a competition, don’t forget that. Your talent in singing and dancing is decent and you’re stable but you still need to find your own style, I believe. Besides that, I need you to work on your expressions. They are great but you are often overdoing it, especially when you’re in the back. You’re not supposed to draw attention to yourself when it’s another member’s part.” 

Lastly, it was Yeseul’s turn.

“First of all, let’s talk about your vocals. You really need to work on your stability. I’m kind of surprised you managed to hit the high notes since you seemed really out of breath. Improve your stamina, sing while you’re working out. Your dancing has improved a little already, compared to your audition but you still have a long way to go, you’re nowhere near the level of your fellow trainees. You need more tension in your body, so build up more muscles and work on your angles. Lastly, I’d like to mention that I was positively surprised by your expressions. You didn’t showcase those in your audition, I felt like you became a different person. If you work on your confidence, I’m sure you’ll be able to show great stage presence in the future. We’re expecting a lot from you.” 

With that, the evaluation was over. As soon as the CEO and the teachers had left the room, Yeseul let herself fall to the floor as all the nervousness was released from her body. She just wanted to cry out of joy, for getting this over with and receiving feedback that was a lot more positive than what she had expected. “No time to sit down!” Jaehee yelled and helped her stand up again. “We have to get out of these outfits and meet the others!” 

Completely distracted by their preparations and practice, Yeseul had completely forgotten that all the trainees met up and hung out together after the monthly evaluations. Quite frankly, she felt tired and wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed and sleep for twenty hours but at the same time she really wanted to deepen the bonds with the other trainees. What their CEO had said to Annie about teamwork had only proven to Yeseul how important friendships were actually. You can’t properly work as a team if you don’t get along. If you are close, your bond is reflected in the quality of your performances.

After deciding that she could just use the whole Sunday to catch up on sleep, Yeseul followed Jaehee back to the dressing room where the stylists helped them change back into their regular clothes. Annie had, not surprisingly, gone home already. So had Miyoung, which was understandable considering her young age. Her mother didn’t like her being out late so she never stayed at the agency too long unless she had to because of practice. 

Yunho had texted Jaehee earlier, letting her know that they’d be meeting in Practice Room 3. When the two girls arrived, they saw that all of KQ Fellaz were already there, as well as two other female trainees. They all sat down in a large circle in the middle of the room and began talking about the evaluations. KQ Fellaz didn’t have to do them anymore but they were always eager to know how it had gone for the other trainees. 

“Okay, okay, but before you tell us, we have a problem,” Wooyoung interrupted as Jaehee was just about to talk, “we need food. Who will go and get some?” 

Silence filled the room. No one wanted to go out and carry all the food. So it came down to solving the issue with a good ol’ game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, which was quite a mess when 12 people were playing but after countless rounds, it worked out. Just not in Yeseul’s favor. Or Seonghwa`s. 

“Yes, our eldest! You should be thankful, we’re just making sure you’re staying active, it’s difficult to stay healthy when you get old!” Jaehee teased and Yeseul threw her a death glare while putting on a light jacket. With the cheering voices of the lucky trainees who didn’t have to go out taunting them, Seonghwa and Yeseul went on their way to the restaurant. 

They were both silent as they descended the stairs of their company’s building. For the first time, it was only the two of them. At least since they had met at the grocery store back then. And even then, they weren’t exactly alone. Usually, when Yeseul met any of the KQ Fellaz members, Jaehee was with her and whenever she was present, she led conversations and they flowed easily. Now, Yeseul felt awkward and she felt bad that she didn’t know what to say. 

It was already dark and the streets were almost empty as they stepped outside. “Oh, it’s colder than I thought…” Yeseul mumbled, more to herself than anyone else. Spring was nearing and it had been fairly warm today so she hadn’t put much thought into her choice of outerwear. Which she now regretted. “Do you want my jacket?” She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him with big eyes when she realized that Seonghwa had heard her. “Oh, no no no! I appreciate the gesture but then you’d be cold...plus it’s my own fault for not dressing appropriately,” she argued but he was already taking off his jacket. “It’s fine, you’re shivering and I have a thick sweatshirt underneath.” Yeseul opened her mouth to stop him but before she could say anything, he had put his jacket on her shoulder and started walking again. 

She just stood in her place for a few seconds, then pulled the fabric closer to her body and ran after him. 

The restaurant was luckily empty and the owner greeted them warmly.

“Ahh, is it time again? The usual?”, the old lady asked with a grin on her face. Seonghwa nodded and paid with the money they had collected from everyone. The two trainees sat down at a small table near the entrance. “You seem a lot more relaxed than earlier so I’m guessing the evaluation went well. No throwing up?” Seonghwa asked with a playful smile as they waited for the food. “No throwing up. I can’t say that I’m satisfied with my performance and I still have an extremely long way to go but it could have gone a lot worse, I think.” She told him a few things about what it had been like to really perform for the first time, even if it was only in front of a few people. He watched her eyes light up while she talked about how she hadn’t felt any nervousness while singing; despite her original worries; she just felt free and careless and despite her flaws, she had truly enjoyed herself for those three minutes. 

Yeseul didn’t notice how much she rambled, only when the old lady told them that their food was ready, did she realize that she had talked for almost 20 minutes, with Seonghwa only throwing in a few questions and comments here and there. As they took the bags and exited the restaurant, she quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that I was only talking about myself…” Seonghwa shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, okay?” It’s always very nice to listen to people talk about their passions and what they truly love. I didn’t even realize time had passed.” The walk back to the company seemed a lot shorter as Seonghwa had begun sharing small tales from he first became a trainee. When they ascended the stairs, him in the front and Yeseul tailing along behind him, he suddenly stopped and turned around to check whether she was struggling with the bags.

She looked at him questioningly. She was doing fine, he had taken the heavier bags and left her with the smallest ones. Still, he was staring at her. “You have something in your hair...ummm, do you want me to get it out?”. She slowly nodded. He carefully put the take-out on the floor, making sure not to spill anything, and stepped down until he stood right in front of her. She watched his every move as his fingers went up to the top of her head and softly pulled something small out. She couldn’t see what it was but she also didn’t care. She was too focused on his hand smoothing out her hair again after his actions had slightly messed it up. “What was it?” “A small moth.” A shiver went down her spine. “Thank god you didn’t tell me before...I would have screamed and probably woken up the whole neighborhood.” 

After a few seconds of awkward silence and neither of them meeting the other’s eyes, Seonghwa took a hold of the bags again and they quickly went back to the practice room where a bunch of hungry trainees was eagerly waiting for their return. Since they were all starved and overly excited for their food, no one noticed that Yeseul was still wearing Seonghwa’s jacket. 

[ajokeformur-ray]

(my matchup info)) i'm bi, a londoner and i have loong dark brown hair, bright blue eyes and pale-ish kinda skin with light brown freckles on my cheeks and nose. i like playing sims 4, playing w my cats and binge watching Netflix. i love!! music and have a pretty good voice, my favourite artist is Lana Del Rey but i also like Lady Gaga, die antwoord, and 00s pop girl music e.g Britney Spears (don't shame me lolol). im quite smart but peaked a few years ago which is quite depressing lol. p1

pt. 2 speaking of I have depression and anxiety and take meds for both. im sarcastic, quiet, easily annoyed, funny and am a top tier shitposter. fr my feed is constantly full of memes. I’m almost always on some form of social media. im drawn to darker people and villainous characters despite being the opposite lmao. i put on a confident, independent front but inwardly im v insecure and easily manipulated if u can get past my front. i use humour/disinterest as a defence and hate looking weak. thank u!

Fandoms asked for (over two combined requests): Game of Thrones, Once Upon a Time, Yuri!!! On Ice, American Horror Story, Twilight, Death Note, The Vampire Diaries. 

Death Note: Mello (Mihael Keehl)

Mello games and you play Sims 4 so sitting next to each other on your individual consoles would be how the two of you spend lazy days and quiet evenings together. You have a varied taste in music which is actually quite dark (Lana Del Ray) and inspiring/iconic (Lady Gaga) whereas Mello just likes heavy music which, when played at peak volume, thrums through your rib cage and echoes in your heartbeat. Between Mello’s explosive temper and your depression and anxiety, things can be tense. He snaps at you sometimes without thinking and you may retreat from him all together as a result. Show him your latest memes, though, and he’ll huff a reluctant laugh through his nose, breaking the ice. He’s not big on apologies even when he’s wrong but even so he’ll silently apologise in only one way: he’ll give (not just share) you one of his most expensive, preferred chocolate bars. Overall, he’d be one of your biggest comforts and vice versa. Just knowing that he’s watching the CCTV live of you walking down a dark or isolated street to make sure that you get home okay makes you feel a little warmer. Even when he’s pissed as hell at you or something else, he won’t let you go to bed feeling alone in a bad way. It’d be an explosive kinda love ;) [inappropriate death joke lmao not sorry]

American Horror Story (AHS): Violet Harmon

Violet would adore you. There would be some tensions because she’s quite abrasive (and rightly so, in some cases) but also because you both have depression, though you also have anxiety and you both put up fronts to hide yourselves. That’s likely how you bond - with Violet confessing to you one hot summer’s day that she “hates everything” and the whole situation with her parents. She can rant for hours when you leave her to it, just listening. Sometimes you share a part of yourself. You’re quite a talkative couple, but only in private. If there are people around, it’s obvious you’re together but there’s no set reason that they can see. Vivien and Ben have, generally, never seen their daughter so animated; you only bring good to Violet’s life. You’re both sarcastic and easily annoyed so any arguments are basically just really accurate roasting sessions until one of you hits a nerve (and then it stops because Violet just leaves to go somewhere - you never know where) or you’re both laughing. In this way, there are moments in your relationship that are hard to stomach. Watching mindless TV shows on Netflix and cuddling is a good way to break any ice that lays between you; Violet would make acerbic comments about something the lead has done and you’d listen, always able to tell if something more is under the surface. The similarities between the two of you creates your relationship; you see yourselves in each other and only want to help as best as you can.

The Vampire Diaries (TVD): Damon Salvatore 

Damon would be very protective of you. You don’t like appearing weak but even when you’re down and sobbing on your knees, your body unable to hold you up anymore, Damon’s never thought you looked stronger. It takes strength to show weakness, even when you’re alone. If you ever forgot to take your meds, Damon would stand over you in with a glass of water in one hand and your meds in the other, that passive-aggressive look on his face. He’d watch you take them, arms folded, and then he’d give you a steamy kiss that leaves your toes curling for the rest of the day. Damon pretends to have no feelings because it’s easier and you put up a front. However, because Damon can’t shut off his humanity without forgetting his love for you, so he has to face his humanity which means he begins to feel guilt and everything that’s already there if he wants to feel it, which he doesn’t but… He does eventually. Because of you. You are the good in his life.You have similar defence mechanisms so it’s not unusual for one of you to walk into a room, see the other and immediately say “stop doing that” or “don’t do that” - no one else can tell that Damon is pretending, except you and Stefan. Similarly, it’ll be the brothers who can tell that you’re pretending. The contrast of your long dark hair and your bright blue eyes would be what drew Damon to you and I feel like he’d call you his “little siren” because of that. As such, he comes to understand that it wasn’t Katherine he’s been looking for all this time…

… It was you.

Twilight: Edward Cullen 

You caught Edward’s attention by singing one day. He was just passing by, skipping Biology (blood work) and he heard you singing. He hadn’t meant to tune in to your radio station but sometimes he couldn’t help it. And you did have a lovely voice. He would likely buy some of the same albums that you own so that he could get to know you through music. Over time, he would learn to just intuitively tune in to your radio station and he’d hear your thoughts - this is a promise he would make to himself to not do once you’re friends and then dating and he’d definitely stick to it. He’s conveniently free on sunny days so you’d spend those days watching Netflix with a blanket around your body to protect you from his ice cold one (it’d be really hard to explain away catching a cold during a heatwave) and he’d press kisses into your hair, your kitty purring away just above your shoulders. Though Edward would do his best to not listen to your thoughts, on your worst days some of them drift through his mind and he’d take your hand tightly and say “Don’t” or “That’s not true.” He’d try so hard to help you; I think, pre-Bella, he also has depression so he’d do his best to help you because he knows what it’s like, and not just because he can hear you.

Yuri!!! On Ice: Victor Nikiforov

Victor would have such a loving relationship with you. Ohh, he’d try so hard to make you smile each and every day. When he’s not on the ice competing or eating way more food than he should be able to consume in one sitting (seriously, where does it go? Does his stomach start in his toes?), he’s curled up with you on the sofa watching something you want to watch on Netflix, Hulu or whatever else you use. He doesn’t mind what you watch, so long as you do it together. You love to shitpost and you love memes, and Victor loves taking pictures of the most obscure things so between the two of you, your followers are well fed! You’re always texting each other memes, jokes and sending pictures to each other with cryptic captions or song lyrics attached, making the other person burst out laughing in strange places like the ice rink or a classroom. You have more of a jokey relationship than a serious one, though that’s in abundance when either of you have depression or anxiety flare up. In any case, bed time is always met with gentle touches, soft smiles and careful reassurances. Even, and most especially, when you’re angry at each other. Love is never so important as it is during the bad times.

Once Upon A Time (OUAT): Regina Mills

It would be really touch and go to date Regina for a while. It would be very challenging and many people, including her and in your darkest times, yourself, would tell you that she’s not worth it. That you’re not worth it. But you’re all wrong. She is so, so worth it. Once she splits from the Evil Queen, once she grows into herself and grows into the Charming family, once she overcomes her abusive childhood and comes to love herself, she is a ray of sunshine and she glows. I’ve always loved and been so proud of Regina, and you would be too. You both put on fronts to protect yourself and you’re both very convincing so a lot of the time, the two of you have to mentally step back and see what the other is really thinking. Luckily, you know each other very well so it’s not hard to see when either of you are feeling especially insecure or unwell. Regina would literally rip her heart in half if it meant saving you, and at times she’s risked her life for you. She lives for your cuddles, especially when her many duties as a mum, a mayor etc. get on top of her and she just needs a break. You bring her back to herself time and again, and she will always do her utmost to return the favour to you. You have a strong, loving relationship underneath it all. It just takes patience and a special bond to be able to see it from the outside.

Game Of Thrones (GOT): Joffrey Baratheon

Joffrey is the most villainous person on this matchup. I was very hesitant to match you with him, I really was, but some of the others on this list are almost as bad. So. I think your personality would have a more positive effect on him. Cersei got her claws as far into him as she could, but even once she tried to reason with him and keep him reined in, he was too far gone for her to be able to help. But you... Mm. I think you’d have a similar impact on him to Margaery. You put on a front to protect yourself and this would be what Joffrey would listen to... to begin with. Once you’re properly courting and Joffrey is able to see what you don’t say; he would soften. He would still kill and be an utterly evil piece of work, but he would exercise more mercy. He would still wrongfully torment Tyrion, but he would draw a line when you start anxiously tugging on his sleeve. He doesn’t cuddle, mocking the action all together, but then one day he walks in on you curled up in bed reading a book and he just can’t resist curling around you, an arm slung over your shoulders to possessively keep you beside him. It would be a tumultuous, dangerous relationship but then... it’s Westeros, what do you expect?

There!!!! I hope you enjoyed!

[naysaltysalmon]

I’m back!

Upon my return from China, I noticed there were a lot of things weighing me down... that I can just throw the fuck out.

I could expound upon all of these in great detail, but it really would be pointless. And I wouldn’t be able to cover it all anyway. So instead I’ve decided to make a post of every icon I’ve used for my online persona over the years.

The reason for this is... at the end of the program I attended, we had an entire week of silent meditation. We weren’t allowed to talk or communicate with anyone in any way, including gestures, eye contact, or physical touch. So, during this time I had the realization that the stories I’ve been interested in have been my main source of comfort over the years. No person, place, or thing has felt more permanent to me than this.

However, permanence is an illusion, as the Buddhists say (I stayed in a Buddhist monastery in China, in case you’re wondering). My interests have changed over the years -- from the first fandoms I got obsessed with, to my interests now. I may still adore the series that I enjoyed as a child, but definitely not in the same way.

Coming home, I realized... I no longer want to attach my identity to one character or series. That’s why I’ve decided to make this post. I want to reflect on all the egos of my past, on what they have meant to me, so that I can let them go. I’ve been clinging to a folder of them for too long.

To anyone who’s been here since the very start of my blog, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is an acknowledgement of my transformation from then until now.

And so:

Breadward Elric. My first Internet icon, which I had for 2 and a half years from May 2011 -- 2013. My blog was originally entirely FMAB content, created in January of 2012, and while this format didn’t last the entire time that I had this icon, Breadward saw me through the majority of my early anime and video game obsessions. He jump-started my personality on the Internet as a fanfic author, a blogger, and an artist. I will never forget him... ;~;

Comrade Führer Tamama. I had this icon for 8 months in early 2013 -- early 2014. What can I say? Tamama’s passionate personality resonated with me, especially when he was finally able to be in control (in the episode this particular screenshot is from). Gotta get those cola oceans pronto!

Yokoso waga tainai e [Welcome to my Womb ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]. I had a phase during the summer of 2014, okay. But I still love this maniacal snake’s crusty ass, fite me. I admire KagePro immensely for the popularity and development it gave characters in song format. Of course, favorite of those characters was Kuroha, a snake whose only desire was to keep granting wishes so that he could survive. Add a touch of murderous intent and you have the complete package -- I won’t deny he appealed(appeals) to my wild side -- okay moving on.

KeroTama hugge 👀. I had this icon for about 4-6 months in 2014 before the Hunter x Hunter phase hit. God, I shipped them so hard *facepalms* It was funny though, it’s like KagePro hit me like a hurricane during this summer and then I went right back to being KeroTama trash. Amazing.

Softly Smiling Pika. I kept this icon for at least 9-10 months at the end of 2014 -- early 2015, until I found Owari no Seraph. Kurapika was definitely my bae at the start of my HxH phase -- and in many ways he still is. The current arc gives me this sense of nostalgia of being a 15-year-old again, deeply in love but too in denial to see it. Watching him as a young adult, I see how far I’ve come, how I could have ended up... since I believed myself to be most closely alike with Kurapika at the time. And now I know that’s not the case... I remember debating between many other Kurapika icons and finally choosing this one because I dearly wanted to believe I too could find my happiness in the friends around me, even if it seemed all was hopeless behind the scenes.

Yuu babe. I had this icon for 4 months in the middle of 2015, I remember. Yuichiro Hyakuya was an underappreciated dorky genius at the time, much like how Gon is in HxH now, except... Now in the series... *deep sighs* *clenches fist* I still love his piercing citrine eyes and the dynamism of this icon/pose though.

Cuties T^T (MikaYuu edition). Mmm I kept this icon for a while, something like most of 2016, at least 6-8 months, probably more like 9 or 10. Looking back, I still wonder how/why the author was a fucking coward and didn’t make MikaYuu happen. We coulda had it aaallllll...... Anyway, this is when I was writing Ebony & Ivory, my most popular fic to date, so I was reveling in the reputation I gained from that. This icon was me accepting that while I was no longer friends with my best friend from middle school to 11th grade, I would still pursue my own happiness in the perfect relationship that I saw in MikaYuu. *nods* It’s fitting.

Caught Child². I shared this and the next couple of icons with a friend that I met online, who used the Gon equivalent. I think we shared this one for about 3 months of 2016. This is when I became re-obsessed with Hunter x Hunter and realized how much I had changed between 2014 and 2016. It’s an obsession that’s more or less carried onto now, and redefined my adulthood, as I see my progression as I refer back to HxH for guidance to this day.

Content Chompy Boye. I love this icon. I kept this icon for a long time, something like 5-6 months in December 2016 -- mid-2017. The colors of the background contrast with Killua’s white hair, pale skin, and dark muscle shirt... I still used this icon on other websites until just a few days ago (when I most recently changed my icon) because I thought it looked the best backdropped against the format of other websites. I love this scene in the series, though; while (human) Palm is chattering on about her worry that Gon and Killua will be able to defeat Knuckle and Shoot in time, Killua continues to eat without a care in the world. It’s a mood I feel at least once a day, whether while eating or getting a back massage -- as if that ever happens -- 11/10.

Pizza Devil Brat. I like this icon a lot and kept it on a few websites for longer too, but with the way I edited it, the green background becomes a little too headache-inducing if you stare at it too long, so 8/10 -- okay no more out of 10 ratings, this isn’t that kind of post. I believe I kept this icon for about 3-4 months in 2017 and possibly early 2018 as well. From the same scene the previous Kurapika icon came from, this remains one of my favorite scenes in the entire series for its serious undertones over the light happiness that underlies Gon’s, Killua’s, and Kurapika’s (and Leorio’s -- but he’s not in this scene) interactions with each other throughout the series.

Grumpy Gem Gremlin. I was sharing the last three icons with that friend, including this one, with the Phos equivalent (more or less). I think we only kept it for about a month or month and a half in 2017 or beginning of 2018 before switching to the next one. Cinnabar’s desire for a purpose and closeness to others despite her poisonous nature... is definitely something I can understand and relate to.

Sad Gem Child. Damn, I think we’re all still waiting for the day Gormie realizes Aechmea’s a creepy sugar daddy and dropkicks his ass into the ocean where the Admirabilis can decompose his cloudy body like he doesn’t deserve. When will Land of the Lustrous return from the war? I’m still waiting, Ichikawa. Anyway I think we kept this icon for about a month or maybe two in 2018, not long at all.

Gay Childe™. Look, this is one of the gayest scenes in the entire series and it’s right after my favorite episode(s)/scene(s) in the entire series (so far) and it’s not even acknowledged by anyone. Just. Holy Fuck. Anyway I think I kept this icon for about 6-8 months to cap off 2018. And this is where the Big Breakup happened, where my friend decided to choose an icon that deviated from mine, but I kept this icon for a lot longer due to what this scene means to me, placed after/during my favorite episode. ;v;

And finally, BoMH (Blood on My Hands) Pika. I used this icon for 8 months from the start of 2019 until just a few days ago (approx. 8 months). This icon was originally the cover for a Kurapika fic that I started back in 2015 and ended up discontinuing because it was pretty slow-paced, and thus unpopular, which made it become difficult for me to write. But I got all the way up to 97k words before I quit, simply because of the freedom and joy I felt in creating all the OCs that I fit into Kurapika’s journey as he searched for the Kurta eyes after the Yorknew City Arc. Looking back, I’m proud of the planning and commitment that I succeeded in undertaking with this fic -- it was about halfway done by the time I stopped writing it -- and I feel I want to return to this concept one day. Even if the arcs were pretty formulaic at times and, well, boring, I wanted this icon at the start of 2019 to be a new person separate from my recent past matching icons; a representation of my ability to reconnect with my past, but to no longer be afraid of it; to be proud of it, but still recognizing the not-so-good parts, laying it to rest by no longer avoiding it.

My icon now, as I’m sure you can see... is nothing like those I’ve used thus far. I definitely have no intention of moving away from anime or my past. I simply wish to redefine who I am in relation to them, rather than being defined by them.

...I’ve discovered a lot about myself over the past 2 years since college started, more than I ever thought possible. I discovered a lot while in China, too. And I need my online persona to reflect that in every form, as I’ve done every time there was a change.

Thank you all for being with me on this journey: for following me, for reading my posts, for liking my art, for talking with me and blowing up my notifications on every platform...

I’ll be pursuing the next chapter(s) of Human, TIDU, and other works soon. ^.^

[hazellvesque]

more thoughts about the lightning thief musical because I have the soundtrack on repeat and I can’t stop thinking about it

“yes the gods are real, and they have kids, and those kids have issues��� well yeah that’s it that’s the whole series I’m glad we established this in the first 45 seconds of the show

Percy’s entrance is the greatest, most in-character thing I’ve ever seen he just slides across the stage and looks to the audience in his “paint me like one of your french girls” lounge pose and recites those ICONIC first lines of the book and it’s just fabulous

that moment in the opening number when riptide turns into a sword for the first time is just SO COOL because there’s strobe lights and so much is going on and you can’t really see how the effect happens all of a sudden Percy just starts swinging and it’s so satisfying

“This ain’t Odysseus’s Odyssey” that’s a really tough tongue twister but also just a really good line 

I love all the moments where Percy’s voice gets all quiet and gentle like in Strong when he’s asking all the questions about his dad the delivery of those lines adds so much to his character; sure, the whole show is written in the Rock genre and his big outbursts accompanied with loud guitar show his frustration and anger at the world but those times where everything is solemn and all you hear is the acoustic guitar and the sound of ocean waves crashing in the distance really keep him rounded out and I just love it a lot

“Normal is a myth” LIKE THE GREEK MYTHS GET IT 

“Is she real?/I must be dreaming/She's floating close to me like an angel....This is weird/But a good weird” wow Percy so eloquent you wanna quote that in your wedding vows? 

Chiron’s elegant prancing when he first gets up out of his wheelchair while Percy is just screaming in confusion is by far the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life

Clarisse’s vocals in Put You In Your Place are insane it feels so 80s and she’s violently swinging a spear the whole time and you don’t know whether to be attracted to her or terrified so you’re just both simultaneously

Percy just comes strolling across the stage on a toilet on wheels I love professional theatre 

I could write an essay on Good Kid but all I’ll say now is the line “I keep my head down, I keep my chin up, but it ends all the same/With ‘Pack your bags, Percy, you’re always to blame” just hurts my heart a lot, more than anything else in the song

and during Good Kid Percy is climbing all over the scaffolding like he’s in a DCOM and when he gets to the bridge and it slows down he just sits on the railing high up off the ground and is withdrawn and quiet and wow

Grover ‘baaaa’-ing throughout the whole show makes me really happy 

all of Lost has been stuck in my head for days and it condenses 50% of TLT’s plot into a single song that’s basically just like “yadda yadda yeah they took a week to travel and the goofed up a lot we don’t have time for this” and it’s done so well because they still manage to mention every significant stop in the story 

(except the scene in the waterpark and “You’re my friend, seaweed brain, any more stupid questions?” but I can forgive that)

“We’re lost and it’s dark and I thINK THAT SOMETHING’S MOVING” god you forget that they’re supposed to be children and then lines like this happen

Can we just talk about the Percabeth parallel in their lyrics “All I need is one last chance to prove I’m good enough for someone” vs. “And someday soon, I swear, I don't know how or when/But I promise you I'll never be invisible again; someone will notice me” their first someones end up being each other (and also Grover #1 MVP third wheel for life we love a supportive satyr) before the rest of the world recognizes them your OTP would never

Drive ends up becoming Grover’s recurring theme in the show and you almost forget how much he’s been through until he reprises it in the finale 

“I never dreamed that I could do this/Never felt like I was worth a damn” YEAH LETS TAKE A MOMENT FROM THIS SILLY ROAD TRIP SONG TO REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT PERCY’S INNER TURMOIL REAL QUICK ouch 

All of The Tree on the Hill is my favorite scene and I’m super biased but I don’t care

“And maybe if I'd been a little bit braver/Maybe if I stayed behind to fight/But ‘maybe’ doesn't let me go back and save her/’Maybe’ doesn't make it alright” and then “There’s a tree on the hill, up on half-blood hill/That protects us all, and always will/And it’s there reminding me of all I failed to be” WOW I MISS WHEN GROVER WAS A COMPLEX AND RELEVANT CHARACTER @rick riordan can we have that back please? 

Annabeth and Luke hugging each other and crying as Thalia makes her sacrifice hurt my heart a lot especially when you remember he’s about 14 and she’s supposed to be SEVEN they are babies my god

D.O.A. starts with Charon saying “sorry, I couldn’t hear you over that SWEET ASS RIFF” and she’s a sassy lady in a sparkly silver dress with big hair jamming to disco and it’s the biggest mood ever and the levity we all needed after the heartbreak

Percy and Sally’s harmony on “what belongs to the sea can always return” is just so pretty and there’s that return of the soft acoustics that I love so much in Strong ugh

When Percy and Poseidon would say “It’s a seashell” they’d say it like California surfer dudes and do the little surfs up motion with their hands and I laughed way too hard especially in the middle of Son of Poseidon where it’s supposed to kinda be serious 

Luke sings “it’s time someone put them [the gods] in their place” and he doesn’t riff all over the place like Clarisse but DAMN this whole scene is just so ominous it gives you the exact same vibes as when you first read it and realized what was happening except it’s worse because he just STABS PERCY in the end 

(and I totally don’t mean to undermine Luke’s Good Kid reprise because it’s fantastic but the chanting of “summer, summer, summer” in the background just makes me think of high school musical) 

“Are we ever gonna once have it easy?” “Nope!” again just sum up the entire series in two lines good job 

[almaasi]

reaction post typed while watching SPN 14x05 “Nightmare Logic”

oh, what a perfectly soft and emotional Destiel-parallelly piece of Meredith Glynn artwork. so precious, so loved~

03:47pm

things i know about this: meredith glynn wrote it

LET’S WATCH

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03:50

noooo maggie don’t do things like this alooooone

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i like the music as she enters... kinda weird and sparkly and awkward

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03:53

sammy...... you know what you need

someone to do the night shift

if only...... you had.............. someone else........................

*looks pointedly at dean*

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03:55

where does sam get the financial resources for shit like body cams

we never see them running credit card scams any more so........ ???????

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03:57

i love these cable things by the roads

so aesthetic

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03:58

even more spooky pretty music as dean and sam enter the tomb

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03:59

dean and sam lie so effortlessly and so in sync

i always enjoy seeing them do this, ever since dean told a firefighter he needed to go back into his apartment because he has a yorkie who pees when he’s nervous

-

04:01

aw man i thought the “colleagues” would be cas and jack

bobby and mary’s cool too

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04:02

bobby’s wearing a cap like michael’s

and mary’s wearing a coat like cas’

..does this mean this story’s gonna be about dean’s war between those two things, like the two worlds he knows

bobby’s parenting vs. mary’s parenting

michael’s need for him as a vessel vs. cas’ love for him as a bestest buddy bro friend

not sure how bobby = micheal / mary = cas but i’m sure there’ll be some kind of explanation later

OR maybe they’re just costumes and they mean nothing

but......is that ever true? trenchcoats are automatically a cas thing now. and that cap is so iconic as michael now???

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04:09

i relate to this lady in the suit who has had Too Much Of Everything

i enjoy seeing people know their limits and expressing them to others rather than continuing past breaking point

sam’s doing great but also....... no

take a page from this lady’s book, sammy

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04:11

mary’s walking with sam

and i just wanna take a minute to appreciate how EASY meredith glynn’s episodes are to watch

her scripts flow so gently and everything makes logical sense

and her characters are coherent

there’s just this nice touch of emotional human realism cloaking all the supernatural weirdness and i so, so appreciate that

like.. for me personally, there’s not a single writer on the current team whose writing comes close to glynn’s

i want her to write more episodes with cas though, i know she’d write him just right

i honestly feel like i’m being hugged by someone as i watch this

so soft around my heart

is good

-

04:16

sam: “you [and bobby have] gotten pretty close lately”

mary: “i thought so too”

OH WAIT I GET IT

I GET THE COAT AND THE HAT NOW

IT’S A DESTIEL THING

OH MY FUCKING GOD HOW DID I MISS THAT

IT’S SO BLINDINGLY OBVIOUS HOLY FUCKING FUCKDISAFKDSHGF

even the casual viewers will probably have noticed this one. i know it took me a second but as soon as this discussion happened it clicked

 this is probably the most obvious parallel they’ve ever done i think

i didn’t see it before because i didn’t EXPECT it, you know?? ugh this is so validating

-

04:22

now every word mary says, i’m just envisioning how it applies to cas’ perspective too

“he’s been hunting all the time, he won’t take a break even for a second. there’s something on his mind”

yeah, that mICHEAL HAT, quite literally sitting over his head like a dark halo

-

04:26

the music in this episode is just so pleasing to my ears

-

04:31

things i appreciate:

normal people being all “wtf you hunt monsters” and just being present while dean and sam talk about their shit

sam’s reference to “hunteri heroici” (my all-time fave episode besides “scoobynatural” jdgd that was five years ago what the hell)

-

04:35

me: takes screenshot of this very pretty, very anxious lady because i want my hair to do what her hair does

-

04:36

oop we just found the dean mirror and now we get to hear someone talk about the things he feels and offer advice that ultimately helps himself

god i love this

AND THE FACT I CAN UNDERSTAND THIS PARALLEL AND WHY IT’S HAPPENING

AGAIN SOLIDIFIES THE DEAN/CAS THING WITH BOBBY/MARY

because what mary said about bobby = what cas thinks about dean = what’s true about dean = this lady being overworked = dean not taking time off from hunting

(although it does seem to specifically apply to sam as well ?)

and sam mentioned earlier about how the dad he knew and the dad mary knew were different people, plus the earlier mentions this season about john’s problematic parenting (i forget when)

yeah that really makes a point of saying john abused his kids, for sure

-

lady: “he was gone all the time, working for us, he said”

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

-

lady: “i worshipped him when i was a kid. didn’t know any better”

oh deanie

please take notes

please know it’s okay to be angry at john and not continue to love him in a way that excuses his behaviours, even 14 years after he died

-

wait wait wait

dean tells her to let it go, it’s the past, there’s nothing you can do about it now so it’s just baggage

WAIT

THAT MEANS

THAT MEANS HE LET THAT SHIT GO ALREADY???????

WHOA

OKAY COOL. COOL COOL COOL I’M PROUD OF YOU

now go be gay with cas

-

“i try. every single day.”

hell yeah dean winchester giving good mental health advice to people and also millions of depressed people with various traumas watching this

ngl this legit just helped me a tiny bit with my issues with my own dad

urhgutguugb meredith glynn you are the good we need in this world

..............suddenly getting real emotional because goddamn i wanna meet her someday ;~; i wanna meet 1. misha and 2. meredith glynn, maaaaybe 3. jensen idk

mEREDITH GLYNN IS MY KINDRED SPIRIT

and DEAN WINCHESTER HELPS ME BE A MORE SELF-ACCEPTING PERSON

yay

-

04:49

no but like.......... everyone seemed to enjoy last week’s episode, i only saw people posting good reviews. and i felt bad not not enjoying it, even though all the things people pointed out should’ve been right up my alley, something about the overall thing just fell flat for me

but this one

this one speaks to my heart

-

04:53

maggie: “i didn’t mean to get caught--”

sam: “no no no, stop that. you did nothing wrong. okay?”

sam being a better dad to maggie than john ever was to anyone

-

04:57

OH NO BOBBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!

-

05:01

dean: “you’re giving him transfusions?”

nurse: “keeps up his iron”

suddenly i don’t trust the nurse

trying to take over the property maybe? a la scooby-doo, it’s always about real estate

-

05:02

dean: “sasha, could you go....... make me a ....sandwich ?”

DEAN NO

(i type, in pain, as i laugh)

-

/rewatches that interaction because it was actually really sweet the way dean mouthed “go” to sasha and she understood

-

05:05

i’ve wanted a djinn story for SO LONG

(even wrote one myself - Prince of the Ether Realms)

trust glynn to be the one to re-weave the exact threads of this 14-year saga that also interest me specifically

also kudos for the fact she’s so obviously knowledgeable about the ENTIRE HISTORY of the show, as opposed to certain other writers who seem to contradict previous facts and re-reference things that were used differently before to make an important point, thereby nullifying the first point when used a second time

-

05:11

hunter with the shaved head 10/10 style

headcanoning them as non-binary and into girls because of reasons

also there was a slight continuity error, this hunter hugs maggie twice in the two consecutive shots

-

05:15

bobby: “it ends the same” [with bobby dead, i guess?]

mary: “no. you are not allowed to give up on me”

seeing this as dean and cas again

yeah i saw someone mention how at the end of last episode, dean suggesting they drive off a cliff and sam being like NOPE kind of reflected the wrongness of the they-all-die-at-the-end for the finale of SPN

and i think this brings it back to that again

i agree that the best ending is the one where they live to fight another day, not go out guns a-blazing

and this is cas telling dean he’s not allowed to give up and die because he wants to live side-by-side for as long as they can

i just really really want cas to say that to dean in a soft emotional scene like this. we don’t really get those unless they’re parallels??? and i wANT MORE DEAN AND CAS TALKING ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS DAMMIT

-

05:20

DEAN AND CAS PARALLELS um i mean BOBBY AND MARY GOING OFF TO HANG OUT ALONE IN A CABIN OF LOVE AND HEALING

GDI LET DEAN AND CAS DO THAT TOO

but also awwww i actually kinda like the mary/bobby thing? because at the core, they ARE dean and sam’s parents, really

family don’t end with blood etc

bobby was the dad john never was

-

05:23

sam: USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM

this is so satisfying

next up: hula hoops of salt and iron knuckle-dusters

-

05:25

i love love love that dean can have a healthy mental approach to this shit, finally

i’m so fucking proud of him you don’t even know

i just......... i really wanna see him not only return to baseline mental goodness, but then overcome that and become greater at his zen thing, and then AT LAST be ready to accept cas’ love for what it is: romantic and everlasting and epic, and not have to interpret it into something else or ignore it to protect himself

-

05:28

that light over dean’s shoulder is the angel on his shoulder

but is it michael or cas?

i’m going with cas, given that michael is a dark-hat-halo

-

05:30pm

it’s over

that was amaziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing ;u;

bless meredith glynn for existing and bringing us such beautiful stories

BUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE GARDENER

WHY WAS HE THERE besides to ~add some colour~??? and i guess a red herring for viewers, so we have someone to suspect?

(idk. i never suspected him, because he was black and meredith glynn is better than that - unless she was trying to trick racist viewers?? (i know there's a lot of them, i saw the super-toxic comment section on instagram when jared, jensen and misha posted a “vote beto” thing the other day. and there was a poll mentioned at comic con once, half the american spn fanbase are republicans??? guess they really love guns and fascism))

i don’t really have anything to add here, i said it all as i went along

that dean/cas parallel....... oh boy

just please please please pleASE can we have Actual Destiel and not just parallels and hints. like. they barely talk???????? HOW IS THIS A SHOW WHERE TWO OF THE MAIN LEADS ARE CONSTANTLY FRAMED TO BE IN LOVE, WE’RE TOLD THEY’RE BEST FRIENDS, BUT WE ALMOST NEVER EVEN SEE THEM TOGETHER ANY MORE

HOW IS THIS HAPPENING

anyway the costuming was just so very UNSUBTLE and obvious and i think a lot of people would’ve caught that parallel even if they weren’t looking for it

music was good, directing was good, sasha’s hair was good, nobody we know actually died, that was good too

10/10

ten thumbs up

yeee

[tumblunni]

I'm living for all of this Loki content my dash is blessed today -w-

Hey icm super glad you love it! Itcs all from the same one amazing artist who can do like 40 styles and draws loki from all of his different continuities! Im so glad i found a secret treasure trove of lokes!Oh and lol its also good to find some Non Problematic content of him for once, i donct reblog him ofteb cos its so hard to dig through the piles of creepy crud that occupy all the most popular slots in his tag. Like i mean eww the in/cest th/or/ki ship or whatever its called. (Slashes so it doesnt go in the tag, cos i dont wanna send shipping hate or anything.) It really creeps me out that its the most popular ship, cos even if loki is adopted they still grew up together from goddamn birth. Like usually at least these nebulous 'not blood related' ships are all 'well i just met my long lost brother as an adult and fell in love not knowing he's my brother' or somethibg. Still creeps me out but at least i can see the reasoning why other people aren't creeped, kinda. Aaagh why is it so hard to find wholesome childhood antucs with brothers who love each other in the normal brother way!!Oh and im not actually a HUGE fan of marvel loki? I personally prefer the original norse myth and only got into marvel loki cos i found the tags full of him and empty of anything else, lol. But he's still a good! If anything he'd be better as his own original character tho, which is why i prefer the changes made in the movie version. (Eveb if it has its own complaints like how they didnt develop him enough and never revisit his damn jotun backstory when its ALL WE WANT, MARVEL)Oh and funny random trivia is that even tho myth loki lacks the in/cest problem, him and thor is still a creepy ship cos he's actually his dad's age. Super stuck up myth accuracy obsessed teenage me could never get past this fact! Seriously it was such a weird choice to make loki thor's brother when he was odin's age in the myths. Like he was basically thor's godfather?? And also him and thor were 99% fun friendship adventures both on the hero side, instead of always at odds with only occasionally loki switching to the good. Srsly everyone forgets that myth loki was a 'good guy' for most of the story because his switch to a villain in the final ragnorok myth is so memorable. And i mean the myth aesir were more pragmatically neutral than 100% good anyway. Everyone was flawed which was why it was sad they dissolved into conflict in the end and destroyed each other. Loki wasnt some big destined evil coming out of nowhere to attack asgard, he was asgard attacking itself due to petty squabbling and causing its own downfall. So in a sense thats a way the marvel universe is accurate!Oh and myth loki also always knew he was a jotun lol,which makes it double frustrating that they made him have this inherantly sympathetic plot of lost selfhood and then NEVER FOLLOWED UP ON IT! Especially when they gave him a cool as fuck "true form" instead of making jotun look exactly like the other gods except generally stereotypically 'dumb'. Seriously loki being a small jotunn wasnt even super unusual, they weren't all giants even. There wasn't much consistancy to it though, sometimes the more main character-y chessmaster jotun were small and had shapeshifter powers, but also there were magical big ones and dumb orcish small ones and everything in between. And the rules of loki's magic seemed to change all the time too, lol! Mythology has way less internal continuity than actual books or movies, since its passed down orally for centuries after all.who even knows what's changed in all that time?Aaaaagh im rambling so offtopic yo cos mythology is so interesting and so is comic books and the MCU!!!Anyway Loki Is Good In All Of His Myriad FormsOh but even though i generally don't like comic loki as much, i do enjpy that they've recently made it canonical that he's genderfluid like his myth counterpart. You go loki you lgbt icon!!! Mcu version how bout adding some of that?Oh and i havent seen thor ragnorok or the thanos thing yet, cos i kinda lost interest in later thor movies cos well i was always here for loki instead of thor, lol. Its hard to keep track of exactly which mcu movies he was in when its like.. Half of his own series and 75% of everyone else's. But i do know generally what happens in those two, like how loki FINALLY gets redeemed and has cute brother scenes that have become Every Meme.and then he apparantky gets killed off at some point but tbh i dont believe it considerinh how many other times he's died and come back in other films/comics/tv shows/the everything. Nooooone dies like Loki! Always fries like Loki! Has mortality based on pure lies like Loki!God im in such a fandom mode right now aaagh youve set me off xD

[electriccenturypl]

“A drug and alcohol addiction after MCR split only made his side project Electric Century harder to handle – then Way learned to close the door on a dark chapter.

All the best bands are a ragtag bunch: The Beatles, Oasis, Spice Girls. A collection of weird and wonderful characters, the magic of a timeless musical group comes from their collective identity, Avengers-style, and My Chemical Romance were no exception. The ringleaders of late 00s emo were fronted by iconic, hair dye-wielding singer Gerard Way – a camp, glam-gone-gothic figure who could switch from whispered confessions to blood-curdling howls in seconds. He came backed by guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro, punk rock's prince and fretboard nerd respectively. And then there was bassist Mikey Way.

Perpetually shadowy and often sporting emo-staple horn-rimmed glasses, Mikey was MCR's mysterious heartthrob; the quiet yin to his brother Gerard's mad hatter yang. He became something of an anti-hero for many of the band's followers, his quiet demeanour perfectly aping the fragile, teenage anxieties much of their fanbase were battling with. But there was a more troubling edge to Mikey's introspection, hidden behind the eyeliner and that perfectly swooped fringe.

Self-medicating with drugs and alcohol to treat paralysing stage fright and help compartmentalise MCR's anxiety-inducing agenda in the wake of The Black Parade's explosive success , he soon found solace in slinking ever further into the shadows. Mikey became drug-dependent quickly, saying in a Kerrang!interview ahead of MCR's 2011 Reading & Leeds headline slot that he saw intoxication as "a means to an end", cocktailing drugs to both help him to get up on stage, and come down in the aftermath. His sole source of constant light through it all was long-time friend, Sleep Station vocalist and New London Fire figurehead Dave Debiak. The voice notes they sent each other back and forth became a near-decade long exchange of musical ideas for Electric Century, a barely-existent side project Mikey could never find the time for.

Despite living on opposite coasts, Mikey and Dave remain thick as thieves. "We text about music, and life, all day long," Mikey says today, across a patchy transatlantic phone line. Now, he's a notably more chipper character than the one portrayed in his MCR days, peppering his stories with a lively giggle and an almost childlike enthusiasm. His relationship with Dave kick-started at a pre-MCR barbecue held by Dave's brother Marc (former owner of MCR's first record label, Eyeball), where the pair bonded immediately over a mutual love of new wave, post-punk and Britpop. Even now, they share memories of early Duran Duran and Missing Persons shows, and a joint childhood dream of "being Simon Le Bon". "It kinda went from there," Mikey smiles, "We became fast friends, I became a fan of his music, and I was like, 'Man, if I ever want to do a side-project one day, this is the dude I would do it with'."

Electric Century's debut album For The Night To Control is the result of that longstanding friendship. A full-hearted embrace of those early influences, it's a who's-who of late 80s references, sweeping through sultry pop and onto the grittier gloom of new wave. With that joint dream of being Simon Le Bon come to fruition, you can hear the pair's half a lifetime of shared experience throughout – every twist and turn feels like second nature, evidence of a semi-telepathic bond between the two friends.

Before all that could form, though, Mikey hit crisis point. The effects of spending several life-changing years in one of the world's biggest rock bands and the major label "machine" that comes with it began to manifest. Long-standing drug use and a relentless schedule came to a head with the dissolution of My Chemical Romance in 2013. Unable to find an off-switch when things went from 100 to nil, Mikey instead threw himself into his sidelined project without a moment's pause. Struggling with overdoses and failing relationships throughout MCR's latter years, Mikey nevertheless insisted he still had so much to say, but launching straight into Electric Century only exacerbated the problems he was trying to ignore. "I had done MCR for 12 years straight, so I was very much in the 'let's go' mode," he says now. "I didn't want to take a break, I wanted to go right into it." It was a self-destructive measure that led to "complete burnout", he's quick to share. "I was emotionally drained – I was barely human at that time."

It took Dave's intervention to finally drag Mikey out of the shadows. Calling him out to the US' East Coast in February 2014 on the pretence of a recording session, Dave instead spent the time during Mikey's flight phoning every local rehab facility to find one that'd take his friend in. "When he arrived, I just got him in the car and was like, 'Yeah, we're not recording. We're going to rehab'," Dave says. Mikey didn't put up a fight. "He's done so well," Dave continues, "because he definitely knew that he needed the help – it wasn't something that he was in denial of. He was in full agreement that shit needed to change."

And so on the day Electric Century were granted their first magazine cover byAlternative Press, Mikey covertly checked himself into a month-plus stint in rehab. In his stead, Electric Century released just one track, "I Lied", which itself reads like a confession of guilt: "Everything that's weak goes through the window / I gently fill my veins, watching all the doors close."

What followed was a steady road to recovery. All music took a backseat, and Mikey wasn't even sure he'd be able to write again, sober. "I was used to being a certain way when I wrote music," he tells me, of how drug use felt an intrinsic part of his creative process. "I was usually medicated on some level." With Mikey newly sober for the first time in decades, Electric Century sat dormant once more, their hastily-assembled, almost-there debut album For The Night To Control existing as little more than files on a laptop for seven months – a memoir of a dark period Mikey would rather forget. "There's something in me I could never trust ," warns "Until The Light Goes Out On Me", while closer "Live When We Die" practically begs for redemption: "Wrapped up in the comfort of your love / Don't come undone ."

"You can really tell, like, 'That guy's going through something'," Mikey says of the record's subject matter, with a laugh. Flippant though he may be about their first LP, there's no denying its power as a tool of healing. While Mikey worked on rebuilding his personal life, Dave returned to New London Fire. "The healing that needed to take place," Dave says, "the band had to be secondary to that. It's not on the top list of priorities, when you're dealing with getting well." That seems a common sense attitude now, perhaps, but a world away from the relentless, major label "machine" that Mikey says he was trapped in during his darkest moments.

One day, though, that electric feel came flooding back. Digging out For The Night To Control, Mikey found himself inspired once more by the music they'd created. Months spent watching Gerard Way's solo career and Frank Iero's various new projects from the crowd had lit the spark – "I got to watch my brother do his thing, and I got to watch Frank do his thing, and they're fuckin' legends. It was fuckin' awesome!" – and now, the time felt right. Linking up once more in upstate New York come late 2014, they finally finished a story that had started back at the turn of the millennium.

For The Night To Control is a world away from Mikey's past endeavours. Sprawling synths draw on those gloomy, new wave influences like never before, and the bark of My Chemical Romance has been replaced with a more glistening bite. It's a whole different side to the goth kid's coin – a full-stop on a dark chapter of his life. Mikey is quick to downplay any suggestion that he might regret those years at the top, though, and keen to emphasise the importance of MCR's golden years.

"What we had done was once in a lifetime, and I'm thankful for it. That's why I look back and I'm not frustrated – I'm like, 'Dude, what we did? That doesn't happen.' Any amount of time that it existed was fine by me. Just to be there, I was thankful, and just to be able to be part of that was a dream. If it lasted five years or 12 years, it's all icing on the cake to me."

These days, Mikey and Dave have swapped prescription drugs for pancakes at a local diner as the precursor to their writing sessions. Mikey's spark has returned, too, due in no small part to a baby daughter, born this past May. The pair enthuse about "two more albums' worth" of demos and recordings they're now sat on, and talk feverishly about their complex plans for an upcoming duo of debut live shows. There's an energy and excitement that couldn't feel further from the gaunt, bass-toting mope Mikey once was known as. "I feel like the glue is set amongst the pieces now," he says, the caricature of his dark days at last a distant memory. "I feel like a complete person."

Photo credit: Jason Debiak.

Follow Tom on Twitter.” - noisey

[cryptoriawebb]

Dead Men Tell No Tales: review

What the hell, gotta start somewhere.

When I first heard about this movie, I initially wrote it off. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been around for so long and unlike, say, the Marvel Cinematic Universe or even the X-men films (of which I am personally partial to) they haven’t made any particular, long-standing mark, beyond Jack Sparrow as a character himself. That, and I wasn’t particularly impressed with On Stranger Tides. The story, I felt at the time, had wrapped up enough there needn’t be any further sequels, and standalone films (because that is what it felt like) seemed like nothing more than an excuse to keep pumping merchandise and Depp working in Hollywood.

However. I admit I have not seen On Stranger Tides since its release in 2011. I’m thinking I may go back and rewatch the entire saga, see if my overall opinion changes. I quite liked the first film, particularly the horrific angles and that it drew primary inspiration from a theme park attraction. When I heard this fifth installment was supposed to echo the first one in tone and supernatural involvement, I began to change my mind about writing it off. Then I saw the most recent trailer, a trailer that not only included Orlando Bloom, whom I assumed, along with Keira Knightly, left the franchise to pursue other opportunities, but Will and Elizabeth’s son. I admit, I’m a sucker for family relationship and tragic stories, and while yes, I would have been fine with leaving things At World’s End, a small part of me has always wondered what happened to the Turners after. Truthfully, I think I might have preferred a film focusing more on Bloom and less on Jack Sparrow; Jack’s…a unique eccentric, but as I said, I’m a sucker for tragedy.

Before I go any further I’d like to point out I tend to be anal about continuity. However many years apart these films are (any franchise, actually) they’re all telling one long story and things ought to flow as smoothly as possible. So I was a little confused, watching young Henry’s interaction with his father. If I remember correctly, Will could only return to land once every ten years, and the third film ended with the Dutchman sailing towards them. I may be wrong about that last part but I know for sure there was a ten year waiting period before reunion. So was this the first meeting between father and son? It didn’t seem that way, but the dialogue between them felt so melodramatic I couldn’t tell for sure. I’d like to think maybe it wasn’t, maybe Henry spent some months after meeting his father for the first time studying the Dutchman and mythology so he could find him at sea. Maybe along the lines of ‘finally meeting your father, seeing how much he cared for his family and how painful it was to say goodbye’ or something.

I blame the script more on Bloom’s delivery than the words themselves. I mean, they weren’t…the most original, reminded me of a soap opera, really, but there just didn’t seem to be any spark from Bloom, little or no energy. I don’t know if that was intentional or not but it kind of dampened what could have been a really dramatic moment. Ten years spent cursed among the dead…separated from your family against your will, that’s a lot to work with. I will say the boy who played Henry did a decent job capturing that urgent determination. I only wish it were reciprocated…

I’m not going to lie, part of me hoped, purely from a story perspective, Elizabeth had died. I think it might have added a little more to Henry’s character in adulthood; at the same time, I really did want to see the family reunited and I wasn’t expecting Knightly to appear, which might be why I informed my initial opinion. Off-screen mentions without appearance weakens a character’s intensity.

Honestly, I don’t have as much to say, scene-by-scene. Much of the film ran as most of in this franchise do: ludicrous schemes by Jack and his crew, chases and impromptu/chaotic character introductions, Barbossa’s sudden appearance, even the eerie sorcerous-types.  Don’t get me wrong, the story itself contained elements I didn’t see coming; I’m referring to the overall method of delivery—the journey itself as opposed to the stops along the way.

I do want to mention Salazar before I forget. His opening scene was fantastic and probably my favorite moment in the film. It was, and such a tease. I’d hoped by the way he looked and carried himself I was in for a really dark, horrific ride. Instead, that promise fell a bit flat in favor of quirky inflection and sexual innuendo. I will give the movie points for blending both the dark and humor well together: I’ve seen a few movies over the last couple of years fail spectacularly in this regard. And I also admit my inclinations for the spooky really are more personal preference than anything implied by promotion. It has been a few years since I’ve seen the first movie; it may not be quite as dark or scary as I remember, older as I am now.

Back to Salazar…he was by far my favorite part of the film. Yes, I have seen a lot of villains driven half-mad by revenge, but he held a kind of captivating power about him when on-screen. I couldn’t look away. Normally I’m not the biggest fan of computer-generated effects over the practical but it worked really well for Salazar and his crew. His face, his hair…when he first introduced himself as death I genuinely thought he might be. I would certainly by Death having a vendetta against Jack. He escaped…twice now? Technically? Although not without help, if I’m remembering correctly. Going back to effects, I was absolutely fascinated by he and his crew: you could tell even before the backstory they walked exactly as they died—his hair mimicking the water he drowned in I didn’t catch until the flashback but damn…such a cool effect. I do also want to point out what practical effects there were though. Salazar’s mouth—really all their mouths. I watched a bonus feature included in the first film some years ago that went in detail about applying ‘pirate teeth’ to the actors. I’m sure methods have changed over the years, but it’s no less interesting. Oh, and the black blood, or whatever it was…that was truly horrifying. I loved it. Salazar was by far my favorite character in this film and in my opinion, its one notable highlight.

Praise aside, I’m not sure introducing a new villain in the ‘final’ film was the best decision. It hurts me to say it because again, I loved Salazar, but I really think bringing someone back, someone the audience saw perish on one of Jack’s adventures, someone who blamed him or perhaps actively pursued and failed to capture/stop/kill him, might have added emotional weight. I had read there was speculation regarding Norrington’s return; I personally would have preferred this. He really came into his own as a character and serves as a prime example of what getting involved with Jack Sparrow can do. To see him undead and commanding a power he never possessed in life would have been so…I don’t want to say horrifying again but it would have. Especially a reunion with Barbossa!

Don’t get me wrong, I do think there is importance and significance in delving into Jack’s past. We see a lot of who Jack is and hear of what he’s done but we never see who he was and what made him the way he is. Though Jack isn’t my favorite character I know he’s the heart of this franchise and he deserves development, too. He’s constantly called ‘the worst pirate [I’ve] ever heard of.’ And that’s true, he really isn’t a good pirate…but he carries with him the essence of someone who once was. He still sees himself as this great, untouchable captain and I bet that’s why he’s stepped in so many times and prevented a lot of awful things from happening. That, and I’m sure some part of him cares about the people he’s with (which in hindsight may be why some people see him as a poor excuse for a pirate.) I don’t know…this isn’t meant to be a character study. Just some things to think about.

While not entirely necessary I did find it cool, seeing how Jack achieved much of his iconic attire. And where the compass came from…although I can’t for the life of me remember why it’s tied to the Devil’s Triangle. I really should have rewatched the other movies beforehand.

As far as the other new characters, I was pleasantly impressed. I worried I’d see copies of Will and Elizabeth in Henry and Carina; while there were small nods here and there both stood out as individuals, Carina especially. I was afraid she’d follow the same trend several female protagonists seem to suffer from lately; namely, a staple for female empowerment and nothing more. Thankfully, she wasn’t. Yes, she was strong-willed and stubborn but so is most everyone in this franchise and those traits are not at all signs of surefire propaganda. Adding astronomy/horology to her character also helped her stand out; I haven’t seen a character in the PotC world yet really touch on it, and it’s such a fascinating concept, at least to me, in historical fiction. Before the world of google and apple maps, there were stars. And people who could read them as easily as Siri can our phones fascinate me.

Loved her banter with Henry, too. It was cute, playful but not without that stubbornness on both ends. I’m usually adverse to the whole ‘love interest’ subplot; there’s hardly enough time in movies and during ones that move ahead, rarely any chemistry. I didn’t mind these two, even though I expected it. I think that lively, friendly spirit between them helped: they felt a lot more like equals than a lot of other romances I’ve seen on-screen lately. Speaking of the on-screen experience, I did not at all expect her to be Barbossa’s daughter. I’ve seen enough movies now I can usually predict most twist and turns; I didn’t at all see this coming. That was a pleasant surprise, especially when so much else about this film carried an almost fatigued familiarity. I did enjoy it, and I would probably go see it again, if only to see if there’s more to pick up, but it never once heightened the stakes beyond what this series has come to be known for. That, in my opinion, was probably the greatest tragedy.

Going back to the characters, because I’ve still more to say, I’m repeatedly amazed how Barbossa’s character continues to develop. In my personal opinion, he stands out the most because of it. Looking back on where he came from in the first film to now…there’s a real, honest heart and realness to him—you really feel what he feels and I was genuinely saddened by his death. I know someone had to die—someone usually does in ‘final’ chapters but I really wish it hadn’t been Barbossa.  I think some of this is definitely attributed to Geoffrey Rush, but some of it, too, to the script and direction. When he learned the truth about Carina, you could really see and feel what he felt; this continued in every scene following her but didn’t disrupt the pirate he was. Rather, I think it allowed another side only previously glimpsed to come out. Not just in previous films, but this one, too. I find it really interesting, and maybe clever, now, that he’s introduced as this lavish, temperamental ruler of the high seas. One might get the implication he’s become shallow, callous and full of himself, but this begins to change as his men begin to die and you discover more has changed than first assumed.

I really do wish Jack had been given an arc like Barbossa. Maybe not a surprise child, but something that drew more from him than his eccentricities. Although…one might argue the drunk, down on his luck pirate is development in of himself. We’ve seen Jack at his high points, but he isn’t where he was anymore and I wonder if the alcohol and insistence on tribute and whatnot are an attempt to cling to that greatness he once held…I digress. I would have liked to see more. Especially if this is the final installment. Jack is back on top again, but I’m not…entirely sure he earned it? If that makes any sense. He felt a lot more like a passenger in this film, an observer as opposed to an active participant. Strange, given the villain’s primary motives. In that regard, it is interesting when comparing him to Barbossa. At the start of the first film, they were in opposite positions. I mean Jack didn’t rule the high seas but he carried himself with an air that implied he believed it.

That sums up most of what I had to say. There are a few loose ends, however:

1)      Why did no one age? Hollywood has this bizarre notion we can just pretend however many years have passed despite no one except the young characters aging. I don’t buy it, and I don’t like it. Barbossa was the only one I felt who looked older, but only just. I would have liked to see Jack with a bit of gray in his hair, or Elizabeth with a few more lines. I’m fine with Will not aging, it makes sense for his character and it’s kind of interesting to think about: he’s spent so long aboard that ship, so long trapped in his cursed state while his son’s grown up…and for Will, physically, it’s like almost no time has passed at all.

2)      I’m glad Gibbs is back. He’s always been my favorite member of Jack’s crew. I did, however, miss those two goofy pirates. I forget their names, but one of them had a glass/wooden eye. They were always such fun characters and I can’t for the life of me remember what happened to them at the end of the last film (third film?)

3)      Paul McCartney! Didn’t recognize him until afterwards. I enjoyed the exchange, but I admit, that little scene confused me; I wondered if Uncle Jack had been mentioned or seen before. Now I understand.

4)      Did Barbossa know about the triton the whole time? Did he really believe it and study the location? I can’t remember.

5)      That possession scene was not nearly as freaky as it could have been. Salazar seemed so assured the Triton would fix everything it kind of killed its encompassing awe. There should have been more emotional weight and it should have lasted longer. I think that would have helped heighten the stakes. Everything in this movie was ‘a little of this, a little of that.’ Sampling but never having a full dish to yourself.

6)      I would have loved to see Poseidon. He’s one of my favorite Greek gods...although I doubt he’d actually look remotely Greek, but that’s another personal thing. I’m wondering if we’ll see him in a later film, now that his triton’s been destroyed. Or maybe he and the other gods have long since vanished—it kind of seems that way, with Calypso being a remaining oddity. Maybe the triton is a lone remaining artifact. Although I’m still surprised there wasn’t more protecting it. I can appreciate a different angle, although I think it hurt any direness the climax might have held.

7)      Speaking of the gods, do their curses remain in place, with the triton broken? That was never made clear…I hope so. I love the mythos of the sea and if this isn’t the last movie I’d like to see it brought back in some way. It’s always (well, once I got over my crush on Jack) been my biggest draw.

8)      What happened to Bootstrap Bill? Did he not board land with Will at the end of the film? Are we to assume he did even though we didn’t see it? Given the parallels between generations of fathers and sons, I’d hoped we’d see something more of him.

9)      Speaking of Will’s return, I did tear up a little but I felt Bloom’s acting fell flat, again. I really hope that’s just me though. I loved Will’s character arc and if there is another film I hope it follows the buzz I’ve heard so far: focusing on him and his son. Provided Orlando’s up for it, of course. I don’t want to sit through two and a half something hours of him half-assing it.

10)   Didn’t expect Keira’s cameo either. That was really touching.

11)   Davy Jones????? Is he back? Wikipedia (yes, Wikipedia) said the Triton freed him from Calypso. I’m wondering if that means curses set upon by gods remain unaffected by the triton. It would explain that slimy, tentacle-silhouette. But if he has returned, then why? How? Is he the last cursed creature of the sea? What does he have against Will, now? And will there be another movie?

12)   Less a critique and more personal wishlist:  I wanted more skeleton pirates. I don’t know how or why, but I wanted them. Really bring everything full circle although I have no idea how you’d bring it back. Maybe Salazar succeeds in ‘killing’ Jack or something but the Triton’s power gets in the way? I have no idea. That final battle in the first film was so memorable I really wanted to see something similar. I also wanted to see the Dutchman in action. The sea was literally parted, how cool would it be to see that ship swimming alongside one wall?

I really need to rewatch these movies. So many unanswered questions! I can’t believe I’m getting excited about PotC again…never thought that would happen in a million years.

[mrmichaelchadler]

Rock and Roll Me: On Andrea Riseborough's Spellbinding 2018 Performances

In a time of cultural noise, in which the loudest and most outspoken receive the most attention, Andrea Riseborough succeeds through nuance and restraint. Her spellbinding 2018 performances are the sublimest spectacles.

Because Riseborough speaks little in 2018 films like "The Death of Stalin," "Mandy" and "Nancy," character detail and directorial form become essential to the viewing experience, and how one interprets the performances. What would Robert De Niro’s Johnny Boy be without Martin Scorsese’s Caravaggian lighting and framing in 1973's "Mean Streets"? And how would Sissy Spacek’s "Carrie" performance hold up without Brian De Palma’s blood red production aesthetic? Riseborough, a 37-year-old English actress, elevates films by harmonizing with the director’s mise-en-scène, and by keeping the audience engaged.

For Armando Iannucci’s political satire "The Death of Stalin," Riseborough represents the grounding force; the mediator of ridiculous men. As Svetlana Stalina, she delivers a Charlie Chaplin-esque performance, speaking with her hands and reacting to contrived male machismo with calculated non-verbals. Alongside loud male performers like Steve Buscemi, Jason Isaacs, and Michael Palin, Riseborough punctuates dialogue with her slanted grins, numerous face palms and rhythmic movements within each comedic scenario.

Riseborough essentially functions as a frustrated middle child in "The Death of Stalin," a literal sister to the stooge Vasily (Rupert Friend) and a sister-in-spirit to the titular dictator’s proud comrades. In that sense, Iannucci often stages Riseborough in the background (understanding that she’ll deliver something), or to the side as comedic scenes play out for reactionary moments, many of which may not be noticeable until a second viewing. To complement the rapid-fire dialogue, Riseborough uses consistent body motion, primarily with her hands. She exerts nervous energy by repetitively pointing at people, and she then transfers that energy inward via repetitive face palms. Riseborough consistently inhales and exhales, delivering a definitely loud performance, albeit in a different manner than the male leads.

During each moment of situational comedy, Riseborough repeats the same physical routine; a set-up for the inevitable one-liner. And while she’s afforded some clever dialogue, it’s the rhythmic, non-verbal crescendos that underline Svetlana’s internal conflict. On one level, Riseborough’s nervous mannerisms—pointing, inhaling, exhaling, smiling—boost the situational comedy, but these collective moments ultimately set up one giant exhale for her character in the end, as she drops the lyrical routine entirely, in order to communicate Svetlana’s humanity and the danger that could possibly fall upon her. (Svetlana Stalina moved to the United States and passed away in Wisconsin at the age of 85.)

In Panos Cosmatos’ "Mandy," Riseborough relies on performative restraint in favor of the narrative structure and her character’s arc. On the surface, Mandy Bloom looks like one of the doomed female characters from the "Friday the 13th" franchise. And it’s no accident that she identifies her home as Crystal Lake. In terms of character, Mandy wears a Mötley Crüe t-shirt and discusses the cosmos with her lumberjack boyfriend Red, portrayed by Nicolas Cage —perhaps THE quintessential loud performer. But what’s special about this dynamic, for both the characters and performers, is that Cage matches Riseborough’s method during Mandy’s first half. Red clearly adores Mandy, and vice versa. Incidentally, character detail, chemistry and performative nuance mesh together to create a magical sense of camaraderie, along with looming danger. 

To execute her performance as the ill-fated Mandy, Riseborough mutes the physical noise, a la Svetlana Stalina’s swirling hands and finger-pointing, to accentuate her natural features. Riseborough’s presence is fundamental to Mandy’s charm, most notably her large eyes and peering gaze. In an early sequence, Cosmatos presents a close-up of Mandy emerging from a lake, a shot that simultaneously establishes the character’s psychological effect on Red while informing the audience about a dark wave of energy. In a subsequent sequence, Riseborough breaks the fourth wall — a wink of the eye to the viewer — while telling Red a cryptic story about dead starlings, much like how she briefly breaks the fourth wall during one of "The Death of Stalin"’s liveliest sequences. In that film, her eye contact with the camera feels like an easter egg. In "Mandy," however, her direct gaze creates a more potent connection; a blurring of the line between character and performer. When fate catches up with Mandy, all of Riseborough’s small character tweaks come into play, as it’s not hard to see her face in the fire. It all adds up, it all comes together. 

Riseborough often gets left out of "Mandy" discussions because her performance is so quiet and subdued. (I listened to a couple Blumhouse podcasts and the hosts barely acknowledge her role.) She speaks like a chilled-out Siri and glides like an angel on earth. Essentially, Riseborough pulls back the singular string on her bow during the majority of Mandy, and then shoots a sharpened arrow for one perfect shot, one defining moment. And that moment comes midway through when Mandy accepts her fate and unleashes a primal scream, thus destroying the flimsy ego of Linus Roache’s cult figure Jeremiah Sand. For Cosmatos, Riseborough must depart from the Mandy narrative in order for Cage to flip the switch, and her final seconds ensure that audiences won’t soon forget that laugh, those eyes, and the internalized pain that suddenly explodes into the cinematic universe—a giant FU to all the painfully un-self-aware men (and women) that Sand represents.

Riseborough provides one of cinema’s most rockstar 2018 moments in "Mandy," and she utilizes her full skill set to carry one of the year’s most underrated independent films, Christina Choe’s "Nancy"—a challenging and poignant character study about a female outcast who believes she might’ve been kidnapped as a child.

Like Mandy Bloom, Nancy Freeman speaks softly but radiates with energy. In this performance, Riseborough carries herself more like Wayne World’s Garth Algar than a care-free flower child. She balances nervous energy with overt smugness, suggesting that Nancy could either be a pathological liar or maybe just a woman struggling with depression. This time, Riseborough focuses on her character’s eyes and lips; when Nancy clearly deceives people early on, her eyes dart back and forth while her lips curl from side to side — not a quiver, per se, but rather a nervous character tick to suggest unease. Riseborough also slows down the narrative pace in "Nancy," as her character’s interpersonal experiences lead to highly awkward moments, much like the person who makes a perfectly normal statement in conversation but waits for a reaction. Based on Riseborough’s character interpretation, however, Nancy seems to be a self-aware individual.

Because Nancy comes across as a quiet outcast, Riseborough’s subtle character quirks have a jolting effect as the drama escalates. She adopts a regional, Fargo-like accent, all the while speaking from her throat and raising her shoulders during moments of tension. In some of Nancy’s early scenes, Riseborough’s body language suggests her character is confident in selling deception, even if her facial expressions betray her posture as a whole. In this role, Riseborough’s performance allows for various interpretations, as Nancy doesn’t have the public profile of Svetlana Stalina, nor does she have a a strong romantic connection like Mandy Bloom. Nancy must survive on her own, even if her potential birth mother and father are willing to lend a helping hand by offering love and a new life. In "The Death of Stalin," Svetlana Stalina wears her heart on her sleeve no matter what, and Mandy Bloom speaks the truth in all situations. Nancy, however, could be a distant cousin of Ryan Gosling’s "Drive" charactertough to read, ready to travel ... ready to run if need be. With Riseborough, one can never be sure which road she’ll take. As a result, the performative nuance and restraint makes her biggest moments so impactful.

In the future, Andrea Riseborough may evolve into one of cinema’s most iconic performers, one associated with high-profile mainstream roles and big Academy Award moments; she has that type of potential. For now, though, Riseborough remains one of the film industry’s most under-the-radar actresses, as she’s been in the game for over a decade but continues to rapidly evolve and challenge herself. If you’ve seen "Mandy," "Nancy," or "The Death of Stalin," you’re likely a Riseborough fan already. Or at least you should be.

     from All Content http://bit.ly/2Cdxwfr

[mamgt]

The book overall was good but not as striking as other books I’ve read. Don’t get me wrong, the book was perfectly written and I stayed up until the early mornings trying to devour it as it held me at a tipping point. Suddenly every moment was important and every new information a piece of the puzzle. However, I have come across books that have pulled at my heartstrings and ripped my heart entirely. Books that leave me breathless and the mere sight of the cover in bookstores leads to a rush of memories whilst reading it. There are stories that never leave you. This particular one, Alias Hook, can eventually leave you. I finished the book with not so much of a hangover. It led me right through the ending I wanted. It gave me answered I needed. There was no longing for something more. Maybe there is magic in being able to end things so well that you are satisfied by the author’s parting words as you close the book.

The story became close to a cliche. The baddie turning out to have just had it tough and he was misunderstood. If there is one thing girls like is a bad boy who is soft inside. I like to believe it too in every person that there is something humane, something good. Of course, even before the author revealed this to be her intention for Hook you could already tell. Watching ABC’s Once Upon A Time didn’t also help. Having a Hook who already turned good did not make this James Hookbridge unique. However, what I do give props to Jensen is her unique characters such as Stella, Billy Jukes, Piper, and Pina. These were the colorful characters that kept me at bay. There were also the sirens and Eagle Heart that made me stick to the story, stay up all night until I understood the quest. What seemed to be the obvious lesson to be learned came at a surprise to me: You choose how your life turns out.

James Hookbridge was spoiled and rich. He had no past that could possibly drive him to total madness. His family did not treat him so poorly. He grew up surrounded by peers who adored him. His downfall was solely on his hand. His foolishness led him to the spiral that would bring him to the Neverland. He did not understand but we readers do. Yet, we question why such a mind? Why does he point fingers to the world and thirst for blood of those who never taunted him personally. In short, like all great villains, he created his enemies. He chose to fight and fight, take vengeance on a world he twisted to feed his anger. Like it or not, we do this ourselves. It is always easier to blame outside forces for the suffering we experience. We blame weather, inconsiderate people, heartless others rather than ourselves. An act that is seen amongst children. That is the twist I never saw. Hook was trapped in the Neverland because he acted like a child. He may not be innocent but his mind wandered off like a boy acting out of emotion instead of logic. It took him awhile to see this. He even saw how his men acted like boys but never looking at himself, the captain of those boys. A phantom of Pan and his Lost Boys.

Stella being the other half of the star-crossed lovers is great female icon. The author could have easily thrown a damsel in distress but like every hero’s journey we need someone wise to guide them. Jensen made it the woman who Hook would fall for. She read and was tough. Her first appearance already laid out that this was no lady waiting for a prince. She was a woman who suffered through loss and yet stand with both feet firm. She does not fear easily and is a good match for proud Hook. She does not lose her femininity. Usually, authors write a strong female character but make her too much of a man. Jensen was able to balance the curves and the muscles, the emotions and the logic into one beautiful woman. A strong female does not have to lose her skirts and fluttering of eyes to prove that she is just as equal as a man. This is also seen in the Fairy Queen. She is the most powerful being introduced in the book. Her appearance however, does not shy away from femininity. Even the sirens are feminine but are the most feared in the Neverland. I applaud Jensen for putting out such strong female characters.

Most of all, what I liked about the book, although it might seem cliche to mention is the idea of destiny. It was the plot twist I did not see coming. Yes, I knew Stella and Hook would fall in love but why? I did not ask. Good that I didn’t because I like the surprise. It just tells us that there are people out there who will love us as long as we fight for it. “We’re in this journey together.” It is through the struggle, the time, the growth that love strengthens. People grow up and we might forget for some time the love the was born one summer night but if it is true, it will come back like a river flowing.

[allineednow]

<p>How Sweet Home Sparked Resident Evil & the Survival Horror Genre</p>

This article originally appeared at Den of Geek UK.

Ring, Audition, Dark Water, Onibaba, House, Kuroneko. . . Ask a prominent horror to be named by movie fans, and one of those names would likely come up. Ask most video game fanatics to mention a Japanese horror game, and they'd probably reply with Resident Evil, Silent Hill, or, when they are feeling a bit retro, Splatterhouseor Castlevania.

There's one name that almost certainly will not come up in conversations about either category: Sweet Home. Yet this 1989 horror, and the video game of the same name released with it, unintentionally helped define an entire genre - and even spawn the Resident Evilfranchise, that is still going 20 years later.

The Sweet Homemovie is a curious genre mishmash with an impressive pedigree. It was written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, a filmmaker who would earn much broader critical attention for such movies as Pulse(2001) and Tokyo Sonata (2008). Its special makeup effects were created by Dick Smith, who made Linda Blair look possessed in The Exorcist, and famously awakened heads in David Cronenberg's Scanners. Sweet Home's manufacturer was Juzo Itami, in the late-80s well known for his "ramen western" Tampopoand as an actor in such movies as Lady Snowblood.

Sweet Home's fashion, which echoes everything from Italian bloodbath epics of the 1970s and 80s to Robert Wise's The Haunting to Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist, almost borders on pastiche. Its story sees a group of filmmakers - plus the director daughter, Emi, who is along for the school holidays - enter a deserted mansion to make a film about a famous artist's work. The artist's mansion is said to contain one of the last frescoes, and present it to the public for the first time and the team are determined to clean the painting up. But the filmmakers awaken the ghost of the artist wife, by poking around the old building that is crumbling, and her supernatural shadow has a deadly effect on anyone it reaches.

Acted and directed with the tone of a horror-comedy, Sweet Home shortly switches gear once the supernatural events kick in: the ghost's shadow is capable of burning and dissolving mortal bodies, with spectacularly gruesome results. In one scene, a cameraman's lower body is reduced to a streak of goo. In another, an old man (played by manufacturer Juzo Itami) is stripped to his bare bones. That is apparently because Itami and he fell out while the movie was in production if the minimal fashion of Kiyoshi Kurosawa seems missing. Itami, a manufacturer, altered Kurosawa's cut considerably, and had his own ideas as to what the film should look like.

Kurosawa's fingerprints can nevertheless be found in Sweet Home's more vivid moments, however. The sequences where his characters flee from enormous, finger-like shadows are wonderfully eerie, and the final third, where TV manufacturer Akiko (Nobuko Miyatomo, the manufacturer's wife) faces the mansion's demonic forces alone are really effective - all Poltergeist-fashion optical effects and loathsome prosthetics.

Sweet Home could be considered a fun yet insignificant footnote in Western cinema - or at any rate a relic from Kurosawa's earlier career that he might prefer to forget - were it not for its revolutionary ties with the video game firm Capcom. Games adapted from movies were common in the 1980s, but Sweet Home was different, in that the game and the film were developed in tandem and released almost at exactly the exact same time. While Itami and Kurosawa created the film, designer Tokuro Fujiwara worked on the video game - a top-down action RPG set in the very same haunted mansion.

Fujiwara was already an established creative force at Capcom by 1989, having directed or produced classics of the era like Ghosts 'n Goblins (a platformer with a comic-horror theme) and Bionic Commando. Sweet Home, however, was far slower-paced and story driven than most of his earlier titles, also, because it was designed for the Famicom - Japan's version of the Nintendo Entertainment System - it could be given far more depth than the quick-fix arcade games of the era.

Itami and Kurosawa appeared to have a bit of input since they are credited as the designer and manufacturer respectively. In an interview with Japanese magazine Continue, Fujiawara also recalls that he was permitted to go to the movie's studio and "use the movie as reference."

"I must see the movie and have a tour of the film studio," Fujiwara said, "and use whatever character I thought would work in the game. I carefully considered the way to go about bringing elements from the movie to the game screen."  

It is also among the most console names of its era while the game departs from the movie in some ways. The characters in the film appear in the game, each with their own specific abilities - the director has a cigarette lighter, the art restorer carries a vacuum cleaner - that come in handy at particular moments of the game. Randomly-spawning monsters replace the deadly shadows of the film, but an air of dread tension still remains. When a character dies, they're gone for good, and the game's ending changes depending on who makes it out of the mansion alive. Some of the set-pieces of the movie remain including the cameraman who is cut in half and the old man that is melting that is incredible.

See related 

Resident Evil 7's Haunted Homecoming

Clock Tower: The Unsettling Horror Game Inspired by Dario Argento's Phenomena

Despite being one of the more powerful RPGs available for Nintendo's console, Sweet Home was never released outside of Japan - possibly due to its fairly extreme moments of gore, which would have had Nintendo of America running for the hills. All of this might indicate that, like the film, Sweet Home could have been categorized as a curio in the 8-bit era, were it not for its direct influence on one of the main horror movies of all time.

Four years after he made Sweet Home, Fujiwara and his colleagues at Capcom started to look at Sony's first foray into the console market, the PlayStation, and what they might be able to develop for this.

"Once the PlayStation was released," Fujiwara recalls, "conversation turned towards the notion of starting an original franchise. The basic assumption was that I'd be able to do the things that I was not able to include in Sweet Home. It was about the graphics front that my frustration had been building up. I was also convinced that horror games could become a genre in themselves."  

Shinji Mikami, who would direct under Fujiwara's guidance, recalls that he was certain that a horror title would be a sales success.

"[Fujiwara] stated that he wanted us to make a horror game using systems from Sweet Home, which was a horror game for the Famicom that he'd directed," Mikami informed Gamespot  at 2016.   "I was actually a big fan of Sweet Home, and he was a person that I really respected, so I was excited about the job from the beginning. But I was a bit worried about how well a horror game would really sell."

Fujiwara's PlayStation horror game was originally intended as a direct remake of Sweet Home, before the decision was made to spin it out into its own separate entity known as Biohazard- or Resident Evil, because it would soon become known in the west. While much changed during Resident Evil's development, using a first-person viewpoint explored before a third-person perspective was selected, much stayed from Sweet Home. The action takes place mostly in a mansion, it features multiple endings, and Mikami notes that even a number of the thing management systems are closely modeled after those in Sweet Home. Resident Evil's designers also toyed with a similar, supernatural threat to Sweet Home in an early build, before incorporating the now-iconic zombies to the mix as the game developed. Resident Evil started to enormous acclaim in 1996 and, with that, the survival horror genre has been born.

While other games had an undoubted influence on Resident Evil - Alone in the Dark gave Mikami and Fujiwara the notion of having a fixed camera, for example - that the Capcom classic owes a considerable debt to Sweet Home. Indeed, it's somewhat sad that both the game and the film are so vague in the west. The game is generally considered an interesting bit of trivia in Resident Evil's early history by gamers, while the film is, in turn, obscured by the game.  

Up to now, Sweet Homehas never had an official DVD release, likely due to the bad blood between its producer and director. Sweet Home can be viewed in decidedly unofficial form, either on famous streaming websites or by ordering a DVD from this website, but the muddy, low-definition transfers are far from perfect. As for Kurosawa's first cut of this film - well, that's likely in a record somewhere, waiting to be rediscovered.

Kurosawa is now one of Japan's most respected directors, and his most recent film, Creepy, is an effective return to the horror genre he lit up so disquietingly with Pulse. Sweet Home might not be a film he is especially proud of - hailing as it does from the stage in his career when Kurosawa was creating low-budget erotic and gangster pictures - but it remains a fascinating entry in the Japanese horror genre.

Like the gothic house in its center, Sweet Home was shunned for nearly three decades, but it remains the dark seed from which the survival horror genre first emerged.

Read the full Den of Geek NYCC Special Edition Magazine right here!