#there are so many great scenes in this story so far I'm actually dying

[rainyfey]

Another Mitsu Boshi fanart? More likely than you'd think.

Song #3: She's Fire - Weiwu

Set in: Chapter #2

Title: "Are you CRAZY?!"

I'm so fucking normal about this fic, y'all. If you read it, go heap love on the author please they deserve it!!

[earlgreytea68]

I am reading the Emily Wilson translation of The Iliad right now. I read her translation of The Odyssey earlier this year and I'm sure the translation is fantastic, but I was really fascinated by how strongly I disliked the story. Fascinated because I'd read it several times through high school and college and I never remember disliking it as much as I liked it as a grown-up.

So I decided to re-read The Iliad just to see. I've read this one before, too, but I think I only read it once. I don't have a very strong memory of it. I'm almost halfway through and here are my thoughts on The Iliad:

This story is basically just endless descriptions of battles in great, gory details. Here is how this one died, and this one, and this one. There are so many battles and so many people dying, I don't really understand what happened for the nine years leading up to this story. Like, did they just sit around staring at each other and then finally decide to fight?

The fighting is so fascinating to me. It's clearly so up-close and personal because there are no guns and so everyone's right on top of each other and have to look each other in the eye as they cut off each other's heads and stuff, and you would think that these people must be cold as ice to be doing this stuff. But then there'll be a random scene where one Greek is about to kill one Trojan and is like, "Hang on, don't I know you?" and they realize their dads were friends and they used to play together and they're like, "Ha! We won't kill each other! We'll hang out when this war is over!" And they shake hands and then...go off and start violently killing other people instead. It's like ?????

The explanation is that the gods make them hunger for war more than anything else, just fyi.

The striking thing about both of these epics is how the Greek theory of the gods erases all concept of personal responsibility. Whenever people behave atrociously, everyone around them literally says things like, "I don't blame you. I blame the evil god that is possessing you right now." On the one hand, this theory makes sense in a world that was clearly so utterly bewildering that they couldn't explain beyond just hand-waving, like, those wild gods of ours, you never know what they're doing! But on the other hand, it's so frustrating that nobody is ever held responsible for any behavior.

None of the characters are likable, not one, in either of these stories. I have hated all of them. I think it's interesting how the idea of a sympathetic character doesn't seem to truly exist at the time these epics were being written, or rather their idea of what made a character sympathetic is very different from the modern idea. Like, I'm sure Odysseus is *supposed* to be someone we root for...but he's a jerk lol. And in The Iliad, I literally hate everyone on both the Greek and Trojan sides. Like, occasionally one of them does something not terrible, but then they go right back to being jerks right after that. I would love that to be a story choice, that you're not rooting for either side to win and you're okay with all these people just wiping each other out, but I think I'm supposed to be on the side of the Greeks. They're just all pretty unbearable people, so I'm not.

The best character so far in the whole thing is Paris hahahaha. He should be the arch-villain of them all, and it's not that I actually like him, but he's at least got some flair to him! I respect him! Like, there's this great scene where everybody's fighting and Hector realizes that Paris is just hanging out at home with Helen, and Hector is like, "Buddy, YOU ARE THE ENTIRE REASON WE ARE AT WAR, BECAUSE YOU KIDNAPPED THIS WOMAN, DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD GO AND FIGHT????" and Paris is so chill, like, Moi? Fight? You should have said something! I guess I can go out there! And then there's this other great part where he randomly shows up in the middle of the battle to, like, shoot an arrow through this other guy's foot????? Just because he's just that cool in battle???? hahaha he's described as leaning up against a column and he just kind of says, like, "Hey. Diomedes. Little baby. Gonna shoot your foot," and shoots his food, and it's the coolest thing anyone's done in the whole epic hahahaha. And then Diomedes is furious and says that Paris has "stupid hair" hahahah WHAT???? Meanwhile other people are chopping off each other's arms and these two are sniping at each other like this???? I don't even understand this war lol

I don't get Helen and I get that it's because the original Greek writers didn't care what Helen thought about any of this because she doesn't have any agency (although to be fair none of them have agency because only the gods have agency) but, like, I genuinely can't figure out if she wants the Greeks or Trojans to win. Maybe she just wants everyone to die. Me, too, Helen.

I love that Emily Wilson describes Achilles as basically sobbing his heart out because Agamemnon stole his enslaved woman from him. Like, I just enjoy that the Greek concept of masculinity allowed Achilles to sob it out and nobody called him unmanly.

That said, Agamemnon is a huge jerk and I'm annoyed by all the Greeks telling Achilles to get over Agamemnon's insult. Achilles wants to take his ship and go home and the Greeks are like, FOR SHAME. No, this is truly the only sensible thing to do. They should all take their ships and go home. But Agamemnon being like, "I will send Odysseus to apologize to Achilles for me," and Achilles is like, "I do not accept this apology," and the Greeks are like, "That Achilles! He's so stubborn!" Like, Agamemnon can't even be bothered to go apologize in person! It's continued insult afa I am concerned! (I probably don't understand the subtle interactions of Greek society lol)

I enjoy how they're always sacrificing to the gods but the sacrificing involves...them partying and feasting. I think I thought sacrificing meant they killed the bull and left it for the gods, but instead they kill the bull for the gods but then they eat the bull and have a big party. Sacrificing seems like just an excuse for a party, it turns out.

There's this part where Zeus is like, "Hey, if anyone interferes with the humans fighting their little war down there, I will smite you and throw you down into torment and punishment forever, don't think I won't." And Athena is like, "You're a big meanie," and so Zeus is like, "Ha ha, just kidding, love you, kiddo." I was like, .......everything in this society is severely dysfunctional.

So I wouldn't say I am exactly enjoying reading it lol, but I feel like I am learning a lot about ancient Greece and what they valued and found interesting and admired and how that differs from me in my twenty-first century world.

[here-there-be-fics]

I'm still so sad but now also quite frustrated verging on angry. What are they going to do now, circle back to the start of another relationship hunt?!

They'll have a scene of him baking with Jee, obsessively cooking in another and then what Eddie is finding his joy and Buck is going back to 1.0 and they do a rehash of the bachelor party scene or something where Buck makes out with a girl and then a boy, and maybe another boy for good measure. These are grown men in their 30s but can't get their shit together once again. It'll be done in half an episode because nothing is given enough actual scene time for people to care or fully grasp, which is what is happening this season for all the stories. Then the firefam are worried for half a scene and the other half is Bobby or Hen providing him with sage advice about how only he can find the answer and then it's dropped entirely after we watch buck stare wistfully at the roof or something.

Then 8b he's lamenting that he wants to find love and to settle down while he watches Maddie have her baby in 2.5 episodes time. By the end of season 8 he's dating someone new, most likely a woman to make sure we are switching out genders enough and then they leave again so that Buck can start the cycle again in Season 9 if it even gets renewed. 'See you around, Buck'.

Everything is so rushed or dropped entirely this season, there is so much great potential in these stories and it just doesn't get utilised - Ortiz, Gerrard, Mara, budget cuts, Tommy. Even the Madney baby, they couldn't let it simmer for a hot minute to actually see them go through the decision making and trying to get pregnant etc?...nope Maddie's pregnant.

I don't feel it is worth watching at this stage, I was already not watching week by week from like season 5. I only came back when it looked like the switch to ABC might have actually shaken things up and they were adding new characters and actually progressing the main characters a but further. I feel as soon as we hear the show is cancelled we'll be lumped with a season 6 ending for Buck and probably Eddie as well that is unstaisfying. (I have a feeling we're going to be seeing the end of the show after next season, maybe a shortened 10th - I have a lot of reasons why but maybe that's for another post)

Sorry this is just a long rant but I feel my frustration is only ramping up and not dying down at all. I've never cared about shows like this before but this was important to me and so many other people and its just becoming a hodgepodge of ideas and scenes slapped together with no or badly done shock factor.

If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading.

[ageless-aislynn]

Aislynn's Rumble Jumble of Random Thinky Thoughts on Halo s2 ep 5 "Aleria."

Spoilers, natch. 😉

I was holding out a little bit of hope, especially given that Riz went back for Vannak, that we were going to get some sort of last minute reprieve to save the big fellow. Sadly, no. 😭

John's guilt that Riz went back for Vannak's body because he had been pushing her so hard was understandable but I don't believe that was the whole story, if it was even a part of it at all. I think she went back for him because because he was one of them and they don't leave one of their own behind. More than that, she went back for him because she loves him. Call it the love for a brother, for a comrade, a friend who has been at her side since they were children, she loved him. Of course, you're also welcome to call it romantic as well, you know how I support my fellow shippers 117% at all times 😇 (she says, as if she hasn't totally written Vannak/Riz shippy fic 😂😉)

Poor John, of all the trauma he's been through, this has been by far the worst of it all: he's been abandoned by the UNSC, he's lost his armor, he's lost his identity as Master Chief, he's lost Reach, has lost Cortana, lost Admiral Keyes, lost Kai, lost Vannak and then now Riz. That moment when he tells her she's all he has left just about broke my heart. When she hugged him, he did a brilliant job, IMO, of showing how for a moment, he just wanted to close his eyes and collapse onto her, then pride makes him withdraw and try to pull a facade together like it doesn't matter. *sniffle*

I obviously hope this isn't the last we see of Riz but, at the same time, I'm happy for her. She deserves some peace after the terrifying amount of physical and emotional violence she's been through. Just seeing her smiling at the end made my heart feel a little better. Love you, Riz. I hope we see you again having a great life, bb, you deserve it. 💖

Okay, so I was NOT expecting Laera to go all Negan with a barbed wire bat. 😮 But was it satisfying to watch the quiet menace growing larger and larger, while that shopkeeper dude clearly realized that he would've been better off taking a beating from Soren? Yes, that was very satisfying, indeed, lol! And why I wasn't expecting the UNSC to have taken Kessler is beyond me because of COURSE they know about him (Halsey called him by name, after all) and of COURSE they're going to want a son of a Spartan. Will any of Soren's enhancements have been passed down genetically? Will Kessler be more likely to survive the process if they put him through it? Will they not even have to put him through it at all? I would imagine they have a lot of questions they'd like answered. And Laera and her bat would be very happy to answer them all, I'd imagine... 🥊😠🥊😉

Now, the three most important things about the scenes with Makee, Cortana and not!Thel!Arbiter whom I shall try to now call Var 'Gatanai since that's his name:

I still don't care for Cortana's makeover. 🤷‍♀️I liked the bit of camaraderie between her and Makee, especially with Makee's line about what happens when a useful thing loses its use. I see a forced alliance in their future, if not an actual friendship.

I still keep staring at Makee's eyebrows, wondering if they're more blonde because she dyed them or is it from whatever she went through to bring her back to life after last season. Yes, this is the important thing to keep worrying about. 🙄😜

I had to struggle so hard not to loudly exclaim, "ARE YOU BLINDED BY ITS MAJESTY?" when Cortana showed Var the Halo lands Makee and John frolicked through in season 1. 😇😂😉

And fourth place runner up, I didn't get as many shippy vibes this week between Makee and Var, whom I can call by his name or by not!Thel!Arbiter but not just "the Arbiter" because I'm a card-carrying member of the Fangirls of Arbiter Thel 'Vadam Fan Club and I'm not going to risk losing my membership. 😂😉

My bb boi. *draws sparkly hearts everywhere* 💖💖💖😉

I'm of two minds about them pretty obviously giving Var the Arbiter storyline here. However, if they would've called the character Thel 'Vadam(ee) but not had him voiced by Keith David? Um, HERESY. I don't say that sort of thing often when it comes to new adaptations but, c'mon, he IS the Arbiter when it comes to voices and considering that Thel would be CGI or whatever they're using to create Var and the other Elites, it's not the same sort of prospect as I've heard other people say, that they should've dubbed Steve Downes' voice over Pablo Schreiber's. (Yes, I saw that pop up a couple of times in the earlier days.) I mean, clearly Steve Downes IS Master Chief when it comes to the games but dubbing a live action actor is never going to look smooth, IMO.

Anyway, I think this means we won't be meeting Thel in this series, since his storyline is currently going along without him. 🤷‍♀️

Now to see what's in store for us next week. I am both looking forward to and dreading Kai and John's inevitable reunion. He's going to feel utterly betrayed, I'd think, and as I've said before, if she's not utterly devastated by Vannak's death and feeling guilty over not being there when Silver Team needed her... I'm going to have to super-duper fix that with fic. *nodnods* 😜😉

PS - Am I writing something utterly fluffy for Vannak right now? OF COURSE I am! C'mon, Vannak, jump in the AU Party Warthog, where you'll always be safe and happy!

[castlebyersafterdark]

people seems insistent that anything and everything is a "Vecna vision" any time we see something positive. The whole epilogue has been touted as a Vecna vision. But - when has he done that?

i believe this idea in fanon came from a byler fic called baby we're perfect:

(https://archiveofourown.org/works/41219841)

which has lovely accompanying art here:

https://www.tumblr.com/kidovna/723936735192612864/if-you-havent-read-baby-were-perfect-by?source=share

its a good fic! original at the time. and heartbreaking in all the right places.

vecna does seem to be a manifestation of existing trauma, but i think people take nancy's bleak future vision and use that as inspo, because hers is very unique, and also why her? it suggests vecna DOES have plans for mike or the wheelers. although it could also just mean that nancy's greatest fear is her family dying, which is... interesting considering her past storylines with barb, romance, and her ambition. workaholic to avoid grief? hmmm.

but mostly, honestly, i think it's self preservation. so many people dont feel able to trust in a happy ending for byler. even scenes that seem bleak (like mike and hop on the bench) that might contribute contextually to an overall happy byler ending is more than some people feel comfortable hoping for i guess. not me, but i suppose in a show where something else always goes wrong (because the story isnt finished, so no doi), people just cant imagine a happy ending that doesnt feel like fanfic. but an ending is coming for ST! and i believe it'll have happiness in it!

its actually something that irritates about byler haters; they say that any happy ending with byler sounds like fanfic, meaning wishful thinking. well yeah, but a storyline being desired by fans doesnt mean its outside the realm of possibility, does it? i mean, ONE ending has to happen. why not byler?

Oh wow, flashback. I remember that fic. Such a good one, very emotional!! And the art. Yesss. Classic.

The thing is - it's a really cool concept. Interesting to consider. And honestly? Maybe Henry MIGHT do this to someone. We don't actually know his plans for our characters in season five. We could never have predicted where season four was going - who's to say ANY of our theories are in the realm of happening for five? We can get pretty close with thematic elements but the details? It's getting harder and harder for me to theorize and stay confident to any one plotline the more and more I encounter new ideas. I don't actually have a personal storyline anymore because there's almost too many ideas and I cannot commit to any of them, just having fun conjecturing between several dozen! Which is great, because there's a whole season to watch.

So, my issue is when ideas that are from a fic or popular tumblr theory basically get seen as canon. Dominates perspective and prediction. But, that's the very definition of fanon. Need that kept in mind. We made all that up.

I think what I dislike about the commonality of the false flash forward style Vecna vision insistance lately is because it's playing into the point you're making - this exists to negate anything positive happening to any character, especially Byler.

It just seems every single happy or Byler focused idea based on set hint conjecture or something showing any character alive is "Oh that's just a vecna vision." Why??? But I definitely agree - there will be something major going on with the Wheelers. I'm not sure I believe anyone in general is going to be suspended in the air with headphones on as Vecna shows them everything they’ve ever wanted unless they join him. It seems too far fetched. Maybe I'm gonna eat my words in a year.

Frustrating for sure that there's this reluctance to allow thoughts of a happy ending - and I get it, I get it, I get it, being burned by media and not trusting mainstream television, but this show is not like other shows!! And what did the creators say - the show is based around heart, not cynicism. I think with the fanfic-feeling argument - well, yeah, fanfic fills in the gaps and our biggest gap is the ending and we as fans want a happy ending. Not controversial or shocking. So, it's remiss to call a positive outcome "fanfic" when the show is going to get there! It's got horror elements but it's not a tragic television show, that's not indicative of the medium. Love triumphs. Love being friendship and family and romantic love and hope.

I think this is all a symptom of a cynical world. And literally this show is about hope and heart ❤️❤️❤️

[creepyfruit]

hiii so glad u had fun playing iwatex! im sending this from my main but my iwatex blog is dillypillars <3 what endings have you gotten so far and how do you feel about them?

Hi, I actually love your blog omg

I haven't had many runs in the game yet, rn I'm in the first year of my fourth, but here's the three runs I've done so far.

1st run:

Bestie: Cal

Romance: Tang

Ending: tangent's cure

Alignment: 80 Loyalty

Augment: Eagle Eyes

Like I already mentioned in a previous post tangent's cure traumatized me to the point were I haven't gotten over 30 hearts with my girl tang in any other play through. The whole ecocide that I help cause paired with the fact that Cal (who gets shot and killed in that ending) was my bestie and also all the regular first play through deaths (Tammy, Uncle Tonin, Kom, the old governor I forgot her name, both of Sol's parents, professor Hal) made me feel so horrible. Your home girl managed to eradicate a whole planet and half the cast in one play through 😍🤞.

The one thing I absolutely loved about this ending was the angst. Romancing Tangent and seeing that vision/dream in one of the later years with the planet bare of life and her crying and apologizing was so confusing but hurtful. And then I actually got the ending and omg my hearttt. Poor Tang crying while that lunatic Lum pulled her up on stage and praised and congratulated her broke me. But the icing on the cake is what came after, Sol following Tang after she run of stage. Honestly I might go back to that save to try the other dialogue options but the whole scene of Sol finding out she helped cause this and then the truth about how Lum was forcing them do it and finally Sol forgiving Tang and telling her she still loves her. Ouch

2nd run

Bestie: Nem

Romance: Marz

Ending: Standard Ending as a Novelist

Alignment: 100 rebellion

Augment: Calm Temperament

My second play through was much more uneventful and light-hearted. I still managed to somehow forget to save uncle Tonin and I couldn't save my parents but the fact that Tammy was alive and that I focused on all the yellow stats set me up for a peaceful run. I worked in places I hadn't touched before and therefore I got a lot of fun and cute little work events. My absolute favourite thing about this run (beside the Marz romance ofc) was the whole secret club thing. It was soooo cute and such a sweet reminder that, hey these are still a bunch of little kids. Also the art piece of them solving that mystery is so close to my heart simply because of how adorable Tang looks in it.

I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't stay with Marz in the end but it makes for a realistic story that's for sure (also Marz getting with Tang for a short while after the break up made me giggle, my ship has sailed) I also didn't mange to work at the bar enough so the twins didn't get their moment.

3rd run:

Bestie: Dys

Romance: Nem

Ending: Disabling the Array

Alignment: 80 rebellion

Augment: Super Strength

My latest play through was interesting to say the least. I managed to save my mom finally although I didn't have high enough empathy at the time my dad died (stupid shimmer I have no idea how to cure it yet) and our relationship went to shit. I really wanted to focus on explorations and meeting Sym and I achieved that. I actually thought that disabling the array was a great compromise and I would consider it the best ending if it didn't force me to become besties with Vace in the epilogue, minus points for nemmie breaking up with me as well. I don't like Sym but I still felt kinda bad for taking away his immortality but at the end of the day between submission to the stupid gardeners and constant glow attacks I'll take this ending without a doubt.

Yet another ending were I couldn't keep Dys at the colony because he, yet again, disappeared and was never seen again. I was pretty certain that he wouldn't like this path given how much he sympathises with the gardeners for reasons I still can't understand but it still sucked to see him go since him and Sol spent so much time as expedition buddies. I honestly wish the creators didn't push this ending as the "asshole military dude who wants to kill all the poor animals". Like no I just want to leave peacefully while admiring and coexisting with the planet's native flora and fauna without having the ai soldiers over my head trying to kill me very year.

[lilac-udon]

long alien stage thought will be a rough summery of all videos spoilers

I'm very new to this, so information might be missed, very messy english i wrote it for myself blehhhhh

round 1

mizi and sua, an entry with the mystery of what alien stage is. I like the stage is much smaller compared to the Round 5,6. They did a great chorus to tie their score. How Sua was supposed to be shorter but on the stage, they stand at equal height( high heels?), fitting the plan that they want so sync together and letting the audience hard to pick one winner.

In additional comics, they did explain Sua's plan to let Mizi win, I was so confused about how Sua made it work, but I found it might be how Sua placed her mic very far away in some scenes. Sua and Ivan are the logical and top students, Sua should have won easily but also have the ability make it seem like she was so close to Mizi points but still lost like naturally. I always feel like as the poster child of the alien stage, they have big plans for Sua. However, in the actual videos, sadly we have so little about her, adding how it crushed Mizi , there isn't any additional song from mizi that talks more about Sua. Different from till, we see his perspective of mizi, and Ivan gives many contexts of the place they grew up, himself, and Till from their songs.

all in all, for sua, I felt that to balance the story they will let Sua use some shape or form, whether memory or other ways to fulfill her lack of involvement.

mizisua

I will talk about this video first out of order to continue Mizi and Sua's story. Mizi is treated like a favorite cat, whereas sua is treated like an actual pet and badly. I always like this storytelling of picking Mizi as the MC, she is the most like us, humans that are not under the abuse of alien. From an owner who took good care of her, she is innocent, which is not normal in alien stage environments, she is rare. From the official, we see Sua owner has many "children" pets, and I like how Ivan and Mizi who are treated more decently have their names on their arms, and Till and Sua on their necks, which is more degrading, and convenience Mizi has her hair dyed blue for alien stage, she was looking forward to it. and I like the symbolism of how it was cut in ALL IN

side note of the children Ivan and Sua are top and popular students, Mizi is good at sports, Till likes to compose and is talent with instruments(they added they want him to skip grad which I often think if he the youngest in his class), hyuna can mimic voice(?)and natural leader, luka is a genius at singing but has health problems.

round 2

I want till to sing rock pop inspire style music again… his song is just a huge "I like you mizi, please cheer up! " the song to me is till very hot headly shut his opponent and get what he wants, attention from mizi, to wake mizi up from misery. In till eyes, mizi is pure and beautiful, I saw someone stated it like this" till sees mizi as his god, a coping mechanism considering how much he's been abused. He knows mizi is out of reach but her existence is enough for him to keep going." I have a lot to say here, first, they grow up together around 10 years and it's weird to me how sided and feel like a fresh crush. Till really kept his distance, might be the face he subconsciously knows mizi is with sua so he always put himself as an admire position. His point of view is solely on mizi but not the entire mizi, like he don't know much as a whole. But I guess this is an abusive situation because Till is very focused on what he wants to see. From the new annverisy art we also see till is on a device that makes him focuses on playing instruments. I was thinking he might be train to do that due to pain, and that's why he is composing all the time. This behavior also greatly affects him to be very focused on the things that bring him joy, mizi, and music.(guess Back to the video, He was impatient and disregarded his opponent(another person he knew from 10+yr), maybe changed the song too? , at least it became a solo after mizi felt miserable. When his opponent finally sang , he smashed his guitar to catch mizi's attention but leads to himself getting beat off the stage. And it's important that he was unconscious until the very end of round 3

round 3

black sorrow is so moving, and I can feel the weight and despair Ivan is definitely my favorite character, but that might be also a flaw in the story because he is the only character who feels like is giving a complete story, everyone is still halfway but Ivan has a started to finish. And besides that there is so much details and mystery on him which confuse me are they going to do more with this character that already feels like have more story them the mc .Even though both songs are screaming "I love you till" it also is super throughout of why he is that way, how he met till and why he likes till, etc in the song. I don't blame his action for being weird because I feel like this should be the norm in alien stage setting, those children all live under trauma and like mizi to Till, till is Ivan's purpose in life. And is also sad Ivan has so maybe symbolism of seeking freedom but he still stay by till. noted, ivan is the creepy kid, much like Luka, but when he got more mature, he was made to be a perfect model. From the round 3 video, the quality goes up, and we can see Ivan never has a collar if so, it's green(You can compare it with the other two kids on the left, at least one of them are obviously showing red, but he is green

So my question is, why does he not have a collar? What I can think of, the collar does not working on him, it's always green. second, his owner give him the privilege of not wearing one. the late one is a theory I saw, saying the alien implanted the device into his neck. second mystery, why is this boy so good at opening keys or collar??? I saw that the theory is from the first shot of getting throwing off the building, he might have try to escape with all the kids etc but still get caught, this boy is built to escape

this part I think the creator confirmed (i might be wrong) that it was Ivan's doing to lead mizi till to the cave. I think it might have this scene of till chasing the flower crown may be Ivan POV , i was thinking till might be chasing mizi or mizi is call for help, (like maybe the flower crown can fly in this universe but? we already know it camera so maybe it real they can also fly lol) Why I say this is because till collar is red, so some people has speculated it might be a heart rate for changing color but I still like to think is more of emotion detecting. So till’s face might be in panic but it looks claim in ivan pov right now, and then after the spark in the eyes, Ivan falls in love bleh bleh bleh. My interpretation is he was still testing till at this point so he set up the dog alien. and he likes the spirit of Tills giving. And the second seance he broke till out and the rest is history.

Also till is asleep most of the song so I was guessing in the garden Ivan probably already openly and straightforwardly confessed to till before but till brushes it off. I am not sure about this one, because rather till awake or not it won't change much anyway, I just think it’s ironic, that this is probably a love song for till, but till missed most of it

can I also say I think Ivan rigged the game to at least let till not face Luka or mizi first, or else I think his luck is pretty good. Also Ivan’s stage is super fancy, which I also think because he got more sponsor

round 5

soooooooooooooo, I was always confused about this part, why is part 4 an opponent in a bathtub thing on the stage? then I have a theory that this is not on the stage but Luka has the authority to see the fallen opponent. So in theory even though they are pets, my hopeful thinking is aliens still won't randomly waste their body, and how the official said Luka's owners are making the perfect contestant, can I believe they are storing the bodies? Luka is a test baby, a clone or other test is a possibility, and Luka might know more due to his ower and being a previous winner. also, this is a far fetch one, but the hair looks short and black, not like his round 4 opponent of long and brown hair sooo

I really like this, Luka is spinning around Miz like he's the moon and she's the planet

the problem is this is Luka from are point first time on screen competing, but we know this round 5 is made for him, and many symbolisms of the moon. How Luka was the previous winner and how I speculated that mizi was the most normal of the group, she was at the lowest winning level he is mocking mizi in every way, how alike he sings like sua, how the lyric, this part of he showing how much his fans love him when he is singing giving mizi the whole world

next one, I think many have already pointed out, those guards are weirdly all human in size and shape, are they robots or…?

I do need to point out , the style greatly changed in this where, round 5,6 we all feel like there is a huge time skip. It might be just the art style change or really time passes a lot, and that not impossible to see ing how till get gig in between rounds 5 to 6, it might also be years due to alien years might be translated differently to human years. to sum up, the timeline is confusing, however, round 1,2,3,4 happen at a similar time due to seeing them all in pods with the same clothing, and till faint between round 2 and woke up at round 3

back to Mizisua video, like how I said Luka resembles moon, and hyuna often associated with the earth, this is probably a human-resistant train? and on the left corner, there's an earth sticker, it might be represent humans as a whole but also hyuna

top 3

this got me confused, ok so the setting is humans are too fragile, short-living , and maybe not as intelligent as aliens so are seen as pets. Even though alien has similar fashions and make idol culture of human. Alien stage is an occurring thing and quite a big thing in this universe? so I see it like horse betting? with a lot of gambling including that can events rise an alien wealth a lot ?

I have no idea about this image but some mention something about religion, alien stage has a lot about believe in god and such but I don't have much to say currently, have no further useful thoughts about this

All In

repeat again, how the owner looks all huger but the guards look stupidly human shape and small like a human??? Aren't there big efficient robots or aliens???

farfetched because this also might be a fashion thing but the military dog tag thing is extremely human culture? it has been 50 alien stage, consider luka age of 30, mizi age of 22 , for example, if will be around 5 years each alien stage apart it should be going on for 200+ years? of human adoption, this should be rare. but whatever, I also have a theory this guy is an old solder guard thing but hasn't been brainwashed that hard but this is very silly. But why are you so buff ok? you guys should be suffering with limited resources idk. Secret military for humans only because if aliens handle humans they will squish to death easily that's my stupid theory

So the thing about luka and hyuna, good toxic straight. Luka is obsessed with hyuna and conflict with her bother and her bother dies. I did wrote a theory of hyuna and her bother anniversary art of they might be testing which on is superior or something and luka knowing that get rid of her bother etc. the blue hand showing Luka’s bad health

I always question why hyuna let mizi join the mission( obviously for plot reason and she the mc), bc Mizi should be like cage canary, super unhelpful in this situation saving till and Ivan, she is emotionally and physically not very suitable for rescue missions. My thoughts,she beg to help Ivan till because they are her only friends left, or second reason , time might pass a lot in-between , she is now able to join , third, she knows the alien stage interior design which is helpful for them. I go with the time skip then plus everything above. I also feel like because the human resistance success once they got a bit cocky, I think might be a art design thing but just how little people accompany concern me

All in is the only song not a love song but more a self love song, saw someone point out the color in the song represents emotion which is a nice touch

round 6

Till leading first I always see is the opponent let you take a bit of advantage, also how the songs go, Ivan's part is mostly the following one, not the main. That's how I felt, I'm not good with music so forget what I wort

till looks miserable, I almost don't recognize him, maybe it's the style or the time jump, he looks mature. The stage design is beautiful don't get me wrong but with the rain and lighting, I'm just going to assume it's fake and muted, bc for a singing contest, this is really a natural disaster, we won't be hearing anything from the rain, and lighting, but it's dramatic though!

I'm honestly confused about this part, it a may or may not happen, but just pointing out that they tried to collar him but possibly drugged him in the end. There may be patron information that I didn't know because I'm very confused as to what the collar is for. Let owners know how their pets are feeling and determine their level of danger. or devices to soothe them? besides the white collar till is usually seen with choker-like things, is it the same as the collar or?

the part he sees young mizi is sad, this leads more of Mizi is a coping mechanism, crush too but in time thinking of her , and the positive part of her is the only way he can cop his pain

and there already dozens of theory and thoughts about the last part so I'm goanna end it here

sum up I was thinking so hard about how they will continue because everyone automatically see till isn't able to win Luka(it's true though) and I have no idea how it should continue because it will definitely not be a traditional round 7 due to till’s state. Also wonder how the aliens will do for having two incidents of contestant violence toward one another, and Ivan being the fan favorite probably will have more delay for the last round with the organizer needing to give a response at least to the aliens. (Was thinking they make a glass to block luka and till for stage 7, would be fun, also if you really want you can jump down the stage)Mizi and hyuna are in trouble. How the overall story is very Ivan-heavy, due to him having the fullest arc. Are we getting a hyuna and Luka duit ? I really don't know how, if till sings again, it will be SUA- 2 Mizi-2 Ivan-2 Luka1 hyuna-1 song , till is going to sing a third song in this order , which is more then mc , Mizi. Will the series end? at round 7 or it will go scifi and much more to balance the song? (probably not bc all the players are dead, my hopeful thinking though )

in conclusion, I want till to sing rock again

[barbatos-sama]

oh my god there's even More content i didn't know about. there were a few little shorts that apparently came out a few months ago, apparently they aired literally The Day the company shut down and were nuked shortly after, but someone reuploaded them

the most interesting one was a mostly unserious one where sun and neptune are playing detective trying to find out what happened to team roobie, but in an annoying way since all their friends have accepted they're dead but sun and neptune are being super unserious about it so that's kind of disrespectful of them imo. but what surprised me was that it seems they were filled in on stuff i thought nobody was supposed to know besides our main characters, like oz being reincarnated into oscar and the existence of the maidens. i was sitting here like???? they told these dinguses??? now i'm wondering if ruby actually told the public Everything during her message to the world, like all about oz and the maidens and relics and everything???? the message was cut away from in and out during the scene it took place to focus on penny so i suppose that's possible, but i feel like being Completely honest with the world is kind of,, dangerous? letting the public know about the relics, which are super important and dangerous in the wrong hands, and about maidens, who anyone could kill to obtain their power? not the best choice. they end up seeing some important people having a meeting, winter/raven/oz/qrow, the headmaster of the vacuo academy; and a mysterious shadowed figure that they ponder could be the summer maiden but say themselves that they hope it's not because there's too many characters in this story so far (cheeky meta because fans complain abt them adding too many characters instead of expanding on ones we already have). raven finally cooperating with the others is good, seems we now have two maidens on our side, three if that mystery person is actually a maiden.

another one is jaune and oscar having a kind of therapy talk, jaune venting about how he feels out of place having lived a whole life in the ever after as an adult and now coming back to his friends who it feels like he's spent a lifetime away from. he doesn't know who 'jaune' is anymore and doesn't know how he's supposed to go on or if things will be okay. he talks about his adventures with alyx and lewis in the ever after when oscar prompts him to think of the good things that happened there, plus oz in general just offering some advice as someone whose spent lifetimes on earth. oscar and oz are merging together more and more but both are trying to fight it.

another one is the adventures of Somewhat, the ascended form of little the mouse from the ever after, with their steed juniper. they wander through the place exploring and helping people at the request of the blacksmith including the red prince. something very interesting is that a portal(?) opens in front of them and they say something along the lines of "hello again" or "welcome back" (can't remember which) and we don't see who came through the portal but i'm super curious. it's someone somewhat knows but hasn't seen in a while. is it neo??? i have no idea.

and finally there's one where ruby and yang go to get boba together and yang apologizes for her part in ruby's breakdown, saying she's sorry for making ruby feel like she can't talk about her problems. they come up with a safe word for when you need help but are too afraid to ask, 'boba'. definitely the most intriguing part was that they actually acknowledged taiyang's absence. even They don't know exactly where he is. they were told he's on a mission right now but yang is what "what is more important than Here." which is a great question because presumedly he had been filled in on his daughters 'dying', surely if he found out they were actually alive he'd want to see them right away?? this legit has me wondering if taiyang killed himself and qrow doesn't want to tell them. losing both his wives Then both his daughters, it would be understandable unfortunately. i feel like maybe the show might not be brave enough to do that but who knows, i can't think of many things that would keep him away from his daughters.

overall what the fuck, how did i never hear about these. i guess all the news of the company shutting down really did bury these shorts. there's a lot of valuable stuff here.

[billpottsismygf]

That was a really well written episode, with some great sci-fi concepts and amazing character work. It obviously gives a slightly Midnight energy, with these mysterious creatures copying people, but it manages to be completely its own thing. The only place it really fell down were the effects, which is such a shame.

To get that out of the way, the body stretching stuff could have been really effective and creepy, but it mostly just came off very silly. After the incredible production values last episode, it's such a jump down. My suspicion is that The Star Beast and The Giggle were incredibly expensive, and that this was the budget-saving episode - just our main two actors and a spaceship set - but they tried to combine it with a story that required body horror to work, and sadly that element just didn't. Funnily enough, I noticed as the opening credits rolled that it was directed by Tom Kingsley, the original director of Ghosts, and I remember that the reason Ghosts hired him was because of his ability to do special effects on the cheap. Sadly, while I think he could get away with ghosts walking through walls in a budget-saving manner, here it just looks like David Tennant and Catherine Tate have been messed around awkwardly in photoshop and it totally took me out of the horror and the tension the episode was trying to build. It would have been far better, and still would have saved money, if we had barely been shown what they actually looked like and instead focused on Donna and the Doctor's reactions. Once the creatures started to stabilise and to look basically human, it was a fantastic episode, though.

Catherine Tate and David Tennant were on top form throughout, bringing so much comedy and also drama when necessary. I love the subtlety of their performances as the entities. When Donna started monologuing about how her family would react to her being gone, I thought it was an odd acting choice for the Doctor to be slightly smiling, but it turns out it was a genius acting choice.

Speaking of genius choices: Flux! Ahhhh, I cann't express how pleased I am with the way this episode tackled it. Trust RTD to do what Chris Chibnall totally failed to do and actually give it weight (gravity, one might say). Actually seeing the Doctor express emotions about it and have a complicated guilt over the whole thing was so goddamn cathartic. I've posted extensively in the past about how disappointing it was that the Flux seemed to not matter at all once it was over (Half the universe was destroyed, hello? The Doctor committed triple genocide without batting an eyelid, and both that and the destruction of the universe might as well have not happened by the next episode???), and RTD just swooped in and made it work with one scene. I also liked the acknowledgement that the Doctor doesn't know where they're from. I think that was perfect. I know there are people who want Chris Chibnall's run to be ignored, but I'd much rather the approach RTD is taking, which is to take those things and turn them into character moments.

This is one that I'm really looking forward to rewatching. Despite the goofy effects taking me out of what are meant to be suspenseful moments, it was a really effective episode, and what a joy to see David and Catherine at the height of their abilities bouncing off each other for an entire hour.

Small things:

Not so small, but Wilf! Wilf! Wilf! Wilf!!!! I'm so happy to see him <3 And the episode was dedicated to Bernard Cribbins' memory <3

Seeing Donna getting left behind genuinely had me terrified. I'd seen people speculating about Donna dying in these specials, which I rejected as not going to happen, but oh boy I really thought they might just do it here. My headache ramped right up as my heartrate did!

I loved seeing the Doctor having to get by without the TARDIS and the sonic, especially given how many new powers the latter was given last week.

The TARDIS was so extra this episode. Why was she playing Wild Blue Yonder as they arrived and left? I liked the anti-war discussion with Donna's teacher vs Wilf, echoed somewhat in the entities' experience of the universe, but I wonder if it'll have any further relevance.

The whole 'mavity' thing was very silly, but I also kind of liked it. Newton going for 'mavity' over gravity doesn't really make sense, given that gravity had an etymological reason to be called that - as my friend said, something like 'gravitude' or whatever would make more sense - but whatever. It was silly and kept making me laugh. I wonder if, as with the salt thing, there's an implication that messing with history might have a hand in summoning the Toymaker...

Oh, on the topic of Newton! Canon queer Fourteen! I like that the Doctor continues to be canonically queer now. I mean, my personal favourite Doctor headcanon is aro-ace all the way, but if I can't have that I'm overjoyed to have him think Newton is hot.

[littleragondin]

i wanna hear your wheel spins

PLEASE

OMG 🙈 well, thank you for asking and sorry in advance for the potential word cascade... the wheel spins are done using the wonderful tool made by @lovesickfolly (thank you for this 💜💜)

I have NO self control so I ran the wheel with three different actors lol

First I picked Pawin because he is my favorite plus he's pretty versatile and I want him in everything. The wheel picked Pepper. Both are 27 so I would love an out of school setting for them please. Pawin I'm confident could make it work with anybody (still salty about his aborted crumbs with Satang). I think I'd like something a little more serious/dark for those two, something about grief or guilt maybe? Very "two person who shouldered heartbreak and trauma and responsibilities too early find each other and, in the midst of it all, find comfort in the other and, perhaps, get a chance to start healing" kind of story you know? It would probably need an ensemble cast (at least one of them needs a family with siblings - mostly bc I'm a sucker for siblings and the emotional weight they can bring). There would be a lot of crying. A lot of warmth, too. Specifically I would like a hopeful but not fairytale end. I think I'd really like to see them get a shot at two very hurt, very scarred people trying to build something together.

And then I picked Pod because I saw him get the 2nd lead treatment in the Wandee Goodday's trailer this morning and thought he deserved to get the boy somewhere today xd. For him, the wheel gave me Ford. Was a little unsure at first, but you know what? they could give me a nice age-gap romance. Not necessarily something groundbreaking, but Ford has such a soft and charming presence he would do great in a very classic tropey romance. Maybe something about a slightly jaded and over worked Pod (who works from home) learning to love again (maybe he's out of a bad divorce, or he's just generally disappointed by love) with the adorable new neighbor (they meet because Ford has lost his cat (a grumpy thing as old as he is) and tries to see if the neighbors saw him. The beast has been hanging on Pod's sofa for the last week and a half). Something cute and fluffy, a little comedic (while I have my reservations about his character, Pod was very funny in Tonhon Chonlatee). There will be a "taking care of the other when he gets sick" scene. Ford has to sing somehow. And wear an apron (he wants to cook something to thank Pod for taking care of the cat. It fails catastrophically. Maybe Pod could teach him next time? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Finally, I picked Mike (like you kfdsaj;kla) because. I just always find him delightful in everything I see him in. The wheel gave me Phuwin - because apparently the wheel said it's an age-gap day lol. And while they are not that far apart in age, my mind immediately jumped to Beyond Evil for some reason. So while I don't think I'd want something as dark for them, I think it could be fun to see them in some sort of thriller with Mike as a competent but a bit 'out there' detective (the leather jacket and bike are a must, I make the rules here) having to work with a straight laced, brilliant and young ... either detective or lawyer or SOMETHING for Phuwin (who has to wear glasses, again my game, my rules) and see them learn to tolerate then appreciate then love each other, including a climax involving one of them almost dying in the other's arms. Who nearly dies I leave to chance, throw the dices about it. There would be so much bickering. Some wound tending, obviously. Phuwin's character clinging to Mike's for dear life the first time he takes him on the bike. Protecting each other. Yeah I would love to see that actually.

This makes me realize, once again, how branding pairs robs me (yes, me, personally) of so. many. options. (even if the only branded pair actor in my selection is Phuwin, my comment still stand xd)

[ripeteeth]

Omgg you repliedd!!! Indeed the creative process is messy and i thought it's really a herculean task to ask anyone about their process but thank you so much for such a comprehensive detailed answer. I wil surely read up on the authors and books you have recommended and try to dissect them. Would love to also read the minotaur and Theseus story.

I'll mull about your answer for a couple times until I figure out what it means for me and how to apply it.

If you don't mind, here are some problems that i face in writing and i would love your advice :

it's plot and dialogue. When i sit down to write dialogue it's almost as if i forget how do people even talk .

2. I don't know how to plot, i have a kernel of an idea, characters and their journey but i drive into a blank wall when i think about how to actually extend the idea to a story, how to write incidents,scenes and events . I have no answer to the question 'What next? '

3. Another problem, what are you supposed to do to when you have a list of different ideas but don't know where to start from? which one to pick?

4. Also there can be a host of different possiblities for each story or ending, how are you supposed to pick?

5. My main problem is my inabiity to extend an idea to a story, to actually realise what is in my head into words on a paper. It's driving me crazy for years and i would be so so greateful for some relief.

I hope I am not being persistant and an inconvenience for pestering you with these messages and my troubles.

Also you are an excellent writer, please never doubt yourself.

You have indeed made my month too.

Hmm, honestly most of these aren't something I can answer. I can't direct you to which idea to pick or which ending to write, that's something you have to determine for yourself. And I feel you, it can be very hard! Sometimes you just have to throw all the ideas in a hat and pick one at random and commit to it.

That's the real key. Don't give up. Your draft is gonna be shitty. You're gonna miss scenes and it's gonna be terrible. That's a first draft. And usually a second. It gets better as you keep going, but if you bounce around - or never start - then you don't have anything to edit and expand on. Just pick something at random and start putting the words on the page.

Plotting is difficult and I always struggle with it. I frequently like using the Snowflake Method, which begins with your broad ideas for the story and helps drill down and determine the smaller ideas and scenes to further and support it. But nothing will tell you which scenes are required to further your story, only you will know that. I frequently like to work backward. For example, I'm writing a story where Victor Frankenstein and the Creature fall in love. So, I ask myself, okay how does Victor get over his animosity for the Creature? What forces them to interact? I saw one of my final scenes as a reversal of the ending of Frankenstein, in that I wanted to find Victor bent over the Creature's dying body and mourning him, desperate to keep him. So then I work backward. Why is the Creature dying? What happened to get him to this point? What brought Victor to be present? Why does Victor now care?

There are lots of different plot structures out there and everyone will tell you that they've got it all figured out, but the fun thing is that there really isn't one way to plot a book. You can be creative. The trouble is the paradox of choice. We have so many options that it makes it hard to figure out the right option for us. You might get midway through your story and decide you don't like the plot structure. That's happened to me. Sometimes you have to go back and rewrite, sometimes you can reorganize scenes. It's all a part of the process.

Working backward works well for me, but it's absolutely not the only method. There are a lot of great books on writing and fiction that have addressed this far more intensively and eloquently than I ever could! I really recommend Craft In The Real World by Matthew Salesses; Steering The Craft by Ursula K. LeGuin; Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott; Meander, Spiral, Explode: Design and Pattern in Narrative by Jane Alison; and The Writing Life by Annie Dillard. There are some great online resources like The Center for Fiction, classes like Gotham Writers Workshop, and a lot of libraries offer free workshops and lectures for aspiring writers or can direct you to a wealth of other resources that I haven't even thought of.

When it comes to dialogue, the best thing a writing instructor ever told me was to steal from real life. Pay attention to conversations you have and hear around you. Write them down. Be a magpie of everything. I have a constant note running in my phone of things I hear. When I notice dialogue I really love in books or shows, I mark the passages and try to learn to write in that way. To mimic it. Like right now I'm going over the Succession script book to study the dialogue as it's just absolutely incredible. There's really no better way. Look at the stuff you admire, try to pick it apart and make it your own.

I hope this helps in any way! I know it's difficult and hard to navigate, but I really really do rec those writing books as resources, they've helped me immensely and I think you'll find gold in there.

[th3worstinm3]

The Whole Damn World

okay so I might've gotten carried away? uh the idea is there I hope it's great and tell me if you'd like more parts to this because im debating if i should make it into a series or not :3 ALSO I CAN'T COME UP WITH A TITLE HELP ME WITH THAT AS WELL PLEASE

Noah x OFC (Olivia) (also this story isn't completely proofread so I'm sorry for any mistakes!!)

RPF -> Don't like it? Don't read

☆ | This story contains mentions of drugs and NSFW scenarios

There weren't many things that pissed off Noah, he was a pretty calm person, after all. It's just- her gaze on him is so damn annoying. Annoying because he can't help but stare back at her. Annoying because no matter how hard he tried not to, he liked it when she looked at him. Annoying because he craved it every day of his life.

You see, Olivia wasn't that popular of a girl, she wasn't even the prettiest in the class; still Noah couldn't help but be dragged towards her. Her skin was a light tan, and her eyes were annoyingly beautiful. Very light blue with tints of gray who stared right at his soul. Her hair was mid length, not too long, but not too short either; and it had a black color to it, dyed clearly because you could see her roots starting to show themselves. She had a fringe that covered the left side of her face, and she always wore the same jewelry every time. Her lips were pierced. Noah didn't know what it was about her that he liked so much; she was just another girl in the classroom, after all.

He wasn't the most popular either, but he had a couple friends in the class. He didn't really like them that much, they were junior year assholes who thought they were cool for having sex and smoking weed. Noah wasn't into that, he just wanted to finish school and continue doing what he loved the most; music. Even though the music scene and environment, especially the one he was in, the heavy one, involved a lot of fucked up things, he wasn't that kid. He wasn't a problem child, nah, he prefered to lock himself on his grandparents' basement and write his silly little tunes. Also, his grades were actually good, despite all the issues he's been having lately with his family.

But anyways, there he is, looking at her as she's distracted drawing something in her notebook. Chin in hand, all what the teacher was saying was long lost in his brain, as the only thing he could concentrate on right now was her. He sat a couple sits in front of and on the left of her. She always sat in a corner in the back of the class, next to the window. She liked looking outside at the birds. Noah eyed her arm as she placed a strand of hair behind her ear, and he saw tattoos. A Bring Me The Horizon tattoo. He didn't know she was into them. By her looks, you could've guessed she was into Tokio Hotel, or Emarosa.

He was interested now.

• ☆ •

P.E. class was the worst class, in Noah's opinion. He hated exercising. He always felt out of breath and he got tired easily. Just walking fast could get him agitated. He didn't like basketball. I mean, he liked watching games on TV, but he didn't like playing it, especially as a school subject. He stopped, wiped his forehead with the back of his arm and looked to his side. There she was, far away, sitting on the steps, drawing in her notebook with headphones on.

He thought about walking over to her and sitting next to her. He was about to even, when his teacher shouted his last name. He groaned and went back to the match, eyeing her one last time. The universe always found its way to fuck up everything whenever he tried to get closer to her. It was damn unfair. He wanted to get to know her more.

The bell rang, and he stopped harshly, panting slightly. He fucking hated p.e. class. Goddamn it. He looked up, and cheered on the inside when he saw she was still sitting, drawing and bobbing her head slowly. He wanted to sit down next to her, and talk to her, and see her. Just as he was about to pick up the courage to walk over to her, he saw her look to the side and place her headphones over her shoulders.

He looked at the same direction, and saw a group of girls calling her name. Oh. So she had friends after all. He saw how she tossed everything inside her bag, stand up tidy her clothes and walk over to the group. They all looked like her, so he guessed they were all pretty close. He sighed, giving up. Maybe next time.

• ☆ •

God he was tired as FUCK. All he wanted to do was sleep. Sleep and forget about the world and everything and everyone. Forget about his feelings and his so called "friends". Forget about her. He wanted to forget her, get her out of his mind. Whenever he closed his eyes she was there, and he despised that! Why couldn't she leave him alone?

Last night he stayed up late, 4:30am, writing something for his band. Three and a half hours writing for it to be thrown away with a "not our style." Fuck them, honestly fuck his bandmates. He cursed them. I mean, they were friends, of course! They just always found a way to get him pissed off; often commenting on his appearance, his body, his guitar playing skills. It was exhausting. Still, he knew he would be nothing without them. They got him out of many holes he had fallen in, and he thanked them for that. It's just, lately their relationship has been changing for the worse. He was starting to hang out with Nicholas more, and they didn't like that. They didn't like Nicholas, because he always told Noah he should leave the band, and he always blamed them for being the root of his insecurities. He was right, though. Maybe he should leave them and start a new chapter.

" Sebastian Davis. " He was taken by surprise. He quickly looked up, wide eyes, and everyone staring at him. He felt himself grow smaller on his seat. " Could you please read? It is your turn. " Teacher said. Noah hated literature class. The teacher was an old, fat woman who smelled bad with a horrible humor and she was always blaming him for everything. He cleared his throat, and realized he had forgotten the book at home. He looked down, and shaked his head. The teacher sighed, and called the next person. He heard his friends laugh at him and whisper something.

He wanted the Earth to swallow him whole.

He folded his arms over his desk, and placed his head on them, facing the window. It was a cloudy day, and he could see some lightning in the distance. He closed his eyes, listening to the girl behind him read. Her voice was a bit high pitched, kind of annoying, but bearable. He felt something hit his back. He groaned and loked back; his friends were laughing quietly. He rolled his eyes and decided to ignore them, going back to his original position.

" Miss Olivia, please continue. " The mentioned looked up from her notebook, nodded and then looked at her own book. Noah eyed her tiredly, analyzing her facial features. He found himself smiling slightly when she struggled to find the page. He shook his head and hid his face between his arms, deciding to ignore how adorable she looked when she pushed her glasses up with her index finger.

She started reading after a deep breath. Noah's eyebrows furrowed; this is the first time he's actually heard her voice. It was soft, kinda low. She had an accent, that's for sure, like English wasn't her first language; she still spoke it almost perfectly. Her voice was soothing. He found himself relaxing his shoulders. He wondered how that voice would sound like close to his ear, whispering his name. He shook the thoughts away once they started wandering further. Goddamn it Noah. The last thing he heard was her voice, before he unconsciously fell asleep.

•

A hand on his shoulder brought him back. He stirred tiredly and groaned, looking to his side with hooded eyes. There they were; eyes like diamonds staring back at him, eyebrows slightly furrowed and a small smile. Her face was pretty, her features soft as a porcelain doll. Now that he could see her closer, he noticed the freckles adorning her nose and cheeks. Cute.

" Uh, the class finished. You fell asleep and I figured you might want to go home. " She spoke, shy and small. He blinked a couple times, and straightened up when her hand left his body. He yawned and stretched, the folded position he fell asleep in making his muscles ache. She was still there standing, holding her notebook under her arm and her backpack hanged on only one of her shoulders. He looked around, they were alone, and he heard some talking from outside the room, along with shadows of people walking towards the exit. He saw her jump as thunder roared in the background. He found this annoyingly adorable. She was adorable.

She pulled the hood of her jacket to her head, and took one of the straps and played with it, looking at her feet which were slightly rocking forwards and backwards. " Are we leaving or do you wanna stay here... " She asked, almost in a whisper. His eyes widened, a slurred out apology leaving his lips. He quickly placed everything in his bag and stood up, grabbing the jacket from the back on his chair and putting it on clumsily. She tilted her head with a small smile. " Drop Dead? I have a lot of their merch. " She smiled. Noah looked at her. He was slightly taller than her, almost towering over her body.

A breathy "yeah" left his lips as he grabbed his bag, placing it a bit too harshly on his shoulders. He realized they were looking at each other.

Looking down and fringe hiding his rosy cheeks, he started walking towards the door. Small but fast steps followed after him, and he realized they were walking side to side. He smiled to himself and cheered on the inside. Big win. He congratulated himself; he was too shy to talk to girls, and way too insecure to ask them out, so walking side to side with a pretty girl was definitely a win. Still, he felt small around her; he wasn't the big handsome man, he was just a teenager with long hair who everyone called gay and insulted, and she was like- the prettiest girl in the world, in words of Noah.

His thoughts started wandering to that dark palace, and he started spiraling down; clearly no one in their right mind would want to be with him, there were other people way prettier than him and he was just a dirtbag who played in a band and listened to heavy music, the weirdo, some would say.

" Noah? " A soft voice spoke. He looked up; dark cinnamon met calm ocean. Her head was tilted and her expression denoted worry. He wanted to hear his name fall from her lips over and over again; he saved that memory in the things-to-jerk-off-to section of his brain. He then noticed she was covering herself with her arm. " You stopped walking, it's raining Noah you're getting wet, " She giggled. His eyes widened, noticing he was, indeed, soaked wet. He cursed under his breath. She smirked at him and started walking again; he noticed how she stepped in every puddle, slightly splashing water. He smiled to himself and followed behind her.

They were far away from the building, but they were still walking in the same direction. The thought they lived close to each other sparked hope in his heart, but his expression dropped when she stopped at a crossroads. " I'm going that way, " She pointed to the right; he had to go to the left. He groaned. " I uh... I'll see you tomorrow. " She smiled at him, and he felt his heart swell with love. He smiled sideways and held up a piece sign as he started walking backwards. She turned around, and went her way. He did the same.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Cinderella and the Secret Prince (2018)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

There's something particularly devastating about watching a bad movie that could’ve been good if circumstances beyond the filmmaker’s control hadn’t mucked things up. Right before the end credits of Cinderella and the Hidden Prince, we see concept art of what the characters should’ve looked like. They look great. As good as anything Disney has put on-screen. I'm certain the voice actors saw these images and got all excited. I can picture the art director/character designer telling their friends and family about this animated fairy tale they were working on and then dying of shame once they saw the final product.

Ella “Cinderella” (voiced by Cassandra Morris) is forced by her wicked stepmother and step-sisters to work as a scullery maid in her own home. When her mouse friends Alex (Chris Niosi), Manny (R. Martin Klein) and Walt (Tony Azzolino) discover an apprentice fairy godmother in the woods (Crystal, voiced by Kirsten Day), Ella gets the chance to go to the royal ball and meets the kingdom's prince. Unfortunately, Olaf (Stephen Mendel) isn’t a prince at all. He’s a puppet of the Wicked Witch (Stephanie Sanditz), who has transformed the real prince into a mouse!

If you’ve had the misfortune of seeing 2012’s Cinderella 3D, this one’s cut from the same cloth. Ugly characters are REALLY ugly but not in an intentional way. The "handsome" prince has his eyes set just a bit too far apart, making him look like he’s a fish man. Cinderella’s mouse friends (well, two are mice, one’s a hamster) are hideous creatures whose size changes from scene to scene. At best, this looks like a bargain-bin knockoff of Tangled. Most of the time, it doesn’t even reach the level of Happily N’Ever After. Some assets were obviously taken from an animation library because you can see their cycles end in the middle of a scene.

Despite the lackluster visuals, you can picture the movie this could've been if it weren’t trying to tell the Cinderella story. When you think of the classic fairy tale, certain elements come to mind: a poor girl forced to do labor, a fairy godmother and most iconic of all… a crystal slipper left behind at midnight. That last one? not in this movie! Instead, we have a quest for a magic ring to restore the not-so-secret prince to his human form. This mission takes over the entire film, which would be fine if it was what we’d signed up for.

As Hoodwinked has taught us, all could've been forgiven if the writing had done some heavy lifting. At several points, it feels like there are scenes missing. One moment, Cinderella and her friends spot a colossal ice mountain all the way across the forest. Seconds later, they’re inside, exploring a cave that looks like it belongs to a completely different film. The characters are thin, unlikeable, or both. At several points, the story contradicts itself. We learn, for example, that the prince was turned into a mouse when he was five years old. When he’s restored to his true form, he suddenly knows how to ride a horse and is an expert swordsman. Did he master these skills when he was a toddler? Then there’s a reveal about the evil witch that makes no sense and an epic conclusion that raises far too many questions. It’s clear some people on the team were trying but they were outnumbered by people who just didn’t care.

You can appreciate a film wanting to take a familiar story in a new, fresh direction but good intentions don't mean anything if the end product is kind of ugly, often annoying and poorly written. Don’t get me started on the one musical number. It’s so bland and generic you'll forget the lyrics as soon as the following line begins. Even for little kids who don’t discriminate, Cinderella and the Secret Prince would be a hard sell. (May 7, 2021)

[otometrashqueen]

The Last of Us Part 1 and 2 Musings *Spoilers abound*

I finished up watching playthroughs of The Last of Us Part 1 & 2 this week and holy hell! SO good. So many feels.

I totally sympathize with Joel for not wanting to lose Ellie, but I also understand that Ellie felt robbed of her purpose for not dying in order to create a cure.

But honestly, what were the odds that her death would actually result in a vaccine?? She would die and they would have a starting place for immunity maybe? or understand how Ellie developed her immunity perhaps, but I feel like it would have taken more than just Ellie's sacrifice to develop a cure. I could definitely be wrong, but those are my thoughts. SO I'm probably more in the Joel camp as far as the ending of Part 1 goes.

Part 2 was, wow, A LOT. There is so much unpack there.

I was glad that Ellie eventually found out the truth and Joel was finally honest with her.

Joel teaching Ellie to play guitar was everything.

Also, Ellie having her own place and space was really good to me. I assumed that she would stay with Joel, but I liked that she had her own independence, but Joel was always close by if needed.

I liked that Joel was finally living near Tommy, I have a special relationship with my brothers, and we live pretty separated from each other so I liked that Joel got to have his brother nearby finally.

It seemed that Joel was more at peace in Jackson, for all the terrible things he did, he's our special boi and it was nice to seem him looking a little more relaxed and play the dad role to Ellie, whether she wanted him to or not.

LOOK AT HIM, HE DESERVES EVERYTHING <33

AND THEN THEY KILLED MY BOI :((((

I honestly was so shocked, that even when the next scene happened and Tommy comes to see Ellie. I was like, "Oh ok this where he says Joel is in a coma or something." BUT NOPE. T.T

It was a great and terrible thing that they did. A really bold piece of story telling and much respect for that, but I was screaming at the screen much like Ellie here.

This beautiful, flawed man, I was so upset, like for a whole day I was mad about it. I moved onto acceptance and I was very satisfied that Ellie hunted them down one by one.

Tommy going by himself before Ellie and Dina was dumb, especially after he had tried to talk Ellie out of it. The girls were going regardless of what anyone said. Tommy should have owned up to that and they could have helped taken care of each other especially having a singulair purpose to avenge Joel's murder.

What's incredible about this game is that it made me not care about the group that came after Joel, they killed my post apocalypse father, a daddy if you will. You don't mess with my daddies >:)

I found satisfaction in each of their deaths, even when we were forced to switch perspective to Abby, which I hated BTW, I HATED IT, but that's why it was so good right?! But even then, and I'll probably get in trouble for this, but I really didn't care when Owen and Mel died, I know, I'm a terrible person, but like fuck them for real. Fuck that stupid love triangle with Abby and Mel and Owen. I didn't care. I was too invested in Ellie, even though her story mirrored Abby's a bit.

I had mixed feelings about the ending as many did. I think Ellie should have either stayed with Dina or finish her revenge journey. The fact that she settled down just to pick up Abby's trail again later seemed a little wishy washy to me well then when she found Abby, she couldn't finish the job and lost her guitar playing fingers in the process.

So she had effectively lost Dina for nothing and did not avenge Joel and lost her only means of connecting with him, the guitar.

Now I can see her returning to Jackson to look for Dina, if she's even there, effectively leaving behind Joel's guitar and her revenge. And Dina could take her back, but like they what's the point of her going back after Abby???

Just to let her go, which at that point I was ok with because she had Lev and I was more invested in the Lev than Abby and I wanted Lev to survive for real.

What I was hoping was maybe Abby and Lev convincing Ellie to go with them to the Fireflies and maybe devise a way to find a cure that DOESN'T murder Ellie, if that's even possible. She fulfills her purpose, doesn't die which also preserves what Joel did to keep her alive and Ellie breaks the cycle of revenge. It would have made her losing Dina still shitty, but make more sense.

Ah well, what the hell do I know? It was a great and terrible journey and I'm happy I made it through. It makes me even more excited for what the show is going to come up for us. :)))))

Me too Joel, me too <333

[mothbagel]

For "send me series" meme

Portal

2001 ASO

ayy thank you! time for some epic color-coding skillz

[Portal]

Favorite character

It's a veryyyy close tie (between all of the portal characters) but I love the turrets. They're just lil guys

Second favorite character

AUG look I love them all but I'm gonna have to say GLaDOS because she was the main reason I wanted to get into portal (robots are cool I like robots) but also shes so cool and JUST AAAAAAAAAAAAA

Least favorite character

FUCK NONE OF THEM BUT IF I HAD TO CHOSE UH ADVENTURE CORE I GUESS

The character I’m most like

SPACE CORE SPACE CORE SPACE CORE

Favorite pairing

I haven't really gone down the rabbit hole of portal ships and I dont really ship characters outside of a few exceptions, but Ive always loved the relationship between -robot and their sad babygirl- so chelldos (is that what its called?) but not necessarily romantic (nothing against the romantic shippers, yall are great and romantic chelldos is also fun)

Least favorite pairing

No shade nothing against it, but I don't really ship wheatly/chell as a romantic ship BUT NOTHING AGAINST THOSE WHO DO

Favorite moment

Either cave johnsons combustible lemons, wheatly telling chell to kys or the entirety of test chamber 16 (I think) in portal, idk the turrets are just silly guys

Rating out of 10

ALRIGHTY SO I am really bad at platformers/platform adjacent games and they stress me out typically, so the actual gameplay is gonna be a 7/10 but the story/characters/voice acting all 10/10

-2001: A Space Odyssey-

Favorite character

HAL HAL IS AMAZING

Second favorite character

the concept of halman is so cool and I love it and also everyones designs for halman are just so amazing so im gonna say halman

Least favorite character

I REALLY DONT HAVE ONE UH IDK LETS SAY THE COMET WATER FLOYD DRANK LET MY MAN HAVE SOME REAL HYDRATION

The character I’m most like

HAL, I could go on and on about how amazingly autistic coded he is without the -I am a robot therefore I do not feel- but this post is already long enough

Favorite pairing

queer platonic halman and queer platonic crew (Bowman/Poole/HAL)

Least favorite pairing

Theres really not many ships in general and everything I can think of is a character outside of ASO being shipped with HAL so none

Favorite moment

GONNA BE DOIN A BOOK MOMENT AND A MOVIE MOMENT

the way the stargate scene is written is just so cool and it makes me so happy the way Clarke combines unrealism with space horror.

alrighty so one of my main interests is old vocal synths, so having HAL sing daisy bell (what is considered the first harmonized song said by a computer, the IBM 704/7094 part of the MUSIC-N series) was just so cool and we love it when the dying robot serenades his babygirl before death

Rating out of 10

10/10 by far one of my favorite things ever used to be the only thing I would ever make art of (but now its ASO and portal)

thank you for asking dude, this was really fun :D

If you've made it this far, remember, you will be baked, and there will be cake (/ref)

[light-lanterne]

hi ✨💖 i love your writing ❤️ can you briefly explain the titles of your stories? they are very interesting! 🥰💕

hello ! thank you so much~! glad you like my stuff :] i'll try to keep it brief~

🌷 the darkest eyes: this is just a random name, tbh. there's no grand message or complex metaphor; it's just a reference to mike's eye colour as perceived by hopper.

🕰️ the trees are growing restless: so, these are actually the lyrics of the 1994 song 'summer dying fast' by cradle of filth, one of my absolute favourite extreme metal bands. to be completely honest, i was just listening to the song as i worked on the first chapter so the lyrics don't fully fit the story. that said, i think they do fit the last scene of the show rather well~

i watch the storm approaching, the darkness calls my name. the trees are growing restless, they feel the season change. their fruit has putrified, forbidden once and bound to die. the thread of life lies severed on the brink of paradise. grinning winds of hate unfurled. dash towers tall that grip the sun. talons stretch her veil. reclamation, our time has come…

🐈‍⬛ maybe i was destined to—: more lyrics! these are for the song 'strangers' by bring me the horizon. these fit the mood a bit more~ if you search for it, please mind the video. it's very creepy :S

break me down, break me down, make me get better. i confess that i'm a mess, some kind of error. well, maybe i was destined to disappear. we're just a room full of strangers looking for something to save us; alone together, we're dying to live and we're living to die. it never stops, can't erase this, so cross out my eyes, tear the pages. 'cause you and i, we're just dying to live and we're living to die. where did we go? we're all alone, all alone. no place like home; take us back to yesterday. sos, save us from ourselves.

🎻 4'33'': this is another musical one, albeit weirder. it's a reference to an experimental composition of the same name, conceived in 1947 by john cage. i think it's best if you look for it if you want to understand what type of song it is; the meaning and correlation to the story should be relatively clear once you listen to it~!

🕊️ sin deep, my darling angel: another reference to cradle of filth! this is a slight variation from 'sin deep my wicked angel', a rather beautiful and haunting instrumental piece from 2001~ i changed it so it fit the theme better :]

🦇 when our hearts lie six feet under: uh,,, another cradle of filth one x.x listen, their lyrics are beautiful, okei? this is from 2021, from their song 'necromantic fantasies'

when the moon is full and the wolves howl in the forest, would you take my hand and lead us both on our final voyage? would we share our dreams, those necromantic fantasies? really, could we ever be apart when our hearts lie six feet under?

fun fact, the title of the song has a double meaning: the obvious interpretation about dark arts, and a play on words! necro (death) + romantic = a romance that can only happen in death~ i thought it fit the vampire theme rather well

💐 how many tears to nurture a rose: ,,,yeah, uh,,, hi. my name is angel and i get hyperfixated on things x.x anyway, more cradle of filth !! the song (also from 2021) has the same title, but this one doesn't really fit the story all that well :( alas, it was a great title for the concept so here we are !

i did try to use some lyric from another song, 'discourse between a man and his soul', but it's far too dramatic of a title for this story x.x these lyrics are very pretty and fitting, thought~

oh my beautiful friend, i will love thee until the end is nigh. and in time, i'll find thee in my arms on the vast other side.

🔪 ...but here is one: okay, we have escaped the hyperfixation~ we're still on the songs, though. this is from the 1995, stunning song 'all flowers in time bend towards the sun', by jeff buckley and elizabeth fraser. it's an unreleased little song, very intimate and tender, and it's referenced in one of my main inspirations for this story, 'the cat lady'.

all flowers in time bend towards the sun. i know you say that there's no-one for you, but here is one.

in the game itself, it's mentioned by one of the main characters, who is trying to get through to our very depressed protagonist. she's essentially letting our protagonist know that some day she will find happiness, and that she's there for her~

🚀 until the stars all fall down: last but not least ! another song one, this is from the soundtrack of the inspiration game itself, it's called 'everything's alright', by laura shigihara. i shan't spoil too much of it; just know it plays at perhaps the most emotional moment of the game x.x

when this world is no more, the moon is all we'll see. i'll ask you to fly away with me. until the stars all fall down, they empty from the sky. but I don't mind, if you're with me, then everything's alright.

edit: the story is now called “telomeres”. it's a reference to the sleep token song of the same name.

and that's that ! i hope this isn't too long x.x thanks for the question and for being so sweet~!