#this season was so much harder to edit because it’s not as lighthearted as season 1
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rosesofenvy · 5 months ago
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2m38s of Arthur Lester Falling (S2)
SEASON 1 COMPILATION HERE
SEASON 3 COMPILATION HERE
SEASON 4 COMPILATION HERE
tag your favorite fall! Mine was the third one in part 16 because of Arthur laughing for a few sweet seconds
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almsautumn2023alex · 1 year ago
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Watching a musical: The Phantom of the Opera 21/10/2023
Yesterday evening I decided to treat myself to some much needed freetime and at the same time include a bit of ALMS in it. I’m a bit of a theater geek. I love theater with all of my heart, I love how dramatic it is, I love the music and the compositions, the atmosphere of a musical or a theatric performance is unbelievable. So it is no surprise that I decided to watch a musical. There was a lot to choose from, because I think there are a lot of great musicals that are worth watching. I feel like you can find a musical for any kind of mood or season. Lighthearted or spooky, tragedy or comedy, for summer or winter. And I guess with autumnal weather I was feeling a bit melancholic and my heart was craving for something gothic with plenty of romance. And previously this week I was seeing a lot of edits and compilations about Phantom of the Opera, and since I haven’t seen it before my interest was piqued. Also I found this activity to be quite good for diversifying my ALMS activities, I feel like most  of my ALMS hours are spent reading and writing. Which isn’t necessarily bad in my opinion, but it’s good to have a major spectrum of activities that could improve my learning of English. 
So now a bit about how I found the experience to be. I have to admit, that it was a bit challenging to follow with the plot, this is really common with musicals overall since the majority of dialogues is sung, and understanding singed language can be sometimes harder. Sometimes some words are “eaten” or they are not as easily heard, which takes away from the understanding of the whole story. And in the case of Phantom of the Opera it was even more difficult since almost all of it is sung in opera style. Normally I would have turned the captions on. That is what I do most of the time, I turn on the English captions so that I can follow the audio with written text alongside. For me it helps with keeping up and understanding. Unfortunately, this time for some kind of mysterious reason the captions would not turn on:’) and I had to watch the musical without them. It wasn’t the end of the world though and I still very much enjoyed it and could even understand the majority of it. Just had to concentrate a bit more than usually. I really like learning language through music, it feels more personal that way and I love dissecting the meanings of songs. And with Phantom of the Opera I loved how the storytelling was sung in such a beautiful manner. 
Okay and now about the musical. I LOVED IT!!! It was amazing, really everything about it in my opinion was so good. I think my favorite part was the costumes, they were just so beautiful and especially the main heroine Christine’s outfits were so breathtaking. I loved how there were so many little details and intricate patterns to her dresses. Another thing that I absolutely loved was the romantic plot. The passion between characters was almost burning. I won't tell much about the plot because I think it really should be experienced first hand, but just as a quick mention, the almost disturbing obsession of Phantom and the naive enchantment of Christine really took my breath away. Of course, undeniably the music was in the spotlight with this musical. All of the musical performances are so beautifully composed and sung, the vocal technicalities are out of this world. 
I think this was a great way to incorporate something new into my ALMS studies and at the same time enjoy my time :)
Alms hours: 2.20h musical + 1,5 blog 
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inkwell-attitude · 4 years ago
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Liebster Award
The ever-wonderful @ettawritesnstudies nominated me for this! Thank you so much, it means so much to me that you would consider me for it! I always love any way to spread some positivity and encouragement through the community :D
Etta explained the award as “similar to a writeblr tag game meant to introduce you to new blogs and get to know the authors behind them!” She was the one who brought it to tumblr, since it originated in blogs/writer’s websites.
Rules: 1. Thank the blogger that nominated you 2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you 3. Nominate 11 bloggers 4. Ask your nominees 11 questions 5. Notify your 11 nominees
Questions: 1. What’s your favourite part about the writing community?
I love the support everyone always gives to everyone else! Everyone I’ve seen has given nothing but support and enthusiasm for both their writing and others writing, and it really makes me happy to see such a wonderful community. 
2. Do you prefer writing dialogue or description, and why?
I prefer description because I love the whimsy I can add to it. Being able to concoct a scene and describe things in ways other than “the sky was blue, the grass was green” is lots of fun. I’m also kind of bad at conversations irl (between my ADD and my minor stutter, I don’t tend to finish a lot of sentences lol) and I think that rolls over into my writing a little bit and makes dialogue a bit harder for me to figure out.
3. Do you have any creative hobbies outside of writing, and how did you get into them?
I am a self-proclaimed proud jack of all trades because I see a craft or activity and MUST try it out. My brain sees a tactile hobby and goes feral. I just really enjoy learning new things :D The recurring hobbies are drawing and very minor animations, but I also have been into embroidery, polymer clay, woodworking (miniatures eeeyyy) and cake decorating? 
4. When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep?
Two nights ago? I usually get 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep because I just can’t function without sleep. Idk if you can call it a good nights sleep because I tend to wake up several times during the night (how many times is too many?) but I don’t usually have trouble falling asleep.
5. Are you reading/watching/listening to anything right now that you’re excited about?
I’m watching Ann with an E with my mom right now and it’s delightful! it’s a very very lovely show and it’s made me want to re-read the book.
I’m also keeping up with the Dream SMP minecraft series, and lemme tell you I have not been this emotionally invested in a story for a LONG time. Sure, I’ve been excited about some things in the last few months, but I don’t think I’ve really been attached to a story and characters like this for a while. (Plus, every single fanart and fan animation I’ve seen has been tremendously well done and more often than not gets me emotional lmao)
6. What’s your favourite YouTube channel?
I don’t know if I have a favourite? Because I hop around between interests so often I tend to change up my subscriptions a lot, too. Currently, I really like Cheyenne Barton, Technoblade, GeminiTay, and Annika’s leaf
7. What writing advice would you give your younger self?
DO WRITING SPRINTS! This is one of my favourite things now and it’s helped break the habit of “write one sentence, edit it, write another sentence, edit it, delete the first and re-write it” habit. Plus, it’s just a really good exercise to stretch your creativity.
8. What’s your opinion on color coding?
top notch! I think sometimes it can be overdone (throwback to jr. high me color coding everything in my notes to the extent that it was detrimental to my studying) but it really helps me out with things. I color-code vocab words and important persons in my class notes now :D
9. Is there a specific theme or aesthetic that underlies all your stories?
If there is, I haven’t seen it. I think it’s funny that Odds & Ends and The Paths That Bind are actually kind of similar (so far) except one is lighthearted feel-good comedy, and one is corruption and angst and trauma :’) Maybe there will be similar themes, but they’re both in the beginning stages so it hasn’t shown up yet.
10. How many WIPs do you have?
I actually only have two WIPs! I have a few other concepts I’d like to explore in the future, but they’re currently sitting as one-sentence explanations in my notes folder and will probably stay that way until I figure out a more solid plan for Odds & Ends and The Paths That Bind. My irl schedule is very hectic and I’m an inherently tired person, so I’m trying to be more intentional with creative projects and realistic on which ones I want to be able to dedicate my time to.
11. What’s your wildest dream as a creator? (For example, do you want to see fanart of your ocs, have a movie made of your book, etc.)
I adore the idea of someone making an animatic or one of those lyric comic things (idk what they’re called) for The Paths That Bind. So much of it is inspired by music and I’d love to see other people’s takes on the history and events of the story and which songs they would associate with it.
Questions for my wonderful nominees!
1. What’s the earliest story you remember writing? How old were you? 2. Are any of your characters “comfort characters” for yourself? 3. What’s your go-to snack? 4. How do you visualize your wips? Movie-format? Animatic? Comic? 5. What’s your favorite part of each season? 6. Would you rather one (or all) of your wips be made into a movie/tv show or a graphic novel series? 7. Is there a particular form of imagery or symbolism that recurs a lot in your stories? 8. What’s a book (or book series) that you absolutely adore and wish everyone would read? 9. Tell us about your favorite video game and why you love it! (If you don’t game, tell us about another hobby you adore!) 10. What’s the last dream you remember having? 11. How has your writing changed from when you first started? (We all get better, but have you noticed any distinct changes? More/less dialogue, different kind of descriptions, different narrative styles?)
Here are 11 wonderful, talented writers I’ve met here, and everyone should absolutely check out their blogs!
@aelenko 
@uraniumwriting
@hueynomure
@writingamongthecoloredroses
@musings-and-writings
@stardustspiral
@druidx73
@eurydice-is-gone 
@atomic-insomnia 
@chloeswords 
@hannahs-creations
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steveharrington · 5 years ago
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your dustin opinions are impeccable. also, would you mind elaborating on what your problems with the scoops troop plot? something about it has never sat completely right with me but i'm not sure how to put it into words
yeah for sure! to start out i’ll say that the scoops troop plotline was probably my favorite of the season, as in i had the most fun watching it. obv im biased because whichever group steve is in will probably be the most entertaining to me, i adore him, but it was also due largely to robin’s presence and the chemistry that i think joe maya gaten and priah all had as a group. that being said though i think the plotline was handled in a really weird, lowkey eerie way that all comes down to tone. 
stranger things started out as a drama. like, when it’s recognized in awards shows it’s in the drama category, which puts it up against shows like game of thrones, the handmaid’s tale, shows that tend to have really serious, oftentimes dark content. it fits because stranger things IS dark. it draws inspiration from classic horror movies, characters die, usually in pretty horrible ways, children are traumatized, etc. that’s not to say that there hasn’t ever been humor in the show before scoops troop, obviously there has been, but on the whole the show had a pretty dark premise and a lot of dramatic moments that are written 100% to be dramatic. there tended to be a really good balance of knowing when to keep the tone serious and when to lighten it up a bit. in season three, i personally felt like the duffers decided to try to make the show both a drama and a comedy in equal measure, and their way of doing that was to keep the dark content matter but to make the lighthearted tone more frequent, and that manifested mostly in the scoops troop. it’s made a little worse by the fact that steve, dustin, and erica are undoubtedly comic relief characters. steve’s entire character since season one has pretty much been delegated to being laughed at, dustin has always been the kid with the most jokes and the least emotional arcs, and erica was literally made a season regular based on the fact that people thought she was funny in season two. also, i think the duffers lowkey realized how ridiculous the russian plotline is so they figured adding humor and making the russian general so cartoonish would relieve some of the audiences disbelief that this would ever happen. the result you get is really fucking weird, though. 
right away it’s strange how casual they are about everything. i think the duffers were going for like “these clueless children were just having fun and they accidentally stumbled into a dark deadly secret” but it doesn’t really work when they see men with giant guns and think “okay anyways, how are we gonna get past them?” you can argue that steve and dustin have been desensitized, but robin and erica haven’t. once the elevator drops, they become reasonably freaked out and for the first time you get the since that they’re genuinely scared, but even then it’s treated as a joke. again, this isn’t the first instance of this happening in stranger things. steve has a meltdown every single season and it’s always been used for humor during a serious moment, but in seasons one and two it was just a momentary break from the intensity of whatever was happening. in season three, the jokes are consecutive. steve has his meltdown, then there’s a conversation about him liking robin, then there’s a piss joke (??) like there’s never a moment where they stop and really consider that like damn we’re trapped underground with no food or water and no hope at anyone figuring out where we are. that would all be okay if that was the extent of it, because characters on stranger things have had much worse fates than being slightly dehydrated, but then it takes a super sharp turn and becomes irredeemably dark. when i was watching the season for the first time i found it insanely jarring how fast it goes from steve being completely fine to steve being covered in blood. the duffers clearly want to keep up the routine of him getting beaten up, and they go a little harder on him every time, so this being the third time means he’s like pretty seriously injured. i would say the only scene the scoops troop gets that’s 100% serious is the one where they bring steve back to the room and robin is like “what did you do to him” and all that. that was good! that was realistic! but as soon as he’s awake again they switch back to banter and ahaha steve confuses his left and right bc he’s dumb. the thing that Really gets me is that the season 3 trailer used the shot of him getting jabbed with the needle in a very deliberate way to get people to theorize and be like “season 3 steve harrington DIES???” so like obviously they knew how dark it looked out of context. the thing is like......even WITH context it’s dark!! like the duffers were like “so at this point steve and robin, the oldest of whom just graduated high school like a month ago, are going to be tied up and drugged against their consent (after physical violence didn’t work) to get them to confess information that they literally don’t know. and it’s gonna be fuckin hilarious :) one of them is gonna almost get his fingernails removed by pliers haha” and it’s batshit crazy. 
the best way to really realize how insane it is is to rewatch the older seasons. i rewatched season one recently and when the scene where hopper is interrogated came on, i was like wait hold the fucking phone. he’s just getting tased. and it was treated SO SERIOUSLY in comparison to when steve who is at most 19 years old gets knocked unconscious during an interrogation and later says his ears are ringing and he cant breathe. the scene where nancy and jonathan are surrounded by all the lab employees at the park is super unsettling and eerie and you’re like oh shit these two teenagers just walked right into a government secret. when there are russians surrounding steve and robin with guns, they put in a joke about dustin quoting a movie at them. 
im not saying that this is Problematic or Immoral or anything like that. this isnt like a duffer brothers call out post. like i said, this was still my favorite storyline in the season. i actually think it’s weirdly fascinating. like you know when they take trailers for like, high school musical and just add scary sound effects and editing to make it look like a horror movie? it’s the same premise as the scoops troop. it’s a super dark premise but with jokes and writing that makes it seem like a fun goofy coming of age story. if the duffers were Intentionally trying to do a subversion where they’re like “look we tricked you into laughing while these children were traumatized and nearly killed” i think that wouldve been brilliant. i don’t really think that’s what they were going for, though. i think they accidentally put all their comic relief characters into one group and wanted as many laughs as they could get to break up the drama of the other groups. it just so happened that they also almost tore steve’s fingernails out with pliers :///
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sunnymoon-sunshine · 6 years ago
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Yellowfang has always been one of my absolute favorite characters. It seems that I’m not in the minority when I say that, either - Yellowfang’s grumpy demeanor and her inner strength make her a likable character. Her bond with Fireheart, in which she takes on the role of a guide and parental figure of sorts is nearly as heartwarming as the friendship she forges with Cinderpelt after the latter’s accident.
So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I learned that Yellowfang was to get her own super edition, Yellowfang’s Secret, which would be a peek into Yellowfang’s life in ShadowClan before her exile. Finally! A book about Yellowfang herself! Surely it would be good... right?
About the moment I flipped to the page where it was revealed Yellowfang had her own secret power, my disappointment was as great and bitter as if I’d bitten into a lemon. It was at this point that OotS was winding down, and we’d been promised no more powers, and yet someone - be it author or editor, decided to bestow upon Yellowfang the most useless and needless power. The ability to feel when someone was hurt. Why.
I feel as if this introduction was made solely in an attempt to capture the attention of the reader in a loud and demanding way, while also easily and lazily patching the plot. Why did Yellowfang become a medicine cat? Why, of course - ! It’s because she has to! She can’t be a warrior if she’s feeling everyone elses’ pain. That would just be silly. It also perpetuates the trend of cats being forced into the role of medicine cat, which is incredibly frustrating.
Additionally, I’ll always dislike how Raggedstar was portrayed in this. For how he was talked about in Into the Wild, he was a decent leader for ShadowClan and at least somewhat well respected. The character butchering they performed on him is disappointing.
So, if I were to rewrite Yellowfang’s Secret, I would begin with a major overhaul of well... nearly everything. I’m not sure if I would start out in her kithood or not - seems redundant. We don’t need to know what her kithood is like.
Yellowfang is a newly made ShadowClan warrior with a lot of promise. Fast, sharp with teeth made for snapping tails, she quickly makes a name for herself in ShadowClan, and outside of it. She takes not an enthusiastic approach to this, but a more solemn - if she didn’t have such a temper, she’d likely be a future candidate for deputyship. Cedarstar is far wiser than to put his clan in her paws, however. Raggedpelt, who is just a slight bit older than Yellowfang herself, seems to have the most potential for the position, not as fierce but calmer, wiser.
And the clan is endlessly amused by him and Yellowfang, their constant back and forth quips and lighthearted snaps. It’s clear to everyone that only Raggedpelt can calm the raging Yellowfang. They make good friends, despite their occasional disagreements.
Yet the faintest whisper, like a breeze in the marsh, ruffles the fur of her ears. “You will carry a secret, Yellowfang,” Comes the whisper of one - or is it many? “A secret that will haunt you for the rest of your life.”
But for all her talent, Yellowfang grows weary of the blood on her paws. Every battle has the cries of cats echoing in her ears as they weep for their loved ones. And it sickens her that she perpetuates the cycle of endless war and death. Her temper is as sharp as her claws, but her empathy is far stronger than any ShadowClan cat could imagine. She feels like a warrior through and through, but looking into the eyes of a terrified WindClan cat as they’re cornered, as they look for escape from what they must see as certain death. His eyes are wide, and the scrappy black-and-white cat looks about as terrified as the prey she corners in the marsh. He looks barely old enough to be a warrior, and she feels not the stab of rage that WindClan dared step foot on her territory, but a sinking feeling in her heart. She almost wants to comfort him. Instead, she steps aside. She allows him to leave, and he shoots off immediately - but he pauses to glance back at her. “Go!” She barks, and he nearly jumps out of his fur, pelting off into the fray.
She nearly gets in trouble for her moment of mercy. ShadowClan is not known for their acts of kindness, a reputation that Cedarstar would like to keep. His voice is stern as he tells her to fight. “He went on to nearly tear the fur off Deerleap. Your duty is to listen to orders, Yellowfang, and that order is to fight until either you, or they, cannot fight any longer.”
Yellowfang feels frustration from the tips of her claws to the tip of her tail. Cedarstar had made a decent point, yet her frustrated and stubborn side would not yield. He did not look at that small, scrappy WindClan warrior and see what she saw - he was an enemy.
She saw nothing but a scared cat.
At the gathering, she sees him again. He’s among the WindClan cats, who generally are avoiding their ShadowClan neighbors during this full moon. It’s why she’s surprised when, during the leaders’ reports, she hears a hiss in her ear. It’s so soft she barely hears it, yet she’ll remember the words for years to come.
“Thank you.”
It’s also at this gathering that she learns of Hawkheart, a warrior turned medicine cat. This piques her interest - she didn’t even know that was an option.
As the days go on and life becomes harder as the snow sets in, Yellowfang is still ever the fierce warrior. Yet she harbors a secret wish - that she didn’t have to be. She goes and helps Sagewhisker during these times, something that Sagewhisker was initially reluctant to do - until she found Yellowfang’s potential as an assistant. Curt as she may be, she begins dabbling at teaching Yellowfang herbs when she can, though it seems Cedarstar is determined to keep her out of the medicine cat den and “Not waste time on herbs when there’s mouths to feed.”
“Grumpy old-” Sagewhisker used a few good curses that would have made Yellowfang cuff her ears. “Thinks that claws and teeth are the only useful things in this clan. No respect for this den!” She snaps a twig between her teeth to vent her frustration. “If his warriors would learn what a leaf would do, maybe I wouldn’t be so busy all the time! Maybe if he didn’t preach fight first, ask questions later, I’d have an apprentice at this point!”
Yellowfang pauses, claws working in the dirt. It feels as if she’s teetering on the edge of something, yet she doesn’t know what. As if this conversation is about to decide something important. “An apprentice?” Sagewhisker is in a mood, this much is clear. “Yes, an apprentice! StarClan knows, there have been a few good candidates, yet he always shoves them along the path of a warrior.” She shoves aside a pile of moss, tail flicking irritably. “Now look at me. Old and no apprentice. StarClan has a sick sense of humor.”
“I could be your apprentice.”
Yellowfang catches flack from her old warrior peers. It is the hardest part of the year, and she’s retreated to the medicine cat den, where she’s guaranteed a meal and no longer forced to hunt or patrol for the clan’s needs. It doesn’t stop her from hunting when she has the time, but Sagewhisker demands her attention at nearly all times of the day, giving her barely a chance to rest. It feels as if her new mentor is trying to bestow seasons of training onto her in a short couple of moons. That, and Raggedpelt seems shocked, hurt, and even heartbroken. It had never really occured to her that he might have taken a fancy to her, and it’s only now that she’s under a strict code that permits no such pleasure that she feels her fur grow warm when she sees him. The clan resents her, her leader is dismayed that one of his most fierce warriors has disappeared into the healer’s den, and cold frogs are the only thing anyone is bringing home. She takes the stringiest of them.
Yet as the season goes on, it quickly becomes apparent that Yellowfang has a natural talent for medicine. She’s got a sharp memory, quick to take action, and has fixed more wounds and illnesses in a moon than Sagewhisker could do in a season (though, no one would say that aloud, for fear of inciting Sagewhisker’s wrath). She proves to be just as useful an asset to ShadowClan as a medicine cat than she was as a warrior - if not more valuable now than she was before. The clan soon respects her talents, as do the other clans. Her and Hawkheart share a friendship based off of their mutual beginnings (and frustration over their “stupid, bloody useless warriors”).
Raggedpelt, now deputy, has taken to escorting her around the territory. “You never know when one of those kittypet rogues will jump out. I have to keep our medicine cat safe.”
“I could rip the fur off your shoulders before you could flinch.”
“Remind me to stop being nice to you.”
The two become close, and Yellowfang is head over paws for him. He’s the ideal warrior, strong and couragous and loyal to a fault. He doesn’t understand Yellowfang’s desire not to fight any longer, but he sees no problem with the two of them sneaking out at night. After all, there’s no harm in a little fun. The rule medicine cats have is ridiculous, anyway. She laps up his words, finding she wanted nothing more to believe him.
And then came the day she realized she was carrying kits.
Sagewhisker covers for her solely because she has no other apprentice she could train on such short notice. They tell no one, because Cedarstar would snatch Yellowfang from her position, ignoring any protest Sagewhisker might have. ShadowClan needs a medicine cat to carry on healing and communicating with StarClan, despite what “that old fool thinks.” Sagewhisker spits. But she’s furious with Yellowfang too. “I told you that you have to drop your warrior habits. I told you that you’re a medicine cat now, and to act like it. StarClan will punish you, Yellowfang. You mark my words.��
It doesn’t really occur to her what that punishment could possibly be, until she’s alone kitting on the outskirts of the marsh. No one could help her. Sagewhisker had to stay in camp - not that it was likely she would help regardless. It’s a long, grueling process, and in the end, it was nearly for naught. Two kits gone, only a small, sad scrap who fought to get at her belly and nurse. She wasn’t sure if he would make the trip back. But he did, hours later, and she felt a sense of unease as she placed the newborn kit by the belly of Lizardstripe, arguably the most unlikeable cat in the clan.
She wanted to walk with Raggedpelt. To receive some sort of comfort after her trial. But their relationship slowly faded, as each grew busier with their jobs. And it wasn’t as if he put much effort into seeing her either way. Yet she almost prefers it this way. It’s freeing, in a sense. She can go back to being a medicine cat first and foremost for the clan, watching from afar as he helps raise their child. And she never quite stopped admiring Raggedpelt for the fantastic warrior, deputy, and eventual leader he became. Calmer, cooler headed than Cedarstar, with just enough of a soft spot for Yellowfang to get away with a lot more than Sagewhisker was ever able to. It also helped that Yellowfang’s nasty temper never swayed - she would hold warriors back from the frontlines without hesitation if she felt they shouldn’t be out there, fool-headed leader or not.
Brokenkit grew into a fine apprentice, then warrior. Not the strongest at first, but he made up for it with his craft and skill. He was a smooth talker, able to weedle his way out of any punishment, and convince anyone of anything he wanted them to believe. She felt nothing but pride - and perhaps a flicker of worry. She had nightmares of a snake, bent at the tail end, hovering above her and waiting for her to strike. She tried her best to guide him. He ignored her - she was just a medicine cat, after all. Lizardstripe’s parenting left a lot to be desired, and Raggedpelt’s habit of spoiling him and ignoring his more worrying traits led Yellowfang to pace the den. It was something Sagewhisker would have yelled at her for, yet the den was empty. Sagewhisker had been buried under her favorite tree - a spiky, gnarled tree that was just as prickly as she was. It was her last request. “Make it a pain for them to bury me there, too.” She rasped to Yellowfang. “I want them to suffer for all the headaches they’ve given me.”
The silence in the den was deafening. For the first time in a long time, she felt alone. It was as if there was a chasim between her and the warriors, her and everyone else. The path of a medicine cat was a lonely, drawn out path, she finds. Even when she walks with Raggedpelt to the moonstone, even when they laugh and joke and prod each other just like old times, it still feels as if there’s a barrier between them.
He’s long grown out of his love for Yellowfang. She still holds a sort of affection for him, warm - yet not quite romantic. A healthy respect, and admiration, yet she feels comfortable where she is without him as her mate. She cheers him on as he gains his nine lives, and they walk out of the Moonstone together with a new hope for the future of ShadowClan.
That lasts until his first deputy passes. Raggedstar, the old fool, overlooks all the other potential leaders - the hardworking Nightpelt, most insultingly of all - for his son, who had barely finished training an apprentice. He claims the timing of it all is a sign from StarClan that his son has earned the position. Yellowfang uses a few choice curses she learned from Sagewhisker when she discusses it with him later.
“Fiddle-headed fool,” She spats, the nicest thing she’s said to him that night. “Flea-bitten idiotic puddle of marsh water. Your son isn’t a leader. He’s barely a warrior, with a fool for a father.”
“He’s earned his position.” Raggedstar argues, though he’s backed against the far end of his den. Yellowfang, though a medicine cat, is still one of the most intimidating felines of the forest. “Foxheart’s passed, and he’s just finished training an apprentice.”
“Giving a warrior an apprentice is supposed to gauge if they’re ready to be deputy, not give them a free pass for the position!” Yellowfang spits. “Just look at what happened. Clawface is just as much of a fool as you. He’s a disaster. Bloodthirsty, battle-hungry. It’s a fight to keep his claws on this side of the border.”
“It’s not Brokentail’s fault how Clawface turned out. He was naturally headed in that direction. He did his best, and I’m sure his next apprentice will do better.” Raggedstar stands up straight, and marches over to her. He shoves his muzzle in her face, and whispers as quiet as a mouse’s breath, “Don’t you trust our son?”
Yellowfang takes a deep breath to steady herself, before shoving her muzzle back in his face. “No more than I trust a rat in the carrion place.”
When she leaves the den, Brokentail is sitting just outside. They make eye contact, and she realizes that he caught most of the conversation. For a horrible moment, she fears he heard Raggedstar’s words. But no, there was no confusion or hurt or any other feelings she would assume a cat finding out his true parentage would feel. Instead, there’s something cold in the pit of those amber eyes. It fills her with a sense of unease.
Yellowfang is sure she’s made an enemy of her son.
Moons go by, and it’s clear Brokentail is hungry for battle and territory. Raggedstar has a difficult time telling him no, however Yellowfang was quick to fill in the gaps. It was, in some strange, twisted way, as if they were a family. Yet Brokentail dragged them into skirmishes, started battles, lost them warriors and lost Raggedstar lives.
“You only have one life,” Raggedstar comments to his son, limping along. He’d sacrificed himself to save the idiot boy. “You ought not to be so foolish.”
Moons later, it was proven that even nine lives does not equal to eternity. Raggedstar was found in pieces, and Yellowfang could do nothing but mourn. He as a fine cat, a great warrior and a good leader for ShadowClan.
Her period of mourning was cut short when Brokentail received his nine lives, and proceeded to drive ShadowClan into the ground. She spoke out, yet it felt like her voice was the only one raised. The rest of the clan, raised on a diet of battles and violence, seemed to agree with him at first. And then, once kits were being sent out to war, unable to find their voices. It was for the greater good, after all. They drove out WindClan, after all, and got all this territory for their children. Their children, who Yellowfang pointed out with bitterness in her voice, who lay scattered and dead in WindClan camp.
She didn’t save Tallstar all those years ago, only to have him driven out of his own camp. She argued, fought, spat at Brokenstar, unwilling to let him continue any longer without fierce opposition.
“You never liked me, did you?” He interrupted her during one of her tirades.
She pauses, her mouth open. Then she shuts it. She closes her eyes, and sinks her claws into the ground, and chews on her words before she speaks them. “I did.”
“Old fool.”
She should have seen it coming. She should have realized he’d make sure she couldn’t oppose him any more.
She didn’t realize he would drive her not only from her position, but from her clan.
They had to have known that she didn’t kill those kits. Yet no one said a word, too afraid of the rogues in camp, too afraid of Brokenstar’s wrath. Too afraid of the ShadowClan they’d allowed to flourish under Brokenstar’s rule. She fled for her life, across the thunderpath where they would not follow her, into territory she’d barely ever stepped foot in. Into ThunderClan territory. Where she would meet a determined young apprentice, foolhardy enough to give her food. Who would grow into the finest warrior she’d ever seen. Even better than Raggedstar himself. A cat she could be proud to know.
StarClan was wrong. However hard her secret tried to follow her, it could not haunt her forever. As Fireheart stood over her, warmer than even the fire around her, she hurt from pride. She would have loved for him to have been her son, but this is how things were. He listened to her secret, and if he cast judgement, it did not reflect on his expression, which never shifted from panic. He would miss her. She would miss him.
But her secret was out, after all this time. And now she truly felt peace.
Judge me as you will, StarClan.
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bluekayanite · 5 years ago
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(SU:F Theory - Snow Day) Has Steven REALLY Changed That Much?
...Or is he just still dealing with an old issue?
(I intended to post this last week, but apparently forgot to actually, you know, post it. >_<  I’ve got another one upcoming, but here’s this one for now.)
EDIT: Some edits have been made.  Not gonna stress myself over the details this time.
My Feelings on the Ep
Okay, I dunno about you, but I actually found the story of Snow Day pretty upsetting.  The whole thing was about Steven running from his childhood favorites, and he pretty much stated that it was because he didn't want to be seen as a kid.
Sure, I can get behind not liking when people assume you haven't changed, especially when the changes in question have to do with you learning and growing (been there... -.-), but it didn't feel like that was the real issue.  I mean, there's growing up and changing, and then there's more-or-less trying to hide, or to erase the past.  IMO, this ep showed Steven trying to avoid "kids stuff" to an extreme.  He literally jumped over the edge!
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And not just the kids stuff, but it feels to me like he's been avoiding silly stuff in general, like that goofy charm that seemed like an essential character trait throughout the first series.
Even the idea that he could've left behind so much of the goofiness I love was pretty distressing - it really feels like he's trying to run away from a part of himself, essentially killing a part of himself (or at least a version thereof).  But that's not the whole of the issue for me.
To me, it really kind of felt like Steven believed the Gems were wrong to still want to appreciate the old stuff with him - not because of “seeing him as a child, still,” but... like they couldn't still appreciate the way he used to be, even in a nostalgic sense.  Like he believes that they shouldn't be allowed to enjoy the silly stuff, either.  Or the little things in general.
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(If you're not taking the time to pet something cute, I'd say it's pretty serious.)
Also: come on!!  The Cheeseburger Backpack and Together Breakfast are two of the most iconic things of the series-es!  And personally, like I kind of said, I’d say Steven's goofiness is right up there with them!  Even the vegetarianism!  Remember how big Steven was on hot dogs?
"I think there isn't such a thing as a bad [hot] dog, though.  Only bad chefs!" - Steven, Wacky Sacks Unboxing minisode
It was even in the first opening of SU!
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I don't mind that SU:F is more mature than SU, but it feels like it's missing a lot of the heart that made SU so easy to love.  I’m even noticing that there's been a shortage a star-iris-endings.  I’m pretty sure the last iris was used in Guidance... for a fake ending.
Not that I think the star-iris should be forced, but it seems like it's not being used, even when Crewniverse has a perfectly good chance to do so.  The fact that they've used it at all suggests that they're not trying to avoid using it - more like they've fallen out of the habit, or something.  And I’m really starting to feel the absence of the little bit of lighthearted warmth that it typically brings.  It just kinda quietly punctuates just how serious the show has been.
...It's pretty depressing, really.
But yeah, in general, I'm not a big fan of the idea that you have to let go of kid things as soon as you grow up.  Doctors believe that play is just as important for adults as it is for children.  Heck, that article even mentions reading aloud to someone (and I'd say, by extension, being read to) as a form of play... one of the forms that Steven specifically avoids.
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And if you ask me, The No Home Boys sounds like its pretty deep - not just a basic, “silly” kids’ story.
"My favorite story is this classic one where the No Home Boys are chased[...] by a mysterious pursuer, which turns out to be the very fear resting within themselves." - Steven, On The Run
At the very least, it's what led to him having an adventure that led to him learning something important, and to bringing to light - and resolving - some previously-unspoken tension between Pearl and Amethyst.
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So at the very least, I wouldn't cast aside childish things so quickly, if only for all the good that they have already brought.
There's also the fact that adult play has been accepted as a pretty important thing in our current society - it's basically our culture now.  As said on the YT Channel Lockstin & Gnoggin (in response to COPPA), "This isn't the 1970s anymore[...]  Adults are no longer afraid to be interested in things."  I mean, heck, I think odds are pretty good that if you’re reading this, you're probably an adult who enjoys “kids stuff.”  I know I technically fit in that category - I’m getting old enough that I don't like to think about it. ^_^;
Personally, I believe that the “adults can still like ‘kids’ stuff” thing could really use more representation in mainstream media, ESPECIALLY after the whole COPPA thing.  Personally, I’ve always believed that this would be done through Steven Universe.
And personally... I still think odds are good that it will.
Why I Think There's Still Hope for the Subject
The “adults enjoying ‘childish’ stuff” thing isn't just a thing with Millennials and the Internet in general: it's a pretty strong part of the culture of the Crewniverse, what with them actually enjoying Together Breakfast for the release of the ep by the same name.  Not to mention donuts topped with Pop Rocks fire salt (exact quote - for Joking Victim), a big bowl of macaroni-and-nothing (for Warp Tour), and even a Rice Krispie temple that promptly got pummeled by a giant hand (technically for Bismuth, but also referencing Jailbreak).  And those are just a few examples.
And in general, I've noticed that SU is very Millennial show, featuring values like that the reason for work should be to enjoy life, rather than to make money (Drop Beat Dad), and I've already said that being able to enjoy "kids stuff" as an adult is a pretty Millennial thing.
So to me, it seems like it's probably inevitable that Steven's going to get over the "trying too hard to adult" thing.  Heck, if anything, I'd say that Snow Day is just another part of the long-running-buildup.
Steven has a history of trying to cut everything “childish” out of his life, and/or being embarrassed when it's brought up.
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This felt like an extension of that history - to me, it feels like this issue leveled up, like he's trying harder than ever before to avoid being associated with "kids stuff."  His reaction to Garnet presenting the Cheeseburger Backpack certainly looks like one of embarrassment, and one of not even appreciating the gesture, regardless.
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And if you look, this whole thing started when the Gems implied that birthday parties were a "kids thing."
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(My apologies for VUDU’s captions - they got better, I promise.)
Since then, he’s been stuck on the idea that he would have to leave things behind as he got older.
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Before that, he was trying to convince the Gems of just the opposite.
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Little did Steven know that they actually came around, while he was away...
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But now?  Now that they've obviously come around, he's still having trouble getting over what was once said.
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He's even overtly objecting to being called "cute," or like a kid!
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I think this is a pretty good example of how one little thing can result in a problem that a person struggles with for a long time afterward; how one idea can result in a person pressuring themselves to try and be something or not, even if the people who gave the idea have changed their minds.  I think it's a pretty good example of the kind of baggage - the kind of problems - we carry around with us.
And you know what the official description of SU:F says?
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"[A]s [Steven] runs out of other people's problems to solve, he'll finally have to face his own."
I very much believe that this is one of them. =3
Before I saw the movie, I had been spoiled by the “catchup” vid for the last season clearly being narrated by an older-voiced Steven.  (So sorry, Hilary, that you want through so much trouble, but the neck wasn't much of a secret to me. XD; )  And spoilers aside, it had been pretty well hinted that he was going to grow up, via both of the “Birthday” episodes. 
(Personally, I’m kind of disappointed that we missed the magic growth spurt - I always thought it would've been hilarious. X3)
I’d often thought that Steven was going to grow up when he realized that he didn't have to leave “childish” stuff behind - that he can be grown up without having to "stop being a kid," or worrying about how people would see him if he didn't.  I kind of figured it would allow him to feel more comfortable about growing up, and so he would grow up.
But, apparently, that's still a thing he needs to work on.
And sure, I'm glad Steven came around at least a little, but I wonder if it's really enough... especially since he doesn’t even seem sincere on loving that the Gems upgraded the Steven Tag game.
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But also, it seems to me like this issue is affecting more of his personality than just his desire to have fun... like he's losing quite a bit of himself.  Remember how Pearl once described him?
You have to feel like yourself!  Sweet and considerate, and only occasionally obnoxious! - Pearl, So Many Birthdays
It does seem like Steven's been having trouble with the considerate angle, lately.  I mean, he kept busting into Jasper's hideout, he took over Amethyst's mentorship program (completely ignoring the feelings of the Gems being mentored), and in general, he's kinda... asserting himself and his opinions more than listening to others(').  I'd even say that he's lost a lot of his sweet, and he's... probably more than occasionally obnoxious. ^_^;  I mean, Aquamarine and Eyeball certainly think so. X3
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Now?  Well... I'd say that the Gems have at least as much of a point as Steven does.  I have to admit, I feel a lot like Amethyst - I think she has a point about the direction Steven is (or had been) heading, and about what kind of example he was setting.
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I agree that the issue is serious enough for Pearl to be justified in being willing to join in (which I really love her doing =3).
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(Seriously, I’ve actually been worried for Steven.)
...And now I’d say that her old plea to feel like himself again is even more valid than ever.
In a way, Snow Day felt a lot like So Many Birthdays in reverse: instead of Steven trying to spend time with the Gems and making them feeling awkward about silly stuff, we now have the exact opposite.  Now, instead of allowing himself to still be a kid, Steven tries to convince them not to make him be a kid.  ...Which, again, is fair, but still.  I'd say it goes too far when he hates the idea of "kid."
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But yeah...  I figure this has gotta be addressed sooner or later.  Personally, I can't wait fo the day when it is. XD;
...call me crazy - call me super crazy - but I’m hoping that a certain Pink Doofball* will talk some more sense into him. X3  That, or maybe his dad.
(*If you're not familiar with my blog... well, here's my main theory, in case you're interested.  I know it probably sounds insane, but it would mean a lot if you'd give it a look.)
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koalataeil · 7 years ago
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Basketball Player!Jackson (High School)
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Grade: Junior
Position: Starting Power Forward
Skills: Rebounding, aggressiveness
jackson is vvvv well known around school
like everyone knows who he is
they’re either friends with him or have friends that are friends with him
and everyone knows how much he loves basketball
it’s his sole focus mainly
he’s always working hard to become a better player or teammate
especially in the offseason
always forcing teammates to practice something with him
but all his hard work is paying off
he is likely to be the captain next year after yoongi graduates
he is looking to play basketball in a college that’ll take him
even if no colleges want him, he’ll train even harder and be a walk-on
he’s improved a lot since his freshman year
back when he wasn’t confident and made lots of mistakes
he HATES if anyone brings up games from freshman year or pulls up old film
like he’s so embarrassed by it all
but he remembers that’s why he works so hard now, to be the best player he can possibly be
he’s best known for his rebounding
like he holds the school’s record for most rebounds in a season
and he’s trying to beat his own record every year
which he totally does
until his aggression gets the best of him
bc he is also well known for his fouling
he has fouled out of SOOO many games
he also has gotten kicked out of like three games because he started yelling at refs or picked fights with other players
he usually scares the jv team and the audience when he gets that angry
but most of the time the refs just ignore him unless he really gets out of hand
he’s just very passionate about basketball
you actually know about Jackson bc you work on the yearbook and see TONS of pictures of him going up for a rebound or being on defense
like the other people with the yearbook love to take pictures of him, and you have to sort through them all
and you admit that he is pretty good looking and seems to be good at basketball
but you don’t focus much attention on him
one day, the person who was in charge of taking photographs for the game that night got really sick
and as the editor, you had to fill in for them
so you get to the game early and start taking pictures of the team warming up and shooting around
you try to get all the players included in some of the pictures,, even jeno
but for some reason you keep getting photos focused on Jackson
once the game starts, you move around to different places around the court to find good angles and photo opportunities
you get some really great pictures by the time half-time comes
so you decide to pack up your camera, and as you’re getting ready to leave, youngjae stops you and tells you to sit and watch the rest of the game
and he doesn’t take no for an answer
so you sit with youngjae and talk until the last half of the game starts
and the game is quite close and very intense
you’re surrounded with cheering students getting really into the game
which kind of surprises you a little but it’s great energy and you get into it a little as well
and during the last couple of minutes in the game
jackson gets his fifth and last foul over something he didn’t even do
he gets frustrated as he stomps his way to the end of the bench and dries himself off with a towel
he’s mumbling stuff to himself and eventually the coach has to try and calm him down a little but he gets more frustrated
he throws the towel down and yells something to jaehyun who’s sitting on the bench
everyone’s attention is on Jackson as people are wondering if he was going to get kicked out or not
but some of his teammates on the bench calm him down after a minute and the focus returns to the game
the team ended up winning by a single basket luckily
and the energy was still very high
you smiled and thanked youngjae for making you stay and watch the game
and then you left to go home and work on editing some of the photos
during the next yearbook meeting, someone suggested getting quotes or advice from players or members of certain teams or clubs to put into the yearbook
and everyone agreed
so you were put in charge of reorganizing some of the pages to make room for quotes within the spread while everyone else figured out who was going to get the quotes and stuff for each club/team
and you were given the boys basketball team with the strong suggestion to get it from Jackson, especially after that recent game he’d fouled out on
so you go along with it, finishing the spread for the boys basketball team with space to add more pictures and stats from upcoming games
and during your free period the next day, you go to the front office to find out where Jackson is
and he’s in his gym class
so you go to the gym to see him playing dodgeball with the rest of his class
trying your best to avoid getting hit by a ball, you make your way to the teacher to tell him you needed to talk to Jackson
the teacher blows his whistle and calls Jackson name
and he’s originally confused and trying to defend himself saying he didn’t throw that ball that hit hoseok’s face
but he totally did
but then he sees you and he’s even more confused
bc he’s seen you around and taking pictures at games and stuff
but he has no idea why you need him but he walks over to you anyway
you lead Jackson out of the gym and into a nearby hallway and sit on the ground, with your back to some lockers
jackson just looks down at you wanting some sort of explanation
so you explain it to him and ask him to sit down
and he gives you some super cheesy advice about not giving up and working harder
and it’s very jackson
you ask him which picture he wants to go next to his quote and show him a bunch of the pictures that came out the best of him
and he takes your laptop and looks through all the pictures carefully
“did you take all of these” he asks all of a sudden
and you’re like “ummm no why?”
“no reason”
and he settles on one from the game you went to of him focusing on getting a rebound
“you took this one right?”
you nod, confused on why that mattered
“I like this one. do you have other pictures that you took though?”
you look at him, trying to understand why he was asking about them and nod anyway
you take your laptop back and open up the file of unedited pictures taken from that last game
and he looks at all of them without saying anything but he’s smiling
“you’re a great photographer. and I see you like taking pictures of me” he winks at you
and you blush so quickly
and he just laughs “you wanna hang out sometime? maybe show me some other pictures you’ve taken?” 
you nod before the gym teacher yells from the gym that Jackson needed to come back before he failed for that day
he gets up and runs back to the gym leaving you just sitting there staring at a picture of Jackson and youjin both going up for a rebound
a couple days pass and you’re just sitting at lunch and sorting through some pictures another person from yearbook gave you from the girls basketball game the night before
and jackson pulls up a chair and sits right next to you and watches you work until you stop and ask if he’s enjoying himself but he doesn’t respond, just motions for you to finish
and once you’re done he smiles and asks when you wanted to hang out
you guys set up a time and it’s just a very chill time
he takes you out to eat and then you show him what you were currently working on with the yearbook because he’s so interested in it for whatever reason
and that’s how all of your dates continue until eventually you guys make it official
and the whole yearbook team finds out and forces you to take all the pictures for the boys basketball team bc you’ll already be at the games
so you go to every home game and close away game, camera in hand, and take pictures of the whole team
but you always take more pictures of Jackson
especially because when he’s on the bench, he’ll be doing stupid poses to get your attention 
until he gets caught by the coach who yells at him
and after each game Jackson comes up to you and gives you a big sweaty hug and begs you to let him look through the pictures
and you say no because you don’t want to be the last ones in the gym
so he comes with you to your house
and you hang out while he looks through your pictures with a smile on his face and the occasional laugh because a teammate had a weird face or he was laughing at himself
anyway your relationship is very lighthearted and chill
until you witness a time when Jackson gets ejected from a game
and you have to deal with his anger and try and calm him down
he just gets so frustrated but you calm him down pretty quickly by letting him talk it out
and he really appreciates you helping him even though he knows how irrational he can be sometimes especially when it comes to bad refs
you too are just very cute honestly
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class-wom · 5 years ago
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Okay, they had way too much fun with this title, but moving right along...
If you were under the impression that Harry Lloyd joining the cast of Legion season 3 as iconic X-men leader Charles Xavier would result in a more straightforward, comic book-faithful storyline, then woo boy I have a giant unexplained pig monster to sell you. (To clarify: Legion season 3 contains a giant pig monster. It is not explained.) The third and final season of Noah Hawley‘s wild ride through mental illness and mutation is, if anything, more prone to flights of fancy, unorthodox editing, and the occasional random musical number than the two seasons before it. With David Haller (Dan Stevens) officially off the deep end and established as the show’s “big bad”, Legion leans hard into a sort of drug-fueled 70s sci-fi aesthetic, adding a time-traveler named Switch (Lauren Tsai) to the mix to make sure you’re never quite on solid ground, even when you’re sober. But like any good hallucinatory trip, your enjoyment of Legion season 3—at least the 6 episodes I’ve seen—depends on how well you can go with the flow. If it’s a linear path you’re looking for, you’re gonna’ have a bad trip. But if you can appreciate the lights, the odd angles, and the Time Demon over there in the corner, season 3 is downright blissful.
David has, more or less, started his own cult, a crew of devoted hippies that call him “daddy” and get high on a drug crafted from their leader’s psychic aura. The shack they live in is an eye-popping bit of filth courtesy of production designer Marco Niro, with phosphorescent tubes lining the walls and screaming blue flowers sprouting from the ceiling. Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) is there, now going under the name “The Breakfast Queen” and feeling a bit put-out by David’s newest recruit: The time-traveler Switch, who David hopes can help him change his own fate as the person who ends the world.
The fact David partnered up with a time-traveler makes life just a bit harder for Syd Barrett (Rachel Keller) and Division 3, who is now singularly focused on apprehending David. “How do you surprise someone who can go back in time and warn himself?” asks Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King, who has aligned himself with the “good” guys to take down a common enemy. 
On the surface, it’s a simple cat-and-mouse story. Division 3 wants to stop David, David needs to stay one step ahead so he can stop himself. But Legion is a show both about and defined by choices, the choices these characters make and the creative choices Hawley and Co. make to tell their story. Switch’s power, for example, isn’t just a simple jump through time. She walks down a barren hallway, doors on each side marked “10 minutes”, then “20 minutes”, etc. Travel too far and you rouse those Time Demons, terrors that movie with the ticking sound of a clock that quite literally eat your precious time. 
It’s emblematic of the way the journey on Legion is never just A-to-B. Here, there are diversions to the past, where we learn the tragic story of Charles Xavier and David’s mother, Gabrielle (Mr. Robot‘s Stephanie Corneliussen). To the space between time, which is rendered in still shots like a flipbook. To actual outer space. To an episode that takes place primarily on the astral plane that sees the return of Jean Smart and Jemaine Clement, plus a guest star I will not spoil here because their appearance made me howl with joy.The miracle of Legion season 3, though, is that it doesn’t lose its characters underneath all the technical fuckery. This show has a huge cast, but it doesn’t give all its shine to David. Plaza is a ball of wide-eyed and unpredictable energy as always, but a storyline that sees Lenny fathering a child with a cult member—it’s Legion, don’t ask—manages to ground the character in surprisingly tragic ways. As the same-bodied Kerry and Cary Loudermilk, Amber Midthunder and Bill Irwin are the endearing lighthearted relief this show desperately needs every so often. And season 3’s newest addition might stand out the most; as Switch, Tsai doesn’t need to say much to exude the type of loneliness that would drive someone to the welcoming words of a cult, even if it’s run by a super-psychic mutant. It helps that the character constantly listens to a book-on-tape titled Lessons in Time Travel, containing nuggets like, ���when one exists in all times, one exists in no times.”
If there are qualms to be had with season 3, it’s the fact that the strength of the character work is so strong, you really do sometimes wish Legion would get out of its own too-cute way and tell the dang story. The show has always shared a flaw with its title character; it’s not that it’s clever, it’s that it knows it’s clever and uses it like a weapon. But when the stakes are this high and the performances this good, you do occasionally wonder if a conversation would’ve been more effective than the cast breaking out into an Elvis Costello song. 
But that’s not the show Legion is, and Hawley’s faithfulness to being as weird and infuriating as possible until the end is admirable. And when it’s working, as it does so often throughout season 3, it’s easy to get swept up in the freewheeling creativity of it all. 
Rating: ★★★★ Very good
Legion season 3 premieres on FX on Monday, June 24. 
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'Bachelorette' Becca Kufrin Addresses Frontrunner Garrett Yrigoyen's Instagram Controversy (Exclusive)
Bachelor Nation was just as smitten with Garrett Yrigoyen as Becca Kufrin was when he hopped out of that minivan on Monday's season premiere of The Bachelorette, but recent reports now have fans conflicted. 
The Reno, Nevada, native has caused controversy for allegedly liking Instagram posts which mock transgender people, feminists, immigrants and Parkland shooting survivors. The Instagram account that allegedly belonged to him was deleted shortly after the screenshots of the posts made their way around several blogs this week. Becca, however, is keeping an open mind -- and wants her fans to do the same.
"I want viewers to be open to everyone, and I want them to go through this season with me and watch my love story unfold with all of these men... because that's how I went into this journey," she told ET's Lauren Zima during a sit-down interview in Los Angeles on Wednesday. "I did things in the past that I'm sure wasn't the best thing, but I just want people to stay open-minded to everyone." 
The 28-year-old publicist, who gave Garrett her first impression rose, didn't reveal whether her opinion of Garrett has changed since the scandal. She did say, however, that if the allegations were true, it's something she would "confront" with any guy she dated. "We would have a discussion about it. We would get to the bottom of it and we would find a solution," she said. 
"I can't fault on anyone for what they believe and who's to say that anyone is truly what they believe in if they just double tap," Becca reasoned. "I can't speak to that because that's just not me. I am a strong woman and I do believe in certain things, but again, that's what's so great about our country -- everyone is entitled to their own opinions."
ET also spoke to ABC's Senior Vice President of Alternative Series, Specials & Late-Night Programming, Robert Mills, about the situation. "It's an alleged account," he said. "And it's likes, it's not things he's actually posted, which are things you actually can't scrub for unless the person has a certain number of followers. ... Obviously we want to know every single possible thing about these contestants. So, we're working harder. I mean, it is such a new frontier, social media, and I think it's important for us to really be on top of this stuff, and certainly we never want a situation like what happened last year with Lee [Garrett] to ever happen again. ... We are here telling everybody we are putting the best men and women forward for the lead to date, so I think we want to make sure we are absolutely doing that."
One thing's for sure: after night one on The Bachelorette, Becca considered Garrett to be a frontrunner. 
"I mean, fresh out of the minivan -- I can't even say limo. I thought it was cute," Becca shared. "It reminded me a little of what I did last year, making Arie get down on one knee and joking about getting engaged. I liked that Garrett could be lighthearted and laugh about the future about being a dad and having the minivan." 
"What I really liked was the fly fishing. It reminded me so much of home and it reminded me of my dad and I wanted to give [the first impression rose] to someone who really stuck out that night," she added. 
Becca also opened up about another contestant, Colton Underwood, who in addition to dating Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, has also been romantically linked to another member of Bachelor Nation, Tia Booth, from Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s season of The Bachelor. 
"Yeah, they did have a past, so that's something Tia and I had conversations about," Becca confirmed. "They dated. I don't know how serious it was, but you'll see all of that unfold throughout the season as well." 
"Colton, night one, I remember thinking how big of a heart he had," she said. "What really drew me to him that first night was the fact that he had started a nonprofit [for cystic fibrosis], and that's something near and dear to my heart because two of my cousins have it. So night one, I felt like we really connected over that." "And he's easy on the eyes," Becca added. 
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 The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. See more on Becca in the video below. 
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