#clean-up for plot

[nemo-draco]

Orion and the Dark Plot

Thinking some thoughts about the plot of the movie and wanted to put them down in writing. Can read or not. Admittedly, this is also meant to help me incorporate the characters and plot into a larger xover, though not immediately so some of the concepts here can be used for other stories, AUs, what have you.

A good amount of the movie, pretty much everything plotwise up until we have the conflict between Dark and the other entities, is good from the word go. Dark and Orion's relationship as it develops is solid, the dynamics between Dark and the other entities a little less so though we definitely get something of a feel for how he thinks about each of them. He very much looks up to Dreams, which makes me wonder if Dark and Dreams co-opt the leadership role given that Dark would probably have been around first, with Sweet Dreams showing up later on. Dark doesn't always seem to understand the idiosyncrasies of Insomnia, Unexplained Noises, and Sleep, and in some cases he quite literally doesn't understand what Quiet is saying, though he clearly likes and supports them all as best he can.

Though one thing I do wonder is the notion of Dark's insecurities and how those play off. It doesn't seem like the others are unaware of Dark's struggles, but they might not understand the depth of what Dark's going through. Maybe he's tried to bring it up, but not made it to the level that he gets to with Orion in the tea shop, or he did actually divulge his worries about being seen as 'the bad guy' and was brushed off or basically told not to worry about it, which unfortunately can be like telling a trainee pilot not to crash the plane. I.E., if you tell someone not to look for a red car, all they're gonna see are red cars.

He also does seem to be weirdly apart from the rest of the group, especially if you remember the tea shop scene. Everybody else goes inside without Dark, he's just kind of allowed to sit at his own table and presumably no one notices. It could've been because Orion was there and the others figured that it was a private moment so they let it play out, but he's almost left behind right then and there. There's also the fact that he comes in late to the break where we meet the others and no one really comments. They're happy to see him, but from the looks of things, this is not the first time Dark's gone off on his own or showed up late to a break time. They seem pretty tight-knit, but Dark's kind of not totally integrated with the rest of them, and looking back on it, especially when considering what happens later on, it's really noticeable.

Light's role and character feels like it should be expanded. I still like the idea of he and Dark being, or seeing themselves as, twin brothers, as it gives some interesting issues for them and would make sense given that they were both likely 'created' around the same time if you're going for the spontaneous generation route. However, even if you're not going for that route, I'd still go further rather than making him just the 'nicer one that everyone likes'. In a way, I like the notion of making Light a shadow archetype to Dark, mostly because it's funny to think of and it makes them play off each other so much better in my mind. Where Dark is more insecure, Light is settled into who he is, where Dark is more open to outside influences, Light is more centered and less likely to let things get to him.

Them being brothers also makes their conflict interesting, because if anyone's had siblings, Lord knows they're gonna conflict over something. It probably doesn't help that Light and Dark can only spend so much time around each other due to their situation. So you have Light seeing how his brother is drawing away and getting more combative and, well, alright then, Dark, if you wanna be a jerk, you can be a jerk. Though I don't think Light's oblivious to what's going on, or maybe why. He, just like everyone else, kind of underestimates the problem.

The big part of the plot, apart from the time travel, that I would change is the scene where Sweet Dreams and Orion go into his dream to find Dark. Firstly, especially when looking back on it, I feel like they kind of skated over the fact that Dark, y'know, tried to wipe himself off the face of the earth on purpose. I know that it's kept tame for the kiddos, but maybe have a moment where Dark has to be drawn out of his own emotional muck, maybe in a quite literal sense. The lack of time travel also means that Dreams gets a bigger role, and if Orion is directly addressing the things that Dark told him, then that might also open up Dreams to a lot of what's been bothering Dark, character interaction and her getting to reconnect with him. The Black Hole scene is fantastic, though maybe a bit more lead-in with the earlier bits, and keep in mind Dark's character arc.

Ultimately, given where the plot goes, I like the fact that there is conflict between Dark and the other night entities, especially since we've been building up to that with Orion's intro, but maybe change it a little. Like, you can't tell me these guys have never seen what things look like in the day before. Maybe instead of them being just you're holding us back from experiencing a good thing because of what you are, Dark it turns into we're sick and tired of watching you continually get yourself into trouble because of what other people say about you, especially now that you're jumping down Orion's throat just because he expressed a contrary opinion. Because if we're going to talk about Dark being 'irresponsible', then we should also bring up the fact that he kind of implodes on Orion, a kid, as a result of the conversation with the other entities where he discusses daytime and why he likes it. Now, we the audience and Orion, know why he's doing that, but the other night entities might not fully grasp the scope of why this is happening. In their minds Dark might've just gone from okay, this insecurity is kind of annoying and interfering with our jobs to alright, now you're lashing out at people simply for saying they happen to prefer daytime, you're kind of just being a bully. Really gives you the chance to see how disconnected everyone's become, and feels like a better use of the Miscommunication Kills trope.

I also had a somewhat fun thought where the 'screw you Dark we're gonna go experience day without you holding us back' bit was a somewhat slapdash way of teaching Dark a lesson of sorts. A sort of alright, he wants to be a jerk, well, how about we show him what happens sort of thing. But this, again, coming out of issues where No One Is Saying The Things They Need To Say, so Dark's left stumbling and trying to explain. For extra oomph, maybe someone says something to the effect of your problems are not an excuse for bad behavior, maybe you should consider your actions have consequences? Bit of a thing that's harsher in hindsight, given what Dark decides to do as a result.

It definitely leads to some fun moments in retrospect. Not that the whole bit of the entities telling Dark that they appreciate him wasn't good, but, all things considered, and especially when harsh words are exchanged, maybe an apology is also needed. Admittedly though, this could go both ways, with the others apologizing to Dark for writing off his feelings and making him think they were abandoning him, and Dark apologizing for letting his not-so-great feelings take the fore, and also maybe not telling them about the scope of his worries depending on how the others take it. If he wasn't being fully honest, I can see some of the other entities, maybe Sweet Dreams, Quiet, and perhaps to a degree Unexplained Noises, Sleep, and Insomnia being like well, why didn't you SAY ANYTHING?! But, yeah, let's sit down and talk this mess out. It does also potentially bring them closer as friends (or more, if you wanna go that route).

Another fun thought, as a result of Dark getting BTFO'd by Light, does Light stop? Does he initially think no no no, he's just being dramatic, he's not actually and then...yep, turns out Dark did.

[teehee-vibes]

Hey gang. What if Indie Cross was a Dungeons and Dragons campaign?

[cubbihue]

Uhm is Chimmy Changa doing well? Its seems he has started to divert from what changelings are supposed to do and act like is the static not staticing correctly is he become aware that something is wrong?

Diverting? Well we can’t have that!!!!

Don’t worry. I’ve increased the noise since our last interference. If it happens again, we will issue a good reset!! Thank you for your report.

Bitties Series: [Start] > [Previous] > [Next]

[hoahoahoahoahoa]

AU where Edward does return in New Moon but doesn’t reveal himself to Bella

By the time he gets to Bella, she’s not back to normal of course but she’s not catatonic anymore. She’s not thriving, but she’s living. Edward, on the other hand, is pretty well and truly Cracked and delusional by this point and convinces himself that it’s enough to just be around her. He can keep watch over her without being in her life. Keep her safe from outside forces and himself. That’s enough for him.

Except he’s not quite cognizant enough to actually stay completely hidden. Bella catches glimpses of him and assumes they’re more hallucinations at first, so she keeps going about her life. That is, until she sees more than a flash in the corner of her eye— he looks horrible. Still beautiful, but rough. Not like her usual hallucinations. Eyes dead, cheeks gaunt, all shadows and bruises and decay

Of course her first inclination is to believe her hallucinations are changing. That’s just more likely than Edward actually coming back. She tries not to think too hard about what the change means— is her memory of him waning? Is her mental picture of him deteriorating in tandem with her own mental state despite her thinking she’s getting better? Is she going to crash and burn again? And why does she feel a tug in her chest in its direction? How do her eyes know exactly which direction to look to see him? That never even happened before the real Edward left

Edward thinks he’s looking out for her. Keeping vigil. He can’t see that he’s haunting her.

It doesn’t break her. Not at first. But it chips away at her. She starts muttering to herself/the “hallucination” under her breath— “I’m not even doing anything stupid”, “okay, fine, I get it, I’m not okay”, “I don’t want this anymore, can’t you see this is worse?”, “he’s gone, he’s gone, he’s gone, you know he’s gone”. She almost snaps at him a few times to leave her the hell alone, but she can never gets the words out.

Most of the time her utterances confuse Edward. Others he could swear she was talking to him, but that’s impossible. He’s a vampire, he is stealth, there’s no way she knows he’s there.

Then she starts backsliding. She can’t focus on anything— her eyes are always scanning the tree line. She doesn’t sleep because she’s up all night watching the window sill, waiting to see his face peering in when thunder lights the world for a moment. She’s jumpy. She’s twitchy. Manic. It worries Edward of course but there’s no physical threat for him to thwart, and he can’t go to her to comfort her, so he watches

When he first left, she was overtaken by a nothingness. This is different; now she’s restless, she feels like she would squirm out of her own skin if she could. Jacob half-jokingly asks her how she managed to find a drug dealer in sleepy little Forks.

Only when she’s on the figurative cliff edge of her sanity, does she realize it’s really him. She’s about to give in and let herself fantasize that it’s really him, and the mere thought makes everything click into place, and she really believes. From there it takes her no time at all to figure him out.

She tries talking to him at first. She knows he won’t let her get close, and that he can hear her. Even if she believes he doesn’t love her, she knows him well enough to know guilt and the need to protect are big motivators for him.

She can only bear to ask (plead) him to come to her for so long before she feels pathetic beyond belief. So she talks to him as she goes about her days. Tells him what she’s been up to (“not much, but enough to keep Charlie from worrying too much.”). Scolds him for the scholarship thing (“tell Esme I’m sorry about the window.”). Asks him questions she knows he won’t answer, because she is interested in what he’s been up to (“guess you’re not distracted as easily as you thought, huh? Lucky me”). She even gives him some tough love. Starts telling him about mess he left behind— Victoria, the wolves, Laurent. “I’ll give you all the intel I have if you just come into my stupid house. Wouldn’t my protection be more efficient as a joint venture?”

Time goes by. No progress is made. Edward maintains the same distance, makes no indication that he’ll give up on protecting from a distance. What’s the definition of insanity Time for a change of strategy.

Putting herself in danger summoned hallucination!Edward; why not real Edward? Isn’t that why he’s back? (God, she hopes she’s right about that). She dusts off the motorcycle— catches him glaring at her running alongside her in the trees at 70mph— but keeps his distance.

She gets bolder. Goes to Port Angeles at night, quite literally looking for trouble. When no dregs of society have the courtesy to threaten her life, she whispers a quick "heads up" before she steps in front of of moving tractor-trailer. She smiles when she hears the distinct sound of snarling as she's pulled out of the way.

He's gone again before she can get a look at him. She wonders if this is how Psyche felt, even a little bit, falling for Cupid in the dark.

Well, it worked. Kind of. She needs a way to draw him out from which he can't simply disappear after.

She remembers the boys cliff-diving in La Push.

In this universe, she's not facing the ocean when she stands on the edge. Back to the water, she watches the tree line, same as she has for weeks (weeks that felt like years). She smiles at the flash of white, before frowning at the realization that she goaded him into breaking the treaty.

So when she whispers "I'm sorry," it's not just in case he can't catch her in time.

[veneskaa]

When I say "Cassian Andor s2 corruption arc" btw I don't mean him just becoming bad or losing his moral compass, but I think it would have been both fun and interesting for the Rebellion to change/reshape him - a Cassian who lost everything not because it was taken from him per se (dragging him, unwilling, to his Destiny) but because his increasing devotion to a cause that demands ethical compromise alienated him from the people who loved him. A guy who goes from sparing Syril against Luthen's orders to carrying out hits against his own conscience until, years later, killing Tivik is regrettable but reflexive and sparing Galen Erso is not only a redemption but a return to the more idealistic man he was when Luthen recruited him. The first time you do something you want to forget, how do you make it worth it? - You make sure you win, and you win by doing it again and again and if that means the people you love can't look you in the eye anymore, if they leave you because they can't sleep next to a murderer, because you're turning into a stranger with every passing day, then so be it. You have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror. Where was this s2 Cassian Andor

[vorekody]

Happy (almost) Valentine's day

[bedazzled-applesauce]

okay let me set the stage

an indeterminable amount of time into the future, season 16 comes out in the fall, somehow finangling itself out of the s15 finale. the main plot point being trying to get cas out of superhell. think good omens season two in that it’s more layed back and focused on character analysis and relationship building. dean is worse than we’ve ever seen him. the first 2 episodes are through the perspective of a kinda messed up but overall healthy if not exceedingly worried sam, and occasionally, a not sober nor lucid dean very near drinking himself to death, not ever leaving the library, surrounded by a very large number of open books; he been trying to get cas back. jack needs to be hands off, no matter what, and the empty is holding him to that, non negotiably, so it’s really up to sam and dean to fight against fate itself.

eventually, we do get cas back, somehow someway. there are the supernatural required multiple episodes of “is he gonna make it or not” wherein cas is whitekuckling life, helped along by a gentle but exceedingly awkward and uncomfortable dean. by the time cas is recovered enough for actual conversation, we the viewers are all on the edge of our seats. when dean finally says the well awaited “cas, we need to talk about what you said back then” line, the viewers are vibrating with impatience, having been egged on by a few episodes of unfortunately timed interruptions keeping dean from actually talking about s15e18. cas steps forward, and the show cuts to whatever sam is dealing with at the time. something entirely unimportant. it’s not mentioned again for the rest of the episode.

everyone freaks, tumblr is breaking with the force of hundreds of posts per second, and a light shines through the chaos. the cw supernatural accounts, announcing in some vague but unmistakable way that the rest of the destiel confirmation has already been recorded, but for dramatic effect, the show will air it on november 5th. a few weeks, and a few episodes, past when the post had initially been made. but in the few filler episodes before the big confession, dean and cas have been subtly acting differently. eyefucking each other somehow more often than usual, and much more obviously, constantly just looking at each other fondly, just more of the same “subtext” we’ve been living on already, only amplified, and with witty and annoyed but fond comments from sam. misha has been busy during these trying times, talking about airtight ndas and just building a lot of anticipation in the form of posts with cleverly placed quotation marks. it finally airs, and the big scene they’d been talking up consisted of dean beginning his “we need to talk” before giving up and having the big kiss in an attempt to convey his emotions. they make out very aggressively against deans door, on his bed, steadily ramping up the excitement and loosing articles of clothing, before a fade to black. there’s a clever shot just before the fade though, which is taken from deans desk, their frenzied kissing blurred in the background, as in the forefront, cas’s trenchcoat is hurriedly thrown over the chair, on top of deans jacket with the bloody handprint on it from cas’s sacrifice scene.

they do eventually have the long awaited talk later in the episode, laying in deans bed with that cw classic “bedsheets as low hung as we could possibly get them” shot. the confession is awkward and broken up by a whole lot of making out, and it’s clear that dean is putting into words what he’s actively figuring out about his feelings. he tells a lot of unfunny jokes, and attempts to leave a few times, but eventually dean gets it all out. it’s in this post-sex confession scene that all the speculation over how no one has really seen deans neck in the past few episodes is proven more than just overthinking. hickies litter his neck, from the juncture connecting his neck to his shoulders, all the way up to behind his ear. but it’s nothing compared to the absolutely horrendous scratches on cas’s back, of which the viewers never see, only alluded to by a horrified sam, making a one off joke about whether or not dean was some kind of clawed creature. everything is good.

the last episode of the season is only a few weeks into the future, a domestic cas and dean are gently bickering in the kitchen, dean prepping food before what is apparently a “big reunion dinner” celebrating cas’s return to earth. sam and eileen are being gross and couple-y, seen dancing together in the library before time skipping to them playing footsie at the map table across from cas and dean, who are doing the same thing. there’s a moment during the first few seconds of the scene where dean accidentally taps his foot against sam’s, leading to the generally awkward and embarrassed vibes that a good supernatural episode just wouldn’t be complete without. there’s table consists of jody and donna and the girls, jack, cas and dean, charlie, basically everyone we know who is still alive. everyone is happy, destiel is officially unruined and completely canon, everyone is alive, and the ending is actually good. the end.

[detweilerboy]

Twin Threads is a 2021 crime thriller film written and directed by Shelley Parker-Chan. The film follows a group of young assassins, lead by Zhu Yuanzhang, sent to eliminate the heir to a rival criminal syndicate. Between them and their target stands Ouyang, a bodyguard with a mysterious past and conflicting loyalties.

From left to right: Ouyang & Zhu, Wang Baoxiang, Esen, Ma Xiuying, Xu Da and Chang Yuchun

I ended up leaning more into the noir poster aesthetic than I originally planned so I changed things around in regards to this AU. Noir isn't a particularly Chinese genre for historical reasons, but there are a few contemporary mainland Chinese neo noirs (I recommend Black Coal, Thin Ice). The contemporary western neo noir on the other hand is heavily inspired by Hong Kong action cinema, or East Asian action/crime cinema in general.

This AU turned into a love letter for Raymond Chandler (in spirit and fic writing that started this whole project), Hong Kong action thrillers, especially Johnnie To films but John Woo, Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam as well. Not a small part of this is also stolen from Wong Kar-wai, as well as the film Infernal Affairs.

The poster here owes more to classic noir posters as well as Takeshi Kitano's yakuza movies but also City on Fire (and Reservoir Dogs). But Johnnie To's The Mission, Election and Exiled have black and red color schemes as well.

Consider this a movie that probably wouldn't exist but is pulling from a pool influences between East & West and is just stuff i think is cool. Organized crime AU because it is a way to write a modern AU that keeps the brutality and violence of the original, as well as the pressure of hierarchy and tradition & games of thrones.

[natade-art]

i love to rewatch my earliest anime and be deeply disappointed. anyways /i/ know the most important part of furuba

[minecraftbed]

the desert is cold at night

30,562 - ongoing - chapter 6 out now ! slowburn, scarian, cowboys

[colourme-feral]

Translation notes for Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu / Our Youth ep 3

I just realised that I didn't make a note about the title itself, Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu, which very loosely and literally would be 'Not of age: The clumsy progress of the immature us' Note: While not of age would mean minors, but I preferred 'not of age'

By the time I realised it, I had already entered the sea where you were waiting Note: A different translation uses "when I had come to my senses", which I think fits the underlying meaning that when it comes to Haruki, Jin finds himself acting before he can think things through.

Aren't kissing and liking someone different?

But this guy is different (i.e. he's not a virgin)

Are you an unexpected late bloomer?

Ah, he's left Dotei kun (which translates to Mr. Virgin)

Haruki: Can I bring DVDs and go to your house again? Jin: That's fine, but I'm gonna be studying. H: Yay! Next time, I'll bring lots that you might like. H: Once in a while, don't study; let's watch movies together. J: Next time. H: I'll bring them again!

I absolutely need it (the deodorant spray), so I'll go right now. Wait for me

If there was someone, they'd just be a hindrance Exaaaactly We're fine with how things are Note: All men do is lie lol

Note: Unlike everyone else, she refers to him by his first name, Haruki, rather than his surname, which suggests a fairly close relationship.

What? Oh, it's just that here we are, pursuing our studies every day and there he is living so carefreely.

Something must be wrong with you if you choose to do something like enter stormy/rough seas Note: Interestingly, the verb for to be stormy/rough can also mean to be ruined, which is something that Jin has been warned to be careful about

For some reason, I can't leave you, who can't swim and is being swept away without any resistance, alone

By the time I had realised it, my hand had already reached out to you.

[vodid]

officially at 9 separate bullet lists for the plot of vulnerability because "basic plot" (the main/final version plot list) ended up too long and convoluted because my ideas are all jumbled up in there and i need things organized bc i'm fast approaching the latter half of the fic 😭

[rocketbirdie]

Do you have an oc!!?@?!? Or do you just draw characters???

uhhhhhhh maybe *scrambling to dig them out of a bin in the attic*

[phant0m-ch3rry]

*yuri beams act 2 nessaboq*

toxic yuri? in my wicked au? more likely than u think

they are not making it to glinda's engagement ball 😞

[master-of-47-dudes]

Oh! For those of you who like Lancer, I've made major progress in the campaign I'm writing: Kindness of strangers!

LRBT-III, otherwise known as Blanche to the locals. This sun-baked dustbowl of a planet has the high honor of being one of the few habitable terrestrial bodies that anyone has discovered in the Long Rim, and probably the only one that's actually any use to anyone. Luckily- or not so luckily, if you ask some people- it was Union that found it first. Well, about 70 years ago when they stumbled across this star system they got it in their heads that the Long Rim's days were numbered. There’s untold millions living out there scattered along the emptiest shipping lane in the known galaxy who'd need a way out once no one needed to pass them by, and by Christ the Buddha Union was gonna be there for them waiting with open arms.

All of that is background, though. You? You’re a bunch of mercenaries who got their hands on a couple of GMSes, decided to make your manna selling violence for pay. Worlds like Blanche don't take to colonies very well, so even two generations in there's still plenty of frontier out there being settled and railroad tracks being laid. The people out there struggle day by day to survive, and people like you are there to protect them from those who got sick of the hard life. Not everyone out there has the guts to stand up for the little guy- that's why you're called Lancers.

A setting and a campaign all in one, Kindness Of Strangers and its (eventual) follow-up Dancing With the Devil are a series of Wild West-themed 2-mission adventures intended to take players from 0-12 as they find themselves embroiled in the midst of a corporate conspiracy to overthrow the Union-backed government of the isolated colony of Blanche and a ploy to seize control over a nearly completed Blinkstation. All the while, a strange religious movement worshipping an eons-dead alien civilization grows ever more influential in the background...

This campaign tackles themes of colonialism, nationalism, corruption, and conflict between indigenous peoples, settlers, and immigrants, all in a world where well-meaning intentions have gone sour and the ghosts of the past have come back to haunt it.

Kindness of Strangers, Missions 1-3

Field Guide to LRBT-PN

Exotic Gear Documentation

Variant Frame Documentation

Kindness of Strangers Worldbuilding Short Stories

Kindness of Strangers LCP, Maps, and Assets

This latest update includes the first(ish) draft of Mission 3: The Field of Blue Children, allowing play of the first half of Act 2 and extending the LL range from 0-3. Mission 3 is heavily intrigue and RP focused, featuring a wide suite of characters, relationships, and locations in the Tourist town of Baugh- a thriving immigrant community situated on a soda lake.

The PCs have been hired to investigate a bomb threat at the newly completed Baugh Pumpworks, and water filtration and chemical processing facility that stands to end the water shortage and threatens corporate control over the colony's water supply- but is everything really as it seems? In the process, the PCs will go toe to toe with teenage gearheads, Pinkerton-expies, and a group of Sparri Espadas who got roped into this whole mess, and uncover the mystery behind the threat!

Also, there's a subaltern that talks like a pirate and catholicism.

Anyway this mission also includes a custom NPC Template (kind of, I don't know how to design the LCP for that but i did include instructions on how it works), several new reserves, and several custom sitreps!

So, check it out- I'm always looking for feedback.

[firbolgfriend]

getting back into mlp by making a pony based off the unreleased episode 'Number Fish Fan', where discord finds out he has a very dedicated fan.