#And perhaps it was even planned for and scripted and filmed and had to be cut for time. I don't know. But I wish we got to see that part.

[candied-cae]

"Izzy's appearances in 2x03 with Stede were some of the only times I could stand him." - Allow me to further explain

I want to preface this with "I know." I know I was not an Izzy Enjoyer during Season 1 and I know I wasn't really looking forward to a redemption arc for his character because I was worried it wouldn't be taken seriously enough, since this show is a comedy. And, so far, I feel like I was right. His forgiveness feels rushed to me, and Stede's adverse reactions to him are the only times where it felt like this was in fact Izzy Hands from season 1 and not a guy with the same name and face but with a clean record and softer disposition.

The instances where Stede is put in Izzy's proximity are the only ones that really make sense coming out of Season 1. As far as we see, a few months has passed and pretty much everyone on The Revenge has forgiven Izzy for the simple reason that they can tell Ed is taking a little extra of his anger out on him. We see no apologies made, we see no kind gestures, we see no really complex stuff about him realizing he fucked up.

They skip right to his breaking down and the rest of the crew picking up the pieces behind Ed's back, even though for most of them Izzy was their torturer at least twice before all on his own.

So it felt weird and jarring that he seemed completely washed free of his "sins" of the last season, especially since it happened right there in the first episode. I wish the production team put more time in making Izzy "earn" the kindness the crew affords him, but I digress. The interactions Stede has with Izzy feel the most right (to me) and I adore how much character work we can pull from them.

(In agonizing detail by going over every word of dialogue and expression exchanged between them, you've been warned.)

The first time they address each other, goes as follows:

"Bonnet. Good to see you." "Piss off, Izzy. I don't wanna hear from you."

With Izzy approaching Stede without reason and speaking first. He limps on over and opens up with something polite almost. But when it comes from Izzy Hands - the man who personally insulted Stede, insulted all his favorite activities, insulted his crew, challenge him to duel and skewered him through the side, went on to call on Calico Jack and the Royal English Navy to take down The Revenge, who stole his crew and ship after he'd been arrested, and Stede's clearly got suspicions that Ed's behavior was influenced by him - that greeting is a slap in the face.

It's that kind of fake sweet pretend-we're-friends-for-the-sake-of-social-graces thing that Stede left behind on the mainland.

So he just tells him to leave. That he doesn't care what he has to say if it isn't information, and even if it was, Stede doesn't trust what Izzy shares.

And Izzy's a little caught off guard by that reaction. We see him sort of sway and look to the side. He looks rejected, which he is. And it's the first time all season that someone hasn't really let him have a fresh start (except for Ed). It's the first time anyone's tried to hold him accountable for the litany of things he'd done to the crew in the last season. Events that seem to have taken place only weeks/months before.

The second time Izzy speaks up, he does so to tease:

"What about my painting? Why was it all stabbed up?" "That was me." *sighs*

Izzy puts on a smile and leans his head back a bit. He's try to act proud and sort of snarky, since Stede isn't playing with him like they did previously. So, he tried to goad him into saying something. Into getting snippy or bitchy in return. He's trying to push Stede into giving him something to work with.

Because if people talk to him, and they play his games, and they soften up, that's how (it seems) he's been able to win them over and get into folk's good graces.

But Stede doesn't give. He doesn't want to play Izzy's mind games. He doesn't want to volley a few insults back in forth until it's fun. He doesn't want to give Izzy any of his time or attention or energy, because Izzy doesn't deserve any of it to him.

Stede walks away, and we see Izzy's expression freeze and fall. He's stuck and confused, because he thought that was a good move. He thought that one was going to get a reaction. And maybe that's how he's always gotten people to talk to him, by pushing them into a retaliation, but it doesn't work.

What's the quote? About how hate isn't the opposite of love, indifference is? Stede is being indifferent to Izzy's presence, and that's doing more to Izzy's feelings than if he outright hated him.

The third time they interact, Izzy's followed Stede into the captain's quarters and jokes:

"Don't cry, Bonnet. We just redecorated." "I don't mind, actually. I think the knives really help bring the place together."

Again, he's tried to push Stede's buttons. Playing on already used jokes that Stede's too posh and soft to, say, appreciate something like a dozen knives thrown/stabbed into the walls and ceiling of his cabin.

He's teasing, on the edge of calling Stede a cry baby, either just to see if it'll work him up, or if that's the only way he knew how to start their discussion. But again, Stede isn't playing with him. He brushes past the implied insult and moves to something more like "I don't care" in response.

Instead, turning his attention back to the subject of Edward Teach. Because he knows the crew were all dodging the question and he knows Izzy would have to know what happened to Ed.

During that same conversation they pivot to more serious matters:

"What'd you do with him? I know he wouldn't have left by choice." "I know you think you understand him-" "He was either going to watch the world burn or die trying. So which was it?" "Alright, Bonnet. Have it your own way. He went mad. He tortured the crew. He took my fuckin' leg 'cause I dared to mention your fuckin' name. He was a wild dog, and we dealt with him like one." "You sent him to doggy heaven." "No, I could never do that. We deserted him on a beach. Left nature to do the rest. More than he would've done for us. You and me did this to him. And we cannot let this crew suffer any more for our mistakes." "Why would they suffer?" "If your captain senses mutiny, she'll kill us all. That's pirate code."

The most notable expressions during this conversation are Stede's who almost seems to wince when Izzy says Ed retaliated against him over mentioning Stede's name, his defeat when he believes Ed was killed in mutiny, and his concern about making sure his crew will be spared.

These are feelings that are barely about Izzy, and mostly about the fact that Stede is taking on a lot more blame than he's saying. He feels a lot of the responsibility for what's happened (further exemplified by him cracking to tell Zheng Yi Sao that he should've told Ed how he felt and avoided all of it). And this is the first time Izzy really gets anything out of him from all his poking and prodding he does in the episode.

And though Stede is convinced that Ed was simply marooned and it's its own kind of tragedy and means there was somewhere to go to try and get him back, Stede worries about saving his crew first. He pleads with Zheng Yi Sao and even wins her over until Auntie finds Ed's "body."

After that revelation, Izzy's in The Red Flag's brig and only says:

"Go on, Bonnet. Give me your worst."

And Stede says nothing. He looks at him. He hears what he has to say. But he doesn't do anything. Nothing except having to physically push himself off the bars to walk away.

And again, we can tell there's blame he's assigned to himself for it.

It's a little bit his fault that Ed's "dead." It's a little bit his fault the rest of his crew is going to be executed. It's a little bit his fault, and it's a little bit Izzy's. He knows so, because Izzy said it to him himself. "You and Me did this to him." And Izzy huffs, gives him permission to fly off the handle. To pour his rage and grief all over Izzy, to retaliate with words or with blades.

Izzy would take it. Whatever Stede was going to give him, he was going to take it. Just like he was trying to make him mad earlier, Izzy was still grappling for something. For acknowledgment. For something in his last moments before an entire career of piracy ended at The Pirate Queen's behest.

But Stede gives him nothing.

And that hurts worse. That brings tears to his eyes. That settles in the quiet idea of "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed" that cuts so much deeper.

And the last time Izzy tries for anything, he tries being grateful:

"I just wanted to thank you for-"

But Stede still doesn't listen. Doesn't even let him finish thanking him.

Even though he went as far as to save Izzy's life along with the rest of the crew (he could've struck him down or declared he was unwelcome to join them back on The Revenge if he really wanted to), he still hadn't earned acknowledgment. Hadn't deserved pity or anything else. He doesn't even deserve to stand next to Stede and fluff his ego, as far as Stede seems concerned.

Stede hasn't forgiven Izzy. And maybe it's because he feels there's nothing to forgive, it's mostly Stede's own fault- maybe it's because he blames him too much and will never let it go- maybe he's too hurt to feel anything but tired and sad once the immediate danger has passed... Izzy doesn't know.

What he does know, is that he has tried everything to get reactions out of Stede. Everything except apologizing. So, I'm personally hoping for an apology in the upcoming episodes. For some vulnerability and truth and embarrassment. Because these are the beats of a redemption. These are the plot points of turning your life around, and people either don't believe it's genuine at first or don't care.

This is the "cost" of Izzy's actions in Season 1. And it's something they haven't given us from anyone else yet. I'd also really like Ed to make some kind of address of the fact ("You wanted Blackbeard as dark and demanding as he could possibly get, I gave that to you"). Because that's how a redemption arc works best. The guy who fucked up has to put in an effort expressly to be forgiven.

To me, it's not enough that his life sucked for a couple months and he didn't get exactly what he wanted (aka, he didn't realize he didn't actually want it like that) and he lost a leg. He's going to keep pirating on one foot, but to receive a position on The Revenge happily shared, there needs to be something more.

More OFMD

[wannaeatramyeon]

Jake Kim x Reader: Cinema

G/N. Soft and fluffy feat Big Deal a lil.

 "You on a date, boss?"

Jake says yes without missing a beat, flashing you a grin and snaking his arm around your waist.

He sees the smirk on Jason's face, the light nudge Lineman gives Brad, and the pride and approval on Jerry's face.

The grin soon melts away though, when Brad follows up with "You going to see Rocky XX too?" and Jake only just manages to hide his grimace.

The answer to that is also yes. But he would prefer to not have a date crashed by the rest of the crew.

Heavens above, you're patient enough with Big Deal and so sweet to everyone. Gotten to know the street and the occupants like the back of your hand, spending more evenings and weekends there than not. 

However. Even with how much Jake lives and breathes Big Deal, he misses some one on one time with you.

Away from everyone, he thinks as he takes in the sight of his boys in front of him. He can't exactly tell them to go away though, can he? A rare weekend off work where they get to just be.

He succumbs to his fate. 

Imagines everyone huddled on the one row together. Seated next to each other. Cosy. A family affair instead of a romantic date. Probably won't be able to sneak you some kisses here and there-

"We're not seeing Rocky!" comes the unmistakable sound of Lua's voice. "We're going to watch The Boy and The Pigeon! Enjoy your film!"

She disappears as quickly as she arrives. A whirlwind of hair and a force of nature. Giving you both a small wave, mind laser focused on reading the goddamn room and shoving the boys towards a different screen.

"B-but we already got the tickets!"

"I wanted to see Rocky XX!"

"Why does Jake think seeing Rocky is romantic anyway?!"

Why?

To be honest, the Rocky franchise died off somewhere along V. Who knows how the hell these films are still being greenlit. Nevertheless, the newest one is a low stakes film where Jake doesn't care what happens apart from you cuddling up to him and some kisses if he's lucky.

It's calculated and planned and Jake mentally pats himself on the back for how things have turned out.

Except-

What he didn't expect was the score to be good, the script to be great, the choreography to be amazing, and the acting to be even better. Neither of you could take your eyes off the screen. You laughed and cried and gasped together. 

Thoughts of cuddling and kissing and even making out completely out the window as you're both on the edge of your seat for the entire two hours.

It was fantastic. Perhaps the best movie he has ever seen (and he could practice some of those moves too).

You're both still talking about it as he walks you home-

"When he came back as a zombie to fight that vampire?"

"And the lizard joins the fight to win the title?" Jake chuckles, at your enthusiasm more than anything else, "Yeah. I liked that."

But as your apartment appears on the horizon, he can't help but think that maybe this was a bit of a waste. That the day is over and as good as the film was, maybe he should have arranged something else, after all it’s been a while since both your schedules have aligned.  A date where you can actually talk and be in each other's company. Instead of being captivated by the screen, your attention could have been held by him.

Jake tries to shake off the doubts and recapture the lighter mood from seconds ago.

He's not entirely successful.

You realise something is amiss.

You peer over at your boyfriend. His sudden subduedness. The small line forming between his eyebrows that you hate so much, because it means he's unhappy about something. You pause mid step and he stops alongside you.

"Don’t overthink it. I had fun," you tell him. You always have fun with him. "Thank you."

Jake's smile returns when he sees the expectant look in your eyes. The way you stretch up towards him. press yourself into his space, and he leans down; meeting you halfway.

Your lips lightly press to his, eyes closing, eyelashes fluttering on his cheeks and his own falling shut. Strong arms encircle you, pulling you ever closer, deepening the contact.

There'll be a next time, your kiss reassures him.

You tastes like popcorn. Sugar and butter and salt. Sweet and savoury and perfect.

[andy-wm]

hey andy, loving your posts recently; was wondering what your take is on why jikook chose to film their trip and share it with fans instead of just traveling on their own? any thoughts?

Hey Anon, thanks for the ask and your kind words :)

I have a few thoughts on this actually!

After a conversation with my semi-ARMY, BTS loving, ride or die Jikooker (with caveats) bestie (yes, it's complicated but I fully support their right to choose a safe place in (or not in) this fandom that serves them as an individual 💜), I took a moment to think about how often Jimin and JK get to spend time together.

(Tldr: not often, so they take what they can get)

I think their choice to share their trips with us hinges around a few things -

Contracts, MS rules, group hiatus, ARMY, schedules, and (hopefully) themselves.

BTS renewed their contracts not too long ago and those contracts would have specified certain obligations and opportunities for each member, in line with the planned group hiatus and MS.

It looks like, with the new contracts, they all signed up for heaps of individual projects. Everyone seems to be doing at least one album, a live performance, a documentary, a guest appearance/collab, an episodic format media project, and perhaps some sort of idol-ajacent work like endorsements (or maybe in Joonie's case the MOMA docent recording.)

I assume this series is their combined episodic media project box being ticked.

Why would they choose this and not a series like Jinny's Kitchen, or Suchwita?

Working independently on their own projects for the previous year would have meant their schedules didn't necessarily align too often. Although I have no doubt they would have made time to see and support each other (Jimin going to Qatar as an example), it would have been hard to be apart when they're so used to being together.

Seeing that they had the option to take a sanctioned trip together as a couple best friends, it makes sense that they did that instead of filming a scripted /directed program in a studio with other random cast members and more schedules to try and work around.

In all honesty, the likelihood of them getting the chance to get away together on a personal trip would have been slim, i think. No time for that!

Assuming I'm right about the contracts, if they didn't take this opportunity, they would both have been involved in other projects to meet their obligations. More schedules, more time apart, more energy spent interacting with random strangers (we know they don't love that).

Three trips away together! What a boon!

And all they need to do is be themselves.

They have done so many similar projects - Now series, Bon Voyage, ITS, and even JK's GCFs... This is relatively easy for them. Plus it's a 'tried and trusted' format that ARMY loves.

And they're so used to having cameras around them, and they know the staff so well, that i don't think the presence of a film/support crew would have significantly detracted from the fun they had.

The time they spent together would have been a blessing, especially before they knew the were successful in the companion bid. And speaking of that, they could not have had these trips unless they were work-related due to MS regulations.

They still have this bizarre idea we might forget them. Hilarious, right?

We all know that the reasons they do these programs are first financial (keep those army dollars rolling in) and second, fan engagement.

Reality type shows are the best for an authentic connection to these guys, and we love that. We don't need much more than them being and doing and exisiting, for us to be happy.

Just quietly, I dont think Hybe really realise how easy we are. I'd watch jimin scroll on his phone and occasionally laugh, or yawn, or eat a snack, and I'd find it endearing and a worthwhile use of my time.

In summary, this series is a gift for us, and easy money for Hybe, its a win-win.

And if Jimin and JK have fun and get time together, its a win for everyone.

💜🏕💛

[thoughtspresso]

Aqua plans to die.

And his death will be necessary to take Kamiki down.

While the full details of Aqua’s revenge plan isn’t entirely clear to all of us yet, his intention to place himself in danger as he tries to take Kamiki down is a very clear, and very crucial part of the plot that he anticipates.

Before we can dive into how Aqua is going to achieve his revenge, we need to back up a little bit and understand who he is as a person, how he makes decisions, and what he personally wants.

What is Aqua’s Goal?

From a top-level view, Aqua has a singular emotional goal:

Aqua wishes to take responsibility for the deaths of his mothers.

Aqua/Gorou absolutely believes that after two lives of the same thing, that he was the common denominator. He was the fault his mothers both died, because he was useless and helpless. Had he never been conceived, and more crucially, if his mothers did not have to lie about his existence, they would have both stayed alive. If Gorou’s mom didn’t have to conceal the pregnancy from her parents, or did not have one at all, she would have lived a long life. He believes that perhaps his second chance at life was to save Ai, but he was paralyzed and helpless during her murder. He blames himself for Ai’s death too.

This is a driving force in Aqua’s character, and informs all of his decision making, even to the detriment of his own plans most times. It leads us to his supplementary goal:

Aqua wants to keep the people he loves safe.

Whether it was shielding Ruby from entertainment or making sure she’s in a safe agency with good group members, or Akane not going too far in enacting his revenge plot for him, or Kana from steering clear of a career-ending love scandal, Aqua’s key traumas has led him to feel compelled to take action and do whatever it takes to save people if he had the power to do so.

Here is a breakdown of Aqua’s plans, and some key questions we have to ask about each one.

1. Why make a movie called The 15-Year Lie? And what is “Ai’s true wish”?

I have reason to believe that Ai’s DVD for Aqua would have either been a message about wishing to be loved truly and be hated with full honesty for the person she really was, that she wanted her actual self to be revealed to people. In line with that, I think Aqua’s DVD included Gotanda’s original documentary for the B-Komachi dome event. Which is why Gotanda tried to defend Aqua's decision to reveal her secret in chapter 112, and why in chapter 108 Gotanda says about the script that “this is finally my time to fulfill that promise.”

2. What does he mean by “using Arima Kana”?

There were theories circulating that the person who texted Frill Shiranui could have been Aqua, trying to get her to encourage Ruby to play the role of Ai in the film. However, that couldn’t be any farther from the truth. As we know, Aqua was saying that Gotanda should “grow up” and understand that the most important thing for a movie is to succeed commercially first before we talk about artistic value. 

If Aqua had full control over the situation, he would have just straight up casted Akane. After all, that was what he initially proposed, and even contacted her for it despite saying he’ll never have anything to do with her again. What he needed, more than anything, was for the film to succeed commercially. And with the headlining actress no longer (a) the most famous celebrity of their generation, or (b) the heralded genius of their generation, Aqua has no other options.

Except: Arima Kana.

I think the aspect of him using her or manipulating her is mainly to encourage her publicity activities. He’ll be encouraging her to do well in her work to garner more star power for the movie to really be a success, and for her to help his sister be the perfect lead for the show. He’s also going to bank on the idea that Kana will do things for him because she has a crush on him, which he only realized in Chapter 102 after Mem-cho points it out, that he can pursuade Kana to get out of the way of his revenge plot if necessary to keep her safe or place her in the spotlight to attract people’s attention for the movie.

While unlikely, he might even encourage her to stay on a little longer until Ruby gets to the Dome performance.

Or, and maybe this is my shipping delulu talking, but it can also be that he’ll try to just be around her frequently to garner media attention about their relationship. In this way, keeping her close without actually dating her could serve a dual purpose: get people talking about them and the movie, but also make sure that Kana stays safe and nobody makes a rumor of pairing her up with anybody else.

Lastly, also not super likely but another option could be to convince her to headline the show, and play Ai in Ruby’s stead.

3. Why does Kaburagi say that the film is bordering on illegal?

This is a truly crucial piece to unveiling Aqua’s plot. We know Kaburagi likes producing shows that include good-looking young people, and that seems to be his main strategy for raking in young audiences and cashing out.

So why would he have hesitated, even for a second, on a plan to cast the top talent of this young generation, on the biggest news Japan has been talking about, handed to him by a first-hand source--the son of Ai himself?

On all accounts, this would have been the perfect formula for a smash success. So why would Kaburagi say things like, “do you have enough evidence”, when everybody already knew about the University student stalker that murdered her? What was so controversial?

Unless, when they said Aqua will play the culprit, they didn’t mean the Ryosuke.

They meant he was playing Hikaru Kamiki.

Here’s what we know about the film, and what I think Aqua is trying to do:

1. Portray Kamiki in the worst possible way and destroy his reputation.

The 15-Year Lie will be a biopic about Ai’s life from when she was starting out as an idol.  Ai will be portrayed as a poor girl abandoned by her parents, searching for the true meaning of love. We know that this framing will be part of Ai’s characterization because of the scenes where Ruby struggled the most:

In the search for love, they will show her falling for a young man and talented actor at Theatre Lalalai--that being Hikaru Kamiki. Once he gets Ai pregnant, he abandons her, and she runs off to the countryside to hide from the press. When Ai asked him to come visit her, Kamiki, in wanting to protect his career, attempted to send out a stalker. A few years later, seeing his kids wotagei on social media, he manages to find them again and kill Ai.

It is a complete and utter character assasination of Hikaru Kamiki, and while revealing Ai as a flawed person, draws for the sympathy of the viewers to love Ai for who she truly is. Which is exactly why Gotanda keeps insisting for Ruby to play the role, even when Aqua and Kaburagi have sensible recommendations for Akane and Frill.

At that moment, when Ai dies, Aqua will reveal his face, and openly declare that it was his father who orchestrated it all. Then he might even portray his father murdering Ryosuke himself, instead of the suicide that was reported in the media.

2. Aqua will use himself to bait his father out, and force Kamiki’s hand to kill Aqua.

The main reason why Aqua finds it necessary for the film to be a commercial success is because he needs the general public to be one hundred percent in agreement that Hikaru Kamiki is an evil man that deserves to be jailed. (Whether or not he reveals his name in the film, which he could but doesn’t need to.) This public lynching is his first control.

But here’s the thing: Kamiki didn’t directly murder Himekawa Airi and Hoshino Ai himself. At this point in time, Aqua is not aware of Katayose Yura’s murder either. And there is no evidence that connects Uehara Seijirou and Ryosuke’s suicides as murders by Kamiki’s hands.

And on top of all that, when these things happened, Kamiki was fully a minor.

Akane’s fears and interpretation was that Aqua would murder his own father because it’s the only form of revenge he could enact himself. 

But she’s wrong, there’s one more thing Aqua could do: make Kamiki commit murder again. If he kills Aqua, there will now be a murder that the public agrees without a doubt was done by Kamiki himself.

He can go to jail once and for all, or he can also get stabbed by an angry fan--Aqua doesn’t care. All he cares about is that it’s a sure win, and it’s over forever. He launches his sister’s career into the spotlight, he keeps everybody safe, and he atones for the death of his mothers with his own life.

In summary: Aqua plans to get killed by his father, so that an actual murder has occurred for which he could be jailed or publicly ostracized or even killed.

And here’s why I think Aqua will fail:

Aqua’s assumptions about his father are incorrect.

He believes that Kamiki’s reason for killing Ai was because her pregnancy would ruin his reputation and career as a rising actor. That’s why Aqua tries to hit him there. And he believes defaming him might provoke him to get killed.

But I don’t think Kamiki cared about his reputation at all anymore. He left his career as an actor behind after Kindaichi kicked him out of Lalalai, and went on to graduate from Faculty of Science. He never went back in front of the spotlight, instead opening a talent agency around the exact time he believed his kids might be joining the industry.

I have reason to believe that Kamiki thinks murdering Airi and Ai was to protect his children or some other great act of justice against his rapist(s). And that even killing Katayose Yura was done because he didn’t want a liar like her to take the spotlight that was supposedly for his daughter Ruby.

I don’t think Kamiki will harm Aqua.

But I do think he will come forward and expose himself and his twisted justification, and he might even openly give interviews to the media.

Instead, I do believe Kamiki might pay attention to Kana’s honest acting--something he’s never seen before in a person, and try to get close to her somehow. And if Kamiki’s name is not revealed, and if the theories are true that Frill works for Kamiki’s agency, he might recruit Kana to join him.

All this is to say, get Kana out of this manga. Somebody, please save her.

[short-wooloo]

With the news from Adam Driver about how kylo redemption was never the plan originally and his story was basically meant to be reverse Vader, I'd like to resurrect an old conspiracy theory of mine about Rise of Skywalker

So the duel in the ruins of the death star, y'know how it ends with Rey stabbing kylo and then she heals him?

Well I believe he originally was meant to die there, Rey killed him in anger, and it causes a breakdown in her, she's upset not only that she failed Leia and couldn't redeem kylo, but also terrified by her anger, scared that she truly is a Palpatine, and from there we get our pep talk from Luke and final battle with Sidious

Basically I think Rey healing kylo was a last minute addition to the script (probably at disney's insistence)

And the rest of the film doesn't exactly prove me wrong

How does kylo get to exegol after Rey took his TIE fighter? Well apparently in the exploded, sitting in water for 30 years ruins of the death star there's not only a functional imperial TIE, but one with a hyperdrive too

What does kylo do upon reaching exegol? Fight the knights of Ren, something Rey herself could do or perhaps even better you could have had the Knights fight Finn, Rose and the Resistance soldiers

Does kylo meaningfully contribute to the final battle with Sidious? Not really, he gets drained of his life force by Sidious (so basically he inadvertently helps him) and is thrown down a hole for the rest of the battle, Rey does all the heavy lifting from there

The only meaningful contribution kylo makes after his "redemption" is sacrificing himself to revive Rey, which may not have even needed to happen because the only reason she was so drained is because kylo being there caused Sidious to realize he could absorb both of their life forces to restore himself (so in a way, it's his fault!) Alternatively it could have just been written that Rey passed out due to exhaustion and was otherwise fine

So yeah, that's my conspiracy, not that crazy, perfectly reasonable from my perspective

[don-dake]

R I P L E Y (2024)

***Contains SPOILERS***

A review (of sorts, but more a rambling opinion piece that veers off the main subject occasionally).

So I've watched R I P L E Y (2024), all eight episodes of it. One word: Bravissimo!

As someone who loves the Ripliad series of novels by Patricia Highsmith immensely, and having watched all the Ripley film adaptations there are thus far — Plein Soleil aka Purple Noon (1960), The American Friend aka Der Amerikanische Freund (1977), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Ripley's Game (2002), and Ripley Under Ground (2005) — I went into this new series (released on Netflix on April 4th) with expectations…

Not high, for I've learned it's never good to have high expectations or you'll more than likely just be setting yourself up for disappointment…but with expectations all the same!

Thus far, my favourite Ripley film adaptation had been 2002's Ripley's Game starring John Malkovich as an older Ripley. Had been. Until this series that is! I still love Ripley's Game a lot of course! (heh!) And there really should be no comparison given it's two different mediums and the two Ripleys are portrayed from different times of the character's life.

So saying, this new series definitely sets a new standard for a Ripley adaptation! And as someone who love the books a lot, I'm glad this series is very closely adapted from the first book!

The decision to go for a black and white cinematography, I was skeptical about that at first but after looking at the trailers and reading on the director's reasoning for going B & W with this, I can understand why, and generally agree with his decision.

Though at times, especially when looking at the wonderful interior sets, I'll be wishing I could see it in all its colour glory and thinking what a waste it was not to have it in colour, but that is but a minor hitch, for the B & W cinematography is done with superb mastery and skill, and it's hard to find fault with going this route. And it does contribute to getting into the film noir feel from films of yesteryear.

On the actors, I was skeptical on Andrew Scott as Ripley at first, but I'm happy to say he has proven me wrong and his Ripley, while not as young as Ripley should be at the start of the novel series, is one that is characterised the closest, and if Showtime/Netflix has any plans to adapt the rest of the novels, Scott will be perfect as an older Ripley, I think!

Maybe that was/is the plan…that's why Scott was chosen even though age wise, he doesn't quite fit in the beginning…one can hope! (heh!)

Moving on, just a brief rambling on the other main actors/characters because I'm getting tired:

Love Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood, she was exactly how I imagined Marge to be as I read the (first) book. A superb performance by Fanning I'd say!

Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf was underwhelming for me partly because in my eyes, Jude Law was/is the perfect Dickie (even if his — Law's — American accent was/is questionable), but partly also because I find Flynn is lacking charisma (sorry, Flynn fans!), I didn't get the sense of what was so fascinating about this Dickie that Ripley would be so enamoured with him or his lifestyle, enough to kill for it.

Perhaps the fault lies partly with the script too for I felt we the audience didn't get to see more of what drew Ripley to Dickie, besides his obvious wealth and status.

Eliot Sumner as Freddie Miles. Now this was the character that underwent the most drastic change as compared to the book and the 1999 The Talented Mr. Ripley film adaptation. In both the book and the 1999 film, Freddie was described (and portrayed to perfection by Philip Seymour Hoffman in my opinion) as an American with carrot-red hair, stocky, loud and all round obnoxious from miles away sort.

2024 Freddie is slim-built, androgynous looking, with a cherub face and British…he's practically a whole different character except in name.

As such, it's unfair to compare I guess, but having envisioned Freddie as described in the book for so long, helped along by PSH's award-worthy performance, I'll just say this is not the Freddie for me.

But, that doesn't mean Sumner's Freddie was bad. In terms of being almost a foil to Ripley, Sumner's Freddie is still quite effectively annoying.

Special mentions to Maurizio Lombardi and Margherita Buy as Inspector Ravini and Signor(in)a Buffi (Ripley's landlady) respectively! I enjoyed watching these two characters.

Also a special mention to Lucio (Signor(in)a Buffi's cat), who, had it been able to speak, Ripley would certainly have silenced! (heh!)

Last but not least, a special mention to John Malkovich as Reeves Minot.

I was so excited when I first saw Malkovich in the trailer because not only is his casting a nice tribute to his turn as Tom Ripley in Ripley's Game (2002), I thought he would be playing Herbert Greenleaf at first, but he turned out to be playing Reeves Minot! Even better! Gives more hope that new seasons of R I P L E Y (2024) may happen!

Those who have read the books will know that Reeves Minot is a recurring character in the later books — I can't really remember how many exactly, it's been some time since I last read them (and I should again!).

To sum up, I did enjoy this series tremendously and will definitely rewatch many times to come, and I hope we'll get further adaptations of the other books with the same standards as set for this one!

P.S.: I've seen a few people mention “this (R I P L E Y) is like Saltburn!”. I never heard of the film Saltburn before looking at some opinion pieces, but after looking it up, dare I say, Saltburn ripped off the Ripliad stories and its characters (the Ripliad books first came out in the 1950s) and I think it's more appropriate to say “Saltburn is like Ripley”!

[lyledebeast]

I think what really makes The Patriot such a great movie for Jason Isaacs in spite of being such a shitty movie for just about everyone else involved just comes down to laziness in the writing. Robert Rodat wrote a protagonist who is allegedly, somehow, a badass Rambo-style war hero and haunted by his past AND a good father, and the filmmakers planned from the beginning to rely on Mel Gibson's charisma to sell him. Roland Emmerich admits they never really considered anyone else for the role. Meanwhile, Tavington on paper is a cardboard cutout Evil English Snob. The original plan was to cast Jude Law, a solid Evil English Snob choice, but when he took too long to officially accept, they offered the part to an actor with little experience in American film who had not played a major antagonist before. And they let him implement some of his own ideas because his character wasn't the one they really cared about.

And he stole their movie!

I would argue that the main reason for this, the reason all the others stem from, is Issacs' idea for Tavington's backstory. Not only does it explain why he is in the Army and so desperate for a British victory, but also, in part, why he has such particular beef with a father.

The backstory itself is certainly more tragic than Martin's. For all the movie's criticism of "gentlemen," growing up in the expectation of a certain kind of life and having that torn away through someone else's irresponsibility would traumatize anyone. While the movie tells us nothing about Tavington's age when his father died or what happened to him in the immediate aftermath, it is abundantly clear that he has not gotten over it. Martin has not gotten over Fort Wilderness, but by every other account we hear it was 1, Martin's accomplishment and 2, an absolute Roman triumph from the British Colonial perspective. It did nothing to hurt Martin's fortune or prospects, quite the opposite. The only drawback for Martin is that when you commit war crimes, it has an unfortunate way of making you feel like you might be a war criminal. Annoying that.

That Tavington has a saber to grind with fathers is also far more consistent than Martin's approach to fathering, as we see in Tavington's first scene. He points his pistol at Martin's children to get the rise out of him that pointing it at him failed to stir. He never speaks to Gabriel or even looks at him upon discovering the dispatches he carried, but when Gabriel calls Martin "father," suddenly Tavington is invested: "Oh, I see. He's your son. Well, perhaps you should have taught him something of loyalty." Every problem Tavington sees in this scene of performed neutrality he lays at Martin's door, even Gabriel's service in the Continental Army. Could it be projection? If there is one outcome that is not Martin's fault, it is Gabriel joining up against his explicit wishes. Meanwhile, Martin's concern for Gabriel shifts from his endangering five of his remaining children's lives to save him to paying so little attention to him immediately after his new wife's murder that he is able to ride for revenge with no inconsequential number of Martin's men behind him. And he is at least as shocked by Gabriel's death as he was by Thomas's.

The first exchange between Tavington and Martin is mostly unchanged from the script to the theatrical release, but the two following it are dramatically different thanks to Isaacs. He argued successfully that not only would Tavington not be afraid of Martin after the prisoner exchange but that he would do well in the final fight between them (a fight that does not exist in the original screenplay). That fight in particular creates problems for the filmmakers' vision of Martin. In the unaltered first scene, Tavington has all of the power, sitting on his horse while Martin is on foot. In the second, Tavington draws his sword to kill Martin while he is unarmed. Both of these are classic dastardly villain moves. In the last exchange, though, it is Martin who has the advantage of having wounded Tavington twice before they get in sword's reach of each other, and Tavington still kicks his ass. On Tavington's side, this is not representative of a one-dimensional villain but of a man who has clawed his way to being a colonel in the British Army after losing everything with his father's death. The only reason Tavington does not kill Martin, either after the punch Martin does not take like a champ or after he has literally beaten Martin to his knees, is that he is still seeking a connection with a father.

The problem with the changes Jason Isaacs brought about is that they make Tavington a badass fighter with a sad backstory, which also happen to be the only aspects of Martin that get any real development. His onscreen violence evokes Fort Wilderness from first to last, but the third aspect of Martin's character, that he is a good father, is told rather than shown. Had changes been made to Martin that corresponded to Isaacs' for Tavington, then he could have had a stronger ending, perhaps saving Gabriel as he failed to save Thomas. But, no. Instead he just gets out-badassed in his own movie and then handed a giftwrapped victory anyway.

[waeirfaahl]

Balto-4 that never happened

Many years fans imagined their own version of Balto 4. Some imagined prequel about Balto's parents, some imagined adventures of other Balto's and Jenna's pups, or love story between Balto's pup and Steele's pup, and how their love stops the hatred between their parents, or the sequel of Aleu's adventures with exploration of those Inuit and Native American myths and spirits and so on. 

The original film's crew never planned to make any sequels, Balto-1 was stand-alone and concluded story (although, Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser, who wrote the first version of the script of Balto-1, were aired for work on Balto-3). But what about the crew, which worked on Balto-2 and Balto-3? Well, they actually had some ideas. 

Here's the vision of Dev Ross, the writer of Balto-2:

" I would take up in the wild with Aleu. Most likely, I would have her return to her father, because she needed help. Perhaps, because of enviromental issues or that her pack had been captured or run off by humans. I was hoping to do more with [Aniu] in the film, but I wasn’t hired to do another."

Obviously, Dev's movie would expanded and explored not only Aleu's journey with the pack on the new unknown territories, on the new unpredictable land with new danger (humans, other antagonistic animals or forces of nature), and how Balto helps her, we'd obviously learn more about the wolf culture, but also the supernatural elements (spirits and their nature), which had some vague answers in the sequel, but planned to be developed and explained more in the new film and now are mentioned in interview. I think, the series in TLG (The Lion Guard) style and format could fit for her story perfectly. 

For example, how Aniu was a mortal grey wolf, who loved her wolf pups and family (her wolf pack), and how after death (in ancient times obviously) and joining in with the Great Spirit (and becoming a part of this Guardian Spirit) she became the white wolf and now is the Great Mother of all wolves, who symbolizes the call of the wild and helps to find true self. This Great Guardian Spirit was in the cave with Muru, as well as how wolves bow to Aniu as to the goddess on the top of mountain. Maybe we'd learn more about this character also.

In another interview Dev Ross also mentions about how Aleu and the pack travel in the tundra, about pups of Aleu and her wolf mate, and also about conflicts Aleu can encounter — rivalry between males and females for leadership in the pack and how in the wilderness Aleu can feel the awakening of her passive dog side in contrast to her dominant wolf side she was okay with since puppyhood, and how she has to overcome and to be okay with her dog side during interaction with humans in the wild, especially with hunters and poachers etc.

And here's the vision of Phil Weinstein, the director of Balto-2 and Balto-3:

"As far as what I’d like to see, I really like Steele from the original, so I’d like to see something with him. And I thought Aleu was a great character; I’d love to see her come back and help her father in some way. And maybe there’s even some great revenge thing with Steele, and Aleu comes back to save her dad. Or something along those lines. And that’s personally what I’d like to see, if I were in charge of handling the story. And I’d love to tie up all the loose ends, especially between the first two stories."

Here he added a bit more:

"What I really want to see is a Balto 4, Steele returns, out for revenge on Balto for ruining him, and Aleu returns to the rescue. There is something about "A daughter returns to save her father." There is something about the archetype - to me rings true. So I don't know what happened to her, but I would love to see her come back. She saves her dad, but know the dynamic is changed, because Kodi has become the Alpha, and now the sister could potentially threaten that relationship. All of those pieces seem like a good launching point for a fourth movie."

Here we see some ideas for the story, its core, but there is a lot of aspects, which have to be normally explained and have to work. Yes, there's some danger from Steele (who waited three years for revenge, I guess) and potential for intimidating villain and for awesome final battle between Balto and Steele on the mountain (I hope, not only me wanted this in the original film? in the novel Balto fought Steele in the medicine fight scene, so Steele felt fear). However, it's unknown, how Steele planned his revenge. Who'd be his henchmens, if all dogs of Nome know about his evil nature now? Niju? Very unlikely (unless Niju is his son...). And if Balto was in danger, so Aleu (where Kodi, Jenna, other pups and friends?) ran to rescue him, it really needs for Steele to have some allies. 

I hope, his demise wasn't in the Dingo Pictures style. That would be hillarious... So, that's what people, who worked on Balto 2 and 3, had in mind for the story in Balto-4. Maybe someday we will see this.

[thewavyphoenix]

CHUNGKING EXPRESS: My Journal Entry (5/30)

Initially, this post was supposed to be about Days of Being Wild, but I didn’t finish the movie because I’m still trying to sync up the subtitles on VLC media player. Perhaps it was for the better, because I gave myself a chance to experience an oriental classic in Chungking Express, and I don’t think I could’ve picked a better moment in my life to have watched this movie than now. There’s a lot I want to say about this movie and I think I’ll divide it into two parts — my personal reaction and my analysis on the cinematography and other technical components. I don’t plan on writing in too much detail here, although with enough pacing I could write an essay on this.

I couldn’t help but feel floored when I came to the realization that I was watching four stories being told, two at a time. Every story was reflective on intimacy in avenues I didn’t even anticipate. The four main characters all had an ambition yearning to be curbed and personally, Officer 663 & Faye was a story I felt consistently more invested in. I was drawn to Faye for her child-like insouciance and I think it was absolutely rad how she played a character based on herself. The film itself is escapist, and her character yearns for love and excitement within her life. In a way, it felt like looking in a mirror — I feel seen when she talked about saving money so she could live life in the way she desires to! I felt passion in the way Officer 663 looked after her too. Oh, to have lost a woman he loved dearly and still find it within himself to take care of a girl he just met in that manner…

Along the way, I also picked up on recurring motifs of togetherness. The planes on 663’s ex’s back, the goldfish, and even the song choices reflect that — so much symbols within the script are interconnected within each other. My favorite motif though is Officer Qi-Wu’s “love you for 10000 years.” For me, I feel that love in many aspects can be undying, contrary to Qi-Wu pondering if love could in fact expire (I couldn’t imagine fighting tooth and nail for fruit with a two day shelf life remaining. I digress though.) I’ll have nothing short of love for the faces of my loves past, and future. If anything, watching this movie reinforces the type of partner I know I’ll be someday: a patient, self-less lover.

What truly hit close to home for me was the progression of 663’s loneliness. At a point, he was lead to believe he was chasing love in a place he wouldn’t find it in and it made me feel melancholy because of how relatable it was. His old lady is happy with a new man and the new flame he’s embarked on — is she invested enough to reciprocate the infatuation? Some things just hurt more than being alone. The performance was a vibrant reminder of how far from guaranteed love truly is. However, if the desire is real, you don’t flinch from the flame within you.. However, if the desire is real, you don’t flinch from its flame.

[goodluckclove]

good evening monsieur clove i have realized in the past two weeks that i drag my feet when it comes to writing because words are not my preferred medium for communicating stories, much like how a prolific painter might not enjoy doing a full, detailed charcoal sketch. this said, should i or should i not turn my current fanfic ideas into comics/storyboards rather than written prose ?

Oh yeah! Absolutely!

I think different ideas are best for different mediums. That's something that I only recently had to learn wasn't common knowledge amongst artists here. There seems to be a weird preconception on certain writing communities that something has to be a novel, that you have to specifically turn this idea into a novel.

And that's - I mean, it's a noble thought to want to make any effort at all to make art. But if it isn't working and you're stuck in perpetual writer's block - perhaps even to the point where you start to assume that a fundamental part of being a writer is not writing - maybe it's time to expand your idea of Things You Can Write.

Maybe your idea isn't a novel. Maybe it's a play, or a movie, or a comic, or a short story, or a collection of short stories. Maybe it's something else entirely. Maybe it's a fucking ARG. Contrary to what other people seem to think, a novel isn't the only barrier to entry to be considered a Real Artist.

Short stories don't take less effort because they're shorter. If you think they do, maybe you're just naturally good at short stories (Which is very lucky because they're way easier to publish and sell so like why not lean into that?). And scripts for theater, film, and comic are each separate structures that have a ton of room for artistic flair and structural skill. Have you ever read the script of your favorite movie? It's really interesting how much it expands on the experience!

So yeah, different ideas require different homes. If you think your idea would work as a collection of storyboards or like a formatted script you can share with other artists, fucking do it.

I commonly adjust medium and structure for an idea if it isn't flowing the way I want it to. This mainly looks like going between prose and stageplay, because those are my two main realms. But if you only work in prose for now, you can also try switching POV or setting. Change the perspective of what you've already planned. Stephen King had a fun reoccurring bit in his writing where he would briefly hand over the perspective to what was essentially a walk-on player who would observe something spooky and then never be seen again. It can be fun for the reader and refreshing for the writer to play with different angles, you know?

Whatever you got to do, man. No Gods No Masters and shit. I would just truly love if we got rid of the weird ongoing generalization in communities like this that it's the norm for all writers to hate writing. Like, I'm probably the absolute wrong person to counter that thought, but that. Doesn't seem right? Or good or healthy?

[exouniverse]

Band’s Cut

Pairing: jaehyeong x gn reader

Genre: fluff, birthday fic

Warnings: none, but if any please tell me and I’ll add it.

Summary: The Rose members have seen the subtle sparks flying between Jaehyeong and his acting classmate, but their slow-burn romance only drives them to meddle further and play matchmaker. Will a chance for a confession finally arise at the surprise birthday party that they’ve planned?

Word count: 5.1K+

A/N: I haven’t seen much of The Rose fanfic around, so I hope this reaches as many Black Roses as it can. Also, I have come to accept that the birthday fics will no longer have a limit of words… they simply flow so easily each time that they become longer and longer. Perhaps some will be short, but that will depend on the premise. So, I hope you like this! Happy birthday Jaehyeong!

A little fun fact, “Band’s Cut” refers to the “Director’s Cut” version of a film, but in this case is the members version of how the romance happened (or more like how they “made it happen.”)

Banner template by @kithsune/@cafekitsune

MASTERLIST | MOODBOARD

The members gathered around Woosung's laptop with coffee and water in hand, about to embark on hours of reviewing audition tapes after their casting director's preliminary cuts.

As Woosung hit play on the first file, they settled in for a video marathon. Dojoon diligently took notes on the potential candidates, carefully analyzing their skills and talents. Meanwhile, Hajoon closely observed the performance nuances, paying attention to the finer details.

The casting director did an excellent job selecting the finest dancers, evident from their clean lines and exceptional technique. The actors showcased remarkable skills in delivering emotions and portraying mannerisms. Some triple-threat performers showed great promise and made it onto the list. However, none of them had managed to captivate all the members with an overwhelming sense of fascination.

Jaehyeong doodled absently, almost lost in the poodle dog playing with a ball that he drew in the corner of his notes. It was the first word you spoke that made him look back up at the laptop, the words melting in his ears.

The members were deeply moved by every gesture and glance throughout your audition. Every minute of your performance left a lasting impact, and even after it was over, the essence of your talent lingered in their minds, preventing them from even moving on to the next audition tape.

"Y/N, was it? Really connects to the heart of the song," Hajoon remarked in awe. Murmurs of agreement echoed among the members, making it clear that, despite having some more entries left to review, Y/N must be considered for the lead. But little did they know this match-up held promise beyond just professional prospects.

The dialogue was almost turning into doodles on the pages. Jaehyeong was having a hard time deciphering his lines for the scene they were studying in his acting class.

He sighed, putting his script down. The line caught in an endless loop within his mind, making him feel dizzy. Suddenly, a voice brought him down to earth. "Need any help with your lines?" you offered.

Jaehyeong looked at you, contemplating and mirroring your kind smile. "This part," he said, and pointed at Captain Wentworth's line, "‘half agony, half hope'...what do you think it means?"

You grabbed the script from his hand to analyze the dialogue. "For Wentworth, I think it's the fear of getting rejected once again after what happened with them in the past, but he's still holding onto a little hope in his momentary jump of faith to confess his feelings to Anne. It's all of the excitement and uncertainty tangled up."

When you looked up at him, he somehow looked even more confused. His eyes were locked on yours as if looking for a deeper answer, so you said, "in a more general sense... it's just how complex and contradictory love is. Like when your emotions for another person change from friendship to love. The agony will be in the fear of your feelings not being returned, while the hope will be in the possibility that that love will be reciprocated."

As Jaehyeong assimilated your perspective on Wentworth's complex emotions, your explanation resonated with him on a deeper level. A clarity emerged through your guidance, breaking the haze around the lines that now reflected his own awakening feelings. Up until now, he had thought his admiration for you was only due to your artistic abilities, but now he could understand Wentworth's words towards Anne.

Words were hard to find, so he hoped his gaze spoke for him, and he offered a complimentary smile as a thank you for your thorough description that shaped his performance as well as his newfound emotions.

Dojoon walked with Jaehyeong towards the dressing rooms to get ready for the music video shoot. They were just chatting about the last TikTok they posted when Dojoon noticed Jaehyeong was a little distracted. Following his gaze, Dojoon spotted you entering the hall accompanied by a group of staff members.

Smirking knowingly, Dojoon was aware of Jaehyeong's fondness for you. He had seen it ever since the call-back auditions, when the selection process for the lead and the ensemble dancers began. Among the three actors being considered, it was evident that Jaehyeong had a stronger bias towards you compared to the rest of the members. His smile would widen every time your name was mentioned. When the decision was made to cast you as the lead in their music video, Jaehyeong passionately advocated for you, leaving the rest of the team exchanging meaningful glances.

Dojoon nudged Jaehyeong playfully. "Look who can't take his eyes off our new lead."

Jaehyeong looked back at Dojoon as he smiled nervously. "What? Was I that obvious?"

The members, as it was too obvious, had managed to get a confession out of him that day after the selection was made. He told them all about you and how much he admired your talent. He truly enjoyed working with you on the class assignments.

Dojoon chuckled and whispered, "only if anyone was paying close attention, like me."

Both of them entered their dressing room. It was just the two of them, so Dojoon dared to say, "you should tell Y/N, about how you feel." He stopped as he checked his wardrobe, making Jaehyeong linger on his words.

"No pressure though," he offered with a kind smile. Dojoon suspected that you also had feelings for their maknae. You had been smiling too wide and giggling so much around Jaehyeong after the call-back auditions. Even more so when you two got some time to catch up and Jaehyeong introduced you to the band.

Hajoon entered before Jaehyeong could say anything, his cheeky smile giving away his thoughts. "Jeff, Jeff!" Hajoon shouted.

"Know who is here?" Woosung whispered excitedly as he came in behind Hajoon.

Dojoon smiled at them knowingly. Jaehyeong seemed like a mouse caught in a trap; his sweat around his eyebrows was evident. "Hajoon and Woosung!" Dojoon replied to Woosung's question as he gave them a warning look.

Woosung looked back at their lovely maknae and nodded. Hajoon mouthed an "oh" in understanding, acknowledging the unspoken sentiment.

Jaehyeong was pensive throughout their glam session for the shooting. He appreciated Dojoon's encouragement; he really could've said something long ago, but the moment he found out about his feelings slipped away too quickly, and his hectic schedule distracted him too much. It also felt too weird to say it during class or now at the shooting of their music video since they haven't had much time out of those restricted spaces.

The whole crew planned to gather after everyone was ready for the first scenes to start off the shoot with the best energy. As soon as you saw Jaehyeong coming out of his dressing room, you approached to greet him, "Jaehyeong-ah! Thought I missed you, but it's nice to see you before we start."

Jaehyeong eased up into a bright smile when he saw you. "Y/N! I'm so glad to have you around for this music video; you're the best."

You could've missed it, but you caught a glimpse of the rest of the band rushing to get back inside their dressing room. You were a little confused but decided to ignore it and continue to chat with Jaehyeong. "You are great yourself. Wanna go to set together? Are you waiting for the members?"

Jaehyeong clearly heard Woosung's giggle and Hajoon whispering "go." He smiled at you, trying to contain his own laugh at his hyung's antics. "We can go together; they are too slow, too slow," he joked, scrunching his nose, and walked along with you as you two chuckled.

The members giggled silently once the two of you had left. Dojoon looked at his friends, already plotting something cheeky in his mind.

"Do you guys think he will say something today or tomorrow?" Dojoon asked them.

"I hope so! They're so cute and so into each other," Woosung expressed.

"Jaehyeong has been overthinking this too much; he must," Hajoon agreed. "However, he's always moving at the beat of his own drum, so perhaps he will take some more time."

"Okay, drummer cliché, don't turn the mood down," Dojoon joked. "But you're right..." he admitted.

Woosung nodded and shared, "I heard Jaehyeong say he wishes he could hang out with Y/N more. That they have barely seen each other outside of class."

They took a moment to consider a way to help their maknae, but their manager came looking for them as they were supposed to be at the set long ago.

The three of them arrived fashionably late, thankfully while some staff crew were still settling equipment for the scenes, so they were not noticed by everyone. Especially Jaehyeong and you, who were caught up in a seemingly smooth conversation as you laughed at whatever Jaehyeong was saying.

"Oh oh oh, look at Y/N's hand!" Dojoon emphasized as you placed your hand on Jaehyeong's while laughing with him.

"Jaehyeongie!" Woosung exclaimed.

"He probably doesn't need much of our help," Hajoon commented.

The music video shoot went incredibly well, with everything flowing smoothly. As the day came to a close, Woosung extended an invitation for the cast to join the band for some drinks. Everyone appreciated the opportunity to unwind and cherish the quality time spent together, further strengthening their bonds.

The following day of shooting unfolded much like the previous one, with Jaehyeong still hesitant to confess his feelings. The other members opted not to intervene too much, instead choosing to support Jaehyeong whenever possible. They offered advice and encouragement whenever they sensed the need. Jaehyeong's hyung cheering crew discreetly arranged situations for the two of them to spend more time together. Nevertheless, it seemed that Jaehyeong was taking his time quite slowly.

After the celebration with the entire crew, the members gathered to discuss their observations and analyze if there was anything else they could do to support Jaehyeong. They contemplated whether it was best to continue their efforts or step away completely, respecting Jaehyeong's pace.

"Guys, I think we've done enough," Hajoon remarked.

"Yeah, I think they're okay," Woosung echoed Hajoon's opinion.

Dojoon took a deep breath and dramatically set his coffee on the table. "No, they're not," he looked back at his friends and continued, "Jaehyeong said he wanted to spend more time out of work with Y/N. So far, everything has been about work—the music video, lunchtime, the after-work celebrations included. I don't think he's saying anything any time soon."

"Dojoon-ah, it's still not our place to meddle too much, though," Woosung pointed out.

"I know, I know..." he said, taking another sip of his coffee. "But, should we try one more thing?"

Woosung and Hajoon looked at him almost uninterested, only to entertain him a little bit more since it had been mostly him orchestrating the moments for Jaehyeong to confess his feelings. They wanted to help too; they had been excited to take part in the scheme, but seeing how Jaehyeong was taking his time made them think it was better to step away for a while. Contrary to Dojoon, who seemed even more committed to the cause, "one last try," Dojoon restated.

"Okay, what do you suggest?"

"Nothing too crazy, please!" Hajoon stepped in, limiting Woosung's encouragement.

"Let's invite Y/N to Jaehyeong's surprise birthday party next week!" He exclaimed, "that would be completely out of work. We give Jaehyeong a week to try to make a move if he wants to, but we still secure another moment together for them no matter if they end up coming as a couple or singles ready to mingle...between them, I—"

"Okay, we got it!" Hajoon interrupted.

"That's genius!" Woosung regained his enthusiasm. "I'm in! One more nosy try won't hurt."

"I knew you were going to agree!" Dojoon looked back at Hajoon, "Joon-ah! C'mon, get in, please," he begged.

Hajoon rolled his eyes before he said, "alright, one more try."

The final day of shooting was with a reduced cast since it was mostly the band and the lead who were supposed to film. The perfect setting for a little surprise invitation to a surprise birthday party.

Woosung managed to grab a moment with Jaehyeong gone from your side; it seemed almost impossible with time to separate the both of you. He casually made conversation about the music video and how incredible it was to have found you for it. He needed to be fast, though, before Jaehyeong came and heard about what they had been planning for his birthday for a month already.

"What's best is that you were already familiarized with our band, especially Jaehyeong, at your acting classes," Woosung said.

"That helped a lot!" You exclaimed, smiling widely. "When I saw the casting call, I immediately thought of Jaehyeong and did my best to get it since working with him is super fun. He's a great friend, so I knew it was definitely going to be so easy to navigate."

"Right, you're super close. You've been glued to each other this whole time," he threw in a little tease, "but it's cool to see our maknae happy having friends around that share such cool creative drives between them," he smoothly added.

You nodded. Woosung caught a little shyness in your gesture, so he continued, "hey! Actually, it's awesome that we got to know you properly. Jaehyeong talks about you a lot, and we wanted to contact you for a little surprise we're throwing for him for his birthday."

"Oh, really? I was actually thinking of calling him and inviting him for some treat or something, but that is even better."

Woosung had to contain his excitement hearing you talk so enthusiastically, confirming even more how into each other the two of you were. He succeeded; Dojoon's plan was taking off steadily.

"Awesome! I'll tell Dojoon to send you all of the details."

“Hey, Y/N!”

"Hey, Y/N!" You heard Jaehyeong call you from inside the class.

It took you a second to realize he had been calling you, but as you turned around, a smile graced your lips. You watched as he maneuvered through the small crowd that had formed around your classmates near the entrance, causing you to giggle. After apologizing to Haeyoung, the class assistant, for accidentally bumping into her, he finally reached you.

"I thought I missed you," he blurted, a little out of breath. "So, I was thinking, do you wanna go grab a coffee?"

His smile was contagious. "Sure! Coffee would be nice," you agreed as enthusiastically as you could.

"It seems it might rain; we could go to your favorite just a couple of blocks away from here."

You simply nodded in response and followed him. Jaehyeong was undoubtedly the top highlight of acting classes. When you first saw him in that initial class, you couldn't help but feel a bit starstruck. However, he quickly showed how down-to-earth and kind he was, quickly erasing any notion of him being a celebrity from your mind. If you were to describe him in a single word, it would be "comfort." Whenever your best friend was absent from class, it was Jaehyeong that you would always gravitate towards, or sometimes the both of you if Hanna was also present.

"Are you in the mood for something sweeter today? Or just your regular Americano?" Jaehyeong asked once you entered the coffee shop.

"Oh, uh..." he caught you a little off guard. "Something sweeter sounds good today," you agreed.

"Find us a spot; I'll go and order," he suggested, anticipating your protest as he often did when he planned to pay for everything. "Please, just let me," he quickly interjected, flashing a genuine smile, hoping you would agree and allow him to treat you to coffee.

"Okay, but you will let me pay next time."

"Yeah, maybe," he joked, effortlessly bringing out a small laugh from you.

You went to look for a good spot so you could enjoy your coffee calmly. There was a corner near the window where not many people were around, so you sat there to wait for Jaehyeong. He had been right. As you stared outside the window, you noticed the raindrops starting to fall. You contemplated the weather, trying not to think about anything.

"Nice spot!" You heard him say as he sat down in front of you. "It did rain! Am I a psychic?" he joked, looking at the rain and giving you your drink.

"That is sweet," you said, and suddenly realized you might not have just meant it to describe the drink he chose for you. His eyes were so sparkly and full of joy, making you laugh again. "Seems you know me quite well; this seems delicious, or you really are a psychic," you said as you raised your eyebrows playfully.

"I will look into auditions for psychics; it might just come natural."

You were not surprised at how easily he could make you laugh, but the blossoming affection within you piqued your curiosity once again. All of your emotions collapsing caused you to retreat inward, contemplating and reflecting on them more deeply.

You would normally be aware of your surroundings, as you swear by the "here and now" perspective, but it was becoming more evident that something was on your mind.

Jaehyeong tried to study your expression. "So you got an interesting scene for the assignment?" he asked casually.

It was only natural for him to ask such a question, but what he understandably failed to anticipate was the extent of your concern since you first read it. He did notice the way you sighed and gazed at your coffee, absentmindedly playing with the whipped cream on top.

"Is everything okay?"

You looked up at him; his eyes expressed so much concern, and you felt so comfortable that you even managed to pull off a small smile. "It's a tough one," you admitted. "I read it, and it just feels so real. I'm concerned about not being able to even start with it; I think I—I, uh..."

Jaehyeong allowed the silence to linger, giving you the space and time you needed. Finally, you spoke up again, expressing your worries, "I don't know how I will manage to separate my own feelings from the character's." You glanced back at your coffee. "Actor's problems, huh?" you added, trying to lighten the mood with your self-deprecating comment.

Jaehyeong chuckled softly and met your eyes. "No need for jokes; your feelings are valid." He considered his words, "that is definitely a challenge, but you have a gift for channeling emotions authentically while keeping yourself protected."

He pondered for a moment. "You can perhaps resort to a simple technique...breath in and out, stay calm so the tears flow naturally once you relax," he suggested, offering a potential solution for the challenging assignment you had to prepare for next class, where you had to cry on cue. "But you can always talk to the professor and see if he can change your scene. I'm sure he will understand. Your learning process doesn't have to come at the expense of your suffering."

You finally smiled truthfully; his understanding and advice moved you deeply. He really saw through you and realized how deeply it was affecting you.

"And you're not alone," he added, smiling back. "I'm here if you need someone to talk to; I'll listen and provide my psychic powers, no charge."

The way he brought out your most genuine laugh of the day spoke volumes. He was a special one, no doubt. You felt so grateful towards him, and just having him around felt like a blessing. The emotions were finally clear as you saw into his eyes, expressing your heartfelt gratitude. There was a deep care for him that made you feel excited and frightened all at the same time.

“Oh, hi Y/N!” Dojoon exclaimed with a smile as he saw you entering the venue. He walked over to greet you properly and led you to where Woosung and Hajoon were busy setting up some fairy lights. They greeted you as warmly as Dojoon had and happily welcomed your offer to help with the preparations for Jaehyeong’s surprise.

“Thank you for lending us a hand; Jaehyeong would love to know that,” Woosung said, winking playfully. It seemed he had caught you off guard; your nervous smile was the giveaway. He let it rest but exchanged a look with Hajoon, who was trying to hide a knowing smile from you.

It was getting more obvious as time went by just how much you were into each other. The members didn’t want to meddle much anymore, but they still had some tricks up their sleeves if they didn’t see much interaction. Just one final push.

More guests began to arrive once the early crew finished decorating, filling the venue with an air of excitement and joy as the hour drew near. Smiles adorned everyone's faces as they eagerly anticipated Jaehyeong's arrival, but it was a certain starry-eyed face that kept the members eager to witness their youngest member's reaction.

The plan was set in motion. Hajoon received Jaehyeong's message, expressing concern as he found no one around in the building. Hajoon quickly reassured him that he was in no trouble but urged him to hurry since the crew needed to begin filming the promotional video for the tour earlier than planned, mentioning a logistical issue with the venue—all of this a white lie concocted to ensure Jaehyeong arrived alone at his surprise birthday party.

Jaehyeong's face showed a whirlwind of emotions as he stepped through the door. The lights out momentarily masked his concern, but it flickered across his face for a brief moment before he comprehended the situation. The sudden burst of lights, music, and chants of birthday wishes took him completely by surprise.

A particular someone captured his gaze, and all that his face revealed was enchantment. The members nudged each other, beaming at Jaehyeong‘s perfect reaction to realizing you were here. The birthday party be damned—almost—this is what they lived for, just witnessing their maknae being truthfully happy.

The band energetically embraced Jaehyeong in a group hug, messing with his neatly styled hair that his style crew had meticulously managed to tame. He had already thought that his sort of laid-back outfit didn’t match the tidy hairstyle much, so he felt more comfortable as he let them ruffle his hair. If only he could have guessed it was just to make him think he had to be at least half ready to only change his outfit once he arrived at the promotional video set.

Jaehyeong’s smile remained on his lips as the members pulled back, filled with gratitude for his friends. But his eyes suddenly searched past them, landing on yours across the room as he heard the beats of his yearning heart echo inside his ears.

There you stood, smiling shyly. The party buzz faded into background noise as your gazes met and held. Before he could second-guess himself, Jaehyeong started walking towards you. His heart pounded faster as your smile grew, mirroring the hope in his own eyes.

Time seemed to pass slower than it really was, but as Jaehyeong reached you under the colorful lights, he softly spoke your name, bringing you back from your slow-motion imagination.

“Y/N, I’m so happy you’re here.”

You shook your head slightly as you scrunched your nose. “It’s not hard to show up for you. Your hair...” you said, noticing the disheveled locks that his friends had left. Gently giggling, you ran your fingers through his hair, fixing it back into place. Jaehyeong didn’t have much time to react since the crowd approached to congratulate him. You stayed behind, trying to slow your heartbeat as you greeted a couple of acquaintances.

The party started right away, with people taking Jaehyeong from one place to another. Dojoon kept an eye out between mingling, ensuring everyone felt included in the revelry. He noticed you and Jaehyeong gravitating naturally together amidst chaos, even stealing shy glances when thinking no one saw while you were not within the same group of people. Trusting the magic of moments, Dojoon gave you space, engaging others enthusiastically.

In a brief moment, he found Woosung awaiting karaoke's start. Woosung nodded discreetly towards the balcony as he drew Hajoon in, who was busy setting the microphones. They watched in awe as Jaehyeong led you outside while holding your hand.

Woosung smiled knowingly. "Our work here is done. All that's left is for them to follow their hearts."

As you walked out onto the balcony, the sounds of the party gradually faded into the background, merging with the bustling city below like distant background music. You both took in the view, and for a moment, nothing was said.

You took the opportunity to reach for the small birthday present you brought. You were not planning anything specific to gift him, but when you saw it, you immediately thought of Jaehyeong, and you bought it right away.

“I got you something,” you announced.

Jaehyeong looked at you, surprised. “What? You didn’t have to,” he chuckled nervously.

“How could I not? It’s small, but I really hope you like it.” You took a deep breath and handed him the small box.

The gentle touch of his fingers sent thrills down your arm, so you tried to hide the sudden nervous smile that grew on your face. You stared as he opened his present and were moved by his growing smile.

“I’m a psychic… this is so cool. Where did you get it?”

He discovered the reason why, and you couldn’t help but laugh. “I was just window shopping and saw it; it was meant to be yours.”

“You…” he searched for your eyes. “I love it. Could you?” he asked you, offering to put the subtle crystal ball necklace around his neck.

There was no possible way to hide your smile anymore; he had you hooked. You stepped close enough to grab the necklace and softly rested your arms on his shoulders to fasten it. Once the necklace was secured around his neck, you took a second to admire it on him. It was perfect; it wasn’t extravagant, and it fit so well with him. Before he could read the emotions that your eyes expressed, you looked back at the city.

“Thank you,” he simply said.

“Welcome.”

Jaehyeong's heart raced with anticipation, but he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He reminded himself that there was nothing to worry about when he was with you. Being around you brought him a sense of tranquility that he had never experienced elsewhere. Just by gazing at you and witnessing how your smile mirrored the radiance of the moon in the night sky, he felt at ease.

“Thank you for coming; seeing you made this surprise even better,” Jaehyeong softly said. You turned to face him, and the full sight of your smile melted his worries away.

“There was no reason not to be here.” Something in your voice gave him courage.

“I’ve loved to have you around the past week; we hadn’t seen each other in so long since I was too busy to attend classes.” Jaehyeong stepped closer, slowly, almost without being noticed. “I’ve missed asking you for help; I’ve missed our talks—“

“I’ve missed you too,” you interrupted, summarizing what you’d both felt before you could see each other again.

A fondness entered his eyes, and he nodded. “Y/N,” he started and gently reached for your hand, brushing his thumb over your skin. Your fingers curled around his, igniting sparks in both of your hearts. “I’ve been wanting to tell you something,” he paused for a second. “I’ve felt the agony for so long, but now I’m taking my leap of faith, letting hope lead me. What I’m trying to say is... I like you, Y/N. Not just as a friend. Every time we’re together, you become the highlight of my day.”

A tender smile broke across your face, accompanied by sparkling eyes that searched for his, easing the last of his nerves. “Jaehyeong, I like you too. I have for a while.”

It was your heart´s turn to settle into joy and calmness. You also lived through the agony and hope that Jaehyeong mentioned, making you remember about that small moment you shared in class once. It was almost poetic how he brought it up. He eased you up in ways you hadn’t known before, and that is why you stepped even closer and lifted your free hand to cradle his cheek. Jaehyeong’s eyes fluttered shut at your warm touch, savoring it.

Slowly, you leaned in, giving him every opportunity to pull back if unwanted. But all he wanted was you. He searched for you with his eyes still shut, until both of your lips met in a tender, lingering kiss. His lips were impossibly sweet and soft against yours, weakening your knees, but you stayed strong and continued to kiss him.

You both pulled away, driven by a gentle laugh that started without even thinking much about it all. You rested your forehead on his, keeping your eyes closed as you kept your hand on his cheek. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” you whispered, your thumb stroking his cheek soothingly.

Jaehyeong smiled with ease when your eyes met, both sharing radiant gazes equally filled with care and desire. “You make me so happy,” he shared while his cheeks heated up.

You giggled softly and pulled back to appreciate his face. “I am the lucky one,” you admitted.

“Should we stay out here for the rest of the night?” Jaehyeong asked, almost suggesting.

“You are the star of the party; it’s your birthday.” You giggled even more. “Even though, that sounds nice. No matter how cold it is out here, I feel warm being this close to you,” you confessed.

Jaehyeong’s protectiveness heightened and embraced you, drawing you even closer. “Then let’s get inside. The guys would also probably want to know what happened,” he chuckled. “Did you catch up on their meddling?” he asked, amused.

“I did!” you exclaimed. “I admit they helped quite a bit, though.”

“Yeah, they did.” Jaehyeong searched for your hand and tilted his head towards the door. You squeezed his hand and followed him inside.

You stepped in even closer than you had been when you went out to the balcony. Hajoon noticed the smiles on your faces and whispered at Dojoon to look back, and in a chain reaction, he pulled Woosung from where he was talking to a couple of their friends. They looked at you both in awe, full of joy for what seemed to have been a successful confession. No matter who initiated it or what was said and done, they were just happy for the both of you and how easily everything fell into place.

[dramioneasks]

New Year’s Day Fics (2023):

On Call New Year's Eve by Over__watch - E, one-shot -  Hermione is working on New Year's Eve as Healer on duty at St Mungo's. What she doesn't know, however, is that her least appreciated colleague is on duty too and, due to a technical mishap, they will find themselves unpleasantly forced to spend the evening together. Mind the tag, almost no plot, just smut smut and also smut.

An Incubus (In Flannel) by Oftendisenchanted - T, WIP - The task, in theory, should have been an easy one.Step One: Exit his office and take the five steps across the hallway that would place him in front of the intended destination.Step Two: Knock—bonus points awarded for doing so without hyperventilating.Step Three: Invite the woman he’s been hopelessly in love with for the past ten years to accompany him to his mother’s annual New Year’s Eve Ball. As his… date.

No Regrets for the New Year by whimsymanaged - E, one-shot - Malfoy stands at the edge of the dance floor with his hands in his pockets and his eyebrows raised at me. He’s in a dark blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up, the color popping against his fair hair and light eyes, and his midnight black jeans fit so perfectly that they’ve got to be tailored.Cormac’s gathering my hair and moving it over one of my shoulders. “Any plans after midnight?”I think I’m looking at them.

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot? by emsdiadem (emilyjoy2509) - G, one-shot - My favourite New Year's Eve film When Harry Met Sally is the perfect crossover for my two favourite idiots in love. This work isn't even heavily inspired by, it IS the script of WHMS word for word with magical elements.Happy New Year to one and all x

Resolute (Golden) by lyr_rose - G, one-shot - Resolute (adjective): admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering (gold)A New Year's Eve one shot for all of us struggling through recovery and healing during the holidays.

The Gala by WritexAboutxMe - E, one-shot - The one where Hermione Granger attends the Ministry's New Year's Gala with Draco Malfoy.

auld lang syne by gloivy  - E, one-shot - Stuck in a lift with his ex on New Year’s Eve, Draco is sure the Gods are out to spite him.

Some Trees Will Play by simplifiedemotions - M, one-shot - Whilst others’ formulaic platitudes were predictable enough that he could offer half-hearted agreements, Hermione Granger was a riddle he could not decipher.The version of him before the war, before the ugly mark on his left arm stood stark against his pale skin and the threat of death to him and his mother and father made every waking moment a nightmare, he was certain he had Granger pegged.She was an ensemble piece to Potter. Smarter, perhaps, but still as fool-hardy and stubborn as Potter and Weasley.He couldn’t have been more wrong.Or: Draco Malfoy traverses through his Eighth Year, changed from who he once was, and bemoaning the fact that he's falling hard for Hermione Granger.

Draco Malfoy and the Impossibility of Faith by miss_evie - E, WIP - Five consecutive New Years Eves, from the perspective of a questionably redeemed Draco Malfoy, who owns a crystal ball.

[lemonhemlock]

Rhaenys Storming Through the Dragonpit

One of the most controversial scenes in Season 1, this was an addition from the part of the show-runners. It has received quite a lot of criticism already for being bombastic (in a bad way), useless and illogical. Personally speaking, I was torn, so this is an attempt to make (some) sense of it.

Spoilers for upcoming events.

Context

I intend to analyse this scene by giving as much grace and benefit-of-the-doubt to the writers and producers as I can - it's only fair.

Adapting any book series is not easy. There will always be changes performed to the written text, even when trying as hardly as possible to stick to the source material. Sometimes what reads well translates badly on screen. Different mediums require different storytelling techniques. It's not necessarily a bad thing, just different.

Sets, CGI and dragons are expensive. It's not just about money, but about time as well. Graphic artists need to be given enough time to do their jobs properly. You can't just decide to drop 10 dragons out of thin air and expect them to meet your deadlines, unless you plan on making them work in sweatshop conditions.

Logistically speaking, sometimes the scripts need to be changed because there is no time left to film them with their original (maybe better?) ideas. Things can easily get cut or simplified. So I will try to keep my suggestions down to earth and achievable.

Remember we only have 10 episodes. Of course, if we had twice as many, the discussion would be completely different, but that is not feasible. While I feel like the season would have benefited greatly from an additional 2-3 episodes, I do not have access to HBO's cost-benefit analysis and their finances.

Bear in mind that this is the first ASOIAF show to premiere after the disastrous and critically-panned final Game of Thrones season, so perhaps they really did not want to stray from the tried-and-true successful format of 10 episodes per season, with episode 9 the usual stand-out.

Pros

It provides an unexpected, shocking, show-stopping moment. It looks cool on screen; that's undeniable. It gives Rhaenys a girlboss moment that the casual viewer will love (again, casual viewers are the ones who bring the big bucks in). It swiftly communicates the following information about Rhaenys: she is resourceful and brave enough to face the dragonkeepers on her own (probably unarmed), she has a temper (she doesn't appreciate having been locked in her room), she is careless about ordinary people's lives, she has excellent control of her dragon (pointed comparison to Aemond & Vhagar) and she can control her temper tantrum enough to think a little before she acts.

It provides a character-defining situation for both Alicent and Aegon. IMO this was one of the most powerful moments of the season, so I understand why they prioritized it over basically anything else.

I think these are two very strong points and, in all honesty, opportunities too irresistible to pass over.

Cons

Rhaenys commits a terrorist act and her murders are swept under the rug by the narrative.

How do Rhaenys and Meleys manage to fly through the floor of the Dragonpit without either of them getting hurt? Considering the later Storming of the Dragonpit, this is illogical and defies the laws of physics.

It is not immediately apparent why Rhaenys doesn't burn the Greens and be done with it. A common complaint was that her actions didn't make any sense.

No Sunfyre. The most beautiful dragon in the known world and his relationship with Aegon is unparalleled. In the texts, after his coronation, Aegon flies around King's Landing, giving him an opportunity to show off his splendid dragon. Leaving Sunfyre out diminishes Aegon's character when he is in desperate need of rehabilitation.

Changes I agree with

I would argue that con#2 is the most egregious. If I would have been in the writers' / producers' shoes, I would strive to change that. The rest I would keep. IMO it's good visual storytelling.

Rhaenys will probably be the first to die next season. Developing her character is imperative, otherwise her death will feel hollow. Rhaenys is a proper dragonrider in her own right - one of the best. I do insist that showing the viewers that is very important. Rhaenys is played by a middle-aged woman and she gets a cool action scene in a medium where actresses are valued for youth and attractiveness. As viewers, we expect the 9th episode of a Game of Thrones season to be bonkers in some way. Putting her in THE prime-time spot of the season gives her the opportunity to become a memorable character. Yes, I would totally keep Rhaenys in this scene.

Sunfyre is a good boy and his absence has been felt, but he will have many an occasion to stand out before the end of the series. Meanwhile, Meleys will die soon and there hasn't been a proper opportunity to show her off. If her first scene next season is the same as her death scene, I don't think the impact would be as big. Yes, Arrax only got one segment as well, but he was a small dragon, whereas Meleys is one of the important ones. I can, therefore, understand and accept the prioritization of Meleys over Sunfyre in this scenario.

If possible, would I also have included Sunfyre in this scene? I am going to be controversial and answer no. Sunfyre's presence turns this event into a weird showdown between Rhaenys and Aegon (since Aegon is the only one who can control Sunfyre).

What beef would Rhaenys even have with Aegon at this point? She is pissed that the Greens were holding her hostage and forcing her to pick a side. I have already criticized the scene between her and Alicent and, while I believe the show could have done a better job at highlighting Rhaenys' hypocrisy and projection, I think it makes sense for Alicent to try to woo Rhaenys to the green side by appealing to her in some way. It also provides Rhaenys with an opportunity to appraise Alicent's character, so it makes more sense for this last scene of the episode to be a rehashing of that earlier appeal.

In similar vein, I also understand why the crowning of Helaena was cut. It is a sweet mother-daughter moment in the text, but had she been standing next to Aegon, Alicent would have had to protect them both by placing herself in front. We already know Alicent loves Helaena; this is not new information for the viewer. Alicent and Helaena will have their own gut-wrenching scenes together soon enough.

No, the question for the audience (and for Aegon) is whether Alicent loves Aegon. By performing this one act of bravery, we finally have our answer and cannot dispute whether or not Alicent took this stand just because Helaena was near her as well. When faced with the possibility of death, she carries out this one last act of care, even if its only consequence would be that Aegon won't have to spend his last moments on this earth alone.

So, yes, the focus of this scene should remain on Alicent and Aegon and Alicent's silent plea to Rhaenys. We begin the Dance with Alicent & Aegon and we should finish it with them as well. "My first son and my last" etc. It's too meaty of a concept to give up.

Why doesn't Rhaenys just burn the Greens and be done with it?

If I had executive power, I would have Rhaenys explain her reasoning to Daemon in more depth next episode. She kind of does, but the fandom at large was left unsatisfied, whereas I really do feel that burning everyone on the podium would have been a catastrophic decision, for the following reasons:

Kinslaying is a terrible crime in-universe, literally considered one of the worst things you could possibly do. People tend to be generally horrified by it. Rhaenys would be reducing Aegon, Aemond and Helaena to ash. It is really not highlighted how much of a big deal this would be. Of course, they will all end up killing each other later, but at least that would be during the course of the war, whereas this would be an unprovoked attack against defenseless non-combatants. In addition, it's not just that Rhaenys would be judged by society, but it's so taboo that it's very likely she just couldn't bring herself to do it, at least not at this particular stage. It's a very heavy decision!

Apart from killing three (3!) family members, Rhaenys would also be killing other state officials like the Dowager Queen, the Hand of the King, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and other members of the government like Tyland Lannister. All important people, generally coming from important and powerful noble families. That's a lot of potential allies to piss off.

Rhaenys would be killing the High Septon, literally the Westerosi equivalent to the Pope, thus ensuring an uprising of the Faith against Rhaenyra.

This would not end the succession crisis in any way. Aegon's children are in the Red Keep. His son Jaehaerys would become the next king. Alicent and Otto definitely have her own loyalists that could smuggle the children away to Oldtown, if necessary.

Even without the children, Daeron is still in Oldtown. Lord Ormund Hightower could simply crown him and wage war against Rhaenyra, who, by no will of her own, now has the Faith against her and a population outraged by this incredible act of cruelty.

Ultimately, what Rhaenys said was right: the decision to start the war wasn't hers to make, nor was the decision to escalate hostilities to such an appalling level. She was never willing to do that for her own claim. She never tried to take the throne by conquest after the decision of the Great Council in 101. So why would she possibly do something like this for Rhaenyra?

It's not even fair to Rhaenyra. She isn't consulted at all in this matter. Perhaps she doesn't want to kill her own family members. However, the consequences of this act would be pinned on her no matter what. She'd have to execute Rhaenys or something drastic like that to punish her for the heinous crime she committed.

Yes, you could still keep the mother-to-mother bond element between Rhaenys and Alicent. Rhaenys can still be moved by Alicent's determination to stand by and do the best for her children.

Fix-It

These are the tweaks I would perform to preserve the impactful quality of the scene without sacrificing logic:

First of all, I will point out that Rhaenys stayed overnight in order for Vaemond's body be prepared for the journey back to Driftmark. Rhaenyra leaving KL so soon after dinner was an impromptu decision; even she probably intended to stay a little longer in the capital. I'd give Baela a line mentioning how she wants to spend a little time with Rhaena or something, so as to explain her separation from Rhaenys.

I would highlight Rhaenys' dissatisfaction. Rightly or wrongly, she is insulted at having been locked inside her room. She is a proud woman and wants to be in charge of her own destiny, instead of being forced (yet again) down a path against her will. She wants to leave and make up her own mind. And, most importantly, she wants to get back to her granddaughters ASAP. She can tell Ser Erryk all this when he comes to free her. Throw them a couple more lines of dialogue to emphasize their motivations.

Rhaenys' goal should therefore be to get out of King's Landing. She gets separated from Ser Erryk and witnesses the coronation. She can sneak through the tunnels like in the show.

However, I cannot have Rhaenys bursting through the floor like in Looney Tunes, that part needs to GO. This means I will have to change the trajectory of Rhaenys' flight.

Now, the coronation takes place in the Dragonpit, like in the source material. In the show, it looked similar to the Colosseum, but with a dome on top, at least the part that we saw. It's supposed the be this immense structure with plenty of caverns to house the dragons.

The characters stand on some sort of podium at the far end of the ground floor. I can't tell if it has been especially erected for the coronation, but it looks too elaborate for it to be some makeshift structure. There is a sort of canopy (?) above, from which they hung Aegon's banners: a golden dragon on black. I'm not sure what Jaehaerys I's chair is doing there, though, so perhaps I would get rid of it. Aegon won't get to sit on it and it's kind of in my way.

Behind the banners, I would simply invent an entryway to some tunnel deeper inside caverns and have Rhaenys enter from that side. The doors should be opposite.

It can begin with the ground trembling a little, following by ominous sounds getting closer until Meleys rips Aegon's banners up and Rhaenys is revealed. Perhaps destroy the pillar holding up the canopy so that there is nothing else to serve as cover. In this scenario, Rhaenys has no choice but to face the Greens, because they are literally standing in her way.

Everything else mostly proceeds as usual. The characters were facing the smallfolk. At Rhaenys' approach, everyone turns towards her. The camera moves to face the characters on the podium, with the smallfolk (and the exit) now behind them.

Alicent redirects Ser Criston to Helaena and puts herself in front of Aegon. They have their last stand.

Meleys roars and Rhaenys stops to think.

She decides not to commit mass murder, sees the exist and takes flight. She's had her little outburst, she's given her warning and now she returns to her objective, which is to get the hell out of King's Landing.

The crowd actually witnesses the Queen stepping in front of a dragon for her son. Perfect propaganda material.

Smallfolk don't matter

Obviously that was a disappointing consideration from the part of the show-runners. If anyone were to get killed during Rhaenys' escape, I would emphasize it and use it later and as an anti-Black argument to fan the flames when Rhaenyra gets kicked out of King's Landing. But by having Rhaenys enter the scene from the back, the number of possible victims would be much lower.

If it is imperative to have someone killed, perhaps it can be implied in season 2 that Meleys burnt some dragonkeepers while Rhaenys was trying to mount her. This should be shown as a great loss, as dragonkeepers are brave, smart and valuable individuals, who perform an essential job for the safety of the entire city.

Potential for future scenes

Maybe have Aegon and/or Helaena forced to come to the Dragonpit themselves to feed Sunfyre and Dreamfyre because the workforce has taken a literal hit and they are still working on training new "employees". This could allow Aegon and Helaena to interact over a shared interest and would give Helaena screen time with Dreamfyre.

I'm not including Vhagar because she is too big for the Dragonpit and probably makes her lair somewhere outside King's Landing. Maybe show Aemond involving himself with selecting and training new dragonkeepers. This way you give all three siblings something to do and show them collaborating towards a shared goal.

Aegon shoveling Sunfyre's droppings during the opening episode would provide comedic relief and a great opportunity to showcase the bond between dragon and rider, as well an unusual way to introduce Sunfyre and put Aegon to work. :)

All things considered, I think this was a symbolically-charged moment that was ruined by some shoddy scenery placement, a careless disregard for the systemic violence against the general populace and a lack of properly laying out character motivations. Adding several more minutes of dialogue and re-imagining the geography of the Dragonpit a litle could have integrated this moment better within the larger narrative.

[asherlockstudy]

In search of a decent nap

It is very interesting that the latest video is coming around the time it’s been discussed that Rhett appears to be constantly on the verge of a panic attack. I wonder what the timing of this video’s filming is. Before or after GME?

“We took a decent nap” is Rhett’s commentary on himself. The well known fact that Link is an instant napper while Rhett struggles to fall asleep is here used conveniently for the allegory. In a way, it’s hardly an allegory. Rhett struggles to fall asleep because he can’t shut his mind easily.

Rhett cannot find rest and peace at work. He wants to but he fails again and again. His problem is big enough that Link agrees to accommodate him as much as possible and help him through it. Link confides in the viewers that the reason he wants Rhett to nap is so that he can nap “even harder”. As they try to make Rhett sleep, Rhett finds issues and obstacles compulsively. The most justifiable one of them is Link’s apparent expectation, who’s zooming in on him waiting when Rhett will finally take the nap. At one point, Rhett confesses that one of the reasons he keeps coming up with problems is that he is ashamed that he is a side / fetal sleeper and not sleeping straight on his back. He admits he fears people’s judgement. Link helps him to handle this too, he tries to cover him and make him look like he is sleeping on his back, but like every other strategy, it fails.

Link also brings him in contact with old men named Charles in hope that with their wisdom they can advise Rhett how to not have worries and nap peacefully. I can’t tell what the old men symbolise, if anything. It would make sense to associate them with Link’s father but I can not work around why it would be Charles indeed. Perhaps it’s not the case or it’s something that happened that we factually do not know at all.

Eventually Rhett has an epiphany; the problem had been that he tried to have entire control over the situation, trying to regulate all the circumstances and parameters and whatever could potentially go wrong. This would not help him ease his mind, he could not let go, feel free to allow sleep overtake him. Link approves of his realisation very gutturally.

They go to their office again, ready to try napping together (Link very excitedly). They lie down in the couches - Link falls asleep instantly as usual. Despite his epiphany and his willingness to try once more, Rhett again does not manage to relax and go to sleep. He realises he is not tired enough to want or to be ready for a nap.

As he’s lying there, he notices Link is drooling. He’s drooling more and more until it looks like it’s water spilling from his mouth. The water floods their office. Rhett is in panic, unable to regulate or stop the water spilling from Link’s mouth.

There is where the continuity becomes a little unclear because then we jump into a scene where Rhett is struggling in the water of their pool in the Creative House. It turns out that it all has been a Mythical set, where Rhett is being filmed fighting with all the tons of water spilled by Link, while Link himself is the very director of this whole project. Rhett protests that the whole thing (which is a mere practice there) is not well planned, not convincing enough and, most importantly, exhausting for him in particular.

Rhett makes an exit, asking for this to be thought over again. Despite being in the Creative House at first, he walks in a hall and gets back into their work office. He is very weary. There, exhausted, with no projects, no other people, theoretically no camera filming him, and also no Link, he is finally able to fall asleep.

…

So, like I said, I think it’s no coincidence this specific video comes so soon after GME. I really wonder whether this was scripted before or after it though.

It is also interesting to note that it is a recurring theme when Rhett fights waters. Here, in the cover of his Human Overboard album and even as Rex in the Lost Causes of Bleak Creek. His connection to the literary character is insinuated in this video in fact, when one of the old men miscalls Rhett as “Rex” and Rhett replies amused that he responds to this name as well. The guitar inexplicably flowing in the waters in the office might be a reference to Human Overboard.

[choco-pudding]

Space Channel 5 Part 2: Sugoku Sugoi Guide Book p. 130-139 (Translations by @lavoszero and myself. Edits and typesetting by myself)

First part of Report 6.

Imgur link to all of the Sugoku Sugoi Guide Book translations we’ve done thus far.

Plain text below.

p. 130 Report 6: Purge's T.V. Special

Location: The Space Arena 01 Person to Rescue, 03 Secret Inputs

The 86,429 kidnapping victims were but tools for harnessing the dance energy necessary to accomplish Purge's ultimate goal: to force the whole galaxy to dance. When we arrived at Purge’s base, preparations to launch the Ballistic Groove Gun and cause a galaxy-wide dance fever had already begun. We must put an end to his treachery!!

-

Lv. 1 Groove 125

Right Left Right Left Right Left Righ- Lef-

p. 131 Travel Guide

The Space Arena · The Arena The Space Arena · The Stage Dance Dimension X Super Ulala Dimension The Space Arena · Over the Arena

-

Lv. 1 Groove 126

Up Down Up Down Up Down Uh- Down-

p. 132

[Purge T.V. Show] Plans

~The Script Left Behind by the Leader of the [Rhythm Rogues Ballistic Groove Gun] Incident ~ Purge carried out "The Whole Galaxy Dances Master Plan" quick and meticulously, with very careful preparation. Unusually, Purge prepared an agent-like sales pitch and storyboards instead of the standard broadcasting script. This isn't too shocking considering that most of the Rhythm Rogues are robots that simply require input commands. Nevertheless, the high quality of this "work" should be appreciated, despite its criminal origins. Here, we present this plan as evidence of the premeditated nature of this crime.

Purge’s Theme All the whole galaxy dances for me Yes, I'll make each one of you very happy I amaze myself! Genius Puuuuurge!

-Lyrics/Composition: Purge

-

Lv. 1 Groove 127

Up Left Up Left Up Left Uh- Lef-

p. 133

Genius The "Purge T.V. Show" logo is drawn in a bold, detailed manner. It seems that Purge crafted his entrance to have boundless amounts of flare. "Wah wah wah (written in an old style)." It's a rushed scribble of an enthusiastically cheering audience; it's equal parts brazen and silly.

Arena After his grand reveal, there's a cut to the arrival of Ulala and her friends, who villainously approach him. Though, they're certainly not that dramatic or malicious in the actual airings. There's text indicating that the others are treated as supporting characters. "…I understand the struggles of manga artists" is written on a page. Is Purge complaining? Or perhaps he means he respects them now.

-

Lv. 1 Groove 128

Righ- Dow- Woof

p. 134

1v1 Stage Battle Some detailed composition notes are written on the board. It is specified that Ulala should "run, then stop exactly at this moment" with "only herself on camera" to look up at Purge as viewed from below. Are these stage directions? Ulala's friends banging on the invisible wall is overemphasized compared to the actual airing for clarity.

Deluxe Guy Tension is high at this point. Purge the Great (or "Deluxe Purge” as he is called here) dramatically rises with tremendous speed. Dance Dimension X (tentatively named the "Dark Dance Dimension") is depicted with dynamic lines.

-

Lv. 1 Groove 129

Right- Uh- Woof

p. 135

Dance Dimension X Melody Then Ulala collapses on the ground. Everything went according to Purge’s plan up to that point… The "loading screen" includes what looks to be Channel 5's logo and staff member bowing? For every step of the show’s production, Purge was thoroughly meticulous.

"What's happening? This isn't what my prompter says!" Purge cried, appalled by those who danced off script. Even prerecorded media, like films, are often subject to uncertainties on the field. Thus, it’s common practice to prepare for such uncertainties. But Purge was a naïve show director, demanding the live broadcast to stick exactly to a script. His childish naivety was on full display.

-

Lv. 1 Groove 130

Lef- Lef- Righ- Righ- Woof Woof

p. 136 The Space Arena · The Arena A

Shooting

Ulala’s Stars: 5

Immediately after arriving at The Arena, we quickly, and literally, kick off our stride with a pair of familiar secret inputs that have been MIA since Report 2… Determined not to fall into Purge’s hand, we shout with no regards to the rhythm. Do you hear us Purge? We'll stop your plans and save everyone! Hah, I can't remember the last time I was this excited.

Jan Jan[2] Jaaan[3]

Welcome to my very own TV Show

1.

       “There is just no stopping it now!” 001 “This is the end of the line!” ⬅ x ⮕ x        “No, I won’t be stopping!” 002 “I’ll end this!” ⮕ x ⬅ x

-

Lv. 1 Groove 131

Lef- Lef- Righ- Righ- Woof Woof

p. 137

2.

       “Everyone dance with me!” 003 “Not gonna happen!” ⮕ ⬅ x        “Now dance, everybody!” 004 “Stop right there, moro-moro!” ⬅ ⮕ x

-

Lv. 1 Groove 132

Lef- Lef- Righ- Righ- Woof Woof

p. 138 The Space Arena · The Arena B

Shooting

Ulala’s Stars: 5 What came next was a barrage of robots to shoot down. Larger groups of robots rained down with each consecutive each wave, all attacking faster than the ones before them. We were all just a few steps away from facing Purge, but once Ulala was on Purge’s stage, the rest of us were locked out by an invisible wall.

3.

005 ⮕ x ⬅ x 006 ⮕ x ⬅ x 007 ⬅ x x ⮕ x x 008 ⬅ x x x ⮕ x x x 009 ⬅ x x x x ⮕ x x x x 010 ⬅ x x x x x ⮕ x x x x x 011 ⬅ x x x ⮕ x x x ⬆ x x

-

Lv. 1 Groove 133

Woof Woof

p. 139

“An invisible wall…”

“Where've you been?”

-

Lv. 1 Groove 134

Woof Woof

[zot3-flopped]

“Man, I don’t think I’ll ever be as famous as the Rock,” Mr. Kelce said.

His co-managers looked at each other. “We’re like, Yes, you can,” André Eanes said.

This was a year even the Rock might envy. Mr. Kelce, a tight end, won the Super Bowl (his second) in February. In March, he hosted “Saturday Night Live.” He’s starred in seven national television commercials. The podcast he co-hosts with his brother, Jason, is among the most popular on Spotify. He launched a clothing line with his team.

And he’s dating the world’s most famous pop singer. Perhaps you’ve heard.

The Chiefs have spent the last few years as the most unstoppable force in football and, along the way, Mr. Kelce’s other team has grown to include a creative strategist, a community outreach coordinator, a Los Angeles-based publicist, a personal chef and a trainer. He has four football agents, led by Mike Simon at VMG. In the spring, he also became a client of Creative Artists Agency to feed his budding acting itch.

The Eanes brothers coordinate it all, managing the surging flow of incoming traffic for a piece of Kelce Inc. Film scripts have been shared among the team. Game shows are a consideration. Maybe a few less commercials.

“People say to me, ‘Man, it’s been a crazy year,’” Aaron Eanes said. “When I say, ‘Actually, it’s not that crazy,’ people look at me funny. It’s because it’s easy when you have a plan. We’re executing that plan.”

But while Mr. Kelce’s shift into a more mainstream form of celebrity was planned out before he met Ms. Swift, there is no question that the doubling of his prospective audience — from mostly men between the ages of 18 and 49 to a far larger group bolstered heavily by Ms. Swift’s female fans of all ages — has changed the calculus for where the plan goes from here.

“The awareness of Travis is much larger and with an even broader audience,” said Richard Lovett, C.A.A.’s co-chairman. “It’s accelerated that which was probably inevitable in terms of his level of awareness and appeal.”

But nothing was being rushed, Aaron Eanes said. That’s not Mr. Kelce’s style. And Mr. Eanes had already been laying the groundwork for his client’s path to the A-list. Throughout 2022, Mr. Eanes had targeted endorsement deals with companies that were not traditional N.F.L. partners — like promoting vaccines for Pfizer, for instance, or a new debit card from Experian. The purpose was to build out Mr. Kelce’s résumé as a stand-alone pitchman, rather than yet another interchangeable player in a commercial for one of the N.F.L.’s partners, capitalizing on a foundation built by the league.