#These answers were super easy to write out given previous threads

[sapientiiae-a]

🎞️ SLEEPING PATTERNS MEME. 🎞️

~For the sleepy ones! Repost & Fill out!~

Name: Zelda Ethnicity: Hylian Country: Hyrule Residence: Hyrule Castle

Average hours of sleep: ~6 (could be more, could be less depending on how much she needs to accomplish) Type of bed: An overly luxurious/ornate hand-crafted four-post bed Amount of blankets: The finer fabric ‘comforter’ gets drawn back to the foot of the bed, and she is usually left with the thinner under layer and an additional blanket if needed. During the winter, if the fire is not warm enough, the servants will set out additional blankets. Amount of pillows: More than is likely necessary  Type of clothing: A white nightgown that is common for women of higher status 

Do they sleep with company?: Not typically, but dependent on verse, she may if she has a well established partner. Of course, this would often be in secret if done out of wedlock.

Do they sleep with plushies?: No

Do they sleep better with company?: If in a well established relationship, yes.

Does it matter where they sleep?: 99% of the time she will be in her bedchamber, I headcanon that all of my Zeldas have the ability to fall asleep wherever necessary

OoT Zelda: She was in hiding for years and went under the guise of Sheik. You better believe she learned from a young age how to make accommodations anywhere. 

TP Zelda: I like to believe she travelled to other parts of the land (if nothing else, at least to Ordon with Link) after the events of TP. She may not have been comfortable, but she isn’t the type to complain. Sleeping outside of her bedchamber would be new/’unfamiliar’ to her though.

HW Zelda: She commands an army and also undergoes the guise of Sheik. I imagine she grew up preparing herself to sleep outside the castle, but when with her troops she probably has a (very nice) tent of her own with a cot. As Sheik, there was less pomp for obvious reasons.

Frequent dreams, nightmares?: Often experiences premonitions during her dreams, which can tend to be dark depending on what is happening across the land

What do they do if they cannot fall asleep?: Read a book by the fire, indulge in a warm perfumed bath, or take a stroll under the night sky to get some fresh air

Deep slumber or naps?: Deep slumber (she really isn’t a napper)

When do they wake up?: Unless ill or absolutely drained (or treating herself but lol when will she ever do that), the first morning light

When do they sleep?: After her royal duties have been completed or when an advisor, guardian (Impa), or partner forces her to bed

What could wake them up?: Her premonitions, the feeling of being watched, hearing something, the feeling of needing to get up and begin her day...honestly the list goes on.

Tagged by: @hyaciiintho​ (Thank you! I actually really enjoyed getting into this!) Tagging: @valliantheart​, @storieswrittcn​, @scarfbond​, @gerudofury​, or anyone else interested! :)

[fermented-writers-block]

Lus and the Human Portal Clone Theory

Even before Keeping Up A-fear-ances aired, I have been working for almost a year now on running through all the possible various suspects with wonderful folks like @sepublic​ , @anistarrose​ , and @elementalist-kdj​ . Like the post title indicates, from sheer process of elimination, the only conclusion that made sense to me was a clone made of Luz by the portal door, and I’ve been working on refining and reworking said conclusion up to the version I will lay out here.

Now, as @safetayy​ , @theowlhouseheadcanons , and @50shades-of-blue have heard from me before, the portal I've long suspected was not made to go from the Demon Realm to the Human Realm, but rather to go from the Human Realm to the Demon Realm by humans, for humans. This is because it then could tie into the hypothetical existence of a Luz clone without having the issue of asking where Eda, Lilith, and King's clones are, as the clone in this case is the result of a function of the door to create a basic level duplicate of any human that passes through it rather than it happening for just anyone that passes through.

With this, it's because the suitcase form of the portal looks as thought it indicates it was used for temporary trips to the Demon Realm, much like how suitcases were used when railways and international boats made travel more accessible for the middle and lower classes. For example:

Going by the way the door “faces” and the way it swings open, the ergonomics of the portal makes it look an awful lot like a right handed out swing door, with the Human Realm on the “inside” and the Demon Realm on the “outside.” And the arrow in the diagram depicts the general direction of traffic that such right handed, out swing doors are typically design with in mind - ergo, showing what way the portal appears to facilitate travel in.

Now, before you ask, the reason why I think the portal could have been created in the human realm in the first place is that it might require an extra component/bit of help or two from the Owl Deity which I’ve discussed before in the past as hinted by these connected designs:

I’ll explore how I feel the revelation that such a twist about the portal’s origins could play into the themes and narrative of the show under the cut, but overall, I feel these are potential significant details to keep in mind for the rest of this arc of building a new door and handling the idea of Lus having initially been made as a temporary-duration clone, hence how "Luz" comes off so uncannily in the letters as she wasn't meant for long term impersonations.

That, and why I named this the Human Portal Clone theory, for those wondering about the name.

Alongside this, my thought has been that walking back through the portal to the Human Realm basically makes the portal send a recall signal to tell the clone to return to it, where the clone would be reabsorbed into the portal and its memories are given to the original. However, with Luz going back into the Demon Realm for a brief time in YBOS, I am of the mind that it doesn’t just make another clone, but rather that doing so merely made the door turn off the recall signal and allowed "Lus" to resume the impersonation.

And as for the clone itself and why they’re writing letters to Camila, well, imagine it from Lus' perspective. To her at the time of creation, the last thing she probably knew was that she had been chasing the cute little owl that took her Azura book into the woods, and right when the bus to Reality Check Camp was about to arrive.

Also, if you think about it, Lus being the work of someone we/don’t know yet raises way more plot threads/questions than answers compared to being the work of the portal, as outlined below:

TLDR at end of post for those wondering

Belos? How and why before YBOS where he actually started paying attention to Luz for the first time and actually got his hands on a portal? 

Eda? Why would she do all this and not tell Luz she can goof around without needing to worry about her mom or the camp/in time to fool the camp, especially when it took a good amount of time for Eda to even start feeling that close to Luz? 

Hooty got ruled out from the getgo since he can’t hold pencils, King just isn’t that subtle, and everyone else that Luz knows has the major issues of just straight up not knowing about the camp in the first place. Well, that and a lack of another known method of getting to the Human Realm in the first place.

The camp? Why would they worry about a missing camper whose disappearance is all HER fault and thus would more logically result in a call to her parent than some convoluted clone conspiracy? 

And finally, some currently completely unknown third party?

If we’re talking a Changeling, A) it’d be easy for Luz to dismiss them and B) that just makes all the ominous portrayal of Lus super straightforward instead of a subversion like is the show’s shtick.

If we’re talking dimensional counterparts, A) they have to REALLY have led a very similar life to Luz’s in order for there to be enough common ground for Luz to listen, and B) dimensional counterparts aren’t even a confirmed or likely thing that people cooked up from Episode 1 side characters influenced by Amity’s concept art.

And if we’re talking some complete surprise third party group or another, it doesn’t make sense to introduce a third party and their motives and plans to the show this late in when Belos is already taking up the bulk of it all.

Hell, if anything, the continued existence of the duplicate in of itself would indicate that the target of the conspiracy is none other than Camila Noceda than anything to do with Luz or Eda, especially with the complete lack of anyone taking advantage of Luz and or Eda. 

From the getgo, Witches Before Wizards already hard-baked into the show the idea that Luz is NOT inherently special or anything into the foundations of the show from the getgo - ergo, Camila likely just is an absolutely regular human being, someone who has no justification for such a convoluted conspiracy to surround them.

That said, I believe that the idea of the portal having originated from the Human Realm could potentially play into some interesting stories to be had with Camila and Lus here, especially as the conspiracy board shot from the promo was confirmed by Dana to apparently be from S2A, not from the episodes past Yesterday’s Lie:

After all, with Luz searching the library for a way home this coming episodes, perhaps she might figure out something the next couple of episodes that allows her texts to send through, which would logically lead to the above picture. That, and Camila and Lus being confused by and trying to figure out what’s going on there.

I mean, the cabin in the woods likely has a very close connection to the portal and it’s origins given how closely tied the two structures seem to be, and as far as we can tell, Luz never mentioned the cabin in her videos to Camila, but if Lus tries to retrace her steps, that would be a natural vector to lead Camila to the cabin and thus allow us a chance to actually investigate it.

That said, all following the trail would do is lead her and Lus to a dead end at the abandoned cabin, where they would have nothing else to do except discuss their complicated relationship concerning Luz and twiddle their thumbs while waiting for Luz to finish things on her end - which while something I think would be interesting to see, I just don’t see how much of a way to keep them in the greater picture of the show without some kind of project or activity that the two of them could work together on on screen. 

And that’s what leads me to a particular train of thought here, starting with the question of what if Luz FAILS to make a working portal over the course of S2A and such?

With the possible in-universe mystery over what the heck is going on with Lus, perhaps the cabin might hold some notes from the original last human owner - if not potentially the creator - of Eda’s portal as well as potentially some of the same materials and such from previous trips.

Cue CAMILA building a working portal, following in the footsteps of the original creator and such and thus finding a reason to stay on screen, all the while potentially demonstrating both why Belos wanted the portal instead of making his own, as well as diving into the Owl Deity’s connection with the original portal. Heck, maybe the Owl Deity is only accessible in the Human Realm and that plays a part in Belos wanting to get to the Human Realm, which would bring Camila directly into contact with the magic her daughter has been interacting with.

Also, just imagine the internal conflict going on here with Lus. After all, helping Camila build a portal to get the original Luz -and hoo boy would that be a tough thing to grapple with- would most definitely do that and make both Lus AND Camila question how much the latter likes Lus vs Luz.

Like, just imagine it. There would be major chances for Lus and Camila to discuss what would happen if and when they’re finished with the portal, and what will happen to Lus’ relationship with Camila if and when Luz gets back.

Does Camila really prefer her daughter to be all more “normal” like Lus, or does she prefer the old, “weird” daughter from before the summer with Luz?

Perhaps she might be able to figure out how to strike a nuanced balance between the two, and all on a metaphorical journey to truly build a better connection between her and her daughter(s?). 

TLDR: Or in short, I can’t help but feel it would be fitting to see Camila building a bridge WITH Lus TO Luz. 

Particularly, by being the one to craft an actual working portal in the Human Realm instead of Luz in the Demon Realm, showing a parent putting in an active effort to get down to their child’s level rather than waiting for said child to try to get up to their parent’s level even if they can’t or find it incredibly hard to do so.

[onlydylanobrien]

Wes Ball talks shooting that intense ‘Death Cure’ Newt scene, plus whether he’d answer a call from Marvel

Director Wes Ball wraps up his Maze Runner Trilogy experience by discussing his favorite Death Cure featurette, if he’d do a Fever Codemovie, and more!

It’s a rare occurrence to find yourself helming a popular YA book-to-film adaptation as your first feature-length film, but even more so to go on to do an entire three-film franchise. Wes Ball exploded onto the scene with The Maze Runner, and subsequently directed The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure, each starring up-and-comer Dylan O’Brien.

Now that Death Cure is out today, April 24, on Digital via Movies Anywhere and on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD, Ball took the time to talk to us about his experience directing the final movie in the franchise and what’s next for him as a filmmaker. You can find a transcript of our conversation below, which has been edited for clarity.

I just want to start off by saying congratulations on getting through all three movies. That doesn’t always happen!

Well thank you! It’s true, it’s true. It’s pretty rare right?

Yeah! And obviously we’re here to celebrate the release of ‘The Death Cure’ DVD, Blu-ray, and the box set.

Which is cool! My first big movie, and I have a box set!

Right?! So, I want to kick this off with asking you which is your favorite bonus feature from the ‘Death Cure’ Blu-ray?

That’s a good question. I don’t know. I’ll tell you what I think people will like. My favorites might not be what most favorites are. Obviously there is the commentary stuff where T.S. [Nowlin] and I, in tradition of the previous interviews, talk about the inner workings of the movie. Which is kind of fun. But I think the really die-hard fans have always loved these gag reels that I put together.

Yes!

There will be a good gag reel. We had a lot of fun making this movie and people will get to see it. I had, like, 30 minutes of material. Of course, I could not release that. I think it ended up being 12 minutes of this fun stuff, you know. So that’ll be good for the fans to have. And then you know, second to that, there’s a lot of great deleted scenes. And there’s a ton of deleted scenes that I unfortunately had to cut from the movie because it just is what it is. But that can be a lot of fun for the people that really love these stories and want to see more. They’re not just gonna get extra little bits of scenes — they’re going to see whole new scenes that are going to be kind of fun to watch, I think. A lot of them are unfinished, of course, but you’ll get an idea of where our heads were when we were making this thing. So that’ll be fun.

And the last thing from me… You probably don’t want to know about my favorite things because I’m such a VFX nerd, but we did a lot of VFX stuff on this. To show, for instance, the train sequence, you know the very opening, but I don’t think people realize how much visual effects were used during that sequence. And so I have the whole train sequence that runs with the original plates — the green screen visual effects plates — running alongside the finished sequence, and it’s fun to really sit there and scrub through that and witness, sort of like you know, ‘Oh wow, he wasn’t actually on a moving train there,’ or, ‘That was all CG,’ or whatever. You know what I mean? So that’s going to be a lot of fun for the geeks that like that kind of stuff.

And you can’t even tell, so I think that’s going to be really cool to get to see.

Yeah, and people don’t even realize that all that train stuff was CG. Dylan was never on a moving train, you know? Which is cool.

It’s crazy. And going back to the gag reel, I love gag reels. It’s the first thing I always go to when I get a new movie. 

I know, right?

But kind of on the flip side of that, was there a different sort of tone behind the scenes since this was the last movie, and will fans get to see a glimpse of that by being able to watch the special features on the Blu-ray?

I don’t think so. It was a different experience for me, which I could probably never put into words, but I don’t think it manifested itself in any way that the other movies hadn’t on set. We all know each other. We also love each other. We’re all kinda one big happy little family — this traveling circus that goes across the world making movies together. So it’s still kinda the same fun crowd and stupid silly gags with each other that always seem to happen. We have a lot of fun making these movies, you know? So it is fun to see it, but I don’t think there’s any kind of difference, other than we knew that this was the end. This was it.

Right. And given that it was the end, did you feel like you approached the movie any differently, or did you feel a different kind of pressure on your shoulders or even relief that it was the last move?

Yeah, I guess I was very aware. This movie is almost laser focused on the fans, right? We kind of know that we’re not going to gain a lot of new fans for a third movie of an installment, you know what I mean? So it was really about how do we make this satisfying conclusion — you know, a grand kind of farewell — to the story, these characters, the audience that supported us. That was the pressure. How do we stick that landing, you know what I mean? So you kind of make those choices that you think are going to work early on. You do it while you’re writing the script. And then you’re kind of hoping and trusting that those choices you made then apply when you’re on set because you can’t change it when you’re on set. It takes too much money and too much time. It’s all about speed, speed, speed; go, go, go. So we don’t change anything. So it’s just about, can we execute this as well as possible so that the fans feel satisfied by the end? And for the most part it seems like, you know, the people that really support these movies feel very happy about this one. This last one. I like that. That’s a great thing, you know? I’m happy. 

I completely agree. And there are so many great scenes, in all three movies, but especially this one that really had me on the edge of my seat. How do you manage to keep that tension so palpable, especially when you’re shooting these scenes multiple times to make sure they’re just right?

Yeah, I know. It’s the job. You know, it’s tricky. I was talking to someone about this the other day. That suspense, that feeling of anticipation of knowing what’s going to happen and waiting for it to happen. And how long can you draw that out to keep the audience in that place on the edge of their seat kind of thing. I love that feeling. That’s, to me, kind of our stock and trade with these moves. All these movies, you know? All the way from Thomas first waking up in the elevator. It has this kind of, ‘What the hell is going on?’ So BOOM, we reveal where he is. And then that scene where he runs in the maze for the first time. How we draw it out.

You know, the same thing here, with, say, Thomas and Newt when they’re at one of their critical moments. You know, how do we draw that out as long as possible so you can really just enjoy that, which is something that cinema does so well, right? It’s that suspense and the thrill and the adventure and the drama. The emotional kind of stakes that are involved in this movie, they’re fun to play with. This movie in particular is super, super emotional. Where the movie mostly operates is where these characters are going to end up. How is this going to go down? It’s not so much about how they’re going to get away from WCKD, how they’re going to escape the maze. This one is about… are they going to save their friends and are they going to die trying? That’s kinda cool. That’s fun to play with.

And speaking of Newt and a lot of emotions, this movie obviously saw the end to Newt in a really horrific way. Was that difficult for you to shoot as a director, given that you’ve been in charge of the film version of this overarching story for three movies and several years?

Yeah. I mean… it is really funny. Like I was talking about before, you make these choices months and months in advance, and that’s where you’re really contemplating it all. But when you’re on set, it’s like you don’t have time! When we shot that scene that you’re talking about, it was one of the biggest wind storms that Capetown had ever seen. Huge, huge, 70-80 mile an hour winds! To the point where we had to lower cranes and lower our lights and on the spot we had to change our plans and figure out how to get this scene done. So that’s kind of on the day what I’m dealing with. How do I wrangle the elements to get the stuff I need?

On top of, you know, making sure that Dylan and Thomas and those guys are kind of operating in the right place for the experience we want to give the audience. But at this point, having been with these guys for five years, it’s a pretty easy conversation. We can all talk about what we want to see happen. They know these characters very well, we’re all on the same page, we have similar taste, so it ends up being very easy. So then it’s just my job to sit back and kind of check and make sure we are threading that needle. Hitting that sweet spot between horror and emotion and all those things, you know? That day in particular, it stands out in my mind for sure because of how emotional it was and also the sheer effort of trying to film it. But yeah, it was fun. And it is different from the books, but it seems for the most part the book fans are happy with that scene, which was very important to them to be in the movie.

And I know that this is going to be a pretty difficult question, but looking back at all three movies, which moments make you the proudest as a filmmaker? Which ones really stand out to you?

Oh gosh. That is a difficult question, isn’t it? Well I answered this one before once, and it’s probably not what people would expect, but there was a scene in the first movie where Thomas and Newt and those guys are having a conversation. They’re talking in the woods, and they’re talking about Alby — Alby’s past, his story — and I always go back to that scene for some reason in the first movie because it’s not an action scene. You know, it’s not some big complicated set piece thing. It’s just this simple little scene where these actors do their thing. And that was like, for me, early on in the shoot, and I remember that day because, being my first movie I felt very confident with the action stuff and the visual effects side of things. I felt like I could handle that stuff. That felt familiar to me even though it was my first movie, but it was the dramatic kind of character/actor-based stuff that was a complete unknown to me, right? And I just remember shooting that scene and feeling like, I love this. I want to do more of this. You know, it kind of made me — it’s all obvious of course — but the fact that characters and the actors that represent them are so crucial to things. And it’s because of that scene that you care about them being hurt later. It was kind of the moment where I realized how important the simple, subtle stuff is to support the bigger fun adventure stuff.

I think you see it even in the second movie and the third movie. I get more and more into the kind of emotional drama of things. Especially in the third movie. It’s more centered around character than the previous movies completely. So yeah, it’s usually that kind of stuff that I go back to. It’s more like things that kind of changed my outlook on moviemaking as a director. More than, say, “Oh, we accomplished that big giant train scene.”

James Dashner has talked about wanting to see an adaptation of ‘Fever Code.’ What do you think the likelihood of that happening would be and would you be interested in taking part in that?

I won’t be making a [Fever Code] movie, personally. I’ve done my movies here. You know, 1, 2, 3, beginning, middle, and end. It’s a good number, you know? I’m done with this story. Not that I wouldn’t offer my help to anyone who wanted to tackle that. I’m certainly not opposed to it. I don’t know how you would do it exactly, but hey, where there’s a will there’s a way. But for me, personally, as a director, I’m done. These movies are it for me.

And on that note, I guess, what are you working on next?

W: Well, that’s the question! It’s been fun, obviously, because I’m really excited to kind of move on to other things, of course. I am working on something now that’s this gigantic kind of fantasy epic that is really exciting. It’s still early days. Who knows. A million things could happen, if something else will come up or something else will take precedent, but it’s kind of where I’m at right now. It’s conjuring up the things I always loved when I grew up watching Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark, and these kinds of movies that are really great escapist entertainment — world creation — and at the same time taking them very seriously. Making a story that feels very real, you know? So I’m working on something now that might be that, might check off those boxes for me. But I dunno. It’s still kind of up in the air a little bit.

I guess the good thing from these movies is that I have opportunities to do something else. Which is great. I’m very thankful for that, you know? That they’re successful enough that someone wants for me to make another movie and give me the money to do so. I love that and that’s fantastic — I just want to make sure whatever I do next is going to be really exciting and fun and challenging. I’m not sure what it’ll be, exactly, but it’ll fit somewhere in that world.

Absolutely. That sounds very exciting. For my last question, this one’s fun and completely random to end our chat, but if Marvel called you up right now and asked you what movie you’d like to direct, would you say yes and which one would you pick?

Oh gosh. I have to say, I don’t know, honestly. I think we’ve all kind of seen these filmmakers who dive into these gigantic franchises — pre-existing franchises — and they don’t come out the same people. They don’t come out having loved the experience sometimes. So I’m very aware of that, and I have to say I’ve been spoiled a little bit by The Maze Runner and the support I’ve gotten at Fox because it was about starting a new franchise. How many people get that opportunity, to start a new franchise and not jump onto a Star Wars movie or jump onto a Marvel movie. That’s really kind of exciting. So hey, if someone were to call me and hand me an opportunity, I’d certainly have to consider it, but I have to admit I didn’t grow up on comics — I grew up on movies — so they don’t have the kind of nostalgia and pull on me that other movies would, you know what I mean? Other movies that I may have grown up with. So yeah. I don’t know. In terms of Marvel, they obviously have their formula, their system that is working bonkers for them. They’re making a ton of money and people are enjoying their movies and stuff, but I don’t think they need me! I mean, clearly not!

Well, I’ve been a fan since the first ‘Maze Runner’ movie, and I know everybody at Hypable is eagerly looking forward to seeing what you do next. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye out.

Me too! I really appreciate that. And I do think that whatever we do next, it’ll be what we kind of need as moviegoers right now. You know we’re seeing a lot of the same stuff, and I’m really anxious to break the mold a little bit and do something completely new and original. So, you know, we’ll see. Fingers crossed. 

More from ‘The Maze Runner’ Trilogy:

Don’t miss our exclusive clip of the Death Cure featurette titled “Unlocking the Cure – Dystopia: The Completed World.” The rest of the special features include:

Deleted and Extended Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary by Wes Ball, T.S. Nowlin, and Joe Hartwick Jr. (BD and Digital Only)

4 Featurettes: “The Final Run,” “Dystopia,” “Allies Reunited,” “A Look Back,” “Going Out on Top” (BD and Digital only)

Gag Reel (BD and Digital only)

Visual Effects with Optional Commentary (BD and Digital only)

Audio Commentary by Wes Ball, T.S. Nowlin and Joe Hartwick Jr. (on DVD, BD, UHD, and digital, but will not be available for boxed clients)

Gallery (over 300 images; BD and digital)

Maze Runner: The Death Cure is out now on Digital via Movies Anywhere and on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on April 24 and comes with an exclusive 24-page original comic book, “The Maze Runner Origins Comic Book,” written by T.S. Nowlin (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Godzilla vs. Kong).

The trilogy box set (The Maze Runner, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, and Maze Runner: The Death Cure) arrives the same day and includes the exclusive comic book and a limited edition bandanna, as chosen by the fans!