#adaptive sync

[techdriveplay]

A Guide to 4K Gaming

In the rapidly evolving world of video games, 4K gaming has emerged as the pinnacle of visual excellence, offering gamers an immersive and ultra-high-definition experience. This guide aims to demystify 4K gaming, providing you with essential insights and tips to fully embrace and optimize your gaming setup for this breathtaking resolution. Understanding 4K Gaming 4K gaming refers to playing…

[coddda]

I wish we could have met in some other way.

Lawlight Week Day 2: Soulmates

If you saw me repost and re-edit this several times uh No you didn't </3

Still frames/Individual gifs:

If you know what every frame is from you get a free cookie. by the way

[coffeebrownn]

[haveihitanerve]

No okay but you guys don’t understand- the way SFTH bois are always always whether on purpose or not, in sync is everything I’ve ever wanted in life its so fucking cute-

Like when they’re doing expert, obviously the three are trying their best to be together, or mimic the same thing the previous person has gesticulated

But also- when they’re casually sitting in the wings, on opposite sides, watching the main stage, they’ll lean together in sync

They’ll cross their legs at the same time

Sam and Luke push back their hair together

AJ and Luke lean in the same direction when they laugh

Tom and Sam dip their heads to hide a laugh or disappointed at the same time

They follow hand movements, step backwards together, blend and flow around each other with such perfect synchronization you think its scripted

[3416]

still thinking about how someone pointed out to me that 1634 are so special bc they want to play specifically with each other so badly, which is a bit diff from some other pairs in hockey.. like it's not just enough to play together sometimes... they're not content to just be on the same team and play the occasional powerplay shift or emergency situation, but like...... they pushed to play on a line together for years before they were allowed to regularly and only bc they got a new coach 😭......... and this year with auston penalty killing (at least pre-injury), they were trotting him out there with mitch during first pk shifts so it's LITERALLY an all situations thing.......... they just enjoy doing that together... all game. every game..... for years... 5v5, powerplay, penalty kill, 4v4, 3v3..... and still want it just as bad based on how often they get put back together/how quickly they do after slumps. it's so. insatiable.

and i feel like some people spin it to mean they're being selfish by not spreading the wealth or whatever, but that'd only really be applicable if mitch was a center and we just weren't playing his position/wasting him. the fact that they actually fit each other's style, a natural goal scorer and a natural playmaker, and already play to each other's strengths is so................... i'm thinking about the quote from odog during a panel last year where he talks about how helpful it is that mitch specifically is right handed and auston shoots left bc of how easy they can get it off their sticks to pass then shoot. and it's like how is handedness going to make me tear up right now.

[lesbianraskolnikov]

This whole project with crime and punishment 2007 makes me laugh so much. Give a mouse a cookie type of deal. Im going to create better captions for it...okay, ill find higher quality footage without a watermark for a little extra effort. Well...i guess i could upscale it too, and do some editing to make it a little clearer, 1080p.... and i can change the color grading, too...

[vulturevanity]

Seven episodes into Pokémon Horizons and I would kill for Liko and Roy

[chloedecker0]

Maximizing Retail Profits: Harnessing B2B Price Optimization Software

In the ever-evolving world of retail and e-commerce, businesses are constantly seeking ways to gain a competitive edge. Among the many strategies employed, B2B Price Optimization and Management Software stands out as a game-changer. Price optimisation and management (PO&M) software solutions enable businesses to oversee and optimize the prices of their goods and services. These services also provide a growing range of sales intelligence advice, such as best-next-action suggestions and customer churn warnings. In the industry, vendors either focus on back-office price management and product management roles, or they focus on providing real-time sales intelligence to sales representatives and B2B digital commerce websites, or both. Quadrant Knowledge Solutions, a leading global advisory and consulting firm, has recognized the significance of this technology in their report, “B2B Price Optimization and Management Applications, 2023”. Quadrant Knowledge Solutions focuses on helping clients in achieving business transformation goals with Strategic Business, and Growth Advisory Services. 

Download the sample report of Market Share: B2B Price Optimization and Management Software

Understanding the Retail and E-commerce Landscape 

The retail and e-commerce industry is a highly dynamic and competitive space. Companies within this domain face the continuous challenge of pricing their products right to maximize profitability while staying attractive to their customers. In this context, pricing becomes a critical element of their strategy. Let's delve into some of these challenges: 

Rapidly Changing Market Dynamics: Retail and e-commerce markets are highly volatile, with ever-shifting consumer preferences and market trends. Adapting to these changes in real-time is essential to stay competitive. Without the right tools, businesses risk making pricing decisions that are out of sync with market realities. 

Intense Competition: In retail and e-commerce, competition is fierce. With numerous players offering similar products or services, pricing becomes a key differentiator. Setting prices too high can drive customers away, while pricing too low can erode profit margins. 

Complex Supply Chain and Cost Structures: The retail and e-commerce sector often deals with complex supply chain operations and cost structures. Understanding the true costs associated with a product or service is essential for setting optimal prices. Traditional methods of cost calculation can be time-consuming and error-prone. 

Customer Behaviour and Expectations: Today's consumers are more informed and price-sensitive than ever before. Their buying behaviour can change rapidly in response to various factors, including promotions, discounts, and market trends. Retailers must be agile in responding to these changes. 

Competitor Pricing Strategies: Keeping a constant eye on competitor pricing is crucial. Businesses need to respond promptly to pricing moves made by competitors to remain competitive. Manual tracking and analysis of competitor pricing are arduous and inefficient processes. 

Download the sample report of Market Forecast: B2B Price Optimization and Management Software

B2B Price Optimization and Management Software: A Necessity 

B2B Price Optimization and Management Software is the solution to these challenges. This technology leverages advanced algorithms, data analytics, and real-time market insights to help businesses make data-driven pricing decisions. It empowers retail and e-commerce companies to optimize their prices efficiently while taking into account factors like demand fluctuations, competitor pricing, and customer behaviour.

Talk To Analyst: https://quadrant-solutions.com/talk-to-analyst

[classjezter]

A theory on why Jazz has a visor: Maybe he has heterochromia (eyes are both different colors) which has negative associations for some framing reason.

YOU🫵 ARE COOKING

Jazz was created with a blue and yellow optic, which for cybertronians is not only a “defect” that is looked down upon, it also heavily affects his vision

Jazz’s different-colored optics messed with his vision more than anyone ever guessed. His processor was constantly working overtime to make sense of the uneven input, scrambling to align depth, light, and motion in real time. Focusing on anything for too long gave him processor-aches bad enough to knock out a lesser mech. But Jazz had been built this way, so he figured this was just how seeing worked. He adapted, like he always did, with a whole lot of trial and error.

Then came Prowl. Prowl, who noticed everything, even the tiny ways Jazz tilted his helm to make sense of a view or hesitated a fraction too long when reacting, which could mean life or death for a miner. After constant worrying, Prowl finally manages to drag his aft to a proper medic, Ratchet, who didn’t even need a full scan before deadpanning, “Kid, you can’t see scrap” After some tests, Ratchet fitted him with a custom visor to help balance and sync the visual input.

The moment it powered on, Jazz nearly shorted, everything was sharp, solid, clear. And the first thing he actually saw in his whole life? Prowl’s face.

(Based on this post)

[sevsevteen]

The crowd screamed louder with every beat.

Spotlights danced across the stage, matching the members’ energy as they flowed seamlessly from one move to the next. Your hair was damp with sweat, breath sharp but steady as you hit each formation perfectly in time.

Your stage outfit for today was stunning - a soft corset-style top laced at the back, matched with sleek leather pants and accessories that hung around your body. It cinched your waist beautifully... until you felt it.

A sudden shift, a tug.

Then a slow, terrifying looseness.

Your eyes widened when realisation dawned - the back of your corset had untied itself, hanging loose.

Mid-choreo.

You instantly pressed your hand to your chest, subtly trying to hold the top in place without disrupting the performance, while a free hand continued the choreography. Panic flared behind your eyes, but you kept dancing, adapting your movements, trying to appear natural.

Only the trained eyes of your members could tell something was wrong.

As Hoshi's verse in 'HOT' approached, everyone shifted into a single-file line formation, bodies tight and aligned.

You were fifth. Behind you - Jeonghan.

He caught it immediately. The way your movements were tighter, one arm glued unnaturally to your torso. The near-panic in your usually confident expression.

As the formation moved, he leaned forward slightly, whispering just enough for you to hear over the in-ears and crowd:

“I’ve got you. Don’t worry.”

On the next beat, when the members slid, separated, Jeonghan’s hands went to work.

Behind you, under the cover of sync and lights, he grasped the ties of your top - carefully, skillfully. He tugged just enough to bring the fabric back in place, retying the strings with swift fingers, even as he moved in rhythm with the music.

You kept dancing, your heart racing for more than one reason now.

But your trust in Jeonghan never wavered.

By the time the formation broke, your corset was once again secure. You didn’t even need to look back to know it was him - the reassuring presence was enough.

As the song ended and everyone froze in final position, the lights dimmed momentarily. You exhaled shakily, hand still by your side. Jeonghan brushed your elbow gently as the both of you exited the stage.

Backstage, the staff rushed over, but Jeonghan waved them off with a small smile.

“Crisis averted,” he said simply, patting your back as you sat down to have the stylists fix the laces properly.

“Thank you,” you whispered, voice still breathless.

“You owe me one,” he smirked.

The rest of the members piled in seconds later - some clapping you on the shoulder, some teasing gently, others just offering water bottles with proud grins.

--

[plutosunshine]

Reinvention of Yourself: Planets in the 1st house

Sun in the 1st house

If you have your Sun in the 1st house, reinventing yourself isn't just possible—it’s a part of your journey. You're meant to shine as you, unapologetically. The 1st house is all about identity, self-expression, and how you show up in the world, and with the Sun here, your life energy naturally gravitates toward self-discovery and personal evolution.

So, when you're ready to reinvent yourself, it doesn't have to feel forced or fake. You’re actually stepping more into your essence. You might start by paying attention to what parts of you feel outdated—maybe it’s a style, a belief, a role you've been playing to make others comfortable. Let that stuff go. Reinvention for you is less about becoming someone new and more about letting your true self come forward louder and clearer.

People with the Sun in the 1st house often go through phases where they feel the need to redefine their image or purpose. This isn’t vanity—it’s evolution. Try switching up how you present yourself—your clothes, your voice, how you walk into a room—because when you look like your inner self, your confidence skyrockets. Also, don’t be afraid to claim space. Your presence is your power.

You might get some pushback from people who liked the old version of you, but remember: with the Sun in the 1st, you were born to lead with authenticity. You don’t need to be what others expect—you need to be what you are, fully lit from within. That’s when your energy becomes magnetic and everything starts to shift around you.

Moon in the 1st house

Ah, the Moon in the 1st house brings a whole different flavor—it’s softer, more intuitive, and emotionally rich. If you're reinventing yourself with the Moon here, it means you're tapping into a deeply personal and emotional transformation. Your identity is shaped by your feelings, and you're likely very sensitive to how others perceive you. You pick up on vibes quickly, even before words are spoken.

Reinvention for you means aligning your outer self with your inner emotional truth. You might feel called to change your look, environment, or even your routine when you're emotionally evolving—like when something just feels off and you can’t ignore it anymore. Trust that instinct. The Moon gives you strong inner radar, and when you're emotionally in sync, your whole presence becomes more magnetic and comforting to others.

That said, be mindful of how much of your identity is shaped by your emotional reactions or the people around you. With the Moon in the 1st, it’s easy to shift and adapt to fit the moment, but real reinvention means anchoring into youremotional truth—not just reacting to what others want or expect. Get still. Ask yourself how you really feel. What part of you have you been hiding, suppressing, or softening to keep the peace?

Start showing that part. Whether it’s through your style, your voice, or the way you carry yourself, let your emotional wisdom be seen. You don't need to be loud—you just need to be real. That vulnerability? That’s your superpower.

Mercury in the 1st house

Mercury in the 1st house gives you a mind that moves fast and a personality that needs to express itself. You come off as curious, witty, and articulate—someone who thinks out loud and can talk their way into (or out of) almost anything. When it comes to reinventing yourself, Mercury here says: start with your mindset and your words.

You're likely someone who can adapt easily, and you probably go through phases of experimenting with how you talk, write, or even present ideas. Reinvention for you could look like changing how you communicate—maybe being more direct, more playful, or more intentional with your words. It might even be as simple (and powerful) as rewriting the story you tell yourself about who you are.

With Mercury in the 1st, how you think about yourself shapes how others see you. If you want to change how you’re perceived, change your internal dialogue first. Are you calling yourself shy? Awkward? Too much? Flip the script. Reinvention starts in the brain for you, then flows into your body language, your social presence, and how you interact with the world.

You might also find that physical reinvention feels fun to you—changing your style or experimenting with how you speak or what you share on social media. Just be sure it’s coming from you and not just trying to be clever or performative. Your power is in authentic self-expression, and people are drawn to your mental spark when it's coming from a real place.

Venus in the 1st house

Venus in the 1st house is such a graceful and magnetic placement—you're naturally charming, and there's often an effortless beauty or softness about the way you come across, even if you don’t always see it yourself. Reinventing yourself with Venus here is really about embracing your self-worth and allowing your values and desires to shape how you show up in the world.

People with Venus in the 1st often find that others are drawn to them—whether it's their physical look, their energy, or just how kind and approachable they seem. But here's the catch: because you're so naturally likeable, you might fall into the trap of trying to please or be what others find attractive, rather than fully owning what you find beautiful and meaningful.

Reinvention for you is about getting really clear on what you value—style-wise, relationship-wise, and in terms of your identity. This could mean revamping your look in a way that feels more aligned with your true self, not just what looks "pretty" or what other people expect. It could mean choosing relationships that actually nourish you instead of just flattering you. Or it could be about embracing your artistic, sensual, or romantic side more openly.

This placement also gives you a gift for creating harmony—people feel good around you. But in reinventing yourself, don’t be afraid to let go of the need to be agreeable all the time. You don’t have to keep the peace if it means abandoning your truth. Your real glow comes when you express love and beauty your way.

Mars in the 1st house

Mars in the 1st house? Now that’s a fire-starter energy. You were born to take action, lead, and assert yourself. Reinventing yourself with this placement isn’t just a desire—it’s an urge. Mars gives you drive, edge, and a kind of raw presence that people notice, whether you're trying or not.

When you feel stuck or like you've outgrown a version of yourself, your whole body probably gets restless. Mars here wants movement—physical, emotional, personal. So reinvention for you might start by taking bold, unapologetic steps: cutting your hair, quitting a job, starting a business, joining a gym, saying something that’s long overdue. You don’t tiptoe into change. You kick the damn door down.

The trick with Mars in the 1st is making sure your reinvention isn't just about reacting or proving something. It’s easy to burn hot and fast here—like acting on impulse or pushing against something just for the sake of control. But the real power in your reinvention comes when you slow down just enough to ask, “What am I really fighting for?” Then go after that with all your fire.

Own your intensity. Channel it. Don’t water it down to make people comfortable. You are not here to be soft and neutral—you’re here to embody courage, leadership, and motion. When you reinvent yourself from a place of purpose (not just frustration), you become unstoppable.

Jupiter in the 1st house

Jupiter in the 1st house? You’ve got big energy—literally and symbolically. You radiate optimism, generosity, and a certain presence that feels warm, expansive, even lucky. People often see you as someone who brings light into a room, someone who uplifts. When it comes to reinventing yourself, Jupiter says: think bigger.

Reinvention for you isn't just about a new look or a change in tone—it’s about aligning your identity with something more meaningful, more purposeful, more you. You’re meant to grow and evolve in visible ways, and when you do, others notice. You're a natural teacher, guide, or inspiration, even if you don’t try to be. Your personal growth tends to ripple out and influence people around you.

Jupiter in the 1st also gives you a strong sense of belief—whether it’s belief in yourself, in life, in a philosophy, or in some kind of higher purpose. When you're out of alignment, though, you might feel aimless or like you’re faking your own confidence. That’s your cue to reinvent—not from insecurity, but from that Jupiter place of expansion and wisdom. Ask yourself: “What version of me feels the most free, the most alive, the most honest?” Then be that.

And here's the thing—you don’t have to try to impress anyone. Your presence is already naturally influential. Reinventing yourself might actually mean simplifying things: shedding personas, dropping the need to always seem "together," and showing the more humble, wise, truth-seeking side of yourself.

This placement is a blessing for self-discovery. You grow through experience—travel, learning, connection—and when you lean into those things during reinvention, your whole life tends to open up.

Saturn in the 1st house

Saturn in the 1st house brings a quiet strength—a seriousness, a groundedness, and often a deep sense of responsibility about who you are and how you're seen. You're likely someone who matured early or felt like you had to “hold it together” from a young age. Reinventing yourself with Saturn here is about shedding the weight of who you thought you had to be and stepping into who you truly are, with confidence earned through experience.

Unlike some other placements, your reinvention isn't flashy or sudden. It’s slow, intentional, and incredibly powerful. You rebuild yourself from the ground up, brick by brick. When you change, it’s because you mean it. There's no half-measure with Saturn—you take the work of becoming seriously, and when you evolve, it's the real deal.

The challenge with Saturn in the 1st is that it can come with self-doubt, inhibition, or feeling like you always have to be “on guard.” You might carry a fear of being judged or misunderstood, or you might struggle to relax into who you are without constantly measuring yourself against some internal standard. Reinvention for you starts with compassion for that inner voice—and slowly replacing fear with trust in your own strength and wisdom.

This placement can also give a powerful presence once you own it. People respect you. You may not be the loudest in the room, but you’re the one others quietly look to for guidance. When you start showing up as your true self—without apology or armor—you embody a kind of leadership that’s deeply magnetic.

You’re not meant to rush. You’re meant to build. And when you reinvent yourself, it lasts.

Uranus in the 1st house

Uranus in the 1st house? You were born to break the mold. There’s something undeniably unique—even electric—about your presence. People may not always know what to make of you at first, but they feel that you're different, and that difference is your superpower.

Reinvention for you isn’t just an occasional thing—it’s a way of life. You evolve in sudden leaps, often triggered by some inner realization or a deep urge to break free. You don’t do well being boxed in or told who you are. In fact, any time someone tries to define you, you’re probably already halfway out the door, inventing a new version of yourself.

When you reinvent yourself with Uranus in the 1st, it often looks like radical change—drastic haircut, unexpected lifestyle shift, new name, new career, new identity entirely. And while others might see that as unstable, for you it's a sacred act of liberation. Your job is to keep tuning in to who you’re becoming now, not who you were five minutes ago.

The challenge here is feeling like no one fully “gets” you—or fearing that if you show the real you, people won’t stick around. But Uranus doesn’t care about fitting in. It cares about freedom. Reinvention for you means letting your weirdness, brilliance, and originality shine, without apology.

Trust your inner nudges, even when they don’t make logical sense. You’re wired to lead by being different. The more you express your authentic self—through your look, your work, your voice—the more aligned (and strangely lucky) your life becomes.

Neptune in the 1st house

Neptune in the 1st house gives you an aura that’s hard to define—dreamy, soft, a little mysterious. People might project things onto you without even realizing it, because you reflect what they want to see. That can be a gift, but it also makes your own sense of identity slippery at times. Reinventing yourself with Neptune here is about cutting through illusion and getting to the soul of who you are—not who the world thinks you should be.

You’re a natural shapeshifter. Your energy adapts, melts, and blends into your surroundings. This means you’ve probably gone through phases where you tried on different roles or identities, sometimes without realizing you were doing it. Reinvention, for you, begins with clarity: What parts of you are real, and what parts were picked up from other people’s expectations?

With Neptune in the 1st, your reinvention process is often spiritual, creative, or emotional. It’s not about changing your hairstyle—it’s about healing old illusions, releasing masks, and stepping into your higher self. You’re deeply intuitive, and when you listen to your inner vision, you can transform in ways that feel magical, even otherworldly.

But be careful of escaping into fantasy or losing yourself in an ideal. Reinvention with Neptune should ground you in your truth, not pull you further away. Art, meditation, solitude, and self-reflection can help you clear away the noise so you can ask: Who am I when I’m alone and fully honest with myself?

When you step into your true essence—soft, soulful, deeply perceptive—you become luminous. People are drawn to you because you remind them of something deeper, something eternal. Your power lies in your ability to make the invisible visible.

Pluto in the 1st house

Pluto in the 1st house is intense, magnetic, and deeply transformative. People with this placement don’t just reinvent themselves—they rise from the ashes. You carry an energy that others can’t ignore, even if they don’t fully understand it. There’s something powerful and private about you, like you’ve seen behind the curtain of life and came back stronger.

Reinvention for you isn’t surface-level. It’s psychological. It’s emotional. It’s soul-deep. You might go through identity deaths—times when your entire sense of self breaks down, sometimes dramatically—only to emerge as someone more authentic, more fearless, more real. And even though it can feel isolating, this cycle of transformation is exactly what you’re built for.

With Pluto in the 1st, part of your power comes from owning your shadows, not avoiding them. You can’t fake it, and you don’t need to. People are drawn to your rawness, your depth, your ability to see through BS. Reinvention for you means facing the truth of who you are—flaws, fears, instincts—and then using that truth to reshape your life. When you stop hiding your intensity and instead channel it into your purpose, you become unstoppable.

There’s also a deep resilience here. You might have had to develop a strong exterior early on, like a psychological armor. But as you grow, reinvention may look like softening—not in weakness, but in power. Releasing control. Trusting that being vulnerable won’t destroy you.

Your presence transforms people. That’s no small thing. So when you step fully into your power—not the image, but the real, sometimes messy, transformational truth of who you are—you don’t just reinvent yourself. You change the whole damn room.

[pomelace]

a piece of sweetness

pairing: frank langdon x afab!intern reader

content warnings: no physical desciptors used for reader, reader is an intern, doesn't take place during the shows timeline, emotional distress and grief, guilt, vulnerability, little bit of angst, patient death, let me know if I missed anything!

magui speaks! : this is dedicated to anon who asked for more langdon fics. thank you for the request! this is part 2 of mouse and the redbull, part 3 will be out soon. I wrote this rather than study for my chem exam, so call me dedicated. as always, I hope you enjoy, and requests are always open.

word count: 2436

It's been weeks since the Red Bull. Weeks of long shifts and caffeine-stained charts, of you silently handing him pen lights and IV kits before he even asks. You're still the same—quiet, precise, invisible to most—but not to Frank.

He notices everything.

The way you tuck your pen behind your ear when you're focused.

The way you always triple-check every patient's med list.

The way you look up at him when you're unsure—but never ask.

He doesn’t say anything. He never does.

Words were never necessary with him.

Which is why it catches you off guard when Dr. Robby corners you before rounds, his voice too casual to mean nothing.

“You’re with me today,” he says, hands tucked into the pockets of his worn sweater.

You blink. “I’m usually with Dr. Langdon.”

“I know,” he replies, eyes already scanning his notes. “But you’ve been glued to him for weeks. Time to mix it up. Get to know the rest of us. Frank’s overdue to teach someone else anyway.”

You nod—because that’s what you do. But something settles heavy in your chest as you take your place among the others.

Frank doesn’t say anything when you fall in next to him. Just glances over—quick, unreadable—and then turns back to Dr. Robby as he launches into the morning briefing.

Maybe words were never necessary.

But this silence feels different. Louder. Sharper around the edges.

You half expect him to lean in, to say something under his breath—I’ll talk to Robby, or You’ll be back tomorrow—but he doesn’t.

He just lets the space stretch between you, like it means nothing at all.

𐔌 ﹒ ⋆ ꩜ ⋆ 𓂃 ₊ ⊹

Robby is patient.

He moves like he’s got fire in his lungs—sharp, deliberate, always ten steps ahead. He commands a room with a single glance, and somehow still finds time to teach you between traumas.

“Now I see why Frank kept you all to himself,” he said, showing you how to crack a chest like he’d done it a hundred times in his sleep

You learn a lot with him. He makes sure of it. But still—you’re always a half-second behind. Reacting instead of anticipating. You miss the rhythm you had with Frank, the silent sync only the two of you seemed to share.

You don’t realize how deeply you’ve adapted to him until you have to unlearn it.

When Robby asks for a kit, your hands stall. You hesitate—just long enough to feel it.

You’re not sure which one he means.

Frank wouldn’t have had to ask.

Robby doesn’t notice the pause—or if he does, he doesn’t say anything. He just points and keeps going, his voice calm but clipped, already three steps ahead again.

You hand him the right kit. Eventually. But the moment sticks with you.

With Frank, it was different. There were no words, just glances and gestures, and somehow you always knew what came next. He never needed to explain. You were in sync.

Now, every command feels like a test. Every silence feels like something you’re supposed to fill. You push through it. Robby is kind, in his own brisk way. He teaches well. He even smiles sometimes.

But at the end of the shift, when your scrubs are soaked through and your hands smell like antiseptic, it isn’t him you’re thinking about.

It was Frank.

And how, for the first time in weeks, he hadn’t even looked at you in the hallway.

You passed him again and again during shifts, but he didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink. Even when you were forced onto the same case, he moved around you like you weren’t there—focused solely on guiding his new intern, never sparing you so much as a glance.

You tried to ignore it—the tight pull in your stomach, the quiet ache that settled behind your ribs.

But it was there. Growing. Whispering.

Maybe you’d done something wrong.

You never asked. You couldn’t. Every time you stood near him—tried to spark even the smallest conversation—he found a reason to walk away. A clipped excuse, a sudden task, always without looking at you.

Eventually, you stopped trying.

And with time, you began to accept the quiet truth: maybe you’d never work with him again. The thought settled in your chest like something heavy, something final.

Days blurred into weeks. Weeks where your schedule bounced between Dr. Robby and Dr. Collins—never Langdon.

Not once.

You stopped expecting to see him during rounds. Stopped looking for him across the nurses’ station or listening for his voice during consults. You forced yourself to focus on the work—on Robby’s fast-paced cases and Collins’ long-winded lectures about doing the best thing for a patient.

But some habits die harder than others.

You still felt it—his absence. Not just the lack of words, but the missing weight of him at your side. The way you used to anticipate each other without speaking.

It was like losing a limb and learning how to walk again.

And you were having a hard time keeping yourself upright.

You haven’t been yourself today.

It starts with the wrong dosage on a chart—caught just in time, but still. Then a missed page. Then a patient, mid-thirties, chest pain, eyes wide with fear—and you swear you’re doing everything right.

You double-check vitals, repeat the ECG, call for backup, but nothing you do is enough. Minutes later, they code. And you can’t get them back.

It’s not your first loss. But for some reason, this one sits differently in your chest. Low. Heavy. Like wet concrete.

Dr. Robby assures you that there wasn't anything anyone could've done, that the patient was as good as dead the moment they were wheeled into the ER, but no words could help you forget the sound of the flatline.

The rest of the shift spirals after that.

Minor mistakes. Snapped words. You keep moving, but nothing feels like it lands right. It’s like you’re watching yourself from a few feet away, trying to climb back into your own skin and failing.

No one says anything, but you know they notice.

And Frank notices the most.

From the moment you lose your patient, you can feel his eyes on you, though he never approaches. He doesn’t say a word, doesn’t offer the usual reassuring confidence or distractions. Instead, he just watches—quietly, from a distance. And in that silence, you realize he sees it.

The cracks in your composure, the raw edges of your mind starting to fray. It’s a subtle thing, but you feel it all the same. He sees you breaking, even when you wish he wouldn’t.

You catch a nurse stealing a glance your way after you mutter a curse under your breath, watching as your coffee turns cold and bitter in your hands.

A resident steps in, offering to take over a case you were already halfway through, his voice too bright, too eager.

You shake your head, brushing him off, but the tension in your shoulders is too tight. You finish it anyway, fingers unsteady as you sign the discharge papers, the ink smearing slightly across the form.

The weight of it lingers in your hands, like a reminder of everything that’s slipping through your fingers.

By the time 9 p.m. rolls around, you've disappeared—found a forgotten stairwell tucked between ICU and radiology, where silence is the only company you’re willing to keep.

You sit on the cold concrete steps, elbows braced on your knees, head cradled in your hands. You're not crying. Not yet. Just still. Just quiet. Just trying to feel something that isn't the hollow static in your skull.

The door creaks open behind you, the sound scraping through the silence.

You don’t move.

The footsteps are slow, deliberate—familiar. You know them without having to look.

“Mouse?”

You don’t lift your head. You don’t even flinch.

He steps closer, hesitant, careful.

“Everyone’s looking for you. Robby thought you left.”

You shake your head, slow and deliberate, keeping your chin tucked low.

“I just needed... a second.”

A long beat of silence. Frank doesn’t answer immediately, and for a moment, you think maybe he’ll leave, or maybe he’ll keep pretending he’s been too busy to notice.

Instead, he lowers himself onto the step beside you. The space between you both is filled with nothing but the distant hum of the hallway, the pounding of your own heart.

“You’ve been off today,” he says quietly. Not a question. Not an accusation. Just a simple observation.

“Rough shift?” he adds, his voice laced with something too close to pity.

It almost sounds absurd—the way he asks, knowing full well the answer. He was there, he saw it all. Watched as you fought, as you tried to save a life only to lose it in the end.

You nod, the movement stiff, like your neck can’t bear the weight of the day. Your breath is shaky, fighting the edge of something sharp and brittle that threatens to break free.

He sits beside you, close enough for you to feel his presence but not so close as to invade. He doesn’t ask you anything else, doesn’t offer words you don’t want.

He just sits. Silent. Watching.

You hate how easy it is for him to be there, like nothing’s wrong, like you’re just two people passing through the same space, when all you want to do is scream.

“I heard about your patient,” he says quietly.

Your throat tightens like a fist around your windpipe.

“You heard about it, or you saw it?” you whisper, your voice frayed. It’s not really a question. You already know the answer.

He doesn’t respond right away. Just sits there, the silence stretching until it almost snaps. When he finally speaks, his voice is low, almost hoarse.

“I should’ve said something. Back then.”

He hesitates, then adds, “It’s hard… losing a patient. I should’ve—”

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” you cut in, sharper than you mean to be.

He flinches like he expected it—but it still hits.

The stairwell is cold. Quiet again, except for the hum of a vending machine two floors down and your own heartbeat in your ears.

Frank breathes out slowly. You don’t look at him, but you feel the shift in the air, the way his body curls forward, like he’s trying to close the space between you without touching it.

“I know it doesn’t change anything,” Frank says after a moment, voice low, like he's afraid to disrupt the fragile stillness you've wrapped around yourself.

“But I wanted you to hear it from me.”

You don’t answer. The silence feels safer—less brittle than any words you might try to force past the knot in your throat.

“You did everything you could.”

His voice is soft, careful—like he’s reaching for you with it, like he thinks if he says it gently enough, you might believe him.

Like he wants to cradle the sharp edges of your grief with something that won’t cut.

You shake your head, still staring down at your hands, at the scuffs on your shoes, at the floor that hasn’t moved but somehow still feels like it’s tilting.

“It wasn’t enough.”

He lets out a long, slow breath, his hands clasped loosely between his knees, the pads of his fingers pressing into each other like he needs the grounding.

“Sometimes it isn’t,” he murmurs.

“Even when it should be.”

You nearly flinch at that—almost say, but it still happened. You almost tell him that your hands haven’t stopped shaking since you called time of death, that your brain feels stuffed with cotton, thick and useless, and you can't think clearly enough to even cry.

But nothing comes out.

You just shake your head again, smaller this time.

Frank turns slightly toward you, glancing out of the corner of his eye.

“You have to be kinder to yourself,” he says, and it’s so quietly earnest it almost stings.

You nod, though it’s automatic.

Eventually, you glance at him. He’s not looking at you—just staring straight ahead, his jaw tight, his eyes unfocused like he’s watching something only he can see.

“You’ve lost patients before,” you say, your voice hoarse.

“How do you not let it break you?”

He lets out a breath of a laugh—low, bitter, hollow.

“Who said it doesn’t?”

That silences you. Again.

A minute ticks by. Then he shifts slightly, reaching into the pocket of his jacket. He pulls out a crumpled paper bag and, without a word, sets it gently in your lap.

You blink at it, confused, your fingers hesitating on the edge.

“It’s a cinnamon roll,” he says, like it’s obvious. “From that place you like. Still warm.”

You stare down at it, stunned.

“I didn’t even know you—”

“You mentioned it once,” he says, cutting you off, almost sheepish.

“Weeks ago. Said they don’t dry them out like the cafeteria does.”

Your throat tightens, but it’s different this time—not grief. Something softer, warmer, tugging at your chest.

“I figured… if you weren’t gonna eat or sleep tonight, you should at least have sugar.”

You let out a faint, broken laugh. It doesn’t quite reach your eyes, but it’s real. He nudges your knee gently with his own.

“You’re allowed to be human, mouse. Even the best interns have days like this.”

“Not like this,” you murmur, still staring at the bag in your lap.

He tilts his head, finally meeting your eyes.

“Especially like this.”

You tear open the bag, the scent hitting you instantly—cinnamon, vanilla, that warm yeasty sweetness. You break off a piece and hand it to him wordlessly.

He takes it without hesitation and eats in silence, like this is routine, like sharing a cinnamon roll in a stairwell at the end of the worst day isn’t the most intimate thing you’ve done in weeks.

You sit together for a while like that. Just two tired, wrung-out people in the quiet hollow of a hospital, letting the sugar and the silence do what they can.

Eventually, your voice returns. “Thanks.”

He glances at you, chewing. Swallows.

“For the cinnamon roll?”

You shake your head.

“For finding me.”

He looks at you then. Really looks at you. For a moment longer than necessary.

“You’re my favorite, remember?” he says, voice gentler than you’ve ever heard it.

“I keep track of the things I care about.”

And for a moment, you forget. Forget the coldness he kept between you for weeks, the silence that hung like a heavy curtain.

All you feel is the warmth of the cinnamon roll in your hands, and the quiet tenderness in his voice when he says he cares—about the small things, about you.

©pomelace 2025

[furioussheepluminary]

𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞: 𝐘𝐨𝐮

Pairing: hearingimpared!seungmin x afab!reader, established relationship

Synopsis: After many years of seungmin being deaf and slightly struggling in your relationship (which you always reminded him that it wasn't a struggle) you finally earn enough money to take him to the audiologist and get him better hearing aids

Warnings: angst, comfort, teeny fluff, quite emotional, seungmin cries when he hears reader clearly for the first time

A/n: if you have extra eyes for errors no you don't.

Seungmin wasn’t born deaf.

He still remembers faint traces of his childhood filled with laughter, music, and the soft hum of his mother’s lullabies. But everything changed when he turned ten.

It started with a high fever—nothing unusual at first. A week of being bedridden, some ear pain, dizziness. But when he finally stood up again, the world had gone muted. At first, it was like everything had just quieted. He thought his ears were clogged. But days passed, then weeks, and the silence never lifted. Doctors diagnosed him with sudden sensorineural hearing loss, likely triggered by the viral infection.

His parents tried everything from treatments, therapies, to hearing aids that whistled and buzzed more than they helped. But nothing brought back the clarity. Every sound was either muffled beyond recognition or screeching and distorted. The world became distant, like he was behind thick glass, watching everyone else live while he stood still. But it changed him. He grew quieter, more observant. The boy who used to hum songs while tying his shoelaces began to avoid music altogether. It was like losing a color from the spectrum life was still beautiful, but something fundamental was missing. 

At the time his disability was newly discovered, school was hell. He couldn’t keep up. People spoke too fast, teachers got frustrated repeating themselves, and classmates started calling him “broken.” He learned to lip-read out of survival, forcing himself to focus on mouths and facial expressions. But it was exhausting. Misunderstandings piled up. He withdrew. He smiled less. He began associating sound with failure.

The hearing aids became a source of shame. They were clunky, outdated, unreliable and they never worked right. Conversations turned into guessing games. He hated the pitying looks, the way people shouted slowly like he was stupid. Eventually, he stopped wearing them altogether. What was the point? Silence was at least consistent. He learned to exist in it.

Music, which once comforted him, became a painful memory. He’d press his fingers against the speaker, feeling the beat, closing his eyes to pretend he could hear the notes. But it wasn’t the same. He longed for the way voices used to sound and the way someone would say his name.

Years passed. He adjusted. His world was quiet, but he adapted. He became fiercely independent, doing everything he could not to burden anyone. But deep down, he still felt like he was constantly missing something like he was always one step out of sync with the world.

Then he met you.

You didn’t shout. You didn’t over-enunciate. You just... communicated. With patience, with handwritten notes, soft smiles, gentle touches. You asked how he preferred to talk. You learned his signs.

You were volunteering at a community arts center, helping organize a mixed-media class for differently-abled youth. Seungmin was there to support his younger cousin, who was on the autism spectrum. You caught his eye from across the room not because of anything loud or showy, but because you smiled at him like you already knew him. And when you introduced yourself, you didn’t speak first. You signed.

It was clumsy, adorable signing “Hi, me name… Y/N?” but it made Seungmin laugh, a breathy, silent sort of chuckle that made his shoulders shake. You looked up, startled, then broke into a grin. That moment cracked something open in him.

You started seeing each other more at events, over coffee (even though Seungmin didn't drink it), through text messages and quiet walks at night where he’d watch your lips move and you’d trace your fingers on his palm when the world was too dark for words. He never told you at first, but he thought you were magic. Not because you tried to fix anything but because you never treated him like he was broken.

And Seungmin, quiet but patient, would take your hands gently—never too long, never too forward—and guide them into the right shapes. You learned not just words, but expression. He taught you how emotion lives in the eyebrows, the tilt of a chin, the flicker of fingers.

It took weeks for you to realize he was looking forward to seeing you too. That he waited for you hesitantly, pretending to browse when he was really just hoping you’d show up.

Seungmin, who had long learned to carry silence like armor, found your presence disarming. You never flinched when he took a moment to respond. You never laughed when his voice slipped out softer, unsteady, after years of disuse. You spoke with your hands and eyes, letting him meet your where he was comfortable.

Their first date wasn’t even supposed to be one. They ended up walking home together after a sudden downpour soaked the city, and you insisted they find shelter in a late-night bookshop. It was there, under dim lights and the smell of paper, that she signed with a grin,

“This counts as a date, right?”

He had chuckled. Hands moving, sincerely.

“I guess it does.”

But falling in love wasn’t easy for Seungmin.

He had spent so many years blaming himself for being “too much.” Too silent. Too broken. Too hard to love. His old relationships had left scars with people who meant well but didn’t know how to stay. People who said things like “I just wish you’d talk more,” or “It’s hard when I can’t always reach you.”

He’d internalized it all, folding it into his chest like poison.  Like when he didn’t hear the doorbell and thought he missed your surprise visit. Or when he sat through a movie with you and couldn’t follow the storyline because the captions were out of sync, and he tried so hard to laugh when you did but his timing was off. You saw it in his eyes. That flicker of distance. That urge to shrink away from you because he felt like a burden.

Even though you learned sign language just for him, even though you took your time when speaking so he could read your lips, even though you’d repeat yourself over and over again without a hint of frustration he still felt the doubt creeping in.

Sometimes he’d pull away from you without warning. A bad day with static-filled hearing aids. A cruel memory triggered by something innocent. An accidental miscommunication that left him spiraling. He’d retreat, cold and distant, signing with sharp movements:

“You shouldn’t have to deal with this. With me.”

It crushed you every time. Not because he pushed her away, but because he truly believed he wasn’t worth staying for.

One night, after he pulled his faulty hearing aids out and tossed them across the room, his voice cracked in anger,

“I can’t even hear you properly. What kind of boyfriend is that?”

You sat beside him in silence for a moment, then gently took his trembling hands in hers. Slowly, you signed,

“You listen to me better than anyone ever has.”

Then you said it out loud, knowing he could read your lips and feel the words vibrating in your chest:

“Your silence has never scared me.”

And that night he cried.

Seungmin wasn’t someone who cried easily, but with you every dam he’d built up over the years broke. The guilt, the loneliness, the longing to be understood… it all poured out, and she held him through it. Not trying to fix him. Not trying to speak over it. Just there, solid and soft, like a light left on for him to find his way back.

You made a habit of leaving him small sticky notes when you left early. You practiced a little more sign language every night, even when he wasn’t around. You learned the difference between when he needed space and when he needed to be held. And Seungmin, he began to believe, slowly, that he was worth loving in full volume, even if he couldn’t hear it.

Loving Seungmin had always been a quiet kind of magic. Not because it was easy—no, love with him was layered, complex, and sometimes achingly delicate—but because it was real. It lived in the space between glances, in fingertips tracing signs in the air, in soft gazes across crowded rooms. It was in the way he’d tilt his head to better read your lips, or the subtle squeeze of his hand when he understood your joke a beat later than everyone else.

You never once saw him as a burden. But you knew he saw himself that way sometimes.

And it broke your heart.

From the very beginning, she made it your mission to never let him feel like he was lacking. You learned sign and KSL with aching fingers and late-night YouTube tutorials. You practiced in mirrors so your signs would be smooth, her expressions more natural, your hands quicker. You slowed down when you spoke not because you thought he was slow, but because you wanted to meet him where he was. Still, you saw it in his eyes sometimes. That flicker of shame. That silent wish that he could hear your laugh, hear his own voice clearly again, hear the world.

That’s when the idea took root.

You knew how much he hated his old hearing aids. He’d told you about them more than once the way they whistled when they weren’t supposed to, how the static from them made everything sound like muffled underwater echoes, how they were so bulky and outdated that he’d just stopped wearing them altogether. Seungmin had resigned himself to a life in silence, the hearing aids nothing more than an accessory to the inevitable.

But you couldn’t stand the thought of him living in that silence any longer. You wanted him to have the chance to hear your voice again, clearly, without the static that always filled the gaps. You wanted him to hear the world more fully the way he’d once done before it all changed. You wanted him to feel heard again.

So, without ever telling Seungmin, you decided to take matters into her own hands.

It wasn’t easy. You worked long shifts at the coffee shop, your fingers blistered from the constant motion of making drinks and wiping tables. You picked up freelance graphic design work, staying up late into the night, your eyes straining in front of your laptop screen. Every penny you earned, you set aside, hiding it away in a small envelope marked simply: For Seungmin. There were days when you nearly broke down from exhaustion, when your back ached from the weight of carrying your dreams for both of you. But every time you felt like giving up, you’d imagine the look in Seungmin’s eyes when he heard you  clearly again.

And then, after months of scraping together whatever she could—cutting back on coffee, on her usual weekend dinners, sometimes even selling old clothes—she had enough.

You researched hearing aids for weeks, making sure you found the ones that would work best for Seungmin, something lightweight, discreet, and most importantly, functional. You reached out to Seungmin’s audiologist and got the opinions of others who’d experienced similar challenges. You wanted to make sure that what you got for him wouldn’t be just another disappointment. You spent hours on forums, researching the best options, reading testimonials from other users who had finally found something that worked.

Eventually, you found them. Sleek, modern hearing aids that promised clearer sound and better comfort than anything he’d ever had before. They were expensive, but after months of hard work, you’d earned every dollar The day you bought them, your heart raced. You could already picture the look on Seungmin’s face. It was a mix of excitement and fear, but, you were afraid he wouldn’t accept them, that he’d feel overwhelmed, maybe even insulted by the gesture. But you pushed those fears aside. This was for him. For them. For the future you wanted to share with him, where their voices could reach each other across the space that silence had created.  So, you made a plan.

It started like any ordinary morning, or at least, Seungmin thought it did.

You had woken him up gently, brushing her fingers through his hair and signing, “Let’s go out today. There’s somewhere I want to take you.”

He’d blinked up at you, confused but trusting, nodding sleepily. He didn’t ask questions, you had a way of guiding him like that, always full of soft surprises.

You took the train, the city humming around them in its distant, quiet way. Seungmin watched you more than he watched the view. You kept looking at your phone, nervous fingers tapping your thigh, eyes flicking up to meet his every so often. You was trying to hide your excitement, but he knew you too well.

When they reached the small clinic, his brows furrowed. His heart sank. He stared at the clean white sign with the word Audiology on the glass door. He looked at you, confused, guarded. “Why… are we here?” he signed slowly, the motion tight, cautious. “You know I don’t—”

“It’s just a check-up,” you signed quickly, gently. “No pressure. Just trust me, okay?”

He didn’t want to go inside. His stomach twisted. But your hand slipped into his, warm and certain, and he couldn’t say no to that.

Inside, the receptionist greeted them warmly, and you leaned in to speak to her quietly while Seungmin filled out a short form. What he didn’t know was that you was whispering, “I made the appointment. Please don’t say anything about the hearing aids yet, it’s a surprise. I already spoke to Dr. Jin. He knows.”

The receptionist gave a small nod and smile. Everything was in place.

Soon enough, Dr. Jin came to the waiting area and welcomed them in. He was an older man, calm-eyed and kind-voiced, someone Seungmin had seen before years ago when he was still trying to find hope in outdated machines. They sat down in the exam room, Seungmin looking around nervously. Dr. Jin smiled gently at him and signed a little before switching to spoken words.

“Just a few questions, Seungmin. Nothing scary.”

Seungmin nodded, arms crossed over his chest. The doctor asked about any ear pain, if he’d experienced pressure or dizziness, if he ever had headaches with silence. Standard questions. Seungmin answered in a mix of voice and sign, slow but clear. He still had a beautiful voice—soft, low, and rarely used.

And then Dr. Jin leaned back in his chair, expression shifting.

“Seungmin…” he said softly. “This wasn’t just a check-up.”

Seungmin’s body tensed, eyes snapping to you.

Dr. Jin smiled. “She bought you new hearing aids.” Seungmin’s lips parted slightly. He didn’t sign. He didn’t speak. He froze.

“She saved up. Came to us. Asked all the right questions. Chose the model carefully. She wanted it to be a surprise. You didn’t know, right?”

Seungmin slowly turned to look at you.

You was already looking at him, your hands nervously clasped together, a soft smile playing on your lips gentle and trembling. Your eyes were glassy with emotion, and your fingers moved slowly: “You deserve better. You deserve to hear clearly again. To not suffer with broken things.”

Seungmin’s jaw trembled. His eyes shimmered.

Dr. Jin stood and walked to the drawer, pulling out a small, sleek black box. “These are top-grade. Lightweight. Fully programmable. Bluetooth compatible. And custom-tuned to your profile.”

He opened the box and held them out to Seungmin, who stared in disbelief.

“Do you want to try?” Dr. Jin asked softly.

Seungmin nodded, slowly. Silent. Tears clinging to his lashes. With practiced hands, Dr. Jin gently placed the hearing aids into his ears and began the tuning process, tapping the tablet in front of him.

Then he paused, looked at you, and nodded. You stepped forward, nervous and close to tears.

“Seungmin?” you said softly.

It hit like lightning.

Clear. Warm. Perfect.

No static. No distortion. No lag. No underwater echoes.

It was you. Your voice. For the first time in so long, he heard you as you were.

His face crumbled. He turned to her slowly, chest rising with a shaky breath. His lips parted in wonder, then broke into a sob. The kind of cry that shook his whole body. His hand flew up to his mouth, as if trying to hold the emotion back, but it was useless.

You reached out, taking his hand in yours, squeezing it tightly.

“I love you,” you whispered.

He heard it. He heard it. He collapsed forward, pressing his forehead to her shoulder, arms wrapping around her as if anchoring himself to the moment. Tears soaked into your shirt as he clung to your, silent no longer not because he needed to speak, but because she had already said everything he ever needed to hear.

And this time, he heard it all.

Dr. Jin, patient and warm, gave them a moment before gently asking, “Seungmin, can you hear me clearly?”

Seungmin nodded through the tears, wiping his cheek with his sleeve.

“Any whistling? Buzzing? Pain?”

He shook his head.

“Do the sounds feel natural? Not too sharp or mechanical?”

Seungmin managed a breathy, “Yeah… they sound real.” His voice cracked.

Dr. Jin smiled and turned to you. “They’ll need a few days to settle in. The brain takes time to readjust. Avoid crowded, high-noise places for now. Charge them overnight. Keep them dry. And…”, he looked between the two of you, “talk to him a lot. Let his ears fall back in love with your voice.”

You nodded, your heart swollen.

The train ride back was quiet, except for the world.

And that was the part that made Seungmin cry again. He looked around as they sat side-by-side. A baby giggling a few seats down. Someone tapping their foot against the train floor. The distant intercom voice announcing the next station. The wind brushing against the door seams. YN breathing beside him.

Sounds he’d grown used to missing were now everywhere.

Tears clung to his lashes again, and he tried to swipe them away discreetly, but you saw. You reached over, laced their fingers, and squeezed his hand.

When they finally got home, Seungmin didn’t even take his shoes off properly. The door had barely shut behind them before he turned and pulled you into the fiercest hug he'd ever given you.

He clung to you like a storm wth his arms tight around your waist, face buried in your neck, his whole body trembling. “You shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “You shouldn’t have saved all your money for me. That’s too much. That’s everything. Y/N… that’s everything.”

“Exactly,” you murmured, pulling back just enough to cup his face, your thumbs brushing his wet cheeks. “You’re worth everything. Every coin, every hour, every little saving. You deserve to hear again, Minnie. You deserve this and so much more.”

He looked at you—truly looked at you—and then leaned in without a single ounce of hesitation. The kiss was deep, desperate, soaked in tears and gratitude. His lips trembled against yours, and your hands curled into his hair as if anchoring him in the present. He kissed you like your voice had brought him back to life. Like he’d been drowning in silence and your love pulled him up for air.

When you finally broke apart, foreheads pressed, Seungmin whispered, voice barely holding,

“Thank you… for giving me back the world. And for being the loudest, most beautiful part of it.”

And you just smiled, brushing her nose against his, whispering, “Welcome back, Seungmin.”

Seeing as he's a singer that kinda gave me inspo for this. Crying cleanses...trust

Taglist: purple means I can't tag you

@lillymochilover @imeverycliche @pessimisticloather @iknow-uknow-leeknow @burntbang @ari-hwanggg @pessimisticloather @whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @alisonyus @rockstarkkami @morkleesgirl @yoongiismylove2018 @imeverycliche @katchowbbie @pixiefelix @maxidential @maisyyyyyy @burntbang @iknowyouknowminho @igotajuicyass @sh0rdor1 @jitrulyslayyed @leeknow-minho2 @jeonginnieswifey @necrozica

Check out my pinned if you want to be added to the taglist!

~kc 💗

[subjectsix]

KIP'S BIG POST OF THINGS TO MAKE THE INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY SUCK A LITTLE LESS

Post last updated November 23, 2024. Will continue to update!

Here are my favorite things to use to navigate technology my own way:

A refurbished iPod loaded with Rockbox OS (Rockbox is free, iPods range in price. I linked the site I got mine from. Note that iPods get finicky about syncing and the kind of cord it has— it may still charge but might not recognize the device to sync. Getting an original Apple cord sometimes helps). Rockbox has ports for other MP3 players as well.

This Windows debloater program (there are viable alternatives out there, this one works for me). It has a powershell script that give you a little UI and buttons to press, which I appreciate, as I'm still a bit shy with tech.

Firefox with the following extensions: - Consent-O-Matic (set your responses to ALL privacy/cookie pop-ups in the extension, and it will answer all pop-ups for you. I can see reasons to not use it, but I appreciate it) - Facebook Container ("contains" Meta on Facebook and Instagram pages to keep it from tracking you or getting third party cookies, since Meta is fairly egregious about it) - Redirect Amp to HTML (AMP is designed for mobile phones, this forces pages to go to their HTML version) - A WebP/AVIF image converter - uBlock Origin and uBlacklist, with the AI blacklist loaded in to kill any generative AI results from appearing in search engines or anywhere.

Handbrake for ripping DVDs— I haven’t used this in awhile as I haven’t been making video edits. I used this back when I had a Mac OS

VLC Media Player (ol’ reliable)

Unsplash & Pexels for free-to-use images

A password manager (these often are paid. I use Dashlane. There are many options, feel free to search around and ask for recs!). There is a lot that goes into cybersecurity— find the option you feel is best for you.

Things I suggest:

Understanding Royalty Free and the Creative Commons licenses

Familiarity with boolean operators for searching

Investing in a backup drive and external drive

A few good USBs, including one that has a backup of your OS on it

Adapter cables

Avoiding Fandom “wikias” (as in the brand “Fandom”) and supporting other, fan-run or supported wikis. Consider contributing if its something you find yourself passionate or joyful about.

Finding Forums for the things you like, or creating your own*

Create an email specifically for ads/shopping— use it to receive all promotional emails to keep your inbox clean. Upkeep it.

Stop putting so much of your personal information online— be willing to separate your personal online identity from your “online identity”. You don’t owe people your name, location, pronouns, diagnoses, or any of that. It’s your choice, but be discerning in what you give and why. I recommend avoiding providing your phone number to sites as much as possible.

Be intentional

Ask questions

Talk to people

Remember that you can lurk all you want

Things that are fun to check out:

BBSes-- here's a portal to access them.

Neocities

*Forums-- find some to join, or maybe host your own? The system I was most familiar with was vbulletin.

MMM.page

Things that have worked well for me but might work for you, YMMV:

Limit your app usage time on your smartphone if you’re prone to going back to them— this is a tangible way to “practice mindfulness”, a term I find frustratingly vague ansjdbdj

Things I’m looking into:

The “Pi Hole”— a raspberry pi set up to block all ads on a specific internet connection

VPNs-- this is one that was recommended to me.

How to use computers (I mean it): Resources on how to understand your machine and what you’re doing, even if your skill and knowledge level is currently 0:

This section I'll come back an add to. I know that messing with computers can be intimidating, especially if you feel out of your depth. HTML and regedits and especially things like dualbooting or linux feel impossible. So I want to put things here that explain exactly how the internet and your computer functions, and how you can learn and work with that. Yippee!

[v6quewrlds]

joe beings a grade a clinger moments pls

She heard the squeak of the bedroom door before the shuffling of Joe's feet on the hardwood floor. She didn't look up from her book, a bell hooks classic recommended to her by a patient, knowing the routine all too well. Joe had spent the last few hours in his office, poring over film for the upcoming game against the Steelers. She felt his warmth as he slid into bed, his six-foot-four frame slotting familiarly on top of her.

"Hi," she murmured sweetly, her eyes still focused on the page. He settled in, his arms wrapping around her waist, heavy weight pressing her into the mattress. Perfectly manicured hands swept through his hair, his breaths growing deeper as he nestled closer. She felt his chest rise and fall in sync with her own, the rhythm soothing despite the discomfort of his size. She swallowed a sigh and shifted slightly, her body adapting to his embrace.

"You okay?" she asked, her voice a whisper against the quiet of the room. "My head hurts," he murmured.

She stifled a laugh, amused by her boyfriend's dramatics. But she also felt the sweetness of his need for comfort, the vulnerability that lay beneath his calm exterior. Her hand rested on the crown of his head, twirling the soft curls between her fingers. His breath was warm against her skin, a soft sigh escaping him as he closed his eyes.

"Do you want me to read to you?" she offered. She felt Joe's head nod, his nose brushing against her skin with the movement. She hummed her concession, turning a page in her book. Her voice filled the room, the words a gentle lullaby to the tension he had brought with him.

As she focused on the words written before her, Joe began to shift against her. She felt his hands move to lift her shirt, exposing her midriff. The coolness of the room kissed her bare skin. With a silent determination, Joe managed to pull her shirt up even further, until the fabric stretched far enough to accommodate his head. She raised an eyebrow but didn't protest.

Decisively, the quarterback burrowed closer to her, dipping his head under the shirt. Her eyes widened for a brief moment, the book's words blurring as Joe's face disappeared. The material of her shirt stretched over the back of his neck, a peculiar barrier that she found oddly endearing. She took a deep breath, feeling the fabric tighten against her skin and his body heat against her sternum. She could hear him sigh contentedly. His nose nuzzled closer to her skin, breathing in her scent, indulging in the simple comfort she seemed to provide it.

He tapped at her side, once, twice, a silent request for her to continue reading to him, his voice lost under the fabric of her shirt. She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that played on her lips, continuing to read aloud.

[thankskenpenders]

Thoughts on Sonic 3!

On December 10th, 2018, I was on the last day of a trip to Milwaukee. The night before, I'd attended the wedding of one of my best friends, Jake, who I've known since high school. Even though half of us were sick the whole trip, it was a great time. Derek had asked the wedding DJ to play "One Week" as the first request of the night, and proceeded to lip sync the entire song on the dance floor. On that cold winter morning in a hotel room hundreds of miles from home, Derek and I groggily checked Twitter on our phones and saw the shocking news: Paramount had teased the design for Sonic from their upcoming live action film. Even in silhouette, the shape of his face and the realistic curvature of his limbs made him look like a grotesque little homunculus. This movie was going to suck.

Six years later, I've now seen the third entry in what's become a hugely successful Sonic film franchise. It features Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow the Hedgehog in a fairly faithful adaptation of his story from Sonic Adventure 2. At the time of writing, it currently sits at a whopping 86% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, vying for the title of the best-reviewed theatrically released video game movie of all time. Critics are saying nice things about the emotional journey of Shadow the Hedgehog. Never in a million years did I think I'd see this day.

I, too, have now seen this movie, and... yeah, it's pretty good.

I'm gonna get deep into spoilers here, so I'll just say up front that I liked the movie. It feels like just about the best possible execution of this version of Sonic. But that's also damning it with faint praise, depending on who you ask.

If you're a fan of the games who didn't like the second movie, you probably won't get much out of this one, either, unless you just really love Shadow so much that nothing else in the movie matters to you. It doesn't reinvent the wheel for this film series. It's still got a heaping helping of broad comedy, cheap pop culture references, bad one-liners, and characterization that diverges greatly from the source material. This is not high art, nor is it a direct adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2. If you're the kind of person who hates this portrayal of Sonic and Eggman, or a lore nerd who'll hate that they let Shadow do Chaos Control without an Emerald, then just don't bother with this.

On the other hand, if you did enjoy the last movie, then you'll probably have a fun time here, too. Shadow is very cool. The action is the best it's ever been. There's a bit more focus on characters from the games, and less on human characters invented for the movies—with the exception of Agent Stone, who's in this a lot because everyone likes him. There's a lot of SA2 fanservice. They even play "Live and Learn." It's a fun time! Be sure to stick around through the end credits.

And now, to dig deeper, let's get into the spoilers! I'm gonna jump around a lot and talk about different aspects of the movie, spoiling everything along the way.

Shadow and his reams of lore

Here's the main thing you came for: Shadow is great in this! They really did him justice. Keanu Reeves is extremely solid in the role. He can be a bit flat as an actor sometimes, but I think he did well here. He can be tough and menacing, but he can also be earnest and emotionally vulnerable. Good casting call. Excited at the prospect of seeing more of him in the future.

Really, as a Sonic Lore Nerd I'm most interested in discussing the changes they made to Shadow's backstory. I'm sure there will be many fans upset with the changes, but for the sake of streamlining a complicated backstory that was subject to a bunch of retcons and multiple layers of amnesia and fitting it into a 110-minute movie, I think they generally made smart choices.

For one, Gerald didn't create Shadow using Black Arms DNA, because Gerald didn't create Shadow at all! Instead, Shadow arrived on Earth inside a meteor, and Gerald was merely the prominent GUN scientist who studied him after he was captured. (That meteor does have very strong Black Arms vibes, though, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of them exploring that stuff in the future.) This simplifies things a lot and allows Shadow to be a direct foil for Sonic, kind of a version of our hero who was treated as a lab rat and lost the only human he considered family instead of finding happiness like Sonic has. Then later Shadow hurts Tom and Sonic wants revenge, and it mirrors Shadow's feelings about Maria, and after they fight they can empathize with each other over this, Shadow sees the error of his ways and helps save the world, yada yada yada. You get it. People predicted 95% of this movie's plot from the trailers, but it's effective.

Likewise, all of the stuff about creating Shadow as the ultimate life form who's immune to all disease to cure Maria's illness is completely cut out. Shadow's still called the ultimate life form, but he's treated as more of an energy source than a genetic research project here, playing off of the stuff about Eggman wanting to harness Sonic's natural Chaos Energy in the movies. The original intent behind the ultimate life form project was always hard to explain in the games and doesn't even come up that much, so I don't blame them for cutting it.

Because Gerald isn't doing genetic experiments and creating artificial life, the Biolizard also doesn't exist. It does, however, appear in an old monster movie Shadow and Maria watch in a montage, with Shadow later commenting that he worries he's a monster like the one he saw in the movie. That's a clever way to include it, I think.

The ARK sort of exists. There was no space colony back in the '70s, all of the events of Shadow's flashbacks just took place at a secret GUN base on Earth. Fair enough for a version of the story ostensibly set in the real world. The big space laser in the third act of the film is obviously supposed to evoke the ARK, but it's referred to as simply the Eclipse Cannon. It's still not a full-blown space colony, just a weapon of mass destruction Gerald designed for GUN in exchange for his release (while also secretly planning to use it to blow up the planet in an act of revenge). I am, however, pleased to report that the Eclipse Cannon still has a giant Eggman face on it.

And as for Maria: I like her in this! She's obviously not going to get a ton of screentime, and she's always going to be a very straightforward character, but she's more playful and lively here. She teases Shadow for being grumpy and plays with him a lot. She feels less like this perfect embodiment of everything good and pure in the world and more like an actual kid. She's still not a complex character, but it works.

And the most important question: do they show a child getting shot and killed by the military? The answer is almost. In the flashback, GUN soldiers chase Maria, Shadow, and Gerald and ready their guns, but the young Commander Walters (who's in his 20s rather than being a kid) grabs them and tries to stop them from firing on a child. In the chaos, a soldier fires, missing Maria but hitting a generator that then blows up and kills Maria. So, y'know, close enough I suppose.

So, yes, many of the details change here, but they captured the gist of Shadow's story from SA2. The emotional core is there. I will say, though, I almost feel like Shadow isn't in this movie as much as I thought he'd be? I think he's used effectively in all of his scenes, and they make room for his backstory, and BOY does he get to kick ass in his fights, but for much of the middle part of the movie he's overshadowed by Ivo and Gerald. Though this might be a compromise to leave more screentime for...

Tails and Knuckles

I'm relieved to report that Tails and Knuckles both get a good amount of cool stuff to do in this! They don't feel like an afterthought.

I was worried that Tails in particular would completely fall by the wayside, since even his debut movie didn't entirely know what to do with him. But he's good here. He pretty much just feels like the Tails from the games at this point, especially since they dropped that fawning admiration he had for Sonic with that running gag of him going "Only Sonic the Hedgehog could do that!" He often chimes in as the one who wants Team Sonic to stick together when Sonic and Knuckles bicker. He particularly gets to shine in the Mission Impossible-inspired heist sequence at the GUN headquarters in London that serves as the climax of the second act, which feels like it was tailor made to let him shine as the tech guy of the team. He also gets several opportunities to swoop in and catch someone for a save in an action scene. He's good in this!

Knuckles is... fine. He's definitely fallen into the role of the comic relief dumb bruiser since joining the good guys, but he's at least a little better than he was in his own streaming show. The jokes lean more into him just being really brash about his strength and skill, rather than him being this archaic warrior who doesn't understand anything about the modern world. He also gets a few more serious bits in the back third of the movie where he gets to shine a little more, so overall it evens out to him being fine. They could've done way worse.

As for the relevance of the Knuckles show: Knuckles is now said to be the guardian of the Master Emerald, like in the games, though with no Angel Island this amounts to him hiding it somewhere for safekeeping. It's eventually revealed that he just gave it to Wade, who gets exactly one scene (sorry, Wade-heads) for a joke about him using the Master Emerald as a hockey puck. So, the miniseries explained why Knuckles has a connection with Wade. That's it! Also I think Knuckles might use the Flames of Disaster a bit in fights, but they never called the technique out by name, so I never really thought about it. So, yeah, the six-episode streaming miniseries about Wade bowling has zero meaningful relevance to the Shadow movie. Who could have seen this coming?

Miscellaneous humans

For that matter, the human supporting cast is MASSIVELY downplayed in this one. Tom and Maddie are there for two key sequences (the beginning of the movie and the GUN HQ heist), but otherwise they disappear for long stretches of the movie. They don't go to Japan in act I, nor do they go to space in act III, and there's no subplot for them during those periods, either. There's nothing like the wedding subplot in Sonic 2 where they'd constantly cut back to Hawaii for comic relief with the humans and only reveal why this was relevant to the plot near the end. (There's also no random dance battle in Siberia.) If a human character is here, it's because they have something to contribute to the plot right away. Most people will probably consider this an improvement, and I'd certainly say it makes for a much tighter script, though I have to remind everyone that I thought the wedding being a GUN sting operation was such a funny twist that I'm a defender of the Hawaii subplot.

On the subject of Tom, something funny I've noticed is that they've just completely downplayed the fact that Tom and Wade are cops. Tom being a cop never comes up once. Wade being a cop only gets referenced via the fact that he's practicing hockey on the roof of the police station in his one scene, but he's not in uniform or anything. They clearly got the memo that we don't want Sonic to hang out with cops.

Here's something else funny: Rachel and Randall got character posters, but they're actually not in the movie! Not technically, anyway. During the heist sequence at GUN HQ, Tom and Maddie use some gadgets Tails invented to holographically disguise themselves as those other characters. But the real Rachel and Randall never show up in the flesh. It's a very odd way to shoehorn the actors into the movie. (Jojo is also absent. They did not give her Amy's role of being the girl who reminds Shadow of Maria. Instead they just let Sonic have the big heart to heart with Shadow that makes him switch sides.)

You know who IS in this movie? Krysten Ritter. Not as the voice of Rouge, as the fandom once hoped, but as a director for GUN. She gets like three scenes and she feels completely checked out the whole time. Can't say I blame her! She's not really a character, just a plot necessity. Commander Walters dies in Japan but gives Sonic one of two keycards needed to activate the Eclipse Cannon, and then Ritter's character assumes Sonic stole it and labels him a bad guy. So that's why they have to break into GUN HQ in the second act instead of just talking things out with them. Still, I am at least relieved that Sonic doesn't work with GUN for most of the movie.

I gotta be honest: when Walters pulled a credit card-shaped object out of his pocket, I thought he was about to give Sonic another Olive Garden gift card as his final act before dying. Part of me wishes that happened.

The supporting human character in this who really gets to shine is Agent Stone, which I'm sure most fans will agree was the correct choice. There's a LOT of Agent Stone in this. He's good. I don't have much to say about him, but he's fun as usual.

But, of course, the ones who steal the show are Jim Carrey, and his costar Jim Carrey.

The Robotniks

I've gone back and forth on whether or not I can actually see movie Robotnik as Robotnik. I think with this third and final entry in the Jim Carrey Robotnik Trilogy, I've landed on... yeah, that's just Jim Carrey playing a Jim Carrey character. He's absolutely having fun with the role, and I enjoyed watching him, but I think a lot of that comes down to the fact that I'm a millennial who grew up watching Jim Carrey movies. If you didn't like him before, this movie will probably be nails on a chalkboard to you, because now there are two of him.

Ivo's arc here leans very heavily into the fact that he grew up as an orphan and never knew his family, a thing offhandedly mentioned in the first movie that's never been a thing for any other version of the character. Here, he learns that he has a living grandfather who's also a mad scientist, and it feels like a hole in his heart has been filled. It certainly makes sense for a place to take this version of the character, and it fits with the movie's themes of finding and losing family, but the cartoonish, childlike affection Ivo feels towards Gerald and all the scenes of them frolicking and dancing together have basically nothing to do with the characters from the games. He's a fun villain for this movie, but he's overwhelmingly used as comic relief this time rather than as a serious threat. He doesn't particularly feel like Sega's Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the arch nemesis of Sonic the Hedgehog who'd take over the world with an army of robots and a fleet of airships in the span of a day if Sonic wasn't around to stop him. He's a guy who lives in a big crab robot and has some drones. He has more in common with Carrey's depictions of the Grinch or the Riddler or Count Olaf than Dr. Eggman. Though he does, at least, finally get his outfit from the games by the end of the movie. So that's something. And also he's in a fat suit now. They only make jokes at the expense of his weight a little. Hooray...?

Gerald, meanwhile, is... largely the same character as movie Eggman, but older, so they can make jokes about him having saggy flesh and smelling funny and needing dentures. (Also, his voice kind of sounds like Homer Simpson sometimes?) To his credit, Carrey absolutely nails the handful of more serious scenes Gerald gets, whether it's Maria's death or his sinister turn when he reveals that he actually wants to destroy the Earth. But then it's right back to goofs about there being two of the same guy. Even the final battle features a lot of slapstick shenanigans with the two Robotniks fighting each other. I was able to enjoy the absurdity of it all, but if the humor doesn't land for you the dual Jim Carrey schtick is a hell of a lot of the movie. I wouldn't be surprised if there was more Gerald than Shadow in the movie, when you go and tally up their screentime. I was able to enjoy the sheer absurdity of it, but your mileage will vary.

I will, however, say that the split screen stuff they do with the two Carreys is EXTREMELY impressive, from a filmmaking perspective. They were absolutely flexing with their ability to pull the effect off. They don't rely on cheap tricks like cutting a lot, or having shot/reverse shot scenes where you're looking at the back of a body double's head. Instead they have a lot of long takes where the two Robotniks are talking to each other, you can see both of their faces, and they'll even hug and touch each other a lot, and the whole time the conversation maintains a natural pace like it really is two actors playing off of each other. It's really well done. It's an incredibly silly idea, but boy did they commit to it.

Sonic

I've hardly said anything about Sonic himself in all of this. It's his movie, isn't it! Well... I don't know, he's fine.

I feel like movie Sonic is a known quantity at this point, and either you like this take on the character or you don't. There was some speculation early on that this was supposed to be a younger Sonic who would grow into being the character we know from the games and comics, the one who's still got lots of quips but is also kind of aloof and cool, a free spirit who goes where the wind takes him, a figure the other characters look up to. And... no, that didn't happen. Once again he gets more serious as the stakes are raised, and he's totally badass when he goes Super, but the rest of the time he's still a little goober with tons of generic one-liners who learns schmaltzy lessons about the importance of family. He's still constantly going to undercut the tension of most scenes by cracking a pop culture reference that will make the average American parent go "haha I've heard of that." I don't think they're ever gonna change that. I think this just what the writers think Sonic is like.

And, again, for what it is, it's fine. He's a little annoying. You already know how you feel about movie Sonic. This third entry won't change that. But they do, at least, have him say "Talk about low budget flights, no food or movies... I'm outta here!" before jumping out of a helicopter. As my thoughts on the climax will show, I am not immune to fanservice.

The climax

God, the climax is SOOOOO fucking good. It's fantastic. Easily the best action these movies have ever done.

Rather than saving Super Shadow for the team-up with Sonic at the end, they have both of them go Super to fight each other first, and they just go full DBZ with it, fighting across the entire planet. It absolutely rules. I think this is the new coolest fight the two of them have had in anything ever. And then they have to stop the Eclipse Cannon together, and sure, there's no Biolizard. But Gerald DOES release a swarm of GUN Hunter robots, and the ensuing space battle turns into some Gundam shit. It's good! It's so good!!! The movie's flaws kind of melt away for me here when I'm watching Super Shadow take out an army of robots with Chaos Spears on the big screen. What a timeline we're living in.

And yes, they play "Live and Learn." They had to. They knew the assignment. They actually play a slight remix, but it's still got the original vocals, so it's perfectly recognizable. Actually, the tune of the song is used as a leitmotif for Shadow throughout the movie, first introduced via an acoustic guitar version played by Maria, and I really love that. I've been begging these movies to use more music from the games the whole time, and I'm glad they finally did so here. (They also use the traditional level clear jingle early in the film, and Eggman's theme from SA2 is very briefly used as a ringtone.)

... Anyway, uh, meanwhile Eggman, Tails, and Knuckles straight up just kill Gerald to save the world? They unceremoniously knock him into an energy field at the end of their slapstick fight aboard the Eclipse Cannon and he disintegrates like he hit a bugzapper. It's over in an instant. It's not graphic or anything, but it's, like... I didn't expect them to show it, or for it to be such a casual murder! Eggman has one quip about it and then immediately moves on.

Shortly after this, Eggman and Shadow sacrifice themselves to stop the Eclipse Cannon. Shadow's sacrifice doesn't stick, obviously (he's revealed to be alive by the end of the second stinger—pretend to be shocked), but Eggman's probably dead dead. I seriously doubt Jim Carrey's gonna come out of retirement for these movies again. His final moments before the big explosion are also SO dragged out and belabored. He has a dramatic final line like ten times in a row. It really just feels like the series saying goodbye to Carrey. And, again, it feels like a fitting enough end for this Eggman's arc, but it's an odd adaptation of the character from the games.

And so, that's what we're left with. This is far from Sonic Adventure 2: The Movie. It's not that, though there are many, many references made to that game in particular. It's a sequel to the film Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that has a similar tone and style, but Shadow and Gerald are in it, and Shadow gets some really cool fights, and there's a liiiiiittle more focus on stuff from the games than last time, and the script's a little tighter. If that sounds fun to you, you will have fun with this. I know I did. If it doesn't, you're probably better off waiting for them to inevitably do an animated reboot whenever this live action series runs out of steam.

It hasn't quite run out of steam yet, though...

The post-credits scenes, and the future

One of the big questions going into this was: what's next? How do they top a Shadow movie with heavy Sonic Adventure 2 overtones, in terms of hype for the fans? How do you fill Eggman's shoes after Carrey retires, for real this time? There are still more fan favorite rival characters to get through, but how many movies in a row can they introduce a furry foe for Sonic who inevitably turns good and helps him stop a larger threat by the end? And when the hell are we gonna see the girls?

Well, we now have our answer, and it's one I'm cautiously excited for: a whole army of Metal Sonics, and Amy!

Yes, Amy! Finally!! It's an absolute crime that we've gone three whole movies and a streaming miniseries without including the female lead of the series. I've complained about this ad nauseum (and also the fact that they cut Rouge from the story). But at least now they're finally doing something about it.

But now the question is, how will they characterize Amy? Sega's struggled with her for years, and there's a million different directions you can take her. Her one scene here has her smashing a bunch of Metal Sonics and wearing a cloak for the sake of a dramatic reveal, which gives her the vibes of a mysterious, badass action girl. This is, of course, completely different from how Sonic and Amy met in the games. What will her personality be like? She doesn't speak here, so who will they get to play her? Where did she come from? Will she even have a crush on Sonic? All of these have yet to be determined. So, like, I'm hyped to finally see Amy, a character who should've been in the movies from the start, but they could so easily end up playing it safe with an incredibly boring girlboss version of Amy who's no fun at all. We'll have to wait and see.

(My prediction: they're going to try to cast either Zendaya or Ariana as Amy.)

Metal Sonic, likewise, is very exciting, and he looks perfect. He looks just like the design from the games. But the question is: what will they do with this army of Metals? Will they be lead by one main Metal Sonic, perhaps Neo Metal Sonic, who gets to be a proper bad guy? Will they take some cues from Sonic CD, Heroes, and the OVA, or do something completely original? Where did they come from? Were they activated as a failsafe after Eggman died? Did they and Amy come from some sort of bad future, riffing on Sonic CD's time travel? Will they explore the fact that Metal wants to be the one and only Sonic? Or will they just be an army of disposable robot grunts for Sonic and friends to mow down like it's a Dynasty Warriors game, while some other villain takes center stage?

It could go so many different ways, and some prospects are more exciting than others. I mean, the Knuckles show had endless possibilities for what it could do with him, and none of the options on my bingo card were "Pachacamac's ghost tells him to help Wade win a bowling tournament." And while I'm a sicko who thinks it's funny that the Knuckles show is what it is, forgive me for keeping my hype about Amy and Metal Sonic in check here until we learn more.

Regardless of what they do, it'll still be hard to top the hype of Shadow, and it'll be hard to fill Jim Carrey's shoes for general audiences. So despite this clear statement of intent, I have no idea what the future of this film franchise holds. But regardless of what they do, I can say one thing for certain: the kids in my theater were hyped as hell for it. They popped off over Metal Sonic, and they were screaming their heads off with excitement over Amy. I heard a teenage girl on the opposite end of my row of seats say "finally!" over Amy's reveal, verbalizing my exact thoughts. She also said that this movie was "peak," though it diverged from the games, and she hoped they'd do a movie with Silver and Blaze someday.

The kids are gonna be okay.