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loveabledirtbag · 1 year

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1.06 - ceres

the one second lead in: the music, the handwashing, the VOICE, and then it’s him! jon bernthal!!! jon bernthal is mikey

and the moment you realize he’s mikey, it makes you hit your head. because you saw the back of his head for a second and who else could it be? you heard him speak to carmy in carmy’s head and who else sounds like that? every rewatch you will see him and hear him before this episode and think to yourself: “how the FUCK did i not know it was him the moment we got that glimpse of him?”

i love that mikey is wearing a beef shirt, just like richie does in the present day

i love the charisma of this story. that mikey can talk about being drunk and high at 6:45am with richie and we the audience are just like “hell yeah, what a night!” and how in the flash forward and in future episodes we see the immediate narration from the creative team behind the scenes telling us: no, no, no. this is BAD

this is the most chicago story of all time. ceres bar, savvy, bill murrey, blackhawks. just pure chicago

i love that the quick mention that richie went behind the bar to grab a informational pamphlet about ceres, the goddess of agriculture, and about ceres the bar, and how it will come back to play in the episode when richie talks to syd

fun fact: in the restaurant where present day richie is on a date; the kitchen of that (real chicagoan) restaurant is where they filmed carmy’s new york kitchen flashback in episode two. it’s funny that the kitchen was played off as new york, but the dining room was set in chicago where it actually is

the quick snap to the present to listen to richie/no-charisma richie/lost-without-his-best-friend-richie is so good. because mikey is so engaging that we totally forgive and forget the element of the story where he was drunk and high at 6:45 in the morning at a bar. but when richie tells the story it’s deeply sad and we realize it’s sad. and it makes me wonder how much of mikey’s problems weren’t dealt with because he was charismatic? how many people thought he was totally fine until he died, and then looked at the people around him and saw how sad they were and realized how sad mikey must have been?

i saw a really funny post online where someone was saying they thought richie must have been skimming off the top of the bear because he was wearing a $6,000 suit that was perfectly tailored to him. which is hilarious to me, because this is a tv show. carmy is wearing a $60-$120 t-shirt. A T-SHIRT! we’re being told that both of these guys are broke-ish, operating a broke sandwich shop. they’re not stealing from the shop, they’re characters on a tv show. i love the idea of richie skimming from the top, but as we see more and more as the show goes on, richie is committed and wouldn’t do that

that song that plays as we come into the beef. i’m blanking on the name, but it also played in ferris bueller’s day off, which is also set in chicago. i’m just assuming it’s a “chicago song”? i like it though

richie twisting his poor date as HER fault as he recounts it to tina. so real. i’ve talked to a lot of richie’s who go on a lotta dates and when they tell me about it afterwards it’s always THEIR DATES fault, and never their own. “no sense of humor, no sense of chicago history”. not, “we’re in our 40’s and i’m trying to entertain and impress her with a bill murrey story about being high and drunk at a bar at 6:45am”

“OK LISTEN UP! okay, i just yelled like that?” “yeah, make it worth it” THATS HOW YOU RUN A FUCKING KITCHEN! like, i know carmy gets so much shit for how he runs the kitchen, and i’m not trying to excuse his NUMEROUS faults. like with his mental health, how he expresses his feelings in a professional setting, and his obvious shortcomings with managing a shop. BUT a dishwasher felt empowered to make an announcement to the whole shop about taking tape off of bins they toss in the sink, and i love it. it’s the little details that show that carmy IS actually a good, caring, empowering boss who probably deserves to be the boss. he just also has his struggles, which is why he needs sydney. which is kinda the point of the show? or at least one of the points

ok. i know that i complain about syd a lot; WHICH I DONT WANT TO, because syd is the best. BUT i think it’s overlooked that the show does try to balance syd and carmy. neither are perfect. and it shows here where syd is diving into a conversation about her new dish, and carmy REPEATEDLY tells her “now is not a good time, can we do this later”, but she barrels on ahead. now, can we assume that she’s probably tried to talk with him more than just this once? sure. but how do you expect to get carmy’s OK if he’s saying “not right now” and you insist “now”? i really like how this show gives both carmy and sydney faults. i like that syd is as excited and peppy as carmy is hesitant and a bit cynical. it’s very: elder service industry vs. new service industry. when i started out i was very syd, and by the time i left i was very carmy

another mention of the story arch for risotto, and the to-go! now they’re lumped together. risotto to go (which is fun to say) AND also, is kinda weird and hard to do. risotto is a sticky mess and if it’s anything less than perfect is barely worth eating and to-go’s thrive on food that is worth eating when it’s less than perfect. because it’s been sitting in a box for 10min - 1 hour. 15 minutes in and risotto is crap

the fact that carmy says: “i’m thinking about it. have you thought about the work flow? have you talked to manny and angel (about dishes)?” and when syd says “yes” he says “okay. now you know where i’m coming from. we have just gotten this place to a kinda functioning, chill place. i’d like to keep it that way for just a bit.” shows a good amount of managerial insight. like, i love syd for wanting to jump into these ideas and work towards creating the restaurant she dreams of with carmy. but the hardened realism from carmy of “this is a journey, and there are a lot of working parts, and a lot of those working parts are human beings who we need to make sure are onboard with coming in this journey with us. so we can’t just forge ahead and have them dragging their feet behind us”

of course, that good moment of managing then follows right into carmy not knowing how to work with the irs with the beefs taxes. which is so fitting. carmy is good with food, and (in my opinion) respecting people who aren’t pretentious. he’s not good at business. but nat is (…foreshadowing!!!!!)

carmy and cat saying “you’re yikes” to richie is so on point. and richie hopping into their sibling chat, like he thinks he belongs (because he does think he belongs in family talks) is also on point.

“i know exactly where it is” SMASH CUT to nat and carm in the office NOT FINDING IT. this is comedy gold. rough, gritty, painful, amazing, comedy gold

it’s interesting that in a scene where we focus on the end of it, the beginning of it we see richie burst out the door and sigh looking like he’s absolutely exhausted and the ONLY thing that can save him is a cigarette. thats when he looks over and sees the bar closed. but why would he be exhausted? we know the place hasn’t opened yet. we also know he doesn’t do anything except man the register (and “manage”, whatever he thinks that means for himself). so his job hasn’t really started yet, but he’s exhausted already??? we know he suffers from dread (from episode four) and takes xanax. i wonder if he was having a panic attack come on and a quick smoke was going to help soothe the nerves. not that i know from experience or anything….

if you think marcus sleeping on the floor of the kitchen isn’t something that has happened at your favorite restaurant…HAHA, so sorry to disappoint you. for a million reasons it happens. sometimes there are people so obsessed with getting something that they stay late and don’t want to go home just to come back, sometimes they are homeless (either short or long term) and it’s all they got. but it has probably happened at your favorite restaurant. sorry if that bothers you

i like the back and forth between syd and richie here. syd is reaching out in a generally nice and friendly manner, and richie responds mostly in kind. but richie’s somewhat hypocritical response of being sad the bar is closing, because it is another spot that he see’s as “his” that is closing. even if he was pseudo-banned from the bar. it wasn’t the bar he went to, but it was in HIS neighborhood. that makes it HIS community. like family. you don’t have to see eye to eye, to appreciate them in your life and be sad when something bad happens to them

but it’s also nice to hear syd’s side of things: these older (maybe dingier) places are shutting down and being replaced by “nicer” spots, because in her mind the people of the neighborhood deserve nice drinks and food

i love the sorta surface level debate about gentrification this show brings up. because richie likes what the river north neighborhood had to offer: the beef. the bar next door. these familiar places for working class, everyday people. sydney likes that nicer/trendier places are coming in because that’s gotta be “good for the community” as everyone says when something like that goes into a “rougher” neighborhood. i remember like 15 years ago gentrification was a GOOD THING in so many (white, conservative and neo-liberal) circles. a “good restaurant” was going to bring jobs, class, and clientele from outside the neighborhood to come into the neighborhood and spend their money, and then there will be more money for this neighborhood. of course, most of the people in those neighborhoods learned that as time went on, more “nice” places moved in, and they brought in more “nice” people from outside neighborhoods, and suddenly real estate prices went up, and suddenly rent went up, and suddenly those “nice” people from out of the neighborhood started moving in, and suddenly the businesses and the people who had been in that neighborhood for generations were getting squeezed out. i know richie is concerned about gentrification (even if that word is never used) out of his own selfish purposes, and his own fears of himself being squeezed out as the beef gets better. but i don’t think he’s fully wrong in what he’s saying. the owner of that bar lost his business, people who worked there lost their jobs. a sweet green is going in across the street. the river north he was raised in is disappearing, and without the love and anchoring of his best friend, he might disappear too.

in this talk between richie and sydney, we see richie pull out his knowledge of cerses again! he clearly read that pamphlet deeply. and also he must have identified with cerses a lot if he has retained all this info. but again, richie isn’t dumb, he loves phillip k. dick. he reads. he might be bad at stories, and explaining his analogies properly, but he’s not dumb. i love the poorly spoken idea of richie talking about the ceres statue not having a face, because when it was built it was the tallest building in chicago, no one could see it, so why would it need a face if no one could see its face? but then as time went on buildings rose up higher than the statue and now everyone could see it has no face. we know richie feels connected to ceres (his voicemail is bill murrey saying that they’ve reached “the goddess of agriculture”). he’s the statue with no face. he used to feel like he was on top of chicago, but now everyone is rising up past him, the beef is getting updated with a classically trained menu, and they can see that he has no face. which actually says more about him, than the others around him. he says they’re ruining things by making “bigger buildings”/changing the beef/improving the beef. but he’s actually scared that they’re going to improve to a place where everyone can see that he actually “has no face”/he’s not as good or important as he says he is. they’re going to grow up around him, and not need him anymore. he sees it as ruining a perfectly good statue, but really he’s reacting out of fear

i love that his talk about gentrification and the neighborhood changing too much is then interrupted by a bullet going through the window. the neighborhood isn’t changing too much

plus, his first move is to talk to the mobsters that hang out next door about if they knew anything…the neighborhood still has some ways to go

i also love that these gangsters are also soprano stereotypes, but it’s also spot on for a lot of italian mobsters in chicago

we see a little inking of who richie is, and his real role at the beef and his skill set with his talk with crooked john. he talks to him without fear, with an obvious previous relationship, and they share a conversation with respect. richie knows they exist and in his eyes they’re a part of his community, his little family, and as such they also deserve his respect. and after their talk, richie asks him if he could find anything out about who shot the window, and crooked john immediately gets guys to go and check it out. this is richie being the tallest point in chicago; this world is being squeezed out, but for a long time this was him being top dog of his world. but now the sweet greens are moving in, the buildings are growing in taller than him

also, i LOVE that crooked john says “alright, don’t go calling the police.” and richie says “what do you take me for? this is me we’re talking about.” ACAB, we love it. no police! (okay, it’s not strictly ACAB, but it IS a wide belief of working class people that cops aren’t going to do shit for you if you’re not rich enough. you gotta look out for yourself, and your community). this is what neighborhood watches were made to be, until white upper-middle class suburbanites made them into gossipy-call-the-cops-on-people-of-color-just-out-walking-their-dogs-at-night kind of things. so many studies show that neighbor and community solidarity actually does a better job at keeping the community safe and people cared for than any amount of money invested into police presence. just sayin’

sugar, in this moment, is SUCH a upper middle class individual. we’ve seen her nice house. we know she’s not living in the area anymore. she had an urban flight. she’s so upset that she owns a spot where bullets can fly through the window. and, yes, in this moment we’re supposed to focus on the fact that carmy is pushing for everyone to keep working so that they can open on time and not lose business. it’s more about carmy’s denial of feelings and always working and pushing so he doesn’t have to deal with his own issues. BUT notice how everyone is working together without qualm. for them, this is a part of life. and yes, not a good part. but if they don’t open, the shop probably closes and they lose their jobs. when nat asks to call the cops, in unison they all say “no cops” (ACAB ACAB) why? because cops aren’t going to help, and they know. some of them might be illegal immigrants. and again, if you think illegal immigrants aren’t in your favorite restaurant, or even cooking you your favorite meal…sorry for the rude awakening. everyone in the restaurant is dealing with the issue themselves, as they always have, because they live in a place where cops don’t come to help, but only cause more problems. nat, who lives in a more residential area, most likely a suburb outside chicago (from the looks of her house), and her whiteness and blonde hair, means she’s probably more used to the cops helping her. this show is about class and race, and anyone who says otherwise is wrong

a rare moment of harmony between carmy and richie. “paperwork’s not really my jam” “me neither”. they didn’t teach paperwork at noma, nor at devry. we have this sweet moment that shows richie and carmy’s long history together, and the fact that they’re cut from the same cloth. they even share a cigarette

“is there a name for that feeling where you’re scared of something good happening because you think something bad is going to happen?” “i don’t know. life?”

richie being in his ex-wife’s phone as “richie bad news” is so harsh. i have never been divorced, but i can’t imagine trying to poison my kids image of their parent to the point where they think their dads last name is bad news. but we’re just seeing so much of richie’s life

“oh shit! it’s the man with the golden dick! how are ya tom?” is……just a wild line to say to a customer when they come into your shop. i have so many questions. why does this man have a golden dick? why are you commenting on it? what transpired between the two of you (a guy behind a register, and his customer) that you have “golden dick” as context, and you feel comfortable bringing up said golden dick? ALSO, i’d love to know if this was pre-written by the writers, or if ebon ad libbed it himself. it feels like ad lib but, if it is written, i want to meet the person who wrote it. or, even more, IF THEY PITCHED the line in a writers room. like if someone sat at a table with the rest of the writers and someone was like “what should richie say to this customer?” “what about…’oh shit, it’s the man with the golden dick’?”

BUT i LOVE that this scene shows that richie IS GOOD at his job. i feel like it’s skipped over a lot this season. but richie is personable. he’s good with people. he talks with people friendly, personably, and it’s obvious why he’s front of house

ok. syd’s dish she wants to add to the menu does look AMAZING

but see, syd asks carmy if now is a good time to try her dish, he says yes, and he thanks her for asking. like…before syd was rushing things and pushing. carmy owns a business, he’s looking for tax shit, he’s got a million other business things he’s working on to make sure the place doesn’t close, and he’s working the beginning of the dinner rush and overseeing the line, which means he’s keeping track of every dish and what everyone is doing to make sure it all is up to quality. so, he’s busy. telling syd he can’t do something right then isn’t a dick move, he’s BUSY. but now he can talk with her, and try her dish

WHAT I WILL SAY THOUGH, and i’ll say it now and bring it back up when it comes up in future episodes is that he doesn’t tell her what’s wrong with her dish BECAUSE HE DOESNT KNOW. and he has to be the best chef, and not knowing drives him crazy and he doesn’t want to admit he’s stumped. he tells her it’s tremendous but it’s missing something, but he won’t tell her what it’s missing because he doesn’t know himself. this is a dick move. some might say he’s trying to teach her, but he has no problem pointing out other flaws in the dish that she says she’ll fix. he also has no problem correcting others to help dishes be better. but for this dish, he can’t tell her what’s wrong. not because he’s “wax on/wax off” teaching her, but because he really doesn’t know. i’ll talk about how i know that carmy doesn’t know what’s missing from the dish as the clues pop up (but that will be in a different episode). but this is a dick move on carmy’s part. a real golden dick move.

i’ve seen people say they’re so confused why syd would’ve given her dish to a customer. but i’ve seen that all the time. it’s not enough for a family meal. plus it’s not time for a family meal. it’s during dinner rush. so she can either toss it, or give it away. and giving it away makes that customers day. i’ve both given stuff away, and received stuff. and it did make my day. the fact that he happens to be an “immensely important customer” (that we’ll learn about next episode) is just a bit of tv happenstance

i just realized with this watch through that nat says it pisses her off that carmy never asks her how she’s doing. and that made me think about the flashback episode in season two. we’ll talk more when we get there, but it’s interesting that nat always asks her mom if she’s okay. and she’s mad at carm for not asking her.

i love the duality of where nat and carmy place their blame. nat blames the restaurant for their mom, for mikey, and now for carmy. and she’s scared the restaurant is going to do the same thing to carmy that it did to mikey. carmy blames their mom and mikey for their own faults and sees the restaurant as a neutral place that happened to take the brunt of their faults. it’s also telling that carmy’s happiest memories with mikey are when they’re cooking, and he found cooking to be an escape from his traumatic and toxic family. but nat seems to not find cooking an escape and does it occasionally and for family care, and nothing else

i love the slow opening up of carmy. he admits he feels trapped and that he doesn’t want to ask how others are feeling because he doesn’t know how he feels. it’s just that little bit closer on carmy’s journey to personal mental and emotional health

i also think it’s symbolic that as the restaurant is failing, and carmy and nat are fighting over the restaurant but also fighting over their relationship and what the restaurant represents for their family, their own wellbeing, and how carmy’s attempts to save the restaurant are slowly killing him and leading him down a path that nat fears will repeat mikey’s mistakes, it’s only after carmy and nat have a heart to heart and share their feelings that carmy (as the one who finally opened up) found the tax documents that they needed to give to the irs to save the shop. because it’s only through mental and emotional health that the shop is going to be saved. like nat was saying: less chaos, solid footing

the repeat of the lowboy checks, and it’s nice to see them look perfectly adequate. i mean….we’re dealing with lowboys, it’s not like i’m going to be blown away by good food storage

i’m not sure if i’ve mentioned this in these live bloggings before. but i’ve been to chicago a few times, and i’ve seen a few fights break out on more than one trip. so, the fact that two gangs begin to fight outside of an italian beef sandwich shop…….that tracks for me? i’m not saying it’s a specifically chicago thing, i’ve seen other fights break out in other places (i once went to a bar twice, and each time a fight broke out) but like…this doesn’t feel like tv happenstance to me. it kinda feels like a chicago scene to see two rival old school gangs fight

“WHERES MY GUN, ANY OF YOU MOTHERFUCKERS TAKE MY GUN???” ohhhhhhh richie

the fact that syd, a tiny tiny human being shoves herself between to tall and large men, who are clearly mob connected, is WILD. she’s a better person than i am. but whatta great save: pop and sandwiches for everyone if they just calm down. but keep it on the DL. i love sweeps asking these people to betray their gangs rivalries for food and they’re like “eh. ok.”

i also love the slow undercurrent of sweeps’ backstory. sweeps tells marcus that when he used to play for the cubs he had to sleep in a few creative places. crooked john asks him about the changes and sweeps says “this is what happens when you sweep the padres but fail the drug test”. i love it

it’s wild to me that not being able to get into a fight between the two arguing gangs is what sets richie off. we know he’s having a bad day. he’s missing his best friend especially bad, he’s reminded that his daughter thinks his last name is bad news because his ex-wife has his name in her phone as richie bad news because she says he always calls with bad news. he feels like the ceres statue being passed up by every new building being built. but like…..the fact that he couldn’t be the mediator between two warring factions of mobsters is wild. it’s wild.

i love that the scene of richie flying off the handle; of lashing out by telling a loud raucous story that disrupts everyone’s routine, their system, (the new system), is kicked off by ebra dunking his hands into ice water to handle a bunch of hot meat on a grill. that method is OLD SCHOOL, maybe old school like richie is old school. the kind of old school that thinks yelling and laughing and slapping people on the back is okay during a dinner rush

it’s also so good that this is how richie lashes out. he has the cigarettes in his hand, even though just a few weeks ago he took the blame for leaving cigarettes out during a health inspection. he’s interrupting the workflow, even though we’ve repeatedly seen carmy yell at him about getting back to work and letting everyone get into their zone. he’s lashing out like this intentionally. and his outburst at sydney makes sense because she’s the biggest threat to him. carmy is family, his “cousin”, in his community. even as carmy is threatening to build taller towers that surpass richie, it’s more okay because carmy is in the family. but sydney isn’t. richie doesn’t know sydney, or care about her past. they didn’t grow up together. she’s an outsider, and so when she yells at him to get back to work, it allows him to freak out at her. she symbolizes everything he’s scared of, and she’s the one who solved the gangsters, the last bit of usefulness he thought he had

and it’s also so good and powerful that it’s tina that talks to him. tina is the one who was with richie the most. she was the most resistant to the new system. she laughed when things failed, she was making things harder for syd. but now she’s better. she’s figured it out. this new system is better. she’s more efficient, she’s cooking better food. she works at a place she believes in, and she believes in herself for the first time in a long time, if not for the first time ever

so tina telling richie he needs to go home, and cool off, and if he quits where else is he gonna go is simply so powerful and good. because that’s kind of the point, and richie doesn’t realize it. most people in that shop have nowhere else to go. maybe they’d find another job, but maybe they wouldn’t. they were just people working in a struggling sandwich shop and carmy (and sydney) have allowed them to believe in something more, because sydney and carmy believe in them. and richie either needs to realize that, yes, he’s ceres statue and everybody else is a taller tower, but he’s being offered a ride to the top of one of those towers if he’d just let go of his pride that he used to be the tallest one around. “where are you gonna go?” is so cutting. he’s got this misplaced pride and tina is saying he’s got to let it go. because if he can, someone is willing to help pick him up and take him to bigger and better things

and the fact that it’s so wrapped up in the past. tina brings up mikey “seemingly” out of the blue, but it’s because richie talks about the place being cool before. he calls syd and carm kids. because richie is a middle aged man who realized that he pissed his life away attaching himself to “the wrong person”. which also probably has guilt attached to it. he followed mikey to the gates of hell and then mikey left him there. richie is divorced, friendless, working a register at a sandwich shop, with a strained relationship with his daughter who is the only person he seems to really care about, and now these young people are coming in and changing everything and he’s scared that he’s going to get pushed out. it’s a midlife crisis to end all midlife crises. his best years are behind him (in his eyes) and he never thought about the future and now the futures here and he’s unprepared and it’s partially mikey’s fault but you can’t be mad at the dead, right? there’s so much guilt, and pain, and trauma, and everything in this convo between tina and richie, because tina gets it. but tina jumped over to another building and rode it to taller heights, and so she’s trying to get richie to do the same

AND THEN AND THEN: right after richie leaves it’s so smooth in the kitchen. and that’s the point. people are moving in and out, swapping to different stations, starting prep the moment someone finishes theirs without even waiting to look to see if they’re finished because they know they’re done. it’s a well-oiled machine, and richie not being there is truly for the better. there’s even a poppy little tune, people are smiling, it almost crosses the line into weird fantastical daydream territory, but it doesn’t

carmy asks if he wants to know what happened out there and sydney says no, just that she gave some people some leftovers. i just realized this now: is she talking about the gangsters or her dish? obviously, she’s talking about the gangsters, that’s the most immediate thing that just happened, but she also gave away her dish and that’s been the conflict between her and carly all day. is it a duel meaning? am i just high as i watch this episode? idk, you tell me

but also, carmy then apologizes to syd if he was shitty to her and she acts as if it’s no big deal. like, he’s trying. like he says in season two, he’s not trying to be shitty. idk, i just feel like people always talk about carry being angry and mad, but he really is shown trying

the poppy song and scene being cut to richie outside having called the cops (ACAB RICHIE, ACAB) on the gangsters is so good (i know i say good a lot). because specifically was insulted when crooked john said “don’t call the cops” and crooked john smiled and nodded, like “yeah, yeah. it is you. you’d never do that.” but this is like a real low point for him. he’s been talking about the delicate ecosystem, showing respect for the people in his community even if he disagrees with them (like carmy, like the bar owner, like these gangsters) and now he’s betraying his own morals, the morals of the staff at the beef, and fucking with the ecosystem he said he cared about and worried about how delicate it was. it’s showing that instead of just getting on the elevator to a taller building, he’s fighting a losing fight to hold onto his pride. syd took his pride when she handled the dangerous, scary gangsters, so he made the gangsters go away

but what’s also so good about this closing scene is that it still goes against what carmy is all about and the work he’s doing at the beef. carmy is fighting to not have the people of the beef be squeezed out with the changing of the neighborhood. he’s trying to teach people with no formal training — cooks — classically trained recipes and elevated methods to make them into chefs. but carly doesn’t want to change who they are. like he said in the third episode, he doesn’t want to change their dynamic but harness their potential. he even joins in the choir saying “no cops” when nat suggests it. carmy would never call the cops on the gangsters. case in point, he DIDN’T call the cops on the gangsters. no one did. there was this universal understanding; almost a respecting of the delicate ecosystem. and richie is the one who threatens to fuck it up by betraying everything he believes in just to hold onto his pride, and to push against carmy’s system. it’s almost like he knows mikey’s system is truly, completely dead in this moment. carmy’s system has won. and as the last holdout to join carmy’s system, and with mikey’s system destroyed, instead of moving forward richie becomes a free agent doing whatever he feels like, without a system, or a code, that he draws on. which is kinda scary if you think about it.

BUT THATS THE EPISODE

it’s so good. final thoughts: i love last episode and this one; these sort of break from the carmy show (and i love the carmy show) and allowing us to get a little deeper into the lives of the other main characters. i think it’s done even better next season (and we’ll talk about it later when it comes up)

my last thought has nothing to do with anything that happened this episode, but just something i thought of while watching the show: carmen, michael, richard. but we their nicknames are carmY, mikeY, richIE. they all have that “ee” sound. natalIE, sydneY. they also have that “ee” sound, but their nicknames are nat and syd. no “ee” sound. is there a reason the guys have “ee” nicknames (and that their nicknames are used more than their regular names) and the women have “ee” names but their nicknames don’t? is this something? or am i just high?

anywho

that’s the episode and the next one is EPISODE SEVEN and i’m not emotionally ready. see ya then!

Season Two

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sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee · 1 year

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Riddlers with a s/o who really likes horror movies, old ones, news one, everything in between long as it's horror? Need to know who's ear I can talk off

"Riddlers and Horror Movies" Riddler party x Reader

Several of these riddlers share direct horror movie quirks with me have fun guessing which. Also listed favorite horror film(s).

TW: horror films, blood and gore descriptions, mentions of emotional self-harm

Gotham

He's the guy who is going to contradict and tell you every medical inaccuracy of the deaths and mechanics in the movies. Yes, of course there's suspension of disbelief but at some point things are just wrong.

Babe, that should be arterial blood but they're portraying venous blood consistency :(

If you don't mind him talking at length about how these things would actually go OR conversely how well the sfx portrayed real injuries, he is your horror movie buddy! None of it bothers him considering how many real life murder, suicide and accident victims he's had to perform autopsies on.

Cuddling with his gangly legs on the couch bundled up in a big blanket with you while the sounds of screams echo from the tv and fill the room. Huge smile. He especially old classics when you're in the mood. Black and white films and transatlantic accents... It sounds like a great night to him.

Favorite Horror Movies: Might be a surprise but he really loves "Freaks" from 1932. He will talk for a long time about how, even though many of the disabled actors were ostracized on set, the fact that they were present at all is significant. The ableist assholes get theirs in the end! He also has a lot of fondness for "Re-animator."

Btas

He's the one interested in the sfx rambles. What, you think he designed a video game and labyrinth for a theme park just because he's intelligent? He likes behind the scenes work. God help everyone if he and Scarecrow decided to get together to make a haunted house.

You ever see those huge animatronics in horror mazes, especially the huge end show pieces? That's where his interest goes.

Depending on how much you watch and express interest in that kind of thing, he genuinely might start making horror animatronics and programs. He has the know-how! His would be the realistic looking ones, especially for animals. Spooky but definitely based in forms you see in real life.

Well, beautiful, you might have helped him find a very profitable side gig. Everyone else might be sore at you for a while, though, given Edward scaring the fuck out of them with holograms and mechanics. Plus more team-ups with Scarecrow.

All this because you wanted to watch horror movies with him. His darling <3

Favorite horror movie: "The Thing" (1982) and while it's not his absolute favorite, he ends up enjoying "Willy's Wonderland" a lot for both the animatronics and video game nods.

60s

The old ones with little to no gore is fine! More modern hack and slashers might be a little too spooky for him :( definitely never show him "Hostel" or anything in that vein.

Truthfully, it's not the violence or the blood, he's seen that. It's the suffering that gets him. It all seems so pointless and needless. At least when he's attempting to cut batman into tiny pieces using a comically giant fan, there's a goal or point. In his mind, anyways.

Before dating you his idea of horror was "Dracula", "Frankenstein"... "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken".... Start with horror that has a more comedic or cheesy element- "Little Shop of Horrors" to "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil." "Creepshow" 1 and 2 from the 80s! If you ease him into it and don't go too extreme, he'll love watching horror movies with you.

Favorite Horror Movie: OKAY THIS IS CHEATING BECAUSE IT'S NOT A MOVIE BUT. He'd be a HUGE fan of the "Tales from the Crypt" show from the early 90s (that is almost impossible to find streaming rip my horror uncle The Cryptkeeper). Horror plus puns. He will always take a funny, morbid pun! Plus... man can appreciate a cackle. He also has several opinions about the original "Suspiria."

Zero Year

It has to have something of a decent story or he's not paying attention. Where is the BACKGROUND? Sidenote: if you get him into something like Bloodborne (I know, not a movie) with lots of lore, expect to not see him for a hot minute as he consumes all the information he can like a sponge.

He tends to favor psychological horror- Although, if it means spending time with you and gaining favor, he would watch most anything. Especially if there's the possibility of close physical affection... ANYWAYS. He's also the one who wants to watch a bunch of foreign language film horror such as "Les yeux sans visage" in original French.

Another thing is that he will watch things over and over and over again with you if you want. Part of it is the undiagnosed neurodivergency. Part of it is because you always catch new details when you watch things again. Him noticing something that you didn't and him getting to tell you and impressing you is a special kind of high. He will talk about movies for hours afterwards. "Jacob's Ladder" has been a several hours long dissection MULTIPLE TIMES.

Favorite Horror Movies: "Angel Heart" is his top all time favorite. If you haven't seen it, he will practically tie you up to watch it together- He also really enjoyed "The Lighthouse" and "Us."

Arkham

Similar to BTAS, he is also interested in the animatronics. His, however, would lean to body horror and sci-fi. Something about biology and machine blending together... it gets him kind of excited.

He will sit and work while watching you play something like Deadspace (sorry, a game again) for HOURS. Then he wants to watch the prequel movie with you. Also if you don't mind subtitles, he has this recommendation for "Tetsuo: The Iron Man" if you haven't seen it already. And if you haven't... You are in for an experience.

In short, this man is about the body horror. He likes other horror too, but that's his bread and butter. Sci-fi horror as well. Bonus when there is overlap. He's seen "Annihilation" at least twenty times and has the books dog-eared and rough from multiple reads somewhere in his belongings. Yes, they are ultimately different, but he's in love with the concept enough that to him he appreciates both.

He is going to scare you with animatronics he makes. Sometimes intentionally. Sometimes not. Have fun with that.

Favorite horror movies: Cronenberg period but he has a special fondness for "Videodrome" and "The Fly" (1986).

Telltale

Despite it being an excellent movie, he despises "Jacob's Ladder." It brings up too many unpleasant thoughts. Movies, especially horror, with medical experimentation are a trigger though he'll never say it out loud. You find this out as you discuss watching certain movies and see the connection between all of them.

That being said, the horror movies he likes have two themes: they have meaning/ a message or they involve transformation. The first is because anything too simple bores him. The second is totally absolutely NOT because of projection of his own trauma.

Show him "Get Out" and "Nope" and he gains a deep reverence for Jordan Peele as a writer and director. Intelligent, entertaining, and the perfect amount of horror mixed in. Kind of a fan, only you know, really.

80s version of "The Fly" makes him emotional and you probably only watch it once with him. He likes it a lot! Just... the slow transformation via a science accident is very relatable. Madness overtaking you.

Favorite horror movies: "An American Werewolf In London" it's a classic. Not to mention in his opinion one of the best transformation scenes in a movie.

2022/nashton

Ha... so here's the thing. He likes "Hostel" and movies like that with lots of violence and gore. He's even seen "Wolf Creek" and got some real excitement out of it. HOWEVER. Movies in that vein are a form of emotional self-harm for him. He likes them in the moment but they also usually trigger massive anxiety and depression episodes for him later on in the day/night.

Others like "Se7en" (I know it's a thriller not true horror), "Saw" and the like are usually okay. There's a distinctive difference that may only exist in his own mind, but the more you watch with him, the more you'll find out which movies are "safe" for him. Which is good! He does like horror movies, but as we know from the prequel comics, he's not always good at taking care of himself due to massive amounts of trauma.

He loves films that are gems that aren't super well known in the US when he can find them. Have you seen the Korean horror film "The Silenced"? No? You're in for a treat.

He likes movies that have a logic or puzzle to them. Complex mechanics and traps. A sick sense of justice dispensed.

Favorite horror movies: The "Saw" series. Also "The Collector." He sees the upside down shot with the reflective contacts and the spider allegories and his eyes dilate like a cat seeing it's favorite toy.

#riddler #btas riddler #gotham riddler #zero year riddler #60s riddler #arkham games riddler #telltale games riddler #2022 riddler #riddler x reader #foxwriting

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merrikiwi · 2 months

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What we got up to in July 2024

Writing this blog post is an idea I came up with because it is fun but also because it forces us to reflect on the month and what we did. We've been trying (badly) to keep track of all the things we watched in the year so we can do an end-of-the-year retrospective of all the media we enjoyed so heeeeeeere we go.

July, July, July, what a busy month we've had. From L getting a new job to us running our first convention stall selling our art. We have truly been busy, but that has not stopped us from having fun with all kinds of media. Whether to relax or to research we watched a lot last month so lets talk about it.

Movies Movies are a good place to start. I've been trying to keep track of the movies we watched on Letterbox like I do with anime on MAL. I just like having a big list of all the things I've seen I can't help it XD.

For my birthday we did a Gentleman-themed movie night. First, we watched The Gentleman a film I've been trying to get L to watch for ages and my birthday seemed like a great opportunity. And guess what she loved it. It's Guy Richie so you know the cinematography and editing are going to be fun a least. I didn't remember how homoerotic it was but I'm all for it. I think the gangsters should kiss.

We also watched The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare... Also Guy Richie. It even had Henry Cavill but they couldn't save this story from being kinda meh. It sucks because I was looking forward to it but It just felt a little all over the place. You never really get to know any of the characters and the action felt excessive considering the real-life versions of these people managed to do this operation with only one injury.

The last movie I can remember watching was Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets. Our hopes going in were so low but it was actually really awesome. The world and story are just so interesting and well-made. It feels like a passion project from the director. It's just plain fun times.

For the small screen, we watched The 8 show, A tv adaptation of two Manhwa Pie game and Money game. The show chose elements from both to create a kind of mish mash of the ideas from both. I hadn't read them but L had so I got to turn and go "Omg did that happen in the Manhwa". I wouldn't want to spoil anything but if you're a fan of death games its very compelling.

My main criticism of the show as a whole was that the violence in the latter half was actually really hard to watch. It felt excessive and unrealistic. You will watch a character get their head bashed in with a baseball bat multiple times and will be fine the next day. It gives it this kind of unrealistic uneasiness where you're real-world perception of how much damage the human body can take is confused for the sake of plot convenience and shock.

L: It made some interesting adaptations and outright changes that were mostly good but it is very different to both manhwa. Which is a good thing. I've read it already so show me something cool you can do with the idea!

Anime

Anime was a large part of what we watched as usual. We have completely stepped off the seasonal train and as a result have been enjoying anime from all over... anyway we watched Dungeon Meshi. If you have seen our most recent video you know we love this show. It's genuinely a 10/10 and I can't wait for the next season. I don't want to be basic and make more videos on it but I kinda do.

Shangri-La Frontier was another anime we brought up in the last video as it was just overflowing with passion and skill. We still haven't finished it with 2 episodes to go.

I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability; was also fun but for very silly reasons. I can't sit here and claim it's inherently good but it was fun and easy to watch. Sometimes that's ok.

Lastly, for anime, we have Black Butler. omg, it's so fun. we're only 10 episodes into our rewatch at the moment but it's been about 10 years since I last watched it. The English accents in the dub are particularly awful I love it.

Its interesting to look back on the anime we watched and see exactly how we went from watching these to writing the Passion and Skill video. I can see what elements of each show inspired what elements of the video. This is cool and fun and nice.

Games

Don't worry we are nerds of the highest order so we played some games too. I've been playing a few in the last week or so. Star Ocean Divine Force, Orks Must Die 3 and Circus Electrique just to name a few. I've been ping-ponging back and forth between all of them.

The big game of this month however has to be Spellforce 2. I played 3 and really enjoyed it but the jump back to 2006 graphics was a hurdle I had to vault and I'm glad I did. The game has a lot of interesting elements that they stripped out for the sequel. Unsurprising considering the game changed hands multiple times between the 2 games. It really feels like a classic CRPG with strategy elements instead of a bunch of strategy maps with some RPG-style quests for good measure. It was fun and just as I thought I was finishing it the game kept going. I have no idea where it's going to go next.

L has been playing the Demo for Blue Prince pretty religiously. I don't think ill see her again once the full game comes out but I won't say too much because I think there's a little video/strategy guide on the horizon. You should see the spreadsheet.

L: Spreadsheet :3c

Conc

If I could conclude this rambling blog post for July in one word I would say Expanding. Because our tastes are changing and expanding. I'm excited to see what I get to enjoy next month.

Anyway, this blog post is more for us to store thoughts than anything substantial at the moment but if you enjoyed reading it let us know. If you want better-worded thoughts check out our YouTube videos and if I actually stick to this new idea see you next month.

#merrikiwi what we got up to #july #posts by the cryptid

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being-of-rain · 4 months

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Time to write down my initial thoughts on Space Babies and The Devil's Chord! I'm currently busy staying with my girlfriend in America, so I've only watched the episodes once. And there's a lot of episode to talk about! I guess this is the most TV Doctor Who to come out on a single day, both by episode count and I assume by runtime. (I sure hope it doesn't get overtaken any time soon. Weekly episode schedule my beloved, whole-series-at-once events my despised.)

I've said before that I've used the word 'fun' too often as a way to sum-up new episodes, but it looks like that's going to be harder and harder to avoid. This season so far has a very wacky zany silly cartoonish style (especially apparent in the lead duo's energy together) and I think that's the season's greatest strength. My opinion on both of these first two episodes are similar: they're just okay, with the pros and the cons kinda balancing each other out, but the cartoony style makes them much more enjoyable to watch.

Under the cut I'll go into more details. Probably more complaining than not, because nitpicking is always easier to spend time on, but here's your regular reminder that these are opinions and anyone reading is encouraged to disagree.

And if you thought my ramblings about new episodes were long before, this time there's two at once!

Grossout stuff like bodily functions never really appealed to me, and neither does talking babies, so Space Babies had those things against it. But it also had things that I loved; on top of the infectious energy of the leads, there were some fun sci-fi concepts, playing with storybook narrative, and the design of the Bogeyman. And the Doctor saying that "nobody grows up wrong" was alone worth the episode. I adore that sentiment and it fits so well into Doctor Who with its constant cast of scary aliens, artificially altered or created beings, and characters with generally convoluted backstories. It's just a shame the episode faltered at its climax when applying that idea to the Bogeyman, because the sympathising and acceptance of it felt very rushed.

It's fun when new companions get an introduction scene or two where the show tries to teach as many of the important rules and backstory as possible. And Butterfly Ruby certainly was a hilarious addition to that. But as much as the show is allowed to mess around with time travel rules, it can still feel contrived when it says things like 'taking Ruby to meet her mum is too dangerous.' I can't think of a reason why they couldn't just park a bit further down Ruby Road and talk to her after she seemingly doesn't have any more effect on Ruby or the Doctor's lives. I'll talk more about the ongoing story arc stuff in a bit, but right now I still haven't strongly connected with Ruby. This is very much a personal thing, but she still feels kinda Generic Companion to me.

Oh, and I think every time the Doctor talks about how the Time Lords are gone and he's the Last One, I'm going to groan and roll my eyes. Honestly I think the best thing to do with that is just show that a lot of Time Lord society survived (very easy, since there's no reason at all that most of them couldn't have just run away from whatever the Master did to the Capitol) and then just move on. I'd love to explore post-War Time Lord society more, but at this point I'd rather just leave them alone and be done with retreading old ground that the show is not going to actually do anything with other than the odd angsty line.

The Devil's Chord had a lot of fantastic moments and elements, but that made it more frustrating to me when it didn't put the effort into fitting everything just a little better. It reminds me of my thoughts on The Giggle; I love love love whimsy and emotionally-driven stories, and stories don't have to be a slave to logic all the time, but moments of silliness or entire plots that revolve around whimsy are so much more satisfying if they have a narrative logic behind them. I think a prime example is the song at the end of The Devil's Chord: even if it's not particularly good (most songs that are just repeating one line for 90% of its runtime aren't going to interest me), it's whimsical and joyous and makes me want to see Tardis teams sing and dance more often. But it doesn't have an in-story reason to happen, it doesn't quite fit the episode's tone, and (as much fun as fans have been having fitting it into the season arc) the episode doesn't even really have a twist at the end. If any of those things weren't true, the song would've had so much more impact than it did, and I find it annoying that the episode couldn't shuffle things just a bit to make it work.

Somewhat similarly, the Maestro themself was spectacularly entertaining, but also felt rather shallow and full of missed opportunities. I was already a bit over RTD writing flamboyant and random queer-coded villains after he reinvented the Toymaker the same way he reinvented the Master (although a drag queen certainly adds a welcome layer to that) but it was sad that Maestro had the same surface-level connection to music as RTD's Toymaker had to games. Yeah they climb out of pianos and use sheet-music-themed whips and dress in a conductor's outfit, but that sounds more like a Batman villain than a Concept Made Flesh. Sure they can magically-somehow stop the world making music, but their motivation for it is... kill everyone in the universe? I really hope RTD can write better Old Gods than his last two if he plans to make them recurring villains. (By the way I assume that the world losing the ability to make music for two decades was magically unwritten at the end, but then again I assumed the same thing about the Flux destroying the universe and that was only half undone.)

Also, I know not every historical episode has to be a 2005-10 style celebrity historical (even though that might be one of my favourite ways of doing it), but if they didn't want to do that then it felt a bit out of place to have two of the Beatles turn up at the very end, with no idea what was going on, and save the day. (And the other two Beatles vanished completely. ...I know the other two were a bit less famous, but after learning that RTD ships the Supernatural brothers, I really wouldn't be surprised to learn he ships McCartney and Lennon.)

Anyway, some other fun or great moments that I wish were in a slightly more coherent episode are: Ruby playing her lovesick lesbian song, the Doctor and Ruby doing their piano battle together, the sonic silence scene, and the destroyed London scene which Maestro abruptly turned into a black background. Oh, and the Doctor saying "I thought that was non-diagetic" was hilarious, I think fans are going to get a lot of mileage out of the idea that the Doctor can hear the background music in older episodes.

Other random things about the episode: it did make me think of Scherzo's fairytale about the king who banished music from his realm. As a batfamily fan, the music teacher at the start being named Timothy Drake for no reason is confusing and funny. It's a niche pet peeve but I think its silly when fiction ties itself to when it's coming out for no reason or in contradiction to its own continuity, so Ruby saying her present day is mid-2024 baffled and irritated me. Since the last episode she's either been travelling with the Doctor for several months, staying at home for several months, or has decided to skip several months ahead, none of which seem very likely.

One last thing I'll say about The Devil's Chord is that the zany cartoonish energy, the visiting of recent history, and the magical menace all remind me of Legends of Tomorrow. It's one of my comfort shows that puts a lot of plot importance and stress on whimsy, jokes, and feel-good moments, but actually does tie them into the narrative. Compared to the last half dozen episodes of Doctor Who, Legends is more of an outright comedy, but its more satisfying and the emotional beats hit harder. If its trying for a more similar tone, I hope Doctor Who can reach the same highs as Legends (which, to be fair, took a few seasons to figure things out).

Finally I'll talk about the story arc! Or story arcs, because there's a lot going on. And looking back at his first time on the show, I realise RTD is a big fan of arcs that are basically just repeating things in the background that don't have any impact until the last few episodes. Personally I prefer arcs with a bit more relevance and development, but unfortunately that's probably harder to do on Doctor Who with less episodes.

That said, I was very surprised that Ruby's arc is one of the most interesting things to me in these episodes. The Doctor's memory of her mother changing and then breaking through into the real world is cool as hell, and then Ruby having something about her that trips up a god is really compelling 👀 Is that girl a cosmic horror??

On the other hand, another mention of 'the One Who Waits' is really boring lol. Just another ominous name that everyone can look concerned about without any substance. But I have seen fans connect it to the billboard for Chris Waites and the Carollers, which is hilarious. And speaking of, the mention of Susan was really cool, and so in-depth that it has me wondering if she'll actually come back, which I don't think New Who has made me do seriously before. Then again, it's so on the nose that surely it must be a red herring...

I can't wait to find out what it all means. And I can't wait for the next episode!

#my thoughts #fifteen #ruby

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natlacentral · 5 months

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Hi Ian, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hey! Yeah, of course. I’m a 22-year-old actor & artist from College Station, Texas. I’m a huge fan of all things art, especially the medium of film & tv. I did martial arts most of my life growing up from the ages of 9-16; it basically consumed my life. I’m a 3rd degree black belt and world champion in Weapons; I still keep up on my training. I love to write all sorts of things from songs to screenplays to journal entries, my day truly isn’t complete without writing. My life is centered around my relationship with Jesus, which is where I find my rest, my strength, and my inspiration.

Congratulations on landing on one of the leading role in “Avatar: The Last Airbender”, how does it feel to be one of the main characters Sokka in this Netflix live-action adaptation?

Thank you so much! It feels amazing to play such a beloved and iconic character in this series. This is my first leading role, so it was a big responsibility, and I grew so much as an actor and a person in general. I loved the animated series growing up, so it was really surreal to be a part of this life action adaptation.

You mentioned that you are a huge fan of the original animated series, what traits have you noticed from that version (or the movie adaptation) of Sokka that you like? How have you thought of continuing those traits in your portrayal of the character?

Yeah, my goal with taking on the role of Sokka was to embody the soul of that character and translate who Sokka really is while bringing in the elements that come with making him a real-life person. He’s the meat and sarcasm guy with the boomerang, but he also has a lot of very complicated emotions coming up inside of him that he’s really never been able to face before. It was a really fun challenge to get to play with all of the layers of who he is. He masks a lot of what he’s going through with his humor which I think is true for a lot of funny people. Getting to find those little correlations from the animated character and connect him to a real, emotional human place was a big task but a very gratifying one to take on.

And is there anything new you have implemented in your interpretaion? If so, what is it?

I think the newness that comes from adapting an animated character is getting to let their human components shine through. Finding their vulnerabilities and how and when they let those show and why. Being human is being vulnerable, so just keeping their core and soul of what makes them who they are and enhancing their humanity.

In the series, Sokka tries to prove his leadership and value even without having special abilities. In the end, he becomes a hero in his own way. Do you somehow resonate with Sokka’s perseverance? Do you think these traits could somehow be an inspiration to you in your real life?

Absolutely, perseverance is a crucial component to anyone becoming truly successful in anything. I had many grueling times in my career before coming onto this show where I was very close to booking the “career defining role” that ended up going to someone else. If I hadn’t learned my love for the art and on my pursuit of the craft, I never would’ve gotten this dream opportunity.

Trained in taekwondo at a young age, did it help you in your working on your role this time?

All movement experience while working on a show with this level of action definitely helps. However, my character doesn’t have a whole lot of technical knowledge when it comes to fighting, so I had to learn how to look like I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to martial arts for Sokka.

The series seems to be very dynamic, and we assume that the performance is very physically demanding. Have you gone through some training before filming? What kind of preparation have you done for the role, both mentally and physically?

They put us through a six week long bootcamp where all four of us got to learn how to bend all four elements which was very fun but didn’t cater to my character because obviously Sokka can’t bend. I took that time to get as physically in shape as I could. On the mental component of prep, I outlined the arc for what Sokka goes through for the first 2 episodes and mapping it out so I could know exactly where I was emotionally and why in any scene. We block shot two episodes at a time, so it was important for me to get as familiar as possible with the material and have anchor points to allow me to get into the head, heart and body of Sokka wherever we found him on his journey.

Could you tell us something interesting happened during the filming? Anything fun that we don’t know from behind the scene?

The way we filmed the Appa scenes were really interesting and weird because the whole bottom half of Appa, including the face, are fully CGI so we would hop on this huge 15 – 20ft animatronic and a crew of like 10 guys would surround the creature and manually pull and push the Appa rig up and down to make it look like we were flying.

For you, what are the most enjoyable things throughout this whole experience?

The family that I’ve made with the cast. The four of us have really become like siblings and have grown up for the past 3 years together. It’s by far been the biggest gift getting to work on this show that I’m really proud of and grateful for.

Now let’s talk about your entrepreneurship. You founded a clothing line, KALÓ SOIL, together with two of your pals. What inspires you to start this brand?

Kaló Soil is a passion project and a creative outlet for me and the guys. It was really great for me to put my hands to another passion of mine during the actors strike. At Kaló we’re all deeply influenced by our faith, so our goal is to glorify God through the art of fashion.

How did you step into the world of repurposing vintage clothes into unique new fashion pieces?

At Kaló Soil we have a large collection of curated vintage, which is how the company started. We were wholesaling vintage and needed a show room to work out of and display the pieces we’ve accumulated. When I joined the company with Ryan Sullivan and Hunter Baker, we integrated our “Made-in-house” products which are our original designs hand sewn and sourced In LA. We still sell curated vintage alongside our own pieces online and in-store.

During the preparation of the physical store, you guys helped a homeless contractor (or maybe an interior designer you would say?) by accommodating him in the upcoming space and let him design the furniture in the store. This is indeed a benevolent act. What encourages you to do so? Could you tell us more about the backstory and about the collaboration?

We met our friend Quinn while moving into our storage space near Skid row in DTLA and hired him to help us source products for the furniture and interior design section of the store. He’s a great guy and we’ve learned a lot from him. He has an amazing eye for the unusual which is something that all of us at Kaló really admire and value.

Are there any future plans for Ian Ousley? Both for his acting career and his fashion entrepreneurship?

The plan right now is to go back for the next two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender and pour my heart, soul, sweat and best efforts into the process of serving the project to make it the best it can possibly be. I’m about to start filming another project this summer that I’m very excited to dive into and share with all of you. A huge desire of mine is to direct, so I’m hoping to get my own short film shot before we start filming the show again. However, I’m mostly just trying to stay centered and focused on maintaining my relationship with the arbiter of peace, truth and life. That relationship between Jesus and I, above anything I could do in my career, is my ultimate goal and purpose.

#natla #atla #netflix avatar #avatar the last airbender #netflix atla #avatar netflix #atla netflix #ian ousley #interview #photoshoot #les hommes publics #cap 74024

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emblazons · 1 year

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I firmly believe that a lot of the Byler hate comes from people who think that ST is the kind of lowbrow show that wrote Mileven badly because they didn't care and that the Duffers would never even think to make Byler canon. Between volumes one and two there were so many people supporting Byler because they thought it was a genuine possibility but then after Volume two crushed them, they joined the camp of antis that believed that we were delusional for thinking it would be made canon, and now most people who were former Bylers dislike the ship because they think it's all over, and this is also reflected in the views of the GA who think that since it didn't happen in volume 2, it won't happen ever and so they end up complaining about the way the story has been written and refusing to entertain the possibility that it could all be done like that for a reason since they don't want to get their hopes up and potentially get crushed again.

I've talked about this before, but: honestly I think a lot of the issue that we've just had a whole SWATH of popular tv in recent years that had writers finish off complex plots with horrifically written, underdeveloped narratives/surprises that devastated the hardcore fans of the shows (looking hard David and Dan of GoT, but they certainly aren't the only ones), which has left a lot of people ready and waiting to be disappointed by yet another favorite in ST.

I think a lot of people are more willing to write off what happened as shit writing than to believe it was done on purpose TO undermine mlvn and build up byler—and its because it's easier to believe the shitty relating of Mike/El compared to the two "platonic" male leads was an unintended consequence rather than meaningful action, the same way its been in a lot of other popular shows.

Given how many times writers of TV have fcked up the landing on both primary character relationships AND story in general (even without a queer element), their ongoing "its just bad writing, but also I don't know why they did xyz if" takes are understandable, if a bit frustrating for those of us who have spent the last year analyzing it. A lot of people on reddit rn honestly sound like me a few weeks after ST4 finished, because most of them have (quite fairly, if we're all honest with ourselves) not spent their fandom time connecting every little dot across 34 episodes of TV for fun.

Even so: I think most people "irritated" by mlvn while not shipping byler now will be pleasantly surprised if and when Byler gets its due —not necessarily because of "queer rep," but because it means that the way a show was written will have been intentional, and the writing and feelings caused by their earlier seasons will have a purpose rather than being the result of a writer having a plot line they were too stupid to see (or not capable enough) to follow through on. Mlvns who just get to yell and gloat about "winning" while most battle-weary fans stay silent is just part of the wait-and-see of the final season lmao

Thanks for the ask!

#honestly most people see it. even my older family members do #but we're all so used to either bad TV or bad writing that we just expect ST to follow through with the same lmao #mlvn itself isn't even bad writing if you know its PURPOSE is to undermine their relationship #people just think they made their love shit because they stopped knowing how to write their love story #which is also probably why matt is mad it got romantic LOL #anyway #asks #stranger things

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stolendreams99 · 1 year

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I wanna start brain vomiting here, but I need to get out of my own way

I've had this tumblr for years and never really got much farther than just reblogging and liking. I think I struggle with the way the site functions, I could never wrap my head around it, especially not being able to filter people's reblogs from their original content.

But here I am in adulthood with a brain that perpetually operates at 105%, constantly filled with a million and one thoughts, some deep analyses, some absolute shit.

“I want to talk about everything with at least one person as I talk about things with myself.”

― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Idiot

I started therapy a few years ago and have found myself quite the journaler, and this quote captures the 'thing' that keeps me coming back to the idea of writing here. Nothing professional, just a little blog of thoughts to share. I have friends who share my interests, but I can't always deep dive and hyperfixate for hours at a time with them. It's fun and I love them to death, but it can't happen all the time when the urge strikes. It's impractical, both for them and myself.

I think fandom as a broad concept is fascinating, I love seeing how people can breathe life back into media that only gives a fixed amount of content. When I recover from all this academic trauma and burnout, I think fandom and pop culture studies is something I might explore a bit more.

But exhaustion and ambitions aside, I like contributing to that process of bringing your own thoughts and baggage to art and watching how it gives so much more depth to it. Taking something and exploring every corner of it. I like giving, real, intense, thought to things. I like to dive into lore and think about character psychology and world building. I like to think about how the artistic choices in music and visuals contribute to it. I like to analyze dialogue and read into things and steep my brain in every element of it.

I like words, and I like using them to talk about things. I wanna do that here but I keep getting tripped up by the idea of curating the "perfect" blog and, god, it's fucking annoying. I have so many topics in my head that I've already mentally drafted out that just swim around up there and occupy space.

I wanna talk about love, grief, burnout, trauma, my life experiences that have contributed to who I am. I wanna talk about the LoZ timeline and lore, or this one fanfiction that is so exceptionally good that I will continue checking for updates no matter how long it takes, I wanna talk about music albums as collective works of art, I wanna talk about visual art and how, at the end of the day, most art is fan art and all elitists that say otherwise are missing out, I wanna talk about OSTs that rip my soul out, hold it tenderly, and put it back, I wanna talk about anime and TV shows and movies, write about my reviews and opinions, talk about the socio-cultural phenomenon that Hatsune Miku is.

I have so much shit I wanna talk about and all it does is stay tucked away in the attic of my brain just collecting dust but also still like...bouncing off the walls just trying to get out. I think writing essays in uni would've been more fun if we had more opportunities to talk about the things we cared about.

This post is a shit show and isn't much of anything for anyone, this is my attempt at getting over the idea of doing it "right" or "perfectly," it's my way of putting pencil to a blank paper, just to ruin the idea of perfection and just to get things moving.

I haven't shared my in-depth thoughts or my art consistently or with real intention on a public platform in years (did I mention I'm burnt out) so it's a bit weird thinking that people might see and read this and...I don't know, have a glimpse into my mind.

So yeah despite being on here since 2015? 16? 17? I suppose I'm pretty new to tumblr in a way. Bear with me as I try to get better at messily attempting things instead of trying to make something perfect before I even start it. I'll probably expand on so many all of the things I've mentioned here in the future :)

#brain dump #new to tumblr #new to blogging #word vomit #fresh start #recovering perfectionist

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postgameroutesix · 1 year

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💕👗🍿💿 for the scooby ask meme!! :D

THANK U!!!

💕 - favorite relationship in the Gang?

fred + velmas friendship means SO much to me u have no idea like numero uno blowout beach bash is my best friend for what it did for them but its just how the crux of their relationship is how theyre able to relate to each other most - like while that element of relatability between them is obscured or more implicit in some iterations (sdmi for example) i think its SUCH an important facet of their relationship. they are two sides of the same coin u know. they bounce off of each other SO well whether its them putting their heads together or lightheartedly teasing the other. the whats new era + be cool did so much for the velma + fred bestie truthers

👗- favorite outfit(s) worn by the Gang?

tbh im a certified Fan of their outfits in frighthouse of a lighthouse + loch ness monster like theyre not the MOST different outfits in the world but i think theyre silly….loch ness monster more specifically actually bc we get bucket hat velma there

i also love like. all of their snow outfits like u cant go wrong with those tbh!!! be cool in particular has great subtle variation throughout which i enjoy. also also like EVERY scrappy outfit ever i do not care seeing them put him in these absolutely MINUSCULE outfits makes me tear up…..hes so baby….

🍿 - favorite movie?

AUGHHH its SO hard picking b/w my top 2 so ill say both: cyber chase + the sword and the scoob!!!!! the former i think while couldve benefitted from a larger cast i still love so mucb like it reads like such a love letter to the franchise to me its hard to articulate why i love it so much!!! it just makes me feel warm n sometimes thats all u need. wrt the latter i really really love the character + relationship writing in it!!! it feels so deeply GENUINE to me that i can even brush over one of my least fave aspects of the modern character writing (extreme skeptic velma) bc i have so much fun with it. like man when im watching this movie im kicking my feet througjout purely bc of the characters n their relationships….i dont even care about the mystery hugely though i think the idea of them being in a performance is cool i think it coulda been executed better (and they shouldve been in wales not england smh smh) but tbh whatever. the sword and the scoob is my best friend <333

📀 - favorite tv show?

SO HARD AGAIN BUT gotta be equally whats new, thirteen ghosts + be cool

whats new IS partly bc its the one from my childhood (even if i wasnt actually a scooby fan back then + was actually scared of it lol…can u imagine) but it radiates comfort for me. the theme song alone is to make me just feel purely happy u know….but anyway besides that i love the overall character writing in wsnd!!! its the last show we got with casey kasem + ill always love the snark he brought to shaggys character which is very apparent in this show. daphnes resourcefulness takes center stage which is always just super funny and endearing like girl i dont think thats supposed to work but <333 velma is portrayed as sarcastic but its never meanspirited like its made CLEAR how much she loves her friends. theyre just all so silly and love each other sooo much….

thirteen ghosts i havent actually finished yet BUT despite that its literally already at the top for me lol like firstly i love the premise - its a breakaway from the traditional scooby formula but honestly by the structuring of the episodes u wouldnt think so!!! that different take is executed VERY well imo. the cast of characters r all so very endearing like they r family…. ive always loved the decision to place daphne in a leadership role esp considering what its since engendered. flim flam is SUCH a little guy. hes a witty kid who gives great balance to the cast n his relationships w vincent + scrappy are SO!!! good honestly. vincent is funny like his entire predicament reminds me of thay thing like “found family but its a group of kids who adopt an old guy instead of the other way around” u get it….

be cool is absolutely the funniest scoobh show like no question AND its got great writing to boot!!! ive talked about character + relationship writing a lot and thats just bc thats what really makes or breaks scooby media for me lol. for be cool it BEYOND makes it!!! their dynamic is so well done like bro they r teens. they are stupid 18 year olds with thwir collective dog bestie travelling around the united states and shenanigans occur. there are so many be cool episodes just stuck to my brain bc of how genuinely great they are. and its a show where yeah its goofy and silly and comedic but it can alsp be sooo genuine i love it <333 be cool my absolute beloved

#MUCH 2 SAY #★: notif #★: sd #★: textbox

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animation-recaps-by-sean · 2 years

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Top Ten Disney Couples

Well it’s been 100 years of Disney and with Valentine’s Day soon I’ve decided to mark the occasion by counting down my favorite Disney couples. I know that the House of Mouse is an evil capitalist empire that needs to stop eating IP’s and should at the very least pay their employees better. But they have a lot of blorbos so let’s see who I like together.

Now this is a couple list, not a ship list. So canon couples only. Not even if I like the ship. So two characters hugging once doesn't count. Now without further adieu here are the top ten disney couples.

10) Goliath/Elisa

From the early nineties classic Gargoyles, we have Goliath and Elisa. The biggest furry-ish couple on the list aside from the actual funny animals. Goliath was the leader of the mythical creatures awoken in ‘modern’ read early nineties, new york. And they met police detective Elisa Maza. And over the course of their adventure the two develop a deep longing for each other.

Putting them on the list is a bit of a cheat as their relationship never goes beyond deep pining. Due to the whole interspecies thing. I haven’t read the comics, so I’m not sure if anything came from that, but they have a great dynamic in the show.

9) Phineas/Isabella

Yeah, they ultimate well they or won’t they of Disney couples. Star and Marco tried this, but hit it a little too hard. But Isabella’s crush on Phineas is super enduring and a great source of jokes. I am bummed they waited until almost the last episode to get them together, and in a flash forward too.

I almost put Candace and Jeremy here, them getting together season two and just being a couple got big points with me. But Jeremy is kinda of bland so phinbella it is.

But Phinbella are a sweet couple.

8) Cinderella/Prince Charming

Not gonna lie, the bulk of the heavy lifting is being done by Cinderella III. But even then this couple always was the strongest of the three classical princess romances. Yes they fall in love over the course of a song like they others but the song plays while Cinderella and the Prince have a quiet conversation that the audience doesn’t hear. It’s nice compared to the bombastic songs Snow White and Sleepy Beauty had.

But even then, Cinderella III puts this on the list. Giving the couple some struggling, and the Prince a fun goofy personality.

7) Donald/Daisy

The ultimate disgruntled couple. Told over the series and comics, Donald and Daisy are the ultimate on again and off again whirlwind. It’s fun to see how these two are played.

Donald’s grumpy demeanor plays off of Daisy’s sass really well.

6) Belle/Beast

Okay, elephant in the room. Stockholm Syndrome is bad. Hot take, I know. Elements of this romance are really, really bad when applied to real life. But in fiction, two people bonding and learning to grow in extreme situations is a good story.

These two were the first princess romance that felt equal. The classical Princes, and even Prince Eric felt like props. The movie lives up to its title and makes both feel equal in a way we hadn’t seen before. Watching Belle’s good nature warm Beast’s heart is nice. And seeing Beast learn to like himself is nice too. Gaston's self centeredness and entitlement is a great foil for these two.

5) Kim/Ron

Not gonna lie, did not actually ship these two during the first three seasons. I just thought they worked as friends. So the ending of So the Drama was a bit of a head tilt moment for me. But once season four showed them as a couple, it just worked. It didn’t need to break the characters or their dynamic to make them work as a couple. I wish more shows realized this.

4) Jasmine/Aladdin

Jasmine and Aladdin are great. Both of them want the same thing, respect. Aladdin wants to be seen more as just a thief and Jasmine wants to be more than just a royal and be free to make her own choice. It gives their romance a nice synergy.

Also having two whole movies and a tv series before the two tie the knot helps with the whole too fast relationship thing that plays the other Disney princesses.

3) Rapunzel/Flynn

This is the latest main Disney romance in their animated movies. That’s weird right? Tangled was almost 13 years ago. I know Anna and Kristoff are a couple, but that’s a subplot compared to the sister drama. Hell Frozen II even dropped the proposal subplot halfway through. I mean Disney animation is known for their couples, I guess that’s why they stopped? I guess cause princess movies are considered girl movies and girls should have more than romance. I’m not saying every movie needs it but I do miss it.

But Flynn and Repunzel are actually really cute together. They have great chemistry and are sweet together.

2) Mickey/Minnie

Surprisingly veristital. Mickey and Minnie are absolutely adorable with each other. Whether they're just meeting or been dating for awhile, I always enjoy seeing these two.

1) Luz/Amity

And here they are, my favorite Disney couple. And it's not just cause they're sapphic. They are a general well written couple. They set Amity up like in her second appearance. I am so glad they didn't drag getting these two goobers together. Because watching Amity growing and Luz getting support from her, warms my heart.

The cut kisses, blushes, and pet names have done wonders for my mental health. Now there is still one more episode so it's possible to fumble at the finale line but I trust the staff.

Hail to the queen's of love.

#disney #disney movies #disney plus #disney channel #disney animation

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mortallyclearwonderland · 2 years

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A Christmas Carol adaptations

You thought it was weird we have 3 Pinocchio movies this year?

Now we have 2 A Christmas Carol adaptations. Spirited on Apple TV+ and Scrooge: A Christmas Carol on Netflix.

Streaming wars part 2 Christmas boogaloo.

Let me start this post by telling you, I'm a Christian I love Christmas and I love Charles Dickens's novel. I and my sister each have a copy of his book.

I'm not some religious freak that cries over there not being enough Christian stories or how the stories with those elements get censured or scratched. I love Disney's Little Mermaid even without her wanting to have a soul subplot. Its remake will suck all on its own.

What I am actually worried about is the desecration of a great novel.

I want to talk about the art of film making, both live-action and animated, is in terrible shape.

Unless the trailers are really misleading which is also the symptom and part of the problem.

Loud obnoxious orchestrated music and choir hyping you up for a fun and awesome adventure. Who cares if it doesn't fit the story or the scene?

Putting jokes, quips and slapstick.

Deep and emotional phrases (''you can't run from your past'') that boil down the whole moral of the story.

Ghost of Christmas yet to come who looks like the ripper. Have Scrooge slap him on the arm, call him a friend and be completely dismissive of him. It's not like there's a scary, emotional scene in just a second.

We can not have a second to take a breath, to take in the scenery, the atmosphere, or to look at the visuals because everything has to move at breakneck speed. People have no attention spans, don't you know?

Spoiling the whole plot of the movie in the trailer. I know most people probably know this story, but they don't know this version of the story. And just because something is an adaptation it doesn't mean it doesn't have to try to build up anything and expect you to like it like the original.

I'm going to make an individual post for each trailer and give my honest thoughts and reaction.

''You can judge it yet. It's just a trailer.''

I have this to say, that means it's a terrible trailer. I don't want them to spoil the story and show all their best visuals, jokes, and character development. But I want to know the feel of the movie.

When I watch those movies I'll tell you whether I liked them or not and if the trailers were honest or misleading.

My favorite is the 2009 version.

The creepy motion capture one? Yes! The animation fits perfectly with the setting and the story. Ghosts look scary, Ebenezer Scrooge actually looks old (I get to it in another post), and London is dark and creepy and cold like winter. And Jim Carrey does a great job voice acting.

What's your favorite version of this story? Last time I checked there were 135 adaptations. And that probably doesn't include all the theater plays or episode specials of cartoon shows.

#Scrooge: A Christmas Carol #Spirited #Apple TV+#Netflix #A Christmas Carol #Disney's A Christmas Carol

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monstermaster13 · 11 days

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Corey and Oats in…

Monstrous Mayhem at Universal Studios

Note: This is a double special story because it is not only a halloween story but also it is a guest story featuring guest star Kathy Bates, it is made to commemorate her in general because she has announced she is going to do one last tv role before she ‘retires’.

Corey and Oats went on many adventures together including to different places around the world and sometimes on crazy adventures to realms of their choices but they were planning something very special for this adventure, it was September 10th 2024 and they were gearing up for a series of halloween adventures.

Mel saw some videos of Halloween Horror Nights mazes and it gave her an idea for an adventure, she thought she would take the duo and their friends on a Universal Studios adventure, she used a special item from the bedroom (a skull themed glow wand she was given last year for halloween) which she used to open up a portal in the wall.

The duo along with Aiyvan the monster, Wailleo, Anglo, Mel, and Piff among others jumped through it and when they came out of it they had arrived at Universal Studios which made all of them excited Corey looked around as what appeared to be advertisements for Halloween Horror Nights.

Oats looked around and he looked at the lots, the lot that used for ‘Whoville’ in the live action adaptation of the Grinch was no longer there because it had been taken down back in 2020 but the Psycho set or the ‘Bates’ motel as it was called was still there, they all decided to head off to the Bates Motel to go and take a look.

Anglo used his light to guide them and when they all entered, Oats began to feel a little bit afraid but Mel protected him and everyone from the monsters in the motel, they had just come across a series of clues that lead to a hidden area and they walked into the bathroom area.

Mel decided to look around for a bit as did Oats, but she jumpped back a little when she saw a masked killer (wearing a mask that resembled an executioner’s mask) trying to stab her in a way mimicking the famous shower scene. ‘Aaah!’ ‘Oh did I scare you guys? I am sorry, where are my manners?’ the masked killer pulled off the executioner mask to reveal none other than Kathy Bates underneath it. ‘Mel..am I seeing things or is that Kathy Bates?’ ‘No you’re not seeing things, i’m here.’ Kathy responded, chuckling.

‘You nearly scared us to death there.’ ‘Aaaw, I was just having fun. And you know how me and the other American Horror Story ladies are around this time of year.’ ‘Oh yeah, we know what you’re like.’ ‘So what is the special occasion?’ ‘Well you may have heard I am retiring.’ ‘Retiring, oh so it is not so.’ ‘Well retiring after my last TV show that is.’

‘I have to say that it does seem fitting that you picked the Bates Motel set as your halloween hangout this year.’ ‘You and Norman wouldn’t happen to be related, would you?’ ‘Well apart from both of us having the same last name, not really. Annie Wilkes would totally get along with Norman though, and she knows it.’

Kathy showed the duo around, showing them all the rooms including the ones the group had just been through, and even where the monsters were…’As you can see, I went out a lot to make this place as horrifying as possible for my guests.’ She showed them some props and even some of the items she kept. ‘Wow, you still keep that sledgehammer around.’ ‘Well yes I do, just in case some people want to hurt me.’ ‘Why would anyone want to hurt you, if anything they’d be afraid of you doing it to them.’

‘Yeah…I get that a lot. And also James Caan’s spirit talks to me, he says he has forgiven me for making him bedridden and for nearly breaking his legs!’ ‘Glad to see you have made up.’ They all explored the motel and encountered various monsters and surprises in each room.

There was a room near one of the bedrooms in the motel which had a supernatural element to it, Mel found herself turning into a demoness while Corey became a vampire bat-like creature and Oats turned into a ghostly horse-person resembling the Pokemon Spectrier, Piff and Anglo becoming Gillman-esque fish-monsters with traits of their fish species while Kathy grew gray and white fur on her hands and her fingernails lengthened, the fur crept up her body as her hair grew longer and her ears became pointed, her eyes remained the same but she took on a humanoid feline appearance with canine teeth resembling fangs, a gray nose and whiskers, making her look like a cat-woman.

‘Kathy, that is a purrfectly cute monster look for you.’ ‘Yeah, you look like a big friendly turtoise-shell cat!’ ‘We always do transformations like this every year, the best part is we get to be ourselves.’ Wailleo smiled and laughed as they all walked through the motel and solved the riddles.

‘I must say that since I first met you and the other women from American Horror Story I have not been disappointed by your halloween surprises, you are truly a mistress of Scaremonies.’ ‘Oh you guys are so kind.’ ‘No problem, you deserve all the praise you have gotten over the years.’

Mel had always admired Kathy (as did Nathan and That Werebelushi In Shades) and to see her be so excited about halloween made her more than happy, she was also enamored by how convincing Kathy was at being spooky. ‘You should be considered an honorary scream queen if you are not one already.’ ‘I am considered to be one in my own right of course, i’m just different from most.’

“That’s why we love you.”

“Absolutely.”

They had lunch and after lunch they continued their little exploration of the set and even stopped to befriend some friendly monsters, when they finished up their search they had afternoon tea and bought some souvenirs from the gift shop and learned about the history of horror movies and the history of curses and haunted sets, and Mel appreciated Kathy as a halloween hostess and the quirky puns and jokes she made.

Kathy was enjoying herself and her role as a halloween hostess, Mel asked her for an autograph and she was more than happy to oblige, signing a copy Mel had of ‘Misery’ and a prop ax. She then hugged Mel and everyone joined in the hug, Anglo was happy as was everyone to have had such a lovely halloween adventure together.

When it was time for them to go home they all said goodbye to her, but not before giving one last hug before leaving the motel and heading back to the entrance of Universal Studios, they all waved goodbye as they jumped back through the portal.

Upon jumping back through the portal they had arrived back at their home in Nile Road, Corey and Oats told all their friends about their adventure and they sat down together in the lounge and waited for dinner. When dinner arrived they all had some lovely food for their meal.

After dinner they relaxed with some music and games before emailing Jill about their adventure and how they enjoyed being monsters, they turned back to normal from being their transformed states and they looked around for some more fun halloweeny places to go on for the next few adventures they would no doubt be planning.

They ended their day and evening with a trip to the bedroom as Corey put on his bat pajamas and Oats put on his pink nightgown, they brushed their teeth in the bathroom before all going back to the bedroom to pick out friends to snuggle up with.

Anglo jumped into bed as did everyone else including Mel, Mel turned off the light and they all drifted off to sleep. The bed began to move and glow as it was powered by the thoughts they all had in their heads, and they all had dreams that took them on a journey to Universal Studios where they took part in Halloween Horror Nights and made their own monster movies.

And thus their adventure had once again ended but more adventures are coming up, so stay tuned.

#monstermaster13

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longdistanceromance · 10 months

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Cute long distance ideas to bridge the distance in relationship

Explore the magic of love across miles with these cute long distance ideas. Strengthening your connection has never been more delightful. Discover inventive ways to bridge the gap and make your relationship blossom, no matter the distance.

Surprising gestures of love and affection

When it comes to expressing love and affection, distance should never be a barrier. In fact, being separated by miles can often make the gestures even more meaningful and heartfelt. If you're in a long-distance relationship or have a loved one who is far away, here are some cute ideas to keep the love alive:

1. Love Letters and Surprise Packages

There's something incredibly romantic about receiving a handwritten love letter or a surprise package in the mail. Take the time to write heartfelt letters or create care packages filled with small, meaningful gifts that remind your partner of your love. It could be a mixtape of songs that hold special memories, their favorite snacks, or a handwritten love poem.

2. Virtual Date Nights

Just because you're physically apart doesn't mean you can't go on dates. Set up a virtual date night where you both dress up, cook the same meal, and enjoy a candlelit dinner together over video chat. You can also watch a movie simultaneously or play online games together to create shared experiences.

3. Surprise Visits

If it's possible, surprise your partner with an unexpected visit. The element of surprise can make the reunion even more special. Coordinate with their friends or family to ensure the surprise is successful, and enjoy the joy and excitement of being together, even if it's just for a short time.

4. Couple's Journal

Start a couple's journal where you both take turns writing messages, thoughts, and reflections. This journal becomes a shared space where you can express your love, share dreams, and document your journey together. It's a beautiful way to stay connected and create a keepsake of your love story.

5. Plan Future Trips

Use your time apart as an opportunity to plan future trips and adventures. Research destinations you both want to visit and create a bucket list together. This not only gives you something to look forward to but also strengthens your bond as you work towards shared goals and experiences.

6. Surprise Delivery

Send surprise deliveries to your partner's doorstep. It could be their favorite flowers, a handwritten love note, or a thoughtful gift. The element of surprise and the gesture itself will make them feel loved and cherished, despite the distance.

7. Virtual Movie Nights

Choose a movie or TV show to watch together and synchronize your screens. Set up a video call or chat window to share reactions and thoughts as you enjoy the movie together. This creates a sense of togetherness and shared experiences, even if you're physically apart.

These cute ideas are just a starting point to inspire you to find unique and thoughtful ways to express love and affection even when separated by distance. Remember, love knows no boundaries, and with a little creativity, you can make your long-distance relationship thrive.

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Virtual date nights to connect across the miles

Long-distance relationships can be challenging, but with a little creativity, you can bridge the gap and connect with your partner through virtual date nights. These cute long-distance ideas will help you create special moments and strengthen your bond, no matter the miles between you.

One fun virtual date night idea is to have a movie night together. Choose a movie both of you are interested in and synchronize your streaming so you can watch it together. You can use video chat or messaging apps to share your reactions and have a virtual movie night experience.

Another cute idea is to have a virtual dinner date. Plan a time when both of you can enjoy a meal together. Cook the same recipe or order food from the same restaurant to create a shared dining experience. Set the mood with candles, dimmed lights, and soft music to make it feel more romantic.

For a more interactive experience, you can have a virtual game night. Play online multiplayer games or find virtual versions of your favorite board games. You can compete against each other or team up to challenge other players. This will not only be a fun activity but also a great way to strengthen your teamwork and communication skills.

If you enjoy being creative together, you can have a virtual arts and crafts night. Pick a craft project or a painting tutorial and gather the necessary supplies. Set up your cameras so you can see each other's progress and offer encouragement along the way. This can be a relaxing and enjoyable activity that allows you to express your creativity while connecting with your partner.

Finally, consider taking virtual trips together. Use online platforms to explore museums, landmarks, or even cities you've always wanted to visit. Plan your itinerary, share interesting facts about the places you're virtually visiting, and make it feel like a real adventure. This can be a unique and educational way to spend time together while discovering new things.

Remember, the key to successful virtual date nights is communication and effort. Make sure to set aside dedicated time for these activities and create a comfortable and romantic atmosphere. By being intentional about staying connected and creating special moments, you can nurture your long-distance relationship and make it thrive.

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Creative ways to stay connected in a long-distance relationship

Being in a long-distance relationship can be challenging, but with a little creativity and effort, you can find unique and cute ways to stay connected with your partner. Here are some creative ideas to keep the spark alive:

Schedule virtual date nights: Set a specific time and date to have a virtual dinner date or watch a movie together. Use video chat platforms to create a sense of togetherness and enjoy each other's company from afar.

Send surprise care packages: Surprise your partner with thoughtful care packages filled with their favorite things. Include handwritten letters, small gifts, or personalized items to make them feel loved and cherished.

Plan surprise visits: If possible, plan surprise visits to see each other. Coordinate with your partner's friends or family to make the visit even more special and keep it a secret until the last moment.

Play online games together: Find online games that you can play together, whether it's multiplayer video games, virtual board games, or puzzle games. This can be a fun and interactive way to spend time together and bond.

Write love letters: Take the time to write heartfelt love letters to each other. Express your feelings, share your dreams, and reminisce about your favorite memories together. These letters will serve as cherished keepsakes and reminders of your love.

Create a shared playlist: Curate a playlist of songs that hold special meaning for both of you. Whenever you listen to these songs, you'll feel a connection and be reminded of the love you share.

Send surprise texts or voice messages: Surprise your partner with unexpected texts or voice messages throughout the day. It could be a sweet message, a funny joke, or simply letting them know you're thinking of them. These small gestures can make a big difference in maintaining a strong connection.

Have virtual movie nights: Choose a movie or TV series to watch together and synchronize your viewing. Set up a video call and enjoy the movie together, even if you're physically apart. Don't forget the popcorn!

Plan future trips together: Use your time apart to plan and discuss future trips and adventures you want to take together. Research destinations, create itineraries, and dream about the memories you'll create when you can finally be together again.

Keep a shared journal: Create a shared journal where you both can write about your day, share your thoughts, and document your journey as a couple. This journal can serve as a beautiful keepsake that you can look back on in the future.

These are just a few cute and creative ideas to stay connected in a long-distance relationship. Remember, communication, trust, and effort are key to maintaining a strong and loving connection, no matter the distance.

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Conclusion

Incorporating these cute long distance ideas into your relationship will transform miles into mere moments. Embrace the creativity, keep the love alive, and let these charming gestures weave a tapestry of closeness across the miles.

#long distance relationship #long distance #relationship #love #Youtube

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