#even if it had been a simpler movie it would have been great

[uglypastels]

I havent seen barbie yet but already see so many people talking how they had not expected it to be an actual serious movie and have a deeper message than just life in plastic is fantastic and

I'm sorry but???? did yall not think we were serious when saying this movie was going to be a masterpiece? Does "written and directed by Greta Gerwig" mean nothing to you?

[shuinami]

Jess and Hobie: their defining strengths + their weaknesses

I had a thought about Hobie while I was writing, have been thinking about Jess for a while and then this post about Miguel came out and it made me kind of want to yap. I'll only talk about Hobie and Jessica here because I'm biased + Peter & Gwen have been talked about a lot + I linked a post about Miguel + Miles & Pav have simpler, more obvious flaws that basically come down to youthful naivety.

I also find it really interesting that their flaws are basically opposites, Hobie's comes from "inconsistency" whilst Jessica's comes from stubbornness. And again, both these flaws come from their greatest strengths.

TL;dr

Jess' defining strength is her resolve when it comes to fighting for what's right and tussling with destiny but it causes her to have a one-track mind, even if it comes to dedicating herself to something wrong (from being misguided).

Hobie's defining strength is his optimism (e.g. anarcho-communism) but the extreme difficulty of pursuing those ideals and the struggle against systems can bring that optimism to a breaking point, causing him to be inconsistent or, more directly, to give up.

I think people forget that Jessica's pregnancy is by design and not just a 'feature' of Jessica Drew as a character. She was deliberately chosen to be represented in this stage of her life and I think it is so important to her character, even if it's not in the traditional way that pregnancy is typically portrayed as in media.

I think her pregnancy shows the kind of person she is: most obviously, it's cold, hard evidence that she's a bamf who takes care of spidey business even while pregnant.

More importantly to me, though, there's an implication that, as her universe's one and only spidey, she has been the one to save the day and been the change she wishes to seek, effectively enough that she feels comfortable bringing a baby into the world.

Unlike someone like Peter, she does not make the choice between bringing her child to work with her or leaving them behind. She just has to do what she needs to do to make sure her kid is safe, there's no failing for her. During her pregnancy, it's always going to be a matter of life and death. Jess is well aware and, instead of shying away from action, she's just committed to not making those kinds of mistakes. To get over her losses. She's going to take charge of her own world's destiny as she has always done and she's going to make sure it's good.

Her strong allegiance to Miguel's ideas is her most glaring flaw to us as an audience because A. we're seeing things through Miles' eyes, she's standing in the way of him saving his father and B. we know that Miguel can't be right about canon events - we know they wouldn't make the movies as bleak as that.

Of course, taking a step back from our perspective, it's also a flaw because she is being antagonistic to a teenager as a grown adult. It might make her seem cold and harsh.

However, Jess was the one to vouch for Gwen, to take her in, even though Miguel didn't want her to and they could have left things up to the web of destiny. Jess trusts her own capabilities but she doesn't trust the world to be kind. She doesn't assume Gwen can handle things just because she can, either. On top of being sympathetic, I think her dedication to being the change she wishes to see is why she accepts Gwen as a student; she trusts that a young girl can make the world a better place too, it's not a thing where she wants to micromanage everything. She just wants to know the multiverse is in safe hands. That's her "great responsibility".

The only reason she is following the anti-Miles agenda is because Miles, as far as she and anybody else in-movie knows, is jeopardising the existence of every universe (insidiously via the holes). Maybe, in another position, say, a bright-eyed teen who mainly worried about high school and puppy love, she would be more willing to risk things, to see how it goes.

She's not in that position though. Her world that she felt confident she had the power to keep safe has been made uncertain. One day, it could just go poof, along with her baby, and she wouldn't be able to stop it in the moment. If she makes the right decision now, if she doesn't make a mistake, she can prevent it. It's understandable that she's going to do whatever it takes to prevent anomalies.

What was the canon event chosen to represent her?

Her version of the moment from "The Final Chapter".

It comes from a story that largely focuses on Peter's personal life before spiralling into action to make up for a mistake that has made Aunt May fatally ill. In the panel, Spider-Man is trapped under machinery with the cure - the thing that will absolve the mistake - just out of reach. As the lair is flooded, drowning is imminent.

Against all odds, though, Spider-Man pushes past what should have killed him and rises to the occasion, with the thoughts of saving Aunt May and refusing to have a repeat of Uncle Ben.

"I won't fail you. No matter what - I won't fail."

Jess has had to handle her own fate as well as her world's. Now that the multiverse is involved, it's not going to stop at her own universe. She has to stop this. She won't fail. As per the dialogue between her and Gwen in ATSV, she's made a mistake before (by getting too close to someone) but she tells Gwen "I got over it". Sounds so savage in the moment but she still gives Gwen a chance to make her own situation right before letting her get kicked off the team. Helping Gwen in spite of the anomaly would be a mistake if she couldn't handle this.

And when the Spot gets away and Miles enters the picture? The gloves come off. It's tempting fate at that point. Jess' no mistakes mindset pushes her to even prepare to roll up on a teenager.*

Her greatest strength is her resolve - I mean, hell, she doesn't let even pregnancy slow her down when it comes to saving the world - but it causes her to be stubborn and leads her down a misguided path.

*By the end of the film, she seems to be questioning Miguel's method, though. On top of the fact that BTSV is obviously going to end on a good note, I think Jess' fight against destiny is going to have her come around in the end as Miles is doing the same thing.

Onto Hobie:

I luv luv luv Hobie as much as everyone else, he's definitely my favourite but I feel he has his flaws too (which tend to make me love my faves more lol).

In fact, I think he says what they are when we first meet him, though they are veiled as jokes.

I find that the audience tends to position him as a perfect distillation of anarcho-communism at its best. I think the teen spideys see him in a similar light; they see him as effortlessly cool & charismatic, a wise mentor figure ("use your palms" + his play fighting with Pavitr featured him taking on the stance of a boxing trainer as Pavitr tried to punch his palms) but he's not like the adult adults - he's relatable, he's cool, he's anarchist, he's not always on their case like Jess and Miguel.

He neither calls himself a hero nor a role model... but he is the perfect hero and role model, right? He's the best! He's the only one who's looking out for Miles and, when Miles is getting chased down by the entire society, what does he do?

He... quits.

Wouldn't that perfect hero we all believe him to be swoop in with his cape, know exactly what to do and save Miles, the underdog? He can't have possibly known Miles would manage against the society and, if he knew it was possible, then why wouldn't he lend a hand? He didn't drop off the watch in Miles' dimension, he gave one to his bestie, Gwen, likely in the scenario that she wanted to quit or got booted because 'it [didn't] work out'.**

I think Hobie's major flaw is his lack of consistency, as he famously said himself.

He has a strong moral code - he believes in the right things for the right reasons... but communism and anarchy are pretty much impossible to properly/entirely employ in a system that is consumerist, capitalist and authoritarian. He riots, he fights, but it's never over. London isn't free. In my experience, people with strong moral compasses tend to have issues with themselves because they hold others to higher standards than most and hold themselves to even higher and impossible standards (think Diane from Bojack Horseman).

One of the first comic panels I encountered of Hobie was him getting real with Captain Anarchy about losing morale because, despite killing President Ozzy Osborne, the face of fascism in his dystopia, nothing changes. He wasn't able to save the world like a hero in a movie or like a proper role model. He 'failed'. When you give your everything and nothing changes, no matter how optimistic, clever or read-up on theory you are, it can be hard to keep going.

And what is chosen as his defining canon event?

His version of Spider-Man quitting in "Spider-Man No More". Rather than being fed up with the world antagonising him as 616 is, Hobie is done with an antagonistic world.

The Hobie/Spider-Punk that has been built up externally, as far as I understand, would never give up. He'd keep raging forever and ever because that's the cool thing to do, because it's the heroic thing to do - because it's the right thing to do.

But under the mask, he's just a teenager, imperfect as any other.

He's still a Spider-Man too. Before the bite, he was another lanky black boy in racist-af, peak National Front, send-the-blacks-and-the-Asians-back, '70s England. He's a nerd, as evidenced by his ability to build such a high-tech watch, especially as a teenager who wouldn't have had access to anything like it until joining the society, meaning he had to pick it up quick. And I'm to think he didn't have any Flash-esque characters in his life? "Come out of it."

As Spider-Man with the mask on, he yells to the rooftops; as Hobie with the mask off, he mumbles and whispers. Sure he looks cool now but people don't tend to come out of the womb as Spider-Punk. On top of that, he's still so young and surely has plenty of room to grow.

I believe he joined the society in earnest, optimistic that he could help the multiverse but eventually reached his limits with actively facilitating death and trauma, with saving the multiverse not meaning freedom in his own universe, with being shackled to the web of destiny. I'm not convinced he made the watch in one day; I think he had been planning on quitting for some time and was waiting for the right moment (as he also wanted to support Gwen because friendship is important to him). That's why he tries to dissuade Miles from joining but, when he does leave, he doesn't go out in a riot, he doesn't even leave knowing that Miles has people on his side other than him. Hobie just quits.

I think his greatest strength is his optimism (his anarcho-communism & adamance about "love, joy and freedom" as per the un-permitted performance art pieces in his montage) but he's smart and he's been through shit - he isn't naive like Pavitr or Miles - the great heights of that optimism lead to intensely low lows.

**(I don't really see why or how he would have been able to predict everything that happened in the chase. I know that the watch is set to 1610 but if Hobie believed Miles would make it out of 928 and get back to 1610, would that not be things 'working out'? Or did he predict that he would get to the go-home machine but was the only one who considered that he would be sent to the place his spider came from. Why? And why wouldn't he set the watch to 42 if he knew Miles wouldn't be in 1610? I feel like the 1610 on the interface is just there to be there and that Hobie gave Gwen the watch so she could have the freedom to leave 65 if she wanted to, in the event that she quit the society because they captured Miles or because Miguel kicked her out as Jess kept warning.)

[lelliefant]

If you want to know why the Loki fandom has drifted away, just look at what Disney/Marvel did to him.

He was incredibly powerful—they made him weak and helpless.

He was smarter than everyone else—they made him a fool.

He was a prince—they made him a corporate office drone. They literally put him in a cubicle.

Loki was an alien—they made him an ordinary guy.

He was flamboyant and colorful—they put him in beige. They actually made him act as if he was excited to wear a beige uniform.

The real Loki would never have tolerated a uniform of any sort, much less something so bland. He was never a soldier or a cog in the wheel. Loki is the piston.

Loki was a deeply wounded, angst-driven son with complex motivations—Disney made him an uncaring narcissist who suddenly sees the error of his ways (in one episode) and has a total personality swipe.

Loki was iconoclastic—they made him ordinary.

They took the most interesting and volatile character in the MCU and warped him into an Everyman role, and somehow everyone bought it. Apparently because they used the same actor with the same face—?

Really think about it. If another actor had started playing Loki for the series, they couldn’t have pulled it off. Series Loki is not the same character as Loki from Thor 1, Avengers 1, and Thor 2. He’s as different as the moviemakers in charge of the productions are. (The directors of Avengers 1 and Thor 2, Joss Whedon and Alan Taylor, simply had the grace and humility to take their cue from the original vision of Kenneth Branagh.)

If you don’t actually pay attention to Loki’s character, motivations, logical action, or his history, and you’re only interested in being entertained, I guess it doesn’t matter. This is just a superhero movie character, so who cares if they turned him inside out to conform with a simpler, less challenging archetype?

He’s their property, after all. They can use him however they want to. If they want to chew him up and spit him out as a naive, lovelorn mensch because that’s the Disney protagonist formula, they can and will. If they want to put him into a buddy-cop procedural, as if he were an ordinary human person whose shtick is a magic kit, they can.

A lot of you who are constantly defending the Loki Series are not really thinking about it. Maybe you’re just happy he has a show to his name. Maybe you don’t care; you just want more “content.” Maybe you don’t want someone spoiling your fun.

Maybe you think you’re being the loyal crowd by “defending” Loki. You’re not seeing that Disney did worse than kill him off—they unmade him. They put the God of Mischief into a blender with the Disney formula, audience response data, standard storytelling tropes, a limited range of plot lines, and a great deal of money, and out came this golem with Loki’s face on it.

You might revile me for saying all this because that’s easier than facing the truth or questioning the Powers That Be. There will always be people who can’t tolerate having their beliefs challenged.

I have seen nastiness on this hellsite toward people who question and protest what the majority accepts—but that’s just a reflection of the real world. It’s never going to work out well for those of us who see things differently and who don’t shut up about it. So, why do we keep annoying everyone with our dissenting opinions?

In my case it’s because I actually do care about Loki. I care enough to tell the unpopular truth, as I see it. Because, to me, Loki isn’t just an MCU character. He is representation.

He was a survivor of abuse and scapegoating by his own family. He was an outsider who defied convention and took on great challenges, despite everyone in his world trying to push him down. He shirked the role he was forced to play and chose to define himself instead. He saw the hate and scorn directed at him from all sides and laughed.

He struck out on his own into the unknown—which is incredibly hard to do, even if you had been given the support to believe in yourself.

The Loki Series did get one thing right: Loki is a survivor. He’s survived misinterpretations before, and he will survive Disneyfication. Maybe the public will tolerate a warped mischaracterization of him for a while before they lose interest, but the God of Mischief prevails. Thor1 Loki will always be there, smirking triumphantly from the shadows.

[earlgrey24]

Okay, this is it, this is the potentially controversial post - Marie Antoinette-related snapshots from Paris

I didn't go out of my way to see places/things related to her but when you visit Versailles/Louvre, traces of her will be there

1. A painting of Marie Antoinette being led to the execution site

(I can't believe I haven't seen it before! I really like it - you can see each one of those soldiers watching her intensely. It also doesn't infantilise her. Unlike a lot of frev-related media, she looks about the right age here (37). The sign next to it even made a comment how the painter was obviously sympathetic to her – I think so too and I think it's great that they mentioned it!)

2. Marie Antoinette's 'model village' in Versailles/Trianon

Okay, I don't know why I expected it to be much smaller and more subtle after seeing everything else in Versailles but I was still surprised - it's huge irl. It's obviously awful that someone would be play-acting a simple farmer girl while people in actual villages were on the edge of starvation. But in simpler times, I would say that the contrast between the artificial life at the court full of rigid rules and the desire to flee to an (idealised version of) simple rural life is really interesting, philosophically speaking. Makes me wonder if Marie read Jean Jacques Rousseau.

3. A tea set and a bust of Marie Antoinette displayed in Louvre

Nothing much to say here I'm afraid. It looks really nice? There was a huge collection of things belonging to her in Louvre.

Bonus/& more thoughts under read more!

Baby goats at MA's model village in Trianon! (My friend unironically thought this was the best part of Versailles)

I also rewatched/made my friends watch LRF (I know, I know, but it's still arguably the most approachable film about frev. It's also free in Czech on YouTube, that was a significant factor as well) and we agreed that we didn't hate how she is portrayed there?

It's obviously not historically accurate but Jane Seymour's character is one of the best female characters in the movie imo. She is at least given a voice and is portrayed as quite politically savvy (e. g. her meeting with Mirabeau).

Being from CZ, we would all learn at school about her mother. She was the only woman in our history who ruled the empire and she was a very skillful politician - I honestly think HOTD's Rhaenyra may have been at least partially inspired by her war of succession.

It made me (us) wonder if it's not possible that some of those traits could have been passed onto her daughter.

I would actually be more okay with it if Marie Antoinette was portrayed as scheming and uncaring rather than consistently being depicted as an innocent victim who had no idea what was going on at any point.

Highly recommend this post for further reading! ->

[sluttywonwoo]

instead of you [part ten] || l.mh

pairing: [best friend’s brother] lee minho x college!reader ft. han jisung

summary: you didn’t expect to spend your summer pretending to be your best friend’s girlfriend- then again, you didn’t expect to fall for your best friend’s brother, either. 

warnings: swearing, alcohol, mentions of sex (18+ mdni)

word count: 2.6k

a/n: revamped my tom holland series from my main blog ( @wazzupmrstark ) to try and motivate myself to finish it!!

series masterlist | early access to the next chapter on ko-fi

“Just that you’re not technically a chef yet,” Minho explained defensively. “You’re not certified.”

“A chef doesn’t need a piece of paper to call themselves a chef,” Leo countered. “Anyone can be a chef. But don’t tell the WAC I said that.”

“Yeah, Minho haven’t you ever seen Ratatouille?” you teased.

“Great movie,” Leo added. “Jisung, great job on your dough,” he reiterated.

Jisung stuck his tongue out at his brother across the table who rolled his eyes in response as Leo picked up his ball of dough and rolled it in his hands.

“Minho, yours is still a little tough. Keep working on it.”

He nodded and took his dough back to continue kneading it. You noticed his jaw clenched subtly in frustration, but he didn’t say anything else. You watched as he rolled the pasta dough with a little more force, maybe a little too much.

Leo checked yours next and gave you similar feedback to Minho’s, even though Jisung had helped you with yours. You didn’t want to think about what kind of feedback you would have gotten on your own.

Your dough was still flaking apart when you went back to working on it, and you tried desperately to hold it together with little success. Jisung had left your side to help his mom so you were on your own.

At least Minho was also struggling. You felt a little better knowing he was miserable too.

You were starting to sweat with effort, you were so out of shape that even cooking had you catching your breath. You had thought this was going to be fun, but instead you were having flashbacks to high school P.E. class.

Leo made his way down the rest of the table and checked everyone else’s dough before circling back to you and Minho. He took over for Minho and instructed Jisung to finish kneading yours so that he could move on with the lesson. It was embarrassing to be singled out, but Jisung assured you it wasn’t your fault. He wasn’t making much progress with yours either.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with yours,” Jisung whispered to you.

“I probably did it wrong,” you hissed back.

“I watched you do it, you did it the same way as everyone else.”

“Then why is it being like this?”

“Sometimes food has a mind of its own,” Leo interjected, making you realize the entire class had been listening to you and Jisung’s back and forth. “This is good enough, though. We can set it aside with the other balls of dough to let them rest while we make the fillings.”

You and Minho set your sad pasta balls on the counter with the others before moving to the sink to rinse your hands.

“I think they’ll still taste good,” Minho said thoughtfully as he offered the bottle of soap to you and pumped some into your hands.

“I hope so.”

“It’s pasta, it’s almost impossible to fuck it up.”

“Yet somehow we still managed to.”

“Some would say it’s talent,” he said and shrugged.

You bumped his shoulder with your own as you fought over the water stream. You managed to stick your hands in first and Minho put his above yours only for you to shove them away.

“Hey!”

“You’re completely ruining the purpose of washing my hands!”

“I have soap on my hands, you have soap on your hands, what’s the issue?”

“And you’re washing off your germs and they’re going on my hands now!”

“Fine, fine, I’ll wait my turn,” he seceded and let you finish washing your hands before he rinsed off his own.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Making the fillings for the pasta was a much simpler process than making the dough. All you had to do was mix certain ingredients together. It didn’t matter what order you added them, if you whisked fast or slow, the only important thing was that everything made it into the bowl one way or another.

You worked in pairs for this step. Jisung mixed together the pesto filling while you did the parmesan-truffle one.

“This is different than the pesto I make,” he said, looking at the mixture in his bowl.

You frowned. “But I like your pesto.”

“It’ll still be good, baby,” he assured you with a kiss to the forehead. “Don’t worry.”

When the fillings were done it was time to revisit the balls of dough and roll them into pasta. Jisung explained it to you like rolling Play-Doh, but it was far more difficult in your opinion. Play-Doh was nowhere near as stubborn as this. The pasta dough somehow retained tension, and would bounce back every time you tried to stretch it.

Jisung ended up having to help you and Minho because both of you were starting at a disadvantage with your fucked up dough.

“I never want to hear you say I have it easier than you ever again,” Jisung warned as he folded your strands of dough into raviolis.

The class had moved on to the final step, shaping and filling the noodles, but you had already tapped out. Jisung was done with his portion before you had even finished one so he had taken over for you.

“I’m sorry for saying that,” you said, remembering all the times you had teased him for stressing out over his ‘soufflé final’ or ‘crepe labs’. “I would much rather be writing a paper right now.”

He shrugged. “Everyone has their strengths.”

“I’m starting to think that Ratatouille movie was bullshit,” you groaned.

“How ironic,” Minho snorted across from you.

He was really starting to get on your nerves. But you let his comment go, not allowing your temper to get the better of you. He was still Jisung’s family, even if they had a… complicated relationship.

When the class finally settled in the dining room of the restaurant to eat you were sweaty, sore, and exhausted. You could feel your skin sticking to the leather seat, and you felt severely underdressed. Back in the kitchen you hadn’t been so self-conscious. But now you couldn’t stop thinking about your appearance.

The atmosphere was much more sophisticated. The lights were dim, and soft music played in the background. All of the other guests were following an unspoken black-tie dress code while the fifteen of you were still wearing your disposable aprons, only now they were covered in flour and egg yolk.

And to make it worse-

“Smile!”

Nikki held up her phone and motioned for you and Jisung to scoot your chairs closer together. You took a deep breath and complied, leaning your head against your fake boyfriend’s and managing a grin. You really didn’t want this moment to be immortalized, but you didn’t want to be difficult either.

The camera flashed once, then again. Jisung wrapped a hand around your waist and pulled your body against his, pressing a kiss to your cheek for another picture. You scrunched up your face as the flash went off, the tickle of his breath against your skin and the feather-light touch of his lips making you squeeze your eyes shut.

“That’s a good one!” Nikki complimented, even though you were sure it wasn’t as flattering as she was making it out to be.

The pasta was served with a glass of red wine for everyone. Jisung was right, the pesto was different from his, but it was still good. It was no match for his recipe, but the handmade pasta did give it a few bonus points. You were sure you hadn’t gotten any of the noodles you made because all of the ones on your plate were perfect. It didn’t feel fair that you got to enjoy somebody else’s hard work while they got your shitty excuse of a ravioli.

But as the wine dwindled from your glass the negative thoughts began to ebb away too. Your muscles, though still sore, relaxed slightly and you rested your head on Jisung’s shoulder as everyone else finished their meals around you. The conversation carried on without your contribution. Your social battery had died hours ago, but you were content to listen to the Hans chat with other students at the table.

You weren’t a huge fan of wine, but the one served with dinner was palatable, and to be honest you weren’t one to turn down complimentary alcohol anyway. It tasted more expensive than anything you had ever drank, like the equivalent of velvet on your tongue. You finished your glass and the rest of Felix’s.

-

The next few days in Florence passed in a similar fashion. You ate a lot of carbs, drank a lot of alcohol and let the business of the itinerary overwhelm you. It was getting tiring, living in an act. Trailing along behind the Hans like a dog, worn on Jisung’s arm like an accessory.

You had known what you were getting into, and you were trying your best to enjoy the experiences- because who the fuck knows when you’ll ever get to go on such a nice vacation again, but pretending to be in love with your best friend was a harder feat than you had thought.

It felt like being in a school play. Every move and phrase had to be intentional. You tread the lines of your relationship with rehearsed expertise. And you had to watch what you said, because everyone’s eyes were on you. At least that’s what it felt like.

Jisung’s parents were easy. They fully bought into your lie, seeing what they wanted to. They usually left you to your own devices, too. His brothers were the ones who needed convincing. Not even Felix, though. Minho was the problem. Minho was always the problem.

You were in Rome now, walking back to the hotel from the Colosseum. Jisung had his arm slung around your shoulders and was talking his twin brother’s ear off about the Gladiators and inaccuracies in films about Ancient Rome.

You didn’t think you’d seen him this excited the entire trip. It was cute, the way he talked with his hands and looked off into the distance whenever he was really engaged in something. Felix was also cute. He was trying his best to keep up with Jisung, nodding his head at all the right points, asking questions when there was a pause in conversation.

“Yeah, gladiators fucking unionized,” Jisung explained. “They put their lives on the line all the time, ya know? Might as well get benefits.”

“If I was a gladiator I’d join their union,” you said, adding to the conversation for the first time in a while.

“There were women gladiators too, babe! You totally could’ve been one.”

You laughed. “You remember my season on the intramural dodgeball team? I wouldn’t last a day. But I appreciate the thought, Ji.”

You had dinner in the restaurant attached to the hotel lobby. Nikki passed around her Canon for everyone to look through the pictures from the day while a bottle of limoncello was passed around the table.

You’d scarfed down your pasta and passed on dessert in favor of another shot of limoncello. Rookie mistake.

In the past the sugary drink had always tasted like cough syrup to you, but this batch tasted like straight-up lemonade. You were tipsy, bordering on drunk, but nowhere near blacked. Nikki and Dom turned in around shot three, leaving the tab open for the four of you. Jisung went upstairs next, having gone too hard too fast on the limoncello (he was on shot five when his parents went back to their room).

Then it was just You, Felix, and Minho. You told Jisung you’d join him in a bit after the pianist played a couple more songs. In all honesty, the music reminded you of Jisung. Back at school you could always find Jisung in the music hall if he wasn’t in the culinary building. You’d always hear him playing as soon as you walked through the double doors. You could always tell it was him at the keys by the way the playing sounded. He was self-taught, but still a genius in your mind. He didn’t need any formal training to make beautiful music, and that’s what you loved about it.

When he moved out of the dorms and into an apartment he bought a keyboard, and you’d spend nights together in his room illegally pirating sheet music for him to learn new songs. He’d play whatever you requested, and if he didn’t know how to play it he’d teach himself.

The pianist in the restaurant played with a little more expertise. The notes sounded refined, perfected. Jisung always told you that perfect music was restrained music, that real music had flaws, that a song should sound a little different every time it was played.

After an encore of Beethoven the man at the piano stood from his bench and took a bow, passing his hat around the room to collect tips. Minho dropped a bill into the hat and you did as well, handing it back to the man afterwards. He dumped the contents of the hat into a briefcase and closed the lid of the piano, thanking everyone in the audience for their donations.

“Well, I think I’m going to head up now,” Felix said, yawning for emphasis. “We still have to get up at the ass crack of dawn even though we’ll all probably be hungover.”

“Speak for yourself,” Minho said cockily, then turned to you. “One more shot?”

The bottle of limoncello was almost empty anyway. Might as well finish it off, it’d be a shame to let it go to waste, right?

“Hit me.”

“God, you’re both going to be so fucked tomorrow,” Felix groaned.

“We’ll be fine,” Minho insisted, rolling his eyes at his younger brother.

“Good night, Felix,” you sang, waving at him as he walked off.

“Yeah whatever.”

Minho wasted no time pouring you both a shot of what was left of the limoncello. The restaurant was beginning to clear out so he worked fast, filling the glasses up to the marked line. You both took one and clinked them together before throwing them back.

You winced at the burning sensation in the back of your throat and put the glass back on the table, searching for something to chase the shot with. Your eyes fell to Minho, lingering on his cheeks, his lips, both pink from the alcohol or something else. You flicked your gaze down to his neck, his collarbone that was peeking out from the neckline of his shirt. You thought about how it would feel to kiss him there, to run your tongue over a love bite you’d given him.

You forced your gaze back to his eyes, hoping he hadn’t caught you staring. You had to act uninterested, you couldn’t let on to- but he was staring back. His eyes were intense, and almost impossible to read in the darkness of the room. You knew you should look away, knew you had to keep up appearances, but you couldn’t.

Later you’d blame it on the alcohol, but in that moment you knew the limoncello wasn’t what was making your head spin, or your what was making your vision cloudy.

You were about to leave the table, about to rush to the elevator and back to Jisung but then suddenly Minho was kissing you. He cradled your head in his hand and tilted your chin up to meet his lips. It wasn’t desperate or messy like most drunk kisses were. Instead, it was delicate. You swore you could feel every line of his lips against yours, feel his heartbeat through his hands on your cheek.

It was only for a second, not enough time for you to react or reciprocate and then he was pulling away, eyes wide with panic.

“Please don’t tell Jisung.”

lmk what you think i always appreciate feedback!!

no taglist today bc my laptop is broken but if you’d like to add yourself to the taglist you can do so here!

[onesapphireeye]

in your warmth

Aegon reveals that he has been going to counseling and is committed to getting better and being a better father and husband. You, as always, forgive and forget too easily.

modern!aegon x reader + "you have a pretty face when you aren't yelling at me."

warnings: use of she/her for reader. angst that turns happy. metaphoric mentions of murder. aegon is/was an alcoholic. mentions of separation.

nori says: why is my brain like this?????? how did i get this from that prompt? lmao idk, but warmth by bastille was on repeat. i tried to make the reader a softer personality than usual. not beta read, as always!! you know how we do around here! xoxo.

word count: 2,000~

If your life was a movie, its genre would be a crime documentary. They'd portray you as the kind of person who lit up a room, whose once-brilliant smile had been dulled by years of living with a man who robbed everything from you. Someone whose great ambition in life lay in shreds, mangled by the ghosts of her former hopes.

No, Aegon hadn't killed you, but he had stolen your essence.

You sunk into despair as you reflected on how he'd taken away your vibrant spirit and quieted your voice. Conversations were now limited to cold, bureaucratic texts, and you felt like a shadow of your former self.

You just knew audiences would weep at their screens and feel their hearts break for the pretty wife. They'd ask why justice had not been served? Wonder if her husband's family had powerful connections?

You didn't want to be seen as a deer led to slaughter.

As much as you wanted to be courageous like Amy Dunne from Gone Girl and make a break for freedom, you never could think of a good plan. 

How would you go about faking your own death?

Where would you go afterwards?

You didn't want to get away; instead, you desperately wished for a way to turn back the hands of time. Aegon had been your first love and you still cherished him in your heart. 

Pain lanced through you at the thought of your twins. As much as they completed you, you missed the days before their births when life was so much simpler. You felt like a disgusting mother for even thinking it, but Aegon had been so untroubled then. Becoming a father had made him so terrified of repeating his own father's mistakes that he chose to ignore his worries instead. 

Your conversations seemed always fraught with tension and fear, though he would put on a forced smile to comfort you and convince you that everything was alright. He would tell you how happy he was, but each word was coated in the need for alcohol, a way of dulling the pain of his struggle.

What finally prompted you into action, was when you had come home after a spin class to a house filled with the stench of booze and your children huddled miserably next to the motionless form of their unconscious father. 

You had tried everything to help him, but he refused to quit drinking and you weren't willing to have your kids suffer like he did as a child. His stubbornness had forced you to separate and take a job outside the home in order to support them.

You wanted full custody and felt like Aegon had abandoned you in your time of need.

Aegon had not been picking up your calls, and you found out through his sister that his solution to the struggle of parenting two children was to find another woman to do the job—his mother.

She had been taking them overnight, shielding you from the truth in order to "spare your feelings". You knew enough about their family to know that her intentions were really to keep up appearances for Aegon, yet it tore you apart all the same. 

How could your opinion of him decrease any further? You felt broken and alone, with no one to turn to.

OUTGOING: I know it's late and this is pretty last minute but do you think I can drop by to get you to sign some forms? I wouldn't bother you with this, but they need a wet signature for legality.

AEGON: I'm in the middle of something right now

AEGON: Can we meet up tomorrow evening? There are some things I need to tell you about

AEGON: Do you want to meet at Visenya's? My treat for your time

OUTGOING: 6pm works for me?

AEGON: It's a date

OUTGOING: It's not a date, Aegon. Just a friendly dinner.

As you drove into the parking lot of Visenya's, your heart raced and your breath caught in your throat. You were here to meet Aegon and the combination of anticipation and nerves was hard to manage.

It was a familiar place for the both of you, and the memories came flooding back. You could still taste the red wine on your lips from the night you accepted his marriage proposal here and the sweet chocolate cake from your first date left a bitter aftertaste. Looking up at its doors, you wondered why he chose this venue.  

Your attention was drawn to Aegon's beloved Sunfrye, a 1962 Ferrari 250 California SWB Spider by Scaglietti, custom painted an aged gold gleamed in the darkness, mocking your pain. You knew more about this car than you'd ever wanted, thanks to all the time Aegon spent talking about it. And you sat there every time like a dutiful idiot, happy to share anything with him.

You wanted to rip Sunfyre apart with your bare hands, to feel something other than the sadness overwhelming you, but instead, you bit back a sob. Tears gathered in your eyes as you battled against the urge to key the car out of spite. You could almost picture him on his hands and knees before the vehicle; blubbering in anguish at your destructive creation.

Aegon hadn't even been on time to your wedding, so you were surprised to see he was already here. Your foolish heart wondered if this was a sign. You didn't want to turn one of your rare meetings into a fight because of a burst of vindictive pleasure.

You swallowed your apprehension and walked inside the restaurant, fifteen minutes after the set reservation time.

Giving your name to the hostess at the front, you were guided to the table where Aegon sat. Your face split into a smile at the sight of him. His skin glowed with a vibrant radiance, and his eyes shimmered with life-not from alcohol. His white blonde hair was brushed back, revealing his dazzling features. The usual bags under his eyes were gone, leaving him looking more alive than you had ever seen him before.

Your heart did a flip as you realized how much better he looked, and it filled you with warmth to know he could be happy.

"Hi," you said softly, placing the envelope on the table between you two.

"Hi!" Aegon stood abruptly, gallantly helping you take off your outerwear before pulling out your chair for you. You took a seat, feeling slightly anxious in his presence after so much time apart. As he moved away, his hands grazing your shoulders sent electricity coursing through your body, making you feel slightly more at ease.

He sat back down across from you an gave you an endearing smile, your lips curved in a small smile in response. You could tell that he was just as nervous as you were, but was trying to be brave. It made it easier to relax, knowing that you weren't alone in feeling that way.

You settled into your seat, looking into each others eyes and reveling in the moment.

"You look gorgeous. It's been ages since I've seen you light up like this." He used to be a charmer, until he lost sight of what was most important.

Your gaze flicked down, you were hesitant of looking him in the eye, in case your expression gave away how much you still appreciated compliments from him. "Sometimes I wonder if we would still be together if you had said more nice things." You had to fight your younger self, the person who was so weak and willing to forgive his wrongdoings. "I apologize, I shouldn't have said that. Let's just enjoy this moment and talk like normal people."

You had always been gentle with this man-- you still loved him, despite all of your pain-- asking for a divorce had come as a jolt to everyone. No one knew Aegon's sweet little wife had a will of steel, because you had even been so compliant in his meticulous demolishing of your own spirit.

You didn't know how to start. "You said you had something you wanted to update me on?"

"I've been going to AA meetings." Your eyebrows shot so high they almost disappeared into your hairline, your mouth a gaping maw of disbelief. He continued when you didn't say anything. "I've made mistakes in the past, and I can't promise that I won't make mistakes in the future; but I can promise that I'll learn from them this time."

You could almost sense the hopefulness radiating off of him, he was determined to be better and make things right.

"I'm so proud of you," You whispered softly, "It takes a lot of strength to take a hard look at yourself and try to make a change. Believe me, I know exactly how hard it can be." Your hearts swelled with emotion, overwhelmed by the fact that you two could have such an honest, heartfelt conversation.

"I didn't just do this for myself. I did this for us." His eyes glistened with intense emotion, "I have so much love to give and I just want to give it—the right way. I'm finally ready to learn, but I need you to show me. Please., I want to come home." He was pleading with his entire being.

Your heart was pounding wildly in your chest and before you knew it, your hand had reached out and entwined with his.

You looked him in the eyes, "I love you Aegon, more than I should. And I'm here, ready to learn along with you." His warm hand in yours let you know that this was real, that despite all the struggles and arguments, you both still had feelings for each other. "But you can't just come home, not yet."

You watched his face fall as he nodded in understanding. You hated seeing him look so defeated, but it was important to take things slow. You needed to make sure that this wasn't just a momentary flash of love. 

There was a lot of work to be done before you could tell all your families and the kids that you two were reconciling. It would take time, patience and understanding but if it meant that you two could finally have the happy ending that you both deserved then it was worth it.

As Aegon went on about what he had gone through since the separation, you couldn't help but be astonished at how much he had changed. He opened up to you as if you were a long-lost friend, sharing pieces of himself that he never would have let out before. You embraced every word like it was a token of love from him and hung onto it with all that was left within you.

After a few hours of talking, he seemed exhausted from pouring out so much of himself that needed to be released. You felt something shift between you two; something was healing, something that couldn't come back to its original form: a marriage connected by love. But instead, it could be connected by something more beautiful; honesty, respect, understanding and care.

You both looked down at the envelope that still lay untouched on the table between you two.

His free hand began to reach across the table to grab it, and you stopped him. "Don't worry about those."

He gave you a warm smile and gazed into your eyes; something had stirred within you that had been dormant for far too long. "You know, you have a pretty face when you aren't yelling at me."

"Please don't start making jokes." You squeezed his hand tightly before letting go and both of you sat in silence for a few moments, feeling the tension between you two dissipate as you sipped on your drinks.

norinote: remember you can send me prompts from here or your own ideas! xoxo.

[fleverian]

Mermay? Nah it's fairy time

Here's some close ups

Been thinking about Fairytopia. Gotta be one of my favorite Barbie movies. I've wanted to draw a young Laverna and Enchantress for a while.

I'm gonna rant about nearly 20 year old Barbie movies. Man, I wish we got some more lore for these movies. Instead we got Mariposa, which was ok and I liked it but I didn't really care for, idk what to call it, the aggressive girliness? Where they bring in fairies obsessed with fashion and everything had to be covered in glitter. But at least I could consider it as maybe just a story Elina was telling Bibble or somewhere far away from Fairytopia. But the the next one ruined it by having Mariposa just straight up fly through Fairytopia and now there's some crystal fairy kingdom right in the middle of the Magic Meadow and the aesthetics and fashion completely clash with the first three Fairytopia movies. I like how the outfits in Fairytopia look like they are made from flowers and natural things. But in Mariposa and The Fairy Princess the outfits look like generic glittery modern Barbie princess aesthetic. Absolutely hate it. To me, it is not canon.

The older Barbie movies are super dated looking probably were even when they just came out. But they all had such well designed outfits and environments. They kind of have a liminal feeling to them. I love the aesthetics of them. The modern Barbie movies improved a bit in the animation, but never to the point where it looked that great. To me they end up looking more uncanny than the older ones. Because the older ones at least had a style to them but the newer ones just look generic. The fashion the backgrounds everything is just so soulless to me. Idk, maybe I'm just old and miss my childhood lol.

Really wish Mattel would revisit some of the old Barbie movie characters though. With a movie, books, or picture books. I fear them making anything with them with the new animation though. I need them to dust off their old stuff and bring back the crappy mid 2000's Barbie cgi. I neeeed it. It would probably be cheaper for them too since it's outdated. I need to see a new Barbie movie in all it's old

glory.

I need to see my girl Elina again. I want some more Fairytopia and Mermaidia lore.

Would love to see some backstory of Laverna and The Enchantress. I feel like there's something there. It just needs to be expanded on. What's Laverna's deal and why is The Enchantress the most useless fairy in all Fairytopia. I have to know.

I designed some younger versions of them. I saw this and wanted to draw my own versions. Gave The Enchantress a name too, Elvina. Read it means "elf or magical friend or noble being" and thought it fits really well.

Decided to try a new coloring style with these. I think it works pretty well for fairy characters. I don't think I'll use it much with other things because it takes a while and I like to use a simpler style.

Here are some versions with no backgrounds since the wings are transparent

[purlty23]

Anonymously asking the people I follow to talk about something that makes them happy! (I don't remember if i've already asked you this before ignore it if I have) Do me a learn if you're so inclined!

Hello dear anon! I don’t think I have gotten this before, it must have been one of the many that I’m sure slip through tumblr’s cracks. I love any excuse to talk about my interests, this is such a gift! Since we’re in the demon church fandom here, why not some history of demon summoning? Every horror movie you’ve ever seen where demons are summoned in under 24 hours vastly underestimate the work that allegedly went into the practice!

Before anything, I’m going to cite my source for everything here. Grimorium Verum is a grimoire written in the 18th century, though in the books itself it claims to be from 1517. Markedly untrue. It translates to True Grimoire, and it’s one of the only grimoires out there from the era that has a detailed description of the summoning of demons. It shares some things of note with the Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon, which was written during the Italian Renaissance. You can read Grimorium Verum translated here! One thing you’ll notice if you read it is how quickly the author is to tell you that everything is of consequence. Every action, every word, and even down to the time that they’re done or said is of meaning. It would be incredibly difficult to do it ‘on accident’ going by these guidelines like a lot of pop culture would have you believe First, you’d have to know which demon you want. Each demon has a specific talent or task it can complete. They also have their own sigils. That’s where works like Psuedomonarchia Deamonum, published in 1577, come in handy. Here’s my personal version of it if you’d like to read. It’s a full A-Z list of Hell’s notable demons and their standing in Lucifer’s leagues. Once you’ve figured that out, there’s a lot to plan. Preliminary incantations are just the beginning of pages upon pages of latin that would need to be spoken. The first Invocation is written on virgin parchment- parchment made of a young animal’s tanned hide, likely goat. Purification of the summoner must take place before any instruments for the summoning can be made:

The lancet, made of new steel on the day and hour of Jupiter in the crescent moon. Followed by reciting Orison and the Seven Psalms

The sacrificial knife, which needs to be made of new steel and strong enough to cut through the neck of a young goat. Made on the day of Mars on a full moon. It needs specific carvings on the hilt, and once more follow by Orison and the Seven Psalms

The virgin parchment, which must be made from the sacrificial goat, lamb, or other animal killed with the knife above. All other instruments must remain on the altar at the time of creation.

Two rods; both of hazel wood, one cut in a single stroke on the day and hour of Mercury on a cresent moon, one cut in a single stroke on the day and hour of the Sun. Followed by none other than Orison

Confused about all these days and hours? No worries- those of the time and talent would have had a great grasp on planetary days and hours. Every single step of tanning the virgin parchment comes with it’s own ceremony and incantations, and every action matters.

The summoner must to it all on their own before preparing themselves. They must pray in specific ways at specific times for three days. Seeing how we know this all must start in the day and hour of Jupiter, after those three days of prayer it would be 11 days of preparation.

The actual summoning ritual has to be on a Tuesday. It’s a lot of drawing of sigils, invocations and conjurations. It’s actually the simpler part of everything, if the grimoire is to be believed. However… it claims there to be two kinds of pacts to be made with demons: the tactic and the apparent. The apparent is notably also called the explicit. We can infer quite a bit from that one sly comment by our sassy writer here.

[nerdzzone]

Worlds Apart

Chapter Three

Summary: Single mom, Bridget Clark, thought that she was fine by herself. Moving her son to a new town and out of the hustle and bustle of Boston, she thought that life would be quieter and simpler, but a chance encounter with a certain Hollywood actor only a week after their big move had her questioning everything. Bridget was faced with the ultimate decision of head vs heart, but would letting her guard down prove to be worth the risk?

Series Masterlist

-----

To say that Bridget was nervous would be an understatement.

She knew that there was really no need to be - she’d already been in Chris’ company several times and they’d spent almost the entire day together on Saturday as he helped her paint her house - but there was something different about the fact that he was taking her on an official date. Even though he’d done nothing to encourage any stress, she felt like there was more pressure on the evening ahead of her than any other time they’d spent together. She was amazed that he’d even wanted to take her out and she knew that she wouldn’t be getting another invitation any time soon if she blew it.

She was trying not to worry too much as she’d clearly already made a decent enough impression to have him willing to go out with her in the first place, but it lingered in her mind just how different their lives were. “I think you’re pretty great” had been his response when she’d called herself boring, but while she had been half-joking, it was a valid concern. He was a movie star. His life was - at least some of the time - filled with the glamour of Hollywood, parties with some of the most famous people on the planet, and attending events that she had only ever watched on television from the comfort of her couch. Whereas she spent most of her time surrounded by books, trying to coax children into discovering the joy of reading or hanging out with her four year old. She was content with her life, but it was wildly different to his and she was skeptical that once he realized just how ordinary she was that he would still disagree with her use of the word ‘boring’.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror of the staff room bathroom at the library didn’t give her any extra confidence. Considering she was meeting him straight after she was done at work, she hadn’t had time to change. She’d planned her outfit for the day with the knowledge that she would be seeing him after, but she had to keep it practical for the library too and as she looked herself over she wondered if she’d made the wrong choice. She looked nice enough in the black turtleneck sweater and black jeans that she’d picked out and paired with her long black coat so she would be warm enough if they happened to be walking any distance, but the simplicity only added to her fear of being unremarkable.

However, she didn’t have time to go home and change so she knew there was nothing to be done about it and while she wanted to make a good impression and show the best of herself to Chris, she wasn’t really willing to put on much of an act to entice him. If the mundanity of her life wasn’t something he could accept then she figured it was better to know that sooner rather than later.

Pulling her out of her thoughts, her phone vibrated on the counter next to the sink as a message from Chris popped up on the screen.

Hey, I’m outside!

It sent a flicker of nervous excitement down her spine and after giving her hair one last tousle to make sure it looked okay, she hurried out to meet him and found him leaning against one of the pillars outside the main door. It was amazing how well he really could blend in and go unnoticed as people wandered by him without batting an eye - especially when he caught her attention so quickly. Of course, she had been looking for him, but he looked so handsome that she was surprised that anyone could pass by without being distracted by him.

“Hi,” he greeted her as he noticed her approaching him. “Wow, you look great.”

“I was just thinking the same thing about you,” she informed him, matching the smile on his face. “But I hope we’re not going anywhere too fancy, my work clothes might not be up to five star standard.”

“Wow, five star on the first date?” Chris raised an eyebrow as his smile shifted into a smirk. “You have high expectations.”

“I really don’t,” she assured him. “I’m not really ever a five star kinda girl. I prefer to stick to the cheap stuff so I don’t get a taste for finer things than I can afford.”

Her words were said with an air of jest and Chris chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders.

“The finer things usually aren’t worth the price,” he admitted. “But how about we go for something in the middle? Is Italian okay?”

“Yeah, Italian sounds great.”

“Perfect,” Chris nodded before leading her down the path towards the main road. “I know a place nearby. The food is great and I trust them to be discreet.”

“Oh, you trust them? Is this where you take all your other dates too?”

“There you go again, making your assumptions.” Chris playfully rolled his eyes and Bridget bit back a grin as he sarcastically replied, “Yeah, I’m there every month for a new first date.”

“I knew it,” Bridget let out a dramatic sigh. “At least you must know what to order by now, I guess.”

“I can recommend a few things,” he chuckled with a nod. “But pretty much everything they have is a safe bet.”

Trusting his judgement, Bridget felt another flush of excitement - this time from the thought of getting to know her new town. Spending time with Chris was obviously the best part of the evening, but after living there for almost two months, she was happy to finally be finding some nice local places to enjoy. She’d had several recommendations from her co-workers, but she’d been so busy settling into her new house and her new job that socialising had taken a bit of a back seat. So, as Chris held open the door to the busy restaurant and she was hit by the mouthwatering smell of unmistakably Italian food, she felt a renewed sense of gratitude that he’d suggested their date.

As promised, the staff were happy to be discreet and quickly led them to a table towards the back of the room - away from most of the prying eyes of the seating area and anyone waiting to be seated - and after a quick browse of the menu Chris ordered them each a glass of wine and a serving of his favourite pasta dish. They made small talk as they waited with Chris asking about how her work day had been, but once their drinks arrived they moved onto more personal things.

“This is my Ma’s favourite wine,” he informed her when she complimented his choice. “I usually order it whenever I see it on a menu.”

“She has good taste,” Bridget commended. “I normally lean towards white wine over red, but this one’s really nice!”

“She does have good taste, she’s a wise woman.”

The affection in Chris’ voice rang out clearly and his obvious love for her tugged on Bridget’s heart.

“You seem really close to your family,” she observed as she sipped her wine. “At least, with your sister and your mom.”

“I am,” Chris nodded, even though the smile that slid onto his face would have been answer enough. “We’re all very close. Carly’s my older sister, but I have a younger one too and a younger brother. We all try to get together as often as we can.”

There was a pang of jealousy in her stomach, but Bridget forced it down as she matched his smile.

“That’s really nice. What about your dad?”

“We’re close too, but my parents are divorced and I don’t see him quite as often as I see my Ma,” he admitted. “But what about you? Are you close with your family?”

“Not really,” Bridget shrugged, hesitating slightly as she knew a more accurate answer would have been ‘no, not at all’. “My dad’s a surgeon, my mom’s a lawyer, and I was an accident. They really didn’t have much time for me with their busy careers.”

She kept her tone nonchalant despite the heaviness to what she was saying. It was something she’d accepted long ago and while the distance between her and her parents still stung, it wasn’t something she was eager to dive into on the first date.

“That’s rough,” Chris frowned. “Any siblings?”

“Yeah, one brother,” she informed him. “But he’s thirteen years older than me which is probably another reason why my parents struggled with me. They’d already done the whole kid thing by the time I arrived.”

“That seems a little unfair to you…”

“I always thought so,” Bridget agreed with a sad smile. “But Gavin - my brother - always tried to be supportive so we kept in touch and we’ve been trying to get closer over the last few years. And my best friend Molly is like a sister to me. We’ve known each other since we were ten so her and her husband are like family now.”

“Sometimes the family that you make yourself is just as good as the one you’re born with,” Chris mused wisely. “Some of my best friends I’ve known since I was a kid too and they’re just as much like family as my real brothers and sisters.”

“That’s really sweet, I think those relationships can be just as important as family,” Bridget nodded. “It’s good to have people who choose to stick around because they really love you and not just because they’re family.”

Having just discussed how Chris was close to his family, she knew he could easily argue that not all families only stick together out of some sense of obligation, but she resisted the urge to blurt out a quick clarification and was relieved when he voiced his agreement.

“Absolutely,” he insisted as a soft smirk slipped onto his face. “And they can help in ways your family might not want to, my lifelong friends are the best at keeping me humble. They’re always quick to crack jokes or remind me about some of my more embarrassing moments if my ego starts getting too big.”

“Wow,” Bridget smiled. “That must be a full time job for them.”

Chris chuckled and shook his head at her teasing dig.

“Nah, it’s more of a hobby,” he insisted. “They get too much joy out of it for it to be considered work.”

“That’s a fair point,” Bridget giggled. “But it’s good that you have people like that, we all need people who just see through everything else and know us for who we really are.”

“Oh, for sure, and I give as much as I get so it all works out,” Chris agreed before shifting the conversation back to her. “So, does Molly live nearby?”

Bridget couldn’t hold back the grin that slid onto her face at the opportunity to talk about her friend and eagerly explained that Molly did live fairly close as she lived in the downtown area of Boston, but that she was hoping to convince her to embrace the small town life as well. Their food arrived and briefly interrupted the conversation, but after thanking the waiter and taking a moment to taste the food - and compliment Chris for the amazing recommendation - Bridget circled back to what she was saying by adding that she was hopeful that her friend would be more willing to leave the big city life behind when she was ready to have kids.

“Is that why you wanted to get out of the city?” Chris asked. “Because of Landon?”

“That was the biggest reason,” Bridget nodded. “Part of it was selfish - because I was just tired of all the noise and chaos - but it does give him so much more freedom. I love that we have a backyard and there’s so many outdoor places we can explore.”

“There’s a lot of great places to hike around here, I can show you a few of them sometime if you’d like,” Chris offered, earning an enthusiastic nod from Bridget. “But what about Landon? Does he like it here so far?”

“I think so,” Bridget smiled. “I don’t think he’s noticed a huge change, but he seems pretty happy here.”

“That’s great, he seems like a really good kid.”

“He is,” Bridget agreed, her pride shining through in her voice as she was unable to resist gushing about the child she’d been missing all week. “We got really lucky with him. He’s just so much fun and I genuinely love spending time with him. He can be a little wild - he’s definitely a super high energy kid - but he’s smart and funny and always super enthusiastic about whatever activity he’s doing.”

“Sounds like Little League will be perfect for him then,” Chris chuckled. “Has he started yet?”

“No, it starts next week, but he’s so excited. He set up bases in our backyard and was practicing running around them. He’s actually pretty fast so as long as he can actually hit the ball, I think he might be pretty good at it.”

“Hitting the ball is the hardest part,” Chris nodded before admitting, “It was my downfall when it came to baseball.”

“It is a pretty key element,” Bridget giggled before confessing, “Sports are definitely not a natural talent for me though, so any skill that Landon has will have to be credited to his dad.” 

“It’s not something that everyone is cut out for,” Chris shrugged. “I think I tried most of them when I was younger, but nothing really stuck. As far as hobbies go, I was always way more into the acting and musical theatre side of things - just to give you a clear idea of how cool I was.”

His words were said with a self-deprecating chuckle, but Bridget leapt to his defense.

“Hey, you’re talking to someone who spent at least seventy-five percent of her teenage years reading in a library,” she reminded him. “Musical theatre is my kind of cool.”

“Not many people agree,” Chris smiled. “So I appreciate that.”

“Well, I bet people think it’s cool now that you’re such a big star,” Bridget teased. “Did you always know you wanted to be an actor?”

Chris happily launched into an explanation of how his career came to be and the passion in his voice had Bridget feeling relieved. It was a question that she was sure he’d answered a million times in various interviews over the years so while it was something that she would rather hear from him than read on the internet, she expected it to be a topic that he was tired of discussing. However, the enthusiasm he spoke with pushed any doubts out of her mind as she was engrossed in his answer and she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pride at the success he’d found after getting started by simply working hard and chasing after his dream.

For the rest of their meal, the conversation flowed just as well as it had at the start. Bridget was surprised by how easy Chris was to talk to, especially considering she usually thought of herself as awkward and overly self-aware around people she didn’t know. But with Chris, it was like she’d known him for far longer than the couple of months that she had through their brief encounters. He put her at ease and charmed her with his humour and beautiful smile and made her reluctant for things to come to an end as they finished their main course. That was why she had another suggestion when Chris asked if she would be interested in splitting a dessert.

“There’s an ice cream place just around the corner that I’ve been wanting to try,” Bridget admitted. “But I know it’s still kinda cold so feel free to tell me that it’s a dumb idea…”

“I don’t think ice cream is ever a dumb idea,” Chris insisted. “Especially when I know the place you’re talking about and know how good their ice cream is.”

“Really?” Bridget eyed him suspiciously, feeling like a child as she didn’t want to get her hopes up too high. “Even though it’s like forty degrees outside?”

“Trust me, that ice cream is worth the risk of frostbite.”

The sincerity in his voice had a laugh slipping from Bridget’s lips as he flagged down the waiter to get their bill. They bickered briefly over who was going to pay, but even though she was more than happy to pay her share, Bridget quickly relented knowing that there wasn’t much chance that Chris was going to let her contribute. She settled for simply thanking him profusely and insisted that dessert was on her to which Chris reluctantly agreed as he followed her out of the restaurant.

The ice cream parlour really was just around the corner and only took them a few short minutes to walk to. If the surprisingly large number of customers inside was anything to go by then Chris was right about it being worth the risk of frostbite because it seemed half the town had the same idea that they’d had. Despite Chris’ general level of comfort in his hometown, Bridget could see the increase in tension as he pulled the collar of his coat up a little higher and seemed more aware of his surroundings than he’d been throughout the earlier part of their evening so - considering it was such a clear and calm evening - she suggested they take their dessert to go and enjoy the beginnings of spring.

“I still can’t get over how many stars there are out here,” she mused as they strolled down the sidewalk. “I mean, there’s probably as many stars in the city but there’s always too many lights to see them. I never noticed what we were missing until we moved here.”

“It is pretty spectacular,” Chris agreed as he licked a drip off the side of his cone. “I get lost looking up at it all sometimes. It’s pretty humbling to know we’re so small in such a vast universe.”

“It’s terrifying,” Bridget corrected, earning a chuckle from Chris.

“Not a fan of space?”

“Not really,” she wrinkled her nose. “It kinda freaks me out, if I’m being honest. I’m very happy staying safely down here on Earth and doing all my space adventuring through books.”

“It can be a little overwhelming to think about everything that might be out there,” Chris admitted. “But I’d love to go if I ever got the chance. I’m kind of a huge space nerd so it’s like the ultimate dream.”

“Well, you’re braver than I am,” Bridget conceded. “But if you ever do get the chance and you’re allowed to bring a partner then I’m sure Landon would be more than happy to keep you company.”

“Yeah? Is he into space?”

“Recently, he is, yeah,” Bridget nodded. “We watched Toy Story for the first time a few weeks ago and he fell in love with Buzz Lightyear so we spent almost all our free time that week learning about astronauts.”

“That’s really cool!” For a moment, Bridget thought his words were sarcastic, but when she glanced over at him she could see the intrigue sparkling in his eyes. “I remember how amazed I was when I first learned about all the other planets and everything that might be out there, it must be great to get to watch your own kid go through those mind blowing moments.”

There was an awe in his voice, mixed with a hint of longing that tugged at Bridget’s heart. Introducing Landon to all the fascinating things in the world was one of the joys of parenting, but it wasn’t the kind of thing that she would have expected a bachelor like Chris to be so interested in. It was such a simple observation, but it just solidified Bridget’s belief that there was more to the man beside her than being the Hollywood hotshot that she’d assumed he’d be before she got to know him.

“It really is, it can be pretty magical,” Bridget agreed. “But my knowledge is limited, I think he was a little disappointed. If you wanna come over some time and share in his space excitement then please, feel free.”

Chris seemed a little surprised by her offer and she realized that they hadn’t had any kind of conversation about how Landon would come into the mix if they were to continue seeing each other. She felt her cheeks grow hot as she worried she’d overstepped, but Chris jumped in before she could backtrack.

“I’d really like that,” he informed her, flashing her a smile that he quickly hid behind what was left of his ice cream. “Has he ever been to the planetarium? I haven’t been in years, but it’s a really interesting place.”

“He hasn’t been, but I bet he’d love it. We should go sometime.”

“That would be really fun.”

He sounded so genuine that Bridget couldn’t hold back the grin that slid onto her face as her heart fluttered in her chest. It was such a relief to her that the idea of doing things with Landon wasn’t something that pushed Chris away. Even though it wasn’t something she was eager to admit, their date that night was her first foray into dating since Landon was born and she’d often worried through the years that he would be a hurdle not many men would be willing to overcome. She’d been clear when he asked her out that Landon would always be a priority to her, but hearing that Chris was eager to make a connection with him as well did a lot to ease her anxiety.

They walked in silence for a couple of blocks as they enjoyed the quiet and the last of their dessert, but as they finished and threw their napkins in the closest garbage can, a shiver ran through Bridget’s body that she knew hadn’t escaped Chris’ notice. She’d tried to hide it - not wanting the cold to prematurely wind up their evening together - but she was pleasantly surprised when Chris held out his arm for her to hold and pulled her close against his side when she accepted the offer. She could feel the warmth radiating off of his body as their close proximity suddenly had a whiff of his lingering cologne surrounding her. She was so distracted by his intoxicating scent and the feel of the hard muscles under the sleeve of his jacket that she didn’t realized he’d asked her a question until she caught the questioning look he was giving her.

“Sorry, what?”

She cringed as the question fell from her lips, but she suddenly found it hard to think clearly.

“I asked where you parked,” Chris informed her, his amusement dancing in the smile on his face. “Is your car nearby?”

Bridget took a moment to take in their surroundings and puzzle out what block they were on before she came to a disappointing revelation.

“It’s pretty close,” she admitted. “Just across the street.”

She pointed in the direction they were already walking to the parking lot near the library. Chris nodded and continued to lead them down the sidewalk, but after another moment of silence, he spoke again. However, this time the nervous edge to his voice had Bridget feeling unsettled.

“So, there’s something I should tell you,” he admitted. “Something I probably should have mentioned before we went out tonight.”

“Hmm,” Bridget mused as she flashed him an anxious smile. “Well, that’s never good…”

“It’s probably not as ominous as I made it sound,” he admitted as they crossed the road and entered the parking lot. “But I have to go away for a while, I probably won’t be around much at all for the next couple months.”

She felt the knot forming in her stomach tighten as a wave of disappointment washed over her. He sounded genuine, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he hadn’t enjoyed their evening as much as she had and was looking for a convenient way to get out of seeing her again any time soon.

“Where are you going?” She asked, hoping to sound unaffected by his admission before diving into her usual defense mechanism of cracking a joke as she added, “Are you sneaking off to see your secret family?”

Her question had Chris’ shoulders shaking as he chuckled and shook his head.

“I can be pretty discreet when I need to be, but I’m not sure that I could hide a secret wife and kids,” he pointed out before giving her the real explanation. “I have to go to L.A. for the premiere of the new Captain America movie and after that we’re headed off on the international press tour. I should have told you sooner, but I lost track of how close it was and I was just really excited that you agreed to go out with me.”

There was a sheepishness to his confession that had Bridget relaxing slightly despite the fact that his news was still disheartening even if his reasoning was understandable. It was bad timing considering they barely even had a solid friendship established before he had to disappear, but the fact that he seemed as displeased about it as she was did at least give her some hope. She took a moment to take in his explanation until they made it to her car and she leaned back against the hood as she nodded her head.

“That’s okay,” she assured him. “I have to admit that I’ll miss you since I’ve gotten kinda used to running into you around town, but we’re supposed to be taking things slow anyway, right?”

Of course, she hadn’t meant one date every two months when she’d requested that they ease into things, but a little bit of distance certainly wouldn’t hurt their attempts to pace themselves. As long as they could stay in touch, it could provide a good way for them to get to know each other in other ways before they got too romantic. However, the way Chris leaned in and rested his hand on the hood of her car by her hip as he left only a few inches of space between their bodies had her suddenly wondering why she’d ever decided they shouldn’t just fall into bed together.

“I’ve been wondering about that,” he admitted, his voice suddenly low and huskier than it had been moments before. “How slow is ‘slow’ exactly? Am I allowed to kiss you?”

Bridget felt her breath catch in her chest as the question had her tracing her tongue along her lips until she managed to gather herself enough to nod her head.

“I think that would count as slow,” she decided, glancing up at him from under her long eyelashes. “Especially since you’re going away for months, one kiss before that seems pretty reasonable to me.”

“I thought so,” Chris smirked, lifting a hand to cup her chin and tilt it up towards him. “But I thought it was polite to check first.”

Before Bridget could get another word out, he closed the space between them to press his lips against hers. Immediately, she melted against him as her eyes fluttered shut and she tried to relax enough to let herself do what came naturally. It had been an embarrassingly long time since she’d been kissed at all and she doubted if she’d ever been kissed with as much carefully measured skill as Chris was currently using, but she knew that overthinking it wouldn’t help. Luckily, thinking at all was not an easy task as the way Chris’ lips moved against hers had her in a daze. Her hands gripped at his shirt like she was scared he was going to disappear and when he finally pulled away she felt herself chasing his lips for a brief moment until she regained a little bit of sense.

Letting out a quiet hum, she slowly opened her eyes to meet his as he rested his forehead against hers.

“That was…nice.”

It was a weak way to describe the moment they’d just shared, but his lips had left her too stunned to think of any more descriptive words and he chuckled at her obviously distracted state.

“It was nice,” he agreed. “Hopefully it’ll be enough to keep me on your mind while I’m away.”

“I think it’ll do the trick,” Bridget nodded as a soft smile slid onto her face. “But will I be able to reach you at all while you’re gone?”

“Yeah, definitely. I’ll have my phone with me even when we go to other countries.” However, his eager assurance was followed by a grimace as he took a step back, reluctantly moving his body away from hers. “But I’ll be honest, I might not be great at answering. The press days are long and pretty exhausting so with the time difference getting in the way too, it can be difficult.”

Reading between the lines of his answer, Bridget felt her heart sink.

“It’s okay if you don’t want me to bug you,” she assured him, hoping he couldn’t hear the disappointment in her voice. “I know you’ll be working, I don’t want to distract you.”

“What? No, that’s not what I meant,” he quickly insisted, the shock in his voice easing her concern. “I’d love the distraction, just wanted to warn you so you don’t think I’m being a dick if I don’t answer as fast as I should.”

He flashed her a smirk that had all the doubts sliding from her mind as a smile of her own slid onto her face.

“Okay, well, I promise not to hold it against you if you ignore me because you’re too busy being adored by your millions of fans.” Her tone was teasing and earned an eye roll from Chris before she asked, “When do you leave?”

“Friday.”

The word fell from his lips as a sigh and Bridget realized that they wouldn’t be seeing each other again before he left. There was another wave of disappointment, but she tried to look on the bright side.

“Well, I’m glad we got to do this before you leave.”

“Me too,” Chris smiled. “I had a really great time tonight.”

Bridget agreed as she pulled her car keys out of her purse and after another quick hug and a kiss on her cheek, she found herself climbing into her car feeling a little bittersweet.

The date had gone well - better than Bridget had even let herself expect it would - but the knowledge that she wouldn’t be seeing him for at least the next couple of months was a stark reminder of why she needed not to get ahead of herself. It was easy to get swept up in anyone at the start when everything is new and exciting, things are carefree and no one’s baggage has started to interfere. Dating someone as charismatic and attractive as Chris, it was even easier to let her heart run away before her head could catch up and while Bridget would admit that she had begun to let herself wonder what the future might look like if they kept seeing each other, his time away might provide the perfect opportunity for her to make sure she’s keeping a level head.

After their date, she knew he was something she wanted to pursue, but she knew she needed to take some time to think about what that might look like and if it was realistically something that could work. That is, if Chris was even still interested after he spent the next few months touring around the world with all his Hollywood pals with no time to think about her.

But Bridget tried to push all the negative thoughts from her mind and as she drove out of the parking lot - waving to Chris in her rearview mirror - she let her mind linger on the way the heat had pooled in her stomach as he kissed her and her heart fluttered every time he laughed. He made her feel giddy and giggly in a way that she hadn’t in a very long time and she had a feeling that spending more time with him could lead to something that was worth a little risk.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super Manga ch.88-90

The 2023 Dragon Ball Apocrypa Liveblog concludes with the DBS manga's adaptation of the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero motion picture.

First up, we have this three-chapter prologue/prequel thing starring Goten and Trunks in their lankey teen bodies. It's well-made, but I'm not impressed. Find out the reason why... inside!

Okay, as the image above shows, this is all about the boys' playing superheroes while they're in high school... just like Gohan did way back in Dragon Ball Z. The main difference seems to be that there's two of them doing it this time, and their motives are a little more frivolous. Gohan came up with Great Saiayaman because he just couldn't help but foil crimes, and the costume allowed him to save the day without giving away his identity. Goten and Trunks also want to keep a low profile, but they mostly seem to be doing this shtick because they're on a superhero kick lately. They call themselves "Saiyaman X1 and X2", but their act mainly imitates their hero, Cleangod, who has a franchise of movies, video games, and so forth.

The added wrinkle is that they're also trying to keep this thing a secret from their families, as Bulma and Chi-Chi wouldn't approve of the boys screwing around like this when they should be studying. I guess it was okay when Gohan did it, but times have changed, and Trunks in particular isn't doing so hot on his report cards.

That does keep things mildly interesting. For example, you'd expect the boys to use costume changing watches like Great Saiyaman had, except they don't want Bulma to find out. So Trunks asks Pilaf to make them instead, and Pilaf can't make them as quickly, so Trunks doesn't get his until chapter 88 is half-over, and Goten's isn't ready until chapter 89. And you know, it probably would make things a lot simpler for Goten and Trunks to avoid the Saiyaman stuff altogether if they don't want their moms to find out, since they've seen this trick before. But they're doing it anyway, I guess because they're just that deep into the Cleangod fandom.

However, this still feels like a retread of a storyline we've already seen. Reading this, I feel like I've gotten too old for Dragon Ball. I know that isn't true. I'm looking forward to whatever happens in Chapter 101 onward, and Daima seems promising, even if it wasn't what I had in mind. There's always something interesting around the corner... but I see stories like this one that are more interested in rehashing older material, and it just feels tired and stale. Younger fans may not mind at all, but I see this and wonder if all we have left is just rehashing ideas we've already seen before.

Besides all of that, I'm not a big fan of high school stories, and there's a healthy dose of Trumai... and let's just get this out of the way before we go any further: I'm not that interested in the whole "next generation" thing.

I know there's a lot of fans who really dig the whole idea of exploring what happens to Goten, Trunks, Marron, Uub, Bulla, and Pan. I respect that, but I've never been very invested in any of them. I liked what we got out of them in DBZ, but that's about it. Let me kind of single out Goten so I can discuss this more easily. For the sake of argument, let's just call the "next generation" concept "Big Goten", since it features the teenage or adult version of the character, as opposed to the little guy in the Buu Saga and most of Super. Trunks, Marron, and the rest can be lumped into this, but it's easier to just refer to one character.

Basically, this 3-chapter arc is probably the best "Big Goten" story by default. Your other options are the End of Z episodes which barely do anything with him, or that one GT episode where he fights Baby and gets possessed. Or the Super Hero movie, where he's barely in it.

And yet, we have this 3-chapter arc, and Goten's basically playing sidekick to Trunks. That's not a huge problem in itself. You'd expect these two to be side-by-side, but it's mainly a Trunks story. He's trying to get Mai to go out with him, but she's part of the Pilaf gang living at Capsule Corp, and they have to be useful or Bulma will kick them out. So she's too busy repairing these "helper robots" that malfunctioned recently. Trunks thinks he can investigate the case as Saiyaman X-1 and get Mai the weekend off so she can date him. Goten's just sort of along for the ride. He enjoys the superhero bit, and he likes goofing off with Trunks, so it's all good.

And honestly, you could probably switch these two around and have Goten be the one trying to solve crimes to go on a date, while Trunks is the supportive wingman. But that's the problem. We have this one story, and they both kind of have to share it, and it really doesn't matter which one of them gets the lead.

Like, in this arc, we learn a little more about Teen Trunks. He's not doing well scholastically, he lacks Bulma's talent with computers or science, and... he's still carrying a torch for Mai for some reason. Oh, and he's afraid of ghosts now. It's not much to go on, but at least he gets something. All we find out about Goten in this thing is that he likes Cleangod, just like Trunks. Oh, and Teen Marron has a brief appearance where it turns out she really likes Cleangod too. Also several of Goten and Trunks' classmates enjoy Cleangod. And Dr. Hedo likes Cleangod. You know, that's how you develop your characters, right? You make them all like the same thing.

The point I'm getting at is that for years I've heard that Big Goten is this untapped well of great story ideas and this arc finally gets around to that and... it's pretty underwhelming. That's the big idea? Superheroes? Again? It worked for Gohan because it was a fresh idea when he did it. And it worked for Dr. Hedo because it helped set him apart from Dr. Gero. But all it does for Goten and Trunks is give them another set of clothes. Trunks is still pining for Mai and Goten is still just happy to be here. It's not enough. It's not nearly enough.

So let's move on. The boys head into town one night to investigate the Helper Robots that are mysteriously disappearing. Turns out they've been hijacked by Dr. Hedo's Alpha series androids. Strictly speaking, the Alphas are just corpses stolen from a morgue, reanimated with cybernetics. Remember those goons working at the convenience store in the beginning of Super Hero? Well this is the same group of guys. Hedo's problem is that he's fare more brilliant than Gero ever was, but he lacks the resources and funding to make the kinds of androids that he wants to make. The Alphas are functional, but only just. Their brains are defective, and you can probably only steal so many bodies from the morgue before the cops get wise to you. So Hedo's big idea is to hijack the Helper Robots and use them to manufacture sushi packages for profit. He could build something more efficient for this, but this will have to do until he gets the cash.

Oh, I forgot to talk about how Pilaf built the Helper bots. I'm not clear on what they do, but there's a lot of them in the city, and apparently Pilaf pitched the idea to Bulma and she okayed it. At first I was surprised to read this, but then I remembered that Pilaf had his own Dragon Radar way back in the day. It wasn't as sophisticated as Bulma's, but it goes to show that Pilaf knows his way around technology. This isn't some new thing they slapped onto his character, like Trunks suddenly being afraid of ghosts.

For a second, it looks like Goten and Trunks are discovered by the Alphas, but it turns out Trunks' pals from school have snuck into the production floor, and they're the ones who get discovered, so Trunks has to go in and save them. Except his superhero wristwatch malfunctions, so Goten has to take out the lights to cover for him.

Trunks cleans house, even defeating Alpha 12, who was the strongest guy on Hedo's team. When Hedo himself arrives to find his base wrecked, his only clue is that it was trashed by someone who goes to "Blue Hal" High School. It's a major setback for Hedo, but what really upsets him is that Trunks took an important disc from his safe. Hedo wants to recover it above all else. Ironically, Trunks isn't even that concerned about the disc, since all he really cares about is disrupting whatever Hedo was doing to the Helper Robots. That way he can get his date with Mai, except it won't. Even more ironically, Mai still has to work on Saturday night, because she and the Pilaf Gang have to repair all the Helper Robots Trunks smashed in Hedo's base. Whoops!

Later, Trunks tries to use Bulma's computer to access the data on the disc he took from Hedo's sushi packaging shop. He briefly sees information related to Cell, but he doesn't recognize its significance, probably because he only knows Cell from hearing about it through his family. Anyway, the disc gives the computer a virus, which Bulla removes because that's her big character defining moment in this story. She's basically a carbon copy of Kid Bulma from the Jaco manga, but at least she's not another Cleangod fan.

Anyway, Bulma had decided to start sending Mai to school along with Trunks. Apparently she realized it might be awkward if anyone noticed Mai working for Capsule Corp. and not going to school. This just now came up? I mean, the Pilaf Gang have been here for a few years at least. If anything, it would have been more awkward when Mai was younger, right? I mean, I get it, this is just a way to get Mai involved in the story, but still...

There's also another new student in Trunks' class: Baytah. Trunks' friend Rulah takes an immediate liking to him, but this is pretty clearly a new android created by Dr. Hedo. The Alpha series was no match for Saiyaman X-1, so he created a new Beta class to infiltrate Blue Hal High School and find out who X-1 really is. Beta begins to suspect Trunks, since he displays some above-average performance on the basketball court, but he can't find a way to prove it without giving himself away.

So here we have this weird scene where they're getting soup for lunch, and Trunks is sad that he can't get extra. Then Beta pretends to trip or something, and throws his soup into the air. I guess the idea was that Trunks would have to use super powers to dodge it, or he'd get it all over his nice school clothes. But instead Trunks just sort of shifts to one side and the soup miraculously lands in his bowl. And he's happy because he gets extra soup? How does it all fit in one bowl, though? Is the lunch lady only filling them up halfway? This whole bit is really contrived, is what I'm trying to say.

Somewhere along the way, Mai figures it out and explains it to Trunks, so they know Beta is looking for Saiyaman X-1. So he knows to be careful about showing off his powers, but Goten just picks up a truck during recess to get a tennis ball back for his classmates. See, Trunks, this is how you get the ladies. Mai is like 55 years old. She doesn't care, but if you pick up a truck or two, all these teenage girls will go wild. Right now, these two girls are thinking about how much they wish they were trucks, being held in Goten's mightly-yet-gentle hand.

Anyway, now Beta is convinced that Goten is the one he's after, and Hedo tells him to attack and get the disc.

So Beta reveals he has a goofy superhero suit of his own, but Goten can't fight seriously because he doesn't have a transformation watch yet. Fortunately, Trunks does, so he shows up as X-1 and quickly slips Goten the new watch Pilaf must have made last night.

I'm not thrilled with Beta's design, but I like the concept. Faced with both Saiyamen, he deploys Beta 2, which is a robotic exosuit that can separate and fight in two modules. The Betas are here for the disc, but neither Goten or Trunks has it. Mai does, because Trunks gave her his bag while he ran off to pee or whatever excuse he had to switch costumes.

So Trunks has to save Mai from the Betas, and as he catches her, she briefly mistakes him for Future Trunks, the only version of Trunks Mai seems to have any interest in. The Saiyamen clean house, and the day is saved. Trunks very nearly tells Mai that he was X-1 all along, but Goten stops him before he can spill the beans in front of the whole school.

Okay, but what's the point? I mean, Goten just lifted a truck with one hand a minute ago? More importantly, Great Saiyaman was revealed to be Goten about ten years earlier. Not that I expect these students to remember that, but that's my point: Gohan was worried about everyone finding out he had super powers, and in the end no one cared.

I mean, there's still the matter of not wanting Bulma and Chi-Chi to find out what they're up to, but that sort of doesn't matter? I mean, the moms just want their kids to study more and screw around less. It doesn't really matter if they're playing superhero or going fishing. Their moms know they aren't studying, because they've got the report cards to prove it.

Back at Hedo's (other) base, he realizes he underestimated the Saiyamen, and realizes that he'll have to build even better androids to defeat them. And he's taken a liking to the Saiyamen's costumes, particularly their capes, so the implication here is that the Gammas' designs were inspired by Goten and Trunks' antics in this story.

Later, we finally get to that convenience store we saw briefly in Super Hero. Hedo still needs money, especially if he plans to build something to defeat the Saiyamen, so he puts three of his Alphas to work at the "Mammal Mart". It's Krillin who makes the bust, and for some reason Mai is there too.

Despite his lofty plans for better androids, the best Hedo can manage is to send more Beta series androids after Goten and Trunks. Beta 7 looks like an Elvis impersonator, and he intercepts Goten's school bus, but Goten changes into X-2 and beats him. Apparently this sort of thing has been going on for a while now.

Mai takes Goten aside and reveals to him that they're being watched by a tiny spy-robot. After the Beta-1 incident at school, Mai investigated and learned that Dr. Hedo is a famous scientist in the area, and she believes he's behind all of this. Apparently he's already figured out Goten and Trunks are the Saiyamen, since he's been sending Beta androids to harass them.

Mai's plan is to defeat Hedo by using the school dance to lure him into a trap. The organizers have arranged for a live appearance by Cleangod at the dance, which... seems kind of odd for a high school dance, but nothing about this super-hero business really makes any sense to me.

Like, okay... I've been a comic book fan for over thirty years. I just read a bunch of Golden Age Captain Americas a few months ago. I think I know the genre pretty well, and nothing Dragon Ball Super does with the concept really rings true to me.

In the first place, the Dragon Ball characters are already superheroes. I went from Batman to Superman to Marvel to Dragon Ball Z, and it was a pretty smooth transition. I never stopped liking the other stuff that came before, so it's not like my tastes changed all that much. I just see DBZ as a natural extension of the same stuff I liked in Marvel and DC.

It made sense when Gohan became Great Saiyaman because the only trope he hadn't done yet was the secret identity thing, and the only reason it had never come up before was that he'd never needed one before then. Once he got into high school, he suddenly had friends he wanted to keep secrets from, so he did the same thing Clark Kent did in 1938.

But then you have Goten and Trunks doing it because they think it's neat, and they're fans of Cleangod, who is a fictional character to them. And this is probably because Hedo was doing the same bit in the movie, where he would wear a costume and do the poses because he was imitating other fictional superheroes. So the idea seems to be less about the superhero genre as I know it, and more of this ironic "Let's be comic book nerds and do cosplay, and also we have super powers so we can do more than just pose in the suits."

Which... fine, I guess. The thing is, I don't understand the fascination with Cleangod. I mean, it makes sense for Hedo to be an enormous fanboy, because he's a nerdy scientist. I'm a nerdy scientist, so I can relate. He wants Cleangod's autograph, and I'm running an anime blog in my late 40's.

But Goten and Trunks are not nerds. Neither, it seems, are most of their classmates. They all seem like fairly normal teens, mostly interested in dates and school stuff and snooping around abandoned factories or whatever. But this high school dance is going to feature a live appearance by a man in a superhero costume. That's the sort of thing a circus would do to get small children to show up.

Is this an ironic thing? Like, did Goten and Trunks start out thinking Cleangod was cringy kidstuff, and they just kept getting deeper into the fandom until they started liking it for real? Is that what's happening?

Sorry, I was explaining Mai's plan. Okay, so Cleangod will be doing a meet-and-greet at a high school dance party. Okay. Dr. Hedo is a huge mark for Cleangod, so Mai is certain he will crash the party just to meet Cleangod and get his autograph. And she plans to be there when he does, so she can shut him down once and for all.

And she gets to go to this dance, because she's attending with...

...Trunks. He wanted to ask her to this thing, but she asked him instead, so he's all a-flutter over this, never realizing that she's just using him to get at Hedo. Except.... she's attending this school now. She doesn't need a date to get in. Hedo is the one who has to find some way to get access to the building, because he's not a student.

I like Mai's armor in this scene, although it really never comes into play. Also, Trunks brought Hedo's disc with him, because.... I have no idea. Maybe he doesn't want to risk losing it?

As expected, Hedo does show up for this thing, and I guess it's because Beta-1 is still registered as a student? I'm more confused about this signing event in the middle of a dance floor. This just feels like a hot mess. Trunks and Hedo bond over their mutual love of Cleangod... wait, I thought Trunks was excited about getting to go on a date with Mai? Priorities, Trunks!

Anyway, Hedo confides to Trunks that he had a Cleangod autograph before, but it was stolen, so he's here to get another one. Hold on, doesn't Hedo know Trunks is X-1? I mean, he was sending androids after Goten, so he must know he's X-2, right?

Mai tries to get Hedo, but then Beta shows up, and Rulah explains that he got back into the school, so she asked him to the dance. I really like Rulah. She doesn't know what's going on, but there's a new boy in town and she's gonna make time with him. She's like an Archie character.

Then the cops show up. Yeah, just draw your guns in a big crowd of children, Krillin, that makes a ton of sense.

Hedo uses a smokebomb to escape and everyone chases after him. By the time Cleangod comes out to make his big appearance, everyone is gone except Mai, who isn't impressed. That's the thing I can't square with all of this. The running gag seems to be that superheroes are both cool and uncool at the same time. People were lining up to see this guy, but the punchline is that he totally sucks? I guess? Characters will praise Goten and Trunks' costumes and then later characters will call them corny.

Like, which is it? That's the thing about superhero comics, at least from my perspective. In the real world, you either think Batman's awesome or he's a giant dork in a fursuit. Fine. But in the Batman mythos, just about everyone takes him seriously because he's a mysterious badass. I get it, Cleangod's basically Adam West working car-shows in the 1970's, but Saiyaman X-1 and X-2 are the real thing. They fought robots in the middle of the football field in front of everyone. I mean, no one called Goten corny when he lifted that truck.

Oh, by the way, Dr. Hedo's jalopy is awesome.

Krillin (reluctantly) brings Goten and Trunks along to chase down Hedo, and he fills them in on the situation. The cops have been after Hedo because they think the Red Ribbon Army is trying to stage a comback and they want to contact him. That.... doesn't quite square with the movie, but we'll talk about that later.

Anyway, they get to Hedo's (third?) base and he's got a dinosaur android to stop them. This is the biggest, strongest one he's made so far, but it's still not very sophisticated, simply because Hedo lacks the resources to build anything better.

It gives the Bio-Broly Buster Crew a little trouble, but Krillin disables it with a kienzan, and then Goten and Trunks take it out with a double-team move. And Hedo's going to jail.

So what about that disc? Turns out it never mattered. Hedo memorized all the information on it a long time ago, so the disc itself had no value to him. What he wanted was the case, which contained, in addition to the disc, his prized Cleangod autograph. Remember? The one he told Trunks got stolen? They didn't know it at the time, but Trunks was the one who stole it in Chapter 88.

And that's really dumb, because Trunks did try to investigate the disc in Chapter 89. He didn't get very far, but he still had to open the case it was in, so you'd think he would have noticed the Cleangod autograph inside. I mean, another character might not have paid any attention to it, but Trunks is a huge fan of Cleangod himself.

And if Hedo truly had no use for the disc, why didn't he throw it away a long time ago? In this scene, he says he discarded it, but he must have only done that in the last few minutes, before Krillin showed up to arrest him, since Trunks had the disc before the dance. This whole thing is supposed to be clever, but it's kind of dumb.

Anyway, this whole caper explains how Hedo got sentenced to prison at the beginning of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. He could have been given a longer sentence, but according to this story, he agreed to return some of the Alphas back to the families of the corpses he built them out of. This is supposed to be funny, but it's just kind of bizarre. Like, are we saying Hedo resurrected the corpses? I thought the idea was he just used a dead body to build Alpha 12. But this seems to suggest Alpha 12 remembers his former existence. That's kind of fucked up.

Like I said at the beginning, there's a lot that is well done here. Toyotaro's art is on-point as usual, and there's some great action scene with Goten and Trunks. I think the big highlight of the arc were all of the side characters we see at their school, like Rulah and the others. Trunks' math teacher looked pretty cool. The problem is that they were never going to be the focus of this or any other story. It's taken years for Toei or Shueisha to do anything with Goten or Trunks, so their pals may never see the light of day again.

And that's what disappoints me about this arc, because it may have been the one chance of getting a good teen Goten and Trunks arc, and they blew it on this. Did we really need a backstory on Hedo's prison sentence? Did anyone leave the theater not understanding why he was in jail? Was anyone confused as to how he came up with the designs for Gamma 1 and 2's costumes? No. We didn't need this.

One of these days, there will be an official Big Goten story that gets it right. But this ain't it, chief.

[terrence-silver]

Do you have any insights into Valek that you'd like to share? We know so little about his character in that movie.

---

Well, I think, as a human, he lived a sheltered life to the point that in a way, there's not much to know, if that makes sense. By that I mean that it wasn't an existence fraught with controversies.

He was a medieval Bohemian. Undoubtedly dedicated his life to the cloth very early on (might've come from a numerous family too, with many siblings and relatives to the point having one son dedicate himself to the cloth exclusively was a sacrifice (and privilege) this household could very well make or maybe even had to, for reasons of practicality and to have one less mouth to feed; something that was also a thing people commonly practiced back then and part of me wouldn't be surprised if Jan himself volunteered for the duty to alleviate the burden from his parents because he just has this odd streak of nobility to him) --- doing so as young as an adolescent or even as a child, perhaps, going from the apprenticeship of being an Altar boy to Priesthood with nothing in between because this was always the way it was always intended to be for him and it was a quiet way to be alive. One of prayer. Servitude. Piety. Temperance. Honor. Certainty. Life back then moved slower. Was infinitely simpler. Years and years could pass without change. Without ups and downs. I think Jan Valek took great joy in being a priest, or at least, to phrase myself better, he took profound solace in the duty. I think he took profound solace in the duty of helping his flock. Helping his congregation. Those in need. People in general.

I think he genuinely took the tenants of Catholicism to heart in very legitimate sense.

How do I know this?

Well, we're told that somehow, this man ended up being the leader of a Bohemian peasant's uprising at one point in time, which can only lead me to believe that he not only took the tenants of Catholicism and the whole 'help and love thyne neighbor' fully to heart, but that his continued dedication to said creed possibly amassed a following so large that he either ended up being placed at the head of this revolution or simply poised himself as a leader personally. Which means, somewhere along the way, his helpful and perhaps kind, justice loving nature in the face of inequality, poverty, abuses and aiding the 'downtrodden who would inherit heaven' has been inspirational enough to a large quantity of people that they all looked for Father Valek for guidance in their cause --- as such, I imagine that as a priest, in his human life, it is reasonable to assume he was very charitable. Something of a local patriot and the champion of the unchampioned. Feeding the poor. Helping those without help. Giving voice to the voiceless. Doing so continually and purely because he felt that's what Christianity is all about. Being kind enough to the point where it might've started becoming a thorn in the eye of the higher ups in the very church he was serving. Thing is, Father Valek was here emboldening the serfs to stand up to their god ordained lords and masters --- an idea that was, when push came to shove, extremely modern and extremely threatening considering the time period. I think this idea set the Bohemian countryside ablaze, literally and figuratively and that Jan Valek, becoming somewhat legendary among the small folk of the land, had to be pegged down a notch to avoid massive civil unrest.

Which is how this story ends.

With his execution.

Tried and burned for heresy (under what I consider are extremely trumped up, fraudulent charges and more a political tactical move to quickly and very messily silence opposition and kill the morale of the uprising than anything heretical or truly transgressive) Jan Valek found himself betrayed by the very church he sought to serve with the very tenants he was idealistically and full heartedly upholding --- namely, helping those in need. Which is exactly what led to his downfall. Ironically, if Jan was a worse man, he might've had a long and prosperous human life. And to add insult to injury he wasn't just betrayed in any ordinary fashion. He was undoubtedly imprisoned, paraded, made an example of, humiliated, abused for months, deemed to be possessed by evil spirits and demons to appeal to the superstitious mentality of the era, stripped of all his honors, subjugated to an exorcism (which is really just elaborate torture) and only then, finally, executed in an extremely and unbelievably painful way in the town of Berziers where his trial was observed, so everyone who previously followed him would see that this is what happens when you neglect your god-ordained lot in life and play revolution.

The echo of this message whimpered across Europe.

In the aftermath of his horrible treatment, his body remained destroyed, charred, mutilated, broken and massacred --- possibly even displayed somewhere publically, to drill the point home. Both fortunately and unfortunately, though, the incident led to the opposite effect the church intended and all they achieved was making Jan Valek into both a literal and metaphorical martyr who died for a cause, which only made his teachings stronger and more alluring until they grew into something of a sect. A cult germinating larger and larger around the scope of sadism Father Valek suffered and continued suffering, even as his posthumous remains were mishandled.

Jan went from a once-upon-a-time Bohemian priest of unusual kindness, a helper of the disenfranchised, someone teaching and encouraging the said disenfranchised to stand up to their oppressors because that's exactly what Christ himself taught too, to the enemy of the established order, to someone accused and trial as a criminal to a near saintly figure in the local folklores of the neighboring peoples. The Catholic church made Jan Valek into a priest and a man of the cloth. Then they've made and assigned him a traitor when he led a people's rebellion against the Holy Seat's and the local aristocracy's interests. They've made him into a criminal. A martyr when they've condemned, botched his exorcism and executed him. And then ironically, a saint when they canonized the very man they've had killed (possibly to cover up, for the lack of a better word, the scale of their cruel screw up). They've also made him a Vampire with a failed exorcism. Everything he is because the church itself has made him so. Perhaps, the first thing Jan Valek had agency in making himself was when he became the Father of all Vampires, taking on everyone who was ever like him a creating a great many all on his own, forming a new community as a reflection of his old congregations. No wonder he is so protective of his brood and children. They're the extension of a divinely given free will that persists even into his unlife.

The severity of the betrayal the church, though, and by extension, a God he felt abandoned him all those centuries ago in his hour of dire need when all he did was serve his community the way God himself ordained it was grand enough to not grant him peace, ensuring he rises from the brutal condition of his death and wonder the land like a blight for six centuries, feeding and making himself strong, draining others and infecting a great many, creating his own new community, following --- coven, if you will --- becoming what he is now. A Vampire. Accursed. Forsaken. Soulless. When that was the very opposite of everything Jan Valek initially was. He was simply a kind man who had good principles. Who got embroidered in a cause greater than himself because he wanted to help people --- truly and genuinely --- paying the ultimate price for it and ending up unjustly and unfairly punished for it forevermore.

[emotionalmotionsicknessxx]

for the kiss meme. how about 36? thank you

Sure, this seems innocuous!

36 - Write a kiss that gives up control....

They rode in silence the entire way back. 

The steering wheel, a poor surrogate for Meg’s neck, strained against his death grip as the shaking Cadillac hurtled into the night. She called it a “piece-of-shit car,” an insult he could usually ignore. Not on a night like this. 

“Erik…”

He did not respond. He could hear the leather of the passenger seat complain against her shifting body weight. 

“Erik, you can’t stay like this all night. Talk to me.”

It was a mistake, bringing her. He should have seen this coming the minute Meg Giry danced into his college office with a credit deficit and a half dozen lemon donuts - 

Idiot. 

He lived his life through a finite set of principles that kept air in his lungs, kept his pen moving, kept the lights on, and, most importantly, kept him totally and utterly alone. Long ago he learned it was better that way, simpler, more sustainable to keep a ragged heart like his beating. 

But then she came in his office begging for a letter, for admission to the senior showcase she was disastrously under-qualified for, and he found himself caught by her pleading eyes and halting way she delivered her acute condemnations of his behavior, the behavior of the university at large, and the rest of the world. 

“Erik, we can talk about it. It’s me…”

It was her, that was the problem. It was always her and her stupid visits at office hours and the way she found old records of lost recordings and brought them to him, a person who did not get presents, never got presents. It was her who was the only one who could keep up with his rapid-fire notes on her work, the only one who didn’t complain to the department that he was “overly harsh” or “better suited to directing inmates than grad students.” The only person who listened to him. 

And listened she had. The sequins of her gala dress scratched against the beige carseat. She had been right, of course, she could do the showcase, could bind them to her with her dance and her passion. She had always been technically brilliant; now the world saw her heart as well. 

He had seen it too. Seen it and needed to never be parted from it. Needed her to consume him, more than she already had. Own him, if she so desired, a dog with a bird at her feet. 

The hand that skated over his on the steering wheel (10 and 2, never wavering, no, no wavering now. Come on, Erik) electrified him further and he pulverized his back molars even more, eyes blurring on the two yellow lines rising to meet them on the old back road under headlights. He shouldn’t even know the way to her apartment, shouldn’t have offered her those late night rides, shouldn’t have done any of it. It was an exercise in control, and he had lost. He would not again. 

“Please,” he hissed. 

“Ah, so the great maestro speaks!” 

He cursed himself for saying anything at all. It only served to spurn her closer to him in the racing, sputtering car. He could smell the bergamot on her perfume, the honey of her long-since-consumed lozenge. She had gotten closer, her blonde hair tossed over one shoulder, her lips sheathed in a deep maroon so close to his own gnarled mouth beneath the mask. He had never kissed someone with lipstick on, would the makeup stain his own, cursed lips like his, marking them as her own, forever –?

“ERIK LOOK OUT!”

The little hands yanked the steering wheel from his grasp and turned, narrowly swerving from the pit of headlights careening toward them. He hit the breaks; She overcorrected, narrowly avoiding the tree line that edged the road. 

He heard her laughter first, then his own, his hands stuck on the steering wheel a moment before they were wrapped in her hair, pressing her to him. 

She tasted like honey. 

a/n forgot that this was partially inspired by this photo from Phantom Thread, the most Erik adjacent movie

[guiltypart]

Thoughts on Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE Chapter 3

Probably should have put this up a lot sooner. I blame Trails Into Reverie coming out and work in general leaving me feeling drained.

I'd say that so far this is probably the "weakest" chapter, and I can best describe it as "actionized". There's a lot of elements that make sense why they are here, but is stuff that I generally don't personally enjoy. The first part is that, because of the framing device of this chapter, there's a LOT of Quick Time Evens this chapter. I...don't really love QTEs, especially when they involve either shoulder buttons that you probably don't use very often (not an issue here, thankfully) or with joystick movements where moving left could easily be read as moving down (which is an issue here). I understand that reallyit's meant to play into he Forte of Fubuki, Yuma's partner for the chapter; each failure is technically canon, because Fubuki resets the failure with her Time Leap Forte. But that doesn't change the fact that I have to do QTE after QTE.

Speaking of Fubuki, she's probably the least helpful of the partners so far. Halara was clearly solving the Chapter 1 Labyrinth without difficulty, and Desuhiko was at least able to follow the thread. Fubuki makes one kind of clever deduction, and even then it's more to just show off her rivalry with Shinigami (who still is over-possessive of Yuma). She stops showing the "Too Dumb to Live" aspects of her personality at least once Time Leap starts coming into play, but the fact is tha she's an action hero in a game where the action hero approach doesn't matter. There's at least one point in the Labyrinth where I felt that it would have been a great point for Fubuki to solve the question, and then Yuma comes up with the supporting evidence, rather than Yuma solving it all on his own. In the end, the major development seems to be more her relationship with Shinigami through the Labyrinth, which I hope comes back but I'm not sure that it will.

The mystery here is a lot...not simpler, exactly, but there's wasn't any particular twists to the Labyrinth this time compared to the last two chapters. I did figure out what actually happened and who the culprit was right before the the final Investigation area, but to be fair I owe that more to my experience with Bruce Willis action movies of all things. At the very least, this time the answer wasn't so much of a tear jerker llike last chapter. I will say that I am notice that this game likes to introduce all of it's chapter suspect pools at once. I didn't know I was looking for a suspect in Chapter 0, Chapter 1 was still early on enough that that much of handholding was understandable, and Chapter 2 framed the suspect introduction better. This chapter, meanwhile, I am suddenly introduced to a group of characters and realize, "oh, these are the suspects this chapter," which is probably wasn't supposed to be thinking at this point.

...Then you get out of the Labyrinth and realize that nothing that you did in the Labyrinth actually mattered. Completing the Labyrinth does not resolve the danger you are in like the previous chapters did, and then it turns out that things were handled off-screen. This is a cool moment for the characters off-sceen, sure, but if you think about it, you realize that if Yuma had not entered the Labyrinth and let time flow as normal, he still would have gotten out of his tight spot and one less person would be dead. So what was the point in the end?

So yeah, probably the weakest of the chapters so far. It looks like we're headed to endgame, though. There's one last partner left, and I do hope that Vivia survives through it.

[frostyreturns]

Frosty Ruins The Lord Of The Rings (1978)

This will be my first time ever watching this version of Lord Of The Rings, I didn't even know it existed until fairly recently. So this review is based on total first impressions.

To start with it opens like an old film serial and looks kind of janky. You could tell it was from a time where a lot of people probably didn't even know what Lord Of The Rings was, back when it was a far less mainstream property, back in the days where Robert Plant could slip plot details from the book into a song and expect that nobody would really take notice.

I'm not sure if the opening is live action or is rotoscoped like parts of the rest of the movie but it looks like they just filmed actors but did them all in shadow so they didn't have to design quality costumes. The voice over is classic 70's and is vaguely the same as the opening of Jacksons Fellowship Of The Ring, which becomes a theme.

The movie differs from the books and the Peter Jackson movies because it puts the scene of Smeagle murdering for the ring in with the introduction. However you can also see that Jackson obviously took a lot of inspiration from this version rather than just using the books as source material.

You can also see the ways that Jackson made it better, there are elements of the storytelling that to me are missing in this version. For example in this version as the nature of the ring is being revealed by Gandalf, he knows coming in what the ring is and begins the conversation by saying it is evil. Whereas in the movie there was some additional tension added by Gandalfs uncertainty, and there was a bit of a fake out and a moment of false relief. There's also the way Frodo just casually slips in the line about wishing this wasn't happening in his time…but it hasn't yet been established just how dire the situation is so the line falls flat.

As the animated portion of the movie takes off, you kind of see also that originally the story was marketted more exclusively to kids. The art style is a lot more cartoonish than I would have guessed, it's like studio ghibli crossed with an 80's cartoon like He-man. The voice over also sounds cartooney and is done in that same 80's cartoon manner. While I don't enjoy it as much as the live action which to me was near perfect…it's not terrible. The character design isn't my favourite but the art style is still very good even though the realistic live action animation rotoscoping doesn't mesh well with the cartoonish simpler animation or look all that great, but it is interesting, very well composed. The backgrounds look like they would all make good paintings that I would frame and hang around the house. The movie looks like it's a product of its time so I can see there being a dedicated fanbase for this version but I can also see people saying it's cheesy and dorky.

Speaking of bad character design. I hate what they did to most every character especially Sam, they made him look and sound like a little effeminate homunculus. Saruman the white they for some reason depicted in a red cloak. The Nazgul looked less intimidating and more zombielike, they had the movement of lurchy hunchbacks that would have been reminiscent of old 30's horror movies. Aaragorn also looked so frumpy and plain, almost native american looking. Elrond looked so plain and looked more like Kevin Nealon than the animated Kevin Nealon from 8 Crazy Nights where he played the mayor. The orcs and trolls looked like smudgy incoherent blobs, the only reason you can tell it's supposed to be a creature is the glowing eyes. Even the balrog looked weird and less intimidating…and they didn't really build it up in the Moria scenes like the books and other movies do. Although one interesting thing about the characters is I thought the voice actor for Frodo was excellent and actually sounded a lot like Elijah Wood, to the point I wonder if that effected his casting at all.

There are moments compositionally that seem amateurish, for example they introduce Merry And Pippin by having them simply walking behind the main characters without introduction, and then they threw in dialogue about them agreeing to follow them as far as Bree…but the audio sounded different and it sounded like the voice actor rushed the line to make it fit into the scene before it changed. Seems like they made a last minute change because they had to cut the scene where they introduced the characters or because they realized they forgot to explain who they were. Then it cuts to a shot of them doing a weird little dance and then the scene changed again…very strange and makes the whole thing looks less professional.

One other complaint I have is that the visual depictions of magic use are not well done at all, and if I did not already know what was happening I would have no clue what I was looking at. The duel between Gandalf and Saruman was just flashing lights, and there was a prolonged scene with the black riders where the background kept shifting in and out and it looked like they were in the sky one second and on land the next. And they just held out their hands and Frodo just seemed to stand there watching them point at him for no reason at all. Knowing the story I know what is happening but without the context of the books or the Jackson movies this scene would have been very confusing.

The action is also underwhelming. The way they swing their swords makes them look like less effective weapons than a twig, they hit enemies with a sword like they're using a blunt object, it's hard to describe what I mean but it just looks wrong.

The other main issue I have with the movie is that because it squeezes the whole story into one two hour movie a lot is missing, a lot is glossed over and many of the scene changes seem abrupt. For example they talk about going through Lothlorien and then cut immediately to talking with Galadriel. The biggest problem with this version is that so much is missing. It's only half the story with Return Of The King completely missing because of a cancelled sequel. But even much of the parts they did show were greatly cut down and much was ommitted.

One thing i liked about this version is that they never really explain in the Jackson movies how Frodo kept gollum in line. The idea that he could threaten to use the ring to command him as a thrall was never in the movie but it was in the books. So for all my complaints I can't say it wasn't a faithful adaptation. It was an interesting one time watch and for parts of it I did enjoy it, it is still Lord Of The Rings so it can't be totally bad. I'd certainly rather watch this than anything Amazon shits out. Overall though it wasn't good and it's enjoyablity depends on how much you enjoy anachronistic cartoons about classic fantasy literature.

[princess-schez]

Fic: Sweet Dreams, Beautiful Nightmare - Chapter 3

Rating: M (no warnings yet for this chapter, but don’t worry, they are a comin’! . . . Ok I’ll show myself out now, lol) Genre: Bill Cipher/Reader fanfic Summary: The Reader has been plagued by violent nightmares for as long as she can remember. Deciding to move to Oregon for a simpler pace of life, it is there she meets the dream demon himself and begins to unravel a mystery connecting them both.

Fic under cut below.

Chapter 3. You followed the little family for a bit, driving down the road behind them until a large two-story house appeared. It seemed relatively normal enough, and not like anything out of a horror movie, you thought. Though it did seem a little... beat up was the best way you could describe it. They pulled off to the side, and you followed, pulling up next to them as the front door opened and a figure stepped out.

He looked a lot like Ford, except he was wearing a fez, shorts, and a white tank top. The ensemble made you smirk. He noticed you almost right away, eyebrows raised in confusion as the kids came hurrying out of the car up toward him. Tentatively you got out of the Uhaul, your weak legs thankful to be feeling land again. “Who’s this?” the man in the fez asked, indicating to you. Dipper rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. “Uh, so that thing we were hunting, well, it kinda ran out in the middle of the road and nearly hit this lady and—“ “But she hit her head from stopping her car so suddenly,” Mabel continued. “So I thought we should bring her here for the night. Is that okay, Grunkle Stan?” Stan looked over at Ford, who simply shrugged his shoulders in defeat. “You know there’s no arguing with Mabel once she has her mind set on something.” Figuring it would be best to at least go over and introduce yourself, you made your way over to the small family, an embarrassed look on your face. “Um, hi,” you began, giving a small, nervous wave. “Uh, I did hit my head a bit, but it’s nothing serious. I mean, like I’m not bleeding or anything and I can just sleep in my van or something if it's too much...” Stan raised a hand, and you stopped rambling. “It’s fine,” he grumbled, noticing the pleading look in his great niece’s eyes. “We have a guest bedroom. But we don’t do wake-up calls, and you fix your own breakfast.” You smiled. “Thanks! You won’t even notice I’m here,” you laughed nervously. “C’mon, you can tell us all about you while I give you the grand tour!” Mabel said excitedly, grabbing you by the hand and dragging you through the front door and into their home. You looked around and smiled to yourself as she guided you around, Mabel giving you the tour of your temporary home. “Over here is our kitchen, and just through there is the living room. Our Grunkle Stan’s room is over there, but I would stay out if I were you,” she added in a whisper, still pulling you around as you took in the cozy—almost safe—feeling the house had. You looked around, noticing the simplistic decor. It was undoubtedly the home of a bachelor. Or two. The floorboards creaked, each step you took up the stairs, almost rhythmic, as you followed the energetic girl to the second floor of the house. Taking a quick look behind you, you saw her brother following behind, your eyes meeting for the briefest of seconds, and a deepening red colored the boy’s face. “This,” Mabel indicated toward a room with the door slightly ajar, “is Soos’ room, but he’s on his honeymoon with Melody, so this is going to be your room for the night.” You stuck your head inside the room before stepping in completely. The first thing your eyes noticed was the comfy bed. “I appreciate this,” you said to the kids as you sat down on the edge of the bed, your body giving in to just how weary and tired you were. Suddenly, every bone and joint in your body ached from having sat driving for so long. “It’s no problem,” Mabel grinned. “My brother and I have the attic room upstairs, so if you need us, we’ll be there.” You smiled at them gratefully but exhausted. “So what’s your story?” Mabel asked. “My wha—oh, nothing really. I was moving to Oregon because I was tired of the hassle of the big city, so I accepted this job that was way less stressful than my old one. But,” you stopped, thinking about some of the weirdness you had experienced just tonight on your journey. “But coming even this far was... strange.” Dipper perked up. “How so?” “Well,” you began, hoping you didn’t sound certifiably insane, “it seemed like time wasn’t acting... normal, for want of a better word. Like, I could have sworn when I got near the state, it told me I had 15 miles to go, then a few minutes later it said 25 miles. It felt like I was driving in circles too...” Dipper pulled out a notepad and began scribbling down something excitedly, his tongue darting past his teeth. You looked questionably at Mabel, who shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head. “But, but yeah,” you continued, “then I almost hit that thing—whatever it was—in the road, and I just... I don’t know.” You rested your head in your hands, as you felt a small hand pat your shoulder comfortingly. You looked at the girl and smiled. “What was that thing?” you asked, remembering how it didn’t look like a normal creature. And certainly not like one you had ever seen before. “We think it was Huntokar,” Dipper replied. “At least that’s what Grunkle Ford said. It’s some kind of monster god that looks like a woman with a deer’s head.”

Not a word of what he said made any sense, and the confusion must’ve been evident on your face as Dipper cleared his throat and tried again to explain. “Gravity Falls has a—uh—unique reputation for strange things.” “Dipper’s right—” “And ever since Weridmageddon last year—” “—things have only gotten... stranger.” You looked between the twins, waiting to see which one would break first, which one would admit that everything they just said was a somewhat terrible joke they decided to play. Yet when neither one said anything after a few uncomfortable moments had passed, you realized either they were pranksters with a vivid imagination, or this was all just some funky extension of your tired mind. “Okay,” you said, not wanting to drag this out any further. You slapped your palms on your thighs and laughed a bit. The twins gave a nervous laugh in response, before wishing you a good night, and leaving you alone in the room. After a second, you got up, closed the bedroom door, and locked it, shaking your head in disbelief. Weirdmageddon? Huntokar? You chuckled to yourself, those words repeating in your head as you flopped back on the bed, falling instantly to sleep. _____

A/N:

Thank you so much for your patience with me getting this chapter up! Had a lot on my plate, with my job nearly going on strike and dealing with all that drama. :-( But hopefully, everything is good now, and in, like, two more chapters Bill himself will finally be making an appearance. ;-) Chapter 2 / Chapter 4 AO3 / Wattpad

[mermaidsirennikita]

tagged by @ravenkings--thanks much!!!

nickname: Caro-- used to be strictly called Caroline, but I liked the idea of a nickname and started to tell people it would be fine for them to call me Caro, and organically people online sorta picked it up. I now have a few friends and relatives who exclusively call me Caro, some who switch between Caroline and Caro, some exclusive Carolines... And I am literally just Caro at work. Not Caroline at all.

sign: sagittarius

height: 5′7

last thing i googled: lego Titanic set (don't ask)

song stuck in my head: hildegard von blingin's "I Need A Hero" cover

number of followers: 3,026

amount of sleep: usually 6ish hours, maybe 7 if I'm lucky

lucky number: 7, 22

dream job: successful romance novelist

wearing: burgundy sweater dress with a belt, docs, hoop earrings

movies/books that summarize me: 

books: wuthering heights by emily bronte, dreaming of you by lisa kleypas, lothaire by kresley cole, the mediator by meg cabot, waking up with the duke by lorraine heath, the duke gets even by joanna shupe

movies: the godfather (1972), ibiza (2018), bridget jones's diary (2001), pride and prejudice (2005), the love witch (2016), the prince of egypt (1998), roman holiday (1953), the omen (1976), the lion king (1994)

favorite song: work song by hozier

favorite instrument: guitar

aesthetic: a bit 60s/70s, preeeetty dark femme all the time (only wear skirts and dresses, never wear flats due to a walking issue I have that makes reinforced heels the easiest option). never leave the house without makeup (not saying others should do that, it's just who I've been for many years). put together meets boho, I'd say? at the moment?

favorite author: lol fuck, depends on the day; maybe Elizabeth Hoyt? Joanna Shupe? but genuinely, DEPENDS.

favorite animal noise: wolves howling

random: I'm pretty into tattoos. I only have 10, technically--but they range in size from a little behind the ear guy I that's the width and not even the length of my thumb (will probs smudge out someday) to an in-progress single-piece semi-sleeve (my artist calls it a sleeve and I trust her, but it doesn't encompass the entire arm, just most of it, and the inner forearm of that arm already had a sizable piece it's going to accommodate). Though that is actually not my biggest piece, just my most detailed (I have a simpler piece encompassing the entire side of my thigh I'd like to have fleshed out some more someday). I have a "tit chandelier" piece (not a chandelier, it's very organic-looking) that covers the forward-facing part of my ribs and runs up between my boobs; second worst pain I've ever felt. Two of my pieces relate to my love of romance, if not super obviously. Most are what I'd call American illustrative, most are color, three are black linework. First three tattoos were impetuous, all the rest have been thought out with great artists I'm lucky enough to work with, save a lil charity benefit tattoo I got from someone I'd never be able to afford otherwise (actually a favorite, it's adorable). My dream is to write a historical romance featuring tattoos at least somewhat prominently. Ironically, ever since I started consciously choosing artists and planning work, I've never had a cis guy tattoo me, though that's not deliberate. Just kinda worked out that way, and it's interesting to me considering how the industry has historically been dominated by cis white men. Lucky enough to be able to squeeze in and work with some great people!

Tagging: @loisfreakinglane @saint-cecilias @bluetiefling @maxfieldparrishes @thewritersramblings @hptriviachamp @viscountessevie @archistratego