#everything about it was a complete mess

[shoechoe]

When I was a little kid, Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated was my favorite incarnation of Scooby Doo. I would watch it over and over. Even as my memory of it faded I always just kind of regarded Mystery Inc. as the best thing from the franchise by far.

I just finished rewatching it today and I am so angry. That was fucking terrible, what the hell?

[jesuis-assez]

↠ Tim & Lucy ↳ 6x09 | 5x01

[uncanny-tranny]

There's something so insane to me about being able to create and recreate vintage or even ancient music, clothes, fabrics, building architecture, anything, really.

I watched this video about a lady who knit a WWII-era vest, and it was really unique, because the cable work would eat up yarn, when there were shortages of fibers. This pattern would have likely been used by people to send overseas to soldiers, and now it's being created in a time where this war has been over for generations. What were the people making this pattern thinking of? What about the people making the vest? Could they fathom a world where world wars didn't happen back to back? Could they imagine what peace felt like, or did it fade like a distant memory, a faint friend? All we have now are the remnants of their efforts, a "simple" vest that would warm the bodies of countless people the knitter would never have imagined were here on earth with them.

We're reaching across time to learn about other people - we're reaching our hands out just to grasp anything tangible. And when we've take hold of something, all we can do is say I love you I love you I love you

[ladynicte]

Nico who has been deified after his death. Nico who's sure, after all this time, he's finally managed to let go of his older sister's death, of course, it still hurts, and of course, he will never forget her, but that fiery hatred and overtaking sadness, has finally been put to rest.

Nico knows and understands that his sister chose to move on without him, and that's okay, no it's never gonna be okay but he's made his peace with that too, and now, that he's an inmortal himself he never expects to see Bianca again.

Nico lives easy. He works for his father, he sleeps for a couple decades at a time, sometimes he goes back to Camp, takes care of some kids during their quests here and there, but for the most part, he's a chain-free roaming God.

And then, one day at Camp Nico meets her, a tiny little girl, with how long he has lived, time has become almost impossible for Nico to really track down anymore, but he's sure this girl can't be more than 10.

And something about her eyes, her dark, void-like eyes, and her long black hair, and her proud stance. It really reminds him of somebody else.

The girl is all alone, no little brother or older sister of her own, no parents either, apparently, she's a child of Hekate, but that really doesn't matter.

Something about the girl's every move, about the way she approaches the darkness without fear, about the way she approaches him, like she's known him all his life, the way she uses her whole body when talking.

It reminds Nico of Bianca. This girl's soul is just like Bianca's.

And Nico supposes it's no longer a fatal flaw, but he still doesn't know how to let go.

Nico immediately claims her on the spot, lets her sleep on the Hades Cabin, helps her out with everything, takes care of her for years and years.

It's the first time in centuries, that Nico as a God feels connected to his mortal side.

When the little girl cuddles against him, because she's had yet another nightmare about manticores and huge robots, while Nico quietly tries to hug her, and reassure her she's going to be fine, he even starts thinking that maybe his family has grown, yet again.

And then, she's send off on a Quest, Nico loudly protests against it, because he knows how those end.

Because, he still remembers waking up screaming and trashing, in the middle of the night, inside the Hermes Cabin, surrounded by strangers and shadows, as he felt Bianca's soul perish away.

But it's no use, the Oracle of her time had already issued her prophecy, this new girl, Rachel having long since passed away, who Nico feels almost comfortable cursing in the spot, just like his father had done so many centuries ago.

The little girl leaves, and Nico now has nobody to swear to keep her protected. Nico knows it's useless to try to convince her to stay, but he still does, it doesn't work, it never has worked

But truth is, she doesn't even look scared.

She's excited, and ready, and determined, and Nico has to wonder if this is how Bianca looked like, during her last week on Earth, too.

The girl leaves and she doesn't come back.

Nico thinks, it should be easier by now. It isn't, it's never gonna be it

Hades catches Nico roaming mindlessly around Elysium, after noticing his absence from The House, for what's either days, or years.

Hades mournfully reassures Nico that Bianca is not there anymore. No, not this time, not last time, not next time either.

After that, Nico chooses to abandon Camp fully, once again, he doesn't come back for another few centuries, until Hermes asks him for help getting his children to satefy at Camp.

Nico swallows the bile, that he's sure a Godly body like his own, shouldn't be able to produce anymore, shakes Hermes's hands, and tells his cousin his children will make it through, just fine.

Nico rescues the kids, regretfully send them off to live all cramped up together at their Father's Cabin forever, but one of the boys of the bunch, just has such dark eyes, like a black hole consuming souls.

And he stands so proud, and Nico just knows once more, and all at once, because he would recognize Bianca's soul anywhere.

In life, in death, at the end of the world, in a Hekate's daughter, in an Hermes's son, it doesn't matter, the person standing in front of him, is simply Bianca in another skin.

Bianca, being a wild hero once more, and Nico has to wonder if she can see him as clearly as he can see her.

Bianca is the only one after all, who has known him all his life, Bianca knew his name before it was even his own. Nico was born knowing her.

If she can see him, or if she can't, Nico doesn't even know which one would hurt more.

Time passes, and if Nico let's the boy sleep at the Hades Cabin, because the nightmares about manticores, giant robots, and magic are too much to bear, and he can't even scream in peace inside the Hermes Cabin, well, that's only Nico's own business to know about.

Nico realizes, after a few ages of Godhood, that The Fates like repeating their own stories.

Nico knows he hates all of them, deeply and purposefully.

The Oracle comes up to the boy, Nico is sure she must be a new girl, but all the girls Apollo chooses all look the same, and she is the same, she gives the hero the prophecy that will bury him.

And, it doesn't even take Nico a glance to know, that this is where that boy's life thread is cut.

Nico wants to sneer, this would be Bianca's third death, and if a hero dies three times they get the special prize, and yet.

Nico begs the boy to not go, because they both know he's not gonna make it back.

Bianca never has. Bianca never does. This is Bianca's fate. She was already dead before the story even began.

But the boy doesn't even break eye contact with Nico, as he tells Nico that he's very kind, and that he loves him too, but no way.

He's gonna go, and so, the boy does.

The boy leaves and he doesn't come back, and Nico has to crawl at his Godly skin, and remember the sensations, of back when there was human flesh, and blood running through his veins.

And that's just the thing isn't it, that Bianca is never going to stay by his side, because she doesn't want to.

[puhpandas]

I keep thinking about how on earth they would canonize ggy bc like. at this point if they have to sacrifice Gregory screentime of just him to make something we already know actually canon, I would rather just take the screentime, but on the other hand they have to canonize it if they want to do anything at all with that plotline, and that makes me wonder if theyll stick with it as canon in the games at all or just leave it as background knowledge if u read the book 😭

[choices-binglebonkus]

I know it’s early still, but I’d go so far as to say Crimes of Passion book 2 is one of the few sequels that outshines the original book.

[aroaceleovaldez]

I still do really like photokinetic Will I just. Don't like the book lmfao... even if they're leaning into the sun stuff for him (which isn't inherently bad)... there's definitely bad aspects to the sun; we saw it firsthand in TBM. Helios is called the "lifegiver" and "bringer of joy to mortals" but also "the destroyer". Apollo is the god of plague as well as healing, and sudden deaths/people dropping dead were attributed to him. So even if Will's portrayal here DIDN'T contradict all of the previous series? It still just wouldn't make sense, as an Apollo kid.

Exactly! I write photokinesis!Will too! But just like you said - the sun has so many elements to it and Apollo himself is the god of so much that it feels ridiculous that Will feels so unaware of it. He literally watched his dad cast a minor plague during a fight at Camp Half-Blood within like, the last year! What do you mean he's going "Even I... have a darkness within of me? :0????"

And he's a medic!!!! For demigods! And survived the Battle for Manhattan! What do you mean you're trying to tell me Will doesn't understand death?! Will's probably the guy to understand death the best at camp besides the literal chthonic demigods!! The book even mentions Michael Yew, local asshole Apollo kid, implying that Michael was very much a prominent big-brother figure to Will (maybe that explains why Will is characterized as such an ass randomly in this book). With that alone Will should be plenty aware that even his own divine heritage is not all sunshine and happiness.

The book did Will so dirty it's physically painful 😭

[nerdie-faerie]

Finished packing at half 7, took an hour nap and then only just made it to my coach with a couple of minutes to spare, I live on the edge. The edge of a panic attack

[knightofleo]

“wHAt the FUCk is HAPPennING?!”

[leviachansbaka]

I'm slowly realizing that maybe, I do have a type, and I don't know how to feel about that...

[iftitah]

.

[solarpowerlesbian]

this close to using my teacher voice with my dad. btw.

[goldentigerfestival]

Using this as an audio reference for the posts I'm making, but to summarize:

Yuri starts out mad.

Yuri tries to calm himself down with a deep breath to ask for details instead of going through it angry.

Flynn doesn't say "like a good knight" in the sense of putting himself down. He simply says "as a knight" (the tl here doesn't use that, but with that included it's basically along the lines of "even though I had doubts, as a knight, I was determined to follow my orders").

Once Yuri has answers he calms down significantly.

Yuri uses " 'ttaku", which is a shortened down version of "mattaku" (Yuri often shortens words and speaks very casually), which in this particular situation basically would mean "geez", or "good grief". In this manner, it's expressive of exasperation/frustration/etc.

Yuri never mentions that "Flynn told him what to do" like the dub does (because in fact Flynn did not ever tell Yuri what to do. He only gave Sodia and his other knights orders. He expressed his own desire to take responsibility, but never told Yuri and his friends what to do).

At this point you can tell the anger has gone out of him and that he's calmed down, now that Flynn is approaching this with admission and responsibility.

Sodia is asking that Flynn returns as soon as possible (I believe this was a general translation error).

Flynn's thank you to Yuri is tonally much more heartfelt.

Yuri's response and gratefulness at Flynn coming back to himself is tonally much more heartfelt, relieved and sincere.

[harmcityherald]

To save from having shouting matches I sit and listen to conspiracy bullshit from one of my right leaning youngers. I just sit and listen, maybe shake my head here and there. Ask me directly if I think any of this nonsense coming out of your mouth is real. Go on. I dare you. But you won't do that and I'm above having a fistfight because you believe Biden killed Anthony Bourdain and you wanna defend diddy and weinstien, because of course, they are the heroes that are next on the unalive list. What an absolute pop tart.

Since 2016, I have truly heard some of the most stupid conspiracy theories I've ever heard, I'm not talking about reading about it, I'm talking about right here and now and completely in my face. I can not fathom the absolute shit I hear and they believe. Looking at you, I see exactly what they want. An idiot ready to run off and do their bidding. They are laughing at you at the same time. I thought I raised you better than that.

Its not just stupid. Its industrial stupid. Like, I have just one question for you. If the orange leader of your white power cult told you to kill yourself........ Would you?

The fact that question occurs to me should speak volumes.

You were afraid to look at the eclipse. Jewish space lasers. The moon is hollow. The ananuki. (or however you spell that lunacy.) You break out in a sweat when you talk to me. That crap has you gripped so deeply I don't know if I'm going to be able to reach you again. You are jack black in mars attacks. (just let that sink in for a minute.)

I wish you would just revert to your old self, You know the one who never read a book? Because I'm here to tell you that whatever you're reading is twisting your melon. Yeah. I miss that guy. So do your kids. I mean sure you didn't read, but your heart seemed in the right place. Now? You're a pop tart.

Pop tarts for trump.

[guhhhhhhhhhhh]

I have to put fresh sheets on my bed and make it but I've just been sitting on my bare mattress for the last 20 mins ranting to myself about this damn show

[h-worksrambles]

HUGE FFVII REBIRTH SPOILERS BELOW!!!

I’m still so mad at how the game handled this boss.

Putting aside that you’re still coming off the bizarre, disorienting framing of the previous scene (yes I know why they did it but the execution just doesn’t land), this JENOVA fight is especially frustrating because at first it seems like it’s going to be great. Barret furiously yelling “I’ll kill you!”, Cloud murmuring and rambling to himself as he fails to process what just happened, a heartbreakingly beautiful remix of Aerith’s theme playing in the background. So many of the components here are strong. It seems like it’s going to set the stage for a emotion-driven fight where the party unleash their grief and rage on this monster before them. They know it won’t bring their friend back but they don’t care. They just need this thing to die. And once it’s gone, the horrifying reality of what’s just happened sets in. Just like it did in the original. If the boss ended at just this first phase, it would be fantastic.

Unfortunately, after Remake’s finale, that would evidently be an anticlimax so we need to stretch out the final boss and…fine, I guess. But as long as they can maintain that atmosphere I don’t see why this shouldn’t w-

…Aaaand then Aerith’s theme is phased out for another JENOVA remix. So already you know this gonna be a shitshow. But then the party starts…inexplicably quipping at each other? Cloud and Barret start trading banter about the monster they’re fighting? Excuse me? What happened to the tone? These characters just watched their dear friend get brutally stabbed. Where’s the grief? Where’s the anger? Never mind that, have all the characters get flown up into the air to fight the boss while trading more fucking banter. Why is Yuffie teasing Cloud at being glad he brought her along now? Why are Barret and Red XIII glibly cheering each other on now? Why is Tifa showing no emotion for the death of her best friend (the whole ending does such a disservice to Aerith and Tifa’s friendship after giving them the best developed relationship across two whole games but discussion for another day). Why is Cait Sith making bad puns about ‘dropping in’ and ‘swinging by’?

And on top of all of this, Square-Enix decided that the most fitting way to end this would be a cinematic over the top anime team up attack where Yuffie, Barret and Cait spout dumb one liners. Tonal consistency? What’s that? It’s exactly the same bullshit they pulled when adapting Corel Prison. The remake project has spent the length of two massive RPGs bringing these characters to life as vividly and lovingly as possible. But its insistence on making every moment the biggest, most eye catching spectacle, betrays a total lack of subtlety that does those characters a disservice at multiple pivotal moments. Quiet, melancholy intimacy does not exist in this game. Everything is loud, everything is maximalist. Everything is cool and flashy. And a lot of the time that works exceptionally well. But this game has no off switch. And it really hurts the story at times.

This is without even getting into the rest of the final boss, the whole baffling affair with Sephiroth, and Zack and the fucking multiverse. Because you know what? At least that was done specifically because of Rebirth’s new story. It was done with a purpose, even though I don’t think it was a good purpose. The JENOVA fight is just shallow, tonally borked spectacle. And, much like the ending as a whole, the emotional pathos of Aerith’s death is lost amidst the style, ambiguity and overwhelming presentation.

Aerith and this game as a whole, deserved a better send off than this.