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hope-grace-serenity · 3 years

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The Missing Women of Far Cry-PART TWO

Previously, I wrote a post that was intended to talk a bit about Selena and Lana, and the history of the Faith position as a whole. Because the notes that discuss these women (“Grieving Note,” “Dirty Crumpled Letter,” A Confession”) tend to be overlooked, the purpose of this new post is to analyze the content of the notes and develop a greater understanding of the experiences and perspectives of the Faiths, as well as how they are viewed and treated. This is just my personal analysis, and of course you are more than welcome to disagree with any ideas expressed here. Unlike my previous post, this one will not bring in real-world connections, but will instead stick firmly within the context of what is presented in FC5. That being said, I’m going to keep the same TW’s as last time in the tags, because I realize that this topic overall can be really uncomfortable to think about. If anyone is particularly sensitive to discussing the Seeds brothers’ involvement in the disappearances (particularly Joseph, since he’s the one mentioned in all the notes), I recommend skipping this post.

So with that out of the way, let’s look at what these notes reveal to us...

First, the notes show us how these different women were hooked into becoming Faith and giving up their identities in the first place: by being convinced by Joseph that each one of them is special, despite him actually viewing them as interchangeable. This is told to us by Faith in-game during her first cutscene when she talks about how special the Father made her feel, but we also see the same story play out in the previous Faiths. The writer of the “Grieving Note” says Joseph told Lana she was special, and the author of “A Confession” expresses that all she wanted was to be special, and she finally got a chance to feel that way with Joseph. The writer of the “Dirty Crumpled Letter” brings attention to how despite what Joseph says, he *doesn’t* actually view Selena (or any of these women) as special, saying that there is a pattern of him “using up and throwing away” women.

Although they are told that they are unique, their individuality is significantly downplayed, which no doubt psychologically plays a role in the ease in which these women are disposed of and replaced. We see this in the callous way Joseph treats Lana’s body after her death, tossing it in to “disintegrate into the boiling muck” with the corpses of the mindless angels, despite her literally giving up her identity in order to become a part of the “family.” Also, the simple fact that he can “swap them out like they don’t have a brain of their own” (according to the writer of the “Dirty Crumpled Letter”) is quite telling of how he views them. He’s interested in how they fit this need for what a “Faith” should be, but not necessarily who they are as actual human beings. This focus on the idealized image of “Faith” is also something that’s corroborated in-game where his whole eulogy for Faith focuses on how devoted she was to him and how he changed her from being “lost and broken” to being ”angelic” and “perfect”--two words that suggest inhumanity and an unattainable ideal. This acts as a stark contrast to the more personal, humanized stories of John and Jacob. To bridge off that idea, the level of disinterest in the actual person behind the name shows that the Seeds do not view or treat the Faiths like sisters or daughters or any kind of actual family member, despite the title. John disappoints Joseph in-game, but John does not have to worry about mysteriously vanishing and having a random guy show up the next day who Joseph calls “Brother John.” Faith does not have the same luxury.

These notes also give us more insight into how Eden’s Gate operated before the arrest. The fact that there was a specific spot set aside to “disintegrate” bodies--plus the fate of the Faiths as a whole--shows us that violence was most definitely happening before the reaping began, even if it was something that was happening behind the scenes. This should be apparent based on other things we see within the game (the cause of the arrest warrant, the video of Joseph removing the man’s eyes, the fact that the Cook was allowed to be a cult member in the first place, existence of angels and judges, etc.), but I know there are a couple NPCs that make it seem like Eden’s Gate were just kooky, peaceful neighbors before the arrest. While that might have been the image they presented to the public, it’s clear that the reality is that there was a dark undercurrent even before the reaping--Eden’s Gate was just able to hide it well.

These notes also bring up some interesting questions regarding the attitudes of the Faiths. Finding the identity of the author of “A Confession” was something I was really curious about, since that could either provide us with a new dimension for Rachel, or give us valuable insight into the characterization of one of the previous Faiths, allowing one to have her own words and story expressed instead of just being relegated to the role of a “victim.” Based on the limited information presented in-game, I believe that the most likely writer of “A Confession” is Selena. The “Dirty Crumpled Letter,” where the writer tells Selena about the history of the Faith position, could easily have been what triggers her doubts, especially since that letter indicates that Selena is very new to the role and hasn’t fully “lost herself” to the Faith position yet. The fact that the letter is “crumpled” implies that Selena was either upset or angry when reading it, which further connects to the idea that she’s experiencing emotional strife which may trigger her doubts. In the “Dirty Crumpled Letter,” the writer says, “God knows who you are, and so do you,” suggesting that Selena is religious. In “A Confession,” the writer is clearly religious as well, as the note is written out to God.

The author of “A Confession” expresses genuine fear of Joseph due to having personal doubts about the project when she says, “What do I do? I know you will forgive me, dear Lord. I don’t know if Joseph will.” This is also supported by Faith’s eulogy, in which he mentions the previous Faiths weren’t as devoted as she was. This implies to me that the reason at least some of the Faiths may have been killed was because they weren’t faithful enough to him and/or the Project. The fear expressed by the writer of “A Confession,” as well as how the individual women acting in the Faith role are viewed as disposable and replaceable in general, personally makes me fully believe Faith in-game when she expresses fear of Joseph and says she was threatened in the past. Given how her predecessors were treated, why wouldn’t she have some level of fear?

Still, the role itself is obviously very important to Joseph, hence why he keeps filling the slot with different women. So, why is that? What’s he hoping to achieve? Why is it so important that there’s a Faith? This paragraph is going to veer a bit into speculative territory (and like I mentioned earlier, this is all just my opinion), but I think the answer for that ties into the previous few points: he’s looking for someone who embodies the concept of faith. And as for why that's so important to him, all we need to do is think about his conversation with us in Jacob’s region. Joseph had a really shitty and painful life, but there was one bright spot after he and his brothers were split up: his wife and daughter. As far as we’re aware, the mysterious Mrs. Seed was the first female presence in his life to genuinely love and care for him. What personal characteristic does he keep emphasizing about his wife? Her faith. When he experienced personal doubts, her faith was there to ground him. She provided him with a feminine, stable, unconditional devotion that he never experienced before, one I feel he tries to replicate in creating these Faiths, and this becomes their main source of value to him. She provides that accepting essence to both him and the Project as a whole. This is why he constantly emphasizes the importance of Faith, both the concept and the person. And yes, this is an incredibly unhealthy viewpoint to have.

I spent a lot of time talking about Joseph because he’s the one mentioned in these notes, but there are some implications here for John and Jacob as well.Given their personal connection to Joseph and high rank in the group, they are most certainly aware of what’s going on, which makes them complicit to some degree in what is happening to the Faiths. If they have any personal qualms, we don’t know about it. While there is NPC dialogue that indicates Jacob is upset when John dies, and that Faith is upset when John dies, we have no indication that either of the brothers is personally upset about Faith. One of the NPCs says, “Jacob would happily sacrifice everyone and everything in Hope County to feed Joseph's Collapse. He doesn't care about Faith.” The only time John mentions her is when he says he treats his followers better than she treats her angels. While I wish there was someone that Faith could genuinely have a close, honest friendship with, that unfortunately does not seem to be the case here.

And...I think that’s it! Wow, that was a lot longer than I thought it would be. Faith’s perspective is so interesting and unique, and really fascinating to analyze. I realize this post doesn’t exactly paint the Seeds or Eden’s Gate in the most flattering light, but it’s fully possible to love all these characters while acknowledging the bad things they did. Believe it or not, Joseph’s my second or third favorite character, lol.

#tw: missing women #tw: murdered women #tw: domestic violence #tw: body disposal #tw: corpses #far cry 5 #far cry 5 meta #faith seed #joseph seed #john seed #jacob seed #fc5 #long post

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eemeelyy · 3 years

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Request: could u pls do harry x actress reader. So basically harry and y/n started working on a romance movie and they start to fall in love. The movie premire is in italy and harry and y/n spend there time together having fun and swimming in their villa hiding there relationship from the public. fast forward to the award nominations. y/n gets a call at midnight saying she is nominated for best actress at the oscars. Harry is so happy for her. fast forward ti the oscars harry is presenting the award to best actress. y/n is scared that she might not win. But harry calls her name and she gets her oscar. harry and y/n are so happy they share a kiss forgetting that they have a private relationship from the public. The crowd shares ‘awwwwww’ and y/n gives her speach. Later is the after party and all her actor friends congratulate her. Harry and y/n spend the night dancing and kissing - @www-imbored-com

Real-life love interest

I did not take this role because Harry fucking Styles was gonna play my love-interest. I took this role because the script was great. There were so many rom-coms out there. Girl meets boy. Girl and boy fall in love. Something shitty happens so they part ways but it was all a misunderstanding and they find their way back to each other. I would have never taken a role in a generic movie like that. This one had all the ups and downs, characters with a proper personality.

I never even really watched rom-coms. Or romantic dramas while we’re at it. So, who knows, maybe this was a generic film and I just didn’t know because I knew that little about romantic movies.

The first time I met Harry was at the first table read. He sat on my right and when I sat down he grinned up at me brightly. He waited for me to be seated and smile back at him before he extended his hand. I shook it.

„Hi there. I’m Harry. Big fan“, he smiled, „I’m really happy about this. I mean getting to play your love interest. The (Y/N) (Y/L/N)? Pretty much the only reason I got into acting.“

I chuckled. „You’re joking, right? By the time I started acting you were already an international rockstar.“

„That’s not entirely true, love. You were big when I was a kid. You were the reason I became obsessed with tv. So thanks for ruining my marks back then“, he chuckled to let me know he was joking.

„I’m terribly sorry, sweetie, that must have been so tough for you“, I feigned pity but then went back to smiling brightly, „I took a longer break to get my A-levels. And then I went to uni because I thought I wanted a degree in acting but then I realized I’m better at learning by doing, so here we are.“

„I guess your awards and credentials speak for themselves.“

We both laughed a bit at that and then got to work. The majority of the film was made in a little city in southern Italy. There wasn’t a lot going on there and most of the inhabitants were some older people who had no idea what was going on. It was great getting to work without the entire world getting updates and showing up on set. I stayed in a beautiful little hotel by the coast and, as it turned out, so did Harry. It wasn’t much of a surprise though because there weren’t a lot of other options around.

The entire hotel was already occupied by just the two of us and some members of the crew who didn’t stay in trailers. We’d spend many evenings and some mornings together before and after we worked. Our schedules were similar so that worked wonderfully. Around two weeks after we started filming we were sitting in the adjacent restaurant by our hotel. We shared a rather large pizza and drank some Lambrusco while we just talked.

„You’ve got to be kidding. You can’t be in a romantic film when you never watched them. And, goodness sake, you can’t say you don’t like them if you’ve never seen them“, he told me with wide eyes.

„I mean I’ve watched some. My mum loves them. But it’s just so cringy. That’s not how relationships happen!“

„So? That’s the point. I picked up all my flirting techniques from those films.“

„Oh, so, that’s why you’re single“, I laughed.

He feigned being hurt before he spoke up again. „Tell you what. We have a late start tomorrow and it’s still early. I’m going to pay this bill now and then I’ll take you up to my room and I’ll show you what’s so great about romantic films.“

„Sounds like a plot line to one of those films“, I chuckled.

He smirked and wiggled his eyebrow before he waved at the waiter to show him he wanted to pay.

„I’m paying tomorrow then, you can’t just keep inviting me or I’ll genuinely start believing I’m stuck in a romance film.“

He winked at me just as he put down the money, including a rather generous tip, and downed the rest of his wine. I did the same to my glass and then we headed back up to his room. Some clothes were scattered on the floor and the bed wasn’t made. The door to the bathroom was slightly open and I could see that it looked pretty clean compared to the main room. Other than that it looked pretty much exactly like mine.

Harry scurried in before you could get too much of an impression though, quickly gathering all of the clothes into his arms and throwing them in the open suitcase before shutting it. He grinned at me awkwardly and taking a hint I excused myself to my room quickly to change into some comfortable clothes and freshen up a bit. When I came back in pajamas, a fluffy robe, slippers and my hair in a messy bun his room looked really presentable and he was wearing an outfit similar to mine, with his hair clipped back and without slippers.

He had set up his laptop on the coffee table and thrown some blankets and pillows onto the couch. I smiled and sat down.

„I’m going to ease you into this. Let us not start with my favourites“, he told me and put on Sleepless in Seattle.

„That’s my mum’s favourite“, I told him with a smirk.

„See, this would not happen in a film. In a romantic film your mum and I would coincidentally love all the same things that you don’t like and then she’d like me more than you“, he told me and chuckled.

„Oh, good thing we’re not in a film then because if my mum loved you more than me this wouldn’t work out“, I said before realizing what I’d just said, „Not that we would work out, we’re just friends, right? I mean, I guess our characters have great chemistry and so per association so do we but that’s it.“

He interrupted you with a laugh. „You’re acting like a character in the films. Now zip it and listen to the magic of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan falling in love.“

It was just a couple minutes past eleven when the film was over and both of us were pretty tired by the end, subconsciously leaning against one another and yawning. I pushed myself up just as the credits started rolling and stretched a bit.

„Okay, maybe I liked that“, I admitted.

„Maybe tomorrow we should totally watch You’ve Got Mail“, he replied.

We kept that routine up and watched a new romantic film almost every night if we weren’t too tired or had too little time in between shots anyway. We’d been working together for nearly four months when he finally showed me his favourite film The Notebook. I had to admit at that point that I had liked all the films thus far. It was a Saturday evening, nearly ten pm, when we met in his room. The next day we didn’t have any work so we weren’t too worried about sleep.

I fell asleep halfway through the film. Harry was too wrapped up in the film to notice. He never woke me up. Instead I woke up the next morning. It was almost eight and Harry and I were cuddled up on the couch. I didn’t know if he also fell asleep during the film or if he did this intentionally but I got up and stretched before I turned back to him and looked at his adorable sleeping face.

His eyebrows scrunched together and he rolled himself into himself before he stretched back out and blinked his eyes open. „Good morning“, I said quietly when he smiled at me.

„Did you like it?“, he asked.

„I don’t know. I fell asleep, sorry.“

He pouted and rolled back up. „Then I don’t wanna get up until we’ve watched that film entirely and you tell me you’re in love with Ryan Gosling.“

I laughed. „I’m in love with Rachel McAdams. That good, too? She was in that film from the other night. About Time. That was a good one. Or Mean Girls. Or Doctor Strange. Or many other films I can’t think of right now.“

I went to the window and opened it. „Do you hear that, Harry? You can’t ignore the growing desire to jump into the ocean.“

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, listening to the waves below. Then I heard Harry sigh. „I’ll get my swim trunks.“

I smiled brightly and took off to get my own bathing suit. We hurried downstairs and ran into the ocean. It was great. We just swam and splashed around for a few minutes before he dove into the water and came back out right in front of me.

„Have we watched Dirty Dancing?“, he asked.

I giggled. „Yes.“

„Wanna do that?“, he asked and stretched his arms into the air.

„Absolutely not. That didn’t end so well in the film and it won’t end well here. Remember how much practice we needed for the dance scene? No.“

He placed his hands on my waist and pulled me closer. „I have used all the tricks on the screen, (Y/N), help me out here“, he whispered.

I smirked before I lunged at him and wrapped myself around him, smashing my lips against his. „Tell me the plot twist of our story, Harry“, I whispered against his lips.

„We’re past plot twists, love. The plot twist was this.“

I grinned and went back to kissing him.

We spent even more time together after that. The filming was finished two months later and we had to spend a little over one of those back in England. I spent most of that time at Harry’s place. Some of it at my own but our relationship moved pretty quickly. Two weeks after we’d wrapped filming we were back at my apartment, Harry going through my bookshelves as I packed up my clothes. I was going to move into his place since that was where I spent most of my time anyway. When I came out of my walk-in-closet Harry was standing in front of my bedroom window.

„It’s raining“, he said.

„Obviously, darling, we’re in England“, I chuckled.

„But in Italy it only rained one day out of them all“, he pouted, falling onto my stripped bed.

„Have you packed up all the books?“, I asked, flopping down next to him.

I put a hand on his chest and looked up at him. He nodded. „We should go back.“

„To Italy?“, I asked with a playful expression.

„Yeah. We don’t have anywhere to be for the next few months until the premiere. Which is in Italy. So we’ll just go there and wait for the premiere, all in the privacy of some rental home. And then we can go back to our hectic lives in rainy England“, he explained.

I thought about it for a minute. He was right, it did sound heavenly. „Let’s finish this up, okay? And then we can look up a place to stay back there.“

I’d just gotten settled in Harry’s place a week later and now we were packing up again to leave for Italy.

„You still haven’t made it through The Notebook“, he told me on the plane.

„And I probably never will, love, I made it through all the other films. Please give that one up for now. I will still find Ryan Gosling terribly attractive“, I replied.

„No, that was only fine to say before we were an item, darling. Now Ryan Gosling is kinda handsome, at the most. And I am the epitome of attractiveness“, he said, raising his chin with pride.

I laughed. „I can’t agree, that would be poison to your ego. But do know I love you more than Ryan Gosling.“

„Good enough“, he laughed, taking my hand and pressing a kiss to it.

Over the next few weeks we watched more films, we swam, we strolled around and just enjoyed each other’s presence. The day of the premiere came around and we took a train to Rome where it would be happening. We didn’t see each other all day, getting styled and dressed up.

I wore a pale blue dress that flowed down my body and hugged it in all the right places ending just around my ankles so my white ballerinas were visible. When we finally met on the red carpet I saw Harry wearing a suit in a similar shade (I’m imagining the suit from the Variety shoot). We posed together for a bit, not giving anything away about our relationship and the went to the screening.

After everything had gone amazingly we had to go press touring together. It was only a couple weeks. We didn’t attend a lot of interviews and tried to squeeze them closely together so we could get back home.

It was three months after the film’s release, early January, when I woke up from my rather light slumber because my phone was vibrating on the bedside table. I picked it up without looking at the caller ID.

„Hello?“, I groaned.

„(Y/N), it’s Doug“, my agent said, „Shit, I’m sorry, it must be the middle of the night over there. But you’Re nominated for an Oscar.“

„I’m- sorry, what?“, I wasn’t quite grasping what he was saying since I was still half asleep.

„You’re nominated for an Oscar, (Y/N), I’ll send you an e-mail with all the details, I just wanted to hear you when you got the news. And I gotta say, this is underwhelming. Anyway, sleep tight, call me back when you’re awake.“

Then he hung up and I went back to sleep almost immediately.

Still, in February, Harry and I went to the Oscars and I had now realized that I was nominated. Even through all his reassurances I wasn’t entirely certain about everything. Would I win? And if I didn’t would I be able to mask my disappointment? Would I feel happy for the winner?

„Fuck, (Y/N), stop worrying. I’m about 98% sure you’ll win. And the other two percent was just me being too nice to not wish the other nominees all the best as well. I have to be unbiased after all. And if - big if - you don’t win, it’ll still be an honour just to be nominated. You’ve been gushing about the others for so long now, even I’m annoyed.“

Harry would be presenting the award which would make it even more awesome to win. We showed up at the ceremony together, posing together, walking together, starting all the rumours without giving anything away again.

Soon, it was time for Harry and Saoirse Ronan to go on stage together and present the award. They talked about the category and the nominees, we were presented, clips were played and then Saoirse opened the envelope.

„And the Oscar goes to…“, she started, before looking at Harry to say the name together.

„(Y/N) (Y/L/N)“

The smile on my face grew and a few tears slipped from my eyes as I made my way to the stage being welcomed into Saoirse’s arms first before Harry bear hugged me so tightly I thought he’d never let me go.

„Wow, thank you, oh my god“, I started, looking at the award in my hand, „I hope we didn’t waste too much of my speech time hugging it out“, I laughed, the audience joining me, „I want to thank so many people so please don’t hate me if I forget you, I can’t hear myself over the beating of my heart. But I want to thank everyone who worked on this film. Patty Jenkins, you most incredible director, first and foremost. I want to thank my mum and dad, they’re great, I wouldn’t be here without them, literally. And Harry, my wonderful on-screen-love-interest, my real-life-love-interest, fuck, I love you so much, this is incredible. They say I should wrap it up now so, uh, thank you, do come up to me and scold me later if I forgot to thank you.“

After that night the internet blew up. I hadn’t even noticed that I’d just come public about our relationship. But as we were dancing the night away we couldn’t care less.

#harry styles imagine #harry styles x reader #harry styles

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cherry-valentine · 4 years

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Spring 2020 Anime:

Kami no Tou is one of my favorites this season. It’s unique in that it’s based on a Korean web comic rather than a Japanese manga or light novel. This gives it a different feel than most anime. The series centers on a massive tower that, when climbed, will grant a wish. Only the strongest warriors can hope to climb the tower, and even attempting it requires passing several grueling tests. The protagonist, Bam, initially enters the tower to find his friend Rachel, but ends up joining a team of three to climb the tower together. For the majority of the first episode’s runtime, I wasn’t really into this series and was pretty sure I wouldn’t watch anymore. It had a pretty vague opening that left me underwhelmed. But just before the episode ends, we get a really awesome sequence that sets the tone for the rest of the series, and I was hooked. The tests to climb the tower are surprisingly brutal, with frequent deaths until the cast is whittled down to the main players. The core group of characters is made up of a refreshing variety, with plenty of badass ladies. The main team of three are all likable. I honestly thought I wouldn’t like the lizard-like Rak very much, but he grew on me very quickly. The art is great, rarely going off model. The animation quality is pretty good and the design work is fantastic. The opening and ending themes are among my favorites this season. Probably my favorite new series of the season.

Kakushigoto covers several types of series all in one. It’s a comedy at its core, with a focus on quick skits and gags. It’s also adorable and heartwarming, following a single father named Goto raising his young daughter, Hime. The hook of the series, and the source of most of the comedy, is that Goto is a manga artist who draws “ecchi” manga (when I first read the description, I had something else in mind, but it turns out he just makes silly, slightly perverted gag manga) and he’s desperate to hide this fact from his daughter, so he pretends he’s a regular “salary man”. His interactions with Hime are so sweet and wholesome, it really makes you just sigh and say, “Awww!” However, the series also covers another type of anime: the tearjerker. The scenes talking about Goto’s dead wife are almost hard to watch, as it’s very clear that losing her was incredibly painful for him, but he had to move on quickly for his daughter’s sake. There are little things, like the fact that the wife apparently prepared boxes for Hime to open at every age containing things she thought Hime might need or want at each age (and it looks like she prepared boxes for Goto as well!), that make it hard to stay dry-eyed while watching. There are also scenes taking place several years later, involving a teenage Hime, that imply some extremely heartbreaking things I’d rather not think about. Basically, any given episode will have you gushing over the cuteness, then laughing hysterically, then crying and batting away some dark and depressing thoughts. The art has a very unique style. To be honest I’m not entirely sure if I like it or not. The colors and backgrounds are lovely, but some of the character designs are a little... odd. In particular, Hime is probably the least cute “young daughter” type character I’ve seen in anime. Something about the way her face is drawn is just... off. Oh well, might be good for warding off the gross perverts who might be watching the show for all the wrong reasons (it’s anime, so I suspect the worst). The music is perfect, with the best ending theme of the season (seriously go watch it, right now! It’s a true visual delight with an amazing song to go with it). Highly recommended unless you have no soul.

Kaguya-sama Love is War Season 2 was something I was looking forward to very much. I enjoyed season one way more than I expected to, and so far season two is just as good. The series follows two highly intelligent but extremely awkward students at a fancy private school who are in love with each other but each is trying to force the other to confess their feelings first. It’s a genuinely funny comedy that also captures the feeling of being in love with someone but being too shy (or too prideful) to tell them. Season two introduces a couple of new characters who, in my opinion, aren’t super interesting but thankfully aren’t around enough to wear out their welcome. This is one of those shows where no actual progress can ever be made, because if these two characters actually get together, the entire premise of the show falls apart and there’s no reason for it to keep going. Despite that, the show continues to be funny and entertaining, and it’s consistently well done, from the art to the writing to the music.

My Life as a Villainess is one of the quirkier “isekai” series out there. It follows a modern teenage girl who suddenly dies and is reborn in the world of her favorite otome game. The catch is that, instead of being born as the lovely heroine that all the guys fall in love with, she’s born as the villain, Catarina, who makes life hell for the heroine and, in every route in the game, ends up either dead or exiled. Upon realizing this, Catarina decides to do everything in her power to avoid these potential fates. This mostly amounts to her being nice to everyone (especially the game’s heroine, whom she meets in this world’s equivalent of high school) and trying to improve both her magic power and her fighting skills so she can defend herself, as well as learning to grow food in a garden so she can feed herself after being exiled. The show’s true (and obvious) twist is that everyone (regardless of gender) ends up falling in love with Catarina. It’s actually a pretty nice message, that people won’t automatically love you, but if you work on improving yourself and be genuinely kind to others, people will gravitate to you. The series is actually really funny and overall light-hearted. It’s particularly amusing if you’ve ever played an otome game and are familiar with the tropes. The art is nice, if a little generic, and the music is fine. Not my favorite this season but certainly worth a watch, especially since the season grew a bit dry a few weeks in.

Major 2nd Season 2 is a baseball anime sequel to the series Major, which I really want to watch (but is clearly not required for enjoying this one). In the second season, protagonist Daigo (the son of the previous series’ protagonist) is now a second year in middle school, and is the captain of the team after most of the third years quit. Almost all of his team mates from the first season have split up and gone to other schools, but Sakura, one of the few girl players, is still on his team. It’s interesting to me that the majority of Daigo’s team is made up of girls, to the point that other teams have a tendency to underestimate them. I didn’t even realize that in middle school, teams could be mixed like this. It’s actually refreshing, as the girls are very skilled (Daigo points out very early on that the girls follow the exact same training regimen as the boys). In fact, the girls in general are much more talented than the boys (Daigo himself even gives up his position as catcher to a first year girl who proves she has more skill than he does). It’s just really nice that these are good players, not “good for a girl”. Another fun aspect of the series is the fact that previous teammates from season one are popping up as opponents in season two. The animation is fine and the music is good. If you like baseball at all, this is the show for you. If you like sports anime in general, give it a shot. It doesn’t really have that “lots of hot guys who are super close with each other” vibe that most sports anime has, so keep that in mind.

There were a few others I was watching that had to be put on hiatus due to the pandemic. Since I only watched three or four episodes of them, I’ll wait and do write-ups for them once they resume.

EDIT: Added Major 2nd Season 2 because it resumed airing.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons: Black Clover (now on hiatus) Ahiru no Sora

Best of Season: Best New Show: Kami no Tou Best Opening Theme: Kami no Tou Best Ending Theme: Kakushigoto Best New Male Character: Goto (Kakushigoto) Best New Female Character: Catarina (My Life as a Villainess)

#Anime Reviews #Anime Recommendations #Seasonal Anime #Anime #Spring 2020 Anime #Text #Kami no Tou #Kakushigoto

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codyfernaesthetic · 5 years

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Patreon preview

Hi everyone! You’ve probably seen my patreon page linked on here before, and I wanted to give you guys a taste of my work outside of fanfic. This is part one of my short story entitled “Don’t Feed the Strays”. I’ll be posting the next part on my patreon today. Hopefully this will convince you to pledge a $1 and see where the story goes?☺️ You can find and pledge at Lovely Little Writings on Patreon.

(P.S. I think you Millory stans in particular will like this story)

October, 2018

The coffee shop quietly buzzed around Rachel as she sat at the small corner table clicking away at a ten page research paper she had neglected to start on for her English class until three days before the deadline. She had Beethoven and Mozart pumping through her earbuds for the sole reason that she heard they helped you concentrate better. She found it relentlessly boring but did find that being unable to find pleasure in the music forced her to focus on her task. Some employees of the shop had taken to teasing her when she walked in that she should grab an apron and work overtime, one of the main ones being a creepy 16 year old barely out of braces who apparently thought she was just as interested in him as he was her; so perhaps there were two reasons why she had earbuds blasting loud dead guy music. Her furious typing was interrupted by a notification at the bottom bar of her laptop screen. She hovered and clicked over red “1” on her mailbox to bring up a new tab to add to the other 7 she had open. It was one of those automated emails from a website. Someone had replied to her roommate ad.

Kelly her previous roommate had moved out a month before she got married. She’d invited her to the wedding but Rachel didn’t go. Kelly was nice and a good roommate for the most part, but not her friend. There’d only been a night or two when she and her girlfriend had woken her up with drunken sex, it wouldn’t have bothered her if one of those nights didn’t end with a leftovers left on the kitchen counter and an unidentifiable liquid spilled on the floor; much to her clean-freak dismay. She skimmed through the reply and saved it for a later time.

She jumped and gasped as something tapped her shoulder. She plucked the earbuds from her ears and looked in the direction of the disturbance. She met the artificially white smile of a stocky young woman around her own age wearing a bright blue tracksuit; her blonde hair was tightly pulled into a ponytail, perfectly plucked eyebrows framing smiling hazel eyes.

“Hey, Rachel!”

Her voice wasn’t unpleasant, but it was an annoying spotlight of sunshine in a perfectly quiet rainy sky. Rachel smiled half-heartedly, rubbing the earbud cord between her fingers, “Hi, Macy. How are you?”

Macy fluidly pulled out the other chair and sat across from her, “I’m good, how are you?”

“Fine,” she lied.

“Homework?” She playfully indicated toward the laptop.

“Yep...I have to finish an English paper. It’s due Monday and I didn’t start on it til yesterday.”

Macy nodded knowingly, “I get it. I have a Chemistry project due next week and I haven’t even taken one look at it—“

Macy continued for another two or three sentences; Rachel kept eye contact while wondering why we spill details about our mundane failures, but then felt entirely pretentious and pushed the thought away.

“But anyway,” Macy finally said, “I’m sorry to bother you-“

“Oh, you didn’t,” she lied again.

“But I really wanted to ask what you were doing for Halloween?”

Rachel blinked slowly with a blank expression, her mind whirring to life to comprehend her question, “Halloween?”

“Yeah!” She chipperly exclaimed, “There’s a carnival coming into town that’s gonna set up in Washika Park for that weekend and me and a couple others were gonna go! You wanna come with us?”

She scratched the side of her nose and shifted the laptop, stuttering, “I, well, I...I mean I don’t know.”

“Ok, well if you want to just let me know! I’ve got one spot open in my car, we’d be leaving at seven, we’d love to have you!”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll let you get back to your paper. Have a good day!”

“You too.”

Macy left the table with a cheery little wave and went off to order from the counter. Macy was a very sweet girl who had decided that Rachel was her project lonely shy-girl that she assumed had a either a bad home life or depression and needed someone to save her. Rachel could already envision the graduation speech where Macy would name drop her as a testament to her heavenly kindness. And the worst part about it was that her assumptions weren’t necessarily wrong.

She returned to her paper, wondering how she could come up with an excuse to not go to the carnival.

Unfortunately, no valid excuse came up. She didn’t have the heart to tell Macy no; and besides, she told herself, it’s no fun to stay at home alone. She kept telling herself to get out with people more, to try and make friends. This was her attempt.

She didn’t have much in the way of costume ideas, especially not in her own closet; which was composed of neutral sweaters, t shirts, and leggings. She decided to keep it simple and bought a modest black dress and a witch’s hat splashed with purple designs. She watched a few tutorials online to figure out how to do a smokey eye and concluded that makeup was far too messy for her to use in any consistent capacity. She felt like a raccoon with all the black powder smudged around her eyes, but now she had committed to the look. She sent Macy a message that she was walking out the door. At least she had convinced her to let her drive herself there. There was no way she’d be out in public without an escape plan.

The group that Macy invited consisted of a couple of her friends, tall and buff athletes who gave off an air of superiority along with their boyfriends of the same type; all of them dressed in matching Superman/Supergirl and Batman/Batgirl outfits, Macy’s boyfriend Lance, a lanky English major dressed as Edgar Allan Poe, and a friend of his who Rachel had never met. She was told he was Lance’s next door neighbor and childhood friend Carson, who was a Doctor, apparently; which one Rachel couldn’t say. Macy herself was a raven, complete with homemade wings and beak. Which Rachel found adorable. The night went by at an agonizingly slow pace. She tried to find interest their conversation, but found herself drifting off more often than she wanted to. Playing games was pretty fun, she didn’t win anything, but she enjoyed not being forced to talk. She hated heights, so she told them she would stay on the ground while they went up on the Ferris Wheel. She was grateful for the chance to be alone. Macy and her friends were fine, they weren’t rude or mean, she just didn’t connect with them. She wanted to go find someplace quiet.

She spotted a beacon in the crowd. An instant photo booth. She noticed the other patrons passing it without a glance and watched it for a moment to see that no one entered or exited from the red curtain. It would maybe provide a moment to gather her thoughts alone. She fast-walked as naturally as possible to her salvation and pulled the curtain back with a quick step forward to step inside.

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

She froze at the wide-eyed stare of the young man sitting in the booth. He was dressed in all black with a pair of fuzzy cat ears on his head. He scratched his arm with a light chuckle, “You trying to hide too?”

She blinked wordlessly for a moment before returning his awkward mirth, “Yeah, is this the escape pod?”

He smiled, “Unfortunately it’s not mobile,” he paused then scooted over with an awkward glance, “But there’s room for two.”

Rachel would have normally refused and found somewhere else, but nothing about his body language suggested that he was hitting on her; in fact he looked just as people shy as she was, almost curling up into himself. She sat down silently and kept to the other edge of the booth, more so for his comfort than hers.

After a beat of quiet and listening to the ruckus outside their sanctuary, he asked knowingly, “Who’re you escaping?”

She looked at him and bit her lower lip with a suppressed smile, “Acquaintances. You?”

He sighed heavily, looking at the bottom of the booth, “Everything.”

Her heart clenched slightly at his tone of voice.

“You not having fun with these acquaintances?” He continued.

“Not really.”

He finally looked at her, “Not your usual crowd?”

“I don’t do crowds usually.”

“Me neither,” he smiled knowingly.

A beat of silence passed. They returned to their respective staring at the ground or the wall of the enclosed box. The silence was sprinkled with nervous throat clearing or sniffling.

“Are you here with anyone?”

“Nope.”

She opened her mouth then bit down on her lip, as if to stop herself, but let out a breathy chuckle,

“So, I guess that makes you a stray?”

His brows furrowed and he scrunched up his nose as he glanced her way. She awkwardly indicated to his cat ears, earning her a small, but genuine laugh as his confusion melted away.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good word for me.”

She shrugged, words tumbling out of her mouth faster than her mind could keep up with, “Well, maybe it’s fate then. Witches are supposed to...like, come in contact with spirit guides that take the form of animals. The most popular is cats. They’re called familiars. I read an article once.”

He paused, and she mentally scolded herself. But he smiled and looked her in the eyes, “So, I’m not a stray, I just hadn’t met you yet.”

This was her first chance to get a good look at him. Though his shoulders were slumped, they appeared toned through the black shirt, his smile was charming, through his slightly parted lips she could see a single sharp canine close to scraping his lower lip, his button nose slightly red from the cold, a shaggy mess of dark brunette hair swished over blue eyes that held a sort of pained kindness.

“I guess so.”

She kept staring at him. She couldn’t help it, though she knew how creepy it must’ve been. She was usually loathe to maintain long eye contact, it made her far too uncomfortable. However, she found herself captivated, never wanting to look away from those eyes. He wasn’t a chiseled jock like Macy’s friend’s two boyfriends, but there was an odd beauty to him; his jawline was sharp, but his cheeks were round, his lips were full and soft, but his hands looked slightly calloused and strong, he was blooming with feminine grace, and bursting with male ferocity. Or perhaps Rachel was sleep deprived; which was not unlikely.

The curtain of the booth slid back, and they stared at a guy dressed as a video game character that Rachel only recognized from a few conversations she’d had at school. The guy apologized and quickly closed it again.

She stood, straightening her dress, “We probably shouldn’t be staying in here.”

“Do you wanna take a picture?” He asked suddenly. He met her surprised gaze, “I mean, just so you’ll have something from your not so fun night? Then you can tell your great grandchildren about the weird cat guy you met on Halloween.”

She answered, barely thinking of what she said, “Sure.”

She sat down closer to him and leaned on him as the pictures were taken. Two of them were normal, and he suggested two silly ones, which she obliged. He radiated heat. Their clothes shoulders were the only thing really touching, but their fingers were mere centimeters apart; a fact that Rachel desperately wanted to find uncomfortable, but only felt an excited thumping in her chest.

They exited the booth, allowing the couple outside to finally enter. They took a short, silent journey a few feet away. He lifted the strip of photos,

“You wanna split them?”

She nodded as he looked the photos over, a little smirk creeping onto his features, “Ok, just from knowing myself, I think I’m sillier of the two of us. I’ll keep these.”

She chuckled softly as he tore the photo strip and handed her, her half.

“You gonna reunite with your acquaintances or find another hiding spot?”

She gave an awkward laugh, “I think I’ll text their leader and tell them I’m not feeling well.”

He nodded, “Classic.”

She pocketed the photos, “What about you? Are you gonna face everything or hide from it some more?”

He flourished his right hand over his chest, “I am a hide and seek champion, it’ll never find me.”

The tug at her heart returned and kept her feet firmly planted. She pursed her lips and looked away from him at nothing in particular.

“I don’t wanna be presumptuous or anything,” he offered quietly, “but you seem like you could use a place to hide for a while.”

She turned her head, a bit wide-eyed.

“And I am your spirit guide after all.”

A shy smile pushed its way onto her lips. They looked at each other for a quiet moment, ignoring the noise around them. She took a breath, paused, and asked, “Where were you thinking?”

She saw his chest heave out as if he just released his breath. He rubbed the back of his head, “Are you new in town at all?”

She’d only been at the university for 6 months, and hadn’t taken the time to explore.

“A little.”

His smile lit up, “You ever been to the beach a little north from here? It’s honestly the most peaceful place at night.”

She shook her head, “I’ve never been.”

He drew into himself slightly, his voice quiet, yet inviting, “You’re welcome to join me.”

She spoke again, before her mind could catch up, a pattern seeming to emerge with this stranger, “Ok.”

#patreonwriter #patreon #my writing #millory #short story

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krixwell-liveblogs · 6 years

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Arc Thoughts: Infestation

(Mid-Arc Thoughts)

So! That’s all the members of the Slaughterhouse Nine accounted for!

Let’s take a look at the second half of Infestation, as well as Infestation as a whole!

A jumble of recap (part 2) and predictions, whoops

Part 2 of Infestation has been significantly less continuous than part 1, consisting of eight largely separate chapters following roughly the same format - a POV character is approached by a member of the Slaughterhouse Nine, the Fellowship member in most cases wanting the POV character to join the team.

Besides the introductions of upcoming antagonists, the most important chapters for the main perspective of the story outside the Interludes are definitely 11a and 11g. Because of the events of these chapters - or rather, the nominations leading to them - Rachel and Alec will both be targeted by the Slaughterhouse Nine in upcoming chapters, something that will likely cause all of the Undersiders to get involved even though they’ve been divided into their own territories. Notably, Rachel is willing to “see what this test is all about”, and is probably the Undersider most fit to actually succeed without help, so there is genuinely a risk that she might end up joining the enemy.

The only other nominees we saw who accepted the offer of becoming Slaughterhouse members were Oni Lee and Hookwolf. Oni didn’t work out, but I could see Hookwolf actually successfully becoming a member and then backstabbing the rest of the team.

Meanwhile, however, the Slaughterhouse Nine apparently don’t give a shit about whether you want to join them, even though they have a habit of showing enough courtesy to ask/warn the nominees. If you’ve been nominated, they’ll test you, no matter what, so Colin, Amy and Noelle (and by extension Coil) need to watch out as well.

Judgment

I think I was right to do Mid-Arc Thoughts. Part 2 of Infestation, the Interludes, could very easily have been a separate Arc. Sentinel and Parasite are more interconnected than Infestation proper and its Interludes. As a result, Arc 11 as a whole feels quite bisected, and it’s hard for me to think of it as a whole at all.

Part 1 was a pretty decent Taylor story about bystanderism and dealing with the infestation that was the Merchants, with the looming threat of the Slaughterhouse Nine being very much in the background. It had solid throughlines, bookends (Taylor waking up from a nightmare at the beginning, feeling optimistic about the same things at the end), and worldbuilding re: the Dandelions and Cauldron, and generally works excellently as a standalone Arc.

Part 2 was more formulaic, in a sense, but in a good way. It let me loosely know what to expect but still left room for each Interlude to do its own thing, and what they did was usually pretty good. There were some fantastic chapters in there, most notably Interlude 11h.

And while the Interludes were largely separate from each other, the formula and the minor pieces of continuity connecting the chapters - from small details like Coil acknowledging Leah’s death to bigger things like 11a and 11h taking place at the same time, or the mystery of the Newbie and what happened to Hatchet Face, or Oni Lee being taken in 11b and showing up again as part of Hack Job in 11h - made the sequence of Interludes feel like a whole rather than just... a set of events.

Overall, Arc 11 is very good, but I do feel it works better seen as two stories, two Arcs.

The Arc title

I don’t think this has changed much since the Mid-Arc Thoughts. Infestation still refers primarily to the Merchants. You could argue that it also covers the Slaughterhouse Nine, but I don’t think that fits anywhere near as well.

Prediction review

From Arc Thoughts: Parasite:

So what do we have coming up?

As mentioned earlier in the post, this Arc ended with Dragon finding out Taylor’s identity and starting a search for her. I don’t think that’s a plot that’s going to be left dormant for too long, so there’s a good chance Dragon will play a role in Arc 11, or maybe Arc 12.

She did appear, but not for this particular plotline.

Meanwhile, the Undersiders will need to try to stay away from the Slaughterhouse Nine. They will fail, that much I’m certain of, but whether they’ll fail in the next Arc or later remains to be seen.

Two of them were specifically sought out by Slaughterhouse Nine members, and the rest are coming after those Undersiders to test them.

So yeah. They absolutely failed to stay away from the Slaughterhouse Nine, and it’s gonna get worse. :P

When it happens, though… well, there’s little reason to hold back against Jack Slash in particular. But even if someone does try to kill him, I think they’ll fail. I could see the story’s climax happening in two years, but I highly doubt we’ll be skipping ahead enough for it to happen in fifteen.

We didn’t quite get to this point yet. This prediction’s gonna have to carry over to Arc 12.

We might also learn more about Imp/Aisha (though with the reveal that Imp was Aisha, that’s become less of pressing matter since we’ve had a chapter getting to know Aisha as a civilian before) and how she ended up on the team… I wish I could see Brian’s face the moment Aisha probably told him straight that she has powers now and she knows about the Undersiders. :P

No luck there. Aisha is the one Undersider we didn’t see in this Arc at some point or other - almost like Wildbow forgot to include her... ;)

And now, predictions from the Mid-Arc Thoughts:

Given the number of Interludes, my main prediction is that these Interludes are for the Slaughterhouse Nine, starting or more likely ending with Jack Slash. Eight members, eight Interludes.

Correct, besides the part about Jack Slash. Though he did show up in the first one to start after the gimmick of the Interludes had been confirmed.

Knowing that the Interludes were done for the purpose of celebrating the anniversary of Gestation 1.1, the number might just be the result of 1 regular Interlude plus 7 bonus Interludes for the week of celebration, but that seems too perfect for Wildbow not to use that for the Fellowship even if that was the case. (If this is how it shook out, I do feel like that slightly increases the chances of Jack Slash going first, though that depends on when Wildbow got the idea for the week-long marathon of Interludes.)

I don’t know if this was the case - though the lack of “(Anniversary Bonus)” on Interlude 11a suggests it might’ve been, that tag was also missing from 11d and 11h. (I don’t know if that was by accident or to indicate that he would’ve done them even if he hadn’t decided to do an Interlude marathon to celebrate the anniversary. If it’s the latter, then why 11h rather than 11g?)

But if it was that way, it still makes a lot of sense that Siberian went first, with 11a being one of the two most important Interludes in the Arc. The parenthetical comment was caused by the assumption that Jack Slash’s Interlude would be most important, so while I was wrong about which one it’d be, I was correct about the underlying idea - that one of the most important Interludes would come first.

That said, I could still be wrong. If the Interludes aren’t for the Slaughterhouse Nine, I don’t have a clue who they’d be for. Maybe some of the other villains in town? Maybe one of the Wards or Protectorate members as they learn of the Merchants’ collapse? Perhaps even a short check-in on Dragon’s progress in finding Taylor?

Nope.

Also, given the marathon, I suspect these Interludes might each be a bit shorter than the average recent chapter.

I don’t know. They didn’t feel any shorter, at least. Maybe he wrote them in advance?

So yeah, whatever Wildbow has in store for me, I’m sure it’ll be good. If perhaps brutal. :)

That it was!

Predictions for Arc 12

I’ve kind of accidentally covered just about everything already, but let’s summarize:

We know that Bitch, Armmaster, Hookwolf, Noelle, Regent and Panacea are all now targets for Slaughterhouse testing. This might be lethal for some of them, as I doubt the Slaughterhouse members will hold back. However, I doubt we’re losing Bitch, Hookwolf or Regent - Bitch and Regent because plot armor and Hookwolf because he’s probably the most competent fighter out of all of them, besides maybe Armmaster, and better equipped defensively than anyone except maybe Noelle. Besides plot armor, it would be more interesting to have Bitch actually join the Slaughterhouse Nine and become an antagonist - at least temporarily - than to have her just die.

Other than that, a couple predictions from the end of Arc 10 remain active:

Dragon’s attempts to locate Taylor and communicate with her may come back in Arc 12. However, it might end up being a bit much to have that on top of the Slaughterhouse plot (though that didn’t stop us from learning about Dandelions in the middle of a Merchant brawl), so it’s possible that gets pushed back to Arc 13.

And, if someone attempts to kill Jack Slash, they will either fail, or do it too late.

But yeah, if I were to describe what I think Arc 12 will be like in one word, it’d have to be intense.

I am pretty curious to see how the Arc deals with the fact that there are other characters we care about who are going through the same thing as two of the Undersiders. Maybe we’ll have some Interludes to help out with that? Though it is worth noting that Wildbow seems to have a rule against using the same POV character for two Interludes (which is probably part of why Alec wasn’t the POV in 11g, besides Cherish’s power and personality being better illustrated from within her own head), so he’d have to show us the perspective of someone else close to the action. Perhaps even one of the attacking Slaughterhouse members, though that might be a tad redundant.

Primarily, though, I think we’ll be focusing on Taylor and the other Undersiders doing what they can to protect Alec, and maybe Rachel if she does eventually decide to tell the others anything.

So yeah. See you soon, as I dive into Arc 12!

#Worm #krixwell liveblogs #Arc 11 #Chapter i11h #Parahumans #i11h between #arc thoughts

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brakken · 7 years

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Replayed Life is Strange ep. 5, thoughts below.

Buckle in - I had a lot to say.

I was nervous about revisiting this one. The first time I played, this ending wrecked me. And I mean wrecked. I was in tears for hours. I had trouble sleeping for weeks. I couldn’t think about the game without wanting to cry. I wanted to draw fan art for it, but couldn’t without breaking down. In many ways, I’m still affected by it. This game changed me.

So, I was nervous. And not just because of how hard it hit me the first time, but I was nervous about how I’d react in replaying. Would I notice something I didn’t the first time, that would ruin the experience for me? Would I cry as much? And if I didn’t, would that mean that I didn’t like it as much? How much of that original feeling was satisfaction, and how much was disappointment?

-spoilers ahead for LiS Ep. 5-

I touched on this very briefly last time, but I want to talk about it further here, where it comes more into play:

I do not like the Jefferson twist. Coupled with Rachel’s death, it is a shallow and uninteresting answer to her disappearance, regardless of their attempts to pretty it up with the Prescott’s involvement. Strip away the red herrings and tangled threads, and what you’re left with is a dead girl and a murderer. Jefferson becomes unrecognisable in his unveiled role - his tropey villain dialogue and mannerisms separate him so far from his earlier scenes that it may as well have been an all-new person. Maybe this was the intention, but it reads to me as utterly cliche. How frightening would he have been, had he kept his familiar composure? How much more menacing, now that his mannerisms are given a horrific context?

Even within the narrative, his portrayal in this episode feels completely wrong. Jefferson goes from a man with a sick passion for capturing true innocence, to one willing to murder multiple people. It is never understood that murder is part of his pattern. Rachel’s death was an accident at Nathan’s hands, yet now we have Jefferson killing him, Chloe, Victoria, and the intention to kill Max, all with nary a hint of remorse or doubt. He is just the bad guy now - plain and simple. And in a game where so much else is designed to be not so clean-cut, that’s... pretty boring.

With that out of the way, I do think the scenes themselves are done well. Awakening in the dark room is genuinely tense and scary - moreso with Victoria present. Desperately hopping in and out of photographs to different moments of captivity is incredibly effective - it packs on such helplessness and danger.

And even while not being thrilled with Jefferson as the villain, and while understanding it would soon fall apart, it is incredibly satisfying to help Max attain the following victories via time-hopping. A lot of the game focuses on retreading conversations with new information, and consequently, Max displays boosted confidence upon these repetitions. Returning to the first scene is where this is at its peak. She knows everything - and she’s powerful. It’s also in parts like this where I would like to applaud the designers for having a clear vision from the outset (even if I wasn’t entirely thrilled with aspects of that vision).

A really strong story-telling tool is introducing a solution before the problem arrives, to trick the audience into thinking it’s unimportant until the reveal. Having us take the selfie right at the start of the game is a great use of this. What seemed like just a moment in a scene becomes absolutely vital - but only after we discover we can rewind with photographs. (this is also why the ep.4 Warren moment feels so weirdly deliberate. We already know how her powers work by this point so we’re paying attention every time a new photo is taken.)

I’d been put the ending off for a while.

Once I played up to the art gallery, I took a break and then just... left it there. Left Max in a peaceful moment.

I wasn’t ready.

But lately it seemed like the real world was telling me to return to it. After a week with no breeze, the wind began picking up, and it looked like there could be rain. I found myself idly doodling Chloe and Max in my intervals between work. I had someone here ask me if I’d be writing thoughts for episode 5. I was discovering new music that aligned all too well with where I was at with the characters.

So, I finally decided it was time, and sat down, and finished playing. Only the next morning did I realise I’d done so on October 11, the in-game day of the storm.

Before moving into the next act of the episode, I want to say I really appreciate the way they’ve sculpted so many different ways to apply Max’s rewind power. It’s great that they’re able to keep surprising me while not emptying their cache too quickly. However, I reaaally wish (and was expecting) that time-freezing would make a return in this finale. It’s used well in ep.2 with Kate, but I feel like it introduced a new threat that is never paid off. Once it’s established that Max’s power can weaken her to the point where it doesn’t function, there is now a looming danger for when that will happen again - maybe this time, the cost will be Chloe, or the town, or even Max herself. But it never does. The closest we get is when Chloe is shot at the end of ep.4, but the power's failure is more directly from Jefferson’s sedation, rather than a weakness on Max’s part. And when she does falter again, it manifests as a prolonged out-of-nowhere dream sequence. There’s some creative stuff present there, but it also stands as a missed opportunity to toy further with tangible peril.

On with the escape. Don’t have much to say here. I may not have been happy with his new portrayal, but it’s still satisfying to watch Jefferson get taken down. It’s nice to see David on the same team as Max, and it’s a good start to a series of character farewell scenes.

Followed closely by a bad one.

Nathan is thrown to the wayside to an unforgivable degree here. He’s been pivotal in Max and Chloe’s connection uptil now, even though a lot of that happens off-screen. But as soon as he’s no longer the main threat, his presence, character, and life are all discarded. His phone message in the car provides some closure, but is far too little too late and serves more as insult to injury than any kind of saving face.

Meanwhile, Warren, a character with more screentime than Nathan but of relative unimportance to the main story, is given a spotlighted farewell. I don’t get this. I have no harsh feelings against Warren, but insofar as his relevance to Max and Chloe’s arcs, he is a sideliner. Since his primary presence has centred around a potential romance for Max, his farewell scene should be treated with an equal amount of focus. It really annoys me that you are forced to tell him about Max’s powers - there is no way to opt out of it, and all it leads to is him guilt-tripping Max with ‘Chaos Theory’ and ‘choosing the right thing’, which the game is about to throw at us anyway in the dream sequence. It’s also unjust to the scene’s purpose, which is a farewell. We may not fully know it, but we’re saying goodbye to these characters one by one. We’ve just come away from our farewells with Joyce and Frank, and all Warren wants to do is talk plot. But whatevs, I still hugged him.

The confession about letting William die was painful. I wasn’t predicting it to come up again, and by this point it felt like so long ago. And yet, it works. We’ve returned to a Chloe who’s early off of discovering Rachel’s death - and she doesn’t want to listen. And we need her to listen. Most conversations in the game can’t lead to a failure, but I find it really interesting that this one does.

I’m very conflicted about the dream sequence. Conceptually, I love it. I love when games mess with their established order, and they’re certainly evoking a feeling of helplessness in me upon returning once again to that damn classroom. But, it rubs me the wrong way here, too. We’ve beaten the mini-boss of the game. We defeated Jefferson. Yet the final time we see him is here, forcing us to say words we don’t want to, and watch him take photos of Chloe with us strapped to a chair. I get this is Max internalising her insecurities... but we beat him. We’re onto the final boss, now - the storm. Jefferson is obsolete at this point, and there’s no rhyme or reason to show him in power again.

(sidebar: the bottle-collecting in the hide-and-seek segment was confusing and dumb and made me angry that they were still injecting completion rewards this late in the story)

I also don’t like the Dark Room sequence of the dream, because it villainises Chloe. All the other sequences present us with twisted versions of Arcadia Bay residents. Dead versions, cruel versions. We’re witnessing the weight of guilt that coincides with the coming choice, culminating in an encounter with the Other Max, and Chloe saving us from her. This should have been Chloe’s first appearance in the dream. The Dark Room sequence where she jeers at Max’s shortcomings seems so out of place with the rest of what is being said. I think this is especially noticeable given the following walk down memory lane, showing us everything we’ll lose on the alternate side of the choice.

(sidebar: I wish that the walk had been done better - I never knew when to stop and listen to the voiceovers and when to continue onto the next highlighted moment, and it was always jarring whenever the dialogue got interrupted)

I was fully ready for Rachel to appear in this dream, in some form or another. With everything culminating, and Max messing more with time, coupled with how blunt they were to put Rachel in the ground in the previous ep, I was waiting and I was hoping. But she never showed. And I don’t understand why. As I said with Nathan, Rachel is integral in the centric plotline of Max and Chloe’s reunion. I need to stress this - even though she’s never seen on-screen, she is a dominating factor in our two main characters’ growth, and is little more than a footnote in this finale.

What we get instead at the end of this dream, is Other Max. I don’t have much to say about her. In my eyes she’s very much just a culmination of the dream thusfar. She doesn’t represent much to me beyond that, except a missed opportunity to meet Rachel and find out what the hell is going on.

Can we touch on that quickly, before the final scene? What the hell is going on? I don’t want to have everything bluntly spelled out, but... did the designers really feel like they’d laid enough groundwork that the answer should be obvious? When Chloe hamfistedly states it’s a mystery we’ll ‘obviously never figure out’... damn. That hurts. I mean, I have my own theory - I like it, and it’s the lens I choose to view the story through. But it’s unfair to put it on the players to do this heavy-lifting. We relied on the designers to draw the path for us to follow, and they took us to a dead end.

So let’s talk about the final choice. Even in replaying, and with the dream sequence’s attempts to balance the scales last-minute, my decision here still remained the same, for a couple of reasons. The first being the game’s true title, as I have mentioned earlier - ‘Save Chloe: The Game’. And hey, this doesn’t suddenly change in the final episode. This was, for me, the fixed goal as soon as I caught onto it. And to save Chloe here, she needs to be able to live past her grief. Contrasted to the alternate Chloe, whose prison was inescapable - saving her came from letting her go. But here, we need to hold on.

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

My second main reason is Max’s character growth, and the overall narrative. This young girl is warned of a coming storm, and is then given time-altering powers. And she is constantly asking why. Not just why she got powers, but what she is meant to learn from having them. On the surface, what she learns is ‘don’t mess with time a bunch because a storm will happen’ and with that you can lean either way on the choice. But if I was going to carve right to the heart, I see the story saying ‘you can’t fix all your mistakes, but you can move through the consequences and grow in the aftermath.’ Every problem she's faced in the story uptil this point, she has tampered with to some degree in order to solve. And to do so, again, for this final decision, would make her arc amount to nothing. This needs to be different from letting William die, otherwise the game could have ended there. There is no easy decision, but the storm is here. All the pieces lie where they fell, both good and bad.

I’m tearing this damn photograph.

All that said, I can’t and won’t fault anyone for going the other way. I haven’t played or watched the alternate ending, so far all I know it performs well and ticks story checkboxes that I can’t see over here on the ‘bae’ side.

This choice felt and still feels like the right one to me. From outside the narrative, I can certainly weigh the options and see sacrificing Chloe as the more viable. (though if you want to talk pragmatism, there is absolutely no reason why either of them should think that letting Chloe die should fix everything)

But while it’s important to ask ‘what would I do?’, it’s also been immensely important to me in these playthroughs to ask ‘what would Max do?’, or further, ‘what could Max do?’

So that was my choice. As I said at the beginning, I was nervous as to how I’d feel at the end, after having been so deeply affected the first time. And now, after crying through the whole epilogue, I found myself wondering if I’d cried enough. I looked up the scene online and watched it again, and cried. And then again, and cried. But what was this empty feeling? Is this what it felt like before, or was something blocking me from experiencing it properly?

After stepping outside into the 4am light, and then another rewatch, I realised I was, in a way, messing with time. Trying to force things, just like Max was. I even had my own Other Max in my head, making me question my own thoughts and feelings. So it was time to let it be what it was, and move on. I couldn’t recreate my first play, but I could let myself get swept up in this one.

Since finishing the game, it’s been raining non-stop here. I’ve kept inside, surrounded by the aftermath of this playthrough.

Playing this game changed me. For all it did right and all it did wrong, I was affected. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve consciously noted a tangible shift in who I am as a person. It’s brought me closer to my emotions, and has altered my creativity. It made me revise one of my comic ideas into a game - something I would never have considered on my own.

Even with all these thoughts, I reckon this comic I made accurately sums up my whole experience.

And as I’ve done each time, here are my favourite moments from this episode:

-'I’ll always be with you.’ ‘Forever.’

-Clasping hands, as the storm rages.

-Max, unable to watch, leaning into Chloe, who looks on with newfound strength.

-Driving through the town, now in pieces. Max, too, in pieces.

-Max’s weak smile when Chloe moves to comfort her. It’s going to be okay. They’re together.

(heck, I cried just typing those out, I am so done, haha)

To anybody who read this far - thank you so, so much. This game holds a lot of emotional value to me, and hence these write-ups are probably the most personal thing I’ve put out here for people to see. So thank you for taking the time to look at this. I hope you’re having a wonderful day.

Wah, this was all in preparation for the first episode of Before the Storm, and now episode 2 is about to be released. I gotta dig in!

As always, here’s a lil sketch <3

#max talks about life is strange

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mancreatesdinosaur · 6 years

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Top Five Films 2017

Warning : The ‘Best Moments’ contain spoilers.

Dunkirk ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

A propulsive, intense, pressure cooker of a film. It’s takes a mind like Nolan to realise there is just as much drama and thrills to be had from an evacuation as there is from the biggest of battles. No back story, no exposition, no melodrama, no bullshit. This drops us straight in to a horrible situation and doesn’t let us out. Zimmer’s score is immense - definitely my favourites of the year and one of his best, it becomes such an integral part to the storytelling and narrative - a masterclass in sound design as well as composition.

The use of practical effects, thousands of extras and real spitfires etc brings such a level of authenticity. All of the performances are superb even though there is very little dialogue throughout. At one point Brannagh’s Commander does a simple ‘look’ that floors me.

I love how Nolan has continued to use time in such an interesting way to tell his story - not only with the three main narratives but as the enemy itself. And he continues to prove to me he is a master at ending his films. In 1998 Saving Private Ryan set a new standard, visual style and intensity for war films but now with Dunkirk it feels like after 19 years a new quality has been set. There has never been a war film like this.

Best Moment : The finale when Wallfisch’s ‘Variation 15’ kicks in, finally breaking the tension with absolute euphoria. Hardy‘s Spitfire gliding over the beaches, Churchill’s speech being read out, the soldiers back in England. Home.

2. Blade Runner 2049 ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Unfortunately I’m not a huge fan of Blade Runner despite on paper hitting several of my sweet spots (Ford! Scott! Sci-Fi!). Like Star Wars I love the world building, mythology and concept more than I like that actual film(s) despite watching it several times trying to force myself to love it. Thank goodness then for Denis Villeneuve and 2049 for making a Blade Runner film I can say I love.

He fully realises the world Scott created in ‘82 and then some. It’s a perfect example of how a modern film/remake/reboot/sequel and enhance an original piece of work thanks to improved technology and genuine affection from the film maker. But Villeneueve is only part of the film’s success - Deakin’s insane cinematography and Zimmer’s soul shattering sound design support a slow but perfectly paced story.

Every single scene is allowed to breath and play out to it’s full potential, bringing the viewer in to every moment and keeping you there. I found myself basking in film’s glow, becoming in sync to it’s pulse. It’s that kind of film.

Best Moment : Ford’s Deckard comes face to face with Rachel. Ford could have walked through this film but like Force Awakens he gives it every thing he has.

3. Star Wars : The Last Jedi ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

The Force Awakens (TFA) gave the people what they wanted. I don’t want to say it was safe because it was done so well and there were plenty of surprises. But it hit all the beats and told a ‘traditional’ Star Wars story. The Last Jedi says ‘fuck the people, here’s some new shit’ and that is by far its biggest strength.

Let’s start with the characters. I’d say all but one of the main cast are given more to do and each actor excels beyond what they provided in TFA. Finn is the main casualty of this however - despite a lovely relationship with new character Rose, their story/side mission seems overly long and slightly unnecessary which is a shame because not only was he so much fun in TFA but it was through him that we began our journey.

Rey is somewhere in the middle - obviously she has a big journey in this film, but again I started to feel this wasn’t her story at times. Which maybe in time I won’t feel is a bad thing but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

This film belongs to Kylo and Luke. Both Driver and Hamill’s performances are simply amazing and I would go so far to say the best in any Star Wars film. It helps that they are given the most interesting ideas and conflicts to explore. Both of their journeys delve deep into the lore in unexpected ways. As a villain Kylo is incredible. There is so much depth to him now that I am just as interested in his story as I am Rey’s. The way they both represent the balance of the force is so so fascinating.

It is these ideas of the force and its exploration that really push things forward for this 3rd trilogy. Rian Johnson isn’t perhaps tearing up the rule book but, like the characters in the film, he is adding new pages to it to make a richer Star Wars.

I love, love, love how he addresses and answers the main questions from TFA. It’s both what you didn’t expect and what you wanted at the same time. And it concludes things to such an extent that you wonder where they’re going to go in Episode 9.

But there are a couple of problems. As a whole, as a film, I’m not sure how exciting it is. There are certainly exciting moments (including a simply incredible fight scene which I can’t wait to rewatch) but as a 2.5hr ride, only repeat viewings will tell me how I feel. And there are also a couple of individual moments that I simply didn’t like - that either took me out of the film or disrespected something I loved that had been set up before.

The more I think about it the more I love it and realise what an incredible job Rian Johnson has done with this film and these characters. There are less mysteries left over than with TFA but perhaps with that become more possibilities.

Best Moment : Kylo / Rey / Snoke confrontation. From the way Kylo dispatches Snoke, to the epic shot as they pair up, to the whole fight scene. Gorgeous and exhilarating.

4. Manchester By The Sea ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

This held the top spot for half the year and it’s probably interchangeable with #2. Probably as good as drama gets, it’s as funny as it is devastating. All the performances are so solid but Affleck is on another level here. The subtleties and authenticity he brings leave me in awe of his talents.

There’s something about the relationship between the characters, particularly between him and his nephew that puts you at ease despite the tremendously difficult circumstances they find themselves in. I love that film finds time to explore different emotions, situations and characters that you wouldn’t normally find in a story like this.

I don’t know why but it reminded me of Brokeback Mountain - it has the same quiet, heart wrenching vibe to it and I love it in the same way.

Best Moment : Affleck and Williams conversation when they bump in to each other. So much to say but unable to say it. What a scene.

5. Logan ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

I just looked back at my Letterboxd logs of this film and both time I wrote something a long the lines of ‘so close to 5 stars’ and it is. There is a lot to love about this film - the performances, the classic/simple story, the brutality. But what I love most about it is what is represents as a comic book film. Finally, after what feels like the same safe, cardboard cutout film told multiple times in the genre (with the odd exception of course) someone gave a filmmaker the ability to tell a different type of story. The violence, the simplicity, the language, the anger, the passion that they attached to this character and franchise is so refreshing. It proves there is room to give filmmakers room to play around and do something different and that there’s an audience for it.

Not every film is going to benefit from being an R-Rated bloodbath but that’s what this character needs to succeed and that’s the lesson to take from the success of Logan.

Best Moment : A tie between Logan’s death (fuck yeah for being so brave to do this) and the turning of the cross in to an X - and Logan telling Xavier ‘it wasn’t me’ after X24 goes mental.

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kenkirkwood6334-blog · 7 years

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Quotes To Live By And also Enchanting Thought and feelings

I've been studying the new industry of Positive Psychological science 'ultimately a psychology that is carefully researching exactly what corrects along with people. This is actually not consistently as quick and easy as knowing exactly what you adore, and then determining methods to earn money performing that. You can create a respectable lifestyle through starting an automobile washing organisation if you love to clean vehicles. When you will obtain that something you are going to actually be actually pleased, how many times performed you want for one thing and you simply understood that. Essentially, it exceeds the inquiry: Do we have a right to be happy or even to concentrate on being actually thus, particularly these days. B: There are simply two mistakes one can easily create along the roadway to truth: certainly not copulating, as well as not starting. 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This has a great deal of passion as well as love in the lives of an individual to make certain that both is compatible with each other. Our team have 2 more outstanding flash myths, today, coming from 2 additional returning Showcased Writers at Coastal Magic I'm constantly satisfied for an opportunity to hang out with B A Tortuga, and I am actually equally delighted to have her participating in this occasion. Welcome loved ones to your Easter occasions along with customized stationery, or simply send out a Delighted Easter card to those you really love. Certainly not a Wal-mart, or Sears, or Macy's or even Kohls or Intended holiday, although they would love to produce it right into one. There are actually a number of points you may do if you want to reinforce your marital relationship through making your husband satisfied. That weekend break aided me to recognize that it wasn't my husband's duty to make me pleased. 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B: There are merely 2 mistakes one could create along the street to truth: not going all the way, and not starting. May be they are looking at tough time, and by sending all of them these quotes you can easily create all of them grin and also brighten up their day. When her track was finished, Rachel moved back to their table, taking praises from their neighbors as she passed by. As she approached their table, Kurt reached out to her.

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graceivers · 7 years

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Review #36 - Summer at Oyster Bay

Summer at Oyster Bay Author: Jenny Hale Genre: Contemporary Romance, Workplace Romance Rating: ★★★★ Recommendation: give it a shot; once was enough Summary: There’s no place like home for Emily Tate, and home for her is Oyster Bay. After years away from her hometown, she returns looking to stay permanently. Enter Charles Peterson, the new owner of the local inn in town and Emily’s new boss. Charlie is from out of town, though, and his proposed plans to expand the inn drastically differ from Emily’s picturesque perspective of Oyster Bay. Whose vision, then, will win out in the end?

Female Lead: Emily was a good character until she wasn’t. I love the loyalty she has towards her family and friends as well as the town. I love that she’s a great sister and aunt and granddaughter. I love that despite removing herself from the life she’s been living for the past few years, she returns to Oyster Bay on two solid feet. I did not, however, like her rather overly sensitive and nostalgic way of thinking so much that she became a very rigid-thinking and narrow-minded kind of person. Yes, I understand her attachment to Oyster Bay, her old home. But the way she refused to budge honestly became a little grating to me. Emily accused Charlie of not thinking outside the box and not considering her wants and needs when she kind of did just that. For goodness sake, even her grandmother more or less agreed with Charlie and sold the land. And throughout the book, I thought it would be Emily’s grandmother to get her to loosen up a bit on the subject and come to accept that change is inevitable. But no. It doesn’t happen. Instead, everyone else kind of bends over backwards just for her. Sheesh, lady. Like I said, Emily was a good character until she wasn’t. Male Lead: To be honest, Charlie was a borderline secondary character than an actual lead. Yes, he was the main male character and love interest for Emily, so I guess he’s the male lead. But chick lit books like these don’t always have solid two leads in favor of obviously exploring the female’s life and perspective. Still, for the sake of this review, I’ll just briefly fill this section out for Charlie.

Charlie is a pretty sweet human being. You sometimes get that rich, elitist vibe from him sometimes with his suits and Harvard education and rigid childhood with no fun involved. But there’s also super sweet and sensitive Charlie who was heartbroken that his ex-wife cheated on him even though he never truly loved her and desperately wanted to make Emily feel better about buying her land. I mean, he literally said it himself, he spent all his free time with Emily and her family when he wasn’t working. He got to know her and her way of life, and though it was different from what he was used to, he came around to it. And for goodness sake, after Emily accused him of not caring about her when he so plainly told her (and already showed her) that he did, he goes and prioritizes her and makes her dreams come true to prove her wrong. Charlie is a good guy, someone you genuinely should hold onto and never let go if he’s so willing and ready to be part of your life. Plot & Writing: Summer at Oyster Bay is your quintessential beach read, literally. The title and book cover says it all: summer, beach, romance. Pure chick lit material for the summer. And overall, it delivers. For something easygoing, non-flashy, and romantic, Hale gives us Summer at Oyster Bay for enjoying. The writing is smooth and clean. The overall story comes together nicely. The ending was a little too clean and neat for me, but that’s okay because it was more or less expected. I personally thought Hale kind of cut it close with the happy ending so much that it didn’t completely settle for me, but I guess the epilogue is supposed to take care of any doubts about the overall story and relationship between Emily and Charlie.

Speaking of the couple, I did generally like the tempo and dynamic of their relationship. The romance was nicely paced and developed. Yes, there was a little fictional magic inserted, but that little thing was pleasant rather than intrusive and unbelievable. The relationship was normal, you know? They got to know each other some, then acted on their budding attraction, and subsequently carried out a mature relationship. They are adults, after all. And again, I thought Charlie was super sweet and amazing whereas I was less enthusiastic about Emily’s conflict of wanting to be with Charlie and yet kind of resenting him for not taking her feelings and wants into consideration.

Also, I categorized this under workplace romance. Yes, technically speaking, Charlie is the owner of the inn that Emily works as an events coordinator for. That makes him her boss. But fear not, this book is not one of those intense/forbidden workplace romance reads where the male boss can’t get enough of his secretary or whatever. Again, Emily and Charlie are adults. They’re professional. And once again, this is quintessential chick lit, so there’s far less if any focus on the boss-employee relationship despite Emily and Charlie’s different perspectives on what should be done to expand the inn. Instead, Hale nicely writes Emily and Charlie just as two people who are involved in one project with differing opinions. No over the top angst necessary here. Secondary Characters & Plots: All the secondary characters were very pleasant. They weren’t obtrusive, but most all of them had nice roles that added to the overall story. I liked the grandmother character and her honesty and perspective on life and the project. I liked Rachel, Emily’s sister, and her personal conflict. I loved little Clara. Even the two minutes we got of Francine, a character in town, was fun to read.

I was actually pretty intrigued about the secondary plot involving Rachel and her husband Jeff. I understand both sides of the argument—Jeff wanting to have more kids and Rachel wanting to return to her career. I mean, I got a bit of that icky feeling that Jeff’s perspective on the issue was that he wanted Rachel to be a stereotypical housewife, but it wasn’t completely like that. And obviously I supported Rachel’s desire to return to work instead of just having more kids for her husband and spending the rest of her days taking care of them. Like the overall ending to the book, I thought Hale wrapped up this storyline a little too quickly considering that she literally finished it in the last two pages of the book. But I guess I can’t complain because at least I liked how Hale ended it having Jeff come to his senses and realize that his wife was more important than anything. Favorite Part(s): Every interaction between Charlie and Clara. Oh, all those little scenes were so adorable. The first time Clara climbed into his lap when he was still a complete stranger; Charlie was surprised of course but took it all in stride while Clara seemed perfectly content and comfortable there. And then when Clara was in his lap again in the hospital and he bounced her up and down on his knee! So cute! Final Thoughts: Summer at Oyster Bay is truly an easy and relaxing read. Everything about the setting and pacing and characters fits seamlessly together. Sometimes you just have to step away from the intense and dramatic books and go for something smooth and calm and pleasant. The book is advertised as a feel-good summer romance, and that’s as accurate as you can get. Minus my minor issue with Emily, I did enjoy Summer at Oyster Bay and would recommend to chick lit lovers.

#book: summer at oyster bay #author: jenny hale #genre: contemporary romance #genre: workplace romance #rating: four stars

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