#like i don't really understand why we're taking that angle... at least i don't understand yet?

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Shit like that is why Tangerine should've stayed in Ericson! She must take care of her leg but nooooooo! People in Ericson was mean to me :'(! I'm not surprised she caught a fever considering she's ignoring her wound. Sorry for sounding so bitter.

It's a big issue with the "Clementine left Ericson willingly" plot point in this trilogy. Aside from it just being out of character for her based on what we see in TWDG, it lessens the amount of sympathy we're willing to give as readers.

If she was forced to leave Ericson, whether because they kicked her out or it was under attack, she would have no choice. She'd have to leave, and then these situations wouldn't feel like her fault, y'know? You're more likely to see her suffer, fall down, or get an infection, and feel bad because it's not her fault, she was dealt a shitty hand.

But this angle of her leaving because she was unhappy or because she felt like a burden... she still left the safety of place where she could've properly healed from an amputation. Losing her leg isn't just another injury you can be like, "Oh just keep off it, it'll heal." That's a lot of healing and physical/emotional trauma to get through and she would've had a better chance of it if she stayed with AJ and Ericson.

Since she left, we're kinda just sitting here saying, "Yeah, Clementine... you have to take care of your leg. You have to wash it. You can't be running around on it all the time while it's still healing. You're going to be more prone to infection, and in the zombie apocalypse, that's super not great. What were you thinking? You should have stayed at Ericson. You should not be here at this ski lodge or running through the woods."

A lot of problems with the story and characterization stem from that decision and unfortunately, it's weakening the story.

[wombywoo]

Ok! I've finally decided to put together a (somewhat) comprehensive tutorial on my latest art~

Please enjoy this little step-by-step 💁‍♀️

First things first--references!

Now I'm not saying you have to go overboard, but I always find that this is a crucial starting point in any art piece I intend on making. Especially if you're a detail freak like me and want to make it as realistic as possible 🙃

As such, your web browser should look like this at any given point:

Since this is a historical piece, it means hours upon hours of meaningless research just to see what color the socks are, but...again. that isn't, strictly, necessary 😅

Once I've compiled all my lovely ref pics, I usually dump them into a big-ass collage ⬇️

(I will end up not using half of these, alas :'D)

Another reference search for background material, and getting to showcase our models of choice for this occasion~

When picking a reference for an actor or model, the main thing I keep in mind (besides prettiness 🤭) is lighting and orientation. Because I already kinda know what pose I'm gonna go with for this piece, I can look for specific angles that might fit the criteria. I should mention that I am a reference hound, and my current COD actor ref folder looks like this:

Also keep in mind, if you're using a ref that you need to flip, make sure you adjust accordingly. This especially applies to clothing, as certain things like pants zippers and belt buckles can be quite specific ☝️

Now that we've spent countless hours googling, it's time to start with a rough sketch:

It doesn't have to be pretty, folks, just a basic guideline of where you want the figures to be.

The next step is to define it more, and I know this looks like that 'how to draw an owl' meme, but I promise--getting from the loose sketch above to below is not that difficult.

Things to keep in mind are--don't go too in-depth with the details, because things are still subject to change at this point. In terms of making a suitable anatomically-correct sketch, I would suggest lots of studying. This doesn't even have to be things like figure drawing, I genuinely look at people around me for inspiration all the time. Familiarize yourself with the human form, and things like weight, proportions, posing will seem a little more feasible.

It's also important at this stage to consider your composition. Remember to flip the canvas frequently to make sure you're not leaning to one side too often. I'm sure something can be said for the spiral fibonacci stuff, which I don't really try to do on purpose, but I think keeping things like symmetry and balance in mind is a good start ✌️

Next step is just blocking in the figures. Standard. No fuss 👍

Now onto the background!

It's frankly hilarious how many people thought I was *hand-drawing* these maps and stuff 😂😂 I cannot even begin to comprehend how insanely difficult that would be. So yeah, we're just taking the lazy copy and paste way out 🤙

I almost always prepare my backgrounds first, and this is mostly to get a general color scheme off the bat. For collage work, it's really just a matter of trial and error, sticking this here, slapping this there, etc. I like to futz around with different overlay options until I've found a nice arrangement. Advice for this is just--go nuts 🤷‍♀️

Next, I add a few color adjustments. I tend to make at least 2 colors pop in an art piece, and low and behold, they usually tend to be red and blue ❤️💙There's something about warm/cool vibes, idk man..

Now we move on to coloring the figures. This is just a basic block and fill, not really defining any of the details yet.

Next, we add some cursory values. Sloppy airbrush works fine, it'll look better soon I promise 🙏

And now--rendering!

I know a lot of beginner artists are intimidated by rendering, and I can totally understand why. It's just one of those things you have to commit to 💪

I've decided to show a brief process of rendering our dear Johnny's face here:

Starting off, I usually rely on the trusty airbrush just to get some color values going. Note--I've kept my sketch layer on top, but feel free to turn it on and off as you work, so as to not be too bound to the sketch. For now, it's just a guideline.

This next stage may look like a huge jump, but it's really just adding more to the foundation. I try to think of it like putting on make-up in a way~ Adding contours, accentuating highlights. This is also where I start adding in more saturation, especially around areas such as ears, nose and lips. Still a bit fuzzy at this point, but that's why we keep adding to it 💪

A boy has appeared! See--now I've removed most of the line layer, and it holds up on its own. I'll admit that in order to achieve this realistic style, you'll need lots and lots of practice and skill, which shouldn't be discouraging! Just motivate yourself with the prospect of getting to look at pretty men for countless hours 🙆‍♀️

I'll probably do a more in-depth explanation about rendering at some point, but let's keep this rolling~

Moving forward is just a process of adding to the figures bit by bit. I do lean towards filling in each section from top to bottom, but you can feel free to pop around to certain parts that appeal to you more. I almost always do the faces first though, because if they end up sucking, I feel less guilty about scrapping it 😂 But no--I think he's pretty enough to proceed 😚

They're coming together now 🙆‍♀️ Another helpful tip--make sure you reuse color. By that, I mean--try to incorporate various colors throughout your piece, using the eyedropper tool to keep a consistent palette. I try to put in bits of red and blue where I can

Here they are fully rendered! Notice I've made a few subtle changes from the sketch, like adjusting the belt buckles because I made a mistake 😬 Hence why you shouldn't put too much stock in your initial sketch~

The next step is more of a stylistic choice, but I usually go over everything with an outline, typically in a bright color like green. Occasionally, I can just use my initial line layer, but for this, I've made a brand new, cleaner line 👍

And the final step is adjusting the color and adding some text:

Tada!! It's done!

All in all, this took me the better part of a week, but I have a lot of free time, so yeah ✌️

I hope you appreciated that little walkthrough~ I know people have been asking me how I do my art, but the truth is--I usually have no clue how to explain myself 😅 So have this half-assed tutorial~

As a bonus, here is a cute (cursed) image of Johnny without his mustache:

A baby, a literal infant child !!! who put this wee bairn on the front lines ??! 😭

Anyway! peace out ✌️

[blitz0hno]

are Mikoto and John both new splits??

sorry if someone has had this theory before but anyway I feel like Mikoto may have had some level of awareness of his DID before his crime. Like not much, but just enough to know he can dissociate enough to "forget."

If Midokoto (green Mikoto) is real he's part of the very first one we see in MeMe, particularly the "boku WA boku wo"/"I will save Me" line. Not that he "split" on purpose, absolutely not. But if he already knew he tended to forget things, and put his mind to forgetting his first victim, then John and Mikoto both likely came of that. What remains of him, if he existed, is likely dormant, feeling nothing but the weight of the murders.

Splitting typically happens over time, and isn't a one-and-done thing; it's likely that Host Mikoto is there because he himself was fronting before the amnesia walls went up. This is where things get confusing as we don't know how exactly the splitting process is interpreted by Milgram. We're a system and can barely make heads or tails of it. It doesn't make sense that Mikoto would be the only one before John if John formed in adulthood. It would however make sense that Mikoto is the only alter John *knows,* which is why I'm led to believe that at least one more lays dormant.

I believe the Mikoto we know now is what became of the old host, who split into someone "normal" like he was before the crime, an alter who accepted the "necessity" of violence despite not understanding the crime himself (if John's pitiful but valiant attempts at defending Mikoto in the VD are to be believed), and what's left holds the memory of what really happened, and is now dormant. It's even possible that he or John is a gatekeeper of some sort, meaning it's their job to keep world-shattering memories from the host. Since Mikoto himself is now walled off, but he's the one in Milgram, it's reasonable to assume that John split from him; but since neither can seem to remember what really happened, and memories can't just disappear and are held by other parts in a system, there's got to be someone who has the final piece. And sure, that someone could be Mikoto. He would at least know a motive if he were to kill someone, and whether he admits it out loud or not he himself may think about it, considering it's his job to be Socially Acceptable.

Mikoto CAN be a two-alter system, but I'm not a fan of how Milgram implied that John split in adulthood without really addressing the "lifelong" aspect. While it could be a trick to see who does their research and catches the inconsistencies, there are already far too many misconceptions about DID accepted as fact by the general public. That said, we know what the characters know and from that angle I think it's really cool how it's all so murky and ambiguous, because that's how it feels for systems figuring themselves out in real life. Traumatized people, after all, are more likely to be put into a position of "commiting crime" because they are victims themselves, not because they feel like that behavior is acceptable but because the situations they end up in tend to mimic what they've been exposed to since day one. Obviously this does not count for willful violent crime but for crimes of self-defense, impulsivity or other emotional dysregulation, horrible horrible miscommunication etc.. Milgram seems to understand that much at least so don't take this or any other theory too seriously. I feel like our boys are in good hands because first and foremost the narrative treats both of them like people. This is just one idea of how Mikoto's system could work.

There's also this thing which could mean nothing but I interpreted it as possibly a diagram for how his system works, the circles being literally more rounded parts and the distorted ones being underdeveloped. There is NO textual evidence for this just a cool circle. It would be funny if 009 has 9 parts in total but again nothing else to back this up so far.

[goldenteaset]

Stampede!Legato's Charm Points

...A not-comprehensive list of blatant squee for the @tristampparty.

I enjoy every version of Legato (which feels like saying "water is wet"), but Stampede's version in particular feels dazzling, like looking into the sun for too long. And if you couldn't tell from that description and looking at other people's reactions, especially toward his looks, this is very much me "proselytizing" in his favor. (Or finding like-minded people!)

Under the cut because I couldn't contain myself. XD

Charm Point the First: How He's Framed (...Mostly)

(The big zipper on his coat is also cute by the way)

Studio ORANGE made a fascinating choice with Legato for Stampede s1: his face is either in shadow, or at various angles that highlight how striking he is, usually as seen from below. This forces us to either a) look deeper at what expressions we do see, or b) focus our gaze on everything else about him. So a win either way, really.

On the other hand, though: please let us see more of his face in S2 PLEASE

Charm Point the Second: His Hands

Self-explanatory, I know. But hands are an absolute pain to draw and I'm forever impressed with the sheer, insane detail the animators get across with Legato's. Look at this gif, you can actually see where he laughs when his wrist tilts! There's something so erotic and dangerous about how they're portrayed. Very very good.

Charm Point the Third: His Laugh

This Legato is a downright jolly fellow in some ways compared to the previous ones! His laughter is lovely, often low and soft and wicked. It makes every scene with him more fun for the viewer, because he's having fun.

Charm Point the Fourth: His Plantlike Complexion

One might even call it a "ceramic-like pallor". It has to be because of the Plant genetics Stampede's writer mentioned. It makes him even more Fair Folk-like and otherworldly, almost ethereal; it adds another creepy, "don't make that deal" layer to his scene with Wolfwood.

Charm Point the Fifth: His Legs

I could've picked a different shot, but no. This one illustrates the point rather well, I think. (In general, besides his stomach he's on his way to a male ballet dancer physique, which is a wonderful thing.)

Charm Point 5.9: Safety First!

Something about Legato doing nefarious deeds and still wearing a seatbelt is just...peak moe for some reason. 10/10.

Charm Point the Sixth and Seventh: His Nape/Hair

I love this shot so much uuuuuuu look at the lighting

Sometimes the sheer floppiness of his haircut in some screenshots undersells how neatly managed it actually is. Legato may not want people to talk about his hair, but he does take good care of it. It's sleek, it's out of his way (mostly), and I can't help but wonder if it's cut as short as it is in the back to avoid touching his skin... :(

Charm Point 7.5: His Waist

It's the part everybody critiques! Yes, he looks like a Ken doll with it being that narrow. Yes, I 100% think that's the point and Studio Orange will make us sad about it in S2. Moving on quickly so as not to dwell on it!

Charm Point the Eighth: His Voice

I'll be talking about his dialogue right after this, but really, that dialogue wouldn't land right without the perfect voices to match. Whether subbed or dubbed, Stampede!Legato manages to slide between cold elegance and zealous desperation with ease. (Also, again, That Laugh *happy shivers*)

Charm Point the Ninth: His Dialogue

While we sadly only see Legato in two episodes, I think they're still a great introduction to him. We're given just enough to understand why he conflicts with Vash and co., what his motives are (which he might explain too much, but anyway), and who he is as person. He's a human who fundamentally doesn't understand humans, least of all himself. I think he's drawn to Wolfwood and Livio's relationship specifically because he himself doesn't have a reference point for it. It fascinates him even as he hates it. And speaking of that...

Charm Point the Tenth: His Confusion About Love

I left this one for last because unlike the above, which are mostly fixed states, this one really could go in any direction. At the end of episode 6, Legato explains how he doesn't understand love and thinks it should "give way to devotion". This is interesting, to say the least, because past Legatos don't just lay things out that clearly, and neither do most characters in Stampede. There's practically a big neon sign blaring over this!

From my very biased standpoint, there's nothing more fun than when a character who looks like this *points at the above* disdains love that openly. That means that either a) Legato is being set up to never understand love ever, which is less interesting, or b) discover what love means to him. Will that end well? Poorly? Will Studio Orange give us enough string to make a cats cradle out of for our own entertainment? Who knows! It's all up in the air for now.

I just think that there's nothing more narratively thrilling than limitless possibilities and slowly winnowing them down, is all. :D

[deke-rivers-1957]

Clambake Review

This is often considered to be the worst Elvis film ever made. Even Elvis himself allegedly hated making the film. However, it's most likely because of the fact that Elvis suffered from that infamous concussion just before filming started. A lot of fans who watched this film say that you can see Elvis is ailing. Does his acting suffer because of it or just fan projection? Let's find out.

We immediately start off with the titular song "Clambake". For a movie that takes place in Miami, you wouldn't associate the city with clambake. Or oil rigs. But we don't live in this movie's reality because both of those things exist in Miami apparently. While it is true that Native Americans in Florida developed a technique referred to as a "clambake", a traditional clambake is predominantly held on the Northern East coast. They could've just as easily reused New Orleans if they wanted to include both of those elements.

This is easily one of the worst outfits Elvis ever worn. Scott would never wear this. Based on his character he'd want to be as far away from it as possible. It makes more sense for Tom Wilson to buy this when they switch identities. I know he has to wear something at the beginning to show that he's rich, but I would've used a different outfit.

Charlie Hodge cameos at the barber and gets a line. Imagine my surprise to see that we have an actual character arc that's setup. We understand who Scott is and why he's here in Miami. He's the son of an oil tycoon and wants to make a name for himself. He had a fiancee but he left her when it was clear she only cared for his money. We now have a clear reason to support his identity swap.

I don't hate this Prince and the Pauper type of plot, I just don't like how it's executed. Heyward Oil is everywhere somehow and yet no one recognizes Scott just by the face alone? Sure he's not the head of the company but they recognize his name so they had to have seen him at least once. Maybe I'm missing something, but I think this would've been better if Tom Wilson was played by an actor that looked more like Elvis. Impossible I know, but if Elvis had body doubles in movies, I think it could've been done.

"Who Needs Money" is a terrible duet. Elvis' vocals of course are fine but Tom Wilson's dubbed in vocals just doesn't work. The film doesn't grind to a halt because of this duet, but it's still not a rememberable song. I get that we needed a duet to show that Scott and Tom are both doing this for their own personal gain, but Tom Wilson needed different vocals for this song to be just average. It's also made abundantly clear that Elvis isn't in Miami to film this with the overuse of rear screen projections.

When we get to the hotel, the scene where Jamison is talking with the women is so bizarre. Some of the women's dialogue sounded either effected (meaning they purposely put on a type of voice that suggests bad acting or bad direction) or were dubbed in. It just didn't sound like they were recorded the same way Jamison's voice was recorded. The water-skiing scene also has so much dead air that we're watching Elvis' and Shelly's doubles ski at a far angle shot with no audio outside of the boat's motor. It lasted too long and could've been redone as it just wasn't engaging.

Given that Elvis wasn't actually in Florida, at least this scene has a real background. The lighting naturally matches the time of day it's supposed to be in and they all look like they belong there. I really like Elvis' outfit though as you can at least justify long sleeve shirts with "it's night time so it's going to be cooler".

"A House That Has Everything" is fine. It allows for Scott to seemingly bond with Dianne over being poor. As much as I love Scott's part of this relationship, I just don't understand why he's in love with Dianne. She basically admits to being a gold digger, which Scott wanted to get away from. I understand the point of the movie is that she falls in love with Scott for who he is, but Scott being interested after she admits to being the one thing he wanted to avoid just doesn't make sense to me.

I do appreciate that the movie wants us to dislike Jamison by making him act like a pig for ignoring Dianne's pleas to go away. I also appreciate that this movie didn't go down the path of most Elvis films and have Scott try to fight him ultimately getting him in trouble. Instead we get shown that Scott disapproves of Jamison's actions, but also acknowledges that Dianne's a grown woman who can take care of herself.

For once we have a mid 60s Elvis film that has him have the emotional maturity to know when to pick his battles. I also admit that as much as I don't like his romantic interests in Dianne, I really enjoy seeing him wanting to respect her choices and help her. He's willing to just be a companion and doesn't let any negative feelings for Jamison interfere. A cliched love triangle would've had Scott try to sabotage Jamison to make him look bad in front of Dianne, or Scott try to convince Dianne that Jamison is no good only for her to ignore him. He doesn't do any of that and instead just let's the chips fall where they lie.

This song was easily the worst scene in the entire film. "Confidence" is embarrassingly over 5 minutes long. The editing is just bizarre with a shot that is completely upside down and a clip of the US Calvary. It's so long that there was a stretch of time that Scott isn't even singing. We're just following him and Tom Wilson play with children. Even Red West, cameoing as the ice cream gets involved in playing with the kids for literally no reason. I kid you not, it was so bad that my besties who saw the film with me all had a mini breakdown at how awful and long it was.

I can see why fans say you can see Elvis is struggling in this film. Watching this scene is like watching a man mentally regress to a child's age right before your eyes. What makes it worse is that this scene has absolutely no impact on the plot. Him singing with the kids doesn't make Dianne see Scott in a new light the way, nor do any of the kids help Scott with his boat in anyway. Outside of a throwaway line about having confidence, nothing from this scene was ever mentioned again. This scene's only purpose is to provide filler to pad out the run time.

A ride up of over 2 inches or so should never happen with clothes. That's a sign of how cheap this film was. They couldn't even bother to give Elvis a turtleneck sweater that properly fits. This whole scene is just cringy mid 60s beach party aesthetics. "Clambake" as a song is bad in that I literally couldn't understand a single word of the beginning.

The dancing in this scene isn't good and the colors in the scene hurt my eyes. The only reason why I say this song is better than "Confidence" is that there's an actual reason for this song to exist. Despite being geographically inaccurate, a clambake event was mentioned earlier in the film. Scott would want to be there because he knows Dianne would be there and just in general wanted to have fun.

I like this montage of Scott developing the goop. The whole concept of Scott wanting to make his own product is brilliant. He wants to prove that his idea can work even if his dad didn't. It adds another dimension to his character without having to include his dad. He's a genuinely intelligent man who isn't depicted as a pathetic dork or an absolute kill joy.

This gives us a rare showing of Elvis playing a character that doesn't just rizz up girls, or fights people. He also isn't a bumbling, misfortunate character that is passive to the events around him. Here, Scott's actively choosing to do this. He's making the best use of his privilege and education to not only help out a struggling boat owner, but also create a product that shows that he's more than just his dad's money.

This dynamic only makes me think that Scott is too good for Dianne. He isn't just being a decent human being and therefore deserves to be with her by default. He's actively helping a woman he barely knows get with another man by giving her advice. The fact that she's still interested in Jamison after he refused to respect her boundaries indicates that she literally only cares about his money. I know that's the point of her character arc, but watching this only makes me think that Scott deserved better.

"You Don't Know Me" only solidifies that opinion. The entire song is literally Scott lamenting that Dianne doesn't know who he is. While part of it is on him for purposely hiding his true identity, Dianne basically uses him as a tool to get Jamison to notice her. She doesn't really take the time to get to know Scott on even a friendly basis. That one night on the beach just isn't enough to say that she knows enough about Scott to even be his friend. You really feel bad for Scott because he's in a one-sided relationship with someone who doesn't seem interested in him outside of what he could do for her.

It's little moments like this that make me appreciate Scott as a character. He's so dedicated to making this product work that he works through the night and falls asleep at his work station. He isn't even doing it to impress Dianne either. He's had this idea before he even met her. He genuinely wants to help Mr. Burton and prove that his product can work.

"Hey, Hey, Hey" is a terrible song. It's similar to "Clambake" in that it has bad dancing and similar to "Confidence" in that it just comes completely out of nowhere. It also just doesn't work with Scott's character. He's only shown interest in Dianne so even though he's not committed to her, it doesn't make sense for him to give every woman a kiss. I get that it's meant to be a montage of Scott getting help to finish the boat, but the song just feels unnecessary. Each woman's reaction to his kiss is obviously dubbed in as the actress' reaction doesn't match the noise she makes. You could just as easily convey that in a way that's similar to when Scott recreated his goop.

I was absolutely shocked at how good this dynamic was. Mr. Heyward had a big beef with Scott for leaving the way he did. He was so upset that Scott took stuff from his company without asking him, that he had to be confronted. At first you think this is the cliche dad that just doesn't get his son wanting to be his own man or even bothered to know what Scott liked. Scott's relationship with Mr. Burton made me think that this was the case. However, Mr. Heyward ultimately isn't that cliche.

Mr. Heyward knows his son more than anyone else. When he found out that Tom Wilson was acting like a party animal who smoke and drank, he immediately knew that this wasn't Scott. For a time period where it was more common for a man to smoke and or drink, Mr. Heyward outright being confused to hear that "Scott" did this shows he knows his son. He really does care about Scott, but is just upset at the way Scott chose to handle his feelings. When given the chance to confront him about it, Mr. Heyward said his part and let Scott have his say too. Even though he still didn't fully believe in Scott's product, he still wanted to let Scott try. Ultimately a very well written tension that didn't give you the idea that these two outright hated each other.

This part of the movie has the most amount of tension. There's a proper build up of the audience and Scott realizing that Jamison wasn't a good person worth Dianne's affection. Watching Jamison put the moves on her when she said no, is the nail in the coffin for the audience. For Scott, since he didn't see the same things we do, he wouldn't get upset at Jamison for that reason. He knew Jamison wasn't the best person when he forced Dianne to go out with him in exchange for her missing bra. He didn't interfere because he knew that he would've gotten in trouble because Jamison was rich and he was working as an employee.

Here he had the emotional maturity to not put up a stink when Dianne was with Jamison. He didn't even fight him after she left the room. It wasn't until Jamison essentially threatened him first, that Scott had enough and punched him. As soon as Jamison went down, he left. He had the emotional maturity to know that he put Jamison in his place. Nothing else needed to be done as there was no reason to keep punching him. Punching an unconscious man is no longer self defense and is just meaningless violence. Scott understanding that in spite of his own feelings is a refreshing thing to see in a character.

"The Girl I Never Loved" is the best song in the movie. Scott's lament that he'll never be able to tell Dianne how he feels is so sad. He's so adamant about not wanting to interfere in her relationship with Jamison, that he's willing to make himself suffer. He accepts that she doesn't have feelings for him, but he also still lets himself feel hurt about it. That being said, Dianne giving up her scheme and wanting to just go home feels a little forced. Like she doesn't even want to stay because Scott was a good friend. She just wants to go because Jamison ended up not working out.

I just feel bad that Scott went through all this work only for Dianne to not seem that enthused. Mr. Heyward only wants the best for his son so if the goop works, he couldn't be any happier and supportive. Tom Wilson and his girlfriend are genuinely excited to be at the race watching him. They really want Scott to win because they know he worked so hard on the boat. Dianne just doesn't look all that emotional for him and I wonder what would've happened if Scott ended up losing. Mr. Heyward and Tom Wilson I feel would've still supported Scott. They know how hard he worked on it even if it didn't pan out as he thought. I just can't say the same for Dianne. I'm not sure if it was an acting issue or a writing issue, but I just don't feel the same passion she has for Scott that he does for her.

This hurts me. When I think about the low production value of this movie, I think of this. First off no license would ever have a picture like that. If it has a picture it was to be front on not at this weird angle. Also his name's spelled wrong! If you look at the signs for his father's company it's spelled Heyward. The worst mistake though is that Elvis has blue eyes! Why do you mark Scott as having brown eyes when he clearly doesn't have them? This whole scene summarizes the lack of effort put into making this look like Miami. Florida doesn't have any mountains and if anything, Miami is actually prone to flooding and sinkholes because of the low altitude.

Regardless, I actually like how this film ended. The whole point of Scott switching identities in theory was to find someone who loved him for his personality and not just his money. Was doing that right at a stop light the best time to do that? No but in general for a mid 60s Elvis film, we didn't get a stereotypical final number to close out the film. It could've been executed better but we actually get the plot point of Dianne not knowing who Scott is wrapped up. I still don't think Dianne and Scott will work out. They don't know anything about each other and Scott kisses her once after he asks her to marry him. I'm happy for Scott that he got what he wanted, but I honestly think he still deserved better regarding his love interest. It really shows just how much of a real person this character was that you would feel something like that.

This movie is so baffling. On one hand yeah, I totally agree with fans that say this is the worst one. The complete lack of attention to geographical detail and the most blatant case of run time padding make this absolutely frustrating to watch. On the other hand Scott surprisingly has one of the most complete character arcs I've seen where every choice he's made has made sense to his character. His ballads and emotional maturity were quite refreshing to see. He actually makes me care enough to say "you deserve to find someone who loves you. Dianne isn't good enough for you king".

That being said, I give this film a 5/10. There's just too many issues to say that this is a good film. However, I truly think if this script was redone and a different creative team made this movie, it might be one of Elvis' best ones. In fact, as long as you skip "Confidence" and are someone who can forgive production errors easily, I would actually recommend watching this Elvis fan or not. Scott's character arc has enough good elements to make it worth watching.

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AN: Thank you @georgefairbrother for requesting this film. Also shout out to @arrolyn1114 and @xanatenshi for watching this film with me. Your input was much appreciated. I currently don't have anything planned on what to review next. If anyone wants to request an Elvis film feel free to send it in.

Tagging: @lynettethemadscientist, @motht-eeth, @ash-omalley, @spooky-hazex, @oh-my-front-door, @father-of-2cats, @stormie-ryan23, @yksuwyksud, @tacozebra051, @alienelvisobsession, @vintageoldsoul, @ohmygiddd, @lovininapinkcadillac, @stephthestallion, @mistyspresley, @bisexualwvtson, @karel-in-wonderland, @moonchild-daniella, @musiclover712, @worldofyns, @sillybookmarks, @g00d2balive, @leighpc, @generoustreemystic, @peskybedtime, @thetaoofzoe, @renegadewarrior, @vintagepresley, @tupelomiss, @myradiaz, @pinkcaddyconfessions, @kiankiwi, @presley72elvis, @delulubutidontcare, @elvispresleywife, @ilivebecauseiamforced, @jaqueline19997, @richardslady121, @if-i-can-dream-of-elvis and @lookingforrainbows.

[muninnhuginn]

For the character ask meme, Anya from spy x family? :0

hi! thanks for the ask ^^. weirdly, I think anya's probably the spy x family main I've thought about the least? there's plenty to her so idk why I've not thought through her entire deal more, maybe just because the child experimentation angle will be grim and we're lacking so many pieces of her backstory rn. but even with that, there's plenty there. so anyway, good choice is what I'm saying. this gives me an excuse to not get distracted by loid and yo--

anyway anyway, answers below cut because this got long:

My first impression

This is gonna sound bad considering I only got into the series when the anime started coming out which is fairly recent all considered, but I genuinely don't remember? I'd probably seen memes involving her before I actually started the anime or manga, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember what they involved.

My impression now

She's young and that colours pretty much all of her actions. But it also means she has a huge capacity for growth and allows her to create that change in others too (the obvious one being Loid but you see it with others too). And Spy x Family may be a slow-burn but we're starting to get some of that pay off in terms of character development.

Hmm, what else, I guess she's pretty determined. Thinking of that post about how "Anya would be unstoppable if not for the small fact that she's five". So yeah, her logic is questionable at times (most of the time) and she's got abandonment issues and she's hindered by her age. But she's found a family now and it's clear she wants to keep them and wants them to keep her too.

Favorite thing about that character

I think the aspects that cause Anya the most trouble are those which she hasn't shared with anyone. Her powers, her background in general, her age. They're all tied together and her fear of abandonment (likely exacerbated by her foster families) prevents her from seeking help when they cause her issues. Loid knows pieces, but he's missing some really key bits of information and he has no idea. So it's neat that this character who arguably holds the most knowledge about other people's secrets cannot share her own.

Least favorite thing

I really don't like to think about some of the stuff that if you follow logic Anya must have been exposed to through her powers. There's some aspect of her not being able to comprehend all thoughts, but I imagine there's a lot that gets through which is just, quite frankly horrific.

There's that scene fairly early on where Loid and Anya come across a rally and there's some pretty yikes stuff being thought by those attending. In that scene, the focus is more on how crowds tend to overwhelm her given her powers, but between that and whatever's going on with Melinda, well, it's pretty clear she can and will hear things that would be uncomfortable for *anyone* to hear, never mind someone not even six years old.

Favorite line/scene

Maybe Ania mini-chapter. What does it all mean?

Favorite interaction that character has with another

Loid-Anya cruise subplot. She's not lost the abandonment issues, but she sure has Loid wrapped around her finger and takes full advantage of it. She's just trying to help Yor, but she's making Loid completely suffer for it and it is hilarious.

A character that I wish that character would interact with more

Handler. They've had a couple of interactions in canon and Anya reminds her of her own daughter which is already such a dynamic to start with. Anya seems to like Handler too. It's a mutually healing relationship, but also funny to consider them both driving Loid up the wall with stress.

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of that character

Maybe Steven Universe? Something about kids with atypical family setups who are too young to be involved in this stuff getting involved regardless and setting themselves up for trauma down the line. Wanting to save the world, but not yet understanding what that entails. Their powers being tied to something beyond their control; something that will absolutely come back to bite them.

In terms of personality though? I'm kind of blanking.

A song that reminds of that character

(Might have to follow it through to Youtube to get the subtitles to work)

This is one of those where it's more the vibes than the exact story, but I think the whole 'family to family until you find a home' and 'seems cheery but actually quite sad' and some of the stuff around 'helping' all fit in a way.

An unpopular opinion about that character/A headcanon about that character

(Merged this with 'headcanon' because I realised my read of the situation here could fit that and I blanked on *actual* headcanons but they'd probably mostly revolve around sensory overload from her powers so)

Not sure how unpopular this opinion actually is, because I don't tend to lurk in those places, but I genuinely don't think Anya at this stage is "into" Damian in any way. And though I doubt it'll pan out that way, I would very much prefer if she stays uninterested in him in that way? I do think it'd be neat to explore the fallout when Damian realises she was trying to befriend him for his connections given that's already been brought up as something that'd upset him. But I'd rather their dynamic lead to genuine friendship rather than romance. For now, Damian's crush and Anya's awkward overtures as she tries to progress the mission do entertain me, as do the small moments where they interact genuinely. But I just find the idea of a crush when they're that young actually working out to be... well, pretty unbelievable?

Favourite picture

Ahh don't make me pick. She has too many good faces I'm not sure how I could narrow it down. I'll just go for.... her "heh" face, but genuinely way too much choice. (Also, there are some more serious options like when she realises Loid's reason for coming to rescue her in ep/ch1 or her reaction about the whole "Ania" spelling. But again, can't pick)

[mysterionrisez]

i admittedly have not watched most of, or even half of south park (new fan/little free time/poor attention span) so im sure there are MANY more examples to choose from.. but i feel like butters' bottom bitch is pretty representative of butters' autonomous control over his actions without really having full, conscious control. his internal motivations and external behaviors are clearer here than in his other Situations because 1. hes not in any way being puppeteered by cartman, so he does in fact have full control ("dude, we've created a monster.") and 2. he truly does not know what he's doing. we know already that butters is very emotionally immature, and has little understanding of himself or the world around him. throughout this whole episode, he's parroting the exact words and actions of others. it's clear by his permanently innocent tone of voice that his actions are never intentionally malicious. but at the same time, it's not because he was forced to make the decisions but because he can't pick up on intention, so he sees no issue with what he does. he just chooses whatever has the best outcome (money + a positive reputation) and at the same time minimal punishment.

because like.. the thing is that cartman doesn't really fear much. he doesn't fear punishment or anything. he finds ways to work around punishment, and of course much of this has to do with being raised by liane cartman, vs butters who is raised by the stotches. but he considers each factor of every Ruse he carries out, including the aftermath. and as weird as it is to say... cartman does have some form of empathy, he's TERRIFYINGLY good at understanding where people are coming from and working from whatever angle they're at. so everything he does is intentional. he never accidentally goes overboard. he knew what he was doing every step of the way in the scott tenorman episode. he knew what he wanted, and he got exactly that, as fucking deranged as it all was. and in many ways, this makes him worse than butters. because he's just like... an implicitly evil and disgusting person. who does bad things, and thrives off of that. but he never really does much more than he needs.

however, in a lot of ways butters is a lot scarier! because he DOESNT have empathy, he DOESNT make conscious choices, and he DOESNT know when he went overboard. when butters is "intentionally evil" we end up with professor chaos, who is more or less, in the show at least, shown to be harmless. even though thats his "evil persona", he doesnt actually know which actions are EVIL and which aren't. all of his self perceived "evil" actions, like in professor chaos & the ungroundable, are just things that lead to punishment. he doesn't do anything "immoral" in super fun time but he was TOLD to stay with cartman and he KNOWS that being told to do something = being punished if he doesnt. but all that's to say, he doesn't seem to understand what's wrong with pimping girls out on the playground, despite that being like.. an actually way scummier thing to do than ditching a school trip. like, in the scene where hes trying to recruit wendy and bebe into his whole mission, despite the fact that they're both clearly like hey! we're uncomfortable! and with stan telling him off, too, he only takes it as "oh, they don't want to do this. but i can convince them why it'd actually be the most beneficial option." like.. he CANNOT wrap his head around why they wouldn't wanna be whored out yknow, lol.

and i just thought of this now.. but this premise is made especially clear in post covid. cartman grows into a better person... behaviors wise, but from what we can tell all of his motivations are the same. he just knows that starting fresh, being nicer, starting a family, presenting as a jewish convert... will give him more credibility than everything he did as a kid. he just like, actually KNOWS these things. but who ACTUALLY grew up to become a classic supervillain was BUTTERS. and then we meet him, and he still fucking acts like that. literally a manchild!!!!

[phantomrose96]

How did you feel about the tma finale? I thought it was fine but after all of Jonny's warnings that "it will be sooo tragic don't get your hopes up" I was kind of disappointed by how mild it was. Nothing against a hopeful finale but it felt a little bit like it fizzled out. Any thoughts as a Tragedy Enjoyer (tm)?

You know I'm just theorizing, but as someone who has only a fraction of a fraction of the audience TMA has and is a Tragedy Writer, I've seen how a portion of an audience can get really intense and antsy about "if this has a sad ending I can't take it." My impression is the TMA audience was both large and had a lot of interaction with the writers so like, I'll bet Jonny heard that kind of thing hundreds of times. I could easily see that becoming like "the safety of my mental health is your responsibility" kind of message from a lot of people, which could really push someone to err on the side of over-warning about the ending.

My overall thoughts on s5 are... hard to pin down? I do think it's my least favorite season, but not because of any quality drop but because I just kind of didn't love the structure of it, I think. The sort of linear "we're questing to London" structure... I dunno.

A number of the stand-alone horror statements were some of the strongest in the whole series, I think! Rosie's statement about working for Elias all these years and Knowing something was wrong but just remaining complicit--excellent, loved that one. Jared Boneturner's one about twisting people's body dysmorphia against them with flower metaphors really hit. The meat processing plant one with the years worth of lines. The hospital that would try to make you better or worse on a whim each day. And I loved the reveal about The Spider pulling the strings all along. I was totally fooled thinking the tape recorders were just The Eye's way of snooping, but the fact that they were The Spider's web all along *chef's kiss*.

Oh also I loved that Jon could smite people. Good for him.

But it's. hmmm. It reminds me a little bit of a problem with later-season Supernatural, where they'd killed off near the entire recurring cast save for like 4 people. Just steadily lost people to be invested in. Sasha's dead. Tim's dead. Daisy's dead. Bigger antagonists like Peter are dead. Eliajonah spent 90% of the season in the gay baby panopticon (and killing him happened... kinda way too fast and short for me? Jonah was really the main antagonist and planned this for 2 centuries and puppeted Jon into becoming The Beholding's Special Little Boy but he didn't have a countermeasure for Being Beholded by said Special Boy?) Helen was fun but then Jon killed her! :< Georgie and Melanie were gone for most of the season too. Basira was the only kinda-regularly-present central character. And you know it's always kinda been The Jon Show, but there was a little more fun in that when Jon was being a stuck-up curmudgeon. He's... understandably... a bit more of a downer in s5. (Also found myself liking Martin a little less this season, but can't pin down why exactly.) Oh and, VERY much just a personal thing: but the way Jon would need to compulsively make statements just sat uncomfortably with me. Basira was joking about the bathroom metaphor but it really was like that.

Also THIS part is inevitable and there would be literally no way to avoid this - so much of TMA was built up as a mystery and now that we have most of the answers in s5 there's just. less to be intrigued about. We have most of the puzzle pieces so there's not much left to theorize about. And besides The Spider reveal, there wasn't really anything in s5 that was able to surprise me. The ending felt very straight-forward. And I figured from just about the beginning of the series Jon wasn't gonna survive to the end so that didn't surprise me. I was kinda thinking it might do one of those "we take the 3rd option!" things where they neither follow The Spider's plan nor Jon's plan but.

Anyway! I relistened to Angler Fish yesterday and it DOES hit much harder with retrospect

[fanficsandfluff]

Tickletober 2022 - Day 22: Monster

A/N: This one's from my lovely friend @goblinden for sending a prompt with Steve, Eddie, and Dustin in to me! No one has sent me any requests to see a Steddie pairing so I am very happy to have received this. I hope I've done it justice! Also a disclaimer, I know NOTHING about the world of Dungeons & Dragons, so anything I've written is from my friend's help or just purely nonsense out of my brain. Any mistakes aren't my fault lol. Enjoy!

Fandom: Stranger Things

Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Dustin Henderson

Steve was stuck babysitting once again, but this time it wasn't him and 6 freshmen. It was him, Dustin Henderson (so one freshman) and Eddie Munson. For now, at least. Dustin invited Steve to come to one of Eddie's Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, not even asking Eddie for permission first because he figured the guy would say yes to anything he wanted. The perks of being as lovable as Dustin Henderson... And Steve's been reluctant for the few years since actually being close with the group to sit in on any 'nerd' stuff. But now that they had Eddie and his awesome campaigns, Dustin figured the ante was upped and it wasn't a child's game anymore. Steve could handle this.

But the thing was, they were early. Way too early, apparently. So Dustin and Eddie got to talking as they set up their game table together. And Steve plopped himself on the nearby sofa, literally tapping fingers on his knee or picking at his cuticles. Fun times. Right.

Steve tuned in to the end of a conversation Dustin and Eddie were holding as those two sat at their respective seats at the gaming table.

"... but the gelatinous cube could be better than any of the ones we're naming here," came from Dustin's mouth.

Gelatinous cube... disgusting way to say Jell-O, Steve thought.

"How so?" Eddie asked, leaning back in his chair and hiking one leg up to rest over the other.

"So we know the Froghemoth, Roper, Cyclops, even. The first two have the tentacles, which we've mentioned before," Dustin smiled knowingly towards Eddie and continued, "And the other has the brawn we're looking for. But!" he pointed a finger in the air, "Gelatinous cube can't take damage as easily and once you're stuck in that thing, you probably ain't getting out," he said like he just won an argument.

Eddie leaned forward in his seat now, fully intrigued, "You may have something there, Henderson..."

The two curly haired party members turned their heads simultaneously when they heard a scoffing sort of laugh from Steve Harrington, sitting on his lonely little couch.

"Something funny, Steve?" Dustin asked, taking the reigns from something Eddie probably would've said.

"Noho, nothing's funny. Well yeah, a little-- Don't worry about me, just keep talking about your snot cubes and sasquatches."

Eddie rolled his eyes, "Why did you bring the nonbeliever here again?" he flicked his eyes back towards Dustin.

"I told him it'd be fun. He needs a little fun in his life," Dustin argued, "I'm the only fun he's got left--"

"Not true," Steve immediately cut right in, "I have a life, dipshit, thank you very much."

"Yeah, but is it fun without me?"

Steve took a pause too long and Eddie started to laugh.

"Whatever," Steve huffed, folding his arms over his chest and choosing not to look their way, "Enjoy all your dumb nerd games and forget I'm even here, alright?"

Dustin shook his head, never understanding how Steve could say things so hurtful and then still act like he was the victim who was sorely affected. Eddie, however, took this sullen turn as a window of opportunity.

"Fine. Henderson and I haven't even gotten to the good one," Eddie looked right at Dustin again and he smirked, "Nightgaunt."

Dustin tilted his head to the side in confusion at first, "I mean, I get it from the tail angle? Similar to the tentacles on the Roper, but I don't really get another--" Eddie's remaining smirk finally tipped him off. A huge smile sprung to Dustin's face.

"The nightgaunt," Eddie pulled out a little hint of his DM voice, "Similar in build to the bats from hell," he meant the Upside Down, "Mixed with the size of the dogs from hell," again, Upside Down.

Steve would never admit it got to him, but Eddie using his DM voice immediately sparked intrigue in him. He wanted to turn and lean in closer, just like Dustin was doing. But he said what he said and wasn't turning back now, still avoiding any kind of eye contact with those two. That didn't mean he still couldn't eavesdrop.

"And their tail?" Dustin asked, continuing to fabricate the story with Eddie, wanting him to get into details.

"Ah yes, their extra long tails with the spearheaded tip," Eddie held his arms up and mimed aiming a spear, really getting into the spirit of it, "Pliable, strong... perfect for grappling with!" Eddie lunged and laced an arm around Dustin's neck, dragging the kid over towards Steve.

"Hey!" Dustin uttered his surprise but knew it was all part of the act... or maybe it was under the guise of the act, but Eddie took his chance to physically annoy him.

"Imagine it, the tail wrapping around your neck so you're scarce for breath; your arms come up to try and pry the tail off of you, but now the tail wraps around each of your arms and pins them, too," Eddie kept narrating and Dustin was helping him by acting it out.

Steve was watching them, failing at his attempts to ignore the two of them. And god dammit, he was almost feeling anxious from all of their intricacy.

"You're gasping, you're not strong enough to break free," Eddie flicked his dark brown eyes Steve's way and grinned to see him enveloped in his tale, "And all the while, that lengthy tail is wrapping itself around your arms, your waist, your legs, even. Oh yeah. It's long, Stevie boy," he finally directly made eye contact with the ex-jock, now crouching by Dustin's legs, "And when you think that it can't get worse, that your end is in sight...!" Eddie paused for dramatic effect.

He launched himself right for Steve on the couch, the suddenness making the guy jump back and brace himself, gripping one hand into the back of the couch and the other on the armrest. His eyes were wide and Eddie's face was inches from his. And Eddie had a wild look in his eye, matching his wild hair and demeanor.

"Go ahead and ask me what happens next, big boy," Eddie encouraged Steve.

Steve swallowed before asking, "Wh-What happens next?"

"The nightgaunt, with all its claws and horns and horror..." Eddie righted his head and positioned his body over the couch, flexing his fingers so unnoticeably to Steve since the man was staring right at his face. Perfect, "... it fucking tickles you, man!" Eddie practically screamed and his face shifted entirely to pure joy as he hopped himself up on Steve on the couch and dug his fingers into the man's ribs.

Steve looked shocked at almost the sheer volume of Eddie's words and didn't even absorb what he said so much before he let out a scream of his own and coughed out a laugh, flailing to cover up.

"Wahait! Wait--Wait wait ack! F-Fuhucking-- EDDIE!" Steve tried growling but he was on his back on the couch with the damn freak straddling him from above and spidering his fingers in any spot of torso he could reach.

Dustin was now laughing, too, ecstatic their little show had this kind of payoff, "Ha! Still gonna call us nerds?"

"Or our games dumb?" Eddie threw in with a grin, pinching right into Steve's hips while he had the opening. Steve bucked and the most genuine laugh they'd heard yet flew from his lips.

"OHOho shhhh---" Steve was ready to curse some more but he was laughing too much, "Y-Youhu guys suck!"

Eddie smirked, "So it's a no, then," he vibrated fingers into Steve's belly while his other hand kept Steve's fighting arms at bay. Steve jumped up again on the couch and his laughter jumped in pitch.

"Just picture the nightgaunt focusing all its energy riiiiight here," Eddie taunted more as he kept the tickly pressure on Steve's belly. He did it so precisely that he got Steve to snort after a few extra seconds of tickling there. Hearing that got Dustin laughing again. Eddie could safely say he was happy, too.

Dustin ran up to the side of the couch now, exclaiming, "I roll! I cast hideous laughter!" he pointed his finger in Steve's face and laughed as evilly as he could before poking more into Steve's ribs and he occasionally got a good poke in his armpit. Steve squeaked when that happened and now Dustin was using all his energy to try and pin one of his arms but it wasn't working.

"Hang on, hang on, allow me," Eddie saw Dustin struggling and he reached down and fluttered a few fingers against Steve's neck.

This tried and true hack caused Steve's shoulders to hunch, his arms to raise, and now Eddie snatched one up and pinned it above him against the couch. A bonus was Steve's bright giggle that came forth from the neck tickles.

"Hideous laughter commencing, bard," Eddie grinned at Dustin and put all his effort in keeping Steve's hand right where it was.

Dustin scratched at Steve's now exposed armpit. And Steve practically exploded in laughter. It was loud and at times squeaky. He was trying to squirm, but Eddie's weight kept him down. His next effort was to use his free arm to block access to his sensitive underarm. But then Eddie got his stomach again and confused his senses so he couldn't decide which to fend off.

"OHO FUHUCK OHOhohofff!" Steve cackled.

"Sorry, Harrington. Hideous laughter practically immobilizes you. Makes you unable to do anything because you're laughing to ha-hahard--- hey!" he giggled himself when Steve's new use with his free arm was to try and tickle back.

Steve pulled his other arm out of Eddie's grip and pushed Dustin away, "Seeheems like your spell's got a flaw in it. Not immobilized," he poked and squeezed at Eddie's belly and sides to get him back and off of him now. It only lasted briefly until Eddie was giggling and no longer straddling him.

Steve pulled himself to the opposite end of the couch and caught his breath, running a hand through his hair to try and fix it. It had gone wild from the attack.

Dustin smiled at Steve like he meant the world to him... and then Steve looked at Eddie at the guy shared the same stupid smile. Now Steve was smiling, Jesus Christ what has become of him.

"Enough monsters, okay? Save them for your game-- campaign."

"He can be taught!" Eddie cheered triumphantly and he patted Steve's leg as he stood up off the couch, "There's an extra seat for you at the table, you know. So you won't have to be relegated to banishment on the sad stoner couch," he grinned.

Steve chuckled and shook his head fondly. Within minutes, the rest of the party was here and they began their campaign. Steve sat at the corner next closest to Eddie and watched as the story unfolded. Hey, it was pretty fun. Even if he didn't understand more than half of the terminology being used. But the kids were having fun, Eddie was a riot, and so he could learn to have a little bit of fun, too.

[royalydamned-archive]

Second Chances

(Michael Demiurgos x Reader) - Part IV

<- Part III Part V ->

Summary: Angel in a human world, just like fish out of the water.

|AN|: "The next part is not gonna take months" lmao Barry shut the fuck up. At least we are moving a bit forward in plot, but I am not promising anything anymore with so many WIPs.

I wanted to include a bit more on here, but I don't know how I'm suddenly on 3.5k words and I don't want the parts to be too long. I do get a bit carried away, it seems like it's short and nothing really happened yet and suddenly we're past the 3k mark. Annoying.

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There was something confusingly comforting in watching you eat. Other times, he would have found it gross, the whole concept of hunger seemed too demeaning for an angel – how your body controlled you, dictated you, with your mind defenceless to its demands.

You, however, held no annoyance in such act. Quite the opposite, it seemed like many humans took great pleasure in eating and sharing it was a gesture of affection. They truly weren't that different to animals.

Slowly you slid you plate towards him across the table, encouraging look in you eyes. "Want some?"

Michael scrunched his nose and shook his head in response. "That's gross."

"You're gross," you scoffed and pulled the plate back to you. "Do you even like anything?"

"Like food?"

"Like in general." He rolled his eyes, but as he thought about it, maybe you were right. Spending so long trying to be better than Lucifer, to prove he could do what he did, and do it even better, he neglected his own life. He built it around his brother, around nothing but recognition. For millenia he tried to be better than others until he lost himself.

"I don't know," Michael admitted, and you could see the shift in his eyes – once again solemn, remembering what once was and how to possibly get it back. "I liked home."

"What was it like?"

"Clean, bright, peaceful...complete opposite of whatever this is," he gestured vaguely outside, rather no looking out of the window  into the dirty crowded streets and questionable individuals roaming them.

"I think you get fond of it after some time." A small smile played on your lips as you watched a couple pass by with a small dog in their arms, clearly tired from the heat, carrying it to spare it's paws from the hot concrete. Michael followed your gaze, his eyes going right through the scene that caught your attention, instead focusing on a man loudly screaming into his phone.

"Will never understand your stupid optimism."

"The same way I will never understand your unnecessary negativity." He narrowed his eyes at you, but you only smiled, getting another bite from your food without breaking eye-contact. 

"You're eating very slowly," he said after a beat of silence, dodging the topic. It was clearly you got him.

"Trying to enjoy it."

"Why? Food is served to do satisfy a human need and sooth hunger. There is nothing enjoyable about weakness." He was serious, yet from the amused expression your face beared, it seemed like you took it as a joke.

"Hunger is a weakness?" You laughed and popped a fry into your mouth. Sometimes you made him wonder how you kept your high spirits and straight up irritating attitude.

"Clearly." You raised your eyebrows, urging him to explain the reasoning behind his words. Of course he confused your simple human mind. "Anything that can kill you is a weakness, and it's pretty easy to starve to death."

"You look at everything from the wrong angle."

"I look at everything objectively. And that is a fact." Michael watched you as you stayed silent, for a moment thinking he had won the little exchange as you seemed loss of words, but for the short time he had the displeasure of knowing you, he remembered not to underestimate you. Well, not much at least.

After a few second, you leaned closer to him across the small table that was dividing you, disregarding his personal space, and yet, he found it not utterly uncomfortable. Michael didn't trust, not his family, not anyone, let alone a person he met just a few days ago, who could stab him in the back for a few bucks for coffee – in his mind, he kind of expected you to – but as much any closeness and human contact made his skin crawl, he found himself leaning in as well. You were an exception. Against his better judgment, he met you halfway, curiously awaiting whatever thought in that mind of yours.

Michael watched you intently, following your hand as it grabbed a fry off your plate, bringing it to his face. You poked his lips with it, silently urging him to open his mouth and he could do nothing but frown, holding your mischievous gaze with his unreadable one.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly, neither of you pulled back into your half of the table.

"Feeding you," you stated the obvious and shrugged your shoulders.

"Why?"

"I want to poison you with human food." A smirk creeped up into your face. You decided to play his game, willing to pretend you were befriending something supernatural, something that just didn't understand or know better.

"Very funny."

"Jesus Michael, just eat the goddamn fry." He just rolled his eyes and took a hesitant bite, knowing you wouldn't let him be unless he complied.

"So? How is it?"

Oily, oversalted and fake, he thought to himself bitterly, but the words didn't make it out and he cursed himself for what he said instead. "Alright, I guess."

"You hate it," you concluded, seeing right past his lie and he only had to comfort himself in the fact he didn't try to be believable. Otherwise he would have fooled you.

"I do," he admitted and a short laugh accompanied it, surprising both you an himself.

"Well, you're so far the only person I know who dislikes fries, but then again, you are not like anyone I've ever known."

"Is that an insult?" With a chuckle, you sat back, leaving Michael still leaning in, almost chasing the closeness from before, yet not realizing he sort of...missed it.

"No, I like how weird you are." He wanted to say something in return, as defense or put of the habit that had grown between the two of you, but decided against it. For a moment he let himself believe that you did like him. Nobody else ever had, and when you admitted he convinced himself you meant it, because he knew how to spot a lie. It filled him with warmth he didn't mind.

After that, he quietly waited for you to finish your meal, strangely enjoying the way you spent your time together, but he was not ready to admit to himself he didn't mind you as much as any other human.

"If you don't like fries, what do you say we go for ice cream?" You asked him after you paid, nudging him with your shoulder as you were leaving.

"No."

"Why not?"

"You've just eaten." Michael saw you open your mouth, sure that another brilliant argument had appereaned in your head, and spoke first, not giving you the chance to react. "And I don't really have any cash."

"How do you pay for the apartment?"

"With my brother's card, he won't miss it."

"Michael!" you exclaimed and grabbed his elbow to stop him from walking away. He turned to you, frowning, like he didn't understand what upset you about it. "You can't steal from your brother!"

"Why not? He stole a lot of things from me." Michael couldn't return home, he had lost his wings, his dignity, his family. He had nothing – no one – and yet, somehow, he was the bad guy again. Like he had always been.

No one, except for you, he thought and quickly shut down the irritating little voice in his head, the one that liked the way you held his hand, the one that believed you when you said you liked him. The voice that wanted to believe he had a friend.

What was this dadforsaken place doing to him after just a couple of days?

"No," you said and shook your head. "I know he must have hurt you, and you probably don't have the best relationship–"

"I hate him," Michael interjected bitterly.

"Well, alright," you looked at the man in front of you, uncertainty in the way the narrowed your eyes, as if studying him. "But  isn't that one more reason not to be like him? Be a better man?"

"No." You closed your eyes and sighed at his response. Maybe trying to calm down? Think of a better argument? He couldn't tell, human mannerisms always meant something else and who was he to try and understand?

"So you still want to depend on him?"

"I've never–!" The angel stopped himself. Maybe he had depended on him, in some sense. He needed him to ruin something once again to prove he was better, but that was long gone. Michael no longer had a greater purpose; he was no soldier, no angel, no son. Just another man – human man – pondering over his life, trying to find the reason he was there. Alive. "Just take it."

You watched him fish out the card from his pocket and he angrily trusted it into your hands. The frown on his face deepened when he saw you flash him a bright smile, maybe he hated you for being right. That fit him quite well.

"Don't worry Michael, we'll get you a job." His face turned sour as he heard you say it, but knew that it was inevitable. He couldn't return home and as much as he didn't want to, he had to blend in, get used to the miserable life earth offered.

"Can't wait," Michael answered sarcastically and slowed down his pace a bit, seeing you struggle to keep up. You seemed to notice, flashing him a grateful smile, but stayed quiet, almost knowing he wanted it to go unnoticed.

"Well, I guess we can skip the dessert then. I'll go talk to Liam, he said something about needing someone to replace Steph after she quit." You started rambling about work and Michael didn't hear a thing. All he could think of, was how much he had truly fallen. The humiliation of working, like he had never been a soldier of heaven, like he had never been an archangel at all. Just another cockroach crawling around, in mercy of the wealthier, the more powerful. Submit or die.

"Not sure I follow," he said, absently looking ahead.

"In short, we'll work together. Different shifts, of course, but still. We'll be colleagues." Michael didn't understand the excitement, maybe it was solely human thing. He might even learn to be the same, over time.

The thought almost made him shrug.

"I'd...like," he struggled out and stole a quick glance your way. "to work with you. More than the other girl, that's for sure."

"Oh please, Zoe grows on you."

"Hopefully not."

Michael saw you smirk and something similiar passed through his own features as well. Just for a second. No matter how he tried to hide it, you saw. Without a word, you grabbed his hand, and to his own surprise, he grasped it as soon as he felt the skin touching his, letting you drag him wherever you pleased.

-------------------------------------

The pub was much emptier in the middle of the day, even more than late at night during business days. Most tables were empty, one of them was occupied with a single man, his face hidden in his elbow, clearly sleeping while a half drunk beer and a few empty shots laid by him on the table, it's wood drowned in spilled alcohol. He didn't seem to care about how wet his sleeve was from the liquor, just peacefully snored into his hand, which was the only sign that he was alive.

A bit closer to the entrance door, a pair of older men sat, ones Michael remembered from the night before. One of them, Harry if he remembered correctly, was pointing at something in the newspaper, ranting away with an irritated face, while his partner sat quietly, listening to him with a small smile playing on his lips. It made Michael wonder, how can one seem so happy with the other, while the only thing they shared in common seemed to be the bowl of chips in the middle of their table. It must be exhausting, being around someone so different all the time.

"You can sit behind the bar and I'd go find Liam, I'm sure he is somewhere in here." Before he could answer, you had gone somewhere into the back, leaving him standing by the entrance door. Thankfully, neither of the customers seemed to pay him any attention, so he sat down on one of the barstool, waiting for whatever comes next.

Back at home, he used to be convinced he was wasting his talents, that Dad was wasting his talents when he had made him to follow and submit, and not to rule. He was an archangel, a great warrior and smarter than any of his siblings could wish to be, they were the soldiers, they were meant to follow. He had been made to rule. Michael realized now, he might have been a bit less greedy, maybe that way he would still have been home, with his wings still a secure weight on his shoulders.

He was expendable. Not a son, just a figure on his father's chess board, one he could have replaced any time he wanted. And maybe he did want.

A strange pain bloomed in Michael's chest and he clenched his fists, nails digging into the skin of his palms, a poor attempt to distract himself from his thoughts. From the realization, that nobody had probably ever wanted him.

"I really dislike that sour expression on your pretty face." A voice came from next to him and he sighed.

"Hi Zoe."

"Hello handsome." Zoe hopped on the bar, sitting right beside Michael, a glass in one hand and a rag in the other as she quietly polished it while waiting for any reaction from the man next to her. For a while the only sound between them was the squeaking of the wet fabric against the smooth glass.

"I can hear you thinking," the angel said without a single glance at the woman's direction and she just laughed and jumped off the bar to put the glass to its place, almost dropping it at least three times.

"Just don't say it out loud, it'd be inappropriate." Zoe leaned over where he was sitting, inviting herself into his personal space and he straightened his back, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. "Am I scaring you?"

"I'm not scared," Michael snapped back, annoyed. "I just don't like people that close to me."

"You're the first person ever who doesn't want me close to them," she winked and stood back, some of her long, dark red braids falling into her face and she brushed them away. "I like that about you."

"Very strange thing to like."

"I like strange things." Zoe shrugged her shoulders. "My cat has no fur, I have a pink fridge and my first tattoo was a dolphin with a cowboy hat and two revolvers."

"Is there a point to this conversation?" Michael interrupted, fearing he would have to sit through a very long and unnecessary story of her tattoo's meaning, and he could only stand so much social interaction in one day.

The woman sighed, her face suddenly serious, and weirdly, he liked it better laughing and obnoxiously loud. Her silence seemed more dangerous. "You have to understand, I wanted to seem friendly, a lot of people open up to me, especially men, and as much as I do like the whole thing you have going on there" she wiggled her index finger in front of his face. "don't blame me for being alert. You have a face of a millionare, but act like an awkward schoolboy."

"The face is, I'm afraid, a personal touch of my parents," he gave her a forced tight smile, obviously lingered with irony, and she rolled her eyes.

"So your parents happened to make the almost perfect Lucifer Morningstar?" Zoe's black eyes narrowed, her long pink nails tapping rhythmically against the wood surface of the bar, and not even knowing how or why, Michael found himself being interrogated by a woman who had gems stuck to her eyelids.

"Yes," he answered quietly. "That happens when people have twins."

"Lucifer is your brother?"

"That's literally the only plausible and logical explanation. What did you expect?" She just shrugged again, like it was no big deal. As careless as his brother and equally devious, she was that kind of person he wanted to avoid. That kind with whom he had lived with for too long.

"Something more exciting. Like identity theft, face reconstruction. Things worthy of a movie." Michael looked past her behind the bar where you had disappeared, hoping you'd come back any second. As much as he wanted to believe you, that he would eventually warm up to the particular friend of yours, none of it was happening and the angel doubted it would be anytime soon.

"Sorry to disappoint then."

Zoe stopped for a moment, just quietly looking at him, and Michael fought the urge to squirm in discomfort. Amanediel used to glare at him the same; for one reason or the other, she was better at it.

"Zoe, dear." The woman's head snapped towards the couple sitting not too far away, where the man whose name Michael didn't know yet waved with a bright smile. "Can we get one more beer, and a soda?"

Zoe showed him thumbs up and pushed herself off her place behind the bar, walking towards the tap handles and passing them without a single glance. Instead, she reached into a fridge and pulled out two cans, delivering them to the already waiting couple, who started engaging her in a conversation as soon as she approached them. She, however, didn't seem to mind and even sat down on one of the free chairs, fighting for a word with Harry as they debated something he had just found in the newspaper.

Not too long after, you finally emerged, behind you a short chubby man trailed, a cigarette in hand and pair of square glasses resting on the top of his head, strands of greying hair tangled into their frame. He scanned Michael up and down, frowning deep in thought, the crease between his eyebrows as deep as a gash, and the angel dodged his intense stare, looking at you in question instead.

"Michael, this is Liam, the owner. Liam, this is Michael he–"

"Wants a job," Liam interrupted, waving you off with his right hand without a single look. Like you were nothing but an annoying bug. As if he was not the same, as mortal, as insignificant. Michael held back a scowl. "Do you have any working experience?"

"No," he answered simply, slightly enjoying the annoyed expression on the short man's face.

"Then why should I hire you?" he snapped and took a long drag out of his cigarette, blowing the smoke into Michael's face and he did everything he could not to flinch and cough.

"Your last one quit, didn't she?" Liam's face twisted and beside him, Michael caught a glimpse of your smirk. Almost proud.

"Nobody likes a smart-ass," the short man grumbled and stroked his stubbled chin. "You mean you never worked anywhere?"

"He helped with family business," you piped in quietly. "Travel agency."

"Travel agency," Liam repeated and snorted out an amused laugh, making Michael flinch as he almost sprayed him. He, however, ignored his disgusted face, like he seemed to ignore everyone at any time. "Fuck me."

"I served a long time in the army, didn't have time for career experience," the angel said suddenly, twisted delight spreading in his chest as he watched Liam's face slowly fall.

"It would be good to have some muscle around," he murmed to himself, eyes fallen onto the wooden floor and Michael knew he could no longer bear to hold his gaze. At least some of what he used to be wasn't truly lost. He still had the greatest weapon to use against humanity – their fear. "Where did you serve?"

"How is that relevant?"

"Fair. You're hired. You can start tomorrow at 4pm, but come to my office first, I want to discuss pay. And you," he abruptly turned towards you, his index finger almost poking your eyes out as Liam was closer than he had thought. "Show him the ropes. If you have any issues, figure it out. I don't want to know from you unless something is on fire, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

With that, he threw the butt of his cigarette into a nearby ashtray, and with a heavy step and loud breath, wobbled away. You and Michael watched in silence, until you couldn't even see his silhouette, and then turned to stare at each other for a few silent second.

"Do you remember when you called me a massive dick?"

"Vaguely," you responded with a ghost of a smile and Michael's right corner twitched slightly. "He rightfully took that place from you."

Taglist:

@chipster-21 @tea-effect @littlepeanut03 @spideysimpossiblegirl   @flippittygibbitts @repostingmyfavs

[animehouse-moe]

Heavenly Delusion Episode 6: 100% Safe Water

This is one of those episodes that you either get, or you don't. It takes a dive into the ridiculous, into foreshadowing that is miles ahead of where we're at, and sprinkles it over an episode that is by and large for comedic effect. That said, the staff doesn't give into the comedy, and still delivers on an incredibly well executed episode across the board.

I'd really love to start at the end, but I can't, so I'll start at the beginning. Yes, Kiruko and Maru waste two shots of the Kiru Beam on a bear. Yeah yeah, I'm sure plenty of people are arguing with the potential logic, but let me present this piece of information: they thought it was a Hiruko. If you knew your weapons weren't strong enough to kill, why would you shoot to kill? It's an easy thing to gloss over, but I feel like they do a good job of establishing that understanding through the whole sequence.

Now, before moving on, the episode overall takes a bit of a twist in terms of direction. I wouldn't go near as far as saying it's bad, but that a lot of time is spent on comedy, so the direction reflects that. Undoubtedly, there's still plenty of cool shots that stick close to the overall vision like this one. We've really been spoiled with the static framing that shows off animation like this.

Now, comedy, comedy. I think the voice acting really sells it this episode. Just top notch work that brings an incredible energy to the moments. So much energy that they're able to change up how they play things off. Undeniably it's more heightened than how the manga approaches it, but I think it's really fun with moments like this one. It's a very bold move to remove any sight or motion from the scene, but the voice actors throw themselves into it so well that it works quite well.

Overall, a lot of the changes made in this episode are for comedic effect, and I think they work really well. They translate the humor of the manga into something that works in motion with sound and color. In addition to that, it tones down the... well, I guess you'd say "sexuality" of some of it to make it more reasonable for television. Not in some lazy way of course, as they give us creative camera angles to hide that sort of thing.

Of course, this episode isn't all comedy, as Ishiguro sneaks in some character progression with Kiruko. It's a very simple piece, but I like how earnest and curt Maru is about giving Kiruko praise for something so important to their character. It's partially to blame for him and his sister's predicament, but they also just want to be able to help people with it, so those few casual words from Maru really give Kiruko the push they need to find their resolve.

Anyways, back to comedy. This piece killed me when I first saw it. Not at all in the manga, instead in the source it's more a casual/deadpan delivery without any sort of visual gag.

Anyways, hurtling towards the end of this post, I just wanted to share this clip. For the uninitiated, this is a different color than the usual setup, and a great example of how the anime is working to improve upon the curiosities and oddities of the work. Such a great detail to add.

Just one little detail here. I love that Ishiguro is accurate and consistent with their world. All of the stuff written by younger people is in Hiragana, like the sign for this Hotel. Such a simple piece but really adds a great deal to understanding the overall state of the world.

And last but not least, I love how well they work with Totori in this episode. It really hammers home that post-apocalyptic feel even more. The sorrow, the dejection, the understanding that's apparent in here character and personality shift is really well expressed.

It's such a painful, and very raw depiction of the world. This little girl, who was full of spunk and energy and hope the day before, finds it all crushed in the face of reality. Not left coming to terms with death, but moving past it, and in such a quick period of time. Her dream is absent from those eyes, and the passion has left her body. It alienates her from what makes her a child/young teen. She stands isolated, alone in the street, to work on her hotel.

It's such an incredible scene that helps refocus viewers on the state of the world. Kiruko and Maru can goof off because they have each other. They have someone beside one another that they can count on, lean on, share burdens with. And it's such an easy thing to forget. That there's other orphans out there, other people that struggle to find ways not to survive, but to live. After all, this is a world after the end of itself.

[orchidbreezefc]

well i have some bad news for the anons who seem to have been nourished by my past scott pilgrim adaptation haterade. turns out, i really liked scott pilgrim takes off! sorry guys!

the whole show was a love letter to all scott pilgrim canon, and i can't carry a jaded attitude through something so brimming with earnest enthusiasm for a comic that i myself love very dearly. the reason i'm salty about the movie is my belief that it betrayed what made the source material so great, so i'm not inclined to take issue with an adaptation that i feel properly honors that foundation.

scott pilgrim takes off played the classics but also did some totally new and super super weird stuff playing in the space we're familiar with and using the characters we love. there was maybe one new character in the whole thing (unless the director guy was in the book?) but they used our old favorites to explore a lot of different angles. spto told a new story and got really... really out there with it. it wasn't afraid to do something new and bizarre and i think that spirit is a lot of why the comic ruled so hard in the first place.

so yeah, to the anon friend who warned me off it: i actually really liked gideon/julie! yeah, it was super out of left field, but in a good way. they innovated with the material they had, they came up with a strange new direction that was a huge departure from canon, and it was a great idea. (i was also delighted and somewhat bewildered that after some zigzagging and bait and switching, it turned out that gideon is julie's lame ass boyfriend that she has totally whipped, though there's more to it than that.)

as for the anon who felt this was another adaptation, quote, acting like envy is an evil cunt, i see where you're coming from, but i don't think i agree! envy was never going to be nice, and the thing is? if she wants to be rude and stuck-up and outright mean, especially to scott and wallace, then she deserves to do that and i support her. in my opinion that's very different from her being demonized by the narrative.

personally i'm all in favor of envy being awful, even in ways that i may not feel are justified, as long as it feels like those are choices envy is making. i'm okay with envy being nasty; i'm not okay with feeling like some writer is trying to convince me she's an authentically evil person and scott was right about her actually. it's a shame things went so poorly for her and it's a shame this adaptation doesn't really get into her internality (bc tbh that's outside the scope of what it's doing) but i don't think it did anything to actually betray her character the way the movie did.

but yeah, i had a lot of fun with spto. it was super super weird, as is only right. it got really meta and brought in the movie and comic while also being a very different thing and honestly being much more civil about the movie than anybody had any right to be. very sporting of them.

i appreciate how faithful it was to even the character stuff that it doesn't really Get Into--it's not as much 'okay let's sit down and unpack your issues and confront them blow by blow' as the comic, probably because we already have a story that did that. but scott and ramona are written in a way that is aware of and incorporates those issues. one of scott's earliest lines is "that's not the way i remember it" and one of ramona's is "the past is my least favorite subject". those issues are there, they're just not the focus this time.

spto Gets It. i appreciate it demonstrating an understanding of principles like the fact that all scott pilgrim stories are first and foremost about knives chau's personal development, or that wallace deserves and should receive anything he could possibly obtain. and of course it's always been true that any good scott pilgrim story knows the big bad is scott ;)

[fourseasonsfigs]

Graceful Prince

The name for this fig is 翩翩太子, piānpiān tàizǐ, which translates (according to machine translation) as graceful / elegant prince.

The name becomes quite beautifully clear when we see the inspiration:

All of Gong Jun's costumes as Prince Han Ye are absolutely gorgeous, and this one is no exception. I can't wait to see this costume (and all the others!) in the show. It's nice to have these figs tiding us over in the interim!

Knock on wood and fingers crossed, I've been getting really lucky with figs coming in perfect condition (at least when I don't forget to have them air wrapped!).

One of the options we had was to purchase an additional standee. It's standard policy here at Figthusiast Central to buy all the extras and add-ons, so here it is! It's not peeled (the translucent protective film over it is still on both sides) so it's not as bright and colorful as it will be. This is not the fig art, but instead art of the wrap up of filming:

He's a very elegant prince indeed!

The fig maker did a lovely job with the faint flush in his cheeks, and of course, my absolute favorite sideways smile.

I wish I had more photos of this costume so we could compare it against all sides, but this will be a good preview of it! It's so airy and ethereal in the still photo.

The modeling on his hand that he's holding in front of him is very detailed and beautiful - you can see every single finger. That's no roughly designed blob!

Hahaha, ok, this hand looks like a roughly designed blob! But that's just the angle. We'll keep going!

Ah this hanfu is so beautiful. I like how the fig maker designed the folds to emphasize the pattern of the misty mountains.

There's a little more detail on the back hand - it's difficult as the light from my window (on the left of the fig) is kind of washing the detail out. It does also have nice molding on it.

Ah you can really see the folds of the hanfu here - I get the sense the fig is walking. Slowly and elegantly, of course. I always have a special place in my heart for what I think of as this Wen Kexing posture.

And here we're coming around again to the front! More of that great sense of gentle walking motion.

No robe or pants/boots detail here! Just a clean solid block of resin.

A nice shot of his guan here. I zoomed in to take a look at the original in the photo, and what I could tell of it (which is not a ton) it looks VERY complex. Almost like some some mother of pearl or some other shimmery type of inlay in a very intricate crown. So as much as I would like to see the fig maker replicate it, I can understand why it's better sometimes to just not get too crazy and in over your head (haha, I didn't mean that pun!).

Alright, I promised a close up of the hand, didn't I!

Here we have the extreme close up of the front...

....and ok, this is a little less detailed on the back! I'm pleased to see my camera did not wash it out with the sunshine as much as I thought. Still, looks good, especially for a hand that won't be seen much, if at all, inside my fig display.

The fig came inside a plain white box, but the box card is quite nice. This seller always has this style of card where there's art on one side and a three-side view of the fig on the other. You can see the name of the fig, 翩翩太子, on the top of the card.

Material: Resin

Fig Count: 234

Scene Count: 18

Rating: Graceful and elegant indeed!

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

[lovemesomesurveys]

Gathered from various sources on the internet autumn_stroll

1. What's your best tip on being a better listener? Do you consider yourself to be a good listener? It's about really listening and hearing what they're saying and engaging with them to show you're listening. To really listen and hear a person, you can't just be waiting for them to be finished or planning how you're going to respond. You need to give the person your full attention.

2. What's something you do less and less as you've gotten older? I've changed so much in the past almost 10 years due to health and life stuff. I'm not the same person I used to be, and not in a good way. I miss a lot of things about my old self and my old life. I feel like there's a ton of things I do less and less as I've gotten older. Like, a lot less effort into my appearance. My hair looks horrible and I want to dye it so badly because for some reason ever since I turned 30 grays just started popping up all over. Life really beat me down, I guess. I just don't enjoy a lot of the things I used to as much and even the things I do still enjoy I just don't have the motivation or energy to do it. During that same span of time I mentioned I also became more withdrawn and closed off; pushing everyone away. Needless to say, I've definitely become less social.

3. Do you believe in your intuition or logic more, and why? You know, I don't know. I always say I'm almost too logical to a fault because I'm able to see things from various angles and I feel it makes me more understanding and empathetic. I can figure out why someone did what they did and then I become understanding and more likely to forgive. That becomes a problem when people take advantage of your kindness and just want to use you. However, intuition plays a huge role as well. If I get a bad feeling about something I'm going to pay attention to it and act accordingly. If I get a bad vibe, I'm going to pay attention to that. It just really depends, I guess. There are things where I'm trusting my intuition over anything else and not being told otherwise. If I don't feel comfortable with something or have a really bad feeling, even if it's not entirely logical, I'm going with my intuition.

4. When was the last time you acted irrationally? What happened? Oh jeez, who knows honestly. One thing about me is that I'm suuuuper stubborn.

5. Are you scared of being lonely? I know loneliness and it's awful, but what I'm really afraid of is being alone.

6. Do you often feel jealous? If so, why? I think survey makers likely mean envy instead of jealous most often. Anyway, I hate to say I feel envy quite a bit and it's an ugly trait of mine in my opinion. At least for me because I get so bitter and ew. I'm happy for others, but I also will feel depressed about myself or sad because I want to do what they're doing or have what they have. Because of that I admittedly like I said get bitter and make sarcastic, snippy comments cause I'm being a hater. Like someone I know just went to Hawaii, somewhere I've always wanted to go, and I was thinking, "oh, how nice for them" or "lucky them, must be nice." lmaoooo ew I'm gross. I really am happy for others, it's just me being miserable and bitter and ugly.

7. How do you react to criticism? Uhhhh, depends. Unwarranted is especially not appreciated.

8. What has made you laugh out loud in the last week? Bridesmaids will always have me dying even if I've seen it a gajillion times.

9. What gift have you gotten in the last year that brings joy to your life? For my birthday I got a new MacBook Air and a new iPhone.

10. What is something you've learned in the past week? I know there's something cause I come across something whenever I'm catching up on trending news or even something on social media, TikTok, or YouTube. Something I've seen on TV or something someone told me as well. We're being bombarded with shit all the time. And we're absorbing it whether we realize it or not. You know, like those annoying TV jingles you catch yourself singing all the words to haha.

11. What are some things you have now that you didn't have five years ago? A lot has changed health wise, so I have some additions there. The little girl in me popped out when the new Barbie movie came around, which happened to be around my birthday, and I may have gone crazy with the Barbie merch lol. Marijuana tablets.

12. What is a quality you have that you consider negative? Now what is something positive that comes out of that quality? It's like I said earlier, I'm very logical and understand, but sometimes it can actually bite me in the ass. I'm very forgiving, which can become a problem if people take advantage of you and feel they can do whatever cause they know I'm not going to do anything. However, being understanding is a good thing, too. I think it makes me easier to talk to and feel comfortable around.

13. What is a small win that you accomplished in the past 24 hours? Yesterday I finally got the blood work done I'd been kinda putting off for awhile. That's that stubbornness I was talking about. Or just pure negligence and stupidity.

14. Describe a small, everyday thing that you enjoy with a special person in your life. I love watching our favorite shows together with my mom and bro. I really look forward to it. It's fun really getting into the show together and sharing our thoughts and predictions.

15. Look around the room you're in and list 10 things you're grateful for. My bed, my MacBook, my phone, my clothes, all the things I've collected of various things from my favorite fandoms, books, this portable AC unit that saved me this summer for real, my wigs, my medicine, and all my giraffe stuffed animals and knickknacks.

16. What is an emotion you try to avoid? Why are you afraid to feel it? I don't want to feel upset, depressed, anxious, etc but unfortunately they like to be felt and heard.

17. Are the people in your life bringing negative or positive energy? Some positive, some negative

[lukas-dark-miracles]

Lukas' Inspiration|| His big three "Songs"

This is just a little take on the big three astrological signs (Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs) as if they were Songs. Below the Cut is why each song was picked. TW: Implied Drug Use / Drug Abuse, Wrspice

Sun Song: Heaven - The Neighborhood Tw implied Drug Use/ Abuse

"The sun is your identity. It is the essence that you shine out into the world. It represents the vital force that drives you to seek the highest expression of your true self. Your sun sign is how you answer the question “I am” and how you experience life and express your individuality(x) " Lukas identity is really tied up with being a worshiper, both literally in being religious, and figuratively as needing someone or something to believe in. He is, in many ways, defined in who he is to other people and doesn't have a strong sense of what he believes in without that reflection. He has to place that trust elsewhere, and when he can't he dissolves. Lyrics:

When I feel like I'm strangled You treat me like an angel Show me all different angles And I never, ever felt that way, no When you leave, I don't wanna try And if you stick with me, I'll be fine 'Cause your love's rubbing off on me Tell me, how'd you get so heavenly? There's something 'bout you, baby There's nothing like the way ya get me high You've got a heart from heaven, but you're burning like hell

Moon Song: Devils in the Backseat - Lostboycrow Tw: wrspice

"The moon is the soul behind your identity. It is the subconscious side of yourself that you typically keep hidden and is the driving force behind your emotional reactions. Your moon sign helps you feel pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, and gives insight into how you nurture and restore yourself. (x)" Lukas desperately wants to be wanted and loved, meaning he will do whatever he can to get that. He'll distort himself if it means that whoever around him will see him as an important figure in his life. It's something he's not proud of, and it's something he tries so desperately hide usually under the guise that he is already important. It inherently keeps distance between him and others because he doesn't trust others, even when he wants their attention. Hence him being superficial a lot of times. Lyrics: I want to feel alive Devil's in the backseat You were up front looking at me with those hazel eyes Riding with my hand on your lap Sing baby don't you ask me Cause I can only feed you lies Devil's got a hold and we're laughing You don't even know me but you're calling me daddy I'm running on red through the canyon Singing I'm a bad man, bad man

Rising Song: Notre Dame - Paris Paloma

"Rising sign(also known as your Ascendant) is your social personality. It is how you dawn on people as it relates to the zodiac sign that was on the Eastern horizon when you were born. Your rising sign represents your physical body and outward style (x)" Lukas shows a lot his caring and empathetic nature to people. It's part of the reason people trust him, is that he gives and doesn't seem to take, even if he actually does. He wants to be important to people, even if he ultimately knows he is now othered. It's why people might feel safe, if not off put by the man that seems to share very little of himself but expects to know a lot of them. Lyrics:

I'm not immune to the sincerity below me, makes me feel, it makes me holy But the tears I understand that I do not below No I do not belong Watching the figures, all the saints, but mostly sinners come and go And some are desperate, but the others have the sense that they do belong And I do not belong Some only talk towards the heavens when the end is feeling desperate Have the overwhelming feeling That there's nobody who's looking down At least I'm looking down

[rachelillustrates]

Aaaaand upon this most recent rewatch, more thoughts on "This is Happening:"

- During the tea scene, Stede watches Ed while he is sipping his own tea twice - first as Ed is taking his first sip (its hard to catch, but even though we seem him from behind at 3/4 angle, the direction of his eyebrows indicates that he's gazing upwards) and then as Ed is about to take another sip, having already said its perfect - praising Stede's care of him, while he is looking at the cup and not him. Stede also looks away halfway through, like to avoid getting caught at it, should Ed look over at him again. That's.... extremely sensual and intimate. On top of the fact that bringing someone their morning tea made that perfectly (especially when you are barely dressed) is incredibly intimate already, at least from my perspective.

- It's just striking me SO HARD this time how very dramatically romantic it is that at the prospect of Ed leaving, Stede can't focus on anything else except how to get him to stay, even with one of his own crew in trouble (sorry Swede. And I know that's not necessarily healthy behavior but damn if I don't love it in fiction). Also, we don't see Stede in any blue in this episode, at all. With that being identified as his false power color, this whole time - except for the first appearance of the breakup robe, which makes its debut in the very first conversation we see about them separating (other than the murder plan) - he is in tones MUCH closer to gold, his actual power color (extra significant, btw, because this is the episode where the orange symbolism starts - and gold/yellow + red, Ed's true power color, make orange). So we're seeing him in the closest to his full confidence, with that symbolism, that we've ever seen him. He doesn't understand why yet, obviously, but the prospect of Ed leaving fills him with so much panic that he immediately focuses ALL his faculties on getting him to stay. "I may have no idea about this yet, but I like this guy SO MUCH that I want him by my side for every moment of the foreseeable future, and I am gonna make him see that he can still have adventure with me, and he doesn't have to go." JESUS. That's obvious in the text, first and foremost, but that level of detail just backs it up SO MUCH.

- I was confused before about Ed's "Is he always this highly strung?" comment to Lucius, BUT Stede has just been given control of his own ship and crew back. Other than the fuckery in the previous episode, he's been following Ed's lead the whole time they've actually known each other. So he hasn't seen Stede in charge yet, not really - especially since at the time of the fuckery, he was focused on his own angst about having to kill him. Which, obviously, Stede can be a lot. Is a lot. But he still is so drawn to him, that he follows, and can't help but share in some of the excitement of the adventure - the moth, their banter while they were eating - even before Lucius clues him in, even with how uncomfortable he is on land (which there has been some excellent meta about already).

- I think that the fact that both Stede and Lucius point out that Ed is massively intense and could learn how to relax is really important. The fact that Stede is dragging him around on a very chill adventure in relation to what adventure usually means to him could easily be played as just a joke, warming of course, still, to the fact that Stede did this for Ed. But with them including that, with others asserting that at him, we get another layer of how Stede helps Ed - he is not used to softness. As much as he appreciates it in Stede, he doesn't let himself let his guard down and just be, unless he gets to vicariously through someone else (taking in Stede's wardrobe and library) or if there's a plausible excuse for him to (learning aristocratic ways in order to steal Stede's identity, thus still fulfilling the aggressive, hypermasculine, violent role in the end). And they move right from that assertion into them sitting down for lunch, and having the Bar & Grill banter, which is just so soft and lovely (and establishes how much hangry impacts Edward, lol). So he becomes open to that softness, at least for a moment, after it's reflected back to him that yes, it is okay to let your guard down for a minute, to just be and try to enjoy the experience. Which, of course, Stede has been trying to show him as a good thing by setting this up in the first place (at least subconciously, since any adventure with Stede is going to include that level of relaxed care, naturally), and by pointing out things like the silk moth.

- Also, even though Ed is complaining the whole time, Stede never once backs down in his confidence about this being a good idea. Which, you know, inflexibility being potentially problematic, BUT the fact that he doesn't try to change himself to make Ed stay is just ❤️

- The extent to which Ed has no idea that his feelings are reciprocated, just..... gawd. Obviously we've seen so much of how he feels already, the fact that he knows he is attracted to Stede both in body and heart, but even though we the audience can see Stede giving back just as much (again, even though he himself doesn't understand what that is/means) Ed is blind to it, which says SO MUCH about how much love he's been shown before and what he thinks he's worth, deep down. No wonder what happens later happens, on so many levels *flails and screams incoherently for a few minutes*

- That said, his absolute pivot as soon as Lucius tells him that yes - Stede likes you back, you idiot, is the absolute most adorable thing oh my heart.

- Also, it's not noted in the captions but after Ed says the thing about pirates always burying stuff at the base of trees, and Stede says it just feels like he's patronizing him, I'm pretty sure Ed softly says "I am" in a resigned fashion!! Just before Jim asks them what the fuck they're doing.

- Stede obviously gets a little okay a lot distracted by the petrified orange, admitting openly that he didn't want to give it to Jim (and thusly wanted it for himself, and wasn't going to give it to Ed, either), but a) that tracks, with how he treats Stuff in general, and b) I was really struck by how desperate he looked after he told Lucius "treasure is the real treasure!" Usually, he seems like more of the type to agree that the time spent with your loved ones (his crew, Ed) is the valuable thing - but he's so skewed by having to make the treasure hunt Impressive, the idea of that being essential to keeping Ed there, that the idea of it ending with nothing is just... nope.

.....(plus, Ed's the one who realized it wasn't a rock after all. Washed it off, found its real worth, and having done so gave it right back to Stede. So what really makes it a treasure, hm?)

- Obviously all these notes are Blackbonnet focused but I also have to point out that after Jim tells Olu that they're going to go finish the job, and Olu tells them to be careful, bops their hat, and walks away, Jim fucking presses their lips together in a manner like one would after sealing a kiss - which they didn't get to have - and shakes their fucking head. AAAAAAAAAH WTF.

- Also Olu is gonna be an incredible son in law. Jesus.

- AND, getting back to our main idiots in love, we end the main plot of the episode with Stede and Ed relaxing in their cabin, Ed reveling in how good the brandy is and just chilling, there, with this man he has Feelings for. As much as he started the episode planning on moving on, looking for "the next adventure," all he's acted like he wants to do is relax and be with Stede. Hmmmm, sir.

- AND AND, the co-captains discussion/establishment - Stede seems slightly hesitant, with an "uh, well," bringing it up, but mostly confident, like he knows where he's going with this and continues to be sure of himself, like he has been this whole episode. And when Ed is the one to say "I suppose if you found the absolutely two perfect people..." Stede's eyebrows raise and his expression is very "Hmm. Us." without even saying anything right away. And for Ed's part, he's not looking at Stede for most of that exchange, he looks like he is really thinking it through for the first time - after all, he didn't understand the extent to which Stede enjoyed his company until that afternoon, so before, any idea of pushing against the status quo was (as usual) out of his wheelhouse, and didn't spring to mind at all. I think he gets it the moment that they both say "co-captains" at the same time, finally look at each other, and clink glasses.

- BUT THEN they look away from each other again, still absorbing that new revelation. So as much as I want to believe that they agreed, in that moment, that that's what they are, I think they would have needed one more conversation in order to really make that pact. And of course, Calico Jack's arrival derails that flow, immediately.

(Gods, what would it have been like if that hadn't happened? If they had got there naturally, and moved forward, without the interruptions and angst?)

....someday I may stop being completely unhinged about this show, but it's certainly not today 🍊☠️💕