#olivia and laika

[sad-pathetic-shrimp]

how can i protect you when i don't feel alright?

[reblogs >>> likes

click for better quality!]

[nightmun]

Ho boy well here's a bunch of RD oc refs I did a while back! In order we have new refs for Haniel and Otta (these refs were for artfight hence the extra info), Misty (original design by @pokeblog123), ANOMA, Elliot Finch, Riley, Bailey, Otta's parents Fitzgerald and Olivia Pace (plus their ghost forms), Otta and Haniel's cat Sir Frederick, Pokeblog123's Mal's cat, and finally @hear-that-music-in-the-air's Laika!

[literalliterature]

[ID written by the artist @ultrasopp : stylized drawing of the northern lights. bright green “waves” drawn in thick lines cover the upper left corner of the drawing. the rest is a dark blue sky filled with stars. End ID.]

guess i'm some kind of freak: a laika borealis playlist

(yes it's another TTRPG OC playlist yes she is named after the space dog)

[Spotify]

01) 10,000-Year Earworm to Discourage Resettlement Near Nuclear Waste Repositories (Don't Change Color, Kitty) -- Emperor X

the radiation that the change implies/can kill, and that's a fact

02) Look Who's Inside Again -- Bo Burnham

when you're a kid and you're stuck in your room/you'll do any old shit to get out of it

03) The Mind Electric -- Miracle Musical

scattering sparks of thought energy/deliver me and carry me away

04) Mariella -- Kate Nash

i'm heavy-handed/to say the least/my mother thinks i'll be an awful clutcher

05) Just a Girl -- Florence + the Machine

oh, i'm just a girl/take a good look at me/just your typical prototype

06) Next Up Forever -- AJR

this is my imagination/this is how it looks and sounds/but i gotta go so much bigger/so they can never shut me down

07) Brass Band -- Jukebox the Ghost

boredom is a gift/but i've had enough of it to last a lifetime/give me something shocking

08) Second Child, Restless Child -- The Oh Hellos

and they saw trouble in my eyes/they were quick to recognize the devil in me

09) Numb Bears -- Of Monsters and Men

far across the ocean alone/while numb bears at home/said i could never get there/but i'm already there

10) Haven't You Noticed (I'm a Star) -- Olivia Olson

haven't you noticed i made it this far?/now everyone can see me burning

11) I Like That -- Janelle Monae

but even back then, with the tears in my eyes/i always knew i was the shit

12) Scrawny -- Wallows

if i'm offending them i don't mind/maybe they all should listen to me/it isn't all about what you see

13) Problems -- Mother Mother

i found love in the strangest place/tied up and branded, locked in a cage

14) Blah Blah Blah -- The Oozes

get out of there/you don't deserve that chair

15) Carnivore -- Bear Attack!

you took my heart and ate it/but i won't be your victim/can't take it anymore

16) Saint Bernard -- Lincoln

you always said how you love dogs/i don't know if i count, but i'm trying my best/when i'm howlin' and barkin' these songs

17) Never Love an Anchor -- The Crane Wives

it's a secret i keep tucked inside my chest/with this heart of mine that's guilty, not remorseful

18) The Mind Electric -- Chonny Jash

it seems those beams of light have caused some glare/freakish and dismal, hollow and bleak

19) Neighborhood #2 (Laika) -- Arcade Fire

when daddy comes home/you always start a fight

[bentosandbox]

extremely sporadic Lone Trail thoughts or something

not a summary

when they said kirsten was extremely charismatic they really meant it i was all LETS GOOOO SMASH DA SKY until silence had a whole speech to parvis on how she wants to stop kirsten because ethics and i got pulled back to terra lmao haha sorry you're right olivia...

So mumu grew up an orphan and eventually found her people except it was not so much a settlement than a graveyard.... and at one point she went to Sami and found a bunch of elves except 'I finally found a small forest in the endless ice fields of Sami, but... I am not a leaf, just a drop of water'

shes helping kirsten because elves are like super weak to originium and die fast after exposure to it or something so she gave K a bunch of plants and trees to bring to space to see if they could live etc and so naturally she ends up fighting saria which the latter wins and kicks mumu out of the room (theyre on kirsten's funny ship at this point) theyre in and mumu is like 'i don't want to leave here...i dont want to be alone...I really got abandoned again'

'Fake. False. Forged. If the trajectories of stars are truly untraceable, how have we avoided collisions with other stars throughout the ages? Are we that special? What kind of land are we exactly living on? Where are we headed? ......These questions... I've repeated them in your ears too many times.'

the food they cooked with this last line wtf. hello

What do you mean Saria was like ok enough I'm going to cover the both of us in Calcite and we'll go back and Kirsten was like nope.jpg (activates emergency exit not built for herself but for saria because she just knew saria would come ofc. oF COURSE)

the story was great but im still so devastated i knew she was going to have a laika adjacent end but well. time to cry myself to sleep thinking about how kirsten has only felt alive twice in her life

'the first, saria, when i brought you back to my hometown, and on that hillside, i told you how everything began. the second, is now, when i have fulfilled this dream of mine and my parents.'

her slowly switching off the power in every room of her donut skewer ship and going 'goodnight people of terra, goodnight universe' (she has a hibernation capsule thingy but like. it took hella lot of sarcophagi to even launch her this time so. you know..............feeling very similar to when i just finished madoka rebellion for the first time

[yarboyandy]

January 2024 movie wrapped 😁 ! Thought this would be a fun thing to talk about wven if no one cares. This month I focused mainly on comedy and romance because thats what I wanna edit one day. Next month I might focus more on romance and drama.

This month I watched 20 movies total, my original goal was 25 (my current monthly goal) so I fell short by 5. Of the films I watched, I saw 8 in theaters (40%) and 12 at home (60%).

Next month I am most excited for Argylle (looks fun), Drive Away Dolls, and Lisa Frankenstien (February is a bit sparce…).

_____________________________________________

Favorite movie this month: The Iron Claw

Literally one of the best movies I’ve seen from Zack Efron…KEEP PUTTING HIM IN SHIT LIKE THIS ‼️ oscar snub tbch.

Least Favorite: Night Swim

is January fodder…literally boring. Nothing burger to me. Only cool thing to me was the coin thing at the end.

Undercut is my full list of films and thoughts.

1. Anyone But You (1/2/2024) 🍿

I was forced to walk out of this one by friends. fake dating movie that had bad acting from a cast comprised of good actors. I liked the premise tho, pictured it with old man yaoi the whole time.

2. The Boy and the Heron (1/4/2024)🍿

Saw this with my mom! I was kinda confused by it but it was really pretty. Really good voice cast 😁❤️❤️ I understood the message the day after, I would be hesitant to say this is one of the studios best, but it’s def top five….?

3. Night Swim (1/5/2024)🍿

saw with Olivia and Becca. JANUARY FODDER AT ITS FINEST! So stupid. Wasnt that bored tho! I really liked the coin thing at the end.

4. Migration (1/6/2024)🍿

Saw with Olivia in the coldest theater Ever. Really cute and charming 😁👍🏻 probably one of Illumination’s best but I haven’t seen a ton from them recently. Wayyyy too giddy for the return of the animated short before a movie.

5. The Color Purple (1/7/2024) 🍿

I need to stop seeing 2.5 hour long movies at 10 pm. Really good, forgot it was a musical in the middle cuz they weren’t singing LOL. Didn’t love the whole part where she forgives the dude who like abused her but hey. Uhhh. Yeah thats all i got

6. Ella Enchanted (1/8/2024) 🏠

Really cute classic for me ☹️ ROMCOMS MY BELOVED ❤️❤️❤️ first movie i watched at home this year! I miss the fantasy romcom genre that was big in the 90s to the 00’s, now it’s all realistic stuff :/ GIVE ME BACK THE FAIRYTALES!!

7. Bridesmaids (1/9/2024) 🏠

Every professor has told me to watch this so i finally did. Very enjoyable!! I like this director…I liked the tail lights themeing, but I wish the main girl and her friend got to talk more.

8. Pink Panther (1/9/2024) 🏠

Dont fw french people tbh.

9. Poor Things (1/10/2024) 🍿

STUNNING AMAZING PERFECT!!!!!!!!!! Beautiful film 😁😁😁😁❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ARRRRGGGGGGGGG OSCAR SWEEP IN MY HEART!! EVERY SEX SCENE WAS NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!!!

10. High and Low (1/11/2024) 🏠

My heterosexual friend fell asleep next to me and missed 85% of the movie. Really good though!

11. Coraline (1/13/2024) 🏠

FUCKEDDDD UPPPP and amazing 😁❤️❤️❤️ i hope Laika can like. Make a good movie again soon….what who said that.

12. Zoolander (1/14/2024) 🏠

Silly goofy fun 😁❤️ fantastic cast. Ben stiller has the range. For some reason as a kid (like age 10) i assumed this movie was racist or something? (I had never seen it. LOL) Its not.

13. Leo (1/14/2024) 🏠

Watched this and played webkinz solitaire. No notes. I don’t remember anything anyways.

14. 22 Jump Street (1/15/2024) 🏠

Olivia was not very impressed, but it got me to chuckle. Didnt like the main love plotline bro wtf. But a very influential movie for 2010’s comedy. as I’m typing this I’m realizing I look like if Chaning Tatum and Jonah Hill had a fat baby.

15. the Princess Bride (1/16/2024) 🏠

SOOOO CUTE AND FUN GIGGLE 😁 they break the 180 rule did u know that.

16. Jumanj (1/16/2024) 🏠

I’ve never seen it before and it was fun but kinda sad like damn 😭 good CGI tbh

17. The Beekeeper (1/18/2024) 🍿

THE STUPIDEST, GOOFIEST, MOST FUN MOVIE OF ALL TIME THIS MONTH. ok but genuinely fantastic choreography. I’m da bee keeper….I must protect the hive….

18. Napeolon dynamite (1/19/2024) 🏠

Really fun and cute 😁😁 classic for a reason baby! Too bad this director didn’t seem to catch on after this film, his style is great.

19. Nacho Libre (1/20/2024) 🏠

I love this film and have a soft spot for it. Watched with all my friends, the soundtrack is really fun. Jack Black is a great physical actor.

20. The Iron Claw (1/25/2024) 🍿

Oh my god. Maybe I’ll call my sister or something later.

Bonus: TV shows I watched, not many thoughts

Buffy season 3. I got bored lol. Everyone is suicidal. Whatever.

Ten Year Old Tom. Funny!

Carol and The End Of The World: kinda confused me at times but really good really awesome everyone watch it.

Star Trek: SNW (end of season 1 + season 2) OHHHH MY GOODDDDDDDDD

Star Trek Lower Decks: EVERYONE WATCH THIS NOWWWWWW

[sporadiceagleheart]

Louis XIV, Vienna H. Dill, Louis XVII, Lois Janes, Sharon Lee Gallegos, Princess Sophie Hélène Béatrice of France, Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France, Louis XIII, Anne of Austria, Maria Theresa of Spain, Françoise d'Aubigné, Philippe I Duke of Orléans, Louis “Le Grand Dauphin” de France, Marie Anne de Bourbon, Marie Thérèse de France, Louis de Bourbon, Comte de Vermandois, Louise de La Vallière, Philippe Charles de France, Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Louis Cesar De Bourbon, Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Louise-Marie Anne “Tou Tou” de Bourbon, Françoise Marie de Bourbon, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Madame de Montespan, Philippe d'Orléans II, Alice Elizabeth Doherty, Infant Male Lent, Julia Pastrana, Josephine Myrtle Corbin, Ella 'the Camel Girl' Harper, Fanny Mills, Josephine Clofullia, Annie Kerr Aiken, Gracie Perry Watson, Inez Clarke Briggs, Annie Oakley, Zip the Pinhead, Mary Ann Bevan Nurse, Stephan Bibrowski, Guy Pierre de Fontgalland, Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr, Sitting Bull Leader, Gail Davis, Clara Barton American nurse, Frank E. Butler, Wilma Jones Rat, Pal, Laika, Jimmy the Crow, Pocahontas, Powhatan, John Noyce Milner, John Rolfe, Elizabeth Rolfe Milner, Cleopatra Powhatan, Chief Opechancanough Mangopeesomon “Eagle Plume” Powhatan, Chief Weroance Nectowance Powhatan, Zeus, Olivia Twenty Dahl, Roald Dahl, Sofie Magdalene Dahl, Mary Magdalene, Mona Lisa, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Harald Dahl, Francis II Of France, Henri III of France, Terry, Matachanna Shawano “Cleopatra” Powhatan Cornstalk, Mary Elizabeth Hughes Davis, Annie Jones Elliot, Jenny Lind, Mercy Lavinia Warren Stratton, Minnie Warren, no matter what you look like or how you feel Jesus will help you Jesus will make a way for you like God Jesus healed those even animals now they are in heaven with Wings and Halo they are called Angels right now and I made this tribute edit about what Jesus and his family can do they can make children that passed away from cancer covid flu Beating torture murder shooting Stabbing Wounds and pain they healed it all they healed those children they made them in heaven Angels in heaven they can rest easy they can do the things they couldn't do down here on earth

[milestoneqs]

a very late birthday party

Name: Cecilia Age: 26 City: Brooklyn In the last year, what is one thing you have loved: It's a cop out answer, but I love my friends and thus, I have loved every instance in which I was shown love or had the opportunity to show love. I loved when Lynne and Kevin and Marvin and Grace helped me move into my current apartment. I loved treating them all to lunch at Dar 525. I loved when Grace made bossam TWICE this year. I loved watching Astra Lost in Space with Grace and Eric and how Eric would coerce me into watching "just one more" despite the fact we promised Jane we would wait for her. I loved that Tommy and James coordinated buying me a cake for my birthday and how all my Calgary friends saw kungfu panda with me on my bday. I loved when Rachel yelled "YOU WENT TO RAT SCHOOL?!?" across the dinner table because she couldn't hear Annie properly. I loved that Annie edited my SFPC application with me. I loved how forgiving and loving Lynne is to me despite the fact I had been a shitty friend all winter. I loved going to San Diego with friends and I loved that Jocelyn came to visit this Spring. I loved how I got to take care of Laika for Kevin and truly understand that I am not that good with dogs even though I love animals. I love Grace and I's shared oil paint set. I loved hanging out with Grace and Eric on a weeknight spontaneously and watching weird little animes while eating their leftovers. I loved when Jane brought me home a quarter of a souffle pancake from Rule of Thirds. I loved when she brought me home a pomengranete for us to split and I inhaled mine in three minutes then went to the grocery store and when I came back she was still picking at hers. I loved coming home on Wednesdays to neighbourhood group and seeing Rachel and Nathan and Eunice and Sarah. I loved hosting game night at Kevin's place and how many of my friends don't even know Kevin but they know his dog and where he lives. I loved getting to meet new people like Erik and Alice and Gwen and Rachel and Olivia...I love knowing that so many of these people will be in my life a very long time. It makes New York feel small and bright. In the last year, what is one thing you have learned: I could live with Jane forever <3 What is one way you have grown: I made it to my late twenties and I finally finally feel like an adult. I'm not scared of calling customer service and I stand up for myself at work. I am no longer scared of adults. They do not feel like adults, they feel like people. What is one thing that you hope for in the next year: I hope for a healthier relationship with creativity. To create out of delight and out of curiousity. To take myself and my work lightly but to prioritize the making.

[dsknsk]

General overview of Rhine

Oh god Rhine FINALLY gets some attention. It’s not much but it’s something alright. It’s about time HG stops obsessing over Kazimierz and Aegir/Iberia.

This does not contain all information about Rhine. It just compares and collates the new information with the stuff we know. This is quite a long post, so if you want, turn on this music while reading.

According to the new video, Rhine Lab consists of 10 sections. 

Components Control Section

Structural Section

Energy Section

Ecological Section

Business Section

Engineering Section

Human Resources Investigation Section

Defense Section

Scientific Investigation Section

Originium Art Section

The five to the right are the scientific research sections, and the four to the left are the general affair sections.

That aside, Saria’s skin speaks of a Research Branch and a General Jurisdiction Branch, a conflict between them and her participating in it. This may refer to these.

Components Control

The big square in the middle. It’s the core of the company.

Kirsten Wright - Her sprite first appeared in Dorothy’s Vision, and her personal details were not shared in the introductory video (and her sprite was obscured back then). She has a Phd in Particle Physics and is the co-founder together with Saria. She is the current head director in control, who also butted heads with Saria for some time. Currently, whatever’s between Saria and Kirsten is...interesting. The video says that she paved the way for Rhine and she has excellent entrepeneurship. 

Kirsten literally doesn’t remember the entire scuffle involving Ifrit at all (or at least claims so). She likely just began signing everything without even looking into it due to her priorities.

Kirsten’s codename is Control. She has lofty goals - her ultimate goal is uncovering Terra’s fake sky and exploring what’s beyond, as her parents were aeronauts who died in a test flight incident - in such a way that they overshadow ‘mundane’ goals, and isn’t at all concerned with controlling anything at this point. While it was assumed she was in danger during the events of Dorothy’s Vision, she wasn’t and was in a position to stop Ferdinand at all time.

Also, the fact that she’s a Perro and wants to go to space might very well reference Laika (even though she’s not based off the same dog physically).

Structural Division Section

This section analyzes the structure of which living beings consist of. It also conducts structural studies on biological molecules.

Ahrens Parvis - Director of the Structural division. First mentioned by Muelsyse in Mansfield Break, confirming that Silence was his protege. Silence also calls him her mentor (and Parvis still greets Silence cordially, even with the disapproval of the latter). According to Silence, he had no hand in Anthony’s prison break and did not know of it. He is an expert in this field and has experience for over 40 years. It’s said that he is a gentleman and has extreme persistence when it comes to research goals. From this visual, we can see that he’s a Caprinae, 168cm tall and from Leithania. 

This was also the guy who insisted on continuing the experiment with Ifrit all the way, as he saw the scientific progress he perceived as way more important than individual lives. In his view, giving your life for science is admirable. 

During Dorothy’s Vision, he stayed neutral, deciding to side with whatever side was the victor.

Olivia Silence - Former protege of Ahrens Parvis, the director of the Structural division. Currently serves as a Medic operator in Rhodes Island, using her last name as a codename. 

Silence was closely involved with the Flame Demon Incident. She couldn’t agree with Parvis’ ways anymore and decided to fake Ifrit’s death. This failed, however, and Saria - whom she once looked up to - was forced to nearly kill Ifrit. She did leave Rhine after all, however, joining Rhodes Island as well.

Joyce Moore - Tentatively placed here. A data analyst part of Olivia Silence’s medical team. Currently works as a Medic operator under the codename of Ptilopsis. She agreed with an experiment that would let her essentially become a human CPU to interpret Originium signals (Device #9). This experiment went awry, forced them to implement a chip inside her head that caused her to hear a certain voice.

Ptilopsis was not that involved in the Flame Demon Incident, due to herself undergoing a long treatment at Parvis’ suggestion, but has knowledge of the Incident. She is not allowed to talk about it due to the non-disclosure agreement.

Energy Section

This section studies/exploits originium, sunlight, geothermy, biothermy, as biological resources. It also researches the storage and applications of all kinds of energy. This section was behind HydeBro, in that HydeBro used Energy’s resources to try to assassinate Anthony.

Ferdinand Clooney - Mentioned in Mansfield Break. In there, he is referred to with and without name - when he is mentioned by name, his first is used. He had a hand in HydeBro coming after Anthony. Because the Energy section is close with Engineering, Silence initially kept this secret from Mayer. Mayer is scared of Ferdinand, though, and according to her, ‘[He] leave[s] quite an expression when [he] talk[s], but it still feels [...] like [he] care[s] more about the stuff we make and the value of that than about us ourselves’. This matches with what is said - he is agressive and confident in his approach to gain resources. From this visual, we see that he’s a Feline, 182cm tall, and born in Columbia.

This dude tried a whole lot during Dorothy’s Vision. He was intending to use the technology in use by Dorothy as a superweapon, even trying to usurp Kirsten but this plan got thwarted along with Dorothy’s, so he was eventually kicked out of Rhine. 

He was also the mentor of Astgenne.

Elena Urbica - Former protege of Ferdinand Clooney. Currently serves as a Caster operator at Rhodes Island under the codename of Astgenne, her birthname. She took on the name ‘Elena’ herself. She transferred to Rhodes Island after her work at Rhine was frozen without any possibility to restart.

Originium Art Section

This section deals with the principles (they made a spelling error here) and application of Originium Arts.

Dorothy Franks - The director of the Originium Art Section. From this visual, we see that she’s a Zalak (jerboa-based), 170cm tall and born in Columbia. Her personality is completely opposite from Ferdinand, being idealistic and determined. She wants to eliminate individual differences when it comes to handling Originium Arts.

Even though her ‘for science’ mindset is stated to be milder than the other named Rhine Lab scientists, she is still a force to be reckoned with. In her introductory event alone, she made a construct and intended to send everyone into it with their collective consciousness, as a place where everyone was equal and no one had to suffer. At the end of this event, she took this construct down, also preventing Ferdinand’s plans.

Currently serves as a Specialist operator at Rhodes Island with her codename being her first name.

Ecology Section

This section deals with evolution of Terra’s creatures, and how that relates to the environment.

Muelsyse - The director of the Ecology Section. We’ve met her formally in Mansfield Break after she first showed up in Operational Intelligence, preventing an outburst from Ifrit. She was also mentioned in Magallan’s files. Her nickname is MuMu, something Ifrit and Magallan both call her. She is highly implied to have an own agenda, but supports the control within Rhine. Her special talent is the creation and control of water, by manipulating the molecules in the air. She also utilizes this to make believable clones (as the human body mostly exists out of water). She is the only one who uses just one name at all, and her race as well as her birthplace are censored (likely to protect us from knowing more about the elf race). At least this says that she is 169cm tall. According to the voice, her name is pronounced ‘Mewl-seas’ (contrasting how I’ve been pronouncing it, which was roughly ‘Mo-ehl-sea-say’).

Muelsyse is currently the only known elf on Terra. It’s said that the race is dwindling.

Will likely join Rhodes Island to serve as a combat operator in an unknown class.

Scientific Investigation Section

This section investigates areas like the outmost borders of Terra. It wants to ‘bring back the unknown’. Currently, it is stationed in Northern Sami.

Magallan - It is very likely that Magallan works in this section. She currently works under a coorporation agreement with Rhodes Island, serving as a Supporter operator. Knows both Ifrit and Muelsyse, to the point that they had nicknames for eachother.

General Affairs Sections

The other four Sections are not given a director. Instead, they’re briefly described.

Business Section 

Does public affairs and communication.

Defense Section

Does R&D, related personnel security, informations disclosure and emergency handling. Mayer says that it is quite different from all other Sections.

Saria - Co-founder alongside Kirsten. Former Director of the Defense Section. Currently works as a Defender operator in Rhodes Island with her first name as a codename. Anthony’s escape is implied to take place right before she became one. 

She was closely involved with the Flame Demon Incident. After the failed attempt to fake Ifrit’s death, Saria had to engage Ifrit in a manner that nearly killed the girl. The bond between the three is strained as of currently, but as they are on Rhodes Island, they have opportunity to work things out slowly.

Engineering Section

Does mechanical design and the robotics of the R&D equipment. According to Mayer, the section is ‘generally only responsible for providing equipment or putting forward professional opinion when constructing said equipment [and they] don't really take initiative to understand the experiment itself’.

Lutra Studio - Mayer. She worked under this section, but left and became a Supporter operator at Rhodes Island. According to her, she left because she became less and less free to do her own thing from the moment that Engineering grew close to the Energy department. She does not know the exact details of the Incident, but she is aware of its results.

Human Resources Investigation Section

Does Human Resources management. Predictable.

Other members

Astesia Urbica - A philological consultant. Currently a Guard operator at Rhodes Island. Her sister Elena came with her to Rhodes for treatment. Said sister also works at Rhine.

Speculative members

Sesa - It is highly likely that either he, his brother or even both of them were part of Rhine Lab at some point or worked together with them. This remains mere speculation but there are some aspects to him that imply this. They are too in-depth and numerous to explain here, however.

[theboarsbride]

If you had to adapt your story, do you prefer a movie, a series or an anime? If you prefer a live action adaptation, do you have actors and actresses in mind to embody your characters?

OMG THIS IS A FUN ONE!!!!

ID LOVE A LIVE-ACTION MOVIE!!!!!!!!!! The Monster and the Butterfly especially I'd love to see as a live-action movie!🥺

In my head, I've always imagined TMATB having the vibe of an 1980s dark fantasy-romance type movie directed by Jim Henson or something that oozes with atmosphere and utilizes a lot of practical effects (like Ridley Scott's Legend or The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth)😭 it's the 80s movie vibe that made me choose the current faceclaims for Edgar and Sophie: Brad Dourif and Susan Sarandon!

But if TMATB ever became a movie in the modern day (a girl can dream!!), I'd LOVE for it to be a gothic period drama fairytale movie directed by someone like Greta Gerwig or Guillermo del Toro, and I've always known that I'd want MINIMAL CGI used. Also the score I'd love to have done by Abel Korzeniowski because I LOVE his work!🥺 in terms of actors, I could DEFINITELY lowkey see an actor like Crispin Glover portraying Edgar????? And for Sophie, I'd love to see Sophia Lillis (or maybe even Olivia Cooke or Carey Mulligan???) portray her.🥺

But like..... if any of yall have "fancasts" for who you could see being actors in a TMATB film, I'd be curious to hear your opinions!😳👉👈

If TMATB ever became animated, though, I think stop-motion animation is the way to go!! Like, as a Laika film or something!

[giuliadrawsstuff]

Hello, my friend! I see you love movies, what are your fav movies everyone should see? I used to watch the Oscars every year, except this one and I missed the whole Will Smith fiasco lol, but I still remember when they did the mistake to give the best picture oscar to La La Land when it was Moonlight all the time....what a night.

Oh yes I LOVE movies, I watch the Oscars every year too 😂 I was there for Ellen's selfie and for the La La Land/Moonlight thing hahha I loved the surprise, thought Moonlight deserved it more. And I saw Will Smith's slap live, I actually thought it was all a joke in the beginning, then the Italian speakers said something had occurred and I realized it wasn't planned at all. I also think his punishment is a bit too much, I mean he shouldn't have hit Chris Rock, but he did indeed make a very poor and mean joke about an illness. Definitely not funny. 10 years ban is a bit too much, but we know Oscars have weird rules, sigh.

As for my favourite movies, damn tough.

- The Lord of the Rings trilogy is all time favourite, there's nothing better than this and no one can convince me otherwise 😌 I love everything about it I watch it 2/3 times a year (extended edition) and the soundtrack is the best ever.

- Howl's moving castle, possibly my favourite animated movie, anime for sure. I love everything about it from soundtrack to characters and the book is a masterpiece too even thought it's very different.

- Spiderman Into the Spiderverse, the animation is worth it alone, mind-blowing, never seen anything so amazing in my life, probably the next best one is The Mitchells Vs the Machines (I'm mad cause Encanto won instead of this one ugh).

AND there's Olivia Octavius that's the American version of Hange so bonus point hehe

- Alien tetralogy, well mostly the first three, the fourth is pure trash but still enjoyable. I like to watch it like a watch the Machete movies and Robert Rodriguez movies in general 😂

I think my favourite is Aliens, that's the one from James Cameron, but I love the first and third one too.

- Hook, Ghostbusters, Jumanji, The Addams Family, The Blues Brothers. These are all my childhood movies. I love them all and they're a part of me. They're not perfect, but the stories, the special effects and the acting are true and heartwarming. Maybe it's my nostalgia talking but who knows you might love them too.

- Coraline. Almost like Howl hehe, love the book too. And I'm a big fan of stop motion especially Laika's they're the absolute best.

- Star Wars (the old and the prequel trilogy only). Childhood movies and memories once again, though they teach valuable lessons about family, love, self-discovery and fabulous special effects (for the time).

- Some like it hot. Old but one of the best movies I've ever seen. Billy Wilder is a genius director and Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are Oscars good. Plus there's the best ending/movie line ever:

And they almost made me like Marilyn Monroe so 😂😂

- The Invisible Man (1935) yes it's ooooold but I love old movies even silent one (this is not though). Love the sci-fi story and the invisible effect on him is top notch.

- Becoming Jane. I'm not a fan of romantic movies or comedies (there are very very few I cherish, the others meh I get easily bored when there's too much romance involved), but this one, boy I love it. Maybe it's the chemistry between James McAvoy and Anne Hathaway or the Jane Austen setting (I love Jane Austen movies, these are one of the few romances I like, dunno why), but my heart melts every time I see it, and I cry A LOT. I'm huge crybaby, you don't wanna know how much I cry every time I watch LOTR 😂

- Tim Burton movies, I don't have a real fave, probably The Nightmare before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands or Big Fish, but he's my favourite director, there are few movies he's made I don't like. Lately he's lost a bit of his touch but I'm so close to him can't not like him 😂 don't know if it makes sense.

Right now these are the ones that come to mind, but I'm sure I'm missing some movie for sure. I'm sorry it's so long you don't have to let me talk about movies 😩 I can go on forever and ever, I'm kind of autistic when it comes to cinema. Thanks for asking though, anon 💜

[jaxinkh]

Next for the super au is Olivia!

Since I made my OC Olivia a while ago, I figured I could give canon Olivia her alias. So here is the new and improved Will O Wisp! In beautifull colors!

With her Hardlight wings she can fly faster than Baymax and they can change shape to form a shield! When she spins on her heels, they swing forward for a really mean punch! And lastly they can create a sort kaleidoscope effect to disorient her opponents, even when in flight!

If you have any character from a Disney/Dreamworks/Laika movie you want to see as a super hero/villain, or do you want a character from the BH6 series to be one, or switch sides? Let me know!

[themovieworldaccordingtotps]

BEST MOVIES OF 2020 (Arranged alphabetically)

1.     David Byrne’s American Utopia Director: Spike Lee Cast: David Byrne, Chris Giarmo, Tendayi Kuumba, Karl Mansfield, Angie Swan, Bobby Wooten III, Mauro Refosco, Tim Keiper, Gustavo Di Dalva, Jacquelene Acevedo, Daniel Freedman, Stephane San Juan Critic’s Notes: Stop Making Sense is my favorite concert of all time. So, American Utopia easily slots in as one of my favorite. And boy, this is the most urgent film of 2020. It is that watchable as David Byrne possesses his inner Mr. Rogers to guide Americans to an ideal society.

2.     Driveways Director: Andrew Ahn Cast: Hong Chau, Lucas Jaye, Jerry Adler, Robyn Payne, Christine Ebersole, Brian Dennehy Critic’s Notes: Just the sweetest swan song from Brian Dennehy before his passing. Generally, this film is a slice-of-life story of the unlikely friendship between a lonely boy and a lonely senior, and the poignancy is too precious that it struck a chord.

3.     Fan Girl Director: Antoinette Jadaone Cast: Charlie Dizon, Paulo Avelino Critic’s Notes:  For my native pick from Philippine cinema, here is an unlikely story between a fan and her idol. It is a predictable deconstruction of an acclaimed, who becomes an over-the-top antithesis to his onscreen persona. But the script is sharp, so as the delightful leads.

4.     First Cow Director: Kelly Reichardt Cast: John Magaro, Orion Lee, Toby Jones, Ewen Bremner, Scott Shepherd, Gary Farmer, Lily Gladstone, Alia Shawkat Critic’s Notes: Kelly Reichardt became the Yasujirō Ozu of 2020, for this film contains the year’s most meditative shots and moodiest atmosphere on an otherwise simple story of friendship.

5.     I’m Thinking of Ending Things Director: Charlie Kaufman Cast: Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette, David Thewlis, Guy Boyd, Hadley Robinson, Gus Birney, Abby Quinn, Colby Minifie Critic’s Notes: Charlie Kaufman is one of the pioneers of meta storytelling. And him helming one of the most unnerving suspense novels is a strange one. But it brings to light the subgenre of existential horror. First viewing may not be scary, but lingering on its subtext is the scariest part.

6.     Minari Director: Lee Isaac Chung Cast: Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, Scott Haze, Will Patton Critic’s Notes: My pick for the best film of 2020, Minari is another slice-of-story about a Korean immigrant family wanting to achieve the American dream in Arkansas. What it lacks on dramatic stakes, it has the heart of a striving family. And the best subplot comes from grandma Soon-ja.

7.     Palm Springs Director: Max Brabakow Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, Meredith Hagner, Camila Mendes, Tyler Hoechlin, Peter Gallagher, Chris Pang, June Squibb, J. K. Simmons Critic’s Notes: The emblematic comedy of the last year, Palm Springs takes in the time-loop trope and gives it a fresh twist. The true heart of it is the chemistry between Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, whose signature personas seemingly blend.

8.     Soul Director: Pete Docter Cast: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, Angela Bassett Critic’s Notes: Aside from Brad Bird, Pete Docter just become one of the Pixar directors whose films are worth waiting. Soul is an intriguing character study of two souls needing to find the purpose of their lives. With its layers and layers of themes, this is the boldest Pixar project since The Incredibles.

9.     Sound of Metal Director: Darius Marder Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric, Chelsea Lee Critic’s Notes: Riz Ahmed is the reason to see this film that honors the deaf and disabled community. His character’s deconstruction and subtle expressions give such gravitas that it is heart-wrenching to watch. Also, the best sound design of the year. (Sorry, Tenet.)

10.  Wolfwalkers Director: Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart Cast: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney, Tommy Tiernan, Jon Kenny, John Morton, Maria Doyle Kennedy Critic’s Notes: Cartoon Saloon just landed itself as one of the prime animation studios, next to Pixar, Studio Ghibli and Laika, with their most ambitious film yet. Wolfwalkers is perhaps their Princess Mononoke with a fresh twist on Irish history.

Runners-Up: Hamilton, The King of Staten Island, Run, The Trail of the Chicago 7, The Vast of Night

Missed Masterpieces: Nomadland, One Night in Miami, Promising Young Woman, Rocks, The Father

[ackb]

2020 Reading Challenge Report

I really liked it last year when I made a spread in my journal with my best of books for 2019. So here’s my best of for 2020. 

I was WAY surprised that all my favorite books this year were non-fiction. That doesn't mean I didn’t read any good fiction this year, I definitely did. But the truly outstanding, five star books were all non-fiction. This is super weird for me because I never used to read non-fiction unless it was for school. But last year I made a deal with myself that I should have a non-fiction book as at least one of my books-in-progress at all times. I continued that rule this year and wow have I read some great stuff as a result. 

Metrics:

Total books read in 2020: 87 

If you remove all the books I read with kids, that’s 64. If you remove the books I read with kids and also graphic novels (which—despite being books, goddamn it—admittedly take a lot less time to read), I read 45 books this year.  I refuse to remove the audiobooks because that’s hella insulting.  Audiobooks are books.

One thing I noticed this year is that before I counted, I was under the impression that I had read a lot of books by Black authors this year, but I hadn't. In fact, it was far fewer than last year. I think part of what was internally confusing was that because two of my books were Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns, both substantial (in the thinking sense and the length sense), at any given time this year, I was reading at least one book by a Black author. So that skewed my thinking. Still, fewer than 10% Black authors is a poor metric.

Another thing I noticed was that cancelled plans for 10 months also means cancelled car trips (yay!) and cancelled audiobook listenings (boo!) So that cut into my total a bit, not listening to books as much with the kids. But I'm looking forward to lots more reading in the new year! Including finishing a bunch of books the kids and I are reading for school and tons of stuff for work. Because I like to have things going on every burner, there are 10 books in progress at the moment, about half of them for school. 

In case you might be interested, here’s my list, favorites in bold:

Non-Fiction (23)

Figuring, Maria Popova

Know My Name, Chanel Miller

*The Fire Never Goes Out, Noelle Stevenson

With Purpose and Principle, Edward Frost

Caste, Isabel Wilkerson

The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson

Widening the Circle of Concern, COIC, UUA

Brief Histories of Everyday Objects, Andy Warner

Breaking and Blessing, Sean Parker Dennison

This Book is Anti-Racist, Tiffany Jewell & Aurelia Durand

The Library Book, Susan Orlean

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers, Jenn Shapland

Furious Hours, Casey Cep

Scrappy Little Nobody, Anna Kendrick

I'll Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara

Catch and Kill, Ronan Farrow

*Laika, Nick Abadzis

*First Year Out: A Transition Story, Sabrina Symington

* Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir, Maggie Thrash

*Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, Don Brown

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, Patrick Radden Keefe

*A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer & Trans Identities, Mady G., J.R. Zuckerberg

*Wait, What?: A Comic Book Guide to Relationships, Bodies, and Growing Up, Heather Corinna, Isabella Rotman

Fiction (40)

*Heartstopper, vol 1&2, Alice Oseman

When the Tripods Came, John Christopher

Empty World, John Christopher

You Should See Me in a Crown, Leah Johnson

The Pull of the Stars, Emma Donoghue

Pachinko, Min Jin Lee

My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Ottessa Moshfegh

Girl, Woman, Other, Bernadine Evaristo

*This One Summer, Mariko Tamaki

*Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, Mariko Tamaki, Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

To Night Owl, From Dogfish, Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

* Almost American Girl, Robin Ha

Upright Women Wanted, Sarah Gailey

When We Were Magic, Sarah Gailey

Magic for Liars, Sarah Gailey

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, Olivia Waite

The Dreamers, Karen Thompson Walker

The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates

Less, Andrew Sean Greer

*Drama, Raina Telgemeier

The Glass Hotel, Emily St. John Mandel

Severance, Ling Ma

Once, Morris Gleitzman

Then, Morris Gleitzman

Reflections in a Golden Eye, Carson McCullers

The Future of Another Timeline, Annalee Newitz

Royal Rebel, Jenny Frame

*Sidekicks, Dan Santat

The Book of Dust, Philip Pullman

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Kate DiCamillo

*Snapdragon, Kat Leyh

Catfishing on Catnet, Naomi Kritzer

*Princess Princess Ever After,  Katie O'Neill

*The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang

*All Summer Long, Hope Larson

Children of Virtue and Vengence, Tomi Adeyemi

On the Edge of Gone, Corinne Duyvis

*Kiss Number 8, Colleen A.F. Venable, Ellen T. Crenshaw

*Queen of the Sea, Dylan Meconis

Read With the Kids (23)

Sentence Island, Michael Clay Thompson (NF)

*Hereville: How Minka Got Her Sword, Barry Deutsch

Hatchet, Gary Paulson

The Dreamer, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Peter Sis

Before Columbus, Charles Mann (NF)

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Kwame Mbalia

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse, Joseph M. Marshall III

It's a Feudal, Feudal World, Stephen Shapiro and Ross Kinnaird (NF)

Pedro's Journal, Pam Conrad

A Long Way from Chicago, Richard Peck

Sees Behind Trees, Michael Dorris

The Shakespeare Stealer, Gary Blackwood

The Giver, Lois Lowry (reread for me)

The Saturdays, Elizabeth Enright (reread)

Timmy Failure: Mistakes were Made, Stephan Pastis

Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, E.L. Konigsburg

Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Louis Sachar

Wayside School is Falling Down, Louis Sachar

A Little History of Philosophy, Nigel Warburton (NF)

The Parker Inheritance, Varian Johnson

How to Think Like a Cat, Stephanie Garnier (NF)

Book Scavenger, Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

The Third Mushroom, Jennifer L. Holm

*=graphic novel

I read 87 books this year, by 80 authors

Authors of color = 14 Black authors = 7 Women or non-cis-gender men authors = 53 Graphic novels = 22 Non-fiction = 28 Queer characters = 28 Audiobooks = 26

[robotslenderman]

Stealing this from @ryttu3k.

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line, then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

These aren't necessarily in order because I haven't dated a lot of these.

CW for suicide mention in the last one.

1. Untitled WIP, VTM: (Anastasia Petrova Sokolova, Theo Bell)

Apparently the identity of Laika Petrova is no longer safe.

2. Abandoned WIP, VTM: (Wendy Taylor, Thomas Arturo)

WendyWings: Kaiz. WendyWings: give me the gist on Olivia Martin. WilhelmAugustus: that whelp? WilhelmAugustus: the hell do you want to know about HER for? WendyWings: her name keeps appearing in my intel. like a ghost passing in the night. WendyWings: she went missing, but her name's still here. WendyWings: and what is it they say? that as long as someone still says your name, you're not truly dead?

3. Abandoned WIP, VTM: (Rose d'Eleanor, Sascha Vykos)

Rose not stupid. A Tremere gives you a precious, incredibly rare book for only two grand, it’s because it’s going to get you destroyed.

4. Radio Silence, VTM (unposted; still editing) (Wendy Taylor, a shitton of OCs and canon characters)

The former Prince of New York City — the former Primogen of the Nosferatu — walked into Elysium to change the world forever.

5. The Parting Glass, VTM (unposted; still editing) (Thomas Arturo, human OC)

They’d kill them both if they found them here, talking, but it was a yearly tradition that Thomas had gotten away with so far and one he had no intentions of stopping.

6. Untitled WIP, VTM (Kiwi, Dove)

Well. Whatever her dealer’s got her hooked on, at least it’s not fucking heroin.

7. Moja Mysz, VTM (Elisa Mulgrew, Lettow Kaminsky)

Once the eagle’s broken wings were pinned in place with the belt, its demeanour did a complete 180 and it calmed, as if it hadn’t just been tearing chunks out of Elisa’s arm.

8. The City That Never Sleeps, VTM (Wendy Taylor, Nosferatu)

Coffee. The career woman’s best friend.

9. The Reason Why, VTM (Olivia Martin, Thomas Arturo)

Beep.

10. Long Nights, VTM (Olivia Martin, Thomas Arturo)

Olivia stood at the southern window overlooking Brooklyn, rocking back and forth on flat-heeled shoes.

11. Untitled WIP, VTM (Elisa Mulgrew, Lettow Kaminsky)

The coyote lay in the carrier, unmoving. Her eyes were glazed over. If it weren’t for the occasional twitch of her nose, Lettow would have thought she was dead.

12. Abandoned WIP, VTM (Olivia Martin, Thomas Arturo)

When she’d been told that an old friend waited in her haven, she’d had a horrible feeling, but she’d told herself she was being paranoid.

13. Abandoned WIP, VTM (Rowan Allen AKA Rose d'Eleanor, Maximillian Strauss)

Strauss had answered, so Rowan quietly nudged the door open.

14. Abandoned WIP, VTM (Rose d'Eleanor, Maximillian Strauss)

Maximillian Strauss is a seven-hundred-year-old Kindred, and Tremere propaganda runs deep.

15. Untitled WIP, VTM (Elisa Mulgrew, Lettow Kaminsky)

It was the photo that anchored Elisa. Not the photo she was tearing herself from — that portrait of Aila with the hat — but another photo. It wasn’t framed like the others, sitting haphazardly on Lettow’s table of mementos instead of on the wall. It was her. She was holding Riga. And she was still alive.

16. Abandoned WIP, VTM (Madeline Jones)

Well. Here she was. Seattle. Now what?

17. Madeline Jones's Encyclopedia Vampirica entry, VTM

Madeline Jones, childe of Nicholas Vinokourov (disputed — see A’s letter. - B)

18. The Tetrahex Letters, Transformers MTMTE (Cyclonus)

I hurt you, once.

19. Abandoned WIP, Transformers, MTMTE (Brainstorm-centric)

> So, bots, story time! Lots of us have had conjunxes, even if it was long ago. But we’re not here for sad stories — let’s remember them for the happiness they gave us. Tell us the moment you knew you were in love with your conjunx. Or someone you fancy. Or whatever. Anon is turned on, go nuts.

20. Abandoned WIP, Transformers, MTMTE (Brainstorm)

So in an attempt to undo every single problem I've ever had, I only just made them all. Literally. All of them. I can't even kill myself without causing myself to be born, wow.

[duckyworth]

I finally managed to make a piece of fanart for The Adventures of Mark Twain, a film that I saw last month that became one of my new favourite films.  So here is Mark Twain piloting his awesome airship towards Halley's Comet with Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Thatcher and Huck's pet frog Homer - as Twain’s darker self broods and laments the perceived pointlessness of it all down below. :( I also wanted to use this opportunity to write a little mini review of the film. :D

As iconic as the 'The Mysterious Stranger' segment is, I wanted to draw something based on the film that wasn't that bit, as I feel this film is one of those films that gets mainly remembered for one scene in particular, even though I think there are many more scenes that are just as worthy of being remembered. The film follows Mark Twain trying to use his cool airship to catch up with Halley's Comet, as Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and Becky Thatcher have snuck aboard and he allows them to help, but upon learning that Mark Twain is catching up with the comet due to a death wish and find a version of him that is much more nihilistic and bitter than the kindly and optimistic man they meet, they try to sabotage the voyage, before they learn the truth why he wants to be reunited with Halley's Comet. (Mark Twain said - '“I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt: "Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.”' He was born in 1835, when the comet appeared in the sky, and he passed away in 1910, just as the comet passed close to Earth again. And this film came out in 1985, when the comet passed by AGAIN. One reason why I absolutely LOVE the film is due to not just the fantastic and beautiful claymation animation courtesy of the late great Will Vinton and his crew (who I recently discovered became LAIKA Studios  ) - despite a few strings being present here and there when characters jump and them not being able to walk properly, I think the detail and care put into the clay characters is brilliant, and for the first feature length claymation film, it's really impressive  - or the charmingly weird renditions of many of Mark Twain's stories like The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, The Diary of Adam and Eve and Captain Stormfield's Visit To Heaven), but because it's a sweet and heartwarming tribute to Samuel Clemens himself. Before I saw this film, I did some research on him (I didn't know that much about Samuel Clemens as he doesn't have as much prevalence over here in the UK as he does in the USA - I didn't even know he wrote The Prince and the Pauper  - and when this film came out in the UK, it was simply named Comet Quest ), and I think his life story is FASCINATING. As well as becoming known as the father of American Literature, I found it really interesting learning about his various beliefs and life experiences that is reflected in his work, and to be honest, I find the themes this film tackles are actually pretty prevalent to a lot of content creators today. Early in his works, Mark Twain was known as having a great sense of humour, and a lot of his early works would be considered standup comedy today (and upon looking up some of his quotes and his works, I can believe it - he is a GREAT snarker  And a lot of his quotes even had him say that 'humour is mankind's greatest blessing' and 'kindness is the language which the death can hear and the blind can see' - it also helps that the film uses a lot of the quotes he himself said in life  ). And seen as his first few years before he became a writer had him work as a riverboat pilot in Missouri and he was born a son of Missouri slave owners (even though he was an abolitionist), I can see how some of his experiences would inspire his most famous works like Tom Sawyer.  With him also keeping a dream journal for a large part of his life, I can also see that very well being something that inspired some of the more weird visuals in this film. Sadly, late in his life, he not only started suffering from losing most of his hard earned fortune to bad business investments, but his younger brothers, wife Olivia and three of their four children lost their lives, and he blamed himself for all of them, which led him to become extremely jaded and disillusioned with mankind and the idea of a God later in his life, but when viewing his later works which delved into him discussing these ideologies of his, I've seen that a lot of his critics passed him off as a sad and pathetic old man by this point, even though he had been affected by his misfortunes and believed the fame he's received didn't mean anything in the end when he had lost all that was near and dear to him.  And a lot of his nihilism he developed later in life led to him writing things like The Mysterious Stranger when he became disillusioned with humanity and some of it's darker aspects.  (But I do like the joke in the film that when they're losing dead weight to catch up with Halley's Comet, Mark stops The Mysterious Stranger being tossed out as he says it'll be finished in a few years - a reference to the fact the book wasn't finished and published until years after Mark Twain passed away.  ) Which is where I think the themes of the film comes into play - Mark Twain is split in the film into a light and dark side, the light side being his comical and optimistic self, and his dark side being his jaded and pessimistic side, but as the dark side says later in the film 'Every man is a moon, and has a dark side that he keeps hidden from everybody, if he can help it.', and the light side tells Tom Sawyer that he's not whole without his more dark personality traits.  And a big reason why he wants to chase the comet in the first place is to be reunited with his late wife Olivia (I think the Adam and Eve segment in the film, as well as starting off pretty hilarious with rather goofy renditions of Genesis - Adam and Eve are both rather eccentric and goofy individuals who have pretty great chemistry with each other leading to them falling in love  - leading to what happened with Adam and Eve after they left the Garden of Eden, becomes really sad at the end when Adam is alone after Eve has passed away and he writes 'Wherever she was, there was Eden' - and Twain wrote The Diary of Eve as a posthumous love letter to Olivia.  ) I think there are a lot of times nowadays when a content creator is judged by only one or two elements of their perceived image without receiving the full picture, and it is unfair to judge ANYONE without knowing the full picture - there's no such thing as a completely perfect person, after all - no matter how altruistic or kind hearted someone may be, everyone has their flaws or inner demons that help shape them as an individual (I speak from experience, having experienced some myself that I'm having to cope with) - as the end credits song says 'You have to know their dreams, The devils and the gods, Before you know the man.'  And one scene I absolutely love at the end is the light and dark sides of Mark Twain giving advice to the three children - the light side imparting them, and the dark side giving the snarky humour that Mark Twain was known for in life.  (And of course, the part when the two Mark Twains fuse and become one with the comet was absolutely GORGEOUS animation.  ) All I can say at this point is that I'm really glad I managed to come across a Blu Ray of the film on Amazon, and if you have a chance to watch the film, I highly recommend it.  And I hope you enjoy my fanart I drew of the film. :)

[kashmiresims]

A clan of Kapithas