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sapricorn · 1 month

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hello cyan!

i've been on a hunt for people's top 10 lists! would you be so kind as to share with me your faves for these? i'd really appreciate it!

a) movies b) shows (anime included) c) games (mobile included) d) books (manga not included :( ) e) music artists

i know it's a lengthy ask but if you would find the time for these, i would appreciate it so much really! <3

Hello Q! I'm sorry it took me so long to respond, you gave me much to think about! Don't know why you collect these answers but I hope you enjoy them!

Some categories were hard to figure out but it was nice trying to remind myself my favorites.

a) top 10 movies

Princess Mononoke (1997) (easy pick, I love this one the most)

Dead Poet Society (1989)

Indiana Jones series (1981-1989) (I can stomach the Crystal Skull but I'd rather not to?)

Lord of The Rings series (2001-2003)

Pelíšky/Cozy Dens (1999) (A Czech movie that literally means Christmas to me - it is a must to watch with my dad on Christmas Eve, the only tradition about that day that I actually enjoy, it's full of czech humour and history)

Noc na Karlštejně/A Night at Karlstein (1974) (Another Czech movie, or actually a musical that I know all the songs to, seen an adaptation in theatre and it was lit as fuck)

Angélique series (1964-1968) (quite a questionable movie series in terms of sexual themes and women's rights but I do attribute my queer awakening to this character and that needs to wield some weight)

Children of Men (2006)

Batman (2005-2012 Nolan Trilogy)

Isle of Dogs (2018) (the first time I went over to my girlfriend's, we watched this... amazing movie, amazing memory.. amazing girlfriend <3)

(my practice animation of a Princess Mononoke scene for English class)

b1) top 10 shows (no anime)

(I don't watch that many shows that are not anime so this list is not really most to least favorite - only the top 3 are sorted, the rest is just written out)

Avatar: The Last Airbender (animated, not the Netflix one)

Castlevania

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Game of Thrones

The Boys

Invincible

The 100 (the first few seasons, the ending is insane, me not likey)

Helluva Boss

Arcane

The Umbrella Academy

b2) top 10 shows (only anime)

Wolf's Rain (watched it once years ago... will never watch it again because it causes me anguish, I love it though)

Yuri!! on Ice (it's a once-a-month watch)

Dr. Stone (during exam season I play it on repeat: 1st+2nd season on day 1, Ryuusui Special+3rd season on day 2, repeat!)

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.

The 86

Sasaki To Miyano (healing my little gay heart)

Ao No Exorcist (I love the manga and the movie!!! show is just okay)

Death Note

Kimetsu no Yaiba (the first manga I've ever read from start to finish was this one and therefore the show holds a special place in my heart - also the quote on most my sites: "Growing old and dying is the beauty of the fleeting creature called a human being" is from the manga and also hanging on my wall, it's my fave manga panel ever)

SK8 The Infinity

Honorable mentions: Boku No Hero Academia, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Jujutsu Kaisen, Trigun & Trigun Stampede, 91 Days, Bungo Stray Dogs, Black Clover, Gintama, Link Click, Heaven Official's Blessing :)

c) top 10 games

(going to be completely honest...I have not played a single video game before 2019 - my family thinks games cause rotten brains and I agree with that statement, at the same time I love games.. justf FYI I am very inexperienced)

(another note: I LOVE open worlds - I like climbing shit and falling off cliffs, I love going on my own and fighting shit and solving puzzles)

Genshin Impact

Assassin's Creed (I love Brotherhood, have and like 2nd and Odyssey, have but haven't played Syndicate yet, HATE Unity [the controls suck ass], I watched some gameplay of other games, I love the series overall)

Honkai: Star Rail

The Witcher

Tears of Themis (I try and play alot of games like this but they don't have Vyn Richter so what's the point of them really? [insert megamind meme: no vyn richter?])

Minecraft (I like building, and one of my last memories with one of my besties was from multiplayer, I have our last world saved with a mausoleum in the place of his spawn - it keeps precious memories)

NU:Carnival (the fashion is offensively awesome, big inspiration for my character designs sometimes)

Legend of Zelda (sounds and looks like a game I would love but I have yet to experience it on my own)

The Silent Age (first game I owned on my own and played start to finish without anybody else's input, it's very simple and somewhat boring but I like the vibe and I like the independence I felt while playing it)

Destiny 2 (my PC has issues running it but I absolutely love it, also I have like 40 gifs of myself just dancing in this game..)

d) top 10 books

Krysař/The Ratcatcher by Viktor Dyk (1915) (fell in love with this Czech required reading book during middle school, read it again for high school finals, still love it to this day)

Demian by Hermann Hesse (1919)

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey - the series has I think 12 books running 2009-2021 but I only have the first 3 (2009-2011) however they deserve to be on this list since I've read them like 13 times)

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan (2015-2017) (I also enjoy his series with egyptian gods but Magnus Chase slayed)

The Inheritance Cycle: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (2003-2011)

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (1950-1956)

Lady Pokingham Or They All Do It by allegedly Oscar Wilde (1879) (it's an erotica, a guilty pleasure of mine)

Smrt Krásných Srnců/Death of Beautiful Roebucks by Ota Pavel (1971) (another Czech gem really)

Note to Self by Connor Franta (2017)

Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama (2016-present) (I know you said no manga, but it's so beautiful! I even used it as a reference literature to my bachelor thesis - I HAVE to include it!)

e) top 10 music artists

(this list was an absolute struggle, I don't listen to music that much, and since my girlfriend has just such a great taste in music I mostly don't focus on anything and just go along with their recs)

Stray Kids (a remnant of high school days when I listened to alot of kpop - I still listen to some others but Stray Kids are precious to me)

Silverchair (my favorite rock band)

bbno$

Citizen Soldier (some of their music quite literally kept me alive through some rough nights)

Lemon Demon [two trucks holding hands~, two trucks holding hands~, the passion, the passion, is more than I can withstand~~]

Takayan (たかやん)

CORPSE!

Grim Salvo

grandson

Nathan Wagner

I do listen to a lot of anime opening songs, and movie or game soundtracks and also to literally anything you make into nightcore version lmao.

Anyway, that's all I have <3 Thank you for this ask, Q!

#ask #top 10 list

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auroracalisto · 4 years

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ｍａｓｔｅｒｌｉｓｔ

started: 24 june 2020 last updated: 29 october 2020 see what I will write for here want to submit a request? do it here (:

THIS MASTERLIST WILL NOT BE UPDATED AS OF 18 NOVEMBER 2020. FIND MY NEW MASTERLIST HERE!

☼ BIRDS OF PREY ☼

roman sionis

Roman’s Girl┆first chapter of multiple┆Roman Sionis gets what he wants. And when he sets his eyes on you, a girl ten or more years his junior, he’ll get you. Lucky for him, despite your shy and flustered nature, you want him just as much as he wants you.

married life┆short┆the two were always at it—now, the reader was in the middle of it. harley doesn’t care for roman, but she wouldn’t dare hurt you. hell, she would kidnap you—and that’s how you ended up here.

hormones and clubs┆one-shot┆the reader is pregnant and begs roman for a chance to go to his club before she goes into labor. it doesn’t exactly go how she’d like it to go.

☼ CRIMINAL MINDS ☼

emily prentiss

i love you┆short┆based on the quote “do you still love me?”

my everything┆requested┆by @millipop18: Hi! I love what you write! Could I request a emily prentiss x reader where she comforts the reader who’s struggling with depression? Have a nice day, much love xxx

spencer reid

not alone, never alone┆requested┆ by @amy-de-l-abc. The request was quite long, but the jist of it was having a suicidal reader, but one who isn’t quite able to do anything. She and Reid start out as friends but the ending will have them getting together. Fluff on Reid’s part, as he comforts her when she is feeling down. Reader also feels like she can’t depend on her therapist or her family, and unfortunately, not even a suicide hotline will help (in a very negative way, which is purely for this story’s purpose).

empty hearts┆short┆in which the reader tries to get spencer to talk to them, but he’s just not listening.

useless goodbye┆short┆the reader dies right in front of spencer.

moon and back┆requested┆by @petrichor-ds. “i loved you to the moon and back, you know.” for spencer when he’s comforting his SO who has been ~going through it~ w depression ??

jack-o’-lantern┆short┆where you carve pumpkins with spencer and he tells you how carving pumpkins became a thing.

derek morgan

something extra┆one-shot┆where you’ve been married to morgan and now you’re expecting your second child (with a little extra surprise). the team decides to throw you a baby shower.

baby kicks┆requested┆by anon. hiii, don’t know if ur taking requests rn. but if you are, i would love if you could do an imagine with derek morgan, where the reader is in her 7 or 8th month of pregnancy. and the team is out on the field and the baby kicks and everyone gets so excited, but especially morgan because that’s literally his baby?

☼ GOTHAM ☼

victor zsasz

forever until the end┆first chapter of multiple┆the reader is falcone’s long lost daughter whose mother fled to washington after an argument got out of hand. she was raised in an abused home where if she even mentioned her unknown father, she would be hurt. a couple of months after turning twenty-one, she’s beaten to the point she packs her things in the middle of the night and leaves. she does everything she can to get to gotham, even going as far as stealing a car. in gotham, she, fortunately, meets her father, along with a man named victor zsasz who was given the assignment of keeping the reader safe while she gets used to the city. zsasz has never dreaded a job more, but he ends up surprising even himself when he begins to like the reader.

imagines:

you being done with victor’s shit.

☼ HAIKYUU!! ☼

sugawara koshi

grey┆one-shot┆you had always wondered why the stripe of color on your wrist was grey. moving to a new school in the miyagi prefecture, you find out exactly why.

rest of my life┆short┆what sugawara would say if you ever asked him if you could spend the rest of your life with him.

tsukishima kei

it’s you┆one-shot┆after watching Avengers: Endgame, you meet your soulmate for the first time.

ukai keishin

Unanticipated┆one-shot┆the reader is an English teacher at Karasuno, who lived in the United States for much of her life. Never did she think she would meet her soulmate; at the age of twenty-four, she had yet to find them. Yet, one day, after a day of teaching, her friend Takeda asked her if she would come to the boy’s volleyball club meeting. She did. To her surprise, she remembered how much she loved volleyball and actually found her soulmate in that very gym.

aone takanobu

jackets┆short┆where aone points out that you have something on your shirt and he gives you his jacket.

preferences

how you meet includes hinata, kuroo, oikawa, tsukishima, sugawara, and ukai

☼ HARRY POTTER ☼

draco malfoy

sick┆one-shot┆where draco comes to join you in the common room, coughing his head off.

☼ HETALIA ☼

russia

birthday surprise┆one-shot┆no one seemed to like Ivan. except for you and the children where you worked. with his birthday going unnoticed by your coworkers, you decided to call Natalia up and make it possible for them to celebrate, only asking for friendship in return.

2p! nyo! america

pissy proposal┆one-shot┆Emily’s worried that you’re going to leave her. You make sure she knows that she’s the only one for you.

2p! russia

scared┆short┆our dear reader is pregnant. and she’s really nervous about telling viktor.

america

cute neighbor┆short┆alfred ran out in just his underwear after the fire alarm went off. you luckily had a blanket to spare.

☼ LUCIFER ☼

lucifer morningstar

willpower┆one-shot┆lucifer really doesn’t understand your motives. he tries to figure it out. platonic lucifer x reader.

necessary goodbye┆one-shot┆where the reader loves lucifer, but he’s in love with detective decker.

necessary realization┆requested┆pt. two of necessary goodbye, where the reader is engaged and she brings lucifer her wedding invitation. after she leaves to return to her hotel room for that weekend, he comes after her.

imagines:

lucifer preparing to show you his true face.

marcus pierce/cain

poisoned words┆one-shot┆where the reader is in love with pierce and they go undercover together. reader is poisoned and she goes to the hospital. after coming back, she tries to talk to pierce about how she feels. he shoots her down. i promise, there is a somewhat fluffy end to this.

uncanny resemblance┆requested┆you like the lieutenant. you cannot figure him out. it leads to a home invasion and your uncanny resemblance to a string of victims for anything to happen between the two of you.

amenadiel

lost and found┆one-shot┆the reader’s child, leo, gets lost and goes to the police department. amenadiel and lucifer are there and leo goes straight to amenadiel.

ella lopez

nerd basket┆requested┆being ella’s significant other is always filled with geeky questions and gifts. for your anniversary, she has more questions than you anticipated for your early anniversary gift.

☼ SUPERNATURAL ☼

crowley

fading┆one-shot┆The reader doesn’t know what to do with their self after Crowley dies, right in front of them. There’s nothing that they can do except grieve.

sam winchester

imagines

you hate when Sam says, “All Hallow’s Eve.”

☼ THE AVENGERS ☼

steve rogers

101┆first chapter of three┆steve finally meets his soulmate at the ripe age of 101. his soulmate is 24 and good friends with peter parker.

tony stark

shut up, stark.┆short┆tony stark is arguably the reader’s best friend, despite the constant jokes. he would give anything to help the reader with their constant anxiety.

stephen strange

birthday plans┆short┆It’s Stephen’s birthday. Tony called and said he was having a cookout. But you need to make sure Stephen and your little girl, Rosa, are ready for the event itself.

peter parker

liability┆one-shot┆somehow, the reader is in a predicament that only Spider-man can save them from. But just a couple seconds of Peter not paying attention literally cost them their life.

stalker┆short┆where the reader is being followed and peter comes to the rescue.

imagines

peter loves halloween and among us, a little too much.

natasha romanov

cute┆short┆about natasha calling you cute.

loki laufeyson

a little crush┆short┆in where loki is suuuper vulnerable. fluffy.

imagines

loki doesn’t like midgard holidays.

bucky barnes

cynophobia┆short┆where you’re afraid of dogs and it takes bucky to save you from one trapped in your apartment.

☼ THE LORD OF THE RINGS ☼

samwise gamgee

conceal, don’t feel┆short┆in which samwise doesn’t return your feelings.

☼ THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY ☼

diego hargreeves

replaceable┆one-shot┆in which diego loves lila, you love diego, and you witness the death of your best friend, elliot.

klaus hargreeves

back to the future┆short┆in which you are in love with klaus. he returns the feelings, but unfortunately for you, he does not want you coming to 2019 with him and his siblings.

allison hargreeves

imagines

cuddling with allison.

☼ THE VAMPIRE DIARIES ☼

series:

for the love of you┆the reader is summoned by bonnie, on accident, to the world of the mikaelsons. as confused as she is, she comes to realize that not only has she found her soulmate, she’s found four soulmates. PART ONE PART TWO┆more coming soon

elijah mikaelson

The Soulmate Principle┆one-shot┆Dear Prince Elijah should have just left you alone. But with the Soulmate Principle, he just couldn’t help himself. And it just so happened to cost you your life.

hugs and kisses┆requested┆Hello! Can I request an Elijah x reader one shot; just fluff with lots of kisses and cuddles? Btw, love your blog ^^ — Anon

could you be?┆one-shot┆It’s been on Elijah’s mind for some time. Would you feel the same way? Would you want him for the rest of your life?

ocean’s beauty┆one-shot┆Klaus, of course, the traveller he is, decides to take everyone along with him. You’re a human and you’re married to Elijah. Oh, and your ship’s hit an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic—and it’s sinking quickly.

kiss of life┆one-shot┆polyamorous reader in a relationship with elijah, klaus, and kol has died. however, she comes back in a revenge plot by a witch who lost her wife due to klaus.

injury┆short┆where you are injured and elijah takes care of you.

glitter┆short┆based off of the song glitter, by patrick droney. the reader is dead, but not entirely gone. elijah doesn’t know this.

choose me┆one-shot┆elijah has been a bad boyfriend, in the sense that he’s always gone and never takes into consideration how that makes you feel.

surprise parties┆requested┆Hii! If the bingo requests are still open can you do a one shot of elijah x reader with the birthday prompt it can be like rebekah throwing a birthday party for the reader or just like elijah fluff, up to you <33 — anon

she will be loved┆requested┆Hi! Can I please request an (platonic) Elijah x 3-4 year old fem!child oneshot where when Elijah went to Mystic Falls (when he needed Elena) and when he’s walking, he hears crying and finds her alone on the streets. I’m sure his heart would absolutely break at the sight and he would do anything he can to help calm her down. He obviously wouldn’t leave her on the streets, deciding right then and there that he wants to adopt her, so he brings her home with him. Omggg he would be such a soft (and veryyy protective) dad and all of the Mikaelsons (once they were undaggered) would love her so much 🤧 (Also Elijah would absolutely lose it if the Mystic Falls gang ever brought Y/n into any of the drama) — @kpopgirlbtssvt

a welcome arrangement┆requested┆Hi! If requests are open, could I request an Elijah x Reader where the reader is a vampire and long time friend to the Mikaelson's, and Rebekah and the others try to set her up with Elijah because they know they both like each other? I love your writing!! 💕 — anon

imagines

you adopt a child with Elijah.

klaus mikaelson

you’re safe now┆one-shot┆the reader leaves the mystic grill with the intent of going home. instead, something distracts her and she’s attacked. her soulmate is the one who saves her life. crazily enough, it’s the same guy who she was staring at just moments earlier.

pretend boyfriend┆short┆ reader is being watched by some creepy guy at the mystic grill. she asks dear klaus to pretend to be her boyfriend.

which disney princess are you?┆short┆Klaus walks in on you taking a Which Disney Princess Are You? quiz on Buzzfeed. Color him intrigued.

heather┆short┆in where the reader is in love with klaus, but he loves heather.

endearment┆short┆klaus is in love with you. but he doesn’t know if you return the feelings.

kiss of life┆one-shot┆polyamorous reader in a relationship with klaus, elijah, and kol has died. however, she comes back in a revenge plot by a witch who lost her wife due to klaus.

forgotten lifetimes┆one-shot┆reader has dementia and has forgotten her children on multiple occasions. now, she’s forgetting klaus.

writer’s block┆short┆where the reader is suffering from writer’s block and klaus comforts the reader so they don’t get upset because of it.

silent treatment┆requested┆hi, can you please write an imagine with klaus mikaelson? his gf calls him by one of her close friend’s name (that he don’t like bc he’s possessive like that) and he gives her the silent treatment — anon

one night stands, and then some┆requested┆hi! i just wanted to say that i love your blog! i have a request, for a klaus mikaelson drabble/imagine. where the reade had a one night stand with him (instead of hayley) and now she’s pregnant. whatever else you want to do with that! thank you! ❤️ — @mikaelson-emma

a bolt from the blue┆one-shot┆the reader has recently moved from colorado and finds one of her first cases on the job to be a dead doctor, invited to a ball held by the mikaelsons. she goes, expecting to find the killer, but instead, she finds that two of the mikaelsons have fallen for her—klaus and rebekah.

kol mikaelson

take a hint┆requested┆can you do a kol mikaelson one where Caroline is distracting Klaus and she brought the reader with her so she could distract kol? maybe it can be based on the song take a hint from victorious? i’ve listened to it and thought it would be funny and cute! thank you! — @mikaelson-emma

family game night┆one-shot┆where you play Monopoly with the Mikaelson’s and the youngest finds out he’s developed a little crush.

kiss of life┆one-shot┆polyamorous reader in a relationship with kol, klaus, and elijah has died. however, she comes back in a revenge plot by a witch who lost her wife due to klaus.

tell me a lie┆short┆loosely based off the quote, “my favorite lie was, ‘i love you.’” definitely not happy. reader was cheated on.

forsaken hearts┆short┆kol doesn’t love you. what’s his reason?

talks of mortality┆one-shot┆about you trying to talk kol into taking the cure, but he doesn’t want to listen to what you have to say.

truth or dare┆one-shot┆after a game of truth or dare, you reveal to your friends and siblings that you’re dating kol mikaelson.

times of change┆short┆an argument between kol and the reader.

imagines

kol pisses you off

rebekah mikaelson

pesky┆short┆using the sentence prompt, “can someone kill him again?”

imagines

rebekah reveals how she truly feels.

damon salvatore

Closure┆one-shot┆a year has passed since Damon and the reader broke up. Damon was with Angie, the reader was a depressed shell of herself. A drunken three AM phone call is exactly what it takes for the reader to get some closure.

by your side┆requested┆Can I get a fluff fic of either Elijah Mikaelson or Damon Salvatore where the reader is going through a rough time (depressive episode) and they comfort reader through it? 😔 — anon

stefan salvatore

only time will tell┆requested┆a stefan soulmate au — @123cvcz

lovelorn hearts┆requested┆heyyy, can i request a angst fic where reader is damon’s best friend and stefan has a huge crush on her, she overhears damon teasing him about it which leads to his confession, but she’s unsure if she feels the same way and he gets his heart broken all over again? (after elena) thanks, your writing is lovely. — @xoxosinister

miscellaneous

imagines:

hope hearing stories about you.

☼ X-MEN ☼

charles xavier

happiest year┆one-shot┆although the reader loves charles—although she makes sure he knows that she would do anything for him, he throws it all away. the reader leaves and moves on with her life.

erik lehnsherr

embarrassing moments┆requested┆BROOOOOOO i didn’t know you wrote for the x men … could i please request smth w erik?? smth with mutual pining ~~~ maybe reader is an awkward mutant who’s insecure and can’t talk to erik ……. bro the erik thirst has been REAL recently — @petrichor-ds

sparks fly┆requested┆reader is a cheerful mutant w some sort of electricity ability, and she’s bright until erik comes around. then she’s removed, quiet, and reserved. charles has had enough and pairs them up to do training demos tgt (electricity overlaps w magnetism a bit) and then ~romantic tension~ and then reader finally confesses to him after he’s like “why r u so nervous????” — @petrichor-ds

☼ THE 100 ☼

bellamy blake

imagines:

you’re left behind at mount weather, instead of gina.

#reader insert #x reader #masterlist #fanfiction #x-men #twilight #the vampire diaries #the umbrella academy #lotr #the hobbit #avengers #haikyuu!!#criminal minds #birds of prey

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monggu-eomma · 4 years

Text

Lost and Found: Chapter 1 (Field Trip)

Pairing: Dhampir!Jungkook x Moroi!Reader

Genre: Vampire Academy!AU, action, and fluff

Word Count: 4.4k

Prompt: vampire!au

Warnings: Jungkook says the word “ass,” and there is an action sequence. Brief allusion to blood, because it’s vampires.

Summary: Jungkook is a Dhampir training to become a Guardian. His whole life he had been taught that “they come first” and that he is meant to guard and protect. In the middle of the field exam, Jungkook tries to wrestle with unanswered questions while protecting you at all costs.

Author’s Note: First off as far as fanfiction goes, I just want to note that this is the longest thing that I have ever written. This vampire!au is based off of the Vampire Academy books and as such I don’t have any ownership over the mythology of this story. With that being said, don’t worry if you’ve never read the books before. I made sure to include enough background information so that you can fully enjoy reading this scenario without having prior knowledge. This scenario is also for the BGW Bingo Bash and falls under the “vampire!au” prompt. © Field Trip is copyright monggu-eomma. Do not re-post, modify, and/or translate this piece of writing without my permission.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The world is not as it seems -- humans are not as alone as they think themselves to be. In the shadows of the moonlit nights, Moroi and Strigoi are at odds with each other. The Moroi, living vampires with the ability to control one of the five elements: earth, air, water, fire, and spirit, are under the constant threat of becoming the meal of the Strigoi, undead vampires that have little to no control over their bloodlust. In the middle of this eternal conflict are the Dhampirs, half human and half Moroi, and they serve as the sworn protectors of the Moroi. They are the only thing that stands in the way of the Strigoi and their next meal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They come first. The mantra was a whisper that entered Jungkook’s mind as he woke up from another nightmare. He didn’t need to be reminded of that saying. Ever since he started going to St. Vladimir's Academy to train to become a Guardian, that phrase became a mantra that was ingrained into the minds of every Dhampir. They come first.

Jungkook sat up from his bed, the covers pooling around his bare waist. He ran his fingers through his long, wavy hair as he thought about the field exam. It had been three weeks since the field test had first been administered. The field test was meant to test all last year novices to see if they were ready to be Guardians. The field exam consisted of all last year novices being assigned to a Moroi to guard for six weeks. During that six week period Jungkook had to follow and guard you, a Moroi that also went to St. Vladimir’s Academy, against professional Guardians that would attack at random to simulate the attack from Strigoi.

Two of the perks of this six-week exam was that Jungkook didn’t have to go to his regular day classes and that he didn’t have to wear the St. Vlad’s uniform. Instead, he would wear all black, like every Guardian, and he would follow the Moroi that he is assigned to, in that case being you, as you attend your night classes, seeing as sunlight causes discomfort to Moroi. This six week exam also gave Jungkook time to think about his future without having to worry about keeping up with his classes. He would be graduating in a few months and from there he had two options -- petition to be the Guardian of a Moroi, or let the Council choose who he should guard, and Jungkook wasn’t sure which option to choose.

After taking a longer than usual shower, Jungkook dressed in a slightly loose black shirt that he tucked into tight fitting black pants that accentuated his thick thighs and long legs. He finished the look with a black belt around his pants and tan combat boots. Today was a special day, because the Moroi History of Ancient Civilizations class was going on a field trip to the Natural History Museum. If he weren’t in the middle of the field test, Jungkook would be happy to have an excuse to leave St. Vlad’s for a day, but today the field test would be twice as hard. Ordinarily Jungkook only had to worry about fake “Strigoi attacks” from his instructors, but today he also had to worry about real Strigoi attacks. Strigoi attacks were not a common occurrence during the day since Strigoi burned when they came into contact with sunlight, but they could still hide in the shadows to wait for the opportune moment to strike.

Rolling his shoulders and craning his neck, Jungkook took a deep breath. “Everything is going to be fine,” he said to himself in hopes that he would be able to manifest what he desired. He patted the pockets of his pants to check and make sure that he had everything that he needed with him. “Nothing will go wrong. There will be actual Guardians there and Strigoi wouldn’t try to attack with all of us around during the day.”

With a final deep breath, Jungkook left his room to find you and join the others for the field trip. It wasn’t often that the Moroi went out during the day, considering the discomfort that they experienced when coming into contact with sunlight. Jungkook needed to make sure that you were ready for the field trip and remembered to stay close to him, not that you need reminding. Guarding you was easy since you didn’t sneak off and you kept out of trouble. In fact, Jungkook wouldn't have minded guarding you after he graduated, but that was a thought that he could entertain later. For now he needed to be focused and prepared. Everything is going to be fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I hate field trips,” Jimin muttered as he watched Moroi students walking around the botanical exhibit of the Natural History Museum. Jungkook stood next to him and laughed at his remark. Jimin was a Dhampir, just like Jungkook. He was half human and half Moroi, whereas Jungkook was half Dhampir and half Moroi. Jimin looked like the typical Dhampir: average height, above average good looks, and muscular strength. Although Jungkook was also a Dhampir, from afar he could easily be mistaken for a Moroi with his height and good looks, but upon closer inspection it was clear that Jungkook was no Moroi. His muscular strength alone was indicative that he was no Moroi and his tan skin was evidence that unlike the Moroi, he could be out in the Sun without experiencing mild discomfort.

“I didn’t know it was possible for you to hate something,” Jungkook jokingly replied as he looked down at his friend. Jimin huffed and folded his arms over his chest. It took a lot of willpower for Jungkook to not coo at his friend.

“Why? Because I’m short and cute,” Jimin spitefully replied, using air quotes when he said cute.

“There’s nothing wrong with being short and cute,” Jungkook said. Jimin sent him a questioning look and before his friend could pounce on him, because Jungkook knew that Jimin would, he added, “Strigoi underestimate you when they see you. They think ‘this small thing isn’t a problem’ and then you kick their ass, so it works out in the end.”

Jimin shook his head left and right. “I just don’t like that we have to be on duty while they get to enjoy everything,” Jimin said, gesturing at a group of giggling Moroi that passed them. They waved their hands, flipping their hair as they passed by. Jungkook would have waved back, to be polite, but his homeroom teacher was looking at him and his gaze exuded an if-you-wave-back-or-flirt-with-them-you’ll-fail-for-today.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have insisted on guarding a royal,” Jungkook said as he directed his gaze to Taehyung, the Moroi that Jimin was hellbent on protecting. Even though there were plenty of professional Guardians around, both Jungkook and Jimin had to be extra vigilant since they were not within the safe confines of St. Vladimir’s Academy. Taehyung was a royal Moroi and as a result, he was a constant target, with or without the field test. Although Jungkook knew that there was no way that Jimin would have chosen anyone else to protect, even if he wasn’t officially Taehyung’s Guardian, yet, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You know that’s impossible,” Jimin retorted. “He and I have been best friends since we were six.”

Jimin and Jungkook continue to focus their gaze on Taehyung, who was inspecting a biological timeline of the Earth’s history, and you by his side seeming to feign interest. Taehyung had the typical features of a Moroi, he was slim and tall with wavy light brown hair falling in waves over his piercing brown eyes. He wore a green silk dress shirt with a few buttons undone to show off his collarbone and loose fit black slacks paired with brown sandals. Like all Moroi he was beautiful without even trying. Although Jungkook couldn’t deny that Taehyung was good-looking, he was not the one that had captured his attention-- it was the Moroi standing next to Taehyung that had captured Jungkook’s heart. It was none other than you, Y/N. He had spoken to you for the first time three weeks ago, when he was assigned as your “Guardian” for the field test. You were also tall, although not as tall as Taehyung, and beautiful without even trying. Unlike Taehyung you were not a royal, although that didn’t matter to Jungkook. Even with the simple clothes that you wore, a plain short-sleeved, black dress that stopped a few inches above your knee with fake glasses -- you were without a doubt breathtaking, figuratively and literally-- not that Jungkook would ever admit that to himself or anyone else.

“Y/N looks cute today,” Jimin remarked. Jungkook slightly jumped away from his thoughts and awkwardly averted his gaze elsewhere. You always look cute.

“Um... Yeah... She looks good,” Jungkook said, hoping that Jimin wouldn’t read too much into this. Jungkook didn’t want people knowing that he found you mildly attractive. Jungkook and Jimin were close friends, but he knew that Jimin was terrible at keeping secrets and this mild attraction did not need to be out in the open for the whole world to know, especially you. It was widely known that Dhampirs and Moroi never had serious romantic relationships. At most Dhampirs and Moroi fooled around and when the time came for more serious relationships, they settled down with their own respective races. Jungkook didn’t want to be mocked or put down for having mild feelings that would lead to nothing.

Jimin nudged Jungkook with his elbow, a knowing smile on his face. Jungkook opened his mouth to rebuke Jimin, when a screech pulled them out of the beginning of playful banter. They both turned to the sound of the sudden screech, ready to jump in action. Taehyung was grinning as his fingers moved around to create a disarray of flowers in your hair. The sudden growth of flowers had taken you by surprise and caused you to get frustrated at Taehyung. You had spent a lot of that morning doing your hair, since it was not cooperating, and he was turning it into a bird’s nest. Jungkook’s spiked heart rate had calmed down once he saw that you weren’t in danger.

“You really take this seriously, don’t you?” Jimin asked with slight concern laced in his voice as he noticed Jungkook’s hand reaching for his silver stake. Jungkook hadn’t even realized that he had done that. Jungkook looked at him in surprise. Jimin immediately put his hands up. “It's not a bad thing. It’s good to take this test seriously and to be on guard, but you’ve changed since the test started. Before you were confident and couldn’t care less. Now... Now you’re on edge.”

“Well we’re Guardians in training. It’s our job to look after the Moroi and make sure that they don’t become the meal of the Strigoi,” Jungkook mechanically replied in an attempt to explain his recent change in behavior. “Even with their powers, they are still vulnerable and an easy target.”

Jimin nodded his head in agreement and put his hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. “You are the top of our class, Jungkook. You are more than capable of protecting Y/N and whoever you are assigned to after graduation.”

“I know that... I know that I’ll be a good Guardian--”

“Great,” Jimin coughed.

Jungkook playfully rolled his eyes. “Yes, a great Guardian. But this test is making everything seem that much more real -- protecting Moroi and killing Strigoi.”

“But there’s something more,” Jimin added. Jungkook nervously shifted on his feet. Jimin was right. There was something more, but Jungkook didn’t know if he was ready to say it. To admit it would expose him and it would make his fear that much more real.

“Look, I--”

“Jungkook!”

Jungkook and Jimin both slightly jumped at your sudden appearance. The flowers that once decorated your hair were gone, for the most part. Jungkook could still see a few loose pink flower petals in your hair.

“Hi Y/N,” Jimin said with a big smile. Jungkook was still staring at your hair. He wanted to look away and say something, but he couldn’t. Unfortunately, you had caught on to his staring and looked up at your hair in panic.

“Are there still flowers in my hair?” You asked as you started combing your fingers through your hair. “Taehyung made these pink flowers grow in my hair when I told him that he reminded me of seaweed with that green shirt that he’s wearing today.”

Without thinking Jungkook took a step towards you, so that you were a little less than a foot apart and started to extract the petals from your hair. You froze at how close he was to you and under his touch, not expecting him to help you remove the loose flower petals. During the time that he had been guarding you, Jungkook had been quiet and standoffish. He hardly spoke and when he did it was to discuss your next destination or talk about Guardian/Moroi business related things. On the one hand, you didn’t mind his professionalism, but on the other, you wished he would open up to you more.

You continued to comb through your hair as Jungkook finished removing the last of the flower petals. At the last petal, Jungkook’s fingers lightly brushed against your hand. A slight buzz ran through your hand at the simple and brief touch, and it left you wondering if touching him would always be like that, or if it was just a part of your imagination.

Jungkook cleared his throat and took a large step back away from you, the lack of his warmth leaving you a little cold.

“There, all gone,” Jungkook finally said. You nodded your head and fiddled around with your dress as your mind lingered on the feeling of his fingers lightly brushing against your hand.

“HEY Y/N!” You winced at Taehyung’s loud, booming voice. He slung his arm around your shoulder and much to your annoyance he leaned some of his weight onto your body. “Did you tell them?”

“Tell us what?” Jimin skeptically asked, his arms folded against his chest as he scrutinized Taehyung’s grin paired with the mischievous look in his eyes.

“Y/N and I are going to check out the night sky exhibit. It basically shows you what Earth’s night sky was like before industrialism and technology was a thing,” Taehyung explained.

“Sounds good,” Jimin replied. “We’ll follow you along.”

Jungkook squared up his shoulders and walked with Jimin as he trailed behind you and Taehyung. There was a light bounce to Jimin’s step and Jungkook suspected that Jimin was happy to finally be moving on to a new exhibit.

“You know, it’s moments like this where I’m thankful that neither of us was assigned to be Jin’s Guardian for this exam,” Jimin said. Jungkook laughed and nodded his head.

“Me too. If one of us had to guard him during this field trip, it would be a disaster,” Jungkook replied. He felt bad for Hoseok, Jin’s “Guardian,” and he could only imagine the pain that Jin was putting him through right now. Jungkook had hoped and prayed to the highest of heavens that he would not be assigned to Jin for his exam. Although he was on good terms with him, Jin was notorious for walking to the beat of his own drum and Jungkook pitied the Dhampir that would officially guard him once he graduated from St. Vladimir's.

Jungkook saw you slightly shiver as you entered the night sky exhibit and he too could feel the shift in the air from damp and warm, to dry and cold. The change in air was very welcome to Jungkook, since he was feeling hot in the previous, overly crowded exhibit.

The night sky exhibit turned out to be a room that was shaped like a planetarium, although unlike a planetarium there were no chairs. There was quiet, ambient music playing in the background of the dark room. The only source of light came from small dots of light clustered in the ceiling. All in all, the night sky exhibit was simply beautiful. Jungkook took some time to admire the “stars” above him, but his thoughts were quickly brought back to the present as he heard Taehyung attempting to point out constellations, with you laughing while accusing him of making up constellations. Dark places were not ideal places to be spending time in, but due to Dhampirs having heightened senses, Jungkook and Jimin were more than capable of seeing around the dark room and keep an eye out on Taehyung and you despite the dim lighting.

Suddenly, a sense of dread filled Jungkook as the air in the room abruptly shifted and grew colder and drier. Goosebumps ran along the back of his neck with a shiver running through his whole body. I’ve felt this way before.

He quickly turned around, his silver stake in hand and with all of the force he could muster, he stabbed at whatever was behind him. In the back of his mind Jungkook hoped that it was just a Guardian staging a fake Strigoi attack for the exam, but the fear in Jimin’s eyes told Jungkook that there was no Guardian nearby.

Jungkook missed his jab and with a strong push from the Strigoi that he tried to stab, his body was flung against a wall. A sickening crack from the wall pulled a scream from you. The back of Jungkook’s head began to throb as his body slid against the wall to the ground. If he were human, he was certain he would be bleeding, but he couldn't linger on that thought for now. Jungkook could see Taehyung standing defensively in front of you, with Jimin in front of you and Taehyung. This was far from over. Jungkook would fight until the very end, no matter the price that he would have to pay. They come first.

Jungkook pulled his body up and focused his gaze on the Strigoi standing a few feet away from him. The undead vampire had his back to him and was focusing on Jimin. It probably thought that Jungkook was knocked out, but it would take more than that to stop Jungkook. He would do everything in his power to protect you. They come first.

Jimin didn’t dare look at Jungkook, so as to not give him away. He caught the glance that Jungkook shot him and briefly nodded at him. Alone they couldn’t take that Strigoi down, but together they had a small chance. Novices like Jungkook and Jimin stood no chance against a Strigoi, but they were certain that the screams would alert Guardians to their predicament and if they could hold off the Strigoi even for a moment, maybe the Moroi could make it out alive.

It was now or never. Jungkook lunged towards the Strigoi, his silver stake aimed at the back of the Strigoi’s heart. Everything moved in slow motion during his lunge. Jungkook noticed Taehyung’s outstretched hands prepared to use his element to his advantage, although it would do little good in this fight since Moroi were not trained in using their powers to fight. Next, Jungkook saw Jimin’s hard gaze along with his hard, defensive stance. At least if something bad happened to him, Jungkook knew that Jimin would protect you in his stead. Finally, Jungkook’s gaze landed on you. He could see the palm of your hands and he smiles to himself, seeing that you want to fight with your element. Had you always been this brave, or had he missed the small signs that gave way to your bravery as he followed you around these last few weeks? Jungkook looked into your eyes for a brief moment and instead of seeing the fear mixed with determination that he expected to see, he saw your eyes filled with terror. Something’s not right.

Jungkook heard the crunch of a stake going through flesh quickly followed by Taehyung and you shouting his name. He knew that the blow coming from the Strigoi would kill him, and there was nothing that he could do. Jungkook was fast, but he was not as fast as a Strigoi. He couldn't move fast enough to save himself -- to save you. He felt a warm rush of air followed by a cold hand backhanding him, knocking him hard to the ground.

The last thing that Jungkook could see as his body fell to the floor was Taehyung holding you in his arms, stopping you from going to him. This scene felt all too familiar to Jungkook and he wished that he could push his body up from the ground, but the blow from the Strigoi was devastating. It felt like he had nothing left in him to do anything anymore. He just hoped that he had done enough to give you time. They come first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took a few moments for Jungkook to open his eyes. For a brief moment he wondered if he strayed into the afterlife, but a quiet assessment of his surroundings pointed at something else. The room smelt sterile and slightly fresh from a soft breeze from an open window drifting from one place to the next. The material from the thin blanket that covered two-thirds of his body felt worn, used, and familiar. Although it had been almost a year since Jungkook had been to the infirmary of St. Vladimir’s Academy, nothing had changed. He had become all too familiar with the infirmary for three out of the four years that he had been attending St. Vlad’s due to the numerous injuries he had sustained during his training.

After allowing himself to regain some energy, Jungkook was finally able to open his eyes. The natural light from the infirmary wasn’t kind to eyes and it forced him to blink several times, to reduce the sudden harshness. Finally, Jungkook noticed that he was far from alone. He looked to his left and saw a person sitting on a chair with their head resting against his hip. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw a forgotten flower petal on the back of your head.

Jungkook shifted his body to get to a more comfortable position causing you to wake from your brief rest. After wiping the sleep away from your eyes, you found Jungkook staring at you. This wasn’t an uncommon situation for you to find yourself in with Jungkook. You had always wondered if he stared at you because he liked to study people or perhaps because he didn’t know what to say. There was also a possibility that it was a combination of both of those things. Typically you would speak up to break Jungkook out of his thoughts, but this time he was the first to speak up.

“.... you stayed?” Jungkook stated.

“Of course I did,” you said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You’re my Guardian.”

Silence filled the infirmary at the realization at what had taken place in the night sky exhibit settled into Jungkook’s thoughts and your thoughts.

“You could have died,” you whispered, looking down at your hands. “If we hadn’t--”

“It’s okay, Y/N.” Jungkook placed his hand on your hand to give some comfort. “No matter what we do, there will always be threats. There is nothing that we can do about the fact that there are threats, but the best that we can do is be prepared.”

You nodded your head and despite the tears that clouded your sight, you smiled.

“We cannot change the circumstances that we face, but we can change how we proceed with them,” Jungkook continued to say. He removed his hand from your hand so that you could wipe away the stray tears that pooled in your eyes.

“You’re right. We can’t change the cards we have been dealt, we can only do our best with what we have.” Jungkook smiled and continued to ask you questions.

“How are Taehyung and Jimin?”

Your smile was more than enough to reassure Jungkook as you explained how his stake and Jimin’s stake both pierced the Strigoi’s heart from opposite sides. That meant that Jimin and Jungkook would both be getting a molnija mark, a mark that is tattooed on the back of the neck’s of Guardians to mark how many Strigoi they had killed. It was almost unheard of for Novices to have even one molnija mark, but it wasn’t totally impossible.

You explained how Guardians had come rushing into the planetarium just a few seconds after Jungkook was knocked out. It was relief to hear that nothing terrible or unexpected had happened after that. You went on to tell Jungkook that he had only been out for a few hours and that as a result of his accelerated healing he would be alright to continue his exam and acting as your “Guardian” in a day or two.

Long after you left to feed, Jungkook once again found himself thinking about his future and you. Before this exam, Jungkook wasn’t sure which direction to go in. There hadn’t been a Moroi that he wanted to petition to guard, but Jungkook didn’t want to put his name on a volunteer list and let someone else choose who he should guard. He didn’t want to risk being stuck with a stuck up Moroi and before the field test Jungkook felt as though he would be doomed to that fate. Then, Jungkook thought about you. He thought about how air always seems to have an extra swirl around you, which made sense considering that you were an Air user. You were not as impulsive or crazy as Jin, but he could start to see that you were not as quiet and docile as you made yourself out to be. He also thought about how patient you were with him despite his awkwardness and his occasional abruptness.

Even if he had only known you for a brief time, Jungkook couldn’t deny his attraction towards you. Was it just physical? Was there something more to it? It was too soon to tell, but Jungkook wanted to know more. He wanted his questions answered. Maybe after the exam was over he would continue to look after you, if you would let him. Maybe he wasn’t doomed.

Sleep washed over Jungkook and he let himself succumb to the land of far away dreams with a new mantra in mind.

You come first.

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crowdvscritic · 3 years

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round up // AUGUST 21

Happy 2nd birthday to these Round Ups! For two years I’ve been making monthly pop culture picks, and they’ve included:

More than 200 movies

32 TV shows and specials, plus 8 different Saturday Night Live Round Ups

27 albums, singles, playlists, and more music picks

13 podcasts

12 books

2 concerts

There have also been articles, events, museums, social media bits, trailers, and a service that helps you find movies across streaming platforms. (Find all of them here.) This month I’m adding a few more, like:

2 podcasts

2 albums

5 vampire movies

A conversation between two GOATs

A very funny dead guy

A terrifying Robert Mitchum performance

Another Dumb Rom-Com I Nevertheless Enjoyed

Here’s to another year!

August Crowd-Pleasers

1. Jungle Cruise (2021)

Indiana Jones meets Pirates of the Caribbean with a dash of The African Queen. I like all those movies, so sue me, I had a nice time! Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

2. Deep Blue Sea (1999)

Genetically-enhanced sharks try to break free of their cages in an ocean research facility, chaos ensues for the characters, and it’s a delight for us. For no intelligent reason, I love movies that make me guess who’s going to get killed off next, so a big dumb shark movie starring L.L. Cool J and Samuel L. Jackson? It’s a particular brand of joy. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 5.5/10

3. Double Feature — Adam Sandler Comedies: 50 First Dates (2004) + Murder Mystery (2019)

Adam Sandler movies are little like IcyHot for the brain—that is, they’re the relaxing kind of mind-numbing. Thanks to a stressful month at work, I watched six Sandler flicks in August—which I don’t necessarily recommend but also don’t regret—and the Netflix original Murder Mystery (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10) was one of the the best of the bunch. It’s a silly spoof of Agatha Christie’s work, and it’s a scenic two-hour European vacay. I also gave 50 First Dates (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10) another try and was pleasantly surprised. Once you get past some of the gross-out humor at the beginning, you’ll find a sweet story all about how we need to keep showing up for the people we love.

4. Double Feature — SNL Comedies: Wayne’s World (1992) + Hot Rod (2007)

My love for Saturday Night Live is more than well-documented, so exactly zero mes were surprised that I loved these flicks from its alums. Wayne’s World (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10) follows up with Wayne and Garth in the basement we first saw on late night. Now they have the opportunity to make it big on TV thanks to a sleazy exec (Rob Lowe). Brian Doyle-Murray and Chris Farley show up, and so do Laverne and Shirley? Hot Rod (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10) follows Rod (Andy Samberg) as he tries to make it big as a stuntman and impress his stepdad (Ian McShane). Will Arnett, Bill Hader, and Chris Parnell show up, and now I can mostly forgive all those boys in high school who quoted this movie non-stop.

5. Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)

If those SNL comedies weren’t enough silliness for you, how about you add some Bernie to your lineup? Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman are wannabe-yuppies who think they’ve got their career breaks when an exec named Bernie invites them to his vacation home for the weekend. What they don’t know is that Bernie (Terry Kiser) has been laundering money, is connected to the mob, and, is now, um, dead. The right thing would be to call the police, but then we wouldn’t have a 97-minute high-concept comedy, now would we? Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10

6. Twilight series (2008-12)

I mostly skipped the Twilight phenomenon at its peak, but I’m so glad I hopped on the train years later—this series of vampire vs. werewolf showdowns are ridiculous. But major kudos to the filmmakers who somehow turned a dump truck of nonsensical gobbledygook and unhealthy teenage relationships into something insanely watchable. Also, major kudos to Billy Burke and his understated, curmudgeonly, sarcastic performance. Bella’s dad is the MVP with the only appropriate responses to all of the nonsense he's forced to participate in and the only tether this franchise has to reality. Be sure to watch with a friend so you have someone else to process this weirdness with. Series Crowd: 8/10 // Series Critic: 5/10

7. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at The Muny

You know what’s great? Live theater! This month I made my first trip back to the stage at America’s oldest and largest outdoor amphitheater, the Muny in St. Louis. Their productions never disappoint, and these performers reminded me of Howard Keel, Jane Powell, and Russ Tamblyn in the best ways.

8. Wimbledon (2004)

Paul Bettany and Kirsten fall in love at Wimbledon! Frankly, that premise alone should be enough to sell you on this very winning rom-com. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

9. Career Opportunities (1991)

This month’s Dumb Rom-Com I Nevertheless Enjoyed! Frank Whaley and Jennifer Connelly fall in love while stuck overnight at a Target—which honestly sounds like a dream scenario—and since it’s a John Hughes script, it’s got some heart beneath its thin premise. John Hughes directing would’ve made it better, but there’s enough Hughes in there to catch my heart. Crowd: 7/10 // Critic: 4.5/10

10. First Blood (1982)

Aka Rambo: Part I. Sylvester Stallone is a tough-as-nails Vietnam vet, and Brian Dennehy is the self-righteous sheriff who ticks him off. It digs a bit into PTSD and how we don’t take care of our veterans, but mostly, it’s just Stallone going ape with a knife and explosives. Oddly, also from the same director as Weekend at Bernie’s! Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

August Critic Picks

1. TCM’s The Plot Thickens Season 2 (2021)

You know those movies that make you ask, “How on Earth did this get made?” This season of The Plot Thickens, subtitled The Devil’s Candy, is an attempt to answer that question. Pretty much no one thinks 1990’s The Bonfire of the Vanities works as a film—including yours truly—and reporter Julie Salomon documented many of its production troubles leading to the final product. A must-listen for anyone who loves hearing behind-the-scenes stories or just gets a kick out of schadenfreude.

2. Gene and Roger (2021)

Gene and Roger, the summer series on The Big Picture podcast, is an overview and reflection on the work of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, starting with the launch of their individual careers in the ‘60s through their partnership that lasted into the ‘90s. Another must-listen for movie lovers, especially those who love digging into the history and criticism.

3. Gold-Diggers Sound by Leon Bridges (2021)

Chill vibes and cool groves to transition you from Summer to Autumn.

4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Come for the Clint Eastwood, stay for the Ennio Morricone. Actually you can stay for Eastwood, too, because his humor is at his driest, and for Eli Wallach, whose Tuco is an insanely charming cockroach. It’s almost three hours, but this treasure hunt breezes by like a tumbleweed in the wind. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10

5. AFI’s Master Class - The Art of Collaboration: Steven Spielberg and John Williams (2011)

Two GOATS talking about making some of the GOATs. They share clips and explain their collaborative process (including on projects like Jaws and Schindler’s List), and they take questions from film students at AFI. I’m only wishing it were 10 hours instead of 1!

6. The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Robert Mitchum’s terrifying preacher elevates this classic into more than just a standard crime thriller. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

7. Respect (2021)

While a few scenes indulge in melodrama, Jennifer Hudson’s killer performance—both in vocals and character work—more than makes up for it. This Aretha Franklin biopic hits the familiar beats, but it makes you feel like you’re in the room listening to Franklin sing , which is really all you want from a movie like this. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8/10

8. Solar Power by Lorde (2021)

At first listen, this minimalist pop record sounds worlds away from the angst of Pure Heroine and the melodrama of Melodrama. At second listen, you realize it’s the Lorde you know and love, just with a Laurel Canyon influence. Carole King even gets a shout!

Also in August…

This month Kyla and I checked out Loveline, a call-in radio show popular during the run of Gilmore Girls. Should our favorite Yale students give up dating OR call into the syndicated radio show Loveline? Should Dr. Drew Pinsky and Adam Carolla give strangers advice OR make fun of them? Oh, and Germany OR Florida? Listen to ep. 107 of SO IT’S A SHOW?

The '40s are coming! Reviews of 1940s Best Picture winners are on their way, and I kicked it off with an overview of the Academy that decade focusing on how they responded to World War II and their new prestigious reputation.

Photo credits: The Muny, The Plot Thickens, Gene and Roger, Leon Bridges, AFI, Lorde. All others IMDb.com.

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booksbookssomemoviesandbooks · 3 years

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Book Recs

Hello! so for my first post, I'll recommend some books, so y'all can have a closer look at some fandoms I'll post about! enjoy!!

Harry Potter By J.K. Rowling is definitely an interesting, well-written series! there are 7 books however, and the books get bigger as the series progresses. It's sometimes difficult to know the exact order, so I'll list it below:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Although the movies are great, they don't include all the amazing details, as with all movies. A short summary:

Harry Potter, a young boy who’s being constantly abused by his uncle Vernon and aunt Petunia, gets a peculiar letter from the magical school of Hogwarts, where he spends most of his time, becoming his home.

Quotes:

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." ― Albus Dumbledore

“You’re just as sane as I am" - Luna Lovegood

“Mischief managed" - Fred and George Weasley

It is Important to know that j*r is a huge transphobe, along with other things, and is currently being erased by the fandom itself.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, along with the other series by Rick Riordan, is a definite must-read. With each book, you can really notice the character developments and a lot more! There is loads of representation in this one, with lgbtqia+ characters, black characters, Muslim characters and more. It's very action-packed and addicting, sucking you into the magnificent world of Half-Bloods and Demigods within the first page. The first series consists of 5 books, in the following order:

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse

Percy Jackson and the Battle of The Labyrinth

Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian

THE MOVIES ARE TRASH SO I DEFINITELY DO NOT RECOMMEND WATCHING THEM BEFORE READING THE BOOKS!!! There were many changes and the movies aren't nearly as good as the books. A short summary:

Percy Jackson, a 12 year-old who lives with his mother, Sally, and step-father, Gabe, attends the private boarding school Yancy Academy. While on a school trip, his teacher, Mrs. Dodds, turns into a fury and attacks him. This, in turn, triggers a series of other problems and adventures.

Quotes:

“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.” - Percy Jackson

“With great power, comes great need to nap. Wake me up later." - Nico Di Angelo

“Even strength has to bow down to wisdom sometimes." - Annabeth Chase

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of my most recommended series! With everything it deals with, from the Capitol to the districts to the champions, the books are amazing!

Order:

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Starring the movies is the amazing Jennifer Lawrence, but with all books, the movies have slight differences, although I definitely recommend watching them when you're done with the books.

A Short Summary:

In what was once North America, the Capitol of Panem maintains its hold on its 12 districts by forcing them each to select a boy and a girl, called Tributes, to compete in a nationally televised event called the Hunger Games. Every citizen must watch as the youths fight to the death until only one remains. District 12 Tribute Katniss Everdeen has little to rely on, other than her hunting skills and sharp instincts, in an arena where she must weigh survival against love.

(FILM SYNOPSIS)

Quotes:

"May the odds be ever in your favor." - Effie Trinket

"Fire is catching, and if we burn, you burn with us!" - Katniss Everdeen

“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” - President Snow

Divergent is another book with a huge fandom, and rightfully so. This book is amazing, and you honestly can't live without having read it!

Order:

Divergent

Insurgent

Allegiant

Surprisingly, I haven't watched the movies yet, but I hear that they aren’t that bad, so you should give them a go!

Summary:

In a world run by fictional classes known as factions, children who reach the age of 16 begin to choose which factions they wish to call home for the rest of their lives. Each faction comes with its own ups and downs, so it's definitely a hard choice, especially for someone as unique as Beatrice.

Quotes:

“Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it“ - Four

“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” - Dauntless Motto

"We are not the same. But we are, somehow, one." - Tris

You might have heard of this series, and it's really addictive, trust me! The Mortal Instruments is one of the most astonishing books I've ever read, and it's most definitely my go-to when recommending a book series!

Order:

City of Bones

City of Ashes

City of Glass

City of Fallen Angels

City of Lost Souls

City of Heavenly Fire

Again, (I know this is rather disappointing) I haven't watched the movies, but do check them out!

Summary:

Clary Fray's search for her missing mother leads her into an alternate New York called Downworld, filled with mysterious faeries, hard-partying warlocks, not-what-they-seem vampires, an army of werewolves, and the demons who want to destroy it all.

via: https://shadowhunters.com/shadowhunters-novels/the-mortal-instruments/#:~:text=Clary%20Fray's%20search%20for%20her,want%20to%20destroy%20it%20all.

Quotes:

“Heroes aren't always the ones who win. They're the ones who lose, sometimes. But they keep fighting, they keep coming back. They don't give up. That's what makes them heroes.” - Clary Fairchild

“If I cannot move Heaven, I will raise Hell.” - Sebastion Morgenstern

“The descent into Hell is easy.” - Motto of the Nephilim

Gay. What more needs to be said?

SADLY, there isn't a movie yet, but I think they're working on one, or sure though

Summary:

Set in a world in which a female Democrat from Texas wins the presidency in 2016, Red, White & Royal Blue chronicles the illicit romance between the president's son, Georgetown senior Alex Claremont-Diaz (Dad is a Mexican-American senator), and Prince Henry of Wales, his childhood nemesis.

Via: https://www.wsj.com/articles/red-white-royal-blue-book-summer-beach-read-11565285001#:~:text=Set%20in%20a%20world%20in,of%20Wales%2C%20his%20childhood%20nemesis.

Also, classic enemies-friends-lovers arc and honestly it's amazing

Quotes:

“As your mother, I can appreciate that maybe this isn’t your fault, but as the president, all I want is to have the CIA fake your death and ride the dead-kid sympathy into a second term.” - Ellen Claremont

" 'that’s because you can’t hear all the menacing gobbling.' 'Yes, famously the most sinister of all animal sounds, the gobble.' " - Harry and Alex

"History, huh? Bet we could make some." - Alex

I’m sure you've heard at least a little bit about this book. While not nearly as famous as ones mentioned above, it's still just as good, of not better. I'd say this book is one of my favorites, to be honest. It speaks about a lot of topics people usually find disturbing, and it makes me so happy that it's there, it's written, it's amazing. PTSD, coming out issues, abusive relationships and more, this book is truly awesome.

TRIGGER WARNING

Summary:

A young boy named Charlie usually dissociates, and pushes other people away. He’s afraid of beginning high school, until he meets two other students who show him how bizarre and amazing the world is.

Quotes:

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite” - Charlie

“We accept the love we think we deserve” - Mr. Anderson

“You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love" - Sam

This book is honestly pro-feminist and I think that's much more than enough

Summary:

Kaur explores the true impact of sexual abuse and harassment, as well as the difficulties of immigrating, being a female, and depression.

It's also a poem

TRIGGER WARNING

Quotes:

“what is stronger

than the human heart

which shatters over and over

and still lives”

“you do not just wake up and become the butterfly

- growth is a process”

“on the last day of love

my heart cracked inside my body"

This book isn't very well-known, which really sucks because I really love how it speaks about the consequences of WWII from the German point of view. And about the Germans who did not believe in Hitler's ways. It's also based on a real story, and it's so cool

Summary:

A nurse working in a nursing home meets a peculiar old lady who decides to tell her her story when she meets the nurse's younger son, Karl, who reminded her of her brother. Lizzie (the old lady) speaks about life in Dresden before the war, and even after it. She also tells them the story about the strange, magnificent elephant in her garden.

Quotes:

“That was the only way of keeping our hopes alive, by looking beyond all we were seeing around us, and the shadow of disaster that hung over us.” -

“I think I have always had a strong sense of justice, of fair play, of what is right and what is wrong.” -

“Our home should be an oasis of peace and harmony for us in a troubled world.” - Lizzie (Quoting Papi)

10.

This book is pro-blm and it's ahead of its time (by like 2 years but still).

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. via: https://socialjusticebooks.org/the-hate-u-give/#:~:text=Sixteen%2Dyear%2Dold%20Starr%20Carter,hands%20of%20a%20police%20officer.

Quotes:

“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.” - Lisa

“Daddy once told me there’s a rage passed down to every black man from his ancestors, born the moment they couldn’t stop the slave masters from hurting their families. Daddy also said there’s nothing more dangerous than when that rage is activated.” - Starr

“Everybody wants to talk about how Khalil died,” I say. “But this isn’t about how Khalil died. It’s about the fact that he lived. His life mattered. Khalil lived!” I look at the cops again. “You hear me? Khalil lived!” - Starr

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the--sad--hatter · 4 years

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The Weird & The Wonderful - Writing Challenge

I normally wait until the big milestones to do a celebration challenge, but I thought I would bring this one forward for obvious reasons. So this is my 4,400 follower celebration!

The Weird & The Wonderful. Magic, adventure, and just a touch of something sinister. The Prompts come from The Addams Family, Coraline, Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton etc. Use the prompts how you like, make it funny or romantic, or dark and spooky. Use your imagination and have fun!

The Weird & The Wonderful Masterlist - Read the finished submissions here. Please remember to like, comment and re-blog the authors hard work!

Rules –

You do not have to be following me to participate, but ya know… It’d be nice. I’m lovely! Why aren’t you following me?

For the first time, I’m going to accept Dark Fic Submissions. Please tag them appropriately, as with anything that includes smut or potential triggers.

Fandoms – I am opening this up to more than just Marvel fics, please feel free to submit for DC, Arrowverse, The Witcher, Supernatural, X-MEN, The Vampire Diaries. (If you wanna submit for a fandom not mentioned, feel free to ask!)

There are no minimum or maximum word counts but anything over 500 words must have the ‘Read More’ feature please!

This is a reader insert challenge, no OC’s but Specified!Readers are fine.

If you want to submit anonymously, please email your submission to me at [email protected] and provide me with a pseud or nickname to post on your behalf.

You can feel free to use the banner I made, if you so choose.

Please tag me in your submission so I can read and reblog. Unless you ask otherwise, I’ll add all submissions to a masterlist.

Absolutely no smut and/or romance for underage characters, this includes ageing up and/or down of characters to get around it.

Submissions should be in by June 1st 2020.

Prompts below the cut

Prompts – Please message me HERE to claim your prompt number and let me know who you’ll be writing it for. One prompt per person. In the unlikely event that all prompts are taken, I’ll add more.

Quote Prompts

1 - “I have no plans to love you. No matter what. You can't make me love you.” Claimed by @myoxisbroken for Loki 2 - “I was kidnapped by aliens, they came down from outer space with ray guns, but I fooled them by wearing a wig and laughing in a foreign accent, and I escaped.” Claimed by @i-have-arrived-bitch for Loki 3 - “The world seemed to shimmer a little at the edges.” Claimed by @sweater-daddiesdumbdork for Bucky 4 - "Challenge her. There's no guarantee she'll play fair, but her kind of thing loves games and challenges.” Claimed by @lordofthenerds97 for Loki 5 - “I would die for her. I would kill for her. Either way, what bliss.” Claimed by @Crowe with Loki 6 - “Last night, you were unhinged. You were like some desperate howling demon. You frightened me. Do it again.” 7 - "I'm just like any modern woman trying to have it all. Loving husband, a family. It's just, I wish I had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade." Claimed by @scarletnerd05 for The Witcher 8 - “I'm a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else.” 9 - "It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." Claimed by @badsext for Umbrella Academy Characters 10 - "It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!" Claimed by @stareyedplanet 11 - "'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!" 12 - “When I used to read fairy tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one!” 13 - “Everything in this room is edible. Even I'm edible. But, that would be called cannibalism. It is looked down upon in most societies.” 14 - “One person's craziness is another person's reality.” Claimed by @nekoannie-chan for Steve Rogers or Rumlow 15 - “I, myself, am strange and unusual.” Claimed by @cateyes315 for Loki 16 - “Good morning starshine! The earth says hello....” Claimed by @buckysknifecollection for Sam Wilson 17 - “You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”

Song Prompts (Check them out on the Spotify Playlist I made) (It’s up to you how you interpret and use the song prompt)

18 - The Magic by Lola Blanc

19 - Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones

20 - The Dismemberment Song by Blue Kid

21 - Not The Villain by S.J Tucker

22 - An Unhealthy Obsession by Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra

23 - Arsonists Lullaby by Hozier

24 - Control by Halsey Claimed by @official-and-unstable-satan

25 - Hunt You Down by Kesha

26 - I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone Claimed by @ zandracourt For marvelverse

27 - Lust For A Vampyr by I Monster

28 - White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane

29 - Shatter Me by Lindsay Stirling & Lzzy Hale Claimed by @ brightsun-and-darkmidnight for Loki

30 - Bad Things by Jace Everett Claimed by @thefifthmaraud3r

#Weird and Wonderful Hatters Challenge #writing challenge #writing prompt

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valkerymillenia · 4 years

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Umbrella Academy

Season 2, ep 1

Might as well put all my live blogging in one post to avoid the spam.

HERE WE GO!

Ben and Klaus! My babies!

Curse of the Undead in theatres?

1960...

Ben and Klaus together: "Shit". ahahah, yeah, boys, not a good time for either of you.

Allison in 61 and caught on camera.

Curse of the Werewolf in theaters (what is it with all the classic monster flicks?)

"Whites Only". Poor Allison...

Luther. 62. Also caught on camera.

Diego. September 1st, 63.

Only one that lands without getting hurt. Superhero landing dude! Also on camera.

JFK on TV on the mindfront... Parallel with Vanya in s01e01?

Vanya on Oct 12th, 63. Ouch, that landing certainly woke her up.

Kiss of the Vampire in theaters.

Aaaaand she immediately gets hot by a car. Girl can't catch a break.

And here's Five on Nov 25th, 63! In that epic war scene from the promo!

VANYA BEING SUPER BADASS!

KLAUS AND THE GHOSTS! I get the soldier ghosts but who are those lady ghosts?

LUTHER! PROTECTING HIS BROTHER! Confident in his body! Also, he shaved xD

BEN BEING A CORPOREAL BADASS!

ALLISON'S POWERS WENT FROM PERSUASION TO REALITY ALTERATION! BLEW YOUR MINDS! Comic references!!!!

TELEKINETIC DIEGO!!!!

HAZEL AND THE TERMINATOR REFERENCE!

THE MATCHING SUITS!

THE UMBRELLA MUSHROOM CLOUD!

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Awww, Agnes died... But they were together 20 years, that's so sweet...

Ok, first thing about the Swedes- what's up with the clothes? Something is very off there. A couple of them look like they just came from the wild west.

NO!!!!! HAZEL!!!! 😭

Welp, that briefcase is fried.

Ahah, "bulletproof briefcases" would be even heavier, Five, but you are right as always.

And there's the surveillance photographer... Convenient for Five.

Finally a good cup of coffee, apparently. XD

Ooooh, alien conspiracy theorist. This is going to be fun!

Did Five just quote X-Files? 😆

Anal probes 🤣🤣🤣🤣

"Big sensitive one." Ah! Poor Luther...

I like you, Elliot.

Wait a second!!! Diego gets arrested as a "disturbed man"... What did this dumbass do now?

Ah, Diego's face in group therapy with the universal expression for "please don't call me out, please don't call me out, pleased don't call me out. Fuck, you called me out".

"last week you talked about your father and how your childhood felt like an experiment" "it was an experiment" "or did it just feel like an experiment?" "No, it was literally an experiment" why is this exchange so funny?

Poor Diego.

Ah! Luke Skywalker! Yeah, Diego, that IS an excellent reference.

Well, at least the therapist isn't a stereotypical monster.

I already love the Diego-Lila dynamic.

Oh, Diego... Why did you have to mention the JFK assassination? You idiot, this is why you're in a mental institution.

Oh, it was. CALLED IT!

Hero complex. Ah! You have no idea, doc.

That pen is going to come in handy.

Bead bracelets... Awww, you could make some for your siblings, Diego.

Shoe bacon... Ok, Lila is nuts. I love her.

"I'm a lone wolf. I don't run with a pack" AHAHAHAHAHAH, Diego, baby, darling, sweet summer child, you are literally the beta of a 7 person pack, just embrace it.

"you look good in white", good parallel for the "at least I'm wearing black" of the first episode.

Wait... Diego tried to get Lee Harvey Oswald? Oh, you dumb fuck. You're the one that will cause the war, aren't you?

Shaving down the bars? Dude, you have a literal teleporter in front of you???

"so it worked?" Diego... Five literally just said that saving the president would cause a nuclear war and the end of the world. What part of that don't you get, you hero complex dumbass? Your therapist is actually right. How refreshing.

"this is why you don't have any friends" The same applies to you, Five, you dick.

Oohhh, not needles! Poor Diego...

So Sissy's kid's name is Harlan! Is... Is he autistic? Oh, please, please, give us good autistic rep...

Ok, I don't like Sissy's husband 😒

Klaus and Ben!!!!

"ghost bitch" 🤣🤣🤣🤣

What's in San Francisco? Is it the cult?

Wait... Ben is ENCOURAGING Klaus to go back to the cult? And why is he so invested...? Please tell me Ben isn't falling in love in this season too...

Ahahah, loving the little sibling wrestling in the middle of the road. So cute.

Those shoes are no good for walking long distances, Klaus.

Ugh, that beard is really gross, Klaus.

Poker? This will either go really bad or really funny.

Klaus... Don't antagonize the homophobes, please. Then again, please do, it's hilarious.

Bad it is, then.

Ben, that was really mean.

"Nah, I'm good." 😆

"I bet you're loving this." "I'm not hating it." 😆😆😆

Ahahahahah omg, 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

My love for Klaus and Ben just skyrocketed. Goofballs. Chaotic sibling energy.

Awww, Raymond is adorable.

"From Earth to the Moon" by Jules Verne? Um... Dude, that was a... Not great choice.

Luther! Dude, you're supposed to have super strength, why are you bleeding?

Guess Luther took Al's advice, huh?

There's the super strength! Fixed fights, dude? Really?

Hm... It's this boxing or kick boxing? Still, those were some smooth moves, Luther.

Why doesn't Allison have a scar?

GO ALLISON! Do not mess with my girl! Kick that racist's ass!

"Men have sides, women have secrets." Nice quote, Sissy.

Oh Vanya... That chemistry!

Poor Diego. Excellent music choice though.

Did Reginald teach Diego escapism? Namely, how to get out of a straightjacket by dislocating his shoulder? Because in season 1 I suspected he taught them how to handle torture too (because of how Klaus resisted Hazel and Cha-Cha). There's a lot of levels of pain in their training, isn't there?

A shotgun? Really? Nothing quieter to infiltrate a locked facility at night?

Lila! She's so much fun!

The music, man, the music! 👌👌👌👌

Lila's got skills! "My mother", yeah, we know mommy dearest 😏

Luther goes from a virgin in s1, to working at a burlesque bar every night in s2. 180°, dude.

WAIT, JACK RUBY? THAT'S LUTHER'S BOSS? The guy that killed Lee Harvey Oswald? The guy involved in the JFK assassination? Oh, I like where this is going!

Five... Flirting with the girls? Ahahah, you are epic, dude. "She's too young for you." 😂

Ah, Five, you and your talent for dramatic speeches...

Ah, Klaus got arrested. of course he did.

Luther doesn't give a shit? Oohhh, that's new.

Ok, for a first ep? FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!

I'm screaming. I need more!!!

I'm speechless, I have no idea what else to say except HOLY SHIT!!!!!

#tua #tua s2 #tua s2 spoilers #super spoilery #live blogging #reactions #tua s02e01

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garbage-empress · 4 years

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hey guys did you know that super mario bros 2 for the nintendo entertainment system wasn’t really a mario game originally it was part of government mind control program MKUltra II?

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! quotes This is a list of quotes from the television show The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. They are listed by character. Contents 1 Mario 2 Luigi 3 King Koopa 4 Toad 5 Princess Toadstool Mario"Hey paisanos! It's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" - Opening Credits "Do the Mario!" - Closing Credits "Don't worry, Princess! Luigi and me'll climb that mountain before you can say "Spaghetti and Meatballs"! -"The Bird! The Bird!" "Okay, wait here! And if you become lunch for a polar bear, don't blame us! -"The Bird! The Bird!" "I hate to run on an empty stomach!" - "The Bird! The Bird!" "Must be a beehive nearby, and when there's bees; there's raviolis smothered with honey" - "King Mario of Cramalot" "If Toad doesn't get us outta here soon, I'm gonna eat this mattress!" - "Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid" "Wake up, Luigi! The only time plumbers sleep on the job, is when we're working by the hour!" - "Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid" "Catfish pizza? This may be a first, but I'm not hungry!" - "Rolling Down the River" "Excuse my brother, he gets nervous around guys six times bigger than him." - "The Great Gladiator Gig" "We can fix anything if there's spaghetti involved!" - "The Great Gladiator Gig" "Hey, Koopa! I hope your Big and Tall shop blows up, with you in it!" - "Mario and the Beanstalk" "Those ain't wedding bells in your tower! They're bats in your belfry!" - "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em" "Hey! Where'd you learn how to ride a bike!?" - "The Great BMX Race" "Get back here, Koopa! Don't you know vegetables are good for you?" - "The Great BMX Race" "Not on my melted mozzarella! - "Stars in Their Eyes" "If food isn't pasta, it doesn't count!" - "Jungle Fever" "Unstoppable? We're plumbers! If we can unstop a stop, we can stop the unstoppable!" - "The Fire of Hercufleas" "Magnifico! You're stronger than Grandma Mia's garlic chip cookies!" - "The Fire of Hercufleas" "Faster than a vanishing clog! More powerful than an electric drainsnake! It's Super Mario!" - "Pirates of Koopa" "She's not much, but she sure beats swimmin'!" - "Pirates of the Koopa" "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Then beat 'em!" - "Pirates of the Koopa" "Remember, Luigi, you gotta act tough!" - "Pirates of the Koopa" *singing* "Hush, little Princess, don't you cry. I'm gonna buy you a pizza pie. And if that pizza pie gets ate, Luigi'll buy you a New York steak." - "Two Plumbers and a Baby" "This is the first time my lunch ever took a bite out of me!" - "The Adventures of Sherlock Mario" "I just love food that's spicy!" - "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service" "I always cry at wedding feasts!" - "Mario and Joliet" "Koopa's gonna take a trip he didn't plan on!" - "Too Hot to Handle" "I hope the food's better than the furniture!" - "Mighty McMario and the Pot of Gold" "As we say in Brooklyn; Banzai!" - "Mario Meets Koop-zilla" "Save the spaghetti! Save the spaghetti!" - "Mario and the Red Baron Koopa" "Koopone, you've Kooped your last Koop!" - "The Unzappables" "It doesn't look good for the good guys, Luigi!" - "The Mark of Zero" "I guess Mexican food doesn't agree with El Koopitan!" - "The Mark of Zero" "When Luigi's unfrozen, he's goin' on a diet!" - "The Koopas Are Coming! The Koopas Are Coming!" "It's ugly, but it floats!" - "The Trojan Koopa" "What? Only one pizza?" - "Quest for Pizza" "The Mushroom People get the mine, and Koopa gets the shaft!" - "The Great Gold Coin Rush" "When the plumbing gets tough, the tough get plumbing!" - "Plummers Academy" "I can't quit now, Luigi! I was born with a plunger in my hand!" - "Plummers Academy" "Me Marzan! King of the jungle!" - "Mario of the Apes" "Can't we discuss this man to Mouser?" - "Princess, I Shrunk the Mario Brothers" "First, we'd better get inside by a fire, before we turn into pasta-sicles!" - "Little Red Riding Princess" "The Provolone Ranger is ready to ride. High ho, Ostro, away!" - "The Provolone Ranger" "Help, help! There's a big, ugly spider in here! Help! My yelling's gonna keep you up all night, unless you get this spider outta here!" - "Escape from Koopatraz" "Luigi, are you a man or a Mouser?" - "Mario of the Deep" "I guess somedays, even Super Mario can't think of everything!" - "Flatbush Koopa" "Don't count your reptiles before they're hatched, lizard lips!" - "Raiders of the Lost Mushroom" "I was hoping we'd have lunch, not be lunch!" - "Crocodile Mario" "I just love playin' Koopa in the middle!" - "Crocodile Mario" "I just had the strangest dream. I was a TV dinner!" - "Star Koopa" "He's showing a plumber how a garbage disposal works?" - "Star Koopa" "Watch it, gang! His toes are loaded!" - "Robo Koopa"Luigi"I can't! I'm allergic to mountains!" - "The Bird! The Bird!" "P-polar bear? Lunch!?" - "The Bird! The Bird!" "Hey, Super Mario! Super-cook their goose!" - "The Bird! The Bird!" (*sobs*) He was the nicest little fungus I ever knew!" - "The Bird! The Bird!" "Who could forget? Don't take chances or you'll go down the drain!" -"The Bird! The Bird!" "C-c-crama's here in-in Koopalot? Uh, I mean, uh, Koopa's here in Cramalot? I mean, uh, shee, let's split this place!" - "King Mario of Cramalot" "Me? B-b-but I can't swim across the moat! I'm, uh, gonna have a baby!" - "King Mario of Cramalot" "Fellons? Yo, I never fell on nobody! I'm uh..." - "Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid" "Oh no! End dend! I mean, dend dead! I mean shee, we're trapped!" - "Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid" "I've had it! I've had it, I've had it! I'm tired of Koopa chasing us from world to world! I wanna go home!" - "Brooklyn Bound" "Guess we're stayin' in Mushroom Land." - "Brooklyn Bound" "Mama mia! We shoulda rented a camel with air conditioning!" - "Mario's Magic Carpet" "Look at that loot! Diamonds, gold, rubies! It must be worth over a hundred bucks!" - "Mario's Magic Carpet" "I told him that he wants really yummy carpet to head for Koopa." - Mario's Magic Carpet "So, what do we do now, Mr. Big Time Gambler?" - "Rolling Down the River" "Okay, Mario. One all ya got, coming up!" - "Rolling Down the River" "He's too busy eating, Mario! He's your kind of horse." - "The Great Gladiator Gig" "Hey! That's my brother Mario, you three-faced double-crosser!" - "The Great Gladiator Gig" "Leapin' lasagna! This room's bigger than the Brooklyn Public Library!" - "Mario and the Beanstalk" "I th-think I liked it better when we outnumbered them!" - "The Great BMX Race" "I'd feel better if we went back and got my stomach." - "The Great BMX Race" "That's what I call Shower Power!" - "Stars in Their Eyes" "Yo, my brother: the pasta vampire." - "Count Koopula" "Gee, that Mario. He can pulverize a pasta factory and still have room for dessert!" - "The Adventures of Sherlock Mario" "Gee. Mario gets the brainstorms, and I get the backaches!" - "Do You Princess Toadstool Take This Koopa...?" "You got 'em!" - "Koopenstein" "You don't got 'em." - "Koopenstein" "Let's really keep it a secret that we're agents, uhh, by stayin' here"! - "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service" "Eh, it was nothin'! Danger is our business!" - "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service" "Annette Funicello? Where?" - "Mario and Joliet" "Pluggin' up pipes goes against everythin' we stand for!" - "Too Hot to Handle" "Zelda of Legend! Next the from scenes! Some me show halfwit you!" - "Time Out Luigi" "The dungeon? I'm allergic to dungeons!" - "Hooded Robin and His Mario Men" "Better make that "The more for Mario"!" - "Hooded Robin and His Mario Men" "We're stuck here like hairballs in a drainpipe!" - "Mario Meets Koop-zilla" "Hey! I may be crazy, but I'm not dumb!" - "Mario and the Red Baron Koopa" "This place is emptier than a flushed drainpipe!" - "The Ten Koopmandments" "I want my mommy!" - "The Ten Koopmandments" "The Koopas are coming! The Koopas are coming!" "When our soldiers thaw out, we're gonna throw your tea in the harbor!" - "The Koopas Are Coming! The Koopas Are Coming!" "But I get seasick on a horse!" - "The Koopas Are Coming! The Koopas Are Coming!" "Aww, Toad. Did'ya hafta say dead?" - "The Trojan Koopa" "How ooga bugga-mugga wa-ooga-ma!" - "Quest for Pizza" "Ouch! Someone's standin' on my toe, and it's not me!" - "The Great Gold Coin Rush" "Mario's mind was where it always is: on pasta." - "Karate Koopa" "Relax, princess! He knows who he is! Mario's always gone ape for meatballs!" - "Mario of the Apes" "I'm a chicken of the sea!" - "Mario of the Deep" "The only good thing so far is: we got to ride the roller coaster without a ticket!" - "Flatbush Koopa" "Stop him, Mario! Tell him Italian food is not on his diet!" - "Crocodile Mario" "I knew we should've built this raft with brakes!" - "Crocodile Mario" "Bein' garbage really makes a guy feel down in the dumps!" - "Star Koopa" "Koopa was scary enough when he was just a slimy reptile!" - "Robo Koopa"King Koopa"Koopa Pack, attack!" - Various episodes "He who koops and runs away lives to koop another day!" - Various episodes "Watch it soldier, when I want my feet licked, I'll ask for it! {quickly} I want my feet licked." - "The Bird! The Bird!" "Like my grandfather Poopa La Koopa always said: "Cheat, beat, and be merry!" - "Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid" "Don't know what I'd do without my carpet phone!" - "Mario's Magic Carpet" "I'll get you for this, you pesky plumbers! A Koopa never forgets!" - "Mario's Magic Carpet" "Happy? Imposter! I never use the H word." - "Rolling Down the River" "Fool! Those pinhead plumbers are bound to try to rescue Princess Toadstool, and I intend to capture them before they do." - "Rolling Down the River" "Don't question my orders, you rotten rodent! Just do it!" - "Rolling Down the River" "Don't interrupt me, not while I'm boasting and gloating!" - "Rolling Down the River" "Stop wisecracking, mushroom, or I'll turn you into soap!" - "Rolling Down the River" "One of the nice things about being evil is... you get to lie a lot. Ha ha." - "The Great Gladiator Gig" "Fum fee fi fo! I smell the brothers Mario!" - "Mario and the Beanstalk" "That goose is gonna smother you brothers!" - "Mario and the Beanstalk" "OK, that does it! You're all gonna be Koopatized!" - "The Great BMX Race" "There'll be other crooked races and other ways to cheat!" - "The Great BMX Race" "You're breaking my heart, princess! Now, get to work! Now that you and these Quirks are my slaves, I got other planets to plunder! *laughs*" - "Stars in Their Eyes" "You call that music? Stop that racket! I hate that music! I hate spaghetti! I hate Quirks! I hate those faucet freaks!" - "Stars in Their Eyes" "Alright! Which one of you messed up? Who ruined all my sneaky underhanded plans?" - "Jungle Fever" "Thank you, princess! You saved me all the trouble of hunting you down! You're so nice to me!" - "Jungle Fever" "The courage beyond compare, the bravery beyond description, I praise this great hero, the superior fiend... me. Koopa Khan the magnificent. If I didn't deserve this, I wouldn't give it to me." - "Brooklyn Bound" "Last one into the cave is a goodie-goodie!" - "Brooklyn Bound" "Goodbye, jerkos! And don't come back!" - "Brooklyn Bound" "Those annoying wrench-heads won’t ruin my evil plan! Prepare an ambush, Mouser! Make road pizzas out of them!" - "Toad Warriors" "These fireballs are fantastic! Think of the destruction; think of the wreckage; think of how much this'll lower my heating bill!" - "The Fire of Hercufleas" "Mouser! More marshmallows!" - "The Fire of Hercufleas" "Say ciao to your friends, Princess Toadstool. That's goodbye in Italian, because when you see 'em again, you'll be a tomato sauce sucking vampire, just like me! - "Count Koopula" "Fire a warning shot! ... On second thought, blow the plumber-boys and the Princess right off the boat!" - "Pirates of Koopa" "Listen up, you reptile retches! It's time to play 'Auction the Princess'! Do I hear one-thousand gold coins? Remember, the money goes to my favorite charity... Me." - "Pirates of Koopa "I'm rich! I'm filthy, stinkin', mouth-watering rich!" - "Pirates of Koopa" "Ga ga goo goo! Now you terrible tots will do all my chores, while I play!" - "Two Plumbers and a Baby" "Stop, or I'll tell on you!" - "Two Plumbers and a Baby" "I'll be back to get you! When I grow up!" - "Two Plumbers and a Baby" "Rotten reptiles! It's that pasta-eatin' plumber!" - "The Adventures of Sherlock Mario" "You don't scare me, you linguini-lickin' losers!" - "The Adventures of Sherlock Mario" "I'm gonna turn these two fat little plumbers into two flat little plumbers." - "Do You Princess Toadstool Take This Koopa...?" "Keep your crown on! You want people to think I'm marrying a nag?" - "Do You Princess Toadstool Take This Koopa...?" "Boogie with Koopa, you fungus brats! Boogie right into my double-dealing clutches! Gwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! (playing flute)" - "The Pied Koopa" "Mouser, this is not a nursery school! This is an evil castle!" - "The Pied Koopa" "No one is that stupid!" - "Koopenstein" "Oh, goody-goody! The Tunnel of Doom! My favorite!" - "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service" "When I get my mitts on you, you're gonna be creamed, Mushroom!" - "Too Hot to Handle" "I'm always ready for sneaky badness!" - "Too Hot to Handle" "I love being rotten!" - "Too Hot to Handle" "Just because I said it doesn't mean I meant it!" - "Too Hot to Handle" "You mean I can't destroy the island? I hate those Marios! They always spoil my fun!" - "Too Hot to Handle" "You were hoodwinked by Hooded Robin! I'm gonna pluck that bird nerd wing from wing!" - "Hooded Robin and His Mario Men" "Kiss Koopa's feet and I'll gladly get rid of the sea monster for ya!" - "20,000 Koopas Under the Sea" "Let's ram 'em, slam 'em, and ruin their day!" - "20,000 Koopas Under the Sea" "Pesky persnickety plumbers! I wish they'd never been invented!" - "20,000 Koopas Under the Sea" "Mouser, if anything happens to the princess, I'll turn you into Swiss cheese!" - "Mighty McMario and the Pot of Gold" "Too late! His gorgeous self is here!" - "Mighty McMario and the Pot of Gold" "Run, you teensy tempura tasters! I'm gonna squash this city flatter than a tofu pancake!" - "Mario Meets Koop-zilla" "Scram, pests, or I'll call an exterminator!!" - "Mario Meets Koop-zilla" "'"Stand still so I can squash ya, you little vermin!" - "Mario Meets Koop-zilla" "Ba humkoop!" - "Koopa Klaus" "Plug your ears and watch your rears! We're goin' Bob-Omb bowlin'" - "The Unzappables" "Let's stash this cash and dash!" - "The Unzappables" "Gosh, this tyrant business is hard work! I'm too pooped to Koop! Think I'll take a Koopa catnap." - "The Ten Koopmandments" "Lousy lizards! This is enough to make a grown Koopa cry!" - "The Ten Koopmandments" "You call yourself an army, you miserable misfits? Why am I cursed with such incompetents?!" - "The Koopas Are Coming! The Koopas Are Coming!" "It's those dumber plumbers, the Mario Bros.!" - "The Trojan Koopa" "It's... it's... it's horrible! It's disgusting! It's me!" - "The Trojan Koopa" "And you're gonna spend the rest of your life digging for it! Hahahahaha!" - "The Great Gold Coin Rush" "More! I want more! More!" - "The Great Gold Coin Rush" "Make way for the big daddio, the headman, the new king of Sock Hop Land: Koopa, the Kool!" "Elvin Lives" "Come back here! We got a date for the prom!" "Elvin Lives" "No way, José! They'll never catch the Koopilac! I got dual carbs! I got four on the floor!" "Elvin Lives" "When you hurt Koopa's nose, you've blown it!" - "Plummers Academy" "In just a few minutes, the bidding for Princess Toadstool and her slimy friend Toad will begin! So drink up your Koopa Kola!" - "Karate Koopa" "Welcome aboard Air Albatoss. This is your Koopa speaking. This flight is non-stop 'til ya drop!" - "Mario of the Apes" "We're gonna celebrate the capture of those faucet freaks by letting me win a baseball game." - "Princess, I Shrunk the Mario Brothers" "Now is plumber squashing time!" - "Princess, I Shrunk the Mario Brothers" "OW! I hate plumbers! OW! I hate... OW! Why can't they pick on... OW! Someone their own size?" - "Princess, I Shrunk the Mario Brothers" "It makes me feel so warm, to be so cold!" - "Little Red Riding Princess" "I want that ranger in danger! Now!" - "The Provolone Ranger" "Koopa Court is now in session! Bailiff Mouser, read those phony charges you and I cooked up!" - "Escape from Koopatraz" "Congratulations! You've won a five-hundred year all-expense paid trip to Club Koopatraz!" - "Escape from Koopatraz" "It was so much fun being your crooked judge, I decided to become your cruel warden!" - "Escape from Koopatraz" "This better be a bad dream, plumber, 'cause if it's not, you're in deep fettuccine!" - "Escape from Koopatraz" "What the Koop are you talkin' about?" "Mario of the Deep" "You mean this is all?! There ain't enough gold here to bother Kooping about!" - "Mario of the Deep" "You Mario Bros. ruined my evil schemes, so I'm gonna ruin the burg that you love best!" - "Flatbush Koopa" "Hold your applause! I know it's a genius idea, but I have them all the time!" - "Flatbush Koopa" "Fan-kooping-tastic, it worked!" - "Raiders of the Lost Mushroom" "I love Down Under Land! It's where Mario Bros. went down- and under!" - "Crocodile Mario" "Go to Warp 10, Mouser!" "Star Koopa" "If you want something wrong done right, you gotta wrong-do it yourself!" - "Star Koopa" "I am the mighty Robo Koopa! Half Koopa, half machine. Built for destruction! And I'm gonna destroy you miserable little meddlers! (fiddles on his control panel) Drat! Where is that 'destroy-you-miserable-little-meddlers' button!" - "Robo Koopa" "The fun's not over yet! I've got Super-vision; Super-hearing; Super-strength; And yes, even... Super-toes!" - "Robo Koopa". "If it isn't... Robo-Rooter!" - "Robo Koopa".Toad"Hey! Let me go!" -'"The Bird! The Bird!" "I'm warning you, I get airsick. Heeeelp!" -"The Bird! The Bird!" "What're ya trying' to do, ya wacko bird, drown me?" -"The Bird! The Bird!" "Mommy? You're not my mommy!" -"The Bird! The Bird!" "I can't be your little Cheepy, lady! I don't have wings! Look! No wings, no feathers. I'm just a mushroom that can't stand heights!" -"The Bird! The Bird!" "Flyin' lessons!? Are you outta your mind!?" -"The Bird! The Bird!" "The least that featherbrain could've done was lend me a parachute. Hey! That's it! A parachute!" -"The Bird! The Bird!" "Hey! It's me! I mean, him! It's little Cheepy! The Birdo's real lost baby!" -"The Bird! The Bird!" "Oh no! I'm not going back up there! Never!" -"The Bird! The Bird!" "When I get my hands on that King Koopa, I'll fix his wagon!" - "Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid" "I'm no frog. I can't even swim." - "Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid" "Bombs awaaaaaaaaaaaayyy!!" - "Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid" "What did you tell him?" - "Mario's Magic Carpet" "Who did you expect? Pee-wee Herman?" - "Rolling Down the River" "Looks like you guys saved the day again! Almost." - "Rolling Down the River" "By the power of the shining star, I am the...Toad Warrior!"-Toad Warriors "Hey, man, I’m the Fantastic Fungus! The supercharged Mushroom of Might! I’m the Toad Warrior!" - "Toad Warriors" "Give me five. NO! Give me five bomb plants!" - "Toad Warriors" "Whoever slows down first, loses!" - "Toad Warriors" "Whoa! No more Toad Warrior!" (After turning back to normal) - "Toad Warriors" "Y'all made it!" - "Toad Warriors" "You blew that one, Koopa Stoopa!" - "Pirates of Koopa" "Some Mushroom Retainer I turned out to be... I was so close! I couldn't save her..." - "The Trojan Koopa" "Naughty turtle, you've been hittin' the sauce again, well, have some more!" - "Count Koopula" "Let's make like eggs and SCRAMBLE!!!" - "Mario of the Deep" "So much for hope." - "Stars in Their Eyes" "Don't do it, Princess! Don't marry Koopa! I'd rather be a rock!" - "Do You Princess Toadstool Take This Koopa...?" "Koopa you stoopa! Watch it with the Bob-Ombs!" - "The Great Gold Coin Rush" "By order of his most royal repulsiveness, the reptile Sheriff of Koopingham! The castle road shall require a toll! In the amount of: One wagon full of gold coins!" - "Hooded Robin and His Mario Men"Princess Toadstool" “Milled uranium ore—U3O8 or "yellowcake"—is dissolved in nitric acid, yielding a solution of uranyl nitrate UO2(NO3)2. Pure uranyl nitrate is obtained by solvent extraction, then treated with ammonia to produce ammonium diuranate ("ADU", (NH4)2U2O7). Reduction with hydrogen gives UO2, which is converted with hydrofluoric acid (HF) to uranium tetrafluoride, UF4. Oxidation with fluorine yields UF6." - "The Bird! The Bird!" "Look! The Birdo took Toad to the highest peak! Please, Mario! Toad saved my life a hundred times! We've got to save his!" - "The Bird! The Bird!" "(*Teary eyed*) Goodbye Mario, goodbye Luigi." (About to watch Mario and Luigi leave) - "Brooklyn Bound" "Mario! {Kisses him} Luigi! {Kisses him} You came back!" (After being rescued from Koopa and realizing that the brothers went back for her and Toad) - "Brooklyn Bound" "Oh, dear. I think he wants Toad for an appetizer." - "Crocodile Mario" "(*sobs*) I always cry at weddings!" - "Mario and Joliet" "What was that about pancakes and maple syrup?" - "Quest for Pizza"

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chiseler · 4 years

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The Last Light

There is a moment in David Lynch's Twin Peaks: The Return that on its incandescent surface could have been lifted, weightless, from the great post-war dream of materialist deliverance: The top on the convertible is down, the radio on; The Paris Sisters are singing I Love How You Love Me as a reincarnated Laura Palmer lifts her face to a cloudless sky. Within the tapestry of this early Phil Spector production — his trademark reverb eternally associated with Romance and Death (two conditions Spector knew all too well) — the voice of Priscilla Paris is a siren sound from the American Beyond. We could be hearing a dream goddess lullaby from the whispering gallery, or sweet nothings from the crypt. We don't know. We'll never know. Just as Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood keeps us guessing with the elusive murmur that “Sharon Tate will never die,” granting her a gaudy, wondrous L.A. to cavort in where it's 1969 forever and movie stars still matter, so we find ourselves in Tarantino’s version of paradise (complete with flame throwers to the face). In this oneiric echo chamber, momentarily shared by Lynch and Tarantino, Surrealism smiles down upon a vision of American blondness; muscle cars soaked in sunlight; the terrible ecstasy of unending motion; candy for the eye and ear.

David Lynch’s favorite film, to this day, remains Otto e Mezzo, directed by Western Europe's sorcerer of confectionary delights, Federico Fellini; the man who put the “dolce” in La Dolce Vita. And here you have a fleeting taste of ideologies swirled together and spun like ribbon candy: a blur of four-wheeled luxury from the New World, zooming past regional splendor into that fraternity of man: the socio-economic nirvana imagined by Karl Marx.

Careening from one via to another at harrowing, white-knuckle speeds, Fellini was heard to lament that “Some of the neo-realists seem to think that they cannot make a film unless they have a man in old clothes in front of the camera.” George Bluestone, recording these words in 1957 for the pages of Film Culture, was sittings in the literal passenger seat of the ideal metaphor of post-war ebullience in action: that famous Black Chevy skirting the Italian Scylla (the Vatican) and its equally dogmatic Charybdis (the Party); expert, 20th century precision guiding them through Roman streets with graffiti-scrawled churches proudly bearing the hammer and sickle. At those velocities, anything could make sense.

“What for you is the greatest human quality?”, Bluestone asks. Fellini responds, “Love of one’s fellows,” a period-appropriate oath that rings true to his brand of ecumenical solidarity.

“The greatest fault?”

“Egoism.”

Try, if you will, to imagine our more locally sourced egoists nodding along with Fellini in soulful agreement on that one. As a kind of compatriot of Edgar Allan Poe, David Lynch (and, to some extent, Tarantino) spawns from his abiding axiom that “The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetic topic in the world.” In Lynch’s hands, American television has become a brightly lit seance for Poe’s ethereal dead. Immortal creatures afflicted with the dream of physical existence, then afflicting the dreamers. Twin Peaks: The Return modifies Poe's axiomatic truth with great help from Amanda Seyfried's Becky and her pair of visionary's eyes, melting Spector's dark edifice of sugar in deathless, Sternbergian close-up — iridescent search lights, ever more urgently scanning the sky above for a sun to swallow her whole. We can only witness and internalize this shimmering ingenue trading places with Old Sol, as if the drugs she's consumed have entered our system and not hers.

Filmmakers like Fellini and Lynch celebrate bodily extremes in intriguing, if differing ways that should naturally gallop right beyond the pale but nevertheless become wholly, weirdly digestible. It is perhaps the innocent glee, even wonderment, of these artists in the vast variety of shapes the human body can assume; innocence which acts as a giant eraser for every awareness on our part of how physical representation in the age of political correctness is meant to function. Lynch is able to present the disabled as by turns childlike, mysterious or magical beings without ever worrying about lending them agency (The Elephant Man's John Merrick is a passive whipping boy for seemingly the whole of Victorian London) or the lie of adult sophistication (the latest Twin Peaks iteration includes a pint-sized hitman who whines like a puppy when his icepick is broken).

Fellini's dwarfs and grotesques, on the other hand, emerge from the struggle of a one-time Marc'Aurelio cartoonist willing one-dimensional images into three-dimensional embodiment. His big women, of course, are fetish figures. They always were. Gargantuan beauties, evidence of a sexual ideal formed in infancy: the big Italian mammissima, seen from below. As Fellini grew into a rather large adult himself, this ideal was simply re-scaled accordingly (even the icy mountain of Anita Ekberg takes on new implication). Goddesses all, they are, however, not meant for conventional movie stardom.

And what of Tarantino? Once Upon a Time's Margot Robbie IS the no-longer-doomed Sharon Tate as she watches herself on the big screen; enjoying a thrill that few have ever known so guilelessly that any half-baked charges of narcissism shrivel to nullity before they can escape a single throat. Here before us is an essential glimpse into the vanishing phenomenon of movie stardom itself, reflexive handwringing from the woke balconies notwithstanding. Tarantino has at last achieved something transcendental: even his grotesques — slack-jawed, gap-toothed, gormless members of the Manson Family conflated with more contemporary Identitarian cultists on the lookout for 'Lookism', knives unsheathed — are downright mythic. Robbie's Tate is a visage both generically perfect and possessed by the angels, every one of them a blond resident of LA County, sincere and unknowable as desert light.

The vampires, creatures of night slain by sunlight, infiltrated the movie theaters in the 1920s and never left. They sit next to us in the dark, having ceded the power to hypnotize us to the glowing screen itself. Photochemical vagaries invariably allow movie darkness to behave in impossible ways; as if the physical properties of film itself knew no rules, and thus invited us to accept its essential anarchy without question. Before us is a darkness that GLOWS.

A Black & White image flipped into negative can produce black fire, or the black sunlight which illuminated the Transylvanian forests of Nosferatu, through which a box-like carriage rattles at Mack Sennett speed. But with only the smallest underexposure, a little dupey degradation of the print, or even a little imagination (such collaboration is not discouraged), this liquid blackness will spread anywhere, everywhere; the most luminous pestilence known to creation. Be it in the laughing nightmare of Fleischer cartoons of old (Out of the Inkwell, indeed) or Jean Epstein's photogenie phantasmagoria, we're left to wonder. Is daylight burning out the corner of a building, or is it the blackness of the building which is eating into the sky? As with so many such questions, film permits us no answer. We are to simply watch as characters smudge, their shadows emanating out beyond themselves, pulsing and flickering with an obsidian internal flame.

By the time Jean Epstein adapted The Fall of the House of Usher in 1928, it could wisely be said that Poe had been already aggrandized through the mechanism of carbon-arc projection; which is but one way to say that the vision that once seemed unharnessable, had at last been industrialized. Dragooned. Pressed into an ever more modern service at a pace to be measured in frames-per-second. Artists like Epstein and Chomon were the first generation to wield an immense cultural and commercial instrument; at once abidingly real and totally incomprehensible. No medium of expression predating cinema could so thoroughly lift audiences from linear time, or could as convincingly, in the words of Jean Epstein, render death as a conscious state.

Transcendentalism barely scratches the surface here. A more apposite term — the one he nuances in his film theory, “photogenie” (a genesis out of light) — pulls transitory moments, otherwise escaping human perception, into focus. If Poe engrosses us in Romantic conceptions of death as a means to visionary truth, Epstein reveals that same supposedly “elusive” end in our earthly world of telephones, sports cars, Kodak cameras for the every-man and moderne manicures for up-to-the-minute dandies.

The Victorians were falling away. And with them a system of reality contained in narrow, overwrought performances. Withered technique as a means of reflecting Nature — or, to quote Balzac, the “conjugation of objects with light” — was displaced, uncrowned by Jean Delville’s Death (1890), which embodies an altogether different kind of virtuosity, one no Academy could ever comprehend. The charcoal drawing and ode to Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death yearns with a combination of verve and starkness toward a capital “G” Gloom destined to escape salons.

Coming of age in a series of shady elsewheres — the fairgrounds, nickelodeon parlors and movie palaces of an Edwardian America — nitrate and its twinkling mineral essence gave Poe's crepuscular light its time to shine and thereby illuminate the world. No longer held in the solitary confinement of a page of reproduced text or an image, however still, rendered in paint or ink. Poe's singularly tormented vision was finally written alchemically, in cinematographic rays beamed through silver salts; into moving images of such aggressive vitality as to blast every rational thing from one's mind.

All hail magic mirrors! Celestial mandalas! Giant eggs and butterfly women! Segundo de Chomón's The Red Spectre (1907) ruthlessly invades our eyes with a wraith-magician dissolving through his coffin lid in a red, hand-tinted, flame-flickering hell. His caped, skull-masked presence was to herald the manic new thespic truth that, from this moment forward, the art of acting is in how you respond to light, and how light responds to you. The Specter of Chomon's dark bauble is in every element Poe's Red Death — japing and performing tricks for us, his adoring fans and welcome guests, before announcing our doom — literary metaphor slammed against a literal backdrop of amber stalactites, pellucid as an ossuary.

Doctor Pretorius might have been musing on the history of cinema in 1935’s The Bride of Frankenstein when he said: “Sometimes I have wondered whether life wouldn't be much more amusing if we were all devils, no nonsense about angels and being good.”

by Daniel Riccuito, Tom Sutpen and David Cairns

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hforhonesty · 5 years

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Book Review #3 | Ghosts of the Shadow Market (part 1)

By C. Clare, M. Johnson, K. Link, S. Brennan, and R. Wasserman

[Beware! This review contains spoilers, so read at your own peril.]

“The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks and vampires. There the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray. Follow Brother Zachariah and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festive celebrations, Anna Lightwood’s first romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin and Tessa Gray plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah.”

[Official synopsis of the book.]

After something like three hundred and eighty-four years, we finally get the Jem Carstairs content we desperately needed since the end of TID. Because a life without Brother Snack-ariah is no life at all, am I right?

The book consists of ten short stories and follows the adventures of Brother Zackariah, our beloved Jem, searching through the shadow market in order to find some information about the Lost Herondale.

Set in 1901, the first two stories (“Cast Long Shadows”, and “Every Exquisite Thing”) are an introduction of the upcoming The Last Hours trilogy, whose first book (Chain of Gold) is coming out on March 2020.

Just eight more months until its release. We can do it, guys. It’s not like we are doing our waiting… Twelve years of it… In Azkaban. By comparison, March 2020… that’s like tomorrow.

Anyway, the co-protagonist of Cast Long Shadows is Matthew Fairchild, Charlotte and Henry’s second born. Matthew’s interests include his parabatai James, fashion, Oscar Wilde quotes, and being adorable 24/7.

The faerie woman looked almost sad. “You come of a brutal people, sweet child.”

“Not me,” said Matthew. “I believe in art and beauty.”

“You might be pitiless one day, for all that.”

“No, never” Matthew insisted. “I don’t care for the Shadowhunter customs at all. I like Downworlder ways much more.”

It’s been a few years since our Scooby gang was expelled from the Shadowhunters Academy, and now Matthew and James are parabatai. I’ve always loved their relationship, especially at the beginning when they were still rivals, and I can’t wait to read more about them.

“Bless you, my Herondales,” said Matthew grandly, scrambling up from the floor and making Lucie his bow. “I come upon an urgent errand. Tell me – be honest! – what do you think of my waistcoat?”

Lucie dimpled. “Devastating.”

“What Lucie said,” James agreed peacefully.

“Not fantastic?” Matthew asked. “Not positively stunning?”

“I suppose I am stunned,” said James. “But am I positively stunned?”

The Last Hours is going to shatter our hearts. I already know it. You already know it. Everybody already knows it. Which is why I keep asking myself, why am I still reading Cassandra’s books even though each time they seem to inexorably destroy what is left of my soul? Give me a call when you find out the answer.

All right, I never thought The Last Hours was going to be sugar, spice and everything nice, but this is way too much. How am I supposed to live knowing that Matthew is hurting and that there is nothing I can do about it?

I hated reading this novel. I really did hate it. Because Matthew is young and naïve and innocent and so unselfish and sensitive, and yet he was exploited and manipulated by a psycho Downworlder who wanted to hurt the Shadowhunters. His only fault was giving too much credit to the insecurity that he always tried to hide behind an overconfident façade, and this endangered his mother and killed his unborn sister.

Instead of telling the truth, he decides to keep it a secret from everyone, even from his parabatai, since he feels so ashamed of himself and thinks that there cannot be forgiveness for what he has done. So from now on, something in Matthew changes, and he will never be the same.

In the second novella, Every Exquisite Thing, the co-protagonist is Anna, Cecily and Gabriel Lightwoorm’s eldest daughter. Chapeau to the artist for making such a beautiful drawing of her! She’s perfect... and she also looks like Ruby Rose, doesn’t she?

We stan a queen.

Beside stealing her brother’s clothes, she enjoys getting weird (see: voluptuous) glances from other women while walking down the streets. I mean, even Brother Six-pack-ariah states that she looks a lot like her uncle Will, which is something that could give her the power to turn freaking rocks on.

Although Anna was definitely born in the wrong period, she’s still lucky enough to have a supportive family that loves her no matter what.

Anna thought of all the pain of the day again – the wound that had ripped her chest open and exposed her heart. But now it was as if her mother had drawn a rune over it and closed it. The scar was there, but she was whole.

It was like being Marked all over again, defining who she was. This was Anna Lightwood.

When I read this novella for the first time, I was on a plane, so I was like Elsa from Frozen. Conceal, don’t feeeel, don’t let them knowwwwww.

Little did I know that something even more heart-breaking was coming... and it answers to the name of Learn about Loss. Which was the moment when the Elsa in me was like well, now they knooowwwwww.

Let it gooooo, let it goooooo.

Can’t hold it back anymooooooreeeee.

In Learn about loss, we follow Brother Mlml-ariah back to the United States, where he and Sister Emilia (a James Carstairs stan) are investigating some weird activities regarding adamas. They end up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where a Mysterious Merchants’ Bazar is promising the inhabitants of the city whatever they most desire.

We all know that in the shadow world there is no such thing as coincidences, so the one who is stealing the adamas is the one behind this market... and he is also of the Greater Demons, Belial, who happens to know something important about the Lost Herondale.

“I might know a cure,” Belial said. “Yes, I think I know a sure cure. You could be who you once were. You could be Jem again. Or.”

Brother Zachariah said, Or?

Belial’s long tongue flickered out, as if he was tasting the air and found it delicious. “Or I could tell you a thing you don’t know. There are Herondales, not the ones you know, but of the same blood as your parabatai.”

It could be a great dilemma. Getting rid of a curse that ended your life and becoming a Shadowhunters again – or remaining a Silent Brother just to help out the two people you love the most? But what could be a great dilemma to most... means nothing to Brother Zachariah, who, even as a Silent Brother, is devoted to his loved ones more than ever.

The Carstairs owe a life debt to the Herondales.

which is a deeper and stronger way to say «I love you».

At the end of the novella, Sister Emilia makes a deal with Belial, who promises her to give Brother Zachariah some extra time with his dying parabatai in form of a vision.

In the vision, Will and Jem are young again, and it’s the period before their parabatai ceremony. They find themselves in Shangai, which is the place where Jem was born... a place they never got to visit. For once in a long time, even though for a short moment, Jem is himself again and gets to be with his other half before Will passes away.

I love the way Cassandra Clare describes the bond between parabatai. It is so intimate yet it makes you feel part of something bigger just by reading about it.

There was a lightness in Jem’s chest that he realized, finally, was joy. He saw that joy mirrored in his parabatai’s face. The face of the one you love is the best mirror of all. It shows you your own happines and your own pain and it helps you bear both, because to bear alone is to be overwhelmed by the flood.

We had been waiting for this moment since The infernal devices... and it’s more than perfect.

I think I speak for everyone when I say that we could never thank Cassandra enough for this reunion. Unless she decided to write a new series about them...

Anyway, this is where the first part of my review ends. I hope you guys enjoyed it; in this case, let me know! On the contrary, let me know too!

Ave atque vale,

my brothers and sisters

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dlamp-dictator · 5 years

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Allen Rambles about Assassins Pride

Originally, I was going to talk about Assassins Pride along with High School Prodigies have it Easy Even in Another World as a sort of update/mini-essay post. However... the Assassins Pride portion got a lot bigger than I expected, I was over 500 words into it, and by that point, like so many other of my Ramblings, I just threw up and hands and decided to go all in. So, here we are... talking about an anime with only 2 episodes out and yet I’ve still managed to write over 1,300 words about in the rough draft of this “mini” essay.

But first, a quick synopsis by Wikipedia, who does a much better job of summarizing this show than my first two drafts did:

Humanity has been brought to the edge of extinction and now exists solely in the last remaining city state of Flandore, where individual city blocks are housed in separate glass domes. Travel between the domes is possible only via train lines running through glass tunnels. The world outside the domes has become one of eternal darkness and is completely infested with savage lycanthropes.

Within the domes humanity is divided into the nobility and the commoner classes. Through their blood members of noble families are able to manifest mana which grants them powerful superhuman abilities enabling them to fight and kill lycanthropes. Melida Angel was born to a noble father and a commoner mother but has never manifested mana and attends an elite academy to hone her skills with mana.

On orders from Melida's noble grandfather, Lord Mordrew, the assassin Kufa Vampir is ordered to become Melida's tutor and discover if Melida is a true member of the noble Angel family. If Kufa discovers Melida is the product of her mothers affair with another commoner and not blood related to Lord Mordrew he is ordered to assassinate her. Kufa confirms Melida is likely not a noble but decides he cannot ignore her strong spirit and offers her a way to manifest her mana.

With Melida able to use mana for the first time Kufa must keep his actions a secret from Melida's family and from his guild, White Knight, or both he and Melida will be executed.

So here we have a Combat School anime mixed in with political intrigue and assassins. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Though my interest in this anime didn’t come from the mere announcement. Rather, it came from the manga that I read online almost a year ago that has slowly (extremely slowly) been updating.

And as of me posting this essay, this anime is gone through 10 chapters of that manga in 2 episodes.

That’s... insanely fast pacing, and skipping quite a lot of important context. However, despite this I think the anime’s team might be in the right to do this, or at least I can see a bit of their logic behind this choice.

But... before I go into that, I want to talk a bit about that manga in question and the things that made me gravitate toward. Mostly so I can have a Rambling this is more about the positives than the negative, as my last few have been... less than kind toward any series I talk about.

Ah, but I’ve rambled a little too long, let’s get to the first part this manga that I like, which is...

The Intrigue

If there’s one thing I enjoy about the manga it’s the way it shows how the nobility is. Like the synopsis said, the noble class usually inherits the ability to use mana, and specifically families can even inherit unique and powerful classes like Paladin, Dragon Knight, and Magic Knight. These are people raised to be warriors to fight demons, as well as represent their families and schools in tournaments and competition. So being in the noble class creates quite a lot of pressure to achieve and perform at a level that’s acceptable, if not extraordinary. The pressure is on these kids to do their best and live up to their family names, and the fact that Melida can’t even use mana leaves her ostracized and bullied. And the manga makes sure you know this. She’s taunted and mocked by her classmates at every turn. You see the impossible gap that a normal human without mana is would have to cross. You Melida get knocked down both physically and emotionally by those around her save for her maids. And you see just how little her father cares for her because of it. Not through his direct action, but the fact that Melida’s maids are the youngest, least experienced attendants throughout the family. That Melida herself is forced to live alone in the family’s spare manor instead of directly with her father. And boy did chapter 10 show just how much of a jackass her father is with only a few words and cold glare. This is a nobleman alright.

And seeing all this just makes me want Kufa to succeed in making Melida into a great noble and fighter. Even if he has to cheat and break from his original mission to do it, just seeing Melida throw all that bile back into the faces of those who spat on her will be well worth it. To quote the man himself:

“That right there is the warrior you all called useless!”

Ah, but speaking of her teacher...

Kufa

This might be a little weird to mention now, but Kufa reminds me a lot of Zeabolos from Trillion: God of Destruction. I talk a little about that game here when discussing Idea Factory games last year, saying that Zeabolos was a good main character for having an actual personality and goals that didn’t just reveal around the main cast. Kufa is very similar in that regard. Both are older males past 20 with relations and interactions around a namely young female cast. Both have those relations played more realistically than pandering. In Zeabolos’s case, his female cast consisted of his nieces, cousins, sisters, and close friends. People he treated as family and not like awkward crushes, making those interactions heartfelt and fun to see, even the more pandering things, as Zeabolos rightfully doesn’t blush and get flustered around his own family save for Ashmedia who purposefully always tries to throw him off his game.

In the same vein, Kufa treats Melida as his student first and foremost.He trains her in combat, scolds her when she falters too far, praises her when she succeeds, and basically acts as a better father figure than Melida’s real father could ever be. It’s a cute relationship, and it doesn’t end their. He teases and mocks fellow tutor Rosetti, not only keep her and her student at arm’s length but also because she’s enough of a ditz to fall for his taunts. He treats those that bullied and teased Melida... rather... harshly for understandable reasons. Point being, the author understood that Kufa was a person first, and character second, something a lot of other writers in the medium usually fail at.

Plus, the dude actually has some pretty wicked fight scenes. He’s about as over-powered as most male protags in this kind of story, but since the story made sure to show the audience he’s an instructor and assassin by trade, we expect him to be strong from the get-go and can safely continue the story knowing the tension comes less from a powerful enemy, but rather the power system of government and oppression that a kamehameha can’t just blast away.

Ah, but I’ve spoken a bit too long about the teacher and failed to mention much about the student. So let’s talk about the girl herself.

Melida

Boy… it’s no wonder Kufa would rather risk his life than kill this girl for someone’s political gain. Like I said when discussing the intrigue, she’s constantly put down for her lack of mana despite her hardworking nature. Even though she can use mana she’s still an accomplished swordsman and exemplary student. She trains her body everyday, she studies as hard as she can, and for all her effort... she just gets kicked down by everyone else. Her friends, her family, and up until Kufa came into her life and helped her gain mana all she had were her inexperienced maids.Until Kufa showed up she had to take every bit of venom thrown at her with a smile and laugh. She suffers a lot in those first few chapters, and you really want someone to save, to help her accomplish her dream of being a great noble and fighter. No only for herself, but to honor her late mother who everyone claimed was a part of an affair and that Melida herself isn’t even a true woman of the Angel.

And Kufa does, at the risk of both his own and her life.

And after that, we truly get to see Melida shine as the brave soul she is, now that she has the power and is slowly gain the skill to back up that bravery. It’s a nice foil to her cousin Elisa, a fellow student who does possess Angel blood, has gain the esteemed and rare class of Paladin, is rather powerful in her own right... but is an expressionless, cowardly girl that’s almost too frightened to face the demons. I’d go on to discuss Elise and her tutor Rosetti, but... this Rambling is getting long enough, so... more on.

Other Small Things Allen Likes

Just going to put this in list form for the sake of my sanity as well as the sake of moving on to my final point quickly. That said, here are some other small things I enjoy about the Assassins Pride manga:

The world-building is surprisingly engaging to me. A world trapped in perpetual night with warriors of light being the only thing keeping away further darkness, along with the last bastion of humanity being a literal chandelier city in case you missed the symbolism is... surprisingly effective.

There have been some good fight scenes throughout the manga so far. Not many within the 20 chapters mind you, but all of which had some good build-up to them and rewarding conclusions.

Kufa not only succeeds as a serious character, but is the source of a lot of the comedy as well. The manga takes good advantage of throwing this cold, serious assassin off his game enough to be funny at times.

The expressions in this manga are done very well. Half the reason Kufa is so effective are the moments with the artist finally decided to give him a really dark or comedic expression.

Okay... now that I’ve gotten everything off my chest about the manga, it’s about time I finally discussed...

The Anime

Since only two episodes of the anime have came out as of the time of this essay I’ll try keep this short, but… no promises.

Now, in two episodes we’re already at chapter 11 of the manga. That’s… very quick. And chapters 1-11 did a lot of that build-up I was talking about in the last few sections of this essay. To skip all of that really does give this anime a mediocre feel to it, like it just wants to get to the big action shots and give more of a “best scenes” montage than a story.

That said, this isn’t a bad thing. As another anime did something similar...

Yes folks, Allen X is going to compare the action-drama combat school Assassins Pride to the bombastic sports parody Keijo!!!!!!!!

If that disturbs you’re free to leave now, I’m going to continue.

Now, if you’ll mind the comparison, Keijo!!!!!!!! skipped its entire first arc in its anime adaption, over 20 chapters of manga, and the end result was honestly better for it. When you understood the context and plot of "Butt Battle Anime” you didn’t need much else. At that point, you can jump straight into the second arc that focused on developing techniques and had diverse battles for each main character. The exposition and characterization could be explain later, or even skipped if your suspension of disbelief could accept Keijo for what it was, an action-packed sports parody.

At the same time, for all the good build-up the manga does, I can also admit that if you understand that context and plot of “Combat School with Assassin Teacher and Aristocratic Intrigue” you can probably follow the rest of the series just fine. You don’t need to know how classes work to the letter if you can see them in action in the tournaments and battles. You don’t need to know all the trauma and suffer Melida has been through if you got the point after episode one, as it’d be needless suffer-porn. You don’t need to know how deep in trouble Kufa is for going against his guild’s orders if... well, spoiler events happen in the next few episodes that will very much show how determined Kufa’s guild is to get rid of Melida. I’d also like to add that even with online fan-translations the manga only has 20 chapters available.

And twenty chapters of manga isn’t enough to cover a 12-episode anime.

I’m willing to be something that happens around the 30s will be conclusive enough, but the anime has to skip a lot to get to the meat of the plot. Actually, I know this is the case. Here is a link to the Assassins Pride anime’s english website. If you go to the character selection it’ll give you a list of the main cast. This cast consists of Kufa and Melida, the main character. Elise and Rosetti, the main characters’ foils. Nerva, the antagonist of these first 2 episodes. And... 3 characters we aren’t familiar with yet. These 3 in particular are revealed and explained in the latest arc, but as they just got revealed in chapters 19 and 20 and the manga has once again slowed down its updates as fan translations tend to do... we can only speculate what their purpose is. This tells me the latest arc will be not only meaty, but also intense with a main cast this small.

I’ve got hopes for this anime despite my nervous feelings. And I hope the show exceeds my expectations.

youtube

At the very least, Share the Light is a stellar song for an OP, and the OP itself is done well too. If this song is the only good part about this adaption… then I think at least something good came out of it.

...

Usually, this would be the part where I once again lament the lost of the line break feature on Tumblr and awkwardly move on to my conclusion. However... there’s some things I have to get off my chest. Nothing related to Assassins Pride, but to the manga community in general that tends to scream and moan about the book being better than the movie one too many times for liking. So...

Allen’s Grievance

Again, this has nothing to do with Assassins Pride, so feel free to move on to the conclusion if your done reading my mad ramblings. However, there are a few things I have to get off my chest when it comes to comparing manga panels to animation frames:

First, let me say this: Anyone saying the manga is source material to the anime just became irrelevant. Assassins Pride was originally a light novel published in 2016 with 11 novels out as of this essay. To mention the manga as the main source is not only ignorance, but also arrogance, which is an almost unforgivable sin in my book toward anyone acting as a critic.

As someone who’s trying to write his own story I’ll also say there’s a huge difference between serialized writing and writing for a show. I’m not in the animation or show-writing business, so I can’t speak on that end, but in terms of serialization the focus is more on quantity than quality. It’s not just about writing a good story, it’s about writing a continuous story with frequent/timely updates at a consistent rate of quality. I can’t speak for the writer of Assassins Pride, but most places I’ve went to for advice in this regard focus on consistency of writing more than quality of writing. This type of environment creates a lot of downsides, but having this understanding also means that Assassins Pride, being a serialized story, likely has a focus on a long story to keep selling rather than focusing on overall quality.

To that point, by the way the manga explains it, this story is suppose to cover at least 3 years of Melida’s life. Now timeskips will likely happen, but that’s a huge amount of content if they pace it right, and impossible for a 12-episode show to adapt well without cutting some corners in its own pacing, hence the reason they’re skipping this first arc’s details to get into the meat of the second arc.

And need I remind everyone that read the manga that you are likely pirating it for free. I’ve yet to hear of any overseas translation or sells of the light novel yet, so most people complaining about this point likely didn’t read this manga legally. I’ll fully admit I didn’t either, but I also believe most people should put their money where their mouth is. Literally. The main reason the manga translations are so slow is likely because the fan translators aren’t doing this as an actual job, but either for fun or for patreon money. And translators... you can honestly get better money translating hentai. Believe you me, there’s a big market for it and you’d be surprised how many people want context for their Japanese/Korean/Chinese porn.

As I mentioned before, you can understand a lot of details by simply seeing them in motion rather than having them explained to you. The Samurai class is speedy, the Gladiator class is a good attack, the Paladin class is an advance combat/support class, the Maiden/Dancer class is good a mid-range. These things can be shown through the animations and fight scenes rather than having a character explain it. The anime can easily show more than tell, and people need to realize a lot of manga, comics, and novels are guilty of overdoing exposition.

I could go on with my annoyance, I really could, but I’m going to stop their before this thing gets to over 4,000 words.

So...

Conclusion

In short, I’m cautious, but I’m not disappoint… yet.

I’ll keep an eye on this anime. If anything, it definitely looks pretty, the fight scenes have been down well so far, and seeing Melida be cute in full color is great. If I just get a decent action series out of this anime, I’ll be happy. And hey, maybe the light novel and manga will be translated and sent to the west too. Here’s hoping.

Anyway, that’ll do for me. I’m gonna’ try and post something weekly again. Not so much a weekly update, but just essays in general.

#your dictator is speaking #assassins pride

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murfeelee · 5 years

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Shadowhunters Appreciation Meme

I saw this on my dash, and decided to do it for S01 - S3A, since I’m feeling emotional watching S3B, knowing Shadowhunters is being cancelled for no good reason.

1: Favorite episode: 1x12: “MALEC!”

This episode (the wedding scene in particular) got reblogged so much on my dash, and was referred to in fanfiction and fanart, and I was like WHAT is this.

2: Favorite character: MAGNUS BANE. Come on y’all.

3: Favorite Ship: Climon -- JUST KIDDING~~~! Malec is the only Shadowhunters ship of significance; fight me on this.

4: Favorite scene: The dragon fight with Magnus, Alec, and Izzy in 2x20.

5: Favorite ep from S1: I’ve said from day one that I didn’t like Season 1; most of the characters and plots got on my last nerve. But 1x12: “Malec“ was excellent, and Magnus Bane was frikkin fabulous (as usual).

6: Favorite ep from S2: Season 2 was a marked improvement over S1, but it had WAY too much going on. And they put my poor baby Magnus through the freaking WRINGER. Between the body swap, and the breakup, and all the other drama, S2′s episodes had me in a STATE. Episode 2x08 “Love is a Devil“ was fun, before it got SUPER dark. I enjoyed the party a lot.

7: Favorite ep from S3A: Season 3 is the best. 3a impressed me, and 3b so far is fantastic. 3x8: “A Heart of Darkness” and 3x9 were very emotional. Legit tear-jerkers.

8a: Favorite quote: “You've reached the voicemail of Magnus Bane. Please don't leave a message at the tone. I'm centuries old, and even I think it's outdated.“

8b: Favorite Malec quote: “I’ve always dreamed of meeting someone like you.“ Because YES, Alec. SAME. Me too! *ugly sobbing*

9: Favorite BROTP: Luke Garroway and Simon Lewis

10: Favorite non-canon ship: I was gonna say Maruke (Mayrse Lightwood & Luke Garroway, but according to the S3B promos....! 👀 )

11: Top 3 EPs: The last 3 episodes of S3A, 3x8, 9 and 10.

12: A character you didn’t expect to love as much as you do now: Maryse Lightwood. Mama L. grew on me, cuz in Season 1 I was ready to SHANK that wench.

By late S2 and into S3A she had genuinely started realizing what a bigot she was (I think she was more against Alec choosing a Downworlder, and THE Downworlder, Magnus -- whom she’d had a serious beef with since her Nazi-wannabe days in Valentine’s Circle -- more than the fact that Magnus is a man, though the Clave for sure hates that, too. Suffice to say, she was pissed, all the way around). Maryse made amends with everyone, though, and I was like, “You know what that is? GROWTH.”

13: First actress you fell in love with: Izzy Lightwood. She’s so gorgeous.

14/15: First actor/character you fell in love with: Come on. We’re married.

16/17: When did you start watching the show/joined the fandom: Summer 2017 -- I binged through Season 1 and 2, after being beaten over the head since like 2016 with gifs and fanart, and all kinds of stuff on Tumblr and AO3. I immediately fell in love with Magnus, and watched the show strictly for him, and just enjoyed the Malec and the magic of the show. I enjoy the fanfics and even the books more than the show though.

18: How has the fandom influenced you: Other than the fact that Magnus Bane is officially my husband and taking over all of my blogs?

19: Did you meet people through the show: I’ve connected with dozens of people on Tumblr because of Malec, yes. We just fangirl and spazz out in each other’s IMs and it’s great! ^_^

20: What rep on the show have you identified with? I’m Team Downworlders, if that’s what you mean. Especially Team Warlocks. I actually hate the Shadowhunters. S1 Maryse is NOT a rarity -- for people with the blood of angels, the Clave is bigoted, petty and downright evil sometimes.

21: What character has helped you: Listen. Magnus gives me life, he really does. Iconic.

22: In what way has the show helped you: / 24: What has the show added to your life: It’s been giving me my fanciful fix since Teen Wolf ended. I can’t get into Supernatural (I've tried, but Crowley’s gone, so so am I), and I always need a fantasy show -- Game of Thrones, True Blood, Buffy, Charmed, Vampire Diaries, Sabrina, Penny Dreadful, The Magicians, etc. So I’ve been entertained, and I’m gonna be really bummed once it’s over. I hear Umbrella Academy’s good.

23: What are your hopes for the finale:

Malec Wedding at the Institute, dressed in gold and blue

Malec adopting Max and Rafael Lightwood-Bane

Announcement that there will be a spinoff, preferably for the Dark Artifices or Bane Chronicles.

#nonsims #shadowhunters #pickupshadowhunters #saveshadowhunters #magnus is life goals #questionnaire #non-sims

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royal-loki · 6 years

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To begin with, I want to thank you for your asks because I want everyone to feel comfortable expressing their opinions. I was going to answer your first one but by the time I got to my computer there were four so I didn’t want to keep posting the answers separately.

To your first ask, I completely agree that actors get associated with their superhero roles but I don’t think that is a bad thing. If you think about the movies that were the most memorable to you or impacted your life the greatest, for most people it would be a superhero movie. Even humanity’s earliest known works of fiction were about heroes like the Iliad or the Epic of Gilgamesh because we all aspire to be something greater and to create positive change in the world. Epic tales of heroism would strike a chord with anyone because they speak to the universal human condition of finding courage in the face of great evil. To become heroic is to find the bravest part of your soul and be willing to lay down your life for the betterment of humanity. Even those we consider to be villains are heroes in their own minds. A great antagonist is just as relatable as the protagonist, if not more so.

Since you brought up Tom Hiddleston, I’ll include a wonderful quote from him

"I was playing the antagonist [in Thor] and [Anthony] very sweetly invited me to his house for breakfast. He said, 'I know what you're doing. I've played lots of parts in my life. I've played kings, and princes, and poets, and thieves, but people stop me on the street and they ask about one man. Who do you think that man is?' And I knew who that man is. I don't even have to say his name, but it begins with an 'H' and ends in 'annibal Lecter,'" Hiddleston jokes.

"He said: 'It's interesting because my experience is that people want their lives to be filled with love, and laughter, and friendship, and family. They want to have nice lives. They want to have happy lives. But when they go to the theater they want someone who's brave enough to lead them into the darkness. They want someone who can express the darkness they feel in their own lives and in their own hearts, but they don't want it at their front door. That's what the want from art. That's what they want from actors.' I just thought it was the most powerful thing. It's a very strong memory," Hiddleston shares.

I’d also like you to consider that an IMDb rating for a movie does not determine it’s impact or value as an art form. For example, I love The Blair Witch Project and yet it’s IMDb score is 6.4/10. Consider the fact that no other horror movie has created such a phenomenon like this movie did when it first came out. People thought it was a real documentary and thousands of people went looking for the Blair Witch. This movie helped pioneer the found-footage genre of filmmaking and bring it to the mainstream audience.

My point is - an IMDb rating should not be a foregone conclusion for how great a movie truly is.

This brings me to your next ask, the horrible lie that is the Oscars. Talent doesn’t win Oscars, money does. I think Jake Gyllenhaal is a completely underrated actor who should have won an Oscar by now but clearly he doesn’t shake hands with the right people or his studio didn’t send enough gold watches to the Academy. As for Heath Ledger winning a posthumous Oscar - he completely deserved it but again, it was bought and paid for by the studio to honor his legacy after his untimely death. Also, I’m not sure about you but when I think of Jack Nicholson, The Shining immediately comes to mind, not his ridiculous stint as the Joker. As for Jackman and Bale, I instantly think of The Prestige (thank you Nolan).

For your third ask, The reason why Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are more popular actors is because they have acted in a greater number of better films than the other actors you mentioned. Leo’s list of amazing movies - Inception - Titanic - The Departed - Django Unchained - Romeo + Juliet (a fav of mine) - What’s Eating Gilbert Grape - The Man in the Iron Mask - The Beach (really enjoyed this one) - Gangs of New York - Catch Me If You Can - Blood Diamond - Shutter Island - The Great Gatsby - The Wolf of Wall Street (I disliked this one but it’s popular) Brad’s list of amazing movies - Thelma & Louise - Interview with the Vampire (loved it) - Se7en - Twelve Monkeys - Meet Joe Black - Seven Years in Tibet - Fight Club (one of the greatest movies of all time) - Ocean’s Eleven - Troy - Mr. & Mrs. Smith - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Inglourious Basterds - 12 Years a Slave - Moneyball Those are acting legends and if you ask almost anyone on this planet if they’ve heard of either one of them they will surely say yes. Besides, think of how long it took for DiCaprio to win his infamous Oscar. You know, the Oscar that his fans have been begging the Academy to consider for most of his life (since What’s Eating Gilbert Grape). To finally get to your last ask, let’s be honest for a moment - Jake’s career has been stagnant since Zodiac. He’s spent almost a decade trying to recreate the success of Brokeback Mountain. I’m a big fan of his, especially his earlier roles like Donnie Darko, Bubble Boy, The Day After Tomorrrow, The Good Girl, Zodiac, Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead, October Sky, and Love & Other Drugs but he hasn’t had many acclaimed movies this past decade. I think he did a fantastic job in Nightcrawler but he’s a hard leading man to cast. He’s not conventionally handsome or intimidating to play a convincing action star, and he’s not a chameleon that can disappear into his character like Gary Oldman.

Maybe he sees this role as an opportunity to expand his notoriety to a larger audience. Likewise, maybe he wants to try something different than what he’s been doing for the past decade. Like I said before, if he didn’t want to do it he wouldn’t have signed on for the role. I personally believe that if an actor has done amazing roles in the past, then he’ll still be remembered for his other roles and not for just being “the bad guy in spiderman”.

#ask #Tom Hiddleston #Jake Gyllenhaal

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Ghost Reading Books Halloween Blood Moon T Shirt

Harris as our next vice president you know it comes from people all over the country’s already occurring all over the country all ideological views all backgrounds events of course we are predictable some of them become small over except of course Donald Trump’s White House and his allies y’all knew was coming because set your watches to down jump is already started his attacks calling quote nasty whiny about how she is quote mean to his appointees is no surprise because whining is what Donald Trump does best in any president in American history is anyone surprised down Trump is a Ghost Reading Books Halloween Blood Moon T Shirt problem for the strong women are strong women across the board we know the more succumb for less be clear if you’re working person. And is hereand I clothingand present also present very well before the emails that she is on practicaland wonderful people you entertain United Nations I do indeed yes I have trained back to my previous statement I do recall it comes to continental title to send you a call the conversation again I do yes verified other can read it back to me please now actually give them okay Tuesday January the rarest rock she had a different perspective than the restand I think that we found a sadand thinking that we perhaps would wanted to see me for anywhere so we all get a grant which was like aand wonder what we know I cannot purpose for lying aboutand it is strange that that’s less than like it is a little once again nominated that putting Ferdinandand boss lady in their ruling of the bus a particular with the bus baby is a genius exploration of the evils of late capitalism as told through a baby in a coma Verizon how monies dreaming all that it’s a really trippy psychedelic blades like Smith has been seen since what you areas are the outand writing right here at work her job to rewatch minivan forced us to watchand and in light of that they clearly do you look at meand a lot of people think even stronger one human being so which is really funny great foundand had Legoand Batmanand that’s literally the reason lightingand the word Lego man then there like now it’s dumb that he did not shameand are literally just look at the time because those are two of the better animated movies exiting the government was but they are my favorite Batman movies really think I 2012and the screeners for dark night right I was shocked because I looked backand forth read the entire synopsis they managed to write up a whole synopsis without once mentioning the word nowhere to be found on the beach I think I’lland the cover was Bruce Wayne climbing like the wall is no those of a no it’s just Christian mailand in the rain heard like down from like the bar idea that it was just like the colostomy bag Academy voter anymore the impression that there really is then again looking at Wolverine on the Lorraine in combating now should wonder woman need help from for me personally I the superhero film how you compare superhero film to the drama what account if you can’t be beautiful to selectionand even. The cost met with over 200 oncologist in cancer research centers and I’m asking what is what made clear the way for where we and impediment is determined not going to walk away and tell there is real change this is a truly bipartisan issue so the leaders in this effort in the House and Senate Republicans as well as Democrats is been pushed to the edge of what anyone be expected to bear hauling correction of my cancer your man is you have experienced tragedies in our life and we are inspired by the way that you have responded to announce every single family American has been affected by cancer and we’re so close one wrong believe Anita shot this country to cure cancer is person but I know we can do there are so many breakthroughs just arise we can make them real absolute national committee are Democrats and Republicans on the Hill who share our silence this deadly disease by community one because it’s possible I before we continue with tonight’s program I want to thank everyone who has made this unprecedented

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You know interaction ever had because you couldn’t speak at all thank you everybody else took offense to everyone who came as something they would take a Ghost Reading Books Halloween Blood Moon T Shirt look at say anything back so they would just say everything is going to say my face would just tell also’s argument was that your Film I get out there that think they are right baseball garden I did bring you it is betterand has been so interested is a friend of my body get out there the antibody is in a hospital make their case advantage of them in any way you possibly can move on to our first story here todayand is according to the high reporter scares me that actually deadline high reporter broke a story about a lot of yesterday deadline is not about the new villainand wonder woman to is none other than Sheena played by Kristen Wade apparently paycheckand has had her eye on wake for a while now to play this roleand it looks to be confirmed so that she is going to be going up against wonder woman in the sequel to this massive wonder woman they came out last year the new movie comes on November 1 2000 19th J Washington in any way on the panel knows a little something about Sheena is get a VU what does this mean for wonder woman to you no more you know what for first was one of one woman’s biggest adversaries which is cool use granted they didn’t do in the first movie you burned her out from World War Iand had going forward for two Christian week is interesting casting choice as we been seeing a lot lately with comedic actorsand actresses black I said this on twitter if we can get great Elizabeth Banks is repulsing granted the movie the powerand the heart of the story the cake they did on Rita was nice the way she looked at the different look the vision of a Christian week plan is now will she be as serious or comedic is the question you know now also the story of cheetah is a British archaeologist who goes in Africa they had an opportunity to make this potentially a black British woman there’s a lot of things you do great don’t have to change the cultureand the nationality of the character but you done about bunch of things Christian week is a good choice I believe black will have to see you know when you quit yesterday about the rhetoric also compares it was an interesting one at a very early going on to policy your readerand are in the phase where you will reader processing the I actually like our industry in a limitedand I know the old school reader pulseand everybody was hoping to see in Greenwich have to change things sometimes so using the way they get Elizabeth with this one the Krispy Kreme things a little too much I limit like the look is what I was talking about we can expect her to look as bad as she didand who is a Christian we can look like an incredibly soft terrifyingand look like everything that nightmares are because I know that person that scale afterand I had decided not to go sleep that night like this character sheet in general it is likely because of the complaint getting a lot of Power Rangersand about Elizabeth is reader repulsive she was doing her job if your job was to be in the 90s show Power Rangers seem to fit in with the time when the new movie was trying to do so how’s the character like cheetah who from the fanart for whatever is you are looking to come up with seems a little more outlandish than what we got in wonder woman the first movie I was I get a job with the town because this is the first outlandish character to get that’s a human who transformsand something else with justice league you halfstep more that’s in our worldly creature is in itself with complementingand get everything that’s naturally in Atlanta so we understand that this is gonna be something new to see the DCU you know that to be the interest of our behind again we dealt with psychological sale a question when dating Ghostbustersand other films but this has to be something different will have a comedic element potentially Casio serious will see Harry immediately relocatedand seeing like comedians turn into the deep illness rolesand I rooted for everyone in the marketing point of vampire only those crazy if I were to do a rather like the movie didn’t work as well rises to be in one hour photo resigning like this could work out I think it did think Connex can test it to a darker side of their personality getting Kristen Wade is going to be able to do you I have made during especially the just need your initial impression is lie regarding the morning moreand more I read the other where twins are rolling over she’s going to be a good work can know that she is a good idea if Peterson is really talking on the show where it’s like you feel about one wayand in the next week you feel the same exact way did you get this newsand then have an initial reactionand has that changed all sense you heard about this yesterday plates at the words were not including the reference got into because I first heard the confidenceand Christian way to be able to take her time fender from the community of economic theory generally by tradition works much better than tomato doctors trying to go however my question really affect the talent of what wonder woman he was going to be because if they are bringing Christian right are they planning to make it more the sort of lighthearted comedic type of film compared to the first one where there very negligible humor so much of the few moments of levity but it’s not going the route of life like they do in the NICU movie maxed out when they are trying to may be asking rather than actually having Kristen be super hard core cannot write most of the last few got from wonder woman were were very genuine think the reason for that is because she was allegedly try to find her way in the man’s world so to speak because she went out of her boss Dennis Garethand her interactions the chemistry Chris finds where we got most of the yacht if you will get a movie like Ghostbusters obviously that’s more spoof the then I think you get to see if you wanted so here’s the big question you are left to get over to the panel as a fan person wayand that they can be won over to her performance the one I wanted is under just a little bit of pressure yet again because the first time a woman came outand had to rescue us from this dark gray toneand it succeededand then you have justice leagueand now very divisive movie again so whatever man does with my CAN have a more serious darker tone seems once again is directing it what do we need wonder woman to have in order to make Kristen Wade fit into this balance because as we saw with justice league trying to shift the entire town of DC name from Zach Siders darker version to Joss Wheaton’s line or humorous version the China ship Nike seven Apple man James one says dark black James wants a what you expect I think it’s the balance you’re gonna have a humorist element with one woman like you said in the first you have those humorous moments when you tap into that a little more Diana plays around that we seem that she jokes moreand now she’s more accurate to the world again if this present day is his will to but it doesn’t matter I think I will have a lot more humorand Patty Jenkins also ceased exercising more than anything else so that’s what I would single phase it is Kathy Parsley I can send out the rest of the DCU yelled at everyone with your director changes with your your hiringsand firings of executives with your cash comingand going like the movie I want to make I guess Kristen Wade is a cheetah going to do it I can do I want right now how skinny my confidenceand she sort of envisioned Christian right brain itselfand the one she essentially is writing the role for Christianand the only present quite depressing right was Christianand I think that will be sort of tailored to Christian relaxing make this work a lot more holisticallyand cohesively been made in micro barring a comedic actress 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I bring the storm on knotting of most of us loves to flex are within the whole time garner more effectively when you’re going to get away years ago like you people say it’s an issue it’s kind of like a great thing because you are a fell prey to see the sheer authority she was rereading the the door army up going to get to me was no foreign invasion was a lie was in areaand long timeand she’s about to know have a great time with Laurie sandand then gets waylaid by neuron screen it’s like can all stop is fair to say that the five on those boats crossing the sea was like but forgot I had four children were dazedand probably getting off this boat to measure garden riversand this will see for our data winter fell the car starts arise backand we will will probably find top 20 thrilling moments in the show yeah right wall is greatand clear way that he Artie had when heand Danny had 03 Jason now we’re just watching you just think I’ll call John because I Dragon as clean as reasonably as a major Explain some of the higher mysteries of the show was Jesus to go in to show is about dragons writing well it’s kind a bit from the book version books it is highly suggested that you need some sort of Larryand heritage to be able to bond with the dragons or at least certainly that’s with the target would like everyone to think so it certainly is a self serving ride notion that they put forth their but people on pure malariaand heritage targeting heritage have been dragons especially during the identifying Civil War when he just like dragons but not a lot of writers so they put out the call to students that were birthed from target Aryans half Tiberius quartered Aryans were like anybody that can write a dragon is not your easily disposable than regular show the kind of change it so that the bond between the Dragonand the rider it’s much more it’s basically unexplained but it’s kind of like telepathy for instance when I drove on comes outand rescues Danny from the fighting in the books trolled on his drawn by the sound of battleand blood in just this like excitement but in the show Danny closes her eyes busily calls him downand then we saw that that moment when John first put out his handand drove on symptoms like a special recognizing so in the show it’s it’s suggested that there is more of a one to one link target Aryans to a dragons almost working some kind telepathic bond what’s interesting here in the scene though is the should know about youand Danny would kinda know that like target Aryans can write the dragonsand she’s is no reason at this point is to suspect that John is like Park target areaand then she’s basically like get on maybe the idea is she so confident about her control over these dragons that she’s like I got you like I’m I’m like driving from the from the past I don’t know that it was thought that was a little strange that usually get a thing without it seems like again something that will help in future episodes one of the specifications was leveled on that will probably think when they find out so we have part one John Oso is now but Danny doesn’t know who is nobody else as yearsand so she hears this news the fact that he’s arty successfully been the Dragon will presumably help her accept true shirtand also everybody else because those shots of people watching him fly overheadand yell. Just as economy and then before learning about how he her generation learning about us to resolve we showed against the forces of hatred and division about the work we will do over the next about the Windows we came together and not a joke for resident of the nation thank you all pursuant to our convention rules will now proceed to a roll call by states on the selection of our party’s candidate for the president of the United States secretary right Mr Chairman coming to you online from the Wisconsin Center it’s time to begin our virtual trip around America our journey began at the site of a major step forward in our national journey towards justice let’s go to Alabama with my stepfather as I demand the right to later all right voting rights remain America’s great initiative to walk this path before showed us the way forward John Lewis is incredible to restore the body like to ensure that our democracy belongs to all Americans Bernie Sanders about letters we rely on to theater families and make a living See Other related products: unicorn shirts and shirt

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