#this scene was shot so weirdly there are so many extreme close ups

[ineffable-suffering]

A Small Nugget of Appreciation for the Good Omens Cinematography

i‘m by far not the most qualified person to analyse cinematographic details and the way shows are shot, BUT: upon re-watching S1 for the quazillionth time, i finally figured out what it was that always made me so horrendously uncomfortable about that One Scene in S1E3, when Aziraphale goes to Heaven to tell the archangels what he figured out about the Antichrist (who‘s not actually the Antichrist, whoopsie-doodles).

it just always made me feel so uncomfortable because, well, the way they’re having this conversation is absolutely awkward, as per usual, but it‘s not just that. i took a closer look at how the whole scene is shot and then the metaphorical lightbulb (let there be light!) went up over my head. okay, so, here‘s the deal:

at first, we get this extremely wide-angel shot of Gabriel and the other archangels walking into the room. (sidenote: Azirphale is already there and waiting, so they absolutely made that dramatic, weirdly lined-up enterance on purpose, probably to Assert Angelic Dominance, lol). like, you almost have to squint to see them in the massive, empty hall that is Heaven. it gives you an immense feeling of distance. coldness, even. angels are always described as "beings of love and light" but this shot, among many other things that happen in this show, shows us that that‘s not actually true when it comes to each other (and to humans too, let‘s be real: the archangels don‘t give a goat’s rat's ass about what happens in and to the World).

so anyway, this shot immediately let‘s us know two things:

they rudely let Aziraphale wait for them to do their little runway walk with all the attention being on them

there is no closeness, friendliness or warmth between any of them and least of all towards Aziraphale

you can see this very well in one of the other shots while they‘re all still talking:

you‘d think this was a candid from 2020, mid-pandemic, with how far they‘re all standing apart from each other. and they‘re all facing Aziraphale like a wall. a clear statement: you‘re over there, we‘re over here. you‘re not one of us. (also notice how they‘re not facing him in a centered way but that it‘s actually only really Gabriel who‘s opposite of Aziraphale? despite being the first one to have entered from the right? again: hirarchyyyy)

and now comes the part that stands in such stark contrast to these wide, open, distant shots: the extreme, almost fish-eye-like close ups:

these scenes of then talking are what made me feel so uncomfortable and sort of out of place. i don’t know about you, but they almost make me want to take a physical step back from the screen to get some distance. it‘s like Gabriel and his squad are really distant but in the next second they’re invading ones personal space and– oh, hm. well. that’s exactly it, isn’t it?

it‘s firmly established that they don’t care about Aziraphale, least of all see him as an equal. both by the opening shot and the way they speak to him. but then that feeling is being interrupted with them absolutely crowding Aziraphale up against the figurative wall (aka our tv screen) and interrogating him. they‘re all up in his business as soon as he reveals he has information they might want. they’re nosy, inquisitive and they make both Aziraphale and us feel very uncomfortable and invaded in our space.

in all the ways, this scene conveys on both a dialogue and cinematographic level, that Heaven and the archangels are extremely distant and cold towards each other (and Aziraphale), while at the same time getting way too uncomfortably close and up in Azi‘s business as soon as they suspect he has information they may want.

and one last observation: during this whole conversation, none of the archangels are ever filmed together in one shot (unless it shows all of them vs. Aziraphale):

which is just another way of showing: they’re only "united" when it‘s them against whoever they see as inferior/a threat to them. but when it comes to the archangels as a group just by themselves, they‘re no less distant, weary and unliking of each other than they are with Aziraphale (or Muriel, for example, in S2).

in S1E1 hastur and ligur make a this whole big deal about „demons not trusting each other“ and we‘re made to believe that it‘s probably different with angels. but it‘s not. they‘re nothing short of untrustworthy themselves and proper assholes to everyone within and also outside of their own ranks. same thing as demons, just in neat suits.

except for Aziraphale, of course, God and Satan bless his heart.

alright, that's it. crappy cinematography analysis over. see you again when my hyperfixation catches on another one of the ten million details in this show, xoxo.

[fluffykitteninabox]

The MHA anime is animated weirdly:

ok i just watched the new episode and i have come to a realisation

most of the "ugly" shots of characters are from the front, but the characters look perfectly fine from the side

no no don't leave, hear me out...

ugly

pretty

ugly

pretty

except these 2 shots that are the exact same angle so i don't know wtf happened here:

ugly

pretty

rambling under the cut

WARNING: SPOILERS, NITPICKING & EXCESSIVE USE OF ITALICS

Now this is very interesting to me because most artists (me included) struggle drawing characters from the side and find the front view easier.

And the specific angle that Tenko is shown from here is (for me at least) one of the hardest in general, because you have to show the way the body turns without making it look weird.

In the baby Tenko screenshot the way his shoulders are positioned and how his neck is turned is unclear and a bit confusing. Or at least I can't see it.

In the adult Tomura screenshot these parts are a lot clearer.

It's not just his face that looks weird, it's the entire thing. The face problem mostly has to do with the hair. They made it less... fluffy!

If you look at the original panel too his ear is supposed to be visible and his mouth is supposed to be bigger

but in the very next shot he looks amazing:

look at the details, you can even see how his little teeth are crooked!

Bones really half asses specific parts of episodes and puts extra effort in others..

and that's usually normal for an anime,

but there's no real logic to what scenes get the premium treatment and which don't.

Or, to be more accurate, which characters get the premium treatment and which ones don't.

Take for example this scene from the beginning of the episode:

So I'm ok with how they handled this scene for the most part. Zooming in on his lips with no sound.

cool cool cool..

You can literally read them btw, even though my gif is kind of bad. But it looks like he introduced himself using his first name first and then his last name. (waiting for someone good at analysing shit like this to find what the order is implying 👀)

Hawks' reaction was a bit disappointing however. I was expecting the eye widening to be more dramatic and..

you know... faster

Usually when you're shocked at something your eyes widen at a pace that's definitely faster than this.

I won't pretend I'm an animation expert but i think this has to do with the amount of frames they used.

I usually make gifs from screenshots instead of screen recording, because most screen recorders make my phone really slow. So I have to repeatedly start and pause the video to do that.

Obviously the amount of screenshots i manage to take depends on how fast my fingers are each time, so i might not get every single frame.

But even then the difference in number here seems odd

I managed to get 12 screenshots of Dabi moving his lips, and 17 of Hawks' reaction. And I also miss clicked once and lost about a second of Hawks so there would have been more.

The number might not sound like much, but it's weird when you look at it. Go look at the actual episode if you need to, it's more noticeable there.

Why do we need so many frames for Hawks to react to this??

This sounds like extreme nitpicking but I genuinely think it would have looked better with less frames. Yeah it's cool that it looks smooth but smooth is not always what you want.

He's shocked, this is supposed to look abrupt. It's especially odd when you look at how detailed his face is in that shot.

Why would they choose this part to get the smooth premium animation when that actively hindered the scene

and didn't choose something like... I don't know.. Dabi silently name dropping himself while we see an extreme close up of his lips???

YES I'M FUCKING BIASED BUT I AM OBJECTIVELY CORRECT IN THIS!!

Wouldn't it have been cooler if they had made him enunciate his name and we got to see that in hyper detail?

Because that's the actual important part of this scene. We should be focusing on Dabi, not Hawks' reaction to Dabi.

This is kind of similar to the issues in the Shirakumo reveal scene in season 5. We should have been focusing more on Shirakumo/Kurogiri but because Bones were cowards and didn't animate the Vigilantes flashback chapters, we had to focus on Aizawa instead because that's who the viewers were more emotionally attached to so we needed him as an audience stand in to tell us what we should feel!

I swear if they decide to focus on Endeavor's stupid as fuck reaction during Dabi's reveal instead of him I will lose my shit!!

Also I just realised why the close up shot of Dabi's mouth looks wrong. Scroll back up and look at the gif..

His teeth are too straight!

Apparently someone forgot that humans also have canines!! I mean sure, some people's are less prominent, but his teeth look like they've been drawn with a ruler!

Tumblr posting my drafts again so everything under this point is me editing the post really hastily:

not much else to say

just kind of a conclusion thing i guess

basically i think bones is focusing on the wrong parts of some scenes or focusing on the wrong scenes during an episode in general.

Like Dabi's anger at the beginning of the episode and the dream sequence in Tomura's mind should have been the focal points. That's where the premium animation treatment should have gone.

I appreciate the extra dramatic animation when Tomura wakes up, but that wasn't as important as the entirety of the dream.

Everything looked so static. Yes they had some debris floating around, but if you pay attention to the floating parts of buildings where the characters were standing, all the debris around that wasn't moving at all. It was like it was still attached to the building with invisible strings when it should have probably been moving away.

This is the same issue I had with Twice's clones in the previous episode. He's supposed to be replicating them while Hawks is getting rid of them, but all we see is a static image of a bunch of clones.

Anyway that's enough ranting I think

congratulations if you've read this far, and thank you for tolerating my annoying rambling..

[rotten-potatoes-movie-review]

Fight Club

I do not know if I loved this movie or absolutely despised it. From the beginning I was not certain and as it continued I became more confused. The lead up was confusing, I didn't quite get where it was leading until it all hit me in the last 30 minutes. It was violent, sexual, and I should've expected it but I absolutely did not. Maybe if I had read some reviews before hand, maybe then I would have understood what the movie would be. I went in thinking this was a boxing movie if that helps you understand my utter confusion and mixed feelings.

I have a lot of words about this movie. I also have a lot of thoughts, feelings, and things to point out. Despite how much I hated it going in, I have to admit that I weirdly like it and am fascinated by the whole thing. But that isn't what this post is about, it's about getting an assignment done and over with. Let us start.

During the movie I had to chose a scene with a lot of conflict and dissect it piece by piece. I jotted down several scenes and their times stamp during the first half of the movie. Anywhere there was a physical fight, I have the time stamp. However, after watching all the way through, I am pretty sure this assignment is not about the physical fighting but more of the active intense conflict between people. Now the most obvious point in the movie to write about is one of the last scenes. The main character is fighting himself and needs to win to save the day but by winning the fight he also loses. That is the height of the movie, the realization, that is where attention is grabbed and held. So I decided to write about the scene at 1:52:00, one hour and fifty two minutes, a full 13 minutes before the climax I just mentioned. 1:52:00 is the moment our protagonist, 'Cornelius' or the narrator, realized that he is not just our beloved and confused main character but also Tyler Durden. That is the tip of the iceberg, the moment that everything comes crumbling down.

The beginning of the scene starts with the narrator stumbling into his hotel and frantically calling Marla. Our main character calls Marla, distraught and on the verge of realization while Marla responds with annoyance and hostility. That is where the beginning of this scene's 'fight' begins. Quick cuts between Marla and 'Cornelius' (I'm going to keep calling him this because I don't know his name) with close up shots show a visualization of the tension between them. Both characters are confused and angry in different ways, shown through their words and their tones. 'Cornelius' or not quite Tyler's voice is higher pitched and frantic as opposed to Marla who's voice is steady and around its normal range. When not Tyler yells it is when he is asking a question revolving himself as Tyler. His anger is towards himself not realizing, towards Tyler for what he has done. When Marla yells it is in response to 'Cornelius's' questions, it is in annoyance and exasperation. She is angry at 'Cornelius' or as she knows him, Tyler. Both characters can't understand each other because they lack both sides of the story. Stuck with only what they know, which is very conflicting against what the other knows, they argue and set the spark that lights the fuse for the rest of the extreme conflict to begin.

Despite that scene not being as high tension as many of the ones before it or the big ones that come after, I believe that it is just as important.

[justifiedandrec]

[alloftheblackwidowfeelings]

As a casual nat stan, i feel a little bit weirded out the amount of genuine smiling throughout the snippets i've seen--to the point where i thought it was uncharacteristic. Not that i think nat is incapable of basic human emotions, but i guess i'm used to her being so stoic? Weirdly, her stoicness is what drawn me to her bcs i too am a very guarded person. How do you think the film portray her in this department?

I have been sitting on this one since before the movie came out because I couldn't figure out how to answer it in a way that wasn't spoilery.

Let's gooooo.

I am ALSO seriously into Nat's guardedness. I think that media very rarely knows what to do with women who aren't either great at emotions or complete robots, and in past movies Natasha has given us just enough to show that she's neither. And Nat's reliance on performativity, in particular, has always worked for me; I grew up with the belief that you have to behave in certain ways for people to accept you, and seeing characters get emotional with very little provocation makes me actively uncomfortable as a viewer, like I'm seeing something private I shouldn't.

Nat's emotions in this movie worked for me for a few reasons.

One is one of my favorite details of the movie: Natasha (and Melina) were psychologically conditioned, while Yelena (and the other Widows in her cohort) were brainwashed. The conditioning required the Widows to be extremely carefully controlled, because of the negative consequences if they didn't. The brainwashing removed the ability to control, because it was never their choice. So we see that in Morocco Yelena is extremely controlled, and then right after that we see her expressing emotions far more freely than we ever see from Nat (even ten-year-old Nat) or Melina. She doesn't have the instincts to not.

Another is that in most of the scenes where we see Natasha showing strong emotions, positive or negative, it's with people she was only close with from ages seven or eight to ten or eleven. There's an element of Nat unintentionally regressing and needing to consciously regain her Adult In Control Of The Situation approach, repeatedly; we see it most clearly in the "don't slouch" scene but for me her first scenes with Yelena are that much more telling. She's metaphorically an adult staying in her childhood bedroom at her parents' house and trying to figure out why the bed doesn't feel like she remembers.

A third is one that I didn't actually realize until thinking more about this movie: yes, Natasha is smiling sincerely more here. But she's also angry more. It wasn't until I had seen this movie a few times that I started to think of all the times I've identified Nat as angry in other movies. I still think she HAS been angry, but she's grit her teeth and she's smiled a very tight smile and she has done everything in her power to defuse the situation. (I can't help but think of how Carol's anger got so many fanboys to be like "Why doesn't she smile more?" while Natasha's anger has passed by them entirely unnoticed.) Her smiling, to me, is connected to her ability to express her rage: to try to drown Yelena before offering a truce and drinking together; to yell at Alexei rather than coquettishly convince him to find the Red Room; to call Melina a coward to her face.

Compare it to her conversation with Ross; her tone never wavers. When she has her first conversations with Mason, even though he can tell she's run-down, she's presenting Public-Facing Natasha, who just wants to Get Shit Done. When she thinks Taskmaster is sent by Ross, her ONLY emotional reaction is to say that she's a better shot when she's pissed off. It's only once the Red Room is brought in, and her history is part of things, that her emotions show more on her face.

I don't think Natasha lost all her levels of guardedness in this movie- I think comparing her to Alexei and Yelena is proof of that, as is, frankly, the number of critics who didn't seem to understand what I saw as an extremely clear emotional arc- but I think this movie is a lot closer to the nerve, and as a result we're seeing more get through her mask than we usually would. If that were only positive emotions, I don't think it would work for me. But the film's active choice to give Natasha greater capacity to show her anger made her visible happiness feel more earned, and both parts together made Nat feel like a more complete person to me.

[halcyonstorm]

Buttered Popcorn

“In the trip to Marley, I imagine Onyankopon would tell Levi and Hange to go to the movies, because he thought Hange would love it. (I imagine they would go without Onyankopon) So, in the cinema, at the beginning when the lights of the projector turn on she would be super excited and Levi would hush her.  And well, the movie would begin… (I don’t care the genre) and I imagine they would get a little close, maybe arms touching? But then the typical romance scene would appear, with the actors kissing, and so they would get conscious of the situation, Levi would get awkward and separate from Hange, and I don’t know anymore. I think it can be funny, fluffy and whatever you feel like :)”

-

Hi! Thank you for leaving me a submission! I altered what you said a little bit, but I hope it’s still enjoyable. Some of the movies I added are recent, so just please disregard that the movies definitely came out after their lifetime. I really enjoyed writing this, so thank you!

-

Marley was hustling and bustling. Every weekend, markets would open up and merchants would gather in the center of the city to sell their items. All sorts of items, including fruit, jewelry, books, liquor, ice cream, and even animals. Today was the day that the 104 was able to forget about Titans for a little while. Onyankapon decided to take advantage of that. 

“Hey, Levi,” Onyankapon whispered, touching his upper back, gesturing for Levi to walk with him. He pulled him away from Hange for a moment. Hange was purchasing something at a stall. “The kids are going to that restaurant down the block for an early supper.” He gestured towards the road behind them. “You and Hange should go on a date.”

Levi scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Why would you ask me, specifically, to go on a date with her?”

“Cut the crap, Levi. We all know you like her,” Onyankapon said. Levi shot him a death glare, which made Onyankapon’s shoulders tense. They walked a little further while Levi contemplated his decision.

“…Fine. I’ll keep her company to make sure she doesn’t wander off,” Levi agreed. Onyankapon smiled wide.

“Great! There is a cinema down the block on the right side. You should take her there. I’m sure she’d love it.” Did he already plan our date? Levi asked himself.

“What’s a cinema?”

“It’s where you sit in a big theater and a movie is shown on the screen. You can buy all sorts of food too. There are a ton of showings. Horror, romance, comedy, action; You should go with her and decide. They’re showing movies at all times of the day.”

Levi nodded in understanding. Where was the Commander, anyways?

“The movies…” he muttered to himself. He, himself, had never seen a movie before. He figured Hange would enjoy it. Plus, he could spend some alone time with her. 

Levi turned his head to look behind him. He narrowed his brows. “Where’d Hange go?” He asked aloud, noticing Onyankapon disappeared as well. He began pushing through the flow of the crowd to find her. He was starting to panic. His heart rate started to pick up, adrenaline coursing through his veins. This new city was enormous compared to their little island of Paradis. She’d be gone, forever stuck in enemy territory. It was then he suddenly noticed Onyankapon from his tall stature, who must’ve stopped walking with Levi at some moment in which he couldn’t quite remember. He was standing casually, chatting with someone. He jogged over to him and found Hange. Levi rolled his eyes.

“Hange, stay with the group,” Levi enunciated. Hange just smiled, pushing out a wafer cone with a creamy substance on top.

“Try this!” She said. Levi was confused. After a moment of him just staring at it, she took his hand, placed his fingers around the cone, and let go. “Try it. It’s good.”

Hange had a cone for herself. “It’s called ice cream. This is vanilla. It’s so sweet and creamy and cold and soooooooo good!!”

Levi bent his head down towards the cone, awkwardly opening his mouth to lick it. The woman-you’re-in-love-with’s hand touching yours can be very convincing after all. An eyebrow raised in interest.

“Mm… Not bad.” Levi noticed Onyankapon was staring at him. He kept weirdly shaking his head towards Hange and clearing his throat. Is he okay? he asked himself. Levi shook his head quickly at him, as if to ask what the fuck?

Onyankapon rolled his eyes dramatically, patting Hange’s back. “I’ve gotta use the bathroom. Levi, keep an eye on Hange.” He winked at Levi. Levi is so fucking dense, Onyankapon thought to himself, passing by them to find a bathroom. Oh. That’s why he was acting funny, Levi thought to himself.

Hange started walking next to Levi, licking her ice cream. She really likes it, Levi thought to himself. It made him happy. He figured now was the only appropriate time to ask her out… He had to make it as casual as possible. He felt his heart start to race and his hands begin to shake. It wasn’t a big deal. We are just hanging out like we usually do. Then he thought maybe he didn’t have to even say anything. He can lead them to the cinema and somehow draw her attention that she’ll ask him. Yep. That’s what he was going to do.

“Let’s go this way,” Levi said, grabbing her wrist gently. He didn’t want to lose her in the crowd, knowing how her attention span can be short at times. Hange was really grateful to be spending the day with him and that he wanted to spend it with her.

The pair got through the crowd in the center of the city. They passed some stalls on the outskirts when he finally noticed the cinema. There was a huge red and white sign at the top. There were black letter cards that read multiple movie titles, including “Psycho”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “The Godfather”, and “The Best Years of Our Lives.” There was a ticket booth in the center with glass doors on either side. Levi had finished his ice cream cone and had a wrapper remaining. Hange finished too. Great, he thought. There’s a trash can right by the cinema. I’ll go over there, draw her attention this way, and she’ll invite me to go in. 

“I’ll take your wrapper,” he said, putting his hand out. 

“It’s okay, I got it,” Hange replied.

“Give it to me,” he said sternly. Hange chuckled nervously. 

“Okay. There’s a trash can right there on the left,” she said, pointing in the opposite way of the cinema. 

“I see one over there. I’ll throw it out there.” He had already walked towards the cinema before she could respond. There weren’t many people on this street, so Hange had a clear view of Levi.

“Oh! Levi!” Hange started walking quickly over to him. “Onyankapon told me about the cinema… Let’s go watch a movie!” Levi smirked to himself.

“I guess,” he replied, being coy. My plan worked.

Hange seemed to light up once they walked in the building. It was very pretty inside. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, huge movie posters propped on easels, and there were red and yellow flashing lights around each theater room which also lined the floor. The smell of butter filled their nostrils. 

“What’s that smell?” Hange asked aloud, walking towards the counter.

“Popcorn!” the employee responded. “Would you like some?” Hange looked behind the lady, noticing a huge red glass box with yellow and white kernels inside.

“Yes! Large.” The employee smiled, starting to fill a large bucket with popcorn. Hange suddenly had a burst of energy. “What movie do you want to see?” She asked Levi.

“Hmm… Half of them sound boring.”

“I’ll pick,” Hange nodded.

The employee handed them their bucket. Hange’s eyes widened and glistened. It smelt so good. There were a few wet pieces at the top, fresh with drizzled butter and the salt glistened in the light. The bucket was very warm.

“Which movie would you two like to see?” she asked.

“Hmm… Psycho,” Hange replied. “I’m not sure what it’s about, but I like the sound of it!” 

The employee grinned, handing her the tickets. “I hope you enjoy!”

“Thanks!!”

Hange happily walked down the hallway with the bucket of popcorn. She offered some to Levi. He was stubborn, but Hange insisted he tried it. As it turns out, he loved it. It was salty and buttery, but a light snack. It was perfect for movies.

They found the movie theater their movie was playing. It was completely dark in the room, except for the bright screen. Hange gasped.

“Whoa!” She exclaimed. “This screen is HUGE!”

“If you eat that entire thing, something else will be huge later too.”

Hange chuckled. “Oh, Levi…” She seemed like she was gonna continue, but she didn’t. “Let’s sit up there!” Before Levi looked her way, she was already climbing the stairs up to the higher chairs. Levi passively agreed, following her. He thought she looked very handsome today. He enjoyed seeing her in a suit.

She picked a seat in the middle, weeding her way through. She finally sat down with a plop.

“I’m so excited!” Hange whispered loudly, smiling wide. Levi’s heart swelled at the sight. 

“Just keep it down,” Levi said endearingly, taking the popcorn from her. Hange was staring at the screen, eyes wide in excitement. “I have no idea what it’s about!!”

Levi felt the urge to kiss her right there. After all, no one would see. It was dark and people were mumbling amongst themselves. No one would be able to see them here. He, however, held back his urge.

The small lights on the walls around them dimmed, hinting that the movie was starting. Creepy music started playing. Hange’s grin was still ear-to-ear, eyes wide. She was loudly munching on popcorn. Levi shushed her, grabbing some popcorn with his hand. It was unlike him, but he shoved it in his mouth. He wasn’t gonna tell her that he loved it (unless she asked, of course).

The movie began. It was beginning with a lady stealing money and driving away in a car, not knowing someone has been stalking her. She had bought a new car and changed her look, trying to ward the guy off. It started to get really creepy after this. She was in a motel room, beginning to strip. Hange felt extremely awkward, as did Levi. This feeling, however, quickly dissipated. She got in the shower, and the creepy man broke into her room, starting to slowly make his way to her bathroom. When they showed his dagger, Hange gasped.

“Oh my god! She’s gonna die!” Hange whispered loudly to Levi.

“No, she’s not,” Levi said, but definitely lying. He was getting nervous too.

Suddenly, it happened. The man whipped open the shower curtains, stabbing the lady in the shower to death. She screamed bloody murder, pun intended.

Levi and Hange screamed. Hange was sure that he never screamed in his life until now. A few others screamed in the audience as well. Levi unintentionally grabbed Hange’s hand, still a bit greasy from the popcorn. 

“I told you she was gonna die!” Hange nagged, her voice normal now.

“Well, I didn’t expect them to show it on screen!” Levi replied whispering. 

“I am NEVER showering again!” Hange whispered loudly.

“It’s not like you shower to begin with!” Levi replied back to her. Someone loudly shushed them in the audience. Hange giggled softly.

“Maybe you’ll just have to knock me out again.”

Their hands remained laced throughout the entire movie, Hange accidentally squeezing way too hard when a scary scene was shown. Levi blushed each time this happened. He really liked holding her hand. It turns out that this movie was on a whole other level of fucked up, but it was right up Hange’s alley. She loved crazy shit like this. Levi was starting to get weirded out but every time he looked at Hange, that feeling went away. Finally, the movie ended, and the credits rolled out. People in the audience were clapping. Hange made a questionable face at Levi before softly clapping her hands together. Levi placed his hand on her chin and turned her face towards him. 

“You have something on your cheek,” Levi said. He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket, inspecting her face.

“Oh, it’s probably popcorn,” Hange chuckled, her cheeks flushing red. Thank God the room was still a bit dark.

He started to smush the kerchief on her cheek, trying to rub off the butter. He was looking at her so intricately, so carefully. The lights started to brighten the room again. They were almost alone in the theater. 

“There you go,” Levi said, folding his dirty kerchief and placing it in his pocket. Hange was feeling adventurous today. He got her all hot and bothered by staring so beautifully at her face. 

“You’ve got something on your face, too,” Hange said nervously. Levi knitted his brows. 

“Where?”

“Here,” She said, slowly leaning in. She placed a soft but sweet kiss on his beautiful lips. Levi was shocked, pleasantly shocked. He kissed her back for that brief moment. His cheeks flushed red as he tried to hide his excitement from her kiss.

When she pulled away, their eyes locked. 

“I think I missed a spot,” Levi said softly, placing his hand on her cheek, kissing her softly again.

-

“So…” Levi began as they walked out of the theater. “He was the psycho the whole time? His mother wasn’t even alive…”

“Uh huh!” 

“That’s a Psycho for you,” Levi added. Hange started to laugh. Levi smiled; Hange was lucky enough to catch his smile. He didn’t show his teeth, but the corners of his mouth turned up in a happy, content smile. He hadn’t felt happy (or felt this happy) in a long, long time. 

“Levi,” Hange said, looking over at him. “Let’s see more movies together sometime.”

Levi smiled visibly at her. “Let’s do that.”

[inviberu]

til death do us part

Shino thought it was easier to say it in his own words instead of the ones that were put into his mouth forcefully by some other wizards.

There wasn’t a day in his life where Shino felt himself become this troubled—save for that one time he had a realization dawn to him which was heavily related to his worry about not being able to stay by Heath’s side if he wasn’t powerful enough—and frankly put it, he hadn’t pushed away the idea of asking his fellow wizards just yet even after many failures. First, he tried asking Heath for help. Though it ended quickly with Heath clutching his stomach, trying to suppress his laughter and Shino walking away out of annoyance.

Second attempt was with Nero and Faust who were enjoying an afternoon together out in the courtyard much to Shino’s surprise. When Shino asked them for help, Faust was surprised beyond belief before letting out a tired sigh and Nero merely looked as if he’s a mom that’s given up with her child’s ridiculous antics—that didn’t mean he didn’t find whatever he was asking for a tiny bit hilarious though. Shino, upset, walked away from the scene as well when he found out that the two old men did nothing to assist him with his quest.

Third attempt was when he bumped into the ancient Northern twins in the hallway when they were on their way to their room from the lobby. He asked them a seemingly simple question and yet they went off on a tangent for an answer, which Shino found extremely boring and unhelpful so he just walked away in the end without hearing the end of it. Snow and White got a bit upset with him for walking away just like that, especially after they switched to their adult form just to answer his unusual question.

Fourth attempt was his most successful one by far, which was with Shylock. Shino looked for him inside his bar and asked him for help, to which Shylock happily indulged him and gave him an answer that sort of satisfied Shino. Although he was still a bit hesitant, he decided to go with Shylock’s answer for the final thing he’s working on—not noticing the underlying tone of deviousness in his smile. Shino ought to remember, Western wizards loved a good show, and Shylock was the epitome of a Western wizard.

Shino felt his nervousness wash away and instead got replaced by an enormous amount of confidence that seemed unfitting for someone of his stature—short and small. His hair was slicked back and he was dressed in formal attire from head to toe in contrast to his everyday look where he was definitely more casual. Shino, himself, did not know what exactly he was doing but he decided to go through with it anyway since it was Shylock’s advice. And he knew that Shylock was way better than him when it came to matters such as this.

A proposal to you—is what he was planning.

He panicked a little bit after realizing he had no expertise in that area and that he just really wanted to marry you, terribly so. When he asked Heath for help, he almost sent the young lord rolling across the stairs out of laughter. Heath found it ridiculous—hilarious, even. Shino took it as a sign to leave Heath alone as he was of no help at all. Nero and Faust just sighed at him when he asked them how to propose to someone, telling him he should just be himself. Which Shino paid little attention to, thinking that it was fruitless advice from a bunch of old geezers. The twins were more than happy to help but they started sputtering out gibberish not long after. Shino concluded that those womanizers would be of no help.

Shylock, though, gave him a bit of solid advice. Which he followed and leads us to where Shino is today. Dolled up and with a bouquet of flowers in his hands, it was out of character for him. Anyone could tell that much but when you caught sight of him waiting for you outside, you decided to give him the benefit of doubt. Though when you approached him, there was a little bit of a problem. He was speaking weirdly, very unlike the Shino you came to know and love. Though it wasn’t necessarily a bad kind of weird, it was leaning more so on the funnier side. He cleared his throat.

“O beloved of mine, won’t you grant me a few minutes of your time? You see… I’ve been thinking—” Before he could finish, you couldn’t let out a chuckle. One that Shino couldn’t let go off easily. A simple chuckle was enough for him to feel the embarrassment rush to his face and wondered if in your eyes, he was just a fool not worthy to be taken seriously.

“Shino, why are you talking that way-?”

“Forget it,” he reverted back to his old self. His usual rudeness surfaced when his mind suddenly started taking a turn for the worse. “It’s nothing important anyways.”

Before you could let out another word, he summoned his broom and quickly fled from your sight, where you may never see the look on his face as he suddenly felt regretful. You couldn’t tell what exactly just happened but you knew this much—you felt as if you’ve done something to make him feel bad.

A figure in the air, riding on a broom, let out a puff of smoke after taking a drag from his pipe. An amused expression settling on his face mixed with a little bit of a troubled one, as if he just saw his favourite show getting cancelled right in front of him.

“Oh dear, will we be seeing the finale tonight? Or will the show simply stop here? Maybe a little push is due to apologize to dear Shino.”

You wondered if you did something to severely upset Shino, it wasn’t as if you’d never gotten into any arguments with him but this time you’ve done little to nothing at all! You considered if he got upset after your chuckle—which you thought was harmless—but the more you think about it, the more plausible it seemed. But why would he get hurt over something like that? It looked as if he was playing a silly prank on you. Unless… That wasn’t a prank at all and he had something serious to say to you.

The longer you realized, the more terrible you felt during the dead hours of the night. You paced back and forth in your room, wondering if Shino is awake or in his room right now because there was nothing more you wanted than to immediately rush to him and apologize. He must’ve felt horrible, and you only realized it now.

Making up your mind, you grabbed your coat and made your way to your door to go to his room until you heard a loud thud near your room window. There was only one person that would knock on your window during this time of the night—Shino! You quickly turned around and expected the Eastern wizard to greet you, and you were right this time. His hair went back to its usual messy look and his formal clothes were replaced with the ones he usually wears everyday.

And there were still a handful of hand picked flowers in his hand—your favourite this time, roses. You immediately rushed towards the window and slid it open, your hands outstretched towards the scenery and the cold yet gentle breeze that caressed your face. Before you knew it, Shino let go of his broom and threw himself into your arms, the strands of his hair brushing against your cheeks and his arms wrapped tightly around your torso with his head placed atop your shoulder to hide his embarrassingly red face. The flowers he was holding almost falling to the floor with how loose his grip suddenly grew.

Without hesitation, you wrapped your arms around him and opened your mouth to apologize before he could say anything: “I’m sorry!”

But as if he couldn’t hear a word you said, he pulled away and looked at you straight in the eyes. For a moment, you wondered if he was mad at you but the long hug and the blush on his cheeks was enough to tell you otherwise. You felt yourself growing more embarrassed as well when he suddenly shoved the flowers towards you. Before you could open your mouth to ask, he suddenly blurted out:

“I want to eat the pie you make for the rest of my life.” Your eyes widened, and you felt yourself wanting to laugh again. You looked away, shoulders trembling.

“... You’re laughing again,” he pouted. You shook your head, tears almost falling from the corner of your eyes.

“No, no. It’s just that I thought saying something like that felt super fitting for someone like you.” You paused to calm down, clutching the flowers he gave you close to your chest. “Will you still want to eat the pie I make even if it’s burnt?”

“Then I’ll just have to make sure you don’t burn it,” Shino shot you a gentle smile. Under the moonlight, you wondered if your eyes were just playing tricks on you and this was all just a sweet spell someone cast over you. Though, there was no use in denying the fact that Shino’s sweet and genuine smile illuminated by the moonlight was something you want to etch into your memories for centuries to come.

“As much as I want to say yes, isn’t it a bit too early for us?”

“I don’t think so, no? I’m not going to wait for your answer for more years when I already know you’re going to say yes to me in the end. So why not just agree now?”

“Wow, you already think that my answer will stay the same for the years to come.”

“I don’t just think so. I know it, I know you the best. You can’t resist my charm now, and you still won’t be able to in the future.” He took hold of your chin and leaned dangerously close, to the point where you could feel his breathing close to you. You closed your eyes, expecting him to kiss you but was met with laughter instead.

“Pfft-! Did you really think I was going to kiss you?” He let out a chuckle, “consider this as revenge for laughing at me earlier.”

“H-Hey! I was not expecting anything at all, and I didn’t laugh at you. I just chuckled, that's all!” You quickly got defensive, not wanting to admit you were expecting him to kiss you.

“Are you sure?” His tone was smug and teasing, something you loved about him no matter how infuriating it is. “You still haven’t answered me, by the way. Will you pledge to spend the rest of your life with me?”

“An eternity seems long… and to think I’m considering spending it with you, of all people.”

“I know you love me.”

“Yes, yes. You already know my answer don’t you, Shino? It’s an eternity I don’t mind spending with you. Though I don’t know if Faust will allow us-!” You could barely finish your sentence when Shino crashed his lips against yours into a passionate kiss. His raw emotions coursing through him and you felt yourself getting lost in it as well, the words you held back from each other suddenly spilling like a waterfall that’s been blocked for decades through kisses. Your fingers tangled in his hair and Shino found it hard to pull back—had it not been for your need of oxygen, he would’ve never let you go.

“Let me finish my sentence first!” You exclaimed, lightly hitting his arm, breathless.

“Sorry, I got a bit excited.” He admitted like a defeated puppy but the smug look on his face made you want to smack his pretty face instead. “I just couldn’t help it when I realized that we’ll be together… til death do us part.”

Shylock took a drag from his pipe, the scent of alcohol still lingering in the air as a gentle expression took over his face, as if he accomplished something great—and he wasn’t the whole reason why a huge mess occurred in the first place.

“All’s well that ends well… Huh? I do hope dear Shino doesn’t bear a grudge against me. Eastern wizards aren’t exactly known for forgetting grudges easily.” He smiled, knowing that Shino would thank him later on. They both got what they wanted, after all. Shino and his quest for true love and Shylock with his desire for something interesting.

[phantombandit-films]

Why ‘War of the Worlds’ (2005) is a underrated masterpiece.

‘War of the Worlds’ was released in 2005, it is directed by the film god that is Steven Spielberg (Jaws, E.T.) and written by Josh Friedman (Terminator: Dark Fate, Avatar 2) and David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible) 

Cast:  - Tom Cruise as Ray Farrier. - Justin Chatwin as Robbie Farrier. - Dakota Fanning as Rachel Farrier. - Miranda Otto as Mary Ann. -Tim Robbins as Harlan Ogilvy. - Ann Robinson as Grandmother.  - Gene Barry as Grandfather. 

First lets start with some history of ‘The War of the Worlds’ - The 2005 film is based off the novel of the same name which was written by H.G. Wells between 1895 and 1897, it then was then made into a series by Pearson’s Magazine in 1897 in the UK, Cosmopolitan in the US. Then becoming a hardback novel in 1898, it is one of the earliest written pieces to tell a story of conflict between Martians and man and so its one of the most commented on pieces of science fiction. 

It has been adapted and developed several times over many decades in many medias, the ones that come to mind are the famous 1938 dramatic radio reading that was directed and starred Orson Welles that actually caused public panic to those who listened in and didn’t know that the Martian invasion was fiction, its said that up to a million people ran out of their homes in terror.  (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama) )

The 1953 ‘The War of the Worlds’ film adaptation, which was produced by George Pal and directed by Byron Haskin. It also starred Gene Barry (who played Dr. Clayton Forrester) and Ann Robinson (who played Sylvia Van Buren) who can also been seen at the end of the 2005 film, they play the grandparents of Robbie and Rachel which I think is a sweet little cameo to see for those who loved the 1953 film.  Ann Robinson also revived her role as Sylvia Van Buren in two other films and three episodes of ‘The War of the Worlds’ tv series in 1988. 

In 1978 the most well known musical album by Jeff Wayne was produced and based off the story of ‘War of the Worlds’ this album included the voices of Richard Burton and David Essex.

This was then turned into a concert musical which tours annually through out the UK and Europe, the concert includes live performers such as Carrie Hope Fletcher but also a 3D hologram of Liam Neeson. It also includes a mix of computer animation, pyrotechnics and a big mechanical tripod that comes out on stage and lights up and can fire its heat-ray. 

(Source: Birmingham Mail.)

There have also been several Tv series, the two newest being the 2019 BBC version staring Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson and Full Monty’s Robert Carlyle, that has a Edwardian setting and follows closely to the novel. 

The other being the FOX 2019 adaptation that is set in present day Europe but I found this version didn’t really go off the novel, and was frustrated with the lack of the famous Tripods.  (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds) 

As a kid I would watch the 1953 film with my mum all the time as its one of her favourites and I do really like it, but then 2005 rolled around and in comes Steven Spielberg’s version. To be fair it was probably 2006 when I finally saw it, I was nine years old at the time and I remember my dad bringing home the DVD that someone at work had lent him. I don’t remember watching it but I do remember having nightmares for a month after, only for a month though.  Many years later when I was half way through high school and getting more and more into film my dad then bought the DVD from Woolworth's before it shut down, the DVD didn’t have a case only a see through CD case so I think it only cost him something like 50p. So I re-watched and again I don’t really remember this but all of a sudden I was hooked, and it climbed to the second spot on my favourite movies list where it still sits today. Honestly if you asked anyone I was friends with at that time they will tell you just how obsessed I was with it.  

I have many scenes that I love in this film the first being the rise of the first tripod, but there are two that I geek out over every time. 

The first scene being the one in the basement at Robbie and Rachel’s house, the scene starts off with Ray asleep in a chair. He starts to stir when when a blue flash of light on his face, but then jolts up right at a load whooshing noise followed by closely by Robbie shooting up from just below the camera. I love the way that Robbie appears sort of fits with the sound that’s heard, also the whole mood of the scene which is pitch black with this blue flashing light every now and then. The fact that you’re just as clueless as the characters as well, you find out what’s happening when they find out.  Also the way that Rachel appears behind the basement stairs, which will appear again near the end of the movie in a much more damaged basement which shows just how much their world has changed in just a short few days.  The sound design in this movie as well is something that I love, I love when the sound in a film alone can creep you out. The tripod sound is one of my favourite sounds to exist, like if I heard that from outside I would be so creeped out and scared.  At this moment in time Robbie and Rachel have no idea what is hunting them or what Ray has seen, Imagine running from something and seeing something completely destroy the whole of your neighbourhood yet not knowing what it looks like. This is what runs through my mind when I heart Rachel cry “Is it them, Is it them?!”  Then the next morning when Ray goes upstairs and see’s that the house is just completely destroyed by an aeroplane that has crashed down in the middle of the the housing estate. This Boeing 747 was a out of use plane and the production crew bought it for $60,000 which then cost them $200,000 to transport, it was then broken into pieces and houses were built around it. Which just shows how far some movie productions will go to make a film look more legit. (We love practical effects in this house.) This scene is still set up at Universal Studios Hollywood and can be seen on the Studio tour. 

(Basement and Plane crash scene.)

My second favourite scene, which is one of my all time top favourite scene ever with no surprise is the dock scene.  The speeding train that’s on fire is absolute stunning in every sense but for me the scene starts when the music starts.  ‘If I ruled the world, everyday would be the first day of spring.’ But i’m really glued to the screen when Rachel starts to follow the birds coming in from the river to in land, she follows them up to the hill where she notices the tree’s on the top are moving weirdly. “The tree’s are funny.” She then reaches out and grabs onto Rays hand who was talking to a friend.  Robbie turns to the hill as the camera slowly comes back and shows Robbie also turning to look at where Ray is looking. (Just remembering that this is the first time Robbie and Rachel ever see the tripods.) 

The camera then shows us what the family is looking at to reveal a tripod stood on the top of the hill, it then moves one of its legs which crushes a tree and makes everyone else look back. Obviously chaos ensues from this point on, everyone running trying to get onto the ferry to get away from the impending doom, unfortunately we learn that no where, not even on the water is safe. As a tripod comes up from out of the water and attacks the ferry, the family manage to escape and get to land on the other side of the ferry. They stop for a moment to catch their breath as people are being picked out of the water below them, they turn as a old air raid alarm is heard on the other side of the hill and we see tripods coming over another hill that was filled with people and using their head rays to wipe them all out, we also see in the distance a lighting storm indicating more Martions are still coming to earth. The scene is like a depiction of all the stages of the attack.  (Dock attack scene.)

I mean all the action scenes in this movie are just so beautiful and amazing, but did we expect any less from Spielberg? And the CGI and practical are all done extremely well and fitted together to make a scene look as real as possible. One of the art directors that worked on this film, Doug J. Meerdink who has also worked on Jurassic Park: III, Cloverfield and Jurassic World. 

I was looking up some trivia on IMDB for this movie and found that there was a deleted scene that is called the ‘Camelot’ scene. This scene is supposed to take place between the attack on the ferry and the battle on the hill, it involves Ray, Rachel and Robbie walking through an abandoned housing estate that’s named Camelot, when a pack of tripods start walking near by.  One of the tripods breaks off and the family has to take cover behind a SUV, they watch helplessly from behind as the tripod reaches into the house and grabs people from the houses. This scene has never been released but apparently it was fully finished, VFX and all but then taken out a few weeks before post production was wrapped up.  There is only one official video from this scene that was in the actual trailer for the film, and it’s only a shot of the family hiding behind the SUV. 

The only other shot from the scene is this landscape shot of a CGI tripod. 

There are also photos of the set designers setting up the miniature of the housing estate to shoot this scene, the rest are fan arts of how the scene maybe looked/ played out.  (Source)

I really hope that one day Steven releases this scene, or for some anniversary adds it into an extended version of the film like we’ve seen for other films. Because I would love that so much! It seems like such an incredible scene, and to see the tripods up this close again would be so cool! 

One of the trailers that was released for this film doesn’t have any of the film shots it in, It takes place in a normal neighbourhood where people are just going about their normal nightly routine when suddenly over the hill there are all these brilliant flashing lights, everyone's just coming out of their houses in their pj’s and standing in the street marvelling at this sight in front of them. Then we see explosions and suddenly heat rays are blowing up the tress on the street which then goes into the title.  I just love this, a trailer that doesn’t give anything away from the movie but creeps you out enough to be invested.  (Trailer.)

All in all it’s just an very visually pleasing film, it feels real enough to give you a sense of fear for the characters and for yourself. I also love that Steven stayed true to the source material,more truer than some of the other adaptations and also added in his own little Easter eggs.  The sounds, the aesthetic, the colours just everything comes together so beautifully. I think its a very underrated movie that deserves so much more love.

[toooldforfandom-liveblogs]

RWBY V08E04  Liveblog - Fault

Fault! It could be about somebody's fault? Maybe blaming each other? I'm assuming we're going to get some JOYR action, so maybe it could be at least a bit about Oscar? Or maybe it could be about Qrow? I have no idea so let's do this!

Is this the first fly in RWBY? A new addition to the extremely limited fauna of Remnant!

Happy Robyn is a good Robyn.

The only reason Qrow's VA doesn't sound more like a sad puppy is that he's too gruff.

Ah, there you go. That was fast.

lmao sorry, sorry

I know it's a serious situation

but I can't take "I MADE A DEAL WITH THE DARKNESS" seriously

Ah, the "let's address everyone's complaints about how the fight went" section of this presentation.

It could be read as platonic but this to me is 100% Fair Game angst material and I love it.

I think this is the first time I can recognize the VA being different, I guess it can get hard to get the gruffness to sound right while also sounding sad.

ROBYN BACKSTORY?!

Welp, is the Penny malware already done?

Aaaaaaah, shut up Marrow.

I have to google his name every episode he appears. Hopefully he doesn't die and I get spoiled somehow by the first result in google.

Huh, there's someone in the upper cell that doesn't look like a guard or a prisoner. Seems to be wearing a skirt?

Also, seriously, where are the bathrooms?

I'm glad that even with the little screen time Jaune gets, he still gets some character development or at least some actual demonstration of his ingenuity. And it's nice to see them coordinated and working as a team.

But.

Ren, you're floating.

...and here's the inevitable undermining of Jaune's capabilities.

There's probably a rule somewhere at RT stipulating that Jaune is not allowed to be more then a certain amount of cool in any episode and if he surpasses that limit it's time to punch him down.

I was just thinking "huh, four episodes and no song with vocals? Falling behind V7" but here it is.

I haaate this shot's composition. I know it's for the purposes of making it cool with the slow down and all but there's zero depth, it looks boring.

Welp. I guess they are dead.

...is this a visual pun with the word fault? You know, like in a fault or fracture between two rocks?

Looking cool there, giant whale.

I guess Oscar is gone. I wonder what are they going to do. Wouldn't mounting a rescue mission be a bit antithetical to their "save who we can in Mantle" mission? One vs the many (vs the many many of Ruby's team) and all that?

The OP does show Oscar getting overwhelmed by Grimm so I guess no matter what JYR does he's going to have a bad time.

I 100% expected him to close the door in everyone's faces.

This episode really likes its frontal close-ups, huh?

This could have been an opportunity to get Whitley to help and maybe humanize him a little but it's not like I'm going to miss the brat.

I love this reveal. There's zero tension for us since we already know what happened but it's definitely there for Ruby.

Oooh, nice change of expression.

Is he tired of being the dependable one? Are we getting the flip side of last episode's Nora's scene?

Yup, still a jerk.

ugh, I hate that expression. Nothing good has ever followed it.

I don't know, this is consistent with Ren's behavior last season but I was hoping for something more. And I'm not sure his voice acting is working for me but maybe it's supposed to sound a bit forced because Ren is not used to expressing his emotions?

Wow, what a throwback! Never expected something from Jaundice of all episodes to be relevant again outside of Pyrrha.

How's Jaune going to react? He's gained enough confidence that it'd be a bit disappointing if this gets to him. It's not like having cheated to get in means much after spending more time acting like a huntsman than whatever time they spent at Beacon.

This is the coolest Jaune has ever looked. Like, damn.

Also, zero reaction from Yang about the Jaune reveal, which is great.

I would never want to wake up to the words "don't panic."

Loooving this Salem.

Oh honey, don't sigh in relief yet, Salem hasn't even started.

...why would it be a problem to share its password, then? tsk tsk

yup, this episode really likes its close-ups

not complaining mind you, especially with Salem looking so extremely evil

She weirdly looks like a kind grandma when she's happy. An evil sexy kind grandma.

cant get over how bad hazel looks

...which I know it's not really that important while I'm watching him torture a kid

but still, wow, what a bad haircut

Do these people just stand like they are in the cover of a music album all the time or is this just a coincidence?

Huh, so it's newer than Cinder.

lol at Neo looking smug in the background

Replaced by a dog of all things.

oh no, oh dear

Wait I don't care about what happens to Cinder. Go ahead, disobey away! Make the consequences entertaining at least!

that's not how umbrellas work but looks cool so please continue

I'm glad Neo is as graceful as ever.

oh no, oh dear

I do care about what happens to Emerald and if Salem discovers they disobeyed her... well, Emerald is much easier to kill as a punishment than Cinder.

Interesting setup that both Neo and Emerald work in illusions.

suuure, go sulk outside where it's so cold even aura goes down, great idea.

...and sure, sit in the snow. It's not like it's cold or anything.

I like that they are bringing things from Jaunedice

but they had a chance to make those two episodes be completely skippable and they blew it

ohhhhhhhhhhhh

This season is really out for JOYR, huh? Can't wait how things are going to balance later on with Ruby's team.

Even though there were some strange choices in the way this episode was directed (strange enough that it made me go look who directed this episode which I've never done before), at least the content was pretty good.

Things keep moving along, with Qrow confirming he's blaming himself, Robyn being Robyn and almost goading Hare into fighting her. Maybe that's how they are going to escape later on?

Ruby and company get a pretty "we're in this show too" scene so not much to talk about there other than I'd have liked Whitley to maybe stay and that I loved the reveal with Ruby calling Yang.

I'm glad Ren's issues are finally out in the open but... are they? Nora's reveal of not knowing who she is hit a lot harder than Ren's misplaced guilt, and she got like a quarter of the screentime his sulking is getting. I'm hoping that it gets a little deeper before they resolve it.

Also, lots of Jaunedice throwbacks cursing us all.

Until next time!

[skullhaver]

It's 2021, and I'm watching Buffy for the first time.

The Virgil on my Buffy journey is my long-distance girlfriend, who has loved the show for years. We just finished season 4, and I wanted to write about my favorite episodes so far. I suspect some of my faves are beloved by most fans, but others are weird, personal picks. Buffy fandom, please don't come for me.

I thought this post would be short but I was wrong.

Hono(u)rable Mentions: "Band Candy" S3E6 and "Halloween" S2E6

Both these episodes have fun premises where the Scoobies run around Sunnydale after it was upended by zany, chaotic dark forces. "Band Candy" is fun for devil-may-care teen Giles. "Halloween" is fun for 18th-century-ditz Buffy. These are both very good, and are the sorts of episode I can imagine happily rewatching in the future. I just have more to pontificate upon for the other episodes on this list.

10. "Ted" S2E11

I can’t say I enjoyed this episode, but it did take me for a wild ride. Probably nobody else has strong feelings about this weird story where Buffy's mom dates a stereotypical cheesy family man, who turns out to be a controlling abuser, who turns out to be a robot. I remember shouting at the screen, "Did Buffy just kill a human man?? Is it okay in the moral logic of this show for Buffy to kill a human if he's a direct physical threat to her??" I knew Buffy would have deeper stories than the monster of the week formula we'd seen so far, but this early in season 2, I had no idea when or how that would happen. This was the episode that finally taught me that Buffy is largely not interested in moral ambiguity, or in exploring what it means to be good or bad. Except for season-defining exceptions like Faith and Angel, evil characters are simplistically, essentially evil. But it was wild to believe for a moment that Buffy murdered her mom's abusive boyfriend and would have to live with the consequences.

9. "Helpless" S3E12

When Buffy tries to be genuinely scary, it succeeds with aplomb. The premise of this episode is dumb and contrived ("Giles has to remove Buffy's powers without her knowledge for a seeeecret test by the Watcher's Council") but the chase and fight in this episode are some of the most tense and spooky scenes of the whole series so far. Buffy's vulnerability makes the stakes feel real in a way few other episodes manage. And Buffy's victory is all the more satisfying because she can't punch her way out of this problem, she has to be smart and creative. The fridge horror, of course, is that Giles would endanger her like this in the first place, but that gets sorted out over the emotional arc of the next few episodes.

8. "I Only Have Eyes For You." S2E19

Another spooky episode, this one a classic ghost story of forbidden love ending in murder - but with the twist that the ghosts possess people's bodies to have them reenact their final moments. I love stories about breaking a doomed-to-repeat cycle. I love weird shit like the snakes manifesting in the cafeteria. And I really loved the choice to have Buffy and Angel come to understand their feelings about their own relationship by embodying these ghosts - especially how they embodied different genders than their own to better fit the "roles" of the haunting story, thus subverting the expected pattern. I found this episode clever, poignant, and effective.

7. "Who Are You?" S4E16

"Faith and Buffy switch bodies" is a wild premise, but the real joy of "Who Are You?" is watching Sarah Michelle Geller being an extremely talented actress for 45 minutes, portraying a totally different character. Watching Faith confronted by kindness and love from Buffy's mom, Riley, and her friends, then getting launched into an existential crisis over it is so great. Also, I just dig a good church fight.

6. "Hush" S4E10

As stated above, love an episode that reminds me that these people are talented actors! Featuring demons that render all of Sunnydale unable to talk, we get to watch great physical comedy right next to tense, silent fight scenes. The visual creepiness of the Gentleman and their straight-jacketed weird little helpers is hard to beat. "Hush" is such a clever episode that it ascends monster of the week status to become almost Twilight Zone-esque. Also, for the first time, Buffy sees Riley doing his Initiative thing, and Riley sees Buffy being the Slayer, but they can't talk about it?? That's good shit.

5. "The Wish" S3E9

Both "Something Blue" and "The Wish" feel like the writers decided to use fanfic premises on their own show... so obviously I like them a lot. But getting to watch a dark timeline AU with interesting world-building and attention to detail, a hilarious and horrifying Cordelia POV, AND a smirking kinky vampire Willow? Hello?? And the fact that the Wishverse comes up again in "Doppelgänger" (another truly fun episode) only improves my opinion. I imagine this is the kind of episode fans simply love coming back to.

4. "Restless" S4E22

This David Lynch-ass dream sequence was a weird choice for a season finale, but an extremely ambitious and cool episode. I should say up front that I love David Lynch-ass dream shit. There were creative and well-executed scene transitions as characters moved seamlessly from one dream room into another. Several memorably neat shots - Willow running between endless curtains as she tries to get onstage, Buffy alone in a vast desert with a weirdly high camera angle. And I got myself all excited thinking that the First Slayer would maybe become a different kind of antagonist - maybe not even fully revealed in this episode, or maybe an Id-like aspect of Buffy herself. But I forgot Whedon gonna Whedon, so the First Slayer had to be someone Buffy could punch in the end. And the First Slayer is sadly yet another primitive-themed, emotionally-stunted character of color for this show. Most of her lines in this episode are literally voiced by a white woman speaking for her, and of all the dumb quips to make, Buffy had a line about her hair being unprofessional? Also, I'm a lesbian, so the fact that the most explicit act of intimacy between Willow and Tara this show has allowed us to see occurs in Xander's horny dream sequence... it’s unforgivable, Joss. This episode was one of my favorites ever, deeply marred by some bad writing choices.

3. "Lovers Walk" S3E8

Spike, perhaps the best non-Willow character in this show, is back in Sunnydale, a hilariously heartbroken mess of a man, hell-bent on getting his former girlfriend Drusilla back. (Drusilla left him for a fungus demon.) So Spike breaks into a magic shop to get ingredients for a love spell, where he runs into Willow, who is getting ingredients for a de-lusting spell, because she is worried she and Xander will be too thirsty to behave appropriately in public with their actual partners, Oz and Cordelia. This is a hilarious moment just to exist. This is all the episode needed to do to satisfy me. But the fact that Spike then kidnaps Willow, and it ends with tragic stakes of everyone's relationships coming apart, not to mention me genuinely thinking Cordelia was dead for a minute there - wow. Chef’s kiss. The episode is balanced shockingly well between Spike being an ominous villain, and being the sort of lovable semi-evil (more gremlin-like) side character he'll become in season 4. What a wild ride.

2. "Graduation Day" S3E21-22

I'm counting this two part season finale as one because it's my list and I'll do what I want. "Graduation Day" feels like a quintessential Buffy episode executed to perfection. It has Buffy reaffirming her position as a moral heroine, sacrificing her own blood to save Angel's life even when she thought she had to kill Faith to save him. It has Buffy and Faith (or Buffy/Faith, as I prefer to think of them) getting to square off in a dramatic, tough fight. It has a lot of Mayor Wilkins, a character I truly adore for some reason. Nothing like a public administrator who plays mini golf in his office, wants you to chew with your mouth closed, and will kill a graduating class of high schoolers to gain immortality. The catharsis of the whole school getting to fight back against evil, instead of just Buffy against the world - a real joy. This episode misses the top spot for two reasons. "A special vampire poison and the only cure is the blood of a Slayer" is too contrived for me to let slide, and also I had to see Cordelia and Wesley kiss.

1. "Becoming" S2E21-22

Buffy’s season finales really do have good stories and satisfying payoff. First off, Buffy starts this episode by punching a cop and fleeing from the law. Later, Spike also punches a cop. A.k.a., Buffy said blue lives don't matter. Second - I haven't gotten a chance to comment on this yet, but all throughout season 2, evil Angel is such a joy to watch. As regular Angel, David Boreanaz makes exactly one face ("I am a kicked, angsty puppy") and bless his heart, it gets so tiresome. As evil Angel, he is so expressive, dynamic and terrifyingly creative in his badness. And I love his weird threesome energy with Spike and Drusilla. But also, it's so hard to watch Buffy suffer as she deals with her evil boyfriend doing evil things. Her ultimate choice in this episode, to kill Angel even as Willow's spell restores his soul, gave me some real big feels! Also, this episode marks the first moment of Willow doing big, plot-shifting magic on her own, solidifying her transformation from computer nerd to witch! 

Also, shout-out to the many good smaller moments in this episode: Spike making awkward small talk with Buffy's mom, Buffy constantly dunking on Principle Snyder, and Giles being tortured by visions of Miss Calendar (RIP Miss Calendar, I was your biggest fan.)

"Becoming" is an excellent season finale and the kind of Buffy episode I imagine I will want to re-watch in the future just for nostalgia's sake.

[chestnut-b]

Himawari Chapter 8

Beneath a masked smirk, the letter found a comfortable home in his breast pocket. 

Note to self. Iruka is truly a man of extremes. A Hashira offers him a souvenir, and he asks for Orochimaru’s head or nothing at all.

Chapter 8 of a Demon Slayer AU

In the blink of an eye, summer had passed.

Iruka looked out into the vast forest as the winds of autumn blew past. The colours were already well in the midst of changing; green giving way to golds and reds. The lush soundscape of summer was no more, instead, the winds carried crisp, dry notes that only served to accent the chill that settled in his bones.

He sat now in what was a certain Hashira’s preferred napping spot, high above the school grounds. It had been a few months since the man had left, but now, in the teacher’s lap, a tired hound was napping, warm and content.

Iruka gazed at the slip of paper in his hand. He had to keep a good grip on it, lest a sudden gust of wind carried it off. Admittedly, he’d gone over its contents five times by now, but surely, he thought, one more time couldn’t hurt.

Iruka-sensei,

At the time of writing this, I’m still alive, isn’t that nice?

If you are too, then I’m glad it wasn’t a wasted trip for Bisuke.

You’ve spoiled him, and he’s pickier about his treats now, but I guess that’s fine.

Not much excitement where I am I’m afraid, and not much good tea either.

If you’d like a souvenir, you need only ask, though Guruko can’t carry very much. Please be reasonable, sensei.

It was signed off with a gracefully brushed henohenomoheji.

Iruka’s other hand rested in Bisuke’s fur. He stroked it absentmindedly, sighing.

“Bisuke, what do you think I should ask for?”

The hound in question merely whined, and nestled his head deeper under the sleeve of his haori. With a chuckle, Iruka carefully folded the paper back up, his fingers running over each fold and crease, before tucking it into his breast pocket. He let his palm linger on his chest.

It’d gotten just a bit warmer.

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

“Sakura? What’s the matter?”

The next morning, Iruka had seen Bisuke off, well fed and rested. He was in the middle of making his afternoon rounds when his ears picked up the sounds of soft crying. The school had been set up in an abandoned shrine compound, and he’d found her behind the aged offering box, below the large twisted ropes and bells.

“I-Iruka-sensei.” She lifted her head, her cheeks red and tear stained.

He crouched before her and placed a hand on her head.

“I’m here. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Fresh tears welled up in her eyes. “I miss my parents.” She cried.

Iruka looked at his surroundings.

That’s right...her parents were shrine keepers.

Iruka hadn’t met them, but he knew they’d sheltered many slayers over the years, more than a few who were only alive today thanks to their intervention. The Harunos had been talented herbalists, and he’d come across their books on numerous occasions in Sarutobi’s library.

“I’m scared, sensei. I know we’re supposed to fight, but when I think about demons, all I can think about is running away.” She admitted, clutching her knees closer.

Iruka’s chest tightened. The child had only been here for half a year.

“Sakura, it’s only natural to feel that way. We’re human.” With the edge of his sleeve, he started to dry her cheeks. “Until you’re able to take care of yourself, we’re all here to protect you.” He’d say it as many times as he needed to.

“But the selections-“

“If you don’t want to take them, you don’t have to.” That was really the only saving grace in all this, he thought somberly. “If you want to follow in your parents’ footsteps, there are other ways to do it, Sakura. You don’t have to fight.”

“R-Really?” The relief in her eyes was apparent.

Iruka smiled gently, nodding. Getting up slowly, he offered her his hand.

“We’re teaching you to fight so you can protect yourself. Even if you don’t join the corp, there will always be a place for you.” He explained. Taking her small hand in his, he helped her to her feet.

Truth be told, it was something he always wished he could say to Naruto, but even he wasn’t sure those words would hold up under the weight of his destiny. Sakura at least, he didn’t have to worry for. If the Senju wouldn’t take her in, Sarutobi would. He’d see to it himself if it came down to it.

Hand in hand, they started to walk back into the compound. The rest of the children were playing catch, and their laughter echoed through the pavilion. By now, picking out Naruto’s voice amidst the chaos was second nature to Iruka.

Feeling a little more at ease, Sakura tugged gently on his hand, prompting him to face her.

“But sensei, fighting with swords, it’s a little fun.” She smiled sheepishly.

Iruka laughed and winked at the girl.

“Isn’t it? Sakura, don’t lose out to the boys. If they get out of hand when I’m not around, you’ll have to knock some sense into them for me.”

The smile widened into a returning grin.

“Ok!”

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

Months he’d spent ranging and searching, only to reach another dead end.

I should be used to this by now. How many years has it been?

Kakashi stepped back to lean against a tree, his hands resting on the hilt of the blade propped before him. The moon, previously obscured by a sea of clouds before the battle, finally revealed itself, casting a soft light on the surrounding area.

It was a scene of pure carnage.

A small rural village had been wiped out by a single demon. The bodies left uneaten were strewn about, marred beyond recognition. The women and children had been taken first.

They were always taken first.

If he’d arrived just two days earlier, he could have saved these people.

Stop it, Kakashi. If you carry on like this, you’ll-

Shut up, Gai.

The Hashira sheathed his blade. He’d found a spot upwind, away from the stench of blood and decay. Taking a seat at the base of the tree, he brought his fingers to his lips, and soon a sharp whistle cut through the dead silence of the night. It wasn’t long before a crow descended, landing on his arm. With its usual beady stare, it waited for instructions.

“Call for the kakushi.”

The support members from the nearest outpost would need to deal with the aftermath. He couldn’t afford to be held up by the local authority. After all, the demon slayers didn’t have any kind of recognition from the governing powers.

The crow crooned softly before taking off into the sky. With a tired, hooded gaze, Kakashi watched as its dark silhouette melted into the night.

You aren’t too fond of them, are you?

An amused voice echoed in his head.

Exhausted, Kakashi didn’t resist the inviting pull of the recollection.

The teacher had watched him send off another report one late afternoon. He sat under the shade of the large tree that stood between their rooms. Unlike the cold glow of the moon, the light that fell was a warm gold, dappled. Bisuke had taken a liking to being curled up in Iruka’s lap, a habit he’d apparently picked up from Guruko, and the youth had been engrossed in a book that was decidedly not Icha-Icha.

It was true, he admitted. Kakashi wasn’t overly attached to his assigned crow messenger. That was why he had his hounds. Traveling on a plane of existence humans had no access to, they were only marginally slower than the birds. Impending tragedies, proclamations of death and loss. Any time a crow cried, it could be sending a slayer to his last battle.

No, unlike some of his comrades, he couldn’t find a reason to be fond of his messenger, exactly.

He walked up beside the teacher and leaned against the trunk of the tree.

“When was the last time a crow brought you good news then?” He’d challenged.

Iruka put down his book and closed his eyes with a considering look. His lips slowly turned into a smile, the kind that broadcasted thoughts of unabashed wickedness. Propping his chin with his hand, he looked up to Kakashi with a gleam in his eyes.

“Hmm. Obviously, when it told me you’d be coming here!”

Kakashi’s visible eye twitched incredulously.

Iruka tried to keep a straight face, but quickly ended up turning his head away, bringing a hand to his mouth in a sorry attempt to stifle his laughter.

“Oi, don’t laugh so hard at your own joke.” he’d sighed, exasperated.

It only served to have the opposite effect. Bisuke, awoken by the shaking, looked up, blinking at Kakashi blearily.

After a few more awkward moments, the laughter finally settled.

“But you know, in hindsight, it’s not a joke. I really do mean it” Iruka sighed with a soft expression.

Kakashi didn’t know what to say to that. He supposed he felt pleased by the admission, weirdly enough. He’d been sent to do a job, and while he’d dreaded it at first, being away from where he was most useful, he couldn’t say it was a complete waste of time. Iruka had proven to be a patient teacher in the art of fuda seals. It was also undeniably interesting to watch him at work; the paper coming to life with scriptures composed of inky, stylised crows.

Regrettably, the techniques used for the bounded field required a deep knowledge and understanding of the terrain, far beyond what he had time for. While he couldn’t hope to achieve the same level of expertise by a long shot, he’d been taught a few tricks, and he always appreciated the opportunity to pick Iruka’s brain.

“You don’t have a crow of your own?”

Iruka shook his head. “You know I don’t get sent out on missions. Even the sword I use now belonged to my father.”

Another curiosity.

“Well, I can only say you’re not missing much. They’re supposed to be for official use only.” He’d said ‘supposedly’, remembering at the back of his mind, the numerous occasions Gai sent his just to annoy him.

Loud and brash, just like its owner. It even had a bowl cut to match.

Iruka leaned his head back against the tree. A group of starlings had soared by after emerging from the surrounding forest, their cries echoing in the evening sky.

He looked up at them wistfully, an expression that reminded him painfully of Tenzou. He’d often done the same.

“You may be right about that. I’d probably just grow to become envious of it.” He chuckled.

Kakashi watched the last of the birds disappear.

“Envious of their freedom?”

“Hmm...You think they’re free just because they can fly, Kakashi-san?”

Ever the casual philosopher, he’d come to know Iruka’s fondness for throwing him questions like these.

Kakashi thought of his own situation. Unlike the other Hashira who watched over their own territories, after Tenzou’s death, he’d been granted leave to move as he pleased, to retire from his post, if he so wished to. He could go anywhere he wanted.

But no, he didn’t think of it as freedom in any sense of the word.

“I suppose even a bird needs a place to rest its wings.” He said after some consideration.

After a long pause, Iruka bowed his head, eyeing the sleeping hound in his lap. Then he whispered, with a voice that spoke of wishes, of places far beyond his reach.

“Maybe true freedom…means having a place to return to.”

“Maybe.”

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

The approaching human presence pulled him from his rest. The moon still hung in the sky. It hadn’t been long.

Dressed in the uniform blacks, face obscured by a headdress, a corp member stood at attention before him. He looked just a bit nervous.

“Kakushi, reporting for duty, Hashira-sama! Do you require any medical attention?”

Kakashi shook his head, and took to his feet.

“Carry on with your duties. They need to be given proper burials. I’m heading off. I don’t sense any other demons, but stay alert.”

“Understood! May you see victory on the battlefield, Hatake-dono.” He bowed. He passed a satchel of fresh supplies to Kakashi before joining the rest of his comrades.

A thoroughly unpleasant job, but someone has to do it.

An hour later he found himself enjoying the hospitality of an elderly pair of bamboo cutters who had spotted and hailed him from the road. Sitting around a small fire, they offered him a bowl of hearty stew and to his surprise, a small cup of sake. He’d refused at first, but the couple had insisted.

“A small token for those who risk their lives protecting us.” The lady said, pressing the cup into his hands. The man with her explained that they too, had once been saved by a slayer on the road.

The Hashira didn’t have the heart to tell them they’d very nearly avoided a death trap not too far away. He would stay with them tonight, at least.

After the couple had retired for the evening, Kakashi stationed himself in the trees above. He would have fallen asleep too, had he not sensed Bisuke’s presence nearby. It had been nearly a week since he’d been sent off to the Forest of Death.

The hound materialised before him, and after receiving a grateful scratch, turned around to allow Kakashi to retrieve his quarry.

The first, a letter in a familiar, careful script.

Kakashi-san,

It is good to hear that you are alive. I do hope it remains so.

My thanks for sending Bisuke, the children enjoy his company, but not nearly as much as I do. Working for you, he deserves every bit of spoiling he gets.

As for a souvenir, I would have requested for Orochimaru’s head, but you did ask me to be reasonable. Instead, should you find yourself visiting headquarters again, I would ask that you find time for a detour. A selfish request, I know, but it would be appreciated. Naruto was just a bit disappointed that he didn’t see you leave with his own two eyes.

Having heard of your unfortunate circumstances, I’ve sent a small consolation. Should it run out, you’re more than welcome to send one of the hounds. I hope it brings you some comfort in your time of need.

Lastly, while you’re out there, why not take the opportunity to pick up some better quality reading material? Jiraiya-sama sends his regards, but also asks me to tell you he’s disappointed that you didn’t listen to him. Whatever that means.

Stay safe, and may fortune go with you.

Iruka

It was only too easy to hear his voice narrating it.

He chuckled as he read it one more time.

Note to self. Iruka is truly a man of extremes. A Hashira offers him a souvenir, and he asks for Orochimaru’s head or nothing at all.

Beneath a masked smirk, the letter found a comfortable home in his breast pocket.

Accompanying it was a small pouch holding a small container. He didn’t have to look to figure out its contents, but he did so anyway. The earthy fragrance of tea; a precious portion of Iruka’s personal stash.

It brought to mind quiet afternoons in amicable company, the warmth of a hearth, and shared, amused laughter.

“Bisuke, don’t go gloating about this to the rest. They’re going to get jealous.”

The hound grinned before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Alone, Kakashi looked up at the moon.

It seemed to glow a little warmer now.

One more thing to add to my list of duties, he sighed.

He’d have to find something good enough to send back for the tea.

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

End of Chapter 8

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

Author’s notes:

Woo, can’t believe we’re already at Chapter 8! What started out as a joke drawing has exploded into a completely, unexpectedly long fic with over 14 illustrations planned so far. I’ve never written anything longer than 2k words the past 15 years or so, so this has been a real brain stretcher. Thank you all for your kudos and comments so far, I always enjoy reading them! (They certainly encourage me to keep this on a regular schedule!)

Sometimes I also forget that not everyone is familiar with Demon Slayer, but I hope it’s been easy enough to follow along! Even if you aren’t, I don’t think you’re missing too much since I’ve made changes to certain parts of it. : )

Terminology and Fun facts:

Kakushi - ‘Hidden’ brigade (sounds very similar to Kakashi huh). They do all the clean up work following a battle. Typically staffed by non-combatants.

Fuda (Seals) - Protective charms that were, in real life, distributed by Shinto and Buddhist priests. The inspiration for Iruka’s is directly taken from the Kumano Hongu Taisha Shinto shrine in Japan. Googling “crow ofuda” will give you a good idea of what it looks like.

Again, thank you for following along so far! I’m having a lot fun writing and drawing for this : ) (at least, before I crank the pain factor up to 11).

See you in the next chapter!

[stclla]

hello loves! my name is bri and i’m so excited to get the chance to write with all of your beautiful muses ♡ i just turned 24 (ew), my pronouns are she/her, and my timezone is est (luckily i live about an hour outside of nyc, and plan to move there permanently in 2021 yay !!!) 

tbh it’s been at least a year since my last rp group and i’m a little rusty, so pls feel free to share your tips and lmk how i’m doing :) my writing style is pretty flexible and i match length, pov, etc. and now !! a little bit of info about my beautiful chaotic bby stella:

ABOUT.

estelle “stella” celestine evans was spotted in the fashion district adorning gucci ankle boots , with some airpod pros on . they’re most likely listening to heat waves by glass animals . you may know them as @stella or as that sydney sweeney lookalike . their twenty-second birthday just passed . while living in the upper east side , they’ve gained a bit of a reputation . they’re known to be reckless but on the other hand warmhearted . wonder if they’ll be the next person to hit the headlines .

BASIC INFO.

Full Name: Estelle Celestine Evans

Nickname(s): Stella

Age: 22

Date of Birth: August 4, 1998

Sun Sign: Leo

Moon Sign: Cancer

Rising Sign: Scorpio

Hometown: Beverly Hills, CA

Current Location: Upper East Side, NY

Gender: Cis female

Pronouns: She/her

Orientation: Pansexual

Political Affiliation: Liberal

Occupation: Supermodel, socialite, influencer

Career Highlights: Victoria’s Secret Angel, high fashion runways, print & editorial work, music video appearances, photography, art direction

Goals/Passions: Photography, art direction, fashion design, makeup, social media

Career Claim: Gigi Hadid

BIOGRAPHY.

When your mom’s a legendary supermodel and your dad is a smooth talking Hollywood talent agent, it’s safe to say that you were probably born with a silver spoon in your mouth. But don’t you dare say that shit to Stella Evans. Although she definitely enjoyed the finer things in life growing up and was practically gifted a spot in wealthy elite by her parents, Stella likes to believe that she did it all herself. And underneath it all - the glitz and the glam and the money and the flashing lights - maybe she actually did.

While this blonde haired, blue eyed beauty might be the spitting image of her mother with a few (okay, a lot) more extra curves, Stella tries to distance herself from her family heritage as much as possible. It started in kindergarten when she renamed herself. After all, being named after the notorious Estelle Evans doesn’t make you a lot of friends when you’re five. It makes you the subject of ridicule from your peers, and makes your teachers treat you as if you were the one posing topless in Italian Vogue. And when your mother made you model for a big Baby Guess modeling campaign at the age of 2, kids tended to talk. So she became Stella. Just Stella.

From then on, she did everything she could to separate herself from her parents. If her parents said to stay in, she went out. If they told her to get good grades, she failed her classes in retaliation. Their attention was all consuming, especially her mother’s. After the once popular cover girl had retired, she turned all of her attention to her daughter. Stella’s modeling work had been paused at the suggestion of her talent agent father, Arthur Evans. He wanted her to focus on school and get an education so she could take over the talent agency one day. But when Estelle and Arthur divorced when Stella was 10 years old, all bets were off.

Her mother hopped from loveless marriage to loveless marriage, dragging Stella along for the ride. Her father moved to the Upper East Side, vowing to see her at Christmas each year, while Stella jetted around the world against her will. 6th and 7th grade in Sweden, 8th grade in London, 9th and 10th grade in Paris. It was a long and lonely adolescence, but Stella filled it with booze, bars, and boys and girls to keep her company. Partying was her only escape. And she was damn good at escaping.

She had her first real relationship when she was 16. He was an older French financier who was content to spoil her rotten and show her a good time. Perhaps too good a time. Stella was introduced to the things that would become her vices - namely, drugs and alcohol. Her mother proved to be overbearing but oblivious. She would do things like criticize her daughter’s makeup, clothing, and body, but be completely unaware that Stella was doing things like snorting coke to get thinner. She’d call her trashy for going out to clubs, then look the other way when Stella would wear a short mini skirt when leaving for “study sessions” at the library. With Stella’s clever wit and electric charisma, it really was too easy. The drugs combined with the alcohol made her feel better because she didn’t really feel anything at all. Plus, if her parents hated partying, then Stella would learn to love it.

Shit hit the fan when Stella was arrested in France. Something about being an accomplice to international drug smuggling and being under the influence of a controlled substance - whatever. 16 year old Stella got off with a slap on the wrist due to her connections, promising to move back to New York with her dad until she was 18 and legal. The Upper East Side was her new home, and weirdly enough, she actually kind of liked it. It was easier to start over in New York, where no one cared about her washed up mother. But they did care about money, wealth, and excess, which Stella was more than an expert in, whether she liked it or not. This made her presence in the New York social scene almost magnetic. People would flock to her, drawn in by her ethereal beauty, effortless charm, and “fuck it all” party girl attitude.

Attention was a dangerous drug for a girl like Stella, who had spent her whole life freeing herself from her mother’s tarnished legacy. And when she had finally done it, had finally succeeded in making people call her “Stella Evans” instead of “Baby Estelle”, it made her wild with reckless abandon. All her new friends and lovers wanted to buy her shots and make her feel good any way she wanted, and it was only polite for Stella to let them do it.

The next few years were filled with exclusive clubs, raucous spring breaks, glamorous yacht parties, champagne kisses with boys and girls, social media notoriety, and juicy headlines that cemented her status as an it-girl. Her modeling career resumed with a promise to her father that she would go to college at the same time. Armed with a golden reputation, endless connections, and natural charisma and talent, Stella began to walk all the major runways and was in talks to appear in Sports Illustrated and Victoria’s Secret. Unlike her mother, she proved that she had both high fashion attitude and sex appeal. Stella was unstoppable.

Until she wasn’t. After a night of drinking and an ill-timed bet that she could parallel park her date’s Range Rover (despite the fact that Stella didn’t have a license to speak of), the police charged her with a DUI. This time, she didn’t get off so easy. Her father pulled as many strings as possible to keep her image clean in the press, but word got out anyway. Fucking instagram.

Faced with the threat of losing her big modeling campaigns, Stella agreed to clean up her image. Think rehab, charity work, inspirational interviews. The whole shebang. And it worked - kind of. It’s hard to navigate a world filled with temptation, but Stella doesn’t know how to survive without the glitz and glamour of the wealthy world. She dropped out of college against her dad’s wishes, officially surrendering herself to the New York social scene. Rich girls have more fun, anyway. But sometimes she hates it and wants to be “normal”. Even so, she knows that she never will be and embraces the beautiful chaos that her life of excess brings to her.

As far as rich kids go, Stella is almost down-to-earth. Kind of. She likes to think that she is, but she’s also the kind of girl who would never be caught dead on the subway. Or a taxi. Black cars and private jets only, please. Underneath it all, Stella wants (and frankly, needs) real connections in her life. People who genuinely care about her and have her best interests at heart are extremely rare, so when Stella lets someone get close to her, they’re with her for life. Her reckless, carefree attitude can definitely get her into trouble, so she can be a handful.

But one of her shining traits is that she doesn’t judge, at least not as openly and viciously as her peers. Stella’s life of wealth and status is definitely ingrained in her, but she is also openminded and accepting. Her friends don’t need to be old money. They just need to be real. You can catch her being the talk of the town in her native Upper East Side, but also vibing with the up and comers in Tribeca. Below the layers of superficiality and obsession with the finer things in life, this supermodel has a heart of gold. But don’t fuck with her. Stella is dangerous and defiant when she wants to be, and nothing can get in the way of her getting what she wants. Even if what she wants could destroy her one day.

*** her bio is still a wip and i’m working on some inspo for wanted connections, but definitely lmk if you have any questions or think stella would be a good fit for connections with your muses ! 

[365days365movies]

March 13, 2021: Kwaidan (Review)

How do you review an anthology?

Either I go section by section, or I review it all in one shot. Since it’s all one director and writer, the latter seems appealing, so I probably will go with that...but maybe not for all five sections. Hmm...an idea occurs. I think I’ve got it. But, before I go into that, what did I think of Kwaidan on first recall?

Also, real talk, the above GIF is now one of my favorites, and I WILL be using it in the future.

Kwaidan is an understates masterpiece, and one of the many reasons I’m glad I’m doing this misguided film project of mine. It’s genuinely great, and also a wonderful ghost story in its own right. I don’t get scared easily, and I can’t say that this film particularly frightened me, but I can say that it was an unnerving movie in many instances. As for which segment was my favorite...oof, genuinely a tough question to answer. I love how In A Cup of Tea ends, and The Woman of the Snow is a gorgeous fever dream of a sequence. The Black Hair is EASILY my least favorite, but it’s still a good starting point. 

But as for my favorite...

And in truth, I’m not completely sure I can articulate why. It’s close between this and The Woman of the Snow. Tea was a little too short for my tastes (even though I think it had the best ending), and Hair was...well, just fine, like I intonated above. Snow has some amazing visuals, and a great story, which may have been ruined for my by Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, but still was wonderful. But Hoichi...Hoichi was magnificent.

I love Hoichi himself, the opening kabuki theater is amazing in sound and appearance, and the reappearances of the visuals is stunning throughout. All I gotta say is, I loved every single part of this one. And yeah, it’s arguably the only one with a mostly happy ending, all things considered. But I may get more into that in the Review.

Yeah, speaking of that, how are we doing this? Well, some segments will be broken up by...segment, while others won’t be. Depends, you’ll see. So, let’s get to it! Below are listed the four segments, and their recaps. Click on them to read them in full!

The Black Hair (黒髪, Kurokami)

The Woman of the Snow (雪女, Yukionna)

Hoichi the Earless (耳無し芳一の話, Miminashi Hōichi no Hanashi)

In A Cup of Tea (茶碗の中, Chawan no Naka)

Without further ado, then...

Review

Cast and Acting: 9/10

Breaking this one up! Not a single shared cast member amongst any of the shorts, so this one is broken up by necessity.

Hair (8/10): Sorry to say, but this is arguably the weakest cast in the group. Granted, it’s not that many people, but it’s still not the strongest of these stories. The lead here is Rentarō Mikuni, and he’s fine. My only problem is that it feels like he’s acting. Which, to be fair, is very kabuki theatre. You know, over-exaggerated movements and emotions, all that jazz. But, without the physical trappings of kabuki, it just feels like, well...overacting. Again, not the worst, but not the best. Michiyo Aratama and Misako Watanabe are good as well, but they’re parts aren’t hefty enough for me to properly judge. Well, actually, Aratama is quite good, real talk.

Snow (10/10):  Amazing. Keiko Kishi is absolutely enrapturing as the Yuki-onna, and Tatsuya Nakadai ain’t bad as Minokichi either, lemme say. Again, limited cast for this one, but they definitely manage to excel. Seriously, they’re great.

Hoichi (10/10): This one has some of the best, though, both in terms of the kabuki scene, and in the regular scenes. The range of performances here is interesting, considering that you have the overdramatic stylings of kabuki on when end, the gentle nature of Katsuo Nakamura’s Hoichi on the other end, and the actually entertaining comedy relief monks in the middle. Yeah, I never mentioned it, but there are comedy relief monks in this segment, and they’re funny! This one is, all-around, a really strong cast, and the best in the film for sure.

Tea (8/10): This one is strong too, don’t get me wrong. Nakamura Kan'emon is a strong lead, but he’s not...perfect. Nor is Nokobu Nakaya as the ghost of Shibuku Heinai. Even the three samurai are a bit stiff. But in truth, it doesn’t interfere with the short, even a little bit. The 8 out of 10 is how I feel about it, but I genuinely don’t have a problem with it.

Average score’s a 9/10, which feels totally accurate to me. Moving on!

Plot and Writing: 10/10

I was going to break this one up, since they all have different plots. But, first of all, they all have the same writers. And second of all, they’re all...basically perfect? Like, real talk, I love all of these fuckin’ stories, dear Lord. And it’s Japanese folklore, which is basically always great. But OK, let’s break it down. These stories were originally collected for publishing by Lafcadio Hearn, a Greek-Irish man who lived in the United States for a decade, wrote about New Orleans, then moved to Japan and married a Japanese woman, eventually becoming a citizen and spending the rest of his life there as Koizumi Yakumo. Yeah. Dude has a STORY. He collected these stories in multiple books, and these stories were adapted by Yoko Mizuki, a female screenwriter, and one of the most accomplished female Japanese screenwriters ever, with 34 screen credits under her name. And this movie was relatively late in her career, too. Neat, all around. And yeah, these stories are WELL adapted, with the last one as a standout for me. In any case, this one is basically perfect.

Directing and Cinematography: 10/10

Yeah, this one’s perfect, too. I mean, come on, the fuckin’ SHOTS in this movie are fantastic. Director was Masaki Kobayashi, and the cinematographer was Shigeru Wakatsuki, and...yeah, it’s great. I don’t even have to say anything here, just watch the trailer for the movie. If there’s any specific standouts, though, they’d be The Woman in the Snow for Cinematography, and Hoichi the Earless for Direction. Amazing, and those two are the best examples.

Production and Art Design: 9/10

Um...yeah. Of course this one’s high, not even a question. LOOK AT THIS GODDAMN MOVIE. No more needed here, it’s a 10/10, it’s gorgeous all around. Well...OK, maybe it isn’t perfect. And that all basically falls at the feet of The Black Hair. I meant it when I said that this was the weakest short. Because...yeah, it is. From the initial old-age make-up, to the weirdly plain kimonos worn by an extremely wealthy woman who should be able to afford more ornately patterned kimonos, this one was...weaker, atmospherically. Still great, mind you...but weaker. So, OK, maybe not perfect, but still good.

Music and Editing: 8/10

And the music by Toru Takemitsu is definitely memorable as well...but is the editing perfect? Eh. Not really. Sorry, Hisashi Sagara, I know you’re working with 1965 technology here, but it’s not...perfect. There was some work needed throughout each short, to be honest, but it was still all pretty solid. Music really holds up this category, though.

OK, Japanese spirits, you’ve got a 92%! Don’t haunt me.

I really want to go to Japan, by the way. Like, I’ve always been interested, and I never would’ve turned down a trip there, but I REALLY want to go to Japan one day. I’d love to visit a temple or a shrine (respectfully, of course), I’d love to experience the people and the atmosphere...I just think it’d be very cool, to be honest with you. And movies like this have only heightened that desire.

Man, I loved this one! What comes next in the pattern? Right, surrealist films written by well-known and influential directors! Cool, I’m pumped! Let’s jump right into it! What could go wrong?

March 14, 2021: The Holy Mountain (1973)

[ziracona]

Do you have any tips for people who want to start writing? Specifically dialogue or how to research thoroughly?

Sure! For starting writing in general, the best advice to start with is look at the stories you yourself love, and identify what you love most in them. Relationships of a certain kind, high-stakes fight scenes, murder mysteries and scenes where people have to choose under pressure who they’re going to trust, redemption arcs, someone ending up adopting a child more or less because the kid has no one else to look after them? If there are scenarios you daydream about writing stories in your head, what are the common themes? No matter how oddly specific that gets or how often or scarcely you see it in fiction, I garuntee you you’re not the only one who likes it, and it’s good to base writing ideas around whatever you want to see more of yourself. You’ll be happy writing it, and the other people who yearn for it too, once they find you, will be very happy to see some as well! For me, I’ve always really enjoyed stories where someone who has no connection to the action ends up choosing to do the right thing and gets pulled into dangerous scenarios, found family, hope punk, and scenes where someone is injured/sick/drugged/unconscious/trapped and ends up at the mercy of someone they expect to hurt them, but who chooses to do absolutely nothing bad to them and saves/helps/looks after them instead (to name a few of many, many faves, haha). Some of those are pretty broad and some are wildly specific, but I love writing them all, and I’m not the only person who enjoys reading them either, so it’s a great kind of springboard to work with. : ) —Ok, for the specific questions though—I’ll do them in two parts to go with the two questions.

For writing dialogue, the biggest thing is to establish distinctive voices for all your cast. That sounds a lot harder than it is. The first real step is just to have some idea who they are as a person. Now, I know you probably don’t have time to be Bleach and have a sidebar backstory that goes for eleven pages about every guard who gets knocked out (and tbh I wouldn’t recommend it either haha), but don’t worry—you don’t need to. A lot of the time, I know very little about characters who aren’t primary cast when I write them first, and only during writing really get to know them either. Think of it a little as improv acting. If you ever have like, done bits with your friends, you actually know how to do this whether you’ve acted a day in your life or not. Friend greeting you on the phone with a fake accent & pretending to be an interviewer & you responding in kind & being like “Well yes, in my best selling novel How to Kill your Ex-Boss” and just running with it totally counts. You have no idea who the person you’re pretending to be is. You don’t know their favorite food or where they went to school. But you do know what they’re going to say next, because you’ve tapped into the person you’re running, and that’s the only thing you need to know. Same if you have ever given yourself fake interviews in your head. You’re playing both interviewer, fiction self (for whom you are for SURE making up details on the fly) & anyone else involved in that scene simultaneously. Writing can be pretty similar. Now, I do this to a bigger extent then most people, because I method-write (which uhhhh, I cant completely recommend, as it is devestating on the emotions :’-] ), but it works used less extremely too.

The idea, really, is to give characters a voice in your head, and have that voice not be the same for any two characters. And I mean voice literally. What do they sound like. Do they talk fast, get excited & into topics easily? Always sound mildly done with everyone else? If it helps, pick the voice of an actor or a friend or different tones you can use yourself speaking outloud—just give them voices. A lot of it will start flowing pretty naturally once the character is created. Writing has a lot of overlap with acting, in that you really need to grasp and be able to kind of jump around in a lot of different types of peoples’ heads. Most people have significantly different ways of speaking, even if they don’t have different accents than your other characters. Some people cuss more, some never do, you get varried vocabulary sizes, and just word choice and tone. I’m probably making this sound a little hard and overwhelming, but trust me, it’s not so bad. Mostly it will come naturally once you get a mental idea of what your character is like, sounds like, and the vibes they give off.

From a more technical standpoint, a couple of really good suggestions are to run dialogue in your head before writing it, and to read your written dialogue out loud. No matter how well you write, you will think dialogue better most of the time. This is just how it goes, because writing is a different process. So something that helps is to mentally “play” a scene out, and jot down some of the dialogue as you hear it, or to pause in writing to run some of the scene mentally, then pick back up again. Another big one is that almost all people, when writing dialogue, will start out writing too formally. Now, that’s totally fine if your character actually just speaks very formally, but most people 80% of the time speak using contractions. Like, you’d probably say, “Hey! How’re you doing? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” and not “Hey! How are you doing? It has been a while, has it not?” (And obviously, most people aren’t going to actually write out “has it not,” but simpler ones like “How are” vs “How’re” or “It is” vs “It’s” are super common to write. Try to keep that in mind writing dialogue, and also try reading your dialogue out loud verbatim. A lot of the time, something will read totally normal to you, but the second you hear it out loud, you’ll go “Oh. Oh, no. No one speaks like this.” It is SUPER helpful, and kind of funny too. Also, don’t be afraid to use verbal interrupters like “Uh” or “Uhm” or substitues for them like “Well” and “Like” —people use ‘em when they speak. We also tend to interrupt our friends to agree when talking about stuff, because the way language is set up a lot of the time you know the end of a sentence before it is said.

Other things that govern how characters speak a lot are their comfort level in a scene and what they want, how open or closed off they are about themselves in general, and their personal ways of thinking in general. For example, Joey Harmin and Quentin Smith are extremely fun to write in scenes together for me, because they both follow fairly understandable and clear logical thought paths, but those paths are completely different. Like they could not be operating on less similar wavelengths half the time, which is hilarious. There’s an exchange I haven’t uploaded for New Dawn Fades where they’re talking for the first time, and Joey is operating nearly 100% on small-picture context (But since you woke up, I have been very nice to you. Why don’t you trust me?) and Quentin is operating at nearly 100% big-picture context (You have killed me before—I have literally no reason to think you won’t any second now once again. I have no idea why you have not already). And both thought lines make total sense for the character to be following, but they could not be more confused by each others’ response. People think super weirdly and super different from each other, and that’s amazing, and some times you legit wont totally get what wild shit your own character is on, but that’s fine. You don’t need to—you just need to know it makes sense to them, and be able to understand it on some logic level, even if you could never really get it emotionally or more really than ‘in theory’ on a personal level. Also, side note—sometimes people speak super differently when in a professional setting vs relaxed, or with different friends, and that’s totally fine. Also-also, you might notice that if some characters spend a lot of time together, they start to speak similarly—that’s super normal too—don’t worry. It’s not you doing a bad job. Friends tend to pick up each others’ mannerisms and speech to some extent, and this is wildly more apparent when they hang out together.

This was a very long and in-depth answer to writing dialogue, but really, don’t let it overwhelm you. The TLDR is more or less just give them different voices in your head, and listen to them, then write down what you hear. Read it out loud to make sure it sounds like them if you feel unsure about it. I personally get into character and try to really think as/become them a bit at least when writing, because I approach writing from a very acting-based standpoint becuase that’s just how I am wired, but even if that’s not how you vibe, just know them a little. Know once you’ve talked to someone for like, three minutes, you have some idea how they talk. The synonym they’d chose, if they’d agree, or disagree, or just give a judgy look, or stay quiet. Know them that well, and try to hear them in your head. Read everything you write for them in that voice, thinking that voice well you write, and it’ll do wonders.

Now, for research.

First up, research is FUN! It’s amazing. It’s so wild to learn things and dip into thousands of parts of human existence you had no idea about at all. Try to think of it as a plus, not a pain, because really, it should be. Now, to be fair, I lean heavy into research—I’ll do days of research to try to find something out if I have to, and I have. I’m learning some of how to write and conjugate an extremely dead language right now for a fanfic, I’ve done massive deep dives from everything to ancient cultures and religions, screen shotting films to zoom in on set detail to learn what artist or band a character is into, what they drink, what they own, to the appproximate timing from specific streets in New York I’ve never seen to each other by specific subway line, to a myriad of wounds and diseases, to mental illness, to historical events as insignificant as marsh draining in specific cities. But bro? It was fun. Sometimes it’s a lot, but the thrill of finding what you were looking for? It’s great.

Now, I’m not saying you need to be me if you don’t want to haha. But when it comes to researching whatever you want to research, here’s some tips: First up, if what you are researching has anything to do with a human experience? (Mental illness, physical illness or injury, sex, birthing, death, how it feels to shoot a gun, or fall from a great height, or have a PTSD episode, anything like that?) You really need to hear it from people, if at all possible. The good news? In this day and age? It super is, almost always! Even with death. You can find people describing death (body death, not complete brain death) experiences they went through, and it’s very cool. I definitely recommend discussion threads, like Reddit, and YouTube videos of people giving their personal accounts for this kind of thing. They’re amazing resources, and also usually surprisingly fast! This is especially important for stuff like neurodivergence, disorders, mental illness, drug experiences, or anything else that’s on a cognitive more than physical level, because if you look at just textbook explanations, they’re not only usually very incomplete, but sometimes even inaccurate. Listening to people can give the truth if it’s missing, and the majority of the time while that’s not the biggest issue—especially concerning like, wounds or freezing or a near drowning experience, etc—it gives it a completeness a medical account just can’t. Also, if you have got any personal experience to lean on? Go for it! I’ve never been electrocuted horribly really, but when researching for the torture sequence in Proven, I both looked up a ton of first-hand accounts and some science to better understand what was going on, and took my own experience of the electric shocks I have gotten as the first building block in making a mental picture of what it would feel like to go through that. Obviously, being shocked hard enough to be flung backwards from a cattle fence (my history) is a far cry from being subjected to parrilla torture, but having a small amount of basic knowledge of the kind of pain electricity causes was useful as a first block in translating the information I was reading into something I understood better.

For non human-experience based research, a lot of it is pretty easy to look up, even if you wouldn’t think so. For example, guessing at the time period for cars in Autohaven and searching different years + truck + brand names for American cars was actually a really short process for finding a match—same with the make of the metal gas cans, back when I was trying to determine when, exactly, Philip was from. Visual image searches are great when applicable, especially if you’re trying to figure out what something is, because chances are if you describe a plant you saw once as ‘Tall lake reed plant with hotdog bun looking top,’ someone else will have once used some of those words when searching for a cattail as well. Also, for non-human research, books and academic papers are great, but so are non-academic sources like videos and photos for locations or objects. Sometimes again though, human info will honestly be where it is at, like reading firsthand descriptions of specific places. For most things, just type what you’re looking for into a search engine honestly and start there. You can totally start on the Wikipedia page for a city or a Greek god or a type of bomb, and move on from there—people put references in wiki articles, and you can check the bottom of the page for the specific source too. You can go on from basic knowledge to add or subtract keywords and refine your search. It’s pretty simple once you get going. If you’re getting extraneous results because a film title shares the name of what you are looking for, or a song or whatever, try quotation marks for an exact match, or - and then quotation marks around what you see that you want gone from results. Pretty basic stuff. Tbh, a lot of the time, it’s all you’re gonna need. Want to write a Stranger Things fic, but you have no idea what movies or shows were popular in the US at the time and need to know what they’d be watching in a scene? Honestly, searching “1980s (or 1980whatever-more-specific year) popular shows” will probably get you what you need in like 4 minutes. Also, if you’ve got a parent who was alive at the time and lived in the place, or older friend (or younger, I don’t know you, maybe this one doesn’t apply to you because YOU were there, but you’d have to ask a teenager irl now what the kids are into for a 20teens story, haha), utilize that resource and just ask them. Discussion spaces again, a massively useful resource. You can find people talking about their shared experiences with almost anything, and hear it more or less first-hand.

If you’re trying to learn about culture or history, again, first-person accounts are where it’s at. If you can’t find any, go for the next best thing, which is descendants or historians with a personal connection/interest. If you really, really can’t find much of that (as sadly has been the case for some cultures or religions I’ve researched in past, considering the lack of documentation period and/or intentional culture erasure going on), then read what you do find on it with a grain of salt. Who wrote it, and when? What biases did they bring? Also, often an old document like that might be the only first source you can find, but taking whatever badly documented info they have and trying new searches with the specific language you learned from them can yield new and much better results. Just do your level best. ^u^ Really, that’s all anyone can do. Sometimes there will be things without much out there period, and you don’t have to like, put 97 hours of research in combing your local library for any thing you may have missed for the fic you’re on right now or something. Just do your best, do what you can, and care, and you’ll be okay. It can seem daunting, but doing your sincere best is what anyone who does know the answer—living or dead—would care about, and it’s an important thing /to/ do, and also a pretty informative and fun one. Also, I swear it’s not as intimidating as I might make it seem. Pretty much always you’ll be able to find some decent chunks of solid and very useful information eventually, on anything. And most things actually do not at all take that long to research. I’m a monster, who likes to down research more and more each morning like I’m building up a resistance to iocaine powder to someday win a battle of wits, but you really don’t have to be me, and if you want to be, chances are that means you also just really heckin love learning new facts, so you’re gonna love the wild deep insanity of creating It’s Always Sunny Meme level conspiracy walls trying to track down ancient evil trees in mythology to figure out what in the goddamn the Entity really IS and you’ll adore it all. If you’re not, trust me—that’s completely fine. Most research is gonna take between 20 minutes and a few hours, depending on the level of complexity, and once you learn it, you have all this cool new knowledge! Like that you can fake a death with tetrodotoxin so well someone with a high but not fatal does in them could die undergoing an autopsy! Or how much opium kills someone, how it actually feels to black out, how hard it actually is to chloroform someone, or that wolves have been known to hold funerals for loved ones, or how to stitch a wound. It’s like, amazing. Join me, and become that thing from Adventure Time going “I have approximate knowledge of many things” while rubbing its grimy hands together with glee.

Uhhh haha, I made this one more concise wildly, but the TLDR version is just ask people or read or watch what people who have undergone X thing say it is like (oh, and make sure to read more than one account—big one with accuracy). For non-human research, start with just a basic search. If you’re a student and have access to academic searches more easily, totally use that. If not, don’t worry. Lots of academic search compilation sites are still open to you, and honestly, you’re only going to need to turn academic for highly specific and wildly rare information period. Most of the time, hear it from people who know the answer. Discussion forums and YouTube journal-type videos are fantastic resources. For what living in rural Wisconsin in the early 1980s was like for Philip, I searched about living in the early 1980s in rurual Wisconsin, found specific names in an article for the kinds of cheap apartments common, adjusted my search, and found a ton of good resources by people documenting the struggles and mistreatment of life there at the time, and also found out Milwaukee is surprisingly one of the most dangerous and racist cities in America, then and now, on the way. For Kate experiencing being forced to drink bleach, I watched seven different people on YouTube talk about their experiences drinking bleach, and read up on the medical side to understand the science of what happens to you, plus a few text descriptions as well. But really, both of those were pretty fun and fascinating and quick research stints. Most are. I super recommend trying some deepish dives out, even just for fun and not with writing planned in mind at all!

Anyway, I hope this helps! I wrote it at one in the morning & didn’t proof because I feel very bad and need to pass out to try and heal, so sorry if there are any errors that make this hard to read. Thanks for asking! This was fun to answer. Please feel free to ask any follow-ups if there’s something I didn’t seem to cover, or you want to know more about either of these or something else. I’m certainly not the world’s leading expert or something, but I got some fun methods and tips I’ve developed over the years I’m happy to share with a fellow writer (or bored or curious person just interested in the process, haha). Again, I gave long answers because I wanted to be thorough, but I promise neither dialogue nor research is a difficulty level reflected in the length of those answers—that’s just me being me. Don’t let it intimidate you! They’re both fun and actually not so hard things to do. You just kind of need to learn your starting off points and get your sea legs, and the rest mostly comes naturally and easily and is very fun. It’s super satisfying to read a line and be like “Only you, my dumb child” seeing the stupid crap they say, or “You’ve come so far” watching how they’re choosing to reach out to someone now vs as the story’s start; or to have needed a way to have a character pry open a wedged car door and find just exactly the perfect tool you could even have a logical reason for them to easily find in the scene and be able to sit back down thinking YES!!! I got it!! —it’s a rush, and very, very satisfying. I’m sure you can do it!! And I wish you the best of luck. I sadly made this on mobile because I forgot tumblr sucks and won’t let me retroactively add read mores on mobile now and it’s too late for me to change that, and I’m so sorry this is so long 😭😭😭, but I’m tagging it “long post” so hopefully tag blocks can still save people :’-] — anyway! Hope this helps and best of luck. Night! 💙

[moviewarfare]

A Review of Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018)

On my Ip Man rewatching spree, I now stumble on the first spinoff the franchise starring rival/antagonist "Cheung Tin Chi" from Ip Man 3. It is not directed by Wilson Yip who did Ip man 1-4 but rather directed by Yuen Woo-ping who was the action director for Ip Man 3 and 4. He was also an action director for big American movies like Kill Bill and Matrix. I really liked Cheung Tin Chi (Max Zhang) from Ip Man 3 and felt there was a lot of depth to his character so I was thrilled he was getting his own movie. Furthermore, there were some big names in this movie with Michelle Yeon who is a big Chinese Actress and Dave Bautista from Marvel and WWE fame. I was very hyped for this movie. The question was if this movie lived up to the Ip Man legacy?

Let's talk about the action scenes, firstly it is a drastic departure from the Ip Man movies. In Ip Man 2 there was a fair amount of wirework which took away from the grounded, realistic style of the first movie but here there is LOADS of wirework. I didn't hate it in Ip Man 2 but felt like it wasn't as great as the first one but here it is kind of crazy and over the top to the point I found it ridiculously entertaining. A lot of the fight scenes have the actors do a lot of floating and gravity-defying moves with one memorable acrobatic fight scene on neon signs way above ground that was very thrilling to watch. Nearly every fight in this movie is cartooney and unrealistic but it is so entertaining with superb choreography. There are a lot of characters thrown through tables or windows and a lot of slow-mo and close up shots that embody the cliche of the 90s and it goes all the way with it. However, it just works really well and is oddly satisfying.

I loved Max Zhang as Cheung in Ip Man 3 and here still delivers a great performance. His character Cheung has a very interesting arc in this movie where he is struggling with his desire to live a simple life while coping with his loss to Ip Man and his reputation as a martial artist. Throughout the movie, he refuses to use Wing Chun and instead uses a more brutal style of fighting which makes the fights grittier and less elegant than the main series. He then gets wrapped up in some mafia staff which causes him to come into meetings with many different characters but the closest being Julia (Liu Yan) and Fu (Xing Yu) who become friends. Cheung is different from Ip Man in that he feels flawed and having room to grow whereas Ip Man feels near perfect and invincible. Cheung takes a fair amount of damage and hits while also making a fair amount of mistakes which makes him a lot more relatable. He does come out by the end of the movie learning valuable lessons with it even amplifying Ip Man's word of wisdom to him in the 3rd movie and of course, ends up using Wing Chun again.

Most of the supporting cast do a great job as well. Michelle Yeon as "Tso Ngan Kwan" gives a very convincing performance as the leader of an organised crime gang. Her character is also interesting in that she is menacing against those who oppose her but kind in that she wants to turn the crime gang into a legitimate business. Kevin Cheng as "Tso Sai Kit" gives a great performance in being a completely hateable character who wants to be a drug dealer while usurping his sister Ngan Kwan. Dave Bautista as "Owen Davidson" is great as well in that he gives a lovable and charismatic performance in certain scenes while in others a terrifying, hulking menace. He is way better than Mike Tyson was in Ip Man 3 and feels more like an actual antagonist.

Unfortunately, Dave Bautista is very under-utilised with him barely having any dialogue, he isn't the main villain either with Tso Sai Kit being the main villain while Owen Davidson is more of a final boss. Which is a shame as one of my complaints of Frank (Mike Tyson) in Ip Man 3 was that we don't really get any backstory or motive of his character and this is also the case with Owen sadly. Likewise, Tony Jaa of "Ong Bak" fame is in this movie as an assassin with an obsession with black clothing and a top hat. He is a glorified cameo with no dialogue whatsoever and just appears to have a random fight with the main character and then vanishing for most of the movie until the end. It is very jarring as the fight appears out of nowhere and doesn't have any real significance to the story in any way. That is such a downer as Tony Jaa is amazing and they didn't utilise him properly. Additionally, his character just doesn't fit in the Ip Man universe and just feels extremely out of place.

The plot is also a complete mess with it attempting to cram in way too many things into the plot. The story tries to be a redemption story for Cheung, a sibling rivalry story between Ngan and Tso, a gang story, a drug addiction story, British colonialism, racism and corruption. It's very convoluted and a fair amount of these stories aren't even good. It also retreads a lot of Ip Man's 2 and 3 stories with the corruption and racism which is just lazy and disappointing.  

It's extremely corny at times as well and that is fine if it was done well but it isn't in this case. There are a lot of moments that feel like they are trying to be a comedy or funny but it doesn't land and I didn't feel like laughing at all. The movie also attempts some melodramatic moments but again it never really lands and didn't make me feel anything. The movie has a lot of moments that are not intended to be stupid but made me end up thinking it was stupid. However, some moments are not meant to be funny but I kind of thought was funny like a man's arm getting cut off with no blood was just hilariously bad. His arm just gets cut like a plastic toy. Some of the line delivery is also quite bad at times. The child actors are very bad and some of the supporting characters feel one-note and lacking in any range of personality.

I also have some gripes with the editing and set design in this movie. The editing is so weirdly bad in which it would transition to the next scene while abruptly ending the music score before it even ended properly. They also do a lot of fades out which is usually done when ending the movie or to signify the conclusion to an act but it is done a couple of times in this movie where I felt it was odd to do so. Also, the set design feels really empty or too open. It makes the city feel lifeless. This could be due to a lack of extras as there weren't many people roaming around until the final act of the movie where they all come out of nowhere.

Overall, it is a ludicrous movie but there is a charm in that. Spinoffs are a good way of doing something different while embodying the spirit of the main series and Master Z does kind of do that. The movie was aiming to deliver on epic action set pieces and it does so successfully. They are exciting, electrifying and extremely well-choreographed but just don't expect much from its story.

[zaraquinn]

Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher

Billy Hargrove - Making reader’s heart go uwu on a late drive

Word Count: 1357

Billy Hargrove x Fem!Reader

Requested by: @ashleymarieriffle

Author's notes:

Y/N - Your Name

Additional Notes: i’m in love with this idea of the reader is dustin’s older sister. thank you for this request. I also made a small addition to it including the kids. also small au?? basically an au that everyone wants to live in after season three.

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“So Y/N,” Dustin said, entering his older sister’s room with the feeling to bother her before she left the house. “Do I get to meet this mystery boyfriend that may or may not exist?” He leaned on her doorframe, as she finished her lipstick and makeup touches. “Dustin.” She said with a warning tone. “I really don’t think you’d wanna know.” Y/N groaned, walking over to her kid brother. “And besides, he does exist.” Dustin chuckled, as he finally had the upper hand. “That’s not what you said about Suzie, and look what happened,” he explained—Y/N rolling her eyes at Dustin’s winning argument. “She does exist.” Y/N finally gave in, turning back to her little and witty brother. “So, you have to tell me, since you didn’t believe me.” Pointing at his older sister with finger guns, she lightly punched his shoulder, walking down the stairs of their home to the kitchen. “You really don’t want to know. Really.” “Oh please, eldest sister; Dearest sister that I love and care about very much, I can stand for myself.” Y/N was about to tell the younger Henderson to drop the subject but the doorbell had suddenly rung. The two Henderson siblings had glanced at each other, before racing to the door. Unfortunately, Dustin’s smaller figure had successfully snaked his way underneath Y/N and opened the door; and to his extreme surprise, was met with a ravishingly handsome (shirt halfway unbuttoned) and lovestruck Billy holding flowers at the Henderson doorstep. Dustin’s facial expression had turned him wide-eyed and speechless. Only getting a dramatic gasp before Y/N had swiftly stepped in front of him and cut him off by slamming the door behind his face.

Billy’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion from the scene that weirdly unfolded in front of his eyes. “My little brother. He’s friends with—“ Y/N was going to explain, but Billy ended up beating her to it “With Max. Yeah. I know. Did he not know we’re dating?” He asked suddenly, pointing at her front door. Y/N opened her mouth to say something; almost hesitating before blatantly being honest. “No.” Billy just returned her response with a heart-warming smile. “Let’s go.” And led her to the car, and giving her the flowers.

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Dustin suddenly broke out of his trance, shaking his head back to reality. He quickly opened the door and saw Billy and his older sister drive away in his blue Camaro; the smoke distributing in the air. Shutting the door with a slam, Dustin rushed to his room, muttering many ‘holy shits’ with each pounding step his feet made. He reached for his walkie-talkie and pulled the antenna up and switching it on. “This is Dustin! Code orange-red! I repeat! This is Dustin! Code orange-red!” He screamed into the talkie. For the first time in a long time, everyone in the party had answered. El was with Will, Max was alone at home and Mike was hanging with Lucas. Everyone had heard his not-so-important code orange-red. “What is it?” Max hurriedly said through the walkie-talkie. “Max, my sister Y/N is dating Billy!!” Dustin screamed into the walkie once more. “WHAT?!” The whole group screamed at the same time through the walkie’s receiver.

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Out of Touch by Hall and Oats had started playing in the car, and Y/N happily blasted it, opening the windows and letting the gnarly music echo through the empty space that was Hawkins, Indiana. Her hair flowing in the wind as Billy accelerated the car’s speed. A smile painted her face as the music blasted. “So, where are we heading Lover Boy?” She smiled at her driver, as he bit his bottom lip; loving the nickname. “Just thought we could do a late night drive. Anything for you Babe.” Billy said, grabbing her hand was his other hand stayed on the wheel. “Perfect.” She smiled, grabbing his hand happily. “So does Max know about you and me?” Y/N wondered, lightly kissing Billy’s neck as he drove through the starry sky. “She’ll figure out eventually.” She smirked to himself. “If you had to tell her, what would be the first thing you’d tell her?” Y/N pressed on, running her hands underneath Billy’s unbuttoned shirt and her lips wandering at his neck. Billy sighed and smiled at the feeling, parking at the quarry to get a sight of the large moon that settled in the starry sky above them and the song Here, There, and Everywhere by The Beatles started playing; matching the romantic mood of the moonlight illuminating above them like a spotlight. He put the car in park and turned off the engine, finally able to face Y/N as his hands quickly made its way to settle on her waist.

“Well, I would start with how the first time I saw you I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And how beautiful you are. And how smart and logical you are. And how loving you are. And how you’re the most insanely hot girl in Hawkins.” He chuckled at the last part, and Y/N growing pink from the compliments. “Not true.” She nodded with a laugh, thinking about how he could find her as ‘the hottest girl in Hawkins’. Billy only chuckled, giving her kisses on her forehead and nose. “You can’t say that. It’s true.” Y/N giggled endlessly, adoring her boyfriend. “You’re such an asshole.” She shot back humorously with a laugh. “I would say how much of an asshole you are. And, how you really are to me. And beknownst to everyone else—that there is something underneath that bad boy persona everyone sees.” She smiled, showing dimples and all. At that moment, Billy truly felt in love with Y/N. “You know, Max is starting to warm up to you more. She told me that you have been more of a brother to her now. Playing catch with your kid sister and taking her to the arcade?” Y/N giggled, getting Billy’s cheeks all pink. “Sounds like the Billy I know.” Y/N said, totally adoring her boyfriend’s flustered face. “It’s all because of you.” He kissed her passionately, wanting to show her how much he loves her. “I think you should keep your asshole attitude for everyone else. And keep this Billy for me and those close to you.” He laughed at her remark, kissing her nose again. “Because I’m selfish.” The two finally continued kissing underneath the pale moonlight, doing what teenagers do.

They drive a bit longer during the midnight hours after their time was up, blasting soft music with all the windows down with their hands intertwined. With her hair blowing in the wind and singing along to the soft music, they soon reached the Henderson household—Billy dropping her off at her doorstep. “Are you sure you don’t wanna come in and sleep over? I don’t want you to get in trouble with your dad—“ Y/N said before getting cut off. Normally Billy would’ve said no, in fear of his dad, but he thought he could give less of a fuck this time. “Yeah, I’ll stay.” Billy said, locking his car on the street and meeting Y/N at her doorstep. He met her with a kiss as she unlocked her door; holding her waist as she playfully laughed at the affections.

As the door swung open, the lovebirds were met with the six kids. They’re eyes wide in shock to find none other than the bad boy of Hawkins and the detective teen of Hawkins. Billy and Y/N met the kids with furrowed brows as both Max and Dustin crossed their arms. “Billy?” Max asked, expecting an answer from her older brother. “Dearest sister Y/N?” Dustin dramatized. The two teens stayed silent, not knowing what to say. With one look, the kids all looked at each other and broke into an enormous fit of laughter—leaving the lovebirds in quick confusion.

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