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#+ there was quite a bit of slo-mo which i did not like and the alina entering the fete was . Off idk didn’t look right
leconcombrerit · 1 month
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Phee is lying
I mentioned a theory of mine a few times (or is it hopeful thinking ?) and I decided I could share the big outline. I don't feel very legitimate making this post given that I'm one episode and a half behind, but then again I'm pretty sure I'd earn my clown costume either way.
Phee and Non's relationship : a carefully rushed framing
The cute montage at the beginning of episode 6 never sat well with me. DFF knows how to take its time ; how to develop characters, hint at dynamics without having to spell it out. And suddenly one of the most important relationships in the series is summed up in a five minutes montage ? Are you kidding me ? After that we get one scene (the bracelet one by the river) before their relationship starts to crumble upon the weight pressuring Non.
In other words, we get nothing. Most of my attachment for this couple stemmed from a) boundless joy at finally seeing someone, anyone on Non's side and b) Ta and Barcode eating ever single one of their scenes. Aside from this cute beginning, it's just Phee trying to help Non and Non not being mentally nor emotionally available for anything.
They could have done better. They could have shown us more. But they didn't. I know a common conception is that a montage with the occasional slo-mo fits the "first and naïve love" theme buuuuut I don't like it because I don't like it, sue me.
Let's see what they did show us first ; when you give so little, there's no room for triviality. And then I have just a few details I picked up on (or excavated and extrapolized like a mad scientist) that come feed my "Phee is a lying liar that lies" theory. But first, here goes a montage breakdown.
One : first in person meeting
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There are several interesting points here. Phee is standing and bending to Non's level, Non is acting cute and waving his hand like a child would ; the groundwork of their relationship is laid down. Phee is the one taking care of Non. But what I found truly noteworthy is this :
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"Do you wanna meet up ?"
Phee is taken aback by Non's suggestion. He clearly didn't expect him to do that. Except you don't have expectations for strangers or vague acquaintances. By that point, Phee and Non have been messaging for long enough for Phee to know Non quite well and for the both of them to smile like idiots upon meeting. How long exactly ? Nobody knows.
Two : perfect date and the start of a series of promises
Three or four shots of a traditional, happy date, what more could we ask for. Genuinely. Sad Non, abused Non, crying Non is brought back to a softer world. He earned this level of cliché and happiness. There's also the pinky finger promise ; that's what interests me the most, not as a singular instance but as the start of a pattern. Promises are a running theme in Phee and Non's relationship. As willing as Phee is to take oaths, he's quick to fail them -hell, just one episode prior he wasn't here for Non and it resulted in a suicide attempt. The situation with Keng isn't Phee's first failure.
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Three : Non's home
Here Non is letting Phee in his home, his room -his life. And he does so with glee. We've seen beforehow Non tends to keepto himself. Jin has to try a lot and try hard to get him to open up a bit, so whatever happens here is meaningful.
Phee taking his manga from Non could be read as them not sharing common interests (unlike Jin, my imaginary public argues with a nod). I personally saw it as them being comfortable enough to do their own thing while sharing space, until Phee got bored. Or horny. Or both. No sex scenes are shown, which has to be intentional. Phee gets a graphic sex scene with Jin, Non gets a graphic sex scene with Keng -but none for Pheenon. There's enough suggestion that the audience will get the idea, and I haven't pinpointed what lies behind that choice, but it's definitely there. They go back and forth between tooth-rottingly cute and buying a house in the bone-zone.
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Four : being each other's whole world
They're both giddy and running to find each other. Their families don't understand because they haven't told ; it's their own little world (and in Non's case probably his only happy place with no worries).
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Five : the kiss scenes
The sensual aura that built up in all previous scenes reaches its peak here. Once again nothing is shown in terms of sex, yet you can feel the physical attraction just as well. I might be getting off the rails by saying that while they're honest, they also virtually keep things private. They show us the truth, but an amputated, rushed one.
Just like I suppose Phee gives Jin an amputated and rushed version of what happened.
Six : The river
Ah, yes, the river scene. I won't be talking about the longer one with the bracelet yet cause it's separate from the little glimpses we got so far (it has dialogue, for one). But this ? This is gold to my brain.
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An apple. Not only are they both biting it, but Non's eyes are open and staring right at Phee, while Phee's are closed. Non is holding it too. Now I know the apple symbolism is a Chrisitian one and we're in Thailand, but that little detail struck me as odd when Phee and "Tan" were introduced :
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We're entering full clown territory cause the cross was probably hung there like the curtains are probably just goddamn blue, but I added a badly drawn plan of how our brains read images, starting from top left corner (where the cross is) to skim over the middle in a downward axis to the bottom left (Fluke, Jin, the more innocent ones actually I just realized) and then to the bottom right. The cross is what we see first.
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And then, wouldn't you know, our lovely apple comes back as New and Phee are discussing the boys -and where New is out to get them, Phee is already giving even Por the benefit of doubt. He's also keeping his left hand behind his back. I'll get back to Phee's left hand, but the apple comes first.
If the cross is any indication, and that we get two apples, then the first one that's set in the past, a flashback in a flashback, could be the Old Testament version, a fall from heaven ; and the second one that Phee is eating by himself, not blindly this time, could be the New Testament version as redemption from the original sin. Not to mention the greenery around them, almost like a garden.
"But then doesn't it mean that Phee, after falling for Non, starts to get redemption for failing him by saving the boys from New ?"
You know what, MAYHAPS. It could work, I guess. But same as the manga reading scene, it could go many ways. I personally think the redemption he longs for is redemption for having let Non down so badly. Besides, I don't think New is ready to kill people yet in that scene. He's just trying to gather evidence for now, and Phee knows it. So why defend those boys ? Jin I could understand, but Por ? And protect them from what, exactly ? Getting justice served and truth exposed for something they actually did ? If they're innocent, what's the rush in getting New to let go ?
Why wouldn't Phee be trying to keep New safe ?
Look it's not that far-fetched I swear. First I'm going with the fact that Phee knows Non is alive and got in contact with him somehow. One because I stand by my words, this is a face that calls for murder.
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And two, the ring tattoo. I don't think it's a continuity error. And he just so happens to keep his arm hidden behind his back when trying to stir New into giving up on his search. As a sign he's actually carrying on Non's wish ? I'd love that.
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Then someone in the group has to be in contact with the masked man, the ninth person, or else they wouldn't have known when to expect the group. Unless they literally live in those woods, which is also possible.
There's also a long post I'd started about how the show always plays by the rules, not even trying to be surprising in the decision it takes (A guy dying early on in a slasher, Phee being Non's boyfriend, Tan being New, both of them being part of the scheme) but pulling the rug off under our feet in the execution (no one else of importane having died after Por, quiet Tan being the one to murder people while decisive Phee is crying about, etc). Which gives me the feeling that it will be the same here and that Phee is much more of a mastermind than he's been whining on to Jin.
Speaking of Jin, it would also explain why Phee has been investigating him specifically. They might have been trying to determine if he'd done anything, had leaked the video or not. When push came to shove, Phee played the honesty card to get him to confess. And. He. Did.
Not to say Phee doesn't have genuine feelings for Jin, and that it doesn't make him feel torn and confused. But the fact that they banged right after Jin reminded him of Non more strongly also isn't something I'd ignore.
Anyway, I'm getting tired, short version :
Tl;dr :
I think Phee and Non's relationship was actually much stronger than we've been shown, that Phee knows Non is alive because he's the only person Non would have contacted and works with him. He was tasked with keeping New away from all this because Non doesn't want him to get hurt, but also doesn't trust him enough to tell him anything (remember that New was defined by his absence prior to Non's disappearance, only there to serve as a hurtful point of comparison, and that he wasn't close at all to Non to begin with, regardless of how much he regrets now ; I don't think Non factored New would go that far for him in his plan). The revenge plot is already underway for Non, and Phee is trying to keep things going the way they should.
Here it is. It was itching my brain and I slept very badly because of it, but I AM NOW FREE.
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iosonounapersonamiao · 6 months
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So, I have watched Loki season two, episode one (not on Disney+ though). Here are my thoughts and the things I noticed (there are spoilers, of course):
The slow motion at the beginning seems weird to me... I don't know why, but it does... They are running, it's the first scene, why make it slo-mo?
OMG! Casey! Is he alright? He doesn't look very happy...
Loki falling and then saying "I'm fine, I'm fine, 'morning," is quite funny, but doesn't look like the Loki from the first movies. Also, is the other person alright?
I have never seen Loki beg around so much... the most shocked we have ever seen him was when he talked to Odin in the Vault, but he didn't plead, nor touch someone he only ever talked to once... It sort of makes me uncomfortable, actually.
Ok so he was in the past TVA... which means Kang is in the past, and he is not anymore in the present... which means the show could potentially end with them starting to prune timelines again, and everything is a circle...
Mobius/Jet Skis (and /forgetting he has been murdering people until now).
X-5 seems cool.
Loki's hair has gotten better, but I prefer it long.
Someone please give Loki a new outfit, he is in a fashion crisis.
Yes! B-15 taking responsibility for the atrocities they have committed, and deciding to do better. Love her.
Aren't Mobius and Loki talking too much? Like, isn't the rhythm a bit off? There is also no need to talk this much.
The "it's not that bad" elevator scene was funny. Mobius and Loki are cute as friends (unfortunately, though, Mobius has spent the whole last season emotionally abusing Loki, especially with his "therapy session").
Ouroboros is cool. But why do they call him O.B.? Is his name so difficult? I hate when people's names have to change only because so they are simpler to others.
The fact of Ouroboros's memory of the past coming only after we see Loki with him is only a bit funny, but especially confusing. I hate time paradoxes. I hate time travel.
Ouroboros throwing back his TVA Guidebook and Loki catching it smoothly is so funny.
Ok, so now Loki is in the future... there is a phone, Sylvie and someone who prunes him from his back!? Really, again!? And they say he is the one stabbing people in the back.
Ok, they did what they had to — I honestly didn't understand what exactly the plan was... like, Mobius had to do something and Loki had to prune himself after the color became green... but why?
The post-credits Sylvie scene wasn't bad... I was confused by her face a lot and by the fact that she turned her back to the guy taking orders... like, couldn't the scene have her leaned over the bank and looking at people, instead of her turning her whole body to the people? It would have felt more realistic and logical.
So, the characters were mostly okay, the acting and everything else, too. Nothing too spectacular, though... Some scenes were funny, but it was all mostly uncomfortable or confusing.
Loki doesn't look like Loki anymore, and his reactions are oftentimes very exaggerated, becoming nearly stereotypical... And this is weird, coming from Hiddleston, who has previously played Loki as collected even when very shaken, while showing in his eyes all the hurt felt by the character.
And Season 1 had this same problem. Though, it also had strong pro-fascist implications. I am hoping they don't go the He-who-remains-was-right-all-along route, and start pruning all the timelines again, in this season.
But still, the original Loki seems to have died on Svartálfaheimr.
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bluheaven-adw · 2 years
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It's been a while since we had a good ole fight scene analysis! For this one, we have Jim and Angor clashing in the season 1 finale. Now, I could watch Jim fight all day long. 1: because he's so agile and athletic and I laugh at his lack of dancing prowess because Dude, what do you think you're doing when sword fighting??? And 2: every fight scene has its own unique, and super cool, details which is testament to the quality work of the Writers, Storyboard artists and Animators. So lets get to it!
First up, their very first clash after Jim regains control of Daylight. It's just a few seconds, but they are a thing of beauty. That first jump and then backflip doesn't look like much at full speed, but slo-mo? Watch how he uses the momentum of his swing to rotate himself mid air so he lands facing Angor instead of with his back turned. No wasted energy there, and bonus that it's quite a visually graceful move as well. He also calls the shield as he comes out of the rotation and has it folded/unfolded and vanished again seemingly without thought. Pretty sure he's running on instinct and does his best fighting that way, when he's in the moment and not in his own head. He blocks a strike with his shield, and seeing Angor spin though that hit, back handsprings/flips out of the way of the second strike he knows is coming, and lets the momentum carry him in a slide back, away from a third hit, before launching himself from his crouched position. Here's the cool part though. He does that handspring one handed because he's still holding Daylight in his right hand! Bonus: there's a Stalkling being attacked by a gollum in the background.
Remember how I brought up dancing? The second clip touches on that a bit. Jim and Angor are VERY similar fighters, and if Jim had a bit more experience with offensive fighting under his belt, they would be quite evenly matched, which this clip shows. Neither are really getting hits on each other, but flowing back and forth, mirroring each other. It's definitely a dance, until Angor kicks Jim in the face at least. Did you know that while Jim is predominantly right handed (while writing), he's technically ambidextrous? And he takes full advantage of it when fighting. Here's those little details that you just don't see until things are slowed down. They didn't have to be put in, but again... the quality of this show. Watch Jim's first two swings. He seamlessly corrects his grip for the direction of his swing by swapping hand positions before each one. It's so smooth too, efficient, second nature. I'm pretty sure that's straight up instinct for him, versus training. Even in slo-mo it's hard to catch the second one. I've put a short pause at each one first before playing the full low speed clip.
I didn't cover the entire fight because, as we know, Jim kind of runs out of steam at this point and kind of gets his ass handed to him until Claire and Toby think to lend a hand, or hammer in this case.
Thats it for this fight scene analysis! Hope you enjoyed.
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ben-solo98 · 1 year
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BLACK ADAM is a great 90s action movie, if this came out 25-30 years ago, it would be a hit starring Sly or Arnie. It felt like if THE MUMMY was a superhero movie, I said something similar about Jaume Collet-Serra and Dwayne Johnson’s last collaboration JUNGLE CRUISE, I think I like this new actor/director combo quite a bit. The first hour is basically one long action sequence with little bits of exposition thrown in here and there, I get why some may not like that, but it was so fast-paced I couldn’t help but be entertained. Half way through, it finally gives the story a chance to breathe and gets exponentially better. It’s a story that’s been done countless times, but I usually enjoy it when done well and I think it was done (at least) pretty good. They went overboard on the slo-mo hero shots which usually bothers me, but I liked it here. I liked Lorne Balfe’s score as well, but it was too loud and was drowning out the dialogue, I guess that’s a sound mixing issue. This has been a passion project of The Rock’s for 15 years, I’ve always been a fan of his, as a movie star at least, only thing I know about his wrestling is that he’d get self conscious about how his cooking smelled or something. I see all his movies, but thought he hasn’t chosen projects that show off his range in recent years, but I actually think he was perfectly cast in this role. There was a kid I wasn’t sure would be necessary to the story at first, but I ended up liking his John Connor/T-800 in T2 dynamic with Black Adam. Aldis Hodge as Hawkman and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate were the main reason I was excited to see this movie and they did not disappoint! Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell, and Mohammed Amer are actors I wasn’t familiar with before, but left very impressed by. I don’t know how many solo Black Adam movies I need to see in my lifetime, but I would like to see all of these characters return in future DC projects. 8.5/10. #BlackAdam #DC #DcComics #MovieReview https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj9kjUOuW0v/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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pokedashwarrior55 · 3 years
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ULTRA LONG TIME TWIN HEADCANNONS
@sippin-on-waterfalls your post is ready
From Pokedash and Purplefern
Ooooooookay here we go.
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-Krux perceives time slower than others so he is easily late to events (plus he gets distracted and way into projects so he can easily lose track of time, ironically) so he could end up missing a lot of Elemental Alliance meetings
-Acronix made sure he informed Krux it was time to go (whenever he remembers, anyway) otherwise he’d be uber late all the time. Good thing they always go together
-Acronix is super early all the time because of his powers and he and Griffon Turner’s grandfather got along really well
-All the same, between lack of attention span, focusing on other things, and not caring for the meetings in general, Krux and Acronix miss a LOT of meetings 
-Before alliance meetings Wu is training little Morro and the Twins and the Master of Speed just waltz in the monastery doors an hour early
-Acronix teaches Morro some sick fighting moves (some rather underhanded)
-Krux advises him to never let people get away with harm cause you are the most important thing in your life. (Revenge!)
-Wu be like plz stop encouraging my kid into violence and dishonorable tactics.
-Krux brought refreshments to an EA party exactly once. It was pickled beet tea and nobody liked it. He took it very personally. 
-Back during the war, the love triangle with Misako was actually a love rectangle. Krux had a crush on her too but he literally had no idea how to act on it so his part of the rectangle was staring at her longingly from afar and not saying anything. 
-Yes Acronix teased him immensely about this. And tried to act as a wingman several times but Krux swore if he did he would murder him 
-Pre-series, Misako would do work for the museum a lot, so she ended up working with Sanders Saunders quite often. Despite her relationship to Wu and Garmadon and their “history”, he did like working with her ok
-They both also worked with the Explorer’s Club a lot, and have equal disdain for Cecil Putnam and Clutch Powers 
-Krux hates Cecil’s stuffy rules (even though he couldn’t show it while being Dr Saunders) and Clutch’s….everything
-Krux’s doctorate is real, and he has a doctorate in History and and Master’s degree in Museum Studies 
-He’s the Curator of History at the museum, and the other curator is the curator of natural sciences 
-Acronix is a big nicknames guy. He doesn’t usually call people by their actual names. Only the people he actually cares about or that he super hates. 
-But he also generally despises nicknames given TO him. The only people allowed to call him Nix/Nixie are  his brother and mother (and later Shannon). 
-Krux only calls Acronix "Nix" if he's feeling particularly vulnerable/scared/etc (so like, when being the older twin isn't feeling that fun and he decides to ignore those 3 minutes and be more like the "younger" twin.) So this becomes a lot less as he becomes more arrogant. 
-(Based on how he describes Dareth getting beat up by the Vermillion warrior) Krux likes watching wrestling. It’s a guilty pleasure of his 
-And of course Acronix loves it once he learns about it, so the two watch it together 
-Krux occasionally plays strategy board games. He tried to get Acronix into them but he found them boring. 
-(Sometimes he’ll suck it up and play with him anyway, though.) 
-Both are sass masters
-Both also like science
-But like completely different facets of science. 
-Krux of course likes the more stable and earthy sciences. Biology and geology, ecology. Those elemental science that have always existed but we just haven’t yet understood them
-Krux is also a total history nerd. Things like paleontology and anthropology are also really interesting to him 
-Yes he was a dinosaur kid. (Especially since dinosaurs had just started to be discovered back in his day.) 
-Acronix of course likes advancement and the otherworldly sciences. Technology, Astronomy. Sure we build upon the discoveries of the past but what about creating something new for the future? 
-Acronix does like bioengeneering since it is a new advancement but he knows saying so would make Krux grin with “I told you bio was cool” vibes
-Krux can engulf himself into his work or his schemes for days. As he is very patient. 
-Acronix is less so. He sees time constantly moving forward so sitting idle to “Plan” seems a ridiculous waste of time. 
-He jumps from activities quickly as the novelty of it wears off and he is always on a quest for what's new and what may work, not really what has been confirmed to work
-Krux of course sees this as a fool's errand. We need to respect the knowledge we have and use it and plan with it. 
-But when they are in sync you should be SCARED
-Both thinking in the Present can make them in perfect harmony, Both in fighting and talking.
-Their different planning methods can help eachother get things done. So yes, when they work together you should be scared 
-Krux can get really fixated on an idea, and get into major creative blocks. Acronix helps propose out of the box solutions that keep his ideas moving forwards that he wouldn’t have thought of himself. 
-But as we see they can also be reeeeallly different and fight over the miniscule things.  
-Krux lingers on Grudges easily as he physically cannot not put value to the events of the past.
-Acronix’s main grudge with the alliance came from his ego and arrogance, not his element. I think he feels very internally about wrongs to him in the moment but if he sees nothing really changed a couple of days later he loses interest in holding such a grudge easily
-Each of them have the ability to not be affected by the other’s powers
-Acronix has no patience to listen to anything he doesn’t want to hear. Back when he had his powers he COULD and WOULD just “skip” peoples’ dialogue if he got bored of it. 
-Krux has a bad habit of “freezing” people if he feels like they’re interrupting him. Like, he will freeze people who are trying to get him to stop working on something while he’s trying to get something done, and then get back to them when he feels like it. Everyone has to work on his time. (Annoyingly, this does not affect his brother, which is why Acronix is the only one who can actually get him to stop working on his projects.) 
-Whenever Krux & Acronix would hang out with Chen, Acronix loved messing with Clouse. Clouse reminds him of his brother, but even more stuffy and annoyed somehow, so he just has an instinctual urge to annoy him as much as possible. 
-(Clouse does not appreciate this, but Master Chen says they’re “important” to his plan so Clouse just suffers quietly.) 
-Acronix likes the Master of Speed, but also finds it annoying that he can resist his slo-mo powers by going really fast. (On the bright side, though, this does make him the closest thing to an equal he’ll get for a sparring partner, if Krux doesn’t want to train with him for whatever reason.) 
-Because of his element, Sound is one of the rare people who doesn’t really mind Krux but REALLY dislikes Acronix. Acronix is just so loud all the time and it physically pains him because he is so sensitive to vibrations and volume. Krux is generally pretty quiet so doesn’t bug him as much. 
-Acronix is an Entrepreneur (ESTP)  and Krux is an Architect (INTJ) 
-They have no Feeling whatsoever
-Otherwise, they are complete opposites
-Both of these personality types hate rules, regulations, and micromanaging restricting authority figures (hmm, wonder why they broke away from the alliance…)
-Acronix is arrogant in the way that he doesn’t care about his flaws, because obviously he is awesome and everyone else is just jelly, Krux is arrogant in the way that he hates people pointing out his flaws, because shut up he doesn’t have any 
-Their mother is Polaris, they take after her physically 
-Father is Kronos, they got their powers and ego from him 
-Their father actively encouraged them to have immense pride in their element -- being the former master of time himself 
-Ordered them the sweet matching armor
-He was a samurai back in his day, which is why the Twims wore samurai helmets.
-Between their two loving parents, the Twims were nearly spoiled 
-Krux and Acronix grew up pretty rich, Kronos was pretty much high society and Polaris was too 
-They went to a fairly fancy private school growing up
-But everyone there were snobs so they didn’t get along well with their classmates (what a surprise)
-Their parents died in a skirmish with Serpentine, leading the Twims to join the alliance full of vengeance. 
-Acronix has a battle scar from being grazed by an anacondrai sword on his left pec cause I said so
-Also a lot of misc snake bit scars and a burn scar from that one time (Ray’s got a bad temper and Acronix likes pressing people’s buttons, so that went super well)
-Acronix super cares about his looks so has a ton of, like, haircare and beauty products. Krux has a single bottle of 3-in-1 and a bar of soap and says that that’s sufficient. 
-Back in the day Acronix had a bunch of oils and whatever for his hair, and when he’s in the present he’s got a bunch of fancy shampoos and such.  He’s definitely the vain one of the two twins
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A collection of Neurodivergent Twims HCs
-Acronix has ADHD and Krux is autisitc
-Acronix is early, but only to things he remembers. He often forgets dates. And Krux will get involved with something else, and has a warped sense of time. Together, the two miss a lot of EM meetings 
-And when they’re at them, neither of them are good at conversations. Acronix talks a mile a minute and doesn’t let anyone get a word in edgewise. Krux either doesn’t talk to anyone or similarly dominates conversation and doesn’t let anyone else talk. 
-The two also get sent on solo missions alot
-They don’t focus well in a group setting (Acronix generally ignoring the plan for what he prioritizes as the better option and krux simply not being popular with the others and only really battling well beside his brother)
-They are generally strong enough to protect a village by themselves
-The other EM work better with them out of the way since they are “annoying” and no one really likes their arrogance, pride, or entire personhood
-They seem to be happier working only together than with the whole group
-Once during a group charge on a collection of Serpentine races Acronix notices a horde heading in a different direction and follows them impulsive
-All of these things together make them especially unpopular with the other EMs
-Especially with the Master of Ice, who considers their actions disrespectful and often scolds them on their behavior 
-Krux and Acronix can BOTH get hyperfixated on things they are interested in, and can also forget to eat and sleep.
-Acronix struggles with insomnia a lot because his brain doesn’t shut up. Luckily his brother never really sleeps either. They spend a lot of long nights talking about nonsense 
-Acronix tries to use time skip powers to not waste time while sleeping. He skips the night, but he still didn’t get sleep. He crashes after a few days of this and Krux tells him that he’s a moron 
-Acronix has a fidget spinner, which he got for the memes but ended up finding unironically helpful, and gives Krux a fidget cube (which Krux reluctantly accepts and actually does use pretty often.) 
-Before learning what a fidget spinner was he would flip his phone a lot. It was both an easily accessible stim and assurance he knew where it was cause he tended to leave things around at random. 
-Krux used nail-biting as a stim, mostly because it can appear pretty neurotypical 
-Acronix is “annoying” around the ninja during his lil redemption arc, but instead of reacting like the elemental masters, the Ninja actually do research and come to an understanding (especially Zane, who is perceptive, understanding, and has an instantaneous link to the internet). 
-Altogether he’s a little surprised when they actually put effort into tolerating and understanding his differences. Huh. How’s bout that? 
-Jay is also pretty understanding, he’s got a lot of nd cousins and has ADHD himself so it’s kinda just *shrugs*
-Modern dyes and preservatives really trigger Acronix’s ADHD to be even worse than usual. 
-Zane picks up on this, and like the mother hen that he is starts to put in a special effort to keep dyes away from Acronix (or to keep Acronix away from dyes, as the case may be)
-Jay has a similar problem with dyes (which Edna let the Ninja know about, thanks a lot ma ) so Zane works double time to keep them both away from dyes
-Makes special dishes that are “ADHD safe” 
-Neither appreciate it (well Jay does but will complain openly at every chance he gets)
-Acronix got into a lot of trouble with their dad when he was a kid, because he just couldn’t pay attention 
-Has bursts of anger a lot, oftentimes this happens during things like parties or pre-meeting conversations. (which easily leads to him getting a label of “aggressive” or “hotheaded” by the EMs) 
-DEFINITELY struggles with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
-Ninjago history is Krux’s special interest 
-Krux freezes people around him when he needs a sec to destim
-Krux is pretty high-functioning, but is on the borderline. He's high-functioning enough to be aware of himself and mask, but not enough to avoid things like shut/melt downs 
-Acronix is fiercely protective of his brother whenever he shuts down. Messing with Krux while he's like that (whether the antagonist is aware or not) is a one way ticket to his wrath as well as physical punishment. 
-Whenever things got too intense at a meeting/party type thing, Acronix would ditch and sneak them both out whenever Krux was heading towards a shut down. Being the awesome supportive twin that he is, he learned to pick up on the signs of one and was certain to prevent them pretty much whenever possible. 
-Acronix failed in his efforts only once (he was kind of sick that day and wasn’t at the top of his game to be keeping a watchful eye on his bro), and Krux kind of ended up time freezing a few of the EMs in the process. It was something the elemental masters (or Krux himself)  did not soon forget or forgive. 
-He'll go nonverbal sometimes, to the minor aggravation of the alliance. Sign language isn't a thing yet so anyone trying to understand him when he's like this are pretty much reliant on Acronix and his twin sense to translate. 
-When their parents died Krux went nonverbal for a little over a month. 
-Krux was pretty delayed in learning to speak, he didn’t say his first word until he was 3 ¼ 
-Even during his redemption arc, Acronix does not tell the Ninja about Krux's autism, from a built in fear that the knowledge would be used against him in possible future battles. (Also because he knows Krux wouldn't want them to know.) 
-Krux doesn't just hate phones because “ugh technology”, he also just hates talking on the phone because it’s super difficult
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OK there are way more that we have but... did you know there is actually a word limit on Tumblr? Heh heh... If you want more Twim goodness you can read our extensive fanfic collection... or maybe we’ll make a part two (That’ll probably consist of Home life pre-war stuff, post-canon AU junk, Vermillion family nonsense, and more random stuff)
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coal15 · 3 years
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Why Buddie *isn’t* Destiel:
Let’s start with the stuff working against Buddie. Then move on to the things I believe give Buddie a much better shot at becoming canon than Destiel ever did. It’s a tad bit long:
So. Yes. The two ships do have a a lot in common. And yes, Buddie is a longshot for a lot of the same reasons Destiel was. 
Bi men aren’t really a thing on tv (especially not NETWORK tv), Dean and Buck were both introduced as huuuuuuuuuge fans of banging women with never a single unambiguous mention of them ever having dated or even being attracted to men. Only little wink/nudge moments played off as humor (”so does this boy-crush on Eddie mean . . .”) , or the characters giving each other “heart eyes,” a thing which can easily seen as a silent expression of deep fondness/admiration/trust/platonic love, whatever. None of the characters “seem bisexual” ie, they don’t conform to your typical network tv depictions or stereotypes of non-straight men. 
They all have “masculine” jobs (as opposed to something either soft and mellow, or flamboyant and performative). The real “guy guy” type characters are generally meant to be seen as 1000% straight. This applies less to Cas than the other 3 men as he’s technically not human, but he does present as male, and even though he did end the series with a big ‘I love you’ moment to Dean, the line didn’t address how he loved Dean. And since Cas didn’t say ‘I’m in love with you,’ nor did Dean say it back, as far as series canon goes Destiel was never explicitly Romantic Love. You could interpret it that way extremely easily, but it was never overt series canon. 
They’re both hugely popular non-canon fandom ships (and in buddie’s case, growing in fandom popularity every day).
The creators and cast have made comments acknowledging said popularity  with vague comments like “it’s a really special dynamic,” “we’re glad the audience can interpret blahblahblah,” “the fanart is soooooo great,” or “we love the enthusiasm.” That kind of wishy washy shit. Sure, some of the actors will make overtly pro-ship comments, but they always (and for good reason) clarify that the writers/producers haven’t told them anything either way.
OKAY. SO. On to what makes Buddie different from Destiel. (and why I’m optimistic)
Number one is timing. As in: how many years have we had with a character being played a certain way? By the time Cas appeared in SPN, they were 4 seasons in, and Dean had been portrayed as the typical “boobies, boobies, all the boobies; I will immediately hit on any and all hot women,” etc. Yes, Buck began 911 as basically that exact same guy--but ‘that guy’ only lasted a single season. Eddie shows up at the top of S2, so we haven’t already had multiple previous seasons of “Ladie’s Man” Buck. And that makes it easier to bend and adapt his character--or to reveal major character traits not previously mentioned.
Two: Cas was introduced in a way that didn’t evoke anything romantic or sexual at all. He was there on a mission from GOD. Utterly asexual insofar as his interactions with Dean (despite the insane sexual chemistry going on, in the show’s ‘maintext’ nothing about Cas’s character had anything to do with sex or romance) Meanwhile, when Eddie showed up on 911 literally the first thing said about him was Chim’s line “Now that is a beautiful man,” a comment followed by “Whatta Man” playing while Eddie put on his shirt. In slow motion. While Buck kinda . . . stared? So in stark contrast to Cas’s first moments on SPN, Eddie’s 911 intro was. . . . well, let’s see . . . the soundtrack is a blatantly sexual song . . . slo-mo shirtlessness . . . Chim’s “beautiful man” comment . . . all of those things present Eddie in an overtly sexual context right away.
Three: With Destiel, despite their intense screen chemistry, Cas and Dean took the better part of a season to really really bond. Whereas Buddie were joined-at-the-hip besties by the end of Eddie’s 1st episode--when less than 30 episodes of the series had aired. Yes, the sexual chemistry between Cas and Dean may have been palpable from minute one, but the emotional bond between Buck and Eddie happened almost right away. Much faster than with Destiel. And they became involved in one another’s personal lives a lot faster, too. 
Four: On 911 neither Buck nor Eddie ever vanish for many episodes at a time, whereas Cas’s character on SPN dipped in and out. He might be there for several episodes in a row . . . or he might only show up a few times in whole season. So by default Buck and Eddie have more screentime together to continue fleshing out that bond. Establishing the Buckley-Diaz family. 
Five: On SPN, introducing long term love interests for either brother would have busted up the central dynamic driving the show. Much as I used to love Destiel, for five entire seasons Sam and Dean were the central, laser-focused relationship in the show. Sure it may have been a co-dependent and often unhealthy bond, but it was the foundation on which the entire series was built. That’s a really tough dynamic to wedge a love interest into without upsetting the whole balance of the show. Cut to 911: no single character or relationship is the “laser focus” of the whole series. Every character in the ensemble has their own storyline. And thus far, no two characters are toxically codependent on one another. They’re all fleshed out as independent entities. 
Six: (related to point five) If either of the actors playing Buck or Eddie landed a huge movie roll, or asked to be written out for personal reasons, or fucked up so bad they had to be fired? It wouldn’t torch the entire show. Bobby, Athena, Hen, Maddie (even Buck or Eddie if only one of them was written out) . . . the show would go on without Buddie. Or without any one character. Whereas if either Jensen or Jared had decided to quit SPN at any point? Well shit, there goes the show! Finished. Donezo. 
In conclusion: with 911 not being totally dependent on any one character dynamic for the show’s survival, it puts them in a far better position to gamble, ratings-wise, on something that might not be a hit with the general audience. (I know it sucks, but 'popular on social media’ doesn’t automatically translate to ‘popular with casual viewers’). If 911 did take that leap with Buck and Eddie and it flopped? The Buckley-Diaz family moves to an island paradise somewhere and the show moves on with their strong (and also popular) remaining ensemble cast. For the average casual viewer, nothing in 911 would blow up beyond repair without Buddie. 
So I feel like our ship has a much better shot of becoming canon. There is good reason to be optimistic. Especially if the ship’s fanbase continues to grow, and grow, and grow, and we remain visible and vocal. 
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evakuality · 3 years
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Hanna, episode 7
1.  It’s really interesting what they’re doing with Amira this whole season.  It’s setting up to a whole lot of the stuff that happens in the later seasons really well.  She suffers so many microaggressions all the time, and even here - she makes a joke about costumes parties and they all just swallow it.  It’s a really vivid recognition all the way through of exactly how much Amira deals with on a daily basis.  Considering we all know where this is leading, it’s difficult to watch, but also it’s good that they do this.  
2.  But oh yikes, this whole bunch of rumours swirling about Sam ‘making out’ with someone at the party is really well done.  It’s pretty obvious that no-one genuinely knows - the only people who know what happened are Hanna and Sam (and ‘making out’ isn’t exactly how I’d describe it) so the rumours are all based on a love of gossip.  Who knows how they started, but it’s obvious just how guilty Hanna feels.  How awkward for her to be hearing this!  Then her very very obvious ‘I have a boyfriend so it wasn't me!!’ move (very similar to Matteo’s in s3 in the discussion about homosexuality with Amira, which is illuminating - they both want to try to ‘prove’ something with these moves).  Also, Kiki and her thing about Alex - it’s terrible how invested she is when it’s obvious that he’s being an asshole.  The excuses she makes for him unfortunately ring true - this is exactly how people try to convince themselves of this sort of stuff.  In reality it’s a shame the girls aren’t more forceful - they clearly want to say Kiki is being an idiot, but after Amira got shut down last time, it seems none of them is keen to be more explicit.  
3.  Ohhh poor Hanna.  This thing has been eating at her and she had to tell someone about it.  But choosing Matteo was NOT a good idea.  I mean, we all know this is going badly (Snakesak is such an iconic take on the season that even if you forgot everything else, you’d remember that), but even without that, Matteo feels a bit more... I don’t know.  Shifty?  Somehow?  There’s something really calculating in the way he examines her.  Like, even without knowing what’s coming, there’s clearly something goin on in his head.  With Isak it came out of the blue; he was set up much more supportive/innocent because they wanted the shock value when the reveal happened.  But with Matteo there’s something different. I guess at least partly because most people watching would already know what’s coming so hiding it is less imperative.  Hanna sees him as a friend and the only one she can tell, but it’s such a weird choice anyway (as it was in the original).  He’s Jonas’s best friend.  Like he says, why tell him?  Even if he wasn’t a little snake, this is putting him in a really difficult place.  Effectively this makes him choose between his best friend (who he’s kind of in love with even if she doesn’t know that) and his friend.  Him choosing to let Jonas know wouldn’t be all that strange and it’s a big risk to take before she knows he sits in the ‘don’t tell’ camp.  I am also baffled that they did this with other people in earshot.  It could totally get out, even if this girl agrees she should keep quiet.
4.  I really like this adaptation of the ‘claim’ Alex makes into ‘he told me I have a cute stomach’ instead of the hoodie thing in the original (though that works very well too).  This way it’s much less overt and also it really plays into Kiki’s fears about her looks.  We’ve seen small hints of her eating issues already, so this just adds to the weight of that.  Specifically targeting a body part that girls can be sensitive about is clever - at first it can seem sweet, like he’s being so nice about something vulnerable, but then you can see he’s being very deliberate with that impression and it really hammers home the insecurities Kiki is already harbouring.  
5.  It’s a fascinating dynamic between all the girls in the argument about how Kiki should deal with Alex.  I’m with Sam and Amira - stay above it and move on (tbh, Kiki should never have gone there in the first place, but she did so this is her current best option).  But the fact that Mia is so strongly in favour of telling him he’s a dick is swaying Kiki.  Of course, Mia is a strong person and from her it probably would feel empowered.  But Kiki is, and always has been, far more innocent and vulnerable and sensitive.  It doesn’t feel like (even without knowing where this goes) that this will go well for Kiki, and the fact that Mia doesn’t get that says a lot about her.  I like this; it’s nice to see her not being quite right here - it sets her up for some growth as we move on.  And super yikes when he tells Kiki to take a breath and she does.  This, the importance she places on him, is exactly why this was a terrible idea, and why Mia’s encouragement was wrong.  It’s easy for her - she’s not invested, and her failure to recognise the difference between her and Kiki is really important.  And Alex is SUCH an asshole that this scene is so hard to watch.  Kiki’s acting is superb in all these scenes and it’s so damn hard to watch her take in ‘you’re not worth it’ but as with the original, Mia’s ‘take down’ doesn’t land for me, probably because while Alex’s acting is far superior to William’s, there’s still a fundamental lack of caring about what she’s said.  It doesn’t feel like saving face, but more a genuine lack of care.  And this is why I really dislike this ‘William’ character; he doesn’t seem to care.  I have said before that I’ve never watched Mia’s season because I cannot stand William in the original.  So if I do watch I’ll be interested to see if they can make me like him better.  So far, they’re not succeeding.  
6.  And just like that, we’re back to the soft, dreamy colours and shots of the start of the season.  But there’s a harsher light coming in to some of the shots. particularly with Jonas and so it’s not comfortable.  This is something on a precipice.  The kissing is back and they’re reconnecting on that level, and it’s working again.  The darkness is gone, but things are hovering still - that Sam stuff on her phone with Jonas in the background, slightly blurred but very overlit, adds to the sense of unease.  You can feel something coming, even if it’s not obvious what that is.  
7.  Man this fight is so funny.  I know I shouldn’t say that, and it’s a very serious moment for Hanna, but the slo-mo and the faces they make!  And Amira’s moves!  Kiki, full-on legs wrapped around this girl as they both collapse to the ground!  Priceless.  I do like the way the sound gradually fades out as Hanna’s realisation of what’s happening sets in.  That’s really well done.  
8.  What a change from the earlier moment when Hanna woke with Jonas and they had their sweet little moment.  Now we’re fairly tight in on her face as she keeps trying to get hold of him.  It sucks a lot, and you can sense the anxiety and worry she’s feeling.  Also, I do understand why she feels the way she does about all this, and why she leans on Matteo.  Unlike earlier, here it makes sense for her to rely on Jonas’s best friend.  He’s the one who has the best line in to Jonas when he’s staying so distant from Hanna.  But wow his advice is truly shitty.  On the surface it seems sensible, both times.  Nah don’t tell him; it’ll only hurt him.  Nah leave him be; he needs time and space.  But in both instances it’s the complete opposite of how she should be acting.  And in both cases, Matteo knows Jonas, he knows what he’s like and how he’ll act.  This is so calculated.  And he’s still in a space where he has little to lose.  He feels like he can still ride the ‘hey I had their best interests at heart’ line and get out of it.  I always felt like Isak was more opportunistic in his lying; saying and doing things in the moment.  Whereas this really does feel like Matteo has thought it through more - that’s some difference in the way the two characters are presented and acted.  But I like that it’s different, and his little hint of a smaile when she collapses on him - Isak seemed a lot more genuinely wrapped up in Eva and his face seemed more overwhelmed.  But Matteo really seems to know what he’s doing.  Also - sound mixing in this scene: top notch.  I love that you can hear every swallow, every breath, every step, movement etc.  It really heightens the tension right up til she gets Jonas’s ‘don’t call me’ text.
9.  I said it before and I’ll say it again, Leonie’s savage pleasure in Hanna’s troubles is a real reflection on her - and not a good one.  I really do get that she’s hurt, but this is vicious and she’s being awful!  And Kiki - ugh, just be quiet child.  Calling other girls sluts is pretty shitty.  
10.  I really like that Eva’s mother morphs into Hanna’s father.  There’s a difference in this dynamic that builds on that difference.  Eva and her mother seem closer, even while her mother isn’t around much.  Hanna’s father just feels more absent emotionally, so these moments where he tries to be a dad fail because of that.  It’s obvious that he cares for her and that he’s trying, but equally obvious that he just doesn’t know what she needs or how to approach her.  Not that Eva’s mother was much better, but it was still a different sort of distance.
anyway, this is suuuuper long because so much happened in this episode.  It’s packed with a lot of stuff and while some stuff is starting to resolve, there’s so much that’s hanging over their heads still.  I like this one a lot, but I think it could have done with a little bit of breathing room.  Maybe that one episode where it felt like things were waiting to happen could have picked up some of this heavy lifting.  But either way, this one has a lot going for it and really does set us up for what’s coming in the next few.
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moviewarfare · 3 years
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A Review of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)”
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The movie that hardcore dedicated Zack fans fought for has finally been released. I'm not a huge Zack fan and I honestly didn't like Batman v Superman (BvS), although I did like Man of Steel, I also supported the movie because I believe the movie released should've been Zack's true vision. I watched Justice League (2017) in theatres when it came out and thought it was a very bland movie that had very obvious reshoots from another director in it. If I had to give that movie a rating then I would give it a 1.5/5. The premise is still the same "Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's (Henry Cavill) selfless act, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) enlists newfound ally Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) to face an even greater threat. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to recruit a team to stand against this newly awakened enemy. Despite the formation of an unprecedented league of heroes-Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) -- it may be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions". So does this live up to the hype or is it overrated?
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Let's get this out of the way first, this version is infinitely better than the 2017 version. The best scenes in the 2017 version were all Snyder from watching this version. I did wonder how different this version was going to be from 2017 one but it feels completely different. I would say 70% of the 2017 version is in this movie but the editing, removal of Whedon scenes and addition of new scenes changes this into one with tonal consistency and coherent storytelling. Since this version is longer, it also feels like there are more build-up and tension throughout. Due to this every scene that was also in the 2017 one now feel a lot better and earned. The screenplay is still written by Chris Terrio but unlike BvS it feels a lot more engaging and not unironically silly. Some powerful and emotional lines here resonated with me which is quite surprising.
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Additionally, the action scenes are more enjoyable in this one due to its R rating and how it's longer now. The biggest change is to the action in the climax where instead of in 2017 where Superman does everything, the team all contribute so it feels like everyone was relevant to the team. Junkie XL returns to score this version from BvS and it is amazing. His score adds a lot of impacts compared to Danny Elfman's 2017 version. It's a lot more memorable and makes scenes feel more exhilarating. There is also an Aquaman and Flash theme of the sort that sounds great albeit not as iconic sounding as say the Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor or Superman theme from BvS. The cinematography by Fabian Wagner is pretty good for the most part and there are still those gorgeous shots that we expect from Snyder. The humour from the 2017 version is now toned down substantially so no more "wHaT iS BRunCh? or Flash landing on Wonder Woman boobs, thank god. Surprisingly, there is still a fair amount of humour here compared to BvS which some say was lacking in a lot of fun. The humour in this version land a lot better and is the right amount as well which add some levity to a mostly serious natured story.
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The biggest improvement this version has is the characterization. Cyborg has a proper fleshed out arc in this version. You have a greater understanding of his dislike for his dad and his feelings about his current situation but still having a believable development where he grows to accept who he is now. He is the heart and soul of this movie in thanks to Ray Fisher's wonderful performance.  They turned a character I barely cared about even before the 2017 version, into one of the most interesting and memorable characters. His relationship with his dad played by Joe Morton is some of the best aspects of the Justice League. They also conveyed his power very well and made it seem incredibly powerful. Flash is also improved a lot as he now has more to do. Despite still being the comic relief of the team, he is no longer unbearably annoying or treated as trash compared to Superman and is now actually doing super cool things that make him way more interesting. Ezra Miller is quite lovable in those comedic moments which are genuinely funny but when the serious moments come, he delivers a great performance.
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Aquaman has some slight improvements as well. More scenes are explaining his reluctance to become King of Atlantis and also some more scenes showing his stone-cold outwards personality but hidden kindness compared to the others. I also love his interactions with the Flash including a small scene where Flash is asking Aquaman which looks better which is just a nice interaction. He also does a bit more aqua looking powers in the neat climax. Wonder Woman has more action scenes that make her more badass which is nice. Her animosity and rivalry against Steppenwolf is a lot clearer as well. She also has some nice interactions with nearly every member of the league including Superman and Alfred. Batman has a naturally continuing story from BvS where he is the one who is trying to assemble the team. His interaction with Alfred are some of the best with Alfred questioning him not doing things with a reason but from guilt instead. Unfortunately, his action scenes don't live up to that of BvS and he doesn't change at all from beginning to end. Superman appears near the end, so there isn't much to his character arc or story since it was just beginning. He wears a black suit in this version but it doesn't have much significance in terms of story or reason behind it apart from it looks cool I guess? Batman and Superman the most iconic characters are the weakest characters in the story surprisingly. Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) has clearer motives this time around as he now wants to collect these Motherboxes to get back into his master, Darkseid, good graces again. His new design makes him look more alien and his action scenes make him more fearsome. He is a better villain compared to the 2017 version but is still just someone for the league to fight rather than an interesting villain.
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However, some characters don't improve in this version including Lois Lane (Amy Adams) who in every scene is just mourning Superman. She is described as a key character but doesn't do anything else apart from hogging screen time. Commissioner Gordon (JK Simmons) has fewer scenes in this version compared to 2017 and both just involve him talking. Makes me wonder why JK Simmons bulked up for the role just for talking scenes.
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The 4-hour length of this movie is honestly fine since it is releasing on streaming and since fans have been fighting for ages, they might as well see everything that Zack shot. However, in terms of the story, the movie could still convey important aspects without having to be 4 hours. There are a lot of scenes that drag on for too long or pointless scenes that don't add much which could easily be cut. The pacing of the first half is incredibly slow as well and it takes a fair amount of time for things to start picking up. There are also some scenes with slo-mo and some vocal song in the background that are kind of cringy and go on for way too long as well. The team don't even assemble until over 2 hours. The ending also goes on for too long which is weird as there is a very satisfying ending but then it keeps going. This new additional shot ending from Zack is cool but it feels slapped on. There are also some scenes concerning a certain character that occurs over halfway through the movie but is just really distracting from the main plot. They then appear at the ending but it feels kind of unnecessary for the story. I don't particularly mind the 4:3/square ratio that this movie has but it does take a while to get used to and I still find 16:9 would look better on my TV. Finally, some of the CGI looks bad and unpolished which is slightly distracting because they are very noticeable.
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Overall, I was incredibly surprised at how much I enjoyed this version of the movie. I'm not a big fan of Zack Snyder but this might be his best work so far. I am glad he got to release his vision of Justice League and hope that this isn't a complete one-off thing. This was a great win for fans and was worth the long, gruelling fight.
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eolewyn1010 · 3 years
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3 seasons of Charité - upsides and downsides
Includes spoilers for all three seasons!
What I like about Charité, season 1:
- Ida is a relatable and stubborn woman, and while I think the protagonists of the newer two seasons are written better and more interestingly, she makes for a good central character
- Behring is great to watch, complex, enthusiastic, arrogant, passionate, desperately forlorn, sweetly encouraging, irascible, honest, and I’m always torn between loving and hating him with all my heart
- he also stands in for how badly society was suited to handle people with psychological issues back in the day
-  actually, none of the characters are simple or one-sided; expectations are often subverted – Behring is not heartless, but he can’t just be “saved” either, neither Koch nor Virchow are as benign as they seem at first, Tischendorf is not the sweet young Prince Charming who’ll give Ida the dream life she deserves, Hedwig is not a brainless little floozie with no deeper thoughts or feelings, neither Therese nor Martha are all the strict boss ladies they want to be, Edith is not just a snotty bitch etc.
- medical history of that time, a blunt look on methods and circumstances
- the rivalry between the doctors; it’s fun to watch them passive-aggressively piss on each other
- the staging of the Tuberculin scandal was really effective, with all the hyping, the downfall and the consequences
- we get sweethearts! Stine is a sweetheart, Else is a sweetheart, Therese is a sweetheart, Dr. Kitasato is a sweetheart, and most of all Dr. Ehrlich. I like kind people, ok? Especially in a setting where so many people are asses
- the music is atmospheric and quite nice
- despite two options of marriage, the female protagonist remains single and gets to focus on her career, even in a time and setting that’s not supportive
- I’m having a blast with Minckwitz – he’s such a bitch, I love it
What I hate:
- the lesbian dies for no good reason
- did our main character really have to be a tragic, left-all-alone orphan in debts? Would you like some cheese with that whine?
- the big, hammy speeches get on my nerves after a while
- my sweet lesbian Therese dies, awfully, of frickin’ tuberculosis
- say what you will, Ida and Behring could have made it work; I think they would have been good for each other. Kinda disappointed
- Else Spinola deserved better
- poor Therese dies, thinking that God punishes her for being in love with Ida
- those weird slo-mo shots between scenes don’t serve any purpose
- what’s with the random fortuneteller scene? What was that good for?
- THERESE DIES! We go with f***king Bury Your Gays??? F*** YOU!
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What I like about Charité, season 2:
- Anni and Dr. Sauerbruch – different than with Ida, we get two focal characters who aren’t presented as doubtlessly morally good. On the contrary, Anni starts out as quite the happy-go-lucky little Nazi follower – and then we get all the character development; hell yeah!
- Anni chooses to keep and raise her disabled baby herself, come hell or high water; damn, she fights for that kid. And Martin is positive disabled representation, too – thanks for giving me a handicapped veteran who’s not a bitter, drunk wreck just whining about what a cripple he is! He’s got a grip on his life, and the leg only ever comes up on three occasions; it doesn’t define him
- Otto, Martin, Doc Jung, Margot, Maria Fritsch and Kolbe are more clearly positive characters, but they aren’t one-sided, either – like, Otto plays that bright sunshine, but there’s so much seething in him. My sweet baby boy
- same for the negative characters, because they aren’t flat either; Artur, de Crinis and Christel are super interesting, all different levels between quiet, only semi-aware compliance and full-on, not-so-blind fanaticism. Gawd, those shitheads, but they’re fascinating to watch
- all them relationships – Margot-Ferdinand, Otto-Martin, Otto-Anni, Artur-Anni, Margot-Doc Jung, Ferdinand-Doc Jung, Anni-de Crinis, Bessau-Artur, Martin-Christel, Otto-Christel, Anni-Martin… there are so many interplays, so many dynamics that influence each other! SO many layers!
- the acting is better, I think; the characters altogether feel less wooden, much more human than the first time around – perhaps because it’s not 19th century manners anymore now, I dunno; I’m getting really emotional over shit, and I love it
- incorporation of the political and social situation into the hospital setting – much more than in the first season, the state ideology influences the way the doctors can do their work, and many of them do their best to still hold onto their duty when everything around them falls apart, which is beautiful
- power struggles between the characters in charge and ideological / political nuances are more subtle; nothing is black and white
- but there’s nothing subtle about the presentation of Nazi crimes and how many people actually just went along willingly – that cold bluntness is just what that subject needs
- interactions with patients are better this time; they’re more now than passive, pitiable creatures who quietly die their way, they’re characters with their own minds and drives (Lohmann, Magda Goebbels, Hans von Dohnanyi, even Emil)
- the music is even better than the first time around, I love it – so gentle most of the time, but it can also really help to build the tension
- we get a very sweet, functioning queer romance between characters who consist of more than “well, they’re gay and it troubles them”, and they both live – THANK YOU for learning your lesson; there was no good reason to have the gay character die, so Otto and Martin get a happy end. Was that so difficult?
What I hate:
- Yrsa von Leistner is so effing random. Who the hell wrote this? If you can’t incorporate a character properly, why bother including them in the first place?
- the passivity and anonymity of the disabled children – why didn’t Artur or Anni ever get to perceive one of them as a person? That girl Traudel for example, Anni could have talked to her
- there’s a slight tendency to “I’ll just tell the character next to me” exposition – Artur when he and Anni wake up together that one morning (why wouldn’t Anni know yet what he’s working on? That long-winded explaining sentence just came off as awkward), Peter Sauerbruch to Margot about the Dohnanyis and Bonhoeffers
_________________________________
What I like about Charité, season 3:
- I’m all pro ProPro! Honestly, that man is a treat, both how the character is written and how the actor carries the situations and interactions he’s in. He’s arrogant and narcissistic, but he’s also principled, insightful and caring, unpolitical in a smart way and honest in a quiet way, and he gets how people are, and his mentorship of Ella, how he supports and encourages her and also bluntly gives her the dressing-down she needs, is a thing of beauty. And that she has to earn his attention first
- I have a personal soft spot for the scene where ProPro is doing his sports and going jogging while talking with Ella, and then just has her run along. That man’s hilarious, I love him
- Ella’s spirited, and while I don’t love the protagonists of this season as much as those of the second, she’s still great in her own right – the dedication to her research, the strength with which she handles the shit that’s thrown at her
- everyone’s so snarky!
- the wider focus on medical history and research; we see a lot past surgery now
- everyone’s taking shit in stride – staff is running off to the West? Ok; rest gets double shifts. We don’t have a senior doctor on the ward this morning anymore? We do shit ourselves. An illness we’re not prepared to treat anymore because, actually, there should be vaccination enough? We’ll make do. I love that spirit
- positive disabled representation! Rapoport’s daughter actually interacts with people, is presented as a person, has dreams and strengths and can handle her issues – yes, please!
- we get an intersex character, not for long and the story isn’t treated with the care and attention it should have, but props for the effort, I guess
- the setting allows for Ella to focus fully on her work and passion, not really giving much on romance and marriage without that seeming out of place – Ida’s conversations most often revolved around a man, Anni was considered a Nazi role model for being married and a mother, but Ella, while the relationship with Kurt is an option, never prioritizes this and never needs it
- personally, I’m smelling threesome subtext between Ella, Kurt and Alex Nowack – that may just be me, but I like it
- how everyone handles situations, how the changes happening in the country are incorporated into the world the characters live in, how they are able to cope with stuff and make decisions, in the end even without shifting blame
- even more so than in season 2, I really like how human the patients and their relatives are, that interacting with them in the right way is made an important part of the doctors’ work, even when some of the patients are asses
What I hate:
- people are mumbling – it’s not dialects, it’s not accents; they’re mumbling. They never were in the first two seasons
- the cancer stories were really no favorite of mine; what’s with the teary melodrama and the sudden gory shock value? Come on, Charité, you can do better. Presenting the human side of everything has always been the strength of this series, so why going so overboard now?
- I dunno, the crime cases ProPro investigates don’t seem to be incorporated that well? I suppose they’re there to establish his main field of pathology, but they spend a lot of time on that “Biter” case, and I’m not sure why
- would have been nice if Inge Rapoport had gotten to interact a bit with important characters other than her husband, Arianna and Kraatz – she’s a lovable, strong female character; why keep her so one-sided?
- what’s with the black’n’white painting? You showed us how conflicted and nuanced people under the Nazi regime could be; why now the clear line between “those people are good” and “that one sold his soul to the Party”?
- you show us an intersex person, introduce her as a character, make us sympathize, show us her hindrances and possibilities – and then she’s just gone? What about her treatment? Positive development? Making Kraatz’ interactions with her a counterpoint to his interactions with Doc Rapoport? What WAS that?
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entity9silvergen · 3 years
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Oblique- Chapter 1 (Sanders Sides Fanfiction)
Chapter 1 of 3. Full story and summary here. Also find it here on Ao3.
Story Info:
Summary: Unable to experience romantic attraction, Remus feels incomplete. Unable to feel sexual attraction, Roman feels less than. Maybe as the King, they decide, they will feel whole again. Their partners and friends, however, know this isn’t the solution and seek to help them realize there’s nothing broken about them before it’s too late.
Fandom: Sanders Sides
Characters: Logan, Patton, Roman, Virgil, Nate, Remy, Emile, Seth, Toby, Janus, Remus, Unnamed Orange Side, Romulus, Dragon Witch 
Relationships: Logan/ Patton, Virgil/ Roman, Janus/ Remus, Remy/ Emile, Toby/ Seth, Nate/ Orange Side
Other Tags: AroWriMo, Aromantic Remus, Asexual Roman, Spider Virgil, Snake Janus, Orange Side, 7th Side, Additional Sides, No OCs, Short Vid Characters
Author’s Note: This was written for AroWriMo 2021. I’ve actually had it planned since April of last year but never wrote it until now. I originally intended for it to go with the Week 3 Prompt (Hope and Mirror) but it kind of drifted. 
This fic takes place in Thomas’s mind and there are four of each kind of Side (light, dark, neutral). 
The Light Sides live upstairs. They are Logan (Logic), Patton (Morality), Roman (Creativity/ Fantasy), and Emile (Self-Esteem) as well as Virgil (Anxiety) who left the Dark Sides to be with the Light Sides.
The Neutrals live on the main floor we see in videos. They are Nate (Patience/ Procrastination), Remy (Self-Care/ Sleep), Seth (Adaptability), and Toby (Courage).
The Dark Sides live downstairs. They are Janus (Deceit), Remus (Dark Creativity/ Intrusive Thoughts), and OJ (Spite). As mentioned, Virgil was previously a Dark Side.
None of these characters are OCs. Emile is Emile Picani from Cartoon Therapy, Nate is Nathan Christopher/ Slo-Mo Guy/ Procrastination from the short vids, Remy is Sleep from the short vids, Seth is Seth Ember/ September from the short vids, Toby is October from the shirt vids, and OJ is the currently unnamed 7th side (We call him orange juice on the Sanders Sides subreddit so OJ is an allusion to that).
Dark Sides also have animal attributes in this story. Janus is a snake, Remus is an octopus, Virgil is a spider, and OJ is a badger.
Warnings for this chapter: Fighting
=============
It was dark. Darker than it normally was.
There was a hum in the air. Eerie, mysterious. Almost like static. Something neither of them were used to but it was familiar deep down.
It was telling them they shouldn’t be here. Not right now.
They ignored it.
The lighter figure stumbled down the stairs, seeming almost surprised to see a darker shape slinking up from the basement, almost mirroring him. They stared at each other for a few moments but neither drew their weapons. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time and hadn’t been at peace for even longer but a mutual understanding ran between them.
Eyes watched them and the room seemed to listen. It made them uneasy, filling them with the need to leave or cower away. But they were more afraid of what would happen if they turned away and too curious to listen to the signs warning them away. The same thing was on each of their minds and it was almost too late to turn away.
Both were visibly upset but the shadows obscured any tear tracks and the static hid any sobs. Still, they could sense the distress within each other. And they knew how to make it stop.
There was hesitance on both sides. They knew what they were doing, what they had to do, and yet they held back. There were a million questions in the air and the answers to none.
It wasn’t until the lighter figure offered a hand that they reached a decision.
That he reached a decision.
=========================== 
Logan’s attention was drawn from his book by a loud crash.
It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, living with so many others in the mind palace and all. Roman was always slashing things with his sword, OJ often swatted cups off tables out of passive aggression or just plain boredom, Toby and Remus were always wrestling, Nate was terrible at catching things and Seth never failed to forget, and Patton was just clumsy in general. Emile usually kept them calm and Virgil’s dislike for loud noises was often enough to keep the mind palace in one piece but the other Sides were always an endless distraction for Logan and his work.
Today, however, was not one of those times the noise seized quickly. 
In fact, it only seemed to get worse.
It got to the point that Logan had to get up and go downstairs to see what was making the racket, something he rarely did. Where was Patton? Or Emile? Keeping the others from destroying their home was their job, not his.
He expected to see Remus riding a roomba. Or Nate trying to steal Remy’s coffee. Or Toby and Roman jousting with mops instead of cleaning. He did not expect to see Janus and Virgil, fangs and arachnid legs out, full on brawling in the living room.
Shockingly, Patton and Emile weren’t trying to stop them. From Logan’s observation, Patton seemed quite distressed at the sight of Virgil in his spider form and Emile was trying to distract him. Logan’s colder side wanted to shake them and tell them to ignore their feelings to focus on what was important but his more human side could understand. Virgil was truly terrifying when he was like this: thick, hairy legs sprouted from his back, his eyes seemed to glow with something primal, and his mouth morphed into something truly grotesque to look at.  Janus too. His transformation was less extreme but his sharpened scales were still strange to look at. Eyes gleaming with yellow and hunger and movements faster and more serpentine, his presence was a bit disturbing. As much as Logan wanted to, he couldn’t blame them from keeping out of the fight.
He at least expected one of the others to step in. Not all of them weren’t fighters but they were at least more prepared than Patton and Emile. None of the neturals seemed concerned though. Actually, it looked like Nate, Seth, Remy, and Toby were taking bets. Logan would have scolded them if there weren’t more pressing matters at hand.
Logan looked around for Roman and Remus but the twins were nowhere to be seen so his gaze fell on OJ. The Side seemed disinterested from where he was seated casually on the staircase leading to the basement but his eyes betrayed him. The disinterest was a facade, his eyes were sharp with interest.
Logan met the Dark Side’s gaze, trying to convey his alarm and confusion. OJ simply shrugged and gestured loosely at the fight. Janus had his back pressed to the floor and his feet against Virgil’s chest, keeping him from punching or snapping at his face but the anxious side’s long spider legs were still free to batter his foe.
Janus was just starting to wrestle Virgil off him when Logan decided to step in. “Enough!”
Logan knew his voice could be enough to offset anyone if he wanted it to. He’d shouted enough falsehoods to know it was a tactic that would likely be successful. And it was this time as well. Virgil and Janus looked up, startled, and stopped long enough for Toby and Nate to step in and grab them by the shoulders, pulling them away from each other.
Both were still glaring and hissing. Logan put up a hand to silence them. “Can you breathe in for four seconds?”
“We don’t need to do breathing exercises, Logan,” Virgil snapped, voice distorted, as he wretched free from Toby’s grip. Thankfully, he didn’t move to attack Janus. “We know what we’re doing.”
“Then why were you fighting?” Logan asked. “Dark and Light Sides don’t usually come to the Neutral Zone at the same time.”
Janus’s face flashed with guilt while OJ feigned innocence. It wasn’t a set rule but Light and Dark Sides generally avoided mutual space if there were others there. If everyone was in a good mood, there were times they would share the space but it was rare. 
“Roman’s missing,” Virgil said, glaring at Janus and OJ. His arachnid qualities were receding but he still looked angry. “I’ve been looking for days. There’s no reason he’d disappear unless the Dark Sides did something.”
“And I’m telling you Remus is missing,” Janus responded. Nate let go of him and the snake crossed his arms. He still looked tense. “Why would we take Roman? We have better things to worry about. Quit blaming us for stuff and back off.”
Logan silently cursed himself for not being more observant. He hadn’t even noticed Roman and Remus were missing. Well, he wouldn’t have noticed Remus’s absence, being a Dark Side and all, but he would’ve noticed if Roman was gone. Should have noticed. How long had it been? What had he been doing?
“Oh this is what this is about?” Remy piped up, taking a long sip of his ever-present coffee before continuing. “They met up here a few days ago and went off to the dreamspace together.”
“...What?” Janus and Virgil said in unison, giving the recalcitrant Side hard stares.
“Um, yeah, gurls. It was, like, the middle of the night and they talked for a bit before going off,” Remy said, shrugging. “No need to get all hissy about it. They’re fine.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Virgil exploded but at least now he wasn’t trying to attack anyone. “We’ve been looking for days!”
“Chill, gurl. You never mentioned it. I thought you knew. Normally they tell you before they come to my domain.”
“Well, they didn’t tell us,” Janus said, sounding annoyed yet distracted. His face was wrinkled in thought and it took Logan a moment to catch on.
“Should we be concerned then?” Logan asked. The other Sides turned to look at him. As per usual, Logan felt pride well up in him knowing the others were listening but he tried to ignore it. “They left without warning, which normally wouldn’t be alarming but there has been no sign of them for days. Wouldn’t that imply something happened to them? Perhaps they went to Remy’s dreamspace to fight and rendered each other unable to continue.”
“Oh no! My poor kiddos!” Patton wailed, startling Logan. He’d almost forgotten the other Sides were there.
“Chances are they’re fine. Roman and Remus know how to avoid getting hurt and Remy didn’t say they sounded angry,” Emile pointed out. He was still frowning though. “But maybe we should send someone to check on them?”
“We should just leave them to duke it out. They’ll be fine,” OJ said, inspecting his fingernails boredly. He pointed in Patton’s direction, not even looking up to see the father figure’s excited expression. “No pun intended, daddio.” 
Logan ignored them and looked to Remy expectantly. The Side rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine. I’ll take some of you to the dreamspace. Hissyfits, Lo-bitch, come on.”
Janus and Virgil looked a bit peeved by the nicknames but followed Remy without question. Logan sighed and spared the remaining Sides a glance. “Will one of you retrieve us if the twins return while we’re gone?”
“No.”
“Yes,” Toby responded, ignoring OJ. “Don’t stress it, man.”
Satisfied, Logan nodded and turned away, following Remy into the place of Thomas’s dreams.
==================
“Do you guys think Roman and Remus are getting along again?”
Patton’s voice sliced through the silence, drawing everyone’s attention. After Remy and the others left, the rest remained in the living room rather than returning to their rooms. They largely ignored each other but unspoken worry hovered among them. They would wait this out here.
“I didn’t see anything,” Seth spoke up, the other Neutral Sides humming their agreement. “Remy’s got a weird sleep schedule. He sees all kinds of stuff we don’t but I think he’d mention it if anything changed with the twins.”
“It’s probably a coincidence,” OJ added. “Janus and Remus were screwing that night. I doubt Remus would go to his brother after that. Weird.”
“How do you know that?”
“What is sc-”
“I think Roman and Virgil were just having a quiet night,” Emile interrupted before Patton could finish his question or OJ could respond to Seth. He really didn’t want to know. “I don’t really know what those two do but it’s unusual Roman would come downstairs in the middle of the night, isn’t it? Wouldn’t he stay with Virgil? Or return to his room?”
“I don’t think there’s much use thinking about it,” Toby said, pulling a device from his pocket. “Now, I’m going to play some Pokemon. We can ask Roman and Remus what’s up when they get back.”
The other Sides didn’t look satisfied but no one argued. The others would be back soon. They could figure it out then. Right?
=======================
Remy usually didn’t take people to the dreamspace.
It was his domain. Sure, Roman and Remus contributed a lot but they had their own spaces. They were in charge of Thomas’s imagination. Everything about sleep was Remy’s and no one else's. Logan and Patton had memories, Virgil and Toby patrolled the place of Thomas’s fears, each Side had their own thing. And Remy loved his. It was weird to have someone intrude on his space.
He understood the necessity though. Still, couldn’t the others be a bit nicer?
Janus and Virgil were bickering since the moment they entered and Logan wasn’t even trying to stop them. How rude.
“Hush up, gurls,” Remy said after a while. “You don’t want to be too loud here.”
“And why is that?”
A loud roar cut through the terrain.
“Because of that.”
Virgil, Janus, and Logan peered at the horizon, not seeing anything. The dreamspace looked very much like the Imagination or the real world but it had this fake, fuzzy quality that only the things of dreams could have. It was similar to reality and recognizable enough but it was different enough that it could be jarring to those who weren’t used to it. That was the only reason Remy was forgiving when the other Sides failed to see the approaching Dragon Witch until it was practically on top of them.
The beast screamed and plunged out of the sky, making the ground shake like an earthquake when she landed. A clean thirty feet tall, she towered over the Sides. Remy opened up his mouth to try to reason with her but a malicious glint in her eye told him that she wasn’t in a talking mood today.
Wings beat the air as claws scored the earth. Virgil’s spider form took over and he used his long spider legs to vault himself and the others to safety. “What the fuck is that?!”
“The Dragon Witch,” Remy responded as he slipped out of Virgil’s grip and began scrambling away. “She’s normally not like this!”
“I never would’ve guessed,” Janus snarked. His scales grew more prominent and his eyes became sharper as he prepared to fight. “We don’t have time for this.”
“Virgil, try to climb up her neck and onto her face. Blind her, at least partially,” Logan instructed, taking charge easily. “Janus, draw her attention and see if you can get some of your venom in her.”
Janus eyed the Dragon Witch’s scales dubiously. “I am not breaking my teeth on that thing.”
“Just fight, Deceit,” Virgil snapped as he launched himself into the air and grappled his way onto the Dragon Witch’s shoulder. She didn’t even notice his presence, allowing him to climb up her neck with no obstacles thrown his way.
Remy ducked behind a rock, dragging Logan with him, as Janus coiled around the dragon’s blows and tried to snake his way to her soft underbelly. Out of the four present Sides, Virgil and Janus were most suited for battle but even they didn’t have much of a chance against such a creature. The Dragon Witch was powerful, both as a dragon and a witch. Together, her two halves made her a formidable foe. 
“Is this a common occurrence?” Logan asked as he grabbed a small, sharp rock in his fist. Remy didn’t know what he planned to do with that but whatever made him feel better. “Do you frequently run into this, eh, Dragon Witch?”
Remy shook his head. “She’s one of Roman’s creations. Most of the time she keeps to herself or at least stays peaceful. I can’t remember the last time she got like this. I have no idea what’s got her so worked up.”
Logan looked like he wanted to comment but chose not to and refocused on the fight. The other Sides seemed to be doing well. As much as they hissed and spat at each other, they worked like a well oiled machine. Virgil was using his spiderlegs to jab the Dragon Witch in the eye, distracting her long enough to let Janus coil up her leg. He wasn’t doing much damage at the moment but soon he would have access to the vulnerable parts of her massive form.
It looked to be going well until it wasn’t.
Remy knew he should have expected that. The Sides were more than human but they were still far from equals to a mystical beast like a Dragon Witch. For all their efforts, they only seemed to be agitating her further and soon she grew too tired of them to bother any longer.
The Dragon Witch roared and bellowed before slapping her thick, scaly tail against the ground. A wave of magic radiated from her form and knocked the two Sides clean off her.
It hit Logan and Remy as well, shattering the rock they were hiding behind. Remy yelped as he was thrown back, shielding his face from stone shrapnel, and hit the ground roughly. Both his and Logan’s glasses were knocked from their faces. Logan flailed for them the moment, unable to see without them, while Remy just laid there, stunned, and blinked rapidly until his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. His eyes unused to being uncovered but he could survive without his sunglasses. He quickly scrambled up to try to see what happened to Janus and Virgil.
Janus and Virgil were on the ground, floored and disoriented. The Dragon Witch was looming over them, snarling and angry. Remy tried to get up and shout a warning but his voice broke and came out dry and hoarse. It surprised him, somewhat, but the shock from the blast was still ringing in his head too much for him to dwell on it.
A spike of fear pumped through Remy’s veins as the Dragon Witch lifted a paw, primed to strike. He got to his feet, mind and body screaming for him to get his friends to safety, but he knew he was too slow. The Dragon Witch was going to crush them.
Then, a battle cry sounded.
A human battle cry.
Remy looked up to see a figure standing on a cliff overlooking the battlefield. Momentarily blinded by the sun behind him, Remy couldn't quite make out any distinguishable features.  Without his sunglasses, he could really only see the flowing cape draped over his shoulders.
The man- it was definitely a man, Remy knew that much- drew a weapon in each hand and flung himself off the cliff. Remy wanted to scream but the man seemed to know what he was doing and landed flat on the Dragon Witch’s face.
The Dragon Witch roared and the man matched it. Remy watched them for a moment before his mind caught up with his body and he remembered his friends. He tore his gaze away and sprinted across the landscape. He reached Janus first, grabbing him by the back of the coat, and dragged him until he managed to get a grip on Virgil’s hoodie as well.
“Gurls, why are you so heavy?” Remy grunted as he tried his best to pull the two Sides to safety. They seemed dazed from the fall and Remy really hoped they weren’t concussed. He really didn’t want to deal with that right now. At least he had Logan here if they were but Logan could be concussed for all he knew.
“Roman,” Virgil groaned, head lolling a bit as Remy jostled him.
“Yeah, I know, gurl. We’ll find Roman soon.”
“No, I need to help him.” 
Remy didn’t pause to figure out what he meant by that until he’d reached Logan. The logical Side was sitting up and had his glasses back on, looking overall okay. Remy swiftly dropped Virgil and Janus beside them, making them both yelp, and turned back to the battlefield to confirm his suspicions. 
The man was tall and broad. Sturdier and better built than Remy or any of the other Sides on the ground around him. Maybe even more so than Roman and Remus. His clothes were a deep grey, an unusual color to see on someone in the mindscape, and he wielded both a sword and a morningstar. That made Remy uneasy. He didn’t quite know why but it felt wrong.
“Remus!” Janus called out, sitting up as the man ran across the beast’s snout to slam his morningstar into her eye. Remy opened his mouth to tell him that the man wasn’t Remus but the words died on his tongue. Who knew who he was? It could very well be the stinky Side for all he knew.
The man was fast and quite skilled. He scaled the dragon’s giant form and slammed down hard at various points on his way down. Remy didn’t know if Dragon Witches had pressure points but the man’s attacks seemed to be doing a fair amount of damage, judging by her roars. Remy really believed he might win this.
The Dragon Witch put up a fair fight, of course. She snarled and swiped but the man seemed to be holding on pretty well. It was only when she reared back and began swinging her wings that he lost his balance. Still, he managed to hold his own pretty well. Unlike Janus and Virgil, the fall didn’t seem to faze him. Maybe it was because he’d already managed to weaken the Dragon Witch so much.
Janus, Virgil, and Logan were on their feet by the time the newcomer managed to bring the Dragon Witch to his level. She was still fighting but she didn’t quite stand as tall anymore and Remy was pretty sure she knew she was losing.
Then the newcomer stopped.
He wasn’t giving up. No, that was clear. He was still in a fighting stance. But he didn’t seem to be fighting anymore? At least not with his weapons. He was just… looking at the Dragon Witch really intensely. And she was too. It was like they knew something the other Sides didn’t.
Reality seemed to ripple around them and the Dragon Witch suddenly vanished.
Remy sensed Janus and Virgil exchanging a confused glance behind him but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the figure. Now alone on the former battlefield, Remy could see him much more clearly but he still couldn’t make out who he was. Was it Roman, with his sword? Or Remus, with his morningstar? It had to be one of them. Right?
“You need to be more careful,” a steady voice boomed as the figure turned around. Remy heard Logan gasp behind him but it took a moment for Remy to realize why. “You never know what you’ll run into here.”
The man began walking towards them and a feeling of recognition and dread flashed between the four Sides. It was only when the broad, bearded figure was standing right in front of them that any of them were able to stutter out his name.
“R-Romulus.” 
The King had returned. 
================
Author’s Note: This has multiple chapters. I planned to write and post them all this week but that didn’t happen so I will just be posting chapter 1 this week. Next chapter and the following one will focus more on the prompt and aspec themes.
Next Chapter
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nuttyjellyfishlover · 3 years
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One Piece Anime Wano Arc Episodes 890
One Piece Anime: Wano Arc, Episodes 890 This honestly is less going to be a review and more of a commentary as I watch through the anime's rendition of the Wano arc. I've honestly never really watched too much of the One Pieceanime, mostly just looking up the highlights of the arcs I read in the manga. I did watch the filler episodes and most of the movies, as I've talked about at length recently. And everyone tells me that the anime has some rather terrible pacing, particularly around the time of Dressrossa, which is apparently pretty padded out. But then I heard the absolute opposite for Wano, where the anime has received a new art-style and one hell of a fancy makeover. And I thought... hey, I'm on a One Piece kick this year, clearly, so yeah, I think I'm going to give this a shot.
The Wano arc, I think, is one that works a lot better because it has the reverse problem of a lot of One Piece arcs -- there are a lot of moments in Act One of the manga's version of the story that the writer clearly purposefully threw in a couple of off-screened moments that the anime could expand into full action scenes. I already know that Sanji versus Page One is fully animated in the anime, and scenes like Big Mom vs. Kaido or Zoro vs. Basil Hawkins are extended a lot more than the couple of panels we had in the manga. And Wano's got a lot of supporting characters, some of which actually get swept under the rug when I first read through the manga chapters weekly. So yeah, having bright colours and voices and music is going to make this a much more fun experience!
Anyway, here goes my collection of random notes and commentary. Be aware that there will be MANGA SPOILERS, as I will point out a couple of things here and there about stuff I notice that's foreshadowing or whatever:
* Marco's blue-and-yellow phoenix form looks so, so much more vibrant and pops out compared to anything else in the series in colour, huh? I think out of any other character, Marco is extra-memorable in animated format. * That said, basically half this episode is just a recap of the Paramount War. I mean, I haven't seen the Paramount War in full animated format, so it's nice to hear Whitebeard and Ace and Marco speak some of their more famous lines there. But on the other hand, it's also it's kind of one of the more-criticized parts of the One Piece anime that any time they could pad out an episode with scenes from a previously-produced episode, they will. * We actually get to see the Grudge/Payback War in the anime! I think this is less of a showcase of events that actually happened and more of a symbolic one, but hey, we get to see Blackbeard doing some sky-quakes and black holes and Marco turning phoenix. It just shows the Whitebeard division commanders getting sucked into a giant Dragon-Ball-esque spirit bomb Black Hole. Actually pretty neat! * Jozu has both arms in that vision. Whether it's an error or a spoiler or if he has a prosthetic a la Akainu in Film: Z, we'll see eventually.
* This episode also has a bit of a recap of the revelations about Wano from the Zou arc, but it's a lot shorter and feels a lot more relevant to the upcoming arc. * Brook actually expresses some interest on Vivi, apparently having heard of her from the others. I've always liked this from the filler episodes, of the newer Straw Hats slowly learning about prior adventures. Brook being Brook, of course, a panty joke was tossed in. * The Japanese-art style water waves look so pretty when animated! * The random octopus that makes Japanese kabuki theater (?) sounds is another thing that works so much better in the anime. I've always thought it felt a bit forced and random in the manga version. * The high-tempo music when the Sunny sails into the koi waves is very, very fun! * Ah, yes, the very first chapter of Wano in the manga shows off a bunch of carps jumping up a waterfall. You know, considering the whole legend that a carp that jumps over the waterfall transforms into a dragon... i.e., a fish that is also a dragon...
* The first one that's properly and almost fully drawn in the new Wano art style! And it looks gorgeous. * Also a new theme song! I've never paid that much attention to theme songs in anime, but I definitely like "One Dream One Wish" more than "We're the Super Powers". Shame that, as with most anime, the opening sort of spoils, like, half of the things that happens in the arc. * Speaking of great background music... the tempo of that opening instrumental that Komurasaki plays on shamisen is pretty catchy, especially with that octopus going iyooo~ in the background. It also makes for very fun background music for Zoro's rampage at the end of the episode. * Anime Wano is so freaking colourful. The rooftops, the kimonos, the hair... I think I remembered reading that Oda made it a point to subvert the fact that everyone in feudal Japan had black hair by explicitly doing the opposite -- black hair is the exception rather than the norm in Wano. Fun! * The frog on Usopp's hat is a real frog! I always thought it was just a hat! It's adorable! The wiki tells me it's called Gama Pyonnosuke. It's an adorable friend! Forget Carrot or Kin'emon or Yamato, Gama Pyonnosuke for next Straw Hat! * The biggest expansion here is that we actually follow Zoro around as he wanders around the city until he gets arrested by the corrupt magistrate. And Zoro actually bumps into the man-slayer and corrupt magistrate, actually explaining why he recognizes the specific scent of blood during the whole seppuku court. * And then we get around a minute of Zoro fighting the magistrate guards with the seppuku knife and good ol' fisticuffs, something that I didn't think I needed, but is certainly very fun to watch! * This new animation studio loves the angled zoom-in into eyes, and I highly approve. I think we had that like at least three times when Zoro decides to get dangerous.
* I never quite realized that if Luffy hadn't been interrupted by the octopus and washed up next to the Thousand Sunny, the poor ship would be literally left to its own devices. You'd think after losing Merry, the Straw Hats would be more careful with their ships... * Zoro gets to slash the magistrates up even more! It's a single Tatsu Maki, but god damn what a pretty Tatsu Maki. The shot of his feet kicking and breaking the wooden floor, the black aura around his blades, the way that the dragon aura appears behind him, the demonic red eyes as Zoro slams down from the sky, and the shots of the surrounding terrain being cut up into cubes... pretty awesome! * Luffy dodging the bullet from the random Beast Pirate goon with Observation Haki and the gomu-gomu-long-range-bitchslap has always been cool in the manga, and this episode makes it even cooler. Those glowing eyes! This is going to be the whole commentary, isn't it? Just me commenting on the scenes I find to be really cool? * Luffy's Conqueror Haki against the giant baboon is another very cool one. From the expression to the delivery of the line to the sound effect... Luffy's expression is actually pretty cool and borderline scary as he beats up the second goon. No wonder Tama went straight into "This is the I surrender pose!" * Also added in the anime is a vignette of Franky, Robin and Usopp seeing the news of Zorojuro becoming a wanted criminal. Again, not entirely necessary to know the story, but actually scenes that I don't mind being shown to us. Particularly that scene of Usopp utterly bullshitting an officer. * Luffy pets Komachiyo with his rubber arms. Komachiyo is a good boy. This is the most important scene.
* Did the manga show Luffy hiding the Sunny and letting it anchor in a cave? I don't remember it. I know that before the flashback and the raid we see the Sunny there, but it's nice to actually show Luffy not being so callous with the Sunny. * They got a pretty good voice actress for Tama that really makes her pretty adorable! So many times these kid guest star characters end up being annoying if they don't get a good voice, but between the voice-acting and the expressions, she's pretty fun! * Also, I think this is going to be something I repeat a couple of times, but both Tama and Tenguyama are so much more visually interesting with their full colour palettes. * Oh, right, Drake was the one that ransacked Tama's village. Wonder if that'll actually come up later on in the story... * Okay, thanks to the anime, it's really going to drill to me that it's pronounced 'Diez Drake' and not 'Eks Drake'. * I'm pretty sure everyone noticed it, but Ace learned to weave hats in Wano! That's how he became buddies with Oars Junior! I didn't notice it until just now!
* (Episode is the Cidre Guild filler arc that ties in to Stampede.) * What is Tenguyama waiting for? It's probably Oden or his retainers, but I don't think he's part of the samurai that was recruited by Kin'emon's group. Maybe he just missed the big recruitment drive, but that's weird. I wonder what role he's going to play in the arc... * There is a random metal guitar riff when Luffy sees the Nidai Kitetsu. And a glow of Observation Haki on Luffy's eyes. That's a small detail, but very cool! He also uses Observation when Hawkins arrives later on. I love the little trail of glowing red that streams out of his pupils when he activates it. * Tenguyama's sword has a very cool leaf-based handguard! Never noticed that. * Speaking of cool Observation Haki effects, Zoro's apparently activates when he senses sake. Appropriate! * I know it's me repeating this over and over, and we'll get so many cooler scenes later on, but Zoro casually launching that Phoenix Cannon to blow up the two random raptor-riders when he saves Tsuru? Such a simple scene but still so cool. Also very cool is the very brief slo-mo as Zoro re-angles the pathway of his slice when cutting down the second random goon. * Unlike most of the other things, I've always noticed that Basil Hawkins has a very cool Koma-deer mount. It looks even cooler in motion!
* This is perhaps one of the more extended scenes, since it features... fight scenes! In the manga, I think this lasted... maybe half a chapter? Less? A couple of page spreads? It's not just the Hawkins fight, either, Luffy's 'swordfighting' with Nidai Kitetsu also gets extended. Luffy's a bit more successful in using the sword to block and parry here. * Luffy's voice actor really makes the 'de gozaru' sound really funny. * I 100% missed Tsuru the first time I read through this chapter since we only see part of her in a single panel before her full-body debut after the Hawkins fight, and it's a lot less likely that you'll make that mistake in the anime. * Some 'elite' goons show up here, including a guy that uses his ponytail as a whip against Zoro, and a dude that makes fissures with a hammer that fights Luffy. Probably feels a bit more filler-y compared to the rest of the action scenes, but that's honestly nitpicking. * Zoro launching a Phoenix Cannon that slashes Hawkins's face is very cool. * Hawkins' little straw dolls gets an extended scene of it crawling out of his arm. It's so creepy, I love it. * Hawkins' giant straw demon StandBankaigets an very cool summoning animation and it's so creepy. The skies darkens and everything. Most importantly, it makes noises! Again, I love it.
* Luffy and Zoro vs. Hawkins! It's extended beyond just the simple 'dodge, then one-shot-slash' that it was in the manga. I really like Hawkins and his creepy-ass Straw Stand, so I am a huge fan of this. We get a couple of nice juxtaposition shots of Hawkins and the straw monster. Also Zoro goes shirtless in the fight. That's an important detail! * I really, really love how Zoro is having a gritted-teeth expression as he fights the giant straw demon; the straw demon is going gakakakakakakaka like a lunatic... then we cut to Hawkins who has a deadpan, bored expression as he swings his sword in the distance. * The animators really like to let the straw monster use the nails entwined to the tips of its fingers. That's fun! Zoro backhand-blocking the nails from hitting Luffy and Tama? That's cool! * Zoro does Ichi-Gorilla-Ni-Gorilla at one point, and totally slices and 'kills' Hawkins a bunch of times. * Also, speaking of pretty, glowing-eyes motion shots, Zoro using Nigiri: Toro Samon? Yeah. The cut itself is cool, but the zoom-in on Zoro's eyes as he does so? I'm sorry, I have a weakness for that kind of shot, it appears. * To extend the fight so that it's not just a single exchange of blows, Komachiyo gets knocked to the ground so that Zoro and the straw demon can actually fight for a bit. * Also shots I have a weakness to? DBZ-style 'aftermath of a powerful move'. This one isn't too over-the-top, but the slash extending into the sky and the shockwave rippling out from where Zoro slices the strawman thing is cool. * We actually see the scene of Okiku being harassed by Urashima in chronological order, and Urashima scares off a customer. Also, the implied scene of Zoro scaring off Urashima is actually shown here.
* This episode kind of extends the scenes in Tsuru's shop a bit more. Not the most exciting thing, but it does really help to build up Tama, Tsuru and Kiku. * ...wait, Tsuru's shop just displays the Kozuki crest very, very evidently on its door awning. If simply speaking the Kozuki name alone is a punishable crime, how did they get away with that? * Zoro trying to get Luffy to adopt a Wano-ized name is extra-funny in the anime! * Speaking of extended fight scenes, Batman gets to shoot alotmore arrows at Luffy and Zoro. It's kind of over-the-top on Batman's part, if we're being honest, even if Zoro and Luffy very easily dispatches of them.
* The anime does give Batman the ability to control his arrows via sonic waves or something, but he lasted for a much, much longer time than he really should have. * Batman fucking blocks Luffy's Busoshoku-empowered punch! He most definitely doesn't do it in the manga, and sure, knocking Luffy down with sonic waves? I buy that. Blocking Luffy and causing a small explosion in the air? ...I'm pretty sure just some random Gifter isn't supposed to be able to do that. Unless they're thinking of the other Batman? * They make the initial shot of Holdem answering the phone with the lion face pretty intimidating! * Holdem's lion beating their shared balls is still one of the weirdest jokes in the manga. * Some really nice face shots in this one, from Tama to Holdem to the lion to Luffy's group.
* A pretty obvious extended filler is Urashima bullying other sumo wrestlers. Urashima is kind of a dipshit, so it's not a particularly enjoyable filler for me. * Zoro gets to sumo-wrestle with one of Urashima's goons! This one, on the other hand, is pretty fun. We also get a little added bit where Zoro smirks after remembering Kiku's earlier insistence that she's a samurai, so it's less of a 'he doesn't give a shit' and more 'he wants to see what Kiku's skill is' or something.
* Luffy vs. Urashima is prolonged a bit in here, obviously. Not as entertaining as fighting Hawkins or even Batman, but okay, sure. Lots of grunting and growling in this one. Urashima cheats a bit more, Luffy has to use Armament Haki at one point... really don't think Urashima's someone that you should bother using hardening on, Luffy. * The kabuki-style delivery of "I'm going to be the king of pirates" is very well done. * Poor Tama! Holdem's a jackass. * We actually get to see Urashima crashing into Holdem's house, in yet another obvious 'hey, anime team, this is something for you to animate' scene from the manga. * Law gets an extended scene with seeing the sick Bepo, including a Room/Scan showcase and Bepo looking cute and Law being unable to keep being angry at him.
* The fight against the pirates and samurai in Bakura Town gets extended a fair bit in this episode. Luffy throws Nidai Kitetsu's scabbard around again, repeating the thing he did before. * This episode noticeably has a bunch of brief flashbacks to previous episodes. Anime episodes do this all the time to easily eat up like, ten or fifteen seconds of runtime. But I felt this one was particularly noticeable since it's to the previous episode which we already had a recap segment of before the episode begun. * Ball-de-boo!
* We get an adorable crayon drawing memory when Luffy remembers Zunisha one-shotting Jack's fleet. * Luffy and Zoro's synchronized neck-crick is pretty fun. Also fun is their super-speed when they simultaneously rescue Tama and steal the food barge. The question is, where is this super-speed when they were bamboozled by Batman and Gazelleman? * Unlike the anime, Holdem is able to turn his sword into a flaming segmented sword. It's like Zabimaru from Bleach, but on fire! * We get an extra scene of a random goon holding Kiku hostage and Zoro locking eyes with her and saying "I'm not going to help you", knowing full well she's pretending to be a damsel in distress. * Speed also gets to do something here! She gets to shoot Armament Haki'd arrows at Zoro and Kiku! In the manga she doesn't do anything while this is happening. * REDDO HAAAAAWK! * God damn that's a very satisfying Red Hawk. Such a pretty-looking one! This was the scene that a friend showed me that got me excited to sit down and watch the Wano arc in anime format. From Holdem shooting a lion's fire (how does that work?) and engulfing Luffy, to Tama's yelling, to the zoom-in to Luffy's angry eyes, to the orb of flame dissipating, the zoom-in to Luffy's angry face, the impact, the music... it's just Luffy beating up Holdem, who means jack-all in the grand scheme of things, but what a badass Red Hawk.
And I think that's a neat place to stop off, with the initial Hawkins-Urashima-Holdem opening prologue to Wano done with. I'm not sure how often I'll update this little watch-along series, but I certainly am enjoying myself!
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girlsgonemildblog · 3 years
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There’s No Place like Nemacolin Resort and Spa - The Bachelor, Season 25, Week 8 Recap
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Image from abc.com
There are only four girls left (Michelle, Serena P., Rachael, and Bri), which means we have officially arrived at Hometowns Week. It somehow feels both like it took forever to get here thanks to the exhausting drama and like we got here way too quickly, thanks to there being 36 contestants and TEN remaining at the beginning of the previous week. Due to that pesky pandemic, traveling across the country (and to Canada) in one week was not an option for Matt, so all the girls’ families had to come to him.
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The first girl up was Michelle. When Matt and her meet, they discover that they are wearing matching outfits, once again proving that they are soul mates. Michelle has planned a bike ride for them, and the producers secured adorable bikes with wicker baskets. I cannot ride a bike and therefore I was quite jealous of how romantic a bike-riding date seemed.
Their ride ends at a huge lecture hall (seriously, what DOESN’T Nemacolin have on property?) and on the projection screen is a zoom with Michelle’s elementary school students. I am not too proud to admit that I cried when I saw this. The children do not hold back at all, laying into him with questions like, “Have you kissed?”, “Do you want to have babies?” and “Are you going to give Michelle a rose?”. There was also my personal favorite to ask when meeting a new guy my friend is seeing, “How many girlfriends do you have?” Matt handled the third-degree like a pro, and the kids seemed to give him their stamp of approval.
That night, Matt met the family, and Michelle’s dad had the best voice I have ever heard. While speaking with his daughter alone, he asks if she would say yes if Matt proposes, and Michelle nods without hesitation. Mr. Michelle’s Dad then speaks with Matt privately and asks him if he is in love with Michelle. Matt responds that he is falling for Michelle, but he is not going to tell her he loves her until he is ready. What Dad doesn’t know, though, is that Matt has told other girls (namely Rachael) that he loves them, so this is a bad sign for Michelle.
After meeting the family, Michelle and Matt go outside to talk one-on-one before saying goodbye. Matt mentions that he is willing to move to Minnesota for her, and she tells him that she is falling in love with him. Matt responds with what Michelle described as “a positive smile,” which I guess is a bit better than the “thank you for sharing that with me” that Jessenia got.
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The next day Matt has a date with Rachael, who, for some reason, decided skydiving was a good idea. As they’re about to board the plane that they’ll be jumping out of, Matt asks, “what could possibly go wrong?” Call me superstitious, but that is just BEGGING for a parachute not to open.
Nothing that bad happens, but Rachael does take quite a tumble while landing (you can see the slo-mo here), which may have been caused by the fact that her guide was a child.
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Picture from Twitter
Matt rushes to her side and has a full existential crisis over thinking she was dead, and Rachael just stares at him like, “Dude. I’m fine.”
Before they even meet the parents, we see her dad expressing his doubts that they could have fallen in love so quickly. Rachael hopes that Matt will ask her dad for his blessing (further evidence that she is not aware that it is not 1950), but it’s probably fortunate Matt didn’t do this since it seems unlikely her dad would’ve given it. When they are saying their goodbyes, Matt tells Rachael he didn’t ask because he doesn’t want to ask everyone’s parents just to check a box (unintentional ricochet shot at former-Bachelor, Colton), but when he is sure, he will call her dad and ask. Rachael is disappointed to learn that the other three girls aren’t being strung along just for content.
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The next morning, Matt meets up with Bri to go off-roading in a neon-green Jeep as a callback to their first date when they wiped out on ATVs. At night, Matt meets Bri’s mother and her best friend, who is also named Bri. I think you can tell a lot about a person by how they react to people with the same name as them. Personally, if I meet another Maddie, I immediately hate them. There can only be one.
Bri’s mom also brought Bri’s newborn sister, and Matt was TERRIFIED of the baby. When Bri speaks with her mom alone, they have a beautiful conversation, and her mom tells her that, worst-case scenario, they’ll be mending a broken heart together. Wow. I fucking love moms. I’m emotional just thinking about that line.
As they say goodbye, Bri tells Matt she loves him, and he answers with another version of “thank you for sharing that with me.” It might be curtains for Bri soon.
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Serena P. is the final date. Her Canadian heritage is very important to her, so she (read: a team of production assistants) creates a mini-museum to teach Matt about Canada. She was adorably excited. Activities included pointing out her hometown on a map, reviewing flashcards of common Canadian slang, and tasting traditional dishes like poutine and nanaimo bars. The date was so cute that I am currently eating poutine as I write this, in Serena’s honor. They finish with a game of one-on-one hockey.
At night, Matt meets Serena’s family. Her mom is wondering what made Matt pick Serena out of 30+ girls. I know my parents would also be like, “why would you pick her?” if I was ever on this show. When Serena talks to her sister alone, she tells her that she is falling for Matt but not yet “in love” with him. Then her sister does what only a sister can do and calls her on her bullshit. The sister tells Serena that she can tell something is missing because Serena clearly isn’t smitten and says she knows this is due to Serena overthinking. Serena then talks to her mom and breaks down, talking about how her last relationship left her with baggage, and now she overthinks everything. She then says, “I want to be out of my head for like five minutes,” and dear lord did I feel that.
The next day, Matt is left with the feeling that something isn’t right with Serena, so he goes to talk to her before the rose ceremony. They have a conversation, and Serena admits that she just doesn’t feel like Matt is her person. They break up, and she then walks him out, like the queen she is.
Now that there are only three girls left, the rose ceremony is strictly ceremonial. Before it begins, Matt admits to the girls that Serena broke up with him (usually the Bachelor spins it to save face) and says that these roses are important to him, so they better take accepting them seriously. All three girls get a rose, obviously, and Bri starts to question why she got the last one and if it means her relationship is in trouble. I want to say she’s just overthinking it, but I do have to consider that he didn’t say he was in-love back. Unfortunately, we will have to wait two weeks to find out, as next week is the Women Tell All. Lord help us.
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alirhi · 3 years
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If I'd written Loki pt 4
(Missed one? Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3)
I'm trying to get through these, so that hopefully I can get this shit out of my head and move on lol. I have never obsessed over something I hated before. Normally I react, make up my mind about it, and that's that. I never think about it again. But this is different, because they took something I loved and turned it into a pathetic joke and I just... nope. Can't let it go. Want to. Hope I can after getting this all off my chest. but right now, I can't.
Let's see if this helps, shall we?
Episode 4 would, of course, pick up where 3 left off, with Loki being a badass magician and Sigyn doing what she can to help him save people. Mobius and Sylvie glance at each other, each frustrated by the other two for different reasons, and run into the chaos to try to talk some sense into them. Sylvie tries to get Mobius to free her, but 1) he's not stupid, and 2) Loki conjured her cuffs; there's no key.
You can't stop an entire planet! Mobius snaps, trying to get Loki to stop. "Watch me," is Loki's determined reply. You're MAD! Sylvie snaps, and Loki only grins and shrugs. "Possibly. But you're the ones advocating to let these people die." They ALL die! That's why it's called an apocalypse!
Even if you succeed, Mobius argues, all you'll do is cause a nexus event, bring the TVA right to us, and they'll undo everything you're doing. We gotta GO. "Then go!" He glares at them, arms still waving as he sends crumbling buildings back to their proper place, redirects falling debris, and struggles to push the planet back. "I nearly destroyed Jotunheim. I don't even know how many died on Midgard. I apparently unleashed Surtur on Asgard and caused Ragnarok. I WILL NOT kill anyone else!"
You're not the one killing them, Sylvie snaps. Gravity is more or less the killer, here. "If one has the ability to help and does not," Loki snaps, unwittingly parroting Peter Parker's sentiment from CW, "then one is at least partly responsible for the consequences."
"Loki," Sigyn cuts in, hand on his arm. "You're exhausted. Can you do this alone?" Listen to her, Sylvie snaps. You're just one man and that is a PLANET crashing down on our heads! "Loki, please, before you collapse... Let's worry about getting these people to safety-" Not my point! "I don't care." The two women glare at each other, and Sigyn, hand still on Loki's arm, growls, "He is a good man, with a good heart. You'd know that if you spent five minutes with him without Thor or Odin casting their shadows on him. Walking away and letting these people be annihilated was never an option!"
A massive chunk of the planet is coming right at them. Loki drops the illusion masking his Jotun heritage; it's only draining him and dividing his concentration. It's not enough. He would be enough, but he doesn't know that yet; he's tired and afraid, and doesn't know yet how strong he is. Desperate, Sylvie teleports them all away from the destruction. She didn't know she could do that. She hasn't had the centuries of training at Frigga's side that Loki did. It was a desperate hail Mary, and they all land on their asses in the dirt.
Loki wants to flip shit on Sylvie, but our boy is too reserved, too used to hiding everything from everyone, to do that. Instead, Sigyn punches her right in the face. "What is WRONG WITH YOU?! You really don't care about anyone but yourself, do you? All those people..." She turns to a seething, shaking Loki and points to Sylvie. "This is supposed to be a version of you? She's pathetic!" Back to glaring at Sylvie. "You're no Loki." No, Sylvie snaps, and then comes the Big Reveal: I'm not a variant of him. I'm his SISTER.
They were identical twins, she explains, plucked from different points in the same timeline. When she was taken, the memory of her was erased. She shares his love of magic, but very few of his powers and, because she was self-taught, none of his skill. Of course, she doesn't word it that way - she shares the Asgardian bluster and ego they were both raised with, as well - but that's the gist.
Mobius clears his throat and gestures. The people Loki had been shielding and Sigyn had been trying to round up were swept up in the wake of Sylvie's mad dash to get the hell away from the center of the destruction. It's not the whole civilization like he wanted, but Loki did manage to save just enough people to do what Mobius predicted: Their survival causes a nexus event, and the TVA finds them.
Thank god you guys are here, Mobius rushes to say, stepping between the agents and the three deities. The Loki Variant managed to catch the...well... OTHER Loki Variant, but we got stuck here by accident. Beaming with pride to cover his nerves, he gestures to Loki. I told you guys he could do it! Come on, let's get them back to the TVA before she escapes again. Oh, her? Steps between them and Sigyn, with a knowing glance at Loki that promises he'll do what he can. All part of the plan. It was really quite brilliant, you guys shouldda been there. Genius, really. Let's go before this place explodes, shall we?
"But the people," Loki begins to protest, glancing at the frightened survivors huddled together a few feet away. Mobius sighs. There's nothing to do but wait. This whole moon's set to be destroyed any minute. "No." Out come the knives, which he passes to Sigyn before conjuring another pair. Even that little bit of magic makes him woozy, he's so tired, but he hides it the best he can. He wants to apologize to Mobius, to say he knows that he's only trying to help, but that will only get him in more trouble. Instead, Loki embraces the myth that he lives to lie and betray. He smirks and shrugs, a la President Loki and taunts, "Really, Mobius... What did you expect?" He'll play it off like he's just trying to gain his and Sigyn's freedom from the TVA - and that's part of it, sure; he'd do anything to protect Sigyn - but there is no way in hell he's leaving those people to die after he fought so hard to protect them.
Loki and Sigyn fight the TVA agents. Even tired and sloppy, for him, he's kicking ass, until one of them uses that stupid slo-mo thing from episode 1. Knowing he's too powerful to ever be controlled, they prune Loki then and there, and drag the others back to the TVA.
Episode 5
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mantra4ia · 4 years
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Desires: Lucifer season 5 on Netflix
Created: August 21, 2020. Last Modified: August 22, 2020.
Preface: Alright my Lucis, here’s the sitch: it’s been a minute. Life got a bit chaotic I wasn’t able to start season five quite on time when it premiered on August 21st because I haven’t finished the great 2020 Lucifer rewatch. I’m nearly done however and should be able to jump into it either later today or tomorrow, which is why beforehand I want to — as I’ve traditionally done for a few seasons — create a desires list and keep a tally throughout the season to see how many are met. I am going to try to pace myself, not binge, and watch a single episode a day so don’t spoil me. Likewise I will tag my spoilers. Here we go... #21DaysofLucifer
Season 3 and 4 Roundout - Desires Fulfilled / Questions Answered
✔We’ve seen other demons “like Maze” and a bit of what havoc they can reek. Well sort of. To be quite frank, although it was cool to see them possess the recently deceased, it wasn’t as impending doom as I was expecting. They didn’t seem nearly as disciplined or intimidating as Mazikeen, even Dromos, more bored and desperate.
✔ We’ve seen a little more or the heavenly host in Remiel. Remi was cool, if a bit intense. Her character, and her affinity to Amenadiel was a nice foil to see how far his character has come in evolution. But again like Uriel was for Lucifer, she kind of became a driving force character device to push Amenadiel’s growth. So I wonder if we’ll get to see more of her or not.
✔ (s3) The backstory of Lucifer’s arrival in LA, finding LUX, and making a deal with Amenadiel.
✔ (s3) Cain finally went to hell, YES! Not that I didn’t like Marcus Pierce/Tom Welling, there were some great interactions there, but I just think he was a wishy-washy antagonist based on how he was written and I can’t wait to trade up for Michael.
✔ Maze finally had some happiness and attachment to this silly mortal coil and it slipped away! Why Eve why? I love Maze’s bonding with humans, Linda, Trixie, Chloe. But I love that after a Millennia of serving, and then watching Amenadiel and Linda be happy in a family unit, that she might actually make her own and my hopes were dashed. 
Things we got that we didn’t even know we wanted. SO GOOD:
Season 4 ep 8: Amenadiel bonding with Caleb and confronting community violence, police brutality, and systemic racism. It was a rough episode to be sure, but absolutely needed,
Chloe talking Lucifer down and out of a self-hatred spiral and his transformation into full-fledged devil and back again.
Lucifer playing Creep on repeat while missing the detective (even after insisting in a therapy session that “he’s not a teenager playing Adele on repeat) and Mr. Said Out B**** trying to rob Lucifer and gun point and ultimately get rich. What a fun twist.
The Dan and Maze Los X’s fight. They are wicked good at laying down the  hurt on the criminal element and I was wondering when they’d pair up again after dispatching Warden Perry.
The devil in a bar fight! I mean, it’s only fair since the ladies had their brawl. I love how this fight sequence was filmed in bursts of slo-mo from various angles, involved everything from fists, to tasers, knives, bottles, and the infamous pool cue, and they picked the perfect song for pacing (Jake Bugg, Lightning Bolt, could listen to it all day on repeat.)
Time for all good demons to go home / Enough, you will bow down to your king. Go home! (aka appropriate use of Devilish intimidation face)
Amenadiel vs Remi 
A Rocky montage with Lucifer and Amenadiel / Amenadiel’s face the first time Lucifer drives the Corvette
Lucifer at the roller derby
Chloe the YA fangirl
Maze teaching Trixie about knives, with each handle decorated in a different toy.
Amenadiel and Chloe catching up: your father is so proud of you. Like and angel BOSS!
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
★ (s3) Amenadiel taking Charlotte home
★ Dan being comforted in his grief by Amenadiel
★ Amenadiel’s wrath and the brotherly duo tag team to lay the hurt on the drug dealer that got Charlie killed. It’s been a while since we’ve seen warrior angel ready to dispatch anyone in his way. And it was glorious!
★ (s3) Lucifer’s almost driving lesson with Trixie “Morningstar”
★ (s3) Maze torturing Lucifer by making him think he’s the Angel of San Bernadino
★ (s3) Amenadiel and Lina helping to dispose of Lucifer’s wings
★  Lucifer kicking Julian, Tiernan’s son, through a glass pane window
★ The goodbye kiss between Lucifer and Chloe
 DIDN’T LIKE:
☒ (s3) Cain playing guitar and singing. What is he, a crime lord, a top cop, or an act that the improv club wouldn’t take? 
☒ Eve. I liked Eve, but we mostly got to see one side of her around Lucifer, and a kind of floundering an confused side when she was with Maze. The side that I would have liked to see more of was the maternal side that came out when she briefly talked about Abel or was interrogated by Trixie. That made her more layered.
☒ Father Kinley. That dude is just meh.
☒ Dan’s broken heart and rebounding with Ella. Don’t get me wrong, its a good arc, but I don’t see it lasting
☒ (s3) Abel and Reese. Those were two side stories I could have done without, although they had great moments of humor. I quite enjoyed Reese’s character, and although I didn’t like Abel Lucifer’s stick-figure comic illustration of Cain fighting with him over a rock was quite enjoyable.
WHAT I TRULY DESIRE: SINFUL SEASON 5, my BURNING QUESTIONS, and SPECULATIONS
Obviously, don’t spoil anything for me, but if any of my desires end up coming true in any of the first eight episodes maybe drop me a hint in the comments...
A big time jump. We need to see the lasting impact of Lucifer’s absence. I know that time in hell works differently per that episode where Lucifer saved Chloe and almost got stuck in a loop, but we still need enough time to elapse that the impact is felt on the mortal side. Or, we need to see the passage of time through a series of events without Lucifer, like a montage of character development. At least a year or so, if for no other reason then Trixie is growing up and I actually want to see her take driving lessons with Lucifer.
Last season Maze gave baby Charlie a gift, something she’d wished she’d had growing up, and previously had alluded to the language of demons, her many siblings, and teased her mother, the mother of all demons. Will we finally get to meet Maze’s mom Lilith (or however they address her)? And, in spite of Mazikeen’s found family, she still has restlessness and abandonment issues. Will her mom finally finally bring her peace, or will clashing with her resolidify Maze’s purpose on earth?
A Decker/Mazikeen team-up or girls night out 2.0 would always be appreciated. At this point its probably 4.0 if you count the bar fight and the bachelorette party.
Will we see tougher, scarier demons, or are they just warmup to the really scary depths of hell?
Speaking of hell, more hell. Tons of hell. I want to know the minutia of all the mechanics. If Lucifer’s gotta be down there in self-imposed exile, he may as well show us around. Pour us a drink.
Will Lucifer see Cain in Hell? Not that I’m dying to see more of “sad Cain” but it would be interesting to see a more dark or desperate or cunning side to him at least now that he’s actually neck deep in torment. Or, alternatively, I’m hedging my bets that he could be a good candidate to light the fire under Lucifer’s *** to get of hell back to the earthly realm. Even in hell, I’m betting Cain would have a soft spot for Chloe, and if news reached Lucifer that Michael were trying to abscond with his life and with Chloe, it would give Cain and Lucifer one last bit of “A-Hole brothers” common ground to bond over. Like “Brothers, am I right? Go kick, get Chloe back, I’ll still have enough guilt to torture me with in a few thousand years when you get back,”   
Will Lucifer fall into peril in hell of once again potentially getting distracted and stuck in a hell loop? Will his servants be satisfied with his return? Will Amenadiel bust him out.
Mr. Said Out Bitch needs a role reprise. He’s been in every season opener 2-4, we’ve gotten to know his undergarments very well.  Its high time we get to know his name and story. He’s put in the work!  
Amenadiel should be running LUX in Lucifer's absence. We got a tease of that in previous seasons (remember when he asked what would Lucifer do?) its time for that to come to fruition. Plus, any excuse to put DB Woodside in a suit, just because he wears them so well. It would also be interesting if, after that tragedy he’s experienced, Amenadiel will start taking after Luci. Maybe not the punishing, not yet, but wanting to seek out evil and corruption. It has been teased since s1 “fall as I did.” Perhaps he’ll start developing a taste for his bother’s line of work whereas he found it repugnant in the early days
Dan and Maze or Dan and Ella pair up. Both Dan and Maze are due for some happiness.
An Azrael reboot, when need more of her. She’s the angel of Death for pity’s sake. I don’t know if the original actress is still available or if they would have to recast, or if the character concept by Netflix would even be the same, but I need Azrael to be capable of sweet and unassuming and on a coin flip downright menacing.
More of Lucifer as a godparent, bless! And maybe a cool montage of “cousin” Trixie and Lucifer co-babysitting Charlie please.
Whilst on the subject of Lucifer and parenting, and without putting Trixie too much into harm’s way, I need to see what “I would do anything to protect that little urchin” looks like. Trixstar ride or die.
Father Frank, come back! I need a cameo or recurrent role pleeeeease.
Trixie in every episode. This is non-negotiable, much like chocolate cake. Beatrice is an all-star. In fact, I’ve decided that when Dad/God finally does show up, Trixie needs to be the one to get to know him / introduce him first. She’s been captain on the celestial cheer squad for four seasons, she’s earned this.
Who's going to see through Michael's facade first? I mean, I know that trailer shows Maze torturing it out of him, but as far as intuition goes, I've got a 50/50 split between Trixie and Linda, with an honorable mention to Dan.
If Michael is Lucifer's twin, does he have the same angelic compulsion skill set? Or something different? And will it work on Chloe or is she universally immune?
A “be like Mike” pop-culture reference. ******Spoilers: ******* all the trailers have revealed Michael already, so they owe us this for letting the steam out.
As far as pop-culture, how many movie and TV references will we get from Lucifer and ensemble this year? I expect A-game, from sci-fi to 80s action, on par with the previous likes of Parent Trap, Star Wars, Home Alone, Kim Possible, and Rocky.
Will Amenadiel’s necklace make a reappearance, even after he put it around Caleb’s neck in the morgue? Heavenly artifacts have a way of causing trouble in this show.
Will what finally learn what, if any, significance there is to Lucifer’s ring? Again, as all my fictional writings will attest, I really kind of want it to be a stolen little trinket from him Dad.
Plot twist: will we get to see Hell and the silver city all in one season, or is that too devilishly good to ask? It would be intriguing if Lucifer fell from Heaven for rebelling and now some threat like, for example, the mother of demons would pose a threat to the gates such that Lucifer was called upon to defend them. Not expecting anything Endgame level with a host of Angels popping up like sorcerers...but it is food for the imagination.
Plot twist: will Michael, duplicitous twin that he is, be revealed as the reason that Lucifer does not lie and can’t stand liars? Will be get a Michael back story? Is he perhaps the true rebellious son? see: my original fan conjecture here.
Additional links to previous recaps, roundouts and wishlists: 
Season 1: Best Moments // Season 2: Predictions, Desires, Roundout, Best Moments // Season 3: Speculations, Quick-shot summary 
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Text
It’s The Avengers (03x02)
Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)
Season 3 Episode 02: The Boyband
Series Summary: Living in the Avengers facility post-apocalypse in a better timeline   Tony Stark has decided to capture every moment by pulling The Office on the Avengers. All of housemates are pretty used to the idea except for you, who had just come here to finish her degree, and the newest member- Loki.
Warnings: cute? mad? possessive?
Word Count: It is not until the blood gushes out do you realise that those stupid tears you cried in the office in front of everyone due to some fucking pentup emotions was the PMS all fucking along.
Written for @serpienten ‘s 1k Writing Challenge. Thank you so much for letting me participate! I was supposed to start with the Season with the challenge but due to some stupid screwup from my end I wasn’t able to. My apologies.
MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)
The camera panned in on your face, recording your hair flying in the desert loo while you had your face covered with your shirt, your jacket wrapped around your waist, letting the maroon tank top absorb the sweat your body had churned up on the walk to whatever town you and Loki were supposed to head to.
Speaking of Loki, the camera moved a few degrees forward to show Loki walking ahead of you, his face covered by a helmet 'borrowed' from the wolf army. Though both of you were in boots, the movement through this slippery sand had not made any of it easier. Which was why Loki wanted to cover more of this hard ground you three were on before nightfall.
"You okay, Javi?" Your weak voice called out, making the camera come back to you, panning out to take the entirety of your defeated figure in one frame. Javi's shadow by your side on the ground did a thumbs up.
"We're close," Loki announced, "let's keep moving."
"But I'm tiiiiiiiiiiiii-yu-huh-huuuuuuuh-d!" You moaned, on the verge of tears, coming down on your knees at the nearest pile of husk shining under this alien sun. "Let me just rest by this grass bunch."
The camera caught Loki turning around, his eyes on the edge of rolling till he saw you. "Uh...Y/N, that's no-"
You felt something fluffy stroke your head, making you scream and jump; which in turn made the little pile of grass scream and jump away from you.
"IT MOVED!"
"Because that's not grass. That's a living breathing organism."
"THAT THING MOVED!"
"That's a Has-krot Nuer."
"That Grass-got-boo MOVED!"
"Not gra-"
Loki stopped midway, the camera taking a subtle angle to catch the clench of his perfect jaw as he closed his eyes and breathed in a lungful.
Loki: *looking far away into the barren land* I have survived the craziest of creatures. I have even survived death. *stops as the camera zooms just a little to record you looking at the hairy creature with crazy curiosity and shouting 'Loki, it's not doing anything. Is it okay?!'* *blinks at the camera without any change in this facial expression* I don't think I can survive her.
*In the background, you raise your finger cautiously to poke that creature*
Loki: *instantly* *without even looking* Do not poke it!
"They're amphibians. Versatile creatures. They can live in any environment. But they're usually in groups," Loki contemplated, getting down on one knee and taking the back of his fingers to stroke the creature. "It's unusual for one to be alone like this. They can't survive without their family for long."
The creature purred at the touch, bending a little towards Loki's hand. Loki's eyes shifted from the purring being to you, followed by a furrow of his brows.
The camera turned too, catching you face experiencing an emotional rift.
Javi moved a few feet back to catch both of you in a single frame, making the camera jiggle a little as he did.
"Y/N, no." His words came out like a soft cautious tale. Almost too poetic.
Your lips pressed on to each other, while your brows stood arched in a sad curve. "Loki-"
"No," he raised his hand, pointed his finger at you to stop, "don't."
"Come on!" You whined.
"But-"
"We're already three people with no means on a foreign planet. There is no way we're taking this one with us."
"Loki, pl-"
All through the bickering, the golden husk kept turning between the two of you, making a low hooting noise like an owl.
"No!"
You didn't speak this time. Your eyes went wide while your lips pressed into each other. Loki was already shaking his head at it. Your cheeks- already red from the heat- blew up a bit. "Mm-mm. No." And the combination of it all created the best puppy-eyed face.
"Y/N, we are not taking it with u-"
Loki: We're taking it with us. *sigh* *camera focuses out of Loki's face to show you scratching your little hay-buddy and it purring back at you* *camera focus back on Loki*
*closes his eyes* *whispers to himself* curse those stupid eyes.
"We'll help you find your family, okay?" You tried to convince the little one, who tilted- what apparently was its head- at you. "Hopefully before we find a way back to ours. So-" you got up and turned in the direction you were heading earlier- "wanna join us?"
The head tilted up in your direction, then towards the way you were looking, then back at you.
Loki meanwhile stood with his hands on his hips. "I don't think this is a good time to make promises, darling. Especially not for someone who has zero ideas about the universe."
A chirp came out of it, bringing your- and Loki's- attention to its cute little motion of 'walking' a few steps ahead of you before what seemed like an arm protruded out of it and pressed somewhere in the middle of his anatomy. Out came a click sound.
"Did it just press its stomach?" You asked your universe guide, not realising he wasn't looking at you or the creature. But at something far out in the barren land.
"Yeah, not the thing we should concentrating on for now."
Your eyes were barely able to register the dusty whirlwind at first. "Is that a sandstorm?" You asked Loki while shading your eyes with your hand.
"A sandstorm does not rise like that. Not with aliens in it."
You tried to squint hard to look at it but could not see anything except riled up dust. Suddenly it wasn't the sandstorm that was taking away your attention.
Music.
There was music coming from somewhere.
Clearly, Javi knew it before anyone else, for the camera was pointing at the little guy as the tempo and volume increased a little.
"It's coming from...this one," you told yourself.
The little one was doing little jumps on the beats while seemingly looking at the dust storm.
And soon enough, the camera too could see what Loki was seeing.
A vehicle shaped like those monster trucks from Mad Max hoarded an entire bunch of aliens on it. Aliens that looked human enough as the monstrosity on wheels got closer.
I don't trust nobody I don't even trust my mind
Faces started to appear out of the dust. And oh! What faces indeed. You could feel your eyes wanting to blink again and again just to make sure they were not dreaming.
Losin' everybody They can never take the grind People always switchin' sides People always hit my line Never ask me how I'm doin' They just wanna waste my time
The vehicle stopped a few feet in front of the party. The creatures- all looking like humans but coming in various shades of the galactic rainbows- came with quite some attitude, stepping down onto the ground.
So I don't hate nobody Just stay up out my life And I won't hurt nobody So just stay up out my sights
"Holy fuck," you whispered, scrutinising those perfect beings from head to toe, "looks like Tom Hardy had kids with a K-Pop band."
Indeed. The close slo-mo zoom-ins by the camera on every face could vouch for the fact.
People always hold me down They just told me that I'd drown When you livin' how I'm livin' All these leeches come around
Loki's brows furrowed as he turned to you. "Tom who?"
You tskd, a little annoyed to have to rip your eyes away from the buffed up alien boyband.
'Cause we don't trust nobody We don't even trust our minds Losin' everybody From them lows to them highs I was always gettin' high Never took a look outside I was livin' in the dark Thinkin' I would never shine
"You know that guy from...did I show you Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy?"
No answer from Loki assured you you didn't.
"How about Batman?"
"...a man who is a...bat? Is that a comedy?"
"... you're lucky no batman fan can hear you right now. Okay...um...oh yes! Remember that guy Eddie we met at the tavern?"
"Eddie who?"
"That guy who's got a parasite. He goes by the name Venom."
"Oh yes, I remember him. And the parasite. Is that Tom?"
"Oh no. He looks like Tom. Just a little more rugged...and weird. Hot, no doubt, but a little weird."
Loki couldn't help but notice you lick your lips and hide that hint of a smile on the edge of your lips.
Loki: *gives a knowing look* so, she has a thing? A thing for the weird. *smirks at the camera* Well, aren't you naughty, Y/N Stark.
"You guys lost?"
You and Loki watched as those seven boys- aliens- stood in a perfect formation and the one who looked like a leader addressed your party of four.
"Yea, we were looking for the nearest tow-"
"We're fine," Loki cut you short, "are you all travelling northwards? I'd suggest you prevent those rocky hills. Met some weird knuckleheads in those parts."
You looked at the camera and blinked.
"Come on, Y/N. Javi. And...and you," he addressed the little hay, who chirped back with excitement and followed him.
"Actually," you started, making Loki stop and turn to grab your arm but not before it was too late, "it would be really helpful if we could hitch a ride to the nearest town. If it's not too much trouble for you boys." You clasped your hands in peace, not resisting the need to whisper, "Gods, you look so much like that familiar K-Pop band. They have no idea how many girls could go crazy over them."
"Yes, it would be too much trouble for them," Loki insisted, trying to pull you in his direction, "come on, we'll find something on the w-"
"We don't mind at all," the leader spoke, stepping forward towards you. You did not see it coming. Neither were you ready when his pale hands took your left one ever so gently, making you let out a muted a gasp while Loki stood there watching the whole thing unfurl with dull shock. "This is the least we could do for a heavenly beauty like you."
Loki's eyes rolled so hard it felt like they might go all the way back.
Another click sounded through Little Hay's stomach and out came another song.
You're so beautiful, girl a blind man could love you (Woo! yeah. woo! yeah)
"Really," Loki called the new member out flat. Little hay shrugged and hooted while pointing at you and the rainbow K-Pop.
You're so beautiful, girl a blind man could love you (Woo! yeah. woo! yeah)
"Stop it," he ordered, making it let out a whine before reluctantly clicking its stomach to stop.
Loki was about to speak but you cut him away like a sharp sword cutting the wind in half.
"Alright, listen, you galactic rip-offs," you started, taking your hand away from that pale- almost white- guy and crossing your arms across your chest, "we need a ride to the nearest town. Drop that sweet talk, start your engine and get us there before it's dark."
Loki, mouth just a little agape, stood there in veiled awe, sharing a look with the camera.
"Now." You pressed your authority, making the leader call out for the green-skinned boy to start the engines.
"Anything for you, my love," he declared ever so sweetly, trying to take your hand again.
"Touch me and I'll rip your arms off your body," you announced every so softly.
The leader paused where he was, bowing in respect and directing you towards the vehicle.
You turned towards Loki and Javi, your expressions making a one-eighty, replacing the dark with the cheery, "shall we?" And then you skipped away towards the vehicle.
Loki: Hm. Maybe we will survive space. Or maybe we will land up in more trouble. *Shrugs* Guess it'll depend on what mood she is in.
You: I think we'll be fine. *scoffs* Hm? Oh, I don't like it when someone is too forward. Too flirty. Blame my childhood and those stupid truth or dare games where boys would dare each other to tell me they liked me. My defence mechanism got a bit strong since and whenever anything like this happens I metaphorically smack that person into just getting away from me.
*looks at Javi* *furrows brows* what? Ugh? Why would harsh words be a kink?
You turned to look to your left where Javi was pointing. The camera panned out to show Leader looking at you all starry-eyed while resting his face on his palm as the vehicle moved over the rough terrain, letting you all shift with the inertia
You shifted a bit away from Leader, never turning away from him while he continued looking at you with a smile. Uncomfortable, you got up and made your way next to Loki, who turned at the graze of your arm on his, watch you cocoon yourself while staring at Leader with an uncomfortable glare.
"Don't worry," Loki sighed, looking at the road ahead, "He's just a puppy. He isn't going to come near you till you tell him to."
You grunted with disgust at the fact. "Bad dog."
Leader whimpered while speaking something you didn’t understand. Two of his companions, one the colour of the sky and the other looking more orange than a tangerine, looked at you the same way, with different undertones. The sky guy practically blushed and shied away looking at you. The tangerine oozed with sluttiness, biting his lips and licking them, often moving his fingers over his jaw or his neck, trying to throw hints in your direction.
And you? You sat there with disgust plastered on your face the whole ride while Loki chuckled silently and closed his eyes for a nap.
 The Lounge- Night-Time
"Oh my God!"
Disgust-filled curses, shocked exclamations and scoffs echoed through the dark lounge with the only light coming from the big screen showing the white alien taking your hand in his.
"The audacity of this alien bitch," Peter whispered with a mouthful of popcorns, pointing his hand- again, filled with popcorns- at the screen, "right in front of my O-" he stopped, watching eyes turning to him, freezing for a second- "my popcorn. Right in front of my popcorn."
Peter relaxed only when everyone went back to the screen -whether in confusion or agreement- and looked at Scott who mouthed, 'dude!'. 'I got caught in the moment,' Peter mouthed back. Both of them immediately whipped their heads to the screen when Bucky turned back to look at Peter, almost sure he heard him whisper something.
Steve sighed with a worried look on his face. "These aliens don't seem that bad."
"Why didn't we ask for Thor's help, again?" Sam asked a logical question, once again.
"Tony did," Natasha acknowledged, "He said his people needed him and that Loki was smart enough for the three of them to figure his way back home."
"... okay?"
Vision looked at Sam with questioning eyes. "You don't seem okay with that decision."
Wanda, Peter and Scott were the only ones still crunching on their popcorns through the judging silence where everyone waited for an answer.
"What. I know y'all thinkin' the same thing. If it were my brother I'd go look for him, no matter how bad that s-o-b is."
Natasha narrowed her eyes at him.
"I saved Bucky's ass in the Philippines, didn't I?"
Bucky looked at the camera with a tensed jaw and a tired look while everyone else silently agreed.
"Someone should talk to Mr Hammertime about this," Sam stressed. Everyone paused, looking at each other before immediately raising their fingers shouting 'not it'. Everyone except Sam.
Sam: *resting bitch face* kids.
"Wait," Pietro interrupted, "what did that guy say to Y/N?"
"Something on the lines of 'your boyfriend doesn't know how lucky he is'," Natasha murmured while busy licking the remains of tater tots in the bowl in her hand. She stopped midway as all eyes rested on her in question. "What."
"How do you know?" Scott asked.
"Their dialect has a strong base of Korean," she simply shrugged, going back to the bowl.
"She's right," Bucky chimed in.
"Huh," Pietro wondered out loud, "are they really a space K-pop band?"
"Yeah, space band or not," Steve declared, "let's just keep the boyfriend thing under wraps. Away from Tony."
Everyone agreed.
"Or Clint," Wanda added as she munched on the chicken wings.
"Yeah," Steve agreed, "what is with him lately? He seems to act pretty defensively whenever Loki's in the room."
"Tell me about it," Scott muttered through a mouthful of popcorns and an eye roll.
"He still ain't over the whole monkey business?" Sam asked Nat.
"He told me Loki apologised and told him how Thanos was pulling the strings. As far as I know, Clint's over the whole thing. There's something else he seems to be mulling over."
Everyone seemed to take a few moments- between the crunches and munches to think it over. Steve, with his brows of justice, suddenly seemed to have a realisation before anyone else who was actually trying to think.
Steve: I think I know what's bothering Clint. *smiles*
Nat's voice: What?
Steve: *nearly jumps* *hands curled into fists* Jesus! Where the heck did you come from?
Nat: I've been sitting here the entire time, Steve.
Steve: *tries to speak* *stops* *shifts in his seat* *exchanges glances between the camera and Natasha*
Nat: So? *rests one leg on another* *tilts towards Steve* what's bothering Clint.
"Those aliens look quite, how you millennials call it, hungry," Vision stated as he watched Mr Tangerine try to make his move on you. Everyone shouted curses and made faces at him. Vision observed the reactions before looking at the camera.
Vision: I think I...*slowly raises hands to make finger guns* nailed it.
"Suddenly, I'm really glad she's got Loki by her side," Steve mentioned, surprised at his own words. Bucky and Sam agreed. Scott and Peter smiled at the exchange, fist-bumping at the back of the sofa.
"The moment she gets back, we gotta work on that defence mechanism of hers though," Sam added, "otherwise she'll never get a date."
"I think she'll be fine," Nat enunciated, "I'm sure when the time comes she'll like the right one."
"As long as she gets to enjoy it all," Sam raised his beer bottle to get a cheer from Nat's.
"I have to say I like that little hay," Sam pointed out, getting 'amen' from the room, "dude's got a freaking boombox inside him."
"Y/N's going to adopt it, isn't she?" Pietro chuckled.
The cutest howl left Zuko as he sat beside Bucky, looking at Pietro with angry eyes.
"Ay, you're makin' her baby angry," Sam guffawed. Everyone laughed, cuddling and cooing at the little fur-face to calm him down. He did calm down, but he was still furious at Pietro.
On the screen, the camera showed the vehicle come to a halt. Leader-Kun got out first, along with Loki, and had his hand out for you.
You paused, looking reluctant to do anything with those eyes stuck on you. Taking a step to your side, you waited for Loki- who was scrutinising the place- to turn to you.
When he did and took in Leader-Kun’s eagerly waiting arms, he didn't just open his own.
"Oh I'm sure your lover here is happy to help you ou-"
"Shut up and get me down," you spat back, your arms stretched out, waiting for his shoulders to come close.
"Are you sure?" Loki stressed, "Because I don't want to make him jealous-"
"Loki, for f***'s sake, I don't like being teased about men I don't like as much as you don't like being compared to your brother. So, if you don't want me to blabber about Thor for the rest of the way-"
"Alright, fine! Fine!" He quipped, feeling the sour taste in his mouth.
He stepped forward, letting you rest your hands on his shoulders as he grabbed you by the waist, helping you down safely.
"Damn," Sam chuckled, "our girl plays dirty."
"You play dirty, woman," Loki stated right after, earning a smile from you. "Thanks," you raised your shoulder in appreciation, "I learned from the best."
Natasha looked at the camera with a smirk.
Natasha: *holding out a knife with sharpest edges, its hilt holding a beautiful carving of Black Widow's symbol* this is my birthday present. The one Y/N made me and was supposed to gift me before she left for space.
*swings the knife in her hand* I've been preparing her since she arrived. If anyone's going to take advantage in space, it's Y/N. If anyone tries to hurt her, then they *catches the knife in attack position* and Loki will answer to me.
The new place greeted them with a tavern by the road and all sorts of creatures going in and out of it. The tavern, seemingly made of wood that was entirely blue, stood with neon signs spelling out something supposed to attract customers.
Feminine figures, green luminescent blobs, purple tentacled odd creatures stood outside the entrance at different corners.
"O...okay-" you narrowed your eyes at the whole scene- "I may be wrong...but this does not feel like a place one normally visits."
"It's a tavern cum brothel," Loki acknowledged, looking around the area, at the minimal housing along the road. "Looking at the size of the town, it seems like it's for the crowds that travel here from other planets. This might be a stop."
"Good, we can ask for a lift back home then," you agreed, ready to walk towards the building.
"What?" Loki stopped you short, "you cannot just walk in there?! Heaven knows what kind of miscreants hoard this place."
You sighed. "I'm guessing that's what's to happen any place we visit."
Loki scoffed. "Of course, it will. You should be more scared of space."
"I am scared, Loki," you stated, taking his arm that was holding onto yours, "I'm scared like hell. I barely go around town for the fear of being mugged or raped or murdered. Think what I'm going through right now. Look, the thing is, bad guys are everywhere, your survival skills are peak perfection and I am a weight you'll be carrying around till we find a way back. Come in terms with the fact that I will be going to places I shouldn't even know about and you can only do so much."
A warm breeze blew Loki's hair, letting shadows play over his face in this planet's golden hour.
Wind blows Blew me to where I belong
"Not now, sweety," you called out, making Little Hay hoot and click his stomach and stop the song.
The silence was used by the two of you to come to terms. "I don't like it either but judging by how little you've said about ways to get back, I figured we don't have much to work with right now. So we'll need all the firepower we can," you declared softly. “Don't worry. Being there for each other in grim times, that’s what friends are for.”
Loki took in a lungful, closing his eyes, dropping his head before finding back his stature.
"I hate you," he finally admitted.
"Aw-" you broke into a smile- "I love you too!"
"If we're going in there, you have to stay close to me, not touch anything strange, no talking to strangers, especially the ones who look alluring."
"My my, if I didn't know better, I'd say you're being possessive."
"..."
"What. I like it," you teased him, "as long as it's healthy."
A chirp came from Little Hay, as he rubbed itself on your leg while moving around.
"Come on, guys, stay close," you announced, walking with Loki towards the tavern while turning towards Loki, "you know, we should really give a name to our little hay baby."
"He's not out baby, Y/N."
"Hey! Don't say that in front of it. You might hurt its feelings."
 The silence in the lounge was suddenly broken by low sniffles, slowly making heads shift towards teary-eyed Scott and Peter barely holding the moisture in their eyes, their smiles too wide to contain.
"You okay, Peter? Scott?"
Both of them nodded. "We're fine," Scott's broken voice reassured them. "Mmhmm," Peter added."
"There was too much spice in my tater tots." Scott nearly broke again at the end of the sentence.
"I just remembered Mr Barton has my special Spider-Man suit and he said he won't give it back to me," Peter sniffled while poking at the empty popcorn bowl in his hand.
"Oh, he won't be saying that anymore," Natasha pressed, "I promise you that."
Sam: Well, Clint's 'bout to die.
"Let's try calling Carol in the morning," Steve declared before getting up and looking at the screen. "Everyone, get some shut-eye. We'll catch up with them in the morning."
Everyone greeted goodnight and made their way to the dorms- all except Scott and Peter.
"No, Cap," Scott nearly shouted, making Steve freeze halfway to the screen's power button, "leave it like that. Please?"
Steve stood back straight, a shade of concern over his face. "Sure you guys okay?"
The camera focused in on Scott and Peter.
Scott and Peter: crying with joy Scott: Babbiees! *squeals and sniffles* Peter: ow my heart! *clenches his chest* 
“Yes,” Scott nodded with the purest smile, “we’re okay.”
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thelucydiarys · 3 years
Text
A look back at Friday 23rd April 2021
I started the day with my 6 alarms set from 6:50-7:00am in hopes they'd get me up. Instead I did the usual thing of telling them to shut up and sleeping for an extra half an hour. I gave up and woke up at 7:30am ready to go back to prison, (also known as school). I hate school, I feel like I dont belong in my friend group at all, and one of them isn't exactly the nicest to me. After going in the shower, getting ready and having breakfast, I set off to school. I get there and I meet my boyfriend outside the school gates as I usually do.
1st lesson
I was in first lesson with my boyfriend and we had geography. I'm usually really good but this topic just isn't my fortay. The teacher really liked me but it seems she's going off me now as I look down at my crystals that I take to school for one second and she goes LUCY. I felt like I was going to cry, I know to most people thats probably a stupid thing to cry about, but I hate getting told off, and every time I walk in that lesson now I just feel dumb.
I cant really remember everything that happened in all my lessons but drama really pissed me off. I love drama as a subject as I want to be an actress and singer when I grow up, buuut the girl in my friend group who isn't the nicest to me is in that class, along with the girl who occasionally hangs out with us. Let me give you some incite to her. My boyfriend gets a superdry coat right, which is this quite expensive brand because he needs a new coat. He got it in yellow, as his favourite colour is yellow, he wears it to school and on the walk home the girl comes up to him and goes. "You can't wear that, yellow is my colour, everyone knows me for yellow, besides it suites me better, you look terrible in yellow". Shes 15, 15 years old and acting like that. Not to mention i was talking to the really nice person in my friend group in art on the day of my great grandmas funeral to take my mind off it, she turns around to me and proper yells, "OMG LUCY STOP TALKING NO WONDER YOUR SO BEHIND ON YOUR WORK". We all are behind, not one of us in that class has done everything, and I've done more than her, and she sits there talking all lesson. Not to mention whenever the other girl in my friendship group in my drama tries to get us in a 3, she forces me out of the group to work with someone else, someone who isn't particularly good at drama, but the thing is with me, I can make people look better at drama and get better. So me and the girl I ended out partnered with made this really good peice we were both super proud of, and the two mean girls in my friend group stand there watching us the whole time. They said things like, you look like wolves, we were making a movement sequence representing a hero and villain and my partner and i's had bits of slo mo, and looked very cool if I say so my self. So when they watch ours as my half the class perform, they laugh, but as there half of the class performed, we sat there respectively, they didn't actually plan anything, and they just improvised and did miss' example. One of them (the one who sometimes hangs out with us), said after, look how good at being intimidating i am. All she did was walk super close to her, and look her up and down as the other girl stood still. They had the audacity to call ours bad. Anyway, after I said that was good, to be nice. I don't understand what I've done to get all this but hey ho its always someone in every friendgroup right?
Oh and I forgot to mention them 2 tried to force me to dye my hair because apparently i don't look pansexual because I'm blonde and that if im blonde I look straight, there's nothing wrong with being straight but uh, imagine gatekeeping the lgbtq+ community to people who arnt blonde- them 2 make by blood boil sometimes, but I just deal with it, I'm nice to them because I just don't want drama.
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