#and oh my god the idea of opera flags being on the back of his motorcycle is SO GOOD
Husband Watches Truth and Lies
they changed the opening theme?
They rerecorded the audio too. I don't know if I like it.
Wait Zoe's in the intro sequence? and Hawkmoth is using TWO miraculous?? What's with Ladybug's new outfit??
I don't know if I like it.
I do like that it's creating more visual interest in the outfit but I don't think that's how you should do it.
We're not even a minute in
Hm. So they gave the unify upgrade to the villain too. I like the outfit aaand he's phantom of the opera. He looks like more of a prick now.
Honestly I feel like the normal box is a lot more inconspicuous
so kwamis don't show up on things but we have seen evidence of their audio existing. in the kwami capture episode where Marinette put on all of them. also they can maintain sentience and awareness in the suit forms so they'd already ahve seen a lot of this stuff when she moved across the city wearing all of them.
I did not hear what Juleka said. I don't think there's any actual words in that.
I remember why I stopped watching this.
{Marinette is babbling to Luka about Adrien and husband is taking a lonnnnng drink}
What the fuck is happening here? "Marinette forgot everything and they're just" Being dicks about it?
This feels like there's an amount of time that has passed between the end of season 3 and the beginning of season 4 and none of it was covered. It clearly isn't the next day, I don't remember them dating, but also Alya didn't know so clearly they haven't been together long?
Also why is every episode with Luka so cringey?
It's like everything else with the show is so subtle and intriguing but the relationship stuff is so goddamn heavy handed. It's hard to enjoy it when it's being forced in our face. It's not even me disliking romantic stuff, some of the greatest stuff in shonen revolves around romance.
The donut of my life??
What is with this show and the stupid orange juice??
They're trying to show off their increased budget here
Bitches you are talking during a movie!
None of the things about Luka should really be flagging as he's an asshole, but so many things flag as he's an asshole!
(Luka got Mari to say "kiss me") That was actually really smooth. Props where props are due.
"I gotta keep my identity a secret more than ever!" So you shout it in the bathroom.
So there's been pretty much cartoon violence in the show so far. Season four opens up with THE BOMBING OF PARIS.
This feels more like first actual episode than first episode of a season. A lot of reestablishing who the characters are and what their relationships are.
He didn't impact the glass at the center where it would have fractured. Yes I will be that pedantic.
Plus he's not actually pressing up against it so it doesn't look like he shattered the glass
This is Mr Pigeon isn't it
(They're at Andre's) Fucking hell this episode has all the worst people.
Nino's wearing WWE shoes.
It's almost like the universe is telling Marinette not to date Luka because it keeps pushing her towards Chat Noir
God Luka's so pretentious
(Husband noticed a poster for Le Coquelicot in the background and asked me to look up what that meant and so I found out it means poppy, and the meaning of a poppy is remembrance and hope for the future) So the universe is reflecting her hope for the future here but also showing that she really can't have that with Luka?
what? THAT'S what akumatizes Luka? "I can't tell you the truth" THAT'S what breaks him?
(husband downed the rest of his drink)
What is this show? Why must it be so stupid? Why must it hurt me? No bitch is that dramatic!
So this is their way of stepping up the villain. Giving him TWO powers.
That seems like such a STUPID idea. putting the amok and the akuma into the same object? if you break one, you break both!
also dude you're literally wearing the thing that says that she cares about you, you are so fucking stupid oh my fucking god
This goes against the aloof nature they gave Luka in other episodes. so going back to the heavy handed bullshit
So he can force akumatization. (Actually I think on some level Luka gave in because he did want to know Marinette's secret) That makes more sense, plays into his duplicitous nature
Finally something more important to Luka than getting into Marinette's pants!
(Ladybug gags herself) The Totally Spies influence keeps rearing its head
So there's one thing I don't understand. In earlier episodes we've seen that Hawkmoth can force akumas to do things. Why isn't he doing that now?
Look at Tom being a good father!
Why do I recognize [Ziggy's] voice
Wow really showcasing the quick thinking abilities of Chat
Why did they make Chat more tan
Yeah putting the whole amok and akuma into the same object seems like a stupid idea. also is there a point to de-evilizing the amok when it has no sentience?
oh she doesn't say bye bye little butterfly anymore
That was a pretty good episode if you don't count the first 15 minutes
All right that's actually a really good moment for Jagged
All right so that to me says they're gonna stop with the romantic bullshit till the end of the series but I KNOW that's not the case.
and that's this episode!
Props to Jagged for actually confronting his own inadequacies and trying to do better for what he should be. Also I guess I kind of understand Luka a bit. It's not easy growing up without a father figure. It was hard enough not seeing my own often, it must be worse having NO father figure. It's probably why a lot of anime that are male centric with a lot of older male characters really hit home with me, because they could teach me paternal morals. Luka clearly didn't have that. Even though anime is more popular in France than it ever was in America.
(So what you're saying is Adrien is more well adjusted than Luka because he's a weeb.) Yes actually!
This really ties into my thoughts of Adrien and Luka being mirrors of each other, Kagami and Marinette being mirrors of each other, Adrien and Marinette being reflections, even Kagami and Luka being reflections.
Adrien and Kagami are obviously reflections with the isolation and fascination with anime and fencing but Adrien had a friend in Chloe and Kagami had no one.
I could keep going
(He is still going)
(so at the time I was pissed at Luka, because I thought it was shitty when a girl breaks up with a guy for his response to be "that's okay I'll wait"). I see it differently. So I disagree. I don't think that was their intent. I think they were trying to show Luka's emotional intent. Luka came out of the akumatization and realized he was being unfair to Marinette. He realized that with the gift and everything that she was trying to be there for him and that she just still couldn't tell him. So when she broke up with him, he understood that she was overwhelmed, and even though she didn't say she couldn't be with him right now, he understood what she meant. It just went over badly because the episode was so heavy handed at the beginning.
I don't like what they did to Juleka in basically making her mumble mouth, in previous seasons she was just shy and didn't talk much. also they changed her personality.
(TIME FOR LIES)
The weirdest thing about the series so far is they have random bits of speeding up people's dialogue to make it fit and it doesn't work.
Why didn't they start the first episode like this? We followed Marinette through the previous episode. We should've kept with that and followed Adrien through the first episode.
why is the camembert not stored in the fridge
Did Plagg just talk to him through the phone?
that's a stein of milk
those sneaky bitches
when did they give Kagami freckles?
I wish Kagami wasn't the only one who had a unique suit.
Considering Kagami hates lies, does she not use feints in fencing then? that would turn her episode point into an actual character quirk.
There could also be more characters in the fencing class that we knew besides Adrien and Kagami. it's cool that adrien wears the same thing as everyone else but it's forcing Kagami to stand out that she's wearing something different. Actually considering how controlling her mother is that may not be her choice.
The timing on this is just too weird. It made sense from the Ladybug perspective but the amount of time between things. They had a walk away from the boat and had a whole ass talk and a whole ass Hawkmoth thing and Ladybug having her transformation sequence in the time it took them to walk down the stairs
wow he really just nuked the entire Kagami/Adrien thing in this one episode
"I only ever have this much fun with you" YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND
It was bright as frickin day when they defeated Truth
See this actually makes a lot more sense because they are meant to be younger and less emotionally stable. I think it actually works really well.
Considering the fact that Hawkmoth is lying that would include him. and why didn't he give her a sentimonster?
Fang want cake
Are they actually gonna use Chloe to an effect? The most honest, brutally honest bitch?
FANG WANT CAKE
Fang the best
is her orb getting bigger?
Actually that was just a really good episode. the only things that don't work are the parts that conflict with the previous.
Yeah this episode hurts
Why did they give Ladybug such an ass
4 notes
·
View notes
Gotham Episode five Thoughts
"Viper"
Spoilers will be mentioned so don't read it if you don't want to get spoiled please <3
I would love to go on a stroll with you Alfred
IWANT JUSTICE NOT REVENGE
Oh no does Bruce really think Wayne Enterprise is pure and far from corrupt
Maroni is getting reckless-
OooOooh a guitar guy
Did he just pay in drugs ?
Also can we talk about how this man just strumming expecting some money XD
It's giving Eddie when he first got Venom
SHES BACK
shes gone
Harvey just wanted lunch
Oh- this man is running down the street with an atm on his back
Mmm Fish what the heck
Earn the right to call you Mama ?
Okay news flash no one is gonna learn opera overnight
Sexist pig Niko blegh
Benny really likes milk
I guess homicide unit can now officially be on the case....
This man is handing drugs out like candy
BRUCE IS CATCHING ON
Fire? Is Alfred a secret arsonist ? Love that for him
Ed loves a good puzzle and this drug is providing it
But that really is a terrible way to die
Maroni has a soft spot for Oswald
Nevermind lmao
Wellzyn kinda reminds me of enzyme hehe
Not flags being raised thats a bad sign
CUT OFF HIS OWN EAR ??
People need to stop coming in to the police station slinging around Oswalds name geeze
OKay but Oswald looks good when his hair is messy . . . just saying
The slicer? Ew-
Ha- MCU . . the major crime unit didnt even notice lmao
Jim is too much of a nice guy
Liza is so hot I swear to god
Ngl Harvey is growing on me
Oh he made bio weapons
VENOM? hmmmmmmmmmmm
Wayne Enterprise needs to get their shit together
I'm sorry an old man with super strength is so funny to me
Oh god THE LUNCHEON
Baby Bruce in a suit slfhewkjfbhidhfivhejfbeiruhfsdnjvlaifhe
No- i it in the flowers
I swear Alfred is so proud
Nope not in the flowers. . . in the vents
Oh no Bruce hit a nerve
Alfred get Bruce out. Now.
Do. Not. Lie. To. The. Poor. Child.
Gordon was that really a good idea ?
Warehouse 39 ?
Oh its his lab
Excuse me ? Mathis ? You lying snake
Aw is Alfred joining in on the research
I'm not crying I just have something in my eyes Bondage ? OHMYGGDONH its Niko
Not I wanna be Yours by Artic Monkey
Oh I see shes supposed to seduce Falcone go Liza . . . . in a motherly way ? I mean I guess we all got our issues
2 notes
·
View notes
Two Bisexuals Are Your Co-Captains
ao3
“I solved racism,” Mariner says, kicking open the ready room door. This should not be physically possible, as doors have progressed past the need to be opened, and are, in fact, automatic.
Boimler, whose face is currently one with the synthetic wooden desk, gives her a thumbs up but doesn’t move beyond that.
“Okay, I lied, I didn’t solve racism,” Mariner admits. “It’s still a problem in our galaxy. But, I did solve our captain problem!” she tries. This does get Boimler to remove his face from it’s fixture on the desk.
“You did?” he blinks up at her, creases in his face from where it had been smooshed against the hard surface.
Mariner dumps an honest-to-god paper file on his desk. “Check it out, twink.”
Boimler swipes the file, frowning as nothing happens when he taps it. Mariner helps him out, flipping the cover over. “So there’s this really nifty rule back from like 2039 that allows for two acting captains to co-pilot the ship simultaneously.”
“Are you serious?” Boimler groans.
“As Legato Infection,” Mariner confirms. “It was apparently instated for missions where the crew is like. Separated or some shit and need more than one captain coordinating. Because Starfleet was also part of the air force for a while, co-captains were basically just co-pilots. Like this was a whole thing. But it got overwritten with the First Officer Act of 2048 that instated First Officers as a fill in instead of a co-captain, able to make decisions and delegate, but it was never technically outlawed. Meaning…”
“We could technically take advantage of the loophole and-”
“Co-Captains!” Mariner punches the air. “You know what this means?”
Boimler blinks at her blankly. Beckett applauds herself over the alliteration, as she throws an arm over his shoulder. “It’s our ship,” she whispers dramatically, already envisioning the communist flags with selfies of her and Boimler printed on them.
“Or it could just be your ship,” Boimler says, fear in his eyes.
Beckett grabs his collar, dragging him up to eye level. “Our ship.”
________
“Beckett no,” Freeman says flatly. Ever since The Incident--the one where the ship was overrun with the Pakleds that took out the entirety of senior command--she’s been in medbay, wrapped up in so many bandages she looks like a mummy from one of those really old movies Boimler is obsessed with.
“Beckett yes ,” Mariner says, taking a slurp of her cherry limeade slurpee. “You named me First Officer!”
“Then why does Boimler-”
“Ransom also named him First Officer!”
“So your brain jumped to Co-Captains ?” Mariner can’t see her mom’s expression, but from her squinty eyes she’s pretty sure it’s disapproving. “That is the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever heard of.”
“You can’t call your daughter dumb!” Mariner throws her hands up in the air.
“Mariner, you’re dumb.”
“That’s against parent rules! Everything I do is supposed to be a fucking delight!”
Freeman turns her judgy eyes to Boimler, who had been staring off into the middle distance, probably traumatized by all of the shrieking the mother and daughter duo had been doing since they entered medbay. Whatever, it’s not Mariner’s fault that her mom’s kneejerk reaction to her daughter charging into medbay with a bat'leth and no shirt on was to shriek like a goddamn banshee.
“You know what,” Freeman says, eyes locked on Boimler. “I’m already having a bad fucking week. Go ahead, make it worse I dare you .”
“Uhm-”
“We absolutely will do that,” Beckett promises, crossing her heart.
_____
“ ATTENTION ALL PERSONAL ,” Mariner says, over the ship’s speakers. D’Vana, from her position at the First Officer’s station, gives her a Disappointed Look. Mariner gives her a thumbs up back.
“ DUE TO OUR EXCRUCIATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOUR FORMER CAPTAIN AND HER FIRST OFFICER, ENSIGN BOIMLER AND I WILL BE YOUR CO-CAPTAINS TONIGHT. OR FOREVER, WE HAVEN’T DECIDED YET.”
“Mariner, what are you doing?” Boimler says, storming onto the Bridge. Mariner, who had hacked the Bridge speakers to play Demi Lovato’s Confident every time Boimler entered, is pleased to note that nobody had figured out how to turn that off yet. Unfortunately for her, however, Boimler didn’t recognize his girlboss powers, and had been yelling at her every time it happened.
“I’m letting the ship know about our change in command, oh Co-Captain of mine,” Mariner says over the booming bass and Demi Lovato’s dulcet tones. In the corner of her eye, the vulcan side character that everyone thought was a Cool Guy, bopped his head to the music.
Boimler sighs, pressing his palms into his eyes. “So we’re actually doing this?”
“Dude, I already made us friendship jackets. That shit had a no refunds policy.” She pulls a leather jacket that had been draped over their helmsman's head--bad for ship navigation, but good for dramatic effect--and throws it at Boimler. Boimler unfolds the pink monstrosity, sighing deeply at the neon-yellow glitter words Gatekeep Girlboss Gaslight emblazoned on the back.
“Is this really necessary?”
“It’s ABSOLUTELY necessary,” Mariner says, standing up. She turns around, showing Boimler her purple jacket which says Malewife Mansplain Manipulate in snot-green glitter.
“HOW DOES THAT MATCH.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HOW DOES THAT MATCH.” Her voice echoes strangely, alerting her to the fact that the shipwide comms are still in use. She reaches over, flicking the switch off and turns back to Boimler, hands on her hips. “Is this an anxiety thing again? Do you need to go back on medication?”
“I don’t need to be on meds!”
“Then why won’t you wear our super secret special jackets!”
“Because mine is hot pink and says girlboss on the back!”
Mariner lets out a gasp. “Are you saying... Boimler are you adhering to GENDER ROLES?”
“No-no stop it -”
“You! You of ALL PEOPLE-”
“Mariner, cut it out!”
“LET IT BE KNOWN THAT BRAD BOIMLER IS A-”
Boimler pulls the jacket on so violently that he somehow elbows himself in the eye. The pink really does go with his hair-which Mariner knows for a fact he dyes himself every three weeks. “There! Happy?”
“So so happy.” Mariner hands him a martini from the tray she had brought in and nailed to the arm of the captain’s chair. The one she hands to Boimler has a rainbow umbrella in it. “So, first order of business. I think we need car seats for short people.”
“Excuse me.”
Mariner picks up her own martini glass and takes a chug, choking on the strawberry chunks she had grinded into it a few minutes before Boimler got here. “You know, car seats? That shit you put babies in because cars are a danger to humanity but we keep buying them? I think the shorties on this ship deserve some protection.”
Boimler drains his glass. “Fine, whatever, I don’t even care anymore.”
______
Mariner is commissioning the previously mentioned communist flags with hers and Boimler’s faces printed on them, when Tendi comes into the ready room. She is wearing the face of complete and utter defeat that everyone else had been wearing since the Co-Captains had been instated. Mariner insists it’s because they’re sad that she and Boimler wouldn’t get to be captains forever. Boimler says it’s because everyone’s writing their suicide notes to their familes.
“Mariner, we need to talk,” Tendi says, using the opening line to every break up Mariner’s been a part of and seen on tv. Which is really weird because she didn’t think she and Tendi were in a relationship.
“I’m all ears,” Mariner says, which is a dumb fucking line because clearly she isn’t , but people say that all the time.
“I don’t want to be your First Officer,” Tendi says, crossing her arms. “It was fun for the first week, but after you made it mandatory to do the Macarena during the first ten minutes of each hour, morale has been down.”
“Hmm,” Mariner pets Boimler’s therapy cat, Dishwasher, thoughtfully. “Okay, I’ll make that one optional. Any other requests?”
Tendi sighs. “No,” she admits. “To be honest, the ship is running at 98%, which is the highest any ship in Starfleet has ever run. I think Brad orgasmed when he heard about that.”
“You call him Brad ?” Mariner stares up at her friend, aghast.
“That’s his name?”
“Yeah, and his cat’s name is Dishwasher , but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to call her that!” Dishwasher growls at her name. Mariner shushes her, hands clamped over her ears. “She turns into a murder-rage machine when you call her by her given name! How do we know Boimler isn’t the same?”
“Because I call him Brad all the time!” Tendi hisses back, throwing her hands up in the air.
“Oh my god, he’s probably serial killing as we speak. I hope you’re ready to talk to the victim’s families and let them know that their loved one’s died because you couldn’t help yourself.”
Tendi stares at Mariner for a full minute. “Resignation,” she reiterates, pointing at Mariner. “I want to be a gross ensign scrubbing the deck again. Nepotism sucks .”
“Fine, you’re demoted. Go enjoy mediocrity.”
“I will.” Tendi storms out, kicking the door shut. Which again, is completely, 100% impossible because it’s the 23rd century or whatever-Mariner’s not keeping count-and automatic doors are now a Thing.
Mariner hacks their speaker systems to play the Wii Shop Channel Music-a reliac of the past only alluded to on private groupchats and servers- to play whenever Tendi entered a room. It’s the least she could do.
______
“As your First Officer,” a reluctant Rutherford says reluctantly, “I am here to remind you that that would be a very bad idea .”
“Rutherford, who’s the boss around here?” Mariner asks, hands on her hips.
Rutherford sighs. “You.”
“And as the boss, who makes all the decisions around here?”
Another sigh. “ You .”
“Then why are you being a killjoy over my decision to get down and dirty with my Co-Captain?”
Rutherford makes a shriek-y noise, like those boys who got their testicles cut off in the old days so they could sing opera. “Mariner, I’m serious, don’t do it .”
“Is it against regulation?”
“No,” Rutherford groans. “You’re both the same rank-”
“So what’s the problem?”
“You can’t sleep with Boimler just because you can!”
“That’s not why I’m going to sleep with Boimler,” Mariner waves him off. “I was sitting on his lap the other day-”
“Oh my god -”
“-in the Captain's chair--ooh we should look into getting another one of those, TWO chairs are better than one--”
“Mariner, to the point please.”
“Oh, yeah, so I’m in his lap and I maay have backed up a little too far and bumped up against-”
“Stop literally stop .”
“Yeah, so turns out Boimler is PACKING and I gotta hop on that train, so to speak.”
“Okay, you know what?” Rutherford shoves his padd at Mariner. “I quit, I can’t do this. I want to be a lower decks ensign again.”
“Wow, you’re like, the seventeenth person this week to quit. Which, coincidentally, is exactly how long I’ve been captain.”
“Yeah, weird coincidence,” Rutherford deadpans.
_____
“I may have fucked up, Mom,” Mariner shrieks, waltzing into medbay with all the grace of a duck pulling off a white bread heist. “I think you should take captaincy back.”
Freeman, who had fully recovered two days ago, but refused to engage in the chaos Mariner was purposely causing on her ship, looks up from where she’s reclining with her long island ice tea and swimwear magazines. “Really now?”
“ Yes . All of my friends hate me and I found out Boimler has purple pubs.”
Freeman almost drops her drink. “ What .”
“Tell me about it. Don’t get me wrong, we’re still fucking, but like. Wow, I thought he dyed everything. Turns out that shit is natural.”
Freeman covers her face with one hand. “No.”
“What?”
“No, you’re keeping the ship.”
“WHAT.”
“I already spoke to your father,” Freeman gives her daughter a shark-like smile. “We agreed that this position of authority has been good for you. And, considering, the ship is running better than any ship in Starfleet since the inception of the Federation, the Admiralty wants you and Boimler to stay on.”
“ WHAT .”
“They think it’s an interesting social experiment that merits more research. Congratulations, you and your fuck-buddy are now ginnypigs.”
___
“I think, as a sign of protest, we should rename the ship,” Mariner says, draped across the desk in the ready room. Boimler, sprawled out all over the desk chair, snorts. The room has been completely revamped in pride flags and the previously mentioned communist flags. Mariner thinks it’s her best interior design work, but Boimler claims it’s an eyesore.
“What would we name it?” he asks, humoring her.
Mariner considers it, taking a swig of vodka. “Okay, hear me out. Q and Picard’s Loveboat.”
Boimler grabs the bottle out of her hand, taking a chug. “You know what? This might as well happen.”
They submit the formal request on Boimler’s padd a few minutes later and are both pleasantly-at least in Mariner’s case-surprised that it goes through. It’s likely that the guy in charge of filtering these requests is either very very bored or very very underpaid and either way Mariner likes his energy.
A few days later, they have Q AND PICARD’S LOVEBOAT stamped across the side of the ship in comic sans-a truly underappreciated font from ye olden days that Mariner dug up one night on the wayback machine.
It takes exactly four weeks for the Admiralty to catch wind of it-by then she and Boimler had been Co-Captains for almost two months-and, well, there isn’t much they can do about it.
She does receive a rather long voicemail from her dad that she promptly deletes. She’s not about that energy.
_____
“Boims, Boims, Boims,” Mariner chants, crawling into his bed. Boimler lets out a shriek as her ice cold toes slide up against his bare thigh.
“So you know how our ship got renamed so easily?” she says, once Boimler had stopped screaming. “Well, I found the dude who approved it. Nice kid, I want his gender. Anyway, looks like my dad is getting a new ship and they're getting someone to christen it.”
“Oh my god,” Boimler says faintly, turning his face into his pillow.
“I may have gotten us on the list of possible people to christen it. As in, the kid hacked the server for me and we're the only people on that list.”
Boimler looks like he's regretting everything ever. He also looks like he's kind of in love with her. Mariner inspires that kind of duality in people. “What are we going to name it?” his voice has a tinge of fear in it that both of them get off on. The kink is strong with this couple.
Mariner grins.
_______
THE DADMIRAL: ACT OF REBELLION OR GENIUS?
Ash H. Beiggs
Many of you may remember the highly criticized decision Starfleet made when instating “Co-Captains” on the starship Q and Picard’s Loveboat ( formally known as the USS CERRITOS). Well, Captains Bradward P. Boimler and Beckett E. Mariner are back with bigger and bolder headlines to make.
The chaotic young duo are renowned Federation-wide not only for running the tightest ship in Starfleet, but for their unorthodox methods. Captain Mariner in particular has been praised for her innovating thinking and usual personality. When asked about her decision to name Admiral Mariner’s ship The Dadmiral she simply claimed that “Mohammad had his mountain, Jesus had his followers and [she] had a molotov cocktail and nothing to lose.” Captain Boimler declined to comment.
The actual christening of The Dadmiral was reported as a “spectacle to behold” by many onlookers. Captain Mariner was seen streaking through the aforementioned ship, with a bottle of vodka in one hand. Her Co-Captain was not far behind her, but was reportably more restrained. The actual christening was completed by Captain Mariner who “yeeted the vodka” into the ships warp core, shouting “ One of us. One of us,” in rapid succession until she was removed by security.
Neither Admiral Mariner or Captain Freeman are available to comment at this time.
16 notes
·
View notes
“Are you sure you’re in the right Cabin?”
Chatting with my sister (again) and we were talking about Nico going from this sweet innocent child who was obsessed with fun card games to the literal son of Hades rocking the black t-shirt and skull ring look. Like, wow. Way to step into that role with little to no pressure (not necessarily bad, just interesting).
And that got us thinking more than it should have about the Olympians and the attributes their kids get from them. And also the attributes they DON’T get from them.
What if Child of “________”, but everyone thinks they’ve been claimed by the wrong parent because there is no way in Tartarus this kid is related to that Olympian.
[And we did the big three in Greek form just to keep it simple (and Percy needs a half-blood sibling, everyone else already has one, fight me on this) Also feel free to replace the names, we just used these as fillers because just saying “Adjective” child was getting confusing.]
First up: “Brandon” the son of Zeus. (Aka. Anxiety child)
First off: I’m thinking the kid is no more than ten years old (more like nine, in all honesty)
This kid is afraid of heights. No joke. He refuses to even climb a step stool because the idea of being off the ground terrifies him to no end.
He’s shy as heck and talks very softly. When he first shows up to camp everyone is convinced he’s the son of some minor god (maybe the god of sleep) because “What son? We can’t hear you. Speak up!” *mumbles under his breath a little louder*
Hates being the center of attention (the exact opposite of his Dad) and just wants to make it through the day without having an anxiety attack.
Fights with a knife (and when we say fight, we mean “hold the thing up, look for openings, take them, but otherwise hide in the background and let Angry child and Sunshine child take care of it”)
He’s just scared of a lot of things, okay? (I’m thinking Neville from Harry Potter) He tries to fight and do what he’s supposed to in training and just falls flat on his face.
But when it comes to battle tactics? Oh, this boy has got some ideas. It doesn’t come as naturally as it would to Ares and Athena kids, but he’s great to have in war councils around the ping-pong table (yes, the nine year old is good at chess, so sue me)
Also, since he’s always so quiet, when he actually does speak up EVERYONE pays attention.
When he panics/freaks out/has an anxiety attack he just sits down on the ground and rests his head in between his knees and tries to breathe. Most of the time that helps but sometimes it just gets worse and worse and that was how he figured out he could summon lightning bolts from the sky (no one was injured but now he’s terrified of accidently hitting someone so he’ll run off somewhere quiet when he needs to breathe)
The one time camp has seen him angry was when Pearl was hunted by some bullies and came back bruised and bloody. Everyone agrees they never speak of that time and to never have a repeat of that time.
Doesn’t really have an opinion on his half-siblings (both Jason and Thalia scared the heck out of him the first time they meet and the two take that as a sign to give the kid space). He doesn’t mind spending time around them, but he’d rather be with the “Big Three Mess-Ups”
Next: “Pearl” the daughter of Poseidon (Aka. Angry child)
This girl has zero chill, even for a thirteen year old who is going through that angry teenager phase.
And I mean ZERO. Ten minutes in camp and she’s already challenged three people to a duel and been in two fist fights (which she won one and lost the other)
The Ares cabin was already making room for her (because who else could it be?) and suddenly there’s a blue trident hanging over her head at meal time and Percy ends up choking on his blue food
She doesn’t like the ocean. Or water. Or sand. Or outdoors. She can swim and climb and all that stuff, she’d just rather stay inside. All the time. It’s a problem.
And when she is outside she likes to climb a tree (because it’s away from people). When the nymphs start complaining she storms off (quite literally) and hides at the bottom of the lake for a week. That becomes her solitude spot, much to Brandon’s and Violet’s annoyance.
Will carry a book everywhere. And it’s not because she loves to read (she hates reading because of her dyslexia). She just uses the book to ignore everyone around her and get people to not talk to her. Sometimes the book is upside down and she doesn’t notice (and will get mad when people point it out)
The one thing she definitely got from her Dad is just pure strength. This gal can deck most everyone in camp even if she stands at a mesley five feet. Also, she’s got pretty good control on the whole “water controlling thing” which is nice (especially when it comes to slapping some manners into a bunch of bratty Hermes kids who thought it was a good idea to plant dead flowers outside of Violet’s cabin and blame her for spreading death around)
She hates horses and this includes pegusi (mainly because they talk too much)
The one thing she claims to not “hate” is her fellow “Big Three Mess-Ups” (although secretly she really loves sappy soap operas, a secret that is never shared with anyone)
Fights with a spear, weirdly enough and isn’t bad at archery. Prefers fighting with weapons then with “water abilities”
She doesn’t like Percy for no particular reason. She just avoids him most of the time and when they do talk it’s mostly short awkward conversations. (“Sooo... How’s camp?” “Fine.” “Good.” “Great.” “Good.”) It’s hard to hate Tyson so she just avoids him as much as possible.
And last: “Violet” the daughter of Hades (Aka. Sunshine child)
She wears bright sunny colors, loves sunshine and rainbows and is basically the happiest fifteen year old you will ever meet.
And it’s not that forced happiness that’s creepy and everyone is like “Uh, this kid needs therapy” she is actually happy with her life and loves camp.
Also wears flowers in her hair. They start out the day cheerful and bright but by the end of the day, they are wilted and dead as can be. Everyone has learned not to bring up the dead flowers (she gets angry because DANG IT, SHE DOESN’T MEAN TO KILL THEM SO QUICKLY)
When everyone met her, they thought she was Demeter’s kid.
When Hades’s claimed her, everyone thought she was Persephone’s and Hades was just covering his wife’s butt or something.
And then someone thought it was a good idea to pick on Brandon and the everyone remembers the screams from the Ares cabin as an army of skeleton soldiers chased them across camp because “You don’t tick off the Mom friend” (Chiron had to get her to call them off because “It’s been two hours, they are going to drop from exhaustion”)
The Ares cabin nicknamed her “Violent” after that and all are convinced she is haunting their cabin at night by having skeletons outside their window and stare in at them (which she is, but no one can prove it sooo...)
Also she’s claustrophobic so don’t stick her in a small space unless you want skeletons to start popping out of the ground.
She is very friendly and outgoing and gets along with pretty much everyone (As long as you’re not a bully). She’s basically the ultimate Mom Friend.
Doesn’t really fight with weapons and most would think she’s a pacifist. But in reality she just summons the army of skeletons to do the fighting for her. When she does actually have to fight it’s just her swinging around some kind of staff (maybe made of bone?).
Violet LOVES her half-siblings and wants to be friends with them very very badly. Nico gets a little freaked out by her and tries to run in the other direction but Hazel thinks she’s pretty chill. The two of them get along fine enough.
Random things the three do together:
These three are best friends/the new trio/“The Big Three Mess-Ups”/whatever you want to call them and will fight anyone for any of them.
“Anyone want to trade parents?” *All three raise their hands without looking at one another*
Sleep over’s in one another’s cabins because let’s be honest: their siblings are never around (if ever) and it’s lonely. They switch cabins every week to change the scenery. Violet loves it (”Sleepover with friends!”), Brandon is very appreciative of it (”I don’t like being alone.”) and Pearl pretends she hates it and puts up with it, but is secretly very grateful for it.
They also eat with one another at meal times and will do group projects together because everyone is a little terrified to try.
Once, for capture the flag, it was the three of them vs the whole camp (Pearl made a bet with the Hermes cabin that the three of them could beat all of them. The Hermes cabin just took it to a completely different level). Violet guarded the flag with her army of skeletons while Pearl and Brandon sneaked around. They ended up winning, but barely (it was the entire camp, seriously)
That’s all I really got at the moment but I’ve fallen in love with these three and want to see them get into some trouble.
93 notes
·
View notes
Welp. Paradox time.It’s the Finale.
Yikes. Last campground....
That doesn’t bode well...
Here they are. All my friends. I’ve traveled with them for this long. We’re near the end of the game. Who knows what will happen...
Promestein. You’ve been a very interesting character to see through this game. Seeing you young kind of shows you were always a fucked up kid. But, you have a good heart. And you now have a found family. You’re no longer a lone wolf salvaging through a dark world. You have us. And we’re happy to have you and alllow you to examine this bright new world.
Nuruko. I sadly didn’t get to know you too well and I’ll be sure to remedy that next game. But you were an interesting little thing.
I wouldn’t have pegged you as a main character honestly but hey. I’m glad your here. You were another person that I’ll have to be sure to bring next time because I feel you probably have lots of interesting insight.
Pope. You are DEF going to be in my next group. You were one of the most exciting twists i’ve ever seen and I am happy you were here. I am still angry for no sex scene.
Hilde. Once again, another “I didn’t bring around enough” but you hey. Happy to have you.
These two were my favorite running joke. The not so wise senpai and the student.
Not sure why YOU are here but you WERE the first boss of the game. So. Yeah. Welcome.
And you were the first recruited monster... I think.
This little exchange reminds me. Granberia was NOT at ALL a regular character in this entire exchange. Hardly any of the knights showed their faces. Alma I think was the most regular.
The spirits play little purpose as well. In the orginal trilogy they were SUPER important as they were a constant ability you had to keep on or die.
Here. They’re not weak, they’re decent buffs. But I rarely use them... I did use them actually in the battle against Blalice. Alice actually is a Spirit Summoner because I felt it was rather poetic all things considered.
Wait are you a noble? Maybe you should put on pants. And a shirt. But okay. Vanilla! The most useful member that never see’s battle. She was BRIEFLY drafted in Black Alice when all of the other allies died but yeah. She has been a rock this entire time. Constantly producing MP for the party.
I admit I never had a use for her. She mostly stayed around because she had the most Dialog from things.
And ah. The MVP herself. Okay second MVP but we’ll get to her soon. Superb support. Valuable as hell. Sadly a lot of Angels have Auto-hit attacks. But I would have lost without her many times.
I’m trying to do the whole sentimental thing but yeah. Don’t have a lot to say. Maybe one of these days I’ll have just the four of them on a team.
I’m just WAITING for you to betray me. But it’s a bit late and you’re no longer important in the slightest so.
Ah speak of the devil. Now. Time for the main course.
Traveling with Black Alice has been a really facinating experience. She’s a lot of fun. If you know, a bit evil. It’s interesting that she played the Alice. Pretending to be something she’s not. It makes me wonder if it’s a tradition? I wonder if this experience will make her nicer.
Ah Sonya. You sadly have a LOT of death flags... It was interesting the idea of Luka having a human friend, but from a writing perspective it makes sense as she suddenly got the tropes that were associated with Alice in the first game.
Not a good sign.
This does bring a point though. Sonya I dropped out of the party for not being too useful. A healer in a game where healing is incredibly easy. And she didn’t exactly have a whole lot... Actually I could have turned her into a vampire funny enough. And a worm Villager.
But yeah, besides that. She didn’t have a whole lot. I’m probably gonna try using her more in my Ilias file as I want to RP it as more of a Human/Angel Centric idea. The only overlap being Prom really.
And Alice. I really wish there was more to you but I get it. The romance between Luka and her just isn’t a focal point. Despite the fact that her and Luka’s children are in fact facing off. I kind of wish that was addressed more.
And her mother... There’s actually a LOT of plot threads still not addressed.
Was hoping for Elemental Giga. This would be a game where it could be theoretically useful though. With all the abilities and such.
Ilias prayer music in the background.
Now we have Opera music... Place has changed.
Less then steller.
You bitch.
You know what. Fuck you. YOU are FOURTH!
Alright gotta act quickly. Can’t... wait
WHAT??
SHE SAID IT
I’m not sure if gleefully killing an entire town counts.
Never a nice thing to learn.
“Then the fanfiction writers started... There’s this ONE bitch. She runs a Promestein blog and if you LISTENED to the drivel she writes. She made up this nonsense with male monsters for drama’s sake”
“And don’t get me started on the Luka Situation. There were like 3 at one point.”
Wait... How many others from other worlds??
...Wait When??? I can go over level 60 now?? Must be when I updated.. Huh. Okay. Wish I did this earlier.
Too many... oh
See. I’m doing an RP with La Croix that takes place using this concept. But something both of us realized is that Luka actually very rarely DIED in most of his endings. Not right away. Many of them used him as a pleasure slave. Or married him. Or he just gave up adventuring. Some like the angels even used him for 1000′s of years.
So. Theoretically. He would have had to live his entire life. Die of natural causes. And then wake up back at a fight he had years ago.
But here it just says failed.
Oh.... Is this...Which Ilias?
I forgot... You’re... the Real ilias. so you have been trying your best to keep things from going to shit huh?
Oops.
Yikes... So yeah. Makes sense. Fuck that Lukia (Which was us)
The...Remina labs??
Oh hey. It that bitch.
Yes Little Prom. Yes. Soon. You will meet. Yourself.
A better part of the whole. I remember there being an Angel/Monster hybrid who says she couldn’t combine her dark and holy energy. This is probably why.
I wonder if this is a joke of some kind revolving around smoking becoming less allowed in Japan.
And they summoned.... Black..Alice. Is that how she was alive in the original Trilogy??
Oh no... This..... Is.... Original Trilogy Black Alice.
As creepy music plays. I am reminded. The White Rabbit is a universal Constant. Where was she then in the original Trilogy?
Simple. She was here. Right here. In Black Alice... the drug created by Promestein. The fusion of Holy and Dark.
Those poor Scientist.
That Casualty of it.
Oh. Dear. Lord.
“So you finished the art for that Hentai game right?”
“HENTAI GAME?? I thought we were making Bloodborne.”
That is terrifying.
Oh dear lord.
Angels. Demons. Both are at her demand.
YOU SAID SHE COULD NOT REACH US.
Of course. Time Succubi from aother wordl
That. Is terrifying.
Yup. Zero.
She’s dying as the Villain again? The Pyrrha.
Wait. What?
So... You.. Were killing them to.. Bring them into YOUR world??? So. They’re alive?
So they’re killing people... to bring them into another?
This reminds me of a little bit of a Webcomic called Order of the Stick. Where the gods wondered briefly if they should destroy the world, in order to save the souls. Because the main monster, was a giant horrifying sould devouring creature.
So if the gods destroyed the world, they could save many from inhiliation, and bring them into the after life.
This begs a lot of question about after lives and existance beyond death and whether or not it truly is a death.
Bloodying her hands so her daughter doesn’t have to.
Yeah I would like to know that as well.
I would like to know actually.
Wait why are you wearing clothes now?
I forgot you were a person.
Wait. So these are from another universe.... One where Ilias won...And therefor Eden got to wear clothes.
The old Monster and Angel War, Fought in the foreground of the world we stand.
And the death flags come home to roost.
Was she... one the entire time?
Or did she become one now?
Mhm. This looks familiar.
And the music begins.
The battle wasn’t too hard. But...
This isn’t good.
Not grand.
This battle music is though. ♪♫
Oh you bitch.
We beat both of them... or...
We did not.
That’s... really really not good.
...what?
HUH???
UMMM????
SHES A WHATR??
She’s the element of chaos....
Does that mean there’s a HOly and Dark Spirit too?
Fine. I’ll train you.
...What?
Oh.... shit.... Dad... Killed Alice’s Mom.
And. That. Is the end....
Welp. I guess we have to do the Ilias Route next.
10 notes
·
View notes
Tag your 10 favorite characters of all time
They can be from every book/movie/TV show/Video game, then tag 10 people.
Tagged by @jamlocked, thank you! :D
But also, oh god. XD
Early on as I was making that list, I encountered three problems:
1 - Most of my favourite characters of all time are actually variations on a single character archetype, with a whole damn lot of them even wearing the same name (or similar enough lol).
2 - Most of the ones that don’t fall under this category are from the same 2-3 source material, unless...
3 - ... they’re from sources that I cannot in good conscience recommend anymore, like for example books from MZ Bradley or OS Card that were extremely significant and shaped who I am, but considering what their authors turned out to be, enough said lol.
So instead of a “my favourites of all time” list, I just picked characters that made a significant and lasting impact on me, even if they didn’t turn out to be my absolute favourite from their media source. I hope that’s okay!
Cut for length, because as usual I got chatty.
In no particular order, aside perhaps for the first two:
1 - Jamie Moriarty from Elementary.
My everything. <3 She’s made of... honestly, pretty much all the archetypes I inevitably fall for, male or female, but somehow she rises above the sum of her parts and I cannot even start expressing how much she means to me.
Other characters in the same general type would be of course all the Moriartys, Magneto, Gellert Grindelwald, Red John, Alice Morgan, etc. A lot of those characters are heavily defined by their sky-high intelligence and deviousness, but more importantly by the shapes they leave behind when they aren’t on screen/on the pages or when they’re hiding behind masks and facets that never encompass them as a whole, and by the way they always make a extremely lasting impact on the protagonist. When it’s a TV show or a movie, the use of camera language (lighting, colour schemes, camera plans, etc.) around them is always tightly defined and significant, and when it comes to literature, the same effect is applied through metaphors and symbolism. It makes the layers to those characters absolutely endless and when it comes to storytelling, it’s the one thing that’s guaranteed to hook me straight away.
(Jamie is also obviously my favourite from her source material, even though Sherlock comes high in second place, and Watson a close third. And I also have a baffling soft spot for Joshua Vikner that probably deserves a mention lol.)
2 - Vegeta from Dragon Ball.
Started a genocidal alien who regularly committed mass murder, ended a devoted, self-sacrificial husband and father of two (three if you count his son from the future). Still the best redemption arc I’ve ever seen (and probably will ever see) in any kind of media ever.
(He is also -by far- my favourite from his source material.)
3 - Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.
My fae child <3 Literally the only female character I ever identified with in that whole series. People close to me still regularly tell me I channel her lol.
(Favourite from her source material: it’s a toss between Gellert Grindelwald and Severus Snape.)
4 - Jareth from Labyrinth.
My (other) fae asshole child found in a trash bin lol. Love of my life before I was 10, kept me sane and believing in magic when I most needed to. I learned contact juggling because of him.
(He is my fave, although I love Sarah even when she’s being a dramatic whiny teen.)
5 - Rebecca Anderson from The Mentalist.
I have a strong and everlasting love for pretty much all characters in TM, but this one extremely minor character made a chilling impact on me by the fact she’s exactly who I would have turned out to be had I not made one tiny little change at a crucial point in my life. So she makes the list if only for that.
(My fave TM character is Lisbon, but the way she acts and reacts baffles me on a daily basis. I understand and identify with Jane much better. Fighting hard in third place would be Lorelei Martins and Madeleine Hightower, I think, but I truly love them all and by this point it’s just nuances.)
6 - Erik from Phantom of the Opera.
This one stabbed me with a spoon and ate my heart out lol. I care a lot more for the original Leroux version than the Broadway/movie version, but the absolute top iteration of this character is written by Susan Kay in the pastiche Phantom and I bet every serious PotO fan will agree.
(He is -by far- my fave, with the Daroga a distant second.)
7 - Eurus Holmes from BBC Sherlock.
This one took me completely by surprise. One of the shittiest character arcs I’ve ever seen, and yet. She’s the one that pulled me out of the meta mindset I had been stuck into since season 2 and gutted me like a fish before I had time to realise what happened.
(Jim and Irene share the top spot for their source material, but all three Holmes siblings are fighting for third place.)
8 - Hans from Frozen.
The one character that made me realise the storytelling & camera language studies paid off lol (”wtf Disney doesn’t design its princes that way, there’s something off about him!”). I genuinely hated him right off the bat when I saw that movie because he made my gut twist with so many red flags, but the moment he revealed himself as a villain things clicked into place and now I love him lol (I’m so predictable xD). He shares the “hiding behind smoke & mirrors & facets of himself” with the Moriarty archetype, which makes him fascinating to watch and analyse, and for that alone I hope to see more of him in Frozen 2 because I never get enough of that kind of character.
(Elsa used to be my favourite, but lately there’s been a disconnect. I’m not sure if I just out-grew her or if it’s a depression thing. As for Hans, it’s a strange kind of love/hate/fascination thing that I couldn’t define.)
9 - Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs.
For the sole reason that her fascination for Hannibal and the pull that makes her come back even though she knows he’s terrible for her mental health made me feel seen, and also validated my own fascination and love for villains, which people around me always found strange.
(Obviously, my fave is Hannibal. I wish the recent show about him wasn’t so gore. Can’t watch it because I’m too sensitive to on-screen violence and body horror.)
10 - Laure/Mickaël from Tomboy
This one is a little harder to explain, and to be honest I’m not sure I really want to. That movie is... questionable lol but maybe you’ll have an idea why that character made such an impact on me if you saw it. (Or maybe not. It’s okay.)
Runner-ups: Link from A Link to the Past, Sheik/Zelda from Ocarina of Time, Jake from The Dark Tower, Scotty Valens from Cold Case, Scar from The Lion King, Billy Elliot from Billy Elliot, Arya Stark from ASOIAF, Garraty from The Long Walk, L from Death Note, and many many others.
I have exactly 10 followers, one of them tagged me, and I tagged 5 of you earlier on something else so I’m not going to harass you people further. XD Steal this if you want to!
3 notes
·
View notes
Suede brush up
The Guardian, 21 October 2010
by Jude Rogers
(This is the actual article The Ministry Of Sound photo shoot was done for)
Drugs, ME and despair sent the poor urchins of Britpop their separate ways in 2003. Now Suede have come roaring back to life.
'Much less interested in the persona of Brett Anderson' ... Suede's frontman at the Ministry of Sound, London. Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi for the Guardian
This year, in the first flush of spring, a band that time forgot played the gig of their lives. "It was so special, it was impossible to leave it behind, wasn't it? We had to keep picking at it, didn't we? It was like a scab." The once long-fringed frontman who led the band that launched Britpop – albeit against his will, Brett Anderson reminds us – sits in a hotel room on a darkening weekday evening, remarkably untouched by both time and excess, recalling Suede's performance at the Royal Albert Hall in March. Next to him, drummer Simon Gilbert and keyboardist Neil Codling are similarly Peter Pan-like; bassist Mat Osman is in New York; while Richard Oakes, the young pup who replaced guitarist Bernard Butler after writing to the band's fanclub, is in the gents.
"He's hiding," says Anderson. "He's terrified. Be gentle with him."
In 2010, something remarkable has happened to Suede. Nearly 18 years after their debut album became the fastest-selling in British history, and seven years after they split not with a bang but with a whimper, they are, incredibly, the talk of the town. Next month, they release a carefully curated Best Of – Osman says on the phone, later, that Anderson has spent months labouring over it, making his own CDs to discover the best running order. In December, they play the O2, their biggest-ever non-festival show. This is all thanks to a gig they played for Teenage Cancer Trust back in March, preceded by two "practice runs" at London's 100 Club and the Manchester Ritz. At the Royal Albert Hall, they were a revelation: five men in their 30s and 40s playing at full throttle, as if the world was going to cave in once the curtains came down. When they played Metal Mickey, they received a standing ovation that went on for five minutes. Oakes finally enters the room as we discuss it, and smiles shyly when he realises what we are talking about. "I thought someone had walked on stage, or something. It was genuinely unexpected."
"That's the one moment that I'd relive for the rest of eternity," adds Anderson. "And I did actually say on the night – here's your bold quote if you want it – I've taken a lot of drugs in my life and nothing compares to it."
Anderson at Royal Albert Hall, London, in March 2010. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA
Everyone laughs. Suede know who the press expect Anderson to be: the easy-to-parody commuter-belt wordsmith, still in love with suburbs and skylines, nicotine and gasoline. The old dog still deploys flamboyant one-liners – when Gilbert's lost phone turns up in his pocket, for example, he says, "Oh, come on, Simon, this isn't Arthur C Clarke's Mysterious World" – but in 2010, Anderson is much more self-aware. He is, he says, "much less interested in the persona of Brett Anderson", and even has a sense of humour about having a parodist on Twitter, something you couldn't have imagined 15 years ago.
Since Suede broke up in 2003, all the members' lives have changed hugely. As well as making three solo albums and reuniting briefly with Butler as the Tears, Anderson has married and gained a stepson "who likes being read bedtime stories about pirates", and lost a father, who died in 2005. Gilbert moved to Bangkok as soon as the band split, and now drums for two bands called Futon and Goo ("that's G-O-O"); Codling became "a keyboardist for hire" for Natalie Imbruglia, among others; Osman became an editor of the online zine le cool; while Oakes has been working quietly on a new band, Artmagic, though he had not been on stage since Suede played their last note seven years ago.
But then Teenage Cancer Trust came calling. At first, Anderson didn't know whether reforming would be wise. "There were two conflicting voices," he says. "One saying I'd love to play those songs again, I'm really proud of them. Another saying I should leave well alone." He spoke to Osman and Codling, called Gilbert on Skype, then spoke to Oakes – the least convinced party. Oakes stands out from his bandmates in other ways today: he wears a beige jacket and scruffy jeans while the others are stylish in black; he has a receding hairline; and he still looks acutely aware that he filled Butler's shoes, despite co-writing some of Suede's biggest hits. "I was thinking, 'Oh God, can I do it, revisiting the past?' All these emotions, I didn't think I could cope." Osman will also admit late that he had his doubts: "Men in their 40s performing teenage songs … it could have easily gone horribly wrong."
Anderson confirms there were lots of difficult conversations. "But if it had been the wrong thing for one of us, it would have been the wrong thing for all of us. We kept persevering because we knew there was still something there."
To decide once and for all whether a reunion would work, this version of Suede (Oakes joined in 1994, Codling in 1996), went to a tiny rehearsal room near Anderson's house. It was the first time they had played together for 10 years (Codling left the band in 2000 because he was suffering from ME). It was crucial there were no managers or roadies present, explains Anderson, so the five musicians could just drink tea and chat, and then hook up their instruments. They played Filmstar first, and it sounded amazing, he says. "We also noticed a purity in those songs, because we'd had distance from them," adds Codling. "It also helped everyone remember," adds Anderson, "why they were written in the first place."
As the Albert Hall show approached, Osman remembers them discussing how important it was that they present the music free of frills: "It had to be like five boys playing the Southampton Joiners Arms. To hide behind anything would have been cheating. We had to do the opposite."
Anderson felt they had a point to prove, too. "I don't think there's ever been a point in Suede's career when we haven't. We've always had our doubters. We've always polarised opinion." He stops, then smiles. "Although there's part of me that quite likes that, you know. I never wanted to be in someone's fifth-favourite band."
Suede were born to be divisive: from early on, they were criticised for being the beneficiaries of media hype, even though they had spent years in various bands playing "in front of three people". Later on, the fact that Anderson had been involved with Justine Frischmann, who became the frontwoman of Elastica and dated Blur's Damon Albarn, helped transform Britpop into a class-fuelled soap opera, with Blur cast as foppish class tourists, Suede as poor urchins looking at the stars and Frischmann a black-clad princess tearing them apart. Anderson doesn't think about the other Britpop bands now, he says, though he is still close friends with Frischmann, who now lives in LA; they had dinner together with their spouses last year, and he wishes he saw her more often.
By 1994, as Oasis became more popular, it became clear that Suede didn't fit into Britpop any more, even though it was still a year before the scene's commercial apogee. Butler's departure also gave the critics extra fuel for the fire. "They realised that a part of our armour was missing," recalls Anderson. "That was the first time I realised that people often run in packs, and when they smell blood, they attack."
Suede didn't want to run with a herd, though – and their second album, Dog Man Star, was deliberately anti-Britpop for that reason. "We didn't want to wave union jack flags. And I didn't want to talk about my life any more, or include any references about living in London on the dole. It felt weird how they became Britpop references, really, and how quickly they got turned into beery cartoons."
Anderson was also missing the departed Butler. "He's an amazing musician, so I missed him in that sense. And the two first Suede albums were obviously very special." Butler has played a big role in putting together the Best Of, Anderson says. "It was really nice: the two of us sitting together listening to Suede songs in the studio for the first time for nearly 20 years. A really lovely trip down memory lane." Anderson won't go into detail about their friendship, but thinks they made a good album together as the Tears, although they were naive not to realise how much the idea of their reconciliation being a de facto Suede reunion would overshadow it. Butler, though, will have no part of this reformation.
Instead, Suede's current lineup is centred around their most commercially successful spell, one that gets overlooked because of the excitement of their early breakthrough. 1996's Coming Up produced five top 10 singles, and also made Suede famous in Europe and Asia. They all remember that time fondly, Gilbert says: "It was make or break, but also really exciting. We were all waking up each morning not feeling any pressure." Things only went awry with 1999's Head Music. Codling was getting ill, and having to send ideas in by email; Anderson "was off my head on buckets of drugs"; Oakes, whose guitar parts were getting replaced by electronics, was "switching off", he says. "Which I really regret."
By 2002's A New Morning, the band had grown apart, and Anderson was trying to tear Suede's sound into pieces – partly, he now realises, because he didn't want there to be a band any more. "I think that we shouldn't have made that record, quite honestly." He persevered out of sheer bloody-mindedness – wanting to prove to the doubters, once again, that Suede hadn't been a flash in the pan. Instead, the band broke up amicably with a run of full-album gigs at London's ICA, which they nonetheless remember as quiet final flourishes. "We didn't go out the way we had planned," Osman says. "We should've gone out in a blaze of fists in Bangladesh, or something."
Quietness seems inimical to Suede: Anderson misses the danger and fierceness his band used to thrive on. "I do find it weird that the last 10 years hasn't thrown up a new definitive genre. It seems that music is here to placate now, rather than provoke. Maybe a sense of apathy has crept in, or people's lives are too comfortable. No one wants to inspire extremity, as we used to do."
Perhaps sticking around beyond the winter tour would help make this happen, I suggest. The room falls silent as the notion floats around. "At the moment … we don't know," Anderson says finally, making it clear he is the ringmaster. "I think we'd have to be convinced that it would be the right thing to do. You know, has the moment passed, or should we pick at the scab again?"
Next year, after all, he releases another solo record, a big rock-inspired album – although its energy has, he admits, been fuelled by Suede's reunion. And everyone agrees that something has changed in all of them in the wake of the reunion. "The fact it happened 20 years after the band formed – isn't that wonderful? Who's to say it couldn't happen again in the future?" Anderson raises his hands, and his cheekbones gleam in the evening light as it falls through the window. Everyone smiles, and understands. This isn't yesterday's man.
The Best of Suede is released on Ministry of Sound on 1 November.
10 notes
·
View notes
Galaktikon II - Post Lyric Release Analysis
Hello friends! If you follow this blog for Dragon Ball content, avert your eyes from what is about to be a full critique, breakdown, and analysis of my favorite metal album of the last 5 years.
Released on August 26, 2017, Galaktikon II is the 2nd studio album of Galaktikon, combo metal outlet of Brendon Small, Gene Hoglan, and Bryan Beller. I say “combo metal” because what the fuck even is this, other than holy?
At times, melodic death, at times speed metal, at times operatic metal - it’s everything good about all those subgenres and none of the trite or campy elements. This weekend, to celebrate the year’s anniversary of the release, the official lyrics were released to the album - that’s a big deal for a lot of reasons.
See, Galaktikon II is special in another way, too. It’s the unofficial end to the Metalocalypse story. Criminally cancelled before the story could draw to its planned close, fans everywhere have protested, petitioned, spammed, come just this side of rioting... and a certain exec at Adult Swim just can’t be arsed. Small has said in this-side-of-legal ways that Galaktikton II is the true end to Metalocalypse.
But when I listen to it, I hear something else, too. I hear the story of someone who spent 10 years building a world, only to have it burned down by someone else. I hear a love letter to the fans, but also a plea to let the end be the end. To accept that that world is over. From The Ocean Galaktik to Rebuilding a Planet, this is Small’s story, of trying to find the right combination of factors that would force that network to allow him to finish his tale, to his own acceptance of the fact that that will never happen. He has been clear about that in interviews - it’s over, and he’s ready to move on to the next project - the next world - he’s ready to rebuild. In this album, I hear an ask - will you, my friends and fans, come with me to the next?
So, here it is - everything I heard and everything I think about each track on Galaktikon II. SIDENOTE - this review is in the VINYL track order, which is also the “story” listening order. The CD/digital track order will not be followed here, and I really recommend listening to it in the vinyl order only.
1. Some Days Are For Dying
This track picks up right after the end of The Doomstar Requiem. The “Doomstar” is not the same thing as the Dethlights, which is the power that the band gains control of when they get Toki back. There is a huge asteroid or meteor heading for the earth. It’s freaking people out, destroying satellites, causing chaos. It’s being predicted that it will hit the Earth and destroy the planet.
Triton is nearby, but doesn’t appear to want to get involved.
Fuck this, never was my occupation.
He sings, correctly, since he’s not a planet savior but a bounty hunter.
On the Earth, various forces are mobilizing, militarizing, magnetizing. Nathan is still drawn back to the Whale goddess in the sea: The voice in my heart still speaks to me / It beckons me back to the deep. Nathan seems to want her help, for the first time - he doesn’t want the planet to be destroyed and actively wants to seek out that “Right Song” that has been eluded to since season 4. Any gift in this haze that the gods bestow / remove the blindfold, enlighten my soul / Would aide in the poetry I’m to sing.
The Church of the Black Klok is predicting the end of the world. We forsee blackness. We forsee doom.
Both the soldiers in the Falconback project AND the Gears are assembling for a serious battle. Fall in - Fall in - Fall in. (This cadence is echoed in Could This Be the End when Nathan asks the band “Alright?”) Prepare your captains. Prepare your flag. Prepare the battlements. Prepare the bloodied ram.
The song ends with a threat.
I will make you twist and burn. (Nathan)
I have waited, clock must turn. (Halfman)
Who is threatening who? I take it as both the Halfman and Nathan threatening each other, noted above, but it’s the Halfman who gets his say in the next song.
2. Nightmare
Full disclosure, this is my favorite track on the album. Man, this manages to be powerful and sinister even as it touches on a poignant key of sadness.
This song is a soliloquy by the Halfman. He was cursed with this demonic affliction, but says he isn’t the devil - Mephistopheles isn’t me - he sings, though people have made him into the devil. He explains how he died, then came back from the grave... half alive. Half of what he used to be. Based on later tracks, one can infer that Vater Orlaag is who brought him back to life and imbued him with the powers and overall creepiness he displays.
He doesn’t want to let go of the half life he has, but the impending star will change that life into something entirely different. Even while expressing feelings that he was misunderstood and even of fear, he still stands out as a villain. He seems to vascillate in the context of the song between fearsome and fearful. He has, after all, lived this way - waiting to see what would happen - for a very long time.
This cold heart keeps on beating
I’m the darkness you’re feeling.
The delivery of that lyric, at the same time powerful and ominous even as it hints at uncertainty. The song ends with the Halfman’s trademark “we’ll see” sort of sentiment.
I still wait
Time will tell
Falcon flies
Magnetize
3. The Ocean Galaktik
This song, I think, is where Small really gets the most personal on the album. This is the story of both Nathan’s return to the deep to find the music - the right song - and of Brendon’s own quest to release the end of this story, to come to terms with the falling out on the network, and to find the right way to release this music, these songs, and to end this story.
Some hearts will grow cold (The network)
Some of them outshine them all (the fans and the band)
Show love through it all (Small himself)
Breathe through my soul (Release the story the only way he can - through the music.)
Leave this all behind, and look within (stop trying to get the 5th season)
Though we must all die, we don’t all live (Everything has an end, not everyone gets to do 4 seasons + a rock opera on tv, so he’s grateful for what he DID do)
and of course, the obvious: “Could this be what I need to set me free?” Small is asking himself, could this denial from the network, and also this album, be what sets him free from doing the same thing over and over - allowing him to invent and explore?
“I’m ready to serve my planet now.” I also hear the word “storm” laid over “serve” in this lyric. Officially, it’s serve, but Small is a tricksy little minx, so I’m not ruling out storm. In fact, the dual lyric makes the most sense - Brendon is ready to storm the planet with his next project. The “storm” thing comes into play later in the album, too. But also, Nathan, storywise, is ready to serve the planet because after meeting with the Beast Queen (who I think is Abigail but might just be that cool ass whale, who I’ve taken to referring to as the Whale Goddess) he has THE Song.
4. The Agenda
This is, simply, Vater Orlaag and the Halfman programming a poisoned Murderface to do some fucked up shit.
Oh - be anything I want to be?
Oh - is this just a dream?
Oh - give away so willfully
Oh - please carry me away.
These lines are Murderface himself, seeing the immortality and adoration offered by the two villains. Already poisoned, Murderface falls for it.
“Just lock the door, and trap accused. Just flip the switch & light the fuse.”
5. My Name is Murder
Well, yeah, it is. This song describes Murderface luring the rest of the band into a trap where they nearly die. The idea is that when the rest of the band dies, the Dethlights will all flow into him, which I can only assume Orlaag and the Halfman intend to take from him at that point. Murderface runs away after lighting Mordhaus on fire, the Gears chase his ass down though. He thinks about taking his own life. He chooses not to - I interpret this as Murderface himself breaking the possession/poison a bit. The Gears appear to catch him.
6. Exitus
Oh man, if this song doesn’t give you chills, check your fucking pulse.
The rest of the band tries to think of how to cure Murderface. The reason that “there’s gotta be a relationship between the water and” the Halfman based on the fact that water has been protective and healing for the band in the past, and appears to have driven the Halfman out of “the man in green” which I think is General Krozier.
The Gears & the Band take Murderface to the cove from the end of Season 4 and literally fucking drown him. Brutal.
I have always thought this next verse was from the perspective of Ofdensen:
Come back to me.
Blink if you hear me.
You gotta fight to breathe.
Hold my hand - look in my eyes. The klok within your chest gives back your life.
Too soft for Nathan. Anyway, Murderface is cured and comes back to life. Holy shit this bit kills.
You live, you live in your body
You live, you live in your soul
You live, you live in your heart
And we live, we live with you.
And now we stand here believers - a pentagram of black faith.
So Murderface is back with the boys and the Dethlights are powering up again. Next stop? FUCKIN SPAAAAAAACE BOYYYYY
7. Icarus Six Sixty Six
The boys literally go to space? Based on the video for Nightmare, where the whale goddess meets up with Triton, I’m guessing that Triton shows up and is the “UFO” referred to in the lyrics. He helps the boys rig a fucking planet wide sound system like the one in the Dethkones Israel/Palestine episode but EVEN BIGGER. (This is also the current cover photo on the Metalocalypse Facebook as an additional clue.)
Louder than the world believes
Defying physics all perceive!
Shit goes tits up and they end up having to eject from a crash landing on their way back to Earth.
Not now! Eject? Not now! Eject? Not now! Eject? BUT NOWWWWW.
Thanks for helping the boys save the planet, Triton.
8. Become the Storm
Nathan literally uses a planet wide PA system to notify the whole population that the Earth is about to get fucked up royally by the Doomstar - a possessed star with a demon inside it that’s going to take up residence in the Halfman’s body and really, really wreck up the Earth
Nathan inspires people all over the world, civilians and fans and Gears, to unite and “become the storm” that will wipe this evil out.
From the land to the sea
There’s no them - only we!
That might be the warmest thing said on this entire album, not leastwise because I’m starving for some kind of unity in humanity lately. No division here - it’s the people of the planet vs. Orlaag & the Halfman.
Also there are robots on Orlaag & the Halfman’s side. That’s the Falconback project. Robots that will serve them and the demon - literally soulless people who have been mechanically augmented. Bwomp. And also there appears to be some kind of big machine at work - also hinted at in Some Days Are For Dying and later in the album in Could This Be The End?
“We march forth to his throne
We will die for our home.”
The Army of humanity heads for the Halfman. Look out, motherfucker!
9. To Kill a God
Well, the title says it. They’re heading out to kill a god - or really, prevent the birth of a new one. Orlaag and the Halfman are holed up in a snow covered mountain range. The band sends the main wave of soldiers to “dismantle their magnetized machines.”
The sky will part to let the demon soul descend.
Yep. The star is a demon. And it’s coming to chill inside the Halfman’s body. The rest of the song is a battle between the robotic Falconback soldiers and the Storm. Nathan urges them to fight on - “Don’t leave the gods alive.”
10. Could This Be The End?
This song is a fucking rollercoaster. Okay:
The Storm is fighting outside and the band is waiting in place. They turn the Falconback magnetized weapon against the star, trying to destroy it or override the machinery. It, of course, goes tits up. The band decides to use the Dethlights against the Doomstar, even though it will probably kill them.
They form a “pentagram of power” and basically go toe to toe with this fucking demon asshole. They’re willing to die. The machinery is overloading. The star gets nearer and nearer to anchoring in the Halfman.
Oh oh, leave their souls. We were always meant to go.
Let it be one last strike with our sword
Save them
Call the lights
We must die
But we lived our lives
They choose to save the Storm soldiers and all of the planet, opening themselves up completely to the destructive power of the Dethlights.
The Falconback machine explodes.
The demon tries it.
Doesn’t win. Dethlights fuck it up totally.
Because of their bond, their commitment, their pure brutality - the Dethlights are strong enough to repel the demon WITHOUT killing them.
Nathan compels everyone to hold on - “We know that we must die,” he says, “But for now we live! ”
Alright
Alright
Alright
Alright, we live!
He asks each of them and by context gets an affirmative answer.
The song closes with the question - Could this be the end?
11. Rebuilding a Planet
This is totally instrumental, so you know, imagine whatever scenario you want. Do they return to playing music? Do they rule the world? Do Nate and Abigail have the most metal wedding ever? Do Toki and Skwisgaar still pretend to hate each other? Whatever you want “rebuilding” to mean, it can and it does. This, maybe even moreso than The Ocean Galaktik, is truly a love letter to the listener. A gift. An absolute salve on the burn we’d all felt for so many years of unresolved plot line. A promise, that Small isn’t done and Galaktikon will be rebuilt with new stories and new potential. Overall the tone is hopeful, peaceful, soothing - a satisfying goodbye to five goofballs Small loved, and that we all loved, too.
180 notes
·
View notes
Humans Fic: 15 After Zero - 3) Humans Are Red, Synths are Blue
My black boot heels scrape the grainy pavement in a rush to get inside. There is no avoiding it – no matter how swiftly night is falling upon us, the sight of Leo Elster dragging a dead Synth through town is going to bring out stares fiercer than the burning sun. I don’t know where we’re going, but from what I understand, if you want to survive among humans but remain within proximity to Synths, renting a flat on the town boundary line will bring you close enough to the forests, which they have taken over.
My father is gaunt, especially pale under the glow of slivered moon. He doesn’t speak to me, except to direct me occasionally with left or right. Meanwhile, the Synth’s right arm makes a stiff, upside down L across my neck. He isn’t too heavy for me, but I’m also cursedly petite in comparison.
The town walls are within sight, we must be nearly there – but then the roll of cries begins, as high-pitched as opera and as incessant as a lawn mower. I wince at my twinging ears; I hear the words, “Play with your dollies in prison!” and “Go jump in a lake, Elster!”
Leo’s head does not turn, but I’d be happy to do so myself and deck who ever shouted that last blow. Telling someone who’s already drowned in a lake once to do it again is unforgivably redundant.
It turns out I am right about Leo living close to York’s walls. But I expected a proper flat, small, somewhat untidy. Maybe with an emo-looking cat inside. Instead, my father lives in a rusty shed, the size of Stonehenge in a box. When we reach it, he carefully slips out from under the dead Synth’s left arm to dig a small key out from his jeans. While he twists it into the padlock that chains the shed door to a drilled spike in the ground, he says without looking at me, “How’re you holding up with him there?”
My first impulse is to lie so that he’ll hurry up. Honestly, I barely feel weighted down. Not just by this Synth, but by objects in general. It’s one of the less irksome things about being me; I can grab as many books as I want from the library and Mum can get all of the groceries out of the car sooner. Of course, since I’m not allowed to show my freak flag to anyone outside of the safe home that she’s strived to create for me, I have to feign weakness.
And now, for once, I’m away from home and I don’t have to lie about it. Unfazed by my thoughtful silence, Leo, apparently already knowing the answer to the question before he asked it, pulled the door to the shed open and walked into a dark world smelling of paint and dirt. A bit apprehensive, I take slow steps forward, the Synth hanging on my back like a bulky cape of rocks. My father turns around – this time, he does look at me – and says gruffly, “Get him in here so I can turn on the light. And close the door,” he adds as I finish scuffling in. “No one can see what we’re doing.”
And what are we doing? I’ll admit, I haven’t thought so far ahead, as I’ve been in a rare state of shock for most of this day. It has briefly occurred to me that we might be honoring this Synth with a funeral.
This Synth…there were several Synths lying dead on the street from where we took him. We only took one. Why?
Compartmentalising, I hand the Synth off to Leo and do as he says. Once the giant glass bulb dangling from the ceiling is radiating a ghostly white light, I even take a dust-caked line of rope and tie it from the shed handle to a hook on each side.
Leo sees this and nods approvingly, and I look at what he’s done. The body is lying across a table, connected to a computer screen, flickering with coloured coding, stationed above his head. An experiment? Looking down at his subject, I hear an unintelligible curse muttered, and Leo snatches a large pair of shears from the ground behind him.
“Louisa.” I start, the thrill of proof that he knows my name instantly shot down by an order. “Take these, cut his clothes off.”
“What?” I can put up with a lot, but this is weird even for me.
He approaches me, holding out the shears at an angle. “We don’t have time. Just…trust me, okay?”
With a bobblehead’s nod, I accept the shears. An odd look in his eyes, he raises his hand, and it wavers above my hair. No sooner do I realise he’s aiming for an affectionate gesture than he withdraws it and walks away.
My heart sinks. I won’t cry, not for the second time in front of him. Willing my focus to take over, I begin with detachment to cut away the Synth’s khakis.
I remember what Mum says. Have I mentioned yet how he was barely a better boyfriend to her than he is a father to me? I’m not surprised. I’m not. I’m just…disappointed, all the same.
My hands smoothly guide the shear blades up the pant leg. This is alright, I think, until I draw near the more private area. An inexplicable chill touches me – a fear that spreads through my lungs like liquid nitrogen. I hadn’t noticed before, hadn’t put my hands around the legs deep enough, but they are protruding with metal splinters from the thigh down. They have stuck my hands, and now my fingers are smeared with red blood and the same, sick blue of a Synth’s.
I stare, horrified. “No.” I smell something foreign, chemical, like bleach and rubber and metal…my head is high but my feet are down, my head is high but my feet are down.
Leo, who’d been assembling various tool for God knows what reason, looks back at me and yelps. As I shake feebly, my head spinning, he’s whipping a smudged white rag out of a box and running it over to a plastic jug of water. Once the cloth has been dampened and sprayed with a strong-smelling disinfectant soap, he comes over to me and begins roughly rubbing it over my hands.
It stings, and I unwillingly say, “Ow.”
“Sorry.” His eyes roam over me in concern for a pause, then he begins to clean my fingers more gently.
Three minutes later, my fingers are healed but my hands are still an ashy sort of blue. “It’s not coming off,” I quake in a whisper.
“It will,” he promises. He looks me in the eyes now, frowning slightly, as though I am a package he never sent for. “Do you…draw?”
I think I am in a permanent state of confusion with him. But he presses, “With markers? Like, Crayola?”
I shake my head. “The one time I did, I got the ink smeared all over my palms. I haven’t touched them since…”
Oh. I get it.
Giving an affirming nod, my father tells me, “Synth blood will wash completely off in give or take a few hours.”
I breathe freely again. It was such a big reaction for such a small thing, and he doesn’t judge me for it. He doesn’t even ask…
Leo turns back to the Synth. With a perplexing expression still on his face, he says, “I’ll take over. You can have a seat over there.” He flicks his head towards a broken mattress surrounded by wooden crates. Is that where he sleeps? He must read the alarmed look on my face as being residual trauma, because he now asks hesitantly, “Are you going to be okay?”
I nod, probably too many times to be convincing. But I move to the mattress and watch him work. Once the Synth’s clothes are cut off, and there’s nothing left but a nude, busted open android, Leo Elster does something else weird. No, it surpasses weird, because grabbing a pair of metal tweezers and pushing them back into the graft of a dead Synth’s skeletal structure is mental at the very least. Feel like asking him what he’s doing anytime soon? an unkind thought in my head voiced itself.
Almost as though he could hear it, Leo explains suddenly, “He’ll be charging in hibernation mode for a while.” Ducking his head around the light to put a dab of something that seems like silicone glue on the cuts, he goes on talking to me. “When he’s ninety percent he’ll need to be unplugged or it could risk short-circuiting him in this condition.”
Unable to go by without asking any longer, I shake my head. “He’s dead though. Why are you charging a dead Synth?”
Leo sighs, though whether it’s a patient or impatient sigh I have no idea at the minute; I don’t even know him at all. “He’s not going to be dead. I need to patch him up, activate his system, and upload the consci -.”
“Consciousness code,” I finish for him, jaw falling open. “You’re trying to bring him back?”
He was. And judging from his downcast countenance, I sense there’s more to it than to see if he can do it. No, the man I see has lost everything. Why wouldn’t he want to see if he can bring some of it back?
It is quiet for two minutes before Leo finally admits, “With all the Synths being wiped out in this war, it seems like they’ll all go extinct unless I figure this out. Who knows, maybe if they can be rebuilt and rebooted, humans will get tired of trying to kill them.”
Have you met any of them, Dad? I want to ask. But this is a rare moment of disclosure for him, and I know he’s doing it for my benefit.
And I hate to change this subject, but I need to know.
“Did Mum tell you?”
Leo stops applying skin packs to the Synth and puts the equipment aside.
“Tell me what?” he asks, sounding careful.
“About me. About my…sensitivity.”
His lips twitch in a manner that I think might be him trying to form a sad smile for me, but he is too sad even for that. Leo answers, “She wrote to me. Sent pictures. Occasionally asked for my advice, although I was hardly equipped to give any. And yes, she told me. How you feel like your universe is one huge allergy. Everything’s too loud, too bright, the taste of food makes you sick. You have a hard time processing these things because a Synth’s senses are enhanced. And because I did too.”
Am I really having this conversation? Because my mother, bless her, can’t possibly understand what it’s like to be me. And all along, she’s handled my affliction so well because my father told her how it worked.
“Thank you,” I say suddenly.
He blinks, confused. “For what?”
Instead of answering, I stand from the mattress and walk over to the table. “Did she also tell you,” I say very seriously, “that I want to be a doctor?”
And in a case of miracles at work, a small smile is pulled from Leo Elster’s lips. “Would you care to take on your first patient?”
As we begin to trade pliers and surgical knives back and forth, I notice that my fingers are no longer blue. They are no longer red.
They are the result of it – a faint tint of violet.
4 notes
·
View notes
Thanks for the tag @thusatlas I’ve never done one of these. So
How many works do you have on AO3?
16 works, but if you count my collection of drabbles it is 42 (soon to be 61 once I finish updating my Ficlet Snack Pack.
What’s your total AO3 word count?
429863
How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?
Harry Potter mostly, but when I was twelve I wrote Greek God fanfiction but it’s hard to tell what fanfic in that space. I mean, the masterpiece that is Lore Olympus isn’t exactly fanfic, right?
What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
1) Transit of Venus
2) Curse of Fascinus
3) Her Curious Valentine’s
4) Are There Still Beautiful Things
5) Always Being Let Go
Do you respond to comments, why or why not?
I do! Even if it’s just to thank someone and wish them a lovely day. I think the only comments I haven’t responded to are ones like ‘huh?’ or ‘eh?’. I can’t do much with those.
In a very gross way, comments are like laxatives. If you want more shit out of me, shove comments down my throat. My motivation will jump from toodle-doo to PHWOAR if anyone knows or understands what that means.
What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
The Alternate Ending (Tragic) to Transit of Venus.
Transit of Venus was already pretty angsty, but the people wanted to see the most harrowing of the five endings I wrote. So I put on my patent-pending Sob Through Anything glasses (eucalyptus on the nose grip, moisture wicking on the glass) and edited a Romeo + Juliet- style ending.
Do you write crossovers? If so what’s the craziest one you’ve written?
No, but I do write Easter Eggs. Though I do have a plunny to crossover Derry Girls with Harry Potter where the character of James is Harry being sent to Derry for his protection.
It is the only crossover I’ve ever dabbled in and the the couple pages I’ve written are utter madness so I don’t hold out hope I’ll ever publish it..
Oh, but do songfics count? Because then I have LOADS. Mostly Taylor Swift because folklore stole my soul.
Have you ever received hate on a fic?
Yes, my favourite was telling me the entire premise of Transit of Venus was stupid and I should have taken a leaf out of their country’s way of doing things to up population and given tracts of land to couples . Soo... colonialism with implications of people displacement and other more heinous consequences they found preferable to a soul spell.
Do you write smut? If so what kind?
I do write smut. My favourite type of smut to write is romantic, sensual smut. I’m also very much looking forward to writing the smut for my crackfic.
I think my most favourite smut scene I’ve written though is in Her Curious Valentine’s where Theo reads really bad, gratuitous Dramione smut out loud in the company of both Draco and Hermione while they try and ignore him.
I laughed a lot writing that.
Have you ever had a fic stolen?
I honestly have no idea how I’d even check that. But probably not. I doubt anyone would want to take credit for anything I write.
Have you ever had a fic translated?
No, but as an exercise to practice my Te Reo, I occasionally translate passages of my own.
What’s your all time favorite ship?
Dramione. I ‘White Flag by Dido’ Dramione. I stan, simp, ship, fangirl and tresh Dramione. I refuse to feel guilt, only pleasure. Please don’t come for me Ronmione fans, I like Ron, okay? I’m just shit at writing him and just make him say, “Bloody hell!” all the time.
But also Theo with anyone, particularly Harry. Theo is my favourite character because he is almost 100% fanon. He epitomises the Harry Potter fanfic community for me so I have to love him forever and ever.
What's a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
I’m writing a WIP called ‘The Madnesses of Men’ that details seven women’s relationships with the men in their life: The three Black sisters, Pansy, Luna, Ginny and Hermione. Each has a Seven Deadly Sin as the title of their chapter and each has a completely different writing style. Luna’s chapter is entirely poetry. Bellatrix is an exercise of insanity and a stream of consciousness. Narcissa’s is all letters to Andromeda that she never sent.
I would love to finish it because it is something very different for me but I’m struggling to find Pansy and Andromeda’s voices. Le sigh, maybe one day. (But let’s be honest, it’ll never happen.)
What are your writing strengths?
Humour - I have a knack for gargling up ridiculous scenarios when I’m brushing my teeth, giggling maniacally like a calcium-deficient vampire while frothing at the mouth with reckless abandon. I put these scenarios in my writing and it goes over well.
Angst - People tell them I make them cry and have been known to punch the heart’s out of people’s bodies so I thank them and wish them a nice day. I once exacerbated someone’s chronic pain condition (which I still feel soul-crushingly guilty about) and was asked to reiterate the ‘Heartbreak’ tag on a fic. I guess that means I’m good at it. Sorry again to that reader!
Trope Twists - My favourite thing to write are twists on tropes. I enjoy finding new ways to tell old stories. Stay tuned for my take on the ‘Unexpected Pregnancy’ theme coming soon.
What are your writing weaknesses?
Run-on sentences - I have a tendency to, more often than not, plug in far too many words which I think stems from some sort of childhood instinct that if I kept talking and talking then my sister won’t find out I drank all her juice and accidentally threw it back up on her favourite Skydancer.
Sticking to my plotting/theme - This has happened a lot. Incandescent was supposed to be a cottagecore, cute, fluffy romance Theomione. Now it is a sprawling space opera where Hermione has fought a god, has learned another version of herself will either save/destroy the entire world (not to mention Atlantis) and rescued a star after it was eaten by a black hole. Oh, and it takes place over one weekend.
The Absolute and Total Defeat of One Draco Malfoy had been fully plotted out for twenty-two chapters. It only took three for me to completely deviate. But it’s a crack fic, so it felt inevitable
The montage/transition pieces - I hate writing the banal parts between plot points. And I hate it because I’m really bad at it. I either skip over it too much or get bogged down in too many details.
What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
I personally like reading dialogue in other languages. If used in a way that makes sense. Especially if the fic is set somewhere that doesn’t speak English, I like to learn a little of the setting’s language to immerse myself.
I tend to use use other languages sparingly in my own writing. Mostly because I don’t want to get it wrong and when I try, I end up in four hour long research holes of the best way to say ‘Hello’.
What was the first fandom you wrote for?
Ancient Greek mythology, I think. If it can be counted. Would that make ‘The Iliad’ or ‘The Odyssey’ fanfic? Oh gods, I’m going to obsess over this for days now.
What’s your favourite fic that you’ve written?
Transit of Venus because it taught me a lot, though I feel like I best nailed the setting I was going for in Are There Still Beautiful Things. The Absolute and Total Defeat of One Draco Malfoy always cheers me up.
But if I complete it and start posting (which I am DETERMINED to do, I WILL finish it before I start posting), I think my favourite will be my new WIP: What’s Owed When.
Tagging: @ohlenalena @megamegaturlte
1 note
·
View note
best musical theatre songs playlist
13
opportunity
tell her
a little more homework
brand new you
25th annual putnam county spelling bee
magic foot
my unfortunate erection
woe is me
the i love you song
the addams family
pulled
just around the corner
crazier than you
aladdin
arabian nights
friend like me
prince ali
amélie
times are hard for dreamers
sister’s pickle
stay
annie
maybe
it’s the hard-knock life
tomorrow
anything goes
it’s de-lovely
anything goes
assassins
gun song
the ballad of czolgosz
another national anthem
avenue q
the internet is for porn
you can be as loud as the hell you want
beauty and the beast
home
be our guest
if i can’t love her
the book of mormon
hello!
you and me
turn it off
i believe
tomorrow is a latter day
the bridges of madison county
another life
always better
bring it on: the musical
what i was born to do
killer instinct
eva’s rant
cabaret
willkommen
maybe this time
so what?
cabaret
catch me if you can
live in living color
jet set
fly, fly away
cats
old deuteronomy
memory
chicago
all that jazz
cell block tango
we both reached for the gun
mister cellophane
razzle dazzle
company
you could drive a person crazy
the ladies who lunch
being alive
crazy for you
i can’t be bothered now
someone to watch over me
i got rhythm
they can’t take that away from me
dear evan hansen
waving through a window
if i could tell her
you will be found
to break in a glove
only us
dogfight
pretty funny
first date / last night
dreamgirls
and i am telling you i’m not going
ain’t no party
the fantasticks
soon it’s gonna rain
they were you
finding neverland
believe
when your feet don’t touch the ground
fun home
welcome to our house on maple avenue
come to the fun home
changing my major
ring of keys
flying away
funny girl
i’m the greatest star
don’t rain on my parade
grease
greased lightnin’
there are worse things i could do
you’re the one that i want
guys and dolls
a bushel and a peck
sit down, you’re rockin’ the boat
hairspray
good morning baltimore
the nicest kids in town
i can hear the bells
you can’t stop the beat
hamilton
you’ll be back
satisfied
guns and ships
burn
who lives, who dies, who tells your story
heathers: the musical
candy store
dead girl walking
seventeen
lifeboat
kindergarten boyfriend
hedwig and the angry inch
sugar daddy
angry inch
in the heights
in the heights
breathe
96,000
blackout
everything i know
into the woods
prologue: into the woods
it takes two
on the steps of the palace
witch’s lament
no one is alone
the king and i
main title
hello, young lovers
getting to know you
we kiss in a shadow
shall we dance?
kinky boots
the history of wrong guys
not my father’s son
everybody say yeah
hold me in your heart
the last five years
still hurting
a summer in ohio
legally blonde the musical
omigod you guys
what you want
positive
so much better
legally blonde
les misérables
i dreamed a dream
castle on a cloud
on my own
one day more
do you hear the people sing?
the lion king
circle of life
be prepared
can you feel the love tonight
the little mermaid
part of your world
poor unfortunate souls
beyond my wildest dreams
little shop of horrors
mushnik and son
finale ultimo
little women - the musical
five forever
astonishing
mamma mia
mamma mia
dancing queen
matilda the musical
naughty
telly
when i grow up
quiet
revolting children
monty python’s spamalot
find your grail
always look on the bright side of life
his name is lancelot
the music man
ya got trouble
seventy six trombones
sincere
my fair lady
wouldn’t it be loverly
i could have danced all night
i’ve grown accustomed to her face
natasha, pierre and the great comet of 1812
no one else
newsies
carrying the banner
that’s rich
seize the day
santa fe
king of new york
next to normal
everything else
perfect for you
i am the one
superboy and the invisible girl
light
oliver!
where is love?
consider yourself
once on this island
waiting for life
mama will provide
phantom of the opera
think of me
angel of music
the phantom of the opera
the music of the night
all i ask of you
pippin
no time at all
i guess i’ll miss the man
rent
seasons of love
light my candle
another day
la vie boheme
take me or leave me
rodgers + hammerstein’s cinderella
impossible
ten minutes ago
the secret garden
a girl in the valley
the girl i mean to be
wick
hold on
how could i ever know?
seussical
oh, the thinks you can think
notice me, horton
shrek the musical
i know it’s today
morning person
the ballad of farquaad
freak flag
something rotten!
god, i hate shakespeare
right hand man
a musical
the black death
hard to be the bard
songs for a new world
i’m not afraid of anything
stars and the moon
the sound of music
sixteen going on seventeen
my favorite things
the sound of music
south pacific
bloody mary
you’ve got to be carefully taught
spring awakening
mama who bore me
the bitch of living
totally fucked
the song of purple summer
thoroughly modern millie
thoroughly modern millie
the speed test
what do i need with love
gimme gimme
[title of show]
die vampire, die!
a way back to then
nine people’s favorite thing
waitress
opening up
when he sees me
bad idea
i didn’t plan it
she used to be mine
the wedding singer
it’s your wedding day
west side story
america
tonight
i feel pretty
wicked
the wizard and i
what is this feeling?
popular
defying gravity
no good deed
the wild party
maybe i like it this way
the life of the party
the will rogers follies
our favorite son
wonderland
the mad hatter
once more i can see
2 notes
·
View notes
If You Like Strawberry YooHoos
For the RvB Fluff Week ( @rvbficwars). Original prompt from @secretlystephaniebrown: “ Fluff Week: Donut decides that Sarge needs a date, and sets out to find him one.”
Warnings: Canon-typical shenanigans
Characters: Sarge, Donut, others mentioned
Word Count: 854
Summary: Donut tries to find Sarge a date online... and the response is not what he was expecting.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to put anything else down?” Donut asks. He frowns at the slip of paper he’s been using to take notes. So far he has:
-Shotgun
-Robots
-Strawberry YooHoos
“Hmph.” Sarge crosses his arms and thinks for a moment. “Ah, yes! Killing Grif! Preferably with my shotgun! But I’m not opposed to grenades. Or good ol’ hand to hand combat!”
Donut sighs and scribbles Killing Grif on the paper.
“It’s a start, I suppose!” he declares, standing up and skipping out of the room. Sarge calls something after him, but Donut doesn’t (want to) hear him. He’s much too excited!
They’ve been relaxing in the break room all morning—well, Donut’s been relaxing. Sarge is still clad in his power armor, despite the war on Chorus being over for weeks now.
Kimball was nice enough to send them all to this enormous moon so they could finally have some peace and quiet.
‘Peace’ and ‘quiet’, however, don’t seem to be in Sarge’s vocabulary, and he’s been really down since the war ended. The poor guy doesn’t know what to do with himself!
And it doesn’t help that Simmons, who’s usually attached to Sarge at the hip, has been spending most of his time with Grif these days.
So, Donut decided to find Sarge a new Simmons—or, better yet, a date.
Of course, he hasn’t told Sarge his plan yet. He thinks it’ll be better as a surprise—setting up a blind date, tricking Sarge into showing up, watching them hit it off instantly… Just like in the movies!
When he gets back to his room, Donut lights a few candles—to set the mood—and plops himself down in front of his computer.
Next step: set up Sarge’s Sidewindr profile.
The first question asks Donut for a name, and his fingers freeze over the keys.
Name? Name… name…
Donut shrugs and types ‘Colonel’ for the first name, ‘Sarge’ for the last name. Username: SuckItBlue.
Birthday is next, and Donut enters June 12. Donut prides himself on being a great judge of age, but he honestly has no idea about Sarge, other than he’s certainly getting up there. So, he just sets the year to put Sarge at an even 50.
He ends up having to guesstimate the majority of the information.
“Gosh, Sarge sure is a secretive guy!” he says to himself.
Under “Hobbies”, Donut enters War, Shotguns, Robotics/Cyborgs, Soap Operas, Pyrotechnics, and, after a moment’s thought, Explosions and Monologuing.
It’s an odd list, to be sure. Most people would be worried about Sarge’s prospects, but Donut’s not one for pessimism. Besides, it’s the universe, there’s got to be someone out there for Sarge!
Last, but not least, is the personal quip:
Seasoned, ruggedly handsome War Hero seeking that special someone to help fight the good fight. Enjoys shotguns, capture the flag, impromptu surgeries, and the occasional strawberry YooHoo. Interested parties must have a general mistrust of gravity. Spanish is not required but is preferred.
When he’s finished Donut uploads Sarge’s profile, scoots away from his desk, and leaves the website to work its magic.
**
“I just don’t understand it!” Donut crosses his arms and glares at his computer.
It’s been three days, and Sarge still has no hits on Sidewindr. Donut wishes it was more like Basebook. Basebook is easy—you know someone, you add them as a pal, and they add you as a pal. That’s that.
There’s an entire universe out there, there’s got to be someone out there for Sarge!
Then, as if in answer, Donut’s computer pings.
There’s a little red ‘1’ over the messages icon.
“Oh. My. God.” Donut clicks on the icon.
From: PrettyInPurple
Good morning!
Now I know this is not the Colonel Sarge, hero of Chorus, and for the life of me I cannot fathom why anyone would attempt to impersonate him and potentially sabotage our relationship!
Whoever created this account had better delete it immediately, or I’ll have the CPD cybersecurity division on you so quickly you will wish you had never discovered technology, let alone Sidewindr!
Have a great day! :D
~Dr. Emily Grey
Donut’s never been afraid of dying. He’s survived a grenade to the face and a bullet to the chest, for goodness’s sake—he’s full of holes.
Today, though?
If there’s one person in the entirety of space Donut’s afraid of, it’s Emily Grey.
He doesn’t hesitate. Donut deletes the account and almost shoots his computer, but he decides against it.
This calls for something more drastic.
He looks over his shoulder to make sure no one is watching. His door is open, and it wouldn’t do to be caught in the middle of the act!
Whistling, he traipses over to his bedside table, where he’s arranged his scented candles.
In one sweeping motion, he knocks all seven candles off the table.
“I think it’s time for a swim!” he says to no one in particular.
As he leaves, he casts one final glance at his room. It’s a shame—he had those drapes custom ordered!
Oh, well!
Better safe than sorry.
69 notes
·
View notes
Consider the Following 2.5/3
Title: Consider the Following
Author: whimzea
Pairing: Zane/Heath
Summary: Heath refuses to move into Zane’s bedroom, and Zane cannot figure out why.
Also up on AO3 here. (ha almost the last one :P)
*****
Zane had never felt so miserable or pathetic in his entire life.
He had spent the past week doing everything he could to get Heath to talk to him, but Heath had ignored every knock on his bedroom door, text, call, Facetime, Snapchat, Twitter & Instagram DM, sticky note on his bathroom mirror, note on his windshield….
“You forgot carrier pigeon. And a tin can telephone. Ooh, what about a telegram?” Matt suggested sarcastically. They were sitting on the balcony, drinking coffee, and Zane had just finished telling his sad tale. “We could go across the street, get the construction workers to stay late at night, and use flashlights to message him in Morse code through his bedroom window.”
“Ughh,” Zane groaned. He put his head in his hands. “Stop. Please.”
“No, you stop,” Matt replied, pointing a finger at him. Apparently, Matt’s patience for this sort of thing was thin.
“Obviously, he doesn’t want to talk about it right now. He needs some space. You just need to chill the fuck out.” Matt took a sip of his coffee. “Let’s go to Six Flags. Let’s go on a hike. Let’s do something that doesn’t involve either a: vlogging, which you’ve been doing like crazy all week, or b: obsessing over Heath.”
“I could still do both of those things at Six Flags,” Zane pointed out, and Matt rolled his eyes.
“You could, but you won’t. Because I won’t let you.” Matt put a hand on Zane’s shoulder. “I know you feel guilty, like you fucked up, and sure, you did, a bit-”
“Wow, thanks for the pep talk,” Zane cut in.
“-but honestly, it seems like there’s more going on here that we just don’t know about. Sure, you hurt his feelings, but you were just really angry, and you’ve apologized. He knows you’re sorry. You’ve got to wait for him now,” Matt finished.
“But what if I wait forever?” Zane asked, his voice tragic. Matt looked like he wanted to slap him.
“Jesus, Zane, did you grow a vagina in the past week? Actually, that’s insulting to women, because you just sounded more like an aging soap opera character than a real woman.” Matt shook Zane’s shoulder. “Get ahold of yourself. Heath does still, you know, live here, so it’s not like you’re never going to see him again.”
Matt stood up. “Let’s go do something. Like, food. Food first. Please.”
Zane sighed. “Okay, fine. Let me just...text him one more time.”
“Zane, no. For the love of God. Stop.”
“Just one more,” Zane promised, his thumbs already moving over the keyboard.
Matt threw his arms up. “I give up.”
*****
Heath’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He knew who it was before he even looked at the text.
I miss you.
Jesus, Zane was really turning into a girl.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket and shut his laptop, rubbing his eyes. He was at a cafe in North Hollywood, editing the video he had just shot with Dom. The coffee he was drinking sucked. He wanted K’s so bad, but it was weird to go there without Zane, and... he, apparently, was also turning into a girl.
It was funny, because not wanting to turn into a girl was the reason this had all started in the first place.
When Zane had first suggested that they officially share a room, the “no fuckin’ way” had come out of his mouth before he had even had a chance to think about it. The reaction was just automatic, straight from his gut. He had no idea why he felt the way he did.
For weeks he didn’t know, although he came up with plenty of excuses- none of which he felt very strongly about.
It wasn’t until he was on the phone with his brother one night that it all became a little more clear.
“Oh man, you remember Jessica, that girl I used to date? The brunette, big tits? Well, I saw her working the cash register at CVS the other day, and she looked awful. Like, hit by a truck or something. I didn’t go to her line, of course, but she was a total bitch to the customer she had. It actually put me in a better mood, though, knowing I’m not stuck with her anymore.”
Heath did remember Jessica. Jessica, at one time, had been the apple of his brother’s eye. Heath remembered him bringing her home for dinner, and talking about her, all the time.
They had started off as roommates in one of those typical early 20-something living situations, where way too many people were crammed into a too tiny living space. They had become friends quickly, since they both were big potheads, but it took some time for a real relationship to develop.
When it did, it was serious- so serious that Heath’s brother, who had vowed never to leave the party house, started saving up so they could get an apartment, just the two of them. In the meantime, Jessica had swapped rooms with his roommate, so they could share.
Heath remembered the break-up vividly. His brother had been devastated. He had left the party house and moved back home, spending hours alone in his room. It had been scary, seeing him so depressed. The kid had lost almost twenty pounds, and had started smoking cigarettes again. He didn’t talk to anyone. He didn’t do anything he enjoyed. He was basically a fucking shell of a person.
It had been a huge relief when his brother had finally started to recover. It wasn’t until long after the fact that Heath felt he could ask what had happened.
“Long story,” his brother said, shaking his head. “But I know it all went downhill once she moved into my room.”
“But you were dating- wouldn’t you want her to be in your room?” Heath had asked.
“It’s fine, I guess, when you have a whole apartment together. But when you only have one space of your own, and you have to share that one space, it’s really fucking rough. All these little things you never noticed before that annoy the fuck out of you start to pop up. And you try to talk about it, but you can’t, because you’re doing the same thing to them. For us, it just fucking snowballed, and she turned into a huge bitch. A hurtful, vengeful bitch.”
Heath had laid in bed after the phone call, his stomach churning. It wasn’t a relief to finally understand why he had been so resistant to Zane’s suggestion. Because all he could think about was what had happened to Jessica and his brother, happening to him and Zane. Starting to hate each other. Breaking up. Becoming depressed and miserable. Never seeing each other again.
That couldn’t happen.
But Heath also couldn’t tell Zane all of this, either. The thought made him cringe. Because it wasn’t rational. He knew this. He and Zane were two totally different people from his brother and Jessica. But he couldn’t get past it. He couldn’t shake the fear.
So Heath had been avoiding the topic, making up excuses, and going along as they had been, hoping Zane would give up.
But Zane hadn’t. And when Zane had said that shit on the balcony, about putting his only financial contribution to better use...that had stung. It sort of made him forget all of the other stuff.
It wasn’t a secret that Zane was pulling in more money. He had more subscribers, more influence. And because of this, he often picked up the tabs that Heath just couldn’t.
But on the flipside, they had agreed months ago to pool their finances. And- and this was the important part, the part that had made Heath so angry- Zane could not have gotten where he was now without Heath.
Without Heath, there were no Zane and Heath vines. Without the vines, there was no Youtube, no Coffee Talk, no collabs, no merch, no anything.
Heath knew that Zane worked hard- yes, he could admit it, harder than he did. But that was changing, now that he was working on his own channel. He was putting in more and more hours, and it was paying off. And it hurt that Zane hadn’t noticed. That he thought that Heath was pissing away money, that he was some dumb kid.
But if Zane really thought that, why would he have been so crazy trying to get in touch with him this week? But what if Zane only wanted them back on good terms for the content? Did he care about money, or Heath? Before this room thing, he had been so sure of everything. Now, he was sure of absolutely nothing.
He took out his phone again.
I miss you.
It sucked sleeping alone, after months of having Zane’s warm body next to him at night. It sucked not being able to sneak kisses in the kitchen or the hallway. But it really sucked not even having their friendship- the jokes, the hanging out.
Heath had been worried about them breaking up if they shared a room. But was this really any different? Was all this doubt, hurt feelings, and general shittiness any better?
He knew it wasn’t. But he also didn’t know how to move forward. Was too afraid to clear the air, in case what was left behind was just a disaster.
Heath took a breath. He just missed Zane so fucking much.
He read Zane’s texts. He opened the SnapChats. He read the DMs, and listened to the voicemails.
Zane was frantic, apologetic, emotional. But he never really explained himself.
Heath would give Zane a chance. And if it ended badly, well...at least he hadn’t been a pussy.
11 notes
·
View notes
Shockwave Pt.2
I have to start off by saying that had this been the actual series finale I would be rip-shit pissed at the lack of any connection between Sharon and Andy in this episode, and by the fact that Rusty was given three personal scenes as well as all his scenes at the LAPD. Why do we have to see so much more of Rusty than we do of Andy or Provenza? Both G.W and Tony have higher billing than Graham and both Andy and Provenza are far more interesting.
I have already posted my ire over the Gusty scenes in this episode so I will not rehash it…much. But suffice it to say, it pretty much sucked that in an episode that might have been the last time we got to spend time with these characters there were no personal connections, other than Rusty and Gus. Hard to believe this would have been the shows finale and the main couple didn’t have any moving or touching moments.
1. Chaos after the bomb goes off-I cut the writers some slack last week when we had a dumbfounded reaction from Andy because the guy was in shock. However, as the scene continued, I would have thought we might have gotten some kind of reaction. Even just Andy saying under his breath “Come on Sharon, where are you?” Something to show us that his gut is clenching with the realization that he might have lost the woman he loves. At least we did get the tiniest slump of relief when he saw and heard that everyone was okay.
2. Lack of any kind of emotion or relief between Sharon and Andy-Back at the LAPD there are Sharon and Andy questioning the sisters without having had any kind of connection between the two since the bombing. No one is expecting some big soap opera hug and tears, but a simple, “thank God you’re all right” from Andy, or Sharon walking off the elevator to see Andy standing there and giving him a reassuring smile and saying “I’m okay, really”. You know SOMETHING to show us that this is a couple who love each other and are worried about each other. It doesn’t have to be huge or overblown, sometimes simple is best. But we don’t even get that.
3. Winnie- Interesting. Guess Pope heard about what was going on with Winnie and no longer trusted her, making Fritz switch places with her. What a difference watching Fritz and Sharon working respectfully together, banging ideas off each other and listening and absorbing everything the team was throwing at them. They were all working together as one while when Winnie was around it was a completely adversarial interaction, with Winnie working against them rather than with them. I think it is pretty apparent why she didn’t get the job.
4. Andy has learned how to work it to get what he wants- Way back when, Andy would have gone to Sharon and demanded to be allowed back in the field. Now he is taking it slow, going up the chain of command. Provenza is his immediate supervisor so he talks to him first. Not to mention, who is going to be easier to convince, Provenza or Sharon who is not only worried about him as a member of her team but as the man she loves? Once he convinces Provenza, the two of them can offer a stronger case to Sharon.
3. Gusty scene 1-This is a side of Gus that is really quite unattractive. Rusty was trying to be reasonable--hard to believe I‘m actually defending Rusty. Gus‘s attitude of, because of you I’m not going to take the job, thanks a lot for ruining my life and making me stay here in my pathetic little job. I’ll make sure to remind you of everything you made me give up every day of your selfish life, is just so petty and unbecoming. Then telling Rusty he better get accepted to a law school in LA because if Rusty wants to stay in LA they are going to STAY in LA. WTF. Who the hell does he think he is? If any guy came at me with that, I’d kick him right to the curb. He has no right to tell Rusty where he can and cannot go to school. Honestly, I would look at that kind of controlling behavior as a red flag warning.
4.Sharon-Sharon always looks gorgeous, but she looked extra beautiful tonight. Her hair and make up were perfect and she was back to wearing fitted clothing again. No more baggy jackets.
5. The middle half hour-For what they thought was going to be a series finale, there was sure a lot of boring questioning going on for a long time. You would think if this was going to be it there would have been a lot more character interaction with it being the last time they would all be together.
6. “You found someone you can’t buy.” “Well you’d know more about that”--Aiden Reed is a prick and Gus is a prick for having discussed something that is so personal to Rusty with him. Sounds like Gus is pretty passive- aggressive, not saying anything to Rusty but whining and complaining to Aiden. I am not saying that Rusty isn’t selfish or that he isn’t needy or insecure at times, but just how is it being needy and childish to want to continue with his education and his internship before heading off to law school. This wasn’t about Rusty telling Gus he couldn’t go to Napa it was about Rusty saying he wasn’t ready to drop everything to go off to Napa with him. It was a mature, grown up decision.
7. Andy going after the killer-It was nice to get to see Andy have this moment. He didn’t just go off like some kind of vigilante. He did it the right way, making sure he had back up. Poor guy though, there he stood looking down on another bomb going off on Sharon. Love the way he smacked the killer on the side of the head with his gun in fury over what he had done but that he was also able to restrain himself from shooting him, though I loved his “I should have shot you.”
So why did Andy call Provenza, not Sharon? As some have said, he knew Ortiz was on the phone with Sharon so he would not be able to reach her. At least he did urgently ask about her. It was so cute how Provenza had his arm protectively over Sharon. I’ve always seen him as a sort of father figure or big brother to her and the way he handed the phone right to her after Andy asked about her. He knew Andy would need to hear for himself that she was okay. And of course, after all that happened she was more worried about him, “Andy what you are doing over there” LOL.
8. The Break Up-I’m glad Rusty told Gus he should go to Napa, though I don’t remember him ever saying Gus couldn’t go to Napa, Gus just decided not to go because Rusty said he wouldn’t go. As much of a jerk as Aiden was, Rusty was able to see through him just how unhappy Gus is in their relationship and how much he’d been hiding from Rusty. And Rusty obviously has not been very happy either. It sucks to be living with constant worry and jealousy when you don’t trust your partner--and now we can see that Rusty had real reason to be worried. As much as I liked Gus in the beginning I think the break up was a good idea. Neither is happy.
9. Commander Raydor! --The one really good scene in the whole episode. What a great moment. Mary played the hell of it. Her “Oh no” look at Fritz and her reluctance to follow him down the hall to the Asst. Chief’s office--so afraid she had gotten the job. Then her sheer delight and relief at finding out that Leo Mason got it and she was going to be able to keep the job she loves without any interference from Winnie Davis. Then when Mason calls her commander and gives her the stars, oh my, the tears welling in her eyes, the disbelief. She had been promised that title so long ago and to keep from being bitter about it she’d had to completely let go of the idea, so when it did happen it was a complete shock. I think Pope knows Sharon should have been made a commander a long time ago, and she was probably the one that should have been named Asst. Chief except that Mason is a commander while she is a captain so it would be strange to promote her over him. Also, I think Sharon was probably honest about being really happy in MC. Not to mention I think Sharon kind of scares Pope. She is smarter than he is and she does not back down to him. And she also sees him for who he really is. Therefore, he gets Mason as Asst. Chief and he does the right thing by Sharon finally making her a commander. And we get to be done with Winnie Davis.
So, about this possibly having been the final episode--- Duff said they had to change the ending when they heard they were renewed, so what did they change? I have a feeling that had they not been renewed Sharon would have been made Asst. Chief and Rusty might have gone off to Napa with Gus. I do wish he had gone off to Napa, then we could come back next season and focus on the interesting characters and Andy and Sharon might be given the chance to have a few conversations and romantic moments without being interrupted.
28 notes
·
View notes
Hi! I saw your post about Nashville and wanted to address the whole killing off Rayna thing. I felt the same way but then read an interview the writers did. They tried every thing to make it so Rayna wasn't killed off. Connie herself even didn't want to kill her off and said she would stay around a little longer if it meant they didnt have to. BUT if you think about it Rayna wouldn't just leave Deacon and the girls. There was really no situation where she would go other than death. It sucks.
I read those interviews. I read them all. And then I laughed hysterically. Before I say anything, let it be known that Connie Britton is the #1 reason why I watched this show. I’m still an enormous fan of hers and I will follow her career wherever it goes.
I loved Friday Night Lights and I loved Tami Taylor. But I loved Rayna Jaymes a little bit more. And long before I even watched Nashville, (lbr, the commercials didn’t look like anything I’d like I’m not a fan of catty drama, or girls against girls, or basically soap operas), I knew this show was about Rayna and Juliette. That’s how it’s set up. So when I was convinced to watch it mid season three by a friend whose opinion I value immensely, I was hooked because of Rayna. But season four was the kind of horrific disaster that this show didn’t deserve. Maddie’s rebellion? No teenage girl is that extreme. Constantly juggling Scarlett and Gunnar with the most poorly written storylines I’ve ever seen? Yawn. Sidelining the only queer character? Unfair. Having Juliette go back and forth constantly? STAHP. Nashville could’ve gone in such a beautiful direction with the right amount of drama but nope, it went from one ridiculous cringeworthy storyline to another and then it got cancelled. That’d raise a red flag wouldn’t it? People were no longer interested in a show that had no idea what it was doing.
But these fans. Oh my God! The best fandom I’ve ever had the pleasure of writing for. I may have met some of my favorite people in the world because of the Once fandom, but collectively, no fandom is kinder than the Nashville fandom. That said, they rallied. They petitioned. And CMT heard. AMAZING. And for the most part, I was loving this season, but who in their right mind would think ah, yes the fans will be pleased with the lead character getting killed off? Nope. If Connie Britton wasn’t down with more than 10 episodes, no problem, finish the show off with 10 more episodes giving the fans the final season they deserved. Five season is pretty damn solid and for a drama, it’s frankly enough. (Hello FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS! I don’t know a single person that has watched that show and didn’t love every part of it.)
Because the reality is, these actors are so talented and they should all spread their wings by now. Now, they want to continue? Okay, cool. Yes Rayna would never leave her husband and kids. Put her in a coma. People can come out of comas. Put a wax figure of Connie Britton have everyone visit. Have them pray. Have them sing. Have them hope and fall and believe. And then by the final two episodes once they realize they’re done, bring her back. Give a nice epilogue, problem solved. Let her be a once in a lifetime case. This show is unrealistic enough at times where that’s believable. But c’mon this show wasn’t going to go for 10 seasons anyway. No drama should be allowed to do that, it kills it.
And now just for a second imagine if this was the final season. Imagine that album Deacon and Rayna were working on and imagine it actually being released as it is -- not as a soundtrack, but as that album along with a soundtrack. Imagine the revenue. Imagine how amazing the show would be to have this album by its characters. People would actually buy it. I’d buy like 10 copies and force all my country hating friends to listen because fun fact, @teddiebearalice (my friend who suggested the show to me) isn’t a country fan. So the show was already winning. Plus, imagine that final soundtrack. Give me Juliette’s gospel soundtrack, I’d buy that in a heartbeat and make my entire church listen. BRING BACK THE MUSIC AND GO OUT WITH THE BANG.
It was possible, my friend. It was. And nothing has ever been more unfair to fans than this. (Also just an FYI if this sounds like I’m attacking you, I swear I’m not. I just get super heated about this topic. I hope you have an exquisite day!)
29 notes
·
View notes
Blind Reaction to Steven Universe ep. “Room for Ruby”
And after one month of doing nothing, Steven finally rescues the Rubies.
Let’s see how it goes.
- Raven and Lauren, now there’s a couple of boarders you don’t see together often. Weird choice, if you ask me - the two have wildly different artstyles.
- “Close your eyes” “...” “All of them~” say what you want about Zuke, but I love their jokes
- “What is yor wish for” no Steven you’ll ruin the wish D:
- “I wished for another shooting star so that you could make a wish” awwwwwww
- (I miss proper Garnet/Steven bonding episodes like Future Vision :( )
- oh hi navy nice of you to drop exactly on the footsteps of steven’s house, guess he didn’t need to remember after all
- also the way you fell from space without a scratch could make Sonic blush, way to go
- “all of the Rubies are mean to me” but... but the Rubies don’t have a mean bone in their body (no joke intended) D: especially Leggy D: I don’t even see Eyeball being that much mean to her...
- “Oh stop” garnet no you stop being so cute
- “There’s a star to wish on!” I mean... she’s not wrong...
- So the barn’s essentially become a shelter for semi-CGs. ... can you imagine cramming Jasper and Bismuth in there? (and Centipeetle, if she changes side after being uncorrupted?)
- oh my god LAPIS’ FACE I WANT THAT ON A POSTER
- “We’ve been awful to her, she must hate us!” Of course, the person who has a huge problem with grudges, both hers and against her, wouldn’t understand a carefree person like Steven and Navy.
- “Life on Earth is really confusing, it took me a long time to get used to it. I’m still getting used to it.” As much as I love hearing Lapis talking about her experience on Earth... honey, you’ve been spending your months watching a cheesy soap opera and making meep morps. I don’t think we have seen you doing that much else involving Earth. (and this is what happens when you develop offscreen)
- Although maybe the confusing part for her is the same thing that gave Peridot so much trouble in the beginning: there are no “rules” on Earth. We still don’t know where Lapis fits in the hierarchy of Gems (I do think she’s pretty high, given her pride and the implications she’s the one that creates Kindergartens), and her views on Pearls, defective Gems and perma-Fusions (or even cross-Fusions, as she was imprisoned roughly in the same period Garnet was born and nobody else was used to Fusions like her). She was kinda dismissive of Pearl in The New Crystal Gem, so I’m very interested. But, again, offscreen development.
- “This will be great, I just know it!” steven what’s with you and jinxing things
- I expected the “Canadian” flag on the blackboard, but the chicken is a nice callback.
- “It’s where... a bunch of bad stuff happened.” Now the question is, is the talking about the stuff that happened to her, or the Gem War in general?
- “What is rain?” oh yeah, they don’t have water on Homeworld
- I need more wet haired Peridot in my life
- ok but where did you get that beautiful alien umbrella Peridot
- “Yeah, no kidding” uh...? Is Lapis jealous of how fast Navy is accepting and loving Earth?
- You know, I’m halfway through the episode, and I just realized they still aren’t trying to save the Rubies. One of them just coincidentally fell down the sky, and now they’re busy trying to turn her into a CG ally, basically. Weird.
- Also I don’t like how Navy really fell two steps away from the guys who tricked her twice and blasted her off into space. Either she did it on purpose, or this is exceptionally contrived writing. (I like the idea of Navy being secretly a manipulative bitch. Must be a trait of Gems with their gemstones on the navel!)
- “It’s where I sleep. I don’t have to do it, but I like to do it” I was just saying “and the parallels between Lapis and Amethyst keep growing”, then I realized this might be a sign of depression, sleeping more than you need to. And now I’m sad.
- Lapis snorts and snores. My life is complete.
- “Looks like you’ve got it” yep, she’s jealous
- The way Peridot’s hair suddenly grew 300% in size while she herself shrunk to goblin size indicates that this part was made by Raven. See what I mean by “wildly different artstyles”?
- “But we were just enemies! Don’t you remember? Why aren’t you mad!” please give me some Lapis venting, please
- aaaaand she flies off. Yeah, I guess someone saying to her face “I just can’t get mad” would feel like a slap. Like “why can she do it and not me?”
- “No, something is seriously wrong with me” I expected a Ruby-rescuing episode, but a Lapis-centric episode is more than fine with me :D
- yep, she spelled it out. She’s jealous that Navy’s adapting so easily and with no grudges, while she’s still working to deal with her anger and depression. But I like what Peridot said: “There’s no rush.” Nobody’s pressuring her, she isn’t supposed to be fine in a set number of days, and she’s doing fine all things considered. But yeah, it’s an horrible feeling when you feel like you can’t change enough, or at all, especially compared to someone else.
- “Oooooh you guyyyyys!” please don’t ever make that face again
- “I MISS IT SO MUUUUUCH” ok now you’re clearly faking. Please tell me you’re actually a manipulative bitch
- welp. Can’t believe it took me so long to figure it out.
- oh my god, she actually wanted revenge this whole time! That’s even better than I thought!
- “I was right! No one can be that well adjusted!” Uh... that’s actually a somber moral. But glad you don’t feel alone anymore.
- And the CGs lost the ship. Hello, Status Quo is God. Now we just wait for all of the Ruby Squad to come back.
Conclusion: Honestly I liked the episode just for the unexpected focus on Lapis, who really really needs it. The ending was kinda... eh, aside for the twist. It felt like it cancelled out some development, from Lapis’ own feelings to the fact that the CGs just lost an important vehicle.
Also I loved how Navy, of all Rubies, turned out to be a liar and manipulator. Just like Rose and Steven! Gem placement really means something.
1 note
·
View note