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wibixthecowboy · 1 year

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Play the Song: Part 8: Say My Name

Task Force 141 needs a new sniper and despite their complaints, they're assigned Flash, a joke-making, ABBA-listening, 20-year-old sharpshooter with better aim than the whole team combined. In other words, Ghost is practically handed the love of his life but he needs time to adjust because she's a firecracker.

Warnings/Tags: !graphic depictions of panic attacks!, references to suicide attempts (no descriptions), references to SA (no descriptions), Age gap (20/30-32), gore, descriptions of injury/blood/wounds, swearing, weapons, justified angst, tooth rotting fluff, I can fix him he just needs a hug, warning for an excessively bad taste in music, slow burn, protective ghost, family dynamic, big brother soap has an attitude problem, father figure Price, wholesome brother Gaz, touch starved Ghost, eventual smut, praise, thigh riding, unprotected (wrap it up people), size kink, oral f receiving, ghost will do anything to get his dick sucked, idk I’m sure it will get dirtier as I go, shifting POV

A/N: Hello! I took a break to get settled for the new quarter but I am so beyond excited for the next chapter! These next few chapters will be a bit more plot heavy so they’ll have longer gaps in-between uploads but they’ll be A LOT longer! Enjoy :) P.S. As the story goes on lets make sure we’re reading the tags, and this goes for every fic you read. ALWAYS READ TAGS :,).

Words: 5.8k

Side note: All of these characters are fictional! Please don’t be weird about their real life actors, leave them out of this and be respectful!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

★Flash

Ghost remains quiet for the rest of the short walk to the briefing room and Flash feels like a kid who’s gotten their hand caught in a cookie jar. She doesn’t know why. She hadn’t done anything wrong, she’d just followed Price’s instructions. Sure Alejandro may have brought it a step too far with the kiss, but it was just teasing. Right?

Despite her poor attempt at rationalizing her actions, Flash feels the heavy weight of guilt settle in her stomach when she looks up at Ghost. He walks stiffly beside her, hands in tight fists at his side. Because of their vast height difference, she can’t see his face, but that’s not necessary to know it’s twisted into a cold expression that makes the baby hairs at the back of her neck stand up.

She clears her throat to say something, to smooth the growing tension between them, to try and protect the small budding flower that had been growing between them for the past few days. Ghost interrupts her before she can open her mouth,

“Price has already completed the mission briefing and gone over it with us,” His voice lacks emotion, snipping the bud with his clipped tone, “this will be our second time listening, so pay attention this time. I don’t want to hear it again.”

Flash feels a mix of anger and embarrassment swirl in her stomach, creating a dangerous concoction. They had already planned and confirmed the mission without her. She thought that the small scolding she’d given Price back at the safe house would have clued him in. She wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines and take orders. She has just as much power as Soap and Gaz. So why weren’t they acting like it?

Her hands tighten into small fists at her side, nails digging into the skin at her palm. The pain does little to quell the growing urge in the back of her mind, the one that’s pushing her to take them all by the hair and shove their faces into her many certificates. Ghost especially.

When they reach the door at the end of the hall, she steps in front of Ghost to open it herself, wanting to feel somewhat in control of her actions, and ignores the huff that leaves his mouth at her rather childish display.

Price stands at the front of the room, at a small standing desk typing away on a laptop. Gaz and Soap sit at the horseshoe-shaped briefing table, both looking bored out of their mind. Papers and files are spread across the table, and a humming projector shines an image of a man and a brief description onto the wall behind Price. Flash wonders how much they’ve gone through while she was with Alejandro, and how many decisions they’ve made without her input.

She sits heavily in a chair, a few down from Soap and Gaz. They give her a questioning look but her anger must be clear as day with the way their gazes snap back over to Price. Whatever smart-ass comment they were going to make about her lesson with Alejandro dying on their tongue.

Ghost stalks past her and pulls out a chair beside Soap, opposite of Flash. He sits with a gruff sigh, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. She lets her eyes dip down for just a second, tracing the taught line of his forearm and the muscles banded around it. When she brings them back to his face, he’s watching her. A blush burns her cheeks at being caught in the act and she turns to look at Price with a huff.

Price scans the group with a small smile, it falters a bit when his eyes pass over Flash and her pinched brow. He taps a few more keys before letting out a long sigh and clapping his hands together.

“Okay, now that I’ve had some practice, let's go over this again.” Price turns to Flash, “How did your lesson go?”

“It went fine.” She clips, not bothering to hide her upset.

He quirks an eyebrow at her but doesn’t implore further. Just as he’s about to start the briefing the door opens.

Flash turns in her chair to see a grinning Alejandro leaning against the doorway, his gaze immediately fixes on her and she fights the urge to turn away. Not trusting her face to keep the embarrassment hidden, she keeps her head facing away from the rest of the group.

“I’m heading out Price. Send me the briefing and I’ll go over it with my side.” He’s speaking to Price but his eyes are set on Flash, dropping for a second to her chest and lingering before meeting her eyes again, gaze heated. Although her tank top is made of flowy fabric, she suddenly becomes aware of the way it hugs her chest. “As much as I would like to hold you again Mija, duty calls.”

She balks at his brashness and if it weren’t for the anger still coursing through her veins, she just might have melted into a puddle right then and there.

“Cool it Alejandro.” Price practically growls.

Alejandro raises his hands in surrender but the sly smirk he always seems to be sporting doesn’t leave his face. He winks at her once before slipping out the door and closing it behind him.

She turns away from the door, her cheeks burning at the way Soap and Gaz watch with raised eyebrows. Ghost on the other hand looks like he’s about to barrel out the door and tackle Alejandro to the ground, his cold eyes still locked on the spot the man had been standing in.

Price mumbles something under his breath about needing a vacation and roughly drags a hand down his face, breathing out one more heavy sigh before finally speaking.

“Flash and Ghost.” Flash gives Price her full attention, thankful for an excuse to look away from Ghost's penetrating gaze. “You’ll be leaving at around 6 PM Monday, we’ll have a car brought tomorrow and you two will drive yourselves. Once you get there you’ll no longer be using code names, you’ll be going under Jack and Abigail Cline, owners of an up-and-coming sorghum production company.” Flash doesn’t miss the use of one last name. “More details will be in your file.” He tosses a file in front of her, the word Flash is written in blocky letters at the top. She has to bite back a laugh at the spy movie stereotype.

Price moves to stand back in front of the desk, tapping a few more keys before a picture of a man is brought up on the projector. He reminds Flash of Alejandro, he has the same bronze skin and thick dark hair that’s styled into a neat combover. A jagged stripe of scar tissue reaches from his chin to the prominent curve of his cheekbone, without it, Flash could picture him on the cover of a magazine.

“This is Daniel Marín. One of the lead informants of the Las Almas cartel, he’s got eyes everywhere and knows practically everything.” Prices locks eyes with Flash, “He’s a dangerous man so you need to keep your distance, if he thinks he’s being watched he won't hesitate to have you two taken out back. All we need you to do is make sure he stays in the building until we’ve cleared the warehouse. There will be enough people there that you won’t need to converse with him. In fact, it’d be best if you didn’t at all.”

He leans over and taps the keyboard again and Daniel’s picture is swapped for a scaled-out map of a warehouse. Gaz and Soap sit straighter in their chairs, eyes focusing on Price now that the topic is relevant to them.

“This is the warehouse we’ll be clearing, we were originally just going to do a preliminary search but H.Q. is pushing so we’ll be scalping them.”

Flash’s focus wavers, her attention dwindling now that the briefing is less pertinent to her. The hard plastic of the chair has her side throbbing. She cups one of her hands to her waist, hoping that somehow the heat of her palm will calm the pain that spikes with every intake of her breath.

She looks away from Price to flip through the folder in front of her and catches Ghost staring at the hand still at her waist, his brows furrowed. When he looks up to meet her eyes, she raises a brow at him. He tilts his head to the side in a questioning gesture but otherwise ignores her challenge. It's such a small movement but it spikes her heart rate.

Ghost shifts in his chair and turns to face Price, breaking off whatever silent conversation they were having, and for the rest of the briefing, Flash is left to stew in silence.

_____

Flash stays behind when Price finishes, letting the three other men pass by her. She looks up at Ghost’s masked face when he walks by, hoping to catch a glimpse of something, but his impassive expression has fallen back in place. Effectively hiding what she’d caught a glimpse of at the table.

“Price?” She asks, stepping up to the desk where he stands.

“What can I do for you Flash?” He asks, looking up from the screen of his laptop with tired eyes.

“I-” Her voice falters, the entire speech she’d come up with while stewing in her chair gone the moment she sees the purple shadows under his eyes. Flash clears her throat, trying again. “I’m in 100%.”

“What?” Price raises an eyebrow at her, not quite understanding her vague proclamation.

“I’m in 100%.” She repeats, standing straighter. “I mean, I’m not going to be sitting on the sidelines while you guys make the decisions.” Her voice lowers, hesitant to tack on the last part, “I’m ready to be put on the field.”

Price takes a moment, shutting his laptop and stepping past her to scoop the scattered papers on the table into a neat pile.“You understand what that means right?” He asks evenly.

“Yes.” Flash steps in front of him again and meets his gaze with the hard set of her eyes.

“You won’t just get to dust off your hands and sit back at the end of the day, this shit sticks with you.” Price says. “You understand why I’m so hesitant, right?”

And Flash already knows what he’s going to say. She’s heard the spiel a million and one times.

“That I’m inexperienced.” She says in a mocking tone. “That despite my multitude of achievements, I’m never quite what they’re looking for.”

Price hesitates for a moment, obviously taken aback by Flash’s blatant answer. She can tell she’s hit the nail on the head by the long pause that ensues.

“I haven’t seen you working under pressure.” He says finally. “These are high stake missions, Flash. Serious shit that has absolutely no room for error.”

Her gaze turns icy, and crossing her arms over her chest, she opens her mouth to defend herself.

“But,” He interrupts before she can speak, “I have no reason to believe that you can’t do it.”

Flash feels an unfamiliar burning in her chest at his words. It tightens her lungs as she swallows.

“Thank you.” She says quietly and any remaining anger dissipates at the soft smile he gives her in return. _____

Flash paces back and forth in her room, the pain in her side making it impossible to fall asleep, leaving her restless. She stops her nervous fidgeting and goes back to her dresser to count the pills neatly lined up in the grooves of her wardrobe.

Four ibuprofen, two aspirin, and a mystery yellow pill that she’s almost certain is a vitamin. The only pills she was able to dig out of the various bags she hurriedly packed while at the academy. And all of them are barely capable of taking the edge off menstrual cramps.

She heaves a sigh before coming to terms with the fact that she would have to ask Price for something, that she would have to explain why she needs something. Looking over to the mirror, Flash in just a sports bra and sweats is able to see the dark outline taking shape on her side. The edge of the sidewalk had done the most damage, slamming perfectly into the curve of her waist and knocking the breath from her lungs. A few scrapes from the rough cement cut across the bruise, none of them worrying, but ugly just the same.

Biting the bullet, Flash slips on a shirt and steps out of her room to head to the second to last door at the end of the hall. Ghost had left just an hour before to pick up one last weapons transport, the one he had confirmed with the man at the market. Soap and Gaz had tagged along with the excuse of “traveling in a pack”. Price didn’t argue with them but settled Flash with a hard look before she even got the chance to ask if she could come. Apparently being 100% in doesn’t include leisurely nights out. So here she is, stuck at the base. Again.

She reluctantly makes her way down the short hallway to Price’s door, landing three short knocks on the wood. Price opens it almost immediately, checking either direction of the hallway before turning to her with a confused look.

“Can I help you?” He asks, and Flash stifles a laugh. Atop his nose sit a pair of wire glasses. Something her grandfather would wear.

“Uh yeah. I mean I hope so.” Flash mutters before lifting the hem of her shirt to show him the bruise. “I just need something to help with the pain. Sleeping is impossible.”

His brows crease at the sight and Flash hopes he’ll just give her something to take the edge off or tell her to suck it up. The last thing she needs right now is another safety training.

“Jesus.” He sighs, bringing his hands under his glasses to rub over his face and keeping them there for a second while he thinks. “I think I’ve got something, wait here.”

Price returns a moment later with a small white pill, setting it gently in the palm of her outstretched hand.

“Take it and go straight to bed, don’t wait for it to kick in.” He warns before giving her a smile. She can tell he’s forcing it, the lines around his eyes betray him every time. “Goodnight.”

He shuts the door and she can’t help but laugh at his abruptness. Price is not one to talk to after 10. Or any time late at night for that matter, he values his beauty sleep.

Flash stands there for a minute, studying the pill in her hand. It doesn’t look any bigger than the ibuprofen still sitting on her wardrobe, but she just shrugs and walks to the kitchen anyways, filling a cup and swallowing the pill down in a single gulp.

_____

Twenty minutes later Flash has sprawled herself across one of the green recliners of the living room, watching the slow spin of the ceiling fan, a warm glow cushioning her body. Whatever pill Price had given her is working wonders. The pain in her side, along with all other worries, has diminished to nothing but a background thought.

Price’s words come back to her, ‘Go straight to bed’.

The sensible part of her brain heeds his warning, it isn’t smart to be so intoxicated in a military base for god's sake. But the small whining voice in the back of her mind brings up images of Soap and Gaz stumbling their way through the door on their Saturdays off. Clearly drunk and not caring what Price has to say.

Deciding that this is not the hill she wants to die on, Flash stands slowly, the wobble of her vision making it nearly impossible to walk across the faded carpet without stumbling. When she reaches the edge though, her foot catches on the curled corner and it sends her cascading to the floor.

She lands hard on the cold concrete, palms taking the brunt of her weight, before collapsing down into a fit of giggles. This is twice in one day now. Flash muffles her laughter with a hand, not wanting to wake Price and deal with the consequences of disobeying him.

With little ease, Flash makes her way to her bedroom door and leans heavily against it while she turns the knob, nearly falling to the floor again when it swings open with her weight.

Once again ignoring Price’s words, Flash, rather than curling into the familiar plush of her comforter, strides across her room and through the door of the bathroom, only hesitating a moment before swinging open Ghost's door.

The room smells familiar. The woodsy scent of his soap that made its way under her door every time he showered and the ever-present smell of metal and sweat.

Her eyes scan the room, stopping when they fall on his unmade bed. Flash’s feet push forward, urging her to throw herself onto the rumpled sheets.

Making note to listen for the loud rumble of the van, Flash gives in and takes slow measured steps toward the bed. Stopping when her shins meet the baseboard, she flops down, arms spread wide.

His scent immediately envelops her in a burst of pine and... citrus? Something she wasn't expecting but welcomes wholeheartedly. She breathes in deeply, he just smells so good. There’s something about his smell, the distinct masculinity, that leaves heat pooling in her abdomen.

Still entrapped by her heightened imagination, Flash thinks back to the first day that she climbed into the car filled with the 141 Team. How despite her years of experience with the military and military men, Ghost had left her a fidgeting mess. She thinks about the way his solid thigh had pressed into hers and the way he held her head while cleaning her cheek. How gentle he was the few times that they’d touched.

With just about as much emotional grace as a teenager, Flash falls into a spiral of scenarios. His warm hands cupping her head, working down to her chest, spreading wide across her ribcage and further down to the heat between her legs. The heat that burns now, begging her to slip a hand under the waistband of her sweatpants.

Shocked and embarrassed by her lack of self-control, Flash quickly peels herself off of the bed and into a standing position. Impulsively smoothing down her hair in an effort to calm her ragged breathing.

Her wide eyes fall to the random assortment of items on his chipped wooden nightstand. A pen and journal, a water bottle, a heavily worn copy of The Shining, and a small statue of a pig sit amongst other small knick knacks. Her embarrassment turns to shame when she realizes just how personal of a space he’s created, and how she’s just barged right in.

She turns to leave but a bright orange pill bottle resting on top of his dresser just a few feet away catches her eye. Flash starts toward it but is interrupted by the sharp sound of a car door slamming shut. Shit, she completely missed them pulling up. She scrambles to pull the sheet’s back into the half made state they were in previously and practically runs back to her room, head still swirling in a mix of curiosity and shame.

_____________________________________________________________

★Ghost

His footsteps are heavy, weighed down by the stress of the day. Not only had they secured the last weapon transport, but Ghost was also forced to stop by the med bay and pick up his prescription from a probing Dr. Marks.

The doctor had questioned him about his ‘journey to domesticity’ in front of the receptionist at the counter, earning him a curious look through her thick lashes. Ghost had ignored him at first, focusing intently on signing the forms in front of him, but Marks pushed. Commenting on how beneficial opening up to ones ‘inner romantic’ can be. Ghost, annoyed by the lack of privacy, had shoved his pen back into the cup, slid the papers across the counter to the doctor, and ignored the knowing smile he’d given him as he stormed out the sliding doors.

The rest of the ride home had been less than comfortable, both Soap and Gaz silencing their chatter the moment Ghost climbed into the truck. Acutely aware of the tense set of his shoulders as he drove them back to the base.

Now, relishing in the quiet of his room, Ghost flicks on the bedside lamp. And much to his surprise the soft light catches a glowing strand of golden hair laying across one of his blankets. Ghost carefully pinches it between two fingers and holds it up to the light, admiring the long shimmering strand with a small smirk. There was no doubt whose hair it was.

He should feel upset at the intrusion, angry for the blatant disregard for privacy, but he can’t bring himself to care. Ghost just feels a peculiar sense of satisfaction knowing that Flash feels the same curiosity that he struggles to contain. The curiosity that has Ghost’s eyes lingering on her while she makes her breakfast in the morning. The curiosity that has him entering the bathroom right after she showers so he can once again be engulfed in the sweet vanilla of her shampoo. That same curiosity that his doctor told him to explore.

Too tired to push the thought further, Ghost sets the strand back where it was and heaves his backpack off of his shoulder and onto the chair, pulling out the white paper bag and setting the orange pill bottle it contained next to its twin on his wardrobe.

He walks to the bathroom next, intent on rinsing off, swallowing one of his new pills, and sleeping away his plaguing thoughts when he spots Flash through the cracked door.

Ghost hesitates for a moment before pushing it open and catching her attention. She’s there, struggling to wipe the injured area of her side with a wet cloth. The bruise has his breath faltering, a deep purple splotch that starts just above her hip and spreads up the curve of her waist, small scratches and dirt marking the area around it. An unfamiliar rage burns in his chest, catching him off guard. She must have hit the ground hard. A guilty thought burns in his mind, he should have been there sooner.

She turns to look at him and Ghost takes a step back. Her eyes are half lidded and foggy, and her hands fumble with the cloth as she brings it to the sink, nearly missing the stream of water.

“What did you do?” He can’t help the panic that rolls over him, freezing him in place. “What’s wrong?”

“Price gave me something to help with the pain.” She mutters, holding the cloth under the faucet for longer than necessary, intently watching the way the water swirls down the drain.

“Oh.” He breathes, relief washing over his chest in a cool wave. The panic that had violently wracked his body just a moment before dissipating and a sense of amusement taking its place. “So you’re high?” He asks, biting back a smile. An action that despite his protests has been becoming more frequent after Flash’s arrival.

“I don’t know.” She says, somewhat defensively, and pulls the cloth from the sink, it falls from her hand and lands on the tile with a wet smack. “Probably.” She relents with a small pout.

Ghost bends down and picks the sopping fabric up, sidestepping the puddle and wringing it out over the sink, before gesturing to her.

“Do you want some help?”

She looks at him for a moment, and although she’s far from thinking clearly, he can see the hesitance in her gaze and his newfound confidence falters. To his relief Flash nods once, bringing a hand down to pull her shirt up and over the arm of her injured side. She doesn’t acknowledge the choked cough he lets out at her sudden bareness. Flash is wearing a sports bra but the now-lifted shirt has exposed the top of her breasts and the way they’re pressed tightly together. He quickly averts his gaze, willing the beating of his heart to calm.

Ghost notices the towel has gone cold in his brief pause so he leans over her to turn the knob of the sink. He lets the water run for a bit until it's warm enough to not shock her skin, then holds a cloth under the stream, soaking it through before crouching behind her and wiping it gently across her scabbed side. She doesn’t react, too numbed by the pill she’d taken. It unnerves him to see her so unresponsive.

“Do you know how to dance?” She asks, and the question catches him off guard. He doesn’t have an opportunity to answer though before she’s speaking again. “Like Alejandro?”

Unable to contain it, a dark laugh escapes his lips.

“Better.” He bites.

“Oh.” Her response is quiet and he laughs again at her shock. “How?”

Ghost, despite knowing that she’ll likely have no memory of their conversation in the morning, elaborates.

“This isn’t my first time attending one of these events.” He hesitates on the last word, not quite sure how to label the dramatic displays of wealth that the cartel members frequently host.

She’s quiet for the next few minutes, letting him wipe at the dirt smeared over her soft skin. He revels in the closeness and although he can’t deny the slight tremor of his hand, the panic that had gripped him so tightly the last time he was tending to her wounds was significantly less this time. Whether that was due to her intoxication, or the growing trust, he didn’t know.

“That wasn’t very nice of you.” She mumbles, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over them. He knows exactly what she’s talking about. The way he had handled the situation with Alejandro. It wasn’t his proudest moment, but he wouldn’t be apologizing anytime soon. Alejandro’s comments were getting out of hand, and Ghost didn’t have a problem showing him where the line was. If he’d known the extent to which the man would have taken their little dancing lesson, he’d have taught her himself.

“Well, I’m not a nice person.” He mutters, wishing she’d just drop the subject.

“I think you’re just a scared person.” She whispers and Ghost stills. He can feel her watching him through the mirror. He doesn’t look up though, focusing harder on the pinkened skin at her side, and ignoring the panic that dries his mouth.

The scrapes from the concrete had already healed over, dried blood trapping dirt and debris against her skin. Ghost unfolds the cloth and holds it gently against the scratched skin, hoping it would help soften the blood without scrubbing.

When he musters the courage to look up, his eyes meet hers in the mirror, they’re half-lidded and foggy. Her skin, flushing from a familiar pain med fever, has him wondering what it would feel like to lay his hand against the heated curve of her cheek. She wouldn’t remember it. He pushes the thought away, feeling ashamed at his weak resolve.

Her gaze, although clouded, stares straight through him, seeing something that he tries so hard to keep hidden. The same thing his doctor sees when picking apart his vague answers to the mans probing questions.

“We’re not having this conversation Flash.” He mumbles, peeling the rag from her skin to rinse it. Rust colored water drips into the stream, swirling into a light pink against the white of the basin. When he places the steaming cloth back against her waist she sighs and leans closer to him.

“Why not?” Her words drip like honey down his spine and cloud his head. Ghost focuses on dragging the cloth in small circles, eyes following the water that drips down her skin to soak into the waistline of her pants.

His heart beats heavily in his chest and he pulls back a few inches, ignoring the growing voice in the back of his head that screams to lean closer, to let her feel the way she sets his skin on fire.

“Because you’re barely coherent.” He says, tone harsher than the question warrants and he winces, thankful for the mask that hides his pinched brow.

“I think you’re too scared.” She persists, slightly slurring her words. “For how brave you are on the field, you lack tenacity in the emotion department.”

“Flash.” He says, hoping she’d hear the underlying warning.

She hums at the mention of her code name and presses into the hand that holds the uninjured side of her waist steady.

“Say my real name? Please?”

This catches him off guard. Ghost looks up from his hands to watch her in the mirror, her eyes are already on him, mouth twisting into a curious grin. But there’s a hint of desperation in her voice, almost like she’s forgotten and needs to be reminded.

“I don’t know your real name.” He says softly, wiping away another small streak of dirt and blood.

She goes to open her mouth and Ghost is quick to reach a hand around her and cover it. Knowing that now, when she’s clearly intoxicated, is not the time. Her words fall flat against his palm, incoherent.

He can feel her laughing behind it, small breaths of air warming his skin. Ghost sees the devilish glint in her eyes before she nips his hand with her teeth, he pulls back quickly, face heating under the balaclava.

When his hand leaves her mouth, she takes it as an opportunity to continue on with her topic, much to Ghost’s displeasure.

“I know your name.” She drawls “It's Simon isn’t it.” He stiffens, hand freezing against her skin.

“Flash please stop.” His voice is strained, the growing lump in his throat half suffocating him.

“I like it I think it suits you.” She turns and looks at him, her pupils are blown wide and the apples of her cheeks are darkening with that blush that has Ghost’s heart thrumming. He doesn’t respond.

Flash doesn’t take her eyes off him as she slowly reaches a hand up, palm splaying with the same trepidation you’d use while approaching a scared animal.

The pads of her fingers have nearly met his cheek when he brings a hand up to wrap around her wrist, stopping her movement. He brings it back down to rest at her side and with gentle hands turns her back to face the mirror.

Flash doesn’t resist and quickly changes the topic. As grateful as he is for her quick shift, he was still stuck on the way she had looked at him. Her blue eyes wide with curiosity, her previous hesitancy nowhere to be found. The way she seemingly wanted to touch him. He pushes the thought back, onto the rapidly growing pile of worries plaguing him, and focuses on her words.

“His name was Scotch.” She says, and Ghost has to make an effort to remember what exactly she’s talking about. “Dad said he was only good for the rats but he was a great cuddler.”

She was talking about her cat? Ghost, despite the situation, finds him biting back a smile at the innocence of the topic. At how her face has softened at the memory.

He smooths the cloth over her now clean skin and after leaving it to drain in the sink helps her slip her arm back into the loose fabric of her sleep shirt. Savoring the giggles that slip from her lips when her elbow catches in the opening.

Ghost walks with her to her bed, hand hovering just over her waist, just in case. If she notices she doesn’t mention it, still rambling on about Scotch and his hunting abilities.

“He had the softest orange fur and his eyes. Oh, he was a real charmer.” She rattles on, face lost in memory while pulling back her covers and climbing in. Her eyes droop the second her head meets the pillow.

“Mhm.” Ghost muses softly.

He takes a moment to admire the way her golden hair splays out across her pillow, glowing in the soft light of her bedside lamp. He feels that same urge to rub a lock between his fingers, to see if it feels as silky as it looks.

“I wish you could have met him.” She says softly, watching him through half-lidded eyes and a look that squeezes the breath out from his lungs, replacing it with something much lighter.

“I wish I could have met him too.” He whispers back and pushing against every wall he’s ever built, runs a hand along the comforter where the small shape of hers lays, not close enough to touch, but close enough that he can feel the heat radiating from her skin. “Good night.”

“Good night Ghost.” She mumbles, watching him leave her bedside and walk to the bathroom door. “Sleep well.”

Ghost nods gruffly and takes the last few steps to the bathroom in two long strides, shutting the door behind him as quickly as he can without being too loud.

He stalks over to the sink, ignoring the dirty rag in the basin, and rips the balaclava from his head. Ghost avoids looking in the mirror as he splashes a handful of water onto his face. Hoping the cold would calm his racing mind and shaking hands. It doesn’t.

The lights above the mirror grow impossibly brighter and when he makes the mistake of looking into the mirror, bile rises in the back of his throat. His face nearly matches Flash’s, eyes lidded and foggy, and cheeks flushed with heat. Completely gone. He had lost control again. He had let his desires pull him around like a puppet on a string.

Stumbling across the small space to the bathroom door, he races against the tightening of his chest to reach the small orange bottle in his room. He focuses on twisting the knob, and the feel of the carpet under his socked feet as he practically throws himself towards the wardrobe. The quick movement tilts his vision and he gags against the breath stuck in his throat.

His hands are shaking violently now, rattling the pills in the bottle and making it nearly impossible to twist off the cap. Ghost pulls roughly at the lid begging it to just open. When it does, he fumbles with the pills in the bottle, shoving a single pill between his lips and swallowing against the dry column of his throat.

The urge to puke passes and as he slides down the wardrobe he’s able to remember the breathing that the academy doctor had led him through. Pressing his palms to his forehead, Ghost focuses on slowing his breathing. It does little without the grounding hands the doctor had offered. He imagines Flash instead, her soft hand caressing his face, speaking to him in the low and calming way that the doctor had.

Whether it's the pills or the self-indulgent fantasy, Ghost feels the jackrabbiting of his heart calm and he’s able to pull himself off of the ground. Reluctantly reaching for the other pill bottle, he swallows down one of the sleeping pills and crawls into bed. Curling into the pillow, he lets the slow drag of the chemicals pull him into a restless sleep.

Tag list: @urfavsunkissedleo @butskii @abbiesxox @itsasecrets-things @thatonewriterthatnooneknows

#ghost x reader #ghost x female oc #simon riley #Cod Fic #simon ghost riley #alejandro vargas #modern warefare 2 #ghost stories #john soap mactavish #mw2 headcannons #mw2

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variousqueerthings · 5 months

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Coming back to this laaaate, but @brilliantfantasticgeronimo hope it's okay I pull this onto a post, because it's easier for me to focus on than in replies!

this idea that the Doctor lands someplace and ruins everyone's day by being so Badass and Awestriking isn't really a Thing in Nu!Who "is also contrasted with the theme of the doctor inspiring *others* to do things (v Explicit theme in s1 but it's present in all those other CoDs you mention)... re:2, i think the one exception would be 7 but i think with 7 the chess-god-manipulator thing works bc we see the consequences of it thru ace. we also see it w/ amy and river but (cont) but i feel we never quite grapple w/ it emotionally (they adore the doctor anyway in the end) (except for a handful legit, hard-hitting eps like the girl who waited or town called mercy). .. and altho in both classic who and rtd who the companions function as a very important role *in the text*, u can still find fandom completely ignoring that and treating doc's 1-10 as power fantasies as well. so it's smth always there but that moffat rlly made literal also i've really liked your posts on asexuality on dw and idk if you've written this but just in case, i think it's also relevant to the very specific way some het guys are so protective of the doc's asexuality/aromancy(+the show's): "asexuality" as it functions in dw is celebrated by those guys ( i suspect) bc it gives the fantasy power over the "womanly wiles" - it's a proof of how the doc is so "enlightened" and "above" the temptress or seduction trope. (cont) (csdkjf sorry for going ott on replies rip) and it's also why i think in moffat's who the doc's sexuality is kind of tied to the idea of it like... """humbling"" or ""humanizing"" the character (as problematic as those ideas are,,, i think there's a basis to deduct that they come from before in canon)

OKAY SOOOO HI!

I just watched The God Complex right after The Girl Woman Who Waited so I'm riding that high of Consequences! Emotional Follow-through! Mmmm good plots!

I have not actually seen 7 yet outside of cute clips with Ace and ofc when he died due to the American healthcare system + gang warfare if I'm remembering correctly? and became our beautiful bouncing boy Eight, so iiiinteresting that this is a Thing, I didn't know that 👀👀👀👀👀

again, God Complex + Girl Who Waited feel like the most this era has explored Eleven's kinda... vibes around in terms of being some big Machinator who ruins peoples lives by dragging them into his shit, because he cannot Not: "I stole your childhood and now I’ve led you by your hand to your death. But the worst thing is I knew. I knew this would happen, this is what always happens. Forget your faith in me. I took you with me because I was vain. Because I wanted to be adored. Look at you. You’re glorious, Pond, the girl who waited for me. I’m not a hero. I really am just a mad man in a box. And it’s time we saw each other as we really are." Mmmm good stuff

we'll see how the next episodes do/season 7, but I've heard good things about Town Called Mercy which is an episode that I was not taking in at allll last time, because I was kind of... annoyed... by then.... and not really taking in good stuff (unlike this time)

ASEXUALITY ON DW IS LIKE! LOOK I'M WRITING OUT A SCRIPT FOR A YOUTUBE VIDEO BECAUSE IT'S SO FASCINATING RIGHT??? BOTH IN TERMS OF HOW THE CHARACTER EMBODIES AN AROACE IDENTITY AS ALIEN AND AS OTHERED WITHIN THEIR OWN SOCIETY AND AS A PERSON WHO JUST HAPPENS TO BE THESE THINGS --- AND IN HOW FANDOM THINKS ABOUT THE WORD "ASEXUALITY"

(will I ever actually put together a youtube video, who knows, but I could, I edit professionally for parts of my job, and I have the Receipts!) (but the energy of it all youknow)

I am so pleased you spelled out the "womanly wiles" trope, because yes, I hadn't quite seen that, but had been circling around like... the Enlightened Asexual (or the Celibate Monk as I believe M*ffat once called it with reference to Sherlock) (and then someone like Irene Adler is the epitome of that Temptress in his version of the story...)

and what you're saying about "humbling" and "humanising" is so fascinating, because ofc to a bunch of us aces and aros and aroaces the part where the Doctor struggles to form normative relationships is one of the the most humanising factors, and ofc M*ffat especially likes the "Godlike" Doctor quite a bit but it comes back to these ideas of allosexuality and alloromanticism

but then also rejects a lot of those ideas, from memory, for being too simplistic after all, because people struggle to write the Doctor as simply alloromantic and allosexual (I've heard because the Doctor is alien, because the Doctor is more compelling when lonely, because the narrative couldn't sustain it, etcetcetc, but in the end it all comes back to "the Doctor as Character cannot get into these relationships for... reasons...." and that becomes compelling character)

(also Gomez!Master is like "we're so beyond this, we're the best thing ever, we're nemeses, we're besties, my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my silly rabbit," etcetcetc... paraphrased. but that's in M*ffat era)

(the more the show flirts with allosexuality and alloromanticism the more nuanced the Doctor becomes to me as an aroace character! because no longer is it an Enlightened Mightier Than Thou Cannot Be Touched Celibacy type Concept, it's someone who's being affected by deep relationships and very often unable to equate them using simple terms!!!! arghhh it's sooooo!!!! SOOOOOO!!!!!!!)

#doctor who #dw #the doctor #and now i go to beeed #doctor who meta #aroace doctor #acespec doctor #need to change my aroace doctor tags to acespec doctor tags #to be more precise... I hate being imprecise

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izosdualpistols · 1 year

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Zoro and The Smile He "Lost"

If I hear another fan say "Zoro lost his smile" I might actually explode and combust into flames.

I'm convinced most OP fans are either illiterate, in denial, or a mix of both. I am speaking from experience as I have argued with the "Yamato is not trans" bros.

It sometimes have me thinking that they've never read shit and just saw clips off tiktok.

OKAY. Zoro.

The man who has gaslit the entire fandom into thinking three sword style is cool - HEY! Don't run to comment something about this yet. You know full well biting down on a sword is ridiculous and if you did that in real life you'd get a fat disapproval from your fiancé's father.

That aside, I have to put it out here that Zoro is not the "I hate the world and I will slash everything" edgelord the majority of the no-brainer OP fandom takes him to be.

He's more than that and I'm here to prove it to you all.

It physically hurts to type this out but here is the wicked statement many fans believe to be true:

"Zoro would kill a crew member under Luffy's order."

This is where we point and laugh.

What I feel like most fans fail to understand is that Zoro is not some mindless minion that would do everything Luffy tells him to do.

Yes, Luffy is his captain, but that doesn't take away the right for Zoro to think for himself. He is able to speak and mind and lay out his opinions.

This is evident in Water 7 during the scene when Zoro finds out that Usopp wants to rejoin the crew after that harsh duel between him and Luffy.

His whole speech about "respect" was not there just for show. It gave us one of Zoro's beliefs and solidified his character even more.

Assuming we have that out of the way, it's time we finally get to the main topic. The topic that had me stressing ever since the discovery of it.

"Zoro lost his smile"

Don't get me wrong - I'm not encouraging emotionless jock boy Zoro. Never. But the term "lost his smile" is just so... off putting?

Zoro didn't lose his smile. He never did. Yes, we see more of his smirks and flashy evil grins than big laughs and soft smiles, but that doesn't mean he went Yaeger mode and is plotting to nuke 80% of the population.

No, no, no. Zoro is none of that!

Trust me when I say he's not gone emotionless. If we're talking about absence of emotions, we should be more worried about Sanji as a matter of fact.

Many people say he has started to be less expressive ever since his duel with Mihawk at the Baratie, so we'll start from there.

Through the duel's outcome, he comes to realize and experience for himself that the gap between his current self and the greatest swordsman is beyond far.

Not only was this a declaration of his loyalty for Luffy, but also a promise to his captain and himself.

He has set his goals straight and is now training everyday just to get even an inch closer to that title as the greatest swordsman.

He has set those standards for himself so he can have a clearer visualization of his end goal.

So when he lost to Kuma in Sabaody, not only did he break his promise, he has once again realized that gap between him and the New World. That is why he gets on his knees and begs Mihawk to train him.

The crew's separation had a big impact on Zoro, and so did the news of Ace's death (Once again realizing he wasn't strong enough back in Sabaody). So for 2 whole years, he has trained to get stronger - kicking his standards up a notch.

This flat out tells us why he delivered this line below:

"Get a grip", "This is just the beginning of New World"

Out of context, it sounds like an asshole thing to say. But if we take the reason why was so upset over Luffy letting his guard down around Ceasar (and losing once), they are words of concern in a way.

Zoro does not want the Sabaody incident to happen again. Being helpless under an opponent is the last thing Zoro wants. With this, we learn that he is not willing to let those 2 years go to waste.

His obsession with strength comes from his ambition - and his ambition is tied to Luffy's.

Zoro is a treasured member of the Straw Hats. Meaning he is aboard Sunny, under his captain, and sharing Luffy's dream. He's onboard it all.

We also get a little bit of insight on Zoro's character through Sanji, who says:

And he is absolutely correct. But Zoro is tough on himself for his ambition. He is pushing himself to be a man worthy of being the King of Pirates's right hand man.

Thus, realizing the importance his ambition and Luffy's ambition holds, this is the way Zoro becomes stronger. We are seeing Zoro, as one of the main fighters, stabilize the crew like the pillar he is - not going "emotionless" or "losing his smile" at that.

What a lovely post about Zoro I made. I just stated the obvious but SOME people just don't get it you know.. I am fending off any hardcore Zoro fanboys so get behind me.

#one piece #zoro #roronoa zoro #water 7 #punk hazard

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compressednerve · 5 months

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25 and 27 for the fic meme please 🙏

Thanks for the ask!!! :D Big rambling ahead <3

"25. What did you use to write? (e.g. writing programs, paper & pen, etc.)"

Most of my writing skill is fleeting based off how functional my brain is working that day, so I tend to go back and forth between hastily typed notes in Discord and attempts to flesh things out in google docs-- both of which I don't really love, but they're online and I can link the files easily to @parasitefun who's my creative partner and helps with my processes. I loathe the spellcheck/grammar function on docs! I used to write exclusively in notepad or OpenOffice back on my old computer but I find OpenOffice in general... lacking.

I wasn't taught to read or write in the uh... traditional way, so I usually have an exorbitantly difficult time with actually formulating sentences. So I guess using Clip Studio Paint is another program I use for writing, because I need to storyboard, assemble timelines of events, sketches of emotions... what have you. It helps me in "assembling" the information required for a plot, but usually I just end up scrapping the fic entirely and condensing it down to a comic or a few paragraphs attached to an illustration... for example, here's some sketches from a few weeks ago while I chip away at my millionth attempt at a chaptered longfic, this time now featuring Yung Northmoor!

Whether I complete this as an actualized comic or intermittent illustrations, or keep them as sketches for referencing certain vibes of the scene, is mostly up to luck if I even can keep the momentum up to carry the work to the finish line 😔 I am also extremely shy and precious about my WIPs most of the time, I feel like my sketches are very vulnerable... which is unfortunate because I finish maybe 15% of the pieces I start!!! This is due to CTE though, and thus for the most part cannot be helped at the moment. I think for 2024 a resolution I have is to try to hold myself to finishing at least one Large Project a month, cuz then at least I'll have 12! :D

Recently I ..........acquired.......... Scrivener which I hope will help with a lot of the messy notes and outlines become more organized. It's an old version of the program though, and I can't figure out how to make the text of the UI any larger which makes navigating the program itself a pain. It's also very informational dense. Which is. Difficult and maze-like for me to comprehend sometimes. Multiple times in the past few years I've bought corkboards, pushpins, notecards, and other utensils to try to help make physical note taking easier, but my arthritis makes my handwriting dogshit to a point where I can hardly read it myself... and we don't have the physical space for my pepe silva act XD Maybe some day, though!

"27. Did you do anything special to celebrate finishing a fic?"

I wish! I never really thought of doing anything special for finishing fics- most of the time if it's not painstakingly planned out like above process described, the only time I get anything finished is if I do it all in one single sprint... hence so many abandoned WIPs... It's hard to take something to the end when so much of my ability to even start it is based off random whims! I think I get the genuine ability to write, coherently and cohesively, maybe every few months. I'm inspired and writing fic in my head pretty much all the time as a part of my psychotic processing as filtering my distorted reality through the lens of characters and scenarios has been one of my main perceptions of the world from a young age due to childhood schizophrenia, but capturing it in actual words and sentences that other people can actually read is a whole other basket!

...So, I guess nothing really, other than a large sigh of relief and a feeling of release in having finally achieved what I was hoping to achieve, or at least, an approximation that's close enough to it that I'm satisfied. Maybe this is my sign to try to incentivize finishing things by setting up a reward if I can manage! :D

#ask game #thanks for the ask -w- i feel so special <3

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whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst · 8 months

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Whomst’s Predictions for Ep 7 of Only Friends: SandRay Edition (spoilers)

Focusing on the “Rockstar and DisasterKitten” pairing here, because 1.) I’m wary of Boston and Nick’s never ending competition to be the bigger creep, 2.) the lesbians will overcome because they’re lesbians and we are capable of anything, and 3.) I am DYING for Mew’s villain era to take off next episode, so folks…it’s time for me to Overthink about SandRay.

Episode 6…Welp. Ray has hit rock bottom. I’ve been thinking from the start that this might need to happen, that Ray has been going through the motions of life while hurting himself and others for so long, it’s painful and unsustainable and he needs to face the music (IF ONLY HE KNEW A MUSICIAN OR SOMETHING FFS).

And it’s not just him that will benefit! His friend group is already splintered and becoming toxic—as Ray is one of the core members most invested and loyal to it, he is going to need to get his act together if their friend group is gonna survive and evolve to something healthy.

(Side note that while I love, love, LOVE, Mew’s little plot to confront Top about his infidelity alone, which he did in the most unhinged way possible—good for him—I’m also not crazy about Mew deciding to let his least-stable friend be seen as the bad guy by all their friends in the name of this scheme, and I hope he fixes that)

So. While I didn’t want to see Ray hurt, I think it was inevitable (to some degree) that for a big change to happen, he was going to need a wakeup call of sorts. Ray being Ray means this wakeup call would be as a result of his self-destructiveness. But I think this is what is going to turn things around—what I’m seeing in the trailer for the next episode already points to a Ray who is quieter, maybe more thoughtful, passing time with both Sand and his friends.

And as for Sand…sweet baby sunRay’s been barely avoiding havoc for years, and now the worst has happened—friendships ruined (he thinks), love interest pushed away, himself as the perceived cause of it all—so where does Ray go from here? Who sticks around when the chips are down?

AHEM. WE ALREADY KNOW WHO.

The guy who knows Ray’s bullshit and has seen and experienced the worst he can dish out, this is the guy who sees that sopping wet stray kitten in the alley and is like, you know what? I’m feeding him and giving him a bath.

I think we can all agree that Sand is one of the standout characters on this show by virtue of being done with everyone’s shit, but in episode 6, we saw him (along with everyone else) pushed to the limit of good/remotely sane decisions. Sand also needs to recognize that constant mini-dates, meeting his mom, deep emotional conversations and passionate sex have maybe caused them both to grow feelings. Oops.

And that’s why I’m a little worried.

Despite Sand’s maturity, boundaries, and self-care, we can see that he is only human and capable of falling into the same messes as other people. The big difference is that unlike literally everyone else, he holds himself accountable for things and takes responsibility for his impact on other people. And in episode 6, it was his decision to get the clip of Top and Boston, send it to Ray and tell him about his ex and Top, all while trying to maintain an air of distance, that constant refrain of “I don’t care what you do, it’s not like we’re together” in the aftermath of Boyfriend Activities.

The last part I kinda get—what a shitty birthday for Ray, realizing the guy you are falling for, who you maybe thought was developing feelings for you, has nursed feelings for someone else, and you feel too proud and scared and hurt to try to talk through it.

But it’s Sand giving Ray that info about Top that directly precipitates the disaster at Mew’s birthday party—following that, Ray hurls horrible insults at Sand in some desperate attempt to figure out what they are to each other (will Sand stay? will he give up on Ray and leave him? Ray is painfully vulnerable in his anger and confusion here) and drives off, clearly drunk. And yes, it’s Ray’s decision to get drunk and make an absolute mess before storming off into a dangerous situation (which he needs to hold himself accountable for), but Sand isn’t like Ray’s other friends and he feels responsible for Ray, even if he isn’t. So knowing that something bad happens to Ray after all of that mess—I think Sand is going to feel guilty.

For a guy as responsible and mature as Sand, stealing/sending that video and using Ray as the intermediary (regardless of intentions) was a low point for him, and I think he’s going to feel guilt for feeding into Ray’s self-destructive habits. This whole time, he’s managed to keep his hands clean of the Drama, but he decided to engage this time for the sake of revenge and it has collapsed spectacularly, with (he thinks) Mew staying with Top and Ray being the one to get hurt.

My prediction for next episode is that Ray will start getting his shit together—relying on his friends for real talk and support instead of drunken superficial reassurance, hopefully dialing back the substance abuse, taking a look in the mirror and making changes without hating himself. They need to TALK. Without alcohol or pride or insecurity clouding their speech.

So while Ray has hit rock bottom, Sand has to reassess things, too—in the trailer we see him caring for the injured Ray, because kiddo cannot stay away, “oh Ray’s the one addicted to me” uhhuh sweetie keep telling yourself that—and I think it’s time they get on the same page. I think they have the potential to be incredibly good for each other, they just need the chance to be honest and stop hiding.

UGH WHY ISNT IT THE 23RD NOWWW

#whomst #only friends the series

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selenityshiroi · 1 year

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HDM TV Adaptation overall opinions

So, now that all three seasons are out I want to get some more thoughts out there. I haven't rewatched the whole series again, but I still have impressions from what I've seen over the release schedule.

First, casting:

The main casting things that threw me off were Ma Costa (the actress was perfectly skilled but I'd just always imagined her as a big, powerfully built woman and it was the one character image I'd never been able to push out of mind) and John Parry. I have nothing against Andrew Scott but the main plot point of John Parry prematurely aging, because he lived in the wrong world for so long, was COMPLETELY LOST by having him played by an age appropriate actor. It also removed any sort of surprise, because he looked just like his photos from the real world and, therefore, we all knew who Jopari was the moment he appeared.

I was surprised when we got dark haired Lyra and Marisa, since they had been described as blonde in the books. But my main ??? reaction was to do with the scene where Lyra's hair is ripped from the bomb and the tension of the moment when no one knew if the single hair that remained was Lyra's or the Golden Monkey's.

The bomb scene ended up completely different (and, in my opinion, not for the better in the slightest) so that moment never became relevant. But both Lyra and Marisa were beautifully acted and portrayed. And I've never been one to believe that appearances need to be 100% consistent with text, so other than the 'how will xxx work' I was never bothered by the change.

I was always impressed with Dafne but I do believe that she really grew into the role as time went on. Her performances became stronger with each season and I am so unbelievably astounded by how powerfully emotional the end of the series was.

Ruth was darkly charismic the entire time. It worked beautifully for Marisa, although I do think that the show used her too much, in some cases, trying to show off such an intriguing character. And in doing so kind of spoiled some of the mystery and unravelled her too much too soon.

But my favourite casting was that of Amir Wilson. The moment he stepped onto screen, suprisingly but brilliantly early, I was convinced completely by his performance. We'd waited so long to see Will Parry on screen, especially after the movies failed to launch into a franchise, and he was worth the wait. He captured every nuiance: the boy too young to be a carer, like so many children, but doing it anyway because it was necessary. A boy who never wanted to fight (or kill) but could do so because it was necessary. A boy who you would think would be jaded by caring and love...but could never not do so because it was oh so necessary.

But I don't think I can fault any of the performances on the show. All of the cast were brilliant. Even if I wasn't sure they were used in the best ways at all times. So a huge applause for the casting team.

Secondly, writing:

Let me start by saying that this series was a good adaptation. It wasn't perfect and it has it's flaws, but it was good. I can tell that the source material was loved and treated with care but I feel that there were limitations placed that negatively affected the way the story was told.

Each season, in my opinion, could have done with 2 more episodes, at least. Whilst it was ABSOLUTELY the right decision to introduce Will in season one and intertwine his and Lyra's stories (instead of cold opening season two with him like The Subtle Knife did) I do feel that season one significantly missed out on developing Lyra. And, unfortunately, they never really corrected the clipped away moments and ended up removing the main, defining arc for Lyra Silvertongue.

Her ability to craft stories and lie.

That being said, one of the show's greatest strengths is how wonderfully they developed the build of friendship into love between Lyra and Will.

From the very beginning this was all trimmed out. We never got to see her telling lies with the Oxford Children and the Gyptians. We never got to see her lie her way out of London when trying to escape. We never saw her extended, planned out deceptions and investigations in Bolvanger. Lyra's ability to lie and craft stories was a core part of her in the books. It was why she was named Silvertongue. She described it as something she could do for Will because he was too honest to protect himself when needed. And it ended up being removed entirely from the subplot in the Land of the Dead, destroying the storyline with the Harpies and 'Tell them stories...but true stories'.

I'm not sure if these moments were originally removed for time and they ended up having to cut her arc completely or if the decision was made to 'sanitise' this character trait? If it's the first it's disappointing but kind of understandable how it ended up that way. If it's the latter then it's kind of unforgiveable. Either which way, Lyra's arc and development it the single biggest criticism I have of the entire show.

Bringing Will in earlier allowed us to get a sense of his character before he and Lyra crashed into each other in Cittazgaze and it made their intitial interactions more wary and tentative than they were in the books (where there was more tension as Will was still a bit of a mystery to the audience and his character traits were being explored on all scales through his interactions with Lyra). It made things a little more natural between them on screen, in my opinion, and we saw the friendship unfolding gradually.

This continued on throughout seasons two and three and the trust and bond between them was very believable. I was always wary about how the end of The Amber Spyglass would be portrayed on screen. It's such a deeply emotional and heartwrenching ending to the books but full of love and young passion. And it would be so easy for this to be awkward or cheesy or overdone (I love the audiobooks but the ending is a little cheesy in performance, for example). But it was knocked out of the park. It felt like two teenagers in love, but it also felt full and mature and genuine and you could believe their heartbreak and that they would continue to love each other until their death. It was such a fine line to walk but it was phenomenally done.

I also didn't like what they did with Asriel. Almost all of his arc was in the background of the books. And maybe that allowed rose tinted glasses but I never really felt he was disdainful of Lyra in the books. He always felt distant and unreachable, but to me there was always a sense that, underneath his grandose plans and ambitions, he still loved Lyra. I think they took it too far in the show and that love was lost. And it made the confrontation with Metatron feel hollow. Because it never felt like he was doing it for Lyra. It felt like he was doing it for himself.

As I mentioned before, I'm not sure Marisa was always adapted with the same careful touch. Ruth Wilson's portrayal was so powerful that they clearly wanted to capitilise on that and they gave her scenes that revealed more of her character and even some of her backstory from the Book of Dust trilogy. But one of the things that I thought was done so well in the books was how you never really knew her angle. You never knew who she was playing and what her motive was. Not until the very end. By showing more of her character some of that mystery was eroded and I think it made her role in the final season less powerful.

And, because of the utter lack of Lyra's character trait of lies and stories spilling out of her like water as a way to protect herself and those around her, we also miss out on the depth of the Land of the Dead. On how the Harpies hate lies and are so used to the dead trying to lie their way into 'salvation' that they provoke hated and fear through their retaliation. That Lyra herself is viciously attacked by the very same Harpy who eventually saves her from her fall. That her true stories are what eventually bring hope and light to the souls around her and draw the Harpies in like a moth to a flame. That they negotiate safe passage for those who can tell true stories of their lives. That children will be allowed freedom because they haven't had time to build stories, but adults should have lived their lives fully and should have had something to tell.

One of the limitations I feel the show had to deal with was the fantastical elements that would need extensive CGI. I'm willing to suspend disbelief over crowd scenes with suspiciously hidden daemons because it's very understandable that animating daemons for every extra would be very expensive and not totally necessary for immersion. But I feel like some of the writing decisions made for season three was to limit CGI usage. Obviously the storyline between Mary and the Mulefa was very truncated. But I do like and appreciate how they showed her learning and living with them through the evolving subtitles and her notebook. It was effective and well done.

But I feel that the Gallivespians being so heavily removed from events (no longer accompanying Will and Lyra to the Land of the Dead and causing such drastic changes to scenes such as the Bomb) was less well handled. It removed elements that added depth and worldbuilding. And I hate that the Bomb is no longer about corrupt men and Marisa's desperate love and Will frantically trying to save Lyra from a threat from worlds away but is instead a ridiculous power move from Metatron.

Which is one of the reasons why Lyra and Will agree that they have to live full and complete lives. Why they can't just wither away in less than a decade in a foreign world. Why they have to live for love.

I do see how and why some of the writing decisions came about. But the ripple effect they had on the HEART of the story was profound, tbh.

But since I have mentioned CGI and how it shaped things:

I want to give a huge round of applause to every single animator who worked on the character daemons and bears.

When the series was first commisioned I was so petrified that a BBC show would never have the budget and skills to make the daemons be so seamless. But they are so beautifully animated. So wonderfully expressive. When we first saw Pantalaimon speak I was overwhelmed because his little facial expressions and the twitching of his ears and the rustle of his fur...I was so impressed by the care and attention to detail and it's continued on throughout.

The VFX studio did phenomenal work and I can't thank them enough for breathing life into the characters I'd always feared would be puppet like characatures.

So, yeah, overall:

I enjoyed watching this show so much. I read Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife in secondary school and The Amber Spyglass came out when I was in college. They were the books that took me from my teenage years to my young adult life. And I joke often that The Amber Spyglass shattered my heart two decades ago and I've never recovered but, tbh, it's not that much of a joke. It profoundly affected me and to this day I still flinch at the idea of tragic love and separation and long for resolution.

Seeing the story portrayed, finally, on screen was a joy. I actually cried when the commision of the series was announced because the books meant so much to me and I hoped and trusted the BBC (and Julie Gardner, who I knew was a fan thanks to Doctor Who interviews) to do it to the best they could.

The final product is not perfect. There are changes I don't like and scenes that are missing. Some of the aspects have been lost or amended along the way. But there are also some changes that worked for the better or were adapted with a care that showed the love for the source. There are some criticisms that I can live with because I enjoyed other aspects and some criticisms that will always grate a little.

There are details that were introduced with the TV series that I will take back to the books (Cloud Pines under the skins of witches? inspired. Mary being a lesbian? Felt so natural I forgot it was a small change) and I happily take the visuals and beautiful performances into mind.

The books will always be precious to me. And, even with some critiques, this show will now always be precious too. They aren't interchangeable but I can take the best of both and enjoy them together. I can imagine Ruth Wilson spitting out 'Lyra's exceptional' and Dafne Keen whispering 'because he's Will' in a dream, even if the TV show never gave us such scenes. Because the words still live on the pages and the portrayals still exist in my minds eye. And that is a great gift to have.

(Also, in a lighter and less serious note...now that the series is complete and I expect more and more people to become aware of this franchise and the world building...please give us more daemon fics for every single fandom. I love daemon fics and all fanfic authors who bless us with daemon fics deserve their own Republic of Heaven here on Earth)

#hdm #spoilers #his dark materials #long post

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staynayo · 2 years

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#TheEclipseSeriesEP1 Reaction

The episode was short but there is so much to unpack! I'll just let out my thoughts here bc wtf

About the plot:

Episode 1 laid down a lot of elements that will be discussed as the series go on and now we are left with so many questions, anticipating for more episodes. At first, it was hard to follow because it felt like the story just dived into the climax. But after going through it, it felt like I watched a book, if that makes sense.

I also remembered that they're cramming in a 121-chapter, 500+-page book in a 12-episode series; plus when I checked out Irresistible by P'Golf, they also started the series with the highlight of the plot before the introductions; and in TMOTB, we can see that Prapt also reveals that some characters' motivations are revealed early, while others are explained much later in the show. And while the director and author tells stories this way, the actors are very talented in showing the needed emotions.

The entire objective of investigating the curse of Suppalo was established early. It is packed with different opinions and motives. The teachers and the prefects think that they can protect the students from the curse by obeying the rules; but the World Remembers Gang think that the rules are non-progressive and that the effects of the curse are done by living person.

When the vase fell from the balcony, we saw a hand push it; but when the gang was at the printing room, they were terrified and a clip of another student running was shown. The first incident shows that it is indeed done by a person but the second one shows that it is possibly paranormal. But what if it is both? And the person acting behind it just using their fear to keep chaos from ensuing.

Which leads me to the question that if the rules have been around for 100 years, when did the curse begin? If it is also for a century, then the person behind it already has a successor or they are not human at all. (My theories are getting more silly the more I think about it)

Dika's death will play a big part in revealing the truth about the curse. Which also makes me wonder if Ayan wants to awaken the curse to avenge his uncle or he wants to reveal the perpetuator? It made me think that if he does awaken the curse and it affects Akk by the time they're together, Ayan would just be hurt again.

About the cast:

They're very talented and I really want to commend them individually.

Khaotung as Ayan: Khaotung is such a PHENOMENAL actor! He portrayed Ayan so naturally, down to his mannerisms. It's incredible. I was expecting that since he is the mysterious boy, his backstory will be saved for later. I was surprised that we learned about his past and his motivations so early in the show! Which makes me so curious on what to expect from him later on.

First as Akk: The way he portrayed Akk interests me. Everyone knows that First is a versatile actor. He can be fierce if he wanted to, but the Akk we saw is calm and careful, still arrogant and stubborn but a little less aggressive than expected. It made me curious, does Akk already have doubts with the school system even before Ayan arrived? It's clear that as the prefect, he fears that the students will be hurt by the curse and the rules are the only way to prevent that, yet he was easily moved by Ayan's words. I thought we would learn more about him but it turned out that there was only little revealed about Akk.

Neo as Khan: He has always played comedic roles but him playing a serious prefect who has internal homophia was INSANELY GOOD! He was shown as the student who strongly believes the curse and this bars his judgment as the prefect. He seems stricter than Akk. I also like how his story with Thua is established already so we can expect that the rest of the series will be about his self-acceptance.

Louis as Thua: Louis is so cute and he reminds me a lot about Khaotung as well, not only because their characters are confident gays but the way they act naturally too. This kid is going places. He has so much patience for Khan and I really can't wait to see more their story.

AJ as Wat: There is not much shown about him yet but AJ portrayed his character naturally. I really thought GMMTV should give this guy lead roles soon. It was only subtle, but with the scene where he based the investigation of Ayan on a movie already established that we can expect him to be the film lover and the character who will face struggle in following his dreams.

Pawin as Namo: He is great at drama so I thought he would choose that path for Namo as well but it turned out that he was designed for the comedic role. The way he pouted and pleaded the prefects to accept him was so cute! I also like how they subtly showed that he is always behind the prefects, listening to their conversations. Because later, it would lead to him giving intel to Ayan about them.

Ploy as Teacher Sani: She is always bubbly on set but oh boy, watching her play Sani mystified me! She is the new english teacher and assistant student welfare teacher - which were Dika's old jobs. Which leads me to wonder if she took his position on purpose and came to Suppalo with the same intention as Ayan? Or investigating the curse is just something she'll learn later on because of her compassion for her students?

Yai as Teacher Chadok, and Sai as Teacher Waree: They're legends, as the young cast defined. My bestie defined them as creepy like aswangs which I found funny but accurate. They seemed suspicious. Chadok is doing well in brainwashing Akk into believing that the rules are perfect and can reduce the effects of the curse. But why? If there's one thing I learned from TMOTB which is written by the same author of The Eclipse, not all the characters we think who are good or bad are exactly as they seem.

About the production:

I had so many worries for the production team which is still new because when I checked out the older works of the people involved, they used traditional lakorn cinematic techniques which I feared to be not competitive in this era of Thai dramas. But when the episode began, I was taken aback! The storytelling is unique. I complimented both the author and ALLTHIS, but even Prapt commended ALLTHIS' adaptation of his work. There's still a lot of room for improvement and I hope they can take note of it. Even with mixed opinions about the production, this makes the series more exciting than expected.

#i just needed to word vomit haha #the eclipse #the eclipse series

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deonideatta · 2 years

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EPISODE 7!!!!!!!

OH OH CAMP PROM

ej promised gina he’d save the last dance for her… (the foreshadowing-)

omg gina and the rest of the girls look so good!!! and ricky choked on his fruit punch 😭

rip gina just asked ej to dance with her and he said ‘a couple more prompts’ because hes running lines with everyone because 24 hours til showtime (yk what i understand, they've barely had 2 weeks to put this musical on, id be stressed as hell)

Breakup :(

Im honestly so sad because this could've been done so much better and i really am cursing out the writers room because irrespective of shipping, the writing is so off this season and the breakup could've been so much better.

NO WHY WAS THEIR BREAKUP EMOTIONAL MOMENT CUT OFF BY COMEDIC MOMENT?? FOUL

there was a season 2 breakup with 2 of the other main characters (ricky and the other love square girl) and in comparison, that was done so much better, there was care and thought put into this and not that there isnt for the portwell breakup BUT WHAT IS THIS???

Omg ricky and gina in a room and tension and shes sad and crying and hes like *i wanna help*

Oh my god ricky was about to tell gina about his feelings and then gina saw ej and tension and he asked what happening and she told him about breakup so he decided not to

FINALE EPISODE!!!!!!!

RICKY’S BIRTHDAY!

Oh ricky went to go find gina

IM HAVING EMOTIONS

pain

well half this episode is just showtime

oH ALSO 2nd girl of the love square is here but she always does for opening nights regardless and its so supportive and loving and AH (also the actress who plays her isnt returning for the next seasons so this is a send off)

No no nooooooooo

ej calling his dad and his dad not even doing the bare minimum of checking on his kid and now hes breaking down but its okay because his friend is there

OK well fast forward and they’re at the premiere of the documentary and the trailer is basically a reality tv trailer where theyre all depicted like enemies and backstabbers

this is so messy

omg there was a part in the trailer where ricky and gina were alluded to be getting together and right after the trailer ended, gina said she’s sorry but ej said she doesnt have to be, we all saw this coming 😭

oh great confession

and kiss

great

SO THAT WAS SEASON THREE

my least favorite season for many reasons like half the cast being mia, the way characterization was (specifically ej’s) and how some plots seemed thrown in

I may have to cleanse and rewatch season 1 and 2

I cant believe they broke up skfjsjd and so unsatisfyingly too??? Bc of bad communication skfjsd I'm crying 😭😭 what about everything they built up before 😔😔 what a waste

No way they interrupted the breakup with a comedic moment 💀💀 that really is foul oml

It's fully possible to write a realistic and acceptable breakup, but from what I'm getting from your description and all the analysis people were posting in the hsmtmts tag this was very much not that lol. Also its really funny to me that they end every season with a breakup 😂

Not ricky about to tell gina about his feelings when as far as he knew she was still in a relationship 🤨 at least he held back in the end lol

The second girl in the square is nini right? I still have no idea what she even looks like lol. Good that she got a nice send off tho!

I feel rlly bad for ej hhh he lost both his last summer and his girlfriend 🥲 they really did him dirty, based on what i've seen in the tag lol people were out there writing essays 😭😭 and he deserved some appreciation for putting so much time and effort into the program, and yet he got so little 🥲 big oof that his dad didn't even acknowledge his efforts skdjs he deserves better

I saw the rina kiss and confession in gifs, and yea it was sweet skfjd they shot and acted it really well.

Not ej saying they all saw it coming tho lol rip

The trailer being huge drama bait tho skdjs I saw a clip that someone posted and it really was peak evil editing 😂😂 I wonder what impact it will have

I was going through the tag the day the episode came out and people were speaking facts about how they butchered ej's character, it's so sad 🥲 hopefully the next season will be better for him. At least Gina is happy tho? So ig that's something lol

#thanks again for the update #the final update :')#when will the next season be? have they announced it #i'll look forward to your updates on it when it comes lol #ask #hsmtmts #portwell #i need a specific tag for these posts/asks

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mr-chatterboxs-column · 2 years

Video

vague explanation of why these clips are jointly relevant below the cut

So earlier this month I watched the movie Valley Girl for the first time (Nic Cage Summer woo), which was designed to delight me personally, like a beautiful projection of Romeo and Juliet onto the TMBG song "XTC vs Adam Ant," but with the impressive era-specific datedness of Mannequin, another rom-com I adore because of, not despite, its having aged so badly it reads as a period piece. The thing that thrilled me from the start was the dialogue, even though I couldn't really justify it with logic mid-experience. When I was writing a review and later trying to convey my enthusiasm to my best friend, my instinct was to compare it to Soderbergh even though on the face of it I could not begin to understand why.

I am a known, diagnosed Soderbergh enjoyer slash apologist (don't worry, it’s not terminal, I realize Magic Mike XXL is better than the original) and the speech above from Sex, Lies, & Videotape is one that has been engraved in my brain since the first time I saw that movie, probably in high school. It's got an acclaimed script that is known for its seeming lack of formalism, its realism, but one of my favorite things about that speech is that it is a structural Chekhov's Gun in disguise as realism. It feels like a movie that is full of conversations that go nowhere, but it is actually a movie about "conversations that go nowhere" -- like, they are *a plot point*.

It's about analyzing the value of conversations that go nowhere, about how they are valued in different ways in different contexts and between different people, about when that is good and when that is bad and when that is just something you should notice, like maybe we as people don't always notice when we have replaced doing something with instead just having a conversation that goes nowhere. And that dinner conversation that feels like just an excerpt from an awkward one-act play about "huh it can be weird to talk to college friends you haven't seen in years" is actually expository dialogue establishing "this character actively does not want to be able to lock his fucking front door." I'm sure if Soderbergh did write that one-act play it would be great and probably really fun to watch, but this is a guy who has directed some of the best heist movies of the last 20 years. It's one of those cases where "therapy language" in a fictional setting is being used not because the screenwriter is part of LA therapy culture or because it's an element of the modern comedic mileau but because it's establishing the particular relationship different characters have with Literal Therapy, you know? So in that sense, it's not a realistic script at all. It's formalized, it's designed to feel like Ann, John, Graham, and Cynthia are in these modern Southern harlequinade roles or they're trying to break out of them.

Anyway, for me that's how it ties back around to Valley Girl. I have absolutely no context for whether the slang in Valley Girl is being used "accurately" or "realistically" (it was made years before I was born and I have never been to California) and I don't think that matters at all. All the characters are communicating in a way that serves a function, they're establishing their roles and how they're trying or not trying to defy their roles or reach across the arbitrary barriers they encounter (mostly capitalistic). So many of the big scenes where you're supposed to see chemistry building between Randy and Julie are them talking excitedly with each other at a distance, so their dialogue isn't quite audible, and once the camera reaches them it's not clear what they could really have been talking *about* before; a lot of their most emotional on-screen exchanges are conversations that go nowhere to the point of barely having any nouns in them. But they clearly both know that talking to each other *at all* is defying their roles, and then in the obligatory pre-climactic breakup scene, the true high point, the "one key" moment in Valley Girl, is Randy, visibly shocked at having been dumped and struggling to think of a retort that will hurt Julie in turn, telling her to "fuck off, fer sure, like totally," making fun of her Valley slang in a way that almost feels like breaking the fourth wall, given the bulk of the movie never acknowledges that most of the cast members are using this extremely distinctive mode of speech. This element of the script that has been a source of comic relief throughout has been pointedly identified as a symbol of economic and class divisions, all the social tensions that the movie is *actually* about, for the entire early section that seems like just a by-the-numbers teen comedy.

#as if guided by the hand of fate I actually was able to find these two clips extremely easily #got to ''fuck off for sure'' and ''gotta be mobile'' on my first try in each respective file

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takato1993 · 1 year

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What I watched in January!!

January was a very positive month for movies that I watched mostly on tubi but I found a few dvds in my grandparents house that i had not watched yet. gonna be honest been battling being sick and cough medicine puts me to sleep very easily so i watched most of these while half asleep and most of them deserve a rewatch

The Blob (1988) 7/10

I know i am not alone in this opinion but the 90s version of The Blob is my favorite version.

Brain Damage 4/10

The parasite puppet monster is low budget but a very fun character and the way it attaches and injects it's victims is actually a really nice practical effect. now as for the plot it is the most unsubtle and dumb drugs bad police violence good plot but with an accidental pro suicide message. also has a weird amount of lore and backstory.

Pulse (2006) 6/10

western remake of an asian movie but the vibe kind of check out on this one. plus the original was not available.

The Barn 5/10

i am a chaotic person by nature but when it comes to horror movies and Halloween lore i enjoy the internal rules. the aesthetic and plot of this one don't cut it for me tho.

Wizards of The Lost Kingdom 3/10

don't let my low rating fool you this very well may be a must watch for the sword and sorcery genre.

this movie is a mish mash of extremely low budget childrens fantasy film, sfw clips from much more violent and sexual fantasy films, and one weirdly expensive looking insect woman monster that appears for 2 minutes for no reason

Bad Moon 6/10

bad moon is a very good werewolf movie I get how it might not have stuck the landing for a lot of people but it deserves a place on more top 10 werwolf movie lists

Witchery 5/10

like David Hasselhoff? Like foreign films? neutral on both how about a bunch of old crone style witches killing and torturing people in very thematic ways?

Black Roses 4/10

not going to lie when I start a horror movie and the Troma logo pops up it makes my fight or flight instinct kick in now.

the Void 8/10

Mirror Mirror 5/10

Reign of Fire 6/10

my silly child self avoided this film for some dumb reasons. anyway it is a pretty good movie my only criticism is the dragons needed way more screen time. but i understand the limitations and they probably would not have looked good if they stayed on screen much longer.

the Axiom 6/10

Tales of Terror 7/10

one of the best Edgar Allen Poe horror anthology films. Vincent Price and Peter Lorre always go well in Poe stories.

Nightbeast 5/10

as a child i remember watching a movie about an extremely violent and murderous creature with big teeth and maybe horns that i though was bigfoot or some other ape. i thought maybe it was this film but i am still unsure

Centipede! 5/10

I think one big centipede instead of many less big centipedes was an odd choice.

Attack the Block (2011) 7/10

this might be one of my favorite alien invasion movies. Like Gordon Ramsay and Julian Sands ( hope they find him safe btw) this movie is immune to being criticized for it's British nature

Memories (1995) 7/10

another step down the rabbit hole of beautifully animated anime anthology films that i think are by the same people that did Akira.

the stories were not as memorable as Robot Carnival but some of them were very good. can't wait to find more like this.

Jack Brooks Monster Slayer 6/10

this is a fun movie about not holding in your emotions until you explode and using your rage constructively. title could be misleading as it is in theory mostly backstory as he does not channel his rage into slaying monsters until the last 10 minutes or so.

Shakma 5/10

I almost always feel bad when an animal is hurt in a movie but I do actually really enjoy " man vs nature" genre of horror films. there is also a very strange and kind of roleplaying game going on for part of the movie.

the Client 6/10

2 young boys witness a suicide and some mafia secrets and one of them seeks out the protection of a lawyer, the lawyer is a woman with her own tragic backstory so they spend a lot of the movie shifting back and forth from bonding to fighting with each other while the mob and the crooked cops are after them.

not my usual type of movie but it was very compelling.

Ghost Ship 6/10

Necropolis 5/10

Nightwish 4/10

the Giant Claw 5/10

I just really enjoy the design of monster in this movie, i won't lie and say i was at all engaged by the plot but the dark matter force field around the monster was also a fun idea.

1408 5/10

the Phantom Empire 4/10

do you like dominant women in leather outfits? cave women? cave dwelling cannibals that look kind of like Morlocks from the time machine movies? great watch this movie.

now i will say this one is kind of boring and is mostly just walking and running around in a big cavern.

20 Million Miles to Earth 6/10

One of the few Ray Harryhausen movies I had not watched yet and I am very glad to be closer to watching them all

Beyond The Black Rainbow 5/10

the Monster 6/10

how dare this movie reflect some of my own unresolved emotional trauma. monster could have used a little more screen time subtlety is great but I like visuals.

Splinter 6/10

these parasite infected zombies have spikes and other nasty tricks a fun horror movie all around.

#film #movies #horror movies #fantasy movies #what i watched #tubi

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yououghtaknow · 3 years

Text

NEW CLIP: “Look The Part”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30869300/chapters/76326035#workskin

#skam brighton #hey besties Once Again I Am Late but it's okay <3 #i started my new meds and they're not treating me well #just a lot of headaches and sleepiness and stuff. i will be okay but it sucks for the first few days when starting them #anyways i really like this clip plotwise #i mostly divide clips in my head into Emotion clips Plot clips or Big clips #big clips are when there's both emotion and plot #i just like to have fun #i know these first two clips are shorter than the usual clips this season but that's because there are big things coming later this week #enjoy :)

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whencartoonsruletheworld · 2 years

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Let’s talk about the Chip n Dale trailer huh

ok so I have obviously a lot of complaints about the Chip n Dale trailer as a veteran Rescue Rangers fan. (aka me and my sister sung the theme song on repeat on the school bus until the other kids made the bus driver make us stop.) But like that’s all obvious stuff, let’s talk about the motherfucking animation in this fucking trailer.

So in this Bonkers script they slapped on Chip n Dale, we’ve got a Roger Rabbit world where toons and humans co-exist and CGI is a metaphor for plastic surgery. ok whatever. But the “““2D””” animation looks like ASS.

Note: when comparing animation, I will not be editing the gifs (no color correction/saturation/etc) so that we can compare them accurately. The only editing done is to occasionally slow down a shot so that the gif doesn’t give me a headache. I will mark slowed clips with a * in front of them so you know. ok thnx

So like. let’s start with the obvious comparison. Roger Rabbit.

Here’s how he looks in the trailer (w/ chip, dale and the three little pigs)*

Here’s how he looks in the movie made in the fucking 80s.

Starting with what should be obvious to any animation student: the lighting. The lighting in the C&D trailer doesn’t hit the animated characters. It’s flashing colors and you could take the opportunity to make it look like Aristocats but they don’t change color at all; maybe a tint here or there at best. The lighting in Roger Rabbit was famously impressive because it was super difficult to pull off with their limited tech at the time.

If you’re an animation student you already know this, but for everyone else: the technique “bump the lamp” was named after the following giffed scene in Roger Rabbit where Roger and Valiant are hiding in a storage room and “bump the lamp,” causing it to circle around. This means that the lighting is constantly shifting and changing. At the same time, Roger must interact with shaking handcuffs and stop a shaking box. This was super difficult to pull off but they did it just to show off that they could.

The C&D trailer has no lighting effects which makes it look super tacky and slapped on. Roger doesn’t even look like he’s touching the floor, let alone in the room.

“But Connie,” you may say, “This is a different 2D animation style. This is the ‘2D Shader Style,’ which is just CGI that looks 2D. Roger Rabbit is an unfair comparison.”

You may also say, “oh, Connie, it’s just the trailer, the animation’s not completely finished yet, even the Sonic 2 trailer spots are showing animation upgrades as they go along.”

So. Let’s compare this to. The Tom and Jerry trailer.

They’re both obviously CGI if you pay close attention, and Tom and Jerry has a bit of the same lighting problem on Jerry (the trailer at least, I haven’t seen the full movie). But two things distinguish them:

The lighting is not as bad; it’s not a recurring problem, just in a couple shots I noticed.

Tom and Jerry is expressive. The C&D characters barely emote, don’t really move much. T&J, meanwhile, knew that their main draw was the slapstick, which requires a lot of expressiveness. Their faces go wide, their reactions to getting hit are big. In a lot of the shots they look like they’re there, interacting with the main characters, and you can kinda look past the lighting thing because the interaction looks so good.

Again, though, haven’t seen the full T&J movie, maybe they fixed the lighting, maybe they made it worse, but this is just comparing trailers with the same animation style, right?

And ALSO. ALSO. This 2D shading thing. They didn’t NEED to do 2D Shading! Last year they dropped the new Space Jam with actual good-looking 2D animation.

COMPARE THESE.

[this third one is *]

Space Jam’s EXPRESSIVE, it’s SHADED, it LOOKS LIKE THE ANIMATORS GAVE A SHIT ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

Space Jam 2’s also a good comparison with the plot-- Space Jam was ALWAYS corporate shilling and vaguely meta. Daffy Duck plants a WB logo on his ass and kisses it in the og film. The new one has Foghorn Leghorn in Game of Thrones. It’s always been corporate pandering and they’re not pretending to be anything else and that’s fine, we go to the movie to see funnie rabbit play basketball with pretty animation.

Chip and Dale was NEVER subversive meta commentary, nor was it ever like. Interacting with the IRL world like this. It’s not Roger Rabbit– the tv show they’re ripping on, Rescue Rangers, was originally a tv show for The Rescuers; basically, little rodents solving mysteries and interacting with other animals. It’s simple and I don’t understand how they got “Roger Rabbit Rip” from this.

If they wanted to make a Disney Afternoon reboot movie commenting on changing animation styles, making meta jokes and getting a celebrity cast in... Bonkers was right there. Nobody liked Bonkers but that just means you can’t possibly ruin it and incur widespread wrath. Honestly, you could even make it better and actually get fans in.

But nooooooo we gotta slap it onto C&D because people have wanted a reboot for that and they got excitement in DuckTales so why the fuck not.

also just saying? Not pitching up the voices was a horrible choice. Mulaney and Samberg wouldn’t have been bad choices, they could get good inflection down, but you need to pitch up the voices for Chip and Dale. Even the Alvin & the Chipmunks movies pitched up their celebrity cast, and when you have to say “the Alvin & the Chipmunks movies did this better” you KNOW you fucked up royally.

...oh my god you know what this is. This is an Animaniacs rip. I just realized this as I was about to post. They’re 100% trying to do an Animaniacs movie. “Popular show in the 90s that marked a generation and then got cancelled, and now we’re in a world of humans and toons commentating on the current state of animation.” That sounds like an Animaniacs movie. Was. Was this a script for an Animaniacs movie and then it actually got a (good!) reboot so they ran off and pitched it to Disney? Is that what happened????

This is my new theory I’mma die on this hill.

tl;dr

I am going to turn to the Disney CEOs (Bob Chapek and Bob Iger) and, in the wise words of wayneradiotv,

“I WILL STRANGLE

THAT BALD FUCK

WITHMYOWN ONE HAND”

#chip and dale #chip n dale #chip n dale rescue rangers #chip and dale rescue rangers #who framed roger rabbit #tom and jerry #space jam #space jam 2 #space jam a new legacy #animaniacs #mine

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liveandbreathemusicals · 2 years

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I watched Tick Tick Boom last night and now that I can finally process my emotions and put feelings into words I’m gonna gush about it, because I had such high expectations for this movie and it freaking soared over all of them!

First off; the adaptation to the film medium and the plot changes

This movie was impossibly good at exploring the theatricalness of the show while also retaining a very real and direct and grounded message.

The framing device of the Tick Tick Boom workshop where Jonathan would occasionally offer a bit of narration or they would cut to with certain songs was beautifully done. The way it came full circle in the end was so profound I can’t even begin to get into it. I was very curious how they would work in songs like Therapy or Johnny Can’t Decide into the limitations of film but they did it so spectacularly it made the songs so much stronger. The juxtaposition between Jon and Susan’s fight and the overly peppy puppet tone of Therapy created such an unsettling and impactful sequence. I was truly blown away

The creative team of the movie clearly knew what the crucial core message, themes, and plot points of the show were and kept those in while adding slight changes to adapt this very simplistic stage show into an extravagant movie atmosphere. While I am sad they cut green green dress it’s absence didn’t detract from the film. And as much as I love the songs Sugar and See her Smile, I think it was the right choice to cut them.

I also loved the shortening of Real Life. It shortened the time between the moment where Jon learns that Michael is HIV positive and him singing Why, which allows the news to still be raw and fresh and feed into Why so well. The little bit of Real Life we got was just enough in that sense, an echo. Building the hopelessness felt by both the Jon and the audience as he’s frantically running to get away from it all.

Speaking of Why, I was expecting that song to be the one that hit me the hardest and I was right. The somber tone it maintained throughout really fit the moment, it allowed the raw emotion and pain fully show through.

Moments that made me absolutely lose it:

Back when the teaser trailer came out I knew I was gonna be a constant mess throughout the movie and I was proven right. The film is so well paced and every moment lands, there is no lull in the story. But that also means there is no moment for me to have a second to process anything and get a break from the out of control emotional roller coaster I was thrown on.

Certain moments that just broke me were 1.) Literally the first two minutes. I loved the candid video camera style shots in the beginning, it reminded me of the actual clips of Jonathan Larson and started the movie off with me already grabbing the tissues.

The original Rent cast members (Adam, Daphne, and Wilson) appearing as extras in Sunday. I don’t know why but that little detail got to me. Seeing them served as a reminder of the true story behind this all.

Overall Thoughts:

I had been (impatiently) waiting for this film since before the teaser trailer came out in June, over half a year. I went into it expecting it to be good yes, but felt like my high standards wouldn’t be met. Partly because of the recent trend of bad movie musicals lately. But this film exceeded every possible expectation.

It was able to blend the over the top theatricalness of the show with songs like 30/90, No More, and Sunday, while seamlessly transitioning into the darker more serious moments of the story. Throughout the entire watching experience I felt completely submersed, and like I was watching a piece of history unfold from the outside.

I hope this film gets big, not only because this show finally deserves the recognition, but because it proved that movie musicals can be truly art and astounding if the work is put in. The directing was out of this world and the casting was magnificent, It was a movie that was truly made for theatre people. And I cannot imagine a better way to honor Jonathan Larson and his legacy.

#tick tick boom #tick tick boom movie #tick tick boom 2021 #Jonathan Larson #musicals #musical theatre #broadway musicals #movie musicals

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hmspogue · 3 years

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Outer Banks season 2 Official Trailer shot-by-shot rundown

A comprehensive post where I scream about analyze the entire trailer frame by frame for clues, theories, and plot. Just my own opinions and general tin foil-hatting

These are screenshots from Netflix’s trailer for Outer Banks season 2. I do not claim or own any of these.

note: this post is tagged as a long post if you wish to avoid having to scroll until your thumbs break.

“My old man used to tell me, ‘it’s best to never say you’ve hit rock bottom’.”

(Putting all of these shots together since they’re scenes we already know but-) Holy shit, okay let’s just....start off like this I guess, damn.

“'Trust me’, he said...”

Kiara looking back and forth between the boys like this really just feeds the headcanon I have that her form of grief this season is going to be her trying to hold it together for their sakes (and eventually just snapping).

JJ just looks fucking furious someone give these kids a hug? I already know this scene is going to ruin me.

“You can always go...”

JJ back working at the hotel. He looks literally so angry again in this scene I could see him self destructing at work and losing his job? (Please do not be isolating yourself you beautiful son of a bitch even though I know you’re going to).

Pope in the Twinkie (costuming wise they all are in warmer looking clothes for some of the shots, so just confirming it’s a little bit into the school year when this all takes place).

“Lower”

Big John was real big into pep talks, I see. (seriously can you imagine Big John having this conversation with like 8 year old John B after he fucking dropped his ice cream cone or some shit I shouldn’t be laughing).

I’m just-

These poor kids, I wanna know how the police all the way down in the Bahama’s knew about them?

Their calves....

“RUN!”

Are going to be so fucking jacked by the end of this season I stg.

Fuck you.

“The gold from the Royal Merchant....it’s here.”

For a while, I had thought that maybe they didn’t even make it to the Bahama’s at the front of the season and ended there (because everyone had been filming in there). But I guess they’re going to be making two trips.

If I were a bird from this POV I’d shit right on that house no questions asked.

oooooh ho hokay. Just so we’re clear. Ward Cameron not only get away with murder and about two dozen other felonies, but-

“Half a billion.”

HE STILL FINDS THE GOLD IN THE CRAIN HOUSE AND GETS TO KEEP IT?

Not the polo with the snap back, I just know this man has a playlist called Sad Boi Hours that is just Juice WRLD’s top 5 songs on Spotify and he tells his friends they wouldn’t know the underground artists he listens to.

Sh, you have lost screaming privileges. Go inside and take a nap maybe.

“John B, we are fugitives in a foreign country.”

So, previously, I was talking about how I was confused how they would still be trying to find him is everyone thought he was dead, but here the wanted poster clearly says “presumed lost at sea”. I think that will be interesting to see how the Pogues all interpret that.

Especially because they already had a memorial for John B and everything, I wonder if there will be any part of the Pogues holding out hope that they both could still be out there OUCH.

I’m going to circle back to this, but it looks like John B and Sarah are going to get separated for a little while in this man hunt, I could see my idiot himbo son trying to sacrifice himself so Sarah can get away but in reality just....stranding her.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid?”

Oh, sweetie....

“Well, Sarah Cameron, I do stupid things all the time without realizing it.”

The volume of his self awareness is astronomical. sir, that is your whole character summed up in your own words.

GOD, IT’S ME AGAIN. PLEASE LET THEM LEAN INTO COMPLETE HIMBO JOHN B THIS SEASON I’LL DO ANYTHING-

nyyooooOOOOOOOOOOOOM-

“Hold on!”

The complete abject terror I would feel having John Booker Routledge driving get-away and then saying the words “Hold on” while reaching fro the gear shift? The english language fails me.

Sarah, bestie, I’m so sorry.

I just wanna know-

what the plan or objective was in this situation. What was the reason for being this dramatic.

Rest in piss, bozo <3

“Ward’s still out there...”

Okay, same conversation they were having as before. I wonder what makes them decide they need to get back to the OBX for this tho.

“I can clear my name. This can all be over in one shot.”

It looks like Topper watching this but way more concerningly, correct me if I’m wrong but this 100% looks like....John B gets caught. And the DEATH PENALTY?! He did have a mug shot for the fliers in s1 and the one above but he was never brought in? Plus he just looks super dirty and dishevled in this one so I-

Jail break anyone?

I also still want to know if they’re going to go with a Topper redemption arc this season. like, does he know more than he should just from being around Rafe and his big fat mouth? Is he going to help out the Pogues even if it’s just for Sarah?

This shot just suddenly made me really sad. The thought of this all started because Big John left one last thing for his son to find, his literal life’s work. And when it all started, it was just a fun adventure John B and his best friends were going on together and having fun with. Then it all got dragged to absolute shit and turned into what it did, including the remaining 3 Pogues thinking that this treasure hunt took their two best friends away from them. And it’s nothing like Big John intended it to be.

Why my eyes wet?

Now we’re edging into what I was talking about earlier with John B and Sarah getting separated.

“If you think there is anything I wouldn’t do...”

Once again, John B is no where to be found. Also, just in case y’all didn’t already know or forgot Ward is an actual psychopath.

I believe this one of the new character, played by Jontavious Johnson (Stubbs). Based on the voice over it lowkey sounds like they’re implying Ward maybe hired Stubbs and Cleo to find and bring Sarah back. My theory would be I bet they do go to retrieve her, but she somehow convinces them that it would be more beneficial for them in the end to be on the Pogue’s side instead.

Miss Girl you gotta be keeping your head on a SWIVEL. Especially when you’re a FUGITIVE of the LAW-

“...you haven’t been paying attention.”

My guy, who are you clarifying this for?

It’s what you deserve for monologuing.

in all seriousness, the idea of them coming to face to face with Ward in Nassau after thinking they finally escaped him is genuinely terrifying.

“SARAH!”

It kind of looks like they’re either hiding their faces or covering their noses? I don’t know maybe it was from some tactic to get away from Ward.

What did I literally jsut say about yelling privileges, you unhinged mother fucker?

“I’m calling the shots now. I’m driving.”

The following progression of scenes made me actually snort-

“I can’t drive stick.”

PLEASE THE FINGER GUNS LAUNCHED ME INTO ORBIT I LOVE THEM, YOUR HONOR.

Alright, so now it looks like we’re in Charleston. This is the same scene with Heyward’s truck that got leaked from BTS (read: JJ and Kie shoulder touch).

One of the main things that stuck out to me in the following scenes which, you will see, is it lowkey looks like Pope is kind of heading up this part of the operation, or even going in alone? The following clips are just very Pope focused.

I don’t know what it means, it’s just an observation.

“John B was not the only one that Ward double-crossed.”

LIMBRY-

Bro, we have been hearing about this woman for literal months and I just have....so many questions?

Who the hell is she? How is she connected to Ward? Why is she in South Carolina instead of the OBX? How do the Pogues even learn about her and how to track her down? How is she meant to “help” them? GAH I JUST WANNA KNOOOW. I already know I don’t trust her though and no I will not be offering up supporting evidence.

Sir, that is my son please unhand him.

“I think you know what I want.”

.......no? But feel....free to explain yourself?

The print on the paper is the same one that’s on the ceiling tiles in the following scene. Obviously, with a key on it that most likely goes to the place a few shots from now.

Hell yeah, son, let’s get SLEUTHING.

“The treasure belongs to the Pogues.”

DAMN STRAIGHT.

Bestie’s I’m not going to lie, I stared at this frame for a solid 10 minuets and I have no idea what it says on there I’m sorry. Someone in the comments is welcome to enlighten us.

“We gotta find it first.”

I can’t tell if that’s just dirt or if he hurt his head? But he look GOOD right now for one thing. For another, same outfit as the one in the Twinkie from the beginning of the trailer.

Look at her. LooK AT HER! LOOK! AT! HER! I MISSED HER SO MUCH even in that damn smiley face top that continues to haunt my waking hours she is in it so much and it stresses me out for literally no good reason I’m sorry-

I could literally cry right now and I think that speaks volumes to how little we actually see him genuinely happy. Have I mentioned how much I love that red hat?

Also, probably not that important, but this is not from the same scene as the shots of Pope and Kiara were. This is from the next one-

“Woogity-woogity?”

“Give me some woogity, baby!”

Yeah, this pushed me over the fucking edge, the way that they’re actually happy and laughing? The fact that they kept woogity-woogity and made it A Thing? Yes.

I am, however, going to be intentionally ignoring what appears to be the very intentional stagingof having such an obvious space between where Kiara and Pope are sitting adn where JJ sits, even including the level they’re sitting on because I don’t have the emotional capacity to face those implications right now. Thank you for your time.

Yes yeeeeEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

GIVE ME ALL OF THE SCENES OF THEM ACTUALLY GETTING TO BE TEENAGERS AND JUST BREATHE AND LAUGH AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND NOT BE RUNNING FOR THEIR FUCKING LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!

before Rafe comes in and literally starts shooting because they can’t breathe for more than 7 seconds but we’ll....get to that.

They refer to Sarah as a Pogue this season or I burn Netflix to the ground. Your move, Jonas.

50 bucks says John B is driving the Twinkie again for the first time since being back.

I deadass think the Pogues JUST got Sarah and John B back and they’re just having the time of their life. Kie was in her smiley face outfit when Pope was in this one a few clips ago, and I still hold to the belief that that one still they released of JJ and Kie hopping over a fence is the Pogue reunion so-

Ward? I have no idea what he’s looking at behind the wall paper and I’ll be so honest I don’t care my eyes are only seeing Pogue content right now.

“This is a map of the whole island.”

This fit, when will John B learn how to operate buttons, stay tuned for season 5. Also my previous theory of this being their reunion outfits and stuff because Pope is in the back in the same jacket as before.

The plot thickens and so has JJ’s hair, Rudy drop the shampoo brand.

Please, dear God, tell me they’re back in the sex church. For @jiaaraa sake.

Kiara, your Madison is showing.

Okay, I really did try but all I can make out is Something to the tomb begin something something.

You’re welcome.

I am no expert but I do not believe boats operate on land.

John B looks like he is in the same outfit here that is in his mug shot we saw on the TV screen so I have a sneaking suspicion this is where he gets caught.

“John B is back-”

Once again with the damn sexual tension that’s always between Barry and Rafe in every scene they do are we about to kiss right now?

“-it’s him or me.”

First of all, no.

Second of all, I’m just....so very confused about this time line this season. It kind of looks like Ward and Rafe follow and find Sarah and John B in Nassau (unless those scenes by the truck were actually back in the OBX). So did they....go to Nassau, then just come right back when they did? I’m just confused.

Put that thing back where it came from or so help me.

Literally when will you stop at this point I am begging you.

This looks like the same scene the Pogues were, ya know, literally just having a good time at so fuck me, I guess.

Yeah, no, it’s going to be a no from me, I’m just going to pretend like I’m not seeing this and moving on.

I have simply no idea what is going on here or who that is on the bike but maybe JJ? Maybe Luke even? I think that’s JJ’s bike.

The sewer scene. The SEWER SCENE-

For months sicne that tiktok leaked this damn scene has been genuinely all I could think about. So (obviously) it seems like they’re sending Kie down into the sewer to go do seomthing and things go horribly, horribly wrong.

If you haven’t seen the tiktok, essentially all it was was JJ and Pope screaming and trying to lift up the man hole cover while Kie is begging for them to hurry from inside. I’m cheating a little bit as this isn’t a shot from the trailer but this picture was posted and it’s from the same scene.

I’ll just....leave this here. Back to the trailer shots.

Nice. Also, same shirt as mugshot.

Hey, um, what?

Kiara’s car, she’s driving, I can’t tell who’s in the back seat or the front.

Holy God what is going on and how can I as an audience member put a stop to it?

So, same scene as we will see and was in the teaser but, for some reason, they’re all jumping off of a giant ass boat into the little life raft where it looks like JJ gets hurt later but don’t you worry we’re getting to that.

JJ AND KIARA WITH THE POGUE HANDSHAKE JJ AND KIARA WITH THE POGUE HANDSHAKE THEY BOTH LOOK SO DAMN GOOD AND THEIR LITTLE SMILES SPARE ME-

Cleo 🥵

I’m so excited to see her arc and what it brings this season you guys have no idea.

Please for the love of God be about to get Ward Cameron’s ass like he deserves literally punt him into jail right from Tanny Hill.

Sarah at My Druther’s with what looks like a bloody bandage on her side? Same outfit she’s wearing when they’re running from the police on the beach and she has the bandage there too so. Interesting.

Topper hugging who I’m pretty sure is Sarah, being a general douche because he’s clearly looking at John B like 😏

Clips like these serve to remind me just how many of my worldly posessions I would gladly give up to be able to punch Topper Thorton in the throat one time.

I think this is Cleo jumping off the boat with Pope after John B and Sarah.

Absolutely busting a lung at Pope’s form in this one.

John B and Sarah waiting in the life raft, still Cleo and Pope coming after them. The obvious next question is where are JJ and Kiara. The scene I’m sure you all have been waiting for is coming up and clearly takes place in the life raft as well.

So, I really think JJ and Kie get left for last, something horrible happens as they’re trying to jump (my head instantly goes to JJ maybe like pushing Kie out of the way and getting hit on the head instead or even just some accident).

And, oh my GOD a scene of him falling off the boat after it happens and Kiara diving in after him immediately, having to desperatly try to stop him from sinkingand get to the life raft holy shit-

Girl CATCH HIM?????

Because why wouldn’t this be Rafe’s fault. Part of me wonders if this isn’t related to JJ being hurt.

I am going to try and unpack this as calmly as possible because behind my computer screen I am vibrating at a frequency that could shatter glass but respectfully.

WHAT IN THE FUCK IS TIAUEWFHLAILA

Okay, so scene wise, JJ’s hit his head somehow (probably while he was jumping with Kiara) it looks like and now they’re back on the raft.

In my opinion, this is either:

A) JJ is in really, really bad condition after getting hurt in the jump and they’re not sure he’s going to make it. So this is a “Please stay with me, stay awake, please don’t die” hug OR

B) They very narrowly just avoided a deadly situation (my first thought is JJ hits his head while jumping, passes out in the water, maybe almost drowns but Kie and the others get him onto the life raft in time) and this is more of a “Oh my God, you’re okay, you’re safe now, we’re okay” hug.

I honestly lean more to the second one based on the little bit of Sarah’s face we saw in the background. To me, it almost looked like she was smiling thru tears, which, fits way more with the second option than the first.

Anyways. Moving on before I burst a lung again.

(also, before anyone comes at me, no, I’m not happy JJ is hurt, obviously.

(Once again, arrest outfits). You can still see the bandage but it looks like Sarah’s limping now too so...good Lord give the girl a break maybe?

Everything in this trailer just went to shit so fast I think I have whip lash, can we go back to the Pogues hanging out and being happy now pkease I liked those scenes.

“I get it. You guys are scared.”

“No.”

She’s cute but, uh, hello sewer scene outfits. Seems like them planning to do whatever the hell they were going to do in the sewers but the boys are starting to get cold feet as maybe they should but hind sight is 20/20 I suppose.

“It’s kind of cute.”

“I’m not scared.”

“You should’ve just led with that.”

I will never be able to express how much I adore Pogue banter and general dumbassery and I have a feeling this season will not be lacking in either department

I high key don’t think these two are actually going to be there for this scene to go down but I’ll let it slide this time because-

They do be kinda cute.

It both feels like I’ve been waiting for this damn show for 3 years and also like I just watched season 1 last month explain that to me.

Either way holy shit. I missed this dumb show and these dumb kids so much it physcially hurts and WE GET THEM BACK IN T-MINUS 16 DAYS.

Also. Where The Hell Is Wheezie Cameron And When Will She Have The Rights She Deserves.

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