#and this is just one tiny scene in this show that explores a lot of lgbt characters and relationships genuinely
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A League of Their Own - 1.06
#a league of their own#alotoedit#my gifs#my stuff#long post#I have a lot to learn still because these were a nightmare to light and color#but that's also just darkly lit shots for you#brighten your filming!#I need everyone seeing this who hasn't watched the show to know that this scene is played very...#well I was about to say 'straight' but that wouldn't be right#this isn't supposed to be subtextual or wink nudge wink#the scene is genuine. they are in a secret gay bar. they are blatantly flirting#after this they slow dance together and flo says jo is the most beautiful person she's ever seen#and this is just one tiny scene in this show that explores a lot of lgbt characters and relationships genuinely
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Resources 🌼
(Updated regularly)
🪷 Emergency resource: oh no I’m having a bad thought
🌻 Apps and Games
Finch: mental health app where you care for a little bird! Offers many features such as focus timers, rant zones, nature sounds, fun questions, and more! You can even make friends on it and send them encouragement :) (my friend code)
Adorable Home: a precious game in which you have a tiny spouse, cats, and a little house you can decorate! You can check in and enjoy peaceful music, different scenes, and upgrades through collecting tiny hearts you earn through easy tasks! A truly adorable and relaxing game!
Seashine: a game set underwater in which you guide a tiny luminescent jellyfish through the abyss. Beautiful, relaxing music and distant whale noises; some scary enemies, so if you have thalassophobia this might not be the one for you. Very calming otherwise though, and the creator is coming out with an enemy-free version soon in which you can just float around to the music!
Cat Snack Bar: an adorable app where you operate different business venues with the help of chubby, adorable cats! You check in periodically to collect money and update your venue, but otherwise it doesn't require much brain power. A very cute game to help you relax!
Webtoon: a comic app that allows you to browse thousands of creative and often relaxing webcomics! My personal favorite is Cursed Princess Club; it's a very clever and happy one with a lot of good messages!
1010!: a fun little game where you match up blocks. Fairly simple and satisfying, and you can update your backgrounds to fun designs!
Papa's Cupcakeria: a relaxing and satisfying game where you make cupcakes! And of course there’s a whole series of games in the Papa Louie universe to choose from that are fun and happy :)
🪸 Fun Websites
Neal.fun: features many creative pages you can visit such as— a stack of movable rocks, a page that shows how deep the ocean really goes, who was alive [insert year], draw logos from memory, and more!
WindowSwap: lets you go through windows around the world! You can log in and save your favorites, and make it fullscreen if you need to study and want a nice thing in the background to keep you from distractions.
mrdoob.com: a wacky website with lots of fun features you can draw and mess around with
boredbutton: for when you're bored out of your mind and want a pointless website to mess with!
theuselessweb.com: takes you to a completely useless website, such as a page where it rains corndogs or a page where you can create different forms of art.
ashortjourney.com: lets you take a small and beautifully drawn trip on a trolley and pick up/drop off tiny creatures!
Forestopia: allows you to explore images of forests and the things inside, with background forest noises!
boredpanda.com: full of memes, funny stories, and more!
listverse: contains many lists, some horrifying (so be warned for those) and some just fascinating!
🍄 Focus Sites and Playlists
rainymood.com: a site/app that lets you listen to rain for as long as you want!
asoftmurmur.com: lets you listen to a variety of sounds like rain, thunder, or a fire!
Open ocean: 10 hours of underwater videography of a spot in the ocean!
imissmycafe.com: site that lets you listen to the noises of a coffee shop! You can change the different noises too :)
Secret Forest Playlist: peaceful music; 2 hours
Rain on Leaves on a Forest Road in Autumn: rain in the woods; 10 hours
Haunted Village Halloween Ambience: eerie but quiet music; 3 hours
Relaxing Autumn/Fall Forest: sounds of wind, crows, songbirds, and creaking trees; 7 hours
Chill Beats for Worldbuilding and Writing: Fabulous lofi music; 1 hour
It's Just a Dream/Dreamcore: Very peaceful and ambient music; 4 hours
Autumn Acoustic: Autumn inspired songs; 5 hours
Sad Piano Music: beautiful piano pieces by Jurrivh; 6 hours
The Most Relaxing Waves Ever: beach noises; 8 hours
Yanni: a playlist of beautiful word-free music by Yanni
pov- you're a pirate: a pirate-themed playlist for inspiration
Have your own recommendations? Drop a comment or ask!
#updated regularly#resources#playlists#focus#study#fun#websites#games#apps#recommendations#intrusive thoughts#help#ocd#obsessive compulsive disorder#mental health
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What are some other hairstyles you imaging the group in? Any fun ones that Hunter tried (or was forced into by Willow, Amity, etc) as his hair got longer?
THIS IS A LONG ONE (with art) SO I'M PUTTING IT UNDER A READ MORE! :)
first of all I think GUS would be the one with the most hairstyles, hats and drip in general - he loves the human world's culture and their way of using fashion to express themselves uniquely - including hair. I mean, he also has curly hair. So he would have durag styles, various protection styles, twists and braids. And, because his hair curls, he could vary between long and shorter styles.
I also think Gus would have styles that are more typically "feminine" too, as he is very gender-non-conforming in the crew's art of him.
Though, I will say, it works for Gus in-canon that he only keeps one style at first (narratively speaking, not realistic haircare - I think?) because then that would emphasise his time in the human realm later on to be an important developing arc for him (assuming they would actually give him various styles, as indicative of the bits we got of him in episode 1.)
I think, had season 3 happened, we would have gotten a more vibrant Gus. He wants to be an ambassador, he loves the human realm, whom else than GUS to be the one to have an arc where he explores and embodies the full-on SELFEXPRESSION!
Fashion and hair is a way to express the uniqueness of yourself.
If Luz' wish as the main character is to be understood, then the (positive) characters around her will (one way or another) embody different lessons for that theme.
Gus: Self-expression. (Fashion, style, hair, charisma)
Hunter: Identity. (Confidence, self-love, self-respect)
Willow: Inner self. (Vulnerability, self-care, self-acceptance)
Amity: Outer self. (Presentation of your truth, pride of oneself.)
Vee: Voice. (Standing up for yourself, perseverance)
Camila: Support. (Union of group, accepting and giving love)
And I think their fashions/hair aka - character designs would reflect these various things!
On a more fun note I think the only reason Hunter could pull off his own unique style is because Gus helps him combine them properly.
Hunter really said dollhouse fairycore and Gus ran with it.
AMITY: Basic styles, probably thinking of her siblings to feel closer to them. Especially Emira's hairstyles. :)
I think, because her mom was so controlling of how her hair presented, I think Amity moves away from doing too much with it and rather let it be adventurous and free.
WILLOW: Lots of braids and pigtails. I think she likes to have practical hairstyles as well as more "gentle" ones. The practical ones to reflect her jock-side, and the lose ones to reflect her more gentile and sensitive side! :)
<3
HUNTER: I think just keeps his in a ponytail or (as in the canon) just loose and shaggy without much care. Showing his early stages of being a blank slate. Just let things have it's course to see what "grows" from it, y'know? And then he gets his iconic haircut scene and literally "starts over" with a new arc. :)
<3
I think LUZ just keeps her iconic style that she's had through the show, with the additional tiny low-pinned ponytail that makes her look like a rouge adventurer! Kinda like Amity. I also think Luz hair grows a bit more wavy the longer it gets! :)
<3
VEE is also someone who goes through the most changes, but in her body and face rather than fashion. I think her style would be of the alternative side, perhaps a bit of a concert-kid vibe and basic comfy stuff.
She's visually been shown to have the opposite expressions of Luz, quite literally being from opposite realms and having opposite personalities. Where Luz felt hopeful Vee was quick to give up. Our basilisk girl also seem to fit in more with the human realm, enjoying being a normie - after all, her life wasn't normal up till that point. So it makes sense for her to seek it and even find her safety in her own baseline.
BUT YEAH!
I THINK THAT'S IT????
ENJOY MY THOUGHTS.
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It's been a tough year in a lot of ways, but one thing I've been able to consistently count on to bring me joy is the incredible writing in this fandom! I feel like 2023 has been almost a golden age of Tarlos fic. With both the sheer quantity AND quality of fic, it has been a wonderful time to be a Tarlos fic reader! In celebration of this golden age, I wanted to share a list of some of the fic that brought me the most joy in the past year.
Of course, this is not a comprehensive list...as much as I may want to, I can't possibly read everything this fandom has to offer. There's still a lot to get to on my to-read list. And even from the fic I did read, I'm sure I'm forgetting some amazing ones. There's just SO MUCH. But here I have listed (alphabetic by author) some of the fic that most resonated with me the past year, fic that I still think about and reread, and fic that has taken up full time residence in my brain!
There are A LOT...so I'll be putting the list under the cut.
all my blood for the sweetness of his laugh by @alrightbuckaroo
A truly beautiful little fic about Carlos' feelings about TK's laugh. A bit of angst and a lot of love.
anger has told me her real name is grief by alrightbuckaroo
An excellent 4x17/4x18 fic that deals a lot with Carlos' grief and the journey he goes through in those two episodes.
my beatin' heart belongs to you by bartsy
A fic about Carlos' anxiety after the death of his father, manifested in his fears for the safety of his husband. This fic is so beautiful and very in character. I would love it so much if the show would go even a tiny bit in the direction of exploring Carlos' anxiety!
It Beats for You by @basilsunrise
A 4x04 coda, porn with feelings and bottom Carlos...truly, what more could I ask for?? Very hot and SO MANY feelings!
she has almost killed me with love for that boy by @beautifulhigh
Another 4x04 coda (there can never be enough) that's also a study of the different types of love, all of which Carlos has in his life.
How quickly we change overnight by @birdclowns
A pre-canon fic about TK and his relationship with Alex. I particularly love this kind of thing where we have so little concrete information in canon. It's a perfect opportunity for fic, and I really love this one. Alex could easily be handled as some horrible villain, but the way he's handled here is far more realistic and I think it makes my heart break for TK even more.
Even if the World Ends Tomorrow by @bonheur-cafe
A post-apocalypse AU that's a little terrifying but ultimately very hopeful. This is one that I kept thinking about long after I read it.
can i be close to you? by @catanisspicy
A 5+1 fic about TK asking Carlos if he'd still love him if he was a worm. A true delight! This is another fic I still think about all the time.
slowly, then all at once by catanisspicy
A fic about TK and Carlos loving each other, which is one of my favorite things in the world.
The Center of the Maze by @carlos-in-glasses
7 times TK and Carlos thought they would never get married and one time they actually did. This fic covers so many of the most significant moments of their relationship and is so very beautifully written. I think my favorite part is (predictably) the section related to the soulmates scene.
When Soulmates Swim by carlos-in-glasses
A wonderful AU where TK and Carlos get to know each other while swimming together. It's everything: hot, sweet, beautiful, poignant, and sometimes incredibly hilarious.
Release the Hand to Relax the Animal by carlos-in-glasses
A fic that's all about touch and the great sex, past and present, that TK and Carlos have had. A true masterpiece.
We Have Suffered Enough by @chicgeekgirl89
A 4x16 coda. Oh, the soulmates scene! I'm automatically going to love anything even remotely soulmates scene-adjacent, and this one is particularly beautiful.
Shiner by chicgeekgirl89
A 4x15 coda dealing with Carlos finding out about TK's black eye, which is something I desperately wanted to see on screen. I love the way it goes here. It's incredibly sweet.
Cold Feet by @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut
A lovely little fic that has Carlos feeling some big feelings about his soon-to-be husband.
When I'm Like This by cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut
An early season 1 Tarlos fic with a lot of angst and feelings, which is always one of my favorite things. This one is ridiculously hot, yet also filled with so much emotion and feelings and gorgeous writing. Just thinking about it makes me want to reread!
to build a home by @freneticfloetry
A Carlos character study, from pre-series through season 4. If there was ever a character I wanted to study, it's Carlos Reyes. And this fic is beautifully done, expertly exploring the complexities of his character and the gaps canon has left to be filled.
The Sting by @goodways
Shortly after they're married, Carlos gets involved in an FBI sting operation that requires him to go on a date and flirt with another man, something that TK is not thrilled about. This fic is at times funny, emotional, hot and sweet.
First night by goodways
The first time TK and Carlos have sex and all the feelings and attempted avoidance of feelings that comes with it. So many feelings!!!
Take my hand, take my whole life, too by @heartstringsduet
HANDS. What more could I ask for? This fic is an absolutely gorgeous exploration of TK and Carlos' intimacy across their whole lives together. I'm ready to tear up just thinking about it!
But most of it was beautiful by heartstringsduet
An at-home Tarlos honeymoon fic. I call a lot of fic on this list beautiful, but sometimes there's no better word. This fic is beautiful.
broken glass by @irispurpurea
A beautiful, heartbreaking exploration of Carlos' grief. It's all fragmented and non-linear, which only adds to how moving and powerful it is.
a little bit more by krissyloowhoo
An installment of a series in which TK and Carlos adopt a baby girl. This one features Carlos in love with what a good dad TK is.
Stand your brand of love by @ladytessa74
A Tarlos honeymoon fic written prior to the end of the season. This was a go-to reread for me in the weeks leading up to the finale. Even now, when it's no longer technically canon compliant, the emotions hit just as hard.
How I linger to admire by ladytessa74
This fic is pretty much my dream season 5. It has everything: Carlos solving his father's murder, TK and Carlos getting held at gunpoint, and Lou II saving the day. Several items on my wish list for season 5 were directly inspired by reading this fic.
Do it all over again by ladytessa74
TK tries for a do over of the proposal because he thinks Carlos deserves better, which leads to a series of funny, adorable and touching moments. The writing is beautiful, and it even inspired a cross stitch! I have many favorite things about Tessa's writing, but one of my very favorite things is the way she writes the intimacy and affection and touch between TK and Carlos. This fic is filled with some of my favorite examples of that.
All Your Colors Make Me Feel Alive by @lemonlyman-dotcom
This wonderful fic uses the music of Beck to explore moments in TK and Carlos' relationship. Angst and fluff: the best combination.
I'm Not A Fortress, But I Will Try To Protect You by lemonlyman-dotcom
TK and Marjan have a conversation in the wake of the events of 2x04. One of my favorite parts of Lemon's writing is the incredible amount of backstory detail, most particularly the friendship between TK and Marjan. There are hints of this in canon, but here it's beautifully developed and I love it so much.
Call Me If You Get Lost by lemonlyman-dotcom
TK and Carlos go for a romantic weekend while also looking out for a friend. This fic is a delight and so much fun!
Love From the Other Side by @lightningboltreader
Exes to lovers and only one bed...what could possibly be better?? I particularly enjoy the conversation between TK and Carlos that leads to their reconciliation.
We were in screaming color by @liminalmemories21
I was looking forward to this season 4 fic since before the season even started airing! I can imagine it must have been particularly difficult to write, from the ridiculous season 4 timeline to all the plotholes and inconsistencies that the Iris storyline and Carlos' sudden two sisters created, but it was done beautifully. It made me think about so many season 4 details and moments in different ways and ultimately led to an enhanced appreciation of the season.
I need you so much closer by @marjansmarwani
A 4x04 coda. This one focuses on all the many people who love Carlos. I always love to read about Carlos being loved!
where the empty space is a saving grace by @maxbegone
Carlos talks with Gwyn in the time before he's revived by TK and the narcan in 4x04. Beautiful and poignant.
etched in gold by maxbegone
A lovely little wedding moment where TK and Carlos get some alone time during the reception.
By Your Side by @never-blooms
The Reyes kitchen through the years. If there's anything that deserves more exploration, it's the Reyes family and all their complexities. This fic does an incredible job of this and is so beautifully written.
The Calling by @orchidscript
This is a fascinating and beautiful fic about TK using his experience with addiction to help people in the course of his job as a paramedic. It's something I would love so much for them to explore on the show!
Under A Star Spell by orchidscript
In this AU, Carlos practices folk magic. The fic itself is absolutely magical. One of the things I love about it is how different it is from pretty much every other Tarlos fic I've ever read.
Lost and Found by @paperstorm
A 4x04 coda (if there's one thing about me, it's that I love a 4x04 coda). I loved this episode so much but there was so much more I wanted, particularly to see what happened in the aftermath at the hospital, which is why this fic is so appreciated.
Ritual by paperstorm
An installment of Andie's spectacular Missing Moments series. I could easily have put every installment on this list, but I chose the one for 2x11, which is my favorite of the season 2 fics. I'm always a sucker for Carlos working through his feelings about his relationship with his parents!
The Firehouse by paperstorm
An incredible AU with TK and Carlos as childhood friends who meet again years later when Carlos is undercover and TK is living a life of crime. The angst in this one is spectacular, and the payoff is beautiful and earned and extraordinarily satisfying.
peace by @redshirt2
Carlos post-breakup. This little fic is heartbreaking and perfectly captures Carlos' desolate state of mind as he's left alone.
dream this night away by @reyesstrand
A pre-season 4 honeymoon fic where TK and Carlos end up in a motel after their flight is cancelled. A little bit of angst and a lot of love and tenderness.
to which there is no reply by reyesstrand
An absolutely gorgeous honeymoon fic, this time canon-compliant, that features Carlos struggling with his grief and being loved by his husband.
balancing act by reyesstrand
TK and Carlos sharing food and falling in love. What could possibly be better? This fic is so beautiful and it spans the entirety of their relationship. An incredible achievement and a true gift to readers!
the strong will never fall by @rmd-writes
Another 4x04 coda (I truly can never get enough). This one is incredibly tender and emotional.
shine some light on my day by @rosedavid
A sweet, fluffy, gentle fic about TK and Carlos waking up and getting ready for the day together. Domestic fluff at its finest!
and salt the earth behind you by @safeashousespdf
TK brings Carlos to New York 6 months after Gwyn's death and TK grapples with the ways things have changed and the ways he has changed. This fic is incredibly powerful. I read it months ago but I still think about it.
you and me, forevermore by @strandnreyes
A gorgeous wedding coda that made me cry multiple times.
Come what may, I'll still stay by strandnreyes
Carlos struggles with his work-life balance when he becomes a detective. It gets worse and worse until he makes a pretty big mistake that shows him just how bad things have gotten. Lots of angst, but also lots of happiness by the end and so much love permeating through every bit of it. This was one of the THE fics of the year for me and it still lives rent free in my brain!
no rules in breakable heaven by strandnreyes
An AU where Carlos takes a job as a private chef in the Hamptons for TK's family. Jen wrote so many incredible AUs this year, but this one was my favorite. Just the right amount of angst with a proportionately happy ending! And the descriptions of the food Carlos was preparing always made me very hungry.
As long as it's with you by @tailoredshirt
TK and Carlos spend their first Valentine's Day as husbands in the ER, but it's nothing too serious. This fic is mostly soft and sweet. I still think about it all the time, especially the little gestures and affectionate touches between them. It's a lovely little fic that's guaranteed to make you smile.
tell me how by @theghostofashton
Carlos and his grief leading up to the wedding. Beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved this so much.
Back to You and Me by @three-drink-amy
A lovely 4x16 coda. In celebration of finding out that TK doesn't have to worry about Huntington's, TK and Carlos go back to the honky tonk where it all began!
The Weight of Grief by @wandering-night19
This is an absolutely riveting fic that has TK near-death in a coma (again). It's poignant and heartbreaking. One scene in particular in the final chapter makes me want to cry just thinking about it! Some chapters deal with Andrea and Gabriel backstory, which eventually links up to the ongoing story in the present. The whole thing is so well written and beautifully constructed.
living at the centre of a wound still fresh by @welcometololaland
A heartbreaking, beautiful masterpiece of a fic. Carlos struggles with his grief on their honeymoon, but TK is there to help him through. Just thinking about this one makes me want to cry...and also reread!
a long time ago (we used to be friends) by welcometololaland
A masterpiece of an AU, exes to lovers with private investigator Carlos and wrongly accused of murder TK. They work together to clear TK's name and come back together in a beautiful way.
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My thoughts on the couples included in Better in Black for those who care
I expect you to write down yours so work work
📍Wessa
You know, as a dedicated Jessa stan I wanna say that it's okay~ Because these two were together for 50 years or sth, there's still some things to add. We might watch them in their 30s, 50s, 60s. I guess at this point both camps have around the same amount of content. Plus I'll have Jessa in twp so I'm in peace 🌱
📍Clace
All my first thoughts are over here. I'm a Clace defender, I'm their oldest stan, I'm a veteran👩🦳 So I feel like I have a right to say that...it was kinda unnecessary. We've witnessed every step in their relationship so far, beginning of it in TMI, gentle transition to adulthood in TDA and Tales of Shadowhunter Academy, adulthood in SOBH and proposal. So if the story isn't about their wedding then WHAT THE HELL IS IT ABOUT REALLY? And we know that they won't get married until twp.
📍Anna & Ari (Arianna!)
Hey🥺that is nice, we've seen so little of them in chain of thorns and I've loved them since their debut in 2018 in that short story. I'm very biased when it comes to TLH, cause I'm their mother. So YAY🌱they have a long way to go, Anna still needs to change a tiny little bit for them to be healthy, so I'd love to witness it
📍Jordelia
We all have known about it, because Cassie kinda promised us their story a while ago. Wedding runes scene, honeymoon, kids, mortgage etc. Go kids, slay, serve, eat and so on, I'm excited for u!
📍Sebastian & Seelie Queen
🤨🧐🤔👁👁
Yeah... That famous Sebastian &Fanbase. Like... I'm conflicted, because it's useless and doesn't make any sense even tho it might slay. Listen up, I'll show you.
Lots of people defend it by saying that it might be important for Ash's background in TWP. But... No it's not. Because this is exclusive book made for few people who were lucky and financially stable enough to get it. It won't be posted online. So most people won't read it unless someone leaks it. So there's no point for that story to be important for the plot, therefore it has nothing to do with it.
And it's definitely not "one of the most beloved" couples. BUT LIKE... WHAT IF IT SLAYS? Toxic, unhinged romance, what if I'll love it? 🤡
📍Jemma
So you see the problem? Because it's the same as Clace. What else might she add, because there's nothing. SoBH ended like yesterday. We know exactly where they live rn, their daily routine, their plans. So there's nothing to add between SOBH and twp. What will it be about? Hard to say, but I hope Cassie will come up with sth interesting for them.
📍Thomastair (why did Cassie say Alistair instead of Alastair, I'm lost help me)
Yay🥺slay, serve, eat and leave no crumbs, go, kill it idk you're doing great boys, there's so much to add and explore because they've just started dating. I'm so excited ^-^
📍Kierartkina
That is fine. No matter what I think about their relationship, because in my point of view Cristina and Kieran fell in love because Cassie said so apparently, I still don't mind them being there. Because there's also lots of things to discuss and explore. I hope the story will be soft and warm☀they've just started their advantage so it definitely makes sense
📍Sizzy
Even though we've had lots of them in TMI and Shadowhunters Academy I still think they deserve to be here. They are famous (I guess? 👁👁) and I'd like to know more about their plans for future. Simon was still a teenager in the stories collection and now I'd love to see him as a grown man being in relationship with the woman he loves.
📍Luke & Jocelyn
👁👁🤨🧐🤔👀
Well... That was... Unexpected. I guess... I've just never met their fandom but I hope it's huge af, because I don't know why else would they be here. Sophideon, Gabrily and Charlotte with Henry were supposed to be here, let's be honest. But since they're here, I do think Cassie is able to make a decent story. I expect it to be bittersweet, angsty and somehow heartwarming. I think there's nothing to say except let's wait and find out.
OVERALL I think it's pretty fine. Maximum 7/10 from me. I was ready to face the worst, but it turned out to be... Fine. So it's fine☺🌱
#seasons of shadowhunters#tsc#sobh#tlh#cassandra clare#chain of thorns#wessa#jemma#arianna#anna lightwood#ari bridgestock#jordelia#sizzy#kierarktina#thomastair#tda#tmi#the wicked powers
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Dacre Montgomery (‘Stranger Things’) on filming his Season 4 appearance from Australia: ‘I put everything into this moment’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
Sam Eckmann TV June 17, 2023 6:30AM
“I like to do a lot of character prep and development and sort of live in character,” explains Dacre Montgomery of his acting process. The breakout “Stranger Things” star made a surprise return to the hit Netflix series in Season 4 despite his character Billy being killed in the previous season. His appearance was brief, but it provided the actor with a unique filming opportunity and the chance to put a final touch on a role that means a great deal to him. “It’s a culmination of hundreds of hours of work and really living in character in many ways,” says Montgomery. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
The Duffer Brothers called Montgomery near the start of the global pandemic with the offer to return for some pivotal scenes with Max (Sadie Sink). “And then it became quite difficult to leave Australia,” says the actor, noting that he was stuck in his home country while the series was being filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Montgomery recorded lines of dialogue for Sink to work with as she filmed in the U.S., but it became too difficult a prospect for him to join her. To his surprise, production agreed to shoot his material in Perth. “They decided to shoot the scenes in my hometown, but a sound stage of the size that they needed, with a blue screen stage, didn’t exist. So they built one just for the one scene in Western Australia, which was awesome,” he admits. The costumes, wigs, and prosthetics for Billy were flown in from across the globe, and the actor worked with a local Australian team to put it all together.
“But the strangest part of it all was I was on a blue stage,” he admits. He had a tiny earpiece playing Sink’s lines for him, but he otherwise only had a tennis ball to act opposite. The performer describes the process as “highly emotional work,” not only because of the content of the scenes, but because of his deep attachment to his character. So despite the strange circumstances, filming by himself while in and out of hotel quarantine, Montgomery “put everything into this moment.”
Because of his isolation in Oz, Montgomery reveals that he had “no real context obviously of what was happening in the rest of the season.” This includes the setup that the villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) produces an illusion of Billy as a representation of Max’s grief, and as a way to lure her into accepting death. But Montgomery had no designs on portraying a new version of the character. “I really just wanted to play Billy for Billy, and give the sort of authenticity of the character work in that space,” he explains, “There’s so much core memory there of Billy and who he is. So this sort of materialization of him, it was important for me to play the character properly rather than trying to be an offshoot.”
Viewers may also describe Billy as a villain, but Montgomery is drawn to the discovery of what lurks beneath the surface of this kind of figure. “There’s this sort of truth in a weird sick way in the mask,” he explains, “These antagonists, or perceived antagonists, are trying to cover up deep trauma. So obviously that they wear this mask that’s outwardly facing.” During his time on “Stranger Things,” he enjoyed exploring what made Billy put on his mask in order to humanize the character. Montgomery had to mine his own personal fears and demons in order to tap into this facet of Billy. That process is scary, but also cathartic. “I think working with Billy, there was three or four years, however long I was involved with the show, of catharsis,” states Montgomery.
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Can I just say I legit dropped my tea cup when I saw the news about a new fic from you!!! I'm so very bumped for it you cannot imagine!!! Please is there something else you can tell us about it? This is better than anything for Easter and birthday and Christmas!
Be careful and don't burn yourself!
And, well, it's a 5+1 from Ga On's POV that spans across the drama with the concept "five times Ga On touched Yo Han without thinking and one time he did it intentionally." It started with me wondering what would happen if Ga On actually had reached out to touch Yo Han when he first showed Ga On the scar on his back, and then it evolved from there.
And by "evolved" I mean that the touches snowball and cause some slight changes to canon events and their developing relationship. Things escalate a bit quicker than the original, I guess you could say?
And then there will be a bonus chapter (or a +2, if you will) just because I realised I wanted to make the story come full circle with Ga On touching Yo Han's back again and that, in turn, devolved into a sex scene. And, like, the downside of me never having written one with this pairing before is that my brain just went "OH SHINY NEW TOY, GOTTA EXPLORE THIS." So the sex scene is getting really long even if that definitely wasn't my intention, because some part of me can't help but want to explore the dynamic and intricate details of these two having sex x'D
I'm really proud of myself for keeping the rest short, though! (She says about a fic that's 13k, unedited, not counting the, so far, 7k long bonus chapter) Like, you wouldn't believe how tricky it is when I'm used to exploring every tiny nuance and, in this one, I couldn't. There simply was no time. So I had to completely skip any discussions about Isaac, Elijah isn't even in it (which I'm sure is illegal), and a lot of the emotional development happens off-screen.
It's a much quicker, contained story told in a different format than my other fics, but will hopefully still be enjoyable? There will be lots of touching and A LOT of tension, if nothing else. Especially since this is during the time when Yo Han and Ga On are still getting to know each other and Yo Han has more of his Abyss tendencies. And Ga On is more bold since he doesn't have quite as much baggage. So closer to Gravitational Pull than Who Holds the Devil.
But yeah. The thought hit me and even if I "should" maybe be writing on Who Holds the Devil instead, I decided to let myself write this because the concept sounded really intriguing and I knew it would be pretty short (for being me). The bonus chapter isn't quite finished yet and I also have to edit all of it so I don't know when I'll be able to post it, though. But hopefully sometime soon?
And I hope you will enjoy it once I do! Thank you so much for sharing your enthusiasm — it's really encouraging. Like, I still can't believe that people are this excited about my writing. I'm very grateful 💜
#Amethystina Replies#Anonymous#Amethystina Writes#Each Touch (Brings Us One Step Closer)#Is what it's called#One step closer to what you ask?#Well#Read and find out ;)#For real though#I go HAM on the Dangerous Yo Han imagery#Because I admit that's a weakness of mine#I just love how dramatic I can be with him#It brings me so much joy#So look forward to that I guess?
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Henry's Dog David, and How RWRB (the Book and the Movie) Explore the Meaning of His Name.
(GIF by @andysapril)
CW: Mentions of deaths, murder attempts, mostly from Bible verses.
An Easter Egg from the book that the film managed to incorporate in an entirely different context.
Henry naming his dog David is one of the things Alex comments on both in the film and the book. He finds the name particularly odd for a pet, and when Henry tells him later that the inspiration was David Bowie, Alex remarks that he could have just used the surname instead.
This is basically just me overthinking the way the book and the film added "David and Jonathan" to two totally different scenes haha.
David Bowie
youtube
There has been a lot of debate over Bowie's sexuality since the 70s, and possibly conflicting statements from Bowie himself over the decades, but he did leave quite an impact on queer people in his time (ref: this article). Henry both in the book and in the film has often turned to literature and art for inspiration, and solace, when it came to exploring his own identity as a gay man. All kinds of historical queer identities - both debated and confirmed - show up in the tapestry of people and ideas that have influenced Henry's own thoughts and ideas (Alex's too). So it definitely makes sense that he would name his beloved pet dog after one of those inspirations.
(notably, during Henry's dramatic entrance when Alex comes down to the UK for damage control, the song playing is Bowie's "Up the Hill Backwards". You also see him choose a Queen song for karaoke, which makes me want to really headcanon him as a 70s prog rock fan 😄)
David and Jonathan
In the book, Alex goes over the details of Henry's fact sheet with Nora and his sister June. When he mentions the name of Henry's dog, he claims his dislike for the name is because it sounds more like a "tax attorney" than a beloved pet (Ch 2).
In the film, it's his SS detail Amy who quizzes him. She responds to his quip about Henry's choice of name for a pet by telling him what she's named her own dog. It's a tiny, fun detail with no lasting importance in the film, but I feel it does work within the larger framework of how the film incorporates queer readings and figures too.
I see this as a reference to a popular reading of the Hebrew/Biblical story of David and Jonathan from the 2 books of Samuel. David was a shepherd anointed by the prophet Samuel (through orders from God), to succeed King Saul, and Jonathan was Saul's son who was extremely devoted to David and even saved him from his father's wrath. They were known to have made a covenant to each other soon after they met, and the first Book of Samuel gives us a picture of an immensely close bond between the two:
After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. (1 Samuel 18, 1-4)
Interpretations of their relationship have ranged from close friendship to a romantic relationship, and there have been many, many queer readings on this pair.
In Casey McQuiston's RWRB too, Alex references both a saying from the Book of Proverbs (24:13), and the story of David and Jonathan in the same paragraph. This is in Ch 10, when Henry takes Alex to the V&A museum. This particular sequence is in the inner chamber of the museum, shortly after the couple dance to Elton John's "Your Song".
He compares himself and Henry to "a lost David and Jonathan", and it's pretty obvious why when you think of their devotion, and the tragic end of the relationship of the latter. Like Jonathan, Henry is a prince utterly devoted to one man, and sure that his family too will be against their bond. Like David, Alex is an outsider who the royal family may view as a threat to their stability, and therefore must be kept away. David's love for Jonathan is immense: he makes the covenant with Saul's son soon after they meet, and when he mourns Jonathan's death, he says "Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women." (2 Samuel 1:26).
This amazing post from @elipheleh explores this metaphor more in detail (as well as St. Chiara, and a quote from Oscar Wilde, who is referenced both in the book and the film as a writer Henry is fond of). It also speaks about the verse from the Book of Proverbs that Alex remembers, partly in Spanish, partly in English - Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. (Proverbs 24:13-14)
(Jonathan in 1 Samuel also has his own reference to honey - there is a story that chronicles a tense moment between Jonathan and his father, King Saul, due to Jonathan eating wild honey on a day when the troops were bound by an oath to fast (he had not heard the oath himself). He almost faces death by Saul's hand for breaking the oath the latter had made, but is saved by the other people in the troops. (1 Samuel 14: 24-46). I've seen different ways of this passage being interpreted - as either Jonathan being judged for disobeying an oath even though he was not around when it was announced, or Saul being viewed as foolish for making such an oath in the first place. The main point is, Saul is ready to kill his son for breaching a certain protocol, and it is the people who save Jonathan.
Similarly IMO, Henry is prepared to live his whole life in the closet viewing his sexuality as something that would bring shame to his family, but eventually recognizes that he has support. Both within his family (in the form of his mother Catherine and his sister Bea), and in the public eye)
At this point in their lives, Alex and Henry see very little hope that things will get better soon enough for them to unite. It is more than likely that - in their minds - this one romantic visit will be their last for a long, long time. Of course David and Jonathan - who parted ways in the hope of being reunited after the battle with Jonathan's father, and whose friendship/love met a tragic end - would be considered a fitting parallel for the situation Alex and Henry find themselves in.
The book has the space and scope to explore many, many images and symbols that could fit Alex and Henry. Whether it's in the letters they send each other, the references Alex learns more about as he figures out his sexuality. The book can - at the V&A museum - describe the statues the two men linger at in loving detail, making us more aware how poignant their temporary separation will be and how bittersweet this last dance is.
The movie's focus is different - the V&A scene is a (presumably) final, deeply intimate moment that lets Alex see for real the weight of his role in Henry's environment, and how little he expects to see his dreams come true. It also lets Henry see how determined Alex is to make his every dream a reality.
Most moments of highlighting queer literature or history are pocketed away in smaller sequences in the film, as small references and Easter eggs (eg. the books they recommend each other), as the film focuses more on the relationship and it's effects both on the men and the world around them. The V&A is more a visual backdrop for that bittersweet last moment where the two can find equal ground and truly understand each other. I think mentioning the names of the statues would take away from that.
The movie didn't need to include David and Jonathan. Why is why I'm truly, truly grateful that they still did. Even as a tiny, cute Easter egg that is supposed to be banter about weirdly specific pet-naming protocol 💖
#Youtube#Spotify#rwrbmovie#red white and royal blue#alex claremont diaz#henry fox#henry george edward james hanover stuart fox#rwrb movie#henry fox mountchristen windsor#firstprince#taylor zakhar perez#alex x henry#nicholas galitzine#rwrb thoughts
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You know what really makes me mad?
Don’t get me wrong, I love Legolas. But aside from having some badass action scenes and hilariously stating the obvious, he isn’t very fleshed out in LOTR - which is completely understandable, as the focus is on Frodo and Aragorn’s personal growth.
But the Hobbit really had a chance to explore Legolas’s relationship with his father to give a popular, but otherwise rather one-dimensional character some depth. To show a side of him that no one had seen before and make him more than just eye candy.
They could have shown the wise and experienced elf of the Fellowship being viewed as nothing more than a child to his fellow elves. Shown his struggle to choose between remaining in the realm he loves and spreading his wings like the restless little bird he is. Shown him being vulnerable and making mistakes, and realising that despite his age, he still has a lot to learn about the world and how cruel it can be.
Instead, they threw him into a stupid love triangle with a female character they promised wouldn’t be shoehorned in for a romance plot (as if anyone was falling for that).
They had him turn his back on his home at the drop of a hat and side with dwarves just to make said love interest happy, which not only goes against Legolas being canonically attached to his home, but also takes away the significance of his initial resentment and eventual friendship with Gimli.
They dropped hints about his mother’s death, but never really went anywhere with it, so it was very hard to get emotionally attached to the subplot, to the point where it may as well have not been included at all.
They gave him daddy issues, but again, didn’t really go anywhere with it, as he and Thranduil barely interacted, and when they did, it was never relevant to their father-son relationship. There might have been time to properly explore this, if that shitty ass romance wasn’t constantly taking up screentime.
They made him invincible to the point of absurdity, like defying gravity as he walked up falling steps, balanced on dwarves heads as if it was nothing, and walked away from being thrashed by Bolg with only a tiny nosebleed. I know elves are hardier and more agile than men, but that was ridiculous.
It feels like such wasted potential, like they only included Legolas’s character for the purpose of over the top battle scenes and fan service. I would much rather have seen a proper exploration into Thranduil’s grief, the effect it had on Legolas, and the two of them overcoming it together in a way that could tie into Legolas’s character and motivations in LOTR, than watch another two hours of Orlando Bloom doing OTT fight scenes with those hideous contact lenses.
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Are nuanced vampires too outlandish?
Thank you Jaheira for supporting me in my very brave albeit unusual approach to vampires in DnD. When I first time heard Astarion's idea about vampires as a vampire himself - namely the fact that they are all evil, selfish, power hungry and dangerous monsters that will never treat a spawn as equal or let them become a full vampire, because it simply creates competition for them - I was like "You'd have thought that the most romantic story for a vampire would be if they fell in love with a human, made them a spawn, and then shared their own blood with them to make them a full vampire". It's in fact what happened in the First Kill - Juliette's parents are an unorthodox couple. She is the pureblood vampire from a long line of vampires, while he was just a human that she turned into a vampire. There is even a scene in the show when they lie on the bed, she cradles his head with a wrist put to his lips while he drinks her blood. It was very romantic and very not liked by the matriarch of the family, who saw the man as lesser than.
Still, even despite Astarion being technically an expert at this topic, I couldn't stop myself from imagining that at least one vampire who isn't nasty exists in the DnD lore. But in general, I guess it'd be just like Astarion said. They create spawns, but don't let them become vampires, because it creates competition in all: social, political and hunting related topics. The struggle for power between vampires.
There can probably exist a good vampire if you so wish. You just need to become creative about it. Vampires aren't a race in DnD, but not so long ago Drow were considered to be all evil, while nowadays they are given more nuance. I think it isn't impossible for vampires, either.
I just generally don't like races that are evil by default. And I feel like I'm not alone in this. Evil by default feels boring to me a lot. It's just so cheap and lazy to just create a whole ass group and then deem it evil by principle. And even though vampires are not technically a race in DnD but something more akin to disease or curse, I still feel like there is a space for nuance here. That there could exist some vampires that are good. And I saw some DMs on reddit claiming that they created good vamps in their campaigns. And when it comes to the lore of the game like Baldur's Gate 3... if Dragon Age taught me something, it's that no single character can establish lore that can't be disproven by another character. The world in real life and in fiction both is always conceptualized by people, and those people can be wrong or only see a tiny fragment of the entire puzzle. Which means that for every 10 of Cazadors there is probably at least 1 vampire that is nothing like them in terms of morality and alignment. Hell, even Cazador's own mentor - Vellioth, behaved a bit differently than what Astarion told us about vampires. He gave Cazador "the gift" which I assume meant he made him a full vampire and trained him as the future Vampire Lord. Taught him all the cruelty that Vellioth thought was needed for vampires to survive in the world. With the final lesson ending with his own death.
For all means and purposes, it very much feels like Vellioth wanted to raise Cazador into the perfect vampire and was happy to die in order to make it happen. If we only relied on what Astarion said, we would have to say that it's highly unusual for vampires to create heirs like Vellioth did. What's more, heirs that they intended to surpass them one day. Vellioth made the pact with the devils, prepared everything for Cazador to Ascend. The only thing Cazador needed to do was to get all the necessary souls to fulfill it. Why would Vellioth do all of this if vampires only cared about themselves and their own power? Why would he die for his own heir instead of become Vampire Ascendant himself? Just thinking about it makes me sure that there is much we don't know about DnD vampires. Much to be explored in the future.
If I were to theorize based on data I have now, I'd say that vampire's alignment is fluctuating between a few settings, but tends to be on the evil side of things. While The Rite of Profane Ascension is a step further on the evolutionary tree of vampires, and something that can switch them permanently to twisted beings that don't see anybody as people anymore, only objects they can own or things to be used. And it's part of the price to pay for being able to break the shackles that vampirism puts on vampires. Cazador was already twisted long before the Rite, so in his case the change would not be visible much, but for Astarion? Especially Astarion that the player was steering in the right direction all along? That's a huge leap, even considering his wacky moral compass. As after the Ascension he is no longer himself. He loses himself, twisted beyond recognition by such a great power.
And yes, Astarion is just a spawn. I know that, but the point I'm trying to make is that Cazador being as he is, doesn't mean every other full vampire is exactly the same as him with the same fucked personality.
Which means that there is still hope for full vampires to be more than what Cazador showed Astarion vampires to be. It's also worth taking into account that Astarion probably never met any full vampire other than Cazador. Even though, Cazador was in contact with vampires.
(Maybe he did see them during some balls? There was a ballroom in the Palace, so maybe there were some social gatherings held there?)
(I'm sorry for the quality. Here is a link to the letter on BG3 wiki).
So it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that even Astarion doesn't have a full picture. He was just a spawn, after all, and not even the favored one. What could he know about the vampire politics other than what he heard or saw occasionally when he wasn't busy hunting the prey for his master? He definitely knows more than most, but because he was confined to the Palace alone, it may mean that he never saw how vampires in other cities behave. Though, Vellioth's training says a lot about how he saw vampire society if he needed Cazador to survive. It's definitely not a walk in a park. Gives a harsh environment vibes.
That's also the reason why I think they are mostly evil aligned. While also still considering that not every vampire is the same and that the exceptions to the rule happen. Most would probably now say that if such exceptions exist, they didn't survive, and that is probably true in many cases, but I still think that some vampires could survive thanks to their intelligence and strategizing. Even playing evil for the sake of not being targeted is on the table. As well as non-noble vampires, like peasants in some village or something. We often associate vampires with aristocracy, but it's not impossible that they have a class system in their society as well. Lower class vampires, living in some remote villages, probably wouldn't even care about power struggles beyond their tiny piece of land and "that asshole that threatens my position in the village" or something. It's so funny to imagine some peasant who is a vampire trying to outsmart his neighbor, also a peasant vampire, in order to gain better position with the mayor or the village council.
I have no idea how much or how little DnD talks about vampires, as I never read any books written for the universe. I checked Forgotten Realms wiki, but it was strangely sparse with the lore in comparison to I dunno, the long article about Drizzt or Jarlaxle, so I just assumed that vampires don't really play any major role to be expanded upon so much as to have a whole ass article just about the intricacies of their society and politics. Maybe I'm wrong. But my point still stands. The lore should be rich and shouldn't rely on shortcuts like "they're all evil duh, they're an epitome of evil, the manifestation of evil because we said so". This can't be, and this is not what I live for as a writer and an avid fantasy enjoyer. What I live for is a nuanced lore that breaks the stereotypes. To conclude: I really like complicating the vampire lore.
Maybe it's outlandish and batshit crazy, but it's what I like.
#bg3#bg3 spoilers#baldur's gate 3#baldur's gate 3 spoilers#vampire lore#dnd vampires#vampire lore meta#astarion#cazador#the first kill
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I've realized something.
Brian Petsos movies don't have a lot of fans. Oscar Isaac fans like his characters in Brian Petsos movies.
We don't talk about Revenge for Jolly!; we talk about Cecil.
We don't talk about Ticky Tacky unless we're praising Lucien and/or comparing/connecting him to Anselm.
We don't talk about Lightningface; we talk about how pathetic Basil is and compare him to Steven Grant.
We don't talk about Big Gold Brick unless it's to bash it, talk about the cast, and obsess over Anselm.
I didn't think this at first, because I just assumed I was the wrong kind of viewer for Petsos projects (I previously mentioned that they kind of reminded me of Jim Jarmusch movies), but the more I've looked around online at reviews and discussions, I've been finding this pattern of negativity. It seems like everyone just kind of agrees that Brian Petsos doesn't really make good movies, but Oscar Isaac makes them worth seeing at least once.
And, yes, I am aware that there are things Petsos has done without Isaac, but when you search 'Brian Petsos' the first things that come up are the ones that Oscar Isaac is a part of. This includes The Letter Room, which was written and directed by Elvira Lind but Petsos does have a part in solely as an actor. Even on his IMDb page, there's little to nothing about him but half of the available information is, and I quote, "frequently works with Oscar Isaac".
In my opinion, that's pretty telling on it's own.
I'm not trying to be mean here, I just think this is kind of an interesting thing to note. If you disagree, please let me know. I'd be happy to debate this. Personally speaking, I've watched Revenge for Jolly!, Ticky Tacky, Lightningface, and a tiny bit of Big Gold Brick.
(For the record, I know that Petsos didn't direct Revenge for Jolly! but he wrote and starred in it.)
One thing I will say in Petsos' favor: There's very clearly a lot of genuine passion and love in his work and it does show. Interviews with him, the proud displays of nonsensical strangeness, and the fact that he's able to keep making movies all reflect that. You can tell that the people involved are having fun and I think that's the most important part.
I think his weakness (to me) is that his projects feel like they lack something.
Revenge for Jolly! didn't feel like it was going anywhere for most of it's runtime. Like it wanted to be and do something but didn't know how. It had fairly decent moments... in the first half. But those moments only landed out of shock value, and they very quickly became predictable. (Also, what was up with that bar scene?)
Ticky Tacky and Lightningface felt flat. Like bread that didn't rise. Maybe they needed more time to really explore their premises and characters. Like, if we saw Lucien and Claire together before he finds out about the cheating, or if we get to know Basil before the lightning strike. Both of these are about people going crazy, but without that sense of who they used to be, it doesn't really hit that hard and leaves you wondering 'what the hell did I just watch and why?' This is one thing I think Revenge for Jolly! understood, because we get to see Harry, Jolly, and Cecil before the inciting incident of the movie. We get a sense of their relationships with one another.
I can't speak for Big Gold Brick because I haven't seen it in full so I'm not going to bother saying anything for the bits I saw either. That's just not fair for anybody.
#brian petsos#oscar isaac#big gold brick#revenge for jolly#ticky tacky#lightningface#anselm vogelweide#lucien#cecil dennis#basil stitt#movie discussion#director#actor#fandom#can we please talk about this#movie review
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I always forget how fun it is to paint space! Astrophel here is basically a living nebula, and I've never drawn him as such (I've done humanoid projections, but never actually explored this idea where he's more than a hallucinatory avatar). I couldn't not write a little scene to go with this, so read a short, fun little snippet under the cut!
As the ship helplessly drifts into the gravity well of the collapsing star, the captain and crew hold each other. Crying out goodbyes as the plating of the hull begins to singe: heat and radiation finally breaching the shields. Until suddenly, the relentless pull of the star ceases, as if it were gone. The ship lurches to a complete halt, leaving every crew member breathless and confounded in their expectation of death.
“Oh my stars: brand new space explorers! I’m so glad I, uh, happened to be in the neighborhood. Can’t let this little incident stop you short of the stars,” the voice is everywhere at once, but comes from no one. The tones are ethereal and smooth as velvet, suggesting peace but giving unease as it somehow consumes all other sound to clearly resound in each crew person’s brain.
The bridge crew sits awestruck as the fiery storm ahead of them suddenly disappears into a haze of green dust, and as if by magic, the ship materializes well outside the clutches of the powerful gravity well which nearly crushed them all into fiery oblivion. The captain’s cat-like ears bristle as they take a fiery jaunt around the bridge, searching for some source of this bizarre trickery on hundreds of monitors and feeds while the crew struggle to collect themselves. Some machinery is fried, the rest babbles garbled data which doesn't make a lick of sense. Where is the ship, the satellite, anything? They're in some cloud of unidentifiable substance drifting through space, full of strange, fluctuating energy signatures that baffle the sensors.
“SHOW YOURSELF!” The captain demands.
“My, aren’t we brave? Giving orders to an extraterrestrial who is, well, a lot taller than you, and can project thoughts directly into your little brain is a bold move captain.”
The furry creature’s jaw drops at the banter. Flustered, they resume their captainly facade with a huff. “Where is your ship? Where are you? And what is this nonsense?”
“Peek-a-boo!” The voice prods with a mirthful tone, giggling at the captain’s serious insistence.
The entire bridge crew is slammed dumbstruck at the sight that emerges from the darkness of space. The dust parts into what is the most massive eyeball any crew member has ever laid eyes on: big as the entire bridge and playfully glancing through the heavy composite view port right in front of the captain’s now stock stiff form. It's a gorgeous verdant green that glows softly, casting the bridge in otherworldly luminescence. Every crew member’s jaw is agape, and their rapidly beating hearts feel like they’ve sunken to their stomachs. In an incongruously smooth and gentle motion, the eye recedes to reveal an entire massive face, apparently made of celestial stone that softly glitters in the light from the now distant star. They’re literally in the hands of this creature: held up like tiny a toy and completely helpless. The glittering face shifts into a disgruntled expression.
“Come now, you don’t get to be afraid after I saved you from certain doom. If I wanted you all hurt I’d have just left you to your own devices, that star could have chewed you up perfectly well if I hadn’t intervened,” the massive creature teases, it's mouth not moving at all as it speaks.
The crew loosens up ever so slightly until the massive face cracks into a playful grin, revealing astronomically large teeth like the beak of a squid. Imposing towers of stone that could pierce the hull as though it were made of bread. The sinking of dread is overturned abruptly as a soft tickle of euphoria wraps around each crew member’s consciousness. Not enough to challenge their lucidity, but calming their nerves like the beginning of an alcohol fueled buzz.
“Gracious, I’m the first new life form you all have met if all your projected thoughts aren’t confused. Let’s skip the frightfulness, it makes me feel ill. I will make you feel better so we can have a pleasant chat,” The creature gives a playful wink. “I am Astrophel. Promise I won’t tell anyone about your little debacle, and you can test your instruments on me if you’d like! You can relax now, you’re out of harm's way. I’ll keep you safe until you’ve done necessary repairs and can get back on your way. We’ll be fast friends, and that’s exactly how I like it!”
#giant/tiny#g/t#original character#astrophel#small artist#digital drawing#oc art#g/t fluff#Clickspring Art
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“I will have you without your armour, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.”
Or, in other words, Amita’s brilliant performance as Inej.
I keep seeing people praising Freddy’s spot-on performance in season 2 (he embodies Kaz Brekker just as I pictured him reading the books, there’s no denying he is the perfect Bastard of the Barrel), but I don’t see enough love for my gal Amita!!! Her Inej is the perfect counterpart to Freddy’s Kaz, and, even though her trauma is far from being explored as deeply as Brekker’s, Amita manages to shine through in all of her scenes. Especially in this particular one.
To be honest, the scene on the show is not quite like I pictured it in the book. To put things into perspective, in the book that conversation happens after Inej confesses that she’s going to learn how to sail and set off to hunt slavers, right near the end of the first book.
“Purpose”, Kaz said thoughtfully.
I think that sets the tone of the scene. Inej has found her purpose, a goal beyond survival and freedom. When Kaz takes her hand and asks her to stay in Ketterdam with him, we can peer into her internal monologue. It doesn’t matter how much she wants to say yes, she won’t settle for what he is willing to offer. And so throughout the whole conversation, Inej doesn’t hesitate. By no means is she harsh or lashing out or even angry, she has just accepted that she won’t have a relationship with someone who won’t meet her in the middle.
Maybe it was because his back was to her that she could finally speak the words. “I will have you without armour, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.”
He’s not even looking at her when she says the words. After the tiny bread crumbs of vulnerability that he just gave her, he can’t even bear to look at her when she expresses her wishes. In fact, throughout the scene Kaz is described in a sharp tone (his voice rough stone, with eyes fierce, the face he wore when he was fighting). Inej is not going to settle for this rough façade he’s built around himself. In her mind, she begs for him to say something so she can believe that the boy who saved her is worth saving as well, but Kaz is at the very beginning of his evolution as a character.
Now, on the show, we obviously can’t know what’s going through Inej’s mind, so it’s on Amita’s performance to show us how difficult this conversation is for Inej, not just for Kaz, how she wishes for him to say anything that will show her she’s wrong, that he is willing to take off his gloves (both physically and emotionally) for her. To me, this makes the whole scene a lot lot more softer in an amazing way, and her speech becomes so raw, natural and realistic. The little hesitancy before touch in “so our lips never touch”, the sighs, the way she finally says the quote with the softest softest softest eyes ever? Perfection. The way she holds still once she’s done, looking into his eyes, waiting for him to say something that will prove her wrong.. and then he just gives a tiny nod and you can see the acceptance in her face but also the slight disappointment.
However, this difference in tone isn’t only influenced by the change in medium. If we take into account the context of the show compared to the book, show-Kaz has started to evolve further compared to book-Kaz during this same conversation. The change is a subtle one, but I think show-Kaz has showed many more of his cards regarding how much he actually cares for Inej, even if it’s in his own emotionally-constipated way. By this point he’s already managed to freed her from her indenture, he’s already sort of tended to her wounds and, right before this conversation, he even confesses that he has been secretly trying to find her brother for her (which are all parallels to Crooked Kingdom scenes). To compare his attitude with his book counterpart in the specific scene, book-Kaz won’t even look at her once he realises she’s kinda rejecting him, but show-Kaz, though he struggles, always end up looking right back at her. He is looking right into her eyes as she states what she wants.
And so she knows that he’s willing to do a lot of things for her, but is he willing to be in a relationship that’s not entirely on his terms?
I think that’s my main difference between the show and the book. In the books it feels like Inej is stating facts (this is what a relationship with you would actually be like, that is not what I want even if I love you) while hoping that he’ll give her a reason to stay. However, in the show it feels more like she’s asking a question (is a relationship with you going to be like this? because I love you but that is not what I want) while knowing that the answer is not going to be the one she wishes.
#i love both scenes#but amita is just >>>#she owns my heart#peak inej#inej ghafa#amita suman#kanej#kaz x inej#inej x kaz#knife wife#kazzle dazzle#kaz brekker#freddy carter#six of crows#soc#six of crows spin off#six of crows netflix#netflix#crooked kingdom#ck#shadow and bone#shadow and bone netflix#shadow and bone s2#sab s2#sab s2 spoilers#analysis#media analysis#scene analysis
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How Noctie chooses her poses
Following a conversation in the comments with @greenplumbboblover and @kimmiessimmies, here is an overview of how I have sorted out all the TS3 poses that I've gathered in the past 12+ years. This has been super useful for me to find the exact pose that I need.
I never use the list from the Pose Player for a very good reason: I have THOUSANDS of poses. It's simply not feasible to wait for the list to load and scroll through it endlessly with its tiny thumbnails.
So instead, I use Photoshop Lightroom (🏴☠️) to neatly sort out all the poses previews. I currently have 7,471 previews. Most of them show more than one pose, so I'd say that I roughly have at least 50,000 different poses in my library. Hence the need for efficiency.
(My version of Lightroom is in French.) I have added tags to each of those pics. You can see them in the upper right corner. For example, "calling, lying, phone, sitting on sofa" for the selected pic.
When I need a pose, I type the tag that I'm looking for in the text box above.
In this example, I typed "worried". I'll get a selection of 204 pictures, to go through, and select those that are the most appropriate for my scene.
Those that I think I could use, I put in a quick collection. I will use that collection throughout the whole scene, so the collection is a temporary mishmash of poses, depending on what I have in mind and how the characters should move. I delete everything from the collection once I'm done shooting the scene.
I often do this process of choosing the poses before launching the game (or while it's loading), so that I don't have to waste too much time once I'm in-game. When I'm actually shooting, I go through my collection to select the appropriate pose (sometimes, I even sort them out in the order in which I'm supposed to use them). When the code is written on the pic itself, I just memorize it and simply type it back in game.
Sometimes the pose name is not on the pic itself, and so I have to look it up inside the .package file. It's an additional step, but it comes with a benefit: I can just copy/paste the code from the file. So for example, I don't know the code for the pose below, it's not shown on the pic. But the picture name can be seen at the bottom ("Red Mechanics Of Emotions Melancholy").
So I quickly go to my poses folder via a shortcut in my file explorer, and look it up. That requires for the .package file and the picture to have the same name. This is something that I make sure of doing every time I download a new pose.
I open the .package file with s3pe, look for the thumbnail of the pose I need (that sometimes takes some time...). Last one in this case.
Then finally look up and copy/paste the code from the XML. (and then paste it back in game, as you'd have guessed)
I also do it that way when the pose code is overly complicated and my brain refuses to memorize it.
Voilà!
(and yes, I do that for every single pose that I use in my story)
I'm sure there are more efficient ways to do things. I'm just sharing my process in case it could help some people and also for @greenplumbboblover to understand why I don't use the Pose Player list. I chose to do that because my poor brain couldn't keep up with all the poses I had. I ended up always using the same ones, as well as wasted a lot of time going through all of them.
There is a prerequisite to my process however, and that is to take the time to properly tag ALL of my gazillions of pics. That took me months, no kidding. But it was also extremely rewarding once it was done. Now, I make sure to tag every new picture I import into Lightroom, and it only takes 2 minutes.
Another thing that I do is that I save tags, not only in Lightroom, but also in the pic metadata. (again, the example is in French, but it basically says "save metadata in the file")
That means that even if I ever use a different software, or if I have to reinstall Lightroom or whatever, the tags are saved in the file properties.
It only works for JPGs though. It doesn't work on PNGs, which is a bit of a bummer. I should take the time to convert all the PNGs to JPGs, but I haven't gotten around to do it yet.
Please note that some of the poses that I have are no longer available. I don't know which ones exactly, I've had some for over 12 years and can't even remember where I downloaded them initially. :/
Anyway, this is it! Sorry about the long post!
I hope this is useful to someone. :)
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What do u think of yoshiden
Oh boy. If you're here on my account then you probably already know who I am and how absolutely insane I am for them, but I'm gonna ramble anyway LOL thanks for giving me the opportunity to show people on Tumblr how insane I am ‼✌😁 If people who don't know me from twitter find this, hi I'm TK! I may be a little deranged for Yoshiden, just a tiny bit y'know-
Yoshiden means a lot to me for various reasons but I'll just put down all my insane ramblings down belowwww
[CSM Spoilers if anime onlys/new readers find this post somehow]
[Serious Section]
-Denji's distrust/disliking for men/straight up internalized homophobia is most likely because of his past abusers being male (the mafia and his father), so if he starts to trust Yoshida throughout the course of part 2 and they end up forming an actual bond, whether it's romantic or platonic, it kind of helps Denji get over his distrust and help him cope with that trauma knowing that hey not all dudes are that bad actually, this guy's pretty nice.
(You could say that Beam already did that and they had a good bond too but Beam is... y'know... *finger across neck* bleh... and Denji still emphasizes he wouldn't let a dude sit on him in 104 so...)
-Surprise surprise, I'm in on the bi Denji agenda because I'm bisexual and all my favs have to be bi 😁😁/hj But seriously, bi Denji is a pretty good concept cause aside from getting rid of his internalized homophobia, it also helps him get over/cope with his trauma as I said above. Part 1 was all about Denji learning about different kinds of love (familial love from the Hayakawa family, romantic love from Reze, and the mess that is sexual->maternal->abusive love from Makima, etc etc), so exploring his sexuality in part 2 could be a nice little addition to that. (Bonus points for the new kind of familial love he has for Nayuta now that he's her older brother/father figure; bonus BONUS points if Yoshida's the other dad LOL)
[Delusional Absolutely Normal Section]
-Yoshida's canonically a pretty boy as stated by another guy, so maybe if Denji stares at him long enough he'll realize guys can be as pretty as girls too and think it's fine to find guys attractive LMAO
-We all agree Yoshida's gay or at least mspec mlm leaning/preference right? Right.
-Anyway, I'M A TOTAL SUCKER FOR ONE-SIDED LOVE STORIES LOL I'd like to think Yoshida has coworkers who could've taken the job of watching over Denji but he deliberately asked to do the job because he found him cute back in part 1, though realistically he probably only got chosen for the job cause he knew about Denji's identity already and he's also in high school, but we're not here for realism, we're here for gay people. (Gay people being Hirofumi Yoshida.)
(Did you see him at the table with Angel while Denji and Power were talking about barf and stuff? Dude was smiling while listening to them talk about random shit, he probably became interested in Denji then and there; hell, even the goddamn onigiri scene where Denji still eats it after it fell to the ground probably made him go 'woah this guy is sick in the head I'm in love')
Back to the one sided thing, the idea of Yoshida being willing to die while protecting Denji is???? insane??? and I love it because it really shows how devoted he is not only to his job but to Denji in general. He's never truly lost his temper at Denji, even when he used his bare hands on the cake, even when he let himself get sat on by girls, and even how he only wants to reveal himself as Chainsaw Man just to get a girlfriend. Sure, he called him hopeless in the recent chapter, but he never raised his voice or fought back. He's always trying to be patient with him even when he's being completely ridiculous. Copypasting what I've said on twitter here:
If someone started scooping and eating the cake I bought with their bare hands, I wouldn't just sit there and go "Aaaaaah!", I'd definitely get pissed. Yoshida has FEELINGS for this boy, I swear. He said NOTHING about it. NOTHING. No "Why the hell'd you do that?" or "Dude that's gross" OR ANYTHING, he immediately just goes back to talking about trying to prevent Denji from revealing his identity.
If someone I liked, however, would eat cake with their bare hands, I'd just be embarrassed but also find it cute so I'd let it slide. (Tested and proven 👍)
If, miraculously, Yoshida canonically confesses to Denji, he'd probably still pine for him even if Denji turns him down, which he probably will. Yoshida realizes, after being his bodyguard for a while, that he really enjoys Denji and being around him; he'd get too attached to those feelings and still shower him with appreciation even if he knows it'll never be reciprocated. Just knowing that Denji's being given the love he deserves is enough for him, even if Denji doesn't want or care about that love. It's kinda selfish of Yoshida, but he doesn't care, all he cares about is that he likes Denji and he's willing to keep that up until he dies.
-Anywayyyyy, even though they're both good in battle they're both absolute fucking losers LOL Yoshida getting thrown out the window is and will always be my favorite scene from him. Denji got called a loser by Asa, so maybe if Denji just turned his head 90 degrees after that rejection, he would've seen another loser and they could've been the most pathetic loser4loser couple in existence, it's great, c'mon Denji just accept you can like men already
-I kinda maybe kin Yoshida soooo- 💀 I mostly started kinning him for his appearance and how he's visibly deranged in part 1 LOL, but seeing his attitude towards Denji in part 2 really made me like wow he just like me fr‼ I'm sick in the head for this cute guy who is also kinda sick in the head‼ So yeah that really added to my appreciation for yoshiden LMAOSKJSDKF
Ok that's all it's almost 6am and my brain is empty, maybe I'll add to this later, hopefully that answers your question anon 😁👍‼‼‼💥💥💥 I dunno if you expected an essay but BOOM, I hope I get a good score LOL
#chainsaw man#chainsawman#csm#yoshiden#yoshidenji#denji#hirofumi yoshida#can't believe my first serious post on tumblr is a goddamn yoshiden ramble but hey what else did you expect from tk chainsawctopus right#if shipping yoshiden got me a boyfriend then everyone should just start shipping yoshiden to find love it'll work 100% trust me#it's kinda funny cause my bf is literally the ceo of yoshiden#follow punkkrat right now or explode sorry you have no choice#i remember some1 asked him to make a 50 paragraph essay abt yoshiden and he said that's my thing so i hope that anon sees this post hey ano#anyway stream in the back room by syudou
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10 Things I Love About Go Ahead
This is all @ginnymoonbeam’s fault. I was just minding my business, clowning around, and she whispers in my ear: There’s this great cdrama I got into. It’s about a found family formed from broken families. There are adorable motherless children. There are loving dads. They’re going deep on intergenerational trauma and they’re doing it right. I can’t stop watching it. I have a problem and it’s time for it to be your problem, too. (I’m pretty sure she said all that).
And because this kind of epic family drama is my emotional kryptonite, I absolutely could not resist. And thus, I spent the last two weeks weeping and wailing and rending my garments over one of the best family dramas I have ever seen. In my entire life. And I have watched a lot of them, folks, not even counting the western ones!
So I’m here to pay tribute to this absolutely beautiful show, and hopefully drag a few more folks into the absolute agony and ecstasy of this watch experience. Tagging @waitmyturtles and @neuroticbookworm in particular, who I’ve already bullied into watching this once their current drama projects end, @midnight-sun16 my fellow cdrama enjoyer, @troubled-mind my R88 bud, and @wen-kexing-apologist and @emotionallychargedtowel because I know they love a good intergenerational trauma yarn. So here we go: 10 (spoiler free!) things I love about Go Ahead.
These precious babies
Left to right, that’s He Ziqiu, Li Jianjian, and Ling Xiao. They met as tiny children and are siblings by choice, not blood. They are fiercely protective of one another and their chosen family unit. And they love each other so much it absolutely will cause you to burst into tears at random intervals.
My two dads
There are two biological fathers in the mix in our little family: Li Haichao and Ling Heping, aka Li Dad and Ling Dad. They’re not a couple, but rather two single dads who have decided to raise their kids together as one family unit. They love all their children equally regardless of blood ties, and while they show up for them in very different ways, they are both excellent fathers who never let them down when it counts.
A keen understanding of intergenerational family dynamics and how we pass our trauma on
This show is deeply interested in exploring the old maxim that hurt people hurt people, particularly in the context of intergenerational families and parent-child relationships. I don't want to say a lot more because you should get to see the various plotlines that dig into this theme unfold organically. But you can trust me that this show takes it seriously and knows exactly what it's doing with these stories.
The absolute respect for chosen family
I lost count of how many times this show explicitly affirmed the legitimacy of chosen families. The first (of many) times I burst into tears watching was in just such a scene. Our characters are often met with skepticism and confusion over their family unit, and they are not having it. It's really lovely how committed they are to loving and choosing each other despite societal norms and outside judgment.
Excellent side characters treated with dignity
This gif here is of my best girl Mingyue, who is one of many excellent side characters in this drama. In this show, everyone matters and everyone has a story, and the show treats even the antagonist characters with dignity and empathy. Often the sides get their own plots that are in fact quite important to the themes - no wasted time here (which is really saying something for a 40 ep cdrama).
Female friendship for the win!
Adult Jianjian lives with her longtime best friends Qi Mingyue and Tang Can, and the show delves into their friendship dynamics and the complicated twists and turns that spring up as they get older, begin careers, and start crushing on the same boys. I love the way they look out for one another, I love the way they fight, I love the way they give each other shit, I love the way they support each other. They feel very real as longtime besties who have become family.
Nuanced exploration of difficult mothers
I'm gonna let you find out who this is on your own, but I'll say this: the show has three distinct plot lines that explore mother-child relationships, and every single one is a banger. These mothers are difficult, their choices are suspect, their motives are complex, their behavior is frustrating as hell. Where you come down on how redeemable each of them is will really be up to you, but the show gives you plenty to chew on and invites you to look upon them if not with understanding, at least with as much empathy as you can muster. I'm gonna be thinking about these moms for weeks.
Sibling dynamics done right
The way these three interact, I tell you. They've grown up together, and so they have the bond of lifetime familiarity, but they also have no actual blood ties, so they must choose over and over again to be each others' family. And they always do, even when life makes it really hard for them to protect their closeness. Watching them find their way to each other and sink into their comfortable family dynamics is always a delight. There are also some key differences in the relationship dynamics between each pair of them, which the show explores extensively. Which brings me to...
A sweet and cozy romance
This is not a spoiler - the show tells you it's coming in the opening credits. And so instead of playing a Reply 1988 style game of who's it gonna be you know from the start who it's gonna be and the fun part is taking the journey to get there (though you can amuse yourself trying to figure out which of the child actors is going to grow into this tall drink of water). Let me be clear, though - this show is not a romance. The romance plot line is very well done, but it is mostly there as another means to explore the family dynamics and how they are affected by this major change in one of the core relationships.
Emotionally intelligent writing that never falters
If you've been following me for any length of time, you know how much I care about quality writing in my dramas. And this drama has some of the best writing I've seen in a family show, particularly in the emotional intelligence behind all the character interactions. The show will surprise you sometimes, but never because the characters act in ways you don't expect or that feel wrong. The writing is assured and the show never loses its grip on who each of these characters is at their core. You can sit back, trust that you are in good hands, and enjoy the emotional roller coaster all the way to the end.
#go ahead#intergenerational trauma challenge#WATCH IT FAM#cdrama#10 things#shan shouts into the void
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