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year2000electronics · 2 years

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just wanted to say i absolutely adore ad astra per aspera! do you have any tips or advice for writing stone and robotnik in character?

THANK YIU... tee bee eich a lot of my robotnik characterization comes from Projection SHDKSJDHA but i will try to give some insight into like. how I Personally write them

stone:

- he’s an admirer but NOT a pushover!! stone questions robotnik a lot whether that be nonverbally in his expressions or to his face like him commenting on his disdain for knuckles and saying that he thought he should check on robotnik first, he’s a lot more willing in general to put up with robotnik’s robotnik-isms and weird physical moments but he’s not frothing at the mouth going OHHH DOCTOR I LOVE IT WHEN YOU PIN ME TO THE WALL OOH. he sighs before he does it which to me reads as stone admiring robotnik’s intellect and capability and accepting his other parts as just Things That’ll Happen In Robotnik Land. he didn’t sign up for it but he’s not gonna let it get in the way

- i try to write his style of speaking as like. formal. to the point. he contrasts w robotnik a lot by being the frigid shorthand to robotnik’s bombardment of words. robotnik is a metaphor machine while stone prefers to get to the point i find. he’s robotnik’s Normal Man Translator which already makes his responses snappier but he tends to not skirt around words like robotnik does

- he operates on a similar level to robotnik, Relatively Speaking, as seen in the prequill and novelization he may be one of the only people who would follow robotnik’s order to just prepare for his return, he seems somewhat disdainful of people below him but doesn’t really express it to them in Words (ie letting his coworkers push him around in the prequel, trying to get info out of the guy in movie 1 with the somewhat defeated ‘did he say where he was going’, in movie 2 when he’s entertaining wades charades), but there are some parts of robotnik he doesn’t get (robotnik’s disregard for his own safety with the fingers in his mouth scene, the fact that he thinks ‘wow this guy seems stressed maybe if i make him a latte it’ll all be okay’) they’re similar but not The Same. if that makes sense

- very capable! (obviously) we see him take out an entire coffee shop and possibly even run it on his own, while also building robotnik’s lair, he manages to read robotnik’s manual in no time flat, he’s a very skilled guy but he rarely draws attention to it (though that’s not to say he isn’t prideful, you do see some of that pride in the prequill and the manual scene) he just doesn’t state his genius like robotnik does

- more willing to express his feelings than robotnik, he seems to show some level of restraint from totally gushing over him like we see in the robotnik entering the mean bean scene when he goes from First I Lol’ed but Then I Serious’d but he still loves making him his coffee and TAKE ME WITH YOU and he has like five or six different moments where he calls robotnik and his work brilliant extraordinary etc etc etc

robotnik:

- what i find a common mistake with robotnik is like. his walls come down Too Soon. to me it feels like he doesn’t keep them up because he wants to, it’s because it’s baked into him at this point. every time he expresses something genuine he seems to do it with difficulty or adding a snide remark at the end as his cushion (ie thanks... for nothing, him raising his voice during I LOVE THE WAY YOU MAKE THEM). he struggles with open positive communication because to compliment is, in itself, this DEEPLY vulnerable act that a lot of people tend to take for granted

- robotnik loves getting fancy with his words. the more words and the more unique the better, his vocabulary is rich with metaphors and similes and anecdotes. it’s never JUST “you’re dumb and i’m smart”, it’s “i bet you’re HELLA popular with the jebs and merles and billy bobs here, bet you go way back to the days of TIPPIN’ COWS and PLAYIN’ ON A JUG BAND!!” or “it says i’m the top banana in a world of hungry little monkeys”. robotnik is always searching for new and inventive ways to absolutely tear people to bits so get WEIRD with the metaphors

- this is a bit of a recent one since i noticed it’s more a movie-2-robotnik trait, but robotnik also has a habit of referring to people with kind of off-color nicknames? that are metaphors in itself (my little stalagmites for a cave encounter with sonic and tails, implying they’re in a cave and they’re prone to falling, my trusty barnacle to stone, implying he’s something that grows on and is Stuck To Robotnik, my massively metacarpaled friend to knuckles, officer brainfart for wade)

- in general robotnik’s style of speech is also very word-heavy not just in the metaphor sense but he’s always fighting for the most control he can possibly get in that interaction (as we see in his introductory i’m in charge scene) so he tends to run his mouth on and on and baffle whoever’s with him into silence, and he’ll interrupt them until they go quiet he’s very prone to interrupting

- other quirks include splicing robot things into his way of life (his little ‘zzt! zzzt!’ noises which do Return for movie 2. yay.) and seemingly having a father-son relationship with his badniks as he refers to himself as daddy and papa multiple times and calls them his babies (he will never hesitate to compliment unfeeling machines that can’t possibly respond... however if they fail him he holds back no mercy. see MOVE YOU HUNK OF JUNK!)

- spite. oh my god, spite. robotnik is prideful but he’s also spiteful. if there’s anything that touches a nerve (family, being well liked, etc), he is JEALOUS. and it shows by him getting angry or more hostile in his words (look at the happy little family, rub that in my orphan face). he makes a lot of stuff about his own personal trauma

- he uses a million words when one could work. he uses two words in place of one. he uses a thesaurus for everything. instead of going “i think this is an alien” he goes “no. what’s incredible is that i can’t find a match for it ANYWHERE. in EARTHS ANIMAL KINGDOM. this blackout was not a terrorist attack, and that’s no baby bigfoot.” he says “truculent space bumpkin” like NOTHING

- hes multilingual! knows some spanish and japanese

- another thing i see people often fall into the pitfall of is that they can write a very good Serious Angry Spiteful Robotnik but that’s only ONE of his two Modes. when robotnik’s not insulting people or making everything about him personally, he’s having FUN. robotnik is written incredibly campy and he likes to snark on situations giddily. (ie “ever wonder where your tax dollars are going?” , “thay was an illegal left, by the way!” “good one! i’m sure that wasn’t important!” he’s SILLY he’s GOOFY when he’s not being a bitch he’s being an ANNOYING bitch!! he did a funky spin!!!!

- he’s not dumb when it comes to his feelings for stone. he knows why he made that rock. he would just rather die than admit it. he’s so in denial that he’s managed to push that revelation to the pit of his soul. he likes having stone around and on some level he thinks stone is the smartest person on planet earth besides him, and will take him with him on evil plans, but he refuses to examine why and wants to just continue as they are as this weirdly personal boss assistant relationship

one last thing for the both of them i do not see ‘doctor’ and ‘stone’ (how they address eachother) as some derogatory thing they must eventually Graduate from. to me their relationship reads as something that only they could make professional names sound like pet names. like that’s just the way they are

#mothra answers

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bryanlyon · 3 years

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Thoughts on Adastra

Disclaimers:

1. This is going to have spoilers for the entirety of Adastra, as well as marked spoilers for Echo and The Smoke Room. Not sure why you'd read an Adastra analysis if you haven't read Adastra, so this shouldn't be a deal breaker.

2. I'm not gonna do that weird bullshit people do in analysis where they just summarize the entire plot. Again, the audience of this analysis is people who have read Adastra, so a summary doesn't add anything.

"Ad astra" is a Latin phrase meaning "to the stars". Sometimes it was used literally, to mean something going up or even potentially going into space, and sometimes it was used metaphorically to mean something going to greatness. It's either a beautiful coincidence or a genius move by Howly, writer of Adastra, that the most common English phrase with "to the stars" is "I love you to the stars and back", whereas Latin phrases are mostly used in modern day by neo-nazis.

Intentional or not this reflects the main thing Adastra is about: a character who has been taught not to love trying to become better, and a society that is deeply ingrained in fascism trying to become better. Focus is also placed on the way these two things relate to each other: an Amicus who becomes increasingly loving and open is more capable of making a more progressive and free society, and a more progressive and free society enables characters to become more open and loving.

This is demonstrated well by the differences and similarities between Amicus and Cassius with their pets. Both of them have a pet who is a sibling or sibling level intelligence, but Cassius, constantly needing to perform strength to build towards a fascist state, has a strained, abusive, master/slave relationship with his pet. Amicus has the opposite kind of relationship. In line with his progressive ideals for the world, Amicus tries as best as he can within their system to treat Marco like an equal, and even gives Marco choices and requires his consent to do anything with him (SIDENOTE 1).

In this way Adastra is very comparable to The Wall by Pink Floyd to me. We see the way the political and personal affect each other, and one side is clearly presented as the better option (in both cases, a more progressive and liberal society, and a more caring and open personal life). Where Adastra stands head and shoulders above something like The Wall is in the additional commentary on society it gives while saying this.

Adastra does something I greatly appreciate in art: extremely not subtle metaphors and symbolism. The siblings have a rivalry between each other because each of them wants to impress the parents more than the others. One of the key methods they use to do this is having children, which they see not as people, but as workers and status symbols to impress their parents and outdo the other siblings. Eventually one of the siblings realize that their goal never should have been to impress the parents, but to better themselves. After realizing this they begin to cooperate with the other siblings, treat the children like people, and urge the other siblings to do the same. This is all so on-the-nose that I don't think it needs any explanation.

What might need explanation is the Other. If it weren't for the stylization of always capitalizing Other I'd think it was a coincidence. Because they stylized it like that, I can say with certainty this is a reference to Hegelian philosophy. In Hegelian philosophy the Other is a part of the Other-Self dialectic. The Other is things outside of ourselves and the Self is things within ourselves. The dialectic is the process by which we integrate things outside of ourselves to become better people.

Where I'm almost certain Howly is familiar with the concept from is pop-philosopher Slavoj Zizek. Zizek argued that this concept should be applied on a societal level when it comes to diversity. He says that where conservatives are at fault is that they don't want to integrate the Other at all, and where liberals are at fault is that they remove the Other from its Otherness (that is, they want people who are different to lose the parts of themselves that make them different in the first place).

Adastra's supernatural entity called The Other is treated by societies the same way the Hegellian Other is treated by them. The Khemians have been learning about The Other and how their society can adapt for it for a long time, whereas Adastrans don't even consider The Other until Amicus becomes emperor.

I can't say much more about this theme until we're further into the sequels, as what The Other is and what it does is yet to be seen, but stay tuned for that!

Lastly, I don't think it can or should be ignored that Adastra presents itself as a porn game. The game has several illustrated sex scenes, the main initial draw of the game is Amicus' fat cock, and everyone I know who played the game found it initially because they saw Haps' porn account on Twitter and thought his art was really good. There's nothing wrong with this! It's totally in line with the game's themes that the game itself is totally aware that, to some degree, it's a porn game, but it also tries to be much more than just a porn game.

Adastra can't be removed from its origins in the furry subculture. The furry subculture is an oft ridiculed and looked down upon loose group of people who are largely queer, largely counter-culture, largely ultra-progressive, and who like talking animals. If you know anything about furries, you know that they make a lot of porn of their talking animal characters.

Ordinary people ridicule furry porn often for being very weird (it is), but I think it's also a cool and important part of our culture. A whole subculture of traumatized, queer, arrested development people use the medium of furry porn as a type of escape from that life. This is largely because in furry porn the sexual fantasies of gay mentally ill manchildren are realized in a grand and superb way.

Adastra isn't alone in integrating its sex into its storytelling, and I actually think The Smoke Room and Echo both do it better.

ECHO AND TSR SPOILERS

With Echo we see this in Flynn using hypersexuality as a coping mechanism, Leo's exhibitionism acting as his only escape from his otherwise lonely and closed off life, and the shame that Carl and TJ carry due to their sexualities. The Smoke Room goes even further in using sexuality with its character development. Murdoch has no control over his day to day life, so he sees pleasing other men sexually as a way he can have control over others, the irony of this being that his most frequent sexual partner is one he only has sex with because he's externally coerced into it. William's character arc arguably centers around the fact that he's terrible at sex and refuses to do anything to make his partners happy at the risk that that would make him gay.

END OF ECHO AND TSR SPOILERS

In Adastra, Amicus hilariously declares that "emperors don't put things in their ass", and a major part of his growth as a character is that he gets over himself to such an extent that he eventually offers, reluctantly nonetheless, to bottom for Marco. Using sex as an integral part of the storytelling shows how Howly has integrated the Otherness of furry porn with the Self of writing a damn good somewhat traditional story. Integrating these two usually clashing things isn't weird or a problem for Adastra, it's something that should be celebrated. It should be celebrated that Adastra both made me want to see how Amicus can retake his rightful place as emperor and better the world around him while also making me want to see how much Amicus cums from a prostate orgasm.

It might go without saying since I wrote this much, but I think Adastra is really fucking amazing. It's cheesey as all hell, tacky, and littered with plot holes, but if you're going into a furry porn game looking for plot holes you aren't outsmarting the game, it's outsmarting you. Amicus is a surprisingly deep and likable character, the plot kept me engaged, and for God knows what reason Howly put in the work to make the game smart as hell and deep as fuck.

It could be argued that Amicus was not treating Marco like this because of his ideals but because of his self-perception. After Marco learns Amicus is gay Amicus cowers and asks if Marco is disgusted with him now. Given that the power dynamics of sexuality are so strong on Adastra that they make a 7 foot tall wolf emperor cower to a twink slave, it stands to reason that Amicus might have just not forced himself upon Marco because he was afraid of a slave being able to leverage his sexuality against him. Further, it could be the case that Amicus wanted to treat Marco as an equal because after being humiliated for his sexuality as a teenager he no longer felt as though he could have complete control over other people the way that other wolf royalty do. I think this is all not just plausible, but true. I think these, in addition to Amicus' ideals, contributed to the way he treated Marco.

#adastra #echoproject

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uomo-accattivante · 4 years

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Oscar Isaac and Robert De Niro in the same film! 🤯

EXCLUSIVE: Robert De Niro, Oscar Isaac, Donald Sutherland, and Anne Hathaway are set to join previously announced Cate Blanchett in Armageddon Time, the period drama that James Gray will next direct for RT Features.

Wild Bunch International will introduce the film to buyers at the virtual Cannes market and represent the film’s international rights. CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing, represents the film’s domestic distribution rights. WBI and CAA Media Finance are co-representing the Chinese rights.

Gray wrote and will direct, and re-teams with RT Features following their recent collaboration on Ad Astra, the Brad Pitt space thriller that co-starred Sutherland. RT Features’ Rodrigo Teixeira will produce, with Lourenço Sant’Anna and Rodrigo Gutierrez executive producing.

Gray crafted a drama based on his childhood memories, a big-hearted coming-of-age story that explores friendship and loyalty against the backdrop of an America poised to elect Ronald Reagan as president. It is very different from his recent pictures, and he hopes to shoot in New York as soon as post-pandemic opportunities make it possible. He spoke to Deadline about his ambition.

“Every film you make is different, but I’m trying to do something that is the opposite of the vast, lonely and dark void of the movie I just directed,” Gray said. “I’m anxious to make something that is very much about people, about human emotions and interactions between people, and I want it to be filled with warmth and tenderness. In some sense, yes it’s about my childhood, but an illustration of familial love really on every level. I’m of the belief that most people do their best and that they try their best under difficult circumstances and in some sense that’s a beautiful thing and very moving to me.

“In a grander sense if I may sound a little sententious and pretentious, history and myth always begin in the microcosm of the personal and though you are using something so small and specific in your life, the result can become universal if it accesses real emotion. I’ve tried to move to the opposite of a cold dark space. I want to be political and historic about it, but fill it with love and warmth. What happened with me, very simply, I got in big trouble when I was around 11, though the boys are 12 in the movie, and the story is about my movement from the public education that I got into private school and a world of privilege. This film is about what that meant for me and how lucky I was, and how unlucky my friend was and about that break meant for me and what it meant for him.”

Previous stories mentioned that the private school was one attended by future U.S. President Donald Trump.

“The private school, yes Donald Trump went there and Fred Trump was on the board of trustees,” Gray said. “It’s symbolic about what the school represented at the time, entrenched in this white protestant ethic. I found it very foreign to me, a product of the public school system in New York City of the ‘70s. It’s about that transition and how it reflects on what the American society was and sadly still is. How we are separated along the lines of class and ethnicity. The film is really about that, my transition in school from one to the other. The implications of it are quite large. The world really became clearly divided to me, based on the haves and the have-nots. I didn’t write the script last week, but rather many months ago and it’s weird in that a lot of what we’re seeing right now is playing out of many of the themes that it was my ambition to explore in the first place. This obsession I have with examining American ideas of class mobility, to do it in a context that is humane with social impact.”

Gray is bullish that when moviegoing returns, people will want to be moved, and he believes Armageddon Time will fit that bill.

“Films do intimacy and family relationships very well, even better than the theater, because in the theater your best seat is still 20 feet away from the actor,” Gray said. “In the cinema, the close-up has tremendous power. What I’m after is something really quite moving. My recollection when I think back on that moment, which is 1980 as the time frame of the movie, and what an important year it was in the history of the country and for me personally and how in some ways, I was pretty damn lucky. My parents who were not wealthy at all as a working class family, used all the levers they could, to be able to go to this school. Which simultaneously saved my life, but also awakened me to real racism and anti Semitism. In some ways, the idea of presenting a story like this within the context of this family, told with great warmth, is sometimes your greatest Trojan Horse, to involve people emotionally that way. And story is a great weapon to be able to deliver some pretty harsh news.”

De Niro, Sutherland, Hathaway, Blanchett, Gray, and RT Features are represented by CAA. Hathaway is also represented by Management 360. Isaac is represented by WME and Inspire Entertainment.

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#oscar isaac #armageddon time #james gray #robert de niro #donald sutherland #anne hathaway #cate blanchett #rt features

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notthefilmreview · 4 years

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Falling in love with Aster Flores in 1hr and 45m (aka watching THE HALF OF IT)

Hi, it’s Dana and today I’m going to be reviewing THE HALF OF IT!

I am so excited; I have been waiting for this movie since the trailer first came out weeks ago so it’s safe to say that my expectations are high and I truly hope that this will be rememorable.

I also did a reaction to the trailer of THE HALF OF IT so if you haven’t seen that the link is here.

I think that’s all I really have to say so read on to see my reaction to THE HALF OF IT...

This is just a lovely way to start a movie and I have noticed that a lot of movies do that. I personally really like the simplicity of adding a meaningful quote at the beginning of a movie (especially if it’s actually corely related, not just added for the sake of adding it) because it gives it that book-like, nostalgic feeling.

In the first few seconds of the movie we already have that idea of soulmates explained in some really creative animation and lovely narration. What I’m thinking is that obviously alluding to that connection between Aster and Ellie being almost soulmate-like.

And here we have Ellie who is scientific and rational and doesn’t believe in soulmates. Oh, she is going to find that everything she has once believed in is going to be proved so so wrong once she meets Aster and I just can’t wait!!!!

Ellie’s mum. We don’t know what has happened to her yet. Is she dead? Has she left? Is she missing? Was there an accident? But what we do know is that she is the reason why Ellie has closed herself off from other people and believes that love is irrational and meaningless. Therefore, for Ellie to truly accept her feelings for Aster she’ll have to face her mum and I am not ready for this; this is going to most likely be such an emotional part of the movie and I will definitely be crying my eyes out as I attempt to write up this review.

Also, Ellie has a lot of checklists and I feel that vibe because that is pretty much my whole entire life.

Mr Flores? As in Astra Flores?

I think the music teacher might be Aster’s dad and I feel like that’s going to relate in someway. I don’t *exactly* know how - yet - but I will ponder on it throughout the review.

So Aster is also in her dad’s class and she has such a beautiful voice, seriously, listen to it; she sounds like an actual angel and she makes it look so effortless. I understand why everyone likes her so much because even I want to marry her!

I think that Ellie has a crush on her even before she meets her in the corridor and that’s quite cool considering that the trailer made it look as though she gained a love at first sight crush on her (which she obviously doesn’t believe in).

Ellie’s philosophy teacher, who is quite close to her, knows about her essay writing business but never actually turns her in. This was a question I had during my trailer review because I was wondering how none of the teachers have noticed (or they were all just blind).

Another question about the essay business I had was how she manages to get away with writing around the same essays for everyone. However, it turns out that Ellie writes different essays for everyone and that is just amazing.

Also, Ellie was talking about leaving or staying for university so I think that’s also going to be a big thing. I hope that she ends up leaving at the end for her own sake.

Wow, okay, was it just me or did you feel that sexual tension too?

Because that just took my breath away and just made me love Aster even more. I didn’t even know that I could love her more but just watching her talk to Ellie was so beautiful and I just love her. Wow.

She’s so smart and so knowledgable about everything. I just want her to talk to me for hours and hours about anything that comes to her mind.

Aster also has known Ellie for some time which was a surprise because from the trailer I thought that they only met there for the first time. Hmmmm...maybe Aster also has feelings for Ellie????

I’m sensing a theme. Almost feels like a philosophy essay on love...maybe.

Everyone seems to be hanging out in the church which is quite different, I guess.

Aw, Aster is insecure about being at the peak of popularity and she’s being extremely honest about this to someone she’s only just met. This really shows that even through Ellie’s writing, Aster can tell that the person who’s writing this is genuine and someone she can trust to open up to.

(Also, she should drop her friends and find other people who don’t try to boost their own ego by bringing you down to their level. You are above them. Aster! They are nothing like you, honey!)

But her boyfriend’s quite funny and cute (in like a puppy kind of way). I know we’re meant to not like him because he’s getting in the way of Aster and Ellie but if they just break up I feel like he’ll just be a bit of a cool guy. I love how he has taco time with his girlfriend because that’s just too cute (and also makes me quite hungry).

This.

Oh my, this is just beautiful.

They created art together from a bunch of lines that just so happened to get together.

Wow.

They are goals.

...this, on the other hand, is anything but.

I feel so bad for Aster being letter-fished (y’know, like catfished?) like that. She just wants someone who understands her at that deep sort of level; someone she can talk to about philosophy and art and literature; she needs Ellie (or me because I love books, abstract art, and philosophy too - hit me up, Aster!)

Omg, guys, is Aster Flores my soulmate?

She laughs at horror films! I laugh at horror films! I have seriously never met anyone else who’s crazy enough to laugh at horror films apart from Aster and I am astonished.

Why is she perfect in every way for me?????

However, I do find it extremely creepy how they’re basically stalking Aster and learning everything about her, writing every detail on whiteboards, windows, and notebooks.

I just love the contrast between Paul’s energetic, lively, and chaotic family contrasting with Ellie’s small and quiet home atmosphere.

What’s a taco sausage? A taco with sausage pieces? A hotdog but with a taco shell instead of a bun? A taco shell in the shape of a sausage?

It turns out that Ellie’s mum died when she was quite young.

Paul ends up finding out about Ellie’s crush on Aster quite early on. Actually, everything in this movie happens quite early on which I like because it just gets to the point of the plot without beating around the bush, constantly keeping the audience on their toes. I just love this movie so much.

What I also love is how Paul doesn’t go “you’re gay????” with all those question marks. It’s just normalised without questioning the gender of who she loves; just the person. Paul is actually just a cinammon roll at heart and he does deserve to find love but not with Aster (and I hope he learns that).

I’d probably eat that.

Hmmmm I’m thinking that this might be a bit of foreshadowing for the ending. I predict that Ellie leaves Squahamish and as the train is leaving, Aster (or maybe even Paul because I can’t see Aster running after trains) runs after her to say goodbye.

Hearing them eat those taco sausages has actually made me quite hungry.

Awwwwwww look at this boy; he is too cute to handle; he deserves so much love.

Ellie’s song - oh my. Can you just imagine her having a duet with Aster singing this song? And the fact that everyone claps is just beautiful.

Just no. Please, no. Please, stop, you’re only hurting yourself here. She has a name, please use it.

Also, Ellie’s sudden popularity??? Drunk Ellie??? Protective Paul???

Their friendship is everything that is needed in the world.

Okay, so if I thought that the corridor seen had sexual tension well...this...is on a whole other level.

Aster is conflicted between her destiny to marry Trig and how understood she feels when “Paul” writes to her.

Also I am here for the bromance between Ellie’s dad and Paul.

THIS. SHOT. IS. EVERYTHING.

It sort of reminds me of the lake scene in After - except better.

(Btw, this was kind of their first date. Right?)

Ummm...okay...WHAT DID I JUST WATCH?

WTF PAUL?

Paul, oh my, are you okay? Paul, honey, you were a cinammon roll. I cared about you, Paul. I believed that you deserved to find love when you finally realise you’re just not right for Aster.

Paul, I know that you’re not the brightest bulb in the shop but - this is not what I meant. This is not how I wanted conflict to arise.

This movie was going so well having this PLATONIC friendship that is sweet, caring, and supportive.

Paul, you’ve ruined it.

But, you know what the most annoying part is??? It’s the fact that I know at the end of this movie him and Ellie are probably going to make up and they’re going to brush that near kiss off as Paul being cofused or something and everything will be happy.

Usually, I enjoy watching something that I did not expect and the movie has been delivering that so far - including this. This, on the other hand, I did not like.

What kind of signals are you getting, Paul????

I seriously just want to know what’s going through this guys mind when he asks Ellie “You don’t want me to kiss you?” because she has seriously shown no signs of wanting to kiss him. Not gonna lie, Paul, but I think Ellie would rather make out with a bottle of Yakult than you!

I don’t know, I feel like that just ruined this movie for me. Going into this movie I knew that there will be something that causes a rift in their friendship but I thought this movie was better than using that over-used plot of platonic friendship turning into something more (or something like that, anyone ever watched Naomi and Eli’s No Kiss List? Well that’s what I’m sort of talking about).

There’s about 25 minutes left in the movie so I guess we’ll get through it (I just hope that somehow Paul redeems himself because even Trig seems more of an appealing character now).

Wait.

I swear we established this way at the beginning of the movie.

I’m so confused.

Wow, too far Paul.

I seriously take back every nice thing I said about you earlier being accepting, lovely, caring, and all that because this scene has just ruined him for me. I can’t believe they’re kind of making Paul the antagonist!!!! He had so much potential and they just did that.

There is just no way he’s redeeming himself at the end. I wouldn’t make friends with him again after this.

I really just want to fight him at this point; he just needs to go away; I’m not happy at all.

Why is the only good guy in this movie Ellie’s dad? Seriously, there is not a single good guy and that just makes me so annoyed.

I can confirm.

I feel so bad for Aster, seeing the one person who she thought understood her (Paul) try to kiss Ellie.

And you don’t either Paul.

I’m pretty sure Ellie’s dad understands her a lot more than you could any day so don’t go around thinking that you really know her because if you did then you wouldn’t have said what you said.

AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY YOU ARE A QUEEN ASTER FLORES!

Paul got what he deserved and I had to replay that soooo many times just to get that satisfaction.

(Personally, I think that Aster should have slapped Paul and then kissed Ellie amongst all the triggered homophobes).

This shot is just beautiful. They know they’re both heading in different paths, with Ellie deciding to go to Grinnell and Aster going to art school and this might just be their last chance to get things right between them.

Are we seeing this???

THIS IS EVERYTHING I WANTED FROM THIS MOVIE!

Even though they’re not ending up together their is that agreement that they like each other and they might even wait for each other after university.

That was just the best goodbye ever. I am so proud of Ellie’s confidence growth.

Ew, no, not you again.

I thought we were done with this guy after he got slapped.

Why can’t it be Ellie’s dad wishing her a farewell???

I can’t believe she just forgives him after he told her she’s basically going to go to Hell and we don’t even see him say sorry to her. I just hate how we were made to love him and...

Oh he’s running after the train oh my, I hate this so much.

Alright, this running and this goodbye would have been cute if all that stuff before didn’t happen - but it did. And no matter how much I try I can’t see Paul the same way no matter how much he attempts to make it up to Ellie.

Paul doesn’t deserve her tears.

(say it with me kids)

The most annoying thing is the fact that this was meant to be a friendship-centric story so I did expect that Aster and Ellie wouldn’t be the main focus but they just ruined the friendship and attempted to restore it in the last 25 minutes through Paul’s speech at church. This wasn’t a friendship story and Paul wasn’t a good friend.

Paul, in the first half was a good friend (the best) and had so much potential. Paul, in the second half destroyed first half Paul and replaced him with his evil homophobic twin brother.

Lol maybe that’s why they call it THE HALF OF IT!

At this point, I don’t even have anything to say except for the fact that I am very much disappointed in Paul’s storyline and what Netflix thinks is a “platonic friendship between a guy and a girl” (or a friendship in general).

As for Aster and Ellie, they got the ending I partially expected with Ellie deciding to leave Squahamish for university and them going their separate ways after that brilliant kiss (there are no words to describe the thick sexual tension between these two people).

Aster in general is just an amazing person who deserves to rule the world and I hate how she had to go through that letter-fishing but the upside is that she has time to figure herself out and what she wants in life at art school without fake friends and Trig holding her back.

I’m happy that Ellie gets to leave Squahamish but I feel sorry that her dad has to hang out with Paul the homophobe back home (I hope his taco sausage business fails and I’m not even sorry).

Anyway, that was a bit of a disappointment but if I just the almost kiss part out of my mind then it’ll be less traumatic.

What did you think of the movie? Good? Bad? Still angry with Paul? Tell me in the comment! Bye!

#the half of it #netflix #movies #movie commentary #ellie chu #aster flores is my bae #aster flores

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princess-of-the-corner · 5 years

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Taking a little break from Monarch to write out some of my ideas for how Love Eater and Miracle Queen work out in the Lady Luck AU. I thought about waiting for Chat Blanc and Felix but oh well!

As the Lady Luck AU focuses on Chloé having the Ladybug Miraculous from the beginning and getting actual character development until she’s a decent person and leader of an entire team of Heroes, there is no subplot about her and the Bee Miraculous.

Other things in the AU involve the lack of a Love Square by this point(it was only a lopsided triangle to begin with, but Secret Identities have been tossed out the window), and the fact that Chloé’s parents are getting divorced as Audrey is a horrific person.

So naturally, the entire episode has to be rewritten. I have a couple ideas on how to do this, but one of the biggest ideas involves Senti!Bug, or rather, Senti!Luck sticking around a bit longer. So here we go!

After the events of the Episode ‘Ladybug’, the corresponding chapter being called ‘Lady Luck’, Senti!Luck accidentally is left existing.

This is due to a combination of the Peacock malfunctioning due to being damaged combined with the Miraculous Ladybug ability trying to ‘fix her back into existence’.

As she seems like a real person now that she’s not being puppeted by Mayura, and the fact that she doesn’t seem to have an Amok Item(I forget the technical term right now), they decide to treat her like a real person.

Before I go further, let’s discuss how ‘Sentient’ the ‘Sentimonsters’ are, along with ‘Is Senti!Luck a real person?’. And tbh, I’m going to use a computer AI metaphor.

Sentimonsters are like a program’s AI. You program them, give them enough learning capabilities and executive decision making abilities to let them do their job efficiently, but ultimately, they are just a tool.

Senti!Luck, is like this at first. Sure, she’s good at seeming like she has emotions, but she is following her Programming.

After she comes back with the Miraculous Ladybug, she is much more real, like a real person.

The crew decides to treat her as a real person, and tries to figure out how exactly to do that.

Since they’re still not entirely sure if she’s real or not, they don’t let her in on the secret identities.

Lady Luck drops her off at Chloé’s place and then later comes back as Chloé saying ‘oh Lady Luck trusts me to help you’.

Chloé even discusses it with her dad a little bit. She tells him that ‘Lady Luck trusted her to look after a friend’, and basically convinces him to pretend Senti!Luck is a distant cousin or something if asked.

Many things go into cementing Senti!Luck as a person. This all happens during what should be ‘Love Eater’.

One of the first things is a name. After all, they can’t keep calling her Senti!Luck. I’m choosing the name Astra Avalon.

Firstly, because when Senti!Bug happened in Canon, I got flashbacks to W.I.T.C.H. and Will’s Astral Drop.

Secondly, way back in the day when I was writing TOWCK, I was planning on giving Chloé a half-sister named Astra Avalon. Though at that time I had picked ‘Astra’ because I planned to make her an Akuma called ‘Star Maker’.

I’m going to call her Astra from now on in the post.

The next thing is honestly a bit of a make over

Despite being made to imitate Lady Luck, Astra doesn’t look like Chloé. There’s similarities, but between the mask and whatever Magic goes into keeping the identities, Mayura doesn’t know what Lady Luck looks like and just guessed as it would work well enough for the same reasons. Chloé and Astra could pass as related, but not identical twins.

However, they do want to minimize the chance of Hawkmoth and Mayura finding her.

This ends up being a drastic haircut and maybe a bit of hair dye, and a montage of Chloé digging through her closet and finding her an outfit.

The next order of business is seeing how smart Astra is and where to put her in school

Originally I was going to use Ms. Bustier for this, but… Kwami Buster made me switch it to Ms. Mendelieve. Maybe both work on it idk.

Anyway, they want to see what all she knows. Both in a ‘what grade level is her intelligence/learning ability?’ and in a ‘how well does she understand social norms?’ way.

They eventually figure out that she has pretty average intelligence for someone of Chloé’s age group, and a basic idea of how to act in society, but a weird blank in her knowledge on things like common phrases or popular media. It’s not a big thing, but it’s something a little noticeable.

Overall, they agree that Astra could be put in Chloé’s class, but will need some support in social interaction. Since most of the class are Heroes and know about all this, they’re all willing to chip in. Adrien is already planning a movie marathon to catch her up on things.

Cue montage of Astra loving life and being alive

The class is very friendly and understanding, and she’s enough of a blank slate that she can get along with all of them fairly well.

She’s hella curious since even if she has an understanding of things, she doesn’t quite ‘get it’ until she does it herself.

From music to food to tv shows, it’s all new experiences and she enjoys all of them with a hell of a lot of enthusiasm.

Where everything goes wrong is a combo of Lila being a fuck and Astra having a breakdown over the standard ‘oh god I’m not a real person’ thing.

Lila figures out that Astra is Senti!Luck.

As a liar herself, Lila is good at figuring out other people’s lies. She realizes something is up with Astra due to how many lies everyone else is spinning about her, and eventually finds out.

While the info is filed away for the next time Hawkmoth Akumatizes her, Lila decides to confront Astra and threaten her.

Basically, it’s a ‘you help me, and I won’t tell everyone you’re a Sentimonster!’.

Said help would be things like turning against Chloé and friends, getting any dirt Lila could use against them, backing up Lila’s lies, etc.

When Astra refuses, Lila gets all ‘come on, they might be friendly now, but what do you think will happen when they find out what you really are? Our so-called Heroes didn’t even want you around! Just dumped you on some brat with enough resources to keep you alive’.

Cue existential crisis

I mean that literally. Astra begins to question how ‘real’ she is. And to make the AI comparison again, it’s the ‘Sure I feel things, but do I really feel them or am I Programmed to?’ thing.

She also panics over the fact that Lila might be right. As far as Astra knows, only Chloé really knows that she’s just a Sentimonster. The rest of the class has been nice and friendly, but would they do the same if they knew that she wasn’t even Human? Just a Magic Construct that happens to imitate Humanity enough.

I guess it’s a little similar to the Robustus situation, but tbh there’s also the added in ‘Sentimonsters are something evil’ thing added in.

Of course this is enough for Hawkmoth to Akumatize her.

Due to the nature of Astra’s Akumatization, Hawkmoth now knows that she’s Senti!Luck

That’s bad for a few reasons.

I’m debating on Astra’s Akuma form.

Miracle Queen is still an option, being able to control Miraculous holders.

Star Maker though, I could bring her back. Star Maker has the power to create fighters out of Constellations. Think kinda like the Ursa Major/Ursa Minor from MLP. She could use the Zodiac against the Zodiac!

Eventually Miracle Queen/Star Maker is defeated.

Astra is still upset, but the Heroes decide to tell her the secret identities. They didn’t abandon her, and the ‘normal civilians’ she’d been befriending knew what she was the whole time.

She’s still a little sad that they didn’t trust her in the first place, but they explain that even if they trust her, they weren’t sure how much influence Mayura still had over her.

But Mayura had made another Sentimonster during the fight and wasn’t able to control Astra like she did with Feast.

As for what happens to Astra after, I’m not sure. I’ll have to see what happens in Season 4. Unfortunately.

Maybe she stays. After all, she’s a real person now and Hawkmoth can’t control her more than he can control anyone else.

On the other hand, he still might try something with her, so it might be better to send her away. Like the ‘My uncle lives about an hour away from the city and he can take her in’ kind of way.

Either way she is safe and happy!

As for the plot with Master Fu and the Miracle Box…

Lady Luck doesn’t have to go to him all the time because all the Heroes are permanent, so Hawkmoth wouldn’t be able to reliably make a plan that would let him follow her to the Guardian.

And even if he was just waiting and hoping she would, Astra is the only Akuma this time, so it would happen after she’s Akumatized.

Maybe Lady Luck tries to add a new Hero. Maybe Master Fu himself slips up.

Actually, so far I’m thinking that no one slips up.

Master Fu sees how far the Team has come, and especially how far Chloé has come as their leader.

He realizes that they really don’t need him anymore. The only time anyone really comes to him about something other than handing out more Miraculous is either training Chloé as the new Guardian, or Mylene visiting(Something she does so that Master Fu can still talk with Wayzz, since he misses his friend.)

And honestly, with the training there’s very little he can teach that isn’t either clearly outlined in the Book of Miraculous Bullshittery, or things she’d need to learn through experience.

So Master Fu decides to retire.

While he names Chloé as the new Guardian, she does say ‘this is a hell of a lot of responsibility for one person, so the whole team is getting part of this’. Basically creating their own Order of Guardians, in a way.

Since he’s retiring and not ‘giving up Guardianship as a last resort’, the memory wipe thing doesn’t happen.

Instead, he meets up with his girl(I forgot her name like an asshole, sorry), and they leave the country.

Chloé still has his number, just in case he’s really needed, but for the most part he’s still hella gone.

So, again, I might change some things depending on Felix and Chat Blanc, but for now…. >:3c

#ml spoilers #Lady Luck AU

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carolinesiede · 4 years

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My 2019 Writing Roundup

Not to get too New Age-y, but 2019 felt like a very ~transformative~ year for me. I turned 30, got a literary agent, and became a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. After feeling like I’d hit a plateau in my late 20s, it was nice to experience a sense of forward momentum again, even if the lack of financial stability in this career is a constant background stress. Still, on the whole my sixth year as a full-time freelancer felt like a time where I kinda, sorta figured out what I’m doing. Instead of struggling in murky waters, I’m at least actively swimming in them.

I continued to write for The A.V. Club, The Spool, and Consequence of Sound, plus took on new outlets in The Verge and Polygon. I also had an article about romantic comedies published in Southwest Airline’s in-flight magazine and was asked to talk about Hallmark Channel Christmas rom-coms on Canadian radio. Speaking of rom-coms, 2019 was the second year (and first full-year) for When Romance Met Comedy, and I feel like the column really came into its own this year. It’s by far the biggest undertaking of my career (I’ve covered 47 films in total so far!), and I’m really excited to continue shaping its voice in 2020.

Beyond finding a regular fitness routine and seeing Cats onstage for the first time, the biggest personal project I undertook in 2019 was immersing myself in the world of film and film criticism—something I started in mid-2018 and really amped up this year. My goal was to watch 300 new-to-me movies this year, and I wound up watching 355! (Including 129 new releases.) Regular access to CFCA screenings and screeners allowed me to be a bigger part of the film critic conversation than I’ve been in the past, which was exciting. I also tackled a bunch of blindspots from the past decade and put together a list of my 50 favorite films of the 2010s, which you can see right here:

Over on the TV side of things, I bid farewell to the Netflix Defenders universe with binge-review coverage of the final seasons of The Punisher and Jessica Jones. Those Marvel binge-reviews were a big part of my early career, so seeing that universe come to a close was bittersweet. It’s always nerve-wracking when a semi-regular assignment ends, but I’m hopeful that new projects will pop up to take its place.

Putting together this year-end retrospective also made me realize I was on a lot of podcasts in 2019, including jumping in as a regular guest on the Cinematic Universe podcast in the latter half of the year. Podcasting is something I really enjoy (I find talking so much easier than writing!), and I’d love to do more of it in the future.

With that, I’ll leave you with wishes for a Happy New Year and a roundup of all the major writing I did in 2019. If you enjoyed my work this year, it would mean a lot if you would support me on either Kofi or PayPal. Or just share some of your favorite pieces with your friends!

My 15 favorite TV shows of 2019

My 15 favorite films of 2019

Op-eds and Features

“Rom-Com Revival” for Southwest The Magazine

Avengers: Endgame doesn’t earn its big “girl power” moment

An MCU breakup could be a terrific step forward for Spider-Man

“What is a weekend?”: A catch-up guide to Downton Abbey’s cast and characters

Nope, seeing Cats the musical will not help you understand Cats the movie

Let’s talk about the ending of Greta Gerwig’s Little Women

TV Coverage

Doctor Who’s 2019 New Year’s Special

The Punisher S2

Jessica Jones S3

The Crown S3

This Is Us S3 and S4

Supergirl S4 and S5

Rent: Live

Jane The Virgin fill-in

The Tony Awards

The Little Mermaid Live!

When Romance Met Comedy

27 Dresses doesn’t deserve your hate and neither does Katherine Heigl

Bride & Prejudice weaves an impressive cultural critique into a Bollywood-inspired Jane Austen update

How does the original What Women Want hold up two decades later?

In 1990, Pretty Woman changed romantic comedies forever

For one brief, wonderful moment, Eddie Murphy reinvented himself as a romantic-comedy star

20 years later, 10 Things I Hate About You remains a model for how to do the teen rom-com right

Lloyd Dobler is Cameron Crowe’s original manic pixie dream date

We're just not that into He’s Just Not That Into You

Romance is the weakest aspect of one of the most celebrated rom-coms of the ’90s

To All The Boys and Netflix reminded the world why it’s smitten with rom-coms

Imagine Me & You gives a lesbian love story the classic rom-com treatment

Queer resilience thrives in this rom-com about love in the time of the AIDS crisis

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is bubbly and smart, just like Marilyn Monroe

The Best Man capped off one decade of black rom-coms and inspired another

Nicolas Cage romanced Cher in one of the weirdest rom-coms ever made

After a decade of discourse, (500) Days Of Summer is basically the Fight Club of rom-coms

It’s No Strings Attached versus Friends With Benefits in a rom-com showdown

Adam Sandler’s sweetness makes The Wedding Singer a rom-com worth growing old with

The Philadelphia Story delivered one of the most star-studded love triangles ever

13 Going On 30 made Jennifer Garner a rom-com star—and gave tween girls a sleepover staple

Celebrate Halloween with Warm Bodies, the film that tried to make zom-rom-coms a thing

In the 2010s, rom-coms went indie and saved themselves in the process

Sandra Bullock became a rom-com star with a cozy love story about crushing loneliness

With just two storylines, The Holiday paid tribute to the entire rom-com genre

The A.V. Club

The maudlin Five Feet Apart anoints a new pair of winning young stars

After thinks it’s beautiful, that’s what makes it tiresome

Teen Spirit has plenty of it

Ramy is a Muslim millennial comedy with impressively big questions on its mind

Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson’s new comedy The Hustle pulls an inelegant con

The Sun Is Also A Star turns a compelling premise into a lackluster teen romance

The Art Of Racing In The Rain is a doggone mess

You don’t need to love Springsteen to like the thoughtful crowd-pleaser Blinded By The Light

The well-meaning Brittany Runs A Marathon can’t quite go the distance

Renée Zellweger zings in a Judy Garland biopic that clangs

The Downton Abbey movie is as pleasant as a cozy cup of tea

Tall Girl’s familiar teen love story fails to reach new heights

The new Lady And The Tramp feels like a ’90s update of a ’50s classic

The Verge/Polygon

Tigers Are Not Afraid puts a Pan’s Labyrinth spin on a poignant Mexican drug war story

The gloriously surreal space epic Ad Astra is half a great movie

An AI affair fuels a midlife crisis in the eerie science fiction drama Auggie

The painfully generic new animated Addams Family deserves no snaps

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is boldly bonkers

Netflix’s apocalyptic teen comedy Daybreak is an exhausting sugar rush

The Current War is basically Amadeus for electricity

Is Playmobil: The Movie just a reskinned Lego Movie?

The Spool

The LEGO Movie 2: Everything is About Half as Awesome

Isn’t It Romantic: An Instant Postmodern Rom-Com Classic

The Aftermath: Sumptuous but Surface-Level Melodrama

Late Night: A Sparkling Comedy With a Lot On Its Mind

Plus One: An Indie Millennial When Harry Met Sally

The Farewell is A Poignantly Funny Goodbye

Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A whimsical mid-life crisis

After the Wedding: A grown-up drama that doesn’t trust its own story

Falling Inn Love: Love, New Zealand Style

Paradise Hills: Harajuku Gossip Girls

Consequence of Sound

Brexit Takes An Engaging But Ultimately Shallow Look At the 2016 Vote

What Men Want Flips the Script and Finds Mixed Results

Dumbo Delights Without Ever Fully Taking Flight

Someone Great Continues Netflix’s Romantic Comedy Revival

Aladdin Has the Animated Classic’s Songs, But Less of Its Personality

MindMeet Interviews

Nadine Hack and Global Citizens Circle: Creating Connectedness

Podcast Appearances

Filmography: When Harry Met Sally

Filmography: Tim Burton’s mature films (Ed Wood, Sweeney Todd, Big Fish, Big Eyes)

Debating Doctor Who MCU Edition: Avengers: Endgame

Cinematic Universe: Alita: Battle Angel

Hall of Faces: Friends

Cinematic Universe: Joker

Hall of Faces: The West Wing

CBC Radio: Hallmark Christmas movies

Cinematic Universe: The Wolverine

Cinematic Universe: Awards Special—The Cuppies 2019 (Part One)

And here are similar year-end wrap-ups I did in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

#Best Of #Year End

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descensummichael · 5 years

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My Heroine (Michael Langdon x fem!OC)— x. hell had you by the throat

Consistency clearly is not key here, folks. Sorry for taking forever, inspiration seems to be few and far between these days. Anyways, the plot is bouta pick up here soon (if I can stay motivated) so stay tuned or whatever?

Warnings: more angst basically, horribly translated Latin (rough translation at end of part), lil bit sad????

She was not impressed.

Arella hadn't even managed to wade through the sleepy fog that enveloped her after a sharp knock came on her door that morning. Not a single cell in her body was an early riser; this, in part, is what led her to become a bartender, along with a series of other personal incentives. So, when the pounding on the door didn't stop, she finally dragged herself out from underneath her covers, fully prepared to punch whoever decided it was a good idea to wake her. Reaching for the handle, she tugged on it quickly, a scowl already etched into her features.

No one was there.

Rolling her eyes, she began to pull the door shut before something caught her attention; a bundle of flowers was neatly arranged on the step before her.

Not just flowers, she noted, her heart jumping into her throat. Lilies.

Lilies.

Images flashed through her mind as she knelt down, brushing her fingertips against the petals.

Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, her lashes brushing the tops of her cheeks. Tiny fists at her side mimicked this compression, nails digging into her palms. She could sense it, the turbulent energy surging through her.

"Channel it, love," a voice spoke softly in her ear. "Try working with it, instead of trying to conquer and control it."

"I am trying," Arella sighed, her words coming out in little more than a whisper. She was beginning to already believe that she'd never be able to govern the powers she possessed properly. Upon opening her eyes, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

The older woman was quick to move to her eye level, wiping the tear away with her thumb. "You are powerful, Lily. We just have to learn how to transmute those abilities with feelings other than anger. Release the tension."

Arella knew she was right; the only time she had been able to control the magic coursing through her veins was when she was losing her temper, often ending in disaster. If there was any hope of regaining her mother's affections, this was the way.

Nodding, she allowed her shoulders to fall, unfurling her fingers.

"That's it," a hand rested on her shoulder as her eyes fell shut. "Just like we practiced."

"Ab intra, vocat ad alta altum," she began, trying her hardest to keep her voice steady. Lifting her hand over the table before her, she put all her focus onto the object in the middle of it. "Pluma quasi lux, ad astra et ad aether... Resurgemus."

Her eyes fluttered open, the flower now floating about a foot above the surface it was previously resting on.

"Perfect," the woman grinned, causing a smile to form on Arella's face as well.

The moment did not last long, however, much to Arella's disappointment. Her mother came in, taking in the scene before her.

"Mother!" Elizabeth's tone was so loud and jarring the walls nearly shook. "I have warned you about this. You will not poison my daughter with these ridiculous incantations. I will not allow it."

The flower fell from its position, landing with a dull thud. The magic was over.

"Elizabeth," the eldest woman began. "The best way to help her is to teach her how to control, rather than suppress her abilities."

"This is the last time you will ever try and tell me how to raise my child," Elizabeth gritted her teeth, the anger bubbling to the surface now. "You are not welcome anymore."

"Mom, we were just-" Arella tried to intervene.

"This is not you, Arella," Elizabeth cut her off. "And someday you will understand that. Time to say goodbye now." Shooting a glance at her mother, she turned on her heel to exit the room.

The sobs were beginning to wrack Arella's small body now.

"Do not cry, my love," her grandmother spoke, running her hand across her cheek. Reaching over, she picked up the black lily off the table. "Remember that despite the negativity surrounding this beautiful flower, it still brings about rejuvenation, new beginnings. You are the same, Lily."

She nodded, leaning her head into her grandmother's touch as she delicately placed the flower in her hair.

"You encompass powers far beyond what you and I could even begin to conceive. Entities are at work that are much larger than us, but which we cannot see. This is part of the journey. You will be reborn, and I will see you then. For now, take care of yourself. Keep your chin up, but also keep your head down. Things will make sense in time. Continue blossoming, Mea Bella Lilium. I love you, to the end of this life and forevermore," she pressed her lips to the child's forehead.

Arella sighed, her eyes squeezing shut as she attempted to stop the fresh wave of tears from coming.

"I love you too," she whispered, opening her eyes.

But her grandmother was already gone. And so with her went Arella's childhood. However, as promised, she would be reborn, for better or for worse.

As she pulled herself from her memories back into the present, Arella could feel a couple of warm tears trickling down her cheeks. Upon hastily wiping them away, she reached her hand toward the cellophane wrapping to grasp the tiny card inside.

"Not impressed" no longer seemed to encompass her feelings adequately as she read the words.

Livid was probably more adequate. She knew it was foolish of her to get her hopes up, believing her grandmother would show up all these years later, but a small part of her still longed for that connection once again. So, it took her by surprise when someone else's handwriting filled the space, of which it took her a few moments to recognize as she read the words over again: It's time to be reborn, L. Let us try this again.

Fucking Michael, she thought to herself angrily, storming inside with the flowers clenched tightly in her fingers. Retrieving her phone off the nightstand, she typed out a quick text:

Meet me at the bar. Now.

❦❦❦

Her heels tapped loudly against the tiles of the floor, her eyes set on the blond head sitting at the bar. She could already feel her pulse increasing, her jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. She threw the bouquet onto the counter in front of him.

"Flowers?" Michael turned to her, brows raised in surprise. "Arella, you shouldn't have."

"Is this some sort of sick joke to you?" She hissed, trying to keep her voice low. "Are you fucking crazy?"

"What are you talking about?" He responded, a smirk forming on his features. "You're the one who insisted I come here, and now you're throwing flowers at me. Seems to me that you are the crazy one."

They were now drawing the attention of her coworker, as well as other patrons sitting at the tables near them.

"Excuse me?" She spoke, exasperated before leaning in close to him. "You sent these to me, at my fucking house. How did you even-"

"What?" He cut her off. "You think I sent these to you?"

She shook her head, pulling out the card before shoving it into his hand. "This is your writing, is it not? Pretty distinctive. Oh, and the back is signed with your name."

He raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. I still didn't send them."

"Listen," she muttered, her gaze meeting his. "I don't know who taught you how to gain the affections of someone, but this isn't the way to do it."

"Do you still really think I did this?" He picked up the bouquet, examining it. "I-"

"It's your writing on the damn card, Michael," she responded. "Who told you? Who gave you my address? Black lilies? Those things are next to impossible to find!"

He shrugged defensively. "I don't know what to tell you, but I didn't send you those flowers."

She groaned, shooting him a look. When he returned it with a blank stare, she became increasingly frustrated.

"You have got to be kidding me," she grabbed his arm, dragging him to his feet. "Come on."

"What are you doing?" he questioned her, fingers still grasping the flowers.

"If you still want to gain my trust," she began, speaking lowly as they headed toward the door. "Then you're going to have to start by being truly honest with me."

**incantation roughly translates to “from within, deep calls unto deep, light as a feather, to the stars and the heavens... rise” however, translators butcher it regardless lol

#michael langdon #michael langdon fanfic #michael langdon fanfiction #michael langdon x reader #michael langdon x oc #american horror story #american horror story: apocalypse #American Horror Story: Apocalypse fanfic #american horror story fanfic #ahs fanfic #ahs #My Heroine

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sgt-nerd-plays · 4 years

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Week 3: Imperial Infighting

So, I went to see my folks this last week. Work doesn't want me going anywhere February-April, so I wanted to see them while I could. This delayed my battle report writing, so I'm only now getting to last week's batrep. But I got all of the pictures edited, so I can get the games from last week and this week down now.

Game Setup:

We've gone up to 400 points. I've added three intercessors to my squad, one with an auxiliary grenade launcher. The squad is now being run as having all stalker bolt rifles (which the newer lads were built with). I've also added in a mighty redemptor dreadnought!

The base was a joy to work with, and when he's worked, he's worked really well. Onslaught Gatling Cannons and Storm Bolters do some work. I don't currently have enough points for the icarus rocket pod, so it's purely decorative.

My Narrative:

The soil of Herosand V has been soaked in the blood of Xenos and Humans alike as the fighting escalates! Throughout the planet, forces clash as daily reinforcements arrive from all over the galaxy.

However, there are also clashes between imperial forces due to chaos sorcery, fog of war, accusations of heresy, and Looking At Us Funny. Today, tempers flare and egos clash!

Match 1:

Astra Militarum

Their Forces:

A whole bunch of artillery and conscripts, plus two commissars and an inquisitor.

quote:

"Ah, it's nice to finally receive some reinforcements," Captain Incusator said as he leaned against the side of their newly acquired dreadnought. "Please do not treat me as furniture. Beep boop," the dreadnought said. The captain narrowed his eyes. "Reginald, you know you're not actually a robot, right? Just placed in a life support suit?" "Does not compute," said the voice from inside the machine. The captain was going to respond when the ground exploded nearby. "Great scott! What the devil's happened!" he cried out. "I think it's the Cadians," said Sergeant Caminus. "They must have us confused with the enemy." "This is just what happens when you think with your flesh," the captain said. "Weak thought!" He strode forward to teach the impudent guardsmen a lesson.

Cadia's finest on display!

He actually forgot to bring his tank, so he had to rejigger his list to only use the infantry in his army. Lots of bodies to shoot through. This would have given me a big problem the previous week, when I had a small number of attacks to work with. But now I have some real firepower!

Forward for the Emperor!

The stone pillar next to my dreadnought was the superior objective. I made sure to put my lads next to it. I fired into the massed guard, taking out a fair number of them. However, then his shooting turn started.

The mission type was the scouring. Six objectives placed, four worth two, one worth four, and one worth one. The high-value one was actually near the ruins in the middle of the board, on my side. I moved up to get sat up on it, advancing my captain so he could get into melee as soon as possible.

I took out a few of his men with my shooting. However, even with the 22 shots from the dreadnought, that left him with a lot of bodies left on the board.

He decided for his shooting to focus down my intercessors. This was a fairly brutal shooting round. By the end, I had a single intercessor left, with all of the rest of my lads blown to kingdom come. When I could move again, I tucked him down to where he'd be out of sight and only targetable by the mortars:

Bravely seeking cover!

However, this left my biggest threats unscathed. My dreadnought took out a lot more of his army out with its next volley of shots, obliterating much of his forces.

"Didn't we used to have more guys than this?"

Then the charges began. My grav captain got right into his forces and tore through a squad, and the dreadnought through another. His shooting was now much weaker. He did a little damage to me, but not enough to put a serious dent on my captain's or my dreadnought's ability to shred bodies. He finally brought all three of his characters into melee.

"Blended or pureed?"

At that point, he basically just had his mortars left, and there wasn't really any coming back for him. We talked a bit about strategy, and where he should have focused his fire the first round. If he'd managed to take down my dreadnought, he would have had much more time to take out my intercessors, and maybe just played around my captain, who could, after all, only take out a maximum of seven models a turn, assuming perfect rolls.

Match 2:

Space Wolves

Their Forces:

Wolf Lord, Thunderwolf Cavalry, Grey Hunters

quote:

"You know what I hate, Caminus?" the captain asked. "What's that, sir?" "Animals. Just terrible, hairy lumps of flesh. Completely useless." He shuddered. "Honestly, I can hardly imagine who would put up with those filthy beasts. You'd have to be mad." "Ah, sir..." "And the smell! Imagine just constantly having that up your snoot. Disgusting." "Sir..." "No, lad, nothing I hate worse than animals, and those who put up with them." "Sir!" "What is it, Caminus?" "Sir, this is the delegation from the Space Wolves company." Sergeant Caminus gestured to a furious wolf lord and several shaggy men on several shaggy wolves, which were starting to growl ominously. "...Ah."

The battlefield!

So, I was going up against a melee heavy army with an army that has excellent long-ranged weaponry. I also had the superior objective on my side of the map. Obviously, this meant I deployed as far forward as possible.

Hairy Dogboys!

My opponent also deployed as far forward as possible, but also kept his units into cover as far as possible. However, he couldn't quite hide his troops.

More than one way to skin a wolf.

Since all of my shooting was focused on his troops, they were taken out pretty quickly. When his thunderwolf cavalry came out of cover, I tried to soften them up a little, but they all had stormshields, which meant only one in three successful wounds actually went through. He also rolled really well on his saves, so very little damage went through. He then went to where I had grav captain pushed forward. His wolf lord caught up soon after. Over optimistically, I charged my dreadnought and intercessors into the fight. I tried to fight twice with my redemptor dreadnought, using Honor the Chapter, and managed to take out one of the thunderwolves.

A grand melee

My dreadnought and grav captain were soon destroyed, along with one more of his cavalry. This was the end of the fifth round, but we rolled to continue. I broke off what remained of my intercessors, falling back to try and delay the inevitable a little. This almost worked. Overwatch helped me take out the remaining thunderwolf. But his wolf lord got into melee.

"Mommy."

At the end of round six, I had one intercessor left in melee with his wolf lord. We were right next to the superior objective, however. I had one point for being the first to kill a unit (his troops), while he had a point for killing my warlord. My intercessor had priority on taking objectives, and this would have given me another four points. If the game ended right there, I would win... but we rolled just high enough to go to round seven. Seeing that it was futile, I bowed out and we shook hands.

This was a major learning experience for me. If I had stayed back and shot at him longer, I might have had more luck in thinning out his cavalry, or even his wolf lord. If I hadn't rammed all of my units into melee as soon as I could, I could easily gotten the objective secured and lasted into turn seven, guaranteeing a win.

quote:

"What happened?" asked Captain Incusator, as he slowly sat up. "They beat us, I'm afraid," said Sergeant Caminus. "Beat us! How?" he asked. "They fought dirty, sir," the sergeant said. "They hit us right in the flesh." "Our weakest point," the captain said. "Those beastly dastards!"

In my next battle report, I'll go into the games I fought today, and we'll see how I finish up the 400 point level.

#warhammer 40k #40k #Battle Report #batrep #wargaming #iron hands #space wolves #imperial guard #astra militarum

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disregardcanon · 5 years

Text

end of year writing meme for 2018! feel free to piggyback if you’d like to and please tag me if you do! i’d love to see what everyone did ficwise this year :)

Total Stories Written: 31

Total Words Written: 122741 Average Words Per Story: 4,000 Shortest Story: femme fatale 389 Longest: born to live, made to die wip currently at 20,826 Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted?

less for sure. i wrote more original stuff this year (i got 20k done for nano! woop!) but over all i didn’t write as much. i’ve been busier and there’s been a lot more happy stuff going on outside of school, so that’s good.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write most?

pairing: snaibsel from number of stories, tododeku from how many words were written about a pairing

genre: um. is “coming of age story/gender bend” a genre because i wrote that the most

fandom: bnha

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January?

well i didn’t even know that spop was a thing in january so rewrite would have been a surprise except that it’s so up my alley that i would just look at and say “that tracks”. maybe all the bnha gender bends? i would have been shocked that i made myself ship kacchako when i first started bnha in june probably Did you take any writing risks this year?

i started a long fic for fma that i’m still working on, which is pretty big for me. i also started a series about gender bent bnha characters, which is pretty controversial. Do you have any fanfic or general writing goals for the new year?

finish up some more of those bnha gender bends, finish the bnha yj crossover, and hopefully finish more original fic.

From the past year of writing, what was your… Best story of this year:

born to live, made to die has to be it. everything has just kind of come together in that one and i’ve grown so much as a writer working on it.

Most popular story of this year:

gimme a boost over heaven’s gate, the au where tahani and eleanor meet on a trashy day time tv show and fall in love and decide to become better people together

Personal favorite:

ad astra per aspera for sure. projecting all my own feelings all over the place? exploring ochako as a character? having her make out with my butch lesbian bakugo? accidentally becoming a kacchako shipper? that fic is very important to me.

then after that is probably heavy is the head that wears the cowl. i love getting back into jaime and bart’s heads every single time that i do it and this one was a real treat. working through their reputations, writing some stuff about their relationships, and getting to juxtapose them and then bring them back together was fantastic. it was some of my best work this year not gonna lie.

Most under-appreciated: i’d say hers, not his just because it’s 18k for a popular pairing and only has 35 kudos. i worked very hard on that fic and it’s for tododeku! tododeku! i know that fics for large ships can slip through the cracks but it still kinda ticks me off.

Most fun to write:

two badass lady veterans was certainly a joy. i LOVE writing middle aged women realizing their sexuality and falling in love, and writing penelope as an emerging bisexual woman learning with her daughter is such a joy. the alvarezes are all super fun to write and jill is such a good character too.

gimme a boost over heaven’s gate was super fun too because tahani’s pov is a delight and i love every member of the good place cast.

gotham nine nine was super funny because it’s all of the b99 folks and their super villain SOs or one night stands from the dc universe

Story with the single sexiest moment:

break a leg probably? that was the only smut fic i wrote this year.

Most “holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story: i didn’t really write anything holy shit level of terrible this year. born to live, made to die has its moments and the premise of passing on a parasite is that one for all is sentient and isn’t good, so maybe one of those?

actually just realized that the most disturbing thing that i’ve written this year is a wip that i’ll probably post in a week or two. so. there’s that. Most challenging to write:

either born to live, made to die because of the crazy intricacies of balancing so many povs that sometimes blend into each other and trying to keep up with my own complicated plot or hers, not his because that fic shifted into an 18k monster that looked nothing like my original vision for it.

Biggest disappointment: maybe riza get your gun? i expected to enjoy the gimmick of mixing riza hawkeye’s character with annie oakley a lot more than i did. Favorite character to write:

i really enjoyed writing catra and the entire cast of the good place. and honestly... writing bakugo is a joy. what a delightful dick.

Favorite opening lines:

The people love Kid Flash. (heavy is the head that wears the cowl)

One For All is a blessing until it isn’t. (passing on a parasite)

Bakugo Katsuki is six years old and she hates this stupid game. She hates this stupid boy and his stupid house and his stupid, shitty face. She wishes her mom hadn’t dragged her over to his stupid, shitty house in the first place. (knights in shining armor) Favorite closing lines:

She'd have to come out and figure out everything surrounding that, all the problems that she never confronted because she had never seriously considered stepping out of the closet because she was afraid of how people would react. But she's thinking about it now. What if she didn't care what people thought as much? What if she just let herself be? She thinks that whatever she'd let herself be, it's someone who likes looking up at the stars, laying next to Bakugo Katsuki. Acknowledging that Ochako herself is fierce and beautiful, nuanced and complicated, and that no matter what, she enjoys this girl's company, that she likes her in ways she's never really wanted to. Maybe she's ready to try something like that. The only way to the stars is through difficulty, after all. (Ad Astra Per Aspera)

For a moment, they’re just a pair of dumb teenage boys, laughing about shitty shit jokes so that they don’t cry. Really, when it comes down to it, they’re just two kids suffocating under the weight of their masks. (heavy is the head that wears the cowl)

She’s Todoroki Sango. She can fight her own battles. She can slay her own demons, and she can end up happy too. (Hers, Not His)

Other favorite lines:

Now that they are all grown and there are no more curses, kissing doesn't have to mean true love or death do us part if they don't want to. (Dream Boy)

She’s Dr. and she’s Mrs. and she’s a young girl in Estonia and she’s an old psychic and she’s alone and she’s together and she’s an almost mother and she’s old and she’s young, all at the same time. Persephone Poldma is everything and nothing all at the same time. (wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff)

Really, getting pushed off the side of a bridge by a super villain is perfectly fine when Wonder Woman flies off the edge and catches you in her arms. (Wonder Women)

She just needs the idea to be planted in his mind.

The soil is less hostile now, nourished by guilt. Perhaps it will grow this time. (Born to Live, Made to Die)

“They’re friends,” Deku says, “if they break up, it could mess up the whole equilibrium of our friend group. Our fragile friend group ecosystem may be destroyed!” Was she being overdramatic? Yes. Did she care? No. (gays of a feather)

Then, she whispers the next part into Adora’s ear, “I can rewrite her memories too. I could let you two have that fairy tale romance that you always wanted. All you have to do is say yes.” Adora sees the image in her mind clearly, she and Catra dancing at a ball, Catra dapper and charming in a perfectly fitting suit. There’s a tension to their dancing- they were enemies in the memory, but Shadow Weaver changes the picture. (Rewrite)

#sunkelles writes #writing games #writing memes #end of year writing meme #end of year writing meme 2018

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kcrabb88 · 6 years

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Just a fan question!XD The "Combeferre's Dad" made me wonder--as you're turning your pirate AU into a Different Story, do those characters still feel like the fic characters? Do they feel distinct and different? At what point does, say, Arthur stop feeling like "Combeferre's dad" and feel like the other character? Does it make re-reading the original fic weird, like seeing your OCs in a mirror? I'd love to hear any of your thoughts about this!

Ah this is a cool question to get! I actually think about this a lot! I think the thing with the characters is less that they’re very different and just more expanded? Once I wasn’t working in the confines of a canon, I could add things I might not have, especially with the OCs, because when I was working with them in the fic version I didn’t want to get too too deep because obviously people would want to see the canon characters! It’s what they came for. With Arthur in particular I’ve done a lot of additions of him actively and visibly fighting with and disliking Governor Travers, and I’ve added more mentions of his relationship with Chantal, as well as the probable crush he once harbored on Michel, and all of that started to make him feel as a bit more than Combeferre’s awesome, tragic dad, and a character that has his own fears and his own kind of arc, really even after he’s gone. I see Arthur very sharply in my head now, more than I did before.

With Michel it was similar. In the original I didn’t have quite as much space to explore why he was doing what he was doing, and so in the new version I did a lot with showing his fear of his father-in-law, and the idea that he is being emotionally manipulated by the old man too. Not to the level of his son, but it is more obvious that the governor kind of abuses everyone around him, really. It’s not an excuse for the things he allows at all, but it is an explanation of where his mind is. And his struggle with his feelings for Arthur are frontloaded as opposed to realized later. And I changed things with Astra to where she writes Imogen once a year as opposed to never talking to her, and amped up her love of pirates and her struggle with whether or not she made the right choice in letting the boys go. So rather than being terribly different they’re just…more expanded? So it’s not weird for me to read the original fic, because I can see where my launch point was.

Working outside the Les Mis canon (though I do still want it to have that feeling of Les Mis, those deep political and moral questions, that idea of pulling on a thread of untold history even if I’m operating outside the bounds) also made me expand a bit on some of the LM canon characters. Javert (now Nicholas Jerome) is a bit softer and more awkward at the beginning so I could build to him turning cruel out of his own fear rather than starting off as strict as he does in the fic. He’s still stern but he does things like let Rene and Frantz read stories to him, he sketches, he teases a touch more, so that as he slowly gains more power and gains his place in society, he becomes so afraid of losing that that he ends up being awful to this little kid who looked up to him. I’ve had more room to work with Valjean’s (now Ajani Danso) and Fantine’s (now Abeni) backgrounds too, because I learned a lot more about native people in the Caribbean, as well as Maroon communities. Enjolras (now Rene Delacroix) struggles more with the mental taxation of his grandfather’s abuse (he gets stress headaches, he jumps more when people touch him, etc) and he definitely starts looking up to pirates earlier and more thoroughly. There’s things like that for a lot of characters. I kept everyone, aside from Marius and Eponine, who got cut.

I’m rambling A LOT but I think the story would still seem very familiar to people who read the fic, it’s just expanded and has spots filled in that weren’t there before, and the themes are threaded through more thoroughly. There’s more mentions of sea lore and historical odds and ends and all that kind of thing. I feel now like I’ve created a world? To the point where I actually have some solid ideas for continuing into another couple of books with a sort of alternate history idea I’ve got brewing, because I end it the same way I do the fic, which is fairly open ended. And I think that’s what makes it feel different and like something that might appeal to a wider audience (or…at least that is the hope!) Actually, one of the many things that contributed to me undertaking this process was people who read the fic’s investment in my OCs? I was so excited everyone liked them!

#Thank you Pilf!#I love being asked about this process #Asks #KCrabb rambles #Sailing By Orion's Star #pilferingapples

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uomo-accattivante · 4 years

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Oscar Isaac’s next project, Armageddon Time, has been picked up by Focus Features and plans to start shooting at the beginning of next year (2021) in New York:

EXCLUSIVE: In another deal that demonstrated the vibrancy of the Virtual Cannes Market, Focus Features is in final talks to fund and distribute worldwide Armageddon Time, the James Gray-directed drama that has Robert De Niro, Oscar Isaac, Donald Sutherland, Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett poised to star. Sources said that the Focus commitment will be in the $15 million range, meaning that’s what Gray will have to work with to make a movie that will begin production at the start of 2021 with the intention to shoot in New York.

Wild Bunch International introduced the RT Features film to buyers at virtual Cannes market and repped international rights. CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing, represented the film’s domestic distribution rights. WBI and CAA Media Finance co-repped China rights.

While many wondered what the appetite of global buyers after the pandemic as they headed into Virtual Cannes, the results so far have been as strong as many recent markets held annually on the Croisette. The Antoine Fuqua-directed Will Smith-starrer Emancipation was a record setting festival pre-buy for Apple, in a deal worth over $120 million when the backend buyouts are factored. NEON and Topic Studios took U.S. and the world sold out on Spencer, the Pablo Larrain-directed drama that stars Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana. Paramount acquired North American rights for around $10 million to the Lee Daniels-directed The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, a film that is expected to be in the mix in the upcoming Oscar race. It is in postproduction. That’s to name just a few of the titles that sold big.

Gray wrote Armageddon Time based on his childhood memories, and returns for action with RT Features following their recent collaboration on Ad Astra, the Brad Pitt space thriller that co-starred Sutherland. RT Features’ Rodrigo Teixeira will produce along with Gray and Anthony Katagas, with Lourenço Sant’Anna and Rodrigo Gutierrez executive producing.

Gray scripted a big-hearted coming-of-age story that explores friendship and loyalty against the backdrop of an America poised to elect Ronald Reagan as president. When Deadline introduced the project with that killer cast three weeks ago, Gray said the film is the opposite of the lonely, dark void that was at the center of Ad Astra.

“[It] is very much about people, about human emotions and interactions between people, and I want it to be filled with warmth and tenderness,” Gray told Deadline. “In some sense, yes it’s about my childhood, but an illustration of familial love really on every level. I’m of the belief that most people do their best and that they try their best under difficult circumstances and in some sense that’s a beautiful thing and very moving to me. In a grander sense if I may sound a little sententious and pretentious, history and myth always begin in the microcosm of the personal and though you are using something so small and specific in your life, the result can become universal if it accesses real emotion. I’ve tried to move to the opposite of a cold dark space. I want to be political and historic about it, but fill it with love and warmth. What happened with me, very simply, I got in big trouble when I was around 11, though the boys are 12 in the movie, and the story is about my movement from the public education that I got into private school and a world of privilege. This film is about what that meant for me and how lucky I was, and how unlucky my friend was and about that break meant for me and what it meant for him.”

The drama confronts the class clash of the haves and have-nots. “It’s symbolic about what the school represented at the time, entrenched in this white protestant ethic,” Gray said. “I found it very foreign to me, a product of the public school system in New York City of the ‘70s. It’s about that transition and how it reflects on what the American society was and sadly still is. How we are separated along the lines of class and ethnicity. The film is really about that, my transition in school from one to the other. The implications of it are quite large. The world really became clearly divided to me, based on the haves and the have-nots. I didn’t write the script last week, but rather many months ago and it’s weird in that a lot of what we’re seeing right now is playing out of many of the themes that it was my ambition to explore in the first place. This obsession I have with examining American ideas of class mobility, to do it in a context that is humane with social impact.”

Gray said that aside from getting him away from trouble, the school brought him face to face with attitudes that are relevant right now. “My recollection when I think back on that moment, which is 1980 as the time frame of the movie, and what an important year it was in the history of the country and for me personally and how in some ways, I was pretty damn lucky,” he said. ” My parents who were not wealthy at all as a working class family, used all the levers they could, to be able to go to this school. Which simultaneously saved my life, but also awakened me to real racism and anti-Semitism. In some ways, the idea of presenting a story like this within the context of this family, told with great warmth, is sometimes your greatest Trojan Horse, to involve people emotionally that way. And story is a great weapon to be able to deliver some pretty harsh news.”

De Niro, Sutherland, Hathaway, Blanchett, Gray, and RT Features are represented by CAA. Hathaway is also represented by Management 360. Isaac is represented by WME and Inspire Entertainment.

###

#oscar isaac #armageddon time #james gray #robert de niro #anne hathaway #donald sutherland #cate blanchett #focus features

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anghraine · 7 years

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1 back at ya & 2 + the queer rogue one au

1) Of the fics you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

afjk;d

The last queer RO fic brought my AO3 account to 200 fics, so it’s ... uhm. Difficult. And I always have a different answer, depending on my frame of mind!

In terms of matching up with my vision~, it’s always going to be The Letters of Elizabeth Darcy (1796-1798). I pretty much covered the reasons at the end of this, so I’ll just copy-paste:

The one where I explore the first two or so years post-P&P (assuming a 1795-6 timeline for P&P, which I do) through excerpts from Elizabeth’s letters to assorted loved ones.

It was a close tie between this and First Impressions (the f!Darcy/m!Elizabeth AU—honestly, catch me at a different time and it would be that), but I think this one is probably better. In fact, fractured as it is by the format, I think it might be the most even and focused fic I’ve ever written. It’s not the excitement of ad astra or the discipline+id candy of wgdots, I’m just… satisfied? It’s what I wanted it to be, and remains what I would want it to be.

It was an interesting challenge, really, because the central—conceit, I guess, is that it’s exclusively Elizabeth’s letters, and fragments of her letters, at that. So I wanted to give an idea of what’s going on over those two years without any other voices than hers, and to sound as true to her character as I could imagine. I wanted Elizabeth’s mediation with the Fitzwilliams, her relationship with Jane and her father, the inevitable pregnancies and attendant drama, hints at politics, and of course a sense of the Darcy marriage in general, and cramming that all into a fairly short fic in a natural way was just … I liked it and I still do.

But it’s not one I got a blast out of writing or even reading in the way that I do with some of my less, um, cerebral ones. Not unpleasant at all! But if I were going to compromise between what I’m happiest with in terms of quality and sheer enjoyment ... well, right now, it would have to be now you’re the future.

I’ll c/p my earlier babbling about that, too, bc I’m lazy:

Currently, I’m pretty much in Rogue One mode 24/7, so those are the closest to my heart at the moment. And my favourite of those is probably the script AU (tumblr; at AO3 as now you’re the future), aka the one where I took all those references to an earlier script where Jyn and Cassian manage to escape, and ran with them.

I love the Everybody Lives stuff, and I’d love to write it myself—I think there’s a lot of interesting things that can only be explored that way. But for me, personally, it feels like there’s something more visceral and, idk, almost authentic about that scenario where it’s just Jyn and Cassian, as it started.

Not mine specifically, just the concept! The sheer scale of the loss in RO is largely intact, in general and for them specifically; it crystallizes their kind of uncertain but urgent intimacy into them vs the galaxy. Apart from the Rebellion, they’re all they have—which is awful in one way, but also so much more than they started with (Jyn for the last six years, Cassian for twenty).

So, from where I am atm, the script AU is my favourite conceptually. I’d only read a few in the fandom (I remember loving @leralynne’s and being surprised there weren’t more), and I wanted to approach it from kind of the other direction. That is, right where they are at the end, with the We All Know It Happened elevator kiss moments before and Cassian so badly injured and the others only just killed, all of it.

So the vague idea was that it’s that after-the-end scenario, with the struggle to put themselves back together in various ways, and process the loss of everyone (I specifically wanted Kay irretrievably lost) and “what now?” while ANH is going down. But in a different way than ad astra, and… while I love ad astra, this one being so much closer to what happened, what actually could have happened, with no breaks in OT canon at all and barely with RO, makes it more solemn but also more soothing to write. And I do think it’s genuinely some of my best writing. So I’m very happy with it on a lot of levels!

2) Which scene of the queer AU was your favourite to write?

Answered here!

#ladytharen #respuestas #fic talk #meme prattle #script au #the queer rogue one fic #/#//#///#star wars

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thenatureofnarrative · 4 years

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Best Films of 2019

The basis of my annual list is simple, these are the films that were, for me, mesmerizing and memorable. These were the cinematic experiences that either provoked a depth of emotion and/or provided a whole lot to talk about. These are the films that I could not forget and I cannot wait to see again. After you read this year’s list, you can also find last year’s list here, and if you’d like to see me chat about my favourite films, and other great films from the year, you can watch this video.

1. Little Women

Greta Gerwig deserves the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for her masterclass adaptation of Little Women which is, in my opinion, the best film of 2019. I was honestly whisked away by the magical-kinetic energy of this film and the March family, and I was deeply moved by the vocational struggles of young artists, Jo and Amy, finding their way in the world. As a father of two daughters, this film moved me and connected with me on a deep emotional level, and this is largely due to the storyteller’s skills. Ultimately, however, the reason Greta Gerwig’s adaptation works so well is because of her creative restructuring of the story, which allows us to consider our perspective of the past, and its impact upon our present. In addition to this, the performances across the board are perfect, with Florence Pugh being the real standout. There is just so much to love and admire about this most recent adaptation of Little Women, the best film of the year. DVD release TBD.

2. Ad Astra

James Gray is one of our greatest living filmmakers, and yet is easily one of our least recognized. In the last twenty five years he has written and directed seven incredible films, and Ad Astra (to the stars) is no exception. While his last film (The Lost City of Z) remains his greatest achievement, Ad Astra is his most theological or spiritual, as he exams the depth of the human soul by going to the furthest reaches of our solar system. Brad Pitt’s performance is, of course, the greatest reason for this story’s success, with his eyes and quiet reflections almost never leaving the screen. Ad Astra is a space odyssey like no other, while it pays homage to the great cinematic space stories of the past, it sets itself apart with its heavenly language and original imagery. Ultimately, it matters not how far we might travel or how advanced our species might become, the depravity and desires of our soul will never leave us and will always remain at the center of our road. It’s a shame cinematographer, Hoyte Van Hoytema, has only been nominated for an Oscar once. He deserves it for this work, and so do the sound designers, music composers, and of course, James Gray himself. On DVD - iTunes.

3. A Hidden Life

“Better to suffer injustice than to cause it.” The boundaries of this statement is put to the test in Terrence Malick’s most recent masterpiece, A Hidden Life, based on a true story. When nation and neighbour rise for a single cause or conflict, one’s true allegiance will be put to the test. In the face of such pressures, only those who pursue true peace, far from the spotlight, will know the cost that must be paid. A Hidden Life is a stunning and stirring work of cinematic perfection that requires patience and the attention of our souls. This is a film that I could not shake, and is quite simply, the most important film of the year. On iTunes March 3.

4. I Lost My Body

I love a surprise, and I was surprised by this magically macabre and meaningful film. I know a lot of people don’t often give “grown-up-animation” a chance so let me put it this way - - not only is I Lost My Body the most beautiful animation I’ve seen this year, it’s one of the best films of the year - - this is a story that has the mystery of Memento and the romance of a Terrence Malick film. And yet, it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before, unless you’ve seen the story of a severed hand journey through Paris in order to reconcile it’s memories with the broken heart and spirit of it’s owner? I Lost My Body is a truly stunning achievement. It swept me away and moved me deeply, and you should check it out. On Netflix.

5. The Irishman

The Irishman (I Heard You Paint Houses) might just be Martin Scorsese’s greatest achievement. A Scorsese crime-story is never about the crime, it’s about the criminal’s soul, and in the case of The Irishman, this time round, there is a little more age and wisdom included in this masterful-motif. At the end of three and half hours, I was somber and sobered. I felt as though I had just attended a very heavy funeral, and I just wanted to sit a little longer and feel the weight of my own mortality. It is a shame Robert DeNiro wasn’t nominated for an Oscar this year because this really is the greatest performance of his career. On Netflix.

6. The Last Black Man in San Francisco

“Let us have the courage to look beyond the stories we’re born into.” Place. Home. Belonging. Acceptance. The Last Black Man in San Francisco is about all these things and so much more, but it was because the film explored these themes with such stunning beauty and unexpected whimsy that I could not escape its trance. TLBMISF is a remarkable first-feature by newcomer Joe Talbot. Following the story of best friends, Jimmie and Montgomery, TLBMISF is a sort of urban odyssey (in the first act Jimmie is compared to “Dorothy” from the Wizard of Oz) as it explores its themes through the tensions of gentrification and generational ties. I never knew where the story was headed next, but I couldn’t look away. The cinematography, the music and the performances are all perfect. I adore this film. On DVD.

7. Marriage Story

Marriage Story provides us with some of the greatest performances and most meaningful dialogue of the year. Only writer/director Noah Baumbach can make you laugh, cringe and cry within a matter of minutes, and it seems like with Marriage Story he’s exercising his greatest gifts to provide us with the perfect balance and portion of all three. Love is pain and heartbreak can be hilarious, and all of it is captured beautifully in this devastatingly authentic story about the best and worst moments of a relationship, and what we can learn from it, or maybe not at all. On Netflix.

8. Doctor Sleep

In the last five years writer/director Mike Flanagan has become my favourite new filmmaker, and with Doctor Sleep he was given the near impossible task of adapting a Stephen King novel that continued Stanley Kubrick’s version of The Shining. Impossible, right? Well not only does Flanagan succeed, but in my opinion, he has created a film that is superior to Kubrick’s, with a visual style all it’s own. Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep is a rich and rewarding horror story that takes spiritual consequences seriously, and presents it’s characters with the terrifying realities of evil, and the sacrifices required to overcome it. It’s a remarkable work, and it includes some of the best performances of the year. On DVD - iTunes.

9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is the surprise experience of surrealism I didn’t know we needed. Not unlike last year’s documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, this film bears witness to the fact that it is possible to live a life of love, but this time round it’s an encounter wholly set apart. While Fred Rogers remains its inspiration, Tom Hanks’ remarkable portrayal is not at the center of the story, which is a bold and daring choice, but one that is executed with incredible care and confidence from director, Marielle Heller, who truly deserves an Oscar for this. As others have said, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, is not a traditional biopic, instead the film presents itself as an episode of Mr. Roger’s television show for grown ups, and who knew that that’s what many of us were in need of right now. On iTunes - On DVD February 18.

10. Wild Rose

Wild Rose is a deeply moving and beautiful story of redemption that avoids all the usual cliches and instead tells a more grounded, realistic tale about true sacrifice and pursuing one’s dreams. The writing is superb here, and Jessie Buckley’s performance is stunning as a troubled and selfish young mother from Glasgow, Scotland who has a gift and passion for country music. That last line should give you a good indication that this heart-warming story may feel familiar but is stunningly distinct, which makes for a much more rewarding experience. On DVD - Amazon Prime

Honourable Mentions (alphabetically):

Brittany Runs a Marathon: This isn’t an inspirational film about lifestyle changes, this is a long and patient, and at times painful, examination of what true transformation looks like. It’s also very funny. On Amazon Prime.

Captain Marvel: My favourite Marvel movie to date, with a unique visual style and shockingly powerful themes. Ben Mendelsohn is also the ultimate character-actor and he is unforgettable here. On DVD.

The Farewell: Awkwafina’s performance is award-worthy in this heart-breaking family reunion. Every character here is either withholding emotion or feeling out of place, and yet they are bound together, they are family. On DVD - iTunes.

Frozen II: From the endless pursuit of maturity and wisdom in the face of life’s uncertainty, to the most incredible message about truth and reconciliation, Frozen 2 is a spectacular and shockingly poignant film. On DVD February 25.

The Lighthouse: The descent into madness has never been so entertaining, funny and beautiful. These are two of our greatest living actors and one of our best new young directors at work. On DVD - iTunes.

Long Shot: Rogen/Goldberg have established a comedic genre all their own, a distinct blend of vulgar-raunchy humour and tender-nuanced relational moments. This is one of their best. On DVD - iTunes - Amazon Prime.

Midsommar: Tragic. Captivating. Horrifying. Compelling. Disturbing. Ari Aster has a gift for spellbinding dread, and with only his second feature, he has established himself as a master of tone. On DVD - iTunes - Amazon Prime.

Parasite: A powerful and entertaining dark-comedy or satire, with a twist. This isn’t Bong Joon Ho’s greatest film (that would be Snowpiercer), but it is an important and historic one. On DVD - iTunes.

The Public: Emilio Estevez paints with broad strokes here, but they’re strokes that are filled with life, and a cast that brings great humanity (Alec Baldwin and Jeffery Wright are particular stand outs). On DVD - iTunes - Netflix.

Us: This is the most calculated and unpredictable thriller of the year. Not unlike the greatest parables, this is a film that demands repeated viewing. On top of that, Lupita Nyong’o’s two performances are Oscar-worthy. On DVD - iTunes.

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anonarat · 7 years

Text

Design Considerations for the Laguz Royalty Banner:

Choice of Heroes:

The first question is which 4 heroes to choose for the banner. I knew that I wanted at least one of each of the three main types of Laguz - Beast, Bird and Dragon.

I already had some ideas for a Heron Laguz, Leanne specifically, following some conversations with friends. Whilst the Herons are Bird Laguz, they are so dramatically different from the other Birds, that I felt that having a second Bird Laguz to round out the banner would be appropriate.

As to which would be the second Bird, it would be between Tibarn and Naesala. Of the two, Naesala seemed more interesting to go into.

I briefly contemplated having Deghinsea as the Dragon, but Kurthnaga is the player unit and more important to the story, so there really was no contest. It would be rather difficult to justify one of the other Dragons over Kurthnaga, so he was in.

Finally, the Beast. This was really tough, and I came very close to doing Skrimir over Nailah. Not in the least because some of his skills write themselves (Fury and Brash Assault). Ultimately though, I wanted to balance the number of Males to Females on the banner, especially since most of the female Laguz in the games were relegated to minor roles.

Transformation Gauges:

I seriously considered using Special Gauges for Transformations for the Laguz, given how important is to using them in the game. However, it seemed like it would take away from giving the Laguz some cool things. Given that most of these Laguz get or already have Formshift, it would have been extra work for little benefit.

Leanne:

Out of all of the Laguz, I suspect that Leanne will likely be the most contentious, as her power level is possibly insane. I only developed the idea behind Galdrar of Sorrow after the Galdrar of Vigour, so it might be possible to make some changes to dial her back.

I have given her the worst stat total of any character for a good reason. If she gets attacked in combat, she should probably die. To compensate for Galdrar of Vigour, she needs to suffer in other ways to prevent her from just becoming too strong.

As it seems like every character in Heroes has a weapon, there came the challenge of how to approach Heron weaponry. On considering what the Herons in Radiant Dawn had, the Galdrar of Sorrow seemed like my best bet for a weapon.

The low might was a matter of course, then came to translating Worst Biorhythm into effects. Given how Special relates to things like Crits as well as Mastery skills, it seemed like having something that affected that would be interesting, especially as it hasn’t yet been explored. The Panic effect also made sense, as it converts an opponent from being at their best to being at their worst.

The Galdrar of Vigour was trying to work out how you could work Herons as dancers in Heroes, especially since all of them could AoE refresh in their native games. Allowing every square next to the Heron to be refreshed would have been crazy, which left Leanne’s refresh style.

From my experience of playing FE: Heroes, the number of times I’d actually want to refresh two units two spaces apart is really low. Admittedly, if I had Leanne, my playstyle would probably change. The fact that you really have to think about positioning to get full use out of it is really nifty though.

I added Windsweep so that Leanne could actually use Galdrar of Sorrow without dying.

Dancer Heroism was created because late game, Leanne would struggle badly dealing damage or getting kills. This is a way to train her up without actually engaging in combat or blowing through ridiculous numbers of crystals and shards. The reason it is post map is so you don’t just grind her up by continually waiting and dancing whilst the enemies don’t attack. These numbers are the most subject to change, as I just did some rough ballpark guesses on what would be best.

Naesala:

I went with Green for Naesala because of Vortex and its association with Wind Magic.

Naesala’s stat line was actually based around the sword users, and especially the Myrmidons already in existence. This is quite obvious given his great speed and mediocre attack. His defences in PoR and RD were nothing to write home about compared to the other Laguz Royals, so Myrmidons seemed a good fit.

The Great Beak was designed around similar principles to other legendary weapons, high might with a level 2 skill built in. I went with a ploy because it was Naesala, who is rather slippery.

In RD, Tear crippled the target’s speed if they somehow survived the attack. Given that Astra or equivalent would mean that the target was already dead, I wanted some way to still preserve the speed aspect of the attack to help differentiate it from other skills. Tear was the result. Rather unintentionally, it makes Naesala quite good against armoured opponents, but I’m cool with that since he’d just dodge them in RD anyways.

Distant Counter was chosen as a nod to Vortex and Shriek in RD, both of which give ravens a ranged attack/response.

Hit and Run was chosen because Ravens were very mobile in the games, and Naesala has something of a habit of withdrawing when it’s beneficial to him.

And now, I must quote Ranulf:

“Naesala and the ravens of Kilvas betrayed us? Again? “

Hence Traitor’s Ploy. A skill that is hard to use without backfiring and cleaves close to Naesala’s constant side switching in the Tellius games.

Nailah:

Given that Kurthnaga was always going to be Blue, I wanted to round the banner out, so gave Nailah Red. That said, her stats were based more on axe users given her enjoyment of fighting.

Not much to say about Great Fang, it was not something I put much effort into, but still wanted to make impressive for a Laguz Royal. Think of it as a Mt: 16 weapon with Atk +2 built in.

Savage was made to be a Beast Laguz alternative to Astra, so I just went with something in the same vein, originally it was going to be Charge 4, but I seem to recall seeing something about Astra’s cooldown maybe going down. If Astra remains at Charge 5, then this would have Charge 4.

Sturdy Blow was for the brawler in her, and I didn’t want to just do new skills.

Glare was a pain. I was tempted to put it in as her special, but I also wanted to make a nod to Savage. The question then becomes how to handle something like Glare, as petrification is rather good. The solution was to make the trigger condition tricky, and harder to fulfil as the map goes on. Even then, this skill is good, but so are other personal skills. (Power Creep FTW)

Kurthnaga:

The reason why Kurthnaga was always going to be Blue is because Black Breath seems a very natural progression from Dark Breath. Black Breath is literally just a legendary version Dark Breath+. Honestly, I would have liked to do something else with it were it not for the existing version of Dark Breath.

Due to Kurthnaga losing movement whilst transformed, making him armoured seemed like a good way to give a nod to that. It also gave me an excuse to pump his stat line a bit more.

Kurthnaga’s stat line is one of the highest in the game, which is rather fitting for a Dragon Laguz, who always outclassed pretty much all their peers.

Smite was added almost as an after-thought. Once I’d mostly finished with Kurthnaga, something felt missing. I’m not entirely sure why, but Smite seemed to fit the bill nicely.

My reason for Dragon Fang? Dragon, dragon, dragon.

Enduring Stance was there because he was always somewhat tanky, but not much to write home about on the attack.

Finally we come to Black Tide. Yes, it is a copy of Light Breath’s effect, however, this effect was basically what Black Tide did in RD, and much as I might have wanted, Light Breath translates to Black Breath in no sensible way.

It’s kind of sad that Kurthnaga ends up as F!Corrin but better. Oh well, it’s my fantasy banner and I’ll do what I want :D

#Design methodology

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beckettsthoughts · 7 years

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1-100. Yes. All the questions cause I'm feeling generous and cause nobody ever asks me shit, so I'll ask others instead. Ur welcome~~~

Oh man, this is amazing! Thank you so much

I’m a huge fan of answering questions, so this really means a lot to me. It took a while, meaning some of these answers are in fact relevant to early this afternoon and not right now, but everything else is still accurate. It’s going to be a long ride, so I hope you’re ready ^^

1: Is there a boy/girl in your life?

There are several boys and several girls in my life, and a variety of non-binary people, none of whom I’m dating. My best friend is the #1 boy, though.

2: Think of the last person who hurt you; do you forgive them?

If I’m honest, yeah. Wouldn’t really want to be close with them again, but I can’t hold grudges. It’s just not nice or entertaining or fun, anymore, being bitter. Letting things go is the easiest route.

3: What do you think of when you hear the word “meow?”

I mean, I think of cats? Which is fairly obvious. Particularly the old cat that used to live next door to us who made a home out of our garden; his name was Tigger. Perhaps also the cat I used to look after when some of my neighbours went on holiday, who was called Bill. I’m actually allergic to cats, though, so aside from Bill I’ve done my best not to get too close to them.

4: What’s something you really want right now?

An acoustic guitar. Or a polaroid camera, but I’m actually getting that this afternoon.

5: Are you afraid of falling in love?

No, it just doesn’t really appeal to me. I’ve never had crushes, and I’m content with my close friends. I’m indifferent, really.

6: Do you like the beach?

Not really. It’s nice to go for walks along the beach in the winter, but the whole atmosphere of a hot, crowded beach loses its charm after living near one for so long. I don’t like the sea, because it hurts my skin, and sand isn’t much better. The sun gives me headaches, too. I’m not very outdoorsy, one could say.

7: Have you ever slept on a couch with someone else?

No. I’ve slept on a couch before, not often but a few times, but never with anyone else. It sounds uncomfortable, to be honest.

8: What’s the background on your cell?

Currently, it’s the souvenirs I bought from the Louvre. Before that, it’s always been landscapes from around the island.

9: Name the last four beds you were sat on?

My own, my mother’s, my best friend’s, and a hotel bed in Paris.

10: Do you like your phone?

Yes I do. My old one was on it’s last legs before I renewed my contract and got my current phone, I forgot what it’s like to have a phone that works properly. It has a decent amount of memory, it links to my laptop and it works better than any phone I’ve had in the past. So yeah, I like it.

11: Honestly, are things going the way you planned?

Surprisingly, yes. I really didn’t think I’d get to this point. I’ve been set on the path towards university since the age of eleven when I decided I wanted to be an author, and here I am with a ferry ticket to the mainland and an unconditional offer for a Creative Writing course. I finished my GCSEs, which were the toughest two years of my life, and I completed my A Levels, which were the best two years of my life. Back when I was fifteen I didn’t think I’d even live this long, let alone fulfil the plans I’d laid out for myself, but I think it’s happening. I’m so happy it’s happening.

12: Who was the last person whose phone number you added to your contacts?

My friend Alex, actually. I’d never had his number before I was invited into a group chat with him, so that was the last contact I made on my phone.

13: Would you rather have a poodle or a rottweiler?

A poodle. They’re so fluffy and they seem like really sweet dogs. I have a lot of fond memories of having toy poodles in Nintendogs, but in real life I think I’d like a miniature poodle the most.

14: Which hurts the most, physical or emotional pain?

Emotional pain, by far. Can’t take painkillers for a broken heart like you can for a broken bone.

15: Would you rather visit a zoo or an art museum?

Probably the zoo. I love art museums, I do, but I love conservation zoos a lot. I’ve been to two particular zoos several times, Durrell Wildlife Park (now just called Jersey Zoo) and also Marwell Zoo, both of which do amazing work in caring for and helping re-establish endangered species. I know zoos have a lot of ethical problems, but if you can find a trustworthy zoo that focuses on research and conservation I think it’s justifiable.

16: Are you tired?

Not really. The summer is one of the few times I can actually get enough sleep.

17: How long have you known your 1st phone contact?

My whole life.

18: Are they a relative?

Yeah, it’s my mum.

19: Would you ever consider getting back together with any of your exes?

Don’t have any exes, but if I did I’d probably say no.

20: When did you last talk to the last person you shared a kiss with?

Again, never had a kiss in the romantic sense. In a non-romantic sense, my mother, and I spoke to her this morning.

21: If you knew you had the right person, would you marry them today?

No, even if I had a “right person” I’d want to get through university at least before marrying them.

22: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

No answer for the romantic context of kissing, but on the platonic side again it’s my mother so again, yes.

23: How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now?

Two; a woven rainbow friendship that a friend gave me and also a black faux-leather cord bracelet.

24: Is there a certain quote you live by?

Per aspera ad astra. Through adversity to the stars.

25: What’s on your mind?

The appointment I have this afternoon. I’m getting kind of anxious about it.

26: Do you have any tattoos?

No, but I would love some florals.

27: What is your favourite colour?

I don’t have a single favourite colour, but I really like pale oranges and dark purples.

28: Next time you will kiss someone on the lips?

No idea.

29: Who are you texting?

My best friend, @skyward-sheik. He asked about making an angsty vampire playlist, so now I am sending him song suggestions.

30: Think to the last person you kissed, have you ever kissed them on a couch?

I’m genuinely considering ignoring most of the ‘kissing ones’, now.

31: Have you ever had the feeling something bad was going to happen and you were right?

Uh, yeah. Many times. I can’t think of a specific occasion, though, but I know it’s happened.

32: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk to?

This is a complicated question, for me. I don’t technically have an opposite gender and I don’t really think in terms of opposite sex, but I have plenty of friends who differ from me in one or both aspects. Like, most of my friends, probably. I am friends with plenty of other non-binary people too, though, it’s just that most of the people I know are cis or binary trans, which is different to me.

33: Do you think anyone has feelings for you?

I’d be surprised. Literally only one person has ever had feelings for me and that was when we were like, twelve.

34: Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes?

Surprisingly often. I don’t think they’re particularly remarkable, but they’re quite bright blue. They can look especially bright, depending on my hair colour at any given time. I like them.

35: Say the last person you kissed was kissing someone right in front of you?

No comment.

36: Were you single on Valentine’s Day?

Always, but my best friend wished me a happy Valentine’s and I wished him the same in return.

37: Are you friends with the last person you kissed?

No comment. Sorry, there are a lot of questions about kissing that I can’t really answer.

38: What do your friends call you?

Beckett, or Becks for short. I also get B, Bucket, and Pineapple, all of which I’m very fond of.

39: Has anyone upset you in the last week?

My stepfather. But that’s like, daily.

40: Have you ever cried over a text?

Yeah, I’ve had some pretty brutal ones. I’ve spent lot of time crying over texts and messages, but thankfully not very recently.

41: Where’s your last bruise located?

My right shin.

42: What is it from?

Bashed it against a table-leg. Surprise, surprise; those things are lethal.

43: Last time you wanted to be away from somewhere really bad?

The last time I wanted to escape was on the ferry back from my last holiday. I have a phobia of sickness, emetophobia, and I started feeling seasick halfway through the two-hour journey. I rarely get seasick any more because I have over-the-counter medications for it, but my usual brand were unavailable and this new and supposedly better brand clearly didn’t do it’s job. I had to go out on deck in the freezing cold, without a coat, and stay there for the last half hour of the trip. I was shaking both from the cold and from the fear, and I honestly would have given anything right then to be on dry land.

44: Who was the last person you were on the phone with?

I really hate phone calls. My mother is the only one who’ll call me despite knowing this. So, her.

45: Do you have a favourite pair of shoes?

My lace up boots are one of my most prized possessions.

46: Do you wear hats if you’re having a bad hair day?

I wear hats even when I’m having a good hair day. But yes, I definitely wear hats to hide it when my hair won’t behave the way I want it too.

47: Would you ever go bald if it was the style?

Yeah, probably. I already want to buzz my hair really short at some point, shaving it completely feels like the logical next step. I’d probably only do it if it was a really huge trend, though.

48: Do you make supper for your family?

Uh, no. I make food for myself, every lunchtime, but my mum makes tea in the evenings. I don’t think they’d let me cook for them, in all honesty, I don’t have the best track record when it comes to making food.

49: Does your bedroom have a door?

Yes, thankfully. I don’t know if I’d be able to cope without one. I mean, with the amount of times people walk right in without knocking it may as well not have one, but I appreciate it nonetheless.

50: Top 3 web-pages?

Tumblr, Youtube, Google Drive.

51: Do you know anyone who hates shopping?

Not off the top of my head. I’m sure there are people I know who hate it. I hate it, depending on the type of shopping. Shoe shopping is the ultimate adversity, I think, but regular food shopping is a close second.

52: Does anything on your body hurt?

Not really, right at this moment. I have a mouth ulcer that’s been painful for the last week or so, but it’s pretty much healed now.

53: Are goodbyes hard for you?

Yes and no, it really depends. It’ll be hard to say goodbye when I move off the island in September, though, that’s for sure.

54: What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?

Water, thankfully. I don’t drink much else.

55: How is your hair?

Pretty messy, underneath my hat. I’m going to style it properly before I go out this afternoon, though.

56: What do you usually do first in the morning?

Check my phone, drink something, and then go through my morning skincare routine.

57: Do you think two people can last forever?

Yeah, but it’s very dependent on circumstances.

58: Think back to January 2007, were you single?

Yes. I was also eight years old, so it’s not much of a surprise.

59: Green or purple grapes?

Purple grapes.

60: When’s the next time you will give someone a big hug?

I expect I will hug my nan before I go down to the bus stop, so in about half an hour.

61: Do you wish you were somewhere else right now?

I wish I was in Los Angeles, always.

62: When will be the next time you text someone?

I will text my mother to let her know I’m on my way to meet her.

63: Where will you be 5 hours from now?

Probably where I am right now, on my corner of the sofa. I’m going out soon, but I’ll be home by then.

64: What were you doing at 8 this morning?

Sleeping.

65: This time last year, can you remember who you liked?

Never had crushes, but obviously I liked people in the platonic sense. Most of them I still like now.

66: Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile?

Yes, and that person is @skyward-sheik. I’m also going to give this to @clarinooty, who is a veritable ray of sunshine.

67: Did you kiss or hug anyone today?

Not yet.

68: What was your last thought before you went to bed last night?

I was thinking about the story I’d just been reading, and also about my plans and schedule for today.

69: Have you ever tried your hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?

Yes. In a work sense, this is always happening, but I’ve also experienced this with friendships before.

70: How many windows are open on your computer?

How many windows? Like 3. How many tabs though? 29.

71: How many fingers do you have?

Eight fingers and two thumbs, the whole set.

72: What is your ringtone?

Boulevard of Broken Dreams, but my phone is always on silent and do-not-disturb so I rarely hear my ringtone.

73: How old will you be in 5 months?

Nineteen.

74: Where is your mum right now?

At work.

75: Why aren’t you with the person you were first in love with or almost in love?

Never been in love, so I can’t really answer this.

76: Have you held hands with somebody in the past three days?

No, I don’t think so.

77: Are you friends with the people you were friends with two years ago?

Most of them, yeah. I actually met my best friend just a little bit over two years ago, and look at us. There have been a couple of pretty significant changes, but I feel like the two of us are stronger than ever.

78: Do you remember who you had a crush on in Year 7?

Again, doesn’t really apply.

79: Is there anyone you know with the name Mike?

No, weirdly enough.

80: Have you ever fallen asleep in someones arms?

I’m sure I have, when I was younger. Pretty sure most people do when they’re like, babies and toddlers. Not since then, though.

81: How many people have you liked in the past three months?

In a crush sense, nobody. In a platonic sense, too many to count.

82: Has anyone seen you in your underwear in the last 3 days?

No.

83: Will you talk to the person you like tonight?

I will talk to a person I like, in a friendship sense. I talk to my friends every night.

84: You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with?

I don’t really get the wording of this? I guess it means who would I be with? I don’t drink, but if I did I would probably be with my best friend and our other two close friends.

85: If your boyfriend/girlfriend was into drugs would you care?

Yeah, I would. Probably not if it was just like, weed, but anything else I would be pretty unhappy about.

86: What was the most eventful thing that happened last time you went to see a movie?

Uh, I can’t think. The last movie I saw was Wonder Woman, but there was nothing eventful that happened when I went to see it. I don’t know if our grotty little cinema could cope with eventful happenings, if I’m honest.

87: Who was your last received call from?

My mother.

88: If someone gave you $1,000 to burn a butterfly over a candle, would you?

No, I’d feel awful.

89: What is something you wish you had more of?

Money, which is the obvious answer, but also musical instruments and cool gadgets.

90: Have you ever trusted someone too much?

Yeah. Way too much. I would say I’ll try not to make the same mistake again, but I’m pretty easily trusting. Having all of my insecurities thrown back in my face was the worst feeling in the world, though.

91: Do you sleep with your window open?

No, I can’t stand open windows. It’s just like, willingly inviting annoying insects into your room.

92: Do you get along with girls?

Yeah, usually I do. Pretty much all of my friends in school have been girls, because I naturally tend to gravitate towards them. They’re much nicer than most of the boys at my school were, and I found them way easier to speak to and joke about with. I have a mix of friends now, but yeah. I get along with girls.

93: Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth?

No, not that I can think of.

94: Does sex mean love?

Not inherently, no.

95: You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem?

No comment.

96: Have you ever kissed anyone with a lip ring?

No comment.

97: Did you sleep alone this week?

Yes, just like I have every week of my life.

98: Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you?

Yeah, I mentioned already but my best friend is that for me. He can lift my mood just by saying hi, you know?

99: Do you believe in love at first sight?

Nope.

100: Who was the last person that you pinky promise?

I don’t think I’ve made a pinky promise since primary school, meaning it was probably my best friend at the time. He’s still a very good friend of mine now, but I couldn’t possibly remember what our last pinky promise would have been about, or whether or not we kept it.

#b replies #long post #ask meme

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