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#this series has so much more than i remember upon a rewatch
meew3 · 2 years
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some little Blackrock things I've noticed in my rewatch for research for fic writing:
Rythian says he likes chocolate shakes
Rythian also likes the squid beer/rum saying it's "the smooth stuff"
One time Zoey says "hey good lookin'" when greeting Rythian
Teep freaks out out after drinking alcohol
Teep is ok with Zoey riding him into battle but not Rythian
Zoey thinks Rythian's mask isn't fashionable - to which he replies "It serves a purpose"
Before the Dream Designs episode they keep saying how they need to furnish the castle and Rythian says how "there's only one bed, so we're gonna at least need two"
Zoey is fireproof even after the ring of ignition is gone
I forgot Rythian was the one to name Gilbert
While not all Revenge Driven (tm) like Rythian, Zoey stole a bunch of stuff from the other peeps when the nether portal spit them out in the wrong place despite Rythian advising her to not steal too much
As much as he likes to be the serious one (tm) Rythian will go on with antics for quite a while so long as they aren't mushroom-related or other seemingly non sentient things being alive and sentient like when Gilbert melted in the water or the pre-made graves
Teep seems to almost always eat raw meat despite having other options. He also carries bones on him which I an only image are to chew on every now and then
back all the way in ep. 26 of rebirth when an enderman frantically teleports around the castle grounds a bit Rythian mutters, "You're not supposed to come yet" foreshadowing the attack the Queen launches later
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the-somwthing · 10 days
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Welcome to my little meta analysis essay called
Why do we misremember Flower Husbands as being “nicer” than it was?
Disclaimer: I’m not here to talk about whether or not FH is “toxic” or anything like that. It’s just a fact that many old fans rewatching FH POV and new fans who are watching it for the first time after seeing fan content tend to be surprised at how they actually behaved in the series compared to how everyone remembered them being back in the day. This will NOT go over whether or not I think FH is unhealthy or whatever and instead just discuss why I believe this phenomenon has happened.
So, if I try to make this a fancy well written essay, I’ll be here all day, so I’ll just get to the point. 3rd Life came out during the DSMP era of mcyt. MCRP has been around for ages, but the DSMP style of RP (which I’ll be calling “smp rp”) was pretty much popularized by DSMP, mostly towards the end of 2020. For reference, 3rd Life started early 2021, so there’s about a half a year between these two events, and DSMP kept going for years so 3rd Life was absolutely happening during the golden era of DSMP.
But what does DSMP have to do with this? Well, it sort of created this idea of “lore” and only specific things being “canon”. You can make fun of me for the way I worded that, but you know what I mean, DSMP was weird about that stuff. I don’t really blame them as it was kind of a new style of RP they accidentally spawned, but still, it was a confusing time for SMPs.
3rd Life was actually less like DSMP and more like the modern SMP RPs, where there’s no (known, lol) scripted events and the fandom itself deciphers what is or isn’t “canon” rather than it being told to them, with mostly everything being considered canon. HOWEVER, I do believe that DSMP’s style did still affect the fandom, specifically with the topic of this essay, Flower Husbands.
But why would it only really affect Flower Husbands? Now we get into a rough topic: shipping discourse. Back in those days, shipping in the mcyt fandom was heavily frowned upon. Moreso than it is today (I know it’s still around, but it was a lot worse the earlier we go lol). I’ve even seen old relics of ppl saying flower husbands should only be portrayed as platonic cuz it’s wrong to ship them, despite their team name literally being husbands. But more importantly, for A LOT of people, flower husbands was the One Ship people felt “allowed” to ship, BECAUSE it was canon. So they would allow FH and shun every other ship.
My point isn’t actually that, with it being the only “acceptable” ship everyone tried to make it more wholesome, though I suppose that could be a contributor. But my ACTUAL point is where all the things I laid out finally close in on each other:
Ships were a Dangerous territory in mcyt fandom, and ships being “canon” was something a lot of people weren’t prepared to deal with. People don’t want to get too close to RPF territory, but back in the day their ideas of c! vs cc! wasn’t as great, so they default to the DSMP Rule of “if it’s stated to be roleplay, then it’s canon to the characters, if not, it’s noncanon and just the CCs hanging out”.
You see where I’m going with this? When trying to follow this rule for a character relationship where they don’t explicitly state what is or isn’t RP, they hear “we’re married” and instantly mark that as canon to the characters since it clearly isn’t true to the CCs, and tend to block out anything else, otherwise you’re risking it not actually being true to the characters. Especially when it’s things like Scott saying something mean about Jimmy; that directly contradicts the “these characters are in love” thing, so it must not be canon, right?
But wouldn’t people still remember that these things happened, or did they actually straight up not process any of it? My answer to that is: of course everyone was paying attention, but with the context that it’s the CCs playing a video game, all of the teasing and other behavior seems WAY less serious. It just looks like average friends playing a hunger games smp together. And as I explained earlier, the fandom was ONLY processing this as a CC thing, so Scott’s treatment of Jimmy never stood out because that’s just how it is playing games.
Back to DSMP, I’m not active in that fandom anymore but I’ll see snippets sometimes, and I’ve seen the claim that beeduo was actually boring in canon and the fandom was the one that made it interesting. I feel like this is exactly what happened with FH. Nobody was actually expecting anyone to go hard into romantic roleplay, so the fans just take whichever pair says they’re getting married and fill in the blanks themselves. And that was normal back then, it wasn’t fans making stuff up for no reason, it was kind of expected of us.
So yeah, I personally believe that this whole confusion about FH is a result of its time. Whether you want to finally look at the actual substance of the relationship rather than following weird rules about what is or isn’t “canon”, or you believe that since FH was from a time where romantic RP was confusing and weird it would make the most sense to take into account the time period it came from and ignore the less appealing bits in favor of the fanon, I don’t really care honestly. But man isn’t this an interesting situation.
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relatableblorbopoll · 5 months
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Round 1 of preliminaries, group 14
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The first two places get a place on the bracket
Little reminder: there will be 2 more rounds of preliminaries, the losing blorbos of this poll still have 2 chances of getting in the official bracket
Propaganda under the cut
Oz Vessalius (Pandora Hearts)
"Struggles with self-worth, adores books, ADHD (though that’s not canon—but he fits the diagnostic criteria), his strongest/most important relationships are platonic"
Sound (My School President)
"Lonely gay teenager who tries to be cool and sauve but gets adopted against his will by a group of losers and then falls for one of the losers who gets on his nerves a lot because he was nice to him once and then he gets all awkward and flustered around the boy and tries to avoid him and antagonize him but the boy sees through it and they eventually end up together and he becomes the most annoying person in love ever"
Luz Noceda (The Owl House)
"adhd. possibly some autism too. a weird girl who got outcasted by being herself and sure has some WACK coping mechanisms to deal with it. self worth is IN THE DRAIN. gnc and not straight. writes fanfic. artist. goes through a depression era when at her moms house. loves her mom also. this is canon stuff i'm saying"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA she is so ASDHSUJD. Okay I started watching the owl house because I knew there was a WLW couple, so obviously I had to check it out. But upon watching the show, I got so emotionally connected to it, or moreso the protagonist, Luz, that it could go beyond some people's understandings... I remember that almost any scene showing her neurodivergent traits would hit SO. CLOSE. HOME. It would be unbelievable. I literally rewatched the show more than seventeen times one summer. She is just so goshdarn relatable man. She's the weird kid, has no friends, loves making anime edits, is OBSESSED with a book series, loves witches and magic and stuff, has ADHD, an attention span that is so high when she's engaging with something she likes doing and so low when she's bored. She's just so lovely. I know a lot of people found her annoying in season one but she hit close home to me. Season two was amazing as well and she started getting even MORE relatable!! She started showing her people pleasing, how much she blames herself, it was so sad but I was glad to see a character I could relate to so much on screen. I mean i personally didn't experience the loss of my father and I personally do have one friend whom I'm able to share my life with, but she's still super relatable. She can be so silly and so cool. And her impulsivity and the way she realized she doesn't know what she wants to do when she grows up also hit close home. Mwah"
Gundham Tanaka (Super Danganronpa 2)
"Goth autistic theater kid"
Saiki Kusuo (Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan/The Disastrous Life of Saiki K)
"He's very dead inside, especially in the English Dub, and introverted. But even so, he cares a lot for his friends, even if he never says it to them and he finds them annoying most of the times. He also be nosey and just insert himself into others' situations that don't involve him (obviously, he makes it so that nobody knows he's there and, obviously, he's also complaining about this all the time). He's canonically aroace, or at least aroace spec He's canonically trans. He was born as a girl but he didn't like it so he immediately turned himself into a boy with his psychic powers. An argument could be made about him being on the autism spectrum."
Drew (The Music Freaks)
"I don't like him actually I hate him and love him st the same time in fact but. This man is so real and such a horrible jerkwad to everyone around him. I mean I can't relate to THAT but I should mention he also gets jelous easily, he is in love with his best friend who does not like him back, he's all moody and grouchy and bratty. And so am I and I hate it lol."
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persnicketypomelo · 1 year
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Would you write some yandere headcanons for the 1990’s Charles dance phantom?.
Charles Dance Phantom Headcanons
You'll have to pardon me, since this is the only other adaptation I've seen besides the book and musical. We don't talk about the movie. It's been over 4 years since I've seen this though I think....so I hardly remember anything. I did rewatch clips and read the plot to try my best.
Naturally, there will be spoilers
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Charles Dance's Phantom has a much more practical twist on his character--moreso than even the original
By this, I mean to say that we see his less glorious and cinematic aspects of his life: his musings, his informal chats with Carriere, his sarcastic quips about Carlotta's singing
Sarcasm and his stone-faced sense of humour are other defining aspects of this Erik
I do believe that his interest in you would spark most probably from singing
Upon hearing your voice seep through the thin floorboards of the opera house, your beautiful colour and technique entice him enough to venture above the bowels of the Palais Garnier...
He falls in love with you the moment he can clearly hear your voice
The Phantom stalks you, trying to find an opportunity to catch you on your own
He wishes to convince you into accepting him as your teacher
You have so much potential already, and under his tutelage? He believes you will have the most coveted voice in all of France
This rendition of the Phantom has the most genuine and pure-hearted intentions in his romantic feelings to you
Unlike the book where kidnap would be inevitable, the mini-series Phantom would only resort to abducting you only if he believed it to be best for your own safety and wellbeing
Perhaps having a confidante in Carriere, and his fatherly guidance, helps to tame Erik's more sinister urges
(I suppose you could argue that Leroux's Phantom had the Persian as his friend, but their relationship was undoubtedly testy at best)
Do not be deceived though this version of the Phantom will still willingly engage in many underhanded deeds if need be
Ideally without your knowledge
However, should you become wary and try to distance yourself from him for any reason, he will act increasingly irrationally
The Phantom will lash out, acting violently and abducting you against your wishes
However, if you show him love and compassion, he becomes malleable to your demands, and his grip on you loosens
You could tame him with your love such that he would be absolutely pliant to you
The only thing he wishes from you is to love him, despite his disfigured face, as much as he loves you
I hope this was at least somewhat accurate.
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btr-rewatch · 3 months
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Big Time Rush Season 1, Episode 11: “Big Time Jobs”
I remember this one being one of my favorite episodes. Excited to rewatch it!
Highlights: The boys set out to make some dough. Also: Mirror Realm Alter Egos, the worst sign-spinners on the planet, and sentient coffee makers.
We begin with the guys preparing for the "Palm Woods 500 Invitational All-Terrain Decathlon Classic." The first one to run around the building and ring the bell at the front desk wins a large homemade trophy made of boxes covered with shiny wrapping paper with a colander on top. Very fancy.
Also, Kendall doesn't pronounce "decathlon" correctly. He says "discathlon," which, as far as I've been able to tell from briefly looking it up, isn't a real word. I mean, it's something you could chalk up to in-universe as a term the boys made up on their own, but this is probably just Kendall Schmidt flubbing the line.
The race goes about as well as you'd expect.
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Carlos is declared the winner!
An enraged Bitters then tells the boys that they have to pay for all the damage they've caused, which amounts to $2,000 (and 30¢). Gustavo is NOT happy that his dogs have gotten themselves into so much trouble. He's sick of them breaking things, which leads us into a montage of some of the things around the studio they've broken in the last several months. Shout out to my favorite part of the montage:
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Because like...why. Why is James singing a taunting song about having a smoothie? Why does this make Kendall so upset that he feels the need to smack it straight outta James's hand? There's missing context here. James and Kendall were definitely just not getting along that day, and this was the final straw.
Anyway, Gustavo tells them that they have to pay him his $2,000 back, and until they do, they're not allowed in the Palm Woods pool. In order to come up with $500 each, they're going to need to get jobs. This is horrifying news to our boys.
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Carlos gets stuck being Gustavo's production assistant, and James Kendall, and Logan return to the Palm Woods to do some job searching. After reading through a listing of horrible jobs, Kendall and Logan set out to become sign spinners, and James finds an ad for "the new face of Cuda." Obviously, he thinks this is the perfect job for him.
This leads into that bizarre but delightful scene where he talks to himself in the mirror, but it's like...some sort of alter-ego with a slightly deeper voice??
Mirror James: "Look at yourself! Who's handsomer than you?"
James: "No one!"
Mirror James: "Who's got more style than you?"
James: "No one!"
Mirror James: "Who's smarter than you?"
James: "Well, lots of people. But that has nothing to do with being a model."
I mean...he's right. What a himbo. Katie appoints herself as James's manager, and the two of them set out to take the fashion world by storm.
Meanwhile, at Kendall and Logan's sign-spinning job:
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Yeah, they get fired pretty quickly. Also, can I point out that one of my first thoughts upon watching the above moment was how close they came to possibly being hit by cars?? If either one of them had fallen to the street instead, they would have died. And it would have been in the stupidest way possible. Cause of death? SIGN SPINNING.
And we're not even too far into this episode yet, but I'm enjoying this Kendall and Logan storyline. I don't think there have been many moments thus far in the series where it's just been the two of them paired up ("Big Time Crib" is the only one that comes to mind), and I like seeing them teamed up for some shenanigans. I've always had a soft spot for the Kendall and Logan dynamic, especially when it comes to Kendall's ability to help Logan let loose. I feel like...Logan feels the most secure with Kendall? Which makes sense because Kendall is the leader, but still. It's nice to see Logan come out of his shell a bit, and seeing him act all goofy and over the top with Kendall as they (horribly) spin those signs is one of those moments.
Onto Carlos's story! He's been told to get a coffee for Gustavo, and can I just say how much I love the "Carlos does battle with a coffee maker" plot? This boy is given such a simple task: get coffee, and this machine proceeds to make his life miserable for the rest of the episode.
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I'm not sure how many people currently in the fandom were also on Tumblr back when the series was on, but there was this popular BTR blog that consisted of posting beautiful, aesthetic pictures with ridiculous quotes from the show on them. That was the whole blog, and the fandom loved it. There are two specific ones I remember, and I've recreated them here so those who didn't get the original experience can see what I'm talking about.
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The BTR fandom sure was something. Wish I could remember what the blog was called (though I'm not sure it'd even still be up).
While Carlos fights for his life at Rocque Records, Kendall and Logan return to 2J to try to find new jobs. After reading off a series of ridiculous options, Kendall has his own idea
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Before Kendall can drag Logan off to the nearest hospital to have their kidney's extracted, there's a knock at the door. A woman has come to ask if Mrs. Knight is home and can watch her son, and Kendall agrees to do it (she'll pay them $20 an hour). This gives the guys the idea to offer a babysitting service in order to earn the money they need. They quickly have lots of eager parents lined up to take advantage of their convenient service.
Over at James's modeling job, he quickly realizes that he ain't the only pretty face in town.
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They have a brief "face-off," but James is no match for all the handsome in the room, and he just like. Passes out.
Over at Kendall and Logan Babysitting Services Incorporated, things quickly fall apart. Unable to handle the energy of eight kids, Kendall and Logan end up tied to chairs. Mama Knight comes to rescue them, but she quickly flees the premises after.
We return to Carlos for a moment to check on how he's doing, which is Not Well. The room is being filled with foam, and unplugging the coffee maker does nothing since it has a "reserve power" mode. Carlos also causes it to activate its "self-defense" mode when he smacks it several times.
Down at the Palm Woods lobby, a depressed James is sipping a smoothie. He sadly tells Katie, "In Minnesota, I was 'The Face.' Now, I'm just 'A Face.' I'm just a handsome grain of sand on an extremely beautiful beach."
Yeah, so he's doing great.
Meanwhile, Kendall and Logan are having a day
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They decide to put the kids' energy to good use and have them run a car-washing service while they sit back and collect the money.
Back at Rocque Records, (wow, this episode is busy) Kelly discovers the catastrophe unfolding in the break room and freaks out. When Carlos says they have to destroy the machine, she protests. That is, until things get personal.
"Kelly is dumb. Women are weak," the coffee machine says (it also calls her "cupcake"), to which she and Carlos promptly charge into the room to attack it with a bat and microphone stand. Together, they defeat C.A.L.
Katie gets James another modeling gig for Cuda—an elbow model for chapped elbow cream. James is not happy. He angrily model-walks away.
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However, he's stopped in his tracks by none other than Mirror James, who tells him to embrace the job and his beautiful elbow so they can get back to the pool. James agrees and returns to the photoshoot.
I cannot get over the Mirror James stuff. Does this happen in any other episodes?? I can't remember. What is WRONG with him?
We then go to wrap up the babysitting plot. All the parents come to pick up their kids while Kendall and Logan happily take the payment owed them after a day of such suffering.
And with that, the guys have earned all the money needed to pay Gustavo back! It took them less than a day, lol. But they only have a few seconds to celebrate before an angry mob descends upon them demanding pay for all the additional chaos caused in their money-making attempts. Among the charges are a fine from the city for running an illegal daycare, destroying that coffee maker (an $8,000 prototype), and the cost of James's wardrobe from his modeling gig. So, when all is said and done, they've paid Gustavo back the $2,000.30, but now they owe him $14,089.
Gustavo flips his lid, starts destroying things around the studio, and gets caught by Griffin, who tells Gustavo he has to pay him back all that money. We end the episode with Kelly, Gustavo, and the guys all running a car wash at the Palm Woods.
There's so much to love about this episode. Disaster follows these boys wherever they go. They cannot have a normal day if they tried.
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knickynoo · 1 month
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Hi there! Me again.
I’ve been rewatching Family Ties (thanks again for showing me where!) and noticed something about Alex’s character that i don’t care for/think you have touched upon.
What are your thoughts on his views of women?The advice he gave Jeff on his date with Mallory appalled me. Do you think it’s just a product of the time- how right leaning people were expected/did to treat women? Or is it something deeper? I don’t understand how he thinks this way after seeing how amazing Steven and Elyse are toward each other. (Even if the kids are disgusted every time they kiss lol)
I would love to hear your opinion!
Hello! Nice to hear from you again :)
Yeah, so, a lot of the words that come out of Alex's mouth regarding women are 😬😬😬
I can't recall the exact advice you're referring to, but I do know it's bonkers. Something about how women want a man to make all her decisions or something? Boss her around and take charge? It's honestly not only some of his worst advice, but I also think it's one of the more outrageous things he says in regards to women out of the whole series.
It's especially weird considering he's giving advice on how his sister should be treated by Jeff! And we know that, while Alex isn't always the nicest to Mallory, he loves her very much and wants to protect her. I mean, there's an entire first season episode centered around Alex losing his mind over Mallory going out with a guy who Alex doesn't like or trust. He's so worried about this guy taking advantage of Mallory and not treating her right, then he goes and gives bananas advice to Jeff. So...what's the deal?
Honestly, I don't know, lol. If I had to guess, there are probably several different factors at play that contribute to those moments Alex says Horrible Things.
1. He operates with a set of standards and values from way before his time. The thing is that Alex isn't even a product of his time—a lot of the opinions he holds would be considered outdated in the 80s by the majority of people, regardless of political leaning.
I can't for the life of me remember the episode or the exact quote, so I'm going to butcher it I'm sure, but there's a scene where Alex is lamenting how no one holds the same values he does, and he and Steven have an exchange like this:
Alex: "I should have been born in the 40s."
Steven: "Even then, you'd be a little conservative."
Alex: "The 1740s."
Steven: "....Even then, you'd be a little conservative."
It's something like that. If anyone knows what episode this is from or what the exact line is, lmk because it's one of my favorites.
2. Alex is an extreme black and white thinker. I think this is the number one trait of his that impacts him the most across the board. So many of his problems boil down to him just not seeing nuance. It's not that he's unwilling to. The guy just can't.
It makes Alex very rigid in his thoughts on things, and that absolutely spills over into situations like when he gives advice to Jeff or voices any other wild opinion. He's going to automatically go to the extremes because that's all he can wrap his head around. In a relationship, men should have all the control. They should make the decisions and say specific things and so on. It then leads him to make generalizations about women and their roles.
I think he also finds some security in these thoughts, honestly. Alex clings to facts and things that he feels are concrete and reliable. We also know that he has a very hard time processing and acknowledging his emotions. Putting people into two neat piles is comfortable for him, and anything that doesn't fit into either of those piles is too overwhelming. Alex's world needs rules for it to feel stable to him. Unfortunately, a lot of those rules are...not so great.
3. Shock-value: This is more about Alex the TV show character rather than the "real life" in-universe Alex Keaton, but still. A good deal of his character, especially in the earlier seasons, hinged on him saying or doing things that got a reaction from the audience. You can't have a show about ex-hippy, progressive parents without someone for them to knock heads against. The early episodes in particular seemed to really lean into this, and I feel like he gets toned down slightly as the series goes on? Don't get me wrong, it doesn't go away, but he does grow.
• The "Ladies Man" episode has him realizing that, while he may not support a particular movement, he absolutely respects the rights of the women in the movement. Him jumping up to defend the woman being heckled by a guy, and then his little speech to the women at the end are two of my favorite Alex moments.
• After a very difficult adjustment period when he gets a new job and learns his boss is a woman, Alex ends up really respecting her and becoming friends with her. (Wow, this ep is uncomfortable for the first half, though!)
• Ellen in particular has an impact on helping Alex to see those "in-between" areas, in my opinion. Some heart to hearts with Elyse help as well, and it's clear through the series that Alex loves and respects his mother a great deal.
Idk if this response was coherent, but there you go, haha. Alex is such a complicated character, and whenever I write about him, I feel like I'm trying to untangle a gigantic mess of yarn. But I do love him! Sometimes he is a menace, though!! He should, perhaps, simply keep his mouth shut a lot of the time.
(Also, Steven and Elyse don't discipline him ever, so it's partly their fault if we're being real here)
What? Who said that?
Thanks for the ask!
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Buffy Season One Review
I’m on my first Buffy rewatch in a long time - I think over a decade? I have watched the entire series enough times that the episodes are all still kind of burned into my brain, but I’m curious what my reaction will be now I’m a bit older.
Anyway, I’ve finished Season One, and I thought I might do a quick review of each season as I go. Can’t promise I’ll be able to keep it up, but I’ll give it a go. So…
Season One Review
S1 is… fine. It’s okay. It’s not as good as later seasons, but it’s not bad; it’s shallower than later seasons, but having expected that I found there’s a surprising amount of depth here. (Partly because I’m watching after reading @herinsectreflection’s excellent analyses, which inspired this most recent rewatch.)
I actually don’t think there are many bad episodes in S1 - the problem is, there’s hardly any good episodes either, and none that rise beyond just being ‘good’. They’re mostly just perfectly serviceable - the metaphors are a bit blunt, the humour’s a bit broad, the MIDI soundtrack kind of sucks, the vibes are kind of cheesy and immature, and overall, it’s just…
It’s Power Rangers. It’s a bit deeper and scarier, and the action scenes are worse, but basically, Season One is Power Rangers. And that’s not bad - I kind of like Power Rangers, and it’s not a bad season by those standards - but it’s not what Buffy is trying to be, or what it will become.
Season Score: 5/10 - It’s fine.
Big Bad - The Master:
In some ways, the Master is perfect. It makes sense that Buffy’s first villain is this kind of ancient and powerful vampire - he’s not as interesting as later villains, but it feels appropriate that Buffy has to beat this more generic Big Bad to move on to them. And he has a strong enough presence that he can actually bear the mythic weight that is placed upon him - it makes sense that he’s the one that killed Buffy, that he sired the Bisexual Vampire Squad; it never feels inappropriate that he has this important place in the mythology of the series, and he can carry that weight in his rare later appearances.
Unfortunately, in this season, he’s a Power Rangers villain. He sits in his lair, sending out minions and screaming in frustration when they fail. (Even finally facing the hero directly in the finale, beating them easily before they get a power up and return the favour - classic Power Rangers villain stuff.) He spends most of the season both trapped and sickly - while at full power he’s a compelling, intimidating presence, for most of the season he seems weak and kind of effete, like a homophobic Bond villain. At his best, he's montrous yet civilised, brutal but witty; in his weakened state, he lacks the contrasts that make him compelling.
Still, he is charming, he does work well in the finale, and he’s always a delight in his rare later appearances. So…
Big Bad Score: 5/10 - He’s fine. (... and not in that sense.)
Rewatch Reevaluations
The biggest change in my perspective since my last rewatch is around Angel. When I was younger, I didn’t really think much about the age difference between him and Buffy; now I’m older, I’m extremely aware of it, but also, it seems like the show is too. The episode where he shifts from ‘random mysterious stranger’ to ‘potential love interest’ is Teacher’s Pet - an episode about an older sexual predator preying on teenagers. Then in ‘Angel’, we don’t just see him creepily staring at Buffy, we see him lie to her about it afterwards, in an episode where the age difference is a major topic of discussion.
In general, his obsession with her comes across as way more creepy and pathetic than I remember, and while part of that is just my interpretation, I do think think the series is aware of it; I think him following her around and staring at her from afar is meant to be kind of offputting. I’m curious how I’ll feel about their romance going forward - I remember on previous watches I thought their breakup in Season 3 was unmotivated, and I suspect I’ll feel very differently about it this time around.
I’m also generally more aware of some things after reading @herinsectreflection’s essays. In particular, I’m noticing Buffy’s relationship to death - from her ‘seize the day, because tomorrow you might be dead’ philosophy in the first episode, to her rebelling against and accepting it in the last… and her Faith-like smile as she enjoys mortal combat with vampires at the beginning of ‘Prophecy Girl’. I’m also much more aware of Giles as a very flawed figure torn between paternal affection for Buffy and sending her to her death - which is explicit in a few episodes, but I’m more aware of it as an ongoing arc, rather than just some isolated emotional beats.
Other than that, one thing I’m noticing is how much weight the show gives to the death of minor characters. It’s easy for an action/horror show to start treating death casually or flippantly, but so far the show is careful to give each death an emotional impact, to make every death matter… at least ‘til the end of the episode, at which point they’ll be promptly forgotten about. Sorry Jesse.
And unsurprisingly for a 90s show, I am finding the sense of humour a little mean and kind of misogynistic, especially towards Cordelia. That said, though Xander is often the face of this meanness, I honestly don’t dislike him, even in S1. The thing is, either the show is aware that he’s being an asshole, in which case it’s an intentional character flaw, which is good; or it isn’t, in which case I tend to blame the show itself rather than the character. Maybe that’s a little generous, but it lets me enjoy the character, so I’m willing extend that generosity. I am curious how I’ll feel about him going forward. I'm glad at least Cordelia gets to be more of a character towards the end of the season - it does make the jokes around her feel a lot less mean.
Honourable Mention Award for Underrated or Forgotten Characters Who Deserve to be Mentioned Honourably
3. Zookeeper Furry from ‘The Pack’. Just a really solid one-off villain performance, in an era where performances tend towards the broad and cheesy side of the spectrum.
2. The Black Cat from ‘The Witch’. Looks like stock footage, never shares a shot or even a set with another character, and achieves nothing except slightly startling Giles, after which he just continues as if nothing happened. Yet despite doing basically nothing, it achieves greatness by earning a place in the opening credits. Truly an inspiration.
1. Principal Flutey. With how much he gets overshadowed by Principal Snyder, it’s easy to forget how great Flutey is as a character. From tearing up Buffy’s permanent record and taping it back together again in front of her, to being eaten by Hyena-possessed students, Flutey is a delight whenever he’s on screen - he’s genuinely a highlight of Season 1 for me. Principal Flutey, I salute you, and hearby mention you as honourably as I can.
Episode Rankings
Might not do this for every season, but hey, it’s a short season, so why not. Starting from the top:
'Prophecy Girl' - Obvious choice, needs no explanation.
'Angel' - Strong character work, introduces a bunch of ideas that’ll be important for the rest of the series, and solves the problem of making a single vampire a threat by giving her guns, which I respect.
'Welcome to the Hellmouth'/'The Harvest' - A solid introduction to the series; I wouldn’t call it great by most standards, but it competently introduces everything the setting, characters and the premise of the series, which is impressive in its own way. Luke is perfect in his role - he’s a compelling presence that feels like a genuine threat, but he’s not so interesting that he distracts from the important things.
'The Pack' - A solid guest performance from the zookeeper, Principal Flutey’s last stand, and some juicy thematic and character goodness makes leaves this Monster of the Week episode at the head of the pack. (… I am so terribly sorry.)
'Nightmares' - Character! Themes! Imagery! This episode has it all, at least by the standards of Season One.
'Out of Mind, Out of Sight' - The first episode that treats Cordelia like an actual character. Also, invisible assassin school! Everybody loves invisible assassin school.
'The Witch' - A perfectly competent MOTW episode, this gets a boost for featuring the cat that accomplishes nothing.
'I Robot, You Jane' - Yeah, the 90s hacker schtick is goofy, but this ep’s not bad - I like the goofy robot demon and the surprisingly good demon prosthetics for its non-robot body that barely appears in the episode. I like the idea that scanning a magic book can summon a demon into the internet itself. Also, Jenny’s here.
'Teacher’s Pet' - Another MOTW episode that does its job adequately. I’m inclined to think of this as the Most Typical Season 1 Episode - it perfectly represents the season at its baseline.
'Puppet Show' - I kind of like some of the ideas in this episode, but the puppet’s a creep and parts of the plot feel contrived. (Why are they sure the demon will leave as soon as it has the organs? Why would Giles get into a guillotine under any circumstances?) Overall… Eh, it’s fine.
'Never Kill A Boy on the First Date' - There’s some good stuff in here, especially around Buffy’s relationship to Giles and to her own Slayerhood. Unfortunately, the plot just doesn’t work - even this early on, one vampire just doesn’t feel like enough of a threat to build an episode around, and generic serial killer vamp is no exception - he's certainly no Luke. It’s a plot entirely concerned with setting up the larger arc around the Anointed One, and that would leave this episode feeling empty and boring even if it was for an arc that was actually, you know, good.
So that's Season One. I enjoyed it fine, but... I'm definitely looking forward to the series really getting good. If somehow you've actually read this far: Thank you for putting my words into your brain. I take it as a great compliment, and hope you liked them - or, failing that, that they invoked in you a great fury, such as only the worst opinions may conjure.
In any case - and regardless of whether I can be bothered to write any more of these - I will continue my rewatch into the Actually Good seasons of Buffy.
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broke-on-books · 11 months
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☕️ + the Scooby Doo fandom in general
Hmm okay so this is a very broad question to me and that really means it's going to recieve a broad answer, especially to me as "Scooby fandom" really has differing levels in my heart etc.
For example with my friends and the smallish community of fellow Scooby fans I've found here on tumblr (the Scooby Dootuals!!!) I really love and like! Everybody is so nice and it's cool that people have various levels of knowledge about different series and iterations. Like I really enjoy that on here Scooby fans (as in, like my friends and people who regularly post scooby) have such differing levels of experience with this huge huge franchise as it makes it so much more interesting. Like we have people out there who have seen almost every episode (or feels like it) and can seemingly remember the smallest of things from them, and then we have people who weren't into Scooby as a child but are exploring it now, and then we've got people (like me) who did like it as a child and kind of know a bit of everything, with huge areas of weakness in Scooby they haven't seen, (for me APNSD, anything more than the premise of 13 Ghosts, the 80s trio minus Boo Brothers, anything past s1 of bcsd, much of the 70s era movies, SD & SD, Guess Who, SDMI details, like the list goes on, people!!! I've only seen a Scooby series in order in its entirety one time in my life and that was SDMI age like 12) while also having a few areas with greater knowledge or familiarity and a few spots where they just know a ton/are constantly rewatching. (Me with Goes Hollywood for sure) anyways I don't really remember where I was going with this but uhhh I like that my buddies and whatnot all know different amounts with many being chill or knowing a little bit of everything so we can still like each others posts and talk about Scooby with there still always being so much more to discover <3. So like basically thoughts on the besties are that besties are cool
However I know anon that by sending this you likely mean "Scooby fandom" as in people outside of this insular little bubble so let's talk about that. I think I'm reluctant to really label this group "Scooby fandom" as for ME PERSONALLY fandom really means a kind of engagement with the work beyond what most general Scooby fans do. Like what I'm trying to say is that this group of "wider Scooby fandom" liked Scooby and watched it as a child and consider themselves a fan of Scooby but they aren't rotating Scooby characters like blorbos in their mind too much. Or if they are, it's generally in the creation of like dark!Scooby aus or the live action Scooby show pitches that blow up on here every time Scooby is a topic of general coversation. I guess for me personally the line between this "Scooby fandom" and my own little bubble of people I'm chill with gets drawn based on what fans want out of Scooby. Like do they love Scooby as it is, or do they want to change the audience to create a new Scooby for themselves. Hm, I'm not really phrasing this right. What I mean is like we're all Scooby fans. If you've ever liked Scooby, at any age, however long ago, you're a Scooby fan, I'm not trying to like, gatekeep Scooby fandom or whatever. I just think that differing groups of fans have different pictures in their head of both what Scooby Doo IS and what they want from it based on their familiarity with it and how long it's been since said fan has watched Scooby.
And that's kind of wherein my frustration with "wider scooby fandom" lies. It's really in the fact that there's thousands upon thousands of these "sleeper fans" (which in my mind is really a better term for it) who awake when I or the popular culture mention Scooby, to share their opinions. And these opinions just frankly drive me up the wall. This is because when confronted with a real life Scooby fan (me) there's generally 3 things they want to talk about: 1) SDMI and how it's the greatest thing since sliced bread 2) Doesn't HBO Velma suck 3) (once they learn I like Scrappy) Scrappy hatred and copious references to his portrayal in the Gunn Movies. Plus MAYBE a bonus 4 of other miscellaneous takes that get on my nerves (stuff like Shaggy always smoking weed, Fred and Daphne splitting up together to have sex, just all sorts of things I do not for the life of me want to talk about).
So I guess my take on the wider scooby fandom is as follows: there are positives like some genuinely funny SD posts once a blue moon, or people to share things like concept art and leaks to much of the content canceled by HBO Max, but the vast vast majority of the time it kind of gets on my nerves because people always want to talk about the same few things (which I feel have been talked to death already or I highly disagree with OR BOTH) and it's just really tiring to deal with. Idk I don't think I'm going to go into it to much more here because this post isn't too coherent to begin with (I'm blaming it on like 70% of this being written before work this morning) but there's so many people out there who think so similarly about Scooby (and SO differently from how I think about it) that it feels like I'm getting talked over constantly whenever I have a discussion about Scooby with someone from this group. And that's just like not fun for me? It's just like for me, Scooby Doo is my number one thing. Like I'll be in different fandoms concurrently or whatever and I don't really read fic for scooby but I will for other stuff etc. But like scooby is always there for me like MY MAIN turned into a scooby doo blog like honestly while that's just not the case for some other people. It's very much a difference in the value and time put into the franchise, (which like you can just like things casually that's not a bad thing) it's just that it's frustrating for me talking to sleeper fans about Scooby because I get trapped (literally, like irl) in the exact same conversation that I don't even want to be having(!!!!!) pretty much all the time.
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plumsaffron · 1 year
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rewatching chameleon made me realize that Marinette was being a bit too extra with her coping and seething. someone changes her seat to sit next to her crush. seething. she could literally sit next to lila if she want to convince her to stop lying. she fucking refuses because "she's a liar!!! I don't befriend them!!!" despite being one of them hersELF. lila is doing absolutely nothing to marinette. "guyz she's a manipulative bitch guys did you know she lied about being ladybug's best friend. guys you have to believe me she is evil". what did lila do to you? use the names of famous personalities YOU know personally. use that so that she can get closer to your crush. and that shit completely backfired.
did you know. you are a liar. alya is a liar. even adrien had lied. literally everyone at some point has.
and I noticed something at the end of the episode. ladybug had locked Lila in a shell and told her "we should be friends, not enemies". This could possibly be how Marinette had felt when she said that to her. Lila probably wanted her to not be a problem or something, but Mari was literally silenced, and muffled, like the shell. this shit is ride or die. Marinette was legitimately asking for the War to happen, thinking it would be a revolution
this is why lilanette canon. both hate each other so much. both see the other as a rival in a personal way. also lukadrien canon because both of them them were pushover rebounds
also thomas wants us to hate lila as much as possible, so he puts us at marinette's position in later episodes, making lila do evil shit such as framing, theft, harrassment, to the point it kinda actually warped the tone of the series. which also means lilanette canon. i rest my case
dang. You hit Adrien and Luka with the pushover rebounds. AHAHAHAHAHA.
But yeah Marinette is really bizarre.
You expect her to be above minuscule common things due to her saving Paris from Hawkmoth or think like hey maybe I shouldn't cause something Hawkmoth can feed off. Once she feels inferior to a person that has a liking to her lust, she's out to do whatever it takes by any means to end what she views as an interloper (oh how this makes season 5 age well in this case).
Volpina pretty much explains I fear Lila is better than me in every way and will take Adrien. Heck she even goes out her way to find a flaw of Volpina. It's in her face that she just wanted to see a fault (just like earlier to be HAH). And then you're later like I was wrong please accept my apology after being all that. Bruh she couldn't even handle Volpina taking charge, all I MUST LEAD YOU ALL. I don't get why some find it hard to understand why Lila should not be forgiving to Ladybug. Now on with Lila in heroes day Catalyst of S2 video chat, you already have Marinette going out her way to try to expose Lila. Oh and it's the second video chat to the class (the first was never shown but still...). Again Marinette's thirst of being a Lila Flaw finder.
Then in season 2-3 is I fell below Kagami need to find something wrong with her or she'll ruin my dream with Adrien. 3 also is just I must stop Lila despite Adrien Alya and Tikki's words because I don't believe in Adrien and my friends or I think everything Lila says is false. Adrien likes you more bruh. But to Her it's her duty to expose Lila, I can't leave Rossi alone. I think you're a joke Lila but I'm still gonna snoop upon you. Heck Nino told her snooping ain't cool in Chameleon. And nearing the end of Chameleon lecture Ladybug gave to Lila made my chuckle.
"You don't have to lie and pretend to be something you're not. People will like you for just being yourself."
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Like What? Does Ladybug even remember herself or listen to herself? I guess I can only say you must be a super hero to ignore my speech to you but still. Marinette still just doesn't know she should stop talking about her lying. She knows darn well Lila doesn't like being labeled or referred as such from earlier and as Marinette lives a double life should be extra award but yet she'll proceed labeling her or being a nuisance.
*Breaks to S4 briefly*
Anytime Lila could just do the same to Marinette. Oh Marinette you're such a klutz LOL. Marinette please stop slipping and falling. Marinette why are you staggering and fumbling around Adrien. Heh she could have called out Marinette in Guilt Trip as she can see that Marinette is mad distracted fawning for Adrien. Oh Marinette why are you lying. Shame on you (Marinette explodes in anger ahahahaha).
*Back to S3 and to S4*.
Then she's like I give up cause Kagami actually did nothing wrong. Oh and I realized I was the issue and was so wrong. And it's best for Adrien. I'm gonna be with Luka now. Kagami can be with Adrien and should be together even if they broke up. She can't handle seeing Lila winning or being in control. She loathes it (oof puts a smile on my face after season 3 still).
Doesn't Marinette have better things todo that obsess over Lila? Gets angry or offended at retaliation. Retaliation = you are on the same field as Hawkmoth.
Marinette and a lot of the miraculous fandom hold hands hating Lila but mostly that only stems really from a generic common trait they almost to all share that Lila does. They probably upset because they put a fanfiction of why they expected Volpina to be like of probably a goodie two shoes to bond between Ladybug and Chat Noir but things weren't as they framed at first sight when released.
I'll end this with the funny
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Reminder that there's like 2 weeks left of school and she won't have to see those 2 scrubs again for awhile (unless they decide to visit her home nearby or park to troll). And next episode, Marinette (with Sabrina) finally takes her down in a horrible plan set up fashion (It's all kinds of wrong. It really is and a lot are weirdly happy over it like over a million). What makes it worse is that speech she gave to Hoaxer for the previous episode. Also reinforcing she learned nothing of previouses and thus put Sabrina in possible danger. Ladybug/Marinette can't see anything. She doesn't get it.
She basically just asking for her life to be Cataclysmed.
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Flairmidable swiping the miraculousesto do an exchange with Gabriel pales in comparision to Marinette/Ladybug's boundless disgust at Lila's existence.
I wonder if she'll surpass Lila Rossi and Gabriel Agreste. Maybe she did lol.
It's so romantic ahahha.
All because
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is too hard for Marinette.
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For the ask meme: What are your favourite books that you would recommend? Favourite episode/scene of IWTV? Any unpopular IWTV opinions? Any Claudia headcanons? (because I love her character haha)
Hi! Thank you for the ask! I’m sorry it took me about a day to answer, I had a lot to say… I’ve done my best to answer them!
What are your favourite books that you would recommend?
I'm glad you asked for books, because I could never choose just one. 
The first one I can think of is The Deep by River Solomon. I don’t spend a day not thinking about this book at least once. And after weathermood’s ‘Once upon a wine dark sea’ series i couldn’t help but think about it even more. Plus you like sea creatures, so it's excelent. It's safe to say it changed my brain chemistry and I was never the same once I finished it. 
Here is a synopsis:
“Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.
Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities—and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.
Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past—and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity—and own who they really are.”
Its very intense, and not so much about the fantasy of mermaids as about pain and pressure Yetu experiences remembering and keeping all these stories plus what she experiences as she flees to the surface. It can be a bit slow at some places but it’s beautifully written in my opinion. It’s maybe not everybody’s cup of tea, but it's definitely worth a read.
Link to The Deep
The second one is Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, I have never opened and read a book so fast. Its chaotic, its gory, its hilarious, its horrifying, I loved it.
Here is a synopsis. (Ive taken both synopsis from Goodreads):
“The Emperor needs necromancers.
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.
Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.
Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.
Of course, some things are better left dead.”
Sounds fun? it is! 
link to Gideon the Ninth
There are more books i love, but as i’m typing this out on a word document i have just reached page two. So time for the next question!
Favorite episode/scene of IWTV?
This is really hard, because I love and could rewatch, to infinity and beyond, almost all scenes (Except the ones where Lestat yells, because it's triggering). I would say that my favorite is episode seven. Where Louis, Lestat and Claudia form this trio and finally work together to achieve something. It’s really nice to see! It shows that in a different world they might have been a nice family….which also makes it very bittersweet. I love the dance, and Lestat's tiny moments of vulnerability where he seems genuine and Louis falls for him all over again. I love Claudia forming her master plan and executing it. Her putting an end to Antionette (finally) and double crossing Lestat. I love that moment where the massacre has just started and all are walking together in slow motion…All the assholes that stayed alive this whole time, Tom Anderson and the police chief, finally being killed. And of course the satisfying humbling of lestat by poison and throat slitting! I love the Dubai part where everything seems to unravel and where Armand is finally revealed! I’m curious to see what the Dubai part is going to bring next season, almost more than the Paris part. 
Any unpopular IWTV opinions?
I do! At least unpopular with other people I like. I don't understand danlou in the modern day. I just don't. I can see and i respect that it happened. The way Louis looks at Daniel in episode one... You can’t tell me that back in the 70s they didn't do a lot more than just talk!
And I get why it happened back then too. The reason being that Daniel was just such a regular guy, the same reason Armand stalked him so long and fell for him. But I just don’t like Daniel. I feel like there is a world full of ‘just regular guys’ and it could have been any other. I might have preferred any other......But it's not my love life and these are fictional characters. I have nothing to say and I'm looking forward to whatever the show decides to do with them. Even if they make out for a solid 10 minutes on my laptop screen..it's not that serious and i wont be upset. It’s just that whenever I see them, and I see people gushing about them I go…ok but why tho? He is mean and annoying and I don't understand? But other than that it's whatever.
Ok best question for last!
Any Claudia Headcanons?
-Yes! I think, if she existed in the 21st century (either human or vampire) she would have really liked pop punk as a teenager. Would it have helped her? maybe not, but it wouldn't have made it worse! It could have been a good outlet? I have some songs! Specifically this artist actually. I recently discovered her and couldn’t stop thinking about Claudia.
RØRY - ALTERNATIVE [lyric video]
RØRY - hurt myself
-Ok this is kind of canon but Claudia loves horror movies. Especially with the fake looking blood and gore. I think she would, in general, be a very critical movie/show watcher but would defend the campiest stuff up and down ‘because it's hilarious and therefore its good’. Also anything from when she was little and she would escape into her tv she will also defend. 
-I think Claudia is a cat person. A dog would demand too much attention and the cat would just slowly but surely crawl into her heart. They would start cordially at opposite sides of the room, then the cat would take Claudia’s standoffishness as an invitation and suddenly he spends all his time on her lap while she tries to write or paint or play piano. And then she is petting him. oh how did that happen...
Thank you for asking these questions, i had a lot of fun answering them! <33
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xxlea-nardoxx · 9 months
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Hi! I love your videos and art! and can I ask a little question - how do you feel about other tmnt movies and TV series? (1987, 90s, 2003, 2007, etc.) what is your opinion on this? (I think you've seen and watched some of this). thank you in advance for the answer. keep up the good work! ^^
I'm so sorry this took longer to answer! I completely forgot it yesterday.😂
I kinda expected this question to arrive SOMEDAY, to be honest, since I mainly talk about 2012, but I don't mind it of course!
1987:
I only ever watched a few episodes and bits of it, so I cannot form a good answer, but I do think the show is actually funny, or at least entertaining. My friend even calls it a haven for incorrect quotes and I agree on that. xD I swear I will continue it one day to have better judgement!
The 90's movies:
Never watched them, honestly. I do want to watch the first one at one point, but I'm still holding out on doing it. xD
2003:
TURTLES COUNT IT OFF! I swear, my friends and I sing the opening of that show more than we've actually watched the show.💀
I started watching the first season and made it a few episodes in. Even watched it in German and it was honestly already great. Fell in love with these idiots immediately, especially Donnie and Raph who became my favorites in an instant. Still cannot believe they let Raph say "shit" in the german dub. xD
2007 movie:
*angelic music resounds*
God, I love that movie SO MUCH. It's just such an enjoyable watch late at night (as is Tmnt in general, actually) and I remember it from back during my childhood. That movie was actually on TV a few times, during my time as a Tmnt fan back during 2013-2016, and I loved to watch it.
Returning to the fandom and finding the movie on Netflix actually brought back all my nostalgia I had for this movie, and thus watched it again one night. And I will not forgive Netflix for just taking it down.
2012:
I mean......Do I need to explain? As if it isn't obvious enough, ahshsjsjs. It was my introduction to Tmnt, to anyone who didn't know!
2014/2016 movies:
I do not care what anyone says: These movies ROCK. Sure, the turtles look quite terrifying, but I never experienced a dull moment watching these movies. I genuinely enjoy watching them so much.
Back in 2014 I wanted to watch the movie in the cinema so badly, but I was only 11 and thus couldn’t watch a Rated 12 movie alone (since my mom dislikes the turtles HEAVILY xD), so I could only watch it once it was on TV for the first time (I wasn't allowed the DVD for whatever reason), which did take about two years, shshsjsj.
BUT two years later, when "Out of the Shadows" came out, I was 13 and READY. It was my first Tmnt movie on the big screen and I had such a pleasant time watching it.
These two movies hold a special place in my heart, because they were part of my childhood and my introduction to other Tmnt-versions. Donnie and Raph are my favorites here, they are just so- *screams*
2018/Rise show:
I guess this also counts? xD
I do like the show. It's a different approach on the turtles and their world as a whole, and I enjoy it a lot whenever I watch it. Leo and Mikey are my go-to turtles here for a change and especially Leo has made his way into my heart, shshsj.
Rise movie:
Not gonna lie, this movie was actually the first tmnt-media I had consumed in literal years. I randomly found it on Netflix one day, about a week after its release. Looking at it I went:"Oh my god, the ninja turtles? I haven't seen these guys in ages, how are they holding up?"
I was SO confused by Raph and Leo having some sort of role (and kinda personality) change and wondered, if I remembered Raph being the "fight-first-ask-questions-later" impulsive dude and Leo as the responsible leader correctly, because it was not exactly that way in the movie. Turns out, I was, as I realized upon rewatching 2012 in September.
All in all I did enjoy the movie and its more darker theme! It reminded me of the 2012 show and honestly, it was a ride 'til the end. xD
2023/ Mutant Mayhem (no spoilers, don't worry):
*screams*
Not gonna lie, this version is definitely my second favorite one now. I already enjoyed these guys from the trailers alone, but after watching the entire movie my heart did loopings with adoring feelings.
These guys are easily one of my personal fave turtles. Silly, funny, cringe, teens, everything I need. They kinda gave me 12!turtles vibes again at some certain points in the movie, and even if it's pretty unrelated, they also remind me of my "AU kids". I love the turtles acting the way actual teens would. Seeing them do things that, upon looking back at it in the future, makes one cringe, is exactly how I feel looking back at my teenage-years.
I love these dorks so much and I hope the spin-off show and future sequel are gonna be just as good. :>
I hope I didn't forget anything. But if I did, rest assured I never watched it, qhsgshsjsj.💀
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absolutebl · 2 years
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Hello! I hope you're doing well!
There's this one thing I repeatedly see in BLs where I'm never sure if it's just me or if it's actually A Thing, and since you're the master of tropes, I figured you might know? It's this thing where the two main characters turn out to actually know each other from their childhood, and often both of them forgot about it, or one will remember and events from their shared childhood will be the reason or motivation for their interest in the other character now.
Today's episode of Big Dragon reminded me of this again, but there were also shows like Lovely Writer, Triage, Word of Honor, and (in a way) 2gether (if that counts, although it's not about childhood, and I don't remember much from that series). And We Best Love also did it, if I remember correctly (it's been too long since I've seen it and I really need to rewatch it).
Do you have any idea why this might be a thing in BL? Have you noticed it before? Or is it just me?
Thanks for your time!!
Ah it's not a thing in BL per say but it is a Thing in Asian dramas. So if your familiarity is with western romance narratives, you just might not realize. This trope (loved since childhood AKA the childhood crush) is in a lot of Asian romance dramas, not just BL. (Including the component where one has forgotten the initial meeting.)
I think it has a lot to do with a prevailing culture concept that to know someone first means not only to know them best (or better than others), but to have a greater right to their affection and attention. 
The "I liked him first = I have a prior claim" concept. To have known a lover in childhood gives priority and preference to the nature of your affection (something cherished over time and having weathers the slings and arrows of adulthood). We love a piner. The longer the better.
Who has had the crush the longest carries a ton of weight in a crushers right to the crushie - so far as the narrative is concerned.
We can actually see a form of this in fandom and fan behavior. The idea that somehow having discovered a band, or having liked that one Kpop group longer than some other fan (or before they became famous) somehow makes you a better/superior fan, just because of longevity.
Back to childhood crushes and Asian dramas.
The burden of affection conferring obligation on the one who's being adored is also quite a common them. In other words, "I like you, therefore my feelings for you are now your responsibility."
I have theories this has to do with the importance of filial love in collectivist cultures conferring higher value on longer term affections. But also that affection carries with it an obligation of physical care of the kind that adults might give children (from wound tending, to feeding, to sponge baths and beyond). Romantic intimacy is tied to what we (the west) would often think of more as expressions of parental obligation and affection. Therefore to tie romantic interest into childhood, in the form of a childhood friendship or crush, meshes extremely well with a core concept of “what is romantic, or what comprises romantic gestures, as being also somewhat... parental.”
In BL we see this manifest as the seme often being the one with the long cherished (and acted upon) crush. The seme will also be handed the lion's share of the parental gestures of affection and care.
But it's not actually that uncommon in the western world. There is this is idea amongst friendship groups that "I liked him first, therefore you can't like him" - calling dibs or what have you. This is particularly common in early romantic relationships and younger friendship groups.
To have done a thing first carries tremendous weight of importance in the human psyche. We see "first by virtue of time" (as opposed to first by virtue of ability) cross culturally. It's like birth order. It's a status that anthropologists would call ascribed status (rather than achieved). I hope you can see how it might be particularly important in Asian cultures where to be older is to hold higher status no matter what, see linguistic honorifics.
To have loved longer, under these circumstances, is to hold higher status as a lover.
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I have seen one drama face up to and challenge this notion: Thumping Spike. It's a noona romance and the guy who wins the girl is NOT the one who has had the childhood crush. He challenges the one who does have it, by saying something like, "if we valued love by who loved the longest, I should be married to the local grocery lady."
All of which is to say, it's so common a trope it's been called out for its own tropeiness.
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poptart-cat-78 · 5 months
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Comfort piece of media (movie, show, book, etc) and why?
Oooooh interesting ask!
All of my comfort medias have helped me get through different school levels.
I technically don’t have a comfort movie but my top 2 are
1.) The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep - the story of a little boy befriending the Loch Ness Monster, it’s super adorable
2.) Up - As sad as the opening of this movie is, I just love the story. Doug and Kevin are my favorite characters but special shout out to Russel and Carl.
My comfort tv shows:
1.) Once Upon A Time - I often call this show my “soulmate show” and I know a lot of people even the fans, criticize the writing, this show means so much to me. I was a huge Disney fan as a kid, so to see these characters in a more modern story got me intrigued. LITERALLY when I first saw the trailer in a MOVIE THEATER, I got chills. I was instantly drawn to the show and started it back in middle school. It got me through high school. It’s the show I turn to the most when I’m anxious or stressed.I know a lot of the episodes by heart and I’m not sorry about it. My biggest comfort character and OTP come from this series: Emma Swan, and Captain Swan. I felt like I related to Emma on a very personal level, even if I didn’t share every experience she had. This show taught me about hope and optimism even in the most difficult circumstances. It taught me that True Love isn’t just “love at first sight.” In fact, it gave me the standards I have for how a Significant Other should treat me (so I have a pretty high standard). I can listen to the OST of this show and remember the scenes some of the songs played over, I also end up tearing up because of it. I don’t think there will be another show (I’m sorry PJO tv show, I still love you) that will hold my heart (HA) and soul as much as OUAT will, even the cast themselves were special to me. I remember seeing their interactions and interviews in the San Diego Comic Cons as well as the bloopers on the dvd versions of the series and I felt like they were a little family. I will rewatch it a billion times and never get tired of it. The finale still makes me break down in tears. Other fave OTPs: Outlaw Queen, Snowing, Belle with literally any other character besides Rumple
2.) NBCs Grimm - Started this show the same time as OUAT, in middle school and it got me through high school. I don’t have a comfort character here but the characters DO mean a lot to me, especially Monroe, Nick, Rosalee, Juliette and Trouble. This show is the reason I became interested in the Gabriel Knight series (it has an overall similar story). I learned about folktale creatures I had never heard about before,like Krampus. It has a lot of references to other stories (Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Bears, Frankenstein are just a few I can think of) with their own twist on it, but was different than OUAT. They also included their own lore for the creatures in the world as well as the titled “Grimm”, which made me even more invested in the story. I remember crying when I first saw the finale. This show also has writing issues but, honestly tell me a series that DOESNT have imperfections. Favorite OTPs: Monrosalee, Silverhardt
3.) Lucifer - The idea that the Devil can be redeemed? *Chefs Kiss* I don’t watch this show on repeat as often because of.. personal family reasons. This show got me through high school into early college. But I felt myself relating to Lucifer (ironically), and one of the episodes where he forgives himself? THAT made me cry. Chloe, Ella, Trixie and Rory are some honorable mentions, plus the parallels between Deckerstar and Captain Swan? *another Chefs Kiss* Favorite OTPs: Deckerstar, MazikEve (is that their ship name?)
4.) The Percy Jackson series (Including the tv series as well as the books + the Heroes of Olympus) - Got me through middle school and into early high school. I was a huge Greek Mythology fan so having this modern take on the gods and goddesses was really cool. When I found out that the Heroes of Olympus was a CONTINUATION. I HAD to read it, (if only for my boy, Percy). I actually had a birthday where my cake had the Camp Half Blood logo on it and I got the “Blood of Olympus” as a birthday gift. With the release of the new tv show, my love for the series has rekindled, I’ll even try to read the new books. Comfort character: Percy Jackson. Favorite OTPs: Percabeth, Jason x Piper, Leo x Calypso, Grover x that one forest Nymph whose name I forgot
My comfort video games
1.) The Gabriel Knight series (specifically, The Beast Within) - My most current hyperfixation; yes, I know it’s a 30+ year old point and click adventure game. I was introduced to it by.. let’s say an old friend..because I really liked Grimm and he told me it was very similar. Low and Behold, it WAS. It got my through the pandemic as well as the rest of college. The stories of the first two games are, personally, my favorite. Although the series is very tragic and not at all the “happy endings” I was used to, I was still invested, particularly after my comfort character became Baron Friedrich von Glower (even AFTER I learned he dies 🥲yes, I cried here too) became SO salty invested that I started writing fan fic, drawing and even buying the games for myself to fill the void and continue my denial. I also related to him on a very personal level. I call this series, “The One I Used Necromancy On” because I (personally) feel like I rose it from the dead (ironically considering my comfort character) and I continue to find people who like the series or are just getting into it. Favorite OTPs: Angelwolf/Klower, Gknight and now Knightamura.
2.) Alices Warped Wonderland - I was introduced to this by the same.. old friend.. that introduced me to the Gabriel Knight series. As you can guess by the name, it is a retelling of Alice In Wonderland, except with a bit of horror and trauma added to the story and this version of Alice is Japanese! The story is VERY emotional, especially the sixth chapter and the endings, I even cried in one of the endings. Although I kinda related to Alice more, my comfort character became Cheshire Cat. Favorite OTP: None, I ship Cheshire and Alice platonically though.
3.) Night in The Woods - Got me though high school, but didn’t become a comfort media until early collage. As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, this game hit close to home. The Existential Horror/ Cosmic Horror beautiful ties into the struggles of mental illness, and the acceptance of change. Comfort Character: Mae Borowski, who I related to personally mainly because of her struggles with mental illness (although not the same). This game (along with the Gabriel Knight series) has some of my favorite dialogue, ever. A few other interactions between the characters, as well as the ending made me cry (see a pattern?). Favorite OTPs: Greg x Angus (idk their ship name).
4.) The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask (SPECIFICALLY) - Even though I’m not the biggest LoZ fan, and I’ve only ever seen other people play this game, it still left an impact on me. How the whole story revolves around putting others happiness over yourself, even if it means doing it repeatedly to (seemingly) no avail. The fact that even after Skull Kid destroys Termania over and over again because he felt like his friends abandoned him and they forgive him and STILL consider him their friend? The true victory not just beating Majora, but saving and healing Termina and it’s people, including the Skull Kid? Chills. Goosebumps and tears EVERY TIME. Favorite Character: Skull Kid, this version of him SPECIFICALLY
Honorable Mentions:
- Criminal Case (mobile game)
- Undertale
- Super Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Origami King specifically
Thanks for the ask!
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thekaijudude · 4 months
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I still think Decker is the worst series of all the New Gen.
Decker was a true mid for me, 5/10 which was the rating I gave last year iirc
Nothing was done that was neither really good nor really bad
Mainly its cause unlike Trigger, there's nothing really to expand upon since Dyna but to create a whole new story. And we knew Masayoshi was directing it, which also previously directed RB, which is probably the worst NG series imo (excluding Ginga s1 as a special case of course) so going in, I already had the expectation that the series has to hit the notes mainly on fight scenes, rather than plot
And true to my expectations, there is an improvement since RB, but of course in the grand scheme of things, it's still mid
Highlights iirc were the crossover episodes (Especially bringing back the Dark Giants, which is a significant contribution to the greater lore going forward) and of course the Dynamic Type arc
Tho it had the best NG movie imo, an NG alien invasion plot done right without any cringe content. Additionally, it contributed potentially one of the most significant aspects to the overall lore, that being Ultras having the ability to create whole new other ultras (wrote like 2 essay posts on it to emphasize just how significant this new development is to the lore as a whole)
RB was the worse for me, iirc I actively avoided watching the episodes until days later and sometimes even dreaded them, from cringe, awkward dialogue and acting, bad plot developments like Aizen leaving so abruptly, Saki being angsty without context and O50 reincarnations inconsistent with previously established O50 lore from Orb (specifically with the VoL), Asahi revealed to be the embodiment of the Makoto crystal? What? And why???
Also the Movie's theme was very forced and messy with introducing Toregia whose main theme and character motivations didn't really synergise with the concept of "family", so it's like watching a 2 different movies squeezed into 1, so much that the developments are non-sequitur. Which is obviously apparent since the movie WAS trying to link 2 unrelated goals, that is to introduce Toregia as a character and to make an RB Movie
After 6 years, I still stand by my opinion that they should've just done the RB Novel in live action instead of whatever we got for the series as it was far more interesting, serious and more consistent with the O50 lore that Orb established. Especially peeved that they wasted Saki as a character in that department since her character motivations were more solidly built in that context. But alas, as long as TsuPro continues to aim at children as the main audience, we aren't likely to get something like the Novel.
Also, because Asahi is still my most hated character in NG due to how cringe she is on virtually every single time she appears on screen. I distinctly remember just either mentally shutting off or just skipping past her dialogue, especially during rewatches.
Ginga s1 is obviously the special case since it was basically the franchise's hail mary attempt made with very low budget anyways, so it's understandable. Therefore no point really shitting on it at this point
So Decker at this point is the 5th worst NG series for me. But again, it's the true mid series for me as well.
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gayleviticus · 1 year
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Better to Serve in Hell than Rule in Heaven
Kyubey: I don't believe it. Your tainted Soul Gem should have disappeared with your soul, but it hasn't! Why? Homura: Because I remembered why I repeated time and suffered over and over again; my feelings for Madoka, they run so deep that even pain has become precious to me. And as for my Soul Gem? A curse isn't what's tainted it. Kyubey: Then what is? Homura: Something you can't understand, Incubator. It is the pinnacle of all human emotion. More passion than hope, much deeper than despair. Love! - Rebellion
 I rewatched Rebellion today for the first time in about 5 years and was really struck by just how juicy Homura’s character is in the film – her selfish selflessness, her turning the whole way of the world upside down even as she perpetuates it. She’s heartbroken and guilty over leaving Madoka to sacrifice for the good of the world, so her solution here is to make herself the sacrifice instead.
If Madoka was to be a goddess, Homura’s fate is to stand against her and become the Devil. And so, she creates a paradise where no more magical girls have to suffer or become Witches or die, and where Madoka and her friends can live in peace. What’s so bad about that? The Incubators suffer, but they had it coming. Homura suffers, but it’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make.
But in the end, have things really changed? A magical girl becomes a godlike being and rewrites the entire universe to bring about her ideal happy ending, sacrificing her normal existence in the process. Madoka didn’t quite break the cycle, but rather softened it; magical girls still commit themselves to lives of endless fighting, but instead of rotting into Witches they instead find peace in Madoka’s arms when time runs out. Homura, in turn, smashes the cycle entirely, placing the burden of the world’s salvation on the Incubators’ backs… but at the cost of her own happiness.
In a sense, her Rebellion changes everything, but the logic of sacrifice endures. But perhaps this Rebellion against the world is a necessary step. For all the struggle and sacrifice, all Madoka could do was cheat a cold, cruel, impersonal cycle last-minute. But what Homura does is prove that love is stronger than such systems. And yes, it’s a twisted, flawed, unsustainable love, built on trapping Madoka in a pretty little cage as Homura tears herself apart from the inside. But it’s love nonetheless, triumphing over rigid laws and the cruelty of fate.
I’ve seen some complaints that Rebellion mischaracterises Homura – she would never do something as evil as rip Madoka out of heaven. But isn’t this basically the logical extreme of her entire raison d’etre throughout the series? Homura rewinds time again and again and again to prevent Madoka making a wish and becoming a magical girl, no matter what Madoka thinks. She takes it upon herself to become Madoka’s protector, and the painful truth is that the greater this love grows, the further she becomes from Madoka in truth.
So when Madoka decides on her final wish, Homura is terrified.
Madoka: I finally figured it out what I wanna wish for. I know what I want now more than anything else. And I'm ready to trade my life for it with no regrets. Homura: But you can't! If you do then, everything I've fought for, it's all for nothing! Episode 12: ‘My Very Best Friend’
Is it really such a surprise to think that the Homura who spent endless cycles fighting to spare Madoka from the pain of becoming a magical girl would hesitate to do the same to spare her from the pain of becoming a goddess?
At first, Homura tells herself that it’s OK. This is what Madoka wanted. But then when in Rebellion she tells Madoka about the terrifying ‘dream’ she had, where Madoka went far far away, never to be seen again, forgotten by everyone except Homura…
Homura: I was so lonely and sad... But no one understood how I felt. I started to think all my memories of you were just things I'd made up... I thought I was going crazy... Madoka: You're right... That dream does sound awful. But it's okay now, really! I'm not going anywhere, especially if it's so far away I couldn't see you again. I'd never do something like that. Rebellion
Everything falls apart. The sole consolation Homura had clung to – that Madoka was happy, that the sacrifice was worth it – comes undone. Madoka would never do something like that. How could Homura let her best friend throw her life away like that?
Madoka has no idea, of course – she has no idea how brave she’s capable of being, how much courage she has to spare for the sake of the world. But for Homura, this is where she realises that she’s made an incredibly stupid mistake.
For Homura, anything that causes Madoka pain is automatically her enemy. And when she realises how much pain becoming the Law of Cycles caused her – well, the logical conclusion is that the greatest threat to Madoka’s wellbeing is Madoka herself.
Homura: Well then, I suppose one day, you'll also be my enemy. It's fine, I don't care. I'll keep wishing for a world where you can be happy. Rebellion
So Homura selfishly chooses to override Madoka’s wish, out of pure, selfless love. Out of love for Madoka, she turns herself into the Devil, a suitable foe to fight a Goddess. Out of love for Madoka, she has imprisoned the girl within a prison of illusions. Out of love for Madoka, she has essentially renounced Madoka’s love.
There’s something utterly selfless about this. Homura is willing to make Madoka – her little pet bird singing sweetly in a silver garden – her enemy. She puts Madoka’s welfare first and foremost, even if it means someday Madoka might reject her, or fight her, or perhaps even hate her. In order to prove her love for Madoka, Homura is happy to never be loved by Madoka in return. Without hope, without witness, without reward, she takes the burden from her shoulders. Better to serve in Hell than rule in Heaven.
But there’s something undeniably selfish here. Who cares what Madoka wants? Madoka comes all the way to save her from her self-inflicted hell within the Soul Gem, and yet Homura refuses because she knows best. Madoka’s job is sing sweetly by the window, never leaving, trapped within a never-ending beginning, with the door to adulthood firmly closed. Madoka is not really a human, a girl, a friend – she’s an idol, to be cherished and protected by any means necessary.
If witches are born of the selfish wishes of magical girls (such as Sayaka’s wish done in hope of having Kyousuke fall in love with her), and goddess born of pure and selfless wishes, then it’s no surprise that Homura’s selflessly selfish love would create the Devil herself.
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the-mechanica · 8 months
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So I've been busy working on the Halloween zine (!) and real life things.... and also rewatching Batman: the Animated Series. I was always a big fan of it and Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill's performances as Batman and the Joker, as well as always being in love with Harley from when I was a kid (no surprises there). SO, if you want to know where my brain has been lately.... Imagine if Loba Andrade was just another socialite thief in Gotham whose father had been killed by a much younger Phantasm, aka Kaleb Cross herself (tall lanky blond woman who presents as he/him Death).
(608 words)
A glorious and large Art Deco ballroom was flooded with Gotham high society. A live jazz orchestra played center stage, while no less than three open bars plied guest with booze. Guests swung on the dancefloor in the center of the room. Tall windows stretched from floor to ceiling. Uproarious laughter kicked up from the gaggle of partygoers Loba Andrade was sneaking behind.
Deliberately choosing to abandon her usual look, she blew an errant curl from her eyes as the upswept hairstyle she had piled her hair on top of her head in a boisterous bun. The evening gown she wore was long and emerald forest dyed satin, enough to cover the holster of tools she kept in her garter, but split long enough for her to access them. Even as good as she looked, if not regrettably as just another forgettable pretty face, the thief tried to remember that this was the wrong party to make a scene at. She was on job. Vreeland wanted her to retrieve some sort of beloved trinket from a friendly rival to show off at her next party, in exchange for a more than adequate amount of cash. Weaving over to a member of the waitstaff closest to the back of house, she politely asked where the restroom was. Eagerly pointing down the hall exiting the ballroom while being called away, Andrade thanked them and vaguely smirked to herself. Slipping down the hall, she walked right past the bathroom and made her way to the next door. It lead to a tight staircase that Loba peeked upward at with a keen eye. Confidently humming, she tossed her bracelet upward, getting it to land on a step just past a gated landing several floors above. Enveloped in a quick glowing teleport, the thief came out of it standing above her bracelet. Bending down and slipping it back on, she looked up and slipped past the door to the landing into the next hall and smirked in full. There were no cameras, as this was the residential floor of the suite. Making her way down the hall, she was unsettled. There was also no security -- everyone possibly on task downstairs. "Too easy." Andrade sighed and shook her head. It was one of two things. A trap, or someone else was here. It wasn't as if one of those big shot weirdos was likely to make an appearance, this wasn't that important of a party. Then again, that never stopped any of them, and the thought made Loba sigh again. It was the last thing she needed. Especially if…. If the Bat were to show up and… The thief groaned inwardly. It would be a mess. If anything were to keep her from securing this figurine, it would ruin her day. And 'friendship' with Veronica, if Loba could even call it that. It was then the thief entered one of the bedrooms, looking to see which it was -- when the door only opened part way. "Wh-" Too quickly, Andrade noted the blood that was seeping underfoot. Shoving the door open revealed the corpses of several security guards, all freshly stabbed or gutted. "Ugh!" Snarling, she stormed back out, pulling out her P2020 pistol and going to the next room. It was the same -- and she dashed to what she was sure was the master bedroom. Upon opening the door, a shadowy figure stood in the darkness. In the moonlight glinted a skull-like mask and scythe. Gasping, Loba raised her gun straight at the figure. Biting back her sense of both vindication at being right and apprehension at the same, she huffed. "What is this?!"
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