#visual flashbacks

[puppyeared]

(SEASON 4 SPOILERS)

Here is the current wip for Dear Wormwood!!

#so far this is like. 30 seconds out of roughly 3 minutes *dies* #and the song is realllllyyyyy drawn out like there’s like 30 seconds of music #it’s a good song but I have no idea how I’m gonna fill that space in. maybe I could pull a dead wife flashback #I have a really good visual for the mood and what it’s about but the problem is my old enemy Getting Started (has ADHD) #i won’t be surprised if I scramble out of bed in the middle of the night because I had a good idea for a scene #Lego monkie kid #lmk #monkie kid #lmk animatic #animatic #wip #doodles #animation #monkie kid season 4 #Lego monkie kid s4 #lego monkie kid s4 spoilers #lmk s4 spoilers #lmk s4 #SCREAM #lmk MK #lmk xiaotian #lmk ink mk #lmk ink

[kanansdume]

I've recently been watching these very interesting Star Wars video essays on YouTube (yeah I know, a rare breed) and it brings up these comments Lucas has made about how he views Star Wars as almost like a silent film in terms of how important the visuals are to him in comparison to the dialogue. But this essay also points out how important Lucas finds all of the "rhyming" moments in his trilogies and the way he utilizes them to remind you of something else for emotional or thematic reasons. And there's so many of them, both in visuals and in dialogue, and it's interesting to consider how important this is to him, the repetition for a purpose as well as the storytelling through visuals above everything else and then to look at Star Wars since the Prequels came out and realize how little has really been able to match up to those ideals since then.

The ONLY thing that's come out since the Prequels that I think really hits these two things the same way is, in fact, Andor. One of the things I noticed about the way people discussed Andor as it was airing in a way I haven't really seen for any of the other shows or films was the visual SYMBOLOGY. So many times I saw people noticing the Imperial cog everywhere, from the aerial shot of Narkina 5 as the prisoners escape to the architecture of Mon Mothma's house. There were people picking up on the use of items in Luthen's shop that are familiar from other things to give this idea that Luthen is from another time, he's attempting to preserve this world he lost, that if you're not looking closely enough you won't notice what he's really saying or doing with this shop. The color choices for the different locations and people got analyzed because the people involved spoke about how they intentionally utilized color to SEND A MESSAGE about the characters and the world. We know that the people who made the costumes and sets really worked hard to treat Star Wars almost like a period drama and study the history of the franchise as if it were a real place so that the things they came up with felt like they belonged in this world everyone knows so well even if it's completely new. And of course there were all of the myriad references to things from Rogue One, the constant repetition of "climb", the sunset on the beach, etc.

Nearly EVERY SHOT in this show was created with so much intention behind it in order to say something meaningful about the characters, the world, this specific story they're in, and the overall saga of Star Wars itself. It's insane how much greater impact this show was able to achieve through the incredibly careful usage of visual symbols and thematic repetitions, much like Lucas did before them. It feels like they didn't just study the history of the galaxy far far away, but they studied the history of STAR WARS and what Lucas was trying to do and say with this story. They peeled back his onion a bit more and were able to create something that really has that same visual feel even when it's not created for a child audience. It also is experimenting with its narrative style through its structure and through Cassian's character being allowed to be somewhat more reactive than proactive, and while that didn't work for everyone, it does feel like it's following in Lucas's footsteps of experimentation through Star Wars. Push the boundaries of what Star Wars is and can be and what you can say with it.

But this only works because they peeled the onion back enough to TRULY understand all of the messages Lucas was sending with it. They got the heart of Star Wars and despite its lack of space wizards, despite the lack of most major characters in the Saga, this was a show that honestly got the message more than just about anything else Star Wars has put out since the Prequels. The choices between selflessness and selfishness, the themes about how you always HAVE to make a choice even when it feels like you don't have any (sometimes ESPECIALLY when it feels like you don't have any), and how important it is to make sure to choose the path of compassion above everything else. The themes of connection to others, the symbiotic circle and the impact even the smallest person can have on world around them, it's RIGHT THERE and it's CENTRAL to Andor's storyline.

So yes, it experiments a little with narrative structure, but it's possibly the most Star Wars thing to exist Revenge of the Sith because it honestly truly GETS what Star Wars was about, both in its themes and in its filmmaking. A lot of people said that Andor didn't feel like Star Wars to them, usually because of the lack of space wizards and the fact that it's not a story aimed at children. But to me, Andor is EXACTLY what Star Wars is and has always been. They're stretching the boundaries of what Star Wars can be, but it's saying the exact same things Star Wars has always said, it's just saying it slightly differently. This doesn't feel like fanfiction to me, not really. Unlike things like the Mandoverse or the books, Andor isn't just taking some of the toys out of the sandbox and going to play with them somewhere else. Andor is IN that sandbox. It's building a slightly different sandcastle, but it's still within the sandbox, using the same sand that Lucas did.

#star wars #andor #star wars andor #i GET why some people feel like andor isn't star wars #but quite honestly that feels like not just a superficial reading of andor but a superficial reading of star wars as a whole #the only other show to come anywhere near andor's level was the obi-wan kenobi show #there's tons of visuals that are intended to link back to both the pt and the ot #from obi-wan and leia's costumes to things like the fire obi-wan is burned in and that flashback scene #i'm placing andor above owk still because i think andor takes it an extra level higher but owk is also in that sandbox #owk just got stuck with the fucking volume and the disadvantage of going from a movie to a miniseries #but it did far better with those disadvantages than just about anyone else and still told a VERY star wars style story #the fact that it feels like the prequels is exactly why everyone hated it #and it's exactly why i loved it and think it's the 2nd best thing to come out of star wars since rots #i'll give 3rd place to rebels since it tries once or twice to do some visual and dialogue repetition #but those kinds of things aren't something i see analyzed about rebels all that much tbh #everything else is just fanfic that made a profit #some of it is really BAD fanfic that thinks a cameo is the same as a visual motif. it's not. they suck. stop doing them.

[pro-philosopher]

As we build towards the release of the sequel, we rereleased the first Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher on Steam— FOR FREE!

Whether you’re feeling nostalgic for the flash classic or never had a chance to play it… well, what’s stopping you?!

#visual novel #video games #indiegamedev #indie games #socrates jones #pro philosopher #ace attorney #flashback

[opbackgrounds]

Oda’s doing a lot of setup in these few panels. Robin’s understanding of what a loving family is is symbolized by the act of holding hands. It’s the first thing she does once she realizes who Olvia is, and she says she’s “wanted to do this for a long time”. The use of the shadow of a happy family is also significant: It’s something she sees at a distance, but hasn’t experienced and doesn’t understand, her own mother’s face shadowed by time.

This is doubly sad to me, because Robin’s power is so tactile. Like, theoretically, she could hold all the hands she wants. She could hug someone with six arms, or give good night kisses with two mouths, or whatever she wanted, except she had no one who reciprocate affection at that level. Yes, there’s the other archeologists, but they’re Robin’s teachers, not her family. 

The rest of the chapter does a really good job emphasizing that physical and emotional isolation, and by the time the archeologists are introduced the reader understands that Robin has been lonely for a long, long time.

#opbackgrounds #one piece #ch391 #Nico Robin #flashback shenanigans #visual storytelling #~symbolism~ #themes threads and throughlines #character analysis

[keets-writing-corner]

Lucifer lucky as HELL ngl

this is what happened right?

who wouldn't want a woman over twice your size laying on top of you telling you about all the things she loves about you

#ask #hazbin hotel #lucifer morningstar #lucifer #lucilith #lilith morningstar #fan art #my art #enjoy my crude sketch #sorry Lilith's hair covers up her sexy back #if you see ghost lines of what I did before but didn't work visually #no you don't #shhhhh #they're not there #I'm such a sucker for wholesome romances #I really hope we get flashbacks

[euphoriaface]

I don't post art often bc 90% of the time it turns out like this lmao

#I'm trying to visualize my concepts to some degree even when I don't have energy to draw #I think the vibes are there tho which is the important thing #working on some flashback concepts for my au ❤ #chucky #charles lee ray #eddie caputo #child's play #they aren't an item until later into their adulthood but ed has been crushing on chuck since they were kids which is why he looks so bashful #also if anyone wants to use my concepts for platonic aus go for it I love all interpretations of dynamics #might delete later idk it's just a silly wip

[myquietsafehaven]

Thing I definitely don’t want: Live action adaptation of The Magnus Archives.

Thing I want anyway: Last Time on TMA summary at the start of season 2 with all of Sasha’s scenes replaced by not Sasha with absolutely no acknowledgment.

#the magnus archives #tma spoilers #sasha james #ala Dawn from Buffy #gaslight the hell out of the audience #all flashbacks have not Sasha in Sasha’s place #I don’t want it in a visual medium #but this is playing in my head #TMA

[12thbiologist]

annihilation movie adaptation but instead of doing whatever alex garland did you instead shoot it kinda like a nature documentary with the biologist doing narration/commentary

#i did like how garland did the flashbacks whenever the biologist slept though so keep that in #but make the biologist talk extremely sparingly to the others #like make it mostly her own internal monologue. and have the camera focus on the environment #and open on the empty lot #and use visuals to parallel the empty lot/swimming pool/tide pools #and have it get more disjointed as it goes along #and make her commentary more and more subjective as it goes on #and keep the biologist obscured in as many ways as possible while still making her like. There. #like make her stand slightly obscured by foreground nature #annihilation #southern reach trilogy

[everymadara]

Chapter 624

#naruto #madara #madara uchiha #uchiha madara #hashirama flashback #+ hashirama #Madara willingly turns his back to Hashirama as he says this and to me this means two main things: #1) obviously it visually marks Hashirama as someone in particular that makes Madara vulnerable #2) it marks a wall of distrust that's being built between them; wall that Madara puts up there himself (in willingly turning his back to hi #instead of being caught by surprise like usual) because Izuna's safety is more important and also -- significantly -- something he thinks i #more achievable than pretending he can dream his way into peace with Hashirama. Noticeably while his back is turned on Hashirama he's facin #Izuna (and ''his side'' of the war) directly. #Again it's about what's in front of him and what he can see and what he can control vs what he can't #It's also about his baby brother whom he loves very much #because obviously in the same way that for Hashirama it's about Tobirama for Madara it's about Izuna #The way I see Madara is his whole deal is just frequent overlapping of his distrust/paranoia and self-centredness and attachment to power #and his love for Izuna and sense of duty to his clan in like and his honest desire for peace and but mostly safety. in everything he does. #The fact that he falls is bc Izuna and his clan were no longer factors and the last part became warped by the first 3. #I like Madara a lot if y'all couldn't tell lmfao

[ennaih]

Not Every Film I Watch In 2024

16. Bones (2001)

#bones #bones (2001) #2024filmgifs #my gifs #tw: blood #that was a lot of fun #i enjoy ernest dickerson's visual sensibility so much #and the sense of humour #and the race commentary #that got so goofy in the final act #which you just gotta go with #pam grier was so fab #and bianca lawson too #i've never seen her in anything than buffy #i can't believe that was michael t weiss in a fat suit #and i only realised in the last act #man no wonder the flashbacks looked so much like Malcolm X #Ernest Dickerson was cinematographer on that and i never knew

[inamindfarfaraway]

I can perfectly picture a Batman: Wayne Family Adventures two-partner that properly introduces Harvey Dent, Two-Face, their relationships with Bruce and vice versa. But I can't draw in the slightest. So I'm going to script it and you'll have to use your imagination. It’s a little longer than the average WFA two-parter. But given how many thoughts and feelings I have about Harvey, I’d say it’s impressively concise. For me. If you like how I write Harvey, I recommend my fanfic spotlighting him as a teenager, compared to which I must warn you this script is positively fluffy. Read it on AO3 here! If you want to draw any of this, please tell me in advance and use the updated original post or the AO3 fic, not necessarily your reblog.

A Second Opinion

Part 1

[Panel one. Vertical rectangle, full screen. Nighttime. The exterior of an abandoned building that is notably more decrepit on the right side, Two-Face's current base of operations, from a distance and high angle. The Batmobile is parked outside. Bruce as Batman is seen on the rooftop from behind, striding stiffly toward the skylight. A speech bubble floats in the air above him.]

Barbara: Are you sure you don't want backup?

[Panel two. Barbara as Oracle watches with a frown of wary concern at her desk in the Clocktower.]

I know these confrontations are very personal for you -

[Panel three. Bruce leans over the skylight seen from below it, about to kick it in. His fists and jaw are clenched, teeth gritted and eyes narrowed sharply; even for Batman on a mission, he's in a bad mood.]

Bruce: I'm fine. I have him right where I want him.

[A speech bubble floats in the space below the panel.]

Harvey: I have him right where I want him!

[Panel four. Fade into a flashback. In stark contrast to the dull and dark blues, greys and blacks of the present scene, the flashback panels are full of light, saturated and warm colours. Harvey Dent stands at a round red table outside a café on a sunny day, beaming. He's a handsome, sturdy man with neat, short black hair, a semi-formal brown suit and wide brown eyes. He was seated, but has risen and slammed his palms down on the table in his enthusiuam. Slightly low angle, like the camera is on the table, and to the right so we have a better view of his left side. A gold wedding ring gleams on his finger. His introduction box reads: ‘Harvey Dent, District Attorney. Gotham’s best lawyer, technically and morally.’.]

And think of the implications! If the Salvatore Maroni can face justice, so can anyone.

[Panel five. He paces a little behind his chair, gesturing animatedly. Motion lines trail and curve around the other way behind him. His right side is now in profile. Same angle, but pulled back to see over the shoulder of a younger Bruce wearing a nondescript black shirt.]

If his empire can crumble, so can any criminal organization or corrupt institution, no matter how powerful. This trial could be a beacon of hope for Gotham. Proof that the law can actually help people, that the spirit of it is alive.

[Panel six. Opposite Harvey, Bruce is sitting comfortably. He has notable eyebags and less light in his eyes than Harvey, but smiles in earnest admiration.]

Bruce: I think you're right. Maroni used to own the city, but ever since you, Jim and Batman started working together...

[Panel seven. Side shot of both of them from Bruce's right and Harvey's left, showing them down to their legs. Bruce leans forward. Harvey has sat back down. In the background, their memories conjure a vision of Batman and Harvey shaking hands before the Bat-Signal. The figures' lower halves fade to translucent above and behind their real counterpart's heads. That Harvey is smiling too and the one leaning forward, while Batman's mouth is a flat line but his eyes are soft.]

things have changed more than I could have imagined.

Harvey: I just hope we can keep it up. Maybe in a few years, Gotham won't need a Batman.

[Panel eight. Close-up on the right half of Bruce's face, a narrow vertical box in the upper left section of the screen. His expression is of shock and vulnerability, although he isn’t offended. He has simply never considered being able to end his crusade before. Panel nine. A bigger square containing his entire face and taking up the rest of the screen.]

Bruce: Do you really believe that?

[Panel ten. Closer front shot of Harvey at eye-level. We can now see that he actually does have bags under his eyes. He's more pensive and his smile drops.]

Harvey: Yeah. I mean, Bats is a great guy. I don't want him to just disappear. But his methods...

[Panel eleven. Deep shot. Two petty crooks run through an alleyway at night while Batman looms behind them atop a ledge, a huge, hulking silhouette crouched animalistically with piercing white eyes and clawed fingers raised to pounce. The scene is somewhat abstracted to highlight the criminals' emotions. The alley walls seem to be closing in on them and Batman's curling cape flows into the surrounding darkness. Angle is above the very small-looking criminals, but below Batman such that his striking, soulless eyes glare right at the reader. Harvey's speech bubbles are in the top left and bottom right corners, framed by the blackness.]

fighting violence with violence and terror with terror... they're hardly ideal, are they?

[Panel eleven. Harvey places his right hand on Bruce's left arm in pride, who is too busy processing to return his smaller, softer smile of personal affection. Side shot from Harvey's left and Bruce's right that cuts them off at the torso.]

In my opinion, the work you're doing with the Wayne Foundation does better at lowering crime rates in the long run.

[Panel twelve. Over-the-shoulder shot again, Harvey's this time to show Bruce full of love, relaxing and leaning into the touch.]

Bruce: Well, in my opinion, you're a better person than me or Batman.

[His second speech bubble descends into the empty space.]

And I’d love to see the day Batman can retire.

[Panel thirteen and fourteen occupy different vertical halves of the screen and the same horizontal space for half of their lengths, the former higher, the second lower. The first shows Harvey from the right cut off at the thighs, in a courtroom, delivering some kind of unwritten passionate declaration; on his left and in the background, the defendant, the aforementioned crime boss Maroni in a nice black suit, holds an opaque bottle labelled as cough medicine and smirks viciously. The second is a close-up of Harvey’s head on the floor. Only the right half of his face is visible, the left turned away, and he is howling in unfathomable agony, tears streaming down his cheek. The stem of his speech bubble reaches down to the top of panel fifteen. This is a straightforward frontal shot of Bruce in the present. He stands tense and grim, poised to throw a Batarang with his right arm. Silver moonbeams shine through the broken skylight. Layered in front of the panel’s top border and behind Bruce, Harvey’s scream appears to ring through the cowl’s bat ears and extends continuously offscreen in extra large, blood-red lettering. The bubble fades around it to make it stand against the background.]

Harvey: ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Bruce: Two-Face.

[Panel sixteen. Same angle of Harvey and Two-Face. The left half of their face is ravaged by raw, pink chemical burn scars and has a bloodshot eye with burned lids; even their right eye is sunken and shadowed with a menacing glint; their hair is the same on the right, but bleached white, longer and wild on the left; they wear an angular, elegant suit divided vertically in alternating black and white. They’re smiling smugly, posture calm, confident and commanding. Their right hand aims a pistol at Bruce, and the camera. The other hand, bereft of a ring, holds their two-headed coin. Their introduction box reads: ‘Harvey Dent & Two-Face. All the drive. Fractional sanity. Half the morals, or less.’. The outlines of their speech bubbles are smooth as usual on the right and rough and scribbled on the left when both alters in the system are in relative cooperation - a dual consciousness referred to as ‘H/TF’ in the script - completely smooth when the still goodhearted, but deeply troubled Harvey is speaking alone, and completely irregular for the much more merciless, callous Two-Face personality alone.]

H/TF: Bats! Let us guess: you didn’t bring any backup because you have a self-righteous hero complex about us in particular?

[Panel seventeen. Closer frontal shot of Bruce scowling and hunching his shoulders in shameful concession.]

Two-Face: Good. Those Robins are nothing but trouble.

[Panel eighteen. Long rectangle panning down the room. Bruce and H/TF are in the background as H/TF gesture with their left arm to two men dressed like high-level businessmen in the foreground, tied to chairs with a gun pressed to each of their heads by H/TF's identical twin henchmen. The captives are bruised, cut and slumped in exhaustion.]

H/TF: Now, take one step toward us and the hostages get it. Don't go feeling sorry for them. They work for Oswald Cobblepot. His reform is fake -

H/TF and Bruce: Obviously.

H/TF: And they've already told us everything.

[Panel nineteen. Horizontal side shot from Bruce's left and H/TF's right, to frame the hostages between them.]

H/TF: But if you go after us, you'll lose your best lead on his criminal activities.

Bruce: And people will be dead.

H/TF: Yeah, whatever.

[Panel twenty. Close shot of H/TF from the left. They look left, contemplating their coin in their open hand. One face is corroded and blackened by acid, the other shiny and clean, both visible as it's drawn in a motion frame while spinning.]

You say that making our decisions based on chance is irrational and unhealthy, but believing in free will isn't all roses either. So many tough choices.

[Panel twenty-one is small box in the middle of the screen capturing the impact of the Batarang knocking the gun out of one of the henchmen's hand. H/TF's speech bubble floats in the space below it.]

There's never a win-win, is there?

[Panel twenty-two, a vertical rectangle. In the lower foreground and to the right, a gleeful H/TF bolt to the slight right of the camera, relishing both their escape and how unhappy their enemy is. In the background, Bruce restrains the armed henchman with a bolas while knocking the unarmed one out behind him with a backhanded blow. His cape billows with his rapid movement.]

At least the coin lets us be unpredictable!

[Panel twenty-three. Angle is essentially Bruce's POV. H/TF glance over their right shoulder, showing their unscarred features twisted in mockery, and sarcastically wave with their gun. They're just beyond the doorway.]

By the way, we're very good at getting two things done at once. You might wanna check your car.

[Panel twenty-four. Outside. Bruce's shadow falls from below the border diagonally over the Batmobile. Its tyres are slashed. Its fuel is leaking out into a puddle underneath it. In the next panel, we see him at eye height past the front end of the car. He has fallen to his knees, head hung.]

Bruce: Oracle? You were right. I need help.

[The black sheen of the Batmobile fades into a flat black background below. But then, within the darkness, floats a speech bubble.]

Barbara: You've already got it.

[Panel twenty-six. The first two sentences are in a bubble at the top, connected to the final sentence’s one dead in the middle. She's viewed from behind at a low angle looking up at her computer monitor. Her shoulders are assertively squared. Her security camera footage is split in two; Bruce and the crippled Batmobile are in the left window and H/TF's getaway car (also black on one side and white on the other) racing along a road in the right.]

We've been gathering intel. We know where Two-Face will strike next - and you know him as well as he knows you. Let's make a plan B.

Part 2

[Panel one. Distant establishing shot of a brightly lit black-tie gala in a vast, ornate hall, the tasteful decor dominated by white, light blues and silver. A caption informs us that this is 'The Cobblepot 'Charity' Gala'. Oswald Cobblepot is in the heart of the crowd, shaking hands with some official. Bruce Wayne is within earshot, but nearer the double doors. Panel two is a lower, tighter horizontal rectangle where Oswald and his guests are staring at the camera with tiny black dots for eyes in alarm at the doors slamming open. H/TF’s shadow falls over the floor. Panel three shows that Harvey and Two-Face have invited themselves, holding an assault rifle in both hands. Three smaller vertical panels on alternating sides of the screen show the doors being locked by pairs of Two-Face's minions in contrasting, complemetary outfits and wielding guns. The bird’s eye view of panel seven makes it clear that the guests are surrounded and trapped. Panel eight cuts back to H/TF.]

H/TF: Good evening, scum and enablers. We're -

[Panel nine takes us closer to focus on their - or rather, Harvey's - surprise.]

Harvey: Bruce? What are you doing here?

[Panel ten is a frontal shot of Bruce, like the camera's been reversed in the same position. His confusion is an act, but his concern is real.]

Bruce: I'm the richest man in Gotham and this is a high-society gala. What are you doing here?

[Panel eleven. Side shot that doesn’t show the scarring. Harvey lowers the gun, eyes softening as Bruce reaches out to him.]

I thought we agreed that you still needed treatment.

Harvey: I…

[Panel twelve. Frontal short. Remembering his mission, Harvey loses a degree of control and the two embittered alters lightly push Bruce away and point the gun straight ahead at Oswald with a glare. Motion lines trail from their arm.]

H/TF: That doesn’t matter! What matters is taking down the Penguin!

[Panel thirteen. Oswald presses a hand to his chest, somehow at once mortified and supercilious. You can hear the melodramatic sad violin. Beside him, his associates are cowering and aghast.]

Oswald: Why, everyone knows that I’m reformed. Attacking me when I’m doing good just proves how far you’ve fallen.

[Panel fourteen. H/TF snap at him furiously, and their speech bubble is large, spiky (still with the different texturing) and has a red outline for emphasis. Their eyes are stylized as flames; their right eye’s flame is orange and the left’s blue. Bruce is giving Oswald an intense sidelong glare. His lettering is smaller and his bubble's outline dashed to indicate that he's speaking under his breath.]

H/TF: SHUT UP!

Bruce: Shut up.

[Panel fifteen. Wide low angle shot up into the shadowy rafters. Damian, Dick and Tim are hiding in their vigilante identities and watching the scene below intently, at the ready. Their speech bubbles are dashed as they’re whispering. Damian is tense like a coiled spring, hand is on the hilt of his sword. Dick’s facial expression is blatantly disdainful of the villain in question, but his position and body language are calmer. Tim is all business.]

Damian: Shouldn’t we -

Tim: Not until the signal, remember? We don’t want to escalate and endanger the civilians.

[Panel sixteen. Close-up profile shot of Dick.]

Dick: Yeah, I hate Two-Face, but Bruce has got through to Harvey before.

[Panel seventeen. H/TF aim their gun with their right hand as their left reaches into their pocket to take out their coin. Their jaw is tight in composed ire. Diagonal angle to show Bruce on their right, overlaid by the gun. HT/F's speech bubble is near their head, but Harvey's is under the panel-dividing horizontal line of the gun.]

H/TF: You have the right to remain silent, forever.

Harvey: Bruce, get out of here.

[Panel eighteen, a square. Bruce is alone in the frame. He folds his arms, Batman's stern, steely presence creeping into his expression and posture.]

Bruce: Whatever you're willing to do to those people, you can do to me.

[Panel ninteen. Same composition with H/TF. They frown, the unscarred features looking regretful while the scarred ones look annoyed and disdainful.]

H/TF: Fine. Just stay out of our way.

[Panel twenty. Close up as they flip their coin. We get the blurring motion displaying both sides again. The next panel is a repeat shot where Bruce’s right hand snatches the coin in midair.]

H/TF: HEY! Give it back!

[Panel twenty-one. Extreme close-up, narrow horizontal parallelogram focused on Bruce's defiant stare. His speech bubble floats close underneath.]

Bruce: No.

[Panel twenty-two. He holds the coin out of reach. The camera is angled over and to the side of Bruce's left shoulder, to put as much visual distance between his outstretched right hand and H/TF as possible, Bruce's body in between them. H/TF’s left hand is balled into fist around the lowered gun while their right gestures like they’re arguing a case in a courtroom. They look resentful, but also coldly resigned. The speech bubbles can extend out of the panel. In the backgroud, some of the guests are depicted as simplified, featureless figures.]

H/TF: They aren’t worth sticking your neck out for. Nobody in Gotham is -

Harvey: I learned that the hard way.

Bruce: And I’ve learned otherwise. This won’t make things better, Harvey.

[Panel twenty-three. Two-Face fixes the gun on Bruce with a sadistic, unhinged snarl that’s distinctly his own.]

Two-Face: Listen, Wayne, I don’t care for you a bit. Give us our coin back or I’ll -

[Panel twenty-four. Bruce raises an eyebrow.]

Bruce: But what if it’s good heads?

[Panel twenty-five. Two-Face freezes. A ‘Twitch’ sound effect is at the corner of his right eye. Panel twenty-seven. A henchman aims his own gun with nervous eagerness.]

Henchman: I'll get your coin for you, boss!

[Panel twenty-six. The vigilantes leap down from the rafters. Dick's already thrown a Wingding to disarm him that flies downward rotating and seems to cut the shape of the panel, which has a tapering lower end.]

Dick: No!

[Large red 'BANG!' sound effect between panels. Panel twenty-seven is a small box in the middle of the screen showing the Wingding knocking the smoking gun away a split-second too late. Panel twenty-eight. Bruce and Harvey in the background and the bullet in the foreground are centred. Harvey slams into Bruce and knocks him down with his full weight, briefly putting himself in the path of the bullet.]

Harvey: Bruce!

[Panel twenty-nine. Long, vertical rectangle panning down from above the vigilantes standing in dramatic heroic landing poses at the top of the frame, wearing varyingly emotive expressions of shock, to Bruce lying propped up by his elbow and Harvey on his hands and knees at the bottom. The discarded assault rifle hits the floor between Harvey and the vigilantes with a 'Clatter' sound effect in yellow, uneven text. The coin slips out of Bruce's hand with a motion line to rest between him and Harvey. Panel thirty. Angle at eye level with Bruce and Harvey. Bruce sits up. He stares at Harvey with shining eyes and the beginnings of a smile as he processes what just happened, and what didn’t precede it.]

Bruce: You saved my life.

[Panel thirty-one. Angle is behind Bruce’s head. Harvey avoids eye contact, showing Bruce his unscarred profile. He’s solemn and though he too has a relieved hint of a smile, it doesn’t reach his eyes.]

Harvey: You never stop trying to save me. It was the least I could do.

[Panel thirty-two. Harvey’s POV. Low angle, tilted up at Bruce on his feet, offering his hand to help him up. We can tell that it’s Harvey’s perspective with both eyes because the left half of the image is dim and blurry due to the damage the acid did to his left eye. The speech bubbles are exclusively on the right.]

Bruce: It isn’t too late, Harvey. You can still heal. You can get better, be better.

[Panel thirty-three. Close-up on the right half of Harvey’s face, a narrow vertical box in the upper left section of the screen. His expression is of tentative, wary hope and raw vulnerability. He has wanted to end his crusade throughout its duration, but never been able to. Panel thirty-four. A bigger square containing his entire face and taking up the rest of the screen.]

Harvey: Do you really believe that?

[Panel thirty-five. Side shot that now only shows the side shot of Harvey’s face. Bruce kneels down be closer to eye level with him.]

Bruce: Yes. Always, I’ve been where you are. Feeling like you can never be more than all your pain and anger. But if you want a second opinion, I think you’re a better person than you know.

[Panel thirty-four. A square in the middle of the screen. Harvey’s right hand reaches out to Bruce’s waiting one, but lingers, tense and trembling, above the coin. Panel thirty-five. Vertical rectangle. Harvey shrinks in on himself, hunched over with his face buried in his arms and hands clutching his hair; perhaps he doesn’t trust himself not to pick up the coin and give Two-Face a means to make harmful decisions, just can’t make another choice of his own or both. Around him blackness with spiky, scribbled inner edges consume the screen like reality is fracturing or dissolving, or some all-consuming destructive force is coming for him.]

Harvey: Just… just take us to Arkham. We deserve it. We need help.

[The black extends, replacing the white background. But then, within the darkness, floats a speech bubble.]

Bruce: You’ve already got it.

[Fade into panel thirty-six. Horizontal rectangle. Distant, high angle. The black lightens to purple and becomes the night sky, which is warming to pink at the first moment of dawn. Harvey is handcuffed, about to enter a police car on his right. A cop is escorting him. However, Bruce has his left arm around his shoulders and they’re both in relatively good moods, similar to how they were in the flashback.]

Harvey: When did you get so optimistic, Mr Gothic McBrooding?

Bruce: Someone has to be. And hey, I had a good teacher.

#i would DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN if somebody drew any of this #the tone of wfa makes a softer happier bruce and harvey friendship story that they desperately need fit so well! #GIVE US THE HURT/COMFORT #but then again #at this point i kind of don’t want wfa to give harvey more focus because they won’t do it like this #featuring: #harvey being a fundamentally good person! #harvey and bruce being best friends and soft with each other! #bruce’s faith in harvey getting rewarded by the end! #two-face also having good intentions and targeting other criminals as a dark mirror to batman with none of the restraint #bruce being a foil to both harvey and two-face with several thematic verbal and visual parallels between them #a tragically hopeful flashback to before the maroni trial! #bruce having guilt and trauma over harvey that makes him especially vulnerable when they clash! #the objectively best two-face suit design of half-black and half-white #harvey and two-face knowing batman so well (without even knowing that he’s bruce) that they can very effectively outwit him #babs as oracle being cooler and doing a better job than bruce (offscreen but still)! #two-face’s hatred of all the robins! #dick’s hatred of him right back! #harvey dent #two-face #bruce wayne #batman #bruce and harvey #batman: wayne family adventures #wayne family adventures #bwfa #wfa

[thesherrinfordfacility]

i know ive had like 16 apoplexies in the last 4 hours but im really raking through the weeds on this one: let's talk ✨angel costumes✨ im going to leave the modern ones alone for a moment, perhaps ill take a look at them later on, but for the moment im essentially going to focus on the job minisode.

so let's go in order of what we would understand is the heaven hierarchy. first up we have lord farquaad gabriel:

key points:

heavy gold collar embellishment

slight gold cuffs

superhero cape

accentuated waistline

purple eyes as per

biggest and Baddest angel around, michael:

key points:

heavy gold collar embellishment

heavier gold cuffs

more noticeable gold makeup accents

my bamf-y bOY:

key points:

(im presuming it might be down to lighting but his costume is noticeably duller on earth, which kinda fits with how his general daily outfit elevates in s1 when he discorporated, but fundamentally retains the same features)

heavy gold collar embellishments

gathered sleeves with heavy gold cuffs

accentuated waistline

snazzy little gather of material on the waist, also embellished in gold

the light of my life, muriel:

key points:

simple gold collar embellishment but embellishment nonetheless

similarly small gold detail on cuffs

some gold makeup accents (i think eyeshadow?)

and these other angels (im going to call them the Sycophant Squad bc why not) in the background:

key points:

similar to muriel; small gold embellishments on collars and cuffs, possibly even less than muriel's, but otherwise unadorned as far as we can tell

(also special shout out that the representation in this show is unparalleled, mad behaviour i love it sm).

so we could attribute aziraphale's costume to him not only being of relatively high rank (when you take into account that there are 10 million angels milling around somewhere) in the GO!angels hierarchy, and to boot he's one of the main characters. but... his angelwear is almost so ornate that it looks like he actually genuinely belongs in the archangel cohort?

ive remarked on it a couple of times but god still seems to be present in heaven in the job narrative compared to 'modern day': The Lighting Change Is Everything. and when you take into account that his costume before the Beginning used to look like this:

the impression i get is that between this point and job, he may have had a promotion? now i get that neil has said before that fashion changes in heaven, but the general themes (however individualistic the costumes are depending on the character) seem to follow the same trend: the more embellishment and detail in their design, the higher the rank.

the above picture of aziraphale and AWCW may well be because it's simply long before job and the fashion was simpler (ie had more important things to do), so i won't double down on it, but i do feel there might be a little something-something there.

in any case, we know that muriel is below the rank of a throne or dominion. neil has said that the angel hierarchy in good omens runs like this, but nothing that explicitly says about thrones or dominions; but from christian angelology (which he said he and terry based their hierarchy iirc, he said in another ask somewhere), they are in the show at least high ranking below seraphim and cherubim, presumably below capital-A-Archangels, and presumably higher than aziraphale, a principality.

neil also alludes in the ask that muriel is one of the lower tiers/choirs; so in this, we have our scales - muriel's dress being the lowest tier, and gabriel's being the highest tier. when we look at aziraphale's dress, it is ornate, and it is Fancy; is this representative of the midpoint in angel attire (ie a principality, more or less), or could it be indicative of a higher rank at the time?

idk where im going with this in particular, but it just seems very strange to me that there would be a two-step system to how the angels dress - that everyone from presumably principality rank and above gets lovely gold things and fancy dress patterns, and then small gold detail but otherwise plain gowns if below a principality. again, might just be that aziraphale is a Main Character, but it's fun to speculate right?✨

#i just want to soak up every last visual cue in this show im OBSESSED #and am avoiding real life work this is way more fun #good omens #flashback meta #aziraphale meta #s2 meta #costume meta #angel hierarchy spec

[revrads]

I had a dream where there’s a FAITH live action Netflix series produced and going to be released on 2025 and it has Hamish Linklater as John Ward and Samantha Sloyan as Amy Martin, then I woke up

#faith game #faith the unholy trinity #midnight mass #john ward #amy martin #hamish linklater #samantha sloyan #seabury's free thoughts #((also Mike Flanagan directing it. Not putting it up there cause he has a tumblr and I'm Ashamed)) #((imagine a live action FAITH series tho that'd be so cool)) #((I stand by what I said- Hamish would make a great John Ward)) #((He's almost the same height and he has those pathetic eyes he's perfect!)) #((FAITH live action limited netflix series where each part is one episode and the title is the Unholy Trinity)) #((Like part 1 is episode 1 and it's titled 'The Daughter' cause Amy)) #((Part 2 is 'The Mother' cause of the flashback and the UNSPEAKABLE being Miriam Bell)) #((Part 3 is 'The Unclean Spirit' cause the cult and all that jazz)) #((Episode 2 is fully rotoscoped cause it's fully a dream sequence. So it's just Hamish but a pixelated little guy)) #((this is visualized mental illness btw don't mind this pls lmao)) #((My film brain kicks in whenever An Idea is out))

[markantonys]

my wheel of time toxic trait (well, one of many) is that i thought the rhuidean columns sequence was boring 😔 although granted, i've only read it the once and it's the kind of thing that's designed to hit better on a reread when you have more context. but i just kinda chuckle whenever i see people mentioning it as one of their favorite scenes in the entire series because all i remember thinking during it is "what the hell is going on? why is this lasting a million pages? i don't care about these randos! mat is DYING!!!"

#please robert if you want me to care about all your painstakingly-crafted World Backstory #you have to wait and give it to me at a better time than IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAIN CHARACTER DYING!!! #it also could be that i have such trouble visualizing wot flashbacks & alternate universe stuff while reading #so i will probably enjoy it much more in a visual medium where you can really SEE the world changing over time as the sequence goes on! #wot #wot book spoilers

[opbackgrounds]

This is the first time in this flashback that we see Kuzan’s eyes, giving us the first glimpse into his humanity and seeing past the fire and destruction reflecting in his glasses as he’s forced to see the truth of the Buster Call, whereas Sakazuki’s eyes stay firmly in shadow until his reappearance during the Marineford arc, symbolizing his continued willful blindness

#opbackgrounds #one piece #ch397 #visual storytelling #Aokiji #flashback shenanigans #~symbolism~ #akainu

[sudriantraveler]

The Ulfstead Trials

Hello everyone. I've got another story here. This time it's about the Ulfstead gang.

An old rival brings Stephen back to his days as a competitor at the Rainhill Trials. Shenanigans ensue!

The Ulfstead Trials

One day, Thomas was sent to Brendam Docks to collect a special for Ulfstead Castle. He was very excited. The Earl was always having new ideas and holding grand events up at the castle, and any special going there was always an exciting surprise.

As Thomas pulled into the docks, Salty was shunting some trucks nearby.

“Good morning Salty” said Thomas, “Do you know where my special is?”

“Ahoy there matey!” greeted Salty, “Cranky’s just unloading him now”.

Thomas was puzzled. “Him?”

At that moment, They heard a voice coming from inside the ship, and then Cranky lifted out a very old and very strange looking engine.

His tall funnel was back to front, and his pistons were pointed up into the air.

“Hey! Easy there Clumsy Hook!” the engine shouted, “I’m a historic machine you’re lifting, not some ordinary crates!”

“Yeah yeah, whatever you say old timer” groaned Cranky,  “I’ve got more work to do besides unloading you. The least you can do is quit complaining”.

With the engine still grumbling, Cranky lowered him onto a flatbed.

“Ah, Finally! Us engines aren’t meant to hang in the air like that”.

Cranky wasn’t listening.

The old engine harrumphed, then looked to see Thomas and Salty staring at him.

“Ah good, some fellow engines at last” he said, “Well now, I suppose we should get introductions out of the way…”

There was an awkward pause before Salty spoke up.

“Er, well, I’m Salty”

“And I’m Thomas… And uh… you are?”

The engine stared at him with disbelief.

“Surely, you know who I am”.

“I’m afraid we don’t matey” said Salty.

“Wha… Do engines today know nothing of history?” the old engine spluttered. “Well, I suppose it has been a long time since I’ve been out of the museum”. 

Alright then!” he continued, “Maybe you don’t recognize me, but surely my name will sound familiar. You can call me Hackworth, although perhaps I’m better known as Sans Pareil!”

He smiled grandly atop his flatbed, but Thomas and Salty just stared blankly at him.

Hackworth scowled.

“Oh come on, nothing, really? Sans Pareil?… French for Without Equal?… One of the top competitors at the Rainhill Trials?”

Thomas and Salty still said nothing.

“Hmph… Forget it” said Hackworth, trying to compose himself, “I suppose one of you is taking me to Ulfstead Castle?”

“Er, uh… y-yes, that would be me” stuttered Thomas, “uh, sorry”.

Soon, Thomas was coupled to the flatbed, and he steamed away out of the docks.

The journey to Ulfstead Castle was very awkward. Neither engine said a word for a long time.

Thomas broke the silence.

“Umm… Now that I think about it… You mentioned the Rainhill Trials. That does sound familiar. Can you tell me what they were?”

Hackworth smiled at that.

“Certainly” he said, “It was back when us steam engines were the latest thing. Brand new, and experimental technology we were. The Rainhill Trials were a competition to see which of us was the best, and I was one of the top contenders there!”

“Oh!” interrupted Thomas, “Now I remember where I heard of it. Stephen told me about the Rainhill Trials!”

“Stephen?” Asked Hackworth, surprised, “As in The Rocket?”

“Yes” replied Thomas, “He was at the Rainhill Trials too. I think he actually won them! He works for the Earl up at the castle now. Do you know him?”

Hackwork scowled.

“Unfortunately I do,” he muttered darkly.

“Huh?” Thomas was taken aback.

“I’ll say no more on the subject” continued Hackworth, “Except that there is a lot you do not know about history”.

Thomas wanted to ask more, but Hackworth’s glare made him decide it was probably best to keep quiet.

Hackworth’s mood did improve however, once they arrived at the Castle and he was unloaded from the flatbed.

He was soon in steam, and sizzling contentedly, when he was interrupted by another engines’ whistle, and a small blue narrow gauge engine drew up alongside.

“Hello” she whistled, “I’m Millie, and you must be Hackworth”.

“Indeed I am” replied Hackworth, “Pleasure to meet you. Finally someone on this island who knows my name”.

At that moment, a distinguished looking man stepped out from Millie’s cab.

“Well it certainly wouldn't be right to not know the name of an engine who I invited to visit”, said the man as he stepped forward.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Robert Norramby, Earl of Sodor”.

“Oh! Well it’s an honor to meet you, your grace” said Hackworth.

“The honor is all mine” said the Earl, “Welcome to Ulfstead Castle! We’re glad to have you here as our special guest for the summer”.

Hackworth beamed. He was, by now, feeling much better.

The Earl continued, “Yes indeed. You and Stephen will be a fine site running around the estate together”.

If the Earl saw Hackworth’s grimace, he didn’t say anything.

“I’m afraid I’ve got to go and make an important phone call” he continued, “But Millie here will be more than happy to show you around the estate herself”.

And with that, the Earl walked off.

“Come along then Hackworth!” called Mille, “Have you ever seen a dinosaur before”.

“A dinosaur?” asked Hackworth, “Well I may be old, but can’t say I’ve ever seen a dinosaur before”.

Millie just chuckled, as she led Hackworth towards the dino park.

It was evening by the time they finished touring the estate. As Millie led Hackworth into the main engine hall, they were met by Glynn the Coffee Pot Engine.

“Hello Mille” he whistled, “Oh, and you must be Hackworth. It’s nice to meet you”.

“Likewise” replied Hackworth. “This is a lovely estate”.

“I’m glad you like it” replied Glynn, “I hear you and Stephen will be working together showing visitors around throughout the summer”.

This time, no one missed Hackworth’s disgruntled frown.

“Alright” he sighed, “Everyone keeps mentioning Stephen. Where is he?”

“Right here!” came a voice.

Wheeshing grandly, Stephen rolled forward out from a cloud of steam, and smiled at the visitor.

Hackworth just grunted. “So… The so-called Rocket now fancies himself King of a castle too”.

“Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far” laughed Stephen, “But I suppose some might say I am the star attraction here”.

Millie and Glynn just rolled their eyes.

Hackworth grew even more stern.

“Typical” he huffed, “All that fame and attention going to your smokebox… And you didn’t earn any of it”.

Stephen frowned.

“Oh, are you still going on about that Hackworth?” He wheeshed, “Come on… We both know I won fair-and-square”.

“You most certainly did not!” replied Hackworth.

“Yes I did!” Shouted Stephen, “And anyways, that was years ago! Why won’t you just let it go already?”

“Why should I let go of you ruining my one big chance to prove myself?! Especially when I know you cheated!”

“I did not!”

“Did too!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Uhm, hold on” cut in Glynn, “But what are you both talking about?”

Hackworth grunted. “You didn’t tell them? Why am I not surprised?”

“There’s nothing to tell,” protested Stephen, “but I can see you’re going to do so anyway”.

“Right you are” began Hackworth.

“1829, The Rainhill Trials. Five of the finest engines in the world at the time, all gathered together in one place”.

“Well… Four engines, and a horse on a treadmill”.

“We were all there for one reason… A test of style, efficiency, speed and power”.

“And I was one of the best! Sans Pareil! Without Equal!”

“I wowed the judges and the audience, and I could have won it all”.

“But then… BANG!”

“My cylinder cracked, and despite being so close to winning… I was out”.

“The others all failed too, leaving The Rocket as the so-called Champion”.

“It was Sabotage! I know it!”

“My crew checked over everything before we began. There was nothing wrong!”

“You did something!” finished Hackworth, enraged.

“I did nothing!” protested Stephen, “What could I have done anyway?!”

“Why don’t you confess and then you can tell us yourself!”

“I have nothing to confess to! You broke down because of bad luck. That or you were just careless!”

“CARELESS?!” Bellowed Hackwork, “Why you… I was the best engine in the world! I’m anything but careless!”

“Yeah right!” Interrupted Stephen, “I beat you then, and I can still beat you today!”

A tense silence fell between the engines.

“Alright then…” smirked Hackworth, “A rematch then… And this time I’ll prove I’m the better engine”.

“You're on!” declared Stephen, “We can have our own Rainhill Trials, right here at the castle!”

“Did someone say Trials?!” Said a voice.

The engines all looked to see the Earl as he practically leapt out the door, and ran excitedly towards them.

“Am I correct in hearing that a challenge has been put forth?” he said.

“Yes indeed sir,” replied Hackworth, “A competition between me and Stephen. Two Rainhill veterans together for a rematch!”

“Uh, Sir…” interrupted Millie, “I don’t think this is such a-”

“Oh, how wonderful!”, declared the Earl.

“Excuse me,” said Glynn, “But, could I join in too?”

“Glynn!” wheeshed Millie.

“What? It sounds like it could be fun”.

“Of course you can join Glynn,” replied the Earl, “Oh, this is so exciting! I’ll go and make the arrangements!”

“Um, Sir… Sir!...” called Millie, “I really think you should reconsi-”

But the Earl had already gone back inside.

Word soon spread of the competition, and people from all over the island came to the castle to see it.

Thomas, Annie and Clarabel, were taking visitors to the castle.

“What on earth is the Earl doing now for so many people to be going to the castle?” asked Annie.

“I feel so full, I feel so full!” complained Clarabel.

“I don’t know what’s going on” said Thomas, “but I guess we’ll soon find out”.

They arrived at the castle to find Stephen, Hackworth and Glynn, all parading around the estate, with crowds of people cheering them on.

“Yes, your eyes do not deceive you!” called Hackworth, “Sans Pareil makes his triumphant return to the rails. Make way for the finest of early railway engineering!”

“Agreed” replied Stephen, “So why don’t you move aside Hackworth, and make way for The Rocket!”

“Oh, Hello everyone” chuckled Glynn, “Thank you all for visiting!”

Millie just sat in a siding out of the way, and groaned in frustration.

“What’s happening here?” asked Thomas.

“Hackworth and Stephen have re-started some silly old rivalry and have dragged the whole castle into it” replied Millie.

“Oh” said Thomas, “Well… at least it looks like everyone else is having fun”.

“Hah!” laughed Millie, “Just you wait. This is not going to end well”.

By now, the three old engines had all lined up. The Earl stepped forward.

“And now for the big event!” He called, “Stephen, Hackworth and Glynn, will all race around the estate! The first one back here is the winner!”

“On your mark!”

“Get set!”

“GO!”

And the three old engines set off as fast as they could…

… Which wasn’t very fast.

In any case, Stephen and Hackworth took the lead, leaving Glynn behind.

But when they reached a set of points, Stephen went one way… and Hackworth went another!

“Hey!” called Stephen, “Where are you going?!”

“Where are you going?” replied Hackworth, “I’m going to win!”

“Oh no you won’t!” 

So when Stephen reached another set of points, he went a different way as well.

This continued for the rest of the race. When Stephen went one way, Hackworth went another…

…And when Hackworth took one line, Stephen wouldn’t follow.

They got so off course that by the time they both reached the finish line, Glynn was there too, and they all crossed the line at the same time.

“Yes! I WON!” called Hackworth.

“No, I won!” protested Stephen.

“Only because you took a shortcut!”

“I only did that because you took a shortcut!”

“Liar!”

“Cheat!”

“OH, MON DIEU!” cried Millie, “Are you two done yet?!”

“No!” insisted Hackworth, “Since we can’t decide who won the race, we need one more challenge to prove who’s the best”.

“I’m game,” said Stephen.

“Oh,” said Glynn, “Well… I suppose one more challenge couldn’t hurt. What do you suggest?”

“A test of strength!” puffed Hackworth, “Whoever can pull the heaviest load, will be the winner!”

“Hah” laughed Stephen, “Easy!”

“Ugh” groaned Millie.

“Well, at least there isn’t anything too heavy here for them to pull” muttered Thomas.

At that moment, Percy pulled in, and whistled for the Earl’s attention.

“Hello Sir!” He called, “Here’s that delivery of stone you asked for”.

“I don’t know what you need all of these heavy stone trucks for,” he commented, “But, you ordered them, and I delivered them!”

Stephen and Hackworth looked at Percy’s stone trucks, and smirked.

Thomas and Millie just glared.

“What?” squeaked Percy.

Soon, Hackworth, Stephen and Glynn, were all lined up for another run around the estate. Each was coupled to an impressive weight of…

… one stone truck each.

The Earl got ready to wave them off.

“Er… Are you sure about this?” he asked.

“Certainly!” insisted Hackworth.

“As sure as I’ve ever been!” puffed Stephen.

“Uh… I’m also here!” said Glynn.

“Well… Alright then”.

“On your mark!”

“Get set!”

“GO!”

And once again, with much puffing of smoke and steam, the three engines started off. Each straining against the weight of their one truck.

Then, just as Hackworth reached the first set of points, there was a jolt and He began heading towards the exit of the estate.

“Hey!” called Stephen, “What are you doing now!”

“Haha! This estate isn’t big enough for our rivalry Stephen!” Laughed Hackworth, “Let’s take this to the Main Line!”

“Get back here!” whistled Stephen, and he chased after Hackworth!

Both engines reached the hill, and quickly began gaining speed.

Stephen rocked and swayed as he chased down the hill after Hackworth.

“This is getting a bit dangerous” he thought, “I’d better slow down a bit”.

Stephen applied his brakes, but the heavy truck pushed him onwards.

“Oh no. HACKWORTH!” he called, “I can’t stop!”

“Aha! So you finally admit I’m the better engine!” replied Hackworth, “Don’t worry Stephen! I’ve got enough brakes for us both!”

So Hackworth applied his brakes… But they didn’t help.

“oh… o-oh NO! HELP! HELP!”

Stephen caught up with Hackworth, and ran into his truck with a bump!

Both engines were now going at a tremendous speed, for real this time!

“WAAAAAAGH!” cried Stephen, as he leaned dangerously to one side.

Hackworth, too, was in danger of coming off the rails.

Both engines reached the bottom of the hill safely, but they were still going much too fast.

The main line junction was just up ahead. Stephen knew it would be busy at this time. If they didn’t stop in time, there could be a terrible crash.

Thinking quickly, Stephen got as close to Hackworth’s truck as he could.

Then, with a well timed bump, his coupling chain swung forward and hooked onto the truck.

“Aha! Got it!”

“Hackworth!” he called, “We need to work together if we’re going to stop in time!”

“What?!” cried Hackworth.

“Just Listen to me! On the count of three, apply your brakes as hard as you can!”

“One!”

“Two!”

“THREE!”

Together, both engines clamped their brakes hard on.

Sparks flew, as their wheels skidded along the line.

The junction was getting closer, and Stephen could see Gordon thundering towards them with the express.

With one final effort Stephen and Hackworth came to a stop.

They were just in time, as Gordon rushed past mere inches in front of Hackworth’s bufferbeam.

“Keep out of my way, Old Timers!” Shouted Gordon, “Express Coming Through!” and he continued off into the distance.

Both Stephen and Hackworth were out of breath.

They were still breathing heavily when they heard a familiar whistle, and Thomas puffed up behind them, carrying the Earl.

“Stephen! Hackworth!” called the Earl, “Are you two alright?”

“Yes sir,” panted Stephen, “we’re fine”.

Hackworth was at a loss for words.

The Earl walked up to him. “What were you thinking Hackworth? Running off down the hill with a heavy load, and having Stephen chase after you?!”

“I… I don’t know Sir. I’m sorry” said Hackworth.

“I should hope so too” said the Earl, “In any case, Thomas here will help you both back up to the castle”.

“Er… Yes Sir!” said Thomas.

So the Earl climbed back aboard, Thomas was coupled up to Stephen and Hackworth, and the cavalcade set off back up the hill.

They reached the castle to find Millie waiting for them.

“Ahem…” she wheeshed, “Well…”

“I know, I know” said Stephen, “We’re sorry Millie”.

“I suppose we took our competition too far” added Hackworth, “We should have listened to you”.

“Yes” said Millie, smugly, “You should have”.

“I guess, no one won the competition,” mused Stephen.

But at that moment, Glynn puffed into view, having almost completed his run around the castle.

“Nearly there” he puffed to himself, “I’ll do it… I’ll do it… I’ll… I’ve done it!... I’ve done it everyone!”

“Well well well” laughed Thomas, “Looks like Glynn won the competition!”

“I suppose he did,” chuckled Hackworth.

“Well done Glynn!” cheered Stephen.

“Yes, well done indeed!” added Hackworth.

Glynn just smiled. Truthfully, he was rather out of puff.

That evening, Millie, Glynn, Stephen and Hackworth, all rolled into the sheds at the castle.

Hackworth spoke up.

“I’m sorry Stephen” he said, “I took things too far. I was wrong, you’re not a liar or a cheater”.

“It’s alright” answered Stephen, “Truthfully, I think I let my own competitiveness get the better of me today. You are a good engine Hackworth, I’m sorry you didn’t get the fame you wanted all those years ago”.

There was a long silence.

Then…

“Still” chuckled Glynn, “It was a fun competition”.

“Oh, yes indeed” grinned Hackworth, “It really brought me back to the Rainhill Trials”.

“If I’m honest, Rainhill was also a bit of a mess” laughed Stephen, “Do you remember the Horse?”

“Hah! How could I forget” replied Hackworth, “I can’t be certain, but I think I remember seeing him leave some dropping in the judges stand”.

“Ha ha ha!” laughed Stephen, “Well, that’s probably what got him disqualified then!”

Glynn couldn’t help but laugh too.

Millie rolled her eyes.

But even she smiled, as the old engines, now old friends, talked long into the night.

The End

#ttte #ttte fanfic #ttte stephen #ttte millie #ttte glynn #ttte sir robert norramby #ttte thomas #I was trying to emulate the Brenner era style a bit when writing this #so try to imagine some of that era of the shows visuals when reading #honestly if this had been an episode of the series I imagine there would've been several background gags with the horse in the flashbacks