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twentiethcenturymoviesandtv · 3 years

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M*A*S*H: Facets of Filmmaking

When it comes to adapting a film, already adapted from a book, into a television series, it seemed like series creator Larry Gelbart had quite the work cut out for him.

Especially considering the difference that lay in the mediums at the time.

Despite the tonal differences that obviously exist between MASH the film and M*A*S*H the television show, early on especially, everyone working on the show realized they owed a debt to Robert Altman’s original film, which provided the setting, style, and characters for them to work from. Despite this, when moving from the big screen to the small, plenty of things had to be changed in order for M*A*S*H to get on the air, and stay there.

For one, it had to have a laugh track.

This made more sense earlier on, when the show was primarily a comedy, but as time went by, the reason for the laugh track (hated by the cast and crew of the show) became more solidified: the studio was afraid that people wouldn’t realize the show was a comedy without it. And that sums up the rest of the differences pretty succinctly.

M*A*S*H was unashamedly a black-comedy political series, one with a target painted squarely on the American military, and it was impossible to miss. As Larry Gelbart put it:

“While the network displayed the typical sort of fears about language and permissiveness to a certain degree, they were always very supportive about the series politically. There was never any attempt to say let’s tone it down in terms of criticizing the military, the government. They knew what we were up to, very quickly, and never challenged that.”

This turned out to be quite a change from the original novel, the writers of whom really disliked the series that turned out to be the most popular version of their story. But while the network might have been alright with the political slant, they weren’t alright with some of the other content.

Early on in the series especially, the laugh track was enforced in all but the OR (Operating Room) scenes, which the network originally didn’t want at all. The blood and gore levels needed to portray an even mildly realistic operating room went above what networks of 1972 were comfortable with at the time. However, eventually, the show won out, not only by having the OR scenes in the first place, (without a laugh track!) but also slowly adding in more blood to add to realism. As time went on, eventually, the laugh track nearly disappeared entirely.

We’ve talked before about the genre switch that occured within the series, roughly between seasons five and six (the beginning of the Winchester era and the end of the Burns era), but while these changes in cast might have been the symptoms, they weren’t the cause.

The swap between comedy with dramatic undertones to drama with comedic undertones was a very simple change, brought about by the departure of joke-writer and series creator Larry Gelbart after season four, the first with new cast members Mike Farrell and Harry Morgan. The change was even further cemented at the end of season five, the last season with Larry Linville, and also the last season with co-creator, Gene Reynolds. With the original comedic foundation gone, and the rhythm of the early season’s fast-paced jokes no longer present, the show had to find a new identity, with new writers, at the start of the Charles Winchester era, after David Odgen Stiers joined the cast to replace Linville.

From season 6 onward, the show was in new hands: the new executive producer, Burt Metcalfe, and cast member Alan Alda, who had been writing episodes as early as season one. Soon enough, the show’s switch to drama was complete, cemented by the departure of Gary Burghoff early in season 8. With a shaken up cast and a shaken-up crew, it’s not really a surprise that M*A*S*H’s tone changed, but it is somewhat of a surprise that it wasn’t a jarring one, remaining consistent with characters and themes previously established in the series.

Another changing factor was the end of the Vietnam war in 1975.

With the war ending and the American focus changing, M*A*S*H’s stories became more character-driven, focusing less on ‘sticking it to the army’ and more on people’s individual stories and lives. At this time, the show started experimenting, working on episodes that weren’t ‘sitcom’ format, such as “Hawkeye”, “Life Time”, “Point of View”, “The Interview”, “A War for All Seasons”, and “Dreams”.

Despite these creative ideas, after over ten seasons, the show was out of steam. By season nine, writers admitted to being out of ideas, forced to accidently recycle plots already used a few times, and Alan Alda attempted to close the series out on season ten, persuaded by the network to extend for one more, shortened season, going out with a bang with the finale film: “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen”, the most-watched television show event in history (exceptions being Super Bowls).

With an ending like that, it’s hard to believe that the beginning was so rough.

Early on, M*A*S*H didn’t do well in ratings. After limping through the first season, writers anticipated the cancellation of the series, before CBS placed the series in a better time slot for the second season, catapulting it into the top ten rated programs of the year. For the remainder of it’s run, it remained in the top twenty shows per year, until ending with the finale, watched by 125 million people across the nation, with plenty of awards won between the pilot and the finale.

Overall, M*A*S*H as a process was a relatively well-oiled machine, surviving cast changes, crew changes, genre swaps, and a perhaps overly-long runtime, all coming together to become one of the most beloved and most acclaimed television shows in American history, gathering 14 Emmys and even receiving an exhibit at the Smithsonian museum. With a tight cast, a talented crew, and a genuinely great, thoughtful, and heartfelt series of stories, M*A*S*H earned its place among the television greats, still iconic to this day.

Join us next time for our final look and personal thoughts on M*A*S*H. Don’t forget to leave a comment for discussions, questions, suggestions, or conversations! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope to see you in the next article.

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svt-junhwan · 3 years

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christmas cookies |

in which | junhwan makes christmas cookies

characters | junhwan miller, veronica miller, wen junhui, xu minghao, boo seungkwan

word count | 1.2k

circa | christmas 2020

“How long do I do this for?” Junhwan asks.

“About five minutes,” his mom responds.

“Oof.”

Junhwan’s mom laughs, “It would be about two if you had an electric mixer but...”

“We must press onward,” Junhwan says seriously, continuing to aggressively whisk the sugar and softened sticks of butter together.

Wanting to do something more than buying presents for his members, Junhwan set out to make Christmas cookies for them the night before Christmas Day. He’s using the recipe his late grandmother made rather than any store-bought mix. It isn’t his first time making cookies from scratch, but it is his first time doing it on his own. Although, technically, he isn’t alone as his mother is on FaceTime with him helping him along.

Eventually, the first two ingredients are well-combined.

“Alright, next it says to add the eggs and vanilla and almond extracts,” Junhwan reads from the file his mom had sent him.

“Yep,” his mother agrees.

After the remaining wet ingredients are incorporated, Junhwan mixes in the flour and baking soda with a few helpful tips along the way that have been passed down through generations of Miller women.

“And... chill for an hour,” Junhwan reads once he has flattened the dough into the right thickness on two separate cookie sheets.

“Or freeze for thirty minutes,” his mom adds helpfully.

“Okay.”

Junhwan slides the two cookies sheets into the freezer carefully. He washes his hands then picks up his phone, heading back to his room to wait.

“Thanks, mom.”

“You’re welcome,” she says. “But isn’t it a bit late to be baking there?”

Junhwan glances at the time in the top corner of his phone. 10:13.

“Not terribly.”

“Isn’t it 9- no, 10:13?”

“I’m trying to be a good friend, mother.”

His mom laughs, “You don’t need to make cookies to prove that, Adam.”

“Well, here we are.”

“Yes. Here we are.”

Junhwan flops onto his bed with a sigh. Between practices and awards shows and yearend shows and practices for awards shows and yearend shows, this is the only free time he’s gotten in the past few days. This is the primary reason Junhwan has been completely uninterrupted in the kitchen when normally his members would be in and out; they’re all asleep or very tired.

“You’re sleeping enough?” Junhwan’s mother asks.

“Yeah... maybe not consecutively but when I can.”

His mom hums unhappily.

“Hey, it’s not entirely my fault; we’ve been extra busy during awards shows season.”

“You work hard enough, Adam,” his mother tells him, “You have to look after yourself, too.”

“I am,” Junhwan insists.

His mother looks at him through the phone as if trying to detect any falsities behind his words. Whether it’s the lack of any or the distance between them, she finds none.

“Alright,” she relents. “But I can speak Korean pretty well now. I can go to more than just Joshua or Vernon for checkups now.”

“Mom, I’m an adult.”

“But you will always be my son. It’s my job to worry about you.”

Junhwan gets the warm feeling he always gets when his mom reminds him of her love for him, as though regardless of what anyone else thinks, he will always have at least one person in his corner. He smiles.

“Merry Christmas, mom.”

“Merry Christmas, Adam. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you more.”

Junhwan waits in the kitchen diligently as his cookies bake. He’s a little too nervous for a bad outcome to let himself become distracted by his phone as he waits; he was warned it won’t take long for them to burn as they’re so thin. His timer goes off and he quickly opens the oven to check on the cookies.

He takes them out quickly and starts removing them from the cookie sheets to cool. There are around forty cookies on two trays waiting to be iced. He opts to remain in the kitchen as they cool, ignoring the way tiredness pulls at the back of his mind. He sits in a kitchen chair and opens his current book.

A few chapters later, he gets up and checks the residual heat in his cookies. He’s only just begun icing them when the first figure slips into the kitchen.

“What’re you making?”

Junhwan looks up and finds Jun entering the kitchen, obviously having just woken up. A quick glance at the clock tells him it’s ten past eleven.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Junhwan asks, continuing to ice.

“No,” Jun lies.

As Jun reaches for one of the few already iced cookies, Minghao appears and tugs him back.

“Let the kid finish before you destroy his hard work.”

“Sorry, dad.”

“I am younger than you.”

“Then act like it.”

“Maybe you should act more mature.”

“Nah, I’m good.”

Junhwan chuckles at the two Chinese boys’ bickering.

A fourth boy enters the kitchen, Seungkwan.

“Speaking of immature,” Minghao says.

Seungkwan freezes in place, “I breathed.”

The boys laugh quietly, doing their best to remain quiet for the still sleeping members in the dorm. Junhwan feels guilty, knowing he woke the other three up despite their attempts at denying it. They stay in the kitchen with him, talking softly amongst themselves as he finishes frosting his cookies. He’s not a very talented baker, even less so when is comes to decorating, so he does a simple pattern of three lines crossed in the center of each cookie. Soon, he finishes.

“Okay,” he says quietly, gaining the others’ attention. “Try one.”

Jun reaches for one first, biting off one of the snowflake’s arms. He chews a few times then stops, silent and face purposely blank. Junhwan watches his reaction and his face falls.

“Are they bad?”

Jun doesn’t respond.

Minghao quickly wraps an arm around Junhwan’s waist, taking his comfort on as his responsibility.

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Minghao says.

Seungkwan picks up a cookie as well, taking a bite similar to Jun’s. Seungkwan barely gets through his second chew before stopping, jaw opening in his mouth as though his tongue is trying to get away from the taste.

Junhwan immediately feels horrible, “I-I’m sorry! I just thought I’d do something nice but I didn’t think they’d be that bad. I’m sorry-“

Junhwan is cut off as Jun and Seungkwan fall into laughter, still doing their best to remain quiet which only makes them laugh harder. Junhwan blinks at them in confusion for a moment before it clicks. He groans and sinks to the floor in embarrassment; he’s so gullible.

“You two are so mean!” Minghao halfheartedly scolds them, fighting back laughter of his own.

“God, you looked so- so- I don’t know!” Jun laughs.

“Like a puppy who got told no,” Seungkwan suggests.

“Yes!”

Another wave of laughter comes and this time, Minghao joins them. Junhwan lies down completely on the kitchen floor.

“One day, I’m going to die are you’re going to have to live with the fact that you bullied me since I was thirteen,” he tells them.

“I can live with that,” Seungkwan says with minor consideration.

“Same,” Jun agrees, popping the rest of his cookie in his mouth.

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where-theres-smoak-2 · 3 years

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Riverdale 5x11-5x14

So I might have fallen behind a bit with Riverdale and have only now just caught up with the new episodes post break. I decided writing reviews for each episode was going to take too much time and to be honest I don’t have too much to say so I’m just going to do a quick run down of what I thought of the episodes and then go back to single episode reviews from 5x15 onwards. Overall I’m not overly impressed with the episodes, I feel like the season started out really good but as its gone on its just kind of lost its way and I don’t know if that is covid related and all the breaks but I haven’t enjoyed the episodes as much post like episode 8, though I liked ep 10 better than episode 9. But anyway lets get into the reviews. As always these are just my own opinions and there will be spoilers.

5x11

So the episode starts off with Veronica and Archie deciding to put a pause on their relationship until her and Chad are officially divorced which I personally think they should have done from the start because the way they got back together was way to fast, I mean she told Chad she wanted a divorce, kissed Archie and was sleeping with him, then she goes back to new york and sleeps with chad all in the space of like 2 episodes. Though I think given their scene at the end when Veronica is pushing a little for him to change his mind I don’t think she is as much on board with their pause as Archie. I will be honest I’m not really enjoying the way they’ve written Veronica this season I actually think they’ve made her kind of unlikable at times and she sometimes comes across a bit selfish I also feel like they don’t really know what to do with her character anymore. But I am glad Veronica and Archie have decided to take the break however I also think it might be a bit ominous for Varchie that they’ve done this now which I’ll get into more in a separate post.

Ok this might be a little mean of me but I was kind of happy when Archie called out Veronica when she came to him for help about her blue opal. About how she went to new york despite him asking her not to and about how she then came back without a divorce and having slept with her husband and not even telling him why she can’t divorce him just yet. But Archie is still Archie so naturally he does help her anyway.

Speaking of Veronica’s blue opal I did find it kind of hilarious that she seemed to care more about that then she did her father’s life. But you know fair.

Archie isn’t the only one Veronica asks for help though she also gets assistance from Reggie and we learn more about how he ended up working for Hiram, turns out his father is still running for the worst dad of eternity award and got into debt that Reggie is now working off. I did like the Veggie scenes though and I am really glad that reggie is getting more screen time.

This episode was an episode for the return of the side characters, Dodger and Darla are back and causing problems as per usual. Also there was that guy, Doc, Jughead was saved by who we heard about once in a story Jughead told about how as a kid he watched a guy being beat by some rich guys. To be honest I wasn’t all that interested in Jughead’s storyline this episode. I mean is that something that actually happens? Rich guys just randomly beating up homeless people like they did with Juggie and Doc. I’m not saying it doesn’t I just thought it was a bit nonsensical for these guys just to come out of a club and start beating up a guy just because. Still bless Doc for coming to the rescue and taking care of Jughead, I did like Doc and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again. But another thing that didn’t make sense to me is that Jughead didn’t recognise Doc. Like he was old enough to remember this traumatic experience of watching a guy get beat and feeling guilty about not helping but doesn’t recognise the guy until he gives Juggie his name. Yet Doc was able to recognise Jughead even though the last time he saw him was a child? Overall I am not sure what the point of Jughead’s storyline was this episode other than to maybe show how messed up he is at the moment with the blackouts and hallucinations, I suppose it was also so he could reach the realisation that he needed to go back to new york and work out what happened to him when he lost those days. He does leave a really sweet voicemail for tabitha before he goes though and promises to finish their dance.

The best part of this episode though was the storyline with Tabitha and Betty, also Jessica, and their search for Jughead. I really liked the interaction between Betty and Tabitha and I like that they are becoming friends. Tabitha was obviously really worried about Jughead. But Betty, wow, she couldn’t be less bothered about Jughead could she. I mean after hearing the voicemail he left for her I can understand why Betty is reluctant to get involved with anything to do with Jughead because that voicemail was yikes. I mean Betty did cheat and that clearly hurt Jughead so I am not saying that Betty is entirely blameless but I would expect the voicemail was still a shock as it had been five years since she had cheated and we know from the most recent episode (ep 14) that she and Juggie were amicable with each other and would talk on the phone so this probably came out of nowhere for her. However Betty is Betty and so she still helps. Which ultimately leads to Jessica showing up and I know we are suppose to hate Jessica but, like, I love Jessica. I was thoroughly entertained by her antics and thought she was actually kind of funny. She’s another character where I wouldn’t mind if she just randomly pops up and causes some trouble now and again. In the end as suspected Jessica is actually there for ulterior motives and wants Jughead’s manuscript. I actually really felt for her when she explained that she wanted it because she was afraid Jughead had written something that would look bad to her family and friends. It’s the same as how the serpents were upset about how he wrote them in the outcasts and how he threatens Betty saying once people read his books they’ll all know what kind of person she really is. I’ve spoken about it before but Jughead often uses his friends and others peoples stories in his writing and I am glad that the writers of the show are now showing the effect that has on the people who are the subjects of his writing. That being said I am worried that might not be the true reason Jessica took the manuscript and its possible she might actually try to publish it herself. Also it was kind of funny seeing Betty and Tabitha on the shrooms but, not ok Jessica, don’t drug people.

Archie was rounding up all the convicts this episode and to be honest I don’t really have much to say about this other than I thought it was really smart to use this as a way of getting money out of Hiram so they can repair the school that Hiram had trashed.

Meanwhile Penelope has started a ministry which means she gets early release from prison. Also I absolutely loved the expressions of cheryl and nana rose when Penelope told them about the ministry. I am glad that Cheryl at first was very wary of her mothers plans as oppose to just immediately going along with it, but alas she does get roped in to it when she opens a chest and finds Jason’s burned skeleton inside. I mean can we please please just let that poor guy rest in piece. Please. At this point poor Jason has been stuffed in a freezer, dumped in a river, buried and exhumed twice, set on fire in a viking burial and now he is stuffed in a trunk. Also I am a bit confused. Was Cheryl snooping in her mother’s room and discovered Jason’s remains there or was it her room and she was the one that had recovered him? But anywhere Cheryl seems to have a revelation when she sees the bird and ends up embracing the ministry life.

5x12

So episode twelve is kind of like the breakfast club episode where it is out of the timeline and kind of like a standalone episode but still has information about the plot of the season. This episode is the backstory of Hiram but we also get some great Reggie development in this episode. I didn’t hate the episode as much as I thought I was going to when I found out there was going to be a hiram backstory episode, but I also don’t think it was very accurate in terms of what we already knew from previous episodes. I think there were a lot of continuity errors. But those aside it was a ok episode. We learn that Hiram and his dad were shoe polishers and that Hiram clearly hated the way they were treated because they were poor and wanted more from life. We also learn that it was his father who first began searching for palladium after learning about it from a business man in new york and that’s why they decided to move to Riverdale. Hiram’s motives are to finish what his father started. Hiram catches the attention of a drug dealer guy and starts running drugs and gets money and new shoes and a car. His parents are obvious suspicious and aren’t happy about him getting caught up with those guys so his dad goes to tell the mob leader that he will fire his son or he’ll go to the cops which leads to him being killed by the mob leader. Hiram then kills the mob leader’s men and pretty much drives him out of town and then he takes over. Hiram clearly loved his dad but they had issues. Hiram would get very angry about the way others would treat them but his dad would often shrug it off. But I do think losing his dad had a big impact on Hiram and it was interesting to learn more about his past.

The other kind of plot in this episode was with Reggie and his dad which was obviously suppose to mirror Hiram and his dad. Only in this scenario Hiram is the criminal and Reggie is young Hiram. Reggie manages to pay off his dad debt but wants to still work for Hiram meanwhile his dad wants Reggie to quit working for Hiram. He even like Hiram’s father did in the past visits Hiram and asks him to let Reggie go. What’s interesting is that Hiram does, I am assuming its because in that moment Reggie’s father reminded him of his own father and he kind of forces Reggie into making the decision he himself wished he had made. But first he gets Reggie’s and Hermosa’s help in finding and killing the mob boss finally avenging his father’s death. Hiram also tells Reggie to go back to his father and forgive him and here is my problem with this. I get that its because Hiram regrets all the disagreements and the falling out he had with his own father and there’s Reggie and he reminds Hiram of his younger self and Reggie’s situation reminds him of his past but Hiram’s dad was a decent person and was a good father who always wanted the best for his son. Reggie’s dad on the other hand used to regularly abuse and beat his son. Yes he does show concern for Reggie in this episode but that doesn’t erase the years of abuse he inflicted on his son. It’s not the same and I honestly don’t think his father deserves Reggie’s forgiveness. That being said I suppose if Reggie is forgiving his dad not for his dad’s sake but for himself because he thinks that will help him heal and move on that I can be ok with that.

Come the end of the episode I don’t think I hate Hiram any less but still his backstory was interesting and I am glad that Reggie isn’t working with him anymore.

5x13

Out of all of these four episodes this one was the one I liked the most. So in this section I am going to divide it by plotline/characters.

Archie

So the episode starts out really intensely with Archie having a nightmare about his time at war and Eric losing his leg which honestly looks horrendous and I am not at all surprised that both Archie and Eric are now suffering from PTSD. It gets a bit dangerous too when Eric pulls a gun on Archie whilst having a flashback. Uncle Frank tries to help them by getting them a dog. As someone who actually has a therapy dog myself I know this is something that does actually help. But we do learn that sadly Vegas passed away whilst Archie was deployed. Also the dog Frank got is one that was used in dog fighting and ends up biting Eric. Archie’s reaction to finding out that there is dog fighting ring in Riverdale is to track them down and beat them up. I do think Archie was really struggling this episode, he was trying to get help for Eric but it is obvious that he himself also needs help. I actually really related to Archie and Eric struggling to get help for their mental health because it is something I have gone through myself and it can be really frustrating and can make you feel kind of helpless and I actually think they did a good job of showing that, which considering its Riverdale I was pleasantly surprised by. We also learn some more about Archie’s time in the war when he tells Frank the story about Bingo. At first he tells us that Bingo was a stray dog that their unit adopted who got caught in no man’s land. It is actually a rather harrowing scene where you see Archie and Eric in the trenches and Eric is badly hurt and you can hear this dog yelping in the background. It’s even more harrowing when you learn that actually Bingo wasn’t a dog but one of the soldiers in their unit. I feel like Archie changed it to being a dog to deal with the trauma of it all but when Eric tells Frank the truth and he then asks Archie about it Archie really has to confront what actually happened and that loss and grief of losing his friend in such a brutal way. Its obvious that Archie also feels responsible because he was put in that awful position of having to choose between saving Eric or saving Bingo he feels like because of the choice he made Bingo died. Despite what Frank said about not being able to save everyone I think he thought he could save them both and its really eating him up that he ‘let’ Bingo die. I also think that’s why he is so focussed on saving the town because he thinks it’s a way of making amends for not being able to save his men. I do think it was really sweet that Frank and Eric organised the dog rehoming thing to help Archie get some of his hopeful spirit back and show him that there are still some good people out there. They also decide to name their new dog Bingo in honour of their friend which is also kind of sweet. But I do still think Archie has a long way to go in his recovery as by the end of the episode we see him have a nightmare and then a hallucination of bingo but he does at least admit to the therapist that calls him that whilst he was calling on behalf of his friend he too needs help. I mean I am glad that he is going to try to get some help but I am still worried for Archie given what happens in ep 14 which I’ll talk about more in the section for that episode. Also we got that little Barchie crumb of the light shining through his window, a lit window in the dark.

Betty and Tabitha

So Betty and Tabitha have been working together to try and find the truck killer and whilst trying to get information out of a trucker Glen pops up and we find out that he has been arresting the girls working the lonely highway. I mean there is a killer out there and these girls are their victims, they are struggling to make ends meet and have been forced into this kind of work and Glen instead of focussing on catching the killer is arresting them, yup I agree with Betty, girl should’ve stabbed him harder. We also learn that Betty apparently quit the FBI and did I miss that because I don’t remember her quitting? I remember Glen took over the case and moved it out of Riverdale but I don’t remember her quitting altogether. But anyway Glen then takes her badge and gun which I guess is fair if she has quit and isn’t an agent anymore but at least Betty is actually trying to catch the killer unlike Glen who is clearly not. Watch it turn out to be him that is the truck killer, go on Riverdale I dare you. Despite being warned off by Glen Betty and Tabitha are still determined to put a stop to the murders and so decide to hold a coyote ugly night. I actually thought this was a really clever way of getting information and creating a database. In order to get entry to the venue all truckers have to show their ID and give their licence registration. am a big supporter of characters acting smart so I did like that plan. Also I love the coyote ugly movie (don’t judge me) so extra win there. I also like that the plan did incorporate alot of the characters. One thing I have been enjoying this season is that they are mixing up who is interacting with who. You had Alice working the bar, the girls dancing to keep the truckers entertained whilst Reggie and Kev searched the vans. Though I do have a question when they find the blood in the back of the truck and Betty says her and Reggie and Kevin are with the FBI where did they get those FBI jackets from? Are they just easy to come by like part of a Halloween costume or something? There is another thing that I thought was funny and that was that Betty makes it clear that no one is to go off alone with a trucker and yet at the end of the episode she does exactly that and it just so happens to be the killer who comes at her with a chainsaw of all things which was a little ott in my opinion but this is Riverdale so I suppose what was I suspecting. But at least Betty manages to capture him and she does the sensible thing and turns him over to the proper authorities, or no wait what was I thinking of course she doesn’t this is Riverdale so she’s just going to question him herself. Come one you all know it wouldn’t be as entertaining if she just handed him over to the FBI.

Veronica and Reggie

I really liked the storyline of Veggie working together in season 3 so I was really happy to see them working together again and I really enjoyed their scenes. I just think they work really well as a team. They also come up with a really great idea for getting investors whilst also getting one up on old Hiram. Obviously Reggie knows alot about what is going on with Soldale and knows that houses will never be built there. So they phone Hiram’s investors and tell them this little rumour that Soldale is a bad investment and convinces them to invest with them instead. This was actually another smart move by the characters so again I support it. And anything that ruins Hiram’s day is a win to me.

Cheryl and Kevin

Kevin after a little encouragement from Cheryl after she finds him cruising again decides to talk it out with Fangs but unfortunately for him and the viewers we fins out that Kangs ahs moved on...with Moose? I mean I feel for Kev its also upsetting to find out your ex has moved on I imagine it is even worse when your ex has moved on with your other ex. Kevin then also has a bit of a inner crisis when he receives a teacher of the year award and realises that this is not at all where he was expecting his life to be. He had dreamed of being in new york, writing and directing instead he is still in Riverdale and he’s still cruising and unlucky in love. Cheryl’s solution to all of Kevin’s problems is to invite him to join her cult, sorry ministry. At first Kevin is reluctant and not really interested but is finally brought around with the temptation of a musical number. So yup Kevin has joined Cheryl as a believer. Now I am going to surprise myself here and say I am actually interested to see where they take this and where this story with Cheryl and Kevin goes because from the promo pics and what not it looks like they are going to be taking over as leaders of the ministry. I don’t think this is at all a healthy copying mechanism for either of them though and I hope they do get actual real help soonish.

5x14

This was a weird episode and was kind of told in the style of the night gallery show episodes where Cheryl invites Minerva over and shows her three paintings and then tells her the story behind each. So again I am going to split this part in the three storylines we get told.

Archie

The first one is a painting of Archie as a miner, the portrait itself hilariously did remind me of the cover of a bad romance novel but the story itself wasn’t too bad actually I think out of the three I found his the most interesting. It does give us some more information about the shows plot for this season, pardon about one of this seasons plots. Cheryl has finally discovered that their is palladium under her maple groves and has the genius idea of digging it up before Hiram does. Like seriously why didn’t anyone think of this earlier? I mean it also ties into that long forgotten plot from the beginning of the series that Cheryl is indebt after spending seven years renovating her home. I am assuming she wants the palladium to cover those debts. So naturally she hires Archie and his construction crew to mine it for her because everyone knows that construction and mining are basically the same thing right? Though I did think it was really funny when Cheryl pointed out that Archie so far has been teacher, coach, fireman and bounty hunter. At least the show is aware of its own ridiculousness. So Archie and the boys decide to mine for the Palladium but whilst down there Archie has more hallucinations about Bingo. We also see Archie in therapy and we find out that Eric is also getting help and this actually does seem to be helping Eric which is good. Whilst initially it looks like things are improving for Archie he then gets a really bad reaction when down in the mines and becomes very paranoid which results in him storming into the therapists office and behaving very erratically accusing her of drugging him and working against her which clearly frightens her. When everyone else in the mines also then starts hallucinating Frank realises that there is carbon monoxide down there and that is what is causing the visions and for everyone to start acting aggressively. Surprisingly this is actually an accurate representation of what can happen with high exposure to carbon monoxide and we do love us some accuracy. However it does lead to one of the most frustrating scenes in the episode when Archie goes back to the therapist and begs her not to cut him lose explaining about the carbon monoxide and about how he is now seeing not just Bingo but all the men he lost. The therapist tells Archie that she is afraid to be around him and that if he is having hallucinations to that level that she doesn’t think he is safe to be around anyone. Like what kind of therapist is this. This is not what a therapist would do. If she was afraid to be alone with him then refer him to another therapist and if you are worried he’s a danger to others than admit him to a psychiatric hospital where he can safely get help. This therapist just kind of washed her hands of it and said not my problem. But this has left me feeling really worried about Archie and I do feel like he might end up going really dark and spiralling.

I do think that the gas could actually be leaking into the town from the mines though. I was thinking about it when watching the episodes but alot of the characters are having hallucinations and visions of some kind and at first it seems like it is related to that characters trauma but now I am starting to wonder if it is actually because of the gas. It could also explain the Mothmen hallucinations too. Speaking of the Mothmen they got a mention in this episode that made me happy. When taking a lunch break Fangs tells the story about how some of the truckers used to be miners and they tell stories about humanoid cannibalistic creatures that lived underground. Why does this make me happy you may ask well because I have been predicted since the beginning of the season that at some point all the the storylines will converge and I am hoping that come the end of the season we will get a big team up with all the characters. Previously we have had Betty’s storyline with the highway killer being linked to Jughead’s storyline of the mothmen and now we’ve just had the link between Archie’s storyline and Betty and Jughead’s. Which means I am one step closer to my big team up.

Jughead

So Jughead’s storyline was my least favourite out the three. We have finally learned the truth, the big mystery of what happened to Jughead that caused him to lose three days of his life. He was in a hole. Yup that’s it he just fell in a hole, got rabies and then hallucinated a rat king. Underwhelming is the best way I can describe what I thought of that. There were so many great theories out there on what could have happened that caused Jughead to have this trauma so bad that he literally mentally blocked it out and what we got instead was just that he got upset that Betty, who he broke up with five years ago, didn’t come to his book launch so he got drunk and fell into the sewers. I kind of feel like with them bringing back the voicemail, with him saying betty was the one that lead him out of the dark, that they are kind of making it all Betty’s fault, like she is the reason for his trauma and all his problems and if she just pays him some attention it’ll all be magically fixed and almost like its her responsibility to save him and I am not sure I like that. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying that your girlfriend cheating on you with your best friend wouldn’t do a number on you, but it is all about Betty when Archie betrayed him too. Like where is Jughead being cut up about the fact that Archie who was like a brother to him kissed his girlfriend? I don’t know maybe its just me but I am finding it a little one sided. I also think it shows how unhealthy his relationship with betty has become. I think if it gets to the point where you can’t function without a person then that’s not good and that’s not healthy and again maybe it is just me but I don’t see that as romantic which I am not sure if they are trying to play it off that way or not. I did feel really bad for Juggie though when he talks about how even though he disappeared into the dark for three days no one missed him and that he felt really alone. I do think maybe that’s more where his trauma comes from and I kind of wish the writers had developed that more rather than having it again be solely about Betty. Like if we had seen him reaching out to several people and inviting them to his book launch, like a text to his dad, a phone call to his sister or mum, reaching out to Archie or Veronica and then all of them making excuses about how they are busy and can’t come. Then have him invite betty and her say yes at first and you see him relieved because he has someone coming. Then have her cancel and him spiral. I just think it would have had a bigger impact. Instead, and maybe this is a bit harsh, but it came off as him just being some drunk who can’t get over his ex ad kind of like with Veronica I kind of feel like the writers are making the characters unlikeable. And to make it clear my problem here is with the writing not the actual characters themselves but to me they’ve at times made veronica seem unlikeable like when she sleeps with Chad, Jughead with the voicemail to Betty, Betty with her not seeming to care at all about Jughead, Archie with him sleeping with Betty and then after stopping that getting right with Veronica the next day. I don’t know if its just that they are trying to keep the core four separate for some reason? But it just seems a bit off, I know I said I wanted more varying interactions between the characters but I didn’t mean at the expense of the core four relationships. But maybe they are trying to show how it can take time to reconnect with old friends when you’ve been away from each other for a long time?

Anyway back to Jughead the other thing that was a little bit annoying for me was that the timeline was a little confusing. When Jughead is telling the story it seems like it all happened in like a year but its not its spread out over the seven years he was gone. We know that the voicemail was 2 years ago so putting it at five years into the time jump and that was the night he fell into the sinkhole. But in the story it seems like its only a few days later that Archie called when actually it would have been two years after Juggie fell in a deep dark hole. But then I suppose a confusing timeline is peak Riverdale so. But yeah I did find it made his story a bit confusing which was frustrating.

However Jughead does seem a bit more optimistic come the end of his story and I think hopefully things are going to start getting better for him I hope he does get some support from his friends though like Tabitha and Archie, I also hope he clears the air with Betty. Just so he isn’t feeling so isolated and alone.

Betty

So the last story is Betty trying to find out where Polly is from the trucker serial killer that she has chained up in her shop class at high school. Again not much to say about this. I thought it was smart to use Alice as a way to emotionally manipulate the killer and to make Polly seem human to him so he’ll tell them where she is. This does backfire however and we end up with that ridiculous scene where Alice tells Betty then as her mother she is giving her permission to kill him. Alice honey I’m not sure but my mum said it was ok is going to hold up too well in a court of law. Betty decided instead to see if she can scare him into telling her the truth. So she threatens him with some pretty dark stuff, saying she will cut off his feet, then his legs and the knees then the groin. Then his wrists and that he might have a heart attack at that point, but that she reckons he is stronger than that and that she has some tricks up her sleeve. Which is really dark betty really dark. Then when she is collecting a chainsaw she ahs a flashback and we find out that this is what TBK said to her which somehow makes it even scarier and worse, I really need Betty to talk to someone about this asap because just like I am with Archie, I am worried about where she is heading. We never find out whether she was actually going to go through with cutting up the trucker because when she gets back he has bitten off his own tongue and swallowed it so he would choke. Betty does figure out though that they are dealing with a family of killers who are hunting their victims.

Phew ok so that is all of the episodes that I missed. I know I complained alot in this review so apologies for that. To end on a positive note I am very excited for the next episode as we are going to be getting the pussycats back so I am hoping for a good episode.

#riverdale #riverdale spoilers #Riverdale Review #anti varchie #anti bughead #just in case

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fashournalist · 3 years

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After finishing Reply 1988, I still haven't watched anything else on Netflix. I tried Reply 1997, but it looks like I won't watch the fourth episode onwards (we'll see if I'll get back to this someday, though)

But today, two new things excite me. The part two of Lupin (I imagine this can be a good show to watch for FRCH10 students) and the original Filipino anime Trese! I'm not an otaku, but I remember what our animation prof in UPLB said five years ago. There are many talented animators in the Philippines, if only they'll be given the chance to showcase their talent to the rest of the world. (case in point, Inside Out)

I'm excited to watch Trese because aside from it's created by Filipinos, its trailer gives me Devilman Crybaby vibes. And I did love that show!

Next week, Elite Season 4 is about to be released! With four historias breves before the actual temporada. Here for Nuzman and Omander!

Beyond Evil, the Baeksang Arts Awards Best Drama winner of the year, is about to be released as well and I look forward to that, too.

And with all these, guess I'll be back on Netflix after a watching break 😅

#netflix #watchlist #lupin #trese #elite

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invminor · 3 years

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𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄: viktor antonievich vasylenko

𝐀𝐆𝐄: thirty-one, 29 December 1929

𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄: vladivostok, russian SFSR

𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: pianist for the bolshoi ballet

Viktor waited for the liquor to warm him throughout before he approached the bench. It was the only way he felt just brave enough short of stupid to lift the cover, dance his fingers over the keys. They were still so stiff – his fingers. He’d warmed them and cooled them, made fists and extended them fully, and they still wouldn’t always act on command. A smarter man, with more of a spine, might have blamed his father. He was, after all, the one who put the bottle through Viktor’s hand – no matter what the fever dreams and self-hatred said in the late, or early hours. No, Viktor had fashioned the resentment into an albatross of his own, hanging limp and heavy from his neck.

His fingers ghosted over the keys, soft and hesitant, like meeting a lover after so many months apart. And that’s what this was – wasn’t it? His first love: music, the piano, story through song. A whole world in percussion, the soft tap against taut string. Viktor loved women – and men, when he was feeling bold – but nothing so much as he loved the piano. Carefully, his fingers formed chords over the keys, but he withheld from pressing down. Silence could be many things: dangerous, suffocating. Tonight it was precious, a precipice Viktor stepped towards and curled his toes over. He had not touched a piano in months – more months than the space when his mother died. Nothing scared him more than the thought of sitting here, sheet music opened, unable to even run a scale.

With tender, aching hands, Viktor began to play.

Trigger warnings for: implied suicide, car accidents, violence and drug abuse

Viktor is born at the edge of the world. That is to say, he’s born in the last few breaths of the year, on the eastern most fingertip of the Soviet Union’s outstretched hand. He’s born screaming, and largely stays that way, a fussy child from the early hours onward. He hasn’t yet learned what that means for him, the son of a military man and school teacher. What it means to grow sideways, bent like a houseplant, in a home of strict rules and steady voices.

It’s not all quiet and somber silence, though it often feels that way. In the dark hours, when Viktor is tucked into bed and his door firmly shut, his mother indulges. In music, mostly – operas and concertos, Soviet and Western. Often in these moments she will rifle through her books, read herself to sleep. Viktor, for his part, is lulled near nightly by the gentle whispers of instruments he doesn’t yet know the name for.

He asks one evening, when his father is away and his mother has dusted off the record player in the last few minutes of waning daylight. He peers over her shoulder as she rifles through the records, musing softly to herself. When the music is playing, a glass of something dark and forbidden is in his mother’s hand, Viktor grows brave and asks what the music is. Where it came from, who wrote it, what it means. In the hours of indulgence, Viktor’s mother gives him this, too: music and theater and opera, symphony and art and stories. Very late one night, she cracks open the ancient upright sagging in the corner, brings her son’s small hands to the ivory keys, and neither acknowledge the way Viktor’s father huffs from the smokey kitchen.

When Vitkor is 12, the music cuts short. A car accident, the authorities say on the snowy doorstep, Viktor once again peeking over his father’s broad shoulders. Dangerous conditions, nothing to be done. Later, Viktor will wonder if driving down a road his mother had come through a thousand times could be an accident, if the way she kissed him in the morning, held him a beat too long, could be anything except goodbye. The funeral is a somber, silent affair. The upright gets older, untouched; the records packed away, the player sold.

Viktor pulls his first trigger not four months later, behind the house facing the dense wood. His fingers are shaking of cold and hunger and mostly nerves, but his face is cool and impassive as his father’s. He misses every can, bowl, and bottle, and stays out past dark, until he finally he hears the first, victorious ding.

They strike a silent bargain, the remaining Vasylenkos: Viktor continues his shooting practice, and he may be permitted to learn music in school. The upright goes untouched, the home a memorial to music. But in the daylight, surrounded in cinderblock, Viktor learns to play. His fingers are clumsy and undisciplined – he is, after all, still a terrible shot. The music is not like his mother’s, not beautiful or wonderful; no story to it. Not yet.

You see, it’s a hard thing to shake Viktor from something he’s set his mind to. He is not so married to the military lifestyle, but it is a means to an end. And so as he graduates from minuets and sonatinas, advances towards concertos and preludes, so too does he drag his marksmanship behind him, like cans banging behind his bumper. Like water coming to a boil, Viktor bursts through concerts and competitions. His father remains unconvinced, even in the faces of awards and accomplishments, newspaper articles and photographers at the front door. It’s not an honorable career, the arts, not nearly so much as the military, so much as serving your country.

Viktor comes home late, one evening, smelling of celebration and liquor and women. He forgets, for a moment, how quiet the house is at night, and promptly shatters the silence. His father’s been drinking, too, see – and neither of them can quite keep their words to themselves. Tensions are rising with Japan, his father says, they’ll need new boots and guns in the coming months. Not again, sighs Viktor, haven’t they done this already? He has a real shot at a career, at leaving for Leningrad, making great music, making his mother proud.

He doesn’t quite remember how the bottle went through his hand. Perhaps his hand went through the bottle? He remembers the neck of it his father’s fist, knuckles white, and then the bloody mess on the floor, Viktor’s skin in ribbons, red on the tile.

There’s a finality to the quiet, now; less a blanket and more a death shroud. Viktor’s hand is shattered, and his prospects. Money grows thin in their pockets, food stale and scarce in the cupboards. It’s then, in the hazy hours of the night, sluggish from rage and pain, that Viktor hears the music. Not his own, the jagged unfinished compositions or imitations of others far greater than him. He hears his mother’s music, drifting up and under the cracks of his bedroom door. It’s impossible, of course. The records are gone, the upright salvaged for parts. Still, Viktor falls asleep to the smell of amber drink and the final notes of Winter in Four Seasons.

Except, the music never quite stops. It slows and quiets, or hastens and grows louder, but no, it never goes quiet again. Viktor was not one to believe in ghosts, and yet. More than once he’d come downstairs in the night, eyes clouded with sleep, expecting to see – well, not his mother, but the evidence of her. A glass on the end table, stained with lipstick. Her books, long gone, spread out on the floor.

It is certainly a strange type of haunting, one that follows Viktor through the months of painful healing. He doesn’t speak much, almost afraid of what might come out of him if he does. He must be mostly music now, if not half a ghost. With no way to let it out, Viktor has let it fill him up, let it threaten to swallow him whole. He goes mad his last night before he leaves for Leningrad – a position in the concert hall, not particularly glamorous, but promised by a pitying former colleague – turns his whole room on its head. It doesn’t help; nothing seems to.

The first days in Leningrad are filled with cleaning stages and instruments. It’s mindless, thankless work, but it lines his pockets. Practice, in the quiet hours, is slow and unsteady. Viktor’s fingers ache before an hour is through. Ice baths help, and the medicine helps more, but it will be months before he can play a full piece in one go.

It’s a close thing, surrender. Viktor has done it many times in his life – mostly to his father. It’s close again, as his hands fail him and his job cuts at him each day. Victories are small, but precious. A full sonatina. A spare conversation with the first violinist. Slowly, the path begins to right itself. Viktor has spent almost two year in Leningrad before he is once again seated at a piano before a crowd. He’s never had to audition for a job position, not in Vladivostok, and now he feels he might faint under the lights. Pianist, for the Bolshoi? How could he begin to think such a thing, let alone believe it.

The job is his, but not without consequences. He moves to Moscow. There’s constant pain following him like a second unwelcome ghost. The doctors write him prescriptions, more with each week, but it only seems to numb the rest of him, dull him to the simple ache of living but not the failures of his father’s affection – no matter how many Viktor swallows in one go. Beneath the pain, there is a flicker of something new and unfamiliar. Something uncomfortable, strange, but not entirely unwanted.

#deux:intro #yes i copied taryn and v #absolutely shamelessly

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croookvillin · 4 years

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This was from an rp yes I’m extra but no I will not make my rps shorter *TomTord* ( half monster Tom btw)

The dead leaves crunched under the heavy weight of his feet as he ran.

The world was silent, the only real noise reaching up to his ears was the constant pounding of his heart and the swooshing of the wind passing by him.

Tom didn’t dare look back, but either way, he knew no one would be able to reach him at this rate; and even through gritted teeth and short bursts of breathes, he continued to run straight ahead into the open, grassy fields.

He didn’t know where exactly he was headed to, but his body and mind both cried at him to continue, to continue to zoom past the giant nicotine-brown trees blocking the way, and to continue on through the throbbing, searing pain of his legs as they urged him to stop.

The eyeless Brit did not alter the quickness of his pace, even as the branches distorted looking into twisted limbs and reached out for him, trying to keep him away from his goal that even he was not certain what it was. Tom didn’t let them slow him down, and he cut and clawed anything in his path, tearing down twigs and other things to clear his way onward.

And then he came to an abrupt descend, his legs pressing harshly down onto the ground as to not accident swing him forward harshly onto the ground. Tom extending his arms out beside him, trying his best to restore his balance and ground himself onto the solid dirt.

The voices had long since came to an abrupt decease, and only now Tom was left alone with his jumbled thoughts as he recollected his breath.

He took in a long breathe through his nose, enjoying the sweet smell of fresh air and crisp waters as the sound rattled in his ears.

The water constantly pounded onto the rocks below, only to be silenced as it joined the rest of the stream ahead. The bliss pool at the bottom was varnish clear, and dozens of trees surrounding around, almost as if shielding away the beauty from the world; and Tom found himself removing the rest of his shambles he still called clothing as his eyeless eyes focused entirely on the beauty infront of him.

The water below seemed to call out to him in its soothing waves, and the flowers scattering around nodded their heads through the wind in agreement.

Tom could not deny them.

After removing the last piece of clothing from his body, (you know already ain’t no explaining needed) the Brit let his instincts overcome as he raced forward, ignoring the pain of his legs again as he launched his upper body forward and dived into the clear waters.

——-

“Thomas!” He’d called out again for what was the hundredth time that night. (Bro imagine though he’s living his best life and Tord gotta be looking for him smh.)

The grey eyed male continued to trek forward, still making sure to follow the path of the deep set tracks that lead into the dark forest ahead. The trees were still bared and naked from their usual mint green leaves, and Tord was thankful for the winter season still in motion that now allowed him more view ahead.

Still, he couldn’t deny the creepiness of it all as he stalked forward, his head raised and held high as he stepped a tentative foot into the unlit forest.

The naked trees were practically staring him down like silent sentries, and Tord took that as a silent threat as he continued. He wouldn’t let a handful of scary looking trees halt him from his ongoing search for the stupid Brit.

He continues to walk ahead, making sure to keep a sharp eye out, not wanting to risk getting spooked by anything secretly popping out at the most unnecessary times; but still making sure to check if Tom was nearby. His tracks stated otherwise though, since they seemed to stretch on towards the farthest north side downwards. The trees in the forest loomed over him, and during the day, Tord would have found it quite relaxing as the shielded him from the violent UV rays of the sun, but now, in the middle of the night with not even the stars guiding him, the Norski found it rather terrifying.

His heart raced, and he took a couple minutes to recollect thoughts from the rising panic.

Oh how his anxiety could be such a dick, and making him see things that aren’t even there to begin with. And if he wasn’t scared of Tom, then really-he had no excuse to be afraid of anything else.

So he marches onwards, his guard on high and the silence deafening to his ears.

Tord was leery about the whole situation, more so now that he had zero means of self defense. He tried hard not to breath in so much, as the musty air surrounding him made it almost painful to breath in, and luckily for him, the tracks were coming to an abrupt end, and Tord could faintly make out the sound or running water somewhere nearby.

He followed the sound, trying to make out whether it was all real and not just some hallucinations. The sound was more distinct every time he got closer. A waterfall.

The Norwegian picked up his legs and ran, his pace quickening with every step he took. His vibrantly red shoes hit the earthy ground with loud thumps, his heart quickening its pace as the tracks finally ended up ahead.

Tord gasped, the sight alone enough to blow the rest of his breath away as he stood in awe.

It was loud enough to get even Tom’s attention, who was busy showering himself in the clear waters underneath. His ears perked up, and stopped splashing the water around him as he swung his head around to stare Tord right into his blazing grey eyes.

He looked beyond pissed now.

“Are you fucking kidding me!? I have been going through this scary ass forest and looking for your over exaggerating ass-while you, deeming yourself worthy of some form of award, have been bathing here this whole time!?” He stepped closer with every complaint, his face reddening out of anger as he waved his hands around in gesturing motions. “I always have to be the big person in the group! Always! You never care about MY feelings, and you never care to ask how I am! Even before in highschool, you abandoned me like I was some sort of toy for your entertainment! Like I wasn’t good enough for you anymore-even when I had put myself through hell and back!” Tord took in a sharp inhale through his nose, “I know I’ve always stated ‘Put yourself in someone else’s shoes’ and even as I’ve done so, I still don’t understand why you’re such a dick to me! I always got the shorter end of the stick from you, and you never seem to even be bothered by it-always acting like we’ve never even been best friends before! Like everyone else matters except for me!” His lower lip quivered a fraction, and the Norwegian tried to man through the tears of rage that threatened to descend downwards, “And here I am! Slaving myself for you and your selfish needs and I always end up labeled as the bad guy! You know what Thomas! I’m so-!”

His ongoing rambling speech was cut to a halt as he felt something, a claw like hand tug at his ankle. Tord doesn’t even get a chance to cuss the other out before he’s being pulled and dragged into the water underneath his feet. He’d unknowingly stepped so close to Tom that he practically almost submerged himself into water.

Tom lets out a roaring laugh, the water splashing around his face and wetting his hair a bit. He keeps a hold on the Norwegians armpits and hoist him back up, not wanting to accidentally drown the poor man to death.

The Norwegian raised his head, his chin just barely above the surface of the water as he stared at Tom with full blown panic. His strawberry blonde hair plastered flatly onto his head, and Tom was able to now see the full length of it. It went down gracefully past his shoulders, and he had the urge to twirl one of the strands around his finger-if he could of course.

Tord tried to blink away the beads of water that had collected onto his long lashes, his mouth slightly agape as he gasped for short spurts of air.

His clothes were weighing him down and Tom’s clawed hands are the only thing keeping him from accidentally sinking downwards.

The Norski had barely let himself fully recollect himself before he’s pulling away, his wet brows furrowing again in rage, “Hva er galt med deg!”

Tom seriously had no idea what he’d said, but he pulls the other back forcefully.

“I couldn’t find another way to keep you quiet.” The Brit starts, before shushing the other and continuing with what he was saying, “-look Tord,” god it felt weird using his first name and not something snarky, “..I know we haven’t been on the best terms, but I care about you. I know I’ve been the biggest douche bag to you, but I always hated how I felt around you. How you of all people made me feel something others could not. It’s why I pushed you away, because I just didn’t want to get attached and risk getting my feelings hurt in the process. I was scared you leave like the rest, and even more now that you know the darkest parts about me. So if I pushed you away, I wouldn’t be so upset if you up and left because it was my doing.”

He carries the Norwegian back to shore, setting him down onto the dirt as he kept a bit of space between them.

Tord doesn’t say anything at first, he just kind of looks around before he’s letting his entire body slam into the ground behind him.

And then he’s laughing aswell, his stomach bouncing slightly as let’s the laughter bubble out of him.

The laughter soon dies down, and the Norwegian continues to lay there with his arms extending at his sides, the now moist dirt stinking to his clothes. “I always thought I did something wrong. That maybe I just wasn’t amusing enough for you. But this, this is rich.” He whispered out, grinning from ear to ear as he peeled open his eyes.

Now he was finally able to get a better look at the sky, for the stars were in fact out tonight, and they scattered like white paint over a black canvas. It was a sight, a beautiful sight that always had Tord gushing like a hopeless romantic.

The full moon looks like a giant cheese ball, he notes, as he props his elbows onto the dirt and heaves himself up. (God he’s a fatass)

Tom hadn’t said anything after that, but he did in fact, continue to stare at Tord the whole time. Their eyes met again, and the Brits ears perked up a bit unknowingly as his roommate softly smiled.

The Norwegian raised an arm above his head as he pulled the hem of his signature hoodie upwards, trying to pry away the clothing that clung tightly to his skin.

The eyeless Brit could only watch as the other undressed himself, tossing the red hoodie carelessly to his right as he made move to remove his grey shirt. Tom decided to look away, instead staring a bit too hardly at the water that cascaded down onto the marbled stones.

“I’m not a female. You didn’t have to look away.” Tord’s voice reasoned, laughing lightly again as he stood up to unbuckle his pants. “How’s the water?” He asks, shimmying out of his way too tight dark black skinny jeans.

“It’s nice..”

“Make room for two.” Tord stated simply, tossing his clothes carelessly to the side.

Tom hated to admit,

But he smiled so hard when he heard the splashing of water right behind him.

#ew tomtord

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icedteaandoldlace · 4 years

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So I’ve been doing some Flash season 1 re-watching, and two things:

Seeing Tom as Reverse-Flash-As-Dr.-Wells again after seeing him as all the other different versions of Wells is a whole new kind of trippy. Like, watching the show in chronological order and seeing how many different personalities he can play is fun, but from the introduction of the Council of Wells and onward, it’s like Harrison Wells in general goes from being a Team Flash staple to being a seasonal gimmick. H.R. was the last Wells that the team really got emotionally attached to, and as a result, the audience is less invested in all the Wells that came after him, so the rest end up feeling like the show’s equivalent of one of those ceramic lawn geese that you change out costumes on. So going back and seeing Tom play the villain-posing-as-the-mentor again after all the wildly different but still equally quirky characters he’s played just reminded me how damn versatile he really is.

I started watching The Flash entirely for Grant, so I didn’t pay enough attention to Carlos the first time until about halfway through the first season. Now that I am a big time Cisco fan, I’m paying more attention to him, and Good Night, he’s really been killing it since day one. He doesn’t get a single line or closeup in the scene from Plastique where O.G. Team Flash is all watching the news interview with General Eiling, but he still gives a dedicated performance in the background, having Cisco holding back tears because he’s watching the guy who murdered his crush get away with it. He's seriously an AMAZING actor, and he deserves all the awards.

#Tom Cavanagh #Carlos Valdes #The Flash

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rika-kihira · 4 years

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Rika Kihira - Athlete Conditioning Magazine interview

Rika Kihira Interview from Athlete Conditioning Magazine (taken during the off season, before FS Season 2019-2020 )

Q: In the 1st senior season, you got amazing results. The length of time for a program is longer than in the junior era, there is also the addition of one more technical element inside the program. There was also the change of it being a longer season. What kind of thoughts do you have?

R: In September 2018 I won Ondrej Nepela Trophy in Slovakia, my 1st competition of the season, but since Japan Nationals (2nd place) ended until the end of the season in April 2019 I felt really exhausted. Compared to Jr, Sr period of competition is longer. In such a long period of time, it was the first time I kept competing continuously, so I didn’t understand how I should adjust properly to match with the competition, it was really hard to maintain my condition and my motivation. Before Worlds 2019 in March held at Saitama Super Arena, there was some adjustment in order to get myself used to new boots. After Worlds there was also WTT held in April (Japan got 2nd place), I felt like I had used all the strength that was left in me, I never experienced something like this sensation before. But using this experience, I want to try my best in putting forth my energy until the end of this season.

Q: In the middle of such exhausting feelings, it was a surprise that you managed to update SP score into World record score of 83.97 points while attending WTT. So in order to display good performances continuously, it is essential to adjust the condition. What are the things you are paying attention to regarding your meal and sleep?

R: I am calculating the calories in my meals everyday. Nutritional balance is important. Protein is a must, but I also pay attention to eat fruits and vegetables which consist of many vitamins. And then before morning and noon practice I consume carbohydrates. If I don’t eat properly I won’t be able to exert my energy because of the feeling of an empty stomach, that is what my condition will become. About sleep, I am managing it with a smartphone application. I understand the difference in my physical condition during the times I had enough sleep and the times I didn’t, so I use it as a reference. Everyday, I am keeping notes of what I am doing and I came to understand what kind of condition came (from the activity), so managing my condition has also became fun.

Q: So it is important to know things you experienced with your body, like for example, what kind of condition it will be when you do a certain amount of exercise?

R: Indeed. There are times when I can’t do the personal training my trainer gave to me, so on off days I do body care and muscle training by myself. I am adjusting so my condition will not fluctuate by much. I keep it as a habit to maintain a stable condition as possible.

Q: Not only competition, I think you also go to training camp overseas, are there things you pay attention to in your trip where the body condition easily changes?

R: It is cold inside the airplane and it is easy to catch a cold there, so I prepare mask and blanket. Before, I had to compete in a competition when I caught a cold. I thought, I don’t want to experience the same thing twice so from that time onward I am especially careful of that. Inside the plane the air is also dry so it’s easy to get a sore throat, so I am paying attention to drink water frequently. After that, I do light stretching a few times. My senses on the next day are different depending on whether I do it or not, so I am doing all the things I could do.

Q: In order to compete at the top level of the world, working on elements with high difficulty level at practice is a must, but no matter what it is hard to avoid struggling with injury. In order to compete in the season there’s no possibility of long-term total recuperation, there is also the need to do training and injury treatment at the same time. The schedule in off season is also pretty busy with performing in ice shows and training. It is necessary to care for light injuries so it will not turn into worse injury. At the final stage of the last junior season (2017-2018 season), on January 2018 you suffered a bone fracture on your left ring finger, in your senior debut season, in February 2019, while experiencing dislocation in the same place, as Kihira who even managed to get good results, we wonder what kind of care you are doing daily. Mostly we wanted to ask about (Conditioning) and (Self-Care), but normally what kind of self-care are you doing?

R: In order to compete until the end of season, I definitely must not get a heavy injury. Consulting my own body condition, I am going to practice like usual while thinking about the next thing. I must not get injured on the next day by overdoing it. But just by resting the circumstance will end up resulting as me being unable to put forth my strength in competition. So I think it is important to keep a tight line of balance (between the two). On a regular basis while doing stretching, if there was a little bit of pain, I use a small type of ultrasonic theraphy medical equipment to treat it and then go to practice, I am taking care of it.

Q: This medical theraphy equipment, since when you are using it and on what occasion?

R: At the time I had a bone fracture in my left hand, in January 2018, I came to use ultrasonic medical theraphy equipment in order to make recovery time faster on the bone. I heard other athletes are also using it. Not only bones, it can also make the pain from straining loose muscles go away. Especially for the part around the ankle and above. As the effect of fixing the skate boots, after the jumps, it is easy to feel pain after the landings, but it’s painful when I tried to ease the tension by myself, and there is also the possibility of inflicting unnecessary pain, so I am caring for the parts that I feel are painful by using ultrasound medical equipment. I am also using the other one for my knees. They are small and easy to be carried around so it’s convenient. I am using it daily when I feel pain at practice.

Q: Are there ways to refresh your mentality aspect?

R: When I become tired I feel irritated, in that condition challenging and practicing end up losing their meaning so I find things to turn into positive feelings and face the practice. To switch over my feelings I listen to music many times. Before the performance I listen to the music I use for my programs. When I am doing stretching and warm up, during my movements I am relaxing by listening to songs that are not related to my program.

Last season, Kihira, who competed until the end in the first senior season, was rewarded with the 2018 JOC Newcomer Award, succeeding brilliantly in her senior debut. Starting this autumn she will challenge her 2nd senior year. In October she will compete in a 3-team competition, Japan Open, held at the Saitama Super Arena. In the GP Series she will compete in the 2nd competition, Skate Canada, and the 6th competition, NHK Trophy. Her new SP for this season is Breakfast in Baghdag, a song with a rithmical melody. She went to Shae-lynn Bourne who also managed (Seimei) the free skate program performed by Yuzuru hanyu (ANA) at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where he acquired a gold medal. For the FP she went to Tom Dickson for choreo. Song with mysterious melody (O Virtus Sapientae ). In competition, with hard level of jumps and subtle expressions, she will show an evolving program. Lastly, we asked about her resolution for the future.

Q: In 2019-2020 season, your 2nd senior season, you have stated about challenging quad jumps, but what about conditioning to adjust your presentation?

R: Now there are a lot of ice shows in the weekends where I perform my exhibition program, but Monday to Tuesday I am practicing my new FP program and quad training. Regarding jumps, I am including 3A in ice shows, the percentage of success is improving. I am also adding the quad jump in my training camp in America, and I’m also including it at ice show practices, so I have good confidence. It is still in early condition to include in competitions yet, but overall senses from jumps are better than last season. Both the SP and FP are programs with more difficult presentation than last season, but if I can do the jumps and the presentation properly in practice, I am sure I can improve. In order to get used to new programs, I am doing runthrough with song in practice as much as possible. I came to understand how to match the timing to catch my breath with the song interval, I felt that energy to skate the program thoroughly is improving. That is why, even in the off-season, like now, when I practice for ice shows for 45 minutes practice I put it on four times. And so on, assertively doing runthrough with song while practicing.

Q: Looks like you are doing adjustment very well, I am looking forward to it. Is it what it means by doing preparation from making good use of the experiments from last season?

R: Now I am able to work on various tasks, but if the season is approaching, I must go on while matching my condition with the competition, that is the difficult part. But I think surely I can use my experience from last season, I want to aim to perform the best program in any kind of situation by adjusting. Last season I had good results in early GP Series (winning NHK, IDF, and GPF). This season also, I want to get better points than last year by performing my program properly since the beginning. If I can do that, it will become the motivation to do my best until the end of the season and my confidence. By gaining self-confidence I want to rise to the podium at Worlds Championship in the end.

Q: In the world of ladies figure skating in Japan, Shizuka Arakawa shone brightly in Torino Winter Olympics achieving the gold medal, and various athletes appearing one after another in some numbers. Kihira-senshu, what kind of skater do you aim to be?

R: I want to be a skater who is able to show my best real ability in the biggest competition with a tense atmosphere. Also, not only jumps, but spins, steps and presentation, I want to be a skater who can do all of it.

Q: Lastly, please tell us your goal for the future

R: Winning Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is a dream I have been thinking on from long time ago. To speak of there are some athletes who (are aiming for the 1st place and managed to rise to the podium), if I set my goal less than achieving the 3rd place medal I might end up with 5th or 6th place, so I have the goal to be the winner at the highest place. However if I end up with injury, only that will turn it into a really difficult goal that cannot be realized. I want to fulfill my own dream.

#rika kihira #season: 2019-2020 #translation #interview #Interviews #translations

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greatdaysoutuk · 4 years

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Where must you experience with your dog in the North East?

Northumberland is home to some must visit spots for dog-lovers, and we have collated a short list of cafes, restaurants and listed manor houses to relax and enjoy some quality time with loved ones and furry friends, for the perfect staycation or days out.

The North East also has a lot to offer in terms of nature, and the region has an award-winning array of natural landscapes which celebrate this…

Hog’s Head Inn

If you’re looking for a dog friendly hotel in Alnwick, this traditional spot was recently a silver award winner in the North East England Tourism Awards.

Both the pub and restaurant of this hotel is appropriately named after Hogsmeade from Harry Potter. It is the perfect place to reside whilst you explore everything the town has to offer, including the nearby Alnwick Castle Gardens or the town square. With 53 spacious en-suite bedrooms couples, families and well- behaved pooches to explore England’s most northern National Park.

The Kingslodge Inn

This spot has a really rustic cottage feel to it, complete with foliage decorating the exterior walls. This Durham bed and breakfast is still very much within the confines of the flaneur-esque sleepy streets of the city centre with plenty of Durham restaurants and pubs to enjoy.

The semi-concealed retreat allows dogs and their owners to saunter back and enjoy a night’s rest after a day of exploring the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site of Durham Cathedral and Castle. Serving up homely but restaurant standard pub grub, with an impressive selection of local ales and wines for the connoisseurs out there.

Beamish

Beamish offers a unique historical experience and it is a firm favourite with North East natives, plus it is the perfect place to discover how life was before we all relied on mobile phones! You and your dog can stroll through one of Britain’s most visited open “living museums”, finding out about the rich history of the area and its surroundings. A fictional yet functioning town, with a pub, sweet shop and bakery amongst others, visitors and their pets can experience first-hand what life was like in the North East over a hundred years ago.

The Tyne Bar

This quayside pub is a focal point on the Ouseburn valley and it has been since it opened in the 90’s, revolutionising the cultural atmosphere of the area. With an impressive selection of beers, local ales and spirits, it’s a great place to sit amongst the laid-back atmosphere and watch the sunset over the river with their free live music events on a Friday blasting out from under the bridge.

Seaton Lane Inn

This spot makes a perfect base for exploring County Durham and Seaham, nestled a short distance away from Lord Byron’s Walk and only five minutes in a car from the coast. It boasts some seriously impressive food credentials, including the Inn’s famous Sunday dinners which can be enjoyed in their recently refurbished quirky, bohemian interior. It’s known as one of the best places to eat in Seaham!

Wylam Brewery

There is a lot of hype surrounding Wylam Brewery, home to a range of interesting ales and a variety of events such as ‘Battle of the Burger’ and ‘Celebration of Disco’. Don’t let its name put you off – it isn’t the loud, pungent brewery you’re probably thinking of. The eye-catching dome-topped Grand Hall lets streams of natural light shine down onto the many ale taps Wylam is locally known for, such as the infamous Jakehead IPA. Your dog will enjoy the vast grounds, and you can take your pick from numerous street food vans parked up on the grounds.

The Battlesteads

This building was originally a farmstead, and it has been around or centuries., it was recently converted into a Northumbrian Inn, with a secret garden and conservatory for the sunnier months. Flying the flag for the greenest hotel in Northumberland, being the first hotel to install a carbon neutral heating system. Nestled in the sleepy village of Wark, this is a great location to explore the surrounding Hadrian’s Wall area.

Riley’s fish shack

This venue has really soared in both popularity and quality in recent years, and Riley’s Fish Shack is a must-visit if you want to sample some street-food inspired fish dishes. The shack is busy all year round, even in winter, with the help of blankets and heaters, with a canopy sheltering from the rain. As soon as you venture down the steps from the main road, the mouth-watering smell of seared sea food grilled in the wood-fire oven will entice you in.

Eshott Hall

Northumberland won UK Holiday Destination of the Year in 2017, and rightly so: since then, more tourists have spent time uncovering its underrated natural beauty. Eshott Hall fits neatly within the themes of nature and heritage, concealed behind trees and claimed by ivy. The manor house has maintained its Grade II Listed status with its professionalism and grandeur hospitality, where dog owners can bring along their furry loved ones to meander the grounds.

Barter Books

Book worms rejoice! A roaring fire in the winter, a homely café churning out all the seasonal goods from paninis to the nations favourite sausage and mash, as well as a perpetual pot of coffee brewing in the foyer. Dog’s can wander freely between the aisles curiously sniffing the pungent aromas from the first editions of the 19th century onwards, whilst their owners debate which of Hemingway’s poems was his best.

The Salt House Kitchen

The Salt House Kitchen is a reflective mirror of the beach it sits opposite, and its namesake is inspired by the area’s rich history. The beach that it overlooks is where locals used to extract salt from the sea water and dissolve it in salt kitchens. Its canine enthusiasm is so prominent that they’ve even conjured up a menu just for dogs, so their pleading eyes and whimpers will not be in vain. Their outdoor area is designated solely for dogs, so best to bring a jacket in the colder months, as the open sea air can get quite nippy!

The Commissioners Quay Inn

You simply can’t miss this building, the Commissioners Quay Inn is the centerpiece of Blyth’s historic quayside functions as an impressive pub, restaurant and bed and breakfast that sits snugly on Blyth’s historic quay area. With beautiful views of the marina and out towards the sea, you can wake up to the sound of the morning waves from your own personal balcony. If you’re looking to explore the town of Blyth, the Inn allows easy access to all local shops and pubs, despite itself being on the edge of the town’s perimeter.

#dog walks #explore #uk #Great Days Out #Adventure

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doctorwhonews · 4 years

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Black Archive - Update

Latest from the news site: The latest edition of The Black Archive looks at the 1970 Third Doctor story The Silurians. The story raises issues of land rights, the 1970s energy crisis, technological innovation, animal experimentation and the role of the military. Science is presented as the solution to many of the problems, but terrible acts result from the morality of the choices made by both humans and Silurians – and an exiled Time Lord. The book is written by Robert Smith? (the question mark is part of his name), a mathematician, writer and editor. He is an award-winning professor of disease modelling at the University of Ottawa in Canada. The Black Archive is Obverse Books’ series of critical monographs about individual Doctor Who stories. The range has recently acquired a new editor. Paul Driscoll, known to readers as the author of previous Black Archives on The God Complex and Doctor Who (1996), as well as for his work with fiction imprint Altrix Books. He will join Philip Purser-Hallard and Paul Simpson as joint editor of the series. He begins his work this year, on books to be published from 2021 onwards. The first six Black Archive titles for 2021 have now been announced. Paul Driscoll himself will examine Richard Curtis’ 11th Doctor episode Vincent and the Doctor, while long-serving Black Archivists Jon Arnold and Simon Bucher-Jones look respectively at 1970s staples Invasion of the Dinosaurs and The Hand of Fear. New authors Andrew Orton and Billy Seguire will be writing on 1976’s The Deadly Assassinand 2005’s Dalek respectively. Theologian James F McGrath, editor of the academic essay collections Religion in Science Fiction and Time and Relative Dimensions in Faith, will be exploring the 13th Doctor’s first season finale, The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos. The rest of 2021 will bring further releases, some of which will particularly please fans of the fifth Doctor, who so far has been rather underrepresented in the range. In other news, while the catalogue of titles for 2020 remains the same, unforeseen circumstances behind the scenes mean that two forthcoming Black Archives will be delayed. James Cooray Smith's book on The Underwater Menace and Jonathan Dennis’ on Vengeance on Varos will now be published in April 2020, alongside William Shaw’s Black Archive on The Rings of Akhaten. The current schedule for 2020-21 is therefore as follows: * January 2020 – The Black Archive #39: The Silurians by Robert Smith? * April 2020 – The Black Archive #40: The Underwater Menace by James Cooray Smith * April 2020 – The Black Archive #41: Vengeance on Varos by Jonathan Dennis * April 2020 – The Black Archive #42: The Rings of Akhaten by William Shaw * May 2020 – The Black Archive #43: The Robots of Death by Fiona Moore * June 2020 – The Black Archive #44: The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang by Philip Bates * July 2020 – The Black Archive #45: The Unquiet Dead by Erin Horáková * August 2020 – The Black Archive #46: The Awakening by David Evans-Powell * September 2020 – The Black Archive #47: The Stones of Blood by Katrin Thier * October 2020 – The Black Archive #48: The Tenth Planet by Michael Seely * November 2020 – The Black Archive #49: Arachnids in the UK by Sam Maleski * December 2020 – The Black Archive #50: The Day of the Doctor by Alasdair Stuart * December 2020 – The Black Archive #50A: The Night of the Doctor by James Cooray Smith * January 2021 – The Black Archive #51: The Deadly Assassin by Andrew Orton * February 2021 – The Black Archive #52: The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos by James F McGrath * March 2021 – The Black Archive #53: The Hand of Fear by Simon Bucher-Jones * April 2021 – The Black Archive #54: Dalek by Billy Seguire * May 2021 – The Black Archive #55: Invasion of the Dinosaurs by Jon Arnold * June 2021 – The Black Archive #56: Vincent and the Doctor by Paul Driscoll Doctor Who News http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2020/01/black-archive-update.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

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cat-scarr · 5 years

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The Significance of Ben’s Characterization in Season 3 of Alien Force Onwards

There has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding Ben’s characterization in season 3 of Alien Force onward. Ben is criticized for downgrading as a character, and just generally being written much worse than he was in the previous two seasons. Although there is definitely a shift in the way his character is presented, I would like to go over the why - aside from the writers’ decision to make him “more like his ten year old self”, which seems to be what the majority conclude his later characterization to. My point is not to defend everything the writers decide to do with his character, I only want to defend my favourite character by trying to understand where Ben himself would have been coming from since these events are still canon and true to his story.

This “new attitude” begins to be apparent in the episode “Vengeance of Vilgax.” I would argue this is the beginning of Ben’s “hero” identity really becoming a permanent aspect of his immediate life since he has obviously gained quite a large amount of notoriety from Alien Force’s seasons 1-2 concluding with establishing peace between the Highbreed and the rest of the Universe in “War of the Worlds.”

I mean, when did he even get all of this?!

Being “Ben 10″ the “superhero” has become kind of a big deal at this point in his life. Not that he was unheard of before, but, like I said, this “title” is now much more permanent since he has proved that he is capable enough to stop, not only a war, but a xenocidal mass murder of every species in the Universe along with the Highbreed. And that this was ultimately done without resorting to complete violence, which is why I would say it is more important that peace was established between races rather than “a war was stopped.”

Just to give Ben the credit he deserves, everyone depended on him to come up with a solution. To put this into perspective, all the pressure is on a fifteen year old to think of a way to stop an alien invasion which intends to commit alien genocide.

Even Azmuth, who is very intelligent and probably has an even better understanding of what the Omnitrix can do than Ben, ended up saying “all is lost, they are too powerful to fight.”

Ben realized that fighting the Highbreed to the death was not a solution because it promotes death on one side of the battle. It was more important to establish peace because that way, nobody “loses.” Everyone can continue to live - a hero’s job is to save lives.

Furthermore, as we were shown throughout Seasons 1-2, this kind of work starts to become increasingly prevalent in his life. In other words, it starts to become his whole world. And as you might guess, that takes up a lot of his time. I'd say the amount of time he spends fighting aliens only increases the longer he does it.

Being a “superhero” is a 24/7 job. There is no “schedule.”

So even if he values the work he does and likes his job, doesn't that mean he has less time for himself?

You might say that this kind of rationalization is selfish since Ben chose to do this work out of selflessness. But, does choosing to do work which involves putting your own life on the line mean one must also sacrifice their own individual private identity?

Does he automatically becomes only a an “alien superhero” and no longer has the right to be a human?

In “Vengeance of Vilgax”, Ben is late for a mission with Gwen and Kevin because he was immersed in his free time, watching TV and being awarded another metal.

On a separate note, Gwen and Kevin had an unusually hard time taking down Ssserpent. They should be powerful enough to do that in less than the hour they claimed to be fighting him for before Ben finally showed up. That only proves that Ben is the reason they win half the time - he really is the most powerful. This could have been because they were inexperienced with Ssseprent, but even so Ssserpent shouldn't be that hard to defeat because they absolutely have more than enough experience fighting much more dangerous offenders. Ben didn't even put that much effort into stopping him so that probably aggravated them even more.

This is where his "arrogant" attitude comes in. Although I can see how his attitude would be taken as arrogant, I believe the bigger issue moving forward is a lack of caution when Ben is confident in his abilities. Which, in the given circumstances, he has the logical right to have. Anybody who has access to as much power as Ben does would realize how capable they are and in turn develop a level of confidence. The problem with this is that fact that it might lead them to either underestimating their opponent or overestimating their chances of being successful. Realizing one’s own strength can be both a blessing and a curse.

Later in the same episode, Kevin brings up the idea to hack the Omnitrix, and because neither Ben nor Kevin seem to have much caution going into this operation, it backfires on them. Hacking the Omnitrix was a bad idea with even worse consequences. But, this was not just done out of stupidity. They were about to go up against Vilgax - who they haven’t seen since “Secret of the Omnitrix” and is now allegedly much more powerful. Keep in mind, Vilgax probably showed up again due to word of Ben 10′s recent success spreading across the Galaxy. Vilgax prepared himself to fight Ben 10 and end him.

They knew that they would need the best the Omnitrix could offer to take him on successfully. They had a justified reason, but it was absolutely still a bad idea.

I get the feeling that many of us seem to think Ben has become a whole new character, possibly a “worse” character than he was in the first two seasons of Alien Force. “Vengeance of Vilgax” exists to set up a character flaw to demonstrate that Ben is human, and humans are not generally overpowered perfect Gods. Being a human means being fallible. But being a fallible human does not mean that one is no longer capable of being inspiring or successful. It does not make you a failure or useless.

It must be even more damaging to think that, while part of you is strong, the “real” you underneath the superpowers is not as “great.” Would you not try to match that strength on both sides of your identity?

Because Ben is written as a character who becomes a superhero by choice rather than being born super powered, there is a balance to be established between being the ideal version of himself that the Universe expects and not losing his true self in the process of fulfilling this “destiny.”

Just because this flaw is being written into his character, it does not mean all his previous traits are erased. Something that is still constant is Ben’s motivation to do the right thing. Every time there is a scene where Ben interacts with Max, his tone of voice is more serious and he pays close attention to Max. This comes from his human connection to his Grandpa and all that he has learned from him. This is his vulnerable, human side.

Max: It’s almost showtime, Ben, and I’ve been thinking. Vilgax is Plumber business. Good as you are, you’re still just a kid. I’ll take him on.

Ben: This is my fight, grandpa. Vilgax challenged me, and I’m the one with the Omnitrix. At least most of it.

Max: You’ve got less than an hour, Ben.

Ben: I’ll be there. And I’ll win. Love you, grandpa.

He jokes around, but he is not insensitive.

Ben: “Hey, Kevin, why don’t you change back to normal? You've been ugly for like 40 miles.”

Kevin: “I can’t.”

Ben: “What?”

Kevin: “I can’t!”

Kevin: “Let me bring you up to speed, hero. Thanks to you, I can’t turn back. I’m a monster.”

Ben: “I’m sorry, Kevin. I didn’t know. I was just kidding around.”

That is because Ben has not just been reduced to “an arrogant jerk”, he is still the same person we have known the entirety of the series. And just like anybody would, he is reacting to the circumstances in which he finds himself in at this point in his life. People generally, in terms of personality, are not just one way their entire lives. Especially when the person we are talking about is a teenager who has been through much more than any other average teenager you may know. And on top of that, will continue to be faced with increasingly difficult situations as he gets more and more invested in the life of a superhero.

If that is the case, how much would it help him to give in to every insecurity that might stand in his way? He has dedicated himself to being “Ben 10.” This responsibility only gets heavier as time goes on. Why else would Vilgax feel the need to acquire the powers of the greatest heroes of ten worlds in order to “prepare” to take on Ben again? Vilgax perceives Ben as a threat to his own strength. This is ironic because there are moments throughout the series where, even though his enemies think highly of him, he seems to believe he isn’t as great as they say. He needs to match the heroic greatness with his own personality, and that is where this shift in characterization comes from. It is entirely an emotional thing.

The following are episodes which fall under Season 3 Ben’s supposed problematic Characterization:

“Simple”

This is even more proof of almost every species in the Universe having a very high expectation for “the great Ben 10.” He stopped one war, he could stop their war too, they seem to believe.The problem is that these aliens don’t seem to have any grasp on what it means to have so much responsibility. And when this is what is being asked of him, do you really expect Ben to not at least try?

“Vreedle, Vreedle / Don’t Fear the Repo”

The most important part of this episode in terms of Ben’s characterization was his dialogue in court. If just taken at face value, his words can be interpreted as very self-centered. But keep in mind at this point in time almost every being in the Universe who has heard of Ben Tennyson thinks very highly of him.

In order to convince the court to take his side, he plays up his attitude to match this reputation. You’ll even notice the way he says it sounds “acted.”

“Your honor, I am Ben Tennyson - The Ben Tennyson. Wielder of the Omnitrix, saviour of the Universe. I’m sure you’ve heard of me. I need you to do me a little favor, Judgey. There’s been a little mix up here. Ship is part of my team now. That’s, the famous Ben Tennyson’s team. Say, ever seen an Omnitrix up close before, Judge?”

“Judge Domstol. Dom, may I call you Dom? These things can happen when you’re chosen to bear the awesome responsibility of the Omnitrix.”

“The court rules in favour of...Ben Tennyson. There is no reason the wielder of the Omnitrix should have to bother himself with petty matters such as this. I apologize for wasting your time, Mr. Tennyson.”

It seems that if they had just tried to explain the matter in the way Kevin was attempting to, Baz-El would have won because, legally, Ship was his physical property, not Julie’s. But because Ship helped out during the Highbreed war, that makes him a part of Ben 10′s team and therefore it would be in an injustice to a very important public figure such as a superhero if the property had been repossessed, as well as an injustice to the rest of Universe because Ben 10′s team works to promote galactic peace.

Aside from that, another part of Season 3 onwards was the argument that “Ben was a jerk to his girlfriend.” Here, you might come to believe so because this episode makes it seem as though Ben doesn't care about Ship being Julie’s “dog.” The reality of the matter is that Ship is not “a dog.” Julie sees him as a dog only because she doesn’t have as much experience with alien technology as Ben does so it makes sense for Ben to perceive Ship as the Galvanic Mechamorph that he is. He should have his guard up when it comes to alien technology. What selfish reason would Ben have to not want Julie to have Ship anyway? Would it be so far fetched to assume Ship could potentially harm Julie?

“Ghost Town”

According to Gwen, what Ben did here was “really really stupid.”

He threw himself into Ghostfreak so that the rest of Vilgaxia would no longer have to endure his slavery. Ben’s intention was not to hurt anyone, especially not Gwen or Kevin and while he was possessed by Ghostfreak. He probably had no idea what was happening around him anyway! He didn't just act oblivious because he “didn't care.” That’s not like Ben to do at all.

“The Secret of Chromastone”

This episode is a great example of what was started in “Vengeance of Vilgax.” Not only does he have much less time for himself, but something like having a cold doesn't mean his job ends.

Even if Ben did stay home, Tetrax would probably still find him to get to Chromastone. Being the wielder of the Omnitrix is still relevant in times where he probably feels less than heroic, whether he likes it or not.

“Above and Beyond”

This episode might not have worked so well if it had been done in a previous season because Ben’s characterization here is very specific. The first time Ben went up against Manny and Helen in the season one episode “Plumbers Helpers”, they actually seemed to overpower him.

I would argue that since then Ben has built up this confidence, so it allows him to believably pretend to be “evil” because he realizes what he is potentially capable of. This episode shows us how unstoppable he would be if morals weren’t a factor and he didn’t hold back.

Contrast this with how unsure he was in “Ben 10 Returns” about whether he would even be able to do it without Max. Well, here, he is doing all of this without Max.

“The Final Battle”

“Azmuth help me! Please! Just so I can help them.”

The final episode of Alien Force, where Ben is shown having a very significant internal conflict after being forced to hand over the Omnitrix to Vilgax. If you put this turn of events into perspective, realize just how much it must weigh on him. He has previously proved to be so capable of defeating Vilgax easily. The entire Universe put him up on a high pedestal this entire season.

It probably made him feel useless, like he really didn’t deserve to be so praised for everything, that it was all because of the Omnitrix.

Is it the tool he had that lead him to act like a hero, or his selfless ambition to use this opportunity to do good?

After all, anybody can be armed with a weapon, but it is then up to that person to chose what they will do with it. And now that he has chosen to use it to help others, that is what he is expected to continue to do.

I feel like he needed this arc to establish how having the entire Universe begin to depend on him can affect him for better and worse. This was the transition from being a vigilante superhero, to well known on a galactic level, to world famous in Ultimate Alien. Moving forwards through the series as he ages, I would say there is definitely an improvement in how much of a hero he believes he is, and how he goes about doing his work as he settles into the reality that he can no longer be “normal.” The whole entire Universe is in his hands and he is expected to live up to their expectations of him.

That is enough to make anyone start acting “different.”

As he comes to accept this moving forward, just by his actions you can see it is not always an “act” he puts on to be considered “a hero.” This is especially apparent in the Ultimate Kevin arc. He so very cautious about Kevin's rampage that he couldn't allow him to hurt anybody else. Which is what led him to consider that putting him down might have to be a possibility. During the Ultimate Aggregor arc in general, Ben is always shown to be attentive to the immediate problem at hand. He is not so focused on appearing to be “the great Ben Tennyson” or be what everyone expects him to be. Rather, what is more important is handling the situation in a productive way. Again, he is not insensitive to others’ opinions on his “flaws”, but if it is not immediately vital, then he does not make the situation all about him.

Azmuth: “We find ourselves in a situation so dire, that perhaps I should risk giving Ben my new Omnitrix.”

Ben: “New Omnitrix? Gimmie! I’ll kick Aggregor’s butt!

Azmuth: “No, it’s not completely ready and clearly neither are you.”

Ben: “Not yet?”

Azmuth: “At the rate you’re regressing likely not ever.”

Ben: “I’ve wanted a chance to apologize to you for months. But right now I’ve gotta stop Aggregor. If you’re not here to help, we’ll catch up later.”

Max: “Wait. Ben. Hear him out.”

Azmuth: “Your lack of patience is foremost among your many weaknesses.”

In the Ultimate Alien episode, “Map of Infinity”, Azmuth interprets this as a lack of patience and claims he is “regressing.” Even if this is a flaw, it stems from a place of good intention - the reason why he continues to do this job.

Now, here’s a question to consider when criticizing someone.

Is there anyone who never does anything stupid?

And just because this person has done something that some might consider to be “stupid”, does that mean you should totally give up on them? Are they not capable of improving?

I would argue that there are levels of “immaturity” and “stupid decisions”, depending on the harm they cause and intention behind the action. And, as I keep reiterating, a person learning a lesson does not guarantee that they will never make the same mistake again. That is just reality.

So is it not a little unfair to continuously go back to Ben’s past mistakes since he has grown from that and established so much more character development? Doing something bad and then recognizing that what you have done is wrong is character development in itself. There does not always have to be a lesson learned or punishment given, just the realization that nobody is always perfect.

This is especially important when everyone expects you to be perfect because you are a “legendary superhero.”

This is something touched on in the Omniverse episode “Showdown.” Ben is reminded of the time he lost his favourite transformation, Feedback, which he blames himself for. This loss clearly emotionally weighs him down because he doesn't blame anyone other than himself and realizes the mistake he made.

In order to accept it and move on, he realizes he must forgive himself because continuing to beat himself up over it is not going to help him in any way. He’s already established what he decided to do in that situation as wrong, now the only thing he can do is try to be better in the future.

Forgiveness and acceptance that you are not and never will be “perfect” is the only way to improve in the present moment.

Going back to the fact that “Ben 10″ is so glorified throughout the Universe, I’d like everyone to realize that, just because Ben has matured since he was ten years old, does not mean he has “left behind” his flaws. His has not suddenly become someone to idolize. It is absolutely fine to look up to him as, I believe, there is something everyone can learn from him. But, even though he has the ability to become one, he is not, and does not try to be, a God.

Maybe this is what influences Ben’s quite accepting perception regarding other people’s flaws, weaknesses, and past mistakes. Come to think of it, he doesn't really tend to pick on people’s specific flaws all that much. Definitely not as much as others tend to do towards him. He “gives people second chances."

“You trust people. You give them second chances. And they live up to your expectations. Kevin was a sociopath when you were kids, but you trusted him anyway.” - Max (Ultimate Alien episode: “Absolute Power” part 1)

As the series progresses, this is still something that is constant in his characterization. Ben doesn't seem to focus on what people have done wrong because blaming others for their mistakes and guilting them does not help them improve in the immediate moment.

In the Omniverse episode “Hot Stretch” , Ester is responsible for what could have potentially been a disaster.

The only thing is that she allegedly didn't know the full extent of what her petty crime would lead to. But does Ben see a point in guilting her for it when there are lives in danger as they speak?

"We're past the blame stage."

This where I would like to insert some lyrics which provide a much more vulnerable view of the reality of such an idolized, legendary superhero who is still, and always will be, a fallible human underneath it all.

“I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane

I'm more than some pretty face beside a train And it's not easy to be me

Wish that I could cry Fall upon my knees Find a way to lie About a home I'll never see

It may sound absurd, but don't be naive Even heroes have the right to bleed I may be disturbed, but won't you concede Even heroes have the right to dream And it's not easy to be me”

“Men weren't meant to ride With clouds between their knees

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet Digging for kryptonite on this one way street Only a man in a funny red sheet Looking for special things inside of me”

- “Superman” by Five for Fighting

Alien Force’s Season 3 onwards showed Ben finding how he can “be the hero” rather than just “acting” like how a hero should according to others not in his place.

It is not as easy as one might think to just be given abilities and always do that is expected of you to do with them. There will be times when you will doubt yourself, there will be times when others will underestimate you and it will affect the way you see yourself. Becoming one’s best self is a process of fall down and get up again, trail and error. That is part of being human. The part of Ben that seems to always be left out when talking about “Ben 10.”

No Watch Ben seemed to parallel Prime Ben in “Ben 10 Returns” because of what he thought he was “missing” - not only the Omnitrix, but the authentic, confident, selfless, self-assured heroicness that is something he developed over the course of the series.

The other alternate Bens also have their own watches along with level of confident attitude, but they were not heroes. They became their own downfall because they got so submersed into the act of being “all powerful” that they let it consume them.

“It’s just a gadget. Be the hero!” - Prime Ben’s “dying words” (Omniverse, “And Then There Were None”)

To conclude, I feel like the title "hero" ends up becoming somewhat restricting when it comes to this. It's like it takes up the entirety of his character, and people forget that you can't have "Ben 10" without "Ben." Ben, the human, is the one who is affected by all this underneath all the superpowers. He becomes such a great hero and fights for peace, but does he ever really get to experience peace himself?

There is quite a bit that Ben can’t be any more. Making a mistake on any level will be condemned by everyone if it falls out of the parameters that define being a “hero.”

So how much time in the life of a hero is there to doubt oneself when everyone is depending on you to get the job done?

Not much when it’s always “hero time.”

#this took me too long #i wanted to get it out on valentines day but #i also don't want to rush this bc its important #to me at least #ben tennyson #ben 10 #ben 10 alien force #ben 10 ultimate alien #ben 10 omniverse #ben10 #bentennyson #omnitrix #ultimatrix #superhero #hero #essay files

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yamamuragaku · 5 years

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Nagi Rokuya [MEMO MELO] RabbitChat

Part 1-5

Part 1: Diamond Disc

Tsumugi: Nagi-san, good work.

I have something I want to tell you today, Nagi-san!

Nagi: Good work, Tsumugi.

A confession of love is always welcome ;-)

Tsumugi: Unfortunately that’s not it ><

Nagi: Unfortunately not ;-(((

Tsumugi: Um, does Nagi-san know about the award called Diamond Disc?

Nagi: When we were aiming for JIMA before, Mitsuki told me about it.

One of the 4 awards included in JIMA is the Diamond Disc, isn't it?

Tsumugi: That's right!

Tsumugi: In Diamond Disc, the grand prize is the Diamond Award, the Ruby Award is given to top female idols, the Sapphire Award is given to top male idols, the Emerald Award is for the best song, and the Amethyst Award is given to newcomers,,

Tsumugi: Why, this time, the selection committee has contacted us to tell us that IDOLiSH7 won the Sapphire Award!

Tsumugi: Amazing!! X-D

We're the top male idols? Wonderful

Nagi: So that means the grand prize going to Re:vale or TRIGGER?

Tsumugi: Re:vale is being inducted into the Diamond Disc hall of fame.

Therefore, TRIGGER is probably winning the grand prize.

Nagi: Hm, I see.

It's not that I don't feel frustrated, but let's celebrate this wonderful day with the wonderful members, Tsumugi.

Nagi: IDOLiSH7 is a wonderful group. I can boast about it with pride.

However, a lot of the members are modest. I think it'd be good if receiving this award made the members more confident.

Nagi: You're right, Nagi-san....

We were only able to win this award because of the support of our fans. Since Diamond Disc is an impartial award selected via various music media sales.

Tsumugi: By the way, Banri-san suspects that thanks to B or W, "MEMORiES MELODiES" became a bestseller.

It wasn’t easy to see, but it slowly kept growing and making sales.

Nagi: It's the song TRIGGER competed against us with.

Even now, there are people who newly discover it and like it. How wonderful.

Nagi: I'm glad I entrusted Haruki's songs to you.

With IDOLiSH7’s singing blowing new life into them, Haruki's songs will be loved for a long time.

Part 2: Celebration

Nagi: Hello, Tsumugi

Nagi: I’m grateful to be able to spend this wonderful day with you, and the members.

I want to convey these feelings to you in an essay.

Nagi: For Tsumugi, did today become an unforgettable day?

Tsumugi: Nagi-san, good work.

I also wanted to convey my feelings of gratitude to you, Nagi-san.

Tsumugi: Thank you for inviting me to the Sapphire Award celebration today.

I was really happy I got to see the moment of the Diamond Disc web announcement with everyone!

Nagi: Of course TRIGGER won the grand prize, but having a place to aim for is good.

Because it means we can still aim higher.

Nagi: I was also able to demonstrate my splendid F5 key mashing.

Tsumugi: That was the best part…! You can press it so fast.

I thought the PC would break! lol

Nagi: ☆⌒(*^-°)v Thanks!!

Nagi: I train every day for Kokona's sake.

This middle finger has survived many battles.

Tsumugi: I-it must’ve felt godly..

Nagi: Hee hee hee. Someday I’ll teach you my skills, Tsumugi.

Nagi: How was the melon modeled after Kokona’s face?

Tsumugi: I kind of felt bad about eating it, but it was delicious ><

The handiwork was quite splendid…!

Nagi: Unfortunately, I am better at tasting than cooking, so this time I challenged myself at melon carving.

Option 1

Tsumugi: Your one-and-only tamagoyaki was delicious, Nagi-san! (1)

Nagi: Mitsuki taught me that love is the best seasoning.

I’m not very good at making sweet tamagoyaki, so Iori advised me to add mentsuyu. It doesn’t look good, but did you feel my love? (2)

Option 2

Tsumugi: The moment of the announcement was exciting!

Nagi: Yes. Why are tears of joy so beautiful?

Your beauty stood out even more, Tsumugi. Also Mitsuki became cuter.

Option 3

Tsumugi: Did anything memorable happen at the celebration?

Nagi: Soy sauce on pudding tastes like sea urchin.

Certainly, it tasted like the sea urchin I know. What hidden magic….

Nagi: Tsumugi, please look.

Now we are at an after party X-D

Tsumugi: The others told me. It’s a teens’ party!

Nagi: YES. I’m currently playing video games with Iori and Tamaki.

Right now I am very rich and I have 3 children. Tamaki is single and his investments are in the red. Iori bought a house, works hard to save up money, has a wife and kids, and lives a good life.

Tsumugi: It sounds very fun. Tell me who wins first place! lol

Is Riku-san asleep?

Nagi: Yes, at first he leaned on Iori’s shoulder and slept, but since Iori was unable to move, I lent him my bed.

Nagi: Riku was sleeping, but we were having fun, so I’m a bit sorry for him ;-(((

Nagi: You are kind, Nagi-san.

Riku-san went to sleep, so you also shouldn’t stay up too late or you won't make an impression tomorrow!

Nagi: Understood, Tsumugi.

Iori is actually playing with us, so as soon as this game ends, we’ll bring this party to an end X-)

Tsumugi: Yes!

I thought Iori-san wasn’t the type to play games very often, but he plays games together a lot recently! How pleasant that you get along.

Nagi: Iori is a quick learner, so he’ll quickly master something you teach him once. He played as my character, a panda, in a fighting game. I played as a character I’m not good at so I was utterly beaten orz

Tsumugi: As expected of Iori-san…. You also did your best not to lose, Nagi-san! p(`• ω •´)q

Nagi: OH! What a wonderful emoticon. It captures your cuteness, Tsumugi.

Nagi: Shit! Tsumugi, sorry but I will contact you again later

Tsumugi: W-what happened?!

Nagi: Tamaki’s revolution has begun. He became an oil tycoon and immediately shot to 1st place

Tsumugi: Luck is now on Tamaki-san’s side…! Have fun with the game!

Nagi: p(`• ω •´)q

Part 3: Nagi's Final Act

Tsumugi: Nagi-san, good work with the magazine interview and photo shoot today!

It was a joint feature with TRIGGER. How was it?

Nagi: Good work, Tsumugi.

Even with everyone in TRIGGER here, it’s curious how they can coexist with us without clashing with our visuals.

I think the balance was well-kept.

Nagi: Yaotome-shi’s clear skin seems especially suitable for cosplay.

Tsumugi: It’s a project called “Idols Who Shine Like Gemstones ~Diamond Disc Feature~”, and just as the name suggests, everyone shined like gemstones!

Nagi: It was a conversation between those who won the Diamond Award and Sapphire Award.

Nagi: We were sapphires, but could we shine brighter than diamonds?

Tsumugi: Of course. IDOLiSH7’s sapphire is more radiant than any gemstone!

Nagi: Yay―(ﾟ∀ﾟ)―(∀ﾟ　)―(ﾟ　　)―(　　)―(　　)―(　　ﾟ)―(ﾟ∀)―(ﾟ∀ﾟ)―!!

Tsumugi: Yay! lol

Nagi: TRIGGER treated us as usual without being haughty, so everyone had fun.

Nagi: The pictures from the photo shoot convey the good atmosphere.

Since photos show not only a person’s appearance, but also the atmosphere at the time.

Tsumugi: Exactly. No matter what grand prize they win, TRIGGER is always looking onward without resting on their laurels. I felt it keenly even in this interview.

We must follow their example!

Nagi: Yes. They also readily accepted the interviewers’ request to take pictures beyond the boundaries of our groups.

Option 1

Tsumugi: The photo shoot of the unit who sang “Fure Fure! Seishun Sanka” was wonderful!

Nagi: If I were to give it a theme, I’d call it “little birds chirping”.

When that seemingly adorable trio gathers together, their quarreling never stops. It was a scene as though little birds were waiting for their mother’s food, so I named it as such.

Option 2

Tsumugi: The photo shoot of the unit who sang “LOVE&GAME” was wonderful!

Nagi: If I were to give it a theme, I’d call it “a big sale of gaps”.

The difference between their public image and private image is so extreme, it’s perplexing. I think it’d be good if they toned it down a little.

Option 3

Tsumugi: The photo shoot of the unit who sang “Danshi Tarumono!” was wonderful!

Nagi: If I were to give it a theme, I’d call it “a clash of personalities”.

However, I think at the end of the battle, we joined forces and successfully finished. Yesterday’s enemies are today’s friends.

Nagi: Also, today I did my best so that we won’t get a cold reception.

Because I don’t want to see Sougo commit harakiri….

Tsumugi: Was that so?! Since Sougo-san is someone who cares about manners.

But Nagi-san, regardless I thought he liked TRIGGER… ><

Nagi: I acknowledge them as comrades-in-arms.

However, that doesn’t mean I love them.

Tsumugi: It’s the difference between LIKE and LOVE, isn’t it ><

Nagi: Well said.

Nagi: My heart is as troublesome as a girl’s “anything is fine” ;-P

Tsumugi: Oof..

Tsumugi: So you’re comparing those who say anything is fine even if it’s not, and those who would say if they hate something and reject plans….

Nagi: That stubbornness is one of women’s charming points though.

Then, if you say men are troublesome too so they can let go, it’s no small ability.

Nagi: Because women are told to be willful for their own good.

Tsumugi: As expected of Nagi-san, your persuasiveness is amazing…..

Nagi: So Tsumugi, please say selfish things towards me too. I am waiting.

Part 4: Waiting for the Award Ceremony

Nagi: Good work today, Tsumugi.

Tomorrow is finally the awards ceremony. Are you nervous?

Tsumugi: Nagi, good work!

Tsumugi: Thank you for contacting me.

I'm not nervous...is what I want to say, but I still feel nervous. I was just RabbitChatting with everyone.

Tsumugi: The leading role is yours, so it's pointless for even me to be nervous!

I'm thinking of watching your MVs to calm down.

Nagi: What are you saying? You have a leading role too, Tsumugi.

We're here today because you've always supported us. I'm really grateful.

Tsumugi: Nagi-san....

Nagi: You also should warm your body before you go to bed.

Try drinking the black tea I made. I chose tea leaves that suit you, Tsumugi.

Tsumugi: Nagi-san's selection?! It's wonderful, I look forward to it.

Nagi: I cannot cook, but I'm good at selecting black tea. It's similar to being good at tasting :-))))

Tsumugi: Today, you had a tea party with Sougo-san!

Nagi: Yes. For some reason everyone was restless like boys before a confession.

Tsumugi: Does that not make you very nervous, Nagi-san?

Because I've never seen such a disconcerting situation...!

Nagi: We have overcome many trials thus far.

Thinking about on them gives me courage.

Tsumugi: On the night we danced at Zero Arena, you calmed me down, Nagi-san....

Tsumugi: Somehow courage also welled up in me.

Besides, even though tomorrow will be a joyous day, there's no point being nervous!

Nagi: That's right, Tsumugi.

Please think back to before we were IDOLiSH7, on the day of the audition.

Nagi: On that day our story began.

Now tomorrow, we will receive a glorious award. It's exciting. There's no need to be nervous X-D

Tsumugi: The day the legend began!

Option 1

Tsumugi: What feelings did you struggle with at the audition?

Nagi: 7 people were gathered by the president whom I entrusted Haruki's songs to.

I thought I would pass, but I really hoped that we could all be chosen without losing anyone.

Option 2

Tsumugi: Did you make any memories at the audition?

Nagi: Tsumugi, I met you.

I thought it was the first time I met a sweet and pure woman with an honest upbringing.

Option 3

Tsumugi: Did any members make an impression at the audition?

Nagi: Isn't it Yamato?

Even though he was aiming to be an idol, at that time I saw in Yamato's eyes that he was thinking of giving up. However, when I saw him resisting it, I couldn't take my eyes off him.

Nagi: Do you have any regrets about becoming our manager?

Tsumugi: Not even once!

On the contrary, I'm grateful I became your manager.

Nagi: Gold star! X-D (3)

We’re invincible. Tomorrow I'll stand at the podium with you in my heart, Tsumugi.

Tsumugi: Thank you, Nagi-san...!

Tomorrow from offstage, I want to see the backs of everyone who grew.

Nagi: It’s said that a man speaks with his back after all.

If you look at my back, I shall convey my love for you.

Tsumugi: H-how? >< lol

Nagi: I'll stick a large piece of paper on my back that says "Tsumugi, I love you".

Tsumugi: P-please stop?!

Nagi:

Tsumugi:

Part 5: The Future in Our Hands

Tsumugi: Nagi-san, good work at the awards ceremony!

Tomorrow is the dinner party with Re:vale and TRIGGER, so please rest easily today.

Nagi: It was a good ceremony.

I’m honored to be able to spend this day together with everyone.

Nagi: The other day I said TRIGGER were like comrades-in-arms, but after we called for each other’s names and applauded, it became a very warm ceremony.

Re:vale were also there as guests, I did not think I would feel so genuinely happy for our senpais to accept an award.

Tsumugi: Even though it was such a big ceremony, all the participants received applause, it was touching.

Tsumugi: Re:vale really are wonderful senpais who think about their kouhais.

We ought to follow their example… ><

Nagi: Indeed.

Mitsuki and Riku were also crying. I think such honest hearts are their charm.

Nagi: However, Tamaki and Mitsuki noticed me and Sougo were not crying, so they tickled us.

I was saving my tears for the final episode of Kokona though <:-(

Tsumugi: You only express your joy with a smile, Nagi-san!

I’m shuddering at the thought that Kokona-chan’s last episode might come.

Nagi: If Kokona ends, that might also mark the end of my anime-loving life.

I will disappear with my hard disk where I saved recordings of Kokona.

Tsumugi: Then I will search for you?!

If you are not here, Nagi-san, IDOLiSH7 isn’t IDOLiSH7……

Nagi: Thank you, Tsumugi. For needing me.

Nagi: Yamato also seems to have recognized us as friends.

Tsumugi: Nagi-san thinks so too…!

Everyone unanimously agreed, Yamato-san’s speech was moving.

Tsumugi: It was the first time he included himself in saying he felt “happy”.

Nagi: He said, he was happy the 7 of us have come this far.

An important number for us is “7”.

Tsumugi: Because it’s IDOLiSH“7”!

Option 1

Tsumugi: I’m really glad you’re here, Nagi-san.

Nagi: Saying something like out of a romance drama, my love for you will not stop, Tsumugi.

Without you, Tsumugi, we would be alone. Thank you.

Option 2

Tsumugi: Please continue to stay with us like sunshine, Nagi-san.

Nagi: I did not think you would say I was like sunshine.

If you were not like Mother Earth, Tsumugi, I would not be useful as sunshine. Please support us always.

Option 3

Tsumugi: What is IDOLiSH7 to you, Nagi-san?

Nagi: I’ll always think of them as family. A family with 7 people. Isn’t it a big family?! The variety in a big family is also surprising.

Nagi: I’m really happy and fulfilled that I somehow got to talk a lot about love with you lately, Tsumugi.

Nagi: Let’s talk a lot about love at the dinner party with the 3 groups tomorrow.

Tsumugi: I am overseeing the tables, so we cannot talk together ><! lol

Nagi: Why is this world so cruel….

Tsumugi: Earlier you said you were happy though >< lol

Tsumugi: It looks like karaoke was also planned after the dinner party.

Let’s sing Kokona-chan songs together then!

Nagi: Amazing…. At that moment, will Kokona songs will be reborn as wedding songs?

Tsumugi: They’re not wedding songs >< lol

Tsumugi: Sougo-san said he wanted to sing “MEMORiES MELODiES”, which helped us win an award this time, with everyone.

Nagi: That is also wonderful. Tomorrow will surely be a wonderful day for us.

I want it to be like an anniversary or a holiday.

Tsumugi: Holiday…?!

Nagi: Is there no such custom here? In my family, the day a family member is born is a holiday.

Tsumugi: The mystery of Nagi-san is deepening more and more….

Tsumugi: Returning to the topic of “MEMORiES MELODiES”, I’m thinking of posting everyone’s reward acceptance comments about “MEMORiES MELODiES”, the song that helped us win this award, on the website.

Can you tell me your comment?

Nagi: Just like the lyrics say, “Even if we get hurt, we’ll keep walking,” no matter how many times we get hurt, with everyone’s support, and 7 people’s feelings, we can rise up again and again.

Nagi: I hope this song heals your heart whenever you hear it, and gives you the power to rise up. From Rokuya Nagi, with love.

Screenshots courtesy of @rabbit-library.

(1) Tamagoyaki is a rolled omelette that can be made savory or sweet.

(2) Mentsuyu is a mixture of dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.

(3) He literally says 花丸満点 (hanamaru manten) referring to a flower mark to indicate a perfect score on, say, a school assignment. It's like this emoji: 💮

#idolish7 #nagi rokuya #rabbitchat #translation

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kyogos · 6 years

Text

A Basic Guide to Formula E by your local Formula E enthusiast

I’m so sorry

The Basics

11 teams, 22 drivers. Not all the drivers have been confirmed, but I’ll make a separate post about them all once we have a full grid. The cars are fully electric (they sound like Scalextrics honestly), and 1 car can now do full race distance – in the first 4 seasons drivers had to switch cars halfway through a race. (I shall miss you Car Swaps, you were fun).

There are 13 races between December 2018 and July 2019. The calendar is:

Race 01 – Ad Diriyah; Saudi Arabia – 15th December 2018 Race 02 – Marrakesh; Morocco – 12th January 2019 Race 03 – Santiago; Chile – 26th January 2019 Race 04 – Mexico City; Mexico – 16th February 2019 Race 05 – Hong Kong; China – 10th March 2019 Race 06 – Sanya; China – 23rd March 2019 Race 07 – Rome; Italy – 13th April 2019 Race 08 – Paris; France – 27th April 2019 Race 09 – Monaco; Monaco – 11th May 2019 Race 10 – Berlin; Germany – 25th May 2019 Race 11 – Bern; Switzerland – 22nd June 2019 Race 12 – New York City; USA – 13th July 2019 Race 13 – New York City; USA – 14th July 2019

Some are new tracks, some are existing. And for the first time they will be racing on the full Monaco Circuit (I’m honestly the most excited about this).

Race Weekend Format

It’s more of a race day, rather than a race weekend. Practice, Qualifying and the Race all happen on the same day. There are sometimes variants but the general day is (all times local):

Practice 1 – 08:00 Practice 2 – 10:30 Qualifying – 12:00 Race – 16:00

Qualifying isn’t the same as most Motorsports and was honestly the source of all my confusion. The cars run in 4 groups to ease the issue with traffic and blocking. Drivers only get 1 out lap, 1 warm up lap, and 1 full power lap. In qualifying, drivers can use full power (250kW), but only for 1 lap. The top 5 quickest drivers then do 1 more timed lap in Super Pole to determine the final order of the top 5. Drivers only get an out lap and 1 full power lap in Super Pole – no warm up lap.

From season 5 onward, races are timed and not done by number of laps. Races are 45 minutes + 1 lap. Because the races are no long a set number of laps, the award for fastest lap has been scrapped and has been replaced by an award for Most Efficient driver. How this is to worked out is still yet to be determined but I imagine it will come down to the energy used in relation to times set.

The cars use up to 250kW but will be limited to 200kW during a race. At this point we’ll talk about Fanboost. Fanboost allows you to vote for your favourite driver to have an extra boost of power during the race. Voting opens 6 days before the race and you can vote once per day (per account). The system is flawed but that’s for another day. The 3 drivers with the most votes will win the Fanboost. It can only be used once per race and lasts for 5 seconds.

New for Season 5 is a different kind of boost that is activated by driver through a certain point of the track. This boost varies from track to track, but is the same in principal. There are lights on the halo that will indicate which car has this boost activated. There will be limitations on the boost, but these will be determined ahead of each race – for example, drivers may only be allowed to access it 3 times per race or the boost will only last for 5 seconds.

Penalties

Penalties are much less common in Formula E than they are in Formula 1. If a driver cannot take their full grid penalty, they will be required to serve a time penalty during the race. Most notably this happened to André Lotterer who was given a 10-place grid drop after causing chaos in the previous race – he qualified in the low teens and served a 10 second time penalty to make up the rest of the punishment. (Although he still finished in the points, that’s my boy).

Penalties are handed out for parts changes as well, but it rarely happens.

How to watch

Practice and Qualifying are usually streamed on their official YouTube Channel. There is a race stream as well, although this is geo-blocked for a lot of countries.

Here is the page on their website with all of the countries and where to watch. It’s shown on Eurosport, BT Sport, and 5/Spike in the UK (although I’ll update this if it changes for the upcoming season)

And I think that is everything! Any questions please hit me up; I love talking about this!

#i hope this is somewhat helpful!#formula e #fe #this sport plays on loop in my sleep #long post

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thesevenseraphs · 5 years

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Bungie Weekly Update - 12/6/18

This week at Bungie, the Black Armory opened its doors. A new mysterious section of the tower revealed itself and a new vendor by the name of Ada-1 sent you out to reclaim the Lost Forges. Your reward: The ability to craft the most powerful weapons of the golden age.

Many of you are still increasing your power to attempt this new challenge. Yesterday, we lowered the Power requirement of the Lost Forge encounters by five. This wasn’t a huge change. These Forges are meant to be aspirational extensions of the endgame. But we did want to make them more accessible to Guardians around 600 Power. You can read the full details of the change and our goals here.

For some of you the enemies guarding the Lost Forges are immune to your weapons. We promised more details for players who are still working their way up to 600 and beyond. Here is what we have planned to help you move more quickly up to 600.

Prime engrams will now drop more frequently and with larger power bumps for players under 600 Power

This change is planned to land in the 2.1.2 update on December 11. We are also considering additional changes to assist with the Power climb in a future update. We will continue to monitor your feedback on Season of the Forge as it continues.

Scourge of the Past

Tomorrow, the Scourge of the Past raid opens up to all of Guardians who have the Annual Pass and are brave enough to venture into the Last City to confront a new threat to its safety.

Design Lead Brian Frank is here to brief you one last time before the race for World First begins tomorrow.

Brian: The team could not be more excited for the Scourge of the Past Raid to unlock tomorrow and accept challengers to be the first to fight their way through the Last City and recover a forgotten secret of the Black Armory. As always, we will be cheering you on from the theater. Dust off your sparrow collections. You’re going to want the right perk, and the right look, for crossing the finish line. Make sure you grab the final chest to complete the activity before returning to orbit. Good luck Guardians!

The first fireteam to defeat the raid will be crowned as World First and awarded with a raid belt. As always, they will be awarded to six teammates. Please note that, if you swap players out during the mission, the spoils will only go to the final six.

Anyone who beats all of the encounters of Scourge of the Past in the first 24 hours will be awarded the “Scourge of Nothing” emblem. If you don’t think you can take down the final boss that fast, you will still have some extra time to qualify for the exclusive raid jacket through Bungie Rewards. You have until 9AM Pacific on 12/12 to beat the raid and claim your code to purchase the jacket on the Bungie Store. Here is a look at all of these rewards.

As Brian mentioned above, if you think you have finished first, have someone in your fireteam grab the final chest and return to orbit immediately. Completing the activity is crossing the finish line. You can read the full rules here. Good luck!

I am the Crucible

Today, we’d like to address the feedback we’ve received about the Crucible. The top issue reported by the community is associated with Matchmaking in the Competitive playlist. Many of you are expressing feedback around matching solos against fireteams, matching high Glory teams against lower Glory teams, and have many other suggestions regarding how progressing through the ranks should be changed. The appropriate teams are investigating possible changes to be included in a future update. We will have details for you as soon as we can.

We do have some information on changes to address another top trending issue in the Crucible: Power ammo spawns. There have been numerous requests to lower the amount of Power ammo spawning in Competitive games. Based on this feedback, we will be lowering the amount of Power ammo available during matches by increasing the time between Power ammo spawns. Here are the details:

Competitive:

Control

Initial timers stay the same

Increased respawn timer for heavy ammo (was 45 seconds, now 120 seconds)

Clash

Initial timers stay the same

Increased respawn timer for heavy ammo (was 45 seconds, now 120 seconds)

Survival

Initial timers stay the same

Increased respawn timer for heavy ammo (was 45 seconds, now 60 seconds)

Rotators:

Showdown

Initial timers stay the same

Increased respawn timer for heavy ammo (was 30 seconds, now 60 seconds)

Rumble:

Initial timers stay the same

Increased respawn timer for heavy ammo (was 60 seconds, now 120 seconds)

It Gets Everywhere

Power ammo and Matchmaking are not the only top-trending pieces of community feedback that we have been tracking. Many of you have Sandbox-related questions that apply to PVP and PVE. There are vocal camps on both sides for a lot of these issues and our Sandbox team is considering a combination of player feedback and data on the effectiveness of certain gear and abilities.

Design Lead John Sandwich with notes on their process.

Joe: Hello again, my friends! Hamrick here to answer some hot community questions we have seen and give you a quick glimpse into what Sandbox is working on for the rest of the year and on into 2019.

While we have those hot questions coming right up, I just wanted to take a second to call out something you may have noticed. Instead of building up to one or two massive patches a year, we have transitioned to shipping smaller batches of changes much more frequently. We hope that this new approach will allow us to remain more agile than we have been in the past and allow us to shake up the meta a bit on more frequent intervals. We hope that a year from now we can all look back on this new way of working and agree that it was very successful. Alright, enough of my rambling, onward, to the questions!

Can you buff snipers? We would really like flinch to be reduced and to have more lower zoom scopes.

Snipers are definitely one of the archetypes we are actively looking at and making changes to. For example, later in January, Rapid-fire snipers will be moving to a two-shot body kill. Additionally, we are considering allowing more snipers to be able to one-shot supers on headshots in a future patch.

Lower zoom scopes do exist in the game, but have not been particularly prevalent with post-Forsaken weapons and have been largely limited to a few weapons (ie., The Supremacy), but we’ll be increasing the number of them in the game as we move forward.

We don’t currently have plans to alter sniper flinch any more at this time, but we will continue to keep an eye on your feedback.

Nova Warp??????????????????????????????

Yup, the Nova Warp super is too dominant right now and we are planning to tweak it. It’s currently slated to land with a patch coming in late January.

Spectral Blades hit detection feels much more consistent. Can sentinel and other melees get the same treatment?

We definitely want all melee supers to feel as good and reliable as possible. This is something we are still looking into.

A lot of the pre-forsaken subclasses feel underpowered now. Can they get buffed?

Yes! We have some planned buffs coming to older subclass paths in the patch currently slated for late January, but we are already looking ahead to what we’d like to do in patches further down the line. We will be regularly looking into tuning subclass content to ensure that there’s a healthy balance of viable choices in all activities. We use a combination of data and community feedback to track the right things to fix, so please continue to surface which choices feel the least viable to help guide us.

Any changes to the top exotics being used in the Crucible like One Eyed Mask, Shards of Galanor, etc.?

These exotics get talked about quite a bit and while I don’t have any immediate incoming changes to share, I expect that they will be getting looked at in the future.

Telesto is currently besto. Can you tone it down or move it to the Power slot?

Late in January you will find that Telesto’s bolts-to-kill will now match its charge rate, where it was previously doing more damage than other fusion rifles of its type. That said, due to it being affected less by damage falloff due to its explosive nature, it will still be more consistent than fusion rifles of the same charge rate. Worth noting, PvE damage will be increased to keep parity there. Once we see how these changes land, we can decide if and what to do next. The goal still being to buff where we can, but when we have to nerf, you’re going to find us trying to inch down instead of going nuclear… at least as much as we can.

Scouts Rifles still feel weak in both PVP and PVE. Can they come up?

This is another archetype we are looking at and I would currently expect to see changes show up in future patches.

Could SMGs get a non-precision damage buff?

We just recently buffed the range on SMG’s to make them more competitive. We’ll be monitoring the data and feedback for a bit to help us decided where to take them next. If we find that they still aren’t good enough, we will be happy to buff them further.

Can Fusion Rifles get buffed? Maybe longer range or higher damage to combat shotguns?

This is another archetype we are looking at and I would currently expect to see changes show up in future patches. We did bring up the damage of Rapid Fire Fusion Rifles in 2.1.0 last week.

Any plans to adjust Wavesplitter?

It’s not at the top of our list but we do intend to take a look at it. First we want to look at the global ammo economy for trace rifles in PvP, and then we can take a look at Wavesplitter’s effectiveness.

Titan skating is rampant on PC. Do you plan to remove it?

We’d like to fix this, however, we’re being careful about how we do so because it’s so closely tied to the core feel of the Lift ability. In other words, we don’t want a Titan skating fix to change the way the Lift ability feels for all players. We’d love to have a simple fix to this issue we could roll out immediately, but this one is going to take us a while to land on something solid.

To recap, we want to roll out smaller batches of patches more frequently. We want to bring things up whenever possible, but when we do need to bring something down, we are going to try and inch it down and into the correct location. And finally, there is a patch coming, currently slated for late January, where we expect you to see some changes coming to things like Rapid-fire snipers, Telesto, Nova Warp and pre-Forsaken subclasses… And we have much more planned for the months ahead.

Love you, always, Hamrick

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles

This morning, details about The Dawning hit the Bungie Blog. Our next seasonal event is starting up next week on December 11. We are excited to see you driving around on your new Sparrow, delivering your baked goods across the solar system.

You can read the full details on what to expect in this year’s event in our Dawning 2018 article.

Eva’s Little Helpers

Player support is tracking known issues and keeping you up to date when we deploy updates to address them.

This is their report.

Destiny 2 Update 2.1.1.1This week we deployed Destiny 2 Update 2.1.1.1 to players. This update resolved issues causing crashes at the Morgeth encounter of the Last Wish raid, and reintroduced The Inverted Spire strike activity after it was disabled in Update 2.1.0 due to rather large bug.

For the full Update 2.1.1.1 patch notes, please click here.Destiny 2 Update 2.1.2

Next Tuesday, December 11, Destiny 2 Update 2.1.2 is scheduled to go live.

While the timeline for this deployment has yet to be finalized, players should follow us at @BungieHelp on Twitter or monitor our support feed on help.bungie.net for the latest information as soon as it is available.

Upcoming Challenges

On Tuesday, the Black Armory officially opened its doors and the Volundr Forge was discovered in the EDZ. Tomorrow, the Gofannon Forge will become available, and the race for world’s first will kick off in the Scourge of the Past raid.

For those among you who accept the challenge of becoming the world’s first Fireteam to conquer the Scourge of the Past, set your alarms and prep your fireteams. Scourge of the Past will unlock in the EDZ map tomorrow (12/7) at 9 AM PST. Players waiting in Orbit who do not see this activity become available in their Director may need to log out and back in after 9 AM. As always, players who encounter issues in newly-launched activities should report them to our #Help forums. Providing imagery or video footage which outlines a reported issue will assist the Destiny Player Support team in escalating investigations with the dev team.

Holiday Cheer

Next Tuesday the Dawning returns in Destiny 2. All players are invited to experience the Dawning who have completed the Red War campaign and unlocked access to the Tower.

The Dawning will conclude at the weekly reset on January 1, 2019. For the full support copy, players should visit: Destiny 2: The Dawning Guide

Destiny 2: Forsaken and Season of the Forge Known Issues

In addition to the items listed above, Destiny Player Support is tracking the latest issues reported by players on the #Help forum. Provided below is a brief overview of the latest known issues in Destiny 2: Forsaken and Season of the Forge.

Blind Well Matchmaking: We are investigating reports regarding players entering empty instances of the Blind Well in the Dreaming City. While we are working on a fix, affected players should try entering the Blind Well slowly, hugging the right side staircase and hallway walls.

Mars Flashpoint: We are investigating reports describing sometimes not receiving powerful gear from the Mars Flashpoint.

Harbinger’s Echo: We are investigating ongoing reports regarding the Harbinger’s Echo exotic sparrow not being awarded as expected to players who have earned it after the deployment of Update 2.1.1.1.

For the latest known issues as soon as they are available, players should visit our Destiny 2 Known Issues and Vital Information knowledgebase article.

#Destiny #Destiny the game #Destiny 2 #bungie weekly update #Destiny 2 Forsaken #long post

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