#the audio still doesnt do it justice

[lunatic-fandom-space]

Im about to watch RWBY Volume 9 because I need some background noise while I translate a german version of Jesus Christ Superstar and then I remembered that I watched that RWBY DC crossover a few days ago as background noise while I made my lyric videos and then I wanted to make a post about my thoughts but then I just. never did. So I might as well do it now

Before that though, I feel the need to explain myself and my lyric-video-translation process. Basically, what I do is I pick my song that Id like to translate from german to english and then I make what is essentially a normal lyric video, which involves a lot of me listening to the song a bunch of times so I can make sure everything is properly synched up, in this particular case I actually had to listen to the entirety of the song in order to make sure it was actually synched because something went horribly wrong with my editing app and I couldnt figure out how to fix it. And then once Im done with my lyric video I can just kinda turn the audio off and add my english translation without worrying about anything because Ive already synched everything up properly. When I do musical soundtracks like this I usually synch up all the lyrics for all the songs first before getting to the actual translation process, which means theres a long period of time where Im just kinda listening to the same part over and over, except worse and it took me even longer this time because again, something went wrong and I had to listen to the songs from the beginning, otherwise it just inexplicably wouldnt synch up, and because I have a low attention span Im usually watching youtube videos or movies Ive already seen at this point

Now, I was still in the lyric video stage when I watched this movie (I was doing Pilate and Christ if youre curious) so picture this: im sitting in front of my computer, I have this RWBY DC crossover open in some piracy site bc I was looking for A Movie and this one came out recently so it was on the front page, I have my tablet with the lyric video Im about to make in front of me, Im wearing headphones, one of them isnt actually on my ear because I need to be able to hear both the song and the movie at the same time, Im playing the song over and over again as I watch the movie, slowly zoning out entirely the further I get into it because thats just kinda what happens when youre forced to listen to the same first two minutes of a song even when you do have some background noise to break up the monotony a little

The reason Im giving you that long winded explanation of the boring shit I do for fun is because I want to stress to you that I was practically physically incapable of properly paying attention to anything. So you would think that I would also be incapable of finding shit to criticize or complain about, after all, I barely managed to watch the movie

And you would be very wrong. Im gonna be honest I just wrote that long intro to whatever this is in like 20 minutes and Ive already run out of steam so please enjoy this bullet point list of mostly shit I didnt like about this crossover, as someone who doesnt know anything about DC and also didnt pay a lot of attention just in general

The Justice Leagues semblances were so bad you can tell they just kinda took their existing superpowers, barely if at all modified them and went "yep, those are semblences alright" and as a result Superman, Wonderwoman and Green Lantern all basically have the same semblance, which inexplicably consists of multiple unrelated abilities and also Vixen's semblance seems pretty similar to theirs as well

The dialogue was so awkward man, I know some stan is gonna try and defend it by being like "well none of these people know each other ofc theyre gonna be awkward" guess what, i dont care if you can like stuff about this show for no reason I can dislike stuff about this show for no reason

That weird love triangle between Nora, Ren and Cyborg was so weird and unnecessary and idk why it was there

'Weird, unecessary and idk why it was there' is honestly a great way to describe this whole movie, I dont get why they did this Isekai thing with the Justice League I feel like this wouldve been better if they were already just characters in RWBY's world but I guess then neither continuity would be able to really consider it canon which would be bad I guess??? Idk i think this crossover thing was a bad idea tbh and they shouldve made it more of a cross-promotional thing where its like "lookat the RWBYfied versions of these DC characters!!" "oooooo look at the DCified versions of these RWBY characters!!" for one movie each if you know what I mean

Speaking of pointless romance, I saw some people say that they didnt like the weird romantic subplot between Bruce and Weiss but honestly, I didnt even see one there they had less romantic sparks flying between them than Bumbleby and thats saying a lot, not that I was paying too much attention

Ive seen some DC fans say that Bruce's thing about him maybe not wanting to leave Remnant because hes got powers there was really out of character and idk anything about that, I just know that that whole thing was pointless and barely set up and didnt mean anything at all for anyone

Ruby's arc about learning to be a better team leader is something that she shouldve had in like volume 4 max this is too late into the show for the Main Character whos been leading A Team since basically day one to learn how to do it, then again its not like shes gotten any meaningful screentime in the past 9 years so maybe that justifies it

Killgore or Killg%re or whatever was just cringe

When Killgore was explaining his plan and how he was working with someone and then it turned out that he was actually trapped in this VR world by that someone, I thought, oh its probably Salem given that shes yknow, the main villain. I mean, it doesnt really make sense why she would do all this shit but its not like her motivations and actions have ever been consistent right. And then he was like "he" and I went, its fucking Ironwood?? Are you joking?? Like, yeah, I'll give them a smidge of credit here, that does make more sense but I hate how these guys' weird desire to demonize Some Guy gets in the way of even attempting to make The Actual Main Villain even remotely threatening. Someone tell MKEK that sidelining a female character in favor of a male character isnt suddenly less sexist because shes Satan Herself but they wanna villanize the "shitty white guy" instead

The action scenes were decent enough, obviously nowhere near the level of Volume 1-3s fightscenes but Ive definitely seen worse from RWBY at this point

I guess the mystery aspect was fine too I was atleast kinda intrigued

And to end this whole thing on a somewhat positive note, heres some stuff I actually kinda liked:

While the isekai thing honestly doesnt seem like a good idea, it was still kinda fun watching people from a setting more similar to our world interact with Remnant and try to blend in even though they had no idea what was going on

I kinda liked Barry, he was pretty fun

I really liked Jessica, her finding that ring and saying that rhyming incantation actually gave me goosebumps, her VA was really good. I just wish she didnt spend all her screentime with Jaune and also I wish Jaune died already

I liked that they were wearing their Beacon Era outfits for most of it so I didnt have to endure their absolutely horrendous Atlas outfits although I am about to watch Volume 9 and they dont get an outfit change from what Ive seen so. You cant run from your problems forever I guess

Thats about it, but to bring this thing full circle Id like to once again elaborate on my lyric video translation stuff. Right now Im fully done with the lyric videos and all I gotta do is add in the english translations which I can do without needing to listen to the music, which means I can actually listen to the dialogue at the very least even if Im not properly looking at the screen. I was originally gonna do the same thing with Volume 9 as the crossover movie which is to say, blast music while watching and fully zoning out half the time but I figured the actual volume deserves a little more respect than that. I mean, thats still not a lot but RT isnt getting any more than this from me

#rwde

[scolek]

reacting to the new hypmic songs (or at least, the left audio channel of the new hypmic songs orz)

derasugee utage-- full ver still a goated up RIP, still a good thing. what eng accent maps to nagoya, because if nobody tells me different i will be referring to this song as wicked smaht feast.

scarface-- i didnt know if this song would be the same amount of good at full length, or be better. its better. 045, more like 10 10 10, which is the olympic score this song gets.

(spotify has given me an ad for jack harlow. i thought it was harlowe? im glad the guy who took industry baby and ran it into the endzone is getting his due)

synchro city-- is it an unpopular opinion to like hifumis voice better jacket off? he has a few good verses in host mode but i think he’s better in malewife mode, especially on this song. i think the preview doesnt do this one justice. it is better.

enishi- this is the one whose full version i was probably looking forward to the most? the preview does not scratch the itch, i guess. and it seems like the song itself agrees because the damn thing is five minutes long. the flow on this song is really modern, and i guess theyre just giving rei scraps of that because hes featured in the chorus??? snub of the year holy shit??? did you not think kuroda could pull it off??? i find your lack of faith disturbing.

torima get on the floor-- like their verse in hoodstar, this one gives me mario vibes. i like it, but. it’s my least favorite fp song (maybe penultimate above jackpot?). i like it! but you have a lot to live up to. i leave stella out of my comparisons because nothing will ever compare to stella, no other song ever or since, but this one still can’t beat out the others. like, i joke about mtc’s prodigous output of bangers, but like. fp is usually just on another level entirely.

ikebukuro west block party-- (afaik) the first bb song that kimusuba didnt write the lyrics for! too busy being the weakest link in a kamen rider that already has daiji in it, i guess. honestly this song isn’t very good. yknow. i think its unfair of me to compare kimusuba to lin manuel miranda, because even though it’s a very apt comparison, lmm was able to pull his head out of his ass long enough to write we dont talk about bruno, and what was kimura doing?? nothing worthwhile, i’ll tell ya that much.

[kmwonpil]

MINCHAN [Round 0:WHO] Indivual Film

#veriverynet #ultkpop #kpopccc #kflops #useroro #userjoanna #userhaknew #minchan #verivery #e:o #b.gif #blood tw #drugs tw #i watvhed this little thingy 365 times .and i still this doesnt make justice to the video bc the way they edit the audio the music adds a lo #lot* but yeah well i wanted to do sth #i dont like this ughhhh

[stayinurlaneboi]

Fic Recs

Pics Text Masterlists Gifs Videos Audio CGs

last updated: April 14, 2022

Misc. (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 4)

batman justice league au lmfao

where child heros aren’t allowed unless they have a mentor…

everybody can cook but alfred tho

gothams TRUE clown

birds of prey au i guess

where the rogues of gotham grew up with that bat fucker over there

where bruce intros dick to the jl

siblings are weird man

the superfriends are cuddling lol  

after bruce and alfred are gone

hes not real 1 2 3

zatanna is also a stage magician

clark v bruce: their gaggle of heathens

clark learns slang

*long suffering sigh* bats

children are a t r a p

oliver you heathen that is your protege

clark gets tricked by baby dick lol

the league finds out about batmans hoard

most of the time clarks search history is normal but...  part 2

dick and clark bonding over bruces bullshit

batboys as wayne ent employees during quarentine

bruce is not capable of not supporting children featuring shazam  part 2

damian grows up to be a beautiful bitch   the sequel

imagine if dami travelled back in time to his 9 y/o body

gothams villains are all terrified of this smol child with bloodlust

batman being creepy to make people do the thing

jay likes to seduce his way out of tickets

dick as robin and the revelation that was slade wilson

conner and jon relationship hc

batman and robin but make it spooky

love languages for the bat affiliates 1 2 3

the new member of the JL mistakenly thinks the batcave is quiet

batterror vaccine

bruces family is his light

rumor has it that dick is batmans lover

how to prank a damian

the comedy potential that is all of the superheros knowing eachothers ids

cluemaster and riddlers rivalry ft steph as robin

bruce wayne should be the youngest justice leaguer and heres why

let jason be his own person

in the beginnings of the JL

dicks apt is free real estate for the batkids

you physically cannnot hold a meeting in B’s house

bruces intervention

batfam traditions

jasons a fuckking dumbass and puts a hole into the walls of the manor

wonder woman and aquamans buddy cop movie

batman uses his Tired Dad Voice on rogues

con an jon are what people think siblings are like

batfam royal au on visiting royalty feast days

damian his family and affection

robin musings as per starfire

the ONLY reason why B puts himself through the shit he does is hc he has hope

gotham meets nihilistic millennials

batmans rogues call bruce wayne off limits

the batkids are off causing chaos while the JL looks on in horror

batclan vs batfam

what being a fan in gotham is like

tim is like all those tumblr cat memes

the real reason why batman is necessary

imagine being a robin bc you forced bats to make you one

bats is being audited and they cant spend money on bat stuff

and his would be a legacy of love

harley really wants to be robin for a day

eddie we’re eating human eddIE EDDIE THATS HUMAN ON YOUR PLATE

hal is so disconnected from earth bc he has to work as a lantern

instead of trying to kill tim jason kidnaps him to stop him from being robin

damians always wanted a cat but never was allowed until now

tim hates his life until he met bats

why do people still do crimes in gotham

rob pattisosns version of batman is the one who deserves 8000 kids

a criminal has kidnapped one of bruces kids and he tells them not to kill’em

theres a daycare in the wayne enterprise building

every graduating senior that has heard bats speak has that as their quote

harley is such a big fan of mr wayne doncha know?

everyone likes riddler more than joker

batmans villains are just the funniest when compared

dicks been kidnapped

terry is simply the funniest batman

birdbrains are sick

dami pranks everyone at once

dami going from only child to babie should be discussed more

family traditions

bruce waynes first grey hair ft clowning

bruce is the best ceo no cap

dead robin jokes

talia and dick are coparenting the same child

the only time bruce doesnt care about others is when he plays monopoly

jay and roys rent a bat service

that moment when everyone remembers that dick n jason were real brothers

batman is a childs idea of what the world needs

the batcape is the superior cape minific

the passing of the mantle of robin must give people whiplash

joker v a bunch of frighteningly competent but normal clowns

the bedrooms at the manor are all connected to a bathroom and its chaos

harley and ivy hijacked a radio station to give out advice

jay is infact the most cultured bitch in wayne manor sans alfie

theyre hypercompetent af

reverse robin au

hide n seek

damian is a disney princess specifically for dangerous animals

gotham u graduates have the most insane resumes

“wait batman has kids??” is the best trope

the wayne family has a secret evil legacy just doesnt work

bruce wayne as a father is infinitely better

superman is the most whack hero and thats the tea

jason knowing and having magic is the funniest

bats dading shazam

#archive

[layzeal]

1. yunmeng trio

2. one brain cell trio

3. dysfunctional polycule of sworn brotherhood

@natandacat

send me three characters and i will put them in order from my favorite to least favorite!

OHH NICE!! LET'S GO

1. Yunmeng Trio

HMMM i do like them all a lot, but i have to say WWX > JC > JYL, just because... well wwx is my little blorbo guy, no competition here. JC i don't think about him that much but he's suuuuch a well written and compelling character i just can't bring myself to dislike him, the atrocities only make it juicier. Yanli is also very interesting but she also doesnt have nearly as much character depth as the other two. I love how you can see her response to conflict evolved from her family situation, and Audio Drama Yanli's reaction to the soup drama is by far my favorite one and rly shows well her personality, but still... i Can talk about her when asked, but can't say she occupies much space in my brain otherwise :(

2. One Braincell Trio

akjsdhsjkfhSKDJFH i love this name for them. If we're specifically talking about CR era WWX, JC and NHS, then it becomes even more difficult because they were quite different people back then, to the point where i even find it hard to rank them??? THEY WERE JUST YOUNG AND STUPID AND ANNOYING and i love them, but well, i suppose i'll go with WWX > NHS > JC, solely because (other than the reasons above) teen NHS is the funniest person in the world to me and i can't put him on number 3. Teen WWX is still a fav though, he's sooo smart and confident just throwing foreshadowing after foreshadowing, it's great.

3. Venerated Triad

ahhh my favorite dysfunctional polycule, truly hard to decide. i think i'm gonna go with "which ones occupy the most space in my brain" which then would be LXC > JGY > NMJ, but let it be known they are ALL favorites!! xichen is just an extremely compelling character to me in every way, jiggy's arc and backstory and the atrocities he commited later on due to paranoia are sooooo delicious i wanna put him in a jar and expose him on my shelf. NMJ... man didnt get much screentime but i do like seeing how he conceptualizes his sense of justice, even if i don't agree with it sometimes. Him declaring out loud that Mianmian had more guts than everyone in her sect, despite the fact that she was standing up for someone who he disagreed with, always stays in my mind. He's a good character!

#none of this makes sense. anyways. enjoy! #tysm for the requests <3333 #modao #lace speaks #ask #wei--wuxian #natandacat

[olde-scratch]

So I watched LUCIDS 1-4 without any prior knowledge...

and here were my thoughts. I didn’t watch any backstory or anything so enjoy my suffering.

PART 1

“So what happens when the people inside of their dreams go to sleep?” They die

“What happens when we wake up? Do they go on living while we’re not there?” THEY DIE-

“Who are they anyway?” they’re faces that our brain catalogs and stores for later use, although it’s also arguable that every time we dream we go to an alternate reality and inhabit the body of another version of ourselves. Now, were you in a car accident and trapped underwater or-

Are they twins?

(Me tuning out to do something)

“-the squirrel in spongebob was your soulmate, making you a Sandy simp-”

Me, snapping back to the video: hold up-

[missed the part about the worksheet, realized it when i rewatched 10 mins later to make this post]

yall speakin gibberish idk what youre saying-

“I’m gonna go to bed.” bro it literally looks like morning-

“You should get some sleep you look terrible.” i get six hours of sleep a night minimum and i look worse than him shut up bro-

“jump into someone else’s dream” ah i know this con-

why they all got the same face-

haha funni meme

“--an interruptiion can create feedback and tear them apart.” Death. I long for thee.

Is that Karl Jacob’s jacket?

“a second grader” makes me think this is a different school system. [i was wrong? i think?]

“[get him to] eat your apple”

[in the dream sequence] weird dream, but ive had weirder. now, Why Pamper’s-

why does he suddenly have a knife-

“You put a filter on the Dreamscape feed?”

“Technically, you are seven years old.”

???????????

the second hand embarrassment is UGGGHHH

[reading the description] you mean like the guy who was knocked out for 2 minutes on a football field and woke to find he’d dreamt 17 years of his life? oh this shall be Fun

PART 2

[I check the description] “jasper cult” what the fu-

how many camp camp references can i make during this

Is the apple a reference to religion or does the creator just really ilke apples?

“meal.”

“meal?”

meal????

Wait why couldn’t that guy eat the apple? If he wanted it in the fruit bowl, wouldn’t there be a chance of the guy eating it anyways?? Why can’t the guy who brought the apple eat it?

well he’s Dead

[debating if I should read the backstory}

n a h h h h h -

Was he gonna feed the dead guy the apple or something? Why is he upset about the apple in this scene???

oooo the grownups are fightinnnngggg

Is he an antagonist?

HE WROTE A BOOK???

oh now i want food

ESTABLISH JUSTICE ENSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITYYYYYYYYYYYYY

“I watched all those aforementioned shows” what shows did i miss something what-

man why you gotta hate on her jane austen fanfic let her live bro

string theory! i can get behind that! sorta-

o no he found the memes-

BOY GOT KNOCKED OUT-

kim there’s people that are dying-

is SHE an antagonist?

quinn? calling himself jasper? u sure hes not just nonbinary? is this just a metaphor for transphobic parenting?

“He died... but somewhere, he grew up.” So is your plan to take a Quinn from a different universe and make him your own, thereby robbing another version of yourself from happiness? When does this ever go well?

Yknow most people, when they lose a kid,,,, kinda,,,,,,, dont go on a ceaseless quest to find another version of their kid that grew up without knowing that another version of his mother was invading other peoples’ dreams to find and kidnap him,,,,,,,, like aint u got a therapist-

“Once you get past the point of not knowing what’s real anymore, you realize it doesn’t matter.” Well, I Got Called Out-

PART 3

“you’re real, oliver.”

aRe yOu sUrE aBoUt tHaT-

“you’ve been infected by the anti-love parasite of Mandadon” the amatonormativity is strong

so anyways ive been infected since birth hbu-

“James Jasperson, creator of Japple” did you mean to Fancy Well-Educated Man in a Black Turtleneck? cause the only FWEMBT i allow near me is prof. hidgens

“are you winning?” says the capitalist

why did you rewind to see his face?? you have the same face????? is this just bc the creator doesnt like working with other people cause in that case same but???????

“it’s a bad idea. i’m not gonna do it.” we’ve all been there. and we’ve all done it.

looks like me trying to study. (i say, a person who has studied a total of five minutes throughout their entire life.)

your “Spartan trial” looks like a bunch of guys standing on a hill pretending to be something they’re not. Let The Man Bring His Snacks.

eat the apple.

is this your first existential crisis or something what a loser lets all point and laugh

“One of you should be spared, the other shall’nt.” did you mean shant or was that a choice-

yall gonna get called out for talking shut UP

“sorry if this is too personal, btw. are you okay?”

me, confused and half understanding what’s going on and also needing to sleep cause its almost one in the morning but wanting to finish what i can find of lucids which i only starting watching cause i saw an animatic of ranboo and dream w audio from it: i don’t know anymore

“i just want my life back... i was gonna get married-” AREN’T YOU LIKE SEVEN-

ay man if this is a sacrificial cult yall gotta get daniel-

UPDATE: I  H A V E  N O T  F O U N D  I T -

“oliver”

I  F O U N D   I  T -

WHICH ONE IS QUINN?? WHO’S JASPER???? WHICH ONE IS BENJAMIN???? I THOUGH BENJAMIN WAS SEVEN BUT I THOUGHT HE WAS THE ONE GETTING MARRIED WHAT-

oliver. eat the apple.

“Can you still have memories even when you’re dreaming?” One time I woke up to my alarm and fell back asleep and in my dream I remembered that I had class in a few minutes and my dream self woke my real self up so fast I thought I was gonna get whiplash. Anyways, I was late to class bc of my computer but that doesn’t matter.

NOPE I FOUND IT. HERE’S THE AUDIO. THE ANIMATIC ONE. FINALLY.

im thinking car crash. but also maybe murder. but also maybe both? is it raining or was he drowning? is he in a coma? hmmmmmm?

wait olivers the one with the apple does that mean he’s the one dreaming? is the ending gonna be him and jasper (quinn? idk) fighting against ben and mrs hills about jasper eating the apple to save oliver from the dream? hmmmmmmmmmm-

waitwaitwait i thought oliver was 7 how is benjamin 7 years younger than him if they look the same age what what what explain america explain what you mean arkansaw-

are the cuts on his nose plot-relevant or

“What if you hadn’t been driving?” So I was right about the car accident but Mrs. Hills still said he was seven so did i mishear her say that BENJAMIN was seven? but even then oliver would be 14 and that would still be illegal-

“How are you feeling?”

“Like you’re a pretty bad therapist.”

mood

“--it makes it all bearable to have power over the stories we write in our heads” that’s why i write fanfiction

HE’S GOT THE NOTEBOOK HE’S GONNA WRITE SOMETHING ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US

WHAT YOU MEAN AN EXPERIMENT THAT’S HIS NAME-

[upon reading the description] so i was right.

wait was that supposed to be the twist in part 2 about the apple in his pocket is that what the existential crisis was about i thought it was because he was introduced to the multiple worlds theory-

PART 4

wait wasnt the other one january 2018 why we going back to 2017-

appol

“--the future and the past all already exist” mhm yep figured this out long ago

there was simultaneously a point in time in which i hadn’t known about this, had been looking it up, had been watching it, and had been writing an ending to this post, and had been posting it the next morning before class. that time is both now and not now. Welcome To The Multiverse Theory or whatever its called-

“--my favorite scene of the movie is waking up next to you.” Mine is eating fast food as I listen to AJJ and play Minecraft. We are not the same.

Now I’m hungry but it’s 1 in the morning and i already put my retainer in god fu-

[reading description] what do you mean previously??? she did that in the first episode????????

[still on description] WHAT DO YOU MEAN WILL QUINN BITE THE APPLE AND GO TO BENJAMINS REALITY ISNT THIS OLIVERS REALITY AND HE HAS TO GET BEN TO BITE THE APPLE WHY IS APPLE CAPITALIZED IS THIS THE DOING OF THE FWEMBT

i should have watched the backstory i should have watched the backstory i should have watched the backstory i should have wa-

[description] oh ive been spelling quinn right the whole time nice

i hope she rejects you /j

WAIT BENJAMIN WAS THE ONE GETTING MARRIED TO ISABELLE

ISNT HE IN SECOND GRADE-

HE IS SEVEN YEARS OLD HOW IS HE GETTING MARRIED ARE THERE TWO BENJAMINS THAT WE’RE FOCUSING ON-

bro get out of the road ull get hit

how do you knOW WHICH ONE IS QUINN THEY ARE THE SAME PERSON-

so

wait

hills wants ben to feed quinn the apple bc in his mind, that will give hills and quinn a happy ending and she doesnt want ben to see the apple bc thats gonna mean ben will know that his reality isnt reality at all. so then oliver has to,,,, not let anyone eat his apple? he just has to wake up?

IS HILLS THE VILLAIN AFTER ALL ORRRRR

wait but if ben sees the apple wont he realize that his reality is wrong and his reality will change, making it so that hills doesnt get her son? or is there some time-based rule that says they’re only transported to the reality that the person believes at that moment? or is this another stab at the multiverse thing where an infinite amount of hills gets their happy endings while an infinite amount of hills doesnt and etc etc?

i should have watched the ba-

oooo dramatique

they’re in a time loop?

nope thats a new powerpoint

wait so theyre,,,, no-

wait-

nvm-

IS THE BEN WE KNOW AN ADULT GETTING MARRIED TO ISABELLE OR NOT-

“they were actually pretty nice” didnt they throw someone off a cliff-

oh so it got confusing THEN??? NOT BEFORE?????

“it all seemed so real.” is that Not the point of vivid REM sleep hallucinations-

is oliver gonna show ben the apple and ruin hills’ whole operation

WHO ARE ALEX AND RYAN-

“what’s 25-8″ bro dont do this to me-

yep hes gonna show the apple

ayyy the guy who stole karl jacobs jacket it back

the second hand embarrassment is back and I Hate It

all that happens in episode ONE??? bro get some better writers that is bad pacing

“it’s the best!” wait until season eight. no show has a good season eight.

quinn knows about the apple thing w the dreams and multiverse and realities dont he

YOU KILLED HIM

NOT KARL JACOBS NOOOOO HES ALREADY DIED ONCE

oliver is v relatable

wHaT iN tArNaTiOn-

lemme hear that explanaton again-

is bill cipher gonna show up? i hope bill cipher shows up. i miss gravity falls

“ah! a tree! ah! a tree! ah a tree!” moooooooood

did hills murder quinn

is your family the jasper cult

TOXXIICCCCCC get that lady out of your life quinn that is so toxic

“ ah! a tree! ah! a tree! ah a tree!  ah! a tree! ah! a tree! ah a tree!” mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT’S THE END NO WHAT WHY NO

The Adventures of Benjamin and Oliver

he is Not Good

ope-

wait so ben is equal parts an adult AND a child?? okay that clears a lot up

I MEAN HE WAS RIGHT THO BEN U CAN’T REALLY ARGUE ON THAT-

ew get off the floor

butterfly effect, multiverse theory, memory decay, and your imagination ALL exist yall gonna ignore that cause you wanna be famous?

“We already know what the future looks like!”

aRe yOu sUrE aBoUt tHaT-

to add to the list of bad things: Cats (2019)

YA BOI THINKS IT’S NOT ALREADY FIFTY YEARS TOO LATE TO START FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE FFFFF

BINGO BABYYYY

get what what

what mapped-

awwwww he thinks THEY’RE creating the multiverse

you gonna dismiss the multiverse theory bc of something you created in your current reality? loooserrrrrr

ABUSE YOUR GODLIKE POWERS

she draggin that seven year old

a lot makes sense now why didnt i do this first-

Jasper

the food shortages-

bro that calculators like 90 bucks at walmart

imagine meeting a stranger and they know Everything about your life like that’s gotta be so weird

what’s even weirder is them telling you you’re the deity of a cult that sacrifices animals

THAT FOURTH WALL BREAK WAS-

KARL JACOBS IS DEAD NOOOOOO

ooohhh there’s context for that

OOOOHHHH THERE’S CONTEXT FOR THIS TOOOO

w h a t -

w  h  a  t  -

W   H   A   T   -

Conclusion:

it’s 2 in the morning and i need sleep but hOOOOO MY GODS THAT WAS GOOD IS IT OVER OR NOT IDK ANYMORE IM TIRED THAT WAS CRAZY I HOPE QUINN AND JASPER GO ON TO BE VERY GOOD FRIENDS, AND I HOPE BENJAMIN AND OLIVER STAY VERY GOOD FRIENDS AND I HOPE HILLS FINDS A THERAPIST WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING BUT I ENJOYED IT

if i dream about apples im suing /j /lh

#lucids #nicholas podany #there's a metaphor in there somewhere #but im not gonna be the one to find it #i dont think i dreamed about apples #youre safe for now podany #for now #EDIT #I PUT 'something their not' #WRONG THERE #I HAVE NO EXCUSE #IM SORRY

[thegeminisage]

hey liz i've been thinking a lot about story structure lately and i wanted your take on how you decide what structure your stories will have? i know there's that "you have to do what your story needs and tells you to do" thing but these bitches dont ever tell me anything they just multiply so. thoughts? - bma

(as an aside, i don't know whether involving medium would change many things but it may be worth considering. mainly i think medium is just a matter of arrangement and that the story would be for most intents and purposes the same no matter how you choose to tell it. i guess you could argue that structure is arrangement in itself and intrinsically tied to medium but i sort of feel like it is secondary arrangement, if at all? like if you consider time as an element to outline -- the time IN the story (how things happen to your characters) is not necessarily the time you’re telling the story IN (how you are telling your reader that things are happening) aka internal chronology doesnt equal your work’s pacing? or should it??? does this make sense? i dont think so. i am sorry.) - bma :|

NOOO dont be sorry ur making total sense

i think there’s 3 thots to unpack here (medium, structure, & chronology) & i’m gonna start with medium bc it’s easier. im also putting it behind a cut bc it’s gonna get just stupidly long and rambly. i’m sorry in advance if it’s not helpful to you, i have a lot to say for someone who has never taken even one single class on writing and as a result doesn’t know jack shit (there’s a tl;dr at the end dont worry)

about MEDIUM: 

so like ok i’m just some goof-off with a HS degree who writes fanfiction but In My Very Super Qualified Personal Opinion, i don’t think that most of the time medium is intrinsically tied to STRUCTURE of the main storytelling arc...i think the art of storytelling itself is distinct from the medium you choose to tell the story IN. this post puts it better than i ever could but basically for me, i feel like the story itself is sort of the raw, malleable concept, and the medium you choose to tell it in is how you convey the information??

like in a book, you can say “she forgot her keys” and in a film you have to show her smacking her forehead, heading back into the house, and swiping her keeps off the counter. you can’t TELL in film, you have to show. similarly i regret every day i cannot perfectly describe a facial expression with words when i see it so clearly in my head. for audio-only podcasts that are dialogue heavy out of necessity you have different limitations than you would for, say, animated music videos with no dialogue at all. games allow for more interactivity and exploration while sacrificing accessibility, tv shows allow for more length while sacrificing, uh, a big hollywood budget...medium affects the kind of story you can reasonably tell which is why some stories are better suited to one medium than another. i think trying things in other mediums is a good way to stretch your storytelling muscles but with enough skill nearly any story could be told in any medium. i think when trying to decide on a medium you just gotta weigh the pros & cons and what you feel comfortable with/what you think would be most effective/what would evoke the strongest reaction

re: structure:

firstly “do what the story tells u to do” is a little silly like...the story isn’t sentient. come on. that’s like “i can only write when the writing gods inspire me” there are no writing gods! inspire yourself! it’s all in our weird messed up brains! ok anyway.

this is, again, just how i do things, and i am 700% self-taught so take it with a grain of salt, but when i sit down and start blocking out a story from scratch i don’t...actually consider the big structure at all! sorry if that’s not helpful to you. i like to make a list of everything i want to happen, and then put it together in a few different orders to see what looks best. and when i’m finished, whatever i have just like...IS the structure i go with, with perhaps minor tinkering to make it flow more smoothly. (i think this might be in the same spirit as “do what the story tells you” with less bullshit and more Agency Of The Writer.)

for long and more complex projects, i actually usually have several lists - one list of stuff that is, for example, the Action Plot (the kingdom has been cursed, i’m tracking down my serial killer sister to bring her to justice, i’m running from djinn who wanna kill my dad, i’m trying to bring my dead not-boyfriend back to life). then i have another list for Character A & Character B’s romance or whatever. and maybe a even another one for solo character development (magicphobic prince learns to love magic, former werewolf hunter figures out his family is a cult, half-demon learns to embrace his own nature). and as many lists as we need for however many Main Characters and or Plots/Sideplots

how i order the lists: individually first. don’t mix them together to start with. when deciding the order of an individual list i like to, for example in a romance arc, use escalating intimacy. “A and B have dinner together” is naturally gonna go way sooner than “A and B kiss” or “A and B talk about A’s angsty backstory” because that’s more satisfying. draw it out, good/important stuff last, dangle that carrot so we have a reason to keep reading! for singular character development, it’s basically a straightforward point A to point B...if i want my guy to start hating magic with everything he is and end up being very comfortable with it, i have to put “reluctantly uses magic to save his own life” WAYYY before “casually using magic to light torches and reheat his cold stew.” 

the tricky part for me is when i’m done with these lists and then i need to mix them together To Pace My Whole Story. (this is usually why i wind up with a rainbow colored spreadsheet.) i don’t like to put too many things too close together because then the pace feels uneven. even if my Action Plot is only a thinly veiled excuse for romance and character development, i still don’t want to focus on a romance for 30,000 words and then go “and oh yeah in case you forgot Serial Killing Sister is still coming for your asses.” the more sideplots and major character arcs you’re juggling the harder it is to get an even distribution, which is my main concern always

and like, generally, whatever i have when i’m finished...is my structure. (sorry.) 

i don’t know much about the classic 3-act or anything like that, but i usually can divide them up into 3-5 big arcs based on story turning points. sometimes i take a scene out of one arc and put it in another because it fits better and i like for my shit to be organized, but usually by the time i’m finished with all that, that’s what the final story is mostly gonna look like. (there have been a few exceptions when i realized i needed extra scenes/changes while i was MID-DRAFT and let me tell you that murders me EVERY time. it happened on the merlin fic i’m currently posting and that was like my own personal hell.)

this is also where thots about chronology come in:

i think time CAN be an element of this if you WANT it to be, but it doesn’t HAVE to be. if you want it to be, i would consider it just another “list” like character development or the romance arc. 

i usually plot without considering Time very much...to me, it’s all down to the events you want to show, and however much time it takes is the byproduct. if you want to show something from a character’s chilhood but then tell the bulk of it when they’re adults, that’s one thing. if you want to show a scene from their childhood, teenhood, young adulthood, etc, that’s a different kind of pacing?? i usually do it this way so i can regard time like wordcount: it takes as long as it takes. 3 days or 3 years, a 1.5k drabble or a 100k epic...overall, my LARGEST CONCERN is that even distribution. in the same way that i don’t want one chapter to be 30,000 words when the rest are 10,000 words, i personally am not a fan of huge timeskips offscreen

(because this where i think someone’s own internal chronology DOES matter...this is just a personal preference, as a reader i have a hard time really comprehending, say, a year timeskip or a 10yr timeskip when all i did was turn one page. like, a year is such a long time. i can’t even begin to describe how different i am now to how i was a year ago. it’s the same for character development. time IS development and as a writer i’m not really comfortable having that take place offscreen - for main characters, at least. it’s just too jarring. a little prologue with something happening 10 or 20 years ago is usually fine, but for the most part, i’m not a fan. ...i can do one chapter per year a lot easier than i can do two chapters in childhood and the other 8 in adulthood. of course you can play with this a LOT with nonlinear storytelling, which is a whole other very cool thing, and someone skilled in their work can keep me sucked in no matter what, but imo if you don’t want to risk throwing your reader out of your work it’s better to keep things steady)

HOWEVER sometimes time IS an element u wanna consider outside of just making sure your shit is evenly distributed...if your heart is moved to tell a story in a specific timeframe, over a year, or from solstice to solstice (this was almost the timeline for my merlin fic and then i changed it), for the first six months of a friendship, or even a huge journey in the span of a single day (toby fox had a lot of success with this one lol).

i think it can help to choose a start and end point for your chronology the same way you do for character development (prince goes from hating magic to being ok with it, story takes place from ages 8 to 25, or from new year’s eve 2038 to 2039, whatever) - that way you can keep your distribution even, if that’s a thing you want to do...even if you have a lot of skips you can still note what happens offscreen to make it work better in your head? like, if you just make it another List, another column on your spreadsheet, when you’re in the early stages of organizing you can be conscious of it and make sure it’s playing into the story the way you want it to

anyway these r my thots im SOOOO SORRY this is so long lmao. brain machine broke today which is why i had to ramble more to explain myself. the tl;dr in case ur brain is melting out of ur ears & u didn’t sign up for an essay:

imo medium is totally distinct from storytelling tho ofc some stories are better suited to some mediums

structure? i don’t know her. i plot w/o regard to structure and then if it looks funny i mush it into a more structurally sound shape

my main concern when structuring anything, including time, is an even distribution of Events and a steady rate of escalation

structure to me is just what i have when i’m finished plotting. i’m sorry one day i’m gonna take a writing class

internal chronology matters to me personally because i have a little bit of time blindness but maybe not to everyone, i know many very successful stories where they disregarded that entirely to no ill effect

writer’s block isn’t real! everyone just needs more rainbow spreadsheets

thank u for asking I HOPE i didn’t make you regret it too badly lmao and that at least a little of it was helpful!! 

#personal #liz loves writing #liz answers asks #brit marling anon #i couldn't figure out how to answer u without walking u thru my entire process #so that's what i did and that's why it's so long. very sorry. #im gonna set this up to reblog itself at the time u sent ur ask so that ur sure to see it!! #edit: there was SUPPOSED to be a cut on this but tumblr put it in the ASK?? i can't seem to fix it. rip

[alwaysxyou]

HARRY MSG 6.22

yall it hasnt even been 12 hours since the concert ended im still very overwhelmed but my harry show:

-i was wearing my pride TPWK shirt and had my pride flag draped around my shoulders and i kept getting stares but i also saw quite a few (who looked to be) baby gays look at me and smile really big and it made it all worth it -kacey is gorgeous and very talented -HARRY WORE BLUE CAUSE HES THE BIGGEST LOUIE OF ALL TIME -pictures/videos do not do harry justice in the slightest. he is GORGEOUS -90% sure i tore a vocal cord screaming “ride it” during medicine -ALL THE FUCKING LOUIS VIP BOX SHIT -harry was so smiley the entire night but very very emotional -if i could fly live is a god damn religious experience -he played from the dining table, and then was handed a guitar. i immediately burst into tears cause i knew he doesnt use a guitar for the chain and i knew sto was coming -STO. oh god. im not exaggerating when i say i was hysterically sobbing the entire time. it was so beautiful. harry is so in love. -STO - basically no one was singing along. pretty sure everyone else didnt know the words and larries WERE NOT about to ruin those audios -harry made mitch kiss his ping pong trophy during the chain (i think it was during the chain) -ive never gone harder in my entire life than the last 5 minutes and it was incredibe -the concert ended and immediately sat down and resumed my STO sobbing -omg this is not in order but he talked SO MUCH during the show, made fun of a bunch of fans, said his fav britney spears song is toxic cause hes THAT gay, made people cheer for food, and admitted him and louis are constantly having sex trying to get pregnant (not how it works harold but you do you)

IN SUMMARY BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE I LOVE HARRY SO MUCH I HAVE NO VOICE FROM SCREAMING ALSO LOUIS AND HARRY ARE VERY IN LOVE

#my show #harry styles #long post #louis tomlinson #hl #hslot my show 1

[surprisebitch]

What is Danganronpa about?

Hey there! I’m so glad you’re interested! it’s one of my fave game series/franchises. so to start, it’s murder mystery, adventure, and suspense so if you’re into that, then continue reading as i’ll try to talk bout it as briefly as possible.

So for the premise without giving spoilers.. the story of the first game (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc) begins with the protagonist entering his first day of high school and this high school, Hope’s Peak Academy, is not an ordinary one cause only the best of the bests are accepted! Not grades-wise but talent and skills-wise. So all of these students are ultimates and they’re scouted across the world to study in the school cause only the #1 in that skill get in. So for example, there’s an ultimate swimmer, ultimate gambler, ultimate baseball star, ultimate programmer, etc.

And as soon as the protagonist enters the school, he blacks out and then finds out that there are like 14 other students there who also experienced the same thing. They have no idea why they’re all there. So to cut to the chase, a mastermind in a form of a mechanical bear named Monokuma has kidnapped all of them and they’re all stuck in that school with no way out.

BUT there’s a catch, the only way they can get out of there is if they “GRADUATE” meaning, they have to KILL one student.

It doesn’t end there! Because if a student kills one student, they HAVE TO GET AWAY WITH IT.

So if a student gets killed, all students investigate the scene of the crime. Then a class trial will be held where you will all debate who’s the killer, how they were killed, etc.

The catch is: IF everyone accuses the wrong person and the killer gets away with it. All of the students except the killer get punished (executed) while the killer is the only one that gets out.

But IF everyone makes the right accusation, only the killer will be executed.

So you can see why it’s a survival game and you will also see why students would end up killing each other even though from the beginning, no one wanted to kill a student. The story then goes from there! Now many questions are raised like:

Where are the other students?

Who’s the headmaster/mastermind?

Why are they all trapped in a high school?

Whats the mastermind’s motive?

What happened to their families and loved ones?

WHO WILL SURVIVE???

It is a super logic-based game. Has a lot of thinking involved. And yeah it’s super exciting, tragic, sad, intense, and HAS MANY CLEVER PLOT TWISTS.

The gameplay is a visual novel type of style so it’s like you’re reading with moving pictures and it’s really interactive and fun. It does have a slow start but once the first killing happens, more actions appear and the class trial is very interactive more than the usual click this and that.

The game also allows you to select a difficulty level when you start it. I strongly suggest you set the LOGIC to MEAN level. And the Action, you can do it in whatever level you think is appropriate for you. If you’re a seasoned gamer, you won’t find the “Mean” level of Action too difficult but if you’re not used to games then you can set it to “Kind”. BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, don’t set the Logic to Kind because it is insultingly easy and you will get bored and have to start all over again if you decided “Mean” is for you. And trust me, it will be. Also, a good way to stimulate your brain and use of logic.

Here’s a trailer of the first game (i can only see the English version.. but you can play it with Japanese audio and English subtitles if you prefer that. The English isnt so bad though) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwJeZPMhdUk

So if this got you sold, then you can certainly purchase the bundle Danganronpa 1 and 2 on Steam for a good price! BTW the sequel, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is truly a level up of the first game. it’s one of those NECESSARY SEQUELS and my fave so far from the franchise. 

There is an anime for the first game but the anime is poorly condensed.. it doesn’t do the first game justice. So i strongly suggest you play it instead AND ALSO since there is no anime for the second game (thankfully).

When you finish Danganronpa 1 and 2, there is an anime called Danganronpa 3 which completes the whole series. While i have strong opinions and criticisms about the anime objectively, i still think it’s worth watching since it’s a conclusion to the series. So if you’re gonna watch it, you’ll have to watch it in a specific order cause there are two arcs: Future Arc and Despair Arc. so you start the series with episode 1 of Future then ep1 of Despair then ep2 future then ep2 despair then follow that pattern til you reach the final episodes then watch the Hope arc which is one episode. 

There is also Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls.. the gameplay of this is different from the DR games (shooter game) so if it’s not your thing then you can just read what happens here or watch a playthrough. 

In theory, you can skip that and still “complete” the story but it does tie some loose ends and it’s still worth at least reading about since there are characters that get developed. This also goes with reading the side novels Danganronpa Zero and Danganronpa Kirigiri (these arent games or anime but literal short novels so yeah)So unlike other gaming series like Final Fantasy (also an all-time fave gaming series of mine; it’s RPG though!), you have to play Danganronpa in order because it is story-based and each sequel connects to the last!

However, the DR Despair train doesnt end there because a new story unfolds. New Danganronpa V3 is getting released on September 26, 2017 which im so hyped for haha. 

TL;DR: Danganronpa is a murder mystery game with incredible characters, iconic plot twists, amazing soundtrack, and outstanding writing. 

It’s like Battle Royale meets CSI meets How to Get Away With Murder if i had to like link the feeling of the game to some popular media. 

But Danganronpa itself is a unique experience and like no other! If you started the game or like this recommendation got you to play the game, then please tell me! I also would love to know who are your fave characters! :D

#danganronpa #dr #faq #Anonymous

[ramblyravingnnjashark]

Nier Automata - Genius and Madness

the works of Yoko Taro are something that have eluded me for most of my life, and that I have given very little attention to. Probably for good reasons because from the outside, the gameplay of his games range from Mediocre to Average at best and I consider myself a very "gameplay First" person. Some of my Freinds would rave about Drakengard and how weird it is but that didnt quite convince me to look into them much further. However, one Fateful Day a little game called "Nier Automata" was announced, a sequel to Yoko Taros Xbox 360/PS3 game Nier with a little line of Text that would change things in an instant

                                   "Developed by PlatinumGames"

now friends of mine will know that, PlatinumGames is one of my alltime favourite Game Devs for their Crazy High skill Character Action Beat em up titles, containing Larger than Life characters and great and tight Gameplay that owes their roots in the Arcade games of old, which is something I have a appreciation for.

So, with a combination like this I finally decided to take on this series, by means of watching Youtube essays about it because goddamn, the gameplay in these games can get rather mind numbing sadly but honestly? Yoko Taro mighta earned himself now a nice cushy place as one of my favourite Directors, right next to  Hideki Kamiya and Hideo Kojima themselves.

But there is one thing I realised from watching these Essays and actually playing one of them it is one thing to watch a guy sum this series up for you, its a whole different thing to watch the Insanity for yourself

because the works of Yoko Taro arent stories about Heroic Knights slaying Demons and Evil Dragons, or Loving Fathers/older Brothers trying to survive the Fall of Humanity with their Daughters/Little Sisters

they are stories about Love, Hate, War, the meaninglessness of the Universe and the Hope growing from it, what it means to be Human, and what it means to lose all reason and go complete and genuinely Mad

(there will be spoilers, so be warned if you wish to expirience these games yourself!)

so originally, this was gonna be a brief recap of Drakengard and Nier, but then I realised I couldnt do these games justice so I just link this and this recap of these games that should give you a good idea what these games are about but to keep it brief

Drakengard is essentially to RPGs what Evangelion was to Mecha Anime, and thats a fairly approviate comparsion when you just look at, this

its also notable for how it handles its different endings, usually referred to as Ending A, Ending B etc, Ending E of the first Drakengard game was a Joke ending that nontheless became the basis for the setting of Nier, a ruined Planet Earth set hundreds of years after the Fall of Humanity about a Father (in the Western Releases) or a Older Brother (Japanese release) having to fend for himself and his Daughter/Younger Sister in a world under constant threat of creatures known as Heartless Shades

both these games are interesting, because their gameplay is nothing special, in the case of Drakengard its outright terrible,they got mediocre reviews and poor sales and yet these games have a dedicated Cult following and  tons of Novels, Audio Dramas, Manga and even Stage Plays that expand the Universes of these games and its lore

and thats for a simple reason: these games may have mediocre gameplay but, their Stories, their Characters, their Art Direction is actually of fairly high quality featuring intriguing Characters and worldbuilding that makes you invested in them regardless I mean, theres a entire exchange in Nier thats entireley between two Magical Talking Books for cryin out loud, and its one of the best parts of the game!

however, these games have thus far had a life as just that, Cult Classics, that didnt manage to garner a mainstream audience due to its aforementioned quirks, the Gameplay just could never stand up to the well written stories of these games

this is where PlatinumGames comes into play

now, the gameplay of Automata I honestly felt like was more on par with what Revengeance offered: there is stuff you can do with it but all in all its below the likes of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry 3 but thats not to say its poor, of course not, it doesnt encourage you to try anything other than just Mash about, but thats Fine, theres also Chips that your characters can even equip Chips that enhance their abilities and giv e them new ones such as a Bayonetta style Parry and Witch time or give them Heals upon Killing the enemy and while the actual enviroments can be a bit of a chore to go through (until you get Fast Travel), it still felt good to Parkour your way through them, nice snappy and smooth which gives me hopes they take a cue or two from this game for Bayonetta 3 in that regard at least

another thing I loved is the Soundtrack itself. Now I dont consider myself a musical person, however I can tell when a Song is used perfectly, and in Automata? Every Song is used to actual perfection. Music to me can be the deciding factor wether a Area or Scene in a Game or Movie is Garbage, Forgettable or Legendary, and for Automata, every song makes each area fall niceley into the latter fortunatly. One Standout track for me is Birth of a Wish (Become as Gods) a retake of an earlier song that adds in additional Chorus, and the Theme for Pascals village which is a cute Melody involving Children singing.

now onto the game itself, Route A puts you in the sexy and Lucious Thigh High boots of YoRHa Unit 2B, whereas Route B puts you in the cute Boy shorts of her Partner and mostly Good Boy YoRHa Unit 9S both tasked with ridding the world of Machine Lifeforms and making Earth inhabitable for the Humans stuck on the Moon again Both Routes play out roughly the same, 2B plays like a Standard Character Action Heroine with Lights and Heavies and such, whereas 9S is mainly focused around his ability to hack enemies and engage into brief SHMUP segments.

of the two I felt like 2B was a little more fun to play all in all, the Hacking was fine but also felt a teeny bit like a pace breaker but not too much, at least until late in Route B the game throws curvebals and unique hacking segments into the mix

a thing Yoko Taro games have been very good at showing, is showing the process of a Person losing their mental stability and throwing it all away to become a one track minded Mad Man and I find that interesting.

Drakengard had a good example when the Character Inuart completley loses it and becomes obsessed with bringing back his Dead Love interest, causing here to turn into the monster posted above. Automata meanwhile, shows this also but with Machines, being that shouldnt even go mad in the first place but become Insane with concepts like Revenge, Fear or other. Now I am not a Psychology Major or anything but I cant help but feel "this is Intriguing", not sure if thats a bad thing or anything but thats how it is.

now, Route C is where officialy the PlatinumGame ends and the Yoko Taro game begins, in that things become utterly, utterly Bleak. Not to say it was happy funtime before, many of the sidequests end on a very sour or outright terrible note, but here? Shits gon Bad!

YoRHa falls, everyone on the Protagonists homebase dies or becomes infected with a Virus that makes them go insane, 2B dies and 9S is severeley wounded and has his mental state utterly ruined by seeing 2B, his Love interest, die. from this Point onward, you play as Either A2, a former YoRHa gone Rogue and 9S as he tries to kill every last Machine Lifeform, and as hes utterly loses his mind. Focusing entireley on his one Goal so that maybe, he can find Death and be with 2B in the Afterlife.

this is where the game really became interesting to me. Gradually 9S goes from this sweet pure boy to a Violent Mess that only wants to Kill and Kill and Kill, Over and Over, its a Interesting Development for such a Character I feel. A2 meanwhile, while still a Great Character and a Blast to play, I felt like was severeley underutilized, getting very little playtime compared to 2B and 9S, with most of her greatest character Development limited to a Japan only Stage play that got a short text recap on a terminal. and it just goes from there and it keeps going, plot twists happen, reveals happen, callbacks to the first Nier and Drakengard 1 happen, its just this huge Mountain of themes and stuff to uncover and analyse. references to old Philosophers and the Concept of Nihilism itself ebing explored, little details that popped up in the early game and now have much greater meaning, its....actually incredible?

I dont think I ever played a game that had so much going on, the last time I think I did was, Metal Gear Solid 3, maybe?! I think....this might actually be one of the best written games I ever played?

and there is still so much content I could go through, the Stage Plays, the Novels, theres probably a buncha Audio Dramas for it too already its like, Jesus christ. and then theres Ending E, which while rather difficult (and probably causes at least 4 people to fucking hate my Guts) was probably one of the best ending sequences I seen in recent years, I'm not gonna go into detail what it is because, it needs to be seen to be belived, but I find it genuiley incredible.

I dont think theres a single game in the Drakengard and Nier series I would actually consider my "Favourite Game", maybe Nier Automata but thats up for consideration still, but I think I can safeley say that both games story as a whole is easily up there with Metal Gear as  one of my favourite Game stories out there, and friends and followers of mine would know by now how much I love that Franchise and its wacky insane story, Drakengard and Nier are special little series that you dont see enough of these days, but maybe thats for the better

I'm not gonna say "Nier Automata rekindled my love for video games" or anything, but I am glad I got to expirience these two series.

#Recent Ramblings #Ramblings #Ninja Original

[sorry-im-late-again]

Revolve 31- Les Misérables 23/2/17

Les Mis last night… first off wow! It was the most amazing, emotional and captivating show and cast I have ever seen!

So I should probably get into it by saying that during my show, Sophie Reeves was on as Fantine, Jonny Purchase as Enjolras, Lee Van Geleen as the Factory Foreman and Andy Conaghan was on as Grantaire. All five swings were on as well, because Steffan Harri, Josie Kemp and Adam Bayjou were all off. Holly Anne Hull was listed to be on but I don’t think she was, though I can’t be sure for definite. Also I’m going to try and be as brief as possible because I don’t want this to be too long.

To start with the principals, I was very impressed with the vast majority of them.

Simon Gleeson, Oh my Goodness Simon Gleeson. He was absolutely excellent, from the moment of the prologue when he opens his mouth for the first time right up until the final bows he just did not fail to be amazing. He did what a Valjean should do and more, he was captivating, raw and amazing and was also such a lovely lovely person at stage door! His soliloquy was fantastically raw and wonderful and right through he was consistently excellent. He’s not a Valjean you want to miss because as far as I’m concerned he’s the best Valjeans Les Mis has seen in years.

On to Hayden Tee. He was a very good Javert, he was gruff, angry yet the emotion in stars and Javert’s suicide was excellent. I liked the interaction between him and Valjean when valjean arrives at the barricade and I really couldn’t have complained. His Javert is fresh and new and I’m delighted he took over from Jeremy Secombe. He’s also only there until April so you should definitely do what you can to catch him. He isn't Jeremy and I definitely prefer Jezza but Tee is a good stand in

Okay so, Sophie Reeves. I had been looking forward to seeing Lucy O Byrne because I was very proud to see an Irish Fantine, however Sophie Reeves was very good. She was the right amount of timid in the factory scene and her deterioration from lovely ladies to her death was heartbreaking. Her Come to Me had me in tears, it was incredibly moving. Her I dreamed a dream wasn't the highlight of her performance for me but it was still good

Katy Secomb is well used to the role of Madame T now, and I enjoyed her performance, particularly with this year’s Thenardier, David Langham who is so tall but very good at the role.

Hollie O Donoghue is a good Eponine. She absolutely looks the part, the photos don’t do it justice. She’s good, I had no problem with her interpretation of the role but there's lots of scope for improvement. She’s not the feistiest Eponine ever but her feistiness is still present at times, especially in her interactions with Montparnasse. Her interactions with Marius and her lines relating to him with heartbreaking though they were a little too friendly. She rushes a lot of her lines which I didn't love but She definitely is good at her role and I can see her continuing to improve. She is a hundred times better than Carrie H Fletcher but I preferred Eva

Charlotte Kennedy is undeniably one of my favourite Cosettes. I’m happy to see a dark Cosette as well because I thibk it looks wonderful with her green garden dress. Her In My life is one of my absolute favourites and i am absolutely delighted she took over from Zoe Doano.

It’s no secret that I am a massive fan of Jonny Purchase. I adored his Joly and his Marius. I never saw his Combeferre but I’m quite thankful I missed it because I’ve heard nothing but bad stuff lol. However despite being a big fan I can’t pretend I wasn’t slightly disappointed that Chris Cowley wasn’t on, but only because I have heard so so much about his wonderful performance. However Jonny made me regret that disappointed. He was an absolutely fantastic Enjolras. He was fiery, passionate, dedicated to his cause and easy on the eyes. His vocals are very good and his interaction with the poor was great in Paris. He was perfect in ABC cafe. He was respected by his peers and I just really enjoyed his performance overall. At stage door he joked about his wig being awful but I didn’t mind it either. He was just excellent and I could say so much more but this is so so long already.

As for Marius, I enjoyed Paul Wilkinson’s performance however I had a few small issues. Not that he wasn’t good, he was very good, just that I didn’t find he stuck out to me as much as I had expected. He blended in with the other students a little more than A Marius should l think. However he looks nice, his vocals were amazing and I loved his reactions to Eponine’s death. He was heartbroken at her death and help her in his arms for the longest time, even after her body was carried away he stayed by himself for a bit and cried until he was comforted by Grantaire and then Valjean arrived at the Barricade. I do like to see a Marius actually effected by Eponine’s death even if it’s not strictly accurate to the brick. It was heartbreaking and wonderful and I think I’m just really greedy because he was an excellent Marius. I liked him better than Craig Mather and I am really glad he’s back, I just thought he was going to be a new favourite based on audios I’d heard. However his Empty chairs was lovely vocally and emotionally

Okay so on to the students and I’ll try so so hard to keep this brief. So to start with Combeferre, I was absolutely gutted to discover Steffan Harri wasn’t on because I was so looking forward to seeing him. However Danny Whitehead was an excellent Combeferre, if perhaps a little small and slight. I still really liked his performance. He was calm and collected and just very good. He was very dedicated to the cause In ABC and I enjoyed him. Will Jennings was a wonderful Courfeyrac, and I reckon he’d make a wonderful Bamatabois when he’s on. At the start of Red and Black he was completely delighted to hear about Marius’ new found love interest which I was happy to see at last, however he rightly got sick of hearing it and turned back to the cause quickly. His voice is different but sounds great and his ‘And if I should die in the fight to be free, where the fighting is hardest there will I be’ was one of the best delivered lines of the show. I would have loved to see him as Bamatabois. Vinny Coyle is an excellent Feuilly and I was happy to see him on. He looked the part and he sounded amazing. He handled all of the lines very well, his ‘they can come.if they dare, we’ll be there’ actually gave me goosebumps he was excellent and I would love to see him take over the role (However I don’t want Jonny to leave) He’s also excellent when he’s in the ensemble. He was absolutely brilliant in Master of the House and He looked like he was having the time of his life in The Wedding. All in All Vinny Coyle is an excellent edition to the cast and I am so glad he’s part of it. Felix Mosse could catch anyone’s eye. He’s a wonderful Jean Prouvaire and he looks how I imagine a Prouvaire should look. He’s dreamy, wonderful and his voice is smooth and just lovely and His flag waving was very good. He caught my eye constantly during Lovely Ladies and he makes a wonderful pimp, and it’s probably my favourite version of the role I’ve seen. I am 100% positive he makes a wonderful Marius and I hope he gets promoted to principal Marius at some point just cause I know he’ll be excellent. Simon Lynch was an absolutely fantastic Joly. He was sweet, scared and I just don’t think I could find too may faults with him. He was scared at the barricade, particularly during drink with me there was evident nerves and I got the impression he’s a lovely Marius. As I said above, Andy Conaghan was on for Grantaire and he was also very good. His Drink with me broke me, he addressed all the student until Jonny ran down the barricade to have ‘Is your life just one more lie’ sung to him. They embraced almost straight away after the line before they sat down and talked and it was all very lovely. There was very nice chemistry between Jonny and Andy and it made me very happy. Lee Van Geleen is still playing Lesgle which doesnt showcase his talent properly however he was also on as The Factory Foreman and he was very very good and I was delighted to finally see the moustache. Anthony Hansen is obviously a bit of an older Montparnasse but he portrays him very well. His interactions with Eponine were great and I’m pretty positive he makes a good Bishop too. Adam Pearce’s Bamatabois is as weird as ever but I can’t deny I love his stage presence and it’d be a different show without him. Oli Brennan is consistently excellent as a swing and was on for Bayjou. I don’t think there’s much to say other than he was great as per.

Now on with the female ensemble, they were very good. I loved Samantha Thomas in the role of Madeline last night and Kayleigh Mcknight was an excellent factory girl with just the perfect level of bitchiness! Tamsin didn’t disappoint, Lucyelle was very good, Aimee Fisher was excellent and I was particularly impressed by Lauren Soley . Turning was actually enjoyable and Lovely Ladies was very very good i was disappointed with the lack of Josie Kemp because she was off..

Additional notes: I actually really loved Master of the House, the little Gavroche was positively hilarious and the little girls were so so sweet, and it was my absolute favourite version of ABC I’ve seen ever, bec

All in all it was an excellent performance with a spectacular cast, the best in years I believe and you definitely should not miss Revolve 31!

#les mis #les miserables #les mis london #les misérables london #les miserables london #revolve 31 #les mis cast 16/17 #simon gleeson #hayden tee #sophie reeves #hollie o donoghue #jonny purchase #paul wilkinson #charlotte kennedy #andy conaghan #jean valjean #fantine #cosette #gavroche #eponine #marius pontmercy #enjolras #les amis #les amis de l'abc #les amis de l'abaisse #vinny coyle #feuilly #courfeyrac #combeferre #jean prouvaire

[reaganwarren]

A/N: It’s Gay Simon Blackquill Week!!!! Enjoy Simon and Apollo going on that date. Continuation of http://reaganwarren.tumblr.com/post/156105797260/an-this-doesnt-have-a-tag-or-a-title-outside-of. 

Simon rooted through his whole closet the day of the date, but he couldn’t seem to find anything he felt would be most appropriate. But he couldn’t just dress as he usually did, could he? 

He really hadn’t been on a date before. He wasn’t really . . . he hadn’t been particularly popular or anything in college, and then he had been in prison for seven years. Not exactly a hot dating spot. 

As a result, he had called Athena. Who was now sitting on the edge of his bed while he changed from outfit to outfit. 

“So are you going to tell me exactly who it is you’re going on a date with? That might help me a little to help you pick something out, if you’re this nervous about impressing him.” 

Simon hesitated. Apollo was her coworker, so it might cause . . . strain at work for them, especially if things didn’t go well.... He really wanted them to go well, but in the off chance it did not . . . he didn’t want Athena to be angry with Apollo. And he definitely did not want to be responsible for things at work being stressful for either of them. 

No, he couldn’t tell her. 

“He’s a lawyer,” Simon said. 

“Oh? A Mr. Wright kind of a lawyer or a Prosecutor Edgeworth kind of a lawyer?” 

“. . . A defense attorney or a prosecutor?” 

“No, I mean - personality wise?” 

“. . . Somewhere in the middle, I’d think.” 

“Hmmmm.... Well, in that case, let’s not go with too formal. That would probably scare him off. But definitely a little dressy, since Mr. Wright wouldn’t give two shits if you wore the same thing as you usually do.” 

“. . . .” 

If he ever dated Wright-dono, he would keep that in mind. But he certainly had no intention of doing so. 

“What theatre are you going to?” 

“The one smackdab in between the prosecutor’s office and Sunshine Coliseum.” 

“Ah, that one has pretty cool air conditioning, so you’ll definitely want a jacket, but probably not your usual one. Let’s see.... Oh, this one is really cool! I didn’t know you had this!” 

“. . . I haven’t seen it in seven years. We’ll have to see if it still fits.” 

It did. 

By the end of it, Simon looked an awful lot more like he was part of a biker gang than anything else, but the design and aesthetic still screamed “Japanese.” 

“You’re not gonna pick him up via bus, are you? I can drive you guys if you want.” 

“I am not having my little sister figure drive me and my date around,” Simon said, mostly just wanting to avoid Athena learning who his date was. But that’d be just about as embarrassing as it would be if it was Aura driving him around. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t passed the no-driving period of his trial run of his new seizure medication. So no car or bike for him. 

“Call me after so I know you made it home safe and tell me how it went!” Athena said after they both exited his apartment and Simon locked the door. 

“I will,” Simon said, flushing a little. He was still very, very nervous. 

Apollo in the end had chosen where they were going to eat - a little Mediterranian hole in the wall near his apartment - and Simon had selected the movie. Simon had thought hard about what he thought Apollo would like, and he hoped that an action-adventure historical piece would interest him as much as it did himself. 

He rode the bus down to the bus stop closest to Apollo’s apartment, then he climbed the stairs and knocked on Apollo’s apartment door. 

The door opened a lot more abruptly than Simon was expecting, Apollo slamming the door closed behind him. 

“Awww, c’mon! I want to meet him!” came the voice of another man from the other side of the door. 

“Hurry, before he insists on embarrassing me further,” Apollo said, grabbing Simon’s hand and pulling him along. 

“Who was that?” 

“My roommate,” Apollo said, not turning around to look Simon in the face when he said it. 

Simon had no reason to prod further, so he simply let Apollo drag him by the hand down to the Mediterranean place. 

Apollo was also not wearing his usual suit. Instead, he was wearing what looked like a soft red-and-white jacket with a hood and blue jeans. The man still preferred his sleeves to be rolled up. It was an interesting habit of his. (Why not just wear a short-sleeved shirt . . . ?) 

Simon had never had Mediterranean food before, so he wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but after a back-and-forth of what everything on the menu was exactly, they both ordered and sipped at their water awkwardly for a few moments before starting conversation. 

Apollo didn’t really give much information about himself; Simon made a note that the man was rather private, despite seeming to have no problems with sleeping around. But he had a lot of opinions on music and food, and they ended up having a rather energetic conversation about science and space. Simon knew enough about it thanks to Aura and Metis, and Simon remembered that one of the victims in the cases they did together was Apollo’s friend, Clay Terran. Now that he thought about it, Clay Terran was probably who had shouted from inside the apartment room. Simon actually hadn’t met Clay himself, but between Aura and the case itself (from which Clay thankfully managed to survive) he knew who he was. 

Talk of space ended up leading to telling other people’s embarrassing stories, first starting with Apollo telling a story about an embarrassing thing Clay did one day trying to show off at the space center and spiraling into other topics from there. Simon ended up learning a lot about what life was like working at the Wright Anything Agency. 

When the food arrived, it was pretty good, though spicier than initially expected. Conversation pattered down as they ate, but Simon watched Apollo as he enjoyed his meal. He felt his face heating up once more. 

He was really cute.... 

While he still couldn’t believe the gall his drunk self had had the night they had slept together, without so much as treating him to dinner beforehand, he certainly understood why it had happened. 

Apollo Justice was beautiful. He was interesting to talk to, and that party . . . it had really been the first time they had talked outside of the courtroom, and he was just . . . so interesting and had good things to talk about and intelligent thoughts and. . . . 

His mind wandered to what Apollo had done for him that night and immediately diverted his gaze to stare intensely at the falafel he had ordered. Face beet-red, he focused on eating and not making a fool of himself. 

“What’re you thinking about? You’re all red in the face,” Apollo said. 

“N-nothing much....” 

Apollo smirked a little. 

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, if you’re thinking about what I think you’re thinking about.” 

Simon blushed harder. 

“Th-this isn’t supposed to be about that, it’s supposed to be me making it up to you.” 

“And I keep telling you there’s nothing to make up. I had fun. And you had fun too. There doesn’t have to be anything more than that if you don’t want there to be.” 

Simon gave that some thought. Did he . . . want there to be more? It’s true that it didn’t sit right to . . . “tap it and leave” so to speak.... 

He’d think about that later. He’d repay Apollo for the . . . very good night they had shared in the meantime. 

“I thought we’d see the new Steel Samurai movie, but if that doesn’t sound good to you, I have a runner-up option,” Simon said, changing the topic entirely. 

“I can see a Steel Samurai movie,” Apollo said, still smirking. 

Simon paid for the entire meal, despite Apollo trying to grab the check from him, and then they went to the movie theatre. 

Either Apollo had been tired before coming, or he had been a bit bored by the movie. Either way, he ended up falling asleep during part of the movie. Apollo’s head ended up resting on Simon’s shoulder, making Simon tense at first and blush immensely. He felt like he couldn’t move, lest he disturb him. 

Simon ended up watching Apollo’s sleeping face for a while instead of the movie. 

He had a sneaking suspicion he might be falling in love. Maybe it was just nerves but . . . . 

The Steel Samurai said some line about his love for the Pink Princess, and Simon found himself relating. 

Near the climax, Apollo awoke with a start and seemed to be trying to remember where he was, then he settled back down. Simon couldn’t quite remember how the film had reached this point, since his own attention had been elsewhere. 

He’d probably need to see the movie again in order to carry the inevitable conversation of “what did you think” with Edgeworth-dono. 

After the end of the movie, the two of them walked together in the direction of Apollo’s apartment, since it was much closer than Simon’s apartment at that moment. 

“I had a good time,” Apollo said as they stopped in front of Apollo’s apartment building. 

“I did as well....” 

Simon stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do next. 

“Well, I’ll see you at work, I suppose,” Apollo said. 

“Indeed we will.” 

They both stood there for a moment, neither seeming to really know what to do now. 

Eventually, Apollo turned and headed back up the stairs to his apartment room. Simon watched him ascend the stairs, then turned around to go to the bus stop. 

When he got home and called Athena, he mostly groaned into the audio receiver. 

“What? What happened? Simon? How’d it go?” 

All she got in return was more distressed moaning. Athena rolled her eyes. 

“Simon’s date not go well?” Trucy asked from her position of her head in Athena’s lap, Athena stroking her hair as she was on the phone. 

“I’ll hopefully find out when he stops being a baby about it,” Athena sighed. 

Trucy giggled. 

#ace attorney #apollo justice #simon blackquill #justiquill #gay simon blackquill week #athena cykes #trucy wright #clay terran

[guidetoenjoy-blog]

Flint Lives Matter: residents say Hillary Clinton coming for the entertainment

New Post has been published on https://entertainmentguideto.com/must-see/flint-lives-matter-residents-say-hillary-clinton-coming-for-the-entertainment/

Flint Lives Matter: residents say Hillary Clinton coming for the entertainment

While some praise the candidates visit for bringing attention to the city as its water crisis continues, others see a candidate plying a cause just to get votes

Hillary Clinton has made every effort to make Flint her own. The water crisis afflicting this predominantly black Michigan city ignored by Washington politicians for years has become another battlefield in a progressive war between Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Race, class and the environment matter again in an issues-based, neck-and-neck race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Looking past Tuesdays primary in New Hampshire, where Sanders is tipped to win, and toward the March primary states where she will be counting on African American support, Clinton made a symbolic campaign stop here on Sunday.

I feel blessed to be here but I wish it were for a different reason, she said, as she took to the stage at the House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church, flanked by purple-robed members of a choir and surrounded by a sea of nodding heads.

But I am here because for nearly two years mothers and fathers were voicing concerns about the waters color and its smell, about the rashes that it gave to those that were bathing in it. And for nearly two years Flint was told the water was safe.

Her words drew applause and shouts of amen. But though Clinton supporters turned up for Sundays service, simply identifying the problem was not enough for some.

Hillary Clinton poses for a photograph at the House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church. Photograph: Paul Sancya/AP

Not everyone in a city where the words FLINT LIVES MATTER appear next to bullet holes in windows wants the lead in their childrens drinking water made into a photo-op, a kind of Hurricane Katrina for a more liberal nations eco-justice age.

Interviews with residents before, during and after Clintons visit revealed fear of a candidate helicoptering in on the campaign trail, attempts to salvage a modern economic and environmental crisis that is Flints own, and few answers for a city being abandoned by its residents.

Dont jump on a cause just to get votes, said Flint Lives Matter organiser Calandra Patrick, as Clintons jet arrived in town. It doesnt matter to me if she makes an appearance or not it doesnt matter to me one bit.

Arnette Rison III, a 47-year-old independent contractor, put Clintons visit in starker terms: If shes bringing 35,000 hydroelectric filters, Ill love her for it. But thats not what shes about to do.

At the church, though the topic was serious, the mood was jovial and warm. Clinton stood before a packed audience and spoke emphatically about the moral imperatives of the situation, saying: The children in Flint are just as precious as the children in any other part of America.

The introduction she received was light, the pastor joking that the baptismal water was from the Flint river but he had experienced no rashes, only a little ash. The audience response ranged from lovingly enthusiastic to fierce.

A little after the changeover I noticed the smell

Calandra Patrick (closest to water), with Maurice Ratcliff and Tameka Thompson. Photograph: Lucia Graves for the Guardian

It was the spring of 2014 and something wasnt right with the water. Officials had switched from Detroits water system to the Flint river to save money, and though Patricks tap water was still running clear, she knew something was amiss.

A little after the changeover I noticed the smell, Patrick said. Every time she turned on the shower, there it was again. So she did what anyone worried about being alone in her feelings would do: she posted about it on Facebook.

Its funny: when you just put stuff out there and start asking questions, other people are like, Yeah, I noticed it too!

Almost two years later, the 41-year-old Flint native turned to Facebook once again to help set up the Flint Lives Matter Tailgate, a bottled water giveaway at city hall on Saturdays for the needy, aimed at supplementing the work of fire stations and local churches.

We dont have a limit, said Kevin Palmer, another organizer. We ask people what they need and we give it to them.

But there remains an element of political protest of rebellion to the new cause clbre of progressive Democrats.

A man piling water into his car erupted into chants decrying Rick Snyder, the Republican Michigan governor on whom Sanders has called to resign: Hey hey! Ho ho! Governor Snyder has got to go! A woman sold Flint Lives Matter T-shirts. The events online invitation page drew a straight parallel to Hurricane Katrina: Both abandoned by the government and left to die from dirty water.

An unconscionable and infuriating situation

A typical water resource station. Photograph: Lucia Graves for the Guardian

Clinton may have come late to Flint, but she came strong.

After lead levels were determined to far exceed environmental regulations, people beyond Michigans borders knew the water could cause permanent brain damage in children.

On 11 January, Clinton called the Flint water crisis unconscionable; a few days later, she appeared on Rachel Maddows MSNBC show to call the situation infuriating. She was the first candidate to bring the subject up in presidential debates and she even suggested one of the four additional Democratic debates should be held in Flint, in order to shine a spotlight on whats happening there and in places like Flint around the country.

That will now happen, in March.

On Sunday, Clinton seemed at pains to emphasize her lasting commitment to the issue, saying: I will fight for you no matter how long it takes, and, This has to be a national priority, not just for today and for tomorrow.

It was perhaps a pre-buttal to the attacks she expects to receive for supposedly appearing to care so much about Flint when the optics for doing so are so good.

This is no time for politics as usual, she said. Flint should start making the repairs you need to restore safe water as soon as possible.

For 32-year-old Lorenzo Lee Avery Jr, though, it was a disingenuous visit: Honestly, she not coming to help, he said. Feels like she coming for the entertainment.

His mother, Patricia Torrey, was standing over his shoulder. She strongly disagreed: Its a beautiful thing! said Torrey, 54, adding that she was a Clinton supporter, all the more so heading into Michigans 8 March primary. Its nice to see shes committed enough to come here.

Casey Lester, 31, who lives in Flint but runs the restaurant Max & Ermas in Detroit, was unimpressed by Clintons commitment. His wife, Marcella Lester, a 28-year-old applications analyst at Henry Ford Health Systems, took the campaign bait.

Though like her husband, she typically votes Republican, and may well do so in this election, Marcella Lester said she was pleased by Clintons hastily scheduled trip.

I think its good to get the attention, she said, because we need as much as we can get.

Nothing lasts, not even marriage

Carolyn Harper: This aint going to last, she says of bottles at a water treatment site. Photograph: Lucia Graves for the Guardian

Most people you talk to around Flint just want to know how politicians like Clinton and Sanders intend to help them. Because they do need help.

Kevin Palmer, a Flint Lives Matter organizer and father of five, pulled up a sleeve to reveal a surprisingly pale and scaly inner elbow. He avoids the water as much as he can, but the rashes persist. Worse than the physical harm, he said, was the financial. Having bought his house for $190,000 in 2012, Palmer said it was now worth nothing.

His brother Eddie Palmer, who runs a car audio and stereo repair shop, has fallen on tough financial times, too, to say nothing of the rashes and boils. Audio Unlimited had lost 40% to 50% of its clientele in the two years since the water was switched, he said, and he doesnt have it nearly as bad as the restaurants, at which he wont even eat.

Every month, he said, people tell him theyre leaving moving to Ohio or Arizona or even California. While he had no intention of shipping out himself, Palmer said he couldnt blame them.

Carolyn Harper, 77, is planning to move to South Carolina to be closer to her son. In the meantime, she is stuck in Flint, depending on bottled water that is too heavy for her to carry home.

That aint going to last, she said, gesturing at bottles at a water treatment site near her house. Nothing lasts, not even marriage.

She has outlasted three husbands now, and just about all of her friends have skipped town. Her house, on West Pulaski, has a bullet hole below the front window, a reminder of when there was a dope house across the street. But now the biggest problem is the water that flows from her taps.

She poured a glass, to hold up to the light. It was a pale shade of yellow, and slightly frothy. Asked if she thought it smelled faintly of minerals, she laughed Harper cant smell a thing.

Calandra Patrick, the Flint Lives Matter organizer, sees the combination of crises in starker terms.

Its genocide and gentrification. The inner city of flint is predominantly black. I dont know where they get these 57% figures, but the inner city of Flint is 90% to 95% black. It is.

Rison, who has two daughters and a grandchild, just wants to leave. But he finds moving financially impossible. He hasnt even had his house appraised, because he knows it wont be worth anything.

Nobody wants to come to Flint, he said.

Except, apparently, Clinton.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

[samanthasroberts]

Fateful night: a young woman is dead, her Tinder date charged with murder

New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright met up with Gable Tostee in fun-loving Surfers Paradise. A few hours later she plunged 14 storeys to her death

Warriena Wright was visiting the Gold Coast in Australia when she matched on Tinder with Gable Tostee. They met up in the popular tourist nightspot of Surfers Paradise on a Thursday night and bought a six-pack of beer after spending a few minutes in a pub.

By the end of the date Wright was dead, having plunged 14 storeys from the balcony of Tostees apartment, and two years later he is on trial in Queenslands supreme court charged with her murder.

The case centres around a 199-minute mobile recording made by Tostee which captured the fractious and ultimately fatal course of the pairs evening together, including the moment Wright fell to her death.

It is the key piece of evidence in the supreme court trial of Tostee, 30, who was standing on the other side of a locked glass door the moment Wright fell.

And the recording is cited by the crown as demonstration of his guilt, and by the defence as vindication of his innocence.

The pair had met that night, 7 August 2014, after making contact via Tinder a week earlier.

Wright, 26, from New Zealand, was in Australia to attend a friends wedding as part of a two-week vacation that included skydiving and a room in a hotel in Surfers Paradise, near where Tostee lived.

CCTV shown to the court captured their meeting on Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise, where they exchanged a hug.

They went to a pub but stayed only a few minutes before deciding to head back to Tostees apartment nearby, stopping at a bottle shop to buy a six-pack of beer.

Inside the apartment, Tostee says they later had sex in his bed.

Warriena Wright and Gable Tostee pose for photos together on the balcony of his 14th floor Surfers Paradise apartment. Photograph: Supplied

They then went out to his balcony where they posed for photos together, Wright pulling faces, Tostee standing beside her bare-chested.

Wrights last contact with family was a Facebook message to a sister, in which she reports having found a man who was the Australian answer to Sam Winchester, the Supernatural TV actor.

At 1am on 8 October, unbeknown to Wright, Tostee pressed record on a mobile phone in his pocket. He wouldnt turn it off until 199 minutes later. By then Wright was dead.

Tostee, having left the building via a basement carpark but still apparently unaware of her fate as police milled around the building, had called his father who urged him to contact a leading criminal lawyer. He had then eaten a pizza.

The crown case is that Tostee, who had locked Wright out on the balcony after their night had deteriorated into verbal and physical altercations, had left Wright in such a state of fear and intimidation that she felt compelled to flee.

When Wrights attempt to climb down from the balcony went horribly awry, Tostee was thus responsible for her death, the prosecution contends.

The prosecutor, Glen Cash, told the court in his opening address that at the very least Tostee meant to cause Wright grievous bodily harm, causing her to flee, resulting in her death.

Cash said Tostees recording captured a moment where sounds were consistent with him choking or strangling Wright. She pleaded to be allowed to go home before repeatedly screaming no as he shoved her on to the balcony and shut the door.

Defence lawyers for Tostee, who has pleaded not guilty, deny any attempt by Tostee to strangle Wright.

His barrister, Saul Holt, has told the court that Tostee used reasonable force to subdue Wright, who had grown increasingly erratic while drinking heavily. She had taken to randomly, with no apparent provocation, hitting Tostee, threatening violence, throwing ornamental rocks one of his interior decorations at his head and hitting him with the clamp of his telescope.

Holt argued that Tostee, after tackling Wright to the floor and forcing her on to the balcony, put them both in a position of safety by shutting the door.

Tostee was entitled to lock the door on someone who was violent and disorderly, Holt submitted.

Gable Tostee arrives at the supreme court in Brisbane on Friday. Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP

She is outside, he is inside and he has caused a locked door to be between the two of them, Holt told the court.

What happened in this case is nothing like murder or manslaughter. It doesnt fit.

Holt said the fact that the critical part of the evening was recorded on Tostees phone meant there was very little in dispute between the crown and the defence apart from the allegation about choking her, which was in absolute dispute, and his culpability for her death.

The audio recording, which was discovered by police on a Sony Xperia phone they found in Tostees fathers car, has been released by the court.

It captures an early morning conversation awkwardly traversing topics from architecture to religion, as James Blunt and Kanye West play in the background.

The talk is punctuated by Tostees occasional cries of Ow! as Wright punches him. He tells her to chill and have a drink.

You love beating me up like a Kiwi, Tostee says. Wright tells him she beats people up all the time.

Tostee quips that he will end up looking like a piece of tenderised meat if she keeps hitting him.

She asks him if he can tell her mother shes not a loser. She talks about her dog that died, her belief in justice and the afterlife.

Tostee says: We die. Thats it. Throw me off the balcony. He talks of three things that are really good on this Earth: food, sleep and sex.

He says there are no gods. She says: Ive seen stuff though.

Wright tells him: I am going to go vampire on your arse.

Tostee yells Ow! again. Hes still laughing. Wrights speech starts to lose its coherence. She shouts Forrest Gump repeatedly, then Im a ninja its not funny. More cries of Ow! from Tostee.

She goes to leave and he asks her if she wants him to walk her back to her apartment. The music stops and Wright asks where her belongings are. Tostee offers to call her mobile phone. She accuses Tostee of stealing her phone and handbag and an argument breaks out.

Wheres my fucking shit? I will fucking destroy your jaw. Its not fucking funny. Im going to call the police.

Tostee says: I should have never given you so much to drink. I thought we were going to have fun. I dont deserve this shit. Im a nice fucking guy.

Tostee finds her phone and calm returns. Wright says she has money in NZ and gets taken advantage of.

Tostee asks her: Do you even remember what you were doing to me half an hour ago? You were beating me up for no reason. You thought it was funny.

He suggests she sit down for a second so we can discuss.

Ive met some weird people off Tinder. Im the most tolerant person in the world, he said.

Wright says she would help anyone in need. Tostee says shes a bit violent though.

Wright talks about taking a look out the window, and Tostee tells her: Dont jump off or anything.

Wright shrieks help in a mock high-pitched voice, adding that shes only joking. Tostee tells her the men in white coats are coming.

Youre kind of mental, but in a really cute way, he tells her.

Wright goes to the bathroom and Tostee whispers into his phone: God help me. Shit.

Wright returns. Slurring her words, she begins whispering to Tostee about Sam, later exhorting him to: Bow down to Sam.

He yells Ouch then Ill bow down.

That signals Tostees apparent switch from annoyance to anger.

He tells her: Thats more than enough. Youve worn out your welcome. Youre not my kind of girl. You have to leave.

The balcony of Gable Tostees 14th floor Surfers Paradise apartment. Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP

In Tostees account, his tackling of Wright to the floor of the apartment follows her striking him with a telescope.

The prosecution claims that is when the sound consistent with Tostee choking Wright can be heard, which he denies.

You are lucky I havent chucked you off my balcony, you goddamn psycho little bitch, he says.

Who the fuck do you think I am? Yeah, do your muay thai now.

Wright, her mouth sounding muffled, says he is sexist.

Im the one whos injured. You dont have a goddamn scratch on you, Tostee says.

I thought you were just playing around. But youre psycho. Goddamn psycho.

Im going to let you go, Im going to walk you out of this apartment just the way you are. Youre not going to collect any of your belongings or anything, youre just going to walk out and Im going to slam the door on you. You understand? If you try and pull anything Ill knock you out. Ill knock you the fuck out.

Tostee tells Wright to get up.

Im sorry, Wright says.

I dont care. Get up, Tostee says.

Tostee, apparently still restraining Wright, tells her over and over: You dont understand do you?

You think you can hit me and I just fall down like in the movies?

Wright tells him repeatedly to Let go.

Tostee: Who the fuck do you think you are?

Wright: No, no, no, no

Tostee: You trying to kill me, huh? Whyd you try and hit me with that, huh?

Wright is screaming no over and over again.

This is all on recording you know. Its all being recorded, Tostee says.

Wright pleads: Just let me go home.

Tostee says: I would but youve been a bad girl.

The glass door clicks shut and Wrights screams fade. Tostee sighs. Less than 20 seconds pass when Wright screams as she slips from the balcony rail.

Tostees barrister, Holt, in his opening address on Monday, told the jury the moment when the screaming Wright was being locked on the balcony was a horrible one to listen to because you know what comes next.

But the recording contained a sequence of events that would bear out his clients innocence of her murder, Holt argued.

It really is, all in the recording, he said.

The trial continues.

Source: http://allofbeer.com/fateful-night-a-young-woman-is-dead-her-tinder-date-charged-with-murder/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2017/12/26/fateful-night-a-young-woman-is-dead-her-tinder-date-charged-with-murder/

[tuthillscopes-blog]

Here's One Of The Bomb Threats Jewish Centers Across The Country Are Hearing

check it out @ https://tuthillscopes.com/heres-one-of-the-bomb-threats-jewish-centers-across-the-country-are-hearing/

Here's One Of The Bomb Threats Jewish Centers Across The Country Are Hearing

This hoax has become all too real.

One or more people are calling in bomb threats to Jewish community centers across the country. The calls have come in waves: Centers in multiple states received at least 16 threats on Jan. 9, more than two dozenon Jan. 18, a handfulon Jan. 31and another 11 got similar calls on Feb. 20. The list is growing.

Police havent found any evidence that the threats are serious, but the sheer volume of them has left Jewish leaders and local authorities facing a difficult and terrifying dilemma.

On one hand, the Jewish Community Center Association which oversees most of the centers affected doesnt want to cause panic by sounding the alarm over a hoax. On the other hand, local police are exhausting their resources searching buildings for bombs that dont exist, the FBI hasnt yet identified any suspects and Jewish leaders are undergoing trainings to prepare for the next wave of threats.

The FBI wont comment on the investigation it launched on Jan. 18 after the second wave of threatening calls. Its unclear how close agents are to narrowing in on a suspect or how long Jewish centers can expect to grapple with an unknown enemy.

But there are clues hidden in the chaos. The Huffington Post reached out to experts to break down the anatomy of a bomb threat and understand why its so difficult to track down a suspect.

What do the bomb threats sound like?

We dont know how many people are behind the threatening calls or whether they are part of a coordinated effort, but the Jewish Telegraphic Agency obtained a recording of a call made during the Jan. 18 wave that matches the description of others around the country.

The JTA declined to identify which center received the disturbing call, which can be heard below:

In the recording, a voice says:Its a C-4 bomb with a lot of shrapnel, surrounded by a bag (inaudible). In a short time, a large number of Jews are going to be slaughtered. Their heads are going to be blown off from the shrapnel. Theres a lot of shrapnel. Theres going to be a bloodbath thats going to take place in a short time. I think I told you enough. I must go.

Previously, officials said that at least some of the calls featured a voice disguised by a pitch-changing program that sounds female and could be a recording (or robocall).

Kent Gibson, a freelance forensic audio analyst who works with authorities in the Los Angeles area, was able to elaborate.

After a quick analysis of the recording, Gibson said the caller was likely male, possibly with an accent from Brooklyn or the surrounding New York area, and used a downloadable application to disguise his or her voice. Its unclear whether the call was recorded or made live.

Its interesting that this person never mentions the name of an establishment you could use that recording anywhere, Gibson said. If somebody had a beef with a particular center, they would probably say, Im gonna blow up this center on this date.

Gibsons analysis hasnt been verified by police, but it provides a window into an otherwise opaque investigation.

What different things do investigators consider?

After a bomb threat, investigators first identify whether the threat is credible, according to Tod Burke, a professor of Criminal Justice at Radford University and a former Maryland police officer.

None of the calls made to Jewish community centers have been deemed credible so far, but that doesnt necessarily mean theyre lower on the FBIs priority list, he said. Investigating a serial hoaxer is a balancing act.

If you put it on the shelf, youre allowing it to keep going and encouraging people to continue with their anti-Semitic rants and threats, he said. But the longer this goes on, the more problematic it becomes because youre also using resources to investigate.

Just like the JCCA, Burke also worries about copycats and the idea that a suspect can use panic to garner more attention.

How do authorities find a suspect?

Its difficult, but far from impossible, to identify an anonymous caller. Cell phones and internet-connected calls can make it harder to track a phone number, so good old fashioned police work is still your best bet, Burke said.

Authorities will be looking at the length of each call and what time zone it likely came from, and will dig for clues like accents or background noise. Theyll seek out disgruntled employees or other motives for the crime. They can also delay an arrest to surveil a suspect and see if theyre working with anyone else.

Some suspects are just easier to nail down than others.

Late last year, a man named Norman Lamar Truss allegedly sent an email to a news station claiming that bombs would go off in county courthouses surrounding Houston. The Precinct 1 Constables Office immediately used Truss IP address to track him down, noting that the criminals werent too bright for using email. Truss was eventually charged with marijuana possession and may yet be charged with terroristic threats, an office spokesman told HuffPost.

Its hard to imagine that authorities arent close to arresting someone for the bomb threats, given how many calls were made. But callers like these can slip through the cracks.

Police have yet to identify a suspect who was sending threatening letters to U.S. mosques late last year, for example, even after the Los Angeles Police Department said it was days away from tracking down a culprit in December. The LAPD didnt immediately return calls for comment on Friday.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bomb-threat-jewish-centers-recording_us_5894a130e4b09bd304bae0de?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

[viralhottopics]

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is taking an ‘aggressive’ response to sexism claims and we’re cringing

Image: Udit Kulshrestha/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has a history of cringe-worthy comments. Easiest example “Boob-er” in reference to a “women on demand” service and here’s some more.

SEE ALSO: Why sexual harassment scandals like Uber’s are bound to persist in tech

When he’s not putting his foot in his mouth, Kalanick is known for particularly aggressive business tactics, which is one of the reasons why venture capitalists have given him more than $13 billion in funding to build out this ride-hailing company. Chris Sacca, an investor in Uber and other tech companies, wrote in a guest post in Fortune: “He doesnt sleep. He doesnt lose focus. He will even forget to eat. He executes again and again, inspiring those around him to have the same passion for the end game as he does.”

Since Susan Fowler Rigetti published her blog post on sexism in the workplace at Uber, Kalanick has spoken out and said he’s committed to change. But also in that time, he’s made a few more cringe-worthy comments on the matter, most recently in a meeting with more than 100 female engineers, as evident in audio obtained by BuzzFeed which is confirmed as authentic.

Here’s some of our least favorite responses since the blog post:

First response

1/ What’s described here is abhorrent & against everything we believe in. Anyone who behaves this way or thinks this is OK will be fired. https://t.co/6q29N7AL6E

travis kalanick (@travisk) February 20, 2017

2/ I’ve instructed our CHRO Liane to conduct an urgent investigation. There can be absolutely no place for this kind of behavior at Uber.

travis kalanick (@travisk) February 20, 2017

About three hours after Susan Fowler published her blog post, Kalanick shared his response, in two parts, on Twitter.

It’s quite curious about this “behavior” having “no place” at Uber. And that anyone who “behaves this way … will be fired.” Let us remind you, Kalanick, that Emil Michael, the man who threatened a high-profile female tech journalist, still works at your company. In fact, he’s your senior vice president of business development.

This tweet

.@ariannahuff has my full support https://t.co/zRDclHnLyO

travis kalanick (@travisk) February 20, 2017

Despite having become one of the most recognizable women in the tech community, Arianna Huffington’s media organization, the Huffington Post, has been criticized for having a toxic work culture, as well. Huffington’s people responded to anInc. report on Arianna Huffington being the wrong choice to lead an independent investigation:

All of these links are based on anonymous sources and we won’t engage in shadow boxing. It is clear that these pieces all stemmed from former employees with an ax to grind as you can see the piece in Gawker that you’re referencing was not only based on anonymous sources but did not even have a byline.

On “justice”

Kalanick sent a memo to employees, obtained by the New York Times.

What is driving me through all this is a determination that we take whats happened as an opportunity to heal wounds of the past and set a new standard for justice in the workplace.

It seems that Kalanick is starting a Justice League.

“Get at” people

There are people in this room who have experienced things that are incredibly unjust. I want to root out the injustice. I want to get at the people who are making this place a bad place. And you have my commitment.”

We do not know what “get at” implies and have asked Uber for clarification.

“Very aggressive”

“I understand that this is bigger than the Susan situation and I want you to know that Im all about rooting this out and being very aggressive about that, while also being supportive and empathetic and trying to build that support and empathy throughout the organization.”

This is just a strange contradiction.

“A little bit emotional for me”

“Its a little bit emotional for me and Im sorry. Im sure its emotional for some of you too.

“For some of you.” Excuse me, Kalanick. How many women work at Uber?

The family card

“I dont understand in a way that Ive experienced it myself but Ive had family members who have seen the kinds of things that you guys have seen. Here or elsewhere. So I empathize with you but I can never fully understand and I get that.”

“Here”? Does Kalanick have family members who work at Uber?

“Fair enough”

Fair Enough. Fair Enough. Fair Enough. I understandNow previously the previous question, I think maybe cut that one short by just saying fair enough.

Fair.

Not “Fair Enough.”

Silence on Facebook

Notably, Kalanick has not yet said anything on his Facebook page about the sexual harassment allegations.

His last two Facebook posts were about the Muslim ban and supporting drivers who are affected by the ban.

BONUS: Apple’s new ‘Apple Park’ spaceship campus will open in April

Read more: http://ift.tt/2lOtpji

from Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is taking an ‘aggressive’ response to sexism claims and we’re cringing

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