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cevansbrat0007 · 1 year

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The Lonely Hearts Club: Part One

Summary: You decide to press pause on your relationship with Andrew Barber. Too bad your hotshot attorney of an ex-boyfriend doesn't understand the meaning of the word. Takes place directly after the events in Photo Shoot Faux Pas. Read Part Two!

Warnings: Angst, Break-ups, Cursing, Andy Being a Menace, Insecure Reader, Eventual Smut, Manhandling, Punishments, Minors DNI

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! This multi-part fic will feature a combination of requests from the likes of @writer84, @lexivass, @moejdaw, as well as several other anonymous readers. Part of my ongoing Growing Pains Series. All mistakes are my own. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.

___

“Come on, girl. You can do this.”

“Yeah, but maybe…” You trail off as you approach Andy’s front door. Fishing the key out of your pocket, you insert it into the lock. Thanks to your shaking hands, it actually takes a few seconds longer than it probably should. “Maybe I oughta wait.”

“Babe.” Your friend blows out a breath, the noise coming across the other line like static. “We’ve been over this like a dozen times already. Today is just another day; it’s no different from any other.”

Your friends had been quick to remind you that Valentine’s Day didn’t really matter. At its core, it was nothing more than a cheap gimmick big corporations used to upsell mediocre chocolate and subpar rom-coms. Right?

“I know, I know.” There really wasn’t much more you could say beyond that. Not after the two of you had painstakingly broken down every detail of this very scenario just last night. During which time you also managed to consume several bottles of wine.

You’d been all up in your feelings from the moment you’d arrived at your best friend’s house. And Sara had spent a good hour sitting with you on her living room floor, gently rocking you back and forth while you quietly sobbed into her sweater.

Andy hated it when you cried. But when you did, he was always so good at using his big body to comfort you – to calm you down. He’d been the one that you’d really wanted last night. You’d been so tempted to call him, even before the alcohol had started flowing.

However, all your girls had said “no”. And when they couldn’t get you to listen to reason, they’d instructed Sara to remove the temptation by swiping your phone and hiding it away. At the time you’d been highly upset. But now you were grateful for their interference. Because this was something you had to do.

Provided that you could make yourself stick with the fucking plan.

“Are you in yet?” Sara asks, her voice briefly snapping you back into the present.

“I am. I–I’m just gonna leave it on the table. Along with the muffins.” Squeezing your eyes shut, you brace for the sound you’re pretty sure is about to viciously assault your eardrums in three…two…one…

Here it comes.

“YOU BOUGHT HIM FUCKING MUFFINS?!” She screeches, her tone rife with stunned exasperation. “Are you being serious right now?!”

Yes, you did that. It didn’t seem right to just drop the note and run. At least not without leaving a little something else to go with it, apparently in the form of cinnamon spice crunch.

“Don’t judge me, bitch. This shit is hard enough as it is.” You growl into the receiver, setting the box of delicious smelling baked goods onto his kitchen counter. “I just wanna make sure he has something to tide him over until we – until we, um…” Gripping the edge of a chair, you force yourself to take a series of deep breaths.

“Shit, Y/N, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, baby.” Your friend immediately backpedals. But it doesn’t matter. It’s not like you can hear her anyway over the sound of the distant roaring in your ears. “I know this is hard, honey. But you’ve got to pull it together.”

This whole thing was making you feel ill.

Fuck! Like it or not, she was right. The last thing you wanted to do was start crying again. Because you knew if you allowed yourself to break down here, it would be impossible to stop. And that’s exactly where you could not afford to let Andrew Stephen Barber to find you right now.

Standing in the middle of his kitchen, openly crying. Desperately wanting to be held by the one man who had the power to shatter you into a million glittering pieces with nothing more than a simple touch.

And while that might seem a bit dramatic, it also didn’t make it any less true. Which meant that you needed to get out there, fast. You couldn’t allow yourself to forget that you really did have somewhere else to be. Standing up straight, you tuck Andy’s house key into the folded up piece of paper and then place it on top of the muffins.

Time to go.

Turning on your heel, you make a beeline for the exit. Hopefully you’d feel better once you were on the road. As you leave, you make a mental note to worry about everything else later. Until then, you just had to focus on the now.

“Fuck!” You hiss as the door slams closed behind you.

“What? Is Andy home? Did he –” You cut her off, feeling frustrated even as the sickly-sweet taste of regret threatens to claw its way up your throat.

“No. I just forgot to grab that stupid fucking album is all.” With a huff, you jog over to your car. “And it’s not like I can go back in for it or anything since I left him his key. Fuuuuck!” You close the driver’s side door before turning on your vehicle and putting it in gear.

“Girl, who gives a shit!” Sara snorts, clearly relieved that your activities weren’t interrupted. “Look at it this way, whether you like it or not, you just gave that ungrateful bastard something to remember you by.”

Good point, Sara. That’s exactly why she had been designated as your emotional support person for this entire emotionally draining escape.

“True.” Time to focus on the road. If traffic cooperated, you had just enough time to get yourself to your next destination without risking getting a ticket.

Not that that mattered much anymore. The days of anyone giving a shit about your potentially reckless activities were most likely a thing of the past. Oh well. You looked forward to no longer having to stock up on aloe. Yeah, the price of that stock was about to go way down.

A tiny giggle bubbles up, escaping before you can stop it.

“Are you okay, Y/N? I know that was rough back there, but I really think you did the right thing. Plus, I’ve been updating everyone on the group chat, and they all agree.” You resolve to check the thread later so that you can provide everyone with an update.

See that Andy Bear? This whole damned thing had been workshopped from start to finish. You can’t possibly accuse me of being impulsive now. You let out another burst of laughter, this one sounding a touch more hysterical than the last.

“Also, Rhea really wants to know where you got those friggin’ muffins…”

“Tell her I’ll message her with the name of the bakery later.” You merge onto the highway as you head towards downtown. “Thanks for all your help today, Sara. Couldn’t have done it without you girls.”

“Hey boo – you know we love Andy’s fine ass. We just happen to love your ass a hell of a lot more. Now drive safe and text us when you land.” You know she’s telling the truth. All of your girls were pretty darn fond of your man, but you were their girl first. And their loyalty was to you.

Something for which you were exceedingly grateful.

“You got it – talk soon.”

You end the call before settling in for the remainder of the drive. Not wanting to be alone with your thoughts, you quickly decide to turn on the radio – only to be surprised when Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” begins playing over the speakers.

“Wow.” You whisper with a shake of your head. “That is so not fair.”

Sometimes the gods possessed a real fucked up sense of humor.

Your bottom lip quivers as the lyrics hit home, hot tears blurring your vision. You let out an audible sniffle before dashing at them with your sleeve. But you don’t change the station. And you no longer try to stem the flow. Instead you finally give yourself over to the pain that was your heart breaking – piece by piece.

You’d talk to Andy in a couple of weeks. He’d give you space. He’d give you time. And if he didn’t want to work things out when it was all said and done…then you would have to find a way to live without him. And you would find a way.

But first, you had a plane to catch. And then you were gonna get yourself a margarita and – no – scratch that.

Make that a bottle of tequila.

___

Five hours later…

Andy shoulders his way into his house from the garage, absentmindedly toeing off his shoes as he sorts through his mail.

Bill. Bill. Junk. A Postcard from his Dentist. Another bill. And more junk.

With a grunt, he tosses the stack of unwanted papers onto the table. And then he spies the pink box resting on the counter. A smile curves its way across his handsome lips when he realizes that you must’ve stopped by at some point during the day.

But he does find it rather odd that you wouldn’t have let him know. Sure, it was Valentine’s Day, but the two of you weren’t supposed to get together until this weekend.

Still smiling, Andy makes his way over to the box of treats, humming a little tune as he goes. While he had a feeling something was going on with you lately, he’d simply chalked it up to stress. But he also knew that once he got you in his bed and settled himself between those gorgeous thighs, it was only a matter of time before he’d have you speaking in tongues…

Which would hopefully lead to you spilling your pretty little guts. So that he could finally try to fix whatever it was that kept making you seem so sad.

He picks up the note, his head tilting to the side as he tries to make sense of the meaning behind your interesting dessert choice. Confused, he decides to read your message. With a sigh, he unfolds the piece of paper. Only to be caught off guard when a key falls out and onto the surface below, the sharp clatter making him jump.

“What the fuck?” He snarls as his eyes quickly scan the tear-stained piece of paper. “No. Oh no, baby girl…fuck no…”

He could not fucking believe what he was reading.

Andrew grips the edge of the counter as his legs threaten to give out underneath him. However, it’s not until the fourth reread that it all finally clicks into place.

You'd just tried to break-up with him. On fucking Valentine’s Day of all fucking days. But if you thought that leaving him a “Dear John” letter and a box of muffins before running off to god-knows-where was going to be the end of it, then well…the joke was on you. Because there was no way in hell he was ready to let you go. At least not without one hell of fight.

"Alright." A dark chuckle escapes as he crumples the note in fist. Part of him wished that he still carried a lighter so that he could go outside and burn your fucking letter. “But make no mistake, sweetness, we’re not done here.”

However, Andrew Barber could be patient until he saw you again. He’d give you a couple days to get your mind right. But when he found you – and he would – he wasn’t going to stop until he had you back in his life and in his bed, right where you fucking belonged.

You could count on that shit.

END

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seaofgoldensand · 21 days

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can we meet again once more? she falls asleep unbeknownst that her dream-self is awaiting to meet with dawnbreaker, but this time dawnbreaker wishes to talk to her about something personal.

note: thanks to this quote i found on tumblr that made me immediately think of dawnbreaker and @zayne-snowman for being an awesome zayne roleplayer (gimmick blog is a new term that i actually genuinely like and will use it now), since reading their posts of people interacting with dawnbreaker, it made me adore zayne even more as a rafayel girlie aheh. anyway! to those that read this, i hope you enjoy!

warning: angst once more (this will be my stamp), slight hurt with comfort, he will do anything to ensure she is ok whether mentally or physically, hints of pieces from foreseer myth if you squint

another day of being a hunter has passed and the city is as peaceful as i can be. that was her duty and she loved to provide that help in not only protecting the city, but also protecting her fourteen year old self.

now she can return home and settle herself in bed where unbeknownst to her, she would meet a man that she forgot in the waking life, but remembers very well in her dreams. as she falls asleep, a warmth surrounds her more than her blanket, there is a smile on her face that translates to the one in her dreams as she felt warm arms wrap around her body.

the man was silent, burying his face against her neck and inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume and letting it linger in his senses, allowing himself to engrave it into his mind for when he must let her go once more. she remained where she was, unsure of how she got here, but the man standing and hugging her from behind like she was the most delicate snowflake in a world full of snowstorms was no stranger to her.

“i’m sorry, dawnbreaker… did i make you wait for too long?” she asked softly, raising her hands to rest on his arms, squeezing them gently as she turned her head to brush her lips gently against his temple.

he shook his head, holding her closer. “no, not at all. in fact, if you don’t know, i’ll remind you… i will wait for however long i need to just to see you and hold you like this again.”

she smiled, although it was a mix of sorrow and happiness, two emotions that could never coexist with one another, yet were easy to conceive. then, she turned around and cupped dawnbreaker’s face, her fingers gently drumming against his cheeks as she gazed up at him.

“even if the certainty of me returning is little to none? you would risk that much if it meant you’d see me again? am i really worth that much?”

it had been a question that was stuck in her mind like a fly in a venus fly trap, no matter how much she tried to remove the thought, the insecurity to ensure nothing came between her and dawnbreaker, that question became a plague and dawnbreaker must have sense the shift as he immediately drew her in closer.

“of course. in this world, i have nothing left. i want to be selfish. allow me to be selfish and i promise to take care of you as much as i possibly can here in this world. it’s—”

“fleeting.” she finished his sentence with a tender smile. “everything around us and us in general is fleeting, yet if it’s all i can have, i could never wish for anything more. and you can be selfish, dawnbreaker. in a sense, this is your world and i’m becoming a permanent visitor, until you no longer want me to come back.”

dawnbreaker eased back and stared at her with his piercing gaze before he grabbed her chin, gently tilting it up so their eyes met. “there will never be a day where i’m not looking forward to your return. there will never be a day where i wish for you not to return. and there will never be a day that i stop myself from feeling these emotions you give me. for once in this life of mine, i feel something and it’s all because of you.”

she listened intently and nodded her head. insecurities plagued her mind, but dawnbreaker never once allowed those insecurities and self-sabotaging tendencies to remain in her head for too long. perhaps, that is why it was so easy for her to fall for him. how she felt so drawn to his presence, that she would do everything in her power to meet in the same world in her dreams.

“then, when i fall asleep, i will do my best to make sure to meet you once more. over and over again until our worlds allow us to meet face to face outside of our dreams.”

“do you believe such a thing is possible?”

“i do. it’s all thanks to you, dawnbreaker.”

dawnbreaker was quiet as he finally pulled away from her and held out his hand. “come, then, let’s have a walk. there is something i wanted to talk to you about. nothing horrible, i assure you… just something that has been on my mind.”

as the two walked and the snow gentle fell over the city, dawnbreaker stopped in front of a cafe. he gazed through the window and in there was a scene that did not belong to his world. in there was a version of him who was a doctor and she was there sitting in front of him, eating lunch it would seem. he could not help but feel bitter that this version of himself was allowed to be with her when she is awake.

“dawnbreaker?” she spoke out softly when she noticed him seemingly staring into the empty cafe. “what’s wrong?”

he turned and looked at her before shaking his head. “it’s nothing…” he stated, and she did not pry any further.

they walked a few steps more before they stumble onto a field of jasmine flowers. it was then that she let go of dawnbreaker’s hand and ran to the field of flowers, frowning.

“oh no! i knew i was forgetting something, have they not bloomed since?”

“they are just resting, and do not worry about taking care of them, we can only do so much in this environment. ah, but come back here.”

he had gestured for her to return to his side, but instead he walked over to stand beside her, coaxing her to stand up before he held her hand. “are you curious as to what i wish to talk to you about?”

“i am, but i don’t want to pry, so i would wait until you’re ready to talk about it.”

“you’ve called me dawnbreaker since the day we met, but can you stop calling me that?”

“oh—does it bother you?”

“no, i am used to it, but i want you to call me by my real name.”

she tilted her head, curiosity sparkled in her eyes as she met his gaze.

“from now on, you can call me zayne.”

the name tugged something in her chest, her hand then turning to interlace her fingers with his as she gave it a gentle and reassuring squeeze.

“all right, then. thank you… zayne.”

that odd muscle in dawnbreaker’s chest skipped a beat upon hearing her utter his name with such delicacy, it confused him for a bit before he regained his senses, stepped forward and held her in his arms. he cupped her chin once more and leaned down as he lifted her face up for their lips to meet in a sweet kiss.

“no, darling, thank you.”

“but i haven’t done—” she whispered against his lips after their deep kiss.

“you’ve done much more than you may ever know.”

her dream was spent on time with dawnbreaker, this time she managed to make him laugh and she could not help how happy it made her feel when he caught himself and tried to play it off, something about his image and how it could not be ruined.

but as the time approached for her to wake up again, she hugged dawnbreaker extra tight this time, placed a kiss onto his cheek and promised to see him once more when they both fall asleep.

but when she awakened from her slumber, she was left with an empty feeling. she sat up and touched her lips where she dreamed of someone kissing her goodbye. she furrowed her brows trying to recall the dream, but no memory came to mind.

“as always…” she mumbled to herself as she got up to open the blinds of her window. she thought of the man in her dreams, she knew it was a man, but she could not recall a face, not even features. just thoughts and memories of his touches and words, nothing more, no face to place onto the unknown figure.

“do you exist or have i made you up?”

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thatmooncake · 7 months

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I am genuinely confused on what Moon is supposed to be. The cookbook basically says he sucks. However in the security breach DLC Cassie says she slept better in the daycare so that's gotta mean Moon was good at being the nighttime attendant. So like why would the cookbook portray them as sucky if they were good at their job as nighttime attendant?

But then there are the complaints you can read about in security breach where Moon is scaring kids (but that's when the virus started right? Or no? I am not familiar with the new fnaf lore).

But then there's also the fact where Moon played the villain when they used to be in the theatre (I say fact but I am not actually sure if this is cannon or just a popular headcanon that I am confusing for cannon)

I haven't even read the books yet so I am not sure how they characterize Moon there. I figured I would ask you since you seem to like Moon a lot and know way more about them than I do. Sorry for bugging ye

No bugging done here :) my take on this is that it’s all a matter of the perspective - so for characters like Moon you’ll get some things painting them in a bad light and others more favourable.

(More explanation under the cut as I tend to get carried away when it comes to character analysis)

So generally speaking the FNAF games and books heavily play into the “creepy” “uncanny” aspects of the characters - it’s a horror franchise, it’s gonna play up any spoopy vibes it can and in Moon’s case sadly he gets the short end of the stick because he’s depicted as the darker half of Sun, so a lot of general descriptions will point out how Sun is the good one and Moon is the evil one and leave it at that. However, that doesn’t mean that’s as far as Moon’s characterisation goes or that that’s all he’s intended to be.

The FNAF guidebooks and cookbooks and stuff are written for a broad general audience who aren’t necessarily hardcore FNAF fans but maybe just like the vibes of FNAF, so when those books mention the characters in passing they’re like cameos playing up to what you see if you casually play the game (like “you better watch out, Moon’s gonna get you” “Sun turns evil when the lights go out” - that kind of thing).

The Ruin descriptions are from Cassie’s perspective, and Cassie likes the animatronics and clearly isn’t all that creeped out by them. Could be something to do with her dad working on them making her more curious and less frightened of the way they work and all the “uncanny” vibes other people are getting from them. Either way, it definitely adds more nuance and tells us Moon wasn’t written just to be the evil side of Sun, even if a lot of descriptions and cameos play to that.

In the Tales of the Pizzaplex book, The Bobbiedots (spoilers ahead) Moon is written to be the darker side of Sun that staff in that pizzaplex tried to erase when Sun was updated from being a theatre bot. Even in the theatre, Bobbiedots Moon was the stricter side telling people they’ve been naughty and need to go to bed. This was all a theatre gimmick using the lights and would likely use Sun as kind of a playmate but then he turns into Moon, and suddenly he’s chasing you telling you you’ve been naughty. The thing is, I think some kids would have kind of loved villain Moon. I mean, kids (and adults) generally like booing pantomime villains, they love when they come onstage and tell them they’re all naughty and need to do what they say. I don’t think Moon’s theatre persona necessarily took away from his being liked or made him a bad guy offstage, it just made him inconvenient to staff as a daycare attendant because of power outages they were too cheap to fix. Honestly, I think that characterisation says a lot more about how cheap Fazco were than how evil Moon was destined to be.

Then in another tale, Somniphobia, we have (spoilers ahead) Moondrop and his dream sphere. So two things about this one: Moondrop, the little Moon inside the dream sphere that seems to look a bit like a snowglobe and supposedly “helps you study” (toootally not a ploy for some soul stealing) …he is never strict, he is never harsh, he never tells you what to do. Getting sucked inside the dream sphere is entirely a matter of getting in too deep on our protagonist’s side. He’s given several opportunities to put the thing down and gets called out for overdoing it by basically most of his friends and family yet he never stops because the dreams are too enticing. Moondrop just takes him with him for the ride. It should be said that the dream sphere in the book is wildly popular as a prize and teens love it as a study aid because it literally takes you (in your head) to historical places like ancient Egypt and to the bottom of the ocean etc. it’s just very addictive. So basically Moondrop in this story is neither good nor bad, he’s just a lure. He even takes the guy by the hand at the end - if anything, he’s a quiet and gentle and reassuring presence, for better or worse.

Moon in Security Breach absolutely scares some of the kids - and chances are, so does Sun.

Here’s the Fazwatch message about the daycare attendant:

“Night Terrors CUSTOMER COMPLAINT -

My son never had sleeping problems. But after spending an evening in the daycare, he refuses to sleep with the lights out anymore! He just cries. And then when I do let him keep the lights on, he wets the bed!”

Poor kid can’t win either way. (This message absolutely could mean that the kid can only sleep with the lights on but still has nightmares about Moon - or it could mean neither of them provided a reassuring presence for the kid. Maybe Moon hunted them for sport. Maybe both Sun and Moon’s mannerisms creeped the kid out. For all we know Sun insisting on the lights being on in a dark tone and forcing the kid to remain in his sight might have terrified the kid. There’s really no clear cut way of telling but we do know from this message that the daycare isn’t going great for some kids.)

And then in contrast to this is Cassie’s message about the daycare - sounds like she loved it there both at playtime and naptime. So this is definitely a point against Moon just being pure evil. I really think the guy got a bad rap in Security Breach due to the virus - he has a ton of merch and a whole line of candies. Would you eat a candy based around a guy who’s always trying to kill you? Would you hug a plush of a guy who’s just pure evil?

I think Moon was very convenient for Afton and Vanny since he’s pretty strong, fairly graceful, operates great at night and he basically has a retrieval protocol to get naughty kids to go to bed. Tell him everything is a naughty kid who needs to go to bed and he’ll round up anyone who’s acting out of line because the virus insists he has to. Make him hurt whenever the lights are on (and we know it hurts him intensely, he says as much in Ruin) and he’ll fight ferociously against Sun for his freedom to stop the pain, and won’t listen when Sun tells him something is wrong. Sun kind of confirms Moon isn’t evil in Ruin by insisting they need to be whole. And Moon isn’t trying to be evil in Ruin, he’s in pain and can’t stop himself. Once Eclipse is activated, Moon (as well as Sun) can start healing.

So in summary I think that basically if Moon makes a cameo appearance, it will usually be as “the dark side of Sun”, but that isn’t all he’s supposed to be and the writing shows there is supposed to be reasoning behind his actions and contradictions to the idea that he’s just a bad guy.

#moondrop #fableasks #sorry if this ain’t entirely coherent or comprehensive I’m fighting a bug myself so I know like a tenth of what Moon feels lmao #I do dig evil moon too I just don’t think that’s all there is to him #also thanks for the ask I love characterisation and analysis

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priceyfreedom · 1 year

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SPOILERS FOR LMK SEASON 4

So we all agree that the whole Azure Lion and Sun Wukong escapade is like super suspicious right?? Like not only does turning on his friends (and killing macaque for that matter) feel out of character for him, but right before he does all these things he’s seen being put under the jade emperor’s control??

Like look, in this scene where Sun Wukong was cemented as the true villain in Azure Lion’s eyes for destroying the paradise he had made what are him and his companions shown to have on their heads? The fucking celestial realm crowns

And I haven’t read the original source material for this show (the journey to the west) so I don’t know wether the point I’m making here is clarified in it and if I look really dumb rn but either way…

And to like add on top of everything else I’ve said here it’s super weird how shadow or ink (not sure what the terminology is yet) Wukong was teasing him.

Feels oddly specific for a curse that’s entire gimmick is to get in your head to choose to taunt Sun Wukong with the very same crown while talking about not being able to fight against your destiny and what you’re chosen to become.. It just all feels very suspicious and I am super excited for S5!!!

Edit: check the notes for some extra info I’ve been given since making the post!! It’s very interesting and gives more info about how the novels explain the crowns! Thank u so much for everyone who added onto my analysis!

#lmk #lego monkie kid #lego monkey kid season 4 #lego monkey kid #sun wukong #monkie kid macaque #lmk sun wukong #lmk macaque #lmk wukong #lmk mk #mk #lmk pigsy #lmk tang #lmk sandy #azure lion

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sy-on-boy · 2 years

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The Mystery of Melinda Desmond (and others)

Anyways I’ve been thinking about how the cast of Spy x Family upholds a very meticulously crafted status quo. ESPECIALLY the adults. And now with Damian’s mom (a highly anticipated character) introduced, the plot thickens.

So one of the main gimmicks of SxF is that everyone has a side they hide, but for most of the main cast, the “two sides” they have is clearly visible to the reader. Loid is a psychiatrist and a spy. Yor has a “normal” job but is also an assassin. Yuri is straight up introduced as a member of the SSS. Fiona has a job at the hospital but is also straight up introduced as a member of WISE. In each of these 4 characters’ introductions, we see their individual gimmicks. We, as readers, know their secret identities. Like, imagine if we didn’t know Yuri’s a member of WISE’s top enemy. There would be so much speculation and analysis, but the Yuri’s relevance to plot isn’t him being mysterious. It’s literally established that him and his brother in law belong to enemy organisations. Endo tells us so we can anticipate what might happen next. Endo uses the trope of double identities not to make us guess who is who. He immediately shows us who they are and tells us to enjoy the ride. Readers (and Anya) know the truth, the characters don’t.

For the more side-ish characters, we have an idea of who they are. We know Sylvia is like Twilight’s boss, but while she’s serious and cool, she also shows a warm, motherly side to Anya. Franky is stuck in the “comedic sidekick role who cannot get a date” but he is pretty useful and loyal to Loid. One might expect Henderson to be all serious and elegant, but he’s also used for comic relief. These characters are established as “good” characters who are on the side of our protags. Again, these traits are all laid out for us.

Important note: the above characters have all met Anya. Anya is a mind reader and she can read their true intentions. And since she knows their intentions, the reader does as well, and for the most part, we can trust them. And when an adult character hasn’t met Anya yet (and doesn’t get their own POVs), they’re shrouded in mystery.

We have our perceived antagonist, Donovan Desmond. From Twilight (and WISE)’s POV, he’s a cruel man who can start a war. But Donovan’s involvement in a potential war isn’t directly confirmed yet. Most info from him comes from WISE, so the readers understand Donovan from the lens of his enemy rather from a omniscient narrator or Donovan’s POV. It’s important to note that while Anya wanted to meet Donovan, she actually didn’t. If Anya didn’t fall asleep back then, she could easily read Donovan’s mind and boom, his mystery is gone, story ends, blah blah blah.

If anything, Melinda is portrayed as an even bigger threat than Donovan, because we know less about her. Loid admits that. Damian doesn’t even think about his mother. And when you pair Yor with Melinda, who’s oblivious to the politics (unlike Loid and Anya), as readers we know even less.

I think Anya is deliberately kept away from Donovan and Melinda because those two are supposed to be mysterious characters (that’s their gimmick vs the gimmick of Loid/Yor/Yuri/Fiona’s double identities). If the mysterious characters meet a mindreader, they’re not so mysterious now, are they?

Let’s analyse the field. Our mindreader Anya has only met Damian before, and Damian provides little information other than his parents don’t really care about him. The provider of our omniscient POV is only in touch with the least powerful Desmond. Loid, the spy who is suspicious of Donovan, has met him once under very very meticulous conditions. Yor, who isn’t actively aware of politics and sees Melinda as “the mom of the child my daughter punched”, is just happy to have a friend (even though she appears to be put off by Melinda’s weird smiles). Anya and Damian meet regularly, and Anya gains nothing about politics from him because Damian is a child who is unaware. Melinda and Yor have the potential to meet regularly, but Yor can’t read minds, nor does she have Twilight’s intel, so we don’t know how much she can get (and how much us readers will see). While Twilight is an excellent spy who tries to get info from Donovan, it’s extremely difficult for Twilight and Donovan to meet. Because of the limitations of each Forger-Desmond pair, the status quo can be maintained.

I guess this is why Damian’s isolation from his parents is relevant? If Damian doesn’t see his parents regularly, how can our deus ex machina Anya meet them? And if Anya is kept away from them, the mystery and the plot can continue.

The reason I suspect Donovan AND Melinda to be true antagonists (that go against the protags) is because while they’re not established as merciless greedy warlords, they ARE established as neglectful parents. And a huge theme of SxF is family. Characters who love their families are established as “good” characters (Forgers, Yuri, Sylvia). Loid and Yor have both defended Damian and apologised for Anya’s punch, but Donovan and Melinda threaten them with a smile while claiming “it’s fine”. Loid and Yor are quickly proven to care more about Damian than the Desmonds. The Forgers are the good parents, while the Desmonds are the neglectful ones. Even without politics at play, it’s easy to see which side we’re supposed to dislike or at least be wary of.

I would say someone in between “character on the side of protags” and “mystery character” would be the Shopkeeper. It’s, umm, morally dubious if Garden trained a literal child to be a murderer, but Shopkeeper is generally kind to Yor, and vice versa. But he seems to be pretty on guard when Yor mentions her husband being a “conservative”. Shopkeeper is still a mysterious character, but right now we’re more inclined to like Garden because so far, they’ve been nice to Yor and they gave her a job. It’s not like Yor is forced to be an assassin (she mentions she likes her job). But afaik Anya hasn’t met Shopkeeper yet. They are characters whose thoughts are deliberately hidden.

Demetrius is another mysterious character but he seems to be a child/teen (Eden student) who appears to care more about Damian than his parents do. Readers have met Donovan and Melinda, but we haven’t seen Demetrius. I don’t think he’s going to be as bad as his parents, but it’s telling how we haven’t seen him yet despite multiple past references. What’s up with Demetirus, hm?

TLDR: Since Anya can read minds, characters that she has met (and trusts) are established as characters on the Forgers’ side. Which is why she is kept away from Donovan and Melinda, who are both established as mysterious people who neglect Damian.

Sorry if this is a bit repetitive / not concise or has mistakes, I’ve had a bit too much morning coffee lol.

#spy x family #spy x family analysis #spy x family spoilers #melinda desmond #donovan desmond #anya forger #meta #ig #sxf analysis

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nineevees · 27 days

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general thoughts on the wk “our blue and green world” special (for funsies)

they had me in the beginning, by the end they completely lost me tho lolol

!! SPOILER WARNING FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T SEEN THE EPISODE YET !!

things i liked:

the intro was!! very good!! loved how they started in space and then gradually zoomed into earth, that was really fun :D

always excited to see how the background of the final shot changes in these specials !!

right away i am so glad they finally color corrected everything i couldn’t stand how bright everything was in season 6 T_T

chris being able to just effortlessly fold his t-shirts into a stack made me laugh lol

i don’t care if anyone says the song sounded flat as hell. the disbelief i had when it first came on. “what is this music what is goin- IS THIS A SONG??” the pure, unadulterated joy i experienced from it. it may be cringe but it has set me free.

idk. i’m just glad to see all these characters back after the hiatus :D

the resplendent quetzal is!! so cool!! so pretty!! i’d love an episode just dedicated to it

saw someone say this already but common aviva W for inventing two creature power discs at once !! it’s her world we are simply all living in it

BLUE WHALES ARE AS BIG AS TWO BRONTOSAURUSES?? waow

i think ever since i’ve gotten past the age of. elementary school. martin’s nicknames for animals have been kind of hit-or-miss for me? (though it might just depend on who’s writing the script i dunno) but i liked kablooey!! (kabluey?) it’s a very cute name :D

zach remembered that he has hacker bots he can use (which are. arguably his best invention?? i’m pretty sure?? i get why they don’t use them every single time zach shows up bc that would get old quickly but it establishes that despite being a whiny man-child who couldn’t tell a walrus from a wombat or a wallaby, he can still be a threat to the wk team)

indri lemur my beloved 🫶🫶

and everyone’s been talking about that so um. let me throw my hat into the ring then.

i can see the intention behind trying to redeem paisley, but it just. doesn’t really match with what’s been established by her character?

the entire special hit me with subsequent punches of “wow this is a kid’s show and i am NOT the target demographic” when they were talking about the water cycle and explaining global warming. so it makes sense, in a sort of wish-fulfillment kind of way that they’d try and redeem the villain whose goal is arguably the most realistic out of the main four.

zach’s main gimmick is using wild animals for his own technology. donita uses wild animals for fashion. gourmand cooks and eats wild animals. yes, the latter two can and do happen in real life (not… really sure about zach’s but that’s not the point). but paisley’s gimmick was never about harming animals, but destroying the environment they live in, in order to build things for humans instead. she’s the kind of person who you’d most likely encounter in real life. redeeming paisley has nothing to do with her character (a businesswoman who finds nature “yucky” as seen in the spirit bear and Asian elephant episodes), instead her general gimmick. wouldn’t it be nice if we could get the people destroying animals’ homes to truly see how beautiful nature can be? so much so that they stop trying to destroy it and instead attempt to help preserve it?

(this is just a personal nitpick but paisley’s new design absolutely is NOT working for me srry)

after i watched the special i had some ideas abt how it potentially could have gone instead?:

don’t redeem paisley at all: again, i get the general idea of why they did this but also. it doesn’t?? line up with her character at all?? the way she was acting in the beginning was fine and perfectly in character for her. she just wants nature out of the way in order to complete her plans, and she has no time for zach being overly concerned with the wild kratts. you could argue that her knowing that dolphins and whales weren’t fish but mammals was foreshadowing to her redemption, but like… paisley’s not dumb?? donita has also corrected zach on not knowing his animals in the past so unless you’re also going to argue for a possible donita redemption in the future then. yeah. i dunno. the other villains didn’t need a redemption to make the special they were in interesting, i don’t see how this one should be any different.

another redemption fake-out, but do it much earlier in the story: i have. my own gripes about how the plot of this special went but we’ll save that for later. have paisley initially be dismissive of the wild kratts’s presence, but once she learns that the kratt brothers are arguing and that aviva, koki, and jimmy are spending all of their time trying to get them to make up, pounce on that opportunity. have her go all over-the-top (like she did in her canon redemption) and trick the wild kratts into thinking she’s turned good, only for her to turn on them in the second half. this might be too similar to “a creature christmas” though. this one would take up more of the plot if that’s any consolation?

give a hint to a paisley redemption arc, but don’t make her do a complete 180 right away: if they’re adamant on redeeming paisley (again, i see the general idea behind this gimmick-wise), then they could still do it and make it fit with her character. remember that paisley’s intentions are not to harm animals, but their environment (which is not any better, making that clear). she can still have her awed-by-coral moment, but maybe. tone it down?? she can have second thoughts about going with the plan, but have zach or rex* encourage her to continue. she steels her resolve, but remembers the coral, and hesitates. and the kratt brothers use that last-minute hesitation to defeat zach’s zachbots and paisley’s pavers. have paisley question why she couldn’t go through with it as she and zach leave madagascar. you could have aviva or one of the other wild kratts theorize that paisley has started to have a change of heart after seeing what nature is capable of, if left to thrive. but again: don’t redeem her right away. hint at it, and then explore it whenever she appears as the main antagonist in an episode of season 7.

*i’m admittedly not caught up on all of wk, but like. did paisley fire rex or something. WHERE WAS HE THIS ENTIRE SPECIAL??

as for the plot point of the kratt brothers fighting… yeah that definitely could have gone better.

(again, minor nitpick but jimmy saying that this was the first time he’s seen the brothers fight,, then implied that it happened every single laundry day,, but also he’s definitely seen them fight before? or had disagreements at least?? isn’t that the premise of at least two different episodes not counting this special. this script is also Not My Favorite. not sure how to explain it but some of the dialogue seems a little awkward?)

ik that the brothers get into danger 24/7 but i feel like. martin should be a little bit concerned that chris was getting squeezed to death by a green anaconda?? like you don’t have to make him overtly worried to the point of apologizing, but you could at least. make him look at chris with concern? i get that the point is that “oh no the brothers are fighting so they won’t help each other when one’s in danger” but. martin your brother is dying STOP SMILING NONCHALANTLY.

the resolution between the brothers was. kind of rushed? all it took was chris complimenting martin (“nice one, bro!”) and then activating some creature powers and then everything was fine. is. is that all it took?

if you liked it then that’s 100% fine !! i’m glad you enjoyed it :D it just wasn’t for me

just my personal preference but i think i would have preferred it if we spent more time with the brothers solo (martin at sea and chris in the rainforest) and have them come to their realizations that the planet needs both blues and greens to thrive separately. like martin sees the planktonic soup and acknowledges that the creatures who live in the ocean need a little green to survive. or chris sees how important rivers are in the amazon and remembers how the rivers will eventually flow into the ocean. and both of the brothers remember their adventures with each other (or aviva, koki, and jimmy remind them). they can still be stubborn and not forgive each other, but i’d like them to at least like. acknowledge each other’s pov and respect it.

or: do something with aviva trying to program two creature power suits at once (the brothers are both in madagascar at this point). like, what if there was a creature power suit malfunction where martin is a blue whale at first, but then turns into an indri. and chris starts our as an indri but then his suit malfunctions and he becomes a blue whale. the bros swap places, with martin going on land and chris going to sea, and then they realize that the other had a point - the land is home to so many wonderful creatures and so are the oceans. and how both are connected and make the earth their home. boom, reconciliation.

also another personal preference thing, i really wish they spent more time with kablooey/kabluey and mambiky (?). i’m here for cool creatures and i wanna see more of the cool creatures !! is that so much to ask for !!

also also. i think the indri-conda was born bc someone saw the pun potential and to that i say. no comment.

i still have. a lot of thoughts but i think i’ll just leave it there for now. ik i criticized it a lot but i did genuinely enjoy the special :D i’m happy to have the brothers back from hiatus and can’t wait to watch the other episodes !!

#wild kratts #wild kratts spoilers #our blue and green world

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ryuichirou · 3 months

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Replies

We have A LOT of replies today! <3 Thank you for your asks!

Quite a bunch of them are related to our latest comic about Riddle and his mom, some are related to our previous replies, and some are just about the characters in general.

But before I start I wanted to note one thing: I’m probably going to start skipping some asks, and I’m sorry for that. I always try to answer everyone, but it’s getting more difficult for me to keep up, especially when writing replies where I don’t really have much to say. I’m not saying that you should stop: we read everything and appreciate you sharing your thoughts about characters with us; but please keep in mind that I might not reply. Like I’ve mentioned, me writing replies takes one (sometimes up to two) hour per day, and since I’m an artist, not a writer, it’s especially exhausting for me mentally lol I’m sorry about that.

I love talking to you, and I don’t want my replies to feel forced and burnt-out, that’s the main thought.

So, starting with the asks about Riddle’s mom and her amusing poster.

characharing asked:

i see Riddle's mom doesn't know of Chenya yet

I guess Chenya is just better at not being noticed when he wants to, being the Cheshire cat and all~

Anonymous asked:

Alrighty, who wants to go and throw apples at Riddle’s mom?

Probably the entirety of Heartslabyul…

Anonymous asked:

Your artwork with Riddle’s mom reminded me of a fan manga I saw on Pixiv by SIG. It’s about Trey confronting Riddle’s mom during winter break and helping Riddle get away from her (that’s what I can tell, I don’t speak Japanese)

Unfortunately I haven’t seen that one, but I’m glad it exists! After experiencing ch1 and seeing Riddle being so down and kind of anxious about returning home during winter break, it’s impossible not to get a “GO DO SOMETHING TREY TELL HER TELL HER” kind of thought. Or “MURDER HER”, it depends lol

Anonymous asked:

Trey needs to use his UM towards Riddle's mother. Trey can be a secret murderer if you ask me.

I feel like this idea is so prominent in our minds, we’ve mentioned it a couple of times, in the hc post about twst guys murdering people for sure lol

But yeah, Trey’s UM could be very dangerous…

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

Based on this, Riddle's first rebellion act is inviting Trey over when she's not around. Slowly the anxiety of him leaving before his mother came home faded and soon he began to feel the urge to have sex while Trey and him had the house to themselves. Bonus: They fucked on Riddle's desk AND Riddle's mum's bed

That would be absolutely scandalous, unacceptable, super nerve-wracking but also cathartic and completely necessary. Not to mention very hot lol You go, Trey, break that bed.

Anonymous asked:

Idia wants that poster too. XD

Yes please. And then the version of it with Rook’s face. And then the version of it with the Tweels. And then-

Anonymous asked:

My line of thought is 'ofc Riddle can still collar people' because some of the other prosecutors have gimmicks (Franziska and her whip, Godot and coffee, etc) but realistically it would probably just be Ace getting collared frequently during trials and investigations.

(This ask and the next one are related to the idea of Riddle being an Ace Attorney prosecutor, we mentioned it in these replies)

Yeah that makes sense, the prosecutors of this franchise just can’t do their job without doing something funky lol But what I love is the fact that it’s completely useless, be it a regular collar or a magical one, so basically it’s just a petty way to humiliate Ace because he is being annoying.

Lovely.

Anonymous asked:

Riddle would definitely lecture Phoenix about letting Trucy use her magic panties.

Oh man, so now Phoenix is disbarred and collared? This man just keeps winning lol

You can tell Riddle wasn’t allowed to use magic panties as a kid :(

Anonymous asked:

This is a dumb question but do you think Idia has what is the stereotypical NEET things? You know, hentai dating games, body pillows and the like. Also, what sexuality do you see the cast as? Just curious 😃

Idia is absolutely aware of all of these things and they absolutely surround him, and he is probably far less innocent than the game allows him to be lol But whether he really loves playing hentai dating games and buys erotic doujins depends on a story we’re telling in posts and drawings. Sometimes it fits better for him to be totally into all this stuff and be that gross otaku trope (with body-pillows, waifu-mousepads and kinks that are absolutely vile), sometimes it fits him better to just be aware of all that but not necessarily do it actively.

I guess the “default” state for us it that he has seen and actively read/played some stuff, so he is aware! But then again, he also seems like someone who wouldn’t want to see any smut with his precious waifus lol

We also don’t really headcanon characters’ sexualities, so I can’t really answer that question, sorry :( Whoever we ship them with, that’s their sexuality. So I guess they’re all gay lol

Anonymous asked:

I feel a bit stupid for not knowing this but the comic where Azul discovers the tattoo on Idia’s lower stomach and Idia freaks out, is that a kink or something?

You’re not stupid, Anon! It’s inmon (lewd crest, womb tattoo), basically a hentai trope. I don’t know if there are any strict rules about these tattoos, but in doujins that I’ve seen they’re usually used to make a character having it uncontrollably horny lol “Stupid and eager to breed” kind of horny. So I guess it really is a curse of sorts. But sometimes a succubus-type character could have it.

Anonymous asked:

HAHAHA, I just read the ask about Kalim at Frollo's school... I liked that. You can see this dynamic ending HORRIBLE. I can actually hear Kalim playing popular music in class while Frollo pops a vein... I need Kalim to expand his harem, I need more characters to share Jamil's nightmare, haha! (I love Kalim, but Kalim💢💢)

Anonymous asked:

*I'm not sure if I wrote Frollo or Rollo (HAHA??) in my last anonymous ask abut Kalim in NBC, thank god these are anonymous, is 2 am here, I'm sorry

No worries, Anon, neither of us even noticed that you wrote Frollo until you pointed it out lol

Oh poor Rollo… He really got lucky that neither Kalim nor the Tweels or Lilia went with the NRC guys that year lol He wouldn’t be able to handle them.

And with Kalim being a student at his school, and Rollo being a school counsel president, he’ll HAVE to keep an eye on Kalim all the time.

And the worst thing is, there is no way Rollo is getting used to all this dancing and music and stuff, and there is no way Kalim is getting rid of all that either lol

Anonymous asked:

I will never understand why KaliJami and AzuJami fans fight. Jamil has two hands and deserves more than one boyfriend that he can barely tolerate.

See, maybe the last part is the reason, maybe Jamil’s psyche can’t handle two of these idiots messing up with his brain in two completely opposite (but equally annoying) ways lol If we asked Jamil, he would’ve probably said that his hands are not for Kalim or Azul to hold, and that he would rather drink rat poison.

Wow, he is so mean, that Jamil… Kalim and Azul both need to shower him with love asap lol

Anonymous asked:

Ruggie x Idia be like:

Ruggie: I can't believe you spend so much money on useless figurines. Talk about a waste!

Idia: Excuse you! Do you you know how much these will be worth in a few years?!

Ruggie:.......................Go on.

Yeah, pretty much lol This is basically their interaction in the Glorious Masquerade event. Ruggie has a lot to learn from Idia-the-master-of-anime-auctions…

Anonymous asked:

Post chapter 5 Epel: Did you know that Rook is a Neige Leblanche fan boy?

Pre chapter 5 Vil: What? Where did you here that from?

Post chapter 5 Epel: Rook.

Ahh, so this is what that ask was about!

A perfect opportunity to hit Vil where he expects you to hit him the least lol But I feel like even Epel feels bad for Vil when it comes to this topic, so I don’t know if he would do it. Although it would definitely be tempting at times, especially when Vil’s complaining about Neige under his breath and Rook’s just sitting there smiling and being awfully quiet…

#replies

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padawansuggest · 1 year

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As much as I love Mandalorians with all my heart and fucking soul. I honestly hope the characters around Grogu start realizing he was born before the purge. That he had years and years with the Jedi and yet still had to watch them perish. That he had to watch the battlemaster of the order cut down in his protection. That he was almost killed by the men that claimed to love and protect them.

I’m not saying that nothing but Grogu’s pain matters. I’m saying that I hope that they start to realize, like Luke did, that he’s not just a baby, he lived through the purge and was tortured and trafficked from place to place after it for scientific purposes and just because the Sith are fucking evil.

It just suddenly occurred to me that when the ‘did you think your dad was the only Mandalorian’ line comes by I’m gonna feel a rage deep in my soul burning me alive. Because how dare she say that, to the child who’s been tortured and trafficked and traumatized by the Sith and Empire, when he’s just a little baby, and now he’s got all the memories of training and masters and love and family, and knowing what took them, and how he’ll never move on from that, that that was the reason he chose to have a parent, because his buir loves him whole heartedly, while the Jedi are still trying to figure out how to Exist again.

And I just know when that comes (I’m only halfway through this episode so maybe it’ll happen here idk maybe in a few episodes) when Bo-Katan throws that in his face that maybe he thought his dad was the only one, the rage I feel will be unparalleled.

He’s just a little boy. And he’s been more beaten down than anyone else around him. He’s just a toddler. And I’m not even sure if he’s actually a toddler or if he’s just traumatized and mute and scared so he’s curling into that soft age where nothing bad had happened. He’s just a little boy. He’s not just some dumb capitalism baby gimmick, from the very beginning he’s had a backstory and fears and wants. I don’t see how some of you think he’s just some random money making scheme. I don’t care if that’s it from the advertising pov, but he has a backstory and it’s fucking tragic and he doesn’t deserve to be thrown aside because ‘okay okay the baby was cute for a minute but can we get an actual plot here’ no fuck you I’ve decided this is the show where the Mandalorians finally adopt Jedi thanks fuck you bye.

He’s stuck. He’s just a baby boy and he’s stuck in a baby age with all the trauma of a 50 year old and he just wants to be with the man who loves and takes care of him. Who holds him gently and took off his helmet for him. Who wants what’s best for him even if it breaks his soul in half to do it. He’s stuck. Just let him have his parent.

#star wars #Grogu #I don’t care about anyone else lol let the baby be happy or die by my hand

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igglemouse · 4 months

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Episode 2 ~ The Approach

"So hows it going in that one horse town?" Araceli asks, thinking if there was one person who she had it better than then it was Emma. After all, Emma was forcing herself to live in a town that Araceli thought defined 'flyover' territory and yet she could tell by the smile on Emma's face that she was actually enjoying it.

"It's not so bad," Emma confirmed and a little smugly, knowing that Araceli was far too vain to ever live humbly like she could. "The people are nice, there's a community feel to it that simply does not exist for a big city like San My."

"Yeah..." Araceli thought community was overrated. She was a social creature but that did not mean she actually LIKED most of the people she interacted with. "You're really going to stay down there for a whole year mama?"

"Yes, that's the plan! It's my entire gimmick, isn't it? Besides, it's really not a one horse town. There are actually a lot of horses-"

"Hard to tell, you've been there for half a season and you've barely made any posts about it? Enjoying the square dancing a little too much?"

"Yeaaa..." Emma paused for a moment, deciding that she would not reveal the real reason she wasn't posting. The town didn't like it, at least that’s what the Gardner boy told her. "I'll get to posting more soon, don't worry!"

"Next year you should do San My and we could do a collab!"

"I've done San My!" and so many people had vlogged in that city that she thought there wasn’t anything left to explore there. "Tomarang is what I have my eyes on, would have to learn a new language though."

"Mama you need to stop messing around and settle down some place!"

'Eventually...' Emma thought, reaching out to adjust the volume on her screen but being interrupted by a banging on the door.

Episode List - Next

#the sims #the sims 4 #sims legacy #iggleverse #sims 4 legacy #my sims #generation 1 #araceli salcedo rebirth #emma secada #maria moya

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operafantomet · 1 year

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POTO KRISTIANSTAD

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Kristianstad (Kricccchhhensta’) Teater, April 15, 2023

PHANTOM: John Martin Bengtsson CHRISTINE: Hanna Ulvan RAOUL: Jonathan Böiers CARLOTTA: Anna Hammarqvist FIRMIN: Sebastian Lamberth ANDRÈ: Anton Salvin MADAME GIRY: Hanna La Fleur MEG GIRY: Johanna Westholm PIANGI: Filip Barna

And now for something completely different… The speaker announced «Not Broadway’s… Not West End’s… but OUR version of The Phantom of the Opera». And it sure is. This was a production that played with much of the well-known iconography: blonde Christine in white robes, lots of candles, the iconic chandelier, a Phantom in the shadows, and scenes you might feel resemble something you’d seen before. Yet the total felt independent, fresh and creative.

Take the AUCTION SCENE. You’d think featuring a woman as the auctioneer was a gimmick, in the vein of «it’s always a man, therefore we feature a woman». But it worked very, very well. A business woman with authority, and no time for nonsense. The set had a bold original Phantom feel with the drapes and the veiled chandelier in front. The cast was standing around it. But once the Overture hit we got the first glimpse of creative thinking. Raoul stumbled around in the auction set, like a hellish nightmare scene, before it slowly transformed into his youth and Hannibal. I loved this so much. The chandelier rose with flickering light and an added sound effect of crystals shaking. Effective.

HANNIBAL gave the first glimpse of a quite versatile set. In some productions you may tire quickly of seeing the same modules or sets being used for all scenes. I never really got the feeling in this production; only towards the end did I realize they used the same set pieces twisted and turned. But in a clever and effective way. So also in Hannibal, where the main set was a staircase, columns and drapes. I neither loved nor hated the costumes, they went for a minimalistic antiquity look and it served the purpose. Bonus for printed elephants on the ballerina costumes, I guess. Both Filip Barna (Piangi) and Anna Hammarqvist (Carlotta) had impressive vocals. Carlotta’s rant after a sandbag nearly hit her was also A+. And this Lèfevre... He was heading for AUSTRALIA.

THINK OF ME was the first real glimpse of Hanna Ulvan as Christine. The first think that struck me is how very enthusiastic, bubbly and outwards her Christine appeared. As I never saw her in the replica production in Stockholm, I don’t know if it’s the specific directing in this non-replica version, or her take on the role. But I rather liked it, as it made Christine a slightly different figure and in some ways I got Leroux vibes to the kind and giggly Christine described when she’s at the opera (but without the edge seen in the lair scenes).

Voice wise Think of Me didn’t quite do it for me. Ulvan has some glorious upper notes, a a good coloratura ring to it, and she appears to have a nice depth as well. But the mixed middle register, which this first aria has a sneaky amount of, appeared a bit muffled, and her voice sometimes has dominant overtones. At the other hand I know some Christines holds back a bit in the first act to also vocally show Christine progressing in the second act. It made me curious of what to come. Costume wise Christine herself ripped off the Hannibal costume, partly covered by other cast members, and they put on her a bronze robe more or less identical to Carlotta’s. Also got the first glimpse of Jonathan Böiers as a very sympathetic young Raoul.

ANGEL OF MUSIC gave RAH vibes. A set piece with a wall and mirror in the middle, a dressing table with the back turned to the audience to the right, imaginary door to the left. But with a nice twist: during Little Lotte it was Christine who was spinning around on the floor while Raoul sat down at the boudoir. Which very much underlined Ulvan’s bubbly Christine. She had nice chemistry with both Meg (Johanna Westholm) and Raoul (Jonathan Böiers).

Ya know how I rave about John Martin Bengtsson as the Phantom? Well. I had forgotten about just how amazing his vocals is. The second his voice boomed from behind the mirror I knew the next minutes of the show would be glorious. Such depth, such volume. As the mirror was down on the floor and not tilted, they had Christine sitting down on the floor for max effect. And that was beautiful - her reflection overlapped perfectly with the Phantom’s.

Now, for the TITLE SONG they used all the innovative tricks in the book and I loved it. For the first part a big gate went down in the middle of the scene. It gave an impression of a huge mirror - but this was in fact just doubles perfectly mimicking the leads; one pair crossing from right to left, and the other pair from left to right. This was one of my favourite set solutions in the whole show.

Then on to the boat, which basically was a mesh/cage structure rising from the floor. As the Phantom gondoled and Christine held the lantern, smoke and cliffs surfed past them, giving a sense of movement. The cage structure was then lowered into the floor, with a brief curtain down and the cadenza, and what had been the staircase structure for Hannibal was massively transformed into a labyrinth of stairs covered with masks, the monkey musical box, a creepy ballerina doll, a «cracked» backdrop, and a large organ to the right. During the song the ceiling was also covered with burning candles, Harry Potter/Restaged Tour style. Absolutely gorgeous.

Cue: MUSIC OF THE NIGHT. Which again was utterly vocal perfection. John Martin Bengtsson is tall, and this time in floor-length leather coat and half-mask covering the upper half of the face which created an iimposing figure opposite tiny Hanna Ulvan. The overall blocking felt like familiar terrain, with some poses resembling original Phantom. In this version I would have liked for the blocking to include more direct physical contact - or almost so - between the Phantom and Christine. Instead Christine got a bizarre dance with the creepy ballerina doll, which obviously made her faint… Gotta give props for a take on it I had never seen before, and also a foreshadowing to the Managers scenes where the Phantom is shows as the perfect puppet master. Yet… I’m not sure i loved it, I just enjoyed it on an intellectual level. If that makes sense.

STYDI… A more literal take on «music that burns», as Christine wakes up from the thunderous composing and is franatically covering her ears to make it stop. The Phantom, in the mean time, ha brought over some composing quirks from the Danish production. YES to that. You’d think this would not encourage her to approach the Phantom, but she does. The unmasking was a perfect balance between utter rage and a «pitiful creature», and beautiful acted by both of them. Yet I could not stop wondering why the Phantom didn’t snatch one of the 15 other masks he had laying around in the lair to cover his face… I get the symbolism, that it’s not really about the mask itself, rather that Christine revealed him and saw his face. But still. Dude, you have a lot of masks!

It appears non-replica versions really love to have Buquet sing MAGICAL LASSO from box five, or at least one of the boxes. They did the same in Hungary, in Romania/Norway/Greece, and also here. It works well as a foreshadowing, you know Buquet is messing hard with the Phantom when doing that. Using the theatre’s actual boxes was a nice detail as well. In this scene I noticed what a splendid voice Madame Giry (Hanna La Fleur) has. Beautiful upper register.

1ST MANAGERS… This set resembled the dressing room set, but this time with a «window» in the upper left side, a staircase next to it, and in front right a writing desk and chairs. The managers was very good; André (Anton Salvin) was less flamboyant than in the replica versions. Firmin (Sebastian Lamberth) had more comical relief moments. Interesting change. The «window» and the staircase introduced an ever-flowing new range of people until the scene was set for the Phantom.

The moment they started reading his letter he appeared in the «window», and I was like «Aha! Just like Hungary and RAH and stuff». But then they took it up a notch. The people in the office froze, the Phantom physically entered the room, and at one point he even started waltzing with Carlotta when casting her as the silent pageboy, much like Christine had been waltzing with the creepy ballerina doll in his lair. This was eerie, as all of them were frozen except the Phantom. A true puppet master. With him leaving they returned to normal. The rest of the scene felt very ordinary after this! Carlotta changed into the Il Muto costume on stage, as favoured by RAH and a long line of non-replica productions.

The IL MUTO costumes had a LOT more going on than what photos ever showed. They were all glittering in silvery gold and pink. Pretty. I didn’t quite understand the Il Muto set, it looked like a tiny box on a big stage. Why so cramped? The scene itself was fairly close to the replica version, or maybe more RAH as they sat on a chaiselongue. But the acting was much the same, as was the costume routine. Here (as well as in Hannibal) they made a big deal out of Carlotta using a mouth spray. I never liked that, as it covers up the Phantom’s ventricolist abilities. You’d think they rather underline that here, with their Phantom being such a puppet master after all. But ah well.

I gotta admit I did not like the choreography in this version at all, and especially so the Il Muto ballet. The choreography made them look like a beginners class in jazz ballet. The Il Muto ballet was possibly my least favourite scene in this production. By no fault of the dancers, mind you. But it didn’t help that there were only three dancers in the scene. Would probably have been cooler with just one primadonna and the others standing in the back. But… dead Buquet was a great effect. He (I.E. his dummy) had a bag over his head and was flung in from the left. Looked scary and realistic, it did.

In the ROOFTOP scene Christine kept her Serafimo costume, but with an added cloak. If I had been a bit hesitant to Hanna Ulvan’s vocals in TOM she sung the h*ll out of this scene. Her «sooooaaar» absolutely soared, with a phenomenal upper register. She and Böiers sounded so lovely together. The set itself had a staircase solution and with two angel sculptures in the back. As is proper the Phantom was later on introduced by a bit of thunder and lightning, looking like a dark shadow like the sculptures. Very cool. Another stellar vocal moment for JMB, especially him holding the «…yoooouuuuu» for eternity, until the curtain call and the chandelier started crashing. DAYM.

(INTERMISSION: Oh so you only accept cash for the brochure? Great… *runs across town for an ATM*)

MASQUERADE. It was a bit meeeh. Again because I absolutely did not like the choreography. Lots of robotic arm movements. Also few costumes that identified the leads well; only when Christine and Raoul sung to eachother did I realize who they were. I would have liked more defined figures, or a choreograpy singling them out more. But nice formations throughout. The backdrop looked like a giant cracked mirror and of course the Phantom came crashing through here as Red Death. Only proper.

Now, for those who saw BBC’s «Behind the Mask» documentary back in the days, original magic consultant Paul Daniels told about his original idea for Red Death. He never liked the very obvious trapdoor which Hal Prince favoured. He wanted Red Death to just dissolve into thin air, his costume falling to the floor. And guess what: that is exactly what they did in Kristianstad. And WHAT AN EFFECT. Amazing.

The BACKSTAGE encounter with Raoul and Madame Giry was fairly standard: them in front of the curtain, with a lantern, still in costume. Again I noticed just how lovely a voice this Giry sported.

2ND MANAGERS: same set as the first, obviously, and the Phantom back as even more of a puppet master. Each time he mentioned a person, they moved like a puppet on a string, to his commandments. Here Christine wore her blonde hair up, and a purplish green taffeta day dress. Cool combo. In this scene i also realized that a redhead Christine with her hair up (like previous Christine Sara Ollinen had) and a redhead Carlotta with her hair up would have looked maybe too similar. Again good chemistry between Raoul and Christine, I can’t pinpoint what I liked so much except everything made sense and they worked so well together.

SITZPROBE: When you take a fairly ornamental piano and paint it white AND turn its back towards the audience… it will look like something from the 1980s. But anyway… fairly standard scene, with the piano to the left and the cast to the right. Biggest «problem» was that Piangi sung too well all through the show, and didn’t sound particularly out of pitch in the sitzprobe. Could probably have exaggerated his dislike of the twelve-tone scale more. But that’s an absolutely minor detail. Oh, and «music that burns»? It did of course make the piano burn, again a feature seen in a handful of non-replica productions (at the top of my head the Restaged Tour and Romania/Norway/Greece).

MAUSOLEUM scene was another where I felt they had gone for originality, and in a good way. A cloaked Christine buying a red rose from a mysterious cloaked woman. A violin appearing in box five during the violin solo, a shadow of the past, Daddy Daaé. Then a low-key graveyard with small black crosses here and there; Daddy Daaé’ grave with a white cross however, where Christine put the role. In the middle a mausoleum. Hanna Ulvan absolutely nailed this scene. Amazing vocals, shifting effortlessly between belting /or mixed voice) and divine top notes. And intense acting. I loved it.

As Raoul appears to find his fiancé, so does the Phantom, emerging from the mausoleum. At the beginning Raoul can’t see him, as he is more in the back, but he can hear him. Christine walks as hypnotized towards the mausoleum, but it cut off by Raoul who now also spots the Phantom. Then… 2004 movie. Sword fight. WHY. Everything up until now had been so perfectly eerie, and then something as mundane as swords. Ugh. It’s not that it was not executed well, and both JMB and Böiers did some amazing swordmanship. But it’s the fact that the Phantom needs to use a physical tool, much like Carlotta’s mouth spray or the infamous gun in the Romanian/Norwegian/Greek production. He looses his magic. Anyhow… no-one really wins, and Raoul and Christine eventually runs off.

DON JUAN. What. Even. Is. This. Scene. ??? Stage with a staircase on each side. Two dancers laying lifeless in the middle of the stage. Dead? Poisoned? Drunk? Then a black-clad and masked cast enters, with spitroasts and fruit and holds this over the dancers. Ah. They… are… the… fire? The grill? Uhm, WHAT? My brain is trying so hard to get on board. Passarino is a woman. Or a woman in a pants role. OK. Christine appears, clad in a white lace robe. The cast greets her by… holding the spits with meat towards her…? Are they threatening her? Welcoming her to the feast? I am so lost. Then they disappear. Christine is back to her very bubbly, grand self. Acts the HELL out of Aminta, standing at the top of the left staircase. The until-now lifeless dancers starts to move. The Phantom sings from the top right staircase. Christine and the Phantom sings to eachother, at a great distance. The dancers get more and more erotic, at one point I could have sworn they simulated intercourse (separately, but still). Yet SUCH A DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PHANTOM AND CHRISTINE.

This is the weirdest Don Juan I have seen in my life. And frankly the least sensual one, despite the effort of the dancers. There seemed to be no connection between the two leads, mostly due to the blocking. When they are finally descending the stairs and moving towards eachother the scene is over anyway and it feels too late. Original, yes. But too conceptual for me. Way, way, WAY too conceptual for me.

Back in the lair, for the Final Lair. What a relief after Don Juan. I never wanna go back there. Same set as first lair, but the Phantom has some tricks up his sleeve. When Raoul enters, he carries a gun. You should have learned by now you don’t bring down the Phantom with a weapon. The Phantom heads up to his organ and locks the gate with a lever (understood by a rumling sound effect). But then… The Phantom use Christine as a human shield to avoid Raoul’s gun. YOU DID NOT. Absolutely not. Just no. Then he simply snatches Raoul’s gun and use it against him. Buys with toys, enough with the silly weapons. They are a mere distraction. Don’t. Also: you still refer to hanging Raoul. It makes no sense.

Back and forth with the threatening Christine has luckilly had enough (and the Swedish translation of «…turns to tears of hate» is maybe even more powerful, as it means something like «NOW I WISH YOU DEAD», perfectly belted by Hanna Ulvan). As the chaos breaks down she eventually kisses the Phantom, once, twice, absolutely disarming him, if not physically then mentally. He opens the lever and orders them to leave. And it’s a broken Phantom we face at the end. Throughout the scene I almost got Frankenstein vibes, a tall and menancing figure with restrained bodice language. Like a wounded beast. Add booming voice - and it’s such an exclamation point of a character, demanding all attention. This is also why I think swords and guns are unnecessary. He already owns the room and commands all the other characters. But ah well. I halfway suspected the Phantom would just disappear into one of the staircase structure, as he was at one point curled up in one of the corners of it. But then he stood up and walked right through the backdrop, boldly lit up through the many cracks. Walking into the light and to redemption? Walking into the flames of hell? I’m not sure, but visually it looked very good.

In this production the whole goddamn mob enters the lair. But as per usual it is Meg who picks up the mask and holds it up as the light dims. Which objectively is beautiful. In the back of my head I was pondering on how Meg knew which mask was the right one, however. As this lair is decked with white masks. But that’s probably a nerdy or too literal point to make.Cue: thunderous applause.

OVERALL: a very interesting, clever and creative production, playing on familiar Phantom visuals as well as adding many of their own. Raoul stumbling around in the nightmare-ish Auction/Overture set, dreamlike title song and MOTN, a magical Red Death disappearance and a super strong WYWSHA stands out as favourites. Some outstanding leads throughout, with a extra shout-out to John Martin Bengtsson’s Phantom. He is world class. Period. I also really enjoyed Hanna Ulvan’s somewhat different take on Christine, Jonathan Böier’s abolutely solid Raoul and Madame Giry’ beautiful vocals. But frankly, all leads did very well. Energetic orchestra, falling chandelier, old and gorgeous theatre. This was Phantom allright.

So I traveled through three countries (and two train break-downs) to see this. It was the first live production I saw of POTO after the pandemic. It’s the second non-replica production I have seen live, and my second production where John Martin Bengtsson played the Phantom. I only had a vague idea of what to expect, but I very soon found out that photos doesn’t do this production justice at all. Scenes really needed to be watched in full to make sense. Many details were also much revamped for the 2023 run compared to the 2020 premiere. So I had to experience it live, and I am so grateful I was able to.

#phantom of the opera #poto kristianstad #poto sweden #john martin bengtsson #hanna ulvan #jonathan böiers #anna hammarqvist #sebastian lambert #anton salvin #hanna la fleur #johanna westholm #filip barna #non replica #operafantomen #kristianstad teater

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mk-wizard · 10 months

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Top 15 Games that SHOULD get a 100% Reboot/Restart

Hi. I felt like doing something positive especially after my last post, so as a follow up, here is a list of games that I think should get the reboot treatment. And when I say reboot, I don’t just mean remake with fancier graphics and bonus features. I mean restart altogether with fresh new storylines that go their own way though in some specific cases, all they need is a new look. Note that this is my subjective opinion and nobody here has to agree with it. It’s just a fun suggestion.

1- Metal Gear - I don’t mean Metal Gear Solid, I mean Metal Gear in general. In fact, I think the “Solid” should be retconned entirely because it not only stopped being about Solid Snake who is the hero, he was done dirty with a pathetic ending and the only sequels we get now are prequels. Not to mention the constant drama and tragedy became nauseating. My advice is to restart from the beginning by rebooting the games that date back to the NES as are with better writing and then after that, only do a half-reboot of Metal Gear Solid and then go its own way while respecting Snake as a main character. Solid Snake is a staple in war themed games and set the standard of how we create them. He should REMAIN the main character and have his endings always remain open with him still standing with dignity.

2- Dino Crisis - I don’t think I need to say much here. Everyone is dying to see this game get remade and it’s not hard to see why. With the exception of the third game and the spin off, Dino Crisis 1 and 2 are amazing. They are dinosaur themed games that actually feel like survivor horror games and not like shooter games with the dinosaur gimmick. This series deserved a reboot and a third game that gives it proper closure.

3- Parasite Eve - Like Metal Gear, this series did dirty to its main character (Aya Brea) in such a way that they wrote themselves into a corner. Only the first game feels unique and special while the second and third instalments have an identity crisis, a confusing weapons and spell system, and a tank control that never belonged. Only the first game should stay as is with a simple remake and then, its sequels should actually be true sequels that keep the battle, spell and control system as are. Let’s just forget that PE2 and The Third Birthday ever happened.

4- Silent Hill - Let’s be honest. Harry Mason is the most underrated male protagonist in survivor horror because unlike all the others, he is not a man of action, not a badass and very relatable for it. He is a widower, a writer, a pacifist and one heck of a dad who literally jumped into the underworld to save his daughter. Now, while I like a lot of the sequels, this series lost its way. With the exception of Silent Hill 2, I think Harry and his daughter should have remained the main protagonists of the series. Harry is proof that real men come in all flavors and having one like him is different while still showing the best attributes of masculinity.

PS: I know Silent Hill 1 got a reboot, but it was bad. Period.

5- Turok - Before there was Dino Crisis (and I’m not discrediting it), there was Turok. The titular hero who might I also add is aboriginal which is a very underrepresented group in fiction period who literally kills dinosaurs with his bare hands. He is a badass and he while he has gotten reboots before, none of them hit the mark yet, but creators should not give up on him. He is worth the effort and if they keep trying, they will strike gold.

6- Castlevania - This series is ICONIC and nobody ever gets tired of it. It should make a comeback and it is one of the few series where being 3D would make it better. And considering that medieval settings in video games is all the rage now, it would be great to see Simon Belmont back in action. Heck, I would even be open to seeing a Belmont fighting evil in our modern times in 3D.

7- The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time - Now, I stand by that this series doesn’t need a reboot, I think this game specifically should get a remake because it is a great game that reshaped the series into how we know and love it now, but it was very buggy and the graphics were not that great even for their time. Everything else about it is great, but it does need a facelift.

8- Prototype - A forgotten gem if there ever was one. This series is unique in that it is the one game where you play as the monster who is also an anti-hero. Yet again, its series did its main character (Alex Mercer) dirty though on top of that, left too many questions unanswered. This series needs a reboot with a much better storyline. If you haven’t seen it, play the first game and you’ll see my point.

9- Tomb Raider - Now, we can all agree that this series has lost its way. While I am all for origin stories and I admit it makes sense for Lara Croft to not be hardened or toughened up from the start. Keeping her as a weak frightened girl doesn’t make her realistic nor does it make her a likeable heroine. And I am woman enough to admit that being athletic, confident, daring and badass is a part of Lara Croft’s character. I don’t want her to be realistic. I want her to be cool and fun to play. This series needs to go back to its roots when it was fun and Lara was allowed to shamelessly be herself.

10- Dead Rising - Another case of a game losing its way and its main protagonist becomes someone they’re not. The second instalment was the only game that felt true to what the series is supposed to be and even then, it felt like a spinoff not a part of the main story because Dead Rising is Frank West’s story. Another thing that also stood out about this game is that unlike most zombie themed games, the main character is not only not a fighter, he’s a total lover in all the great ways. Frank is (or rather, was) compassionate, honest and it isn’t for nothing that you only got the best ending when you would save everyone. Heck, he would save people who tried to kill him. This series should get a total reboot and a total rewrite after game 1. And can we please not give Frank a heart of stone? Him being loving is what made him great.

11- ObsCure - Another lost gem with a unique premise and group of protagonists. This game plays up our childhood fear of the dark because the monsters in this game literally are allergic to the light and the setting is in a highschool. It feels like Scream meets the Blair Witch Project making it a lot of fun, and the monsters are so delightfully creepy. Plus, the story was compelling. Sadly this series only got one sequel which was actually great, but never got that third instalment that would wrap everything up. I say we give this series a reboot, so it can finally finish what it started.

12- Resident Evil Outbreak - I know this is a spinoff series, but it’s one of the best in the series. It fills in a lot of gaps in the main storyline and any game that allows you to have your own tyrant fighting alongside you is awesome. It also has a multiple ending system which was well done and very rewarding when you get the best ending. I think this should get the reboot treatment and even have a third game that expands the aftermath further.

13- Resident Evil Dead Aim - Another one of the best spinoffs in the RE series because it expands the story specifically in how tyrants are made and how the variants work. And to be honest, I even liked the characters. I would love see new life breathed into this compelling game even if it just remains the only one of its kind.

14- Days Gone - I don’t care what anyone says. Any game that allows to play a biker with the spirit of an honourable warrior is badass. Also, can we talk about how this is one of the few games where the main protagonist is married and remains loyal to his wife even long after?! He may be white, male, straight and Christian, but he is still pretty progressive and embodies the BEST part of masculinity. The parts that drive a man to be romantic, noble and heroic. This game with extremely misjudged to the point of bigotry and it deserves a proper reintroduction because it was going places.

15- Half-Life - This series helped Valve get its jump start and it had the most unique and most iffy type of protagonist in an action/sci-fi game possible yet worked: a scientist. After all, who expect the skinny nerd with the big thick glasses to save the day? Yet, it worked and this game has tons of monsters that became iconic in video game lore. What’s really sad is that a third game was in works, but never saw the light of day. I say we reboot this series and give it the chance to honour its promise to give that third game at long last.

Bonus - Other honourable mentions here are Left 4 Dead because Back 4 Blood stinks, Alone in the Dark though I hear a reboot is in the works, Doom, Devil May Cry and the right way please, Bloody Roar, The Suffering, Fatal Frame, The Evil Within and any other fantastic game series that either went bad due to bad sequels or never got the chance to keep going.

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bonebrokebuddy · 2 years

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Choked on my soul reading your wip thing booster gold being a Tiktok star I beg of you to elaborate

okokok. this is the lighthearted section of a fic concept that deals with the potential political impact and position Booster would have gained & lost as a result of him trying to get the most attention possible. But it backfires, causing him to lose most of his notoriety & alienating the fanbase he previously had. Thus landing him in the position where he is generally in the comics of desperately trying to regain the fame and status he once had & trying to make up for the lost money via so many fucking brand deals.

Because to me, that shit is fascinating and it would also be hilarious to see Booster as a "was been" famous influencer and highlighting his antics when he was in full popularity vs where he ended up after it all went down, would be very interesting. So if you want to know more about that side of this idea, please feel free to send in another ask about it!

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Do you think Booster Gold would be great or horrible at social media/TikTok? Because the guy is from the future. He most likely has a sense of humor that is very different from modern standards & knows about centuries of media and pop culture references that do not exist yet. He’s from the 25th century. That’s four centuries of time for humor, language, and entertainment to evolve. But do you think Booster Gold would be great or terrible at social media/TikTok with his future sense of humor that’s riddled with slang, pop culture references, and idiots or sayings referencing events that have not happened yet? Because I think he would make a fuck ton of trends & be very notable online. Mainly because he’d deliberately copy online viral hits that haven't happened yet and essentially is stealing ideas from people in the future. Because he’d absolutely do that to gain notoriety. And people would be fascinated with this weird dude online who simultaneously knows Jack And Shit about literally any modern media but somehow has the most advanced humor online. He’s constantly referring to things that don’t exist and his little robot behind him chirps up that “that film was made in the 23rd century, it hasn’t been made yet.” The younger generation would be fascinated by this superhero. I also bet the fucking merch line he would have would be either the blandest corporate thing ever made by a team he hired or he'd make it a gimmick of slapping a specific logo of his face on everything he owned to the point where it became a meme and people demanded merch of the shitty design. There would also be about a bajillion different plushie versions of Skeets though and I would totally buy all of them if I could. And here's the thing. Humans Love to see other humans fumble through things that we perceive as common knowledge because it's charming and funny the way they mess up, misunderstand how something works, and are delighted when they finally get the hang of it or find out how it actually works. Sure, it's fun to watch someone who is really good at something. But I also think it's very fun to watch someone who has zero fucking clue what they are doing and are trying their best to find it out as they go.

There would absolutely be a compilation of all the times Booster was super excited after he found out that something very mundane existed: "Guys, I have wonderful news. I just found out that the Cavendish banana isn't extinct yet due to them being genetically selected to grow seedless so much that new plants could not be grown as there are no seeds and the existing plants got slowly being destroyed by a parasite! I forgot that they still were around in the early 21st century! So I'm going to try one for the first time!" Michael Jon Carter, aka Booster Gold, aka @/GoldstarNotBoosterGold then directly proceeded to bring the unpeeled banana up to his mouth and bite directly into it.

He then proceeded to eat the entire banana in this fashion, his face visibly scrunching in distaste with every bite, very clearly not enjoying this endeavor. When he was done he looked off into the distance for a moment, compiling his next words, "Hm, honestly not bad. Kind of bland but I really wish the skin wasn't so tough. Makes sense that 21st-century fruits would be more of a hassle to eat. But overall, I'd give it a 5/10." Needless to say, the three-minute-long video became viral overnight and he became quickly well known online for saving people and being a hero, making bizarre TikToks with his sense of humor from the future, giving out free merch with a horribly compressed image of his face on it, and for trying out food, activities, media, video games, and etc. from the past and reviewing them.

And here’s the thing. Booster Gold is Not super subtle about wanting to be famous/get popular but like, that makes him actually more liked. At first this causes people to flood his comments and media with negative responses about how he’s “not a real hero” if he doesn’t do it out of the goodness of his heart via comparing him to figures like Superman and how he’s a fraud hero.

His response gets plastered all over every news site imaginable. (oh god now I'm imagining what YouTube apology videos would be like in the 25th century)

He responds very directly that “Yes. I am doing this for the fame and money.”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“It seems kind of weird to assume that nobody has an ulterior motive when being a hero. Some heroes help people out of the goodness of their heart but that’s an unrealistic standard to place on heroes. I’m constantly putting myself into danger and could die any mission. Is that not enough to prove that I’m a hero? Why do I also have to have this weird high moral standard that is super unreasonable?”

“Also, people seem to forget, this is my job.”

“I do not have another one. Making online content is how I get my money. I don’t get paid by the government or the Justice League. Just by what I earn from my videos and streams. Plus, everything is so outdated that the effort of adapting to what a “normal” job in the 21st century is like would take forever. And yall seem to forget this a lot, but having a normal job would mean I would not be able to help anyone between 9-5. I need the flexibility that an online job like this gives me so I can help as many people as possible as I can without having to worry about being fired because I had to fix a time rift and had already used up all my sick days.”

“People criticize me for heavily promoting my merch and gaming the algorithm but people seem to not realize. Heroing is expensive. You think repairing technology from the future is easy with such outdated equipment?”

“Sourcing materials that don’t have synthetic equivalents yet is not cheap.”

“People don’t seem to understand how much money goes into maintaining equipment or the constant medical bills.”

“I have to promote it hard and keep my views up or else I won’t be able to help people anymore. I can’t help people if I can’t pay rent.”

“But hopefully I’ll be able to get enough money to make a company to have other’s take over the job for me so I can retire. That’s just how businesses work. “

“But, I will say that the 21st century has been so cool and it’s been so fun to been to be able to experience things I would have never been able to when I’m from and I wanted to share my experiences with other people even if they don’t really understand where I’m coming from. It’s been very nice to be able to get paid by people who like my videos and are entertained by me fumbling through what it’s like living in the 21st century. “

“But while I like helping people, is it really too much to ask to be paid for my job? This is not the first time I’ve expressed my reason to travel back in time to become a hero was to be able to start his own company and eventually retire. Is it not enough that I’m still a hero? I could just quit that and make making content my full time job? Did you ever think of that? I could just stop being a hero because I now can make rent. But I still put on the suit and help fight bad guys because I want to do good. I also don’t think it’s inhuman for me to want to be acknowledged that I did something good. People are selfish creatures. I deserve to want for people to acknowledge that I looked really cool after defeating a villain! I don’t think that’s too unreasonable.”

“Anyways, make sure to like, subscribe, and ring that bell!”

“My Twitter and Instagram is BoosterGold. Go follow me on Tiktok and Twitch at GoldstarNotBoosterGold. My second channel is BusterGold”

“And make sure to check out the new merch drop on Friday! You guys have been asking for a Skeets plushie and its almost here!”

“Booster Gold, signing off from the future!“

From then on after the video, he just amps it up and is super direct that he’s doing this as his job and for the sole purpose to make money & get more well known.

Like he’ll open up a tiktok or youtube video occasionally with “this is trending and you know me, I’m always ready to cash in on those views” and “I’m not usually a horror guy, but I’ve been seeing a lot of people play this game and you all think its fun to watch me shit my pants. But at least the ad revenue will let me buy a new pair”.

It actually ends up having people like him more (there are definitely still some critics don’t get me wrong). But people see him as incredibly human. His obnoxious branding becomes a meme and just something to expect of Booster. But despite that, he’s genuinely a good guy and will drop everything if he sees someone in need.

He’s much more relatable and human than the other god-like beings in the JL. He has videos of him talking about money struggles and rambling about how damn expensive it is to fix equipment that’s four centuries out of date and people relate and laugh at his frustration.

Other videos about him contain him complaining about his medical bills (in the future the US has a Single-Payer healthcare system and the Medical Insurance industry is abolished. and the history books didn't accurately emphasize how much of a pain in the ass it was) and setting stream goals to pay off bills. He talks about things that people never heard heroes talk about before from their perspective:

- A stream where Booster cleans out the food in the fridge after being off-world for a month and now all his food has gone bad.

- Booster asking for advice how to grocery shop because nearly all of the brands that make the snacks and foods he wants, haven’t been founded yet. And asking advice on what prices for food is normal because the difference in inflation

- Booster asking questions about modern etiquette to his followers because those have definitely changed over 4 centuries.

- “Guys how the fuck do you navigate anything online? The layout of all of them is fucking awful! Has that law about standardizing format to cancel subscriptions not been made yet? Because it sure as hell seems like it!”

- A tweet of Booster in the hospital with about a bajillion things attached to him posing with a thumbs up with the caption “I might’ve broken all of my bones but at least they didn’t touch my handsome face”

- The first few times Booster mentions going to physical therapy or doing PT exercises his fanbase goes “Holy shit, I never realized superheroes would have to go to PT after getting injured.” Like, they saw heroes getting injured but it didn’t click in their heads that those injuries would have actual repercussions. To the viewers, it seemed like the heroes always bounced back. And they’re just now realizing that that’s not the case, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes

- “Dealing with Batman is Just as scary as you’d think. The guy gives me the creeps” (Bruce has 100% worked with booster about spreading rumors about Batman to keep up his reputation so Anything that Michael says about him can only be about confirming rumors that support his reputation or pre-approved stories about Batman being intimidating even outside of fights. Booster does once say that there’s a betting pool in the JL if Bats is a vampire and Bruce was not happy that it wasn’t cleared with him before but it’s been easier to fight goons recently as they’ve been reaching for holy water rather than guns first. Bruce then decides to have Booster keep up these rumors as long as they are actually cleared with him so Bruce can have a firm control over the Batman vampire mythos.)

- “Does Batman go to PT? Pfft, I’ve seen the guy bounce back from every injury he’s ever had with inhuman speed. I swear, it’s like he gets a bullet wound or stabbed and is completely fine the next day!”

- “Oh yeah, Superman is just as nice as everyone says he is! He overheard me talking to Flash once about how I couldn’t find a soldering iron fine enough to fix some of my more intricate gear and he said I can ask anytime if I needed him to use his laser vision to fix my stuff! He’s great.”

- Booster talking about fighting time monsters and being kinda sad that no one can actually see the amount of effort it takes to deal with those issues because if he’s done everything right, there should be no trace anything happened at all.

But his streams can also reveal some of the more… undesirable parts of becoming a hero, namely the gruesome injures, trauma, and seeing friends get brutally injured:

And people realize this through Booster accidentally trauma dumping to his audience and them going “oh shit, I knew doing hero work isn’t easy but this guy needs a fucking therapist”:

- Briefly mentions how weird it was to hold in his guts in after getting injured really badly during a fight.

- (warning there’s a description of a burnt corpse so skip this if you don’t like that): “The dishes have been piling up lately guys. I keep meaning to get to it but it’s just - you remember those burning apartments I had to sort though last week? The, uh, slightly grainy and squishy texture of the food under my fingers keeps reminding me of sorting through those houses and I just haven’t been able to get to it.”

“ I was sorting through the debris, looking for potential causes of the fire. One of the walls was gone and you could see the metal pipes melted into a weird shape, it was kinda cool.”

“But uh, I went to shift what I thought was a burnt piece of furniture out of the way. And when I grabbed it, it like, gave away? sort of? I thought it was going to be burnt wood but the first few layers of the outside crumbled under my touch and flaked away, the non-burnt part way on the inside was still kinda squishy.”

“It, uh- it, turned out to be someone’s arm.”

“The firemen said the person must’ve been crushed under the falling wall and didn’t escape in time. And they just lied there, charred nearly to the bone.”

“The texture just reminds me of that happening and I haven’t been able to do dishes or eat anything with my hands in a while.”

“But anyways guys! I think I’m going to get Beetle to do them when he comes over tomorrow!” (The sudden whiplash of tone definitely gets viewers very concerned because that Cannot be healthy)

——

I also enjoy the concept that people mercilessly bully him online (but with no real ill intent, think Jerma’s fanbase type of bullying and memeing the shit out of the man)

Ted Kord is absolutely a fan favorite. At first he was often visibly in the backgrounds of Michael’s videos all suited up. Then he was the supervisor and behind-the-camera context giver to Booster for the more stupid stunts he did for internet attention and answered questions Booster had about media he reacted to by filling in the meaning of what he was being shown.

People Loved their dynamic and sure enough Booster capitalized the shit out of it by pulling Ted into his videos and having Blue Beetle be the voice of reason & the comedic contrast of “guy who knows how to do things” vs “guy who has no fucking clue what he’s doing. Their “High INT, High STR, Low WIS, Low CHA ” & “High CHA (with permanent disadvantage), High STR, Low WIS, & Low INT” relationship is much loved online.

—

But at the same time, he could also accidentally be the cause of many technological breakthroughs in the 21st century because common knowledge to him would be so absolutely foreign to us as that’s centuries of advancement in the fields of technology, science, engineering, and math between current day and the 25th century. I’d like to imagine he corrects a physics equation with one made in the 23th century that was common knowledge for him, but not so much for the modern century physicist. And now he’s in the media focus for being a superhero influencer online who somehow caused a breakthrough in physics. With the intent of becoming a superhero with the sole purpose of gaining fame & money to eventually form a corporation based around himself to make a comfortable living.

#bones replies #bones writes #dc #booster gold #justice league #blue beetle #ted kord #booster gold and blue beetle are super good bros I love them so much #booster would absolutley gain a dedicated fanbase thats well known for putting the guys face on fucking everything #he would either get a jerma like fanbase or would get like 13 year old gamer nerds and there would be no inbetween #long post #i can’t figure out how to put ‘read more’ on mobile so sorry folks

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nautilusopus · 2 years

Text

nobody else is writing meta analysis for vivarium so i guess i have to do it

Vivarium is a 2019 horror film that the internet doesn’t seem to know what to think of. Most YouTube videos as per usual don’t wanna engage with it on anything more than an extremely literal surface level (hence the abundance of “VIVARIUM EXPLAINED” videos that just recap the plot to you as though you can’t see with your eyeballs that yes, he put on the nametag, that sure is what happened onscreen, yes I fucking get it the boy is like a cuckoo-esque brood parasite I GET IT) that ultimately devolve into speculative fanfiction about how effectively the aliens can take over the world. There are a few people here and there a little more willing to at least engage with what the movie has to say, and from there you get takes about how it’s about how the golden capitalist ideal of the suburban nuclear family is a banal hellscape, which I’d say is generally pretty accurate. Tom spends his entire time at Number 9 labouring, digging a hole while Gemma looks after the boy because he doesn’t know what else to possibly do with himself, an action that wears him down and ultimately costs him his life, and for all his trouble all he’s found is the body of the last guy who tried to labour his way out of this situation. All he’s done is created is a grave for his “offspring” to dump him into.

Like, as far as Capitalism Bad stories go this one’s pretty on-the-nose, and a lot of the people griping that the story was confusing are mostly the ones that seems to have missed this. (For an even longer tangent about how a lot of scifi stories aren’t going to make sense to you if you resist the very obvious thematic readings they’re giving you because you think things can’t be that deep I recommend Dan Olson’s excellent video on Annihilation.)

Occasionally, though, you get people also mentioning how it’s a little about animal rights, and even more especially about nature versus nurture. For the most part, Tom and Gemma are not kind to the boy. They (understandably) have nothing but contempt towards him. They openly discuss how creepy he is when he’s within earshot. At one point they try to lock him in the car to starve just to see if whoever comes to get his body can be forced to let them go, and they only back out on the plan when the fact that he looks and acts like a child in that moment gets to Gemma and she lets him out. Eventually, the boy grows into an emotionally distant young adult that locks Tom out of the house to die and doesn’t seem to give two shits about their suffering now that he’s bigger and stronger than his “parents”. Surely, we think, if Gemma and Tom had been kinder to him, he would have grown into a kinder adult, even if he was an alien? Are they not perpetuating this literal cycle of violence?

And with regard to the nature versus nurture reads, I actually directly disagree and find it at odds with the Capitalism Bad message, because my read is this:

No amount of kindness or understanding would have turned the boy into a good person, and acting like it would have is in fact part of the trap. Gemma and Tom would have wound up used up and dead either way, because thematically speaking, what the boy is there to do is to collect data.

More under the cut, I have a lot of opinions about this.

The boy’s creepy alien gimmick is mimicry. It’s what the realtor (p clearly a member of the same species) does when trying to entice Tom and Gemma into Number 9. The realtor is better at saying context-appropriate things than the boy is, but still slips up every now and then, and even so his mannerisms aren’t quite right. At best, he sounds like he’s regurgitating a script (a bit more admissible given he’s trying to sell something). At worst, he parrots Gemma’s “no, not yet” back to her in exactly her voice. Everything he’s saying, it’s clear he’s going through motions without any real understanding of what those motions are, beyond, “This is the thing you say to sell a house.”

The boy is demonstrably worse at it. He’ll parrot entire conversations back to the people who had them regardless if it makes sense to do so. He rarely speaks in his own voice, instead chopping up various words he’s heard from both parents. He doesn’t seem to have much sense for what is and isn’t appropriate to mimic (to the point of Gemma quite transparently tricking him into revealing he’s an alien outright), much less what makes sense for him to mimic.

He develops this skill gradually over the course of the movie, gets a bit better at putting together sentences people can actually reply to. But even then, he doesn’t seem to engage with the context overall of the conversation. After aforementioned alien reveal, with Tom growing sicker by the day, Gemma begins to cry and back away in horror, and we get this exchange:

The boy: Are you [overwhelmed] again, Mother? Gemma: I am not your mother! The boy: Are you [overwhelmed]? Gemma: I want to go home. The boy: Silly mother. You are home!

There’s no real engagement with the actual conversation at hand. This is the kind of script a reply bot runs. It emulates emotion the same way it emulates everything else.

His nature is reflected by the surroundings: The identical miles of houses with framed pictures of those houses on their own walls, with no real understanding of what people do and don’t want in the aesthetics of a house. The food that looks correct, but has no flavour or nutritional value, eventually leading to not just Tom’s death, but eventually Gemma’s. The entire world, from the Number 9 house to the suburbs of Yonder in general with its fake clouds, to the boy and its interactions, are fake, hollow, and the kind of thing an alien with no real care for the real human experience beyond perpetuating the system’s own growth would create.

And at this point hopefully some of you have noticed, we’ve seen this exact behaviour pattern before.

i’m quoting the reply on that second one here by @dukeofankh because it’s extremely relevant to this entire thing:

I’m honestly reblogging this again because the more I stare at it, the more I feel like this is staggeringly relevant art.

Like, so much of modern capitalist marketing is the construction of these superficially personal narratives. Giving the sense, not only that the brand fits in with your identity, but that it is almost a sentient individual itself that has a personal relationship with you. Corporations have personalities. They want to be your friend, and the reason that the entire internet economy runs on the currency of data right now is that the only way to prop up the illusion that they care about you is by already having the information about you that real people would gain by paying attention

But the only way they can collect and sort all that data is with computers, without any actual humans involved past setting up the parameters and pressing “go.” And computers are fucking idiots.

Which leaves us here: this false, saccharine message of togetherness and community–community between you and your friends but more importantly between all of you and Facebook–stripped fucking bare by the fact that the cookie-cutter algorithm can’t tell the difference between friends supporting and caring about each other and Thanos with a dumptruck ass.

The boy is here to collect data, and he collects it and regurgitates it as though it all has equal relevance to the situation at hand.

He reacts with the same polite indifference to open contempt, genuine warmth and an attempt to bond with him, terror directed at him, and pleas for mercy from him. Later on when we get a glimpse of the “inner workings” of the house, we see the boy watching another set of parents rawdogging the shit out of each other, and applauding appreciatively with the same blank amusement as he applauds to everything else. He sees Gemma and Tom dancing to the music from their radio outside, trying to have one bright moment with one another despite the grim circumstances they’re in, and he immediately inserts himself into the moment with zero awareness that he isn’t wanted here (granted that’s also extremely a little kid thing to do lol).

Which leads to the fact that that isn’t to say he doesn’t have his moments of personality. He smiles at positive attention (as well as negative attention), he enjoys interaction. He throws a tantrum when he’s told he can’t watch fucked up alien meat television at 3 am and turns it right back on. About the only time we get a genuine reaction from him is when he gets locked in the car to starve.

But then, so do things like Alexa, or Siri, or Cortana. You can have little conversations with it. It can tell jokes. You can ask it the meaning of life and it’ll tell you 42. You can insult it and it’ll do an EPIC SNAPBACK OMG SO SASSY. The people who designed it want you to view it as a friend, even as it sits there and spies on you and integrates itself more and more into your life.

Gemma lets him out of the car because (also understandably) she can’t bring herself to kill something that looks like a child. Later on, when she speaks with a dying Tom, she wonders why she didn’t kill him when he was still small. Tom tells her, “Because you’re a good person.” Their problems could have maybe (I mean probably not we’ll never know, at the very least Tom wouldn’t have died of exposure maybe) been solved if they just locked the thing in the car and ignored it, but in the end they still wound up viewing it as a person.

Tom and Gemma openly comment that the boy is always, always watching them, knowing full well they’re within earshot of him. He doesn’t retaliate for this, they’re never punished for saying it. Why would he? It’s what he’s there to do. He knows they know he’s watching. Water is wet. The boy watches.

Of course, when he is older, and better at putting together conversations that sound like an actual person, Gemma is openly terrified of him. His mannerisms don’t change, but conversationally he seems to at least understand whats being said to him, and is willing to ask more in-depth questions, graduation from, “What’s a dog?” to “Why did you say ‘you’re welcome’?”

By the end of the movie, the boy matures into a man. He’s gotten a bit better at knowing which words to parrot at what time, something we can watch him improve upon as the movie goes, and still insists, to Gemma’s last breath, that she’s his mother and that she is home. Gemma dies telling him, “I’m not your fucking mother.”

This is maybe the only other genuine reaction we get from the boy: a disappointed, “Whatever,” before he zips up the bodybag and chucks her into the hole as well. He cleans up the house for the next occupants and leaves. He takes the now-dying realtor’s nametag and puts it on himself, folds up the old realtor and stuffs it in a drawer, and takes his place in the office ready to lure the next couple to the suburbs of Yonder, with words that almost, but not quite, convince you he’s a person, and by that point it’s too late.

The boy was only ever there to make sure someone would be in Number 9 to make sure someone would be there to raise the next boy to make sure someone would be led to Number 9 to raise the next boy.

And who among us haven’t left this exact message, or even said this exact thing out loud, to the bot hanging over our shoulder watching us constantly, politely asking if we want help or suggested content?

TLDR anyway yeah the movie is “capitalism bad nuclear family in suburbia is a banal hellscape” still but there’s LAYERS you see

#vivarium #vivarium movie

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