#bitches be redesigning characters every three weeks

[ranacr0ak]

a finished rhys and a WIP kanna!!!

#bitches be redesigning characters every three weeks #it’s me I’m bitches #rhys albero espinosa #kanna boniere #aurelian #my art #WIP #vinnie the isopod #SO SHAPE #isopods #original character #beeg gauntlets go brrrr #rana’s art

[yokakaiju]

tristamp thoughts/live watch ramblings

preface: i already have a very bad impression of tristamp. i literally have been into trigun for maybe a week now and i have seen most of 1998, but im trying to go into tristamp with a clear head and view it objectively, but i genuinely looked at the character designs and legatos redesign made me resent it immediately tbh...

ANYWAY, im live watching as i write this, so apologies if its sporatic

okay so the good stuff so far

uhh... its very pretty!!! ill give it that. it really shows the evolution of 3d anime over time, and as someone who typically doesnt enjoy it i think tristamp is absolutely beautiful. first 3d anime i ever saw was knights of sidonia and i have a deep appreciation for where 3d anime is now compared to a decade ago

i kinda like meryls new design the best? i like her hat, its cute. everyone else is so... eh, tho. merylls redesign is chill with me tho

roberto is fine ig. i like old men characters sometimes and like, idk whenever im not sad abt milly not being here im okay enough with roberto existing

now on to my ever growing laundry list of complaints that ik will get worse if i keep watching (spoilers for trimax probably)

one, WHY IS VASH LIKE THAT?? LIKE WHY IS HE SUCH A WHINY CRYBABY?? LIKE SHUT UP DAWG!!! idk, ik vash is a silly emotionally explosive highly insecure funny little fella and i love him for it, i think vash is a great character, but why did they make him kinda a pathetic bitch in stamp? like, i usually dont watch dubs but i am for trigun cause my tv is kinda far from my bed and i dont wanna sit uncomfortably to read subs rn (BLEH!!!), so maaaaaaaybe sub vash is better, and no shade to the va i like his voice a lot for vash tbh, but bro pls stop crying every two seconds im gonna lose it. why is vash lowkey proslavery (THIS IS A JOKE), BUT FR!!! why is he more like... idk chill with plants being used ig ????? im sure hes not really, but like... dude, you arent the same

two, okay this made me actually mad, but why in the actual fuck was knives immediately introduced and why is he like some weird well known plant stealing cave hermit??? like??? no??? he wouldnt do that??? also why is he so present in this world LIKE DOES LOST JULY NOT EXIST IN THIS CANON??? WHAT IS THIS??????? i literally hate this rewrite. like... trimax is right there dawg... you did not have to rewrite literally everything. addition as i watch episode 3, why is he like that? why can he make purple? why does he have razors??? he doesnt talk like that ever??? why is he so??? i hate him actually??? this is not the knives ik and love??? who is this skinwalker????? HE DID NOT ACT LIKE THIS IN TRIMAX WHO IS THIS??? I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THEY REWROTE KNIVES THIS WAY OH MY GOD

three, why did everyone get an objectively bland redesign? like... i dont mind vashs hair. idgaf, but i literally hate his fucking totk link "lost power source" green ass arm. why cant it just be an ugly brown robot arm with a gun in it. whys it gotts be all "cool" and "green" and "mysterious", like IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE CYBERCORE TECHWEAR NEOFUTURISM ASS SHIT!!! i havent seeeeeeen wolfwoof in action yet, but i fucking hate his tristamp design. WHY IS HE A TWINK??? WHERE ARE HIS BOOBS??? WHY IS HE NOT A PRIEST??? LITERALLY TURNED A PERFECT CHARACTER INTO A BASIC BITCH FOR NO REASON. also like... knives. why is he... why is he like that. put shoes on plz the sand is hot babygirl. why are you wearing a tumour coat and ugly matrix ass bodysuit? where did your shoulderpadded objectively cooler dio-esque military outfit go? especially tho, i DESPISE legato and livios redesigns. i think they are SOOOOO butt ugly in tristamp and FOR WHY??? WHY DID THEY MAKE LEGATO SO FUCKING UGLY??? LIKE HE WAS SO HOT IN 98 AND ESPECIALLY IN TRIMAX OH MY GOD HES SO HOT LITERALLY DROOLING THINKING ABT HIM RN MY BABYWABY BOOBOO BEAR. THEY BUTCHERED HIM SO BAD AND IT PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH!!! AND LIVIO OH MY GOD WHY DID THEY DO THAT TO HIM??? HIS TRIMAX DESIGN IS OS FUCKING PEAK HE IS SO AMAZING AS AN EYE OF MICHAEL AND ESPECIALLY AFTER HE REFORMS AND BECOMES A COWBOY BABEYYY!!!! BUT NOOOO THEY MADE HIM AN UGLY ASS CYBERPUNK ASS BITCH!!! THEY MADE HIM SO FUCKING LAME AND BORING!!! PATOOEY I HATE HIS FUCKING DESIGN!!!! okay so wolfwood just showed up, can officially say hes the weakest version of wolfwood and that i do not like him. hes giving non sonic fan perception of shadow vibes. ALSO WHERE IS HIS MELANIN THEY TOOK IT AWAY!!! THE MELANIN VACCUM STRIKES AGAIN!!! tbf, he didnt have MUCH but he was a little brown, not literally just a white man

four, where. the. fuck. is. milly. i LOVE milly. she is one of my faves ever, im so sad she isnt here. genuinely...

five and probably last for rn, why is the pacing so bad. like its not good in trigun or trimax really, and especially bad in 1998, but it SO ASS!!! like its so blink and you'll miss it, which kinda stands for every trigun... but expected this to be like at least a liiiiittle better i dunno

conclusions: im gonna keep watching it maybe? but like... i dont like it. its bad imo. literaly have been into trigun for one week and am in mourning that trimax will likely never have a proper adaptation. i just wanna see angel knives in his full glory, not whatever tf tristamp is trying to push here

#rambles #trigun spoilers #trigun #trimax #tristamp #vin speaks

[moving-blogs-dm-for-new-one]

Jane the killer character and story redesign!! >:D

Jane was 15 years old when Jeff and Liu moved in the next door over. She wasn't very social, but Jeff didn't seem to be either, and Liu was so overwhelmingly friendly that she wanted to speak to him again. They would often chat in their backyards after school, leaning over the wooden fence, and eventually both her and Jeff opened up well. They all became fast friends, and even started hanging out on and off at school. They would come over to Jane's house to do homework, hanging out in her living room with chips and pop and laughing so hard their stomachs hurt before the boys remembered they were tutoring her in math.

At one point, there was an incident where three girls from the next grade up, Jeff and Liu's grade, shoved her down the stairs and called her a dyke. Jeff and Liu caught them on the school yard, told them off, and Jeff fought the oldest girls boyfriend so hard they didn't bother her again.

They became basically inseparable over the next 11 or so weeks, almost 3 months, and then Liu was arrested. Jeff was inconsolable. Jane came over everyday, and for the first two days, she wasn't allowed into his room. On the third day, and for the rest of that week, Jane went in and laid with him in bed, hugging him tight and consoling him. She cut his hair again for him, she helped him wash his binder to cheer him up, she brought him snacks and held his hand. Jeff told her he loved her like a sister the day before his accident, and they both cried.

The day the accident happened, Jane had gone over to see him, and there was a note on his door saying Liu said to go for a walk. Delighted, she ran out to find him, and ran up basically as he was lit. Everyone was screaming, Randy was laughing. She stabbed him in the eye. His friends dragged him away as he screamed and cursed at her, and she ripped her jacket off, smacking out the flames and desperately calling 911. She saved his life.

Jane went with the Woods' to pick Liu up from Juvy, and stayed overnight with him for two days when he got home because they were both so upset. She wasn't allowed into the room for the first two weeks of him being awake, but Liu and her argued with the nurses enough they let her visit. She came when she could, but she was a high level student and her parents were forcing her into a lot of higher classes, so eventually the boys had to tell her to take time for herself, because she was worn so thin. She came for the ride when they went to pick up Jeff, and rode with them to drive him home. She hugged both of them tight, gave them her new cellphone number, (and they gave her theirs, she hadn't had one before), and said if they needed anything to call her immediately. They assured her they'd be alright, and hugged her goodbye, and she walked back home.

She was sitting in her room, still up doing homework at around two am when she heard a crash downstairs. Startled, she got up to go check, when she heard Randy's voice carrying up the stairs to her room.

"I know she lives here. Find that stupid bitch." Footsteps. Terrified, she ran into the small bathroom off her room, locking her door. Shakily, she called Jeff, the first person she could think of, tears streaming down her face. He answered on the third try, obviously out of breath, but she was too scared to notice.

"Jane? Jane I can't really talk right--are you alright?" His worry seeped through the phone and she almost sobbed, whispering.

"They're here. Randy and his friends, they--they're in my house, they're looking for me, Jeff I'm so scared--" She was cut off by a loud bang on the door, and a call of "RANDY, IN HERE!", and that was when she remembered her parents were out at a party for the night. She whimpered, backing up further into the bathroom. She heard Jeff cursing, then telling her to stay safe, stay there, he was on his way.

It was a matter of minutes before they broke down the door. Randy was there, grinning wildly, a large eyepatch over his right eye. Where she stabbed him, she remembered faintly.

"Heeeey, Jane. Who's that on the phone?" One of the boys mumbled something, and he barked a laugh. "Our old friend Jeff, huh?" He grabbed the phone from her, laughing, and she could hear Jeff furiously yelling into the phone.

"Ah, ah, ah, Jeffery. Don't be rude. I have a little debt to repay Miss Winters here. I'm sure you remember what happened last time we met." He grinned, and Jane felt faint and sick to her stomach. "See you around, Jeff. Welcome home, by the way." Jeff screamed, and Randy hung up the phone.

About fifteen minutes later, sufficiently beaten up, Randy's friends dragged her into a chair in the kitchen, tying her up. Randy crouched in front of her, grinning wildly.

"Now, Jane. I'm sure you know we can't just let you off that easily. You ruined my life, did you know that?" His face got dark. "You ratted me out, you stabbed out my eye. You and your stupid brat friends took everything from me." Some sort of liquid splashed over her body, and she gagged from the smell of chemicals. Randy was grinning again.

"Consider this payback, dyke bitch." She saw the window behind Randy smash to pieces just as everything got very, very bright, and then very dark.

Jane woke up later, how much later she didn't know. Everything hurt and she felt like a mummy, wrapped tight in bandages all over her face, neck, shoulders and spotted all over her torso and legs. Someone was sitting next to her, gently placing a bandaid on her thigh and mumbling to themself. She tried to speak, but her throat hurt, and she whimpered. The person jumped, frantically grabbing a bottle of water.

"Here--Here. O-Open up. It's just water." She recognized the voice instantly, opening her mouth and gratefully drinking the water down. Jeff sighed, and she cracked open one eye to look at him, proceeding to gasp and choke on her water. Both of them panicked, Jeff apologizing profusely as she sputtered, coughing.

"Jeff--What happened to you?" He blinked, gaping for a second, then looked down, rubbing his neck. "That's...a long story. But I'm okay, alright--?" She groaned, reaching out and slapping his arm, and he jumped, looking at her bewildered and almost looking like a kicked puppy.

"You are not, stupid. Those need stitches. My god, Jeff, you're a disaster. I love you though." She laughed faintly, and he blinked, flushing and perking up. "Heh, I--I guess so, yeah." They smiled at each other, and he looked awkwardly off to the side.

"....So, do you know how to do stitches?"

"....Shit."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jane: (notes)

- 15 (At time of incident.) 5'9", broad, naturally more muscular. Hair was burnt off and has scarring all over face and head and scattered down body.

- Lesbian, butch but not masc presenting

- Jeff and her just furiously rub their two braincells together to figure problems out

- Has PTSD, OCD, ADHD, Autism, compulsive tendencies, mild hypochondria, and general anxiety disorder.

- Knows karate, almost graduated fully before accident

- Helps Jeff with murder shit

- Neither of them know how to cook and they basically exclusively eat like, pasta and canned ravioli and takeout food

- Loves to read, steals books constantly

- Compulsive girl lover and flirts with Every Single Woman

#creepypasta #jane the killer #cp jane the killer #jane winters #cp jane #my writing #my universe #cloud talks #LESBIANS #tw gore #tw blood #tw abuse

[twatd]

Back, in Black

Once more, we return, with two essays on The Wicked + The Divine #41. Tim’s will be following later today, but we kick off with Alex, talking the issue’s big character redesigns. You know the ones we mean.

If you don’t, well, spoilers follow after the cut.

Alex: Look, you don’t need me to tell you that Jamie McKelvie is one of the most talented character and costume designers ever to bless comics. Just take one glance at a poster for the upcoming Captain Marvel, how much of his iconic redesign is making it onto the big screen, and all the gorgeous merch that’s already spinning out of that movie. Or the hundreds of essays written to that tune by us, and the rest of the Tumblr fandom, and basically anyone with working eyes in their head.

But I do want to celebrate, one last time before the end, how he can make a costume change into just as much of a gasp-at-the-page-turn reveal as any major plot point or twist. Issue #41 seems like a rather apt time to do that.

Let’s start with the quieter redesign moment of the issue: the artist formerly known as Baphomet, now going by Nergal.

That first two-thirds-of-a-page panel squeezed an involuntary noise out of me. By the standards of the Pantheon, it’s a fairly downbeat costume: no make-up or physics-defining hairdo, and not a single ab in sight (a failing that has already been registered by the Everything Wrong With WicDiv Tumblr). Just a black suit jacket and high-collared shirt, open at the neck, adorned only with a goat’s-head belt buckle.

As new looks go, this one is downright vampiric – our boy Cameron finally going, to borrow one of Baal’s lines, the full Nick Batcave.

The elder statesman of goth is the clear model for this new look, right down to the open neck of the shirt and the slicked-back hair. Cave has always been in the mix of influences for Baphomet, but this is the first time he’s barged Andrew Eldritch out the way and made it right to the front. There’s a sense that, as Cameron has left behind the ‘Baphomet’ identity, he’s also ditched the hyper-masculine swagger of the old look. It was always just a front anyway – that’s what the trademark mirrored shades were about.

There’s even, in the baggy sleeves, a touch of foppishness – something that had no place in the old leather-chains-and-skulls costume. It reminds me of McKelvie’s first draft of Baphomet, glimpsed in that initial two-page ‘trailer’, the kind of guy you can see reading his poetry for you without having to coat it in ironic winks. It’s Cameron dropping the schtick.

That’s what flooded into my brain, conscious or otherwise, as I turned the page to meet the New Nergal. It’s why I squealed. All of that, squeezed into one image of a pale lad in a black suit.

Of course, this isn’t the biggest costume reveal in issue #41. That honour goes to the panel that launched a thousand fanarts: the freshly recapitated Lucifer, Inanna and Mimir.

For my money, there’s not quite as much semiotics squeezed into these three – they’re basically darker takes on the original costumes, inflected with the gothiness of their donor bodies. It’s more specific than that: Luci’s red hair and immediate suggestion of violence are a sign that she got Badb’s body, the torn netting of Inanna’s vest is a clear link to Gentle Annie, while the raven wing motif of Mimir’s Tron-suit suggest Morrigan Prime.

(I attempted coining portmanteau nicknames for each – Gentle Inannie? Morrimir? Mimirigan? – but got stuck on Luci. The best I could come up with is Badb Bitch. Suggestions are very welcome.

Update: @meserach puts forward the remarkable ‘Badb out of Hell’.)

There are certainly neat touches – finding a common ground between Lucifer and Morrigan’s symbols with the black feather around her neck – and there could potentially be some significance to Mimir switching his signature colour from the original blue to green: Morrigan’s colour but also, especially in the cybernetic neon piping, his father’s. But really, the signifiers of these three are same as it ever was: androgynous ass-kicker, sexually-inviting luxury, sci-fi form-meets-function.

The significance of the costume changes here isn’t so much to do with code-switching – the way we tweak how our identities are presented, depending on context. It’s more about selling this as a triumphant moment, the return of all our old favourites. McKelvie provides the exclamation point to this plot beat, the celebratory fireworks, the [DJ spams air horn sound effect].

There’s a lot of visual information packed into this not-quite-full-page-splash, down to the raven-shaped curls of smoke leaving these three bodies, and that encourages you to slow down and really drink it in. My eyes can sometimes jump automatically to the next cluster of words, skimming over the pictures in between, so this serves as a helpful reminder that, hey, dumb-dumb, this is a visual medium.

And yes, because McKelvie’s a genius this will be the wellspring of gorgeous fanart and unbelievable cosplay – less than a week from release, I’m sure someone’s already rocked the new Luci look – but this is what I appreciate most: the invitation to really study an image, squeeze out every last bit of meaning and beauty. Because hey, we only get twenty-some pages of them a month.

Like what we do, and want to help us make more of it? Visit patreon.com/timplusalex and pledge to gain access to exclusive blogs, ebooks, mixtapes and more.

#WicDiv #The Wicked + The Divine #The Wicked and The Divine #TWATD #Jamie McKelvie

[porkchop-ao3]

Charlie Foxtrot: Part 1/7

I have been working on this for WEEKS, it was initially going to be a one shot smut fic, but Tailor Rick had other ideas and made it all about him, so. This is rather a long fic, I’ve split it into 7 parts, but I worked really hard on this and I poured so much into it, I really hope someone will read this and enjoy it. It’s quite angsty, but I think it reveals a lot about Tailor’s character, and I’m proud of it. This is probably my favourite thing I’ve written. 

This is a fic involving Tailor (obviously) and one of the SEAL team Ricks; the bald one with the beard. It contains sex, but it’s not wildly descriptive like my usual smut, the focus is more on how their relationship changes over time. Thank you to @hoodoo12 for reading this and helping me out at multiple stages through this story!

I enjoyed characterising the SEAL team Rick, I haven’t seen him written about much so I had fun with it. A few headcanons formed as I was writing him, one of them being a certain accent, hehe. This fic is linked in with my usual OC universe, and the ‘reader’ from those fics, i.e. Tailor’s assistant, makes an appearance. As does Hairstylist Rick, one of Tailor’s special friends. I sincerely hope you enjoy this! 

-

Queuing up at a coffee shop was not something Tailor did often. His assistant would normally do it for him, though she was spending a weekend with her boyfriend. This had already put him in a bad mood, but to make matters worse the coffee shop just happened to be at the Citadel, of all places. Though Tailor usually vowed never to consume anything produced at the Citadel, he was sure he would die without a coffee, and so there he was, standing with arms crossed as he waited to be served.

The hipster looking Rick working behind the counter finally turned to serve him. He wore his hair in a man-bun and had a rather impressive beard, and under the apron he was wearing Tailor could see one heck of a garishly patterned shirt. The barista stared at him for a moment expectantly, and Tailor tutted when he didn't get the polite greeting he had been waiting for.

“Good afternoon,” he said with a bite to his tone. “One black coffee please. W-with two shots of espresso and three sugars. Please.”

“Sugar's over there, you help yourself. What's your dimension code?” the barista replied, his expression not changing once. Tailor told him then the barista held his hand out to him. “Fifteen schmeckles.”

Tailor narrowed his eyes but handed him the money anyway. He was then ushered over to the side where other Ricks were waiting for their orders. Tailor put some distance between him and the others, not wanting to make eye contact and get stuck talking to one of them, heaven forbid. Not that Ricks were the most conversational of people, but there was a smiley looking guy with a lazy eye and a bowl cut looking his way and Tailor did not want to encourage him. He stood there with his eyes planted firmly on the Rick behind the counter preparing drinks. He liked to keep an eye on the people preparing his food, when given the chance.

It was a couple of minutes before he finally got his order and he marched over and took it from the barista. He shuffled over to where the sugar and napkins were and set to work stirring in three sachets of sugar one by one. He stared down into it and sighed as he watched the sugar dissolve. It'd been a long morning and he had been running on one cup of coffee. That was not good. He'd been at the Council of Ricks’ offices to discuss new robes. He'd been desperate to redesign their uniforms for years and was finally given the opportunity. It was bittersweet, however, the head of the Council, Riq IV, could be a bit of a dick and Tailor couldn't quite work out if they'd get along or not.

Tailor picked up his drink and turned around as he started closing the lid on it. He didn't even notice the body that was standing directly behind him, and walked straight into it. His instinct was to apologise and move on, he wasn't one for confrontation. That was until he registered the heat spreading across his chest, which he soon realised was his coffee. His fresh, black coffee. Black coffee. On his suit. His white shirt. His baby pink suit jacket. Baby pink. Black coffee. His jacket... Thousands of pounds worth of jacket... Black coffee.

“What on earth are you doing, you bloody idiot!? Don't you see me standing here? Why are you standing so fucking close? Get the fuck away from me, haven't you ever heard of personal space?! Look at me! Look at my fucking suit! Do you have any idea how much this costs you thick skulled, absolute bloody wanker!?” Words just erupted from him without control. He could sense everyone around him staring but all he could focus on was the dark stain all over his front. He was livid. It was beginning to hurt, the heat from the coffee, but he didn't care.

“Uhh–” the other Rick started.

“Look! Th-tha-that's never going to come out! I hope you have your fucking wallet with you because otherwise we're going to–” Tailor finally looked up at the man he was yelling at, and stalled. “We're going to- um, you'll- we'll have…” he mumbled, his eyes glazing over as he took in the solid wall of muscle at eye level, the dog tags hanging around his neck, then the stern expression of the bald headed Rick he'd just lost his shit at. He seemed to be a military Rick. Of course, who else would Tailor have just called a thick skulled, absolute bloody wanker?

The Rick quirked a brow at him, waiting patiently for him to continue. Tailor cleared his throat, turned and tossed the remainder of his coffee in the bin behind him, and then arranged his face into a more composed expression.

“It doesn't matter,” he said, his voice smaller than before. He forced the next words from his lips despite it going against every fiber of his being. “It's just a suit.”

The bald, ripped Rick gave Tailor an odd look, sizing him up and analysing him. He had a large yet well groomed beard – no moustache – and numerous piercings. There was a plug stretching each earlobe and a stud above his top lip; Tailor would've turned his nose up if he wasn't worried about pissing him off any more. He squirmed under the attention, wanting nothing else but to run away from the situation and hightail it back home. That wasn't going to happen, it seemed. The Rick wasn't moving out of his way.

Feeling a need to fill the silence, Tailor spoke. “I apologise for my language. I didn't mean to cause offense.”

The other Rick frowned for a few moments, and Tailor felt his pulse pounding in his skull, almost giving him a headache. Suddenly, however, Rick smiled, then chuckled.

“I've heard worse, and from more intimidating folk, too,” he finally spoke, his voice not at all like Tailor had expected. He had a southern drawl, softer around the edges than he'd come to expect from most Ricks. It was still deep and a little gravelly, but he sounded… friendly? Friendly and extremely kind on the ears. “I'm sorry about th-that suit of yours. What d’ I owe you?”

He was reaching into his pocket for his wallet, and Tailor could do no more than stare. He was half expecting a swift punch to the face considering how he'd yelled at him just moments ago, and he was just stunned he still had all his teeth. He was also stunned at how opening his mouth had made him about twice as attractive.

“Um, that's quite alright. N-not to worry. I know a lady who- maybe she can get the stain out.”

“I don't know, black coffee sure is a son of a bitch,” Rick frowned, looking down at the stain on Tailor's shirt.

He didn't seem to mind about the splatter up his own front, but he was just wearing an off white wife beater. One that showed off just how thick his arms were, how toned his muscles were. He saw the edges of tattoos peeking out from over his shoulders; they must've covered his back. Tailor swallowed hard and averted his eyes.

“I don't want your money. It's fine,” he murmured, adjusting his tie, as if that was going to do something to make him look better.

“At least let me take you back to mine, get you out of that suit.”

“I'm sorry?” Tailor balked, his face immediately heating up, his eyes watering at the sudden pressure of the blood rushing to his head.

Rick smirked, clearly amused.

“I've got some detergent back at my place, su-supposed to be real good. If we get that shirt and jacket washed fast we might be able to save it.”

“Oh! Oh right. Of course. Yes, that's probably for the best.” Tailor nodded, instantly regretting his reply. He'd been so relieved to have his lewd misunderstanding cleared up that he hadn't really been concentrating on his own response. But there was no going back now.

“It's just up the street from here. Two minute walk!” Rick smiled, a lopsided kind of smile that was incredibly endearing. Tailor winced.

“Actually, I–” his sentence fell short and he sighed. Rick had already turned and was heading for the door, Tailor had no choice but to just follow.

Rick's home really was just a short walk away in an apartment block. It was pretty average, Tailor thought, and he noticed quickly that the place was lived in. It wasn't a complete pigsty, but it was far from neat and tidy. Tailor started to wonder what he was getting himself into, but he found himself just rolling with it. He agreed when Rick offered to make him a cup of coffee, he wasn't a huge fan of that instant stuff but he wouldn't complain, he still needed some. He took a seat at the kitchen table as he waited, brushing away a collection of crumbs from in front of him.

“You wanna take off that shirt and jacket? I can- I'll toss it in the wash.”

“Oh, yes, b-but it must be a gentle cycle,” Tailor warned, slipping off his jacket. He cleared the pockets of their items, leaving them on the table.

“Gentle?”

“Yes. Perhaps you have a delicates setting?” Tailor questioned, handing the jacket off to him. He was looking back at him with a blank expression and Tailor held back a sigh. “Don't worry. Whatever you usually put it on will be fine, I suppose.”

“You wanna borrow a shirt or something?” Rick asked, looking down at Tailor's shirt again.

Tailor hadn't really thought about taking his shirt off in front of this guy until now, and he was suddenly very nervous. Why on earth had he accepted this damn invitation?

“Um… yes. I suppose I should. Thank you,” he finally replied after a pause that was far too long.

Rick nodded and left the room for a while. Tailor groaned quietly, brushing his hand backwards through his hair to tame non existent flyaways, then he loosened his floral tie. He unbuttoned his shirt and was shrugging it off just as Rick returned.

“I tried to find somethin’ that might be to your taste,” he said, holding out a button up shirt to him.

The thing was creased up to hell. It looked like it'd been sat at the bottom of a drawer for God knows how long, but Tailor appreciated the effort. He swapped with him, and dressed in the borrowed shirt. It swamped him, given Rick was a lot more bulky than Tailor, and he found himself heating up in the face again.

He felt like some chick dressing up in her boyfriend's dress shirts. He'd never worn anything so ill fitting.

After starting up the washing machine, Rick placed a cup of coffee down in front of Tailor as he finished up buttoning his shirt; he left the top few buttons open, his own tie hanging loose around his neck. It smelled musky and faintly of cigarettes, it didn't seem to have been worn for a while, and Tailor wondered if it’d even been washed since the last time Rick had worn it. Oddly enough, the thought stirred something in him and he crossed one leg over the other, clearing his throat as he took a sip of his drink to distract himself. He burned his tongue, but didn't react.

“How's the coffee?” Rick asked him, looking at the spot where Tailor was resting the mug against his lip, blowing into it to help cool it.

“It’s fine, thank you. Coffee's coffee,” he said. “It's perhaps the one thing I'm not particularly picky about.”

“Huh? Is that so?” he replied, and Tailor caught the beginnings of a smirk as he lifted his own cup.

Tailor raised a brow, ready to question him, but decided to change the subject.

“You're in the military,” he stated. He'd noticed a few things laying around the apartment, photographs of him in uniform, with other Ricks in matching clothes. The dog tags around his neck were a giveaway too.

“SEAL team.” Rick replied. There was nothing arrogant about the way he said it, Tailor was surprised at how matter-of-fact he was.

“Well, then I feel as though I owe you an apology,” Tailor forced himself to say, lifting his head, holding his chin high.

Rick frowned. “What for?”

“For lashing out at you, calling you a thick skulled wanker, and so on.”

“You already apologised for that,” Rick pointed out, cupping his hands around the mug of coffee.

“Yes, well, I wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings.”

“Sir, I invited you into my home, washed your clothes and gave you some of my coffee. Does it look like there's hard feelings? Don't worry about it. Water off a duck’s back.”

“I meant no disrespect, if I'd have known who you were I'd never have dreamed about speaking to you in such a way,” Tailor admitted, avoiding eye contact. His face felt awfully hot.

“B-but if I was just some other Rick, some barista or store assistant, you'd have stood by it all?” Rick snorted, cocking a brow and smirking.

“Of course,” Tailor said, taking a sip of coffee. Rick chuckled, shaking his head.

“Fair enough. So what do you do with yourself? You look pretty fancy in that suit, must be doing well.” He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the washing machine.

“That suit is one of mine. I mean, I made it. I-I-I'm a tailor, a dressmaker, a designer.”

“Oh! I ain't seen you around the Citadel before.”

“That's because I don't work here. I was just meeting with the Council today, I'm working on some designs for them,” Tailor said nonchalantly, not even noticing the way the other Rick's eyes widened.

“You work for the damn Council? Holy shit, you are doing well.”

“The Council? I suppose it's a pretty high profile job. Though, I've worked for royalty back in my home dimension, so it's rather a step down.”

“You design the crown jewels or something?” Rick snorted. “I've never really heard of a British Rick. I know they're out there but you're the first I've met.”

“And you're the first Rick I've met with that lovely southern drawl,” Tailor replied, his tone lowering into a flirtatious one unintentionally. The other Rick blinked at him, his expression unchanging. Tailor quickly moved on, dropping his gaze to the mug. “I've made multiple dresses for her majesty the Queen, wonderful lady, absolute pleasure to work for. I've worked on suits for Prince Harry and William. Their wives have both worn dresses by me. Actually, I've been told to expect a call about a special commission for the Duchess of Cambridge.”

“Wow. You're a real hot shot, huh?”

“Well, I've worked hard to make a name for myself.”

“I believe that,” Rick nodded, his gaze lingering on Tailor for a few moments before he looked away. The two fell into silence for a while as they drank their coffee.

TBC...

#rick and morty #fanfiction #rickcest #tailor rick #seal team rick #rick sanchez #council of ricks #hairstylist rick

[peterpanswendy]

Unpopular Opinion: I think the new Magic School Bus show is actually okay

Listen up, Walkerville: The 90s are over.

In the weeks leading up to the release of the long-awaited Magic School Bus reboot, I have seen a LOT of negativity. Now the full season has dropped, I’m seeing even more disappointment, with many claiming that it has "ruined their childhoods”.

Okay, yes, it’s clear that they were making a show on a Netflix budget two decades after the craze as opposed to a PBS budget in the heat of the initial craze, BUT THEY DO SO MANY THINGS RIGHT. Or at least they’re trying.

I consider the Magic School Bus to be one of the biggest, most important parts of my childhood, and it left a huge impact that still resonates strongly years after the fact. Honestly, I take it perhaps a bit more seriously than a woman nearing 30 should.

So please believe me when I say that the new show is not so bad!

Here are three pieces of evidence:

1. They don’t try to fix what’s not broken

At its core, the original Magic School Bus cartoon is about Ms. Frizzle, an eccentric teacher with a magical school bus who takes her class on crazy field trips that simultaneously teaches them science and holds the key to solve whatever issue the kids have that particular day. At the end of each episode, the producer would clear up any scientific inconsistencies during a phone call segment. While it made science easily comprehendible to young audiences, it contained pop culture references (quotes and impersonations, celebrity voice actors, some jokes) that only older audiences would really get. It had wit, it had class, it had an endless number of really, REALLY awful puns.

In “Rides Again”, this hasn’t changed. Each episode follows the exact same pattern as the predecessor, and they poke fun at this in Arnold’s speech at the beginning of the new episode. They know it’s predictable.

Ms. Frizzle is still voiced by a popular comedienne. The theme song is still sung by a popular musical artist in their heyday. Heck, the opening theme is basically an (updated) frame-for-frame of the original. The science is there, the bus does its stuff, and oh, are the the puns still as bad as ever.

Oh, and celebrity guest stars?

Bojack Horseman, the first black female astronaut, and the former Dr. Christina Yang of Grey’s Anatomy? Not bad for a first run if you ask me!

2. Sometimes change is for the better

I dunno about you other 90s kids, but when I was in elementary school, NONE of my classmates dressed like any of the kids in the original show. Pleated skirts and saddle shoes? Initial jerseys and backwards hats? Matching vests and pants with Mary Janes? COLLARED SHIRT DRESSES AND HIGH HEELS?! Yowza! The characters were originally designed in 1989 with the release of the book “At the Waterworks”, and the show stayed pretty faithful to Degen’s original art style...so yeah, the styles were dated coming out the gate.

Okay, yes, I am sad Arnold lost his curly hair and that Tim and Keesha’s skin lightened in tone, but overall, I LOVE the redesigned class! They look like believable modern kids. Tim especially benefits from the updated look. (I do wish they had made Wanda look a little more tomboyish and Keesha a bit less sweet, but anything was better than what they were wore back in the 90s.)

Now, the cast changes: Out with Valerie and Phoebe, in with Fiona and Jyoti. As I mentioned earlier, the show knows it’s repetitive. They needed something to change it up, and I think this was an okay way to go about it.

First: The Friz. Practically, and I know none of you 90s purists want to hear it, Kate McKinnon is more relevant in this day and age than Lily Tomlin. As a character, Fiona maybe relies on the bus a bit too much, but she brings a believable joy to the novelty of the bus’s capabilities that Valerie often took for granted. Honestly, I think they handled the “changing of the guard” really spectacularly - heck, they worked it into a story about Invasive Species. That was darn clever and caught me delightfully off-guard!

As for Phoebe, she was just the soft-hearted animal-loving “new kid” and, I feel, didn’t really contribute as much to the class dynamic as say...literally everyone else except Tim. Jyoti is the non-whiny, adventurous new girl with the tech and industrial design knowledge that brings the show into the 21st century. (Plus some Southeast-Asian representation!) She’s a much more exciting character, but I don’t really know who her foil is. Anyway, she’s smart and adorable and I’m glad she’s on board.

(Slight tangent: Wanda seems to have taken on Phoebe’s attribute of being an animal lover and conservationist. Yes, Wanda did like slightly unconventional animals in the original show - remember Bella in “Hops Home”? - but she wasn’t necessarily for preserving them in their original habitats. Do recall that she was the main proponent for clearing out the abandoned lot in “Meets The Rot Squad”, not to mention the eccentric habitat she believed was best for Bella. New Wanda still loves animals like fish and rats, and gets arbitrarily attached to them and tries to force her ideas of what’s best on them, but dang, I did not expect her to suggest field trips to preserve animals. Where’s the thrill-seeking? Where’s the reckless adventure? I can see why they needed to transfer the love of biology to someone, and Wanda was the logical choice, but like, man...I miss her edge. Maybe she matured over the summer break.)

BACK ON TASK. The kids have more or less dropped their catch phrases....with the exception of “CARLOS!” Now that they’re in their second year in Ms. Frizzle’s class, they have a stronger sense of agency during field trips. Heck, they even got to pick a location once! With a less experienced Frizzle in the driver’s seat, the kids really get to run the show...which I think is really neat!

3. They throw the old fans plenty of bones

Weatherman. Keesha directing. Arnold’s obsession with rocks. Phoebe going back to her Old School. Ralphie’s horrified face when he finds himself inside a classmate’s nose, a bodily location everyone (except Jyoti) has been once before. Janet being a snobby little bitch with a blog...who’s still a total coward. Is it just me, or did the writers include a bunch of throw-backs to the original show? I unapologetically love every single one of them.

Also. ALSO. I don’t know if any of y’all took a close look at the credits but...in the Additional Voices there’s three that really stand out:

Amos Crawley: Arnold’s original voice actor (before Danny Tamberelli). Lisa Jai: Wanda’s original voice actress. Stuart Stone: Ralphie’s original voice actor. 

Wow.

I ask you, WHY WOULD THEY SPECIFICALLY GET THEM BACK IF NOT AS A LOVE LETTER TO THE ORIGINAL?

The new show’s not perfect. There’s not as much banter between the kids, and their personalities seem a bit watered down compared to the original (and unexpectedly less sarcastic)...but it’s not BAD. I’d love to hear a kid’s opinion on it, honestly. I know the kid in me can’t wait to see more!

In conclusion, haters gonna hate, the new Magic School Bus is good, and darnit, Netflix, I want more! Make of it what you will.

Thanks for reading!

#magic school bus rides again #magic school bus #msb #rant