#I LOVE REVITALIZING CHILDHOOD THINGS

[daringdoombringer]

HI HELLO YES HERES A RESURFACING CHILDHOOD MEMORY THAT IM OBSESSING OVER AGAIN!

During my last Power Rangers hyperfix (when i was 11-13 maybe?) I made a team called Power Rangers Jungle Thunder. As far as I know, it never went past the initial concept besides doodles on my school notes, as I didn’t know how to draw humans at the time.

Brace yourselves because this is a very rare loooong text post from me.

So here’s everything I remember about it along with some new stuff me and some buddies came up with!

Jungle Thunder was basically a cross between some of Megaforce’s mechanics and the ranger colors along with Jungle Fury’s theming. The Ranger’s attacks were likely magic based.

Their headquarters was this massive temple shrine ish place deep inside a distant jungle.

The colors and Zords were as followed: Red Jaguar, Blue Cobra, Yellow Macaw, Pink Cheetah, Black Lemur. They were kept in what was basically the temple’s backyard/back garden?

The bad guys were this reptilian ailen race called the Sintonians who understandably trying to take over Earth like every other Power Rangers villain. They interestingly used the traits and morphing energy of past Ranger teams to make each episode’s bad guy. The main antagonist was this dude called Lord Fury who I don’t remember a whole lot about. Other than he was blue.

The sixth ranger was this nonhuman White Ranger, who the team affectionately nicknamed “Buddy.” I forgot what animal he was, but he was created by the Sintonians to attack our heroes with. Of course, they end up befriending him. He had feral form that I’m struggling to remember how it worked, if any?

And the Pink Ranger’s name was Emmie. That’s the only one of the human Rangers whose name I can remember.

Ok. That’s all the original stuff 12yo Daring came up with. She got the concept down, now it’s time for all all the new juicy lore and tweaks. :3

The mentor/sensei character is this tree/dryad deity called Mother Gaia. (Kinda basic but it’s what me and the squad on discord decided on) She’s rooted to the center of the temple (name of said temple still pending) and is very curious about modern humanity, as she hasn’t seen humans in over a thousand years. Also she’s like a mom to them because I love found family dynamics ok

Another supporting character will be Esteban, a jungle spirt who is essentially Mother Gaia’s assistant. Basically Alpha-5’s role compared to Zordon. Don’t know what he’s gonna look like yet, but he’ll be a big help to the Rangers by teaching them their new abilities.

The Zords are pretty interesting.They all look like normal animals apart from the fact their eyes are their respective Ranger’s color. They’re actually the Spirt Guardians, who were sent by Gaia to find the Rangers. Each animal can transform into a giant Zord upon their Ranger’s command. Makes the back garden thing much more manageable if they’re not always giant robots.

If Jungle Thunder were an actual show, there’d sometimes be bumpers before and after commercial breaks with cool jungle and animal facts. :)

Buddy will likely have a basilisk or some type of reptile as his animal, being able to run really fast and stick to walls. Basically he’s the fucked up cryptid the team ends up adopting and I love him.

Ok. so here’s what I have of the lore and basic gist of the first episode. It’s still a wip so bear with me here✨

Long long ago, an ancient civilization in the jungle worshiped Mother Gaia and the Spirt Guardians. All was peaceful until Lord Fury (another deity) attacks, as he was very jealous that he wasn’t getting any attention. Gaia, Estaban and the Spirt Guardians managed to seal Lord Fury away deep underground, but not after he and his army had driven away and destroyed most of said civilization in an intense battle. The jungle itself had to be sealed off from the rest of world so Gaia could maintain the sealing spell that kept Fury at bay.

Fast forward to modern day. (dunno if it’s gonna be in 2024 or mid 2000s)

The Sintonian aliens land on Earth looking for a place to stay, and find the chasm in which Fury had been sealed. They make a deal with Fury, agreeing to follow him in exchange for their services, as they knew how to harness Morphing Energy. This pleases Fury greatly, as he may have a chance at getting vengeance on Gaia and humanity.

Gaia gets news of this and sends the Spirt Guardians to find five descendants of the past civilization with pure hearts to be the next heroes. Unbeknownst to five midwestern college students on a hiking trip, their lives are about to change. Their names are Reno, Isiah, June, Emmie, and Braxton.

The Jaguar Guardian steals the soon-to-be Red Ranger’s backpack. They are led by the animal guardians into a cave that is later how they get to and from the jungle. They meet Mother Gaia and Esteban, who explain the whole situation. After learning they were indeed not getting sacrificed, they agree to serve Gaia and protect humanity. Anything to get away from student loans tbh.

Spirt Guardians proceed to beam spiritual power into them via a ritual. Totally not trauma inducing at all. This power is how the Rangers morph, or are alerted to any of Fury’s shenanigans via Gaia’s telepathic power.

After some more debriefing from Tree Mother and her son, the newly formed Rangers get an alert. The Sintonians are terrorizing the local park in their generic midwestern town. The Rangers suit up and use their super cool new magic powers to kick some butt! :D Hooray!

Ok. Wow. That was a lot of words.

There are still some holes and other things I missed but that’s pretty much everything! It’s always so fun to find something I made as a kid and breathe new life into it! As if I didn’t have enough Ocs already :’) will soon be thinking of everyone’s designs.

That was a certified DaringDoombringer infodump about a nostalgic childhood interest. Thank you for reading and have a good day!

#daring rambles #childhood ocs #power rangers #power rangers ocs #Power Rangers Jungle Thunder #fanmade #childhood interest #I LOVE REVITALIZING CHILDHOOD THINGS #RAHHHHHH #this will be a nice thing to obsess over besides IDNB #infodump

[shaniacsboogara]

jojo siwa claiming she's revitalizing gay pop and releasing 'karma' on the same night as conan gray's 'found heaven' and chappell roan's 'good luck babe' is so poetically ironic. it's like the universe WANTS to draw a comparison between jojo and queer pop artists.

the thing that makes queer pop compelling as a genre is the unique storytelling and experiences of queer artists told through their music. that doesn't necessarily mean every song by a queer artist has to be about their queerness. they don't have to scream "hey i'm gay!" in every single song they write. but claiming to be "reinventing gay pop" should mean you're telling interesting stories about your queer experience, right???

'found heaven' by conan gray is about growing up as a queer kid with religious guilt and disapproving parents. he equates being in love in an authentic way to "finding heaven", and the piece as a whole resonates with a TON of queer people in different stages of their lives. some people can look back at their childhoods and how much they've grown since then, some can relate because they're currently going through what conan's written about, and some people can sympathize with the way some queer people are treated, even if they aren't necessarily queer themselves.

'good luck babe' is a song about queerness and compulsory heterosexuality. chappell sings about a woman she was in a relationship with who decided to settle down in a conventional marriage despite being queer. the song reflects the denial a lot of queer people go through (specifically regarding the lesbian experience) and the unfortunate way a lot of them end up repressing who they are to conform to societal standards. it's fun, it's campy, but its message is still poignant.

as for karma… there's nothing inherently queer about that song. the music video for the original version, ‘karma’s a bitch’ by brit smith, featured a heterosexual storyline. jojo buying the rights to a song she didn't write isn't inherently a bad thing, a lot of mainstream artists do that all the time. however, if you're claiming to be a pioneer of the “gay pop” genre and your music doesn't reflect any queer themes or experiences, is it really “gay pop”? again, queer artists don't have to write exclusively about their queerness, but if you try to present yourself as a voice for the queer community without telling any of their stories, you're not going to be lauded as some revolutionary figure. if any of the songs on jojo’s album are actually about her experience as a lesbian or contain any queer themes, then i think she'd qualify as a “gay pop” artist. but so far, she's given us a faux edgy, generic pop song and tried to market it as some insane never-been-done-before feat. and honestly, if her entire album is like this and she continues to market herself this way, it's a slap in the face to all the genuine artists and storytellers in the queer community.

but let's stop talking about jojo siwa and start talking about the incredible queer artists who are truly breathing life into the "gay pop" genre: chappell roan, renee rapp, ben platt, conan gray, girl in red, kevin atwater, baby queen, mitski, clairo, dodie, and SO MANY MORE (feel free to add on some of your favourites because there are so many wonderful artists out there <3)

also: if you have a different perspective on this situation i would absolutely love to hear what you think and if you agree / disagree with this! i love discussing topics like this so feel free to reblog with your own take

#jojo siwa #karma #chappell roan #conan gray #queer pop #also the fact that this rebrand is a coverup for jojo's awful behavior #like be fucking fr #don't use the queer community as a sheild

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

this might be weird to ask on a writing blog but do you have any manga recs?

yeah i got some recs! i'm gonna assume you mean less talked about titles rather than more well-known but quickfire popular recs i have are: chainsaw man, fullmetal alchemist, jjba, fruits basket, jjk and hell's paradise. but onto my other recs:

seinen

children of the sea**: a troubled teen named ruka embarks on the summer adventure of a lifetime after meeting two boys raised by dugongs at her dad's aquarium in the middle of a mysterious event taking place in the ocean.

the summer hikaru died: it's been months since yoshiki's childhood friend and secret crush, hikaru, went missing in the mountains for a week. hikaru's the same as usual, with his jokes and silly rambles and yet, yoshiki can't shake the feeling that whoever came back from that mountain, it wasn't hikaru. much to his horror, it wasn't. but rather than face reality and grief, yoshiki decides to play along with "hikaru's" act (body horror)

dorohedoro**: in a world where there are humans and magic users, humans have it rough being virtually treated as second class citizens. day after day, year after year, magic users come to the human realm to experiment on them with their magic. and after having his head turn into a caiman, kaiman, wants to get it back in blood and have his true form restored (body horror)

witch hat atelier*: in a world full of magic and witches, it's always been normal human girl coco's dream to be one. but after accidentally discovering a truth of this world and her mom getting caught up in the spell, coco becomes an apprentice of witch qifrey. (it was recently announced there's an anime in the works!)

skip & loafer**: desiring to become a government official to revitalize her hometown in the japanese countryside, iwakura mitsumi's first step to accomplish this goal is by going to a uni prep high school in tokyo. she's got a foolproof 10-step plan to boot! but of course, life hardly ever goes as plan, not even for a prodigy (mc's aunt has great trans rep)

jousei

sign of affection*: as someone deaf all her life, yuki has dealt with discrimination in both small and broad strokes. nor has she ever experienced romance. this all changes when she meets backpacker itsumi, a guy who goes to the same uni. just as he opens her world, she opens his

debu to love to ayamachi to***: after waking up in a hospital with no memories to her name, plus sized yumeko is told she is there after surviving a suicide attempt. the thing is, yumeko isn't sure why when she's just so beautiful! with a strong desire to live life to the fullest, yumeko decides to do everything the past her was to afraid to do. all the while it is revealed that her suicide attempt was more of an attempted murder... but who could have wanted to kill her?

my love story with yamada-kun at lv999**: nothing is worse than getting cheated on especially after akane invested a lot of time and energy into her shitty ex's gaming hobbies. but through gaming, not only does akane find herself healing, she managed to get herself a pretty cool boyfriend too

NANA**: 2 women, 2 different lives, 1 name shared. komatsu nana is quick to fall in love and after a series of less-than-lucky relationships, she finally has someone she thinks is the one. abandoned by her mother and her ex leaving her band, osaki nana hasn't had the easiest life. but on the same night, on the same train, these two women meet and their lives become deeply intertwined

shoujo

a condition called love*: when it comes to romance, hotaru's never experienced it besides stories of her friends relationships. but she soon finds herself about to experience the whirlwind of a lifetime when hananoi, the most popular boy in school, asks her to be his girlfriend

a bouquet for an ugly girl***: as her class' resident big girl, hana isn't expecting a blossoming spring in her high school career. and she's okay with that. she has everything she needsー otome games and gardening. but after her class' pretty boy catches her in the midst of changing the class flowers, their lives become a bit more intertwined

uruwashi no yoi no tsuki: yoi is quite popular at her school because of her neat short hair, beautiful face and overall princely appearance. in fact, it's gotten her dubbed 'prince' many times. but when the other prince of the school finally meets her, cupid's arrow quickly knocks him on his ass

shounen

frieren**: a manga that picks up after the journey has ended. the demon king has been defeated and the heroes have saved the day after 10 years of traveling together. 10 years? that's not even a 10th of elf mage frieren's life. but as her companions begin dying one by one of old age, she finds herself desiring to learn more about humans and the short yet impactful lives they still manage to have

dungeon meshi*: when a dungeon raid goes terribly wrong and laios' sister gets swallowed by a dragon, those that remain in his party decide to get it back in blood by saving laios' sister before she gets digested. in the mean time, there's nothing wrong with gordon ramsay-ing miscellaneous ingredients found in the dungeon along the way, right?

and if you like manhwa or would be down for some manhwa recs these are titles i don't see getting recommended enough

concubine walkthrough: a scifi & philosophical spin on the otome isekai genre that asks 'what is reality truly?', 'is your life any less real if you found out all your experiences were a simulation?' and 'what is reality to you?' where protagonist lee yona finds herself stuck in a VR edition of a game she only played once

a wicked tale of cinderella's stepmother: usually when someone wakes up in the body of a villainess, she's the same age as the protagonists. mildred, on the other hand, is stuck in the body of this story's cinderella's stepmother. with no husband and three daughters to take care of, there's only one thing she can really doー build up her daughters' sisterly bonds with one another and make sure they marry into good families (or that they can at least live lives they're happy with)

tricked into becoming the heroine's stepmother: at least mildred got the body of an important character, daisy on the other hand? she's in the body of an NPC you never even see in the story. bright side? this is a story she helped write and after meeting the presently six year old protagonist's father, she and father of the year decide to team up for the ultimate mission: making sure his daughter never meets any of the love interests

inso's law: ham dan-i is in a bit of a pickle when she wakes up and her new school uniform is completely different than the one her mom bought weeks ago. there's a drop dead gorgeous girl next door who claims to be her childhood best friend. even worse, like something straight out of a drama, there are four heavenly kings that rule her school. by the end of the day, dan-i has no other choice but to accept the fact........ her real life has somehow turned into a web novel. even worse, she's a side characterー the main character's best friend

webtoons

plum: in a world where fruit stacking is a major sport, little plum decides to be the very best like no one ever was and moves to the big city to compete in the fruit stacking games along with making some friends and rivals along the way

webtoons that are probably popular enough if they have hardcover copies at my local bookstore but i wanna talk about it anyway

cursed princess club: as the youngest princess of the pastel kingdom, gwendolyn loves her family. her protective papa, her oldest sister maria who often awakes to woodland creatures doing her hair. her older sister lorena who makes flowers bloom with her every step. and her younger brother jamie who's so pretty, he sparkles. and they adore her just as much. but things come to a very reality shattering halt when their father introduces maria, lorena and gwen to blaine, lance and frederick, the princes of the plaid kingdom and gwen overhears frederick call her ugly, something she's never heard in her entire life. somehow, gwen finds comfort in a club full of cursed princesses (and one prince) who teach her how to start loving herself again

key

*) receiving an anime adaptation

**) has an an anime series or movie

***) receiving an anime adaptation & contains a story with a plus-sized protagonist that doesn't involve weight loss

#look she's answering #anon #manga recs #seinen #jousei #shoujo #manhwa #otome isekai #children of the sea #hikaru ga shinda natsu #dorohedoro #witch hat atelier #skip and loafer #debu to love to ayamachi to #NANA #uruwashi no yoi no tsuki #hananoi kun to koi no yamai #a bouquet for an ugly girl #concubine walkthrough #a wicked tale of cinderella's stepmother #tricked into becoming the heroine's stepmother #cursed princess club #plum

[lev1hei1chou]

Fun fluffy animes that I loved

This is basically a list of animes that helps get over or deal with the trauma inflicted by various animes. At the moment, I guess fellow JJK fans might need this, and prolly AOT fans on November 5. Have fun watching

Haikyuu

Short Synopsis: Determined to be like the volleyball championship's star player nicknamed "the small giant", Shoyo joins his school's volleyball club.

Episodes: 85 + 5 OVA

The worst thing that can possibly happen is either the 3rd year students graduating or you being unable to support a specific team (nah cuz bro how do you pick and root for one? I end up being happy for the team that won and depressed for the team that lost)

Two movies are coming up soon

Highschool Babysitters

Synopsis: After the sudden death of their parents on a plane crash, two young brothers named Ryūichi Kashima (a freshman in high school) and his younger brother Kotarō (a preschooler) are left orphaned and having no place to call home. The chairwoman of the prestigious Morinomiya Academy offers to take the boys into her care, giving them a new house and free tuition, on the condition that Ryuichi helps out with the school's daycare center while also attending normal classes during school hours.

Episodes: 12 + 1 OVA

Note: Plane crash seems sad but trust me, its only mentioned in the first episode, and the rest 11 is just fluffy goodness. Nothing can prepare you for the cuteness.

Cells At Work

Synopsis: One newcomer red blood cell just wants to do her job. Between bacteria incursions and meeting a certain white blood cell, she's got a lot to learn.

Episodes: 31 + 7

A good mix of science and entertainment. The episodes dont have to be watched in any specific order.

Mr. Osomatsu

Synopsis: The everyday lives of identical sextuplets who cause mischief.

Episodes: 75 + special eps + movies

Has a good amount of 18+ jokes, but its not too overwhelming. It doesnt necessarily follow a plot, and each episode is usually two different stories combined. So, skipping episodes should be fine. Also, it features very popular voice actors for the sextuplets (Geto's VA, Gojo's VA, Levi's VA, Koro sensei's VA, Erwin's VA and Haku/ Sugawara's VA), Iyami (Obanai Iguro's VA), Totoko (Shoko's VA)

The Vampire Dies in No Time

Synopsis: The story follows the famed vampire hunter, Ronaldo, who receives a job to destroy the supposedly invincible vampire lord Draluc and rescue a human boy he allegedly kidnapped.

Episodes: 24

Note: Its a hit or miss, the running gag is used constantly and gets tiring at times, but the overall anime is a good watch. I personally loved John the Armadillo

Buddy Daddies

Synopsis: Assassins Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa meet Miri, a girl looking for her father on Christmas Day. Kazuki, Rei, and Miri unexpectedly end up living together.

Episodes: 12

May get dark at times, so I wont guarantee that itll be a smooth sail, but we get a wholesome conclusion so you can count on that! Otherwise VERY fluffy

Blue Lock

Synopsis: High school soccer players from across Japan gather for a controversial project designed to create the best and most egoistic striker in the world.

Episodes: 24

Isnt exactly true football, but yeah. The anime is pretty fine. It doesnt exactly go under the fluffy anime like i mentioned in the title, but you can check it out if you want.

Free!!

Synopsis: The story is centered on high school student Haruka Nanase, a gifted swimmer. After encountering his childhood rival, Rin Matsuoka from Samezuka Academy, he and his friends revitalize Iwatobi High School's swim team.

Episodes: 37 + specials and movies

This anime to me, personally is what haikyuu is. A great comfort anime which knows how to make the viewer connect with the characters. I dislike it when the whole anime gets reduced to just fanservice, like guys lets look beyond that and actually enjoy the plot.

Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan

Synopsis: From smoking and exercising to nihilistic outbursts, everyone's big brother Uramichi always brings up the not-so-moral side to his life lessons

Episodes: 13

This one is very real and relatable in many levels. Theres a lot of screenshots and panels available online, so you can check a few out before watching!

Obey Me

Synopsis: Brothers Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and Belphegor are among the most powerful demons in the Devildom, serving as officers on the student council at the Royal Academy of Diavolo (RAD). However, being avatars of the seven deadly sins, their behaviors often tend toward the extreme. Their everyday antics belie their high status and fearsome reputations among others of their kind. When viewed behind the scenes, the members of this family are more lovable—and laughable—than they first seem!

Episodes: 24 + 1

It's based on a popular otome game, and can be watched as it is even if you havent played the game. The basic idea is that theyre based on the 7 sins, so their personalities are really amusing. As for the plot, its pretty wholesome.

Play It Cool Guys

Synopsis: Despite their distinctive personalities, Souma Shiki, Hayate Ichikura, Shun Futami, and Takayuki Mima all have one thing in common: though naturally clumsy, the four disguise their embarrassment from tiny slip-ups by maintaining a composed demeanor. However, it is actually the guys' airheaded natures that makes the girls' hearts throb. No matter what happens in their daily lives, the boys do their best not to lose their cool!

Episodes: 24

Each episode is barely 10-13 minutes, so it just doesnt feel enough lol. Most of their slip ups are relatable and could get a chuckle from the viewer. The art style is a little different but its good. Definitely worth watching, once or even multiple times.

Tanaka Kun is Always Listless

Synopsis: For high school student Tanaka, the act of being listless is a way of life. Known for his inattentiveness and ability to fall asleep anywhere, Tanaka prays that each day will be as uneventful as the last, seeking to preserve his lazy lifestyle however he can by avoiding situations that require him to exert himself. Along with his dependable friend Oota who helps him with tasks he is unable to accomplish, the lethargic teenager constantly deals with events that prevent him from experiencing the quiet and peaceful days he longs for.

Episodes: 13 + specials

Not gonna lie, Ive wanted to act like Tanaka. The characters are lovable and the anime is worth giving a try. An underrated gem. I personally loved the school festival episode.

@satoruukisser hope this helps!

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #haikyuu #hq #kageyama #kuroo tetsurou #hinata shouyou #miya atsumu #blue lock #haikyuu sakusa #kiyoomi sakusa #obey me #oikawa tooru #kashima kotarou #cells at work #mr osomatsu #osomatsu san #vampire dies in no time #john the armadillo #buddy daddies #rei suwa #kazuki kurusu #kazuki x rei #attack on titan #aot #snk #shingeki no kyojin #barou shouei #isagi yoichi #kunigami rensuke

[gay-jewish-bucky]

Do you think Bucky knows Yiddish?

I do! I kind of go into it here and here (both are a little nsfw) and here.

I think, given the historical evidence, it's very likely that Bucky grew up fluent in Yiddish (it didn't fall out of use in Ashkenazic communities in the diaspora until after the war).

To me it's his mother tongue, his home, his connection to his own Jewish identity and to the vibrant Jewish community he grew up in.

It's attending Yiddish theatre and of the rabbis at his family's synagogue.

It's fond memories of his family and childhood, of his parents and his sisters and the loving home they gave him that he misses so much.

It's stories of the shtetls and pogroms and calls of resistance, a constant reminder that we will outlive them.

It's sending secret notes to Steve in class and making their own private language by combining their native tongues.

It's what he defaults to when all other words fail him, when he's feeling too much or nothing at all.

It's joy and heartbreak and love and fear and everything in between, sweet and bitter.

It's refusing to assimilate no matter how hard you're pushed.

It's reclaiming his identity and his place in his community.

It's coming home over and over again.

It's woven into the very core of his being and it's one of the few things Hydra could never take from him no matter how hard they tried.

I think these days he speaks it more freely (both Yiddish and Yidglish); Steve knows enough to keep up (just like Bucky knows enough Irish to keep up with Steve), and Bucky is passionate about its revitalization.

In summary: Yes. Bucky not only knows Yiddish, he also speaks it every day with pride.

#Assorted Jewish Writings - Yiddish/Hebrew/Irish #jewish!bucky #jewish!bucky barnes #jewish bucky #jewish bucky barnes #bucky #bucky barnes #james bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #legit so sorry this took me months to answer #marvel #mcu #stucky #stevebucky #steve rogers #steven grant rogers

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 6/14

Have you seen our LIMITED EDITION Fantom shirts yet??

Alora: Witch Princess GN -  Kayden Phoenix & Phineas Conrad

Alora is one of the five Possibles, a princess that may become the true princess of Citadel. These Possibles were found, trained in their magical energies, and took classes together in the palace; all in preparation for the Majo Majo Celebration. The Possibles completes tests in a magical carnival to see who the one true princess is.

At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender GN -  Shou Arai

At age 30, Shou Arai came to a realization; they had no gender. Now they were faced with a question they'd never really considered: how to age in a society where everything is so strongly segregated between two genders? This autobiographical manga explores Japanese culture surrounding gender, transgender issues, and the day to day obstacles faced by gender minorities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community with a lighthearted, comedic attitude.  

Bettie Page #1 -  Mirka Andolfo, Luca Blengino, Elisa Ferrari & Joseph Michael Linsner

It's la dolce vita for Bettie! Beautiful Bettie has been cast as the lead of a film shooting in Rome, but before she can experience the sights and sounds of Italy, shady-looking thugs try to kidnap her! Why? Well, Bettie happens to be the spitting image of another woman...a woman who's in BIG trouble with trouble-making types! Can Bettie negotiate her way through a madcap adventure of mistaken identity and star-crossed love, Italian-style?

Dead By Daylight #1 (of 4) - Nadia Shammas, Dilon Snook & Ivan Tao

PREQUEL COMIC BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING HORROR GAME, DEAD BY DAYLIGHT! When the rebellious FRANK crashes into the lives of JULIE, JOEY and SUSIE, together they'll unleash bloody chaos onto the sleepy, dead-end town of Ormond. Witness the terrifying origins of THE LEGION.

Death Drop: Drag Assassin #1 -  David Hazan & Alex Moore

Death Drop, a hitman turned drag queen, enters a race against time to find her missing drag sister as a mysterious rash of killings and disappearances spreads across the city. With the specter of her former mentor haunting her every step, Death Drop must decide how far she is willing to be pulled back into a life of violence in order to protect her community in this supernatural queer noir.

The Faint Of Heart GN -  Kerilynn Wilson

Not that long ago, the Scientist discovered that all sadness, anxiety, and anger disappeared when you removed your heart. And that's all it took. Soon enough, the hospital had lines out the door. June is an exceptional high schooler, though not in the way you'd expect. She is the only one in town who still has her heart. When she looks at her heartless family and friends, she knows she can't become one of them. But the pressure, loneliness, and heartache are mounting, and it's becoming harder and harder to be the only one with a heart. And then June comes across an abandoned heart in a jar. The heart in the jar intrigues her, it baffles her, and it brings her hope. June wonders if the heart can be used to revitalize her sister. But the heart also brings her Max, a classmate with a secret of his own: though he had his heart removed, he is starting to feel again-and it hurts. June will have to choose between a boy she barely knows-a boy who's in pain-and the sister she loves dearly-who feels nothing. But will her own heart rip in two in the process?

Family Style: Memories Of An American From Vietnam GN -  Thien Pham

Originally posted on Instagram, this young adult graphic novel details the author's childhood immigration to America with his family, through the lens of particularly meaningful food and meals. Thien's first memory isn't a sight or a sound. It's the sweetness of watermelon and the saltiness of fish. It's the taste of the foods he ate while adrift at sea as his family fled Vietnam. After the Pham family arrives at a refugee camp in Thailand, they struggle to survive. Things don't get much easier once they resettle in California. And through each chapter of their lives, food takes on a new meaning. Behind every cut of steak and inside every croissant lies a story. And for Thien Pham, that story is about a search - for belonging, for happiness, for the American dream!

Frank Frazetta’s Mothman #1 (of 5) - Tim Hedrick, Luis Guaragna & Andrea Mutti

From 1966 to 1967 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, several witnesses reported seeing a man-sized, winged creature with glowing red eyes. Circa 1980, Frank Frazetta painted his iconic work "Mothman." Now you will learn the truth-and it's weird. Emmy nominee Tim Hedrick (Avatar: The Last Airbender) and artist Andrea Mutti (British Paranormal Society) bring you the next expansion of the FrazettaVerse!

Gnome & Rat GN -  Lauren Stohler

Gnome and Rat are best friends who live together in a charming forest. Rat enjoys drinking tea and finishing crossword puzzles. And Gnome... well, Gnome likes to polish his pointy red hat and eat delicious sausages. Join these funny friends on their various adventures, whether it's celebrating Hat Day, perfecting magic tricks, or tracking down a new signature hat for Gnome. Whatever their antic, these two know exactly how to have a good time: with each other.

Haunt You Til The End #1 -  Ryan Cady & Andrea Mutti

In a not-so-far future rife with climate disasters and worldwide instability, an eccentric billionaire and his crew-a disgraced journalist, a radical doctor, a TV demonologist, and a squad of hard-bitten military contractors-set out to prove the existence of life after death. But even if their mission is a success, the truth behind the "most haunted place on earth" may not be the comforting revelation the world is hoping for.

Intertwined: The Last Jewish Daughter Of Kaifeng #1 -  Fabrice Sapolsky,  Fei Chen, Ho Seng Hui & Fred Pham Chuong

In time for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as Jewish American Heritage Month, fan-favorite series INTERTWINED is back with a 64 page special dedicated to the only Asian Jewish character in comics: the new Spirit of Water! After the events of the original INTERTWINED series, Leah Ai Tian's life has changed drastically. She had been dragged in Juan Jin's adventures with the Spirits of WuXing against her will and Lady Xia passed on the mantle of Champion of the Water Element to her right before she was murdered. Now, Leah fights along the Spirits of the Earth, Wood, Fire and Metal to preserve the balance of the universe while fully living her Jewish faith. But her past has come back to haunt her. Why did she really leave Kaifeng and China? And what do Mob Lord Yuk-Long wants so much that he sent his goons all the way to Chinatown New York to find her?

INTERTWINED: THE LAST JEWISH DAUGHTER OF KAIFENG is a fast paced action adventure tale dealing with deep real life issues: the meaning of faith in a country that, at that time, doesn't recognize Judaism as a religion, the condition of women in the early 1970s and freedom of choice.

Klik Klik BOOM #1 -  Doug Wagner, Douglas Dabbs & Matt Wilson

Meet Sprout, a mute assassin who communicates exclusively through polaroid pictures. Being raised by her doomsday-prepping grandfather in the rolling hills of Idaho, Sprout has never been around other people, watched TV, or seen clothes outside of Army fatigues. Now she's headed to the big lights of New York City to avenge her grandfather's murder, but will the city's mesmerizing glitz and glam help her succeed-or be the death of her?

Legends Of The Pierced Veil: Izuna GN -  Saverio Tenuta & Carita Lupattelli

Since the dawn of time, the Izuna wolves have been entrusted as guardians against Japan's evil spirits, protecting the veil that keeps the spirit world of the Kami and the human world separate. One day, a dark force known as the Noggo appears, spreading infection throughout the spiritual plane. As the Izuna battle against the Noggo's invasion of their land, an Izuna cub is born in the form of a young human girl. Can the Izuna protect the Veil from the threat that could come from within?

Lizard Prince & Other South American Stories GN  -  Kate Ashwin & Kel McDonald

Cursed princes, doomsday prophecies, and a fateful nighttime visit from a legendary sorcerer-these are just a few of the ancient tales whispered in the forests of South America, retold in this beautifully drawn comics treasury! This anthology series features modern takes on folklore from across the continent, for a wide-ranging fireside collection of thrills and spooky chills. Featuring the work of Shadia Amin, Coni Yovaniniz, Verónica Alvarado, and more!

The Love Report GN -  Beka & Maya

BFFs Grace and Lola talk about everything related to romance-and have lots of questions: What about the mysterious allure of the popular girl at school? And the rebellious goth with the reputation? And boys. They don't quite understand what makes some school romances soar to legendary heights, while other flirtations fizzle. Lola has an idea-they'll observe, study, and analyze all the couples at their Junior High-and compile their findings as The Love Report. Surprises await them, and force them to learn to see beyond appearances in this fast-paced series opener. They'll also discover secrets between themselves.

LSBN GN -  Emma Jayne

A lesbian mech rom-com graphic novel by Ignatz and Prism Award-winning cartoonist Emma Jayne! After many grueling years of defending against colossal, violent creatures, the machine that will turn the conflict in humanity's favor is nearing completion... until the war unexpectedly comes to a sudden, peaceful resolution. The world rejoices. However, two women fall into crisis as their life's work becomes obsolete. Commander Sugimoto and her lead engineer Mischa Polyakov have spent nearly every waking moment together since the project's inception, but without the pretense of their careers and world-ending calamity, do they have a reason to stay in one another's lives?

MTG Planeswalkers: Noble #1 -  Stephanie Williams, Daniel Warren, Dave Rapoza, Alberto Locatelli, Lea Caballero, Arianna Consonni, Raúl Angulo & Jahnoy Lindsay

Planeswalkers Karn and Ral Zarek team up to navigate the lonely and often treacherous space between flesh and machine...Meanwhile, a romantic outing featuring Jace and Vraska? The circumstances are less than ideal, however, and even perilous!

Between fan-favorite pairings and unexpected, exciting alliances, the stellar creative team of Stephanie Williams (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons), Daniel Warren and Dave Rapoza (Steve Lichman), Alberto Locatelli, Lea Caballero, Arianna Consonni, and Raúl Angulo take readers to unforgettable realms in the Magic Multiverse!

Mexica: Aztec Princess GN  -  Kayden Phoenix & Fernanda Lozada 

Mexica's princess initiation has begun. She's given three riddles and ventures out of Aztlán with her pet ocelot, Elote, to find the prizes. Unbeknownst to her, she fights a neighboring tribe thinking they're apart of the princess initiation. Mexica unknowingly saving the kingdom and ultimately returning as Aztlán's crowned princess.

Mighty Marvel Team-Up Spider-Man: Animals Assemble! GN - Mike Maihack

When the Avengers are assembled to contain a super threat in New York City, Spider-Man is given the most important job of all: to make sure all the Avengers' super pets are safe! Spider-Man wants in on the bad guy fighting action, but with great power comes great pet sitting. Featuring fan favorite Avengers like Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Black Panther, this fun and funny original graphic novel sees the mighty web-slinger teaming up with the most unlikely of heroes to save the day!  

My Dear Curse-Casting Vampiress GN Vol 1 -  Chisaki Kanai

The world is full of vampires. Supernatural creatures who drain the blood from humans without mercy-fighting such beings is the foundation of Isuzu Osaka's life. But humanity is losing the war, and so desperate times call for desperate measures...And so, Isuzu sets out to strike a deal with a powerful vampiress whose beauty drives all who gaze upon her insane in the hopes of protecting his friends...

Night Fever GN -  Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips & Jacob Phillips 

Who are you, really? Are you the things you do, or are you the person inside your mind? In Europe on a business trip, Jonathan Webb can't sleep. Instead, he finds himself wandering the night in a strange foreign city with his new friend, the mysterious and violent Rainer, as his guide. Rainer shows Jonathan the hidden world of the night, a world without rules or limits. But when the fun turns dangerous, Jonathan may find himself trapped in the dark-the question is, what will he do to get home? NIGHT FEVER is a pulse-pounding Jekyll-and-Hyde noir thriller about a man facing the darkness inside himself.

Nuking Alaska GN -  Peter Dunlap-Shohl

Nuking Alaska is an unnervingly funny tale of life in Alaska during the tensest times of the Cold War. It recounts the surprising and tragicomic details of the nuclear threats faced by Alaskans, including Project Chariot in the late 1950s and early 60s, the near-nuclear disaster caused by the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964, and the 1971 test of a nuclear warhead on the island of Amchitka. Alaskan resident Peter Dunlap-Shohl shares the terrible consequences that these events and others had for humans and animals alike, all in the service of "atoms for peace."

Parallel TP -  Matthias Lehmann

Karl Kling's story is one of revelations, and these he has addressed in a letter to his daughter, Hella, who had disowned Karl many years ago. Karl's letter is a cri de coeur from a father to a daughter he never really got to know, and he comes clean to her about his failed marriages, his fractured family relations--and his love for men.

Taking place between the end of World War II and the 1980s, Parallel chronicles Karl's efforts to comply with social norms in order to keep his sexuality a secret. It also paints a picture of a life torn between conformity and rebellion, and the cruel realities of twentieth-century German society, where homosexuality was proscribed and punishable until 1994. Matthias Lehmann poignantly depicts the story of a decades-long yearning to live an open and free life, and the price Karl and those he loves must pay for it. It is also a story of finding the courage to finally tell the truth no matter the obstacles...or the cost.

Prophecy Complete Edition GN -  Ran Kuze

The mind twisting thriller series that was adapted into a life action film, is now in a new complete omnibus format! A newspaper-masked vigilante who broadcasts his acts of vengeance before committing them. A newly-formed police division tackling the new frontier of internet-based crime. As the sun rises on the Era of Information, can a group of people who found themselves at the bottom of the food chain rattle society through the web and avenge a fallen friend?

Barbaric: Queen Of Swords #1 -  Michael Moreci, Corin Howell & K.J. Diaz

Spinning out of the pages of BARBARIC comes an all-new, standalone, rip-roaring fantasy adventure, filled with mayhem, humor, and a bloodthirsty weapon that just won't stop talking! Serra is a witch with a checkered past; Ka is an assassin with an agenda all her own, and Deadheart is a barbarian who wants to bash everyone in her path. They'll have to unite their unique skills to track down a powerful foe who's tied their lives together. Get ready to meet your new favorite instrument of death-the evil Ga'Bar, whose spirit is now trapped in Deadheart's sword!

Discover the origin of the dark magic that turned Soren into the tattooed witch she is today, in this totally new story, the perfect place to step into the world of BARBARIC for the first time!

Reggie: Kid Penguin GN -  Jen de Oliveira

Fans of Babymouse and Owly will love this early graphic novel series about the everyday adventures and high jinks of Reginald "Reggie" Guinn, a little kid penguin with a big personality! Reggie is just like any other kid: always looking for fun and adventure! But Reggie's curious, playful side sometimes gets him into trouble. Like when he tries to give himself a haircut before picture day...and ends up gluing his feathers back on his head! Or when he sneaks a mouthful of cookie dough from the kitchen... then feels the sun baking cookies in his tummy! Or when his babysitter puts him on a kid leash while they walk to the park... and he rebels by acting like a dog!

Santa Latina Superhero GN -  Kayden Phoenix & Eva Cabrera 

Santa lives in Wexo, a made-up bordertown in Texas. With elections coming up, the tension rises as the conservative frontrunner, Illena Chavez-Estevez, AKA ICE, wants to start a race war in the town. On the Domino side, we have La Politica running. Comadre, the mentor and veteran, ends up recruiting Santa for La Politica's campaign and as the racial tensions rise in the town, Santa learns what it means to be patriotic while harnessing her Mom's military past. When civilians start getting stolen, Santa finds her voice and strength to raid the detention camps and take down ICE.

Spider-Man: Fake Red GN -  Yusuke Osawa

Yu's new high school is kind of awful. He's failing his classes and striking out socially. Everything changes when he finds one of Spider-Man's costumes abandoned in an alleyway. At first, it's fun to put on the costume and play hero, but when powerful enemies start to appear, Yu quickly realizes he's out of his element. Still, with Spider-Man nowhere to be found, the city needs someone to save it...

The Prophet GN -  A. David Lewis, Kahlil Gibran & Justin Renteria

First published in 1923, Khalil Gibran's The Prophet is unquestionably the most popular work of free verse published in the English language during the 20th century. The slender book tells the story of exiled Almustafa, leaving his refugee home of Orphalese after twelve years of banishment. Before he goes, however, he has words of wisdom for the people who took him in. This graphic adaptation features a faithful rendering of the original text with a flashback sequence that explains the prehistory of Almustafa and an afterword by A. David Lewis.

This Is Not My Story HC -  Ryan Uytdewilligen & David Huyck

The brave captain of a tiny spaceship is surrounded by flying saucers. Though the situation appears dire, he knows just what to do... um, wait! The brave captain-ahem, boy-tells the author to stop the action: He's got it all wrong. This is not the boy's story. He belongs in a different story. The author considers this. Then he begins again, with a story about Cattle King Carl, the quickest cattle wrangler in the West... No! Still not the boy's story? Hmm. Is he a dragon-slaying knight? No! A vampire's next victim? No! A boy going on a date? No! Will the author ever come up with the right story?

Twisted Tales: Part Of Your World GN -  Stephanie Kate Strohm, Liz Braswell, Kelly Matthews & Nichole Matthews

Discover a new side of The Little Mermaid in this darkly romantic reimagining of the classic Disney film! It's been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid... and took King Triton's life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric's kingdom on land. But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world-and a prince-she never imagined she would see again. Ursula has been making the most of her role as princess: With the kingdom-and Prince Eric-under her spell, the sea witch has been plotting, scheming, and waging war. And after the disguised sea witch catches wind that Ariel has resurfaced, her thirst for power threatens both land and sea. It's up to Ariel to overthrow the murderous villain before Ursula can destroy her home, her prince, and the world she once longed to be a part of.

Void Rivals #1 -  Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo De Felici & Matheus Lopes 

War rages around the Sacred Ring, where the last remnants of two worlds have collapsed around a black hole in a never-ending war.  However, when pilot Darak and his rival Solila both crash on a desolate planet, these two enemies must find a way to escape together. But are they alone on this strange planet? And what dark forces await that threaten the entire universe? 

Why I Adopted My Husband GN -  Yuta Yagi

As a gay couple living in Japan (where gay marriage is not yet legal), Yuta and Kyota have found a unique loophole in order to live together and support one another financially, legally and medically; Kyota adopted Yuta. This nonfiction manga depicts how they met, living together, discussions with their parents, and their future anxieties and determination as they strive for independence and equal rights under Japanese law.

Xino #1 -  Chris Condon, Nick Cagnetti & Matt Lesniewski

Because the future is getting weirder everyday, we give you XINO #001-the first of three OVERSIZED, 40-PAGE intra-ocular lozenges of subversive, surrealist science-fiction to cure your awful awareness of it all. Try not to worry-the insertion process will be guided by the megawatt brilliance of Oni's brightest talents (past, present, and future) as they slowly tune your hopes, dreams, desires, paranoia, alienation, anxiety, and adrenaline to produce the desired results. In our first exploratory outing: Rising stars Melissa Flores (The Dead Lucky, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) & Daniel Irizarri (Judge Dredd) surgically activate the hidden dimensions of the human senses; cult phenoms Christopher Condon (That Texas Blood) and Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade) debut the world's first intravenous video game system; Underground radicals Jordan Thomas (Weird Work) and Shaky Kane (Bulletproof Coffin) surveil the suburbs for signs of covert infiltration, and master cartoonist and foundational Oni creator Phil Hester (Gotham City: Year One, The Coffin) returns to the fold to leave his deepest mark yet!

Whatcha picking up this week, Fantom Fam?

#What's Out This Week? #WOTW #comic #comics #comic book #comic books #manga #Xino #Why I Adopted My Husband #Void Rivals #Twisted Tales #This Is Not My Story #The Prophet #Spider-Man: Fake Red #Santa Latina Superhero #Reggie: Kid Penguin #Barbaric: Queen Of Swords #Prophecy #Parallel #Nuking Alaska #Night Fever #My Dear Curse-Casting Vampiress #Mighty Marvel Team-Up Spider-Man: Animals Assemble! #Mexica: Aztec Princess #MTG Planeswalkers: Noble #LSBN #The Love Report #Lizard Prince #Legends Of The Pierced Veil #klik klik boom

[eyestumblin]

thoughts on Barbie (2022)

If you're at all interested in this movie and its discourse, Broey Deschanel's video and Verily Bitchie's are worth your time. They explain how the film is propaganda to sell toys (of course) but its main purpose is to revitalize Mattel's brand and begin a new "marvel cinematic universe" with their IPs. Bringing beloved indie directors in as a promise they'll sneak authenticity through the corporate machine is part of that marketing tactic. Apparently, it's worked for Barbie despite many of the people who celebrate it feeling fatigue with Disney-Marvel for over-saturating the cinema landscape using the exact same tactics. Maybe because this time it's with the toys of their childhood instead of star wars and comic books it feels subversive, brave, and refreshing, but Barbie's vision of Girl Power is not even meekly rebellious and certainly not feminist.

There is a purposeful void where the feminism should be. It is the strawman that anti-feminists imagine: not a movement of liberation and equality, only a cry of "I want to be the one doing the oppressing!".

I understand how a Wakanda-like vision of a world without misogyny is a delightful fantasy to live in, and the few lines explicitly calling out impossible, often contradictory double standards held over women may be a wake up call for those who have not engaged with this conversation before. For baby's first feminism, simply recognizing what misogyny is and how it wears down and degrades women can be a powerful experience. However, there is no discussion of how and why patriarchy causes and enforces misogyny or how to dismantle it.

The movie acknowledges the male characters, especially Ken, as emotional beings with understandable pain, and gives him more attention than the troubled mother-daughter relationship that seems like it should be the core of a film for and about women. His existential crisis is a parallel to Barbie's, and so for a satisfying conclusion, it's important they both get the answer to their question: "Who am I? What do I need to be to deserve love?".

"You're not an accessory, you should just do your own thing without a woman" is a fine answer for Ken, but is an incomplete offering for men under patriarchy. For all the runtime this movie sinks into men, it seems to go out of its way to avoid ever acknowledging how patriarchy harms them, too. Bell Hooks said, "The first act of violence that patriarchy demands of males is not violence toward women. Instead, patriarchy demands of all males that they engage in acts of psychic self-mutilation, that they kill off the emotional parts of themselves." Will Ferrell's declaration that he wants to be tickled is the closest thing to acknowledging how patriarchy robs men of full access to their own lives but unless you already know feminist theory, it's just a throwaway joke on what a goofy little guy he is.

From birth, patriarchy teaches men the answer to the question of how to be worthy of love is a lifelong gauntlet of contests. Who collects the most valuable things (women being objectified and included in this tally), who can endure the most isolation and pain, who can conquer and stand alone at the top. Stepping on women is normalized as an easy way to raise ranks in these contests before even competing with other men. Treating women as equals is punished because it's not participating 'correctly' if he doesn't seek power over women and other men (I kept waiting for Allan to be some kind of comment on this, but nope!).

The word Patriarchy is littered throughout the script and used as a magic spell to transform Barbieland overnight without any further exposition. Men are framed as the adversary, but the happy ending is not to free everyone from patriarchy. Systemic injustice is not challenged, men and women do not unite as equals. Barbieland returns to Matriarchy and the narrator chuckles about how someday, perhaps, the Kens will only face the same level of oppression human women do on earth.

I saw more memes about Ken than any other character, and although there's validity to claims that he's most popular because men always get more positive attention than women, it's also definitely a consequence of the film's choices. He gets the most fully formed and sympathetic arc, a music number, and most marketable quips and visual gags. Getting through heartbreak and learning "I am Kenough" is a lot easier to relate to and make fun memes of than a flawless, immortal being meeting her creators and choosing to develop cellulite and die.

The reception of this movie has been enormous and enthusiastic, surely in part because its marketing budget cost as much as the movie itself. I was curious whether criticism and lack of accolade was really just misogyny at work as much of the internet believes. The conclusion I've come to is that Mattel strategically planned Barbie to be championed by women and rely on real misogyny ("pink movie for girls bad, cannot be good movie") to blot out any and all criticism of its weak writing and insincere, toothless social commentary. This happened with Ghostbusters 2016; the wailing and fury of nostalgic misogynists was so loud, it made denouncing them feel like an important fight to take up rather than just free advertising and clout for a mediocre, cynical corporate product.

I totally understand the ~fun~ parts of this movie and I'd enjoy watching some of the spectacle again. It's just frustrating to see Mattel catching earnest people hook, line, and sinker in the year 2023 even after a decade of seeing others strung along behind the same boat. They've successfully packaged the movie as important through implied (but critically absent) connection to feminism when all that's inside is, for better or worse, just a colorful plastic toy (20$).

#opinions on entertainment #barbie #spoilers #been a while since i wrote a long one. writing tiring but i did my best

[beevean]

The fandom pendulum is indeed a fickle thing

Though I'm curious, would you say the sonic fandom has generation gaps between its "factions"?

Absolutely.

Someone who was, say, 8 in 2006 when they first played '06 is now 25, old enough to participate in fandom discussions and defend their childhood game now that the backlash has died down.

People who don't like the Classic style are usually people who weren't old enough to play the Classic games when they were relevant, and are not used to the slightly more archaic style (I've seen people who didn't even like Mania because of this). The attempts of revitalizing Classic in the 2010s fell flat for them... hence, the disdain for the "Meta" era, and the acclaim for Frontiers who attempts to be a love letter to the Adventure games in spirit.

The Classic zealots are now in their late 30s, early 40s. Many of them have moved on. They're not the authority of the fandom anymore.

And this is why I say that in a few years, people whose first game was Forces will come out of the woods and defend it. The game is already about to turn 6: children who played it are young teens now.

#sonic the hedgehog

[triviareads]

ARC Review of Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez

Summary:

Gillian Armstead-Bancroft returns to her hometown Freedom, Kansas divorced with two small children, jobless, and feeling like her bruja powers no longer work. She runs into Nicky Mendoza, her childhood friend and former lover. Their renewed friendship may be tenuous, but they have to work together if they want to contribute to the ongoing renewal of the bar Gillian owns with her sisters, as well as Milagro Street as a whole.

My review:

Gillian and Nicky have history— they were friends on and off between elementary school and college. She asked him to divest her of her virginity after her freshman year of college. I got the sense he was her, to use historical romance terminology, "bit o' rough". On his end, he definitely saw her as some unattainable princess. It's revealed later that he was really cut up about her leaving, so based on this, I expected a little more of a Persuasion vibe where he's resentful towards her when she returns, but Angelina subverted those expectations straight away in the first couple chapters when they meet again. Really, the only thing keeping them apart for most of the book is their intention to leave Freedom at the end of the summer. Oh, and also, there's Gillian's shitty ex-husband :/

Listen, Nicky is a smooth operator. Always was, based on the flashbacks, and always will be. So he and Gillian, who is a little uptight and a perfectionist, work really well together even after picking up where they left off 13 years ago. It's one of those cases where the only things holding them back are themselves (their respective ambitions and realistically, GIllian has two children to think about as well). Like, I never had a doubt that had it not been for timing, they would have been together a lot sooner.

I'd say setting is a huge part of what made this book stand out. It's a small-town setting but in the best way, particularly because Angelina M. Lopez continues with the same theme from After Hours on Milagro Street, which is just how interwoven Mexican-American culture is in Freedom, Kansas, and how much the Mexican-American community contributed to the town. it's unlikely, as many characters in the books point out, because when you think of small town America, you think of, well, white people. But pocket communities like this exist all over the country, and it was established really well here, complete with an intricate fictional history. Revitalizing the town, specifically Milagro Street is a large part of the overarching plot, and both Nicky and Gillian are involved in different ways: Nicky with his mural in the historic train station, and Gillian with her financial planning skills that would directly benefit Loretta's and other minority-owned businesses in the area.

There is also a magical and supernatural element to this story, one deeply ingrained in the culture. The community at large simply accepts this idea that ghosts and La Llorona exists, that some people can be haunted, and some people are brujas (witches) who can use their powers and milagros for the betterment of individuals or even a building or community. At first I was surprised by this casual acceptance in the modern era, but then I realized there are cultural equivalents of this all over the world. I mean, I come from a culture where astrologers are regularly consulted, horoscopes still matter, and folk rituals like bhoota kola are performed. It's just a part of the culture (dating back to a pre-Christian America), and I loved how Angelina incorporated it into the story. Specifically, Gillian is a bruja (she learnt the art from her mom) but she's "lost" her magic and is now convinced she is a curse of sorts. Nicky is haunted by a cadejo, a spirit that appears as a black dog.

The sex:

It felt like there were less overall sex scenes compared to After Hours on Milagro Street, and I would say the tension between Gillian and Nicky is more of a simmering variety compared to Alex and Jeremiah in the first book. The sexual dynamic between them was a little teacher/student, a little "I'm the eldest daughter who feels responsible for everything and would like to be taken care of during sex", with interesting sides of a mild exhibitionist kink and "hot mom".

Here's what I appreciated most, sex-wise:

a) Listen if there's one thing Angelina loves to write it's an immediate sexual scene, let it be the heroine pretty much mounting the hero in the first 3 chapters (see: Lush Money and After Hours on Milagro Street), or in this case, immediately propositioning him upon meeting him again after 13 years. And it's great. It's like instant gratification for me 😂

b) I personally loved the tidbits she gave us of Nicky/Gillian's initial sexual relationships 13 years ago (similar to how Angelina did it in Hate Crush). It's an awesome way to get insight into their characters and the hints you get are pretty damn sexy.

c) Even the slightly out-there stuff during her sex scenes like some of the dirty talk (see: any use of the word "mommy") works because it feels real. Angelina writes the weird quirks of sex really well which actually makes the scenes hotter.

Overall:

Small-town romances can sometimes get trite real fast, but this book is definitely not one of them. It has the romance, a complex family dynamic, a mystery based on town history, along with supernatural elements. The love and care in the way Angelina described Mexican-American culture really comes across. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone in need of a good contemporary romance that's sexy and emotional in equal measure.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

#arc review #arc #netgalley #angelina m lopez #harlequin #harlequin romance #contemporary romance

[nitewrighter]

I watched the Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers movie because, hey Rescue Rangers was straight up my childhood, and like... it had some fun bits don't get me wrong but overall the more I think about it the more it makes my skin crawl???

Like... here's the good:

>The Ugly Sonic cameo was honestly hilarious.

>I actually do think the setup about different animated characters undergoing "CG surgery" in order to revitalize their careers and stay relevant was darkly clever. The way it figured into the whole plot kind of reminded me of the Plastic surgery subplot in LA Confidential. If so many other elements of the film weren't in such terrible taste, it would have set a really cool mood similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

>All of the movie billboards lampooning the state of the film industry like "Waze: The Movie" and "Batman vs. ET" were really fun.

>I LOVED that they poked a lot of fun at uncanny valley animation or had little one-off gags like "In-Your-Face-3D News" with a character who's blurred like they're in 3D minus 3D glasses. Just watching the wide range of different art styles, animation styles, and characters was so impressive.

The Bad:

>Literally why couldn't they have actually traditionally animated Chip, Gadget, Monty, and Zipper? The cel-shaded pseudo-traditional CG is a lot more noticeable than Disney really thinks it is. Don't get me wrong, when it's done well, it's great, but here it felt really cheap as opposed to actually traditionally animating them like in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

>Peter Pan as the villain felt enormously disrespectful to Bobby Driscoll.

>Gadget and Zipper being sidelined the whole movie. I feel like Gadget especially got the raw deal here. Like, they could have gone the Galaxy Quest route and actually given Gadget some distinction between her screen character and who she was in 'real life' while still keeping her as a talented mechanic, but they literally lampshaded not characterizing her beyond her character in the show and it just felt... lazy. Also her being married to Zipper and having 42 kids was such a "seriously??" decision.

>The whole plot treating animation bootleg as an animation equivalent of human trafficking is so 'yikes' on two levels. One--it's making light of a frankly horrifying worldwide problem, and two, it's basically Disney asserting itself as *the* animation company and basically claiming itself as the definitive *official* version of any fairy tale ever. I mean yeah there were callouts to other animation companies but pretty much all the bootlegs being bootlegs of disney films made me side-eye the whole thing. It's particularly 'ugh' given how much of a massive bitch Disney can be with regards to public domain. And it also felt like a middle finger to any overseas animation companies.

>overall the movie felt very cynical about animation and the way it ended felt like, "Okay yeah the film industry is derivative and recycled as hell but get used to it because It's Going To Be Like This Forever."

#chip and dale rescue rangers 2022 #chip and dale rescue rangers

[cosmicjoke]

Alright, so, still haven’t had a chance to watch episode 7 of IWTV yet, but I’ve been made aware of the theory being posited that the final reveal of Louis calling Armand the “love of my life” and some other details of the episode are meant to clue the audience into the fact that Louis is being mind controlled by Armand, and that the inconsistencies in his story, especially regarding Lestat, are a result of this.  I like this theory, as it’s truly the only logical, and justifiable explanation for... everything from episode 5 on.  If Armand is distorting Louis’ memories of Lestat to have him remembering Lestat as this horrific abuser, that wold be keeping well in line with Armand’s character.

I just finished rereading IWTV, and the last chapter (which I’d forgotten almost entirely since I first read the book years ago) is deeply revealing about Armand’s character and, even more so, I think, Lestat’s character.

I’ve seen plenty of people who I have to assume never read the books, or just have low level reading comprehension, refer to Lestat in the first book at the “villain” of the story, and I’ve already made a post about why that’s an incorrect statement to make.  And this final chapter really just drives home exactly why.

Firstly, with Armand, if anyone is thinking Armand incapable of manipulating Louis to the extent in which this theory posits him as doing, in the book, in the final chapter of IWTV, he flat out admits to Louis that he himself forced Claudia out into the courtyard and locked her in as the sun was breaking.  Armand killed Claudia, by his own hand.  More revealing still, though, is that Armand, earlier, in order to get Louis to agree to go back to New Orleans, reveals to him that Lestat is still alive, and we learn near the end of the chapter that he does so because he’s hoping that seeing Lestat will revitalize Louis’ lost passion and love, specifically, his lost passion and love for Armand himself.  He’s banking on Lestat revealing to Louis that Armand was the one who killed Claudia by his own hand.  Lestat, however, doesn’t do this.  And this brings us again to the fallacy of calling Lestat the villain of the first book.  Lestat’s completely desperate and pitiful state which Louis finds him is is a direct result of him having lost Louis and Claudia both, and the way in which he begs Louis to stay with him, and confesses to Louis that he never meant for Claudia to be killed, that he didn’t know what Santiago had planned, once again truly exposes Lestat’s true nature.  He wasn’t ever the unfeeling, cold, dimwitted or monstrous man Louis, for a long time, believed him to be.  He loved Louis and Claudia desperately, he needed them, not for Louis’ money, as Louis initially believed, but because he so loved Louis and Claudia both.  It was just, because of his own, terrible trauma, which is hinted at in this book, but not expanded upon, he never knew how to express it.  There’s a point in the book in which Louis explains how, on nights when he and Lestat would go out to the opera, or to a play, Lestat would afterwards show so much human joy and enthusiasm for the experience that Louis would confess to him that he enjoyed Lestat’s company, and after each such confession, Lestat would pull away and not ask to go out with Louis for months at a time.  It’s impossible to know exactly why just from reading IWTV, but of course, for anyone who’s read The Vampire Lestat, it becomes clear that Lestat is dealing with a lot of abandonment issues and childhood trauma which causes in him a great and awful fear of being left alone.  Of course, it’s a common thing for people who fear abandonment to pull away from those they love, frightened that if that person comes to learn too much about them, they’ll end up hating and leaving them.  We get plenty of clues to this being the case with Lestat throughout the first book.  He was never just some evil baddie who terrorized poor Louis and Claudia and treated them like trash.

Lestat’s desperate pleas for Louis to come back to him in Paris, and then for him to stay in New Orleans, reflect that.  He says to Louis “I wanted to talk to you so much.  That night I came home to the Rue Royale, I only wanted to talk to you!”.  Lestat always wished he could open up to Louis and express how he truly felt, but he was always too paralyzed by his own fear to do so, early on anyway.

I bring this all up because, contrary to what some people who defend the shows depiction of Lestat would have us believe, Lestat was never meant to be seen as the villain of that story, and so him being depicted as such in the show never would and never did make any sense.  It would be an almost unbelievable misreading of the text by the show runners for them not to realize this, and unless they really are just that blatantly disrespectful of Anne Rice’s work, I can’t see them being that stupid.  So I think, in light of this, the theory that Louis’ memories of Lestat are being altered by Armand makes all the more sense.  Lestat would never hurt Louis or Claudia the way he does in the show, not if we’re talking about the ACTUAL Lestat.  He loves them too much to ever do anything even remotely akin it, and he always did.  He doesn’t even shown any resentment towards Claudia, despite how deeply she wronged him, and that tells you all you need to know. 

Now how that relates back to Armand, and how Armand attempts to use Lestat to manipulate Louis, I think feeds into the theory for the show.  Armand shows no qualms whatsoever about using Lestat in order to gain Louis’ love and trust, or to use him to shift Louis into a more wanted state.  We first see this when Armand affects disgust with Lestat in Paris, after Claudia is killed, by asking him if he’s “satisfied” with what’s happened in front of Louis, pretending at his own innocence in the whole affair, as if he’s defending Louis from Lestat’s evil.  And then of course later, when he thinks by forcing Louis and Lestat back together, it will reawaken Louis lost passion for life and rekindle his interest in Armand himself.

Louis reveals though that he already knows Armand killed Claudia, and he doesn’t care, because he feels nothing for Armand anymore.  Hardly the “love of his life”, as he says in the show.  Louis would never say that of Armand.  By the end of IWTV, Louis’ distaste for Armand is plain as day.  He wants him gone, he wants to be away from him, he’s disgusted by him.  He even calls Armand out on pretending to be sad about having caused Claudia’s death.  Louis knows Armand doesn’t give a fuck.

So, assuming the show is intending to actually have Louis and Lestat end up together, as everyone involved has previously claimed, this would be a logical and justifiable explanation for the seeming character assassination they’ve performed on... well, everyone in this show thus far. 

I still think it was ridiculous to go about it in this way, and has done nothing but cause a lot of grief and misery and confusion regarding the direction the show was taking.  It’s woefully arrogant for the show runners to think they can go about telling Anne Rice’s story better than Anne Rice herself.  The whole thing has been convoluted.  I get they want to keep the audience on their toes and guessing, to surprise the audience so they’ll keep tuning in.  I get that’s how TV works.  But Anne Rice has sold millions of books, and the ratings on this last episode were, I’ve heard, about half a million people.  They aren’t exactly pulling fans of the books in in droves, it seems, probably because they’ve caused so much confusion and anger by deviating so drastically from the books themselves. 

They should have just stuck to what Anne Rice wrote.  It’s infinitely more complex, heartfelt, and powerful than anything the show has given us.  But, whatever, that’s how it is in Hollywood.  They routinely butcher works of literature, thinking they’re making it more exciting, when really, they’re just robbing it of its heart. 

Just read this paragraph from the last chapter, and tell me this doesn’t move you more than anything this show has been able to do:

“Don’t try to speak... it’s all right.”  I said to Lestat, who dropped down gratefully into his chair and reached out to stroke the lapels of my coat with both hands.

“But I’m so glad to see you,” he stammered through his tears.  “I’ve dreamed of your coming... coming...” he said.  And then he grimaced, as if he were feeling a pain he couldn’t identify, and again the fine map of scars appeared for an instant.  He was looking off, his hand up to his ear, as if he meant to cover it to defend himself from some terrible sound.  “I didn’t...” he started; and then he shook his head, eyes clouding as he opened them wide, strained to focus them.   “I didn’t mean to let them do it, Louis... I mean that Santiago... that one, you know, he didn’t tell me what they planned to do.”

“That’s all past, Lestat,” I said.

“Yes, yes,” he nodded vigorously.  “Past.  She should never... why Louis, you know...”  And he was shaking his head, his voice seeming to gain in strength, to gain a little in resonance with his effort.  “She should never have been one of us, Louis.”  And he rapped his sunken chest with his fist as he said “Us” again softly.

But yes, Lestat was just a big old meanie in the first book, he was just the villain.  Sure.  Okay.

Anyway, I’m off to start “The Vampire Lestat” next. 

#amc's interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire #Anne Rice #lestat de lioncourt #louis de pointe du lac #armand

[tremendouskoalachild]

What we know about Leslye Headland's perspective on the prequels

We've heard a lot about the showrunner of The Acolyte and her opinions on the prequel films, especially recently after star wars celebration 2023. I'd like to summarize what we've learned so far.

It seems every artist new to the franchise gets asked the same question in interviews about their first star wars project: their personal relationship to the IP. Leslye Headland consistently responds that she's been a fan since childhood (the 80s), loved to read expanded universe books, and enjoys star wars RPGs. She goes into her history with the fandom around 25 minutes into this youtube interview, explaining among other things that she got back into the fandom around the time of the disney buyout (early 2010s).

She shares a similar sentiment in an interview (archived link) with The A. V. Club in June 2021:

"I enjoyed the prequels but didn’t feel the same kind of kinship to them as I did the original trilogy. I was older. I was moving into college and getting into theater. I was moving in this different direction. But with the advent of YouTube videos and their discourse around Star Wars, I started to get back into it, whether it was critiques of the prequels or recaps of things, or just kind of this digestible fandom that I didn’t realize existed."

So, Leslye was an OT baby, grew up by the time the PT came out and wasn't all that into it, and got sucked back into star wars by interacting with the community on youtube and other sites, around the time the fandom was revitalized post-disney purchase.

She elaborates further on her reaction to episode I in another interview from June 2021, for TheWrap:

“What I can say is the reason it did appeal to me personally is that I was 18 when ‘Phantom Menace’ came out and I was a very, very big ‘Star Wars’ fan. I remain a big ‘Star Wars’ fan, but at that particular time, right after the re-releases and the fact that I was in high school, it just kind of all coincided at a time where I was discovering who I was sexually, I was discovering who I was artistically, I was kind of realizing what I wanted to do with my life. And then this big, huge movie event, cultural event happened that was ‘The Phantom Menace.'”

“And I know there were varying reactions to it. And certainly there were a lot of people that had grown up with the original trilogy who were disappointed by it. But I actually was very intrigued by why George Lucas had started us at that particular point. I kind of wondered, but what happened to lead up to this? That’s kind of where my ‘Star Wars’ fan brain went was like, ‘How did we get here?’ And why are the Jedi like this? When they are in power, why are they acting this way and how is it that they’re not having the reaction that you would think they would to Anakin’s presence and what Qui-Gon Jinn is saying about how passionately he feels about training him and bringing him into the fold. It’s like, even the discovery of Darth Maul is kind of met with this like, ‘Hm, interesting’ kind of feeling. So I just think for me, my brain has always buzzed around that area and wondered what’s going on here — or what has been going on here.”

In her interview (archived link) with Vanity Fair from 24 May 2022 she introduces her approach to Jedi and the Force in The Acolyte:

“In the prequels, Mace Windu says: ‘There's no way that the Sith could have reemerged without us knowing about it.’ And Yoda says, ‘Hard to see the dark side is,’” Headland points out. “He acknowledges that this is a part of the Force that has been dormant, or at least hidden from them, for so long. What I immediately wondered about this particular period was: who is practicing it?”

Vanity Fair: How do you explain the High Republic to a Star Wars fan who may not yet be familiar with the stories the books have been telling?

The way I would explain the High Republic, and specifically where my show takes place, is that I'm about 100 years before The Phantom Menace. So, a lot of those characters haven't even been born yet. My question in watching The Phantom Menace was always like, "Well, how did things get to this point?" Do you know what I mean? How did we get to where a Sith lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi pick up on it? What went wrong? What are the scenarios that led us to this moment? So that's what I would say. That's how I would describe it to my friends, especially my non-Star Wars friends.

One hundred years in our own world is a huge leap. There are unthinkable changes in the span of century. Is that true of the Star Wars world, too? Obviously there are starships, there are lightsabers, but is it a different era technologically in the High Republic?

Absolutely. I mean, I love the fact that George Lucas, when he originally made Episodes 4 through 6 [a.k.a. the original trilogy], you can see that he wants everything to feel like it has this particular type of decay. This is a lived-in sci-fi fantasy world, not a sleek, well-put-together aesthetic. He was really going for something that I think was a bit revolutionary at the time.

When he tasked himself with making the prequels, the way that he decided to address technology and all of those types of things was to make it a much sleeker, better-looking, almost more advanced time. That's what's kind of weird about Star Wars. The further you go back, the better things are. “A long time ago” actually becomes more futuristic. So while we are creating this type of world, we're trying to carry George's concept that the further you go back, the more exciting and new and sleek and interesting things look.

The way you're describing it reminds me of the Roman era, a time where that empire was very powerful and fairly technologically advanced. Then that region of the world falls into a period of barbarism, and the Dark Ages follow. Is that similar to what you're talking about here? Is the High Republic an era of education and advancement and glory, while the Star Wars movies and shows that we know best are from a time of collapse and decay?

Yes. We actually use the term the Renaissance, or the Age Of Enlightenment. There doesn't necessarily need to be an uprising among people in the expanded regions or in the inner worlds, because everybody's doing so well. For what I'm exploring, another good analogy might be post World War I in the United States, where we very much got into this isolationist concept of: we're not helping anybody. We want to protect this particular vibe that we have going. [Laughs.] ‘Vibe’ is definitely not the word they use.

So the leaders of this galactic era would rather ignore conflict or suffering than resolve it?

The High Republic is so golden in so many ways. The Jedi uniforms are gold and white and it's almost like they would never get dirty. They would never be out and about. The idea is that they could have these types of uniforms because that's how little they're getting into skirmishes. So of course my question is like, ‘Well, what else is going on?’ You can't just end up with George’s Phantom Menace situation if everything is going well.

It has to be going well at the expense of what? What is not being attended to? What are we turning a blind eye to that could lead to the rise of somebody like Palpatine about a century later? Yes, it's one bad guy, but it's one bad guy that completely undermines the entire system of government. A lot of other things must have been going on beneath the surface.

And we know the Jedi completely miss this.

[They’re] constantly talking about balance. If the light side is proliferating everywhere, what's going on with the dark side? How is it manifesting itself? What is it doing to survive? Because it very clearly does later on in the world.

From a more recent IGN article (published 7 April 2023, first day of star wars celebration):

Speaking to IGN at Star Wars Celebration, Headland explained that she started brainstorming The Acolyte by challenging the status quo.

"You just go, 'Well, where's the part that nobody's going, what about that?' And so to me, the institution of the Jedi was that," Headland said. "So they trained children and that seems super complicated of a thing. It's not criticism. It's just like, 'well, that seemed strange.'

"And then it's like, 'Well, we're in this era of peace and nothing's wrong because we are in charge,' which is also a strange thing to say. And again, they might be correct, but I would assume that in the very, very vast galaxy, people would go, 'I don't agree with that'."

Challenging things that are just accepted in the Star Wars universe, and even things that fans have criticised looking in from the outside, was therefore her approach to The Acolyte.

"Why would this happen this way? Why did Qui-Gon make the decision that he made? How [did] Darth Sidious become chancellor without Yoda, one of the most powerful Jedi who ever lived, knowing about it? I think that those are questions that were just all still hanging out there. So that's where I think you start.

"I think plenty of people are taking swings at the Skywalker Saga and the time periods between George's original trilogy and the Disney trilogy and beyond. Plenty of people are taking cracks at that. So to me, I was like, 'Well, I'd like to try to take a crack at just asking some of the questions that maybe other people wouldn't necessarily think to ask or people have asked, but maybe not on a level where they were lucky enough to get the opportunity to make it actually happen like myself'."

Headland said during the panel, and further with IGN, that she’s taking inspiration from various Star Wars media as well. Speaking specifically, she said she was “very, very struck” by The Clone Wars episode The Wrong Jedi, where Ashoka is put on trial by the Jedi Council for crimes she did not commit, and Anakin must find a way to prove her innocence.

And finally, we have the interview with Collider, published 14 April 2023 (but probably recorded on 7 April 2023 as well):

“What I'm really interested in is Star Wars for the perspective of the bad guys. Therefore, if we set something earlier in the timeline, something before the prequels but a little bit after the end of the high Republic - because Star Wars is always about Rebels versus institutional threat, underdogs versus huge Empire, so if we set it then then the Jedi become the antagonists. Not the bad guys, but they become the bad guys to the bad guys. And I gotta say, Kathy really responded to that. She really felt like that was a pocket of the universe that we had not seen, that nobody else had pitched her.“

"I think it’s difficult to do a show that is critical in any way of the Jedi. And I think that you saw that with [Rian Johnson’s] film. Do you know what I mean? Like, I think that, especially in that moment, people were very nervous about saying this particular institution may not be the light and perfect, stunning group of heroes that are totally nobly intentioned. And one thing that I think Dave would say is that they are fallible. That's really the story that George told with the prequels, right? The fall of this particular group."

“So I went, well, then what happened right before that? He sort of starts in medias res in Phantom, so I went, well, if you went back further, where are the cracks in the system… how can evil start to rise in the way that it does, to the point where literally one of the strongest Sith that ever lived can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi know about it? So I think once you can kind of get people into that place then they're more supportive.”

"But I think when you think you're going to tell the story about bad guys, and the Jedi’s might be the antagonist to those Jedi’s, I think that makes people nervous. But it didn't make Kathy nervous. And I will say that in that room, when I pitched her, it was probably one of the most exciting things because it felt like a conversation, and less like I was up for a job. It felt much more like, 'Okay, but what are you going to do about this? And what are you going to do about that?' And so I was able to fold in what I know about Star Wars, and what I love about Star Wars, into what she's always pushing for, which is, 'What's the emotional throughline?'"

#the acolyte

[deludedextracts]

One of my favorite things about the locked tomb trilogy (quartet, eventually?) is how much there is to chew over.

Someone posted a few days ago about Ianthe coming from a line of flesh magicians, and that one of the best parts of her character is that she chooses to look liked a drowned rat, because she could potentially look like anything. On the heels of that, I wonder what that says about Coronabeth, who's consistently described as being almost too vivid, extra saturated where her twin is washed out.

Spoilers ahoy

:readmore:

What are the odds that Ianthe has something to do with that? Whether something happened to corona as a child that she revitalized/brought her back from (we see her childhood memories of tormenting babs with being mortally injured, incidentally, was there a specific origin to that trauma?) or because she's deflecting attention from herself/loves corona that much/wants her to be beautiful.

My next thought about Ianthe choosing to look that way is that she probably does enjoy it, and for exactly the same reason most of us love that for her: it implies agency. I'm really taken with the idea that in TLT, physical beauty is the exact inverse of agency. Characters who aren't classically beautiful are farther from mainstream (so to speak) society. Gideon and harrow, for instance, being almost totally cut off from the other 8 houses and blood of eden consistently having scarred/weathered appearances, for instance. Conversely, Alecto-barbie is an obvious example, as well as Corona's power/place in society coming entirely from Ianthe's skill and deception (or her hair getting dull after she becomes crown!) the entire 7th's whole "beauty that blooms and dies" thing, or Mercy having anime hair. Etc, etc, etc.

Which brings me to my last thought, about the lyctors: G1deon stands out as consistently being described as unattractive, scarred, "like flesh stretched over a raw nerve." I have to wonder if in the end, while I doubt it was conscious, the one real gift Jod ever gave his best friend since childhood, the boy he bought sandwiches for and who blew up the world for him, was being allowed to be imperfect.

#The locked tomb #nona the ninth #tlt #nona the ninth spoilers

[haruzen-ampy]

Missing Prisoner EP

Hi phighting fandom, I'm here with my first ever completed fanfic!

Alt. fic name: The Traumatized Eyes Under The Bright Visor

Word count: 2170 words

A few things to note: this is like half head canon half canon kinda stuff, im not good at writing, boombox is aroace here i aint shipping shit with him 🗣📣📣📣🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯‼️‼️‼️‼️,hes also ran away from lost temple to playground, and everyone in this fic is so ooc im so sorry

TWs : swearing, domestic abuse, implied self-harm

TL;DR: Boombox telling Rocket about his horrible past.

The sun sets lazily, putting down a soft peachy tint across the Playground buildings. The soothing evening breezes revitalizes two worn out phighters on their way home. Boombox: Hey Rocket, wanna listen to a fun fact? Rocket: Hmm? Ya! Sure,whassit Boom? Boombox: I'm actually not from here,Playground. I'm a Lost Temple member. Escaped their agonizing past. Rocket snickers: I dun buy it,yo! Yer height is lying for someone who "ran away" from Lost Temple! And I dunno if I could believe ya! Raises his eyebrows, Boombox asks: Then how many percent of you thinks that's true? Rocket: Like 50%-70% ish???  Boombox: Then if you want to, I'll make it to 100% for you. Rocket: Then go on den! Ya must have a long story to tell. Luckily for ya 'am free this whole evening!  Boombox: Hmmm... Where should I start?

A genius. A musical prodigy. "Someone who was born with musical talent". His childhood was showered with praises and cheers as his trophies keep filling up his shelves. His parents were proud of him, and he do,too! But who would deny he isn't talented, for someone writing and composing a whole original song at the age of 6?

Rocket: So ya are just flexin bout your past!  That isn't something to be mad of, agonizing, or traumatizing to you. And I'm jealous too, having both pa-

Boombox: This is just the beginning, Ket.

A stubborn, wild kid at heart. All he love at the age of 12 was his parents, his boombox, the arcade, this world, and freedom. Then time goes by, anxiety and negative thoughts creeps around. Night time you can hear him sobbing about every single thing to ever exist. But it's all natural right? As his friendships began to crumble, his grades falling, the time schedule and deadline piling high, or the phight practice was too rough to deal with. But as a Lost Temple dweller, he have to keep his expectations high.

.

.

.

-Wake up, sleepyhead...

-Wake up, dear...

-Wake up. 

-BOOMBOX CAN'T YOU JUST WAKE UP EARLY FOR ONCE!?

Yea. He blacked out last night from all the crying and making up tunes for his songs, but nothing feels like a burst from all the bore sound he makes. What day is it today? Sunday. It's Sunday. Yet his mom woke him up at six, due to one singular time he was late to school, earning him a phone call from the teacher, and leaving his parents disappointed. But that isn't that serious to the point his mom have to forcefully do it?

But that wasn't all his teenage pain caused by his parents during these years Boombox had to suffer.

High school was a nightmare. And it wasn't because he was constantly bullied, it was his performance and the teachers. It's either the whole class gets a low grade together, or he's the grand sacrifice and gets the worst grade in class, while everyone gets a much higher score despite he grinded all of his free time and training time into studying for those tests. 

Eyes upon eyes of judgements from his teachers, always so fixated on his behavior,be it bad or good.

And of course, messing around with the school rules means some kind of punishment. A new rule in this household. To the thirteen years old then, they are just restrains to keep him in place.

Rocket: So ya said you were shit at school right? That explains why your Phinisher was so simple, and the way you dive head first into the enemies just to wait for Medkit to patch ya up.

Boombox: I'm not that much of an idiot like you think, 'Ket. You may not believe it, but I could analyze when to do it and when I should refrain myself. I could differentiate a new phighter in the scene from an experienced one.

Rocket: mmmmm kay Mr Wisebeats, continue then.

Indeed. Despite his grade was so horrible, he can skim through a long essay and have a clear grasp of what it's saying. Besides, the child prodigy is still inside him. Damaged and tattered. But it's not ready to give up just yet.

Many of the articles he spent reading were about mental illnesses,abuses,and the most important ones are effects of childhood trauma on daily life. And maybe… that’s the first time he knew something he, nor his parents know. He was clearly damaged from every word his parents thrown at him in a fit of rage. 

“I love you,dear” can never cure him. And neither does “I always care about you.” At first, the child was crying streams of tears. Knowing he is being refrained from his usual stimulations. His tears slowly dry up. And now staring blankly at someone he was forced to identify as his parent figures. Because he was taught not to talk back to his parents,but if he can, it can be longer and more logical than everything they have to say to him.

He never heard a single “sorry” or “It’s my fault” from them. In this family, he’s the one whose sorries and fault spills out.

Food never tastes flavorless when they have a family dinner. He supplies them with his tears. The last to enter the table, the first to exit the meal. Because he got nothing good to say, nor does his parents. He wants to skips every feast they have together.

Giving the other a sympathetic gaze, Rocket asks: That sounds rough. Did ya have anyone to talk to then? Boombox smirks: I’ll give you a hint. Your beloved. Rocket: Sword? Fer realsies? Stop teasin me while you are dumping your own past! Boombox: We are just one year apart. If Sword and you can be together, then I could be his friend during those dull years of high school. In fact, he helped me with my epic getaway! he chuckles. “You can ask him after we’re done.”

Sword was pretty rowdy and reckless in his teenage years. And meeting up with Boombox as a senior was a spin of mood from all of the Junior High nightmares the latter faced. It feels magical. Sword always listens to him venting about his parents,how he hates them,and how he desires to run away and never come back,vanishing his bloodline away. Arcade workers never see one of them alone, and loud noises of trash talking with occasional cackles here and there makes the younger one feels better. Was it comfort that he has been looking for? They have many things in common. Yet the only thing Boombox desires was the freedom that Sword had. The presence of the older one made the green-horned demon know what to do. It’s either he has to deal with his parents, sooner or later, or those chains will ruin his dreams and ambitions.

But he also has another plan in mind if all fails him.

His room’s door silently closes. He despises his blinding and glimmering past sitting for ages on his shelves. But they cannot shine in this void of sorrow. Nothing was there except his electric piano, his blanket, himself, and his reflection staring at him the way he stared blankly, yet focused at it. His drafting compass was there too. …He hesitantly grabbed it. Thoughts racing around his head. Should he be doing this? Should he not? Maybe a bit of blood leaking won’t hurt. Maybe it does. What if he will get addicted to the pain and it will be too late to stop in the future. Will he regret this? clink. And the compass is now lying, lifeless in the corner of the void. -What were you thinking? No no no nononono no!!!!! Your future is still bright! What if Sword wakes up one day and you don’t again? You are not easing anyone’s pain. You don’t, and never want your friends to cry and bawling about you right? Please. You will find a way through this mess.

Teary-eyed and weary, he blacked out again. Hope is still glowing inside him.

-So this is goodbye then? -I think so. -Y’know, I sometimes wish I were you. Having guardian figures isn't even mortal to be bothered with normal affairs. -I guess…? Venomshank is kinda busy, so he wouldn’t care much about how I perform academically, nor my future job, or a partner. I’m not so sure your parents would be the same as him. -They said they want me to become a classical composer or a pianist, or I have to throw away my gear and be normal demons and doing 9-5 jobs just like ‘em. But they also told me they wouldn’t care about what the shit I will be doing after graduating from high school though. -Do you actually believe them? -... 30%. -Say, you have to sit through one more year of high school right? -Yea… but to be honest, I’m fucking ready to drop out of school everytime. -So call me when you have considered everything unbearable in this current household. We will be escaping when the stars are still here. -Thank you so much, bestie! -Eh, that’s the least I can do to help you.

What time is it? 7pm on an unusually hot spring day. His last academic year is about to end. He’s kinda glad that both of them haven’t argued with him for a week. Because apparently he hurted one of his parents as an act of self defence after one gets mad when he accidentally did not answer their call and spanks him.

“That should be the last thing I need to pack.” He thought to himself. Dialing a familiar number, telling the older one to ready to stand outside the younger one’s house,and get ready to roll when he signs he’s fully set up mentally and physically. He heads out of his room, trying to find his parents. They are out for some groceries. But they will be back soon. He knocks on his windows and open it, before landing on the ground and head straight into the taxi with Sword waiting for him. -Got your stuff with ya? Is your gear with you? -Yea, everything checks out. Where we heading? -My mentor's friend. He knows like. Tons of thaumaturgic shit. Normally he would use it to trolls others though. But I ask him to be extra nice to you and hopefully nothing goes wrong. -Did you bribe him with something. -What kinda question is that? I wouldn't even do that to a deity like my mentor! -Ya sure?Answer the question, Sword. -He asked me to buy him a massive amount of eggs. I'm motherfucking broke. Venomshank's gonna kill me for sure. -BAHAHAHAH- That's what you get from doing deals with shady deities! -SHUT UP,ALRIGHT? YOU BETTER BE GLAD BECAUSE HE LET YOU ALONE INSTEAD OF REPLACING YOUR GEAR WITH SOMETHING USELESS!

They then proceed to have their regular conversation with jokes here and there. The night never felt so relaxing, and the wind combs his messy hair which he would normally pull due to stress.

The Blackrock bridge is their destination. What’s Sword thinking? Or at least, planning? Does he really have to participate in a ritual for him to actually achieve freedom? The red-horned demon bends over to knock on the bridge base, calling for someone named Darkheart. Moments later,he greets with a seven feet tall demon, dressed with worn down robes and cape, a hat sits neatly on top of the gigantic demon’s head, and a boney, grotesque wing pokes outside of his body. Boombox felt chills running from his spines by the look of him. But Sword will be the one who do the talking.  After a small talk, the deity told him he’s gonna be teleported to an apartment room in Playground, which the said apartment owner will be dealt with later. Of course, he would ask about the legitimacy of it,but then again, it’s magic. They will totally believe it,... right?

Sword told him there’s someone he knows and friends with there, which he should check the demon in question out later.

Now he’s ready for a new life ahead, without daily shouting and threats from his parents. May the future be kind with him, for a soul that never tasted true platonic love.

Rocket: Wait, is that why you stumbled into Ranged Royale just to find me back then? Even we haven’t met? Boombox replies: “Sword gave me a lil bit of your appearance info to find ya. He said I should make some connection in a newer place.” He spins his phone out of his pocket: “We could call him to fact check right now if you want to.” Rocket sighs: Fine, but are you sure he’s free right now? Boombox: Sword’s online right now, I think Venomshank gave him a day off or something. Rocket: Alrighto! Call ‘im for the sake of verity then! 

And the evening continues.

#haruzen writes #phighting! #phighting #boombox phighting #rocket phighting #sword phighting #angst stuff #domestic abuse tw #implied sh tw #im so sorry if you cringe at this but then again im not #aroace boombox truther i am cooking

[missjanjie]

ok so i figure the ooc part of the app will be self explanatory but heres the ic part filled out if anyone needs a frame of reference

and here is her character bio that im just gonna copy

Denali grew up in Alaska, near the mountain she was named after. From childhood on, she was energetic and difficult to control, leading her parents to enroll her in ice skating at an early age. And that became her passion, what got her out of bed in the morning, the thing that distracted her from the day-to-day drudgery of growing up in a small, homophobic town. But after a career-ending injury, she shifted focus to whatever would get her out of her hometown the fastest. 

 She went to college for Spanish, and it was there that she discovered a love for dance and joined a local competitive squad. The group disbanded shortly after she graduates, leaving her to teach dance to children and tutor in Spanish while she figured out her next steps. Getting her Master’s in education seemed to make sense, and she managed to juggle the online program while fulfilling every social whim that struck her. And somehow, at twenty-seven, she found herself working at Visage Academy. 

 Lucky for her, Denali found a revitalized passion in teaching both Spanish and dance. She’s gained somewhat of a reputation as the ‘chaotic but cool’ teacher, likely because ‘stoner teacher’ would raise too many eyebrows. It’s not the Olympic Ice Skater life she thought she would live, but it sure as hell beats Alaska.

[scifriskyxy]

I've been thinking lately a lot about the new sonic game and recently heard about a restructuring that Sega went through a while back so I went searching for more information and pondered on the companies actions

By what I can tell somewhat by their actions Sega seems to be one of those few game companies that haven't been taken over by greedy CEO/managers, incompetent higher ups or controlling ones...ever since the restructuring I can feel the freedom something I haven't sensed or seen In a large company ever since I was a kid when I first played sonic frontiers it felt like cold water was dumped on me and at the same time a sense of something that I haven't felt in a very long time

I got brought back to my childhood I wasn't as informed as I am today the game that officially Dove me into the community with was sonic and the black knight, even tho it was a budget game I adored the characters...Sir lancelot is the one that I still remember vividly even now

The game that gave me a taste was ironically what's considered the worse game ever aka Sonic 06...even now I'm not sure what's wrong with it maybe it's because I focus more on the story more than anything else, how they introduced shadow,silver...the death of blaze...when blaze died I cried I'm not sure why but it did I didn't understand what exactly happened but I felt what silver felt In that scene his heart shattered...

Now today because of sonic frontiers drenching me in water and pushing me off a cliff,Im re-developing my first and only Full fledged OC currently doing art and modernizing her and getting her more lore accurate basing myself on the original idea I had for her a knight well the next user of caliburn after sonic left...even tho sonic and the black knight was a budget game i fell in love with some of the characters I wanted to give caliburn[the sword] a second chance in my own special way as I felt he would never be used again i wanted to make someone that would be part of the sonic lore but not a part of the main cast yet she or he aware of the team while they arent...an ancient evil an explanation to what happened to Avalon after sonic left on how it became but a myth a story...a legend at the same time I want to keep her story as accurate as I made her as a child...my memory of her isn't the best but I'm gathering the fragments and revitalizing her into a brand new light... someone that was tarnished by war loss ,alone once parallel to sonic but lost everything events didn't pan out,alone... even tho they'll never encounter eachother I want her to be a cracked yet still shining light someone that shows what sonic could have becomed properly if things didn't turn out right someone even shadow can relate to if they ever encounter, someone Amy would have a very hard time with making friends with someone knuckles would be amazed by him having a proper glimpse of the past and maybe even a glimpse of his people and perhaps even what caused the eventual downfall...someone whom can remind and tell tails that having two tails isn't evil or a bad thing but a blessing a sigh he's meant to do great things and go far

Someone shadow would be shocked that there is an ultimate life form that wasn't created in a God damn lab and maybe she'd some light on parts of his creation mainly DNA related that made him look as he does

Sonic the hedgehog was my childhood I wish Sega the best and I hope they don't end up corrupt and greedy once more and don't lose their momentum and fall into the pits of greed and power like many of the game-developing companies today

I hope Sega truly manages to reach the stars and be a force of good in this sea of greed, corruption, and control

#sonic the hedgehog #sega games #childhood #memories #random thoughts #hopes for the future #aint sure what else to put-