Tumgik
#but with a little more of a modern twist to it considering my style
yourlocaldisneyvillain · 11 months
Text
✼ 𝕗𝕒𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕔 𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 ✼
♥ Larissa Weems ♥ (Wednesday, TV 2022)
on wednesdays we wear black (ongoing) -> a Morticia Addams/Larissa Weems Mean Girls!AU story that is currently on hiatus. needs to be reworked
little miss perfect -> a teenage Larissa Weems/Morticia Addams one-shot. dealing with internalised homophobia. angst with a happy ending.
push me gently (into love) (nsfw) -> two chapter Larissa x reader story in which the reader is a goth art teacher at Nevermore. fluffy, cozy, and sweet, featuring easily skippable smut. rom-com vibes. written for a lovely human being and i hope it continues to bring her joy.
particular (nsfw) -> Larissa Weems x (adult) Wednesday Addams, aka the fic that got me cancelled. rom-com with dark humour and some more mature themes, but still relatively light. sort of a coming-of-age story. author is considering making people take a reading comprehension test before being allowed to comment.
making do -> one-shot. angst, hurt/no comfort. past Larissa Weems/Morticia Addams. a character study of Larissa Weems. mentions sexual assault, deals with processing trauma.
pathetic (nsfw) -> part of kink!week. a short piece describing a toxic relationship. Larissa x reader, but nothing abut the reader is specified -- almost like their identity doesn't matter and they're just a plaything meant to pleasure their boss. featuring foot fetish. it's hotter than you think :)
inevitable (dead dove: do not eat) -> a very dark piece of fiction dealing with sexual assault and trauma. features horror elements. please, take the tags seriously, this isn't a light read.
♥ Lucifer Morningstar ♥ (The Sandman, TV 2022)
violet soul (nsfw) -> two chapters. one of my most popular Lucifer fics. Lucifer x reader. deals with the topic of selling one's soul to the devil. dark. features very filthy smut.
my ruin tastes so sweet (almost as sweet as your lips) -> a choose-your-own-adventure story with three possible endings, that explores what it means for an angel to fall. Lucifer x angel!reader.
our little dance (nsfw) -> Lucifer/Mazikeen. character/unconventional relationship study. explores neurodivergency. very sensual smut in the 2nd chapter.
kiss my sorrow away -> tooth-rottingly fluffy Lucifer/Mazikeen one-shot. Lucifer is being the most extra of drama queens, and Mazikeen cheers them up.
call the devil's name (nsfw) -> Lucifer/Mazikeen one-shot. very romantic. hot and tender smut. depicts love as devotion/religious experience.
belong (nsfw) -> dark Lucifer x reader one-shot. non-explicit non-con. explores the concept of free will after one sells their soul to the devil.
the secret (nsfw) -> last part of kink!week with a surprising twist at the end. Lucifer x Mazikeen... and a curious voyeur?
♥ Jane Murdstone ♥ (The Personal History of David Copperfield, 2019)
when the last restraint is gone (ongoing) (nsfw) -> an intense victorian romance between Jane Murdstone and her lady's maid, Laura. sort of in the style of Sarah Waters's historical romance novels. heavily influenced by Vita and Virginia's love letters. featuring a lot of sensually read victorian poetry and dirty, delicious smut. currently being edited/rewritten.
one and a half sugars (ongoing) -> modern!AU. Jane is an insipid accountant with very specific opinions about coffee, and reader is the only person who knows how to make it for her. fluffy rom-com vibes. will feature smut in later chapters.
don't look away (as i bare my soul to you) (nsfw) -> part of kink!week. dominatrix!Jane x reader. how healing is it for someone to see the worst parts of you and never avert their eyes? the kink in question is watersports and it's much tamer and more sensual than it sounds.
♥ Captain Phasma ♥ (Star Wars, sequel trilogy)
danger level - one (nsfw) -> filthy smut featuring the good ol' sex pollen trope. Phasma x fem!stormtrooper!reader. hot and a bit silly. straightforward and simple porn lol.
chrome and lipstick (nsfw) -> technically a Wednesday fandom crossover, but honestly you can read it without knowing anything about Wednesday except the fact that Larissa Weems is a person that exists. filthy smut (sensing a theme for fics featuring our beloved captain here? lol). non-con/dub-con, so read at your own risk!
easy prey (nsfw) -> part of kink!week. tentacle erotica, non-con. features glittery pink tentacles and a very pretty alien oc, if that spark(le)s your fancy.
♥ Jan Stevens ♥ (Flux Gourmet, 2022)
hazy (nsfw) -> Jan x reader smut, featuring the infamous egg aka oviposition kink. give it a go, it's not as weird as you think it is :)
beautiful (nsfw) -> a gift for a lovely tumblr mutual. Jan x reader fic exploring love, devotion, and body image. very smutty. featuring eggs because it's Jan and it has to :)
fill me (with your love) (nsfw) -> part of kink!week. Jan x fem!reader. a very sensual piece with disturbing erotic imagery. featuring alvinolagnia, food play and bloating fetish.
♥ Brienne of Tarth ♥ (Game of Thrones, TV 2011-2019)
so very chivalrous (and so completely oblivious) -> Brienne x princess!reader. very fluffy. Brienne is very good with a sword, but a bit oblivious in the matters of love. featuring good ol' lesbian yearning.
sweet dreams (nsfw) -> part of kink!week. brienne is injured in a heroic pursuit, and a lovely lady takes care of her while her injuries heal. kink of choice is erotic lactation. very fluffy and sweet.
♥ Miranda Hilmarson ♥ (Top of the Lake, TV 2013-2017)
...but we could be (nsfw) -> part of kink!week. Miranda Hilmarson x Robin Griffin. Miranda starred in a lesbian gangbang porn video and she is very proud of it. Robin thinks Miranda that's absolutely nuts and she definitely doesn't want to see it, thank you very much... except somehow she finds herself in Miranda's apartment, watching it. why is Miranda's shirt see-through? and why is she so nice to Robin while Robin is actively trying to push everyone away?
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
♥ kink!week ♥ masterlist
♥ sapphtober prompts ♥ (in progress)
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
✼ you can buy me a coffee if you want to support me! ✼
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
writing requests are currently closed!
314 notes · View notes
wuzhere75 · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
More goofy idiots; high school musical edition. Also yeah I probably just could have gotten away with Kinkajou (also yes both her and Qibil’s names are misspelled AF in the image I’m not fixing it right now) plus the actual protags but I need to practice for Arc 3 which aparently has like several dozen pseudo-protagonists, which I’m probably going to do in a slightly different style because I like the idea of trying sketchy line art with the procreate brush pen.
Okay now time for the actual headcanons
-I originally was going to give Moon a way different design (her horns where going to be long and curved like ibex horns/crescent moons but I couldn’t get that to work in the sketch; she was going to have a split color design, like one side of her body was going to be light and the other dark like a half moon), but then my brain went “albino=white/pink with red eyes, that’s moon-y because the moon looks white from earth sometimes and blood moons are a thing so red”. I do like the sketch I came up with. I still think I could have gone harder with the wrinkly skin and underbite, since I imagine it those are details frequently found on Nightwings from the volcano.
-I think Moon being a twist villain, or at least an untrustworthy character, would be kind of interesting. Like if she had been the final POV character instead and she’d been kind of this ambiguous, somewhat suspicious guide to the Darkstalker stuff.
-The entire modern Icewing royal family is considered somewhat strange looking by that tribes standards; unusually short horns, typically no fur, and oddly dark and saturated colors. I’m not from a place that gets snowy, white winters that often. More “everything dies back and it gets muddy, foggy, and frosty”, thus Winter’s color palette.
-I have a headcanon that firescales/fireless twin sets are technically identical (Sky being NB), it’s just due to the presences of no/too much fire, their features develop differently. Peril has far richer and saturated colors than Sky, but their actual patterns are identical. Due to her fire, Peril’s feathers never properly grew in (she’s like the sphinx cat equivalent of a Skywing), while Sky by comparison is very floofy. However if you peeled Sky (shaved off their feathers), they would have the exact same body shapes and features as their sister. Also the aforementioned color patterns are based of the American Kestrel.
-I have a couple of old Turtle designs kicking around my Procreate; I originally was going to use one of them (which I might post at some point to embarrass myself), to inspire this one. However, I ended up creating something entirely new. My original design had him as a lot more solid, gross yellow-y shade of green, with no tan underbelly or needle. However I discovered that the underbelly and needle would give him some nice resemblance to his sister Tsunami. Also I was using mata-mata turtles as one of my primary design references and damn those bois got schnoze.
-Turtle also would have been an interesting twist villain. Like if we got faked out like “he’s too suspicious to be the bad guy” and then he just is.
-Funny thing about Qibil; I always mis-remembered Qibils earring as having a black diamond earring rather than an “orange sunstone” one. Perhaps I was confusing his drip with Blister’s. He gets both as a treat. Also the reason why he has the classic fan depiction head sail strandy-thingy because of the scar his mom gave him. The sail behind the scar grew back all delicate and long; he’s let it grow out to see how long it can get.
-The little unneeded spite for the series/fandom I have for some reason built up on Qibil for some reason. Maybe because seemingly the rest of the fandom worships the little guy. I’d probably like him if I actually read the books, but I have developed a stupid re-write of him where he is sort of like the annoying little brother of the Jade Winglet and Jade Moutain as a general who thinks he is hotter shit than he is that nobody dares talk down to for fear of bringing mama Thorn or big sister Sunny down on their asses. He’s tried to flirt with everybody in his winglet and they’ve all pushed him away with some degree of gentleness.
-IDK who was the first fan artist to do magenta-yellow-cyan Kinkajou but it sure as hell works. I have a headcanon that younger Rainwing dragonets tend to have brighter, saturated comfort colors (image the “crayola water marker base pack” color palette). However as Rainwings mature, they tend to “mild” out their comfort colors with more varied hues. Thus, she used to have the neon pink-yellow color palette when she was younger. Also she kind of ended up looking kind of like a lychee or rambutan and I love it.
-I didn’t have too many thoughts on Umber. I mostly just focused on making him look different enough from Clay while still making him look like a possible sibling.
-I thought I was going to put more effort into Carnelians design, but I ended up just yeeting something together based off the real world carnelian stone.
-I know Anenome is described as being pink and blue/white in the books, but where I live we have neat little pink tipped green anemones so that’s her color palette. Also I imagine she wears a lot more jewelry when she’s at home but she just took a few things with her to school.
190 notes · View notes
wannabeabogwitch · 11 months
Text
Fem!TWST 7 Minutes in Heaven - Mallea (fem!malleus)
Mentions/warnings: SPICY. They're all aged up (I always age them up in my works.) Not suitable for minors. Sorrynotsorry. lol
Tumblr media
Mallea Draconia - Mini handmade gargoyle statue/figurine
She may have been pretty isolated for most of her long life and there's a lot she doesn't know about modern things. However, you can't tell me that she doesn't know some stuff, if ya know I mean. ;) She's definitely got that rizz.
She's next to you in a flash and instantly picks you up bridal style, not giving anyone any time to snap out of their shock. Your face is as red as a straweberry, but you're not complaining, just shooketh (Jungshooketh!) and it may take some time for you to recover after being held by a gorgeous, tall dragon lady. (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄
She has a mysterious smile on her face, her eyes directly gazing into yours as she holds you in her arms. She takes you into the closet in a swift motion, it's like she's gliding by how graceful she moves and how fast she's going.
Once she sets you down… on her lap, facing her, she speaks up.
"It pleases me immensely that you picked my item… I was hoping you would, my cute child of man~"
"May I be so bold as to say you look even more ravishing today. As a dragon fae, I can be quite… possessive. I want to make you my little treasure. I will give you all you need and want. I will never let you feel lonely and be there for you when you are troubled and in need of company… Can I kiss you, my treasure?"
You're like "Umm, HELL YES! PLEASE DO!" lol
This makes her smile, but this smile is bigger and she just looks so happy.
"Very well then, if that is what you wish."
She brings her lips to yours, kissing you gently, as if you're made of glass. Her lips are soft against yours. They're a little cold, but it's a welcome feeling, considering how hot things are getting.
Her arms are wrapped around your waist, protectively, yet gentle and loving.
As a few minutes go by, the kissing becomes more intense and passionate. Her tongue pokes your lips, you can feel the ends (She definitely has a forked tongue or something or a long, pointed tongue, idk, I just feel like she would do.)
You grant her access and internally sqeealing.
Her tongue enters and it's… interesting, for sure. (What dat tongue do~ ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) ) She's lapping at your tongue and moaning into your mouth.
She pulls away, as if she knows that time is almost up.
"My treasure… I would love to continue this after the party. What say you?"
I mean, why the hell would you say no, amirite?
Anyway, after the party, you let Grim hang out with Alice and Diane, while you and Mallea have fun at Ramshackle.
Masterlist: https://www.tumblr.com/wannabeabogwitch/713354988973342721/twisted-wonderland-masterlist?source=share
50 notes · View notes
13eyond13 · 6 months
Text
In honour of recently completing my 2023 challenge of reading 50+ books this year, here are 10 books that I enjoyed in 2023 in no particular ranked order. (My reading taste leans towards the atmospheric, dark, satirical, suspenseful, strange and horror-tinged, btw):
Tumblr media
1 A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs
I'm currently in the process of reading this one (it's two small novels in one book), but I can already recommend it based just on the style and the quality of the first story. Somehow feels similar to me to catching an odd old foreign film on TV late at night when I'm the only person awake and then getting unexpectedly invested in it.
Tumblr media
2 Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
I'd read the first few chapters of this over a decade ago and they were so instantly memorable and vividly told that they remained burned into my mind ever since. Love the attention to detail in bringing this grotesque version of 1700s France to life, and how much the story made me think about my sense of smell and other familiar things in new ways
Tumblr media
3 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Funnier than I expected! Almost more a comedy than a romance in my opinion. Just very pleasant to read in general. I laughed out loud several times
Tumblr media
4 The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
This was a childhood favourite of mine that I decided to revisit, and it actually held up very well. I found the dark and cruel and gossipy little village that Beetle has to try to survive in fascinating, and same with learning about all the weird (historically accurate!) shit that was involved in medieval midwifery
Tumblr media
5 Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval
I've mentioned this one on this blog already, but it feels like a surreal and melancholy bad dream in the best kind of way. More going on here to think about than just being the "lesbian piss book" (though you will find a generous helping of both things in the pages haha). Sticky and unsettling to read, like living in a compost pile, and probably not for everyone. But also poetic and lush and tense and and yeah, kinda gay
Tumblr media
6 Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
As fun and compulsively readable as a modern thrillers while also being complex and atmospheric and literary all at once. Somehow I still didn't have all the twists and turns spoiled for me beforehand! A definite 5/5 from me
Tumblr media
7 Come Closer by Sara Gran
A strange, unsettling and brisk little book about demonic possession that was very easy to fly through in less than a day. Might have benefitted from being left a little more ambiguous overall (imo), but still entertaining to read, and grabs you right from the first page
Tumblr media
8 The Fisherman by John Langan
An extremely imaginative and detailed little universe is fleshed out here that includes some fascinating true-to-life history (did you know sometimes entire towns were vacated and stripped bare so giant water reservoirs could be built on top of them? And that the buildings are still just sitting down there under all that water sometimes? Well, you'll learn all about it here). Some very haunting imagery and characters and scenes that will easily burn themselves into your brain
Tumblr media
9 Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Creepy science fiction that feels a bit like embarking on a D&D campaign with some companions you don't actually trust or know very well. This one grew on me more over time as one that continued to stick with me a while after I had finished it. The mysteriousness and ambiguity of what's actually going on can either spur you to finish the whole series or simply give you a ton of food for thought to mull over and dissect
Tumblr media
10 Contact by Carl Sagan
ALIENS! A very timely topic considering the types of news stories we've been getting in 2023. I was already familiar with Carl Sagan because of his Cosmos TV series, and only recently found out he wrote some fiction as well. Very pleasantly surprised at how well-written it is and that he put a female protagonist at the helm, and how he can share his expertise and knowledge and theories in the books in an easily accessible and entertaining way
25 notes · View notes
michi-tala · 1 year
Note
This ask is based on personal experience >>; While our favorite trio of men are going at with their s/o - balls deep and steamy - how would they react to her letting out the most unhinged cry of pleasure when they hit the right angle/spot? Pretty much finding the "sweet/G-spot" either for the first time or it's a new hit for them? I do favor Dom!Aizawa very much. Also, best wishes for you and your family in these chaotic times.
Your Crying Out
Tumblr media
📍Oh! Dom Aizawa fan in the house!
I keep saying going to cut down on Vladcard but not happening on this one. Vlad is different in my mind as his reactions from a past era while Alucard is a little more (hopefully) modern kinda man.
Will try to add slightly different details for your favorite Dom Aizawa versus tired teacher Aizawa..
📍And experience of this is definitely the "cock and balls". Only other is la petite mort..(Will leave a more detailed definition of it) I am going off this has happened before.
P.S. thanks on best wishes with crazy times.😵‍💫
⚠️Warnings: coitus, sexual ed.terms Romanians use dick more than cock for a word ..
💋
🍷•Vampire King Alucard
•Alucard has been undead for a long time obviously: he has vast experience ‘ in the field’ education to say the least. So his ability to delay orgasm allows him to do some deep dick probing research.
•Also he talks dirty to get you going out of your mind with lust for him. He tends to use English as prime language or he has
• His hips shift to drive his dick head higher up inside. Shallow strokes in case your g-spot is lower than some women..
•But balls deep is about hitting/touching (no ramming to bruises and a twisted ovary though) the edge of the cervix.
This location is called the A-spot.
•The mating press aka legs spread and your body rests rolled on your shoulders more than back. His molten hellfire eyes watches your facial expressions..
•Penetration is deep and Unholy King loves pinning you down and filling you up. He alternates between hitting the g-spot and stroking the a-spot.
• The g-spot keeps you wetter and then a-spot is a deeper sensation. It is possible to have multiple orgasms (like flutters sometimes-you might not realize its your body orgasming at first.)
•And the ultimate and rare thing is la petite mort..the sound of your sheer pleasure voiced aloud is music to him. As your voice goes hoarse and your beautiful eyes roll up into the back of your head.
It seems time has stopped and gone dark..
•Alucard would be somewhat upset if your brain didn't melt, having eyes rolled up the back of your head and some drooling.
Besides, he's got to wait for his knot to go down…
(remember in alter universe Shadow King has a knot)
💋
La petite mort définition:
La petite mort is an expression that means "the brief loss or weakening of consciousness" and in modern usage refers specifically to "the sensation of post orgasm as likened to death." The first attested use of the expression in English was in 1572 with the meaning of "fainting fit."
💋
🛡•Viovode Vlad alive
•Having lived as a political prisoner, Vlad is more creative and is considered a worldly man and educated more than the rest of men for the 1400's.
Kazıklı Voyvoda(impaler prince)/Kazıklı Bey(sir impaler)
•Vlad the Impaler has an intense personality in bed too. He is more likely to manhandle you more than when he becomes Alucard.
So hope you like it a bit rough sometimes..
Doggy style with head pressed to the bed by a well placed large left hand. Hips up darling and his legs are outside your spread ones. You can't escape and he can bounce, skin slapping loudly.
Soft growling and an occasional groan slips from him..
His dick searches and strokes your wet core until you're cumming and sucking on his fingers. A wicked grin spread across his lips.
His cum now dripping out of you..
💋
⚜️•Vampire Hunter D
•D is a sensitive lover so he would be pleased to hear your whimpers and out of your mind moans
•He coos seductive words not crude in your ears. He has you sitting on his lap facing him
He can see every facial expression, even in the dark..
•His long fingers stroke sweet spots until you become unraveled. Your heart rate tells him also what he wants to hear.
You don't have to be super noisy…
💋
⛩️•Shouta Aizawa
•Shouta takes great pride in making you a wet, cum filled lover. He holds your hands confined but nor to pain.
•Aizawa likes to pin you underneath and feel him roll his hips which rock you gently…usually.
You feel loved and ravished together at same time…
•He switches between dirty talking and vocal sounds.The sounds are growls with nipping teeth.
•Shouta didn't feel the best lover until you did have a blank look on your face other than a smile.
•Probably the first time experiencing such rapture was a couple days off for him, to get everything right. Shouta is a perfectionist.
Toe curling is the least of your release..
💋
🪢•Dom Aizawa
•Oh Dom Aizawa is an extremely controlled Dom. He doesn't get flustered and always expects you to look him in the eyes.
His hands squeeze and slap spots, ass usually..
•He's kneeling and doing you from the side (your side) while holding a leg up high. Dom Aizawa is in complete control and can watch himself plunging into you out of the corner of his eyes.
Your hands may be tied up with his scarf..
•Finally his large hand rests behind your head as he adjusts your leg so he can suck your tongue. Your body shutters and you can't seem to see straight for a few minutes.
Dom Aizawa prides himself on hitting that spot everytime.
Just Footnotes:
A-spot definition:
The A-spot is located between the cervix and the bladder, and is four to six inches within the vagina, an inch or two above the G-spot. If you locate the G-spot, reach a few inches deeper into the vagina to find the A-spot and then caress it with your fingers in a side-to-side motion
‘Incredible amount of arousal’: Sex therapist reveals secrets of the A-spot (nypost.com)
📍
G-spot
A few women are extremely fortunate to have a frontal g-spot and a back g-spot hence two of them so that stimulation is intensified to lead to more chances of orgasming without stimulation. Some women love that spot and get both clitorial and vaginal orgasms together. (have not read up on C-spot)
📍
C- spot
Move Over, G Spot -- Scientists Have Found the C Spot (webmd.com)
📍
Le petit mort
Don’t be upset if you never achieve it. Few women can due to where your g-spot is related and do you feel good with deep penetration. Some women that deep feel weird or hurt so no go.
La petite mort - Wikipedia
72 notes · View notes
esta-elavaris · 7 months
Text
Fallen Through Time
Tumblr media
Part Eight [4,011 words]
An AU of my completed, 400k+ word fanfic Catch the Wind [AO3], in which Elizabeth, not James, is the one to discover Theodora Byrne after she crash-lands into the world of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Historical research notes at the end, for fun 💜
Also now on AO3 and FF.net.
Masterpost - Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - *Part Eight* [you're here!]
Tag list [let me know if you want to be added!]: @missfronkensteen​​​​​ @dancerinthestorm​​​​​ @teawithshakespeare​​​​​
Preparing for a dinner party under the watchful gaze of Elizabeth Swann was the closest thing to having a ‘dance mum’ Theo suspected she’d ever experience. But her excitement helped her forget her own nerves, and her enthusiastic instruction was worlds better than being stuck under the tutelage of someone who had little wish to help her, so all in all Theo considered herself pretty lucky.
In the morning, they rattled through the list of courses and the corresponding cutlery one final time. Theo excelled at that part solely because she sang the list, in order, to the tune of an AC/DC song in her head. Although she doubted that sort of shit was the audience they were aiming for when they wrote Back in Black.
From there, they practised her entrance down the staircase (which, given the drastically upped hair and skirt mass that formal evening dress held in store, would be trickier than it sounded apparently), the correct way of wielding a fan, and went over what was and was not acceptable dinner table conversation. Dirty limericks, sadly, were out.
Theo wasn’t without opportunity to introduce Elizabeth to some modern ways of preparing for get-togethers, either, though. Namely with the concept of pre-drinks – in their case, a generous glass of wine each rather than anything wild like vodka shots – and showing her the wonders of a homemade oat face mask. Neither the servants, nor Governor Swann, had any idea of what to make of that.
Luckily, the results weren’t so astounding as to be considered witchcraft. That would be just her luck, wouldn’t it? To get this far and then get scuppered by something she’d learned from a shitty YouTube tutorial.
The arrival of the evening was something she greeted with far more dread than the morning. Alice, the maid who’d been tasked with helping her get ready, seemed to sense her nerves – for after ten minutes of dead silence as she began twisting and curling her hair into an elaborate updo, the brunette began chatting merrily about this and that with little expectation placed on Theo to respond. Not that she didn’t try to respond, she just wasn’t particularly successful.
“It’s lovely,” she gave a strained smile when Alice stepped back, “thank you.”
It was nice – even if she always felt like she had a tower on top of her head around here, regardless of how the styles Elizabeth (and therefore Theo herself) opted for weren’t exactly the skyscrapers that others here favoured.
“It’s not done yet, miss,” Alice said. “There’s still the accessories to go. Although it’s such a lovely colour, this hair of yours…it’d be a shame to distract from it. Pearls would be a bit much, I think. Especially for a dinner party…and lace wouldn’t match the dress…”
Some maids seemed irked by the fact that Theo lacked a certain amount of decisiveness when it came to decisions such as these (mostly because everything was a damn code here, and she didn’t want to arse it up), but Alice apparently enjoyed the freedom of input. Which was likely why she’d been assigned to her. Still, as she rattled off an endless array of household items that could possibly be lodged into her hair to give it that extra bit of flair, Theo couldn’t help but wonder if the next option would be to stick a little plastic angel on top of it so everybody could sing Christmas hymns around her in a circle.
In the end, they settled on a decorative hair comb, comprised of a cluster of pewter flowers, and Theo considered herself lucky all in all.
Next came the dress. And Elizabeth had really outdone herself on that score. A deep, cool-toned purple silk, it was saved from being over-the-top by the fact that whoever had made it mostly allowed the fabric to speak for itself rather than decking it with non-stop bows and gems and gumdrop buttons.
It was adorned, sparingly, at the pleated elbow-length cuffs and the bodice with lace a handful of shades lighter than the purple of the rest of the dress, and with an amethyst inlaid in silver right in the centre of the neckline. With a length of matching silk about her neck, balancing precariously in her skirts atop the matching slippers she’d been given, she looked like she belonged in this time. To her own eye. Whether she’d ever feel that way was another matter entirely – but that didn’t matter much. She was still clinging to the hope that she wouldn’t be here long enough for that to become a real issue.
Despite the sneers of the people who were resolved to be unwelcoming, there were plenty here who’d been kind. Elizabeth, Governor Swann, the servants here, Groves, Will, and now even Norrington. She was grateful for that, of course she was. And she’d never discount what a difference that made, because when she thought of how different her day-to-day life would look without the kindness of the Swanns in particular, she ran a real risk of bursting into tears. But…it was still difficult. Of course it was difficult. Watching the clear adoration between Elizabeth and her father had her missing her own dad all the more sorely than she already did, it was a constant reminder. Where did he think she was? How could she get back?
Thankfully, it was time for her to move downstairs before she could follow that thought into a spiral.
****
They would begin in the sitting room, and then once everybody was good and ready they’d adjourn to the dining room, Elizabeth had explained to her. The guests arrived, and Theo was glad she’d never suffered from an excess of self-consciousness (well, other than when she was a teenager, but that was a given) because if she had, all of the eyes constantly on her would’ve sent her off into the ocean to find Jack herself before he even rocked up of his own accord.
While the good Captain Sparrow was not fated to attend on this night, plenty of others did. Amelia and her cronies, for one, but also a fair few families who Theo hadn’t met – all of whom seemed nice enough – as well as, of course, Captain Norrington and Lieutenant Groves.
The former greeted her with a nod when he entered, but veered off to speak to Governor Swann rather quickly, while the latter smiled and approached when he arrived barely five full minutes later. He came to stand by her at the side of the room, where she’d been pretending to admire a painting. Not that it wasn’t a lovely painting, but she knew sod all about art and cherubs weren’t really her thing. If they were anybody’s thing.
“You look well, Miss Byrne,” he greeted warmly. “Are you ready to be unleashed upon society?”
Theo was aware of how many eyes flitted towards them more or less the moment they began speaking – but she suspected it was a given around here whenever any man spoke to any woman. Maybe there was a secret betting pool going on beneath the surface on who would be wifed off and when. Precious little else was going on here. For now, anyway.
“Unleashed?” she laughed. “You make me sound like a plague.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. Although, come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of a good thing being unleashed.”
“Dogs, I suppose.”
“That was hardly the comparison I was trying to make, either,” he chuckled.
“War?” she suggested. “I think you can unleash war.”
“You must stop making these suggestions, Miss Byrne, or I’ll think you’re determined to dig me in deeper,” he teased with a snort, accepting a glass of champagne from a passing footman – after which his eyes lit up. “Power. There. You can unleash that. That was my very clever metaphor all along.”
“Oh, I like that one. Nicely saved,” she smiled, clinking her glass against his.
“Now I can rest easy, knowing I’m spared your wrath,” Groves sipped from his glass.
“That sounds ominous,” came Norrington’s greeting as he joined them, nodding at her. “Miss Byrne. Lieutenant.”
One thing she noted was that, in person, it was much easier to tell that he was handsome beneath the wig than it was on the screen. Very handsome, actually. Well, either that or she noticed him a lot more when speaking directly to him than she did when there were endless pirates and all sorts vying for attention alongside him. Sure, there was always the second one, but with that one she was usually much too traumatised by Jack's demise to notice much else.
But now? Here? She could definitely see why he was considered the catch of the settlement.
“Hello, Captain Norrington,” she greeted. “Your lieutenant and I just made war and peace in a minute flat.”
“A new record,” Norrington mused. “The peace treaty must note that, I think.”
Theo smiled, and decided she rather liked him when he was funny.
“Were you successful in your endeavour from the other day?” he asked.
“I was! Very,” she nodded – pleasantly surprised that he was even following up on it. “I’m just waiting for word from town.”
“Speaking of things that sound ominous,” Groves commented.
“Oh, it’s nothing – well, it’s a surprise, really. I can’t discuss it just yet. But it’s a good thing.”
“My comment about your being unleashed stands,” Groves smirked.
Norrington was too disinterested to ask what Groves meant by that – or, it appeared, too preoccupied by reaching into his fancy embroidered uniform coat to produce something. A fairly small leatherbound book, worn but finely embossed. He handed it to Theo, who managed to accept it after a moment of blinking in surprised. It was very warm, from where it had been nestled against him.
“I brought you a welcome gift, Miss Byrne. After our conversation the other day, I thought it might interest you.”
She was too busy reading the cover and getting over her shock to notice that his tone was just a bit too overly pleasant.
“You’re in danger of outshining the rest of us, sir,” Groves joked, but appeared just as confused as she was.
“Viking Maritime Architecture and Engineering,” she read aloud.
It sounded like a real nail-biter. But from the likes of Norrington, it was truly a peace offering, so she smiled all the wider and looked back up at him…only to find his watching her with a surprisingly smug expression.
“You really can read.”
Theo faltered. And then the smile slipped from her face, replaced by hurt – fuelled by embarrassment, too. Over the time and the setting he’d chosen to do this, and the fact that he’d done it after she’d just been so relieved at their improved standing. Over their stupid little bonding moment. Over how much she’d bought all of it. Y’know. Like a prat.
Not so much a gift, as a test, then. It was clear he hadn’t meant to say it. Or maybe he just regretted saying it when he saw how her eyes flashed – as she recognised why Norrington’s prowess was on the battlefield (battle-sea?) and not in political arenas. The fact that he’d done it here, in front of everyone, with Groves standing right here as part of their conversation, was just salt in the wound.
“It was good of you, Captain,” she breathed a flat laugh, “to choose one with such long words, in order to really test your hypothesis. There, actually – hypothesis. Add that to the list of words I know with more than two syllables. You’ll have a whole scroll of ‘em before long.”
It probably wasn’t very polite of her to say what she did. But mostly, Theo was congratulating herself on not saying what she’d really wanted to; that he could shove the book, along with his stupid wig, right up into a certain orifice…if not for the stick that was already lodged therein. But the Swanns wouldn’t have appreciated that – even if she herself might’ve been proud of herself for putting together an insult that contained the word therein, because it looked like this century was really rubbing off on her already.
Groves suddenly appeared to find his glass of champagne utterly fascinating,
“Excuse me,” she said, setting the book down on the nearest side table, and taking her leave.
“That went well, I think,” she heard Groves comment mildly behind her.
Norrington did not respond.
Of course, as she took her leave she realised that she didn’t actually have anywhere to walk away to. She knew no other here, with the exception of Elizabeth and her father, and she point blank refused to be the sort of pathetic wet wipe who scurried off to hide behind the Swanns whenever the going got tough.
God, she’d sent him a sandwich. What sort of idiot was she? She wished he’d damn well choked on it. He’d probably binned it, actually, or tested it for poison – or force fed it to one of the prisoners in Fort Charles to test his little theories.
She was saved, mercifully, from pretending to stare at any more of the room’s decorations when dinner was announced in the next moment. And then she was saved yet again when she found that Norrington was seated at the Governor’s side down at the leftmost end of the table, while she was placed firmly by Elizabeth right at the opposite end, with Groves at her left and a man she hadn’t yet spoken to opposite her. Theo also suspected that Elizabeth did indeed know damn well which women had been a problem in town, because they were all seated down at the other end, too. No doubt they’d be pleased at being so close to not only the Governor, but their favourite eligible asshole too, so everybody was happy.
Dinner went off without a hitch. She followed Elizabeth’s lead with the cutlery, she made decent enough conversation with those around her, and – best of all – Groves resolutely pretended he hadn’t witnessed what had just happened in the drawing room. The meal itself was a long, drawn-out affair, but she didn’t mind that. The food was good, and she wasn’t in any rush for the whole party to mingle once again for a final round of drinks in the drawing room.
When that time finally did come, she decided that she at least deserved a moment to collect herself before getting through the final burst of the evening. If she left after they entered, it would only be all the more noticeable, so she reached for Elizabeth’s hand while everybody was distracted by leaving the table.
“I’m sorry – I’m not used to this heat just yet. Do you mind if I…?”
“Of course – go. The patio is often cool at this time in the evening, so long as it’s a cloudless night,” Elizabeth squeezed her hand and dismissed her with a wave. “I’ll make your excuses.”
****
The night was indeed cool and cloudless, and after the humidity of the dining room and the pervading smell of meat and alcohol, the fresh air was a miracle worker. Leaning against the wall so that she wouldn’t be visible from the drawing room windows to any but the most stubborn observer, she stared blankly into the distance and let her mind wander.
Before long, Theo had no idea how long she’d been out there. She felt lighter out of the gaze of those gathered – taller, too. It wasn’t even that she put stock in their opinions of her; save Elizabeth, none of them could ever know her story, and therefore they could never truly know her. Their opinions, their disapproval, their judgement was all for the façade she was putting on. Well, if they knew the real her, they’d deem her common as muck anyway, so none of it really mattered. But there was not caring about what they thought, and then being stuck in a room with them all while they tittered and whispered behind their fans. And while the one who was supposed to be all good and noble and proper made it worse by openly humiliating her.
Had the movies really gotten him so wrong – shined such a rosy light on him – or did she come across that badly to everybody here? It was…demoralising. It was lonely. She just wanted to go somewhere where people knew her. The real her. Jack’s arrival was something she’d been nervous about. A lot was riding on it, it was her only hope, and it was far from a solid hope, at that. But the more things felt wrong here, the more she looked forward to it. She took a deep breath in, refusing to cry over this. That would be pathetic. She was just ready for the night to end.
So lost was she in her brooding that she didn’t notice the footsteps approaching behind her – something for which her folk back home would’ve been sorely disappointed in her. When the hand landed on her shoulder, though, they would’ve been very pleased by her response. After all of the sparring they’d drummed into her, it was muscle memory more than it was a conscious reaction. What her instincts told her to do was spin away from the grip, grab the person’s wrist and hold it at an angle.
It should’ve been easy. But while she could manage it in stilettos if she really tried, doing it in stupid eighteenth century slippers with nothing at her heel was another matter entirely. Her foot slid from the shoe as she spun, sending her off-balance as she unexpectedly stepped down a few inches. Stumbling, the hand that would’ve grabbed the arm ended up aborting that mission and flailing before her face instead, and she ultimately looked like an absolute tit. All before a very horrified Groves.
Not only Groves, it turned out, but also the guests who were near the massive windows…and Elizabeth, walking but a few feet behind the Lieutenant.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I’m so sorry – I didn’t know you were…”
“No, I’m sorry,” Groves said quickly, offering a hand once she straightened so she could step back into her shoe. “I…I called to you, but you didn’t hear.”  
“No, no, not at all, I was- I was world’s away,” she caught her breath, waiting for her heart rate to return to normal. “It was my fault. I didn’t smack you, did I?”
It was a miracle – a sodding miracle – that she’d stumbled and arsed up the move. Being startled, she could explain. Putting Norrington’s right-hand man in a headlock? Not so much.
When she recovered fully from her shock, she noticed Elizabeth watching the exchange like a hawk, with an expression that was completely unreadable.
****
It was late in the night when the guests finally took their leave, and Elizabeth was more than ready to change into her nightgown and slip into bed. After a thorough debriefing session with Theodora, no doubt. But there was one thing to see to first.
She asked Captain Norrington for a word while a large group of the others were busy saying long goodbyes with her father, and Theodora was preoccupied with Mrs Spencer, and he complied easily enough. They retreated to the side of the drawing room, and Elizabeth took a moment to make sure that none were listening before she got right to the point.
“That was unkind. What you did tonight – and at a gathering meant to welcome her to our home, no less.”
Huffing a laugh, he shook his head and crossed his arms.
“I suspect Miss Byrne wasted no time in rushing to you and relaying our entire conversation.”
“Theo hasn’t breathed a word of it, I suspect she’d much too embarrassed to do so. I overheard everything myself – I was standing not five feet away, speaking with Mrs Spencer.”
Captain Norrington scoffed, shaking his head, but that was the extent of the argument he could offer. Well, until he had a moment to think, and then he spoke again with an eye roll.
“I gave her a book. One that I thought might interest her. How she chose to take that gesture is entirely her own affair.”
“You caught her out under the guise of good will for all to see! Do you know what she’s spoken of to me, openly, this week? Frequently, too, for that matter?”
“I dread to think.”
“Your gentlemanly nature. Your kindness.”
He faltered for but a moment, during which it looked like he might almost be vaguely tempted to feel guilty…before straightening and schooling his features back into a look of polite boredom.
“A ploy, no doubt.”
“Captain, do you think me a simpleton?” Elizabeth asked frankly.
That got rid of the bored look. Norrington gaped at her. When one dark eyebrow rose at him as she waited for a response, showing she really did expect a response, he recovered – but not particularly quickly.
“Of course not!” he denied. “I never would. None could.”
“So, in that case, might I ask why you think certain details regarding Theodora have escaped my notice? That I am blind to her oddities?”
“I…I only thought…you seem so taken with her…” he said, before frowning at her. “Surely you do not mean to say that your approval of her has been a façade this entire time?”
“Of course it hasn’t, I like her very much.”
“But you believe her to be a charlatan?”
“Oh, really, Captain Norrington,” Elizabeth sighed impatiently, folding her arms. “There are many reasons why a woman of good birth and education might flee her home and disguise her identity, and few of them are rooted in that woman being a brigand.”
The captain, to his credit, seemed to visibly take stock of her words and truly consider them, his face veiled in thought, his gaze downcast. Elizabeth felt then that it was safe to continue.
“And none of them,” she pressed in a gentler tone, “may be discovered without kindness.”
Looking suitably chagrined then, Captain Norrington was silent, and so Elizabeth felt it safe to continue.
“I do not think she hides nothing. Few can profess that. But whatever it is that she hides, I think it harms none, save herself.”
His brow furrowed, and it was then that Elizabeth went in for the kill.
“I don’t suppose you saw how she reacted when Groves gave her that fright?”
That was all it took. A simple question, asked softly, with the right tone. Elizabeth left him with that, excusing herself to rejoin the rest of her guests.
****
Notes: SO because some folk like the historical rabbit holes these stories take me down -- while I was writing this chapter I was a bit worried because I remembered that, at some point in history, it wasn’t legal for non-royals to wear purple, and I was oddly committed to the mental image of Theo in her lilac gown, so I went digging. Elizabeth I made it illegal during her reign in the mid 16th century (unless you were closely related to the royal family), and it was not legalised until after sumptuary Laws in England were repealed in 1604. Even after that, though, it still wasn’t affordable for ordinary people until 1856, when they found a cheaper way of making the dye. But the Swanns aren’t ordinary people, and so Theo gets her lovely purple gown.
Plus, I think it would be a nice message on Elizabeth’s part as to Theo's worth, how she expects Theo to be treated by the others like she’s one of the gang, and it’s a message that Theo wouldn’t be aware of because she uhhhh doesn’t spend her time researching historical tailoring laws so she can write fanfic about fictional dead men x  
15 notes · View notes
Note
Peter and Martin argueing over who is whose sugar daddy, both convinced the other is the sugar baby, happily twisting definitions to be right. Ideally this takes place while naked or in bed, though they do not need to acknowledge this in any way
I am just... obsessed with the idea of the sugar daddy and sugar baby dynamic between them because they're both just the worst about it.
Warning: idiots in bed
On with the fic!
--
"Look at this." Peter frowned, holding up a sock. "Ugly, boring, not fit enough to be used as a sock puppet!"
"It's my sock, you silly man." Martin snatched it from him, tossing it over his shoulder. "It does its job of covering my feet, and really now, that should be the last thing on your mind. Don't ruin the afterglow."
"No, I'm gonna ruin it!" Peter kicked his feet, probably doing so to be a brat about things. "It was right next to my head the whole time we were goin' at it, and I just... come on! Wear something with color! White and gray? Nah! I'm buyin' you some new shit, totally in cool colors and styles."
He grabbed his phone. "Hell, let's do it now. While I'm at it, let's get you some better clothes."
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Martin frowned, sitting up. He could see his plaid button up hanging from a mounted jackalope skull Peter had on the wall of his bedroom, must have snagged an antler when it got tossed aside. "And stop buying me things, I do have money."
"Look, big guy, the mountain man thing can be hot, but you need a more fittin' style for this place. You stand out like a sore thumb, and that's sayin' somethin'." Peter said as he tapped away at his phone. "And I'm gonna do whatever I want with my money, I'm richer than you."
"I have money."
"And so do I. 'sides, I'm totally your sugar daddy." Peter snorted, then stopped. "No, wait, sugar baby, yeah? I mean, look at you, you're totally a dilf." He winked.
Martin rolled his eyes. "I don't know what that is."
"Dad I'd Like to Fu-"
"Which you've clearly done." Martin gestured to their current location and state of undress, which got Peter cackling. "And if you're a sugar baby, that means I'm the one who pays for things."
"Nuh-uh! A sugar baby is the younger in the relationship, and I've got the money!"
"Just because I was locked away for twenty years does not mean I don't know my terminology, Peter. I am very aware that a sugar baby can be older than the daddy."
"Nuh-uh!"
"Yeah-huh, you little punk. Considering you are insistent on paying for everything, I am, technically, the sugar baby in this relationship."
Peter sat up, huffing. "Please, baby is the last thing anyone is gonna call you."
"You call me that when you're drunk and needy."
"Details, details!" Peter waved a hand about, looking embarrassed. "Fine, if you are so insistent on being the daddy, you pay for things for me."
"You won't let me!"
The actor moved to sit on Martin's lap. "Cause you don't know shit about the modern world, it's so much easier for me to navigate the internet than you."
"I know how to shop in a physical store." Martin, once more, rolled his eyes. "You're just too lazy to venture outside."
"Vegas' sun is dangerous to my poor, British skin, I'll burn in just a matter of minutes."
"Remind me why I'm living with you again?"
"Cause you like me, daddy~!" Peter winked, his grin was of the shit-eating variety. Martin shoved him off his lap.
There was a shout of protest and flailing limbs, Martin snorted. "Again, technically, I'm the sugar baby. Unless if you want me to be your sugar daddy." He growled, smirking, as he moved to crawl over Peter.
"I could pay for things, from my secret accounts of saved up rich doctor's money, and all the stuff I've had set aside my associates for a second life. You'd look so good in new clothes and jewelry bought by a man with dirty money, eh?"
Peter stared at him with wide, bright eyes. "Uhhh... I'd totally let you be the sugar daddy if you keep talkin' like that, big guy."
"That's what I thought." And he leaned in to ravish Peter's mouth, winning the argument before Peter could find some other reason to get his definitions messed up.
--
I am still under the impression that Peter thinks the labels are age-based, and not who actually has the money.
It was weird to write a character calling another 'daddy', not gonna lie, but it seems like something Peter would do, haha.
23 notes · View notes
patchedd · 7 months
Text
The Art of the Slowpoke, or How I Stopped Caring About HP
Tumblr media
This is the Lamborghini SC20. It's a one off, some 750 HP and uh, well no roof. I don't know the name of this style, but it has been a thing with a lot of one-off, or limited run cars. I don't really get it, but to be frank, I don't really hate it either. I do like this car, it's a nice design, the color scheming is rather different (when was the last time you saw a stock blue & white Lambo?), but to be frank, I would never own it. Yeah, I couldn't afford it ever my life, but even if I could, it wouldn't be my first pick of car. Hell, it wouldn't even be the first Lamborghini I'd go for. That'd be the Diablo. But, well, there's still a dozen dozen cars I'd go for first.
Tumblr media
Frankly, it'd be something like this. An AMC Gremlin. A little shitbox American car from the mid-70s with a V8 that barely shits out as much power as a modern Miata. Top speed of 100 when it goes downwind, bodywork with more rust than solid metal, cheap as shit. It's perfect. It's pure, shithole 70's Detroit, when the oil crisis meant "lets make the worst fucking cars imaginable and kill the muscle car."
Tumblr media
Meanwhile, only 5-6 years ago, Italy pushed out this absolute centerfold of a car, the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, a car with as much horsepower as an RX8 but enough oomph to still hit 200 mph. In 1968. It's one of those multi-million dollar cars nowadays, a holy grail of ownership that half the examples are probably rotting away in some dickhead's collection. And I absolutely adore this car, don't get me wrong. I'd kill to drive this for a day, even. But I'd still buy a Gremlin first.
Tumblr media
Cool shitboxes really aren't a thing anymore, frankly. Low horsepower, but high fun factor. Japan puts out a lot of cheap, sporty cars, sure, but a lot pale in comparison to their older generations. Would sooner buy a '93 Civic than a '23. But in a fun, almost poetic twist, you have thisun. The Abarth 124 Spider. Well, it's mostly a Miata, but all the fixin's are done up by Abarth. It's still only 165 HP, less than a fucking Kia Soul Turbo, but come on, would you really buy one of those over this? The Miata might've turned from the hairdresser car to the weird cult icon it's become in recent years, but this one stands out from the rest. The Fiata as they call it, sounding 100 HP more aggressive than it is, only able to hit 140 on a good day. And it goes racing. Brings to mind something else, really...
Tumblr media
Yeah, the Ford Escort. A car that started life as a cheap family car, a replacement for the Anglia (The stupid flying car from Harry Potter), turned into a long running icon of Ford's rallying success. It's a tale not unheard of in the sport, the Fiat 131 in the 80's was a similar story, but its an inspiring story. Something so simple, so low-power, under the radar, turning into a motoring icon on the dirt. That is something I just adore. Seeing these cars some would consider lower echelon becoming full-blown powerhouses almost out of nowhere. Something that a lot of cars have kinda lost. Sure, the Focus is a cheap, fun car, but it's been pretty heavily involved with motorsport that it kinda loses its luster.
Tumblr media
Cases like this fucking drift Corolla. Who fucking cares about the Toyota Corolla? It's arguably played second fiddle to the Celica for a long time, but here you have this one that's a part of the Formula Drift circuit, sporting over a thousand horsepower, it's barely even close to the original. But god you have to just love this thing. The engineering behind it, the sheer insanity of it. The gall to take something so basic, so common, and make it a contender in the drift scene. That is some real love for the little guy. A love that has really been left wanting in the modern times.
Tumblr media
In a world where you have active-aero so ridiculously advanced it tilts in 20 different directions at different speeds on a road car, there's not much fun for the little guy. There's a reason that so many slower, yet interesting cars are all 15+ years old. Automakers, owners, hell, most people don't have cars to care about these days. The age of the SUV is upon us. And yeah, some of those are pretty interesting, fast and powerful. But even the 70's and 80's put out more interesting garbage than most modern stuff. Just look at the new Integra. What about that screams "Integra?"
Tumblr media
This was a bunch of rambling that really didn't pay much attention to the topic I wanted to talk about, but maybe the point gets across. Power and luxury don't make a dream car, always. Just spirit, a love for the machine, and maybe just a pinch of personal experience.
6 notes · View notes
twistedtummies2 · 29 days
Text
Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes - Honorable Mentions
Welcome to A Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes! During this month-long event, I’ll be counting my Top 31 Favorite Fictional Detectives, from movies, television, literature, video games, and more!
With that said, the countdown shall start tomorrow. Before we get to it, I want to go over some Honorable Mentions. These were Twelve Terrific Detectives who ALMOST made the cut, but not quite…
Tumblr media
Benoit Blanc.
Combine Tennessee Williams with Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, and you’ll basically have Benoit Blanc. Played by James Bond himself, of all people, Daniel Craig, Blanc is probably the most significant old-school detective character to come out within the past few years. The central sleuth of the film “Knives Out,” and its sequel, “Glass Onion,” Blanc is a Southern gentleman detective; a slightly eccentric private eye whose somewhat cartoonish attributes bely a steely mind and equally iron-clad will. The films are actually inspired by Christie’s works, and give a sort of Americanized view of the same sort of fiction. They play out with a similar sense of humor and style, but with a few unique twists of their own. I’m mostly including Blanc here because I’m 90% certain that if I DIDN’T, someone would call me out on it; nevertheless, he’s definitely worthy of praise.
Tumblr media
2. C. Auguste Dupin.
Of all the detectives to come throughout this event, arguably none are as IMPORTANT as C. Auguste Dupin. This French gentleman sleuth was the invention of my favorite author, Edgar Allan Poe, who wrote three short tales featuring this character. The Dupin Trilogy – consisting of the stories “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” “The Mystery of Marie Roget,” and “The Purloined Letter” – is widely considered to be the birth of the modern detective story, and Dupin is just as widely credited as the first proper detective character in literature. Characters like Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown, and the aforementioned Hercule Poirot likely never would have existed if it weren’t for Poe’s “studies in ratiocination.” While this definitely makes Dupin worth noting – especially since I am a huge fan of Poe, and two of his Dupin stories (“Marie Roget” is sort of underbaked, in my opinion) – there’s not that much to say about the character, and he hasn’t captured the public imagination as strongly as other detectives who would follow him. Therefore, I don’t think I can, in all fairness, give him a place in the Top 31. For being the first of many, however, he has at least earned an Honorable Mention.
Tumblr media
3. Eddie Valiant, from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
I’m specifically talking about the movie version here; I’ve never read the (much darker) book the famous film is based on. On that note: “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” is a bizarre little picture, which combines literal cartoon hijinks with the trappings of a film noir styled crime story. The story focuses on hard-boiled detective Eddie Valiant – played by Bob Hoskins, in perhaps my favorite of all his roles (well...more like second favorite) – going through the wacky world of Toontown to try and solve the titular mystery. He’s joined on his quest by Roger Rabbit himself, Roger’s human bride, Jessica, and a talking taxi cab. (Because why not?) Throw in encounters with tons and tons of famous cartoon characters, from Mickey Mouse to Bugs Bunny and so many more in-between, and it’s not a surprise this film has become so beloved. Eddie, himself, is a really fun character; much of the joy of the picture comes from the fact Hoskins generally plays the character pretty straight, which makes his reactions to the zany insanity of the cartoon world around him all the more hilarious.
Tumblr media
4. Encyclopedia Brown.
I felt I had to include at least one “kid detective” in the bunch, and out of all the characters I could have chosen there, perhaps none are more emblematic of the genre than Encyclopedia Brown. The titular protagonist of a series of children’s detective books, Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown is a highly observant and intelligent young man, who sells his deductive abilities the way most kids stereotypically work lemonade stands. Encyclopedia is the son of a police chief, who works and lives in the fictional seaside town of Idaville, U.S.A. Despite his youth, Encyclopedia often seems smarter than his old man, as he is extremely skilled at noticing little details that other people miss, and thus uses these inconsistencies to piece together the problem. He even has his own Mini-Moriarty to match wits with, in the form of a cunning but nasty town bully known as Bugs Meany. (Yes, that is apparently his real name.) While not especially complex, the Encyclopedia Brown books are still staples of children’s literature, being reprinted and pastiched numerous times since the 1960s. When I think of kid detectives, he’s probably the first character that comes to mind.
Tumblr media
5. Jake Gittes, from Chinatown.
Jack Nicholson as a noir-style detective in some slick shades. (pauses) Do I really need to say anything else about why this one is awesome? I think that pretty much sums it all up in a nutshell. XD Honestly, more people are probably curious why Jake here isn’t in the actual countdown. Well, the fact of the matter is that I just don’t have a lot to SAY about Jake, and I blame this partially on the fact he only shows up in one movie. Most (though not all) of the detectives on the main countdown come from serialized pieces, having multiple episodes, installments, or general stories to their name. With only one film to his credit, Jake isn’t a bad detective, but it’s just hard to think of a whole lot to talk about with him, specifically, and he doesn’t stand out AS much compared to all the others who have so many appearances and so much more development behind them.
Tumblr media
6. Johnny Dollar, from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.
Most of the detectives to come are the residents of film, television, and literature, primarily. However, there’s one medium that I feel doesn’t get enough credit nowadays: radio. Back in the golden age of radio, especially in America, detective radio programs were VERY popular; crime and mystery were hot topics, and there were TONS of shows and detective characters to choose from. One of my favorites was Johnny Dollar. Dollar is an insurance investigator, whose desire to help his clients often leads to him taking on cases larger than one would expect, and he has to adventure and snoop around a great deal to figure out the problem and bring those responsible to justice. The character was so popular, they would even have him break the fourth wall of reality at times, with guest stars who literally just played themselves (such as Vincent Price, who, in one episode, joins Dollar as a guest, acting as both client and sidekick at the same time). The character was played by several actors over the series run, the most popular arguably being Bob Bailey, who tackled the role for five whole years out its near-fifteen-year run. Johnny Dollar was so popular he would later be adapted into a TV film and a graphic novel, but most people will remember this intrepid investigator best for his radio adventures.
Tumblr media
7. Mark McPherson, from Laura.
Played by Dana Andrews, Mark McPherson – the NYPD police detective protagonist of the classic film “Laura” – is a character who is sort of in the same boat as Jake Gittes. I absolutely love this movie; much like “Chinatown,” I think this is one of the absolute best examples of film noir storytelling there’s ever been. Not only that, but the film actually works as a legitimate mystery, with a couple of surprising twists and turns; something a lot of people don’t realize is that noir-style detective fiction doesn’t always focus on the mystery aspect of things, so it’s cool to see something that does while having all the other elements of that field. I also find it interesting how Mark’s character develops across the film, particularly in terms of his relationship to the titular character. However, beyond all that…again, I just don’t have a lot to say about McPherson, so I don’t think I can, in good conscience, give him placement in the Top 31.
Tumblr media
8. Mike Hammer.
One of the most renowned noir-style detectives, private eye Mike Hammer really does live up to his name. He was originally created by author and actor Mickey Spillane, who wrote for Hammer in a series of books. Unlike some other sleuths of the era, such as Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe (the latter of whom won’t be on this countdown, apologies), Hammer isn’t just a hard-boiled cynic with a biting sense of wit that’s as sharp as his mind. He is a person with an outright vendetta, who goes after criminals with a stone-cold sense of focus and intensity. He is fiery and ferocious, not simply stopping but ATTACKING crime, as he harbors a deep-seated hatred for those who hurt other people for their own evil ends. His sense of morality and justice is a bit more ambiguous than most, as he is willing to bend and even break laws in order to see what he perceives as justice done, but at the same time has great respect for the police and is a highly patriotic figure. There’s a lot of gray areas to Hammer that make him stand out amongst the crowd of snap-brim-hat-toting detectives of this style and period. The character has been played excellently by a few actors, including Humphrey Bogart, Stacy Keach (my personal favorite, pictured here), and – get this – Mickey Spillane, the creator, himself! Talk about great casting!
Tumblr media
9. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.
I already talked about kid detectives with Encyclopedia Brown, but we mustn’t forget the ever-so-slightly more advanced stage of things: teenaged detectives. When it comes to that sub-genre, few have been as long-lasting as Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. These characters were the invention of Edward Stratemeyer: he was the head of the self-named publishing company Stratemeyer Syndicate, and acted as its editor and chief writer. Stratemeyer first created the Hardy Boys under the pseudonym “Franklin W. Dixon,” then later – wanting to create a female counterpart to fit into their universe, to appeal more to ladies – also thought up Nancy Drew, under the pseudonym “Carolyn Keene.” These pen names were important, as they allowed later ghost writers and other creators to publish the characters under the same oft-used pseudonym, that way Stratemeyer himself wouldn’t grow overtired due to all the other work he had to deal with. (This was a common practice back in the day.) The Hardy Boys were made in the late 1920s, and Nancy Drew first appeared in 1930; despite this age, not only are books still published and reprinted featuring these characters, but they’ve even been adapted to other media many times! In fact, as recently as 2019 there was a new Nancy Drew TV series, and in 2020 Hulu began airing a Hardy Boys series! That shows you, doesn’t it?
Tumblr media
10. Richard Diamond.
This character was the invention of Blake Edwards, who is probably best-remembered today – especially when it comes to detective stories – for his comedy film series “The Pink Panther,” starring the determined but utterly dull-witted Inspector Clouseau. Before the antics of Clouseau, however, Edwards put his spin on the film noir genre with the radio production “Richard Diamond, Private Detective,” starring Dick Powell (pictured here, in costume for a promo photo). The series was a sort of semi-satire of the noir-style detective story, with a sarcastic and often tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, but also with a dark and dangerous edge that was typical of the genre. Even though what happened in it could be very funny (one of my favorite running gags was Elmer Fudd himself, Arthur Q. Bryant, as the voice of Diamond’s conscience), and the plots were sometimes absurd, it didn’t treat everything like a joke. When things got serious, you never doubted people could be hurt or worse. The radio show was so well-received that the character was later adapted into a TV series by the same title, featuring David Janssen as Diamond. The TV version was even more deliberately campy in tone, with Janssen’s Diamond as a somewhat “softer” character than Powell’s. Both are great (though I personally prefer the radio version), and well-worth looking up.
Tumblr media
11. The Question.
As I said in the rules during my opening post, superhero characters are not going to be included here…depending on which superheroes you are talking about. Many superheroes can qualify as detectives, when you get down to it; most, if not all, are essentially fulfilling that role in their universe, by tackling crimes and facing foes that typical police can’t handle. However, there’s a big difference between a character like, say, Wonder Woman…and a character like The Question. True name Vic Sage, the Question is one of those characters you can basically consider a “super detective”: yes, they are included in the vein of the superhero genre, but the way they work is more like a classic detective than someone like Superman or the Grene Lantern. I use the DC analogies, by the way, because that is the company the Question hails from: originally created by rival company Charlton Comics, the Question was one of many Charlton characters “adopted” into the DC Universe when DC eventually bought out said rival. With his faceless demeanor, courtesy of a special mask, the Question is just as much a mystery as the crimes he seeks to solve. One of the more interesting elements of the character is that he has changed quite a lot over the years, with different writers putting a different spin on Vic Sage’s core philosophies and the kinds of adventures he goes on. Indeed, nowadays, Sage is not the ONLY Question; for a brief time, Gotham City police officer Renee Montoya – who had developed a romantic relationship with Vic – became the second Question. In typical comic book fashion, however, this was later retconned and Sage put on the mysterious mask once more. I was sorely tempted to include this character in the main list, but I actually haven’t read very many actual COMICS with the Question, so I don’t feel like it would be fair to do so.
Tumblr media
12. Vincent Price’s Version of “The Saint.”
Our last Honorable Mention is kind of a case of cheating, I’ll admit, and that’s the main reason he IS just an Honorable Mention. Once again referring to my rules, I declared that characters like Arsene Lupin or William James Moriarty wouldn’t count here: while they have detective ELEMENTS, those characters I feel are really very different. They are what I would call “noble rogues,” characters more similar to Robin Hood than the aforementioned C. Auguste Dupin. The Saint is one of those characters…in his original format. In the books by Leslie Charteris, from which he originates, as well as in many other interpretations, Simon Templar – a.k.a. The Saint – is the so-called “Robin Hood of Modern Crime.” He is a gentleman thief who commits crimes against other criminals, for noble goals of his own. This, however, was NOT the case in the RADIO version of The Saint, which starred Vincent Price in the role of Templar. In the radio version, the character was softened up to be a more typical private detective, whose title of The Saint came from his impeccable manners and many good deeds. I absolutely loved this radio show; it’s one of my favorite detective radio programs of the period, and among my top ten Price pieces. HOWEVER, since this version of the Saint was an outlier to basically every other take on the same character, I didn’t feel like this one really ought to count in the Top 31. Sorry, Simon. I still love ya.
Tomorrow, the countdown begins in earnest, with Number 31! For clues in this event, I’ll be using quotes uttered by each detective featured in the main list. CLUE: “Be careful, Brain! Those are probably priceless fake artifacts!”
4 notes · View notes
obeymeluv · 6 months
Note
Hey Pookie Bookie, So I'm starting to write smut (I don't think I'm that good at it yet) I was wondering if you have and general tips about how to go about it and make it more detailed. anything would help.
Hello my friend. Thank you for messaging me. I'm not sure when this was sent but I remember seeing it and had to sit on it a while to get my thoughts together. General lack of energy/depression doesn't help the process, so apologies there.
General tips I have:
1) Find the "you" in your words. For me, my writing style has always been wordy and flowery and I've personally always admired the people who could paint that raw picture in fewer words. I don't feel very modern and it's a bit disappointing.
Writing smut doesn't necessarily have to be long to be detailed. The beautiful thing about words is how they all make an impact and there are a million combinations.
Smut doesn't always have to be 'flowery'. Smut can be raw, short, quick, desperate, and satisfying too.
2) Figure out if you want your work to be "OOC" for a character or HOW YOU would interpret that character (if you're focusing on specific characters. Personally I think this could apply to any and all you write for)
Example: ages ago I wrote what many people considered to be "OOC" stuff for Gaara from Naruto ('Perverted Moments' series and a song based AU thing I never finished come to mind). Got bashed on it left, right, and center on the daily but for as many people that hated it, there were at least 3 or 4 per that liked the iteration.
I find people who want to write smut (or anything) are often subconsciously limited by the canon and that it's cut and dry. You can still honor the source material and breathe your own life into it. Don't let the fears of "would so-and-so say this/act this way?' stifle your words. The right people will find your stuff and enjoy it. What is important is that you enjoy it.
For me personally, I give the boys animalistic/thoughtless behaviors at times because that's my interpretation of demons. They're on the fringe of human at the best of times so I have liberties there. I'll research a little into animal behaviors and sprinkle that into my version of Mammon or Beel or whoever.
3) Consider the tone of your smut
Like there are many ways to make love, there are also many ways to write that love. I'd start practicing snippets of different situations/emotions--pining unfolding into that confession both have wanted for so long, Person A just finally exploding into a confession and it turns out Person B was just waiting for a sign and needs to go to the eye doctor because it was fuckin' NEON babe!---and see what you like.
Think about what emotion you want to focus on. Soft love, like residual warmth in cotton spring-scented sheets as the sun tries to rouse two tangled lovers? Or wanton, shameless lust where you let loose and pretend like there are no consequences, like you're THAT PERSON for one night only to find, yes, there are consequences and you now have a smitten demon king in your bed complaining about a hangover, big black wings that hang past the mattress, and a twisting sense of dread in your stomach as he BEGS you to say you're now betrothed or his butler will simply KILL him (and maybe you? Is that legal for a butler? WHY IS HE SO SCARED? HE'S A KING?!)
4) Consider your 'scene'
I think it's best to go from big to small when planning/writing. Decide where the smut will occur and that may help with the words you use. It may seem clinical but I've always been an idea/outline person so this helps me.
Example: say you and Satan want to get randy in the library. Two possible choices for smut here: 1) quiet, muffled fun times where you MUSTN'T be loud so words like 'whimper' would work and scene building may include Satan covering your mouth or putting his fingers in it OR 2) You get loud and because Satan is feral and desperate and he just wants to see if you two can finish before getting thrown out. It won't matter if you are because the scratch marks and scent leave a legacy all their own.
That's all I can really think of for your question honestly. You never know what will inspire you. I think the little couple memes with 'Person A' and 'Person B' are cute. Sometimes I go on Incognito and look at Kama Sutra positions when I'm trying to figure out where a leg will go and if it can bend that way for a human 🤷🏻‍♀️
Hope this helps!
5 notes · View notes
sizhui · 5 months
Note
hi claritasssss ! i was wondering. who would you say are your biggest inspirations when it comes to writing? if you have no one specific you can just say any writer you enjoy : - )
Oh, this is gonna sound like a mess, but hear me out. Let's start off with the animanga content ones.
日日日/Akira is a huge inspiration when it comes to constructing complex characters, and when it comes to building upon the framework of classics. He's amazing at using them as clear inspiration without it feeling derivative and giving them a twist in his personal style. My mind is also blown by the inobtrusive way he includes metafiction into his story! He sucks as a person, and he's part of the money-grabbing-gacha machine which influences him and limits what he can do so I'm a bit sad that we can't see where ES would go were he given the reins, but not to the point where I'd read his other work. I don't wanna peek inside his mind.
On the other side of writing, Nisioisin's writing of JJBA: Over heaven greatly influenced my locution and how i articulate my thoughts - I really admire how he wields the rhythm of his sentences, as well as the way he begins and ends chapters. The novel majorly influenced me without doubt lol!
Jun Mochizuki is not a prose writer, but I consider her a master in crafting stories. When it comes to manga, I have to say Takako Shimura's Wagamama Chie-chan left a deep impression in me despite being pretty repulsive, and I think Shimura is kind of gross in general after a skim of what else she'd written LOL but the use of estrangement and unreliable narration in Chie-chan is super solid.
Incredibly due mention to Ikuhara. He's not a prose writer either but his usage of allegory and the ability to delve deep into traumatic subjects frankly but with grace are something I greatly admire.
Now, onto classics. You probably already figured out that I'm really marked by Chuuya Nakahara's work for better or for worse - I also like Rimbaud who was an influence of Nakahara's. I have other poems I like, but no authors I read consistently or felt particularly influenced by. As for classic novelists, Dostoevsky is a necessary mention, as well as - no matter how I loathe to admit it! - de Balzac. Not particularly for their writing styles, for I'm no bootlicker to realism, but I admire the way they delved into the human mind and everyday life respectively, devoting their lives to painting the image of a common man so throughly trampled by high literature! Ovid. There are a few classic Chinese poets I admire a lot for their graceful yet featherlight imagery in contrast to often somber topics, but my little book of foreign classics is not here so I can't quite recall the specific names. Akutagawa's short stories also.
Now, onto more modern writers. N. K. Jemisin is the scifi/fantasy author I admire the most, for I don't like either if they can't be connected to contemporary issues and stories, and she does an amazing job of it in her novels despite me having a few qualms with her writing style (mostly with her choosing to use a glossary of fantasy terms rather than explaining them in the text itself in the broken earth, it's difficult to follow but again that's partly on me). Oyinkan Braithwaite left a deep impression on me with her debut novel, and I'm excited to read more from her. I'm still early delving into R. F. Kuang's work (midway thru Babel and beginning Yellowface) but I really, really like her mastery of language and the sentences she builds. Min Jin Lee is super inspiring in how she switches between countless character perspectives with incredible fluidity and without the narration feeling strained at any point!
I shan't dive into all theorists I like because I'm not sure I can count them all on the fingers of one hand, but I wanna bring up Shklovsky's Art as device for opening my eyes to a lot of inner workings of literature. Peace and Love!
6 notes · View notes
wondereads · 6 months
Text
September Reading Wrap-Up
Tumblr media
Reviews and thoughts under the cut
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker (10/10)
This book was absolutely stunning. The characters were amazing, the plot constantly took me by surprise, and the writing is a great blend of readable modern language and the intense style that usually accompanies fantasy. The only critique I have is that I would consider this book more NA than YA considering how dark and viscerally gory it gets. Zilan is an amazing main character; she’s competent without being perfect, she’s ruthless and driven without being completely heartless. Her cousins, Yufei and Wenshu, are particularly interesting, especially concerning their relationship with Zilan and how complicated it is. The love interest is a good balance to Zilan, though I hope to see their relationship develop more. Empress Zetian is a chilling and horrifying villain who is truly a terrifying opponent. The plot was constantly twisting and turning, keeping me on my toes, and while I found some moments a little too fast paced, the overall quality of the story definitely makes me want to keep this at a full 10/10.
Read my full review here
I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway Volumes 1-4 by Sou Inaida (7/10)
I usually don't count manga/manhwa I read since I tend to breeze through them pretty quickly. However, I read and then reread these volumes in the span of like two days, so I figured I'd include them. As someone who's read a lot in this genre, this really caught my attention. These are purely self-indulgent reads. The plot isn't really there, it's mostly just (highly suspect) romance. I do like the main character; she's a lot more serious and focused than a lot of these sorts of protagonists, who tend to lean more towards schemingly evil or happy-go-lucky. She is still, of course, incredibly dense when it comes to love. I do have a favorite love interest (of which there is no shortage). While the romance is obviously the focus of the story, there actually seems to be some pretty interesting worldbuilding/plot things going on in the background, and I'm really interested to see where it leads. I think these books are for a very specific audience, but I thoroughly enjoyed them. (Also the title is misleading, the girls love her too lol)
Islands of Legends by Lisa McMann (7/10)
I really enjoy this series; I think the magic is a lot of fun and I really like the characters and how complex their relationships are, especially for middle grade. However, I had two major issues while reading this book. First was that the plot points in these books are starting to push the believability when it comes to a bunch of fourteen year olds running two separate countries. Especially when it’s established that there are adults with significantly more experience than them just kind of…hanging around. Second, these books are starting to fall into a pattern of deal with issue from last book, discover new island, new island presents a new problem, repeat. The ending looks like it’s shaking things up, but this one wasn’t as good as the last one.
Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang (8/10)
My favorite thing about this book was Sciona. She is so horrendously unlikable, and it makes her character arc all the more satisfying. It’s rare to find main characters who are actually bad people, especially women, and Sciona is a bad person. She’s selfish, she’s bigoted, and she’s callous; I certainly don’t like her, but I love her writing. The plot is interesting but has definitely been done before, and the magic system is unique but sort of convoluted. The worldbuilding isn’t fleshed out enough for the kind of ending Wang tried to do, though I do like the ending especially in terms of Sciona’s ending situation. This was a good book, but Babel by R. F. Kuang does the same thing but much better.
4 notes · View notes
walkingcorpse03 · 11 months
Note
hi!! I loved your anime recommendations, especially the ones about romance, I watched them all and I agree with you on them! so I wanted to ask you if you have more recs on the same genre :) or just ones that you really like please! thank you in advance!
Hello !!!! thank you so much for the ask !! I’m happy you liked the recs :)  I’d like to know more about your thoughts on them if you're comfortable because they are some of my favorites,, 
anyways, I’ve taken a break from anime for a while, but I do have a few more recs for you if you haven’t already seen them:  (this is a very weird mix of anime btw, the themes can jump from complete fluffy goodness to emotional damage so sorry in advance for the very mixed bag I have constructed for you)
1. Sasaki to Miyano
I love this anime so much, it’s so wholesome and it’s always refreshing to me to see lgbtq+ pairings that aren’t absolutely toxic. It follows a boy named Miyano and he slowly starts gaining feelings for Sasaki and coming to terms with his sexuality. All of the characters are super lovable too which is always a plus. Its short, light on angst, and a super cute watch! (Genre: Slice of Life, Romance / 13 Episodes) 
Tumblr media
2. Orange
Orange put me through some things I’m not gonna lie. It was a very emotional watch for me and that’s why it’s so high up on the list. it’s a bit of a slower anime and it has a lot of layers, but I really enjoyed it personally. It kind of had similar vibes to My Little Monster, but it does have a darker plot. It also has a cool time travel/sci-fi twist without making it to technical (just how I like it). You can really feel for a lot of the characters and I think it makes for a very captivating story. I would recommend it to anyone. (Genre: Drama, Slice of Life, Romance / 13 Episodes)
Tumblr media
3. Umibe no Etranger/The Stranger by the Shore
This is a movie, but it’s absolutely stunning. The art and animation is so cool and as an artist I really found myself appreciating the amount of detail. Every scene is gorgeous. It takes place on an island where two people re-connect and fall in love. There’s angst, happiness, and a really pretty vibe to the whole thing. It’s not my favorite, but I do think it’s worth a watch. (Genre: Drama, Romance) 
Tumblr media
4. Beastars
okay hear me out-- This anime is a little out there, but genuinely really good. The characters being animals threw me off, but the story and the world is insanely well planned and thought out and I was hooked from episode one. It’s definitely not your typical romance, in fact it’s barely a romance, but its definitely present and a part of the the main storyline. It has dark themes and the storytelling is really good. I give this anime an 11/10 and I say that with my full chest. It's just really different from other shows and my pattern-scouting brain can normally guess the plot of an anime by episode three, but not this one, I genuinely had no idea where it was going.  (Genre: Drama, " Coming-of-age Drama Fantasy” / 2 Seasons)
Tumblr media
5. Horimiya
Just a silly little anime that I did really like. Sometimes I like taking a break from stories that really drag me into the plot and the emotion and just watch lighthearted things that can take my mind off stress for a little bit, and this anime falls into that category. The characters are very modern and the story was actually really refreshing so if you're looking for something like that then this is definitely an anime you should consider watching,, the art style is also gorgeous.  (Genre: Romance, Shojo / 13 Episodes)
Tumblr media
6. Romantic Killer
A funny/lighthearted anime to mix in with the group incase you would rather save yourself from any angst. It was corny and fun to watch and the art style is really bright and pretty. I also really liked the character designs. I really had to give the anime a good fighting chance, but I did like it after a few episodes. It follows a girl who finds herself stuck in all sorts of stereotypical/trope type romantic scenarios with multiple love interests and she’s just like “this is a no from me” the entire time and it made for a fun watch. It helped take my mind off the day to day, and it’s nice when a show can do that. (Genre: Romantic comedy, Comedy drama / 12 Episodes)
Tumblr media
That’s all the romance/romance-ish recs I have at the moment, sorry it took me second to respond I wanted to sit down and answer it correctly when I had the time to do it,, but like I said, send me your full thoughts about them if you're comfortable I’d love to hear and I hope you like some of these ones as well!! 
- Have a nice day !!
14 notes · View notes
mariacallous · 5 months
Text
Sheila Glickman Leventhal isn’t your average Jewish American grandma. The 82-year-old owner of Cecil’s Deli in St. Paul, Minnesota, the spot her parents opened and where she’s been peeling and dicing potatoes since she was eight years old, is also an every day yogi and was recently named the St. Paul deli matriarch. 
In a chaotic, fun interview with lots of laughter, Sheila (along with the occasional two cents from her daughter Becca Kvasnik) told me the most important factor to restaurant success, the most essential Jewish ingredient, and how she’s pretty confident she could still make schmaltz on Mars. 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. 
What is it like running a Jewish food space in an off the beaten path Jewish area? 
Sheila: Listen. We’re not off the beaten path. A lot of Jews settled here. They may have gone to New York but then they came here, either because they had family here or because they found it safer. I know that’s the way my mother-in-law felt, who first settled in Brooklyn. 
What is the most popular menu item?
Sheila: The Reuben, absolutely. 
Name a food that was once popular and has since gone out of style.
Sheila: Let’s say tongue. If you’re a New Yorker, you expect tongue on the menu. Tongue was an item that we discontinued because people stopped wanting it. It wasn’t healthy. We used to stuff the chicken neck… 
Becca: Oh Jesus.
Sheila: … I can still see my grandmother standing there stuffing the chicken neck. We have it in the case, though we don’t make it. We have it frozen in the case. I’m pretty sure I can make it. I just don’t know where I would get the skin off the chicken neck. 
Becca: Sounds like a winter project.
Sheila: Yes!
Do you think people are looking for more traditional Jewish dishes or a modern twist?
Sheila: It’s all about the old favorites. We sell a lot of chicken matzah ball soup. A lot! And sweet and sour cabbage borscht. It’s always been popular. 
Have you seen an increased interest in Jewish food lately?
Sheila: When my husband and I got married in 1961, there were 13 Jewish delis in St. Paul. That’s not including Minneapolis. Today, there is only one in St. Paul. 
What’s the secret to success?
Sheila: I consider consistency the biggest part of being able to stay in business. Be consistent and try to keep your people happy.
What do your non-Jewish customers think of the deli?
Sheila: After the Jews left the neighborhood the non Jews took their place very quickly and were our best customers. They wanted kosher corned beef, but with all the kosher meat places in Chicago closing down things got more difficult. 
Any secrets you’re willing to share for making great Jewish food?
Sheila: Schmaltz! My parents opened this business in 1949 and my mother always used beef liver (to make chopped liver). She never used chicken liver. Now, we use beef liver and combine it with onions and schmaltz. It’s to taste and it’s a simple thing. A little bit of schmaltz in everything goes a long way.
Is there a story behind the menu? Any nostalgic menu items? 
Sheila: The menu hasn’t dropped many of the original items. The current menu is huge. My son creates the menu and he gets a little carried aways because he’s always wanting to create new things. I would say the matzah ball soup.
Becca: And the corn beef sandwich. 
Sheila: Oh, and the potato salad and coleslaw! Our potato salad and creamy coleslaw recipe has not changed since I was a little girl. 
Where do you see Jewish food going?
Sheila: Let me just say that I plan to be here another 20 years. 
Becca: Oy.
Sheila: My daughter thinks I’ll outlive her. Anyway, I don’t think Jewish food will ever go away. I see the way people are. They love it. You should see what it’s like at Christmas, how the people flock! The young families, the old families, they love our food and they love that kind of food. I think that’s how things are always going to be unless we live on another planet where the delivery would be harder. Although we might be able to create our own (schmaltz), all we really need is a chicken.
3 notes · View notes
catboyroycebracket · 1 year
Note
god i sure HOPE he isnt
by all means he absolutely isnt a tumblr sexyman when considering how unpopular the camerata is in relation to the games general "play through it once then never engage with the lore" style popularity. in my eyes a guy has to be inexplicably more popular than his media of origin widely throughout tumblr to actually count as one. these are NOT the case with royce w how not enough popular his game is but the foundations kinda are there :\
hes a weird and (comparably) plain guy with little screentime, barely significant to the protagonists apart from a sudden unforeseen conflict. its not even a twist, it just happens out of their control. he doesnt even hate red
hes dark haired and tall. has an intense stare. he is wearing a three piece suit with the jacket traded for a stupidly gay labcoat.
^ these are enough for seximan-ification. he does fit the Core criteria for being a 2015 era tumblr sexyman: people would shove aside how morally horrible he is in favor of his uninteresting for the average person looks
he does kills people👍 and he is tormented. this is more than enough grounds for poor little meow meow-ification of him (the sort of modern version of him becoming a sexyman)
theres generally divided opinions on him. people either hate him and want him to shut up or are very intrigued by him and wish the cameratas story was explored more (he is the undisputed central character of the camerata)
there already is a small group of people online that find him handsome
7 notes · View notes
constant-satellite · 2 years
Text
My Burnt City
(This post is not spoiler-free, but it’s also not a detailed rundown of any specific character, loop, or scene. Read at your own risk.)
What to say about a whirlwind trip through Punchdrunk’s new production, The Burnt City?
If Sleep No More’s audience is the embodiment of Hitchcock’s vision — the tight closeup, the lingering gaze, the perfect chiaroscuro balance — then as The Burnt City’s camera, I existed to shoot a war movie. In a crowded audience of hundreds, one of us may occasionally tighten focus, but our directors are concerned with the long shot, the backlight and the sweeping vista. Given space Punchdrunk pulls off some truly incredible visuals; some of the most effective sequences can be viewed from a story and a half up. There are light shows, aerial tricks, a reverberating soundscape (affectionately: “the drone”), and what feels like miles of trailing silken and plasticine pathways up and down to hell.
At one loop in, participating in my first Punchdrunk rave, I thought I understood the scope of the story. It wasn’t until loop three, as I was watching the gates of Troy open to admit an army I’d begun to consider a ghost in the narrative machine, that I realized how gloriously wrong I was. Over the next week I explored two worlds, each with their own distinct aesthetic: neon soaked, cyber-dystopian Troy and spotlit, regimented Mycenae, which at times seemed almost to verge on fading back to the hostile functionality of a museum space. I love them both, and their painful collisions.
The reviews I’ve read suggest that this is an easier show to follow than most of Punchdrunk’s offerings. On the one hand, I agree — epic scenes, easily discovered, make for linear progress. On the other, I still fell for the mysteries and cults, minor moments and fleeting touches.
We’re still at a point where very little about the show is official. What exists is still evolving. It’s the best possible time to theorize and build a narrative for yourself. There are suggestions of ghosts, gods, ahistorical reenactments, hellish torment, and (new and exciting twist on the PD model) robots – who may or may not have always been a part of life in what is clearly not our world’s history. Who is real, and how? What is worshiped, and why?
I’m getting off track, but the costuming of the gods is brilliant. They’re perfect bodies, quite literally sculpted, a nod to the academic deification of Classical Greek statues and a cleverly physical take on the intellectual “superiority” of Philip K. Dick’s androids with their electric sheep – a word-of-god source of inspiration whose shadow loomed much larger in my thoughts than I was expecting. (There’s also a visual reference to the Machine Man of Metropolis that I am not remotely prepared to talk about yet, other than to say it’s a pretty stunning work of art.)
Once I was told the secret of keeping things alive. It was a small moment and a tender little gift. Knowing what was about to happen outside the doors of my metaphorical sanctuary, it also hurt.
As all the best movies of the genre are, Burnt City is as concerned with the cost of war as the spectacle. That leads to some interesting liberties with the canon – and isn’t that something we love them for too? Not incidentally, it also evokes some of the most powerful dances. Choreography in general is a mix of modernism (I am brutally reminded of Rite of Spring), voguing, and throwback references to some of the most obviously inspirational time periods. But at the end of the day, nothing beats the house style.
Here, I see Punchdrunk’s deft shorthand at last. An hour is ten years, two soldiers are the whole of an army, one woman becomes the physical embodiment of the curse on the Greek fleet. A scream from one throat is seen in the contorted face of another; a look in a mirror asks me what happens to the survivors. At one point I can’t continue a loop past its terminus – I push my head against the chain-link fence between me and the performer and cry into two layers of mask. At another, I am overjoyed by the strange, but not at all serene, beauty of an afterlife above the action of Troy.
What to say about a whirlwind trip through The Burnt City?
It’s not enough. The denizens may roll away to dust, but I don’t know how to say goodbye.
Give me another hit, Punchdrunk. I can take it.
27 notes · View notes