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weirdly-specific-but-ok · 2 months

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julius caesar but i've never watched it

...either the play or the actual man. I am not a time-travelling voyeur. Why does that give Doctor Who vibes? I haven't watched that either.

Anyway, happy Ides of March, tumblr. I am about as enthusiastic about the celebration as Neil Gaiman is, but here we are. Doing what I do worst, making a summary of things I have no authority to summarise... WAHOO LET'S GO. Whatever it is I know about the play:

Caesar was vibing sometime around the '40s. 0040s, not 1940s.

He has a wife named Calpurnia. A maggot wants to be her because and I quote 'no one ever listens to me either'.

She tells him not to go to some kind of coronation or speech or something on the Ides. He's like nah wifey 'sall gucci.

I regret saying that sentence. As did Caesar, because he went and got stabbed in 44. Spoiler alert.

People ship Mark Antony with Caesar but some ship Brutus and Caesar. *youtuber voice* Comment below with your favourite ship.

Don't do it I don't want to know. Anyway, he's also married to Cleopatra, who is killed by snake venom that may not have been snake venom or something.

Idk they were cute. They had a kid that ran away and Asterix and Obelix had to take care of him. Caesarian?

WAIT IS A C-SECTION CALLED A CAESARIAN BECAUSE YOU CUT IT OPEN AND CAESAR WAS STABBED? WHAT?

There is a soothsayer. He tries to soothwarn Caesar.

Caesar does not soothlisten. Caesar is a lil bitch.

On the Ides of March, Caesar goes up to the soothsayer who is lurking on the steps of the maybe-coronation place. He soothsays The Ides of March are come!

The soothsayer soothsighs and soothsays Aye, Caesar, but not gone.

The senators, otherwise known as the soothslayers, have been plotting for a while. Brutus is a very dear friend of Caesar. He thinks Caesar slays.

But the other senators convince him this is what's best for Rome. So he thinks Caesar should be slayed.

So now the soothslayers at the maybe-coronation gather around Caesar and start stabbing him. Et tu, Brute? and all that (though I remember something about that phrase not meaning the same thing as it does in popular context...).

The soothslayers are a bit extra. Like bro. One stab to the heart would have soothsufficed.

Anyway, Caesar is soothslayed like the soothsayer soothsaid.

There is a funeral thing. The People of Rome are cranky.

A maggot once said Moots, maggots, countrymen! and it lives rent-free in my head.

Anyway what Mark Antony actually says is a whole ass speech. FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNTRYMEN, LEND ME YOUR EARS. I COME TO BURY CAESAR, NOT TO PRAISE HIM! THE EVIL THAT MEN DO LIVES AFTER THEM, THE GOOD IS INTERR'D WITH THEIR BONES (I THINK I HAVEN'T HEARD THE SPEECH IN A WHILE OK) SO LET IT BE WITH CAESAR.

So he gives the soothspeech and everyone is emotional. IF YOU HAVE TEARS, PREPARE TO SHED THEM NOW. Damn bro. It's like playing villain music just as the camera focuses on the villain.

Anyway then there is a lot of chaos and blah blah blah Mark Antony does some stuff Caesar's adoptive son Octavian does some stuff.

There's some bloke named Augustus who may or may not be Octavian (if he was sorry for the deadname Auggy my bad).

Brutus is killed? Or he kills Mark Antony? One of them die.

They were totally not fighting over who was a better lover to Caesar.

Roman Republic gone byebye as I say to Roxie. Roman Empire starts. The end.

Er.

That was a thing. I rather like summarising my homeboy Shakespeare haven't read him in a while and I only read his comedies. Maybe I should do more in honour of the Globe Theatre Maggots.

Happy Ides. Please don't soothslay me. I've been a good Maggot Prince to you, haven't I?

*runs just in soothcase*

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inbetweenhours · 1 year

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i did more of my esmp parents doodles specifically because of this comment

[Shrub here | Scott, Sausage, & Seablings here | Roseblings, Pix, & Pearl here]

@thatonehomosexual79 prompted me to think about Katherine and joeys parents! I have names for them all, but very few of them have actual thought to me.

I’ll slap my ramblings about each family / parents and my lore under the cut for those interested :] Feel free to ask for more or ask questions! These doodles are easy so i might just do both seasons! I have names for everyone anyways lol

What I do know about Joey’s family though is his siblings I’ve included. To my vague awareness on LE Joey lore, he had other canon members of the monarchy. The Tiger Blood Prince and Princess. I also saw somewhere that the Princess actually went missing and was replaced I presume. Instead of this being a mistake I’ve made it lore. I'm also too far in to retcon it if that actually didn't happen lol. I can’t say much for them as individuals, they’re all very alike. Kinda aggressive and confident in the way that Joey is. Its very obvious they are related lol. Nickey is the one who breaks the mold most, and is plot relevant to my fanon when she is older. She is actually the ancestor of esmp2!Lizzie and one of her close descendants is the founder of Animalia :]

Anyways, Joey and his family get along about as well as they can given the turbulent nature of how I imagine LE succession to work. Its not so much a right as it is a challenge. Joey challenged his parents when he found himself old enough to care about the power. They met the challenge, alongside Joeys brother Mickey, and all lost to him. Very tournament style. Joey coming out on top claims him as the victor and he took his title. His brother and he get along well, in a way that has a high frequency of sibling animosity. Tammy is a bit young in the main timline (14 ish i think) and has very little care in leading, she's happy to just be princess. Nickey has ran away from the LE, and generally was the black sheep of the family. Wanting a much gentler and kinder way of life than she was used to. Her as a subsect of the people left to far lands, never to be seen again really as they reestablished themselves far away.

Katherine is where things start getting odd. Because of how my fanon uses fairies I must first clarify that fairies are biologically agender and asexual by nature in my fanon. They are born in a very disney-ified fairytale fashion where any singular or number of parents will nurture a flower bulb and from it blooms a baby fairy. Katherines mother did this alone, and so her and Katherine look extremely similar. Any dissimilarities are entirely stylistic lol. Baby Katherine also doesn’t have her wings yet, I must clarify this wasn’t because I forgot. Young fairies look a lot more “human”, and gain things like their wings during puberty. They have a chrysalis phase and a kind of butterfly physiology for lack of simpler explanation.

Katherine and her mother are very alike in many ways I think. I don't have a lot of thought for Kitty in all honesty. If she isn’t dead in the current timeline I’d be willing to bet she stepped away from responsibility when The Spring chose Katherine to tale over. If anyone has any thoughts about her that’d be cool, because I really have very little. She would have known Scott and Xornoths parents, which is significant.

Finally Joel!! Also has some weird notes out of the norm. In my fanon Mezalea’s citizens are majorly composed of Clay constructs, with some humans and the occasional merlings around the coasts. Clay constructs are given lie by being laid at the roots of the mother tree, and are typically gifted life by its after a time. Queen Ariel ruled Mezalea before Joel. The reason “Prince” has an asterix is because it’s questionable if Joel ever was prince of Mezalea. he was created to be king and I havent decided if he was sculpted and lad beneath the Mother Tree before or after Ariels passing. She had a lot of wear and tear after potential dozens of decades, maybe centuries, alive. She had come into a point of disrepair (and a thinning of her life gift) and knew Mezalea would need a replacement for her throne. But I havent decided if she ever actually met Joel. If he was created after she crumbled to take her place, or if she commissioned his creation before her passing and was there to see his gifted life. To help guide him in his duties for a short time.

For this reason, the art I have drawn is dubiously canon to my own fanon. And Joel and Ariel are not considered family really. They are not mother and son as much as they are at most mentor and apprentice, and at least successor and predecessor. Joel knows who she is, but doesn’t really hold any sturdy connection with her. Ariel herself was a good determined ruler. Confident and brazen in many ways. She likely looked much different throughout her rule, constructs can pass their life between other vessels- this is how they grow. Like hermit crabs kind of, when they feel they have outgrown the body they have they will likely build or commission a new one to inhabit. Ariel has been around a lot, and many of her forms have suffered some severe battering. It has thinned her life gift to be passed around so often and in connection to a broken form she knew she was done.

anyways that is all for now, imma go look into who do draw next :] questions and commentary welcome

#empires smp #empires smp 1 #smallishbeans #katherine elizabeth #Joey Graceffa #hourspost #hoursart #no designs are finale mostly just speculatory i wouldnt consider most my final thoughts lol #esmpFamilyArt

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drinkyourvillainjuice · 3 months

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Do you have any physical description of the ROs?

Thank you thirteenth anon for coming to the fashion show with our latest super villains that we arrested. In any case, the best one will be released, and the others will have to do community services (become trees in a play). Which one do you pick?

"We got flashback descriptions, so I guess it was only natural that anon birds would enquire as to descriptions of the ROs! Kay: Stocky, somewhat husky build. Farmer's tan. She has very strange eyes, yellowish with horizontal pupils, and a pair of curling horns. Her hair is fluffy and grey-white. Usually zipped up in a hoodie and sweatpants, but when she's got to be active, say... for a villainous mission, she strips down to shorts and forgoes sleeves. (Which happens to reveal extra fluff on her arms and legs). Teddie: Fair skin, short brown hair, green eyes. On the shorter side, and not heavily built. Teddie's physical appearance is kind of dominated by his Extra Bones. He's always rocking a number of awkward protrusions from his body. For instance, during the first meeting half of his brow has an extra ridge sticking out of it, plus a large pauldron like plate on his shoulder. Shit sucks. Wil: Regardless of set gender, Wil looks more or less the same. Xe's very tall and toned, pale with short ash blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Black lipstick, black eyeliner. Just wears a whole lot of black to be honest. Studs, chains, buckles? All of those might make appearances in xer outfits. Boots, distressed jeans, a couple ear piercings. Great abs. Don't ask why I already know that detail. Mallory: I have to asterix Mallory since they do not actually look the same all the time. However, they're korean and have dark eyes and hair. Often a little ambiguous so far as gendered appearance goes. A casual dresser, but a fairly fashionable one. Always smiling a lot. Pay close attention. Control Group: Short and compact, a little bundle of muscle. Curly brown hair that's shoulder length when down, but usually isn't. Skin on the darker side of olive. Favours leather jackets, jeans, combat boots. Sharp eyes. Alistair: Tall and muscular, though we're not talking body builder here. Dark skinned and dark haired, which he pulls back in a braided tail. Clean shaven, wears glasses. Decent dresser, often rocking a backpack. Where do you think he keeps all the pasta? Habitual smiler, very expressive with his face."

My money is on Wil.

#drink your villain juice #ask #alistair (dyvl)#CG (dyvl)#mal (dyvl)#wil (dyvl)#teddie (dyvl)#kay (dyvj)

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joeyleesblog · 1 year

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Silence (inside your head the screams won't shut up)

Synopsis: Reader (R for short) has rowdy drunk parents, a whiny little sister, and a skittish cat. Damian offers her refuge.

Platonic! Damian.

Warning: alcoholism and unstable home.

......................................

Silence (inside your head the screams won't shut up)

ultra_violet_delia

(I remember those days

The terror that's in our house, the fear in your bones

Does not go away

Not)

(...)

The screams and insults are present in R's earliest memories. The loud, angry voices of Mom and Dad lashing out at each other pierce his skin and sink into his bones like needles. She remembers crying and crying as loud as her parents' screams, in the childish desire to have the attention of the people who brought her into the world, to be comforted and supported. But mom and dad don't, they just keep throwing insults and mean words at each other. So she learns that crying is a waste of time and doesn't drown out the hellish noise.

She hates being around her parents and staying at home, but the streets of Gotham are also noisy: gunshots, robberies and murders. Staying on the street to escape the noise at home is not the best option — but there are days when it's worth risking a little silence. However, there are her neighbors a few blocks away, some are kind and allow her to stay in their homes and play with their children. They are her few good childhood memories.

However, R believes she has been cursed, because sometimes the screams of her home linger in her head, even when she isn't home and her parents are away. She once had to be taken to the hospital for stitches in her head after slamming her into the bathroom mirror, hoping to silence her parents' loud voices - and she did, but then her parents yelled at her until her cheeks they turned red and they took away dinner for weeks because of medical bills. Therefore, it was not worth trying this method again.

(...)

(These are my memories

You do not want to know

These are the memories we've been waiting for We don't want to show

We don't want to show

By now you need to know, you're not alone)

(...)

WHEN her little sister C is born, the noise gets worse. She is very crybaby and demanding, irritates R in the first few months, however, she understands why that baby cries so much and doesn't stop anymore, especially when the parents are drunk and screaming - that is, always. — R then does what she wanted her parents to do when she cried; cradles her little sister in her arms and sings to her, hoping to drown out the noise of her parents' violent fight. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - and sometimes she can't take the pressure and lets it out through her eyes and mouth until her throat burns and her head hurts. Until all the anger, pain and frustration leaves the heart for a while.

Time passes, C grows up and keeps crying, his parents keep drinking and yelling. Your creativity in inventing pranks to distract your sister from the fights increases - she is also distracted by the noise. — School becomes a refuge and she gets a job as a dishwasher.

She saves until she can buy a kitten at a pet store. He's risky and ill-tempered, his parents hate him, but she loves him like a son: her adorable, arrogant Julius Caesar - because of his funny depiction in Asterix and Obelix - with a little clawless paw.

Life is still unhappy and noisy, but C and Júlio make it worth it, they continue to live it and dream of the day when everything will be silent.

(...)

(Save the violence

On top of your heart like a secret location

Where no one can enter)

(...)

R didn't have an opinion about Damian Wayne beyond what the media talked about and his peers gossiped. Honestly, she didn't mind another rich kid at school, especially when he didn't try her patience. In short, R was neutral towards Gotham's most beloved son. — that is, until she was cast as his science partner. Then everything changed from there.

Damian Wayne really was a jerk with sharp words and an imperious temper. He was somewhat reminiscent of his parents, so it was easy to dislike the boy and deal with his bad behavior without falling into the trap of fighting back and wasting your breath in vain on someone who had mastered the art of argumentation - be it debate or fists. His indifferent reaction clearly shook the brunette who was used to receiving defensive and negative reactions because of his lack of manners. It was a little unexpected and mildly interested in him, testing how far that indifference went.

One day, R relented.

— You're more annoying than my cat when it wants food. Only I feel like hitting you instead of petting you.

Damian's reaction was nothing like she'd expected.

- You have a cat?

The interest in her voice surprised her and although confused, but never missing an opportunity to talk about her risky baby - even with an idiot - R answered her.

- Yea. Julio Cesar. The brunette smiled as if he approved of the name. As for his personality, certainly the great emperor of Rome was his idol.

— A fitting name for a noble creature.

R snorted in amusement.

- Noble than anything. I tried to give him a mouse once, my God, he looked at me like I said I was going to neuter him and bit my ankles until he threw the mouse out of sight.

Damian laughed.

— My cow is also very picky about her food. But that's to be expected when I provide only the best for her. R dropped the vial.

- Your what?

Damian scoffed. And so a friendship formed from conversations about their pets, then their hobbies and their hated teachers. Soon, they were eating together at recess and hiding from their annoying classmates in the farthest corners of the school. So they exchanged phone numbers and met outside the school in cafes, squares and libraries. They were fresh and relaxed days, R loved it.

So R decided that his younger sister would join in the fun too and asked Damian if he would like to go to the amusement park with her and her little sister for the weekend.

The way his face crinkled up at the lost one was hilarious, but in the end the answer was yes. When the weekend finally arrived and Damian and C finally met, it was a very funny moment, they were both shy with each other and the walk to the park was an awkward silence. However, Damian quickly won over his little sister, distributing all the prizes he won in almost every game and buying all the goodies she wanted, although the boy said that they were junk that should not be consumed. However, when C offered the treats with such enthusiasm and expectations in his little bambi eyes, Damian couldn't bring himself to refuse and break the child's heart. Their grimaces from eating the sugary junk food were great and it was really a shame that R couldn't capture them.

In short, it was the most fun and wonderful time in R and C's life. The memory became an outlet for Mom and Dad's violent arguments and fights.

R, C and Damian were a trio. C sang praises and praises for the boy with ninja skills that inflamed his ego and Damian decided that his little sister would be his newest student to teach fighting and defense moves. R loved the lightness and ease of being with both of them and everything was perfect.

Until the three of them went out on the boat and C accidentally spilled a body of juice on Damian's sleeve and had a fit of tears and sobs, clinging to R like a lifeline when Dami tried to reassure her and it had the opposite effect. R excused himself as he carried his sobbing sister to the bathroom and spent nearly an hour soothing her. When the little girl finally stopped crying and the two returned to the table, already clean and with a new body of juice, Damian was waiting for them with a neutral face. The brunette then got up and knelt down in front of C.

— Hey look at me please C.

C made a great effort and looked straight into the boy's green irises.

— I'm not crazy. I promise. Sorry if I scared you.

The little sister started crying again and threw herself into Damian's arms, to the surprise of the teenager who didn't expect the reaction and did his best to calm the little girl who started to cry and scratched on her expensive clothes. In the end, C won two ice creams and a stuffed animal from Robin.

Of course after that disastrous episode Damian started asking questions that R feared and the bastard was good at asking the questions in a way that one day cornered the girl.

It was disastrous.

— Let's do the work at your house.

— What? No, you know you can't be there.

— It's because?

— You know very well why, Damian.

— Tt. What's the matter with your parents? What will happen if they get mad, R? Something bad maybe?

Tell me. She could almost hear the thread of her patience snapping. And at that moment, R proved to be her parents' daughter.

— Go to hell with your innuendoes, you rich bastard! You want to talk about abuse so badly?! Great! Why don't we talk about you then?!

Right on target.

- How is it?

— No one is blind to bruises, Damian! God, even broken bones! Where do they come from, huh? It's not just from kidnappers! Unless your dad covers up the fact that you get kidnapped every week! And if so, what else does your dad cover up for the media, huh?! Your short temper perhaps? After all, you have to inherit this temper from someone!

— My father is not an abusive scum like your parents!

— They're not abusers, you idiot! Why the hell are you so obsessed with this?!

— Then why is C so uncomfortable around alducts? Why is she so scared when they speak a little louder? And when we have a petty argument she begs us not to fight? Why does she look at me like I'm hurting her?

— Do you want to talk about reactions? OK. Why do you get so tense when someone approaches you like an enemy? Why is your first reaction to attack or defend when someone takes you by surprise? Why do you behave like you're going to be attacked when we leave? Huh, Damian? Who taught you these reactions?

(...)

(Silence is what I need silence the misery

The silence that belongs to me

Like stillness inside a dream

Just be quiet and pray

And let the noise disperse)

(...)

SURPRISINGLY, it was Damian who relented and apologized first. Well, what could be considered a waste of apology coming from Damian Wayne. It was on the terrace that they spoke for the first time in a whole month without even exchanging glances.

— My reaction wasn't mature and I realize I shouldn't have pushed you like I did. Am sorry.

R did not hesitate to respond.

— I shouldn't have yelled and cursed at you. I'm sorry, Damian.

— All right.

They sat in comfortable silence, looking up at the sun in Gotham's polluted sky. Even R confesses in a low voice.

— Mom and Dad fight like kids and drink beer like water. They never hit me or C, just yelled and took our dinner away. I learned to deal with it and I tried to protect C from it, but you see how in vain it was.

— No, R. You did a good job. And I don't say it just to say it, but because it's true. You know me.

— Thanks.

— My father is not an abuser. I... I grew up in a dojo with my mother and my grandfather owns it. I learned the fight the moment I started walking. Then I moved in with a father who disapproved of the way my mother and grandfather raised me.

— Damn it.

— IT IS.

— What an exciting life we have.

— Very exciting indeed.

R laughed and laughed and laughed, until tears welled up in her eyes and sobs escaped her mouth. Damian didn't say anything, just let her cry into his shoulder until she calmed down and then he opened his mouth.

— You and C are welcome to the Manor anytime.

— Your...

— My family keeps asking when I'm bringing you and C to the mansion.

-.... OK. I'm dying to eat Alfred's cooking.

Damian just smiled funny

#damian wayne x reader #damian wayne

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swedebeast · 9 months

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What are the most important video games, books, movies, and/or tv shows that really shaped your taste today?

Oh man, the problem here is not just in remembering which ones that fit the bill but also reducing the numbers so this doesn't become a bloated mess of an answer.

Howevah, I will try.

Video games: I've played most genres growing up and it was a bit of console but gravitated towards PC pretty much by my mid teens. I really thing it was Civilization III that solidified by taste for strategy games after being exposed to Civ II in a bootleg CD game pack, but Red Alert really did a number on me as well - especially Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun. But I cannot lie, Fallout 2 and Fallout: Tactics were instrumental in developing my taste for RPG's and my borderline obsession with the post-apoc genres which I carry with me 25 years later.

I read much more when I was younger, but I only recently had a rediscovery of the earliest science fiction novels I read that without a doubt set the first brick on the road that I would go, and it was the Swedish YA Science Fiction series "Andromeda" published 1979-1986 (I even made a post about it earlier). I am sure it lead me to other classics like War of the Worlds which remain a favourite for me. That, and I think graphic novels might fit - and then Tintin, Spirou, Asterix & Obelix fit as formative. But also the more adult ones like Buddy Longway.

And movies.... man, apart from 1980's and 1990's Disney animated movies that I devoured, I have to say that monster movies of the same time remain close to my heart. Aliens, Predator remain favourites. Jurassic Park was fundamentally formative for a lot of kids of the time, but I also consider Tremors (one and two anyway) to be one of the most fun monster movies out there. In general though, I also think the bad movies that came out were also formative in developing my tastes. Everyone saw the Star Wars prequels - being any kind of sci fi fan meant that they were mandatory viewing - but they never *wowed* me. So, I knew I loved the originals more. Not fanatically so, that is more reserved to-

Jumping into TV-shows specifically, I can't understate how much Star Trek blew my goddamn mind. I have no idea where it started - I remember seeing mid-90's on Swedish Kanal 5 around noon on weekends re-runs of Star Trek TOS, later also DS9, I remember some of the earliest shows I pirated was TNG, AND also religiously watched Babylon 5 also on Kanal 5 when it was a new show, and I followed Voyager -and- Enterprise when they first ran on... SVT 1 or 2, 19:00.

And on that, I just remembered how much I followed ANYTHING Star Trek in the video game space as well. Starfleet Command, Bridge Commander, Klingon Academy, Elite Force, New Worlds, even games that were supposed to come out but never did (Like, Star Trek Borg or whatever the fuck).

But on the note of TV-shows and my youth, I would be remiss if I also did not give a shout-out to Babylon 5. I have a sweet spot for space operas, very much due to this show - and together with TNG it has made me a very, very picky fucker with my science fiction writing. It set a high bar for me. Thanks, btw.

In general, I can remember movies, shows, books and games I grew up with or at least had exposure to, but it takes some introspection to realize which ones actually influenced by - and then by how large of a degree. I still remember the ending scene from the "Death of Computers" Swedish cyberpunk novel nearly 30 years ago when I was not even 10 years old reading it - but did it really shape my taste in fiction? Did reading the follow-up novel give me a love for language, when a space traveler killing a giant alien bird with a laser knife on its last powerpack - but to avoid culturally contaminating the strange human cave men - at the end he just picked up a rock and gesticulated smashing the bird on the head - later on having his partner deliver her baby and the caveman midwife saying "flekka" - and it was strangely similar to the Swedish word girl - "flicka"? And this gave rise to a theory that these people were transplanted by some alien force?

No idea, man. But what I do now is that every so often I see if Good Old Games have released Klingom Academy yet - 23 years after its initial release - and I know that the main composers were two people collaborating, one is the original composer for TNG and also worked on several Star Trek game projects, and the other is Inon Zur - who later worked on Bethesda's Fallout games?

If these games and showes are not influences, I sure do think a lot about them.

#good ask #ask #movies #shows #games #books

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mask131 · 1 year

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Cold winter: Asterix and Obelix

ASTERIX AND OBELIX

Category: French media

We are in the year 50 BCE. The Roman Empire conquered all of Gaul… All of it? No! One small village forever resists against the invader!

This is the opening line of most of the stories of “Asterix”, a bande-dessinée (Franco-Belgian comic book) that was created in 1959 by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. This series, and the wider franchise it spawned under the name “Asterix and Obelix”, is recognized today as one of THE most famous French BD of all time, as well as one of the most famous pieces of modern French media worldwide. The series is still going on today, having survived the death of its two “fathers”, with a total of 39 volumes to this date (when it comes to BD, the “issues” are called “volumes” since they’re quite bigger than a normal American comic-book issue, and usually have self-contained stories). The series gave birth to both animated movies (10 to this day) and live-action movies (5 to this day), and that’s without counting all the various games. Translated in 111 different languages, it is currently the second most-sold comic book in the world, right behind “One Piece”.

But maybe you still haven’t heard of it? In which case, this post is here to introduce you to this world…

As I said before, the story of “Asterix” takes place in a small village of Armorique (the ancient name of today’s Bretagne), in a Rome-conquered Gaul: this village is the last independent Gaul village, constantly resisting the various attack of the Roman soldiers thanks to one wonderful trick – a magical potion brewed by the village’s druid, Panoramix, which grants whoever drinks it a temporary inhuman strength. It is thanks to this wonderful brew that the village could crush all the Roman legions sent to destroy them, and it is in this setting that we follow Asterix, one of the village’s warriors. He is quite small – very small, in fact, but he makes it up in both great bravery and cleverness. Mind you he still isn’t perfect, as the authors of the BD wanted an anti-hero: he is not so much intelligent than cunning, and if he is good-hearted, he still has a tendency towards grumpiness, grudge-holding and/or being easily annoyed. And whenever he needs to have some strength, all he needs is a gulp of the magical potion to be able to lift heavy rocks and run like the wind… Asterix’s best friend, and the co-protagonist of this story, is Obelix, who is the complete opposite of Asterix: very tall, very large (it’s all fat, but he HATES being called fat and will openly deny it before punching anyone in the face for “insulting” him), and quite slow-minded. Though he is usually much more good-natured than Asterix - for example while he is always ready to punch people away in the sky, for him it is just a “game” or his duty as a warrior, nothing personal. When he was a baby he fell into the cauldron of magical potion – which resulted in him having a permanent super-strength (it is a running gag that he still tries to have a drink of the potion whenever it is distributed, despite the druid insisting that he does not need it and will not have more). In his everyday life it helped him for his job, as he is a menhir deliveryman; but it also comes with an enormous appetite, that can only be satisfied by several boars at each meal. The third part of the trio is Idefix, Obelix’s small white dog, who tags along with the heroes in all of their adventures.

And when it comes to their adventures, the trio usually has two kinds. One is “local” adventures about helping or defending their village, either from internal problems (the druid needing an ingredient, political rivalries among the chief’s men, etc…) or from the numerous plots organized by the Romans (and by their leader, Julius Caesar) to crush this thorn in their side that is the village. The second kind is “foreign” adventures where the protagonist will be sent or called far-away into other ancient civilizations (Cleopatra’s Egypt, the Iberian Hispania, the Belgian Germanic tribes, the old Indus) to provide their help there – they event discovered America before anyone else, in volume 22.

The Asterix and Obelix franchise is an humoristic series. This is present in the very name of the characters: “Asterix” has to be heard as “astérique”, French for “asterisk” ; “Obelix” is of course “obelisk” ; Idefix is to be heard as “idée fixe” (an obsession), while “Panoramix” is for “panoramic”. Each name in the Asterix BD (unless it is of those of historical characters) is a pun. EACH OF THEM. They are all phonetic puns, with just the suffix changing depending on the culture (Gaul has -ix ; Rome has -us ; Goths have -ic ; Egyptians have -is ; Iberians have -on, etc etc…) ; and as a result our Gauls have to fight Roman enemies going by name such as “Infarctus” or “Garovirus” (gare au virus, beware the virus). But the humor of the “Asterix” series is actually a double-level humor, for you see the “Asterix and Obelix” franchise is for both children and adults. As a result you have a first level of humor aimed at a younger audience: cartoony violence, simple but efficient running gags, puns everywhere… And on the other side, there is a much more adult humor clearly present in the pages. Not “adult” as in “sex and violence” of course, but for example many characters that appear in the series are actually caricatures of real-life figures, ranging from politicians to singers and actors. The French Wikipedia even has an entire article dedicated to listing all of the people caricatured by “Asterix”. The series also deliberately plays on a series of goofy anachronism to introduce modern-day situations into the ancient world of Gaul and Rome (for example the children of the village have an open-air school taught by Panoramix eerily similar to 20th century classes ; and most of the depictions of the “foreign” cultures rely heavily on the stereotypes, clichés and jokes usually attributed to their modern-day descendants – for example you’ll recognize in the old Iberians of Hispania caricatures of today’s Spanish people, the Goths are obviously Germans, and the ancient tribe of the Helvets is in all-but-name Switzerland) ; but at the same time it also makes several historical jokes and nods that only people who know their history lessons will get.

This duality in humor results in the BD’s huge inter-generational success: usually a kid buys a volume and reads at a part of it, then becomes an adult and re-reads it, laughing at different parts, and then transmits it to their kid, and the cycle goes on…

- - - - - - -

But let’s briefly talk about history in “Asterix and Obelix”… Because the BD series is half-historical: the authors clearly knew their topic when talking about the ancient world, and did their research when tackling new subject (in fact it was precisely because of this knowledge that they could make their jokes). But at the same time, they also took numerous liberties and used anachronism either for the sake of jokes (again, by having modern-day structures and problems being thrown in ancient world equivalents, example the menhir deliveryman job of Obelix), or to simplify things for children who would read the story (as a result, Julius Caesar from a real-life “imperator”, becomes here the “emperor” of the Romans). It also doesn’t help that the depiction of the Gaul and other ancient civilizations relies in numerous clichés, stereotypes and false beliefs that were widespread and “common knowledge” in the 19th and 20th century. For example, the idea that the Gauls were the ancestors of French people. It was a recurring topic that was reused and popularized by this BD, the idea that Gaul “evolved” into France, when in truth the real “ancestors” of France are mostly the Romans themselves, who erased almost all of the culture of Gaul through Romanization and inclusion in the Empire, before new Germanic tribes (such as the Franks) came in after the fall of the Empire and founded the “France” we have today.

But this tackling of historical subjects actually led to the series being scrutinized by many people… You see, as I said the series was HUGELY successful, and very influential among French youth. Many kids learned things about Gaul and its inhabitants throughout this series (with all the inaccuracies cited above), and this series was part of a renewal of interesting for ancient Gaul. But many historians accused the comics of having an anti-Ancient Rome agenda. Because you have to understand that in the 50s/60s, somebody actually placing the idolized and adored Roman Empire as the antagonist of a story, and rather have as heroes the “barbarians” and backwards Gaulish tribes presented as the “ancestors of the French”… It was groundbreaking. It was entirely flipping the table on how history was seen and perceived. And it led to a HUGE debate by historians over this franchise.

There was also another huge debate around it – but political this time. Being one of the faces of French culture and media, and depicting a small heroic tribe of “France’s ancestors” against a powerful invader dominating the country… Let’s say that both sides of the political spectrum tried to seize Asterix to spread their own messages. An habit that irritated to no end Goscinny and Uderzo, who refused to have any political message in their work, and even ended up making an entire volume centered around the idea of two political factions divided Asterix’s village only for him to denounce all of their nonsense and stay firmly neutral.

#cold winter #asterix #obelix #bd #bande dessinée #french culture #french media #french stuff

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dogttpurmament · 1 year

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Prelims group 13

Idéfix: From Asterix and Obelix. Such a smol tiny doggie but fierce when he needs to fight some romans. Loves trees so much that he'll start crying if he sees one cut down

Wobbledog: From Wobbledogs (videogame) These dogs are just very neat very weird dogs. They grow to be unique and awesome as you take care of them.

Eddie: Frasier. Lovable doggie that's really smart and nice. Loves staring at Frasier. Likes avoiding baths. Doesn’t really listen to Frasier but will obey Martin.

Endogeny: Undertale. Even in the face of tragedy these dogs are just some dogs that want a lot of love and you can give it to them

Chain Chomp: Mario Bros. This doggie looks kind of mean to some people but not to me. They're good nice doggies and would behave better of they weren't being harassed by plummers

Didi: Real life! More of Didi here

Pooka: Anastasia! Cute destiny guide dog who can fly a little with his ears. A great friend even if things get scary and very very loyal!!

Sweep: Sooty show! A very cute very yellow dog puppet! Manny childhoods have been influenced by this adorable doggie friend!

#tumblr bracket #dog tournament #tumblr tournament #dog bracket #idefix #wobbledogs #eddie #endogeny #chain chomp #didi #pooka #sweep #prelims

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sayitan · 3 months

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THE LITTLE THINGS MUSE QUESTIONNAIRE

disclaimer : anything with an asterix (*) next to it is just something i made up because i couldn't find a na'vi equivalent.

FAVOURITE TEA: mauti'näk*, a sweet tea made from forest nectar harvested from swamp hives, fortune fruit and crushed herbs. it's a sweet and spicy drink, best served on cold nights and has a slightly grainy texture.

FAVOURITE COFFEE: he's not a fan of coffee, too bitter, and it tends to make him a bit jittery.

FAVOURITE SWEET SNACK: yovo matsa, a sweet bread / pastry-like treat. the yovo fruit is mashed, stuffed into na'vi bread and baked.

FAVOURITE SAVORY SNACK: yerik niktsyey, a meaty food wrap usually combined with roasted mushrooms, herbs and pa’liwll nectar for a tang.

FAVOURITE FLOWER(S): tsawksyul, or the sun lily, not only is it a beautiful flower but it is often used to create jewelry and accessories, both for casual wear as well as formalities.

FAVOURITE COLOUR(S): magenta / violet

FAVOURITE FRUIT: yovo, a purple pear / berry-like fruit with a scaly texture, a purple interior filled with soft edible black seeds. it's sweet and extremely juicy.

FAVOURITE VEGETABLE: rina'äo*, it's like a potato, very versatile, can be used in a lot of dishes and is typically the base for na'vi bread.

FAVOURITE SEASON: he would say summer back home, moist sunshowers and a steady warmth. in awa'atlu however he prefers spring as the heat isn't so dry and scorching.

FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY: twilight, it's quiet, peaceful, the time where almost everything and everyone is asleep. he feels most relaxed during twilight.

FAVOURITE KIND OF WEATHER: warm with an overcast, a cool breeze, maybe even the hint of rain or a sun shower.

LOVE LANGUAGE TO GIVE: physical touch, neteyam is casually affectionate with his family members, he finds stability and comfort in touch and will go out of his way to provide it. holding / hugging tuk, braiding lo'ak's hair, patting kiri's shoulder or placing a hand on the back of her neck. hugging his parents, leaning into their touch, he's especially physically affectionate with his mother and has become a little more restrained with his father just due to the war.

LOVE LANGUAGE TO RECEIVE: physical touch and quality time. having his loved ones return casual physical affection is his favourite way to receive love. his parents and tuk are most physically affectionate with him so he gravitates to them when he needs comfort. it should be noted that he won't accept physical touch from just anyone and will pull away from anyone he doesn't feel particularly close to.

SPECIFIC NICHE LOVE LANGUAGE: trusting him, in whatever capacity that looks like, whether it's trusting him with their emotions, with their thoughts or feelings, with their belongings, with their loved ones, with their lives. trusting him to be kind, to be considerate, to be honest and understanding.

FAVOURITE HOBBIES: flying. nothing makes him feel more free, more joyous, more himself, than when he's flying with his ikran. the freedom he receives from it, the playfulness, the rush of excitement and adrenaline. he gets it from both his parents.

FAVOURITE BOOKS: he doesn't read ( the na'vi share their tales orally ). his favourite stories are those of warriors and soldiers, particularly stories that revolve around his family like his grandfather, the first toruk makto, his parents, aunts and tsu'tey. stories of noble warriors succeeding at impossible tasks, overcoming impossible odds. he also has a soft spot for love stories but that's a secret he's not willing to share.

FAVOURITE MOVIES: he's never seen a movie ( the na'vi perform plays ), his favourite performance is an old tale about a wise woman that saved her people from an invading clan. she asked that the war chief spare her people and he told her that whoever she could fit under her would be spared. she then gathered her people within her clans longhouse and sat atop the roof. when the war chief came to sack her clan, he was forced to spare everyone. the war chief and the wise woman married several years later.

FAVOURITE SONGS: the na'vi equivelant to stan walker's tua, a song about breaking free of expectations, living the life you choose, and being celebrated for it.

FAVOURITE MUSICIAN: there's no singular musician that is his favourite, the omaticaya clan have many great singers, as do the olangi and metkayina clans. he prefers musicians with a lower octave, he finds the sound soothing and beautiful.

FAVOURITE ANIMALS: ikran. loyal, powerful, playful, and protective. he's loved ikran since he was a child and that love hasn't dimmed once regardless of the other animals he has grown to respect and care for.

FAVOURITE INSECTS: glowflies. they're beautiful at night, they also make a soft trilling sound reminiscent of wind through tree leaves and their wings can be used in fine jewelry.

FAVOURITE TERRAIN: the forest. dense and diverse canopies of vegetation and giant trees, bioluminescent light, wild and untamed, rolling hills covered in lush tree roots, grass, bush, and fungi.

TAGGED BY : @myersbprd ty! <3 TAGGING : @t1meaway ( lo'ak ), @ts1reya, @teskaha, @tahnisreu, @parulite, @txepviriir, @sarastuss, @djaerin, @torntruth ( liara ), @saanok, @sorehsu

#. dash prompts . › behind golden eyes .

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udaberriwrites · 1 year

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Fic Writer Self Rec

Fic authors self-rec! ✨ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers ❤️

Oooh, a chance to ramble about my fics, I see, well let's do this! Thank you, @sliebman10!

Let's tag... @mikaharuka , @alpaca-clouds , @thememoryofthatday , @sapphosewrites , @axolotlsupremacyowo , @0nelittlebirdtoldme , @kayedium-writes and @tsunderewatermelon !

Ok, ok, so... as usual, I'm going to be jumping around, because you guys know how my attention span can be xD

1. Life is a Rollercoaster; or Tao Xu's Fight Against the Big Butterfly of Doom (Heartstopper | 11.1k | Fluff, Humor, Time Travel)

Tao got the chance to go back in time and undo his worst mistake. Tao prevented Charlie from being outed or bullied. Tao changed things enough that, the second time around, Charlie didn't get assigned the seat next to Nick Nelson in form.

…Fuck.

Or: the Butterfly Effect sucks, and if Tao has to take desperate measures to ensure his friend's happiness, he will. He draws the line at Iron Man 2 though, someone has to keep some standards around here.

I binged the show and immediately got the urge to write something for it, but I didn't expect it to blow up as it did! I had fun with this one, and the readers were super nice and encouraging, plus sharing this one is what led me to eventually meet @mikaharuka as we rambled over our fics, so for that alone it's always going to have a special significance for me 😁

2. Neither Grief Nor Glory (TSOA/Hades | 7.6k | Angst, Smut)

Dying had been a relief, but death is turning into its own kind of torment.

Dying was just the beginning. Achilles' journey back to Patroclus is a long and twisted one. Along the way he'll have to confront his unaddressed grief, face his many regrets and learn to truly become a man worthy of Patroclus' unconditional love.

But like all journeys, eventually he'll reach his safe harbor.

My first yuletide! This one took months and a couple of minor breakdowns, but the end result is something I am very proud of, both in terms of the prose and the worldbuilding. And my giftee left the loveliest comment ☺️

3. All That Matters (Asterix the Gaul | 2.6k | Character Study, Queerplatonic Relationships)

Asterix has always felt different, but he has Obelix, and that is usually enough. Everybody else has questions, however, and he grows tired of answering.

"He wants to shout, even if he still doesn't know what he wants to say, even if he knows that if he lets his frustration take hold of his tongue, he will regret the harm he will cause."

This was... very, very cathartic to write. I remember rewriting sections of this so often, and I am humbled by the response it had. It was a very validating experience.

4. Life is a Flower, Love is the Honey (Deep Space Nine | 9.5k | Romance and Fluff)

“I don’t think Julian would like that,” Leeta said, without pausing to think about it, but… “We could ask him,” Rom had replied. And wasn’t that an interesting idea?

(A self-indulgent, mostly Rom-centric, Julian/Leeta/Rom fic because I was re-watching ‘Bar Association’ and this happened. I have no regrets.)

The one that brought me back into writing, after several years of hiatus... and the one that gave me confidence to push on, even if I nearly backed out due to it featuring a strange rarepair. This story is always going to be special for me <3

4. When You Speak, I Hear Silence (Deep Space Nine | 1.8k | Friendship)

Terok Nor is no more, and strange new aliens are coming to the newly named Deep Space Nine. Nog doesn't expect life to change; but then he finds a friend, who gives him the greatest gift he will ever receive.

If there's a fic where I wouldn't change a single word or a moment of the writing process, it has to be this one. I'm so glad I didn't go with my initial idea, because this version with Jake&Nog just made things click for me ^_^

#tag game #thanks for the tag!#ao3 fic #ao3 favorites #heartstopper fic #tsoa fanfic #asterix #ds9 fic

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fortressofserenity · 1 year

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Who really is an everyman?

I remember somewhere in a Spider-Man board where somebody said that Spider-Man isn’t so much of an everyman but rather a stand-in for the superhero comics reader, when I think about this while there are certainly portrayals of Spider-Man that hew closer to his purported everyman reputation (the newspaper cartoons where Mary Jane worked as a computer saleswoman) there are aspects of him in the ‘616′ stories that don’t feel everymannish.

It’s not that normal men don’t cheat on their partners either, but that Spider-Man finds himself in situations where he gets the attention of femmes fatales like Black Cat and White Rabbit. The 616 version of Mary Jane works as a model, most men may have a crush on a female model but don’t date and marry these kinds of characters. I could also say that Kate Pryde herself isn’t much of an everywoman when one considers these.

Not only is she a skilled martial artist and hacker, she also has a pet dragon. You might say that it’s fiction, so she should have her pet dragon. But if you take a look at most other cartoon characters, they often have dogs. Obelix has a dog (or is it Asterix), both Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse have pet dogs (Bolivar and Pluto), Charlie Brown has a pet dog named Snoopy and Garfield’s Jon also owns a dog named Odie.

Both Batman and Superman have pet dogs, well so did Impulse at one point. Nightwing has a dog, so does Hawkeye. If you want a villainous example, we have Dick Dastardly and his pet Muttley. If you want a stretch, we have Pegleg Pete and his pet dog Chainsaw but he still qualifies and fits the shoe pretty well.

Most people in the real world have cats and dogs as pets, it’s very rare to encounter somebody who has a pet reptile. If dragons are reptiles, while reptile owners aren’t nonexistent they’re not that common either. There are even some people who point out that Kate Pryde panders a lot to those who really are deep into X-Men, if this is true then she resonates with just a few people.

One would wonder why Wolverine became X-Men’s breakout character and not her, well the problem is that she may not be much of an everyperson to appeal to everybody else in some regards. Especially if she appeals too much to a certain demographic, then it goes a long way why her appeal in comics never translated well to media with a more mainstream audience like film.

Not everybody’s experience is going to be the same, so defining what makes an everyperson character’s going to be tricky. If there’s ever going to be a concrete consensus for what counts as one, they wouldn’t be part of a niche subculture of any sort. They’d have normie experiences and interests, mainstream and basic even. There’s a big difference between Charlie Brown and Tim Drake.

This is what separates the everymen from the fanboy favourites, they’re characters everybody can relate to. Whoever they are, they’re not part of some elite or niche. They’re going to be very plebian in a way Tim Drake never was.

#tim drake #peanuts #kate pryde #x-men #robin #batman #disney comics #carl barks #mickey mouse #donald duck

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totemsp2blog · 5 months

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Jonathan Frakes Asks Me Things

youtube

And, in an exercise in oversharing, I answer every single thing...

I don't own a car, but I've certainly been shopping with family, but we're usually good at relocating our vehicle. There have been times I had been waiting for someone to me up from the shops, and I have to figure out where they'll park or pick me up from.

Not mountain biking, but I've gone camping plenty of times and took a bike with me. I'd usually ride around the camp grounds, and up the road a little.

I read plenty of comics when I was young. Garfield, peanuts, Asterix, and occasionally whatever was in the papers. So, I wanted to be a cartoonist. Instead, I became burnt out and depressed and do nothing... though, I guess this is something.

We don't really tip in this country, thanks to decent minimum wages, and it's typically optional and reserved for 'good service'

Not very lately, and not me personally. During a unit inspection, the real estate discovered my bathroom tap was very adjustable, so they called that in and got it replaced with one I can't turn around to fill large vessels easily. Shame, but I understand that it wasn't meant to rotate.

Not very, and I usually pretend to. I'm agnostic, thanks to an attempted Christian upbringing which resulted in me wandering out of the service to explore the church grounds most of the time. I once worked with a very nice and very religious guy, who once asked if he could tell me 'Jesus loves me' which is very thoughtful in a few ways. On one hand, he understands the walk of 'Jesus, man!' is not for everyone and had the decency to ask before pushing it upon me. On the other hand, I won't pass down an opportunity for free 'love and compassion', no matter where it comes from. You gotta take what you can get, y'know? Either way, and personally, I love with my heart, and use my head for everything else.

Probably not a lot... I MEAN, WHAT IS YOUR OFFER? A MILLION? TENS OF? Also, do I get to pick? because if it was my local memorial park, I would have to get situated in the one building they have, or in the corner opposite of the busiest roads/highways in town, although... they did say night... actually that's not much better. Not in this town. So, I hope I get to pick, or the option is not one in the middle of town.

I don't know, I rent so I would have to ask if I can get the right number of hooks needed. Otherwise, I could hang... stuff off of it. very handy! Though I sure hope the deer shed those horns and wasn't... a part of it when the trophy was made.

No, and I thought I couldn't have one, but apparently the real estate's pet rules aren't legally enforceable, so I could... but that's money. I could settle for getting a bird feeder though...

Not really. I usually avoid high sugar (GI) content foods... it's a sometimes thing. Sugar is... not good for you. Raw (low GI) sugar, and zero sugar soda is my safe zone, but some would say they're probably not much better.

Again, I don't undertake superstitions. When we speak of a curse or something cursed, it's usually inconceivably unlucky, or uncomfortably bizarre... but that doesn't 'go as hard' so r/cursedshitorwhatever I'm not a redditor. In terms of 'the power' of a curse, it's usually aligned with a peculiar series of circumstances of pattern recognition. You probably have an idea of the kind of people that run this effect. Where everything they hop onto ultimately went under. They might not be cursed... they just might have a history of poor management, but kept adding things to their LinkedIn so they still get hired. The reason I'm not superstitious is there's usually a reason for everything... even if there's no reason stated, those are usually just too obfuscated to understand. ...now this is becoming too obfuscated to understand. Moving on...

I don't think I've had my hearing tested ever, that I can remember. My hearing is fine, but auditory hypersensitivity (autism) can cause anxiety when there's a lot of commotion, which is why I usually wear Active Noise cancelling headphones/earbuds most of the time when I'm out. I kinda became reliant on them.

Not soon, but If I do, I'm taking my ANC headphones with me.

I did see a tall guy in the supermarket the other day... otherwise, there was an old friend of mine I studied with in my game dev course. He was cool, and massively tall, he could play baskety ball. Somehow, we drifted out of contact. I could guess why but I won't get into it. Either way... I miss him.

I prefer overcast days, where I don't have to worry about getting fried by the sun.

What are you asking me with this? I don't understand... The only thing I can think of is... Aunty Donna did this sketch about real estate agents, essentially bringing them into the light and proving that they are defined as: massive cunts. Owing to the fact that they went out of their way to ruin a perfectly improved fully adjustable bathroom sink tap, they may be onto something! They then proceeded to run with this concept, making an entire episode of their new tv series about it. While I do not understand the question in the slightest, I'm happy to take the opportunity to speak absolute truths about real estate agents... Actually, the one that helped me get my current unit, his wisdom was undoubtably key to getting into this place. He was pretty cool, and the fact that we kept running into him exploring units that day... I knew something was going to work out that day.

I could be more careful, I reckon. In that I ough to known where each one is a little better, but it doesn't come up often.

*sigh*... okay.

Let's get dive into that.

The reason why you computer feels like it has a mind of it's own...

First and foremost.

Your current computer will never have a mind of it's own.

If it seems like it does, well... this may sound harsh but it's probably your fault.

But not entirely... I means you didn't know any better, and I can understand that. I've also been at fault for things I didn't know any better about.

y'see, unless you're downloading open source software with no profit motive, a program you searched for on the internet that you may go to install, may ask to install something extra because it's their sponsor. You always have the option to decline this. The problem is, you're probably clicking through this and just hit accept to proceed... on something you didn't mean to.

It's not going to install something malicious typically, it's just bloat you can easily uninstall off your PC typically.

But trust me, it could be a lot worse. Such as a hacker obtaining access to your PC to do nafarious deeds... but this isn't your PC's fault.

What I'm autisting about here is, Computers are designed in a way that everything they do is the result of human input.

If it actually had a mind of it's own... you would have Artifical Inteligence... REAL AI, not that procedual generative stuff that's all the rage currently.

General, Human level, intelegence.... like say...

Oh look, it's Jonathan Frakes!

I have. The one in Melbourne is located on the east end of Little Bourke street, between Swanson st and Exibition st. I haven't been there often, but one time I got a nice little cake from there.

There used to be one located in Caribbean Gardens (not that Caribbean). I went there a long time ago. I think there was absolutly software pirates selling stuff there but I didn't get anything like that, only a third party gamecube controller that I ended up wearing out by mashing the buttons too much (Paper Mario TYD will do that... as will Metroid Prime). Funny considering Nintendo's Australian offices were essentially next door. They closed up buisness in 2020 for obvious reasons, and never reopened. But it looks like something new has taken it's place?

Yeah, you know the ones on the highway/freeway where they have an accompanying inbound/outbound service station each with their own identical McDonalds AND KFC in the same building? That's two seperate McDonalds AND KFC for each side of the freeway. I wonder if one is better than the other, or if the staff alternate between the two. Probably. Basically anywhere you're effectively venturing out further than your usual circle of existance (aka, metro melbourne), there will be a service station, or two next to eachother, and they have their own seperate Hungry Jacks... or if you're me, and feel lucky... a Red Rooster!

It depends... during the time I worked, I've taken orders to people, but I've never... taken people's orders. I was a labourer, not meant to interface with the people directly, but it being a children's play place, there's not much to order. I once prepared fairy bread. That was the one and only food item they had me prepare. Otherwise I cleaned up puke and shit, and politely told kids to not climb all over the jumping castle.

Successful resturants? Yeah I've certainly seen enough american themed resturants go under... usually because they're trash. As for successful themed resturant chains? Seems to be more common. Though honestly they're more franchises. Idk, it was weird for a moment finding out the neat sushi train resturant I found in Melboune central, also has a location at the shops closer to me. And vice versa. I didn't expect the korean fried chicken place that popped up in my town to have another in the aforementioned closer shop. And then there's schnitz, which has just exploded in locations and popularity. When one shopping centre I used to go to started their redevelopment, I basically called that it would have a schnitz. You can probably tell what their theme is.

If it comes up? sure! But i'd probably draw a little guy there instead. now, that said... I once accedently imprinted my shoeprint at one place while I was working there during it's construction. Fun fact, it's the same play place I mentioned earlier. Mind you, I think they smoothed it over after I trod on it so I don't think my mark has been retained.

This was honestly pretty fun. Thanks, Jonathan Frakes!

#Jonathan Frakes #ask #q&a #questions

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spoilertv · 7 months

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#SpoilerTV

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beninparis · 9 months

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Hemingway Hunt

Stop 1:

I arrive to find Cafe des Amateurs gone in favor of Cafe Delma. There was no sadness or evilness to this place, at least none that I noticed. Although it might have been a place that charges for restroom use, and that’s pretty evil to me.

There is bustling chatter overlapped by the constant noise of the fountain. A child chases a brown pigeon only to be pulled out of the road by her mom. A man tries to ask for money and I tell him I don’t speak French. The air carries a very subtle scent of fried foods and alcohol.

Stop 2:

During their time in Paris, Ernest and his wife Hadley stayed at 74 rue du Cardinal Lemoine. It was a place Hemingway described as one of the poorest addresses in Paris. Of course Hemingway probably didn’t predict to be immortalized by a plaque at the building. I’m not sure, but the price has probably skyrocketed since his time and because of his time.

Stop 3:

Just close by, Hemingway rented an attic room at the once hotel 39 rue Descartes. 25 years earlier, poet Paul Verlaine had died in that room. Paul is immortalized here as well, not just through a plaque, but also with the restaurant La Maison de Verlaine. In fact, he’s immortalized a bit more than Hemingway at this particular spot

Stop 4:

I took the B route to get to the book stalls along the Quais. Due to poor timing however, I arrived when they were closed. Fortunately I managed to catch them midday the next day. I even purchased a volume of Asterix at the recommendation of a very helpful and nostalgic bookseller.

Stop 5:

After a line that feels like the Mona Lisa’s little sister, we only get a minute upstairs before we are told they are closing the floor. That was just lovely.

It was more like a village house converted into a bookstore than a traditional bookstore. Rustic boards support old stone and cradle new editions of not so new classics. They kept the more venerated works in the front, stuff like Catcher in the Rye, Moby Dick, and The Sun Also Rises. Meanwhile the modern works such as Circe or A Court of Thorns and Roses was kept more towards the back. The spiral staircase led up to a loft that overlooked the store and the street below. There was a very personal nook where one could theoretically block themselves off from everyone else and its cramped size would force them to do nothing but write. The instrument to do so being a typewriter that bears its age and takes up a good chunk of table space. Hopefully enough space is left for your whiteout. Behind the nook are 2 walls. One containing the portraits of minds who were most likely mocked then celebrated, the other holding a mirror which in turn holds millions upon millions of sticky notes. They were most likely from guests wanting to be immortalized with Shakespeare & Co. The tumbleweeds in question are simply aspiring minds, such as those in the portraits, who stay afloat through working in the bookshop. Although with the small size of the place and huge crowds filling in, I’m not sure how much time they have to sit up there.

Stop 6:

This was the longest stop and I hesitate to call it a stop. They were more like stops. There was a long walk from Musee du Luxembourg to the rest of the stops, one was actually pretty out of a way of my current route, so I had to revisit a different day. The grand jewel of this stop was the massive fountain in front of the church where the Saints stand forever.

Stop 7:

Hemingway’s order consisted of a distingue (A big glass mug of beer), pommes a l’huile (Potato salad with firm potatoes (Why? Soft potatoes are better.) that are marinated in olive oil) and cervelas (a wide, heavy sausage split in two and covered with a special mustard sauce). I went to the Brasserie Lipp myself because I wanted to try that order, but found something much different than what I imagined. Something more expensive, upper class, and not of the common folk. I feel like that order, if not attached to a famous writer, would be sacrilege in the kind of restaurant that it is today.

Stop 8:

Hemingway would often stop at Cafe de Flores and Des Magots to eat and write. He considered these places good for writing. I decided to try and follow in this tradition at Cafe de Flores and simply write about what I observed in the space. I even started drafting a second story, but I don’t know if I’m going to revisit it or not.

Stop 9:

My door-side seat is the perfect vantage point. A private dwelling to sit and spy over customers and imagine their stories. The Englishmen are to the right of me, one filling coffee with sugar. My guess is they’re on holiday, perhaps to Disneyland. Something about mice and princesses seems to unite people. A French family is to my right, 2 teenagers and parents younger than mine, or at least appear to be. They talk of Hemingway too. Maybe they are here for the same reason as me. The golden room is packed with waiters in a constant rush. If any of them get called “garcon” I expect rightful violence from them. I imagine myself as the most American in my sport shorts, yet no one cares. From my seat I exist in the world, but not entirely. A mere fly simply watching.

I feel something is missing from my story…

A dragon! Every story is better with a dragon! Let’s add one perched on the awning, watching cars go by. She is responsible for bringing “fresh beef” straight from the countryside with her massive claws and wings. There, now it feels like a short story I would write.

Stop 10:

Michaud’s presents a bit of a switch up. Instead of an average or poor place elevating after Hemingway stayed there, Michaud’s is now gone. It was already an expensive and uppity place in his time so maybe it got so uppity that it went uppity out of the atmosphere. Writer James Joyce would often visit this place with his wife and children. Whenever Hemingway got a bit of money, him and his wife would go here to live like the upper class, if for only one meal.

Stop 11:

When Ernest and Hadley Hemingway first arrived in Paris, they stayed at the Hotel d’Angleterre. While I was able to find the hotel, I did not get the chance to go inside and experience the courtyard. I can only imagine now, possibly a lavish jungle that’s a far cry from what Hemingway saw. That’s the effect he has on these kinds of places.

Stop 12:

22 Rue Jacob, where Miss Stein Lived.

In chapter 2, Hemingway expresses his prejudices against homosexuality to Miss Stein. He claims gay people are sick, cannot help themselves, and deserve no pity. He also describes a time when he lived among a milieu of criminals and states “When you were a boy and moved in the company of men, you had to be prepared to kill a man, know how to do it and really know that you would do it in order to not be interfered with.” This makes me wonder about Hemingway’s past and what led him to these prejudices. Could it have been an adverse sexual encounter when he was too young? Could it have just been that his parents were prejudiced and wanted him to protect himself from what they perceived as threats?

Conclusion:

One line that perplexes me is the one where Hemingway glorifies his hunger. “Hunger is good discipline and you will learn from it.” As a writer myself, hunger is a hindrance to writing. Once I get hungry, that’s all I can think about until it is satisfied. Is he trying to elevate himself above common needs?

An episode I found particularly funny was “Birth of a New School.” The story starts with Hemingway choosing violence. A patron comes up and simply says hi. Hemingway basically tells this guy to screw off, but with more language. The whole chapter is just this argument started by a stubborn and angry mule named Ernest Hemingway.

Hemingway describes Paris as a “moveable feast”. While he could have meant a number of things with this description, there’s one possible interpretation that I could apply to my trip. Paris is a feast you take with you, something you eat and draw from wherever you are in the world or whenever you are in your life. The experience stays with you to be feasted on forever.

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rosekillerismylife · 11 months

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Astérix: Le domaine des Dieux

So, I just watched the animated movie and damn, it is sad. Like full on sad. I think it is the only Asterix movie that could get me to cry because half of the village lives in the city of Gods and only the 'Golden Trio' (Astérix, Obélix and Panoramix/Miraculix) remain in the village, so there is still an ounce of hope. But then, Apeldjust and Panoramix are captured by the romans, and everything relies on Astérix and Obélix. During the time in the forest, Obélix is kind of weak and tired because he hasn't eaten much, so that hope is already vanished before the romans capture him. So there's only Astérix left with no magic potion and no Obélix to help him. And then the romans attack.

Until then and even before, I get very emotional or mainly nostalgic because this is probably the only part of the series, where the romans are a real danger for the village and its people. The only part where Cesar is a real danger. They all get separated and the main part even lives in the city of Gods. So you think that this is it. This is the end. You also see it in Astérix's eyes as he watches the rest of the villagers getting captured by the romans. It's like his whole life is being played in front of his eyes. And in that exact moment, he loses hope and reaches for the nearest branch of hope he can grab which is the unfinished magic potion. Without thinking, he grabs it and makes the last approach to save his people. But he fails. In the history of the series, I think I never saw Astérix pulling a stunt like this. In this moment, he was hopeless. I think he probably knew that his plan would fail. But he still tried. And then, Obélix emerges from the earth and you know that it will be fine. That the last half or even twenty minutes of the movie will not be spend crying and mourning over the lost freedom of the indestructible Gauls and their village. It will not be spend mourning our childhood heroes.

For me, Astérix: Le domaine des Dieux will always be a grey zone because for one, I really prefer the older versions of Astérix movies because they just look better and realer and for another, this movie breaks so many barriers in society which makes it a really good movie. I mean, the slaves deciding if they are free or not, the soldiers demanding nicer treatment from their centurion and the lost family who joins the village of the Gauls? How many barrier breaking do you need to realize that it is a fucking masterpiece, the ugly visuals of the movie aside? Maybe they didn't thought anything while making the movie but as I said, it is the only time in the history of Astérix movies where Astérix acts unreasonable and desperate to save his people. Well, The Secret of the Magic Potion might top that but this isn't a real Astérix movie for me because the Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny didn't write/draw the comic for that one. It is also too dark to be an original Astérix movie.

Astérix is my childhood and will always have a special place in my heart because no one will argue with you when you say that you want to watch Astérix because deep down in their hearts, they know that it is not too childish and that they also want to watch it.

#recommendation #movie #astérix #astérix le mansion de les dieux #i watched it en francais #childhood #gauls #albert uderzo #renée goscinny #rené goscinny #sad movie

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annachum · 2 years

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What I wanna see in Asterix and the Middle Kingdom ( 2023 ) aka some theories/predictions of the upcoming movie ( IM SO EXCITED THAT ASTERIX FRANCHISE DECIDED TO SET ONE OF THEIR STORIES IN CHINA!! YAAAAYYYY!! )

. The Indomitable Gauls getting roped into a C R A Z Y Coup d'etat against thst rogue kinsman of Han Xuandi ( an actual historical Emperor of China in Han Dynasty ). This will be the first time they will be in an ACTUAL crazy warfare

. Some cultural shocks for the Gauls - like polygamous AND monogamous marriages are common in Ancient China, red is the color for weddings and white is for mourning etc. The Indomitable Gauls sometimes going ' These Chinese are crazy!'

. Ofc, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra are on a mission in China ( some kind of diplomatic/conquest scheme ). So imagine drama ensues when Ding Qing Qing ( the Big Bad of the upcoming movie ) is ACTUALLY ONE OF CLEOPATRA'S FORMER SUITORS ( she got a number of suitors from different demographics since she turned 16 before Caesar came into her life ).

. And when Cleopatra tells Caesar that ( after an uncomfortable meeting with Ding Qing Qing in person ), Caesar was all like ' Fuck this, let's flee China for the safety of my beloved Cleopatra. '

. AND THEN IMPEDIMENTIA, CLEOPATRA AND ONE OF IMPERIAL PRINCESS FU YI GETS KIDNAPPED BY DING QING QING'S FLEET IN THEIR SLEEP. AND ALL HELL BREAJS LOOSE.

. Luckily the 3 women managed to escape and spent DAYS finding their cohorts. Let's just say Vitalstatistix and Caesar are OVERJOYED when their wives reunited with them.

. HOUSEHOLD TREE MELODRAMA. Like Fu Yi has an ARMY of half siblings and one of them is YUANDI, THE FREAKING CROWN PRINCE AND HIS DAD'S HEIR ( yes Ancient Chinese Emperors have an army of wives, offsprings and grand offsprings )

. The Caesaric fleet's game plan changed after Cleopatra reunited with Caesar and they inadvertently formed qn alliance with Yuandi's fleet ( the Caesaric fleet never officially formed aj alliance with the Indomitable Gauls who joined Fu Yi's fleet, even tho both parties are fighting against Ding Qing Qing )

. Cleopatra being kidnapped ( yet escaped ) NEARLY SPARKED A GLOBAL SCALE WAR.

. Vitalstatistix and Caesar reminisced how they met, fell in love and married Impedimentia and Cleopatra respectively while they and their cohorts/fleets went on a several days mad hunt for their wives. ( awwww )

. Yeah and then Yuandi became the new Emperor of China after a Final Battle, Ding Qing Qing gets dragged back to Rome for a VERY gruesome public execution in CIRCUS Maximus....and rhe diplomatic relations between Roman Republic, Ptolemaic Egypt and Han Empire gradually recovered.

. Fu Yi, Yuandi and their Chinese cohorts trying their DANG hardest to restrain the Indomitable Gauls and the Caesaric fleet from clobbering each other ( given their tumultuous history with each other )

. CAESAR AND CLEO HAVING LOUD, STRESS RELIEVING MAKE OUT SESSION AND SEX ( off screen, kinda like when Caesar and Cleo made love off screen near the end of Mission Cleopatre ) RIGHT ABOVE DING QING QING'S DARK CELL ON THEIR SHIP BACK TO ROME TO TORTURE HIM.

. The whole plot be kinda have some allusions to Lion King. Basically the whole plot is kinda like those melodramatic Chinese wuxia/battle movies and TV shows except with Persians, Gauls, Romans and Egyptians in the mix. OH THE DRAMA.

. Meanwhile baby Caesarion was enjoying life in Palace of Alexandria, not entirely sure wtf is going on, as he waits for his parents to come back.

#yes xuandi and yuandi are irl historical chinese emperors #my brain went OFF after seeing the teaser trailer lol #YAY CLEO GETS A MAJOR ROLE IN THAT MOVIE IM SO HAPPY #caesar is sometimes a jealous and hilariously overprotective lover and later husband #change my mind #he literally had a statue of Venus and Cupid modeled after Cleo and Caesarion in 46 BC for Cleo #as a Venus Day aka 1st April present for Cleo #venus day is ancient rome's equivalent of Valentines Day #and she was so touched she BAWLED in joy in his arms #THE INDOMITABLE GAULS ARE GOING ON AN ADVENTURE IN CHINA IM SO HAPPY

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