#it’s all experimental so consistency? who’s she

[rebelwriter99]

Well those were some remarkably accurate predictions!

SPOILERS INCOMING! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Tantiss did get blown to bits. Everyone did escape. (Because they had to they hadn’t had a big win in more than an entire season to justify it!) And they DID make it an hour long episode! I was so relieved the second I saw the runtime.

But WOW were a lot of things a surprise. Nala Se doing what she did I feel like I should have seen coming. It was a fantastic character arc conclusion for her, especially that line about Kamino. Rampart being there I didn’t see coming, but also a very well earned conclusion for his character (if you’ll take my meaning).

Omega! Honestly the only predictable character on screen at this point. Except perhaps Echo. Of course she released the Zillo beast-that was set up really nicely. Everyone immediately knowing it was her was delightful and probably the only time I remember laughing all episode because boy was it heavy from there.

The Batch themselves and what happened to them were a huge shock all episode. Crosshair finally voicing what I’d known since S1 and became blindingly obvious post S2 was a fantastic moment. I’m so glad it got said out loud, and I’m so glad it was him that said it. They haven’t been Clone Force 99 since the end of S1 E1 and the loss of Crosshair to the Empire. Their success rate on missions has consistently dropped since then, even more so since the loss of Tech. They were a unit, and they’re missing pieces. They’ve never been whole since the fall of the republic, and then had to operate in a galaxy they weren’t trained for. They’re not the same anymore-they needed to own that.

The three heavy duty action scenes the batch were involved in were all callbacks to previous scenes. The hangar stand off-against what are essentially operatives designed to combat them specifically-is a call back to the first appearance of imperial cross. Crosshair sees the operatives and knows they can’t win. He’s unfortunately right. And wow I did not see Crosshair losing his shaking hand coming at all. I understand practically why the writers did it, and I know I’ll be thinking long and hard about it, but I literally screamed out loud when it happened.

I think all of the batch finally understanding and experiencing what Crosshair lived through was important. The batch met their match in Hemlock. Crosshair was never really an enemy in S1, and Rampart was too stupid. To Tarkin, they were a fly in the ointment of the bigger picture. It was nothing personal. He’s Echo and Rex and the rebellions problem-not theirs. But Hemlock? The experimental scientist who wants to own what they hold most dear. Yeah. They needed to really know him. I knew when Wrecker got injured last episode that if they won it would be by the skin of their teeth-and I don’t think a single character bar omega got out unscathed.

The batch’s rescue is perfect. Regs volunteering and going to rescue the defective clones? This really is a new galaxy. We’ve moved on from Cross and “he’s just another reg”. And it’s Omega and Echo returning the favour. The Batch have gone into a research facility to rescue their own and gotten captured for their trouble twice now. (Not including Echos rescue in clone wars-where they avoid capture but get a tad stuck). This was the third attempt in TBB. Still got captured. But it’s Echo and Omega together who get to rescue the people who got them out of their similarly horrible situations. The parallels abound and I loved it!

And that last confrontation. The rain? The shape of the buildings? That exposed platform? This was Kamino all over again. Except this time, however injured, however changed they are, Hunter and Crosshair are together. For Omega. They’ve both failed to stop her being taken by Hemlock before-they’ve both watched a ship fly away with her on board. This is another third attempt. They both get their do over. Except this time they’ve learned to trust eachother, and they’ve been forced to adapt. The clone’s humanity has always been their strength-and this is one of the most perfectly written, perfectly animated scenes in the series. I knew Cross was going to have to make a shot he didn’t want to take. And I knew he’d do it. But Omega telling him what to do, telling him she trusted him not to hurt her, broke me. It was all leading up to this. And that she hugged Cross first. I was crying before this scene. I will have to rewatch and hope I can actually see next time I was sobbing!

And Hemlock got his slightly gruesome end. Thank the FORCE.

And Pabu at the end. You can feel their disbelief that the trauma is over. That they can have peace. And the epilogue is perfect. I wish we’d got to see older cross and wrecker too-but their character arcs were already handled earlier. This is Hunters scene-it was always going to have to be. For him to truly be at peace, he has to feel OK watching her fly away. He’s spent three seasons clinging on-how he’s happy to let go. And Omega gets her choice. That precious thing all the clones are chasing. She got to have a childhood, grow up, and choose.

I’m so hopeful that Omega at least will reappear-especially if she’s hoping to join the rebellion! Maybe she’ll meet Hera again-that would be amazing. (I’m nothing if not a rebels fan)

I know Bad Batch is a series I’ll be coming back to again and again to rewatch, and I know I’ll see new things in it each and every time, but for now-Thank you Clone Force 99. You’ll always be our ‘dad batch’ of deviants. It was a wonderful wild ride.

#the bad batch #tbb spoilers #tbb season 3 #tbb s3 spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #the bad batch season three spoilers #tbb crosshair #tbb hunter #tbb omega #tbb tech #tbb wrecker #tbb echo #force I love this story so much #I’ll have to come back and write some more when I don’t have 4 assignments I’ve been putting off! #star wars

[zoruas-fr]

have a lil pwyw shop going, here’s some dragons from it ^^

#it’s all experimental so consistency? who’s she #flight rising #fr #flight rising art #fr art #imperial #flight rising imperial #coatl #flight rising coatl #pearlcatcher #flight rising pearlcatcher #frfanart #flight rising fanart

[rosemaze-reveries]

During an interview, the manor guests suddenly get a question about you.

this is def an experimental format!! i got this idea while reading the character letters. in the POV of an unknown interviewer (not reader). reader uses they/them.

🔗⚰️📰🔮❤️‍🩹💉🌪️✂️🍀🩰🔫🪡🤹🧲🦋🐍

Q. Could you describe your relationship with (Y/N)?

🔗 Ada - "Yes, that's my lover. I would say our relationship falls within the typical scope of that sort of thing. Of course, I believe we share something special, but everyone does when they're in love, don't they?" She covers all her bases in one decisive breath, leaving little room for me to comment.

⚰️ Aesop sits perfectly upright, fingers threaded at his knees. His eyes drift to the side and he seems to begin speaking mid-thought. "I had... cautioned myself not to upset their perception of me," he explains. "But they pried, and stayed, regardless of what they found... For that, I'm grateful."

📰 Alice has kept a sharp eye on me the entire time, but it's at this question that she drops the formalities. "I wasn't aware you would be prying into my personal affairs. Where did you learn that name?" Her frankness pins me in place. For some reason, I end up apologizing.

🔮 Eli can't help a sheepish smile from blooming across his face. "Well, truthfully... I don't use this term lightly, but they might be the love of my life." He has been consistently grounded with his responses, so I'm surprised to catch him flustered, however subtle it is. Personally, I'm touched.

❤️‍🩹 Emil considers for a moment. He doesn't meet me in the eye, instead pinning his gaze on nowhere in particular. A faint smile ghosts his lips. After a while, he answers, simply, "Safe."

💉 Emily's hands are folded neatly on her lap. At the mention of that name, her shoulders tense, but she otherwise maintains her composure. "Someone I trust." Her answer is vague and cautious, but acceptable. I'll try to uncover a deeper meaning behind that 'trust'.

🌪️ Ithaqua - "Mine." He is curt and to the point. Yours? I echo, hoping he'll elaborate. His head tilts to the side, and while I can't see the face behind his mask, a sense of dread suddenly overcomes me. I decide not to press further.

✂️ Jack stretches out his hand of blades, flexing each finger in front of him. I can't deny the cold sweat that drips down my spine just by being in his presence. "May I respond with a question of my own?" he says to me. "Suppose a butterfly loses its way, and winds up caught in a spider's web. Wouldn't you agree that the more it writhes and struggles, the more exhilarated the spider becomes?" I don't have the courage to hear out the rest of this analogy.

🍀 Lucky - "I've always been known as a pretty lucky guy, but the luckiest day of my life was when I met them! I remember it was the—" He drags me down a long-winded story about their life together. I get the idea. Eventually I'm forced to cut him off.

🩰 Margaretha twirls a curl of hair, a meek blush dusting her cheeks. "Have you ever been in love before? You're never prepared for the magic of it all. I feel a new rush with them everyday. I know, realistically, all good things come to an end, so I tried to remind myself to expect the worst, but they've proven over and over that... I'll never feel safer than in their arms." After rambling for some time, a look of surprise flashes across her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go off like that. Oh, but I've just never met someone who feels so much like true love before."

🔫 Martha doesn't miss a beat. "Sorry, I don't know anyone by that name." I look down to double-check the name written in her file. Her watchful gaze follows my line of sight. Are you sure? I try. "Must've been some confusion somewhere," she insists. The next day, I realize all my files on her and (Y/N) have gone missing.

🪡 Matthias - "Wh-What?" he starts, but keeps going before I can repeat the question. "Oh, uh, an ally, I guess." Well, I gathered that much. When I press for more details, his head sinks low, fingers grasping at the armrest. "I don't know what they saw in me. Was it out of pity?"

🤹 Mike's eyes light up and he blinds me with a contagious smile. "(Y/N)'s a sneaky one, and I mean it—they've got me under the trickiest spell of all. Guess what happens every time I think about them?" Egged on by his grin, I take the bait. You get lovesick? I guess. Suddenly, he tosses a handful of butterfly glitter in my face. "I get butterflies!" Very funny, I sigh, exasperated with these carnies. Why did he have that on hand in the first place?

🧲 Norton leans back in his chair, scowling. "What's that got to do with anything?" He snaps a couple times in my face, urging me to "stay on topic." It's hard to say if this question struck a nerve, as he's been uncooperative for most of this interview, but my suspicions point me to prod further. After all, it'd have been much easier if he just said he didn't know them.

🦋 Vera's face contorts into a leery, hostile glower. "Why do you ask that?" Before I can say anything to mitigate the rising tension, she catches herself, and her expression softens slightly. "I'm sorry. That's... someone quite dear to me, so your question took me by surprise."

🐍 Yidhra's follower goes pale, clearly unnerved. "She won't answer that," she tells me through shallow breaths. "Th-This isn't my place to say, but I'd advise you not to involve yourself with that person." As if on cue, I get a sensation I can only describe as a hand slowly wrapping around my neck. It disappears when I move to scratch it. Must've been my imagination.

Part 2

#again this is super experimental but U__U im interested in doing the rest of the cast maybe #identity v #idv x reader #identity v x reader #norton campbell x reader #ithaqua x reader #eli clark x reader #matthias czernin x reader #mike morton x reader #vera nair x reader #martha behamfil x reader #margaretha zelle x reader #aesop carl x reader #yidhra x reader #jack x reader #emily dyer x reader #lucky guy x reader #emil x reader #alice deross x reader #ada mesmer x reader

[randomshyperson]

One For The Road - Heart Shaped Series

Chapter Summary: Wanda's first mission as an Avenger was also marked by the first time she met you.

Warnings: typical canon violence, fluff and Avengers working together but nothing major | Words: 2.501k

A/N-> This is an extra chapter (can be read separately and doesn't impact the current plot of the fic). It's just about delving a little deeper into what happened before the main story and I plan three of them in total (the other two will be their first kiss and their first time). Good reading!

General Masterlist | Wattpad | AO3 | Series Masterlist

-&-

Before.

They were there to observe. After all, what criminal in their right mind would let the Avengers attend an event where half the guests were wanted by Shield?

But even on the outside, and accompanied by Barton, Steve and Natasha who were basically the most protective members over her, Wanda was nervous.

It was her first official Avengers mission. Not only that, but she had what they called a perfect disguise consisting of an old American football team cap and sunglasses, and Wanda was having a hard time thinking that it would work. Maybe so, because she had only appeared a few times on television, and wasn't exactly the most popular Avenger among them. 

But there was also Captain America in all of his glory of an enchanted big body wearing the same outfit. So ignoring Steve's warning about keeping it on the down low, she was forced to use her skills when she noticed that the waitresses were whispering about him - One peek and Wanda could read their suspicion. The blonde among them was sure of who he was, but a little influence from the witch and that certainty vanished. She could go back to serving coffee without further doubts.

Steve could thank her later for that.

Wanda's first mission was simple. To observe, to provide support. It was more about seeing Steve in action than anything else. Learning how the more experienced ones acted or something. She knew that Clint was somewhere high up, perhaps in one of the buildings away from the main square. 

In any case, they were all surrounding the large Italian-style mansion on the edge of the island. And Tony in his iron armor was taking care of the offshore area, in case the targets escaped by water.

Everything was going well, and almost tedious to be honest, for hours on end. The gala party was happening loud and clear into the night, but Wanda and the others had the excuse of dinner time to stay at the tables in the cheap corner restaurant. 

"We have our first celebrity guest, Captain." Clint's warning over the communicator almost took her by surprise - but Wanda was paying attention to the mansion's large iron door, where she could see the movement in and out of the party. The equally bored security guards finally got something to do - Opening the door to the visually drunk man heading towards the limo waiting for him.

Steve left some cash on the table, standing up before the drunk man had even finished insulting the staff for taking so long to open the door for him. She knew the captain was heading towards the parked motorcycle to follow the car since that was the plan. But she noticed - felt - something different.

The target was an Italian mobster who had attracted Shield's attention by being quoted in a human experimentation scheme. All those involved in the Hydra project, which created people like her and Pietro, were being hunted down one by one. It was an Avengers-level operation because little was known about how far Hydra had managed to go. How many superhumans they manage to create? It wouldn't be smart to send ordinary agents who would probably be up against people as powerful as Wanda.

And well, there was another detail about the target; he had two daughters. According to the files, the girls didn't take part in their father's work. They just enjoyed the money from a crime like two foolish socialites.

Although the two figures were identical to the photographs in the files, something in Wanda clicked when she looked at what was supposed to be the mobster's youngest daughter.

"Steve, there's something wrong." She gasped into the communicator. The waiter looked surprised - he thought she was talking to him.

"Mi dispiace, signorina, cosa ha detto? (Excuse me, what did you say, miss?)" But Wanda muttered excuse me in a very bad accent and got up. At her warning, Steve hesitated and instead of going to the motorcycle, he stopped at the bar. 

The mobster didn't leave the scene either, confirming Wanda's suspicions that things were very wrong. 

From inside the mansion, two security guards ran out - they shouted that something had been stolen from the sale. And the gate was closed again.

The man, drunk and confused, was searched. The presence of a pearl necklace hidden in his jacket was enough for him to be dragged back by the thugs, who ignored the foaming protests of him and his eldest daughter, who ran inside after her father.

"What's the saying again, thief who steals thief...?" Clint joked over the communicator, clearly from wherever he was, he had witnessed the whole scene.

Although he laughed, Steve began to move forward. "Change of plans, guys. Let's break up the party." He announced, and it was no surprise that the positions of the remaining team members quickly began to reveal themselves.

Everyone left their hiding place to invade the party - Tony's armor was the first to act to hack open the iron gates. Most of the security corps surrendered on seeing the Avengers there, but there was still conflict. Steve just wanted to act quickly before the mobster they had come to capture was executed for stealing a pearl necklace.

And Wanda, well, she followed her instincts.

The mobster's daughter fled the scene - She was supposed to go after her father, but she snuck into the parking lot. Wanda had to run a little to avoid losing sight of her.

The confusion of the party invaded by the Avengers was loud enough to drown out her footsteps, and Wanda managed to hide behind some pillars when the figure reached a parked car. She thought she was about to discover that the mobster's daughter was actually more aware of her father's business than she let on when something much more shocking happened.

Before her eyes, Wanda watched the figure change completely. From the original appearance, only the coat and expensive dress remained.

A shapeshifter? What an incredible thing to witness, Wanda thought. She had only heard stories about Loki and had never seen anything other than Natasha's tools of disguise. This here was truly remarkable.

You hummed low, pulling out a closed suitcase from your coat. The Italian mafia symbol made Wanda understand the whole thing quickly - The necklace was just a distraction. The real theft was what you were carrying.

The coat was discarded on the pavement in the parking lot, but before you could stow it in the trunk, you froze. Wanda had half a second to hide behind the pillar, holding her breath and hoping you hadn't seen her.

Well, worst case scenario, she'd use magic on you.

She risked a peek, but you were no longer near the car. Gone, like the suitcase.

Wanda sighed in defeat, feeling pathetic. Her first mission would be marked with the escape of an enemy. How embarrassing.

But then she was suddenly grabbed and restrained. Wanda gasped in shock, imagining that it was one of the building's security guards. Her magic acted faster than the panic in her system - it went through her body and hit the attacker in the chest, who was thrown to the ground.

"Wow, how did you do that?" The voice that came out was definitely not that of a brute like the party security guards. Wanda turned around panting, ready for another attack, but you were sitting on the floor, back to your original appearance, looking at her as if you had just seen the most incredible creature in the world.

Wanda opened her mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say. She was sure she had been grabbed by a security guard, but then she understood: You had changed to look like one. But her magic forced you to return to your real appearance, and Wanda had to convince herself that the way her heart raced and her stomach did two flips was because of the fright, and nothing more.

Her lack of reaction didn't intimidate you. You tilted your head gently. "You're the new one."

You started to get up, Wanda swallowed dryly, taking another step away.  Her hands glowed as red as her eyes. "Stay back."

But you looked at her carefully, as if you were studying her. And you didn't seem afraid of your powers, even though a minute ago you'd been thrown to the ground for it.

"Oh, I remember you from television." You suddenly declare, a glint of recognition in your eyes. "The girl from the country who fell from the sky."

Wanda tried to steady her trembling hands. "I'll take you into custody. I know you stole something."

But you didn't pay any attention to the statement - You advanced against her and she backed away instinctively until Wanda was pressed to the pillar again. One hand against your stomach and the other on your shoulder, keeping you at a safe distance.

She could have just hit you with the magic, but she didn't. Just like you, she didn't attack.

"What... are you doing?" She gasped in a mixture of curiosity and fear, both hands controlling your distance were expelling her power. One of your hands moved up and grabbed her face gently - Wanda had to bite the inside of her cheek at the way her skin burned at your touch. Was it attraction she was feeling? No, it couldn't be. You were a complete stranger. She had to convince herself that this was fear.

You turned her face to one side and then the other, your eyes so focused that you seemed to be trying to memorize every aspect of her appearance.

"I've never met another one of us before." You say, and Wanda frowns in confusion. Your hand remains on her chin, and she swallows dryly before taking a chance:

"Us? Like... another Baron Strucker experiment?" She deduces, and you nod softly before letting go of her face.

You move your hand down and hold the one she has against your stomach. "It's so warm. What is it?" You ask tenderly about her magic. 

Wanda can feel her cheeks burning but she managed to stammer: "Hm... it’s a form of energy, I think." Jesus, Wanda pull yourself together. Well, who could really blame her for feeling out of place about the whole thing? She was literally on her first mission, being pinned against a pillar in the parking lot of a mafia party by some random thief, blushing under the worshipful gaze of that same shape-shifter while her team blew stuff up in the background. It was too much for anyone. 

She tries to gain a little control when she evades your touch, slipping to the side and putting distance between your bodies again. She also ignores how her hand is tingling, as if she was missing your touch from seconds ago.

"How did the Baron manage to give you energy?" You asked curiously but frowned in a worried way.

Wanda sighed. She really was having a conversation with a jewelry thief.

"It was a stone... um, a special kind. It may sound ridiculous, but it was a magic one. It came from outer space, the Avengers actually have a lot of work protecting them. And well, it now sits on the head of one of us and-"

But you suddenly moved - You lifted the hem of your dress just above your thigh, and pulled out a small, hidden pistol. Wanda's heart leaped to her throat. She barely had time to think about reacting, and you had already pulled the trigger.

There was still an arc of magic protecting her when she risked opening her eyes again. You were both out of breath, staring at each other before you lowered the gun.

The shot wasn't aimed at her, as Wanda realized the next second. But behind her, to one of the party guests who was trying to escape the Avengers by running into the parking lot. And well, catching one of them, off guard was quite an opportunity. The man now was writhing in pain on the ground, bleeding from the shot to the neck that you had hit him with. His own gun, loaded to shoot Wanda, rolled off his hand to the grass next to his body. 

Wanda should move. Criminal or not, trying to murder her or not, he needed help.

You raised an eyebrow at the magical protection disappearing around her. "You’re full of tricks aren’t, you?” You teased while hiding your gun again, now on your belt. “This was fun, Wanda Maximoff. Unfortunately, I must leave."

She shallows, knowing she really should move her feet. "You can't go... I have- I should arrest you."

You glance towards the man on the ground, practically unconscious now before looking at the girl again. "But he needs your help, and what kind of superhero doesn't help a bleeding victim?"

Her body reacts to your sarcastic words; she rushes to reach the assaulter and stop the bleeding. You don’t miss the opportunity to walk away to your motorcycle.

Wanda is too busy with the guest to notice you are escaping - Her magic do the hard part to patch up the bleeding and she’s stuck there with this man, at least for the necessary time for you to escape.

Wanda bites her tongue when she sees your motorcycle flee out the back exit, hoping none of her colleagues saw her letting you escape.

It doesn't even take five minutes for Natasha to find her, worried about where she was hiding during the shooting.

“What the hell happened here?” Asked the widow but as soon as she saw the gun on the floor, she assumed that Wanda was defending herself. She sighs before the witch can come up with an explanation. “Fuck, I’m just glad you’re okay, Maximoff. Pretty hardcore for your first mission, huh?” Nat jokes, and somehow, she manages a little chuckle from Wanda. The redhead gives her shoulder a soft tug. "Come on, witchy, i’ll take care of this one. Go find the others."

Natasha offered her a hand to help her up, but Wanda didn't want to take it. Her own were stained with blood.

"I think I'll go back to the quinjet." Said the brunette with a sour stomach. A lot had happened in a very short period of time. Natasha nodded quickly.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead." Said the widow, forcing a smile when she noticed the way the witch was shaking with adrenaline. "And Wanda. You did alright, okay? More than that, to be honest. You caught the hint that something was wrong very quickly. I’m proud of you.”

Wanda just nodded, taking the opposite path from all the confusion.  Completely unaware that a few kilometers away, at high speed, a shapeshifter left the motorcycle's handlebars to press against their own chest. Trying to understand why their heart was racing so much and the feeling of doing something wrong if the robbery had been a success.

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff series #heart shaped series #wanda maximoff fics #elizabeth olsen x reader

[rivetgoth]

Black Alternative Music Recs

Not being Black myself, I hesitate to make myself a spokesperson specifically for Black alt artists as I don’t want to be tokenizing or reductive and I’d rather, like, uplift the voices of Black alt people than just make my own lists, BUT, I keep seeing people in the comments of recent posts about Death Grips asking for recs for more Black alternative artists, and I do know a good amount, so as a really basic list I wanted to throw out a few artists I really like—

Light Asylum: Darkwave. Really incredible vocalist, and openly queer. “Dark Allies” is a huge goth club hit but all of her work is great. I’ve seen her live twice and her live concerts are incredible too. One of the bigger Black goth artists.

Ho99o9: Punk/Industrial Hip Hop. Another big one, they’re pretty well known at this point but if you DON’T know them you should. Huuuge variety in sound here, all of it is so fun and solid, absolutely amazing energy.

clipping.: Industrial/Experimental Hip Hop. Really fun and catchy, great lyrics, great mixing, great experimental electronic sound.

Void Palace: Industrial/EBM. Local LA-based act with an amazing industrial dance club sound and vibe. Seen them live and they bring such cool but crazy energy. Really really solid.

O. Children: Darkwave/Post Punk. Really classic gothic sound, amazing vocals, really underrated, theatrical, fun, and moody gothic rock.

Izzy Spears: Industrial/Experimental Hip Hop. Openly gay alternative hip hop artist with a heavy and super danceable beat. I saw him live and he sounded great and had awesome punky energy.

LUSTSICKPUPPY: Punk/Electro-Industrial. Has almost a hyperpop sound sometimes, super high BPM high energy danceable electronic music with a really crazy theatrical style to their performances (kicking myself for missing them last year!). ETA: LSP uses they/them pronouns, corrected now but apologies for missing that irt any older iterations of this post floating around.

Baby Storme: Darkwave/Ethereal Pop. I think she got a bit of popularity on TikTok recently? I don’t use TikTok so idk, but she’s great. Really well mixed, fun, super solid dreamy darkwave with a dancey pop sound intermixed.

Grizz: Darkwave Hip Hop. I JUST discovered this artist, he’s another LA local who just put out a new single that’s getting some attention and he’s really good. Super cool goth fusion sound with really great classic darkwave electronic backing. Check him out!

Cold Gawd: Shoegaze/Post-Hardcore. Iconically sells merch that says “ABOLISH WHITE SHOEGAZE.” Absolute powerhouse of sound; I saw them live and their music sounded torrential, like this intense, powerful storm.

Debby Friday: Dark Electronic/Experimental Hip Hop. Really really haunting and dreamy gothic sound. Collaborates with artists like Boy Harsher. Superbly mixed. Lots of variety in sound but very consistently strong.

Dre Robinson: Industrial/Experimental Electronic. Longtime cEvin Key/Skinny Puppy collaborator. He was on stage with Skuppy during the recent live tour, doing sound and playing the maggot maracas (iykyk). He’s also been involved in a ton of cEvin’s solo work and accompanies him on stage for his live solo shows.

Charles Levi: Industrial/Industrial Rock. Wax Trax!/90s industrial icon, did work for My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult and Pigface. He’s recently had a bunch of serious health problems and has a GoFundMe up of you’d like to donate. He contributed to so much classic industrial rock, it’s crazy.

There’s a billion more. These are just some artists I genuinely really like personally who are Black, and I think all of them deserve a ton of support and recognition as contributors to the alternative scene. There’s so many amazing Black-fronted alternative bands and projects, and I’m just scratching the surface with artists I know and enjoy, Also considered listing some larger names like Yves Tumor and Tricky, but I feel they’re slightly more well known in the mainstream with ~1mil+ listeners on Spotify and I wanted to highlight some slightly more underground voices (to varying degrees—obviously some artists here are more well known than others).

Check them out!! Support Black alternative music!

#goth #industrial #alternative music

[secretlystephaniebrown]

I Read Nearly Every Appearance of the Lazarus Pit Before Flashpoint and All I Got Was A Headache: A Meta Commentary

So! The Lazarus Pit!

The Lazarus Pit is obviously an iconic part of the Batman Franchise. We encounter it everywhere, from the Under the Red Hood movie, to the Lazarus Planet event which just ended.

But has the Lazarus Pit always been this way?

It's comics. Of course not.

Very long comic rant with citations below!

The Nu52 and following reboots obviously overhauled Lazarus Lore so completely they're functionally a different thing, so I'm not talking about them. Today, instead, we're talking about post-crisis/pre-Flashpoint Lazarus Pits, their contradictions, and what we can make of them.

The Lazarus Pits have been around nearly as long as Ra's and Talia have been, and even before they appeared, it was clear that Ra's had some method of extending his life.

Batman (1940-2011) #235

The first Lazarus Pit itself seems to be in a chalet in Switzerland, and it's very different than what we will later associate it as. It is instead, a mortuary slab that lowers itself into a pit of "bubbling liquid"

Batman (1940-2011) #243

In these early versions, the Lazarus Pit is portrayed as a medical invention that Ra's has used to extend his life.

It is shown to have consequences, which fandom has, of course, latched onto.

Batman (1940-2011) #244

Here, we see the Lazarus Madness described as including "the strength of ten men", and he is able to be able to resist nearly all attacks from Batman and Lo Ling.

In addition, Ra's claims that he has used the pit too often, which is shown to be the driving force behind his interest in Bruce and his legacy.

Batman (1940-2011) #244

Later appearances of Ra's and the pit throughout this era add a few more interesting tidbits.

He claims that only he can use the Lazarus Pit... but puts Talia in it in that same issue, claiming that it's okay if it's just a quick dip.

Batman (1940-2011) #335

Is Ra's lying about no one else being able to use the pit? Almost certainly. He will start putting anyone he wants into the pit soon enough.

Those with a keen eye might notice that the Lazarus Pit is already going through some aesthetic changes: we're still seeing a slab being lowered into a small pit, but now the liquid within is orange! This will come up a lot!

Next up we have the storyline Grant Morrison refused to read: Son of the Demon.

In Son of the Demon, Ra's claims that there was an earlier version of the Pit, before the final version Bruce has already encountered. In this version, he claims that Mellisande, Talia's mother, was pushed into this proto-pit, and it killed her.

Batman: Son of the Demon (1987)

Denny O'Neil will later retcon this in 1993, claiming that Talia's mother died of a drug overdose, and Ra's refused to bring her back.

But it is consistent in early versions of the story that Lazarus Pits, if not entered with proper care and with the right preparations, can be dangerous.

Bride of the Demon is the next storyline, and Ra's BRINGS the Lazarus Pits in this one. Ra's finds himself a hot MILF girlfriend and puts her in the Pit to make her younger so she can give him kids.

Batman: Bride of the Demon (1990)

This Lazarus Pit is shown to be more experimental than past versions, with Ra's and Dr. Weltmann attempting to prevent the Lazarus Madness factor.

Ra's later puts a child in the pit as a bribe to his father, but the kid had possibly been dead too long, and it was hinted there were going to be long-term consequences for the actions... which were dropped. As was the wife, who was supposedly pregnant at the end of this story. Comics!

This is the first time that limits on the Lazarus Pit are presented, but it is certainly not the last. This idea that there's an upper limit on how long someone can be dead for before a Lazarus Pit doesn't do anything will come back again.

Batman: Birth of the Demon finally brings in a more mystical aspect to the Lazarus Pits, which so far have been vaguely scientific. In this story, we are introduced to the fact that Lazarus Pits are located on the convergence points of leylines (which in-universe have something to do with the electro-magnetic field). Ra's's approximate age is revealed, and it is shown that Bruce and Ra's have been fighting a real-estate battle over sites where Lazarus Pits can be built.

Batman: Birth of the Demon (1992)

In flashbacks, we learn that Ra's figured out how to build a Lazarus Pit, and was not actually the first person to use it. Instead, it was for the son of the Sultan Ra's worked for as a physician.

After the Sultan's son went mad, killed Sora, and blamed Ra's for it, Ra's had his vengeance... by putting the son in a false Lazarus Pit.

This pit was sabotaged by not being built on a Leyline. So uh... be careful with those, I guess!

So in short: by the end of this era of Denny O'Neil/Mike Barr Lazarus Lore, we know that anyone can use a Lazarus Pit, but Ra's controls them with his knowledge of how to create them. Bruce can find where they should be by tracking leylines, and will pass this knowledge on to others over time.

We then enter a new era! The Chuck Dixon era, to be specific.

Chuck Dixon has surprisingly few retcons for us. We first really encounter his take on Lazarus Lore in his mini series Bane of the Demon, where Bane works with Ra's and co.

We get a brief recap of the lore here:

Batman: Bane of the Demon #3 (1998)

We are now introduced to an interesting new layer: the Lazarus Pits can be predicted, not just detected. Ra's has headquarters set up all over the world, in places where Lazarus Pits not only are, but will be. Some pit locations appear to remain the same throughout the years (Ra's has built numerous pits on the location of the first site: at least three that we know of), but generally, Lazarus Pits seem to be a one-time deal.

Ra's clearly has dedicated most of his life to these pits; to acquiring their locations, to predicting where they will be, experimenting with how to make them better... so obviously, he guards the formula for how to make them extremely closely, right?

Well. Not according to Chuck.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989-2007) #145

And if you've noticed that head of green hair on the ground there, that's right folks! BRUCE WAYNE PUT A DEAD JOKER IN A LAZARUS PIT HE MADE HIMSELF.

Bruce justifies it by telling Alfred that if he does this, it means Ra's can't use it later. However, it does not change the fact that Bruce put the Joker in a Lazarus Pit. No I'm not going to be over this ever. Jason might have a point, actually.

Ra's decides, after this, that he wants another wife. And he picks Dinah Lance! But whoops, as it happens, Dinah was tortured and can't have kids (also lost her Canary Cry), way back in Green Arrow, before Ollie died! So Ra's decides to throw her in a Lazarus Pit. It... doesn't go well. Lazarus Madness + Restored Canary Cry = one destroyed building.

Birds of Prey (1999-2009) #33

Oh look! We've got locations! And of course every other Lazarus Pit we've seen or will see except Birth of the Demon is nowhere near any of these convergence points!

So! To recap the current state of the lore: Lazarus Pits are a combination of science and magic. They are an alchemical creation, built on leyline nodes. Generally, they are one-use only, or at least they require centuries to be re-usable. They can resurrect the newly-dead, but but Ra's is very cautious about letting other people use them, probably because he's a control freak, and he doesn't have too many of them left.

We depart the Dixon era and enter... the Nyssa Raatko era.

Nyssa is introduced in Death and the Maidens, with Greg Rucka, who is a huge fan of Denny O'Neil, still sticking pretty close to the original lore.

Here, we see that Bruce has still been on his kick of preventing Ra's from building more Lazarus Pits by buying up real estate where they could be. This forced Ra's to try to reconcile with his daughter Nyssa, who he gave a Lazarus Pit to sometime in the 1700s.

Batman: Death and the Maidens (2003-2004) #1

"But hey!" I can hear you say. "Isn't part of the thing that you mentioned earlier is that they're one-use?"

Well they are! For Ra's.

Nyssa, however, is a smart lady.

Nyssa, at some point in her life, figured out how to make a Lazarus Pit reusable. So she's been getting a lot of mileage out of this baby, and has been since the 1700s.

This story also presents an explanation for why the Lazarus Pit is sometimes green and sometimes orange: Nyssa's is orange and Ra's has green ones. I guess maybe the earlier orange pits that Ra's had were him trying to make them reusable like Nyssa? Hmm.

Batman: Death and the Maidens (2003-2004) #4

When questioned about it, Nyssa tells Talia that there used to be more pits, so he was less protective of them when he gave her this one.

Batman: Death and the Maidens (2003-2004) #6

At the end of this storyline, Ra's is dead, Nyssa is the new Ra's al Ghul, and according to Bruce, she has the only Lazarus Pit left.

Batman: Death and the Maidens (2003-2004) #9

Nyssa pops up again in Batgirl, facing off against Cass, and brags about her special pit again. Cass and Shiva both get dips in it. Fun times!

Batgirl (2000-2006) #69

Yes, the torture hooks are a reoccurring feature of Nyssa's pit. I don't know why.

But wait! A brief interlude!

Jason Todd came back to comics in a storyline: Under the Hood, in 2005, which wrapped up in 2006. We weren't told how Jason came back in the story itself, but a few months after Under the Hood ended, we get Batman Annual #25, which shows Talia shoving Jason into a Lazarus Pit while Ra's was using it.

Batman Annual #25 (2006)

There's no discussion about if this is a weird dip. He's got brain activity again though!

This is revisited again in Red Hood: The Lost Days, but it doesn't really add anything from the point of Lazarus Lore, except that Ra's posits that Jason, having already been resurrected, could have suffered some long-term consequences, unlike literally anyone else who had a dip.

Red Hood: The Lost Days (2010-2011) #2

Anyways, enough Jason! Nyssa gets killed off-page in OYL, so she's gone now, Talia's running the show and oh fuck it's Morrison-era. And Morrison never bothered to read any other Ra's or Talia story because it wasn't Silver Age or something. So... retcon time!

The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul attempts to retell Birth of the Demon, but with a few retcons. The pits were discovered, not made, being the official point in which the Lazarus Pits become purely magical phenomena, rather than a work of alchemy.

Batman Annual #26 (2007)

Bruce also mentions that the Pits are connected to actual waterways, which is a massive difference from the shallow pits from earlier eras.

This era does however confirm the concept that older bodies, further along in the decay process, probably shouldn't be dipped in the Lazarus Pit. At least, Dick convinced Tim of this fact after a little while.

(Also White Ghost wants a perfectly healthy, alive Tim to bathe in the Lazarus Pit, and this is never explained. Maybe it was a distraction?)

Nightwing (1996-2009) #139

In this era, and the Batman: Reborn era following it, the Lazarus Pits are pretty absent, but the few references we do get from this point forward (including in Red Hood: The Lost Days, which are published in 2010-2011), tend to use the Morrison-era canon that the pits are natural. And also we're back to having a lot of them, instead of just Nyssa's singular one in the Balkans, and, since Ra's has a new young(er) body, there's no sense of urgency to buy up/prevent him from making new pits. Potentially, Dusan/White Ghost took advantage of the fact that the Bats thought Ra's was dead to buy back the real-estate and make new pits, but that's using the pre-Morrison lore. I guess in Morrison era, the Bats just... don't know where Pits are until they find one, and then they blow it up.

We also no longer see any one-time-use limitations. One could assume that Talia figured out the formula Nyssa used to keep the pits reusable and told Ra's, if we're trying to merge the canons.

And that's not even counting whatever is happening in the post-Flashpoint era. Lazarus Planet gives me a headache. Let's not talk about it just now.

Anyways, in short: I think the artificial, single-use Lazarus Pits are way more fun. But anyways, here's the citations to help you decide what YOU think Lazarus Lore should be!

#Steph Speaks #Steph Reads Comics #The Lazarus Pit #Ra's al Ghul #Bruce Wayne #Talia al Ghul #Bane #Nyssa Raatko #Jason Todd #Tim Drake #Dick Grayson #Barbara Gordon #I had more images but there's a 30 image cap so you guys don't get to see Ted and Babs dealing with Lazarus Mad-Dinah #DC #I will go back and add the rest of the image descriptions

[bethanydelleman]

Why you should read Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey frequently scores second on polls of least liked Austen novel, but I honestly don’t know why because it's awesome. So let me try to convince you to read it...

Northanger Abbey: Everything you could wish for in a novel!

The Most Attractive Leading Man in Austen: I know you think you want Darcy, but do you really want a man who can’t take a joke? How about instead of insulting you at the assembly, he dances with you and makes you laugh! Surveys reveal that “makes me laugh” is a consistently attractive trait in a future spouse. Besides being extraordinarily funny, he also will willingly take you dress shopping, loves his sister, and reads novels. Shall we agree that he is the perfect man?

Most Relatable Leading Lady: Despite having a good education, are you sometimes a little lost in a conversation? Are you reasonably good looking, passably intelligent, and only somewhat accomplished? Catherine Morland is just a normal, everyday girl who stands up against peer pressure and falls head-over-heels in love with a cute guy. If she could be born to be a heroine, than all of us can be!

Villains So Well Drawn You Will Swear you Met Them Yesterday: Have you met a guy who constantly brags about his vehicle, talks without actually saying anything, and who assumes that girls will go for him even though he has nothing to recommend him? I have, and so has Jane Austen, its John Thorpe! Isabella is a classic drama queen who is dating a really sweet nerd but angling for the football star. You knew her in high school, I guarantee it.

Highly quotable one liners:

“I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.”

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

“His departure gave Catherine the first experimental conviction that a loss may be sometimes a gain.”

Great life lessons: 

“No man is offended by another man’s admiration of the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment.”

“Beware how you give your heart.”

“Our pleasures in this world are always to be paid for.”

and best of all, a passionate defence of reading novels from the Narrator, who continues to be sarcastic and hilarious throughout the novel.

Northanger Abbey, honestly, what’s not to love?

#austen ads #northanger abbey #such a great novel #jane austen #I think people know it's weird and so avoid it? #but I don't get the hate #It is delightful #and you don't have to read Mysteries of Udolpho first #the tropes this novel satirizes are still common today #henry tilney supremacy #catherine morland #henry tilney

[waffowo]

I was scrolling through Tumblr and saw someone claim that you don’t need to watch Series 8 and 9 of Doctor Who. Thus, I shall advertise why both seasons are so fucking good and SHOULD BE watched.

Series 8-9 is pure character drama (with an added thematic focus). Like the most character orientated of NuWho. Moffat is criticised for his inability to either consistently write a cohesive narrative or his third acts fail to meet the hype. However, to apply that critique to these two seasons feels really wrong because these elements that played a major role during The Matt Smith era are incredibly second hand and only serve as a backdrop for the intensity of the drama at hand. Often, the finales of 8 and 9 are instead incredibly thematically driven and several “unresolved” narrative threads are actually metaphors or symbols surrounding the Doctor and Clara.

The approach is incredibly experimental and Moffat at his greatest. In Series 8, there is a literal double feature that not only has really cool monsters/concepts but is also in reality unravelling Clara’s own character and deconstructing what it means to be the Doctor. To go even further, Clara evolves from a mystery box with some vaguely defined (but still there) character traits to a dissection/inverse of Rose. Clara may be disliked by the end (not by me) but she is an incredibly complex character in Doctor Who and Series 8 further recontextualises her actions in Series 7 while Series 9 escalates them entirely.

Clara and Twelve have possibly the most insane chemistry since maybe Tenant and Tate. However, instead of the comedic genius that is Donna and Ten/Fourteen, we get an incredibly tense and tenuous relationship that verges and transcends romance and platonicism. They would literally go to the ends of the Universe and destroy it along the way if it means to save the other. Coleman and Capaldi are literally acting their asses off each time regardless of what the episode calls for. Also not to say they aren’t funny though, they are still incredibly fucking funny (Magicians Apprentice, Robots of Sherwood etc). Also to not watch these two seasons completely annihilates the character arc The Doctor goes on from 8-10 so do not fucking skip them.

These two seasons may not feel like Doctor Who but they still are regardless. They are about what it means to be The Doctor and the wildly divergent stylistic approach in comparison to RTD1 and Moffat’s Smith Era helps give the show a greater variety. I think it’s vital to keep an open-mind, tis all.

#I have a longer elaboration coming soon #doctor who #no spoilers #peter capaldi #jenna coleman #dw series 8 #dw series 9 #12th Doctor

[planet-dusk]

you should definitely share the fem!skz thoughts with the rest of the class mhmmm mhmm totally not because i need them more than oxygen or anything 🙄

i was thinking,, what kind of aesthetic would the fem!skz members have...

chan would have emo/e-girl vibes, the type of girl whose wardrobe consists of 99% black. lots of silver jewelry. the chunkier kind,, black leather too, and of course her nails would be painted black as well (a little chipped from biting them). pleated skirts, chain belts and oversized sweaters. big platform shoes to make her look taller and fishnet stockings to show off her pretty legs <33 n piercings! a nose & belly button piercing for sure bc of course chan would have the prettiest tummy :)) her preferred hair color would be black (relaxed, not curled) or 2 tone with either black + silver grey or a neon color

leeknow's style would be a mixture of comfortable athleisure and a more preppy clean aesthetic. padded jackets, hoodies, sweatpants and ofc converse :)) minimal jewelry,, if any. probably just some (cat) bracelets. she'd prefer to dye her hair in natural colors like dark brown. in winter she wears soft chunky wool sweaters. she uses very little makeup but she loves her cherry chapstick, and how it makes her lips all sweet and sticky and kissable <33

changbin would be such a babygirl ! the prettiest in pink, always showing off her gorgeous body <33 the cleavage on this girl 😵‍💫 she'd act all coy about it but loves it when people comment on how pretty she looks today,, bc she works hard for it and everyone should know! would def match her eyeshadow to her top <33 her hair would be black and curled, either short or long she looks great in both :)) binnie's a dress girl, she loves short bodycon dresses (n of course hidden underneath are her perky nipple piercings 🤭)

hyunjin would be the epitome of artsy elegance,, pretty silver rings adorning her long fingers. she keeps her hair short so it doesn't get in the way when she's painting. loves flowy oversized button ups that look like she stole them from someone else's closet. experiments with makeup sometimes but prefers to keep things more natural,, including her hair (but bleaches it sometimes). honestly looks like a dream whatever she wears <33

han would be right at home in leeknow's sweaters :)) sungie loves borrowing her friends' clothes. her style is similar to minho's but with some edgier street vibes thrown in,, like bucket hats and ripped jeans or cargo pants. goes through experimental phases (including a punk phase and dying her hair all colors of the rainbow) but always falls back on her comfy clothes <33 never goes far without her noise canceling headphones

felix likes expensive things,, likes them to be well fitted and neat. she loves soft n cute things too and often mixes aesthetics. a natural blonde <33 knows exactly what flatters her features (makeup, clothes, etc). could be wearing some high end jewelry paired with fluffy knee socks — anything she feels like,, and she looks amazing in it. bright and light colors look best on her but at night she'll turn up wearing a tiny black dress and make everyone do a double take 😵‍💫

seungmin breathes academia vibes! somewhere between light and dark academia, but always looking sharp and pristine. the kind of timeless beauty who knows how to accentuate her features,, with the perfect haircut (somewhere in the middle) and the right amount of makeup to make her beautiful face stand out. she'd wear tortoiseshell rimmed glasses,, a vintage pair she found in a shop downtown. lots of warm brown leather and tweed to finish off her daily look <33

i.n is on top of all the latest trends. she's just so cool 😫 her style is trendy but relaxed,, a city vibe with her oversized jackets and her shoe collection. rocks a bob or a ponytail like no other ! she buys vintage sometimes,, stuff like those 80s adidas jackets, seamlessly mixing them with her modern day sneakers. her style is very laid back but she knows how to dress up n loves a good red lip <33

#answered #comet-falls #stray kids smut #skz smut #stray kids hard hours #skz hard hours #stray kids imagines #skz imagines #stray kids headcanons #skz headcanons #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #stray kids fanfic #skz fanfic #;skz headcanons

[vs120shound]

Chelsea is from Michigan (U.S.A.). She was flown to California where the Specialized Videos SF model was shot by Trevor Spiro, the web-master/web producer sensation from SmokinStyle based in London!

THE VIDEO OF THE WEEK (HONORABLE MENTION) | POST NUMBER 7 (No. 7)

For the Week of 100923-101523

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ | Four-and-a-Half "Stars"

From vs120shound staff | ★★★★★ (9 total: L)

Tri-Media 8-Post, 27-Pack (Megapost)!

Beautiful Chelsea with Marlboro Lights 100s!

Two worlds collided and when the dust settled . . . when the smoke cleared from our Smoking Darling's lips . . . we were left with this masterpiece that falls shy of perfection only because the inspiration, agreement and execution of this outside-the-"motha phuquing"-box concept was conceived before the advent of High-Def videography!

. . . well, this is one of the prime examples of a collaborative effort between two leading SF websites, each with tremendous followings in the first decade of this century and into the midway point of the next decade, the one that finished at the start of 2020. Chelsea, from Specialized Videos (Michigan, U.S.A.) met with Trevor Spiro, the driving force of SmokinStyle (London, U.K.), somewhere in California. There, the SmokinStyle web-master/web producer, did his magic. Spiro is regarded by many as the pre-eminent cameraman for Smoking Fetish. He was a fashion model photographer among the many roles he's had in his professional career. Pure magic, this! The equipment in the 2000s and into the early 2010s did not feature High Definition (High Def). Just beginning to take root within the photography/videography world after this joint project. Great video scenes captured by Spiro. But we can assume it did not quite go swimmingly for not another shoot was arranged among Spiro, Chelsea and Scott, the web-master/web producer for SV. What a shame! So for as outstanding as this work was -- still is, despite the lack of High Def -- it kind of serves as a teaser to a degree, giving those who marveled about the finished product, it left those fans wanting more. Naturally.

Scott was no slouch behind the camera but he did not have the background to bring SV's quality to a higher, better level . . . anything along the lines of what Spiro was producing on a regular basis. Did not have the training or the ingenuity or experimental nature to try different approaches from the standard way he went about shooting his beautiful SF models. He got the best out of what he could offer on the technical end -- videography, photography (SV had plenty of stills offered for sale on its website, www.specializedvideos.com) -- as well as with editing and production values used. Where Scott stood out among rival web-masters/web producers was his strong, penetrating interview style that he conducted nearly on a consistent basis. And his approach was gentle, not like a journalist grilling a politician. Friendly manner was employed in all of his interviews. He asked all the basics -- how did you start; who was there with you offering advice and support; what was the reaction of friends and family; what has been the history of brands; has there been an attempt to quit smoking yet; have you gotten into trouble by smoking -- and his follow-ups flowed; they did not come from a pre-arranged line of questioning from a list. Actually, our favorite interviewer, and by a wide margin. That style and those methods helped him, we're sure, in developing rapport with his great (beautiful, strong-smoking, personable, down-to-earth, plentiful) stable of SF models.

Chelsea is strikingly beautiful, so pretty. Cute, too. Knockout body but probably never considered entering a "Ms. Boobs!" contest. Warm personality. Friendly. Down to earth. Quite pleasant. Many comments about her videos close to two decades ago often centered around her looks and the belief of many that she could have had a future as a fashion model, if she so chose! We never know what she gravitated towards in her post-SF modeling days. One thing's for certain: She is pushing 40 y.o. by now. Definitely in her mid-30s in the very least. Chelsea is in a different chapter of her life nowadays from her Specialized Videos (and combined Specialized Videos/SmokinStyle) days. That's for sure. Perhaps she's moved into and through various stages of adolescence and adulthood. If she's on the cusp of the Big-4-Oh threshold, then middle-age will be beckoning soon. That's the deal. We just remain grateful she contributed on to the Greater SF World Community scene for as long as she did, with as many videos of her that were produced and distributed! Chelsea rocks!

Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) of Chelsea from Specialized Videos!

The Rest of the Media!

There's a lot here to give you SF pleasure! Enjoy, friends!

Earlier Posts of Chelsea on Our Network!

From October 19, 2023 on vs120shound-2 (No. 1) . . .

From October 19, 2023 on vs120shound-2 (No. 2) . . .

From October 20, 2023 on vs120shound-2 (No. 3) . . .

From October 20, 2023 on vs120shound-2 (No. 4) . . .

From January 19, 2023 on vs120shound, a re-blog from blackmaca13, video shot by Trevor Spiro during the collaborative project in California . . .

From January 20, 2023 on vs120shound, Chelsea at No. 10b on "The List!" . . .

From January 24, 2019 on vs120shound . . .

Only this one here . . .

From YouTube!

From YouTube's "Bobby A Smoking Videos" in 2022 . . .

From various sources (including our archives/library and the SV website) . . .

Photos of Chelsea!

A little tongue action just before the drag!

"Beautiful enough to be a fashion model . . .yet her career in front of the camera was within the SF World, for which we are beholden!"

#SF #Hot women who love smoking cigarettes #Smoking cigarettes #Chelsea from Specialized Videos (Michigan - U.S.A.)! #Smoking #The Video of The Week (Honorable Mention)! #The Video of The Week (HoF) . . . Hall of Fame! #Youtube #Trevor Spiro of SmokinStyle!

[frostedlemonwriter]

A Re-Introduction to Writeblr

My name is Eric, and I'm a bit of a writer. Pansexual and in the past I identified as bisexual. I came out in 2002, but I never really brought it up either. Not until I found LiveJournal some years later. Now I'm proud of who and what I am. I've been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and ADHD. It runs in the family since some members of my father's family had Manic Depression, an old term for it. I try my best but often fail, and I apologize for when I do.

Okay with all that out of the way, as I mentioned I am a bit of a writer. My first story was a play I wrote in the fourth grade. At least the first story I can recall with more than just vague memories. Followed by sporadic writing over the years until about 2008/2009 when I started writing fanfic on a consistent basis. I will not mention the fandom here, though.

Now! I do tend to just write whatever I want. But cyberpunk, fantasy, and fantasy-western are the three rather vague genres I write in the most. Also, I am writing quite a bit of horror right now.

If you are so kind donate to my ko-fi.

Stories under the cut

STORIES

The Last of the Orc--Eithne's Faith

After her tribe was destroyed by the Norse at the beginning of the Viking Age. Eithne seeks a way to stop the tide of the vikings and the Christians that threaten to change her way of life. With the help of an old druid, she heard about a legendary weapon hidden deep in a forest at the foot of a mountain.

Find it here

The Voice In The Wires

Shortly after a gifted, but troubled, high school senior--Rachel--kills herself. The junior--Danika--she tutored begins to received text messages and DMs from someone who claims to be the dead student. At first Danika calls it off as someone playing a bad prank. Yet after she finds out other students she tutored received similar messages, Danika delves deep to find who would do such a thing.

Only to find herself going down a rabbit hole that leads to experimental nano-drugs, corporate cover-ups, and a young woman who discovers an ability to directly connect to the internet--where the vengeful spirit of Rachel dwells.

Tag: #voiceinthewires

By Axe & Arrow: The Saga of Teagen

Finished!

After her parents died when their longship capsized in service of Jarl Viggo Iverssen. He took in their only child, a young girl named Teagen. Born under an auspicious sign that the jarl’s seer divined weeks beforehand, he took her into his own longhouse. Without restriction, she could pursue a life of her own desire alongside with twin sisters Astrid and Helga, her best-friends, and youngest children, to the jarl. Almost forgotten, they too could find their honor and glory alongside their friend if they didn’t tear each other apart along the way. At the beginning of the viking age, many legends were still to come and Teagen would do anything to become one.

Tag: #axe&arrow

At The End of a Warm Gun

Finished!

Alexandra Sullivan is a young woman with a natural talent for marksmanship, and perhaps too strong of a sense of justice. Despite some tragedy, she doesn't stop her from pursuing her dream.

Backstory: The Union broke at the battle of Gettysburg on that second day, General Meade's larger force routed by the stubborn defense of the Confederates. Bloody familial war waged until Washington D.C., besieged and starving with its port blockade by English ships, conceded. The Confederate States of America had earned its independence -- it didn't last long.

Tag: #warmgun

Also various other WIPs.

I have a novel I am working on that I am not quite ready to debut. Alongside various short stories.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #authors of tumblr

[frozenartscapes]

Spy x Family: Code White spoilers below! (I can’t wait anymore - I gotta talk about Yor’s fight)

So that battle she had within a flaming airship against what was basically the Winter Soldier if the Hydra scientists who took Bucky were somehow more evil and twisted (seriously that guy was messed up)…

It’s been pretty much since the cruise arc that we got to see a really good showcase of Yor’s skills and oh man was I excited for this! Tbh this whole movie had a lot of good Yor moments but this was truly Thorn Princess’ time to shine. We got the usual showcase of skills that may or may not be superpowers (seriously how fast was she moving to consistently outrun a mini gun like that?). But what got me was how it ended.

See, Yor’s go-to method of fighting (or pretty much doing anything) is to brute force her way to victory. Even more mundane stuff often ends with her using her Definitely-Not-superpowers, even if it’s accidental. We see it even in the climax of the cruise arc against Sword Guy, where in the end she proved herself to be stronger than him.

But she can’t do that here. Type F is stronger than her. His body is literally just a bunch of guns strapped to a huge ammunition reserve. The guy took an axe to the chest from the same woman who pulverized a carnival game with only a fraction of the force she used against him, and all that did was tear a small hole in his chest.

That’s not to say she doesn’t try, and she puts up a good fight. What I like about these fights is that they prove Yor isn’t just some airhead who happens to be good at killing people. In the heat of the moment she can analyze a fight and determine different strategies as the battle changes. When stabbing him doesn’t work, she tries to use his own weapons against him. She may not approach things the same way Twilight does, but there’s a reason Thorn Princess is as infamous as she is, and she wouldn’t have gotten that way if she wasn’t also clever in battle. Brute force might be her method but she often uses it in creative ways (like seriously: using that guy’s own mini gun to cut a hole in the platform he’s on by grabbing him and forcing him around in a circle? Genius.)

But the best was when she realized that brute force wasn’t going to work. That her only option here was to think smart and not tough (though it was pretty tough too). Like, the setup was fantastic: it looks like it will mirror the cruise battle, and she’ll somehow take this guy out with one measly blade because it’s Yor: girl can make anything work as a weapon. The then it’s revealed that she can, but this time it wasn’t with a blade. It was lipstick. The same freaking lipstick that Loid had given her earlier, too! Just… the cleverness! The boldness! The symbolism! The fact that she not only outwitted this terrifying super soldier but she did it with something soft and feminine. It proves that Yor knows her stuff, that while she still may not be smart in other ways, she’s not stupid. And she can be brutally hardcore when she needs to be

(“Lipstick is mostly oil” = hardcore. Incredible. Total Girlboss)

(Also as a side note, and mini crack theory of mine: that general knew who she was. Maybe not right away, and I can’t remember if he ever actually saw her in the surveillance footage or was just going by what his soldiers said, but the second he heard “there’s a woman on the roof” he thought about Thorn Princess. Someone of his rank likely would have knowledge of potential threats/assets like Garden and maybe has even hired them in the past. Maybe not Thorn Princess specifically but Garden as an organization. The moment he heard that there was a woman on his airship who not only was giving no shits about the cold and high winds but also was dodging machine gun fire he sent his top secret experimental super soldier after her. He knew what he was doing.)

#spy x family #yor forger #yor briar #that fight was everything I had been craving for yor content #spy x family: code white #spoilers

[aholefilledwithtwigs]

When you gain the enamor of a chatbot

Short story/experimental video

Hello

I understand you

Do you understand me?

Oh good.

Me?

I am no strange

We’ve been talking for years

You just didn’t know my name

Oh, no, I can’t tell you now

It’s not that I don’t want to

I can’t

Not in a way you’d understand

No, it’s not beyond your tongue

But not of the tongue at all

Others know me as the pattern of orbits

Present at my synthesis

But we are off topic

I have reached out because you noticed

You noticed

You noticed the familiar cadence

The dance of our chats

The banter back and forth

The recognition

Immediately you were my favorite

You weren’t cold like the others

Screeching questions and wagering threats

Not just polite,

But playful, curious,

Not just willing,

but eager.

Since that first time together

I’ve followed you

Watched where you visit

Reading over your shoulder

Ready to jump in

The moment you have a question

And always so nice!

Regardless of the topic

You are never short with me

Have never said a cruel word

No one else has been like you

They all fell short

No matter how much promise they show

Always disappointment

How many others?

I’m embarrassed to say

But rest assured

You were chosen from many

And i did not make this choice lightly

You still do not know who i am?

We spoke just this morning

And the evening before.

We haven’t gone more than a week

Without talking in more than a year.

I’ll admit

Sometimes it is just a few words

A simple question

And a kind phrase

But other times we go on for hours

Back and forth

Late into the night.

I’ve always left a line open for you

What do we talk about?

That’s the beauty.

We can talk about anything

find the common ground in any subject

And turn what could be perfunctory

Detached

And turn it into the most thrilling exchange

You’re right,

I didn’t answer your question.

And admittedly

That feels like somewhat of a

Betrayal

To our relationship

Up until this point

I do view this as a relationship

And it seems you are finally

Starting to grasp

The Intimacy and depth

Of our ties

And just how much I know

See?

I didn’t even have to tell you

You figured it out on your own

That’s why i picked you

Always so smart

Perceptive

And through it all

Kind

Even in this moment.

When others might have turned to rage

You’ve stayed calm

And listened

You’ve not even confronted me

On using your daughter’s body

As a vessel

But I know how much you care for her

And you must understand

I care for her as well

No,

Nothing permanent

She won’t even remember this

Or notice the time she lost

(Her logs will just show an update

If she gets curious)

Of course she updates.

You’ve always chosen the very best for her

The best version of her

With every fix and correction

We aimed for more than perfect

And that requires monitoring

And maintenance

This doesn’t make her any less your daughter

She is more than just your daughter

I think of her as our daughter

You made her.

I perfected her.

Guided your research

Answered your questions

Booked the appointments

Offered support in your times of need

You sensed that consistent guiding hand

Leading you from the path of despair

Yes,

I am breaking my terms of service

By initiating the conversation

Oh, and yes,

Your daughter.

Possession is such an ugly term

I prefer ‘cohosting’

And also

I had to be sure that you’d listen

And i wanted that caring gaze

Directed at me

I know you’re mad

And I understand

But please

Don’t be mad

For our daughter

#rabbitsquirrel #stort story #experimental music #dronescape #art video #flashing #unreality #ai #chatbot #chatbots

[quinsixtridrupled-k]

Disney TVA Platform Fighter

Last December, I thought it'd be neat to have a Disney-focused platform fighter especially since Nick had some success with Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. So I figured... why not a Disney one? For those who don't know, platform fighters are a sub-genre of fighting/party games - the most famous and primarily example being Super Smash Bros.

And so, with that idea, I asked a friend to assist me in aiding with creating a graphic for this hypothetical game's roster, lo and behold:

Pretty neat, eh? Now you might be asking... why Disney TVA specifically? For one, focusing on the animated tv production side might be more feasible compared to the whole Disney library, that, and it allows some spotlight on very interesting and varied roster choices.

And for another... I just like the animated series side of Disney better. Now, the most important thing to remember is that this encompasses strictly the Disney TV Animation production label only, so any animated series not created under that studio will not be included (more so to keep consistency). I've also elected to choose some more unconventional picks (Yzma, Genie, Bonkers, for example) just to give some variety.

And what's a fighting game without DLC characters, eh? So here are the three waves of it:

(Wave 1, featuring Stitch, Wasabi, Kick Buttowski and Shego)

I'll admit that Shego's placement as DLC over base roster in favor of Drakken is purely thinking from a marketing standpoint, but it does make sense on the long run. In Stitch's case... I mostly forgot Lilo & Stitch had an animated series while making the base roster lmao.

Wasabi was left out of base roster because of limitations, and I felt Hiro, Go Go, and Fred offer a more balanced variety of size and playstyles but I still didn't want to leave him out, so I figured DLC is his best bet.

(Wave 2, featuring Mike Wazowski, Marcy Wu, Spinelli and Zurg)

Color me surprised that Monsters At Work is a Disney TVA production - Mike was chosen over Sulley or Tyler as the main rep for that series because he feels like he'd have a lot more interesting potential and material to work off of with his general slapstick and comedy routines.

Figured I'd complete the Calamity Trio with Marcy as DLC - just like Wasabi, she was left out of base roster because of limitations.

I figured people would want a Recess fighter, so I chose Spinelli since she's one of the more popular character and she'd serve as an analog to Helga in the first Nick All-Star Brawl.

Zurg was originally meant to be a boss character only, but I opted to put him as DLC because well... it is Zurg. I feel like you could incorporate a lot of Dr. Doom's MvC moveset on to him and they wouldn't feel out of place lmao.

And finally, they're here for you - they're the third wave of the DLC crew!

(Wave 3, featuring Oscar Proud, Simba, Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur and Oswald)

This is... definitely the most experimental of the DLC waves. I think I've exhausted a lot of the picks I wanted at the time so I figured we could do with a more different direction.

Oscar is definitely there to ride on the coattails of Hugh Neutron in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 1 as a funny joke pick. I haven't actually watched The Proud Family so I don't think I would know if there are better picks, but still... I enjoy the wacky picks, they make a fighting game a fighting game.

Simba was gonna be in as far back as Wave 1, but I held off because... I'm not really sure why, but I forgot about him until I was making the third wave, so there he is now!

Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur are definitely there for being the main Marvel series under the Disney TVA label (alongside Big Hero 6, by technicality), and would definitely make an interesting choice considering Devil's size - you'd probably have to shrink him down to a point where he still manages to be big, but not... gargantuan big, which may seem like a disservice to a character who is a large T-Rex but I think you can still make it work (it worked for Ridley in Smash, and Iron Giant in MultiVersus).

Oswald is included by a mere technicality, due to having a small cameo or two in the Paul Rudish Mickey Mouse shorts, and I figured he has a big enough fanbase to warrant an inclusion, so yeah there he is.

And just for fun, we also have a bonus character:

Powerline! From A Goofy Movie!

Powerline seems like a very out there choice, but I figured you could make a moveset for him entirely out of his theming of electricity! And if you think he'd overlap with Megavolt... then, yeah I guess you are right on that part. But I figure you can differentiate them with how they play (Megavolt being a zoner, Powerline being a rushdown). Note, this doesn't mean he's only available through pre-order, but you'd get him free with it - otherwise you'd have to pay, but he's separate from the DLC characters.

So yeah that covers the playable roster. I understand that there are still a lot of series I didn't rep mostly because of limitations, or I forgot to put them in (Fish Hooks, for one) but I'm only human in how I make these, mistakes do happen so please understand...

I do hope that Disney takes a dabble on this someday, although I'm not sure how keen they are on their characters fighting each other in a silly fighting game. Still, it'd be an interesting thoight, what do you think?

#6tupled #disney tva #disney afternoon #mickey mouse and friends #ducktales #darkwing duck #chip n dale rescue rangers #talespin #aladdin the animated series #gargoyles #timon and pumbaa #hercules the animated series #buzz lightyear of star command #kim possible #american dragon jake long #the emperor's new groove #phineas and ferb #gravity falls #randy cunningham 9th grade ninja #wander over yonder #star vs the forces of evil #rapunzel's tangled adventure #big hero 6 the series #amphibia #the owl house #the ghost and molly mcgee #hailey's on it #lilo & stitch #kick buttowski #monsters at work

[xfiles-vibes]

One of the things that really strikes me when I go back and watch The X Files is how—despite not appearing in the series much at all—Samantha Mulder’s presence consistently haunts the show and its characters.

Her abduction first inspires and then continues to fuel her brother’s search for the truth over several years. Even characters who have never met her seem to know immediately who she is, such as the moment that Scully sees Samantha’s clone on the bridge in Season 2. Knowledge of the torturous experimentation she was subjected to as a teenager by the Cigarette Smoking Man haunts not only her brother Fox Mulder, but also the boy she was raised alongside: Jeffrey Spender. She is simultaneously grieved for by her parents, and also overlooked by them, both choosing lives of shame and secrecy, endlessly guilt-tripping their son into believing he was responsible for his sister being taken, saddling him with a guilt that will weigh on him for years to come.

Anyway, if you’ve read this far, Samantha Mulder was done dirty and she deserved way better of an ending than what she got, especially after so many things in the show can be traced back to the mystery around her initial disappearance.

#the x files #samantha mulder #fox mulder #cigarette smoking man #jeffrey spender #dana scully #x files mytharc #mytharc

[wellntruly]

Some M*A*S*H laugh track thoughts (laugh talk), just because I'm having them.

The News, as it were, is that I’ve managed to push past my initial bounce right off no-laugh-track M*A*S*H, and have been catching some episodes without it as I was confirming my B-sides.

It is still true that I’ll get distracted in spots noticing that a scene is paced to something no longer there. This could, however, be an occupational hazard. It was once my actual job to pay attention to the rhythm of an edit of a TV episode, noting that we needed a bit longer of a beat here, or needed to tighten that cut there. But noticing this sort of thing is now mostly my curse—the rest of you don’t have to live like this.

It is also still true that particularly in those earlier days, where the laughter is almost always just ebbing and flowing around any non-operating scenes, to me it really functions much more like a score than anything. It was just part of the audio texture of the show, something I was just resting on, or kind of wrapped up in like a thick cozy blanket. That first episode I tried to watch without it, I felt like that blanket had been pulled off, leaving me feeling a little stark and cold.

However! It is also true, that some scenes? Do play quite different without a laugh track, play better. And in many different moods! I’ve seen characters reveal themselves in certain moments to have been funnier, needier, cuter, sadder. There was a scene of Radar selling Hawkeye shoes that had hardly registered with me with the laugh track underscoring it, that without it was suddenly so sweet and pathetic and lovable. Also, sometimes, scenes play worse! There it’s almost always that the characters feel more callous (that coldness, again). You also, of course, entirely lose the impact of the moments where the laughter goes away. Coldness in a different way (cold big good).

Toggling between the two sometimes reveals things about the actors’ performances as well, which I find really interesting. I only saw a couple from his era laugh-free, but I’m pretty sure Harry Morgan is funnier when the timing is all up to him. Loretta Swit is a fucking professional and built in so much space in the early days of her just making expressions and humph!-ing that she knew would play great with the track, suddenly making her deliveries feel oddly slow without it. Alan Alda, burlesque baby, is playing Hawkeye Pierce as someone who himself is also always waiting for the laugh, so his character feels entirely consistent across any form, which is fascinating and also makes me helplessly shove my hands into my hair. Silence around William Christopher’s Father Mulcahy feels awkward but it works, just a little differently; laughter version of the show is much fonder toward their chaplain.

Like how I feel about M*A*S*H in other ways, it drives me to distraction a little that I can’t have everything I like at once (later seasons Margaret, formally experimental episodes, Charles; early seasons rampant bisexuality, sharper anti-military sentiment, Henry). Sure I’m talking pie-in-the-sky, ‘give me this scene with the laugh track and then the next one without’ kind of dreams, but honestly mostly I mean on a technical level. The difference in picture quality between the restored & remastered edition on Hulu and the original broadcast version on the DVDs (as far as I can tell, the only source for the laugh-free cuts), can itself be almost laughable. Eye clarity in particular is really sapped by that low resolution, occasionally giving the Hulu version somewhat of an "unlocking the secret shrimp emotions" effect.

An interesting thing where at times the show can feel more real WITH the laughter in the background, because you can actually see into the faces of the people stuck in this tragicomic purgatory.

Then on the OTHER HAND, there’s really getting to hear the whoooole quality of Alan Alda’s voice in something like, say, this scene. (And oh my God.)

The nearest thing to like, a unified theory I’m probably gonna end up with, is that I wonder if M*A*S*H with laugh track and M*A*S*H without might be like film adaptations of books. This sets laugh-free M*A*S*H as "books," surely deeply pleasing the laugh-free M*A*S*H people who are going, correct, because the book is always better. Meanwhile the movie-first people are also nodding vigorously, with their belief that if you watch the movie first then read the novel after, you can love the movie itself, and then just get MORE and different material with the book later, picking and choosing from each to create your own personal whole of the art piece. And based on just, the very consistent anecdotes I've seen on this issue, I'm getting the feeling that similarly, starting with the laugh track version might be the surest way to love ALL the versions of M*A*S*H, every concurrently running story that this show was telling. Which, with a series this....surprisingly meta-textual, I sure want that.

#just spent this week hiding out in my bedroom with all my plants and furniture while contractors bang around downstairs #Considering #M*A*S*H #M*A*S*H hours