#the references were done very tastefully

[tragicclownwrites]

🤡

#i just finished watching the atla live action #as an avatar fan #I thought it was a wonderful adaptation! #the original is still the best #but this live action was still great #(esp when compared to that... OTHER live action) #i only had two real complaints #1. i didn't like how Bumi's intro was handled #it would've been way better if they stuck to revealing him as Aang's friend AFTER the fight tbh #like they did in the original #they didn't take advantage of the foreshadowing #instead he was just kinda like “yep i'm your childhood friend Bumi btw you're an asshole” right off the bat #2. it was too short 😭 #c'mon i binged that shit in two days #even though they were ~1hr long #8 episodes wasn't enough #bonus mini complaint: I needed more Momo and Appa #but all in all #i was very impressed with how much ground they were still able to cover in such a condensed format #the casting was A+++ #the references were done very tastefully #the things they did change didn't detract from the show at all #and in some ways added to it #it made me just as emotional as the original #anyways... eagerly waiting for season 2 #(it's happening... right??) #def excited to see my girl Toph #tragic clowning #avatar the last airbender #atla live action

[faafi]

do you have a favorite loonatics unleashed episode?

Yes, I do!

Of course, it's a common answer, but my personal favorite episode is The Family Business. This episode is my favorite since it explores such an interesting part of the canon (the relations within Rev's family & the relations between roadrunners and coyotes). And, of course, I love Rev! And Tech, too! But Rev needs all of the love!!!

Besides The Family Business, my two other personal favorites are The Menace of Mastermind and It Came from Outer Space. These two episodes are the strongest in terms of their pacing, and there is a lot of great interactions between most of the characters (I say most because Slam doesn't interact much; but then again, Slam barely talks with the other Loonatics in most episodes, so whatever).

It Came from Outer Space

Personally, It Came from Outer Space is one of the funniest episodes of the show. Or at the very least, it is one of the stronger episodes in terms of comedy. Each character is fun to watch. Additionally, I love the inclusion of the classic Looney Tunes reference and how this gag is tied into the plot (picture above). This joke is very tastefully done (at least in comparison to the references that were made in Loonatics on Ice).

As a side rant, I love Rev here. This scene (shown above) is brief, but there is a lot to dissect ("Say, remember what Lexi said about feeling like Helen of Troy? Maybe we could make her really feel that way!").

For earlier context, when Melvin threatens to the Loonatics that he will blow up Acmetropolis if he can't abduct Lexi, Lexi comments that she feels like Helen of Troy. After saying this, everyone is confused, including Tech and Rev. Rev even looks behind himself and softly shakes his head side to side (shown below).

In the next few scenes, Rev is nowhere to be seen.

Later on, Rev doesn't show up until everyone is seated at the circular mission table except for Lexi.

It is revealed that Lexi went onto Melvin's ship for the sake of saving the city. Then, Tech & Ace talk about getting her back. Tech establishes that Melvin's spacecraft is impenetrable. Here, Rev proposes that they infiltrate Melvin's ship via a Trojan Horse. Sure, this scene is brief, but it really speaks a lot on Rev's character.

I am going to incorporate this idea into a later fic, but I love the premise that Rev is a huge book junkie who will read up on any subject. In my head, I think that Rev read a lot about Helen of Troy and learned about the Trojan Horse. This would explain why Rev wasn't present in that section of the episode.

This would also explain why Rev was confused when he heard Helen of Troy earlier and then proposed the Trojan Horse idea later.

As an aside, this moment is one of the few times when Tech is genuinely confused about something, and it is SO funny (picture below).

The Menace of Mastermind

This episode is a really entertaining episode overall.

The Menace of Mastermind: I loved the premise of this episode (where Mastermind infiltrates the Loonatics HQ). In terms of characterization, Mastermind is one of the best Loonatics villains.

There are a lot of one-liners here, too ("What?! Now is exactly the time to panic!", "My brilliant inventions. What has that ghastly woman done to my babies?!", etc.).

Like I said, this episode is fun to watch.

I especially like this scene when the Loonatics realize that their spare weapons were modified by Mastermind. Here (in the image below), Tech's spare weapons were altered so that they would wrap around each person's hands. And so each character has to break the ropes around their hands.

Of course, each character has their own way of getting out of their restraints (brute force, laser vision, teleportation, etc.).

In this part, Rev aims the weapon in front of himself.

HE FIRES AND USES HIS SPEED TO GO IN FRONT OF THE PROJECTILE

AND THE PROJECTILE STRIKES HIS OWN WEAPON

AND HE IS NO LONGER STUCK TO THE WEAPON

LIKE WHAT

MY CHILD IS SO SMART <3

Also, this episode has one of the most underrated TechRev moments of all time. There is an earlier scene in the episode where the Loonatics are hiding inside of the vents from Mastermind. Rev, Lexi, and Slam go to shut off the EMP.

When Lexi asks about where the EMP is located, Tech says, "It's hidden right in plain sight, and comes with simple instructions."

Later on, Rev, Lexi, and Slam find the EMP. Lexi says, "Aww, Tech said they'd come with simple instructions. Simple my lucky foot."

Then, Rev says, "I got this. Step 1: Arm primary ignition sequence using standard alphanumeric code calculations. Step 2: Insert electron overdrive..."

I LOVE this scene. It is perfect. This scene shows not only shows Rev's intelligence, but it also shows how familiar Rev is with Tech's thinking. It shows how Tech and Rev are comfortable with each other, even when they are not physically together. It's great.

I also love this shot (shown below) when Rev casually looks away from the screen while he is still talking at the same quick speed. Meanwhile, Lexi is beyond confused. It's a comical riot.

Also, this is really subtle, but I adore this detail: the next scene with Rev & Lexi shows that Rev is the person who is holding the EMP device (shown below). It's funny to think that Lexi just handed Rev the device so that he could deal with it.

Overall, my favorite episode of this show is The Family Business, but I also really enjoyed The Menace of Mastermind & It Came from Outer Space, too.

edit: updated the pictures for The Menace of Mastermind with ones that were higher quality

#loonatics unleashed #rev runner #lexi bunny #tech e coyote #ace bunny #slam tasmanian #danger duck #ask

[mci-writing]

My Life is Like a TeamStarkid Play, But Less Terrifying (Rise!Leonardo x Fem!Reader) 1/???

A/n: Hi. Just gonna preface a little with a general note that the reader is part alien. It is an integral part of the story for later and it will be brought up quite a bit. Just based on past tmnt iterations and their relation to aliens and space which Rise lacked up until the movie (and, even then, still lacked). The two songs used here are both from The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals: What Do You Want, Paul? and La Dee Dah Dah-Day respectively. I recommend listening to them so the flow of the scene sets a little better. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: language use, sexual references, musicals, some dark humor but like tastefully in a theater kinda way, this series is very reader-centric Word Count: 5.4k Kofi

Part 2

Fingers anxiously tap, tap, tap at a bedazzled binder, the label, ‘PLAY IDEAS’, is peeling at the corners. Teeth nervously nibble at the dry skin on the bottom of the owner’s lip, stopping when she inevitably draws blood again.  

“If you keep gnawing away at your lip like that, you won’t have one left,” The voice next to her spooks her out of her trance, a soft gasp leaving her lips as she straightens. (Y/n)’s face quickly drops as Leo pokes her cheek, her (e/c) eyes meeting his shit-eating grin. The accompanying red-eared slider happily slides into the metal chair beside her, arms resting on the backs of the chairs beside him, “You’re worrying too much, senora. Your drama teacher would be insane not to use any of the spicy ideas brewing in that mind of yours.”

“I wouldn’t say spicy…” (E/c) eyes slide down to the binder between her fingers only for it to be snatched by three long and slender, green fingers. They follow to a smirking Leo, the mischievous glint in his eyes sparkling a little brighter as he shakes it to and fro, which he stops at the slight sound of a paper plausibly tearing, “Though, I won’t get to share them if you mess them up, Leon.”

He purses his lips, blowing through them and making that weird horse whining noise, as he sets it in his lap and flips through the pages (which all luckily seem intact, thank fuck). He stops occasionally to analyze a few, his exaggerated faces giving her no true hint of what he’s thinking. His humming with each page doesn’t help.

It’s not like the pages are anything special or filled with over-the-top, never done before ideas, but they at least provide an idea of where to take whichever play they decide to pick for the semester. It’s filled with mainstream big plays, with hopes that the big names will draw more of the student body to join, and plausible proposed budgets that the school’s faculty would easily agree with (going off of her mother’s industry metrics-). There were also margins and pages filled with mathematical equations estimating probable costs that only Donnie or a very determined and a little too excited drama student director would notice. Leo is more than positive they teamed up on it in some way.

He lingers on a few pages, which she assumes to be the more eye-catching ones or the few musicals he actually knows (courtesy of the girl next to him). She doesn’t miss him quickly moving past the big number pages and extra gibberish that only those in “the business” would understand. It’s a rare instance of him being completely silent as he analyzes the pages. It only heightens (Y/n)’s worries about the quality, but she distracts herself as she moves her (e/c) irises to linger on other details and aspects presented to her at this moment.

A good bit of his features are obscured by his admiral blue winter hat and matching sweater while his jacket hangs over her chair (she isn’t sure when he managed to put it there). Not even the most perceptive of people would pick up on the exposed parts of his face being reptilian shades of green in his current getup. Then again, she’s more than positive the turtles could very easily pass as people when they cover their shells (something she has bared witness to so often), especially in the melting pot of NYC. She does miss his crescent moons, hidden away by the felt of his hat, but it’s a small price to pay to avoid lingering questions. Without the shit-eating grin, his face is mischievous enough that you would assume he’s always up to something, which isn’t necessarily an off assumption, but (Y/n) just knows when the wheels in his brain are turning from years of experience.

“Alright, done!” (Y/n) doesn’t realize how close she is until his head turns to face her, the two mere inches apart from each other as opposed to the slightly bigger distance they had. It definitely throws her off a little, but Leo remains unphased as he continues, “Looking through this thing only proved my point further. You possess the sauce-”

“The sauce?” (Y/n) asks with a tilt of her head, somehow managing to take the binder back into her arms and holding it close to her chest, “What the hell is the sauce?”

“I have no idea! But Mikey’s used it enough times for me to confidently say that you have got it, whatever it is! Mama Celeste will be so proud, (N/n),” She’s now 100% sure he mistook Mike’s cooking speeches as some new lingo, but she’s not allowed to dwell on that for too long as she hears the voice of her drama teacher calling her to his office, “That’s your cue. Go get ‘em, tiger.”

She stands to her feet, taking a deep breath as she turns her attention to the office. She stares for a moment, feeling the nervousness creep up her spine as the binder in her hands gains thousands of pounds. With a shaky step forward, the deep pit in her stomach reminds her of literally everything hanging on her gaudily designed book. Of course, any other time she’d be reminding herself that any of the musicals they choose is alright and that any of her ideas being turned down isn’t the end of the world, but she can only focus on the fact that this is her senior year and anything going wrong feels like the end of the world to her. 

She feels dizzy in worry, her throat going uncomfortably dry. Her breathing slows and, to any party outside her mind, she looks like a deer in headlights as she stands staring at the door. Her heart rattles in her chest-

“Heey, Mamacita! Chill out,” Green fingers settle themselves on (Y/n)’s shoulder, tugging her into Leo’s chest as a reassuring grin graces his features. Their cheeks touch as he stares straight towards the door, his fingers on his other hand softly gripping her chin and keeping her eyes on the door, “You know all the business insider secrets because of your mom. Don’t let them go to waste. Ya’ve got this, (N/n). Go in there and rock it like you know how.”

His words actually manage to calm her, her breathing evening back out as she slowly regains her confidence. The small feeling of nausea remains but is slightly tolerable now.

“Plus, as much as I love the laser light show idea for The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, Hadestown will probably be a hands-down legend for this school with the right vocal lessons. But that’s just me.” Annnd now she knows his biases from her creative selections, “Knock ‘em dead, tigresa!”

He gives her a light push through the door, leading to her stumbling and falling on her ass in front of her teacher. He doesn’t pay her much mind, barely looking up from his paperwork. 

“Ms. Brown. Good evening,” He gives her a bit of a hand wave before finally looking up, “Ready to discuss this semester’s play?”

“Yes, Mr. Sherma” She quickly stands to her feet, suddenly very self-conscious of her grotesquely decorated binder as she holds it to her chest, “Yes, I am. And, this time, I brought an idea book to explain my ideas a little better!”

He holds his hand out for it, delicately handling it as he brings it to lay on his desk. His fingers are nimbler than Leo’s as they open the pages, flipping through them with careful precision. His eyes linger longer, the scene playing out similarly to earlier.

He occasionally brushes the parts of his brown hair back, his eyes, tired but curious, scanning each and every detail. She’s reminded of some of her classmates joking about him looking like a Renaissance version of a particular Twitch streamer.

The only time it’s obvious which ones he’s interested in is when he looks over the proposed budget pages a bit longer than others. He hums and mumbles, not shy from making noises of displeasure at certain pages. She’s pretty positive she hears him mumble ‘cringe’ at some point.

(Y/n) awkwardly sits in one of the many chairs in his office, her fingers lightly tapping against her knees while her feet make little kicks. Her brown orbs glance around the room when she feels she’s been looking for too long. Various awards line the walls, some for students whose names she recognizes and others she’s maybe heard in passing. She recognizes a few of her own, not fighting the small smile that comes to her lips at the acknowledgment of her work of the past few years. The walls are also decorated with pictures throughout the years of performances and practices past as well as the occasional goofy memory, some a little hard to make out with the dying light of the assorted lamps.

“This… idea binder is full of interesting ideas, Ms. Brown, but they don’t tell me what you specifically want to do,” Mr. Sherma sighs as he closes it. His blue eyes meet her brown ones, an intensity behind them that she can’t read, “Each page has a lot of detail and potential, but none scream with desperate want, you know?”

She grows nervous, feeling herself start to sweat under his gaze. She tosses his words around in her mind, but it doesn’t make it much clearer, “What do you mean by that, sir?”

“What do you want, Brown? Tell me what you desire to see. Your deepest intent, Brown,” She feels herself flinch when he suddenly stands, her back pressing deep into the chair as he leans forward and sings at her. She never knows what to expect from her drama teacher, but the operatic sounds that leave his mouth aren’t it, “What do you see for this production? I’m looking for someone with strong ambition, someone to sell their specific vision, someone to share with precise precision their thoughts. ‘Cause I want you to want… To want!”

She’s thrown off further once he begins walking around his desk. He stops once he reaches the front, comfortably leaning against the mahogany with little disregard for its old and thin nature. He crosses his arms over his chest as he stops, looking down at her, “So what do you want, Ms. Brown? What’s the one concrete goal that motivates all your actions?”

(Y/n)’s lost at his sudden questions, her head naturally tilting as she stares back at his determined gaze with equal confusion. Her face scrunches up, eyebrow lifting. He doesn’t elaborate, again, so she doesn’t even know how to begin to unpack all of what he’s pushing for.

“I don’t think I have one of those?” She finally manages to wrangle up, giving her teacher another one of her nervous, closed-eye smiles.

He remains quiet for a moment, staring her down for a bit. She opens her eyes once she realizes he hasn’t said anything, awkwardly maintaining eye contact as he doesn’t exchange immediate words. She can feel a grimace starting to form while his face remains stony.

“Well, then, how’s anyone supposed to sympathize with you, Ms. Brown?”

“Huh? I don’t know…” Her mouth gapes open at that, but she quickly closes it to think of literally anything she could plausibly list. Most of her current goals involve catching criminals and living to make another day? Understanding her powers a little better and maybe her family heritage some? But those aren’t necessarily things many of her peers could relate to and sympathize with, at least, not in the way she has to deal with her goals. She thinks hard about some common goals that most high schoolers have, “I want what anyone wants…?” She thinks really, really hard, “Money, a partner? Kids, someday, maybe?”

Mr. Sherma nods his head at that, turning to face his desk. (Y/n) relaxes a bit, thinking that maybe, just maybe, that would be the end of it-

HE JUMPED ON THE DESK?!?!

“What the fuck?!”

“I want you to want, Brown! A girl so vague just can’t be trusted! Something you pine for, maybe someone who keeps you lusted.  I’m just a boss, I’m not an idea guy! I hire you kids to keep our plays ripe. But if you can’t pin the point that’s in the skyyyyy!” 

He starts to dance with ease, ignoring the resistance of his desk’s legs as he does a smooth spin in the middle of the surface. His footwork is delicate, fancy, even. (Y/n) finds it hard to even focus on what’s being sung at her as her eyes glide behind his movements. He stops in the center, sliding to his knees and pointing his right index finger in her direction while his left-hand rests on his chest “Then I want you to want, to want!”

“Sir?!” She can’t fight the laugh in her tone as she calls out, equally amused and heavily confused at this turn of events. She literally can not pinpoint why in the known universe he is singing at her, especially this song of all things, but she can’t lie and say she isn’t severely entertained.

“D’you know what I want for myself? I’ve waited for so lo-ong to tell somebody else,” His tone drops, becoming more somber as he manages to rhythmically set himself down from his desk. He grabs the picture of his wife off his desk, his head tilting as a fond look comes to his eyes, “Carol, my wife, you’re my muse, my source of light. Carol, my love, I want you to choke me out at night…” He plops himself down into his chair, longingly staring at the photograph of his wife, “I want you to choke me… I want you to choke me… I want you to choke me while I jerk off… I want you to choke me while I… jerk off.”

(Y/n) sits up at those words, a discomfort settling in the pits of her stomach and sinking further down. She doesn’t fight down the look of shock in her eyes at the admission, nor is she able to stop the noise of confusion she makes, “Um, sir-,”

Without missing a beat, Mr. Sherma presses the call button on his office phone, the beep loudly sounding through his small office. He leans over, a dazed look in his eyes as he stares forward, “Melissa, get my wife on the phone for me.”

(Y/n) quickly gathers her bags, reaching for her idea binder, “Mr. Sherma, I think I should leave-,”

“No, (Y/n), I want you to hear this,” He tugs the binder closer to him, not sparing her a glance as he adds, “If you leave, you’re fired.” 

It rings a bit before Mrs. Sherma answers, “Carol! Yes, everything’s fine, I promise. I just wanted to tell you something…,” He freezes, his dazed expression growing horrified as he stares forward, past the expansion of the messily decorated walls of his office into the inner turmoil of his request weighing on him, “I, uh, I forgot what it was… Maybe someday I’ll remember. Goodbye…”

It remains quiet after that. (Y/n)’s gaze remains downtrodden as she contemplates and processes how she was thoroughly traumatized by the shame of her drama teacher, but also not surprised by his antics. Mr. Sherma, however, was mentally suffering with his inability to tell his wife his deepest desires…

She looks up in time for her (e/c) pools to meet with despair-ridden shades of blue, the latter widening as Mr. Sherma rises to his feet and dances around his desk.

“Ms. Brown, now you know what it is to want!”

“I want to go home!” 

“It consumes a man with a passion to drive the primary plot,” His verses speed up as he ignores her pleas, “So take up yoga or improv classes. Volunteer at shelters or twitch to the masses.”

(Y/n) takes her gathered bags while he’s distracted.

“There’s gotta be something to keep my hands off you. Off youuu”

She manages to slip around him and grab her binder, holding it close to her chest.

“‘Cause I want you to want!”

“I’m gonna get some… coffee? Do you want anything?” (Y/n) manages to ease to the door, her hand struggling to get a good grip on the door.

“No, I need you to want!”

“How about an iced caramel frappe? Nothing better-,” The door magically opens for her just as her hand gets a good grip on the door. It drags her forward, causing her to lose her balance.

“And if you don’t want…” He freezes, taking a deep breath before releasing the highest note he’s hit that (Y/n) has ever known him to, “We’re throughhh.”

A soft donk sounds as her forehead meets a hard plastron. Scaly, strong arms wrap around her waist, holding her up. She isn’t surprised to find Leo above her with his signature, though more slightly confused than usual, grin. She raises her hand as she shrugs, nudging her head towards their exit and grabbing his hand to drag him through it, “Have a good rest of your evening, Mr. Sherma!”

As the two leave, they hear her teacher call out for her, hitting one last high note as they push through the auditorium doors. It only encourages (Y/n) to pick up her pace, leading the turtle through the halls toward the exit.

Leo is rightfully confused, especially when (Y/n) doesn’t elaborate on it in the slightest.

“Are we going to talk about that orrrrr?” He attempts to nudge, his hands coming up and crossing behind his head. He leans back into the hold, his eyes never leaving her form as they walk the streets of the neighborhood around the school.

He feels his breath hitch when she turns to him, undeterred by the grimace on her face when the light escaping from the sun’s rays meets the color of her eyes. He hears her response, but he finds himself more focused on her mannerisms as she animatedly fumbles through explaining what went down. Her (h/c) hair bounce with every step, just as animated as her, but still relatively deflated from the exhaustion of her instructor and the heavy plush of her pink winter hat.

“This almost was not worth giving up my shift for,” She finishes, bringing her fingers up to her lips to breathe on them. A pout takes place on her plump lips as she digs in her jacket pockets, slipping her gloves on, “He started singing about wanting and wants when all I want now is to make back the tips from Run of The Mill. We didn’t even pick anything because of his weird song!”

Leo finds himself only able to nod as (Y/n) continues to grumble the rest of her rant. He had only really heard the last bit of what was going on, but that was due to him deciding to investigate after hearing some weird screeching and shouting. He didn’t actually expect to find her being held hostage by her singing teacher, but it aligned pretty well with the few things he’d heard about Sherma from (Y/n) and April. Even now, he feels the man is something unreal entirely.

He takes the binder out from between her armpit while she’s distracted, her ramblings turning into muttered gibberish that he can very much still understand. He starts flipping through the pages again, his face softening as he stops on a page of distracted doodles he hadn’t noticed on his first run.

(Y/n) was no artist, by any means, but she was damn good at creating a scene of stick figures. Some showcased plausible blocked scenes and others were silly little things like a chibi version of herself squashed under a rock labeled ‘Drama’ in her fanciest cursive or exaggerated versions of their friend group doing severely ambiguous poses.

As he goes to flip to the next page, the hums of people on the street reach his ears, but his companion has stopped her ramblings. She’s stopped altogether, staring ahead with a bewildered look.

 “Carolers caught your attention, (N/n)?” He asks as he looks up from the book to her, a smirk dancing along his lips as the quip readies itself from his brain cells, “You can’t judge them too harshly for being a tad bit pitchy, y’know. Not everyone can hold a note by ear.”

The teasing was worth it, especially with the deadpanned expression she gave him in response. However, she shakes her head as her thumb and index finger grip his chin, pulling him down to her level. Their faces are mere inches apart and Leo can all but feel all the warmth spread through his face, “They’re all perfectly dancing in sync.”

He doesn’t exactly process her words, his eyes going smaller as his lips form an O shape, “What?” The words do slowly jog back up with his brain processing, laughing at her statement, “I’d expect them to be dancing in sync if they’re all caroling. Would be a little embarrassing if they put a whole dance together and all ended up doing their own thing-,”

“No, Leo,” Her fingers turn his head forward as she speaks. Her hold is firm enough to keep him there, yet soft enough that he doesn’t feel like his skin is gonna tear off as she directs him, “Look at them all in sync. Everyone…”

And just like she said, everyone on the street had been humming and dancing in sync to the same tune. No one seemed to be a pitch-off or a step out of line as they filled the streets of midtown New York.

“Holy shit…,” He mutters out, eyes the size of saucers as he takes it all in, “Was there some block party announced that we don’t know about or something? Flash mob, maybe?”

“For it to be this big, impossible,” (Y/n) mumbles back, releasing her grip on his chin as she also continues to take in the sight of the sea of bodies.

“Yeah-yeah-yeah!”

The crowd separates down the middle, continuing to shimmy and sway in tandem. A lone girl remains, bundled up in a big puffer jacket with a green vest over the top of it. Her right hand rightly grips a clipboard and the recycle sign on the left breast of her vest is just barely visible through the crinkles of the uniform. She’s suddenly belting out words, the widest grin on her face as she bounces for a few beats, fist happily pumping in the air as she perfectly centers herself between the crowd.

“Just a typical day, that’s got me feeling in a beautiful way. No rhyme or reason,” She starts, pointing at some random person in the crowd, “We could sing a duet, dance a style or two. Or I’ll make you a bet, just a smile will doooo.” 

She does flawless chaines before going into a sly, Italian fouetté. The duo flinches at the precision, their eyes trailing her moves. It really does nothing to give them context, but they can’t really complain when they’re already so enthralled.

She ends by raising both hands towards the air, feet spread as she belts to the sky, “Sometimes I just wanna shout on top of roof and mountaintops. All the world is paved in goldddd.” She lowers her hands as she holds the note out, tossing her clipboard off into the crowd somewhere. She places her now free hands on her hips as she walks along the lines of the crowd, hips bumping to the beat of the music, “Yesterday was retroactive, got myself a new perspective. I strut it up and down the road.”

“If the fighting climate change gig doesn’t work, she’d totally rock Broadway,” Leo comments perfectly between verses as they get a little closer to the action on the streets.

The girl stops her strutting right behind them, both arms resting on one of their shoulders, “So I throw out my worries and my old skin away,” She gives them both a little shove forward, nodding her head before doing a pirouette en dehors, “Doing what I want to do on this la dee dah dee daaaaaaay!”

Both teens stumble with (Y/n) catching herself by setting her feet on the pavement and Leo grabbing his arm as she’s steady. The girl stops spinning as she holds out the note, the folks in the surrounding area joining in midway through. The crowd begins to form a circle around the girl, Leo, and (Y/n), joining hands as they skip around them for a bit before changing directions and skipping the other way.

“La dee dah dah, la dee dah dah, la dee dah dah day!”

“La dee dah dah day!” The crowd releases their hands in exchange for clapping on the beat, perfectly moving their hands in tandem with one another. High right, high left, low right, low left which each other word of the chorus and clapping on every word for each straight ‘La dee dah dee day’ 

The girl gives them both a high five before running out of the crowd as the circle disperses. Everyone on the street continues to hum and step on beat.

(Y/n) and Leo turn to each other, equally dumbfounded at the event transpiring around them. They still somehow manage to remain in the middle of the chaos, even as they attempt to weave through the crowd in search of the nearest manhole cover.

“What the fuck was that?” (Y/n) finally asks, turning to the blue-clad turtle as he fixes his ruffled clothes to hide himself a little better. 

Neither are really watching where they’re going when Leo accidentally bumps into a homeless guy on the street. He panics, straightening the guy before he can teeter much, “I’m so sorry, sir,” He quickly begins searching his pockets, “Here, let me see if I have any-,”

“Hey, man that’s cool,” The guy happily replies with a smile, seemingly ignoring the change that jostled out of his tin can, “‘Cause I may not have a home, but that’s way okay. ‘Cause I prefer to roam the streets all day.”

He sings in the same cadence as the girl from before. The crowd of people turns towards them, doing the heel-toe around them on the beat to the song, every other row going the same way while each row in between goes a different way.

“The world is my house, the dogs are my food,” A small dog scampers past, “Oh, look— a new blouse!” He lifts a newspaper from off the street, his face lighting up as he runs past them, “And a new trash can tooooo!”

(Y/n) steps closer to Leo, his arm immediately going for her shoulders and pulling her closer until she’s flush against him. Her hand immediately grips his jacket in an attempt to pull him closer. They��re unable to keep their eyes off of him and both are a little too petrified to move from where they stand. The guy skips around them, raising his hands into the air and lowering them the longer he circles.

“I used to want to kill them all while high on bath salt zombie drugs and snacking on a dead man’s face,” He stops and stares at them for a little too long, his glare shifting around to every person dancing around them as he does a little, slow spin in place. He stops before a bright smile lights his face, “But that just feels like yesterday! This song takes all the pain away. My politics and house views changed.” He does a little dancy dance to emphasize his point, “Dancing on the concrete used to hurt a lot, but now I got new feet and this jam’s just way too hot!”

“La dee dah dah day!” The crowd around them all lift their hands to the sky as they sing the chorus again, waving them to the beat with a small step every other note, “La dee dah dah, la dee dah dah, la dee dah dah day! La dee dah dah day!”

(E/c) orbs spot an opening, her mind counting each beat it opens up. She steps away from Leo a bit, getting a grasp on his arm as her narrowed eyes keep a close watch on her path of escape. Her compadre starts looking through his pockets again, a grin on his face.

“I have literally no idea what’s going on here, but this is so cool!” He manages to pull out a five, happily setting it in the homeless guy’s tin can, “That’s all I’ve got for right now, but I’ll totally keep more cash on me in case I run into you guys again tomorrow.”

“Leo, come on,” She manages to pull him through the crowd just in time. It’s almost comical how easily she tugs him along through the rows of dancing New Yorkians, “This is the second dance number I’ve been forced to sit through today-,”

They continue to weave through the crowd, the clear street beyond the dance mob seemingly beyond their fingertips. (Y/n) keeps a strong grip on Leo as she leads the way, while he remains amazed by the group's movements around them. 

Just as they reach the end, the girl from before lands in front of them. She’s regained her clipboard, which now rests tightly in the palm of her hand. She takes a deep breath before she sings out a call, “Do you wanna save the planet?!”

“Of course, you want to save the planet!” The crowd calls back, freezing in place to stop and look back at her.

“Do you wanna save the planet?!”

“Well, there’s just one way you can do it!”

“By singing a song!” Without warning, the girl begins cartwheeling toward the center of the crowd as they sing back at her. She stops a moment to sing with them, “Singing along!” Before immediately going back to her cartwheels. The crowd goes back to singing the chorus as she does, every other row overlapping with the other

“La dee dah dah, la dee dah dah, la dee dah dah day!” With each row she cartwheels by, the ensemble turns back towards the center. They continue to repeat it a few times, changing the lyrics up just as she hits the last row, “La dee dah dah, la dee dah dah, la dee dah dah day… Away…”

The girl does a flip in the air as she reaches the center, landing on her feet perfectly with her arms raised in the air and her clipboard intact between her fingers. She lowers herself to rest on one knee, belting out one final, “La dee dah dah”

Each row of the crowd falls to their knees one after the other aligned with each word she sings. It’s almost creepy how synchronized their moves are. They finish the song off in unison with a final, “Day!” Everyone holds the position for a few beats before getting up and moving along with their day like nothing just happened.

The two remain standing there after watching all of that happen, equally confused and mesmerized by the events that just transpired before them. Leo is by far more amused than (Y/n). He turns to her with a knowing grin as he takes in her face.

Her mouth is held open, has been since the girl cartwheeled and flipped back to the middle. Her eyes, while not the size of saucers, hold an intrigued gaze in them. Her grip on Leo’s arm loosened in the midst of that, her hand now limply resting on his inner forearm as opposed to tugging it forward.

“You’re gonna catch flies, (N/n),” Leo teases, his index finger hooking under her chin and slowly pushing it upwards. Once her mouth closes, he tilts her chin up towards him and their eyes meet. He doesn’t fight back his grin like he does the warm feeling in his cheeks and she doesn’t miss the way it rises as he catches sight of the soft flush in her cheeks, “You wish your classmates were that in sync.”

She huffs as she walks ahead of him into the alleyway, waiting for the streets to clear before pushing the manhole cover aside. She sits against the entrance, looking at him a little annoyed, “Yeah…” 

She jumps down into the sewer hole and activates her flight ability just in time to float to the bottom. Leo climbs down not too far behind her, touching the pavement a few minutes after.

#leonardo x reader #tmnt leonardo x reader #rottmnt leonardo x reader #leo x reader #rottmnt leo #rottmnt leonardo #leonardo hamato x reader #leo hamato x reader #leonardo hamato #I don't usually go here whoops #the next part will be out as soon as possible or something #will eventually be crossposted on ao3 and maybe wattpad #will do hc singing voices if asked (pls ask me I have many thoughts) #once I hit 3 chapters of this I'm making a masterpost I promise

[aroaceleovaldez]

I really dislike the inherent main plots of TSATS and Chalice of the Gods as they’re being explained to us currently, mostly just cause I feel like they take away from already established lore of the series and other plot points.

There is no way TSATS can go that doesn’t make either Tartarus feel cheap and/or the entire book just feel like Percabeth In Mark Of Athena: 2 Electric Boogaloo. Unless the twist is that they don’t go to Tartarus it is physically impossible. Because either they go to Tartarus and breeze through it, which makes Tartarus as a setting feel cheap and ruins all prior instances of it being used as a landscape of suffering, or they suffer Lots and Lots and it just feels like we’re rehashing the same exact plot over again purely for the sake of treating solangelo the same as percabeth, which doesn’t work because they’re vastly different character dynamics and putting them in the same situation has nowhere near the same emotional weights. Also it makes Nico’s original foray into Tartarus feel null because it makes it feel like his trauma doesn’t have any actual meaning, because why would he jump right back into it? Even with Nico’s character being extremely self-sacrificial, we’re at a point where we’re being told he’s improving on that and this is possibly the one circumstance he would think twice about. AND it makes Tartarus feel overused - Nico surviving Tartarus once? Okay, makes sense, he’s the son of Hades, and it’s cool that he’s the first mortal to ever survive it. Percabeth too? Getting iffy (especially since we see their trip in detail and that inherently means it’s lost a lot of potential oomph, because when you’re going for horrifying a lot of the time less is more) but okay, sure, Nico probably gave Percy some Tartarus Tips after being rescued and they had a literal dues ex machina or two helping them out, and they fell in accidentally so it’s not like how Nico waltzed in there. Third time? And it being Nico AGAIN and Will Solace (who as far as we know has little to no quest experience and most of his experience is being a battlefield medic) and then purposefully going there? Nope. It’s just a poor set-up. Plus “the major gay couple goes on vacation to superhell” is a... questionable plot set-up to begin with, especially when it’s been heavily implied it will be traumatizing for them, and we have already been told explicitly that references are being made to things like Call Me By Your Name so there is a self-awareness about the themes there (also that alone raises questions about how we’re going to be taking the tone of things - again, there’s two ways it can go and both would be extremely difficult to get right). If Mark Oshiro were not co-authoring this I’d be a little horrified. I’m very glad Mark Oshiro is co-authoring this. I don’t believe it can’t be done tastefully, and yeah it’s a situation ripe for symbolism, but it is definitely the kind of subject that would be difficult for a non-queer author to handle appropriately.

As for Chalice of the Gods, we know two things: A.) It takes place prior to TOA, and B.) The chalice Percy has to retrieve has the power to make anyone who drinks from it immortal. ..... so basically, without the book even being out, we are told “If Percy had waited like 20 minutes, all of TOA would be null.” Admittedly, this does give justification for Percy specifically to be doing this quest outside of “college” reasons, and in my opinion, “The gods asked Percy specifically because they have verified he adamantly does NOT want to be immortal” is hilarious. However, adding yet another universe mechanic to the repertoire that nullifies death is annoying as hell, because death as a consequence in the series has been completely ruined since HoO. The more avoiding death options there are, the more every death scene feels completely pointless and avoidable.

#pjo #riordanverse #tsats #the sun and the star #chalice of the gods #forgive me for complaining this was in my drafts and i figured since i was talking about plot changes i'd make yesterday #might as well post this then yknow #while we're on the topic #i'll find something lighter/sillier in my drafts to post later #also my hesitancy about the overarching plot does not say anything regarding my expectations for the actual quality of the book(s) #just putting that as a footnote #could the plots be total shit but the books themselves end up lovely? sure. totally. #i am just personally grumbly about Tartarus' use as a narrative device and how it keeps getting overused #and also the growing lack of consequence in the riordanverse which tends to make any stakes feel automatically low and cheap #mind you i would LOVE if the twist in TSATS is that they end up not going to Tartarus at all #im currently 50/50 on reading it but if it turns out they dont go to Tartarus at all i'd be sold immediately #and i do think Percy being saddled with a quest because he's the only one who wouldn't be tempted with immortality is hilarious #tbh if we had a third plot concept rolling here and we condensed all three ideas down we could just do another 3-short-story book #like Demigod Files and Demigod Diaries #we have options #heck. yknow. if we're talking particularly long short-stories here we could probably roll with two #if demigod files is for the first series and demigod diaries is for HoO we need a TOA one anyways #cause CHB:C and CJ:C and those ones are their own category they're different

[once-upon-a-stolas]

Lots to talk about today, so let’s get right into it!

Today’s post actually spans two separate incidents. The first happens on July 7th, in which we see that Blitzo’s taken a nonlethal, but rather nasty shot to the abdomen. He brushes it off, comparing himself to Rain from his beloved Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, but Stolas is immediately beside himself with worry, asking if he’s alright and swearing he’d be by his side already if he weren’t in a meeting. Literally. He’s so worked up that he curses here, something we rarely see him do on the Instagrams, then or now. He promises he’ll be there as soon as said meeting is over; if this were a more serious incident, his behavior suggests he might have run right out of it on the spot.

But Blitzo insists he’s fine and Stolas, though still unhappy and clearly concerned, accepts that. This is a vastly, vastly different character than the one we met in Murder Family, happily coercing a monthly sexual bargain out of Blitzo as he cheerfully, coldly watched him dodge gunfire. 

Later on, we see that Stolas has taken sick. Commentors suggest that Blitzo might have poisoned his coffee or, less tastefully -- this was all happening during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic -- that he has coronavirus. But it’s just a simple flu. Blitzo is openly concerned, and promises that “we’ll send you something.” The “we’ll” in this case could refer to himself and Loona, but more likely refers to I.M.P. as a whole, which is a nice little touch. Before!Stolas’s relationship with Blitzo’s coworkers was always a beautiful thing to watch flourish, but as of this writing, it’s next to nonexistent in the show.

Either way, Blitzo won’t be coming over because he doesn’t want to get sick or “bird snot” on him. I like their little “No offense,” “None taken,” exchange here. It’s brief, it’s small, but it’s comfortable and familiar.

The next day, we get to see how Blitzo delivers the package. True to form, he hurls it through Stolas’s closed window, startling a Stolas who’s midway through a mouthful of soup. With the inconsistent way Stolas is written currently, it’s hard to say exactly how he would react to this, but this is Before!Stolas and he’s absolutely delighted. He thanks Blitzo warmly, and the next time we see him, he’s feeling much better, and he’s dropped by the I.M.P. office with iced coffee.

Now, this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this, and it’s not the first time Blitzo has been less than impressed with Stolas intruding on his workplace. This is still Stolas being bad at boundaries, and if this characterization were the one we saw in the show, it would have to be dealt with at some point. Despite this, Blitzo’s not visibly fighting back disgust, he’s not tolerating Stolas’s presence because the grimoire’s on the line (it’s not here), and he’s not, as he does in the show, telling Stolas in no uncertain terms not to touch him. He’s not even as angry as he was the last time this happened. He just thanks him for the coffee and says he’s too busy to drop everything and entertain Stolas, to which Stolas replies with a line of sad emojis, but doesn’t otherwise argue. Blitzo then suggests Stolas call him later, which the latter cheerfully accepts. 

To me, this is lovely. These are two characters who care whether the other is happy, whether the other is healthy. They’re becoming more accustomed to each other’s quirks and they’re growing a little closer with every post. These are some of the posts that modern day Stolitz proponents tend to fall back on first when defending the ship, but this Stolas and Blitzo -- these two characters in the fumbling early stages of a gentle, awkward romance, sending each other care packages -- had about as much in common with present day Blitzo and Stolas as a Nerf gun has with an elephant rifle. They’re just very different characters that happen to have the same names and faces.

Can present day Stolas and Blitzo ever hope to reach this kind of dynamic? I don’t think so, I don’t think it will feel as organic, but that’s not really the point of this blog.

The point is that for a brief time several years ago, in a very different iteration of the characters, Blitzo and Stolas were kind to each other. They took care of each other.

And that’s how love should be.

#Stolas #Blitzo #Helluva Boss #vivziepop critical

[the-empress-7]

Thank you, anon who sent the picture of Diana standing with her hands on her hips. I couldn't open the link, so I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to, but I do recall her sometimes having hands on hips - for example, during her land mine event toward the end of her life. That was at an event, though. I don't recall her out for a pap stroll with her hands on her hips like that. I can't imagine Diana would be walking like that on a hike - she was athletic and would have been hiking for real.

And that is the difference between Diana and her youngest mess of a son and his horrible wife. She was real, complexities and all. Her work, her devotion, her empathy and kindness were all real - she wouldn't still be pulling the poll numbers she is or command the devotion of people who remember her if she weren't. I admit that I loathe any comparisons of Diana to either MM or her husband. They have done more to tarnish her memory than anyone. I would imagine this is high on the list of reasons William has no interest in any kind of reconciliation. William and Catherine are gently and tastefully trying to reclaim her memory.

Which brings me to all the noise about Catherine and William being lazy. All anyone has to do to know they absolutely work full time is to look at the extraordinary detail in everything they do. Can any of us fathom how much time it takes to pull that off? It isn't like they wave a magic wand and it just happens. It happens because they work full days every day. They are who they are because they work full-time, parent full-time, work out, make time for each other, for close family and friends - the full catastrophe. They are role models for us all.

There are plenty of people in and on the peripheries of the royal family to rag on for the real, quantifiable, factual damage they do/nonsense they pull every day. How about if we applaud this shining giant of a couple instead of nitpicking them to death and leave a dead woman (his mother, her mother-in-law, their grandmother, clearly beloved by them all) out of it at the very least?

All the noise about William and Catherine being lazy isn't just noise, it's a deliberate attempt to pull them down so that certain others may look better by comparison. The sad thing is this campaign to paint them as lazy has been ongoing for years, it started long before Meghan came into the picture. It was put on the back burner because...well Meghan happened. Now that she is effectively out of the picture, BP is back to playing the same old game. It didn't work back in 2014-2016, and it's certainly not going to work in 2023.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

[mon-chert]

with the swarm of goncharov posting proclaiming the profoundly subtextual relationships of the main four, ive found the results of a lot of new viewers watching the movie for the first time interesting, seeing as there is some disappointment that it is not as outright as older viewers have described, and the posts ive seen on the topic believe they were misled with users reading too far into feelings which are not present there (which, id argue against). though, ive realized that its a product of misunderstanding both from the viewpoint of another culture, and another time; or even just a clear lack of context of an awfully america-centeric perspective on a movie which is interwoven with two entirely contrasting cultures.

i think the biggest point on which people get hung up on is the so called "pet names" between goncharov and andrey; with the two constantly referring to each other as "my dear" throughout the entire movie. which is really interesting, since to any foreign viewers this is considered an undeniably romantic gesture, but to someone who belongs to the same cultural background as them (me having double the slavic heritage), it is perceived in a completely different way.

in russia (or any russian-speaking countries), its typical for men to use [мой] дорогой as a greeting, or when referring to each other in general, and it is most often used with male friends whom you are close with. the direct translation is "my rich (adj.)" or, in words that can be used towards a person "my treasured," but personally i find that most accurate way to translate this—by making it sound more natural within the english language without losing its sentiment—is by using "my dear." the thing is is that english speakers find this phrase inherently romantic, something only used between lovers, which explains the conflicting opinions on the true relationship between the two—both of whom have slavic backgrounds, and as such would likely perceive their choice of words differently.

if the original movie was actually written in russian (though understandably not as italy and the italian culture is just as integral to the story), them calling each other that equivalent of "my dear" wouldn't have batted anyone's eye—any more than it does when my 60-something soviet dad calls his equally aged, equally soviet friends and business partners the same thing.

this isnt to dampen anyones fun, however, if anything i think it adds a lot of layers to goncharovs and andrey's relationship—just in ways that may not be obvious to the common viewer. whats peculiar to me, is that most translations of originally russian movies will try to avoid romantic connotations by simply latinizing it as dorogoi, or alternatively using english variants that sound more casual. goncharov is not originally russian, which makes it more likely that matteo's choice of words for the characters was done tactfully and tastefully, and bids reference to how stark that cultural contrast is when it comes to relationships between men in general. and, if anything, i think the way andrey and goncharov would perceive their choice of words as stated earlier, is almost what makes their use of it playful

it may have changed over time and be different nowadays, but ive found that this is very evident when you see period films set in slavic settings; men will hold a much stronger solidarity with each other, and arent so afraid to show emotion and build deeper bonds within their friendship. it took some time for the concept of toxic masculinity (in the most literal sense) to reach this side of the world, and for a while such affection wasn't nearly as taboo as it is now. and what i feel matteo was trying to paint with those little details in their dialogue, is something that mixes this unapologetically sincere bond between goncharov and andrey, together with how it would be perceived by foreign parties, in a way that complements both.

but even in this context, the names do not erase any previous sentiments which the two have held. instead they evoke a sense of passion and intimacy which neither of them seldom hold with anyone else, at least not in the same way—whether it is romantic or not, is up to the viewer, but what they have in an undeniable infatuation.

one scene where the names are used within a context which accents those undertones, is right before andrey pulls out the gun—and more specifically, when goncharov takes his glove. this really was one of the details which made me admire the amount of themes which quietly interlaced the smallest parts of the movie. andrey extends his hand to goncharov for him to take his glove off in his stead, a subtle and rather unremarkable act, and goncharov complies. a gauntlet thrown, and picked up by the rival; a traditional challenge to a duel. yet here, in the form of a mutual understanding. andrey does not throw the glove to goncharov, he offers it to him—and with it offers the choice to accept his unspoken words. goncharov takes the glove, slipping it off of andrey's hand with a purposeful slowness, and not a moment is spent where their eyes stray away from each other. goncharov knows, he had long since known, and andrey knows as well. the gun which andrey points at him only moments later with the same hand goncharov just held clasped is just something expected. goncharovs lack of shock is not a sign of resignation, but rather an embrace. seconds speak volumes within an unorthodox, gentle metaphor; all packed in a single tender gesture.

i could go on about the intricacies of how cultural misunderstandings are an integral theme of the movie, seeing as its focused specifically on the relationship between two juxtaposed cultures; or how duels are illegal in europe and the reference to one is just one more implication among severeal about the danger of their passion—but thats an essay for another day. if anything, im very curious on how someone with an equally insightful gaze of the culture of italy would be able to interpret characters interactions

(and sorry if this is incomprehensible, i wrote it up after one delirious nap and had to get my thoughts down)

#long post #goncharov #goncharov 1973 #unreality

[archivedbyebye]

Redemption: Harumi’s Only Option For Character Growth.

HIIIIII

What am I doing here? Writing a rant/ essay/ crazy vomit pile of words and half-thought ideas? I don’t know, can you please tell me?

Yeah, probably shouldn’t have written this while I’m drunk on sleep-deprivation and procession of the most recent episode.

Oh boy, that was fun. Yeah, don’t keep that episode in mind when reading this (if you do) It’s not really connected to the most recent episode, more just my jumbled thoughts after the last episode before hiatus was rotting in my brain.

Also, subtitles probably won’t do my understanding of it justice anyways.

For future reference, this was written before the last 22 episode of this season came out, and it’s just my thoughts as far as Harumi and the way this season has handled her return so far (with only the understanding of  episodes 1-12 of crystallized, thank you for your time.)

My only criticism for Harumi’s return this season is the probable inevitable repetition in her character arc.

Harumi is my favorite character in this whole fucking series. There, you have it. Ninjago’s full potential in characterization was crafted to her and the entirety of season 8. She’s manipulative, flawed, emotional, conniving, and driven. Her character arc was amazing, ended amazing, and her lasting effects were present in seasons following her death. Utterly perfect. Do I take criticisms? No.

Here’s the thing, despite how much I loved her and season 8, there’s no way I’d ever want Harumi back. Crystallized didn’t get the memo.

Honestly, my biggest concern for her return is the fact that they really did everything for her character. She was a love interest, a character on the good side. The villain-twist really brought the edge to season 8. Her last-minute redemption was utterly amazing, and really brought her character full-circle. Say what you will about season 8, but I loved every minute of it.

So, Harumi survived the building collapse? Good for her, I guess.

Here’s the thing, there’s nothing left but redemption.

If they were going to bring Harumi back, the last thing I’d expect is for her to return to the villain role. If her last minute before death told us anything, it was that she saw error in her ways, and perhaps even felt regret. She’d been at that point where she’s lost control of her pursuits, and now others are suffering because of it. It’s already been proven that she’s willing to break a cycle, see last two minutes before death. 

Yet here she is, second-in-command to the epitome of darkness to torture green boi.

It’s not surprising, but it feels overused. Remember when Garmadon was brought back in season 8 as big bad boi? Some were concerned that the writers were reusing Garmadon’s character arc. Is that what happened, though? Personally, I thought it was wonderfully done. (Are you surprised? I mean, it’s not like I haven’t been ranting so much about how much I love season 8 what are you talking about-) I thought that this reincarnation of sort was tastefully done, and even better than previous incarnations of the whole “villian-Garmadon” fiasco. 

I don’t feel the same way about Harumi’s return, especially if she’s just brought as the villain. I know this isn’t explained very well, especially as I’m comparing her to Garmadon of all people, but there’s a difference, I swear. For one, Garmadon’s state of mind during his season 8 comeback was in tune with the plot. It was established early-on that this would not be the same Garmadon we had seen in the past, and frankly, this Frankenstein-of-sorts was definitely something cohesive to the plot. With Harumi in Crystallized, it’s really hard not to feel as if she was just shoved in there for shock value.

So yeah, I really feel like there’s a big difference here.

So here’s the cinch, I think that bringing her back into this form as a villain really undermines the last-minute redemption that brought her character full-circle in the first place. Say that Harumi undergoes this kind of redemption in this season? I might think differently about it.

We have what? 22 more episodes to go? I’ve heard that this season’s a doozy, (but aren’t they all?)

Truthfully, and albeit cynical as I may be, I wouldn’t put my trust in the writers to cover this kind of characterization. (Or Lloyd’s trauma *cough cough*) While I was disappointed, I wasn’t surprised to see Harumi in this state again.

All I can hope for is a return to redemption for her. What will probably come for her: Death / permanent punishment for her actions.

SCREECH.

#Ninjago #harumi #crystallized #rant #long boi rant #what the heck #s16 #s15 #what season is this

[100hands]

Go Native won the Indian Institute of Architects National Award (Commercial Projects) 2021. 

Deep gratitude to our clients Anvitha and Prashanth Prakash, and our colleagues Anna Rose and Divyang Sharma. We worked on this with the wonderful engineer, BL Manjunath, Ramesh Babu of SV Construction and Sasi Kumar (Star Engineering), the steel fabricator. Santosh TV was the Landscape architect and Tanushri Dalmiya did the interiors. 

The jury for the awards were Aparna Narasimhan, Nitin Killawala and Prem Nath. Here are the Jury comments (courtesy Aparna):

1. Statement of the design problem: Leased site - hence very tightly built, tentative structure that can be easily dismantled.

2. Site context: Proper identification of the earlier industrial area and hence, there is a subtle reference to it in the materials used. 

Mainly the gable wall at the entrance sets the tone of the design approach.

3. The design solution: The site is addressed in a very sensible way. The open longitudinal axis directs you to the garden behind without revealing too much of it in the beginning. The service areas are accessible but tucked away in the existing building but screened by the new brick wall.

4. Detailing in metal is done very tastefully keeping neat meeting of junctions. Although the design program is limited in its scope, the final product is beautiful nevertheless!

[belethlegwen]

Not the same anon as the lest few! Will "spice" happen in Stranding or Rescue? Or more of a "side chapter" thing if it does happen? I read Small Date after you mentioned it earlier and I think you did it pretty tastefully!

I very much appreciate clarifying you're a different anon because I was about to be like "you filthy liar that thing is stupid long and I have not been answering these for long enough that you could go read it". Thank you so much for reading and enjoying Small Date, though! When I look back at it, especially now, I just see every glaring sign that I wrote it just to speedrun (as much as my slow-pace writing brain is able to) getting to the sexy stuff so I could have stuff to re-read/think about in detail when the batteries were done charging.

There is a spicy side-chapter for The Rescue written that would hopefully only need minor tweaks when it becomes timeline/canonically relevant to what's happening. It'll be optional and vaguely/safely referenced in the main bodies of work according to their respective ratings but when it gets posted as a stand-alone it will be rated explicit.

In The Rescue and The Stranding there are (coming up soon, in fact) conversations/imagery of adult situations, mostly mentioning/referencing masturbation and previous experiences with lovers. Both main characters are in their early thirties, and most of the other cast is well into their 20s so it is just... a fact of life for them.

Later in The Stranding there will be open references to characters hooking up with other people in romantic/intimate ways but will likely only be referencing spiciness??? I don't know how to word it. Like, someone walking into a room or interrupting someone in their private quarters while they were not-terribly-subtly mid-coitus, without being particularly graphic or anything. Just... openly mentioning "these two were gettin' it on about 10 seconds ago and will probably get back on it once this scene ends". Or comments like "Heard you had so-and-so over last night"/"Honestly I think he's a pretty good listener. Especially after a good roll in the hay" or whatever.

#Thank you so much for the ask! #asks and answers #spicy #adults in adult situations #g/t #giant/tiny #g/t author #author thoughts #big little thoughts #drunk posting

[maya-malfoy1012]

Right! Hello! It’s episode 4 (of TDJ) time. I watched this ages ago but life got in the way, so that’s why there’s been a bit of a pause from my episode reactions. So, my review/thoughts won’t be quite as in-depth as I will be referring to (my page-long) notes. But I hope they’re still entertaining!!

[Terrible quality screenshots are incoming]

I want to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this episode, I feel like it was set up nicely into 4 different sections: The court case/the Mum (Acting as the “net”, i.e the sequence of events which will lead to Daddy Bandit getting his revenge) The Dinner Party (The people he will be rounding up) J.S.A’s character reveal (The “hitch” in this plan) The backstory (The reason for the revenge)

I enjoyed Ji Sung’s acting choices in this episode, I feel like it's the first time we see real nuances to his characterisation of Daddy Bandit. I personally really enjoyed the way he interacts with Nam Jang in one of the opening scenes. He’s acting like Mister Big Bollocks but as soon as she turns away, he deflates just enough for us to know that something is going on with him. I really appreciate that subtly. 

In terms of the revenge storyline, I like it but I do think it’s a little convenient for the plot. However, I do believe there’s something else going on beyond what we know (otherwise it’ll be too easy). I like the way he punished Nam Jang and her son (reminds me of SPOILER the rapist and his dad’s punishment from The Crowned Clown); although, I wish… right, okay, when it came to the flagellation scenes, I just wished they had used a whip, or flog, or the cat of nine tails, etc. instead of using a belt. It just didn’t have the same impact (ba dum tss), for me at least. I love the concept of the punishment and how it enraged Nam Jang, forcing her to show a lack of care towards another child. [also the Daddy Bandit cult uprising???? hello!!! that is scary]

The dinner scene…. Well….. I’m going to ignore Gaon for a sec because I have thoughts about him and instead, want to focus on Daddy Bandit being clever. I like how he’s brought Gaon into the picture and showed him the people he intends on murdering/getting revenge on (not that Gaon can see that). I like the last episode of Squid Game vibes for the dinner sequence.

I like how the classical music crescendoed to a point where the visuals and music were claustrophobic in nature.

[Side note: the sexual assault scene made me very uncomfortable because of the lack of action from the other characters. Which definitely seemed like the intended purpose and of course, for it to be something egregious enough that J.S.A broke her facade to reveal her true dominatrix Mother self…. I love this for her, I wasn’t surprised by it but I do like this choice for her character. I feel like she’s going to be such a headache and perhaps… an “ally” turned villain turned “ally” turned… so on and so on.] The actual church scene had some very nice pacing. I did find some of the choices to be a little obvious (the “rich people are scumbags” narrative and the way the fireman stole the watch… the way none of the paramedics cared to check on a burnt man and an unconscious child??? ALSO, smoke inhalation is more dangerous than fire, so they probably both would have died or become brain damaged from that level of exposure) BUT I found the sequence overall to be so tragic. Also this shot:

Is so renaissance painting… it’s frankly beautiful. The religious imagery throughout this show is really tastefully done!! I love to see it! [I feel like this shot reference an actual painting but I can't figure out which one] Also…. Daddy Bandit is Phantom of the Opera CHURCH (especially with that chalandier drop)

Okay… now onto Gaon. WHAT IS THIS BOY’S PROBLEM??? Why is he still living at DB's gothic mansion??? Why is he acting like Madame of the house? He’s bonding with his new stepdaughter/niece. He's getting reallllllly comfortable, even referring to the room he sleeps in as "his" room.... duddddeee! (gender neutral) How embarrassing! The clothes-changing scene had SO much queer-subtext that it is basically 100% text. Also, Daddy Bandit really brought his twink to a work event as his plus one and really confirmed to the audience (and himself) that Gaon is not interested in women... and actually, sexual advances/flirtatious attention from them (or any age) make him uncomfortable.

I found the unneeded physical contact to be sooooo telling. [also the opposite - almost yin and yang - colour scheme is interesting... the way Gaon's silhouette is quite "feminine"...]

ALSO also!! Is Gaon going around wearing Daddy Bandit’s clothes?

Cause, unless I missed something, they’ve not shown him going home, he hasn’t gone shopping, D.B hasn’t gone shopping… sooo??? This guy is really out here investigating his employer (with whom he lives) whilst wearing his undies. COME ON!!! he's so silly

Also TDJ and BE both have their twinks directly (and with WAY too much confidence) accusing their love interest of murdering their sibling. I just wished BE had given us Dong Sik pinning Joo Won against the wall by the throat…. Joo Won would have cried his eyes out (and just died from being too horny) whereas Gaon was super into it??? This BOY!!! I can’t! (he really said "choke me harder, daddy bandit!! prove to me you didn't kill your sibling whilst awakening a kink in me")

Anyway, yes, I wrote more notes but I don’t remember what they mean anymore. But overall, I really did enjoy this episode the most so far. I hope my ramblings are amusing! Bye for now :)

SO, hi! I'm so slow in replying to ask helpp but tbf to myself this week's been hectic (currently writing this as my sir bails on my session T-T).

Episode 04, that fucker.

So, my review/thoughts won’t be quite as in-depth as I will be referring to (my page-long) notes. But I hope they’re still entertaining!!

I love hearing your thoughts, it doesn't matter if it's in depth or not 😂 Besides how could I not find your thoughts on Hoodie-Daddy-Trauma Bandit lmao

Imo, TDJ so far has done a very good job of sectioning off arcs, scenes and interactions. (A bit derailing thought but storyline wise) Gaon is subjected to this divide between Kang Yohan the Chief and Kang Yohan the man who roams the rouse in robes and although there's certain overlaps between the two personas ("I saw him driving recklessly" "Did you see something else?"), Gaon doesn't necessarily make it a point to interact with them in a similar way? At least in the ending of Ep3 and start of Ep4 (e.g when Gaon doesn't showcase much of the deference expected in workplaces when he teases Yohan or that one scene before the party where he turns this way and that on bed talking to Yohan). But the party! I think it's intentional on Yohan's part but the party! It completely rekindled that suspicion (+forced Gaon back into the role of the spy/Judas --and that's something I find interesting too, the role given to Gaon). And you're right!

I like how he’s brought Gaon into the picture and showed him the people he intends on murdering/getting revenge on (not that Gaon can see that). I like the last episode of Squid Game vibes for the dinner sequence.

Remember the revenge plot? I only realised this way later (still stuck on ep 10 help) but Yohan is essentially showing off the face of his brother to the people he intends to get revenge on and just, waits, observes to see if anyone can remember. ANd no ONe REMEBERS. I feel like from the subtle nuances of emotions we've seen from Yohan, that even a little remorse or reflection would have gone a long way but who knows.

I like how the classical music crescendoed to a point where the visuals and music were claustrophobic in nature.

I agree, it was very Squid Game vibes. It was just, a cacophony. Something meant to be beautiful & bearable turned vicious in its stifling chaos.

[Side note: the sexual assault scene made me very uncomfortable because of the lack of action from the other characters. Which definitely seemed like the intended purpose and of course, for it to be something egregious enough that J.S.A broke her facade to reveal her true dominatrix Mother self…. I love this for her, I wasn’t surprised by it but I do like this choice for her character. I feel like she’s going to be such a headache and perhaps… an “ally” turned villain turned “ally” turned… so on and so on.]

SO, this wasn't an observation of mine but I read it somewhere where they juxtaposed this SA scene with the extremely uncomfy vibes with Chairman Seo and Oh Jinjoo from the other ball/party. How in the previous one Kang Yohan was able to save Oh Jinjoo whereas when Jung Sun-ah tried ("She's an associate Judge...") she was brushed off but in the second party Jung Sun-ah was able to save the waitress whereas Yohan couldn't because of the persona/role he was playing. It was speculated/theorised that it's the status of the victims that allowed such difference? The waitress was practically no one, so letting her go (in public) would no impact anyone but the associate judge however is a much bigger presence and holding off the chairman could have questioned the roles.

Also, when you said SA, I originally thought of Gaon being literally submerged under those ladies (i think in an interesting way, that also juxtaposes with Oh Jinjoo's experience. While her interaction was taken as something to be wary of Gaon's isn't seen with the same lense of seriousness?)

the “rich people are scumbags” narrative and the way the fireman stole the watch… the way none of the paramedics cared to check on a burnt man and an unconscious child??? ALSO, smoke inhalation is more dangerous than fire, so they probably both would have died or become brain damaged from that level of exposure) BUT I found the sequence overall to be so tragic.

It does seem like the obvious plot route for why Yohan does what he does, especially with "the rich people are scumbags but oh whats this its not like poor people are any better" (cue Yohan and Gaon's convo returning from the party) but I think the whole set up, esp the renaissance painting feel, is actually hinting at a idk Shakespearean level of tragedy?

Also the look Yohan gives the camera, cradling little Elijah is chilling

Okay so! The religious imagery! I'm not closely related or know of much Christianity so idk much but, it's very interesting how from the beginning Yohan is implied to be Jesus when Gaon is given the role of Judas, meant to betray (?) Jesus/Yohan and, "Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him. And yet He chose Judas as a disciple and kept him near. The Bible doesn't say why, other than Jesus knew that God had a plan"

So. I'm very much excited to see where this story goes. Also another reference to Yohan having the role of Jesus is the bloody cross on his back ffs.

Can we also talk about (how I totally didnt know) how Judas' full name is Judas Isacriot and how it means City Slicker??

plus, Judas is known to have betrayed Jesus because he was possessed by Satan? It's very interesting that Yohan is called the Devil when he's also hinted to be Jesus and the side portrayed to have uphold justice is associated with Devil / or the priests who called for Jesus's fall.

Also…. Daddy Bandit is Phantom of the Opera CHURCH (especially with that chalandier drop)

that chandelier drop took me out

Okay… now onto Gaon. WHAT IS THIS BOY’S PROBLEM???

I wonder the same thing... Gaon pls what is going in on your brain

Why is he still living at DB's gothic mansion??? Why is he acting like Madame of the house? He’s bonding with his new stepdaughter/niece. He's getting reallllllly comfortable, even referring to the room he sleeps in as "his" room.... duddddeee! (gender neutral) How embarrassing!

Han Juwon only broke in a few thousand times but Gaon said "fuck that this is my home now" My dude honestly took to the role of spouse/lady of the house like fish in water.

The clothes-changing scene had SO much queer-subtext that it is basically 100% text.

I kid you not, I literally screamed at that scene.

Also, Daddy Bandit really brought his twink to a work event as his plus one and really confirmed to the audience (and himself) that Gaon is not interested in women... and actually, sexual advances/flirtatious attention from them (or any age) make him uncomfortable.

Kang Yohan: Two birds in one stone

I found the unneeded physical contact to be sooooo telling. [also the opposite - almost yin and yang - colour scheme is interesting... the way Gaon's silhouette is quite "feminine"...]

THE CLOTHES! THE FUCKING CLOTHES! You are so right, also love how symbolically yin/yang are masculine/feminine energies. This show hints at a lot of things, I missed 2/3 of everything when I first watched the eps.

Cause, unless I missed something, they’ve not shown him going home, he hasn’t gone shopping, D.B hasn’t gone shopping… sooo??? This guy is really out here investigating his employer (with whom he lives) whilst wearing his undies. COME ON!!! he's so silly

GEFJDCNIEFDJKC i think the clothes he wore in the manor are yohan's (or maybe new clothes who knows, daddy bandit is a rich bandit afterall) but i think maaaaybe the clothes he's wearing here are his? i mean he could very well have dropped by his house before meeting soohyun idk but itd be hilarious if they're yohan's clothes pls

I just wished BE had given us Dong Sik pinning Joo Won against the wall by the throat…. Joo Won would have cried his eyes out (and just died from being too horny) whereas Gaon was super into it??? This BOY!!! I can’t! (he really said "choke me harder, daddy bandit!! prove to me you didn't kill your sibling whilst awakening a kink in me")

REIDJKCXIRDSJKRE SDHELPP I CANTHIJDF

I agree, but! in a weird way I also can't see Dongsik doing that to Juwon? Like, hmmm idk man, maybe it's because I don't see Dongsik as a violent person? His go to is fucking with the other guy mentally not throw fists, like even with Kang Jinmook, as a victim he could have knocked the mf out and blamed it on grieving smth smth but he holds back and instead schemes and talks (even when Kang Jinmook tried to strangle him). But oh boy Yohan and Gaon. Well. Yeah they seem super into that "hold me by the throat sir"/"pin me against the wall" thingerfjkd

Anyway, yes, I wrote more notes but I don’t remember what they mean anymore. But overall, I really did enjoy this episode the most so far. I hope my ramblings are amusing! Bye for now :)

That's so fair, I write some notes I leave for 5 mins i come back I have no clue what they mean anymore. It was very amusing, thank you for your rambling lmao, ta for now :)

#kim gaon taking one step closer to achieving stage 1 of pathetic han juwon #meanwhile daddy bandit is. well. daddy bandit #the devil judge #kang yohan #kim gaon

[sleepymarmot]

Completed Sharp-as-Night's questline.

From the discourse prior to Necrom's release, I expected the final quest to have another scene where you relive his memories, even more traumatic than the last. I checked the original thread in the forums, and in comparison with my screenshots, it seems like a couple of lines were removed, probably in response to the feedback.

When Sharp said at the end "All that time I spent worrying that I was going to be someone else when I got my memories back... Well, I guess it's safe to say I don't need to worry about that anymore", I thought that I had inadvertently made a decision earlier in the quest and had to look up if I missed the option to get the memories back. I expected this to be a major player choice at the end. I guess it's not a Bioware game... And it would have been hard to write future content for two very different versions of the same NPC, now that I think of it.

I do find it a bit funny that Sharp's questline has four gay Dunmer. That's gotta be some sort of record. I wonder what the thinking here was. "We have to add some nice gay people to counterbalance the very evil antagonist. Oops, we killed one of them for the plot. Also doesn't this imply that lesbians are good and gay men are evil? Okay let's add a much more flamboyant gay man who also has a crush on Sharp, but in a non-creepy way."

In the end, I still think that "A companion's personal quest secretly doubles as the origin story for a minor faction in TESIII" was a clever idea executed in a moving way, and that it was far more tastefully done than most other references to more popular things originating in Morrowind. It's really one of the things that work much better if you've played the original single player game — I would have missed this entirely if I played ESO first, but since Twin Lamps was one of the few factions I enthusiastically engaged with in my Morrowind playthrough, I was very excited to recognize the foreshadowing in every mention of the lamps and light in this questline.

#eso #blah blah blah

[alexthemenace]

Inktober 2019 archive

Posting all my Inktober 2019 pics cause it was the only year where I successfully did a drawing for every day of the month. And also used actual ink for these which I know is not required but I wanted to. Most of these were never posted outside the "Rebel Taxi" Amino so I wanna document their existence and share them with the public. My gimmick with these was to do them in 5-15 minutes as a challenge to come up with ideas on the spot. And also so I wouldn't spend too much time on these since my college projects took priority. I also had my purple Halloween neon lights on when I took these pictures so that is why they're all purple (minus day 31's drawing). Anyway, here they are in order of the days I made them.

Day 1: a generic east coast rapper on the mic rocking a show. Mostly inspired by Chuck D of Public Enemy and maybe subconsciously Todd in the Shadows. Oh and totally forgot that I was watching Vin Diesel's 1997 feature directorial debut, Strays, before I drew this which had a very gritty 90s NYC setting. At the time I was very impressed by his short film directorial debut, Multi-Facial, so I wanted to see if his feature was just as good (it wasn't).

Day 2: a defeated young man submitting to an alien/holy light shining down upon him. You could also interpret it as seeking of a higher power. Inspired by the CD artwork of OutKast's ATLiens album. This was later turned into a self-portrait oil painting for class which turned out really great.

Day 3: vaguely retro comic book Batman crashing through a window upon a crime scene. This was done right before I went to see Joker in theaters. The perspective and anatomy is meh but it was a quick drawing so I can live with it. Apparently I took 20 minutes with it according to my notes from Discord in 2019 which wow.

Day 4: Close-up of Cesare from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. This was one of two drawings where I intentionally broke my 5-15 minute rule as I did this in about an hour. I used a reference of the iconic scene of him waking up but I still tried to be quick so the face looks less like Conrad Veidt and more like David Bowie imo but I'm still quite proud of it.

Day 5: a possessed woman. Took a wee bit longer to do but this was a fun exercise to draw longer hair like this (something I still don't have a lot of experience with) and to play a bit with perspective and anatomy without a reference iirc. She is also supposed to vaguely be from an older era far from civilization - hence the lack of clothing (she is tastefully censored though). Apparently I wasn't happy with how stiff she turned out back then but I think in hindsight it works quite well.

Day 6: a bald child from a mental ward stares at a man laying face down on a haystack. The girl was loosely based off Eleven from Stranger Things. The man in the haystack also reminds me of that one Junji Ito manga but I don't remember if that thought that came to me while making this or that's just hindsight. Also I didn't start with a finished concept in mind for this one so, very randomly put together.

Day 7: Nostalgia Critic 2Pac. As it says, it's Doug Walker if he modeled his Nostalgia Critic character after 2Pac's aesthetic. I personally really like this one. Have also been told he resembles a Beavis and Butt-head character which I see lol but that's ok. Apparently I was watching JAR Media's video on if Nostalgia Critic was cringy and for some fucking reason the idea of 2Pac came to mind lol.

Day 8: a baby with a dripping spear celebrating the head of a medium sized therapod dinosaur they successfully hunted. This one was inspired by Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal which I was a very big fan of at the time. Censored cause I like my Tumblr account and don't wanna risk losing it.

Day 9: Count Orlok from Nosferatu opening a door. I think it turned out nicely but don't really have much else to say about it other than the fact that I didn't use a reference.

Day 10: sullen twink laying bare on the ground. This was inspired by that iconic image of Maria from Silent Hill 2 laying down on the ground by the Heaven's Night neon sign. I think I just particularly like this kind of imagery since a mood piece I shot later that month incorporated a shot that is exactly like this (minus the lack of clothing). Also, the uncensored drawing actually shows nothing explicit since I intentionally had that area covered in shadows. But I worry Tumblr will think otherwise and smite down upon me so it's better to be safe than sorry. Also the perspective on his right leg is off so better to not see it in full anyway.

Day 11: gentleman combing his hair in a mirror that reveals a skeleton doing the same thing. The pic crops off the bottom part of the drawing which shows his legs and the tail flaps of his suit. But I always thought that part looked extra janky so I never include it. It was a rushed drawing anyway.

Day 12: Tim Burton inspired child sitting in the corner of a room, looking very sad. Supposed to represent being overwhelmed with life and emotions. I recall I also had Dib from Invader Zim in mind when drawing this. I don't tend to draw in this art style much so I'm pretty surprised even now how good it turned out. At the time I was doing a presentation for my Directing class on Tim Burton - so he was definitely on my mind for this.

Day 13: imprisoned droid waking up in the middle of the night. Apparently I was thinking of a bunch of movies when I did this plus I think Scud: The Disposable Assassin and my own avatar. Also I just like robots with this kind of thin pill shaped build.

Day 14: my idea of man that has fully evolved into only being able to eat, sleep, and stare at a screen. I didn't sleep the night before so I thought to draw a human that has devolved into a lazy slob who only eats and sleeps and as a result is incredibly out of shape save its legs to move around as it scours the land for any food before deciding to fall asleep for days. Thank you Discord notes from myself in 2019 for helping me remember this exact story lol.

Day 15: Undead Pan Pizza of RebelTaxi singing his pathetic little heart out. The design is based off of Jack Skellington (namely the proportions and spooky qualities like the stitches across Pan's face) during one of his more sad song numbers in The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's worth noting this era was sorta the last big hoorah for my obsession and fanboyism of Pan. I had a mild burst of being hooked one last time around Fall 2019 after losing interest in his podcast around the beginning of that year (a podcast I previously would follow religiously). I still liked him after this era and would definitely have periods of renewed interest but not to the same extent as before sadly.

Day 16: an imprisoned boy looking at the light coming through his barred window. This one used more pencil than ink to break away from mostly keeping it ink. It's very janky but the idea speaks to me. Apparently was also trying to think of a portrait for my oil painting class so this was one of the ideas that came to mind (didn't end up using it for anything though).

Day 17: a spooky little sickly old guy. I apparently was inspired by a character from Courage the Cowardly Dog when I did this. No clue which episode now though unless you guys can remember what he looks like.

Day 18: guy getting his face vacuumed off. I like that one episode of Ed, Edd n Eddy where Eddy's face get sucked by a vacuum. I got nothing else to say.

Day 19: self-portrait of me directing. It's a cutesy little drawing of me! And also the outfit I wore when I directed my mood piece that day.

Day 20: a large and vicious snake lizard hybrid. It's pretty self-explanatory. I think ultimately it's more just a snake with forearms and a spike tail. I guess I just was thinking at the time "what would be the ultimate snake?" Like a snake that can beat any snake. Also this was done on day 21 since I didn't have time on day 20 for it.

Day 21: large older guy hiding a knife behind his back. His looked is based on a friend of mine I went to college with and how he looked on set a few days ago when the light glistened over him. Although instead of a knife he held a script. He also vaguely reminds me of Al from Toy Story 2.

Day 22: sleep paralysis demon taunts twink. I like twinks, ok. Also I think just noticed something about that demon that I forgot I did but oh well. I think it'll be fine.

Day 23: guy with a very, very itchy head. I really like the pose and facial expression so it's actually one of my favorites here despite it being relatively mundane. Also, the itchy head may have been cause my head was itchy while drawing this but I don't remember. But I do remember part of the influence here was how sometimes great feelings of stress and anger would trigger an itchy head for me.

Day 24: a corpse brought back to life in a very rough and unfinished form. Obviously a bit of a Frankenstein's monster meets I guess Sally and Dr. Finkelstein from The Nightmare Before Christmas influence here. I may have had Pearl from Steven Universe in mind when I did this too since me and another friend definitely saw the resemblance.

Day 25: a twink who hit their face a little too hard on the bathroom sink. Twink. The full picture isn't really that gruesome imo (the face isn't visible) but I was trying to censor the liquids a bit for obvious reasons I already disclosed earlier. Also, he was loosely based on me but don't think too hard about that. I just had a bad day directing on set was all.

Day 26: Cute, unamused Hot Topic employee being bitten on the left leg by his pet lizard. Yet again another twink but this one's outfit is based mostly on my wardrobe at the time (minus the Jack Skellington shirt but I did/do have some pajama pants of him). And I guess I find reptiles cool so, only just noticing a bit of a reoccurring subject here (along with twinks).

Day 27: a melting zombie-like corpse crawling away from a puddle of acid. A tad more gruesome, sure, but I think it's a pretty cool drawing. And also it's like, a zombie, so it's not that inappropriate for standards here I hope. Apparently took a while to come up with an idea for this one.

Day 28: that one guy from Jacob's Ladder with a bag over his head and no legs walking with his arms. When I drew this, I had just seen Jacob's Ladder the night before for the first time and it became an instant favorite of mine. So, I drew a character from it. Him walking with his arms is based off of Mugshot's mode of travel from Sly Cooper.

Day 29: Jimi Hendrix inspired voodoo guy with a crystal ball. Pretty self-explanatory. Had fun with the texture and lighting although I was never quite satisfied with how I did the shading on his hair. The straight lines make his fro look like a porcupine lol. Regardless of that, it's a pretty cool drawing. Also worth noting is that during this time I fell back in love with 60s music. The Doors and Beatles in particular were major points of obsession for me. Especially their psychedelic period and ofc Jimi Hendrix was part of that era so that deep fixation for psychedelic and hippie music made its way into this.

Day 30: lizard amphibian fish mishmash girl with pony tails happily waving at us. This was definitely my least favorite of these and if not for my next and final drawing, would've been a lackluster way to end this. It's not awful but eh, just never really personally resonated with me. Also, she is wearing a seaweed braw so don't panic moral guardians of the world. For some reason Mrs. Bighead from Rocko's Modern Life came to mind when I drew this. Along with a certain friend of mind, @fishboigazer-blog, (which if you or a mutual is reading this lol hey).

And that's it for now since I can't fit more than 30 pics. Which is fine by me cause Day 31 deserves its own post since that one I did spend a few hours on as opposed to the rest of these. That one I also did actually post to Tumblr back in the day so I may just reblog it come Halloween.

If you actually read this far, thank you! I spent hours trying to put this together in a way that is satisfactory to me and hopefully gives plenty of insight into my process. This has been a very long time coming and hope to actually post more original stuff on here instead of just endlessly reblogging things.

#inktober #inktober 2019 #the cabinet of dr. caligari #rebeltaxi #nostalgia critic #nosferatu #jacob's ladder #cesare the somnambulist #fan art #sketches #AlexTheMenace art

[upalldown]

Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!

Fifth album from the English R&B pop star produced by Stuart Price

8/13

Much is written about the power of dance music and its powers of allowing people to reinvent themselves as more glamorous versions of themselves, and while it is a bit cheesy to say, there is some truth in it, as Jessie Ware can attest. After spending the 2010s as a commercially unsuccessful critical darling of a soul singer, she very nearly quit music. Her tours were not selling well, and she was burning herself out, so she took to the studio in 2018 and told herself that the album she was about to record may very well be the last thing she ever releases, so she might as well make it a great one for her fans.

That album, 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure?, completely resurrected her career. Written and performed as if it was the end for her, it was a disco-inspired record whose drama and glamor resonated deeply with listeners who were stuck at home, unable to commiserate with each other in the clubs that the songs were intended to be played in. There were many pop artists who released disco albums in that year (Dua Lipa, Róisín Murphy, Kylie Minogue), but hers resonated the hardest, partly because it sounded just as good in headphones as it does at a nightclub, and partly because of the glimmering streak of sorrow running through its sound like a final dance. Now that she’s a critical darling who has reached a whole new audience, where does she go from here?

The answer is, of course, back to the dance floor. That! Feels Good!, the follow-up to What’s Your Pleasure?, almost functions as a sibling record, recalling the same era, albeit with different reference points. Ware has stock with club-going pop listeners as well discerning alternative crowds precisely because of how varied they are; her previous record could appeal to a person who likes any one of Donna Summer, Minnie Riperton, Blondie, Depeche Mode or New Order. This time around, her reference points are Prince, D’Angelo, Talking Heads, ESG and the B-52’s. In other words, after dwelling in the smoky noir of What’s Your Pleasure?, Ware has decided to step into the light and make her melodrama funkier and campier.

The results of this experiment are quite successful. Lead single “Free Yourself” has Ware working with pop producer Stuart Price to create a powerhouse of a disco pop single, complete with a bright piano line and Ware’s signature stirring vocal performance, signaling to her fans that she wasn’t done dancing just yet. In a similar vein, “Freak Me Now” features a beat similar to one that could be found on a Kylie Minogue track, as Ware howls the title in pleasure, almost as if she was answering the question that the title of her previous album posed.

The funky streak on the record is strong, with the title track delivering a bass-driven groove as Ware declares “Pleasure is a right!. “Pearls” has Ware indulging in diva theatrics, as she commands her fans to “Shake it till the pearls fall off.” “Begin Again” is perhaps one of the finest songs she has recorded to date; its disco melody is driven by a piano and tastefully arranged horns placed perfectly in the track’s mix, and Ware’s dramatic singing shines, begging to start over with a lover, because “Why do my realities take over all my dreams?/ Why does all the purest love get filtered through machines?/ Give me something good that’s even better than it seems.” “Beautiful People” carries an upbeat tone that will surely cheer up those looking for a bit of joy, as well as a bassline that many bigger pop stars would kill for, while the hilarious “Shake the Bottle” has Ware listing off a litany of men who have not satisfied her before deciding that she doesn’t need their love, a sentiment sure to resonate with many of her more lonely fans. Ware is more generous with her glamor than just about any pop singer who dabbles in dance music, and the way she shares it with her fans is effective not despite her underdog status, but because of it.

Ware is clearly grateful to her fans as much as they are to her, since they are the ones who kept her career afloat after her struggles in the 2010s. In this context, “Hello Love” is more poignant; Ware, who started out in R&B, is paying homage to her fans who were there for her from the very beginning. She croons in appreciation, “It’s not that I gave in, I just stopped fighting/ I had my mind made up on no more crying/ I thought tonight would have no silver lining/ I thought that I forgot you, I just needed a reminding.” Despite being an album designed to be danced to, it’s a worthy inclusion; she might have given up without her original listeners, depriving us of the pleasure she has since devoted herself to making. On the final track “These Lips,” she boasts of what her lips are capable of: kisses that can “turn milk to gold” and “soothe body and soul.” Those statements are, like the rest of the album, playful and showy, but there is some truth in it; they frame that powerful voice of hers that she very nearly stopped using. And what a wonderful thing it is that she didn’t stop.

https://spectrumculture.com/2023/05/01/jessie-ware-that-feels-good-review/

#jessie ware #that! feels good! #music

[lonelywhalien22]

I'm so excited for D-DAY! Yoongi is my bias-wrecker in BTS LOL and I'm forever in love with his mindset/lyricism. He has a way of writing things straightforward, but still being comforting (versus Namjoon's very poetic and wise writing style). That's my favorite part too!!! I also liked the reference to IU's 'Eight':

I loved this softer side of 'People Pt 2' and how it reflects Yoongi's growth as an artist and a person! Aaaggghh he's just one of those people that you wish a little extra success for, ya know? Idk - he makes me soft! LOL. All the references to past AUGST D and BTS songs (and maybe even IU's 'Love Poem'???) was tastefully done 🤌🤌🤌 I also really loved seeing him harmonize with IU 😍😍😍 they sounded really good together?! To be frank though . . . I don't quite understand the connection between the original 'People' and 'People Pt 2' yet, but I could also just be thinking too much into it (if you know, help a slow-brained friend out? 😅😂).

OMG OMG OMG NCT Dream concert 😭😭😭 if I had more money I would definitely go again HAHAHA. I think I'm still going through post-concert depression LOL because I woke up kind of down and tired today for no reason 😓

My favorite performance was 'Trigger the Fever' and (surprisingly) 'Saturday Drip'!!! Mark did a little bit of 'Golden Hour' as well so that was fun!!! (Thoughts on this solo song too???) NGL, I had a little bit of Renjun tunnel vision, so I only remember him and bits of Haechan/Mark during 'Trigger the Fever' 😭😂 They looked like they were having so much fun and just feeling themselves, it made me so happy! I'm always a little biased towards rap line performances in Kpop LOL because I just like the hyped vibes. I actually don't listen to 'Saturday Drip' all that much, but the NCT Dream rap line did a really good job with performing it!!!

I'm so sorry with how long this is LOL, but it feels like catching up with an old friend after a minute and I do just really like talking music with you hahaha. Are you going to any other concerts this year other than Ed Sheeran? Happy Tuesday 🤗

@twogyuu don't be sorry about the length of your post because mine is disgustingly long as well. like i'm actually deeply sorry for my word vomit:

Wow that’s a fantastic line from the song you shared as well! Love the sandcastle analogy. And omg the way I missed all the IU song refs…like Love Poem is my fave song from her 💀 (is it obvious i don’t speak korean??? lol 🤣). I love songs where you pick up on something new in the lyrics the more you listen to it! And at the ending when he shared he wrote it during covid like ahhhh I really felt that - It’s been so interesting to me as a music listener to hear works by artists that were made during covid/about covid…I just think it’s fascinating and like this little time capsule/archive of a very specific moment in time where we can see all the different emotions that came from that period and how they were expressed in so many different ways.

Also that is literally such a perfect way to differentiate between Namjoon and Yoongi’s lyrical styles - like you took the feelings right out of my brain and worded them perfectly. Yoongi has always been my favorite of the rap line for that reason. And then jhope is one of those rappers who’s like the vibey rapper if that makes sense??? It’s like his stuff always has this groovy flow to it that’s so distinctly him - I like to think it’s because he’s a dancer too but idk lol.

And girl lol we both need help bc idk what Pt. 2 is referring to either 😭 i’m not one of the kpop lore people, even for the groups I really follow, so I’m always in the comments section learning new things too lol. Heck I barely understand why Set Me Free is a Pt. 2😅 ik bts likes referencing their old music a lot in song titles so I’m just blindly used to that now and don’t question it lol (fellow armys help us with the receipts pls bc I’m useless for this sort of thing lol)

Wow just checked out Trigger the Fever - never heard it since it looks like it was on the very first mini album before I really followed them but omg I love it - it's right up my alley and I love the optimistic vibes and the harmonies they hit are just really pretty to me. Saved on Spotify hehe. idk when they performed it but it sounds like it would be perfect towards the end of the concert when they wanna make the fans all emotional and crap as they start to say goodbye 🥺

Saturday drip is such a great concert choice, I bet the crowd went wild. The super hype songs are always my fav during a concert bc everyone goes crazy and shouts out the iconic parts and it's such a good time!!!

Golden hour wasn’t my vibe BUT i did really like the concept and the mv for some reason. Like it was one of those songs where the mv actually made me vibe with the song more than i would have if i just heard it with no visual. That’s actually one of the things i really love abt kpop in particular - the way they build whole concepts and visual narratives around songs and seeing how it all comes together in the mv…it has definitely opened my ears a lot more if that makes sense and there are so many kpop songs that upon a second listen or bc of something in the mv/choreo/etc. i have come to absolutely love. NCT especially always challenges tf outta me. For ref I am a Sticker enthusiast and I still get crap for that lol but what can I say??? NCT is experimental so i’m always surprised by the songs from them that I wind up liking, and golden hour was memorable if nothing else lol

dont feel bad about reaching out to gush about music!!! normally i don't have any other way to let out my feelings besides watching reaction vids or reading social media comments on my own during comebacks so it's great to have someone to chat with stuff about directly! I really wish I could have seen NCT Dream but the date for my closest city just wasn't the best and I already saw NCT 127 a few months ago with their The Link tour. I was like - I saw Mark recently I don't need to see him again for awhile (LIES) 😭 but Haechan was sick at the time so I didn't get to see him then and I really like him and Renjun ahhh!!! Next time!

You asked about other concerts and BRUH. I can't feel too bad abt missing Dream bc I'm still seeing/have seen so much! Everyone's got that one thing they splurge on and for me it's concerts. Back in 2020, my very first concert was gonna be Map of the Soul with BTS and then…well we all know how that story went 😭😭😭I’m still incredibly sad that I never got to see them all together live before the military service so after that and 2 years of lockdown I was like I have to see as many of my fave acts as I can because you never know when this might be an artist’s last tour for whatever reason. Once i could afford it I started going to as many concerts as I could and haven't looked back. There’s just something about experiencing music live with the artists and other fans around you that just gives me a rush idk i love it!!! Besides Ed (saw ur post and you should totally see him if you can make it work money-wise btw hehe. his tickets are some of the most affordable i've EVER purchased in terms of comparable seats at other concerts <3) I'm also seeing TXT in may WHOOP! And then i managed to get beyonce tickets even though my wallet hated me for awhile after that one ngl. I’m seeing her this one time and that IS IT lol. I heard SM said baekhyun and wayv are gonna have tours so if that’s true i’m gonna try getting tickets for those. I would love to see Ten perform live, he’s one of my faves in all of NCT, and then Baekhyun - I just REALLY need to hear his vocals live lol. Like he could just come out on stage, sing Bambi and then leave, and I’d feel like I’d gotten my money’s worth from that alone 🤣 Hoping to see The Boyz again on tour as well now that Eric is back and doing better but they haven’t announced anything rn. Saw them once but the seats were sooooo bad omg…gotta see them again with a better view because their performances and stage presence are phenomenalllll. I found out about them during Kingdom!

Unfortunately no yoongi for me bc the locations were more limited and I knew it would be a bloodbath lol. Also I still haven't recovered from taylor swift (i truly was one of those peeps in the queue for 8+ hours and still did not get tickets 😭😭😭). next time she tours (please please please let there be a next time istg) i've gotta go.

Not that you asked but since I'm on a roll and can’t shut up - I've seen some other groups in the last year and and hands down, without a doubt, the best for me was Ateez. They are my ult group besides BTS and cannot stress enough omg their stage presence is freaking insaneeeeee. Saw them two nights in a row and have literally no regrets. Best two nights of my life. Came back to my place with voice gone after that second night, ate a post concert meal and passed out in my bed. Was on a high for like a week after and I still miss them lol. Will always try and see them when they’re in my area.

Also recently saw SZA and that was a literal dream. she was amazing and i still have random concert flashbacks every few days.

#dee:asks

[the-modern-typewriter]

Hi, I have been reading your writing for a while now When I was wondering if you could do one with a hero with social anxiety? Thank you.

“Not a fan of the cameras, huh?”

The hero whipped around at the voice, heart slamming in their chest. 

The villain leaned against the shadows of the wall, arms folded, perfectly casual. They’d seen the whole mess, hadn’t they?

It was possibly not very heroic to flee anything relating to crowds and public attention - be that the clusters of people wanting to thank them for something or other or get a picture, or the reporters with their eager questions. Still. That was the most accurate word for what the hero had just done. Fled. 

The hero wanted to reply something suitably snappy, but their tongue felt all clumsy in their mouth. In the moments it took them to cycle through an appropriate response it already felt too late. If they spoke now, they’d just seem like they were trying too hard, wouldn’t they? It would be awkward. And now it would be longer still, so it was just impossible. 

The villain laughed softly into the silence.  “You’re in an interesting profession for someone who can’t deal with attention.”

“I didn’t - um.” The hero swallowed. “I don’t do this for attention. I do it because it’s right.” That they at least knew the answer to.

The villain’s head tilted. 

God, that answer had been pretentious, hadn’t it? True, but they probably sounded super judgy. Like the villain did it all for attention, even if they probably did it out of some twisted sense of what was right, or hell for money. 

The hero wondered then, belatedly, if they should be preparing for a fight. Because villain. They raised their hands into ready fists. Then, they felt like an idiot, because the villain didn’t move. The villain simply raised a cool eyebrow, and wasn’t that unfair? Eyebrows were not supposed to be cool. How did they do that?

“You wear a skin tight suit for the moral ethics?” the villain purred.

Heat rushed to the hero’s face.

“What? No! It’s not-” Okay, it was. “It’s practical! I overheat otherwise. Things go boom. We don’t like boom.” 

And...and they probably shouldn’t have told a villain that. Or used ‘we’ like they were some kind of posh idiot who referred to themselves as a collective. It was definitely time to go. The hero took a step away, only to realise that the streets would still be swarming with people. And their normal clothes were - hell knew where. An alleyway like a mile away. People would recognise them immediately. 

The villain’s head tilted the other way, slowly. They’d clearly clocked the hero’s problem.

“You know,” the villain said, in a casual tone of voice. “I can fly. I can get you out of here, if you want.”

“What, into your creepy dungeon?” 

“It’s very tastefully decorated actually, but no. I meant a few streets down, away from all of your adoring fans. That’s the problem here, isn’t it? I saw that interview last week.” The villain mined wincing. “I can see why you prefer to stick to the strong, silent vibe.”

Oh, god. They’d seen the interview. If it could be called that. The hero had barely stopped fighting when they’d been blinded by camera flashes and a mic shoved in their face. There had been no time to prepare! 

“So?” The villain straightened off the wall. “Going my way, sunshine?”

It was both tempting and clearly a ridiculous idea to consider - not in the least because then they’d have to get far too close to the villain, and also in the air where they could be unceremoniously dropped and killed.  

“Why?” the hero asked.

“Because I have taste, and so all my interior decorating choices are classy and elegant.”

The hero stared at them for a beat, brow furrowed. Then they realised the villain was answering ‘why is your creepy dungeon tastefully decorated’ instead of ‘why would you help me?’ 

The villain smirked at them, seeming perfectly aware that wasn’t what the hero was asking. 

The hero shifted uneasily on their feet. Maybe they’d be better off with the crowds? And the people trying to take photos, even if the hero’s face was all flushed and sweaty from the fight. Then there would be photos of that all over the internet. Along with that grimace-smile that one commenter said made them look constipated. And maybe they’d have another horrible interview, but at least they wouldn’t be dead.

Crawling into a gutter and dying did sound more fun though. 

The villain’s smirk faltered.  “Look, I’m not going to hurt you. You could literally fry me in a few seconds if I tried. You really going to make me say that I’m trying to help? You get powers, and suddenly everyone wants a piece of you as if you belong to them. It’s bloody annoying. Being a public figure doesn’t mean they get to shove cameras in your face without asking.”

Right. That! The hero just wanted to help. Why did that mean they had to give interviews and pose for photos? They’d applied for ‘stop the bank robbery’ not ‘give public speeches’.

Of course. The villain could just be lying, trying to trick them. Even if they didn’t drop the hero from a great height, they might leave them in some embarrassing predicament for people to find. A public spectacle. 

“Please just go.” The hero’s voice came out small. Pathetic. They sounded pathetic, didn’t they? This whole thing was pathetic. Why was the villain even in the alleyway?

The villain looked at them for a moment, then shook their head. They jumped up with an easy bound, and were gone.

The hero stood in the alleyway, stuck, and wished they’d taken the offer.

#socially anxious hero #social anxiety #heroes and villains #villain #writing #story #short story #fic #ficlet