#and byron is purposefully playing to it

[darklordreasonable]

This is one of my favourite scenes in Resolution (2012) and it kills me that the only clip online is so very, very badly cut, so I've decided to host it myself.

[ask-alaska-and-hawaii]

TV Tropes: Alaska

Acting Your Intellectual Age: He has the looks of a first-grader but the mind of a seasoned mountaineer and has no interest in connecting with children that look his age. However, this could just be because he has no interest in connecting with anyone outside his ‘pack’ after what happened last time.

Adorkable: Has his moments, such as when he’s gushing about dogs. He really loves dogs.

The Alcoholic: Being Alaska, Alaska has a love for the sauce, especially salmon vodka. This usually leads him to pass out by the end. 

Animal Motif: Dogs and wolves obviously. Specifically Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies for the former and Arctic Wolves for the latter.

Badass Bookworm: Loves to read but is a natural survivalist and gunslinger.

Berserk Button: For your safety, do not mention Russia or Texas within ten feet of him. Also, don’t call him small.

Big Brother Instinct: To Hawaii and by extension the other states if they are threatened as he does genuinely care about all of them even if they do think he’s rather odd.

Big Brother Mentor: Also to Hawaii by sharing his experiences to teach her that the world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. She, however, hasn’t taken on his nihilism and still believes in the best in people.

Big Eater: Given that he smokes marijuana, is a state, and is stress eater this is no big shocker.

Blue-and-Orange Morality: Being raised by wolves, Alaska has a mindset closer to animals than humans. For one Alaska, cares nothing for morality besides protecting his ‘pack’ (America and the other states) and judges things like disloyalty and irresponsibility far more harshly than someone being outright malicious. He also thinks that politicians need to start fighting to the death for their position. Literally. (This also could just be because he just hates politicians since they often lie to gain people’s favor)

Broken Bird: After so many years of tragedy and isolation, Alaska is understandably rather cynical.

Break the Cutie: See ‘Dark and Troubled Past’.

Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: A platonic version but he is the brooding boy to Hawaii’s gentle girl. 

Brutal Honesty: Everyone agrees that Alaska is probably the most honest of the states, however, his honesty is usually extremely impolite to which he just says ‘I say the truth, it’s their fault if they can’t accept’.

Byronic Hero: Alaska is snarky, stoic, stubborn, excessively cynical but is passionate about his beliefs and has a soft spot for the environment and its creatures.

Celibate Hero: While not asexual, he has little interest in ever having sex and it’s not just because he looks six.

Color Motif: White and gray.

Comically Serious: He does not understand jokes so he will often take these at face value.  

Crazy-Prepared: Winter’s in his state are intense, so he leaves nothing to chance. 

Dark and Troubled Past: Imagine being locked into the form of a baby, abandoned by the people who were supposed to love and protect you, find a new family in wolves only for them to be killed leaving you to survive on your own while looking a like a toddler. When you finally found someone they also die leaving you to want to curl up and die and then be adopted again but seen as odd by your adopted siblings. Yeah, Alaska having depression and anxiety makes a lot of sense.

Deadpan Snarker: Usually this, especially when at states meeting or when he’s answering asks.

Defrosting Ice Queen: Alaska is not an easy person to get along with and can be extremely rude and sarcastic especially to ask blogs that star Texas, however, it is possible for him to warm up to some people outside his family like Dave (@alaska-ask-blog-aph) or at the very least learns the ability to bite his tongue.

Emotionless Boy: Most of the time, he is extremely stoic due to the fact that when he does express emotion, he can come off as rather intense.

Everyone Has Standards: He has a strange morality, however he is openly disgusted by ‘people’ who would rip away children’s innocence.

Foil: To Hawaii. They are both disconnected states and the child of a Native mother and Caucasian parent with trauma happening to them at very young ages which caused them to act the way they do, with Alaska being very stern and no-nonsense while Hawaii is energetic and enjoys making people smile.

Friendless Background: Because of his inability to relate to children his physical age and his autism causing him panic attacks whenever he is in close proximity to others, he has very few friends other than Hawaii. 

Friend to All Children: Zigzagged. He doesn’t connect with older children very well but he does have a soft spot for toddlers and babies and even makes an attempt to be openly kind to them. He also considers the worst people the ones who would purposefully steal their innocence and wouldn’t hesitate to pull his gun on such people.

Friend to All Living Things: Hey, I said humans, I never said anything about animals but yes he does love animals particularly dogs, wolves, and eagles.

Good is Not Nice: Not nice is an understatement. He has a strange moral code, is rather rude to new people, and mainly keeps to himself but if someone dares and tries to hurt his little sister or anyone in his family, they better start running.

Guilt Complex: Blames himself for what happened to his crush.

Hates Being Touched: The only one who he will willingly let touch him, much less hug him, is Hawaii. Other than not, hands-off.

Hates Their Parent: Openly refers to Russia as ‘a sperm donor’. And that’s when he’s being nice.

The Hermit: Lives like this whenever he’s at home in his state.  

Hidden Depths: 

Instead of hockey as one would think, he enjoys figure skating and is actually pretty good.

Not shown on the blog, yet but he actually enjoys the company of toddlers like Nunavut as they are far less complicated than people who are older.

He also enjoys writing and even creates stories in his free time. He also uses it along with his personal journal as a form of therapy for himself.

Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Brother/Sister version. Alaska is the huge guy to Hawaii’s tiny girl, especially once they’re older where he’ll be at 5′11 to 6′0 to Hawaii’s 5′3. Justified as Alaska is one-fifth the size of the lower 48 and is larger than Montana, California, Texas COMBINED.

Human Mom, Non-Human Dad: While his biological father is Russia, his mother was a normal Yup'ik woman named Uki.  

Hypocrite: Alaska calls Russia a ‘cruel, crazy manchild’  when he openly calls for the deaths of anyone who betrays their country. He also wants Hawaii to seek help when he resists any for him.

Hypocrite has a Point: To be fair, being lenient with traitors is a recipe for disaster for this country.

Ice Queen: He’s a rather cold and rude person but still a nice guy underneath.

Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Cynical, rude, stubborn are all words that would accurately describe him but also family-orientated, protective, and generous when he needs to be.

Knight in Sour Armor: He does see the world as a cold and dark and is a self-proclaimed misanthrope but still does his best to protect his family and people.

Meaningful Name: Alaska’s name Inuit name, ‘Nukilik’, means ‘strong’ and given everything, he’s gone through and still living to see today, no one can say he isn’t strong. As for his European name of ‘Peter’ meaning ‘stone’ and he is stone-faced and it’s also a nice reference to Peter the Great of Russia.

Mixed Ancestry: He’s half-Slavic, half-Inuit. 

Nature Lover: Growing up most of his life in the forests of Alaska, it makes sense the woods are where he’s most comfortable especially among the animals there. He is also disgusted by hunters who hunt merely for the game and not because they need it.

Not Good with People: Type 2. My beloved grumpy boy is unsurprisingly not good with people as he can’t understand their feelings or why he offended him. However, he is good at reading the feelings of animals and emphasizes more with them.

No Social Skills: Justified due to both his upbringing. He also is very indifferent to having them at the end of the day.

Older Than They Look: Being a state this a given. However where he differs, since he was born in 1800, he’s actually older than most states but since he was basically deserted by Russia he was never given the ability to grow.

Only Sane Man: Certainly sees himself as this among the other states as he feels that they play bloated, bureaucratic politics far too much instead of working together to help their father.

The Pessimist: Alaska physically can’t bring himself to hope in the best in people since all he’s seen was the worst in people since he was young when everyone he loved just ditched him or died. 

Raised by Wolves: Played completely straight. After his mother’s tribe abandoned him in the woods an Alpha She-Wolf who had just lost her pups adopted Alaska.

Socially Awkward Hero: Alaska can scale mountains, survive massive earthquakes, and survive on his own for years. However, the ability to interact with humans or even other anthropics is the hard part.

Strong Family Resemblance: Besides his dark skin, black hair, and eye shape, Alaska is basically a younger version of Russia. This has gotten him into quite a bit of trouble like when he was accused of being a communist during the McCarthy era due to his Russian heritage and Belarus has tried to kidnap him on more than one occasion.

Sugar-and-Ice Personality: In spite of cold, loner nature and dislike for society in general, Alaska at his core is a genuinely familial, protective person who just wants to take care of those he cares about. This is best showcased in his relationship with Hawaii, who might be the only person he openly gives affection to and he did go as Elsa twice just to make her happy even if it was embarrassing for him.

Trauma Conga Line: Abandoned, seen as a threat, had his pack murdered, only person he ended up caring about dying, and nearly froze to almost-death. All when he looked 2. Someone get this boy a therapists.

Used to Be a Sweet Kid: When he was young, Alaska was a sweet and gentle boy, even while living with his wolf pack. However, due to the many tragedies in his life, he has become extremely bitter and cynical towards the world.

When She Smiles: Has given a few in some comics and chats. He even admits that the main reason he loves Hawaii (as a sister) is that she is one of the few people who can make him give a genuine smile.

[oddsandendsandthings]

Did somebody say Pokémon AU??

I honestly have no clue if this has been done or not. But here' what I'd think a Pokémon AU would look like complete with Pokémon teams.

So for the most part everything follows the show with the added bonus of Pokémon being a thing. The Magnus Institute exists to investigate and catalogue paranormal and supernatural experiences that fall outside the range of regular Pokémon shenanigans. So in the beginning, Jon is an even more cynical ass that chalks everything up to being just typical ghost Pokémon messing with people. But there are greater forces at work that fall outside of even Arceus's range of understanding. And there is more to fear than just Pokémon lurking in the shadows.

Jon: He wasn't like most kids with grand dreams of being a Pokémon master. He was and still is much more content reading a book than training Pokémon. All the ones in his team caught him more than the other way around which is really just par for the course for Jon really. He also can’t be bothered to name any of them.

Absol: It just started following him after the brush with the Leitner and just refused to leave. It tries to warn Jon about bad situations but the man has zero self-preservation instincts. Essentially acts like a beleaguered mom looking after her self destructive toddler.

Rotom: It really just kinda came with the tape recorder.

Unknown: Jon didn't intentionally catch it. The unknown just live in the Archives and made themselves at home in his office until one finally just tapped into a pokeball conveniently left on his desk. It likes helping him find real statements in the Archives and tries to work with its brethren and Absol to warn Jon about incoming dangers. He’s just too buried in statements to see ominous warnings literally floating above his head.

Buneary: It was the first and only Pokemon he ever purposefully caught. It hated him when he caught it and it still hates his guts now but they both refuse to let the other go out of spite. Tim gets a kick about teasing him about it.

Purugly: His first pokemon given to him when his grandma's purugly had kittens. It spends all its time skulking around the archives just doing cat things.

Chandelure: He caught it in the woods as a litwik as a kid and used it as a reading light. He doesn't believe in the stories surrounding them stealing your life force but it definitely does and he’s just too hyped on caffeine to notice.

Martin: I imagine Martin as the breeder type who loves to nurture Pokémon from eggs and just overly spoil his entire team. He of course names all his pokemon after Romantic poets.

Joltik:  Used to belong to Jon before he gave it away after the Leitner incident. He really just kinda threw the ball as far as he could and it hit Martin upside the head. Jon doesn't realize that Martin was that kid or that that Joltik was his and it makes both of them very sad. The only pokemon he hasn’t named since he doesn’t know what Jon named it and it didn’t feel right to change it.

Araquanid: He named it Byron after Lord Byron. Pokémon who, depending on who you ask, either drowns unsuspecting Pokémon or cares for them. Fits Martin to a T if you ask me and he would take pity on a poor, misunderstood spider.

Sylveon: He named it Felicia after Felicia Hemans. He raised it from an egg he found in the backyard. It was also his first Pokemon period that he hid in his room because his mom didn't want any Pokémon in the house. When she did find it she begrudgingly allowed it. She always seemed to dote on it more than she ever did Martin himself...

Klefki: Named it Will after William Wordsworth. This little guy is half the reason Martin is able to get into half the places he does.

Chansey: Named Keats. Another Pokemon raised from an egg, it is just as doting as Martin is to the others in the archives. It is also consequently the most powerful member on his team.

Zorua: Named Percy after Percy Shelley. He initially thought he was catching a volpix when he caught it. He bonded with it over having to hide who he truly is too. It is the overprotective guard dog he deserves that no one realizes how dangerous it truly is.

Tim: his team is comprised of beautiful Pokémon that can absolutely kick anyone's ass at a moments notice. They are all as salty as they are beautiful. He names his pokemon after famous actors and actresses.

Roserade: Named Angelina after Angelina Jolie, it was the first Pokemon he ever caught, the two are a dazzling duo charming anyone that crosses their path.

Yamask: It showed up and started hanging around him after his brother was taken by the Stranger. After that, he knew without a shadow of a doubt his brother was dead. He dotes on it constantly because of it despite how much it creeps others out. He, of course, named it Danny.

Milotic: Named Kiera after Kiera Knightly, he evolved it from a feebas he hatched from an egg. He still treats it like his baby.

Lopunny: It was his first Pokémon. His brother gave it to him as a gift and he took it as a challenge to get it to like him enough to evolve. He named it Audrey after Audrey Hepburn.

Liepard: Its stealthy nature is extremely helpful when scouting locations and doing research for the institute. It also hates Jon as much as Tim does. He named it Jackman after Hugh Jackman.

Diancie: He inherited it from his bro after his passing. Danny found it while exploring an old cave and used to travel everywhere with him. It and Danny are still inseparable. Its name is Mila after Mila Kunis.

Basira: Her team is as practical as she is. They are all extremely powerful and could easily take down the entire league if she wanted to. She just doesn’t want to. Her no-nonsense attitude means she just doesn’t see the point in naming any of her pokemon.

Arcanine: What's a cop without their traditional canine companion? Her arcanine fell in love with Daisy's before they even had a clue they were made for each other and set them up in a very 101 Dalmatian style.

Serperior: Her first pokemon given to her from the local pokemon professor. They share the same unimpressed icy stare.

Mightyena: They are truly cut from the same cloth and is honestly more of her partner than her official partner.

Alolan Ninetails: Her strongest Pokémon and her fiercest protector. It loves playing mind games with people.

Umbreon (evolved during the Raynor incident. It seems especially keen on picking up on paranormal activities making it very useful to have on hand)

Mewtwo (cause if anyone has a legendary Pokémon, it's Basira. She caught it during one of the section cases she took and just didn't tell anyone)

Daisy: She is the “gotta collect them all” type of pokemon hunter. She catches any new pokemon she comes across and sends them to the local professor cause she has to fill that pokedex.

Arcanine: Second verse same as the first with this one of being a staple of being a police officer. It will look for any excuse to burn someone. The only person it likes besides Daisy is Basira and her Arcanine.

Houndoom: Her first pokemon she got as a houndour. She terrorized the neighborhood kids with it and is essential for her hunting down both new pokemon and perps. 

Treevant: She caught it as a phantump after it showed up as she was looking into a cold case. At least if she never was able to file an official report, she at least knew how the case ended.

Sawsbuck: She caught it as a deerling and was the first pokemon she ever caught. What kinda hunter hasn’t caught a deer right?

Espurr: She got it after the whole coffin incident. She just kinda cam across it by chance and felt a kinship with it about having to restrain a flood of overwhelming power it holds.

Lyanroc Midnight form: It is as vicious as she is when in full Hunt mode. 

Melanie: She is the one type kinda trainer and it’s, of course, ghost types. She is determined to prove the paranormal exists outside of ghost type pokemon.

Gengar: It was the Pokémon that started her fascination with ghosts and the first Pokémon she ever had.

Honedge: She found it when looking into that ghost train and couldn’t not catch it. When she’s threatening to stab someone, she uses honedge to do so.

Sableye: Found in an abandoned, haunted mine shaft.

Banette: Cause what kinda ghost hunter doesn’t have a haunted doll?

Gourgeist: She caught it as a pumpkaboo on her very first ghost hunting trip.

Spiritomb: Caught it poking around the wrong place at the wrong time she came across it and had to catch it cause if anyone would have a spiritomb, it would be her. It’s just as bloodthirsty as she is.

Sasha: Do I mean this team was made by Sasha or Not-Sasha? The answer is yes.

Mimikyu: The first pokemon she ever caught. Wait... wasn’t it supposed to be a pikachu?

Ditto: This one just speaks for itself.

Baynette: After she caught it she started reading up on the stories and pores surrounding certain Pokémon that put her on the path of working at the institute.

Gothitelle: It started crying nearly immediately after Sasha started working for the Institute but didn't buy into the wives tale about them predicting their trainer's deaths. It mysteriously disappeared after the Prentis incident.

Claydol: She found it wandering around artifact storage and felt bad for it.

Parasect: Her first pokemon. She really just found it as a paras in her parents' backyard as a kid and begged them to let her keep it. It evolved during the Prentis incident while trying to help her fend off the worms.

[curriebelle]

currie my dear I've had a thought and you seem the sort of person who would know the answer. do you think people tend to play D&D characters with the same myers briggs type as themselves? feelers playing feelers and judgers playing judgers and the like?

I have thought a lot about that, yes! I think that there’s loosely a correlation between their own types and the types of characters they’re likely to play, and that their own types influence how they play certain characters, but I don’t think they choose characters that exclusively map onto their exact type.

PREPARE FOR ESSAY \o/

So - as a disclaimer, while I’m pretty confident as to Vox Machina’s types, I’m not as positive about the types of the players, and I’m definitely not confident on the new crew (except for Molly and Jester). There’s a lot of guesswork going on here.

Generally speaking, the more someone is willing to act/commit to a character, the more they’ll be able to stretch themselves type-wise. When I made my bard Byron, I was aware of the MBTI and I (purposefully) played him as an ENFJ. Because of that, I knew there were certain decisions Byron would make that I never would. I’m ENTP, so I like to argue, but Byron was a peacekeeper and he preferred to avoid fights. His biggest weakness was his shame - he was desperate to be a good person, and when he did horrible things either by accident or necessity, he would shut down, and I had to learn how to do that through experience - thinking his thoughts, feeling his feelings, and making decisions the way he would. But, on the other hand, ENFJs and ENTPs can both be loud, flirtatious, imaginative - it wasn’t too much of a step away from my general demeanor, just a lot nicer, and different in significant moments.

If you take VM as a model, the guys playing them are Actors. They should, in theory, be able to play any type, and they could - off a script. But the necessities of improv take over, and players tend to choose characters they have at least a little in common with. A few loose thoughts:

-It’s fairly common for extraverts to play extraverts and introverts to play introverts, only because players who are introverted tend to take more time to decide things and speak more judiciously, which means their characters do that too. That said, it’s one of the easiest things to swap if you concentrate (although it’s a little easier to fake introversion than fake extraversion. Keyleth was introverted; Marisha’s definitely not, but she pulled it off. Taliesin is an introvert, and he’s having a bit of a tougher time faking Molly’s extraversion - boy’s quiet for an ENTP!)

-Switching between thinking and feeling is probably the easiest to pull off (keeping in mind that there are different ways to make decisions using your thinking or feeling functions, btw). Taliesin is a good example here. I think he’s most Definitely the rare unicorn INFJ in real life (which, as a bonus, gives him a good understanding of people). Percy was a textbook INTJ, and he often made ruthless decisions based on what was logical or efficient, not what was right. Tal made a complete switch to a thinking type. On the other hand, Tal can’t completely turn off his feely-ness; some conversations like “I’ve met a lot of people with money and they are definitely not worth you” are wa-a-a-a-ay more INFJ than INTJ 

-A person’s type will also help dictate how they improvise into someone else’s type. Liam, in real life, strikes me as an introverted feeler of some kind (INFP or ISFP). That man has passions, and feelings, and morals. That means he gets very, very deep inside the head of characters he sympathizes with, but there are some character types he might never click with (for example, when he played Jayne, he couldn’t really think of a motive for someone to follow Thariz’dun outside of “she’s completely fucking crazy”). Travis, if you watch him in interviews, has this extraverted-sensor charm (ESTP? ESFP?) about him - he’s extremely expressive and he’s a fantastic storyteller. That’s why his transformations between Grog and Fjord feel so…complete, I guess? (except when he fucks up the accent, lulz). He’s able to shift his physicality and his voice fluidly, which carries him through his improvisations - he can be very convincing very quickly. Laura is EXTREMELY extraverted, very impulsive, and hugely creative. I don’t think she’d ever play like an ISTJ or an INTP because she just….wouldn’t find it fun, which is why her characters have both been hella extraverts (ESFJ for Vex, ESFP for Jester)

AND MATT. Matt is the most adorable at this. I’m pretty sure Matt is an XNFJ of some type, extremely sensitive to the feelings of people around him, extremely imaginative. What this means is that a lot of his characters, from his most ruthless villains to his most rough-and-tumble Kimas and Kaylies, tend to be a touch more….emotionally aware than one would expect :P. And he puts in LOTS of extraverted feelers - Gilmore (ENFJ) Kima (ESFJ) and Allura (INFJ) all have extraverted feeling in their personality.

Conversely, there are some types that are just really hard to fake (read: improvise) if you don’t have the hard wiring already. Marisha’s really funny here: I’m going to guess she’s not an INFP - probably an extraverted thinker of some sort. While she could fake an INFP quite well, she eventually grew frustrated with Keyleth’s ‘illogical’ behaviour. In the episode where they’re looking for the Sword of Kas, people keep saying Keyleth should just leave, and she says “I know, but……Keyleth :/ “ It’s reeeeally tough to be the moral compass of a party when you’re a thinker. :P Sam made a fantastic ENTP (Scanlan) because he can make the requisite insane associative leaps and stupid puns. I don’t know what Sam’s real-life type is, but just watching someone else trying to ENTP - Taliesin playing Molly - shows that it can be difficult for others to imitate. Molly’s still an ENTP, but Taliesin seems to get pretty quickly drained while playing him; in his first scene, he was fuckin’ READY to GO, and if he gets in a good spot he can pull it off, but he’s clearly still acclimatizing to the sacred ENTP duty of Never Shutting Up.

On the other hand, fucking nobody can properly imitate INFJs or INTJs except INTJs or INFJs. Both of those types have this insane ability to summarize situations extremely incisively, to cut right to the heart of matters and somehow encompass everything important about them. Like, how many people would have pulled “You’re at the bottom of my list” out of their hat like that? Only INXJs, I tell you!! That kind of perspective is really hard to fake, which is why I don’t think anybody else could have played Percy that well - and why, as far as I can tell, nobody else is attempting an INXJ this round. The difference between Sensing and Intuition seems to be the hardest to fake on the whole, because that determines what kind of information you notice and prioritize - and it’s kind of hard to notice information your brain doesn’t naturally notice, you feel? :P

So, I guess the tl;dr here is that:

-people can play MBTI types different from their own, but their personalities will influence their improvisation, both by restricting the characters they find appealing to play, and because some shit just can’t be faked on the fly :P

[adelusionallprincess]

Resolutions

Okay let’s just ignore that it’s January 12th and not anywhere near New Year’s because I really wanted to write this request from @acrispyapple. With that said, please enjoy!

Albert X MC

Albert stood off to the side of the New Year’s celebration. His and Byron’s shared apartment was filled with people waiting for the clock to strike midnight. There were streamers hanging from the doors and windows, confetti poppers littered the tables among bowl of snacks and bottles of champagne, and the television was set to watch the ball drop at midnight. 

Albert was never a big fan of parties, but seeing as this party was taking place in his apartment, he thought he might as well attend. A quick glance at the guest list confirmed that he not only should, but needed to attend.

She and Nico had arrived together at precisely eight o’clock - not that Albert had been purposefully waiting by the door for her arrival. Nico had immediately bounded off to find the booze, but she had stayed behind to thank Albert for hosting. She was noticeably quieter than her obnoxious roommate, not to mention prettier too. After thanking Albert, she had gone in search of Byron, who also needed thanks for having her over. 

Albert hadn’t spoken to her since. He had busied himself with restocking snacks and making ice runs when necessary. By eleven forty-five, he had run out of things to do to distract him, and hence stood against the wall awkwardly, too afraid to strike a conversation with her.

Out of the blue, a short boy with pink hair popped up beside Albert. “She really likes you, Al.” 

Albert rolled his eyes and replied, “Why should I believe you?” 

Nico laughed and said, “I live with her. We have this roommate bond, which means she tells me everything.” He beamed and waved to the young woman sitting on the couch, effectively grabbing her attention. “She would not shut up about how excited she was to see you tonight.”

“You’re messing with me.” 

Nico shrugged and smirked. “Maybe. I guess you’ll just have to find out.” And with that, Nico shoved Albert in the general direction of the couch. 

Albert barely managed to regain his footing and avoided the embarrassment of face planting straight into the side of the couch. He glared at Nico, who in turn gave him two thumbs up and mouthed ‘Good luck!’

There was no point in turning back now. He had already almost made a fool of himself, why not go all the way? Albert took a seat next to the young woman and smiled awkwardly. 

She smiled back and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Hey, Al.” 

“Hello.” Albert adjusted his glasses nervously. He glanced at the television, then down at his watch. “Just a few more minutes now.” He glanced over his shoulder to look for help from Nico, but Nico was conveniently nowhere to be found. “So, uh, any resolutions?” Albert asked. 

“Sure,” the woman said with a shrug. “I’ve got a few.”

Albert noticed that she was playing with her fingers almost nervously, but he could not figure out why. After a small awkward silence, he said, “I have resolved to not let Nico get under my skin so much.” 

He successfully drew a laugh from the young woman sitting beside him. “Good luck with that.” 

“How about you?” 

“Me?” Someone caught her attention from across the room. When Albert followed her gaze, he found the man he could not seem to shake this evening giving what looked like an encouraging gaze to her as he made hand motions to urge her on. “I guess I’d like to be a bit more bold. I want to take more risks too.”

The people around them began chanting as midnight drew closer and closer. There were currently twenty seconds remaining in the year.

“What kind of risks do you plan on taking?”

As the clock struck midnight, Albert felt himself being pulled down, and, suddenly, he was kissing her. Correction - she was kissing him. She was kissing him, and all he could think about was how he had never kissed anyone at midnight before. He wasn’t complaining though. Her lips were soft and warm. She pulled away too soon for his liking and looked at him cautiously, waiting to see how he would react. 

Albert was at a loss for words for a moment before he finally chuckled and said, “Risky.” 

She let out a surprised laugh and nodded. “I guess I’ve already fulfilled my New Year’s resolution.”

“Maybe you should do it again,” Albert mumbled almost sheepishly.

“Maybe I should.” Then once again, Albert felt her lips on his, and as he kissed her in the first few minutes of the early morning, he decided that this would be an amazing year.

[oh-my-otome]

Hey! Just wanted to ask if you've bought any of the after stories from the recent Stein event in MidCin and what you thought about them? I'm considering buying Nico's and Albert's in particular since the teasers seem to be about the Stein trio's past, but I'm not sure whether it's worth it.

Hello, Precious!

Yes, I have! I thought these stories were just okay.

There is nothing really new in any of them, with the exception that Byron’s mother is the complete opposite of his father, hardly a feat, and that Nico likes to look at the stars, like his big bro (or possibly because of his big bro).

You have probably already read similar scenes elsewhere.

Here’s Albert (and MC) in his story, saying exactly what he says in his route and just about everywhere else:

Then we get this little bit of nonsense:

Okay, what? 

Albert is the adviser to the king. 

He has to consider differing points of view and values as part of his job– not when he wants to, or if it’s convenient to him –every single day!

He is one of *many liaisons between the king and those who help the king run the government.

Cue flashback to some time Nico got on his nerves by being completely normal:

This leads to one of the hidden-in-plain-sight implications of MidCin that I really don’t like, when it comes to the Stein boys:

Nico is often treated like his own feelings and ideas don’t matter at all…unless Byron agrees with them!

His opinions are important if they align with, and are validated by, King Byron, whom Albert comes short of worshiping.

Hey Nico, say it in your own words:

Hardly anyone takes Nico seriously, and for all we know, he could be the one making the most sense this whole time. 

I wonder how many times he was pushed to the side as the Ain’t Sh*t Prince of Stein before he had to resort to sneaking into another country on a ninja espionage quest.

But anyCommanderHypocrite, going back to Al’s original statement of not being able to share values with Nico? 

You mean like their mutual fanboy-ism over King Byron? 

This leads to Albert being schooled by a researcher that he just met, on how to do his own job:

In Nico’s story, we get more rehashing:

This MC is not the princess, so she wouldn’t know, but readers who have played Nico’s route sure know about the whole carriage thing– it’s kind of hard to forget. 

Why not pick something else for Nico to reminisce about, instead of going the Batman route, every time?

Isn’t it bad enough that he was almost run over by a carriage himself, in saving the princess that one time? 

Oh, you forgot?:

It’s in his Chapter 1. 

Knowing about his past, saving the princess that way probably messed with his head for awhile.

In Nico’s story, he talks about how he shared a bro moment that was interrupted by Feels:

I wanted Byron to take his Darkwing Duck cape off so bad and bundle Nico up.

A rare moment of Byron openly feeling feelings when it comes to Nico:

Nico cries, and is comforted by his **bros:

Robert’s story is him asking a bunch of questions that he should already know the answer to:

“Who is that?”

You mean the random ass kid skipping around the palace who looks exactly like a tiny King Gerald, whose face you obviously recognize, because you just got finished painting a portrait of it?

Here he is again:

Well, yeah. 

Probably way back on the day he was born, or shortly thereafter, just like you and Simba and every other royal heir!

Then he gets properly scandalized:

“Better understand and interpret the opinions of those around him.”

Sound like what the adviser to the king does.

Weird.

Robert’s story ends with him muttering things under his breath, like usual, which makes MC question what she’s heard, and he acts mysterious instead of just telling her to mind her business, since Robert’s MC, in particular, is nosy af.

Here’s a scene. Remember it:

This is how Byron’s story opens.

Why did they go in this direction for Byron’s MC?:

Keep going, MC. 

You don’t look like a creepy narcissist by continually asking questions of someone who has been shown to not like talking about his parents.

Yes, Byron, “strange” and not at all on purpose:

Yandere mode, activate!:

Remember that scene from the beginning of Byron’s story? 

Why is MC not only bringing up his mom right after she shagged him all night long, but purposefully trying to remind him of his mom while she is literally still wrapped up in his rumpled post-coital bed sheets?

Stahp!

* Spoiler *

*This only highlights how it makes no sense that Albert is an adviser to the king, and is also an active duty commander.

**While Albert clarifies that he’s not Nico’s brother, they are related. 

The whole ‘tee hee, you guys sure are like brothers!’ bit has been made canonically meaningless by Albert’s route, which says that he has been adopted into the Royal Family– meaning he is related to both Nico and Byron.

[jugandbettsdetectiveagency]

I have a prompt for one of my hopes for season 2. I hope it makes some sense... But, I want Sabrina to become friends with Jug (not too close of friends, but enough to cause some suspicions from Bughead's friend group) and Betty becomes super insecure/jealous/distant. ONLY to find out Sabrina is interested in Cheryl. A girl can dream... You're amazing! xoxoxo Mallory

<3

Betty couldn’t stop the light flutter in her chest as Jughead’s name appeared on her phone screen.

Pop’s?

That was all the text said but it was enough. Betty bit her lip as she clutched her phone tightly against her, giddy at the prospect of getting to spend some time with her newly removed boyfriend.

It had been tough, tougher than she’d expected. But she wasn’t one known for giving up - hardly, if ever, and she was willing to do everything in her power to stick to that.

Betty had been sceptical about Jughead’s motorcycle at first. A generous gift, he’d told her. She couldn’t help but notice that he’d been getting quite a few gifts recently and the thought sat uneasily in her stomach. Where the Serpent’s were involved, gifts came wrapped up with less than pretty strings attached. The last thing she wanted was for Jughead to be tethered to something with no room for escape. However, the trips he was managing to make over during their aligning lunch periods some days made her warm to the vehicle somewhat.

There were many stolen moments where possible, their frequency ranging from not quite enough to frustratingly few. Betty tried not to complain, though, taking anything she could get if it meant that she got to feel his hands caressing her cheeks, his cool lips brushing against hers. One look into his impossibly blue eyes could instantly lay all her insecurities to rest.

When she pushed the door open, eyes searching for that all too familiar beanie, her heart stopped. Betty’s brow furrowed as she walked slowly towards the booth he occupied - that he was not sitting alone at. Opposite him was the prettiest, petite blonde with short platinum hair, leather jacket draped over her fragile shoulders and ripped purple tights peeking out from beneath the table. Betty approached the pair, eyes darting from the mystery girl to Jughead as he turned, feeling her presence besides him.

“Hey, Betty,” he greeted enthusiastically, lifting his arm in an invitation for her to slide into his embrace. She did so hastily, settling herself against his side, fingers coming up to play with the lapel of his jacket in a move she hoped wasn’t too noticeably possessive.

“Hi, Juggie,” she murmured, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. He smiled into the action, pulling back to gaze down at her with unbridled affection. “Who’s this?” she asked, addressing not so much the elephant in the room but the bombshell at the table. The girl smiled, dimples appearing on either cheek.

“This is Sabrina, she goes to Southside High,” Jughead introduced. “Sabrina, this is…”

“The infamous Betty Cooper. I’ve heard so much about you, seriously Jughead won’t shut up about you,” Sabrina teased, throwing a smirk his way. Jughead blushed, ducking his head in embarrassment but not before sending her a threatening glare. Betty can’t suppress the smile that creeps across her features at this admission, burrowing even further into Jughead’s warm hold. The uneasiness still lingers, however.

“We were just discussing which Quentin Tarantino film is the best,” Jughead said, quickly turning the conversation away from they way he gushes about his girlfriend when she’s not around. Betty stilled.

“Discussion isn’t exactly the word I’d use,” Sabrina replied, narrowing her eyes at him. “I believe I was successfully arguing my case for Pulp Fiction while you were floundering somewhere behind with your attempts to let Inglorious Basterds secure the top spot.” Jughead scoffed, clearly disagreeing with her assessment of their conversation.

Betty has gone quiet beside them. When she mentioned how few Tarantino films she’d seen in her life, Jughead had grandly informed her that it would be his mission to make sure she had the best complete viewing experience under his knowledgeable guise. Cuddled together beneath blankets, in the dark, sharing slices of pizza while watching Tarantino movies in FP’s trailer had become their thing. She knew is was irrational but hearing Jug even discuss them with someone else - let alone someone so beautiful and outgoing - just rubbed her the wrong way.

Sabrina seemed to be a perfect match for Jughead, a role that she used to think belonged wholeheartedly to her.

“Betts?” his voice pulled her from her reverie. She blinked, looking up at him. He raised an eyebrow, thumb rubbing against her shoulder. “You good?” She nodded, not trusting her voice and hoping that her smile wasn’t too watery.

“Bughead. Stranger.” Cheryl’s voice cut through the air as she suddenly appeared at the edge of the booth. Jughead sighed, turning his eyes to her. The grimace he usually saved for Hurricane Blossom - as he liked to call her - had been mysteriously absent in recent weeks. Betty liked to think that Jughead related a little bit more to the fiery redhead than he first realised.

“To what do we owe the pleasure, Cheryl,” Jughead asked dryly. Cheryl smiled affectionately.

“I’m glad you’re finally acknowledging the importance of my presence,” she said, placing one hand dramatically over her heart. Jughead huffed out a laugh, shaking his head but not making a move to argue. “I’m here for Betty. Don’t forget, we have a pep rally after school tomorrow. If you’re even a second late because of secret Southside smooches with Lord Byron over here you’ll be doing so many high kicks you’ll begin to think your leg belongs up there, capiche?” Betty nodded, knowing it was futile to even address Cheryl’s domineering, somewhat impolite, manner.

“A joy, as always,” Jughead muttered after she’d spun on her heel and stalked away, long hair flying behind her. Betty poked him in the side, pressing her lips together against a smile, his eyes glistening mischievously.

“Okay, who was that?” Sabrina asked, leaning forward over the table, eyes wide.

“Surely you’ve heard of the Blossoms?” Jughead began to explain.

***

Betty checked her phone one last time before sighing and chucking it in her bag, knowing that if she wasted any more time waiting for Jughead’s reply Cheryl would have her by the neck. He said he’d try and come by to see her cheer, adding a less than clean remark about how he loved to watch her spin in her cheerleading uniform, but he wasn’t making any promises.

Betty trudged dejectedly towards the rest of the Vixens, getting ready to take her position in the first number.

A flash of black from the edge of the stands caught her eye, heart leaping into her throat as his handsome face came into view, emerging from the shadows. The feeling turned sour when another body stepped out from behind him, Sabrina standing with her arms folded over her chest and a feline expression across her features.

“Who’s that with Jughead?” Veronica asked, suddenly appearing at her shoulder.

“Sabrina,” Betty replied, acid permeating her usually sunny tone. Veronica blanched, looking at her best friend in concern.

“Is she…?” she asked, trailing off, not really sure where to go. Surely, Jughead would never…

“Looks like it,” Betty supplied bitterly, wrenching her eyes from the Southside couple. Veronica looked after her pitifully.

Betty stumbled her way through the routine, not caring that she would probably be getting it in the neck from Cheryl the moment they finished. What was she doing here? Why would he bring her? Tears stung her eyes as they threatened to spill down her cheeks with every passing second.

Finally free of the first number, Betty stalked towards her bag, purposefully ignoring Jughead. His brow furrowed, a look of adorable confusion crossing his face as he slowly walked towards her.

“Betty?” he asked, stopping a few feet from her.

“Jughead,“ she replied, busying herself with doing absolutely nothing, fiddling aimlessly with the contents of her bag.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, concern lacing his voice. Betty just shrugged, lips pressed together tightly.

“Yeah, everything is fine. Are you having a good time with your new friend?” she asked, eyes flicking briefly towards Sabrina before turning back to avoiding his gaze.

“What?” he asked, genuinely confused by her frosty demeanour.

“Look, I get it, Jug. She’s more your type anyway. She’s seen all of Tarantino’s movies, and she goes to the same school as you, and doesn’t ask you to come to stupid pep rallies that she knows you hate anyway, and she’s beautiful and-” Betty is cut off by the rough press of his lips to hers. She squeaked, surprised by his actions before she can’t help but melt into the kiss, hands fisting in the material of his tshirt under his jacket. “What was that for?” she asked breathlessly, once they’ve parted.

“A twisted part of me likes how jealously looks on you,” Jughead smirked, rubbing his thumbs across her reddened cheeks. She swatted him playfully before looking up at him with wide, sad eyes.

“I’m serious, Jughead,” she whispered, all of the fight leaving her beneath his hands. Jughead’s face turned serious, his eyes burning as he holds her gaze firmly.

“There’s only ever been you, Betty. There only ever will be. No girl holds even a candle to how beautiful you are, inside and out. I like that I get to show you Tarantino for the first time, and that I can watch you prance around in this ridiculously short skirt,” he mumbled appreciatively and Betty let out a shaky laugh. “And part of me even likes that we’re apart because it makes it all the more worth while when we are together.” He pressed one more kiss to her soft lips, tender yet bruising. Her hands fiddled nervously with the fabric between her fingers.

“I’m sorry, I’m just used to having you all to myself,” she murmured, feeling silly for her outburst. “And who can blame me? You’re a catch, Jughead Jones,” she said, looking up at him from beneath thick lashes. Jughead rolled his eyes in response.

“Count yourself lucky,” he quipped, relishing in her resounding laugh.

“What is Sabrina doing here, though?” Betty couldn’t help but ask. Jughead shook his head, smile dancing across his lips.

“Seems like she took a shining to Cheryl when they met at the diner,” he told her around a smirk. “Wanted to come and watch the show.” Betty bursts out laughing, suddenly noticing the direction of Sabrina’s prowling gaze. They’d make a cute couple…

[janeaustentextposts]

Question! I noticed - maybe I'm wrong - that in all the adaptations, the casting for the main characters is similar: Darcy is dark haired, and so is Lizzie; Jane is blonde and (for some fascinating reason) Bingley is ginger-y. Is there a reason? something in the books that I missed? Some extra source? It seemed too much a coincidence (although I do love Ginger Bingley) thanks!!!

First off, I’m going to refer back to Mullan’s What Matters in Jane Austen? again, because he’s done a whole chapter on what her characters look like (and starts off with a basic examination of casting choices in adaptations and the admiration or outrage which always follows.) “How people look is often suggested rather than specified in Austen’s novels.” He then goes on to quote Sterne’s Tristram Shandy, “…paint her to your own mind–as like your mistress as you can–as unlike your wife as your conscience will let you.”

All we know of Jane is that she is considered very beautiful–as much is said by Bingley, her mother (who has no difficulty criticizing her children when they displease her,) and even Darcy must admit it as a fact. Looks are important in novels where often penniless girls must rely on other attractions in their manners and person–”…words used so frequently about characters when we first meet them: handsome, pretty, gentlemanlike, elegant…”. And yet she avoids specifics–perhaps as a reaction to other novels of her era, where a heroine’s precise points of beauty are totted up among her other virtues to make her a peerless wonder. Austen’s heroines are often described by other characters, rather than the narration, as it’s important to consider who is looking, and how, when looking at their judgements. Some people use a mention in Jane Austen’s letters about Jane wearing the colour green and Elizabeth preferring yellow to be some kind of marker of what their haircolours must have been in Austen’s mind’s eye, but that’s a tenuous argument at best, and if Austen had wanted the world in general to know imagined particulars about Jane and Elizabeth, she would have set them down in the text.

We know Elizabeth’s eyes are fine, and dark, but beyond that, we are given no details. On a genetic level, dark eyes are far more likely to occur in people with darker hair, but Austen wasn’t working with genetics–and dark eyes paired with lighter hair can sometimes be a rare sign of remarkable beauty, as in the descriptions of Irene in Galsworthy’s Forsyte Saga books. (A description which was entirely ignored in the casting of my future wife Gina McKee, but then Irene’s beauty and her allure is such a pivotal force in the novels that to pin it down as necessarily belonging to certain shades of colouring is to make it more trite than it truly is. Irene’s beauty is something beyond what one sees at first glance–it is transcendent charm.) Dark could mean brown, or also a very dark blue or grey–it’s impossible to tell, exactly. Anne Elliott’s eyes are mild and dark, Fanny Price’s are soft and light, Harriet Smith’s are blue, Jane Fairfax’s a deep grey, (and her lashes and eyebrows called dark, giving us some notion of the likely shade of her hair,) Mary Crawford’s are sparkling and dark…eyes are often the only thing near to a solid description we are given of physical attributes, and even then half of the description is more to do with the expression of the personality or feeling of the character through their glances and gazes, rather than specifically the colour of their irises. (Only Emma Woodhouse’s exact eye-colour is known–they are “hazle” and no adaptation so far has given enough of a shit to make certain of casting.) Marianne Dashwood has very dark eyes, and there is a general comparative description of the figures of the two sisters–but casting directors rarely, if ever, I think, take specifics of figures into account beyond an ‘acceptable’ level of Hollywood slimness.Now, for the casting trends (exceptions to the pattern you laid out being the 1940 P&P’s Greer Garson being a dirty-blonde/light brown Elizabeth, while Maureen O’Sullivan’s Jane had very dark hair; and the 1980 miniseries with Elizabeth Garvie’s Eliza also having light brown hair while Sabina Franklyn’s Jane was several shades darker–but indeed, the two more recent and well-known adaptations of 1995 and 2005 have the colourings you mentioned,) it’s probably just down to Hollywood mechanics where you’re going to have to combine the tropes of a comparative Ugly Duckling sister as well as a Best Friend/Beta Couple plotline. Coding a blonde woman (or man) as ‘good’ and a darker-haired person as ‘less good’ has been a Thing since long before cinema showed up on the scene. There’s a reason Laura Ingalls spends so much time inwardly (and outwardly) bitching about her sister Mary’s luck in being blonde (and also better-behaved, though this is never explicitly tied to the fact that Mary is blonde, but just ties INTO the overall notion that Mary is The Better Daughter.) Dark-haired heroines throughout older literature have bemoaned their lack of golden locks (notably also in LM Montgomery’s works, with Anne Shirley’s famous sensitivity about her hair being red, but also briefly in Emily Starr’s contemplation of her own black hair and atypical looks, which gets a bit of verse thrown at it which I can’t find sourced anywhere else so must have been made up by Montgomery herself: “If the bards of old the truth have told the sirens had raven hair. But over the earth since art had birth, they paint the angels fair.“So culturally, in the west, there’s a pervasive notion (especially when it comes to women,) that dark-haired women are the ‘darker’ side of their humanity…the temptresses, the more-likely-to-be-bad. (Though any reasonable reader would be like “…well, they’re human, you see, not out-and-out evil.”) But of course anyone compared to the fair-haired saintly paragon of womanhood would look bad–and so equally is the angelic blonde woman a trope in literature, often but not always used in comparisons against her brunette foil.

In cinema, quite often it’s just to better differentiate between characters, and to use these assumptions which are deeply entrenched in our cultures to play upon our immediate and almost instinctive reactions to visual cues. Jane is super-good, so she’s blonde. Bingley is likewise a bright and easy-going character, with more elements of comedy about him, so he’s got lighter hair, too, either as a strawberry blonde or redhead–but he is definitely the sidekick. I, personally, would be all for a ginger Darcy. Or a ginger-everybody P&P. (But that’s not going to happen, because redheaded men are culturally de-sexed/made less masculine or attractive, whereas redheaded women are more inclined to be overly-sexualized. Humanity is weird.) Darcy is a brooding brunette, because darker hair in the case of a male character gives them gravitas and mystery. It’s that damn Byronic thing coming into play. Dark hair, dark secrets. It’s a visual construct we’ve trapped ourselves into, at this point. Also, when you’ve got two love-stories running more or less concurrently, an audience needs visual markers to help them quickly identify and individualize (and therefore emotionally-invest in) the characters. More morally-dubious and fascinating hero and heroine Elizabeth and Darcy are brunettes because we see them making mistakes and drawing our attention by being fuck-ups. Lizzie can’t be the Prettier Sister, so she’s more automatically made the Brunette Underdog. Darcy is brooding and mysterious–so it’s very easy to make him dark-haired. Their contrasts are in their secondary characters–Jane and Bingley. Jane is prettier, and good-hearted (moreso than Eliza, anyway,) so she ascends to Blonde. Bingley is the Good Friend, and seemingly with fewer social defects compared to Darcy, so as the Nice Man, he gets lighter hair to also differentiate him from Darcy and make him more matchy-matchy with Jane. Our brains are making these connections based on visuals even before we’ve gotten half a dozen words of dialogue from any of these people.

This happens often in films and TV shows–in Coppola’s Dracula, Sadie Frost (a natural brunette) was made a vibrant redhead as Lucy to contrast to Winona Ryder’s more sedate and mysterious Mina. (Though this also had the fun effect of tying in a possible reference to the historical link between redhaired people and vampires, and the whole mythos of redhaired women in particular and sexual allure/witchcraft/spiritual evil–particularly as THIS version of Lucy is much more heavily sexualized compared to her book counterpart. I don’t know how much of the hair-colour-change was on purpose from Coppola’s perspective, and largely it’s just handwaved as being so people could really tell apart the ONLY TWO MAJOR FEMALE CHARACTERS IN THE FILM, but personally I think it’s an interesting choice–particularly compared to Katie McGrath’s blonde Lucy.) Again, we see the contrasting of virtue coded in hair-colouring, as Lucy is a character known for her sweetness and purity…as well as being a secondary female character to the heroine, and hence her more-virtuous foil…with lighter hair. Mina’s place as an educated, working, and married woman, with a more active part in the narrative, particularly as her brushes with dark forces mark her as ‘unholy’, makes it easier to code her as ‘complicated’, i.e. a brunette. Interestingly, this is set on its head in Penny Dreadful, where Mina becomes the blonde, doomed damsel, and her friend/lover Vanessa is the raven-haired woman at the center of a maelstrom of fucked up shit full of vampires, witches, and devils. Essentially if you want your heroine to go ‘bad’ a little (or a lot), give her a better-by-comparison blonde friend and have at it.Of course, since these tropes are so pervasive, we do see stories where this is purposefully mirrored or mocked, where the icy blonde is the femme fatale or turncoat who uses her appeal to deceive others–but this relies just as heavily on the initial assumption that a fair-haired character is intrinsically ‘better’ on a moral level.To conclude, this is why I think we see that general trend with colouring when it comes to casting/styling these characters in cinematic adaptations, as we have really very little in the text to go on, but from the characters themselves there are long traditions to draw from for visual cues to quickly and adeptly condition audiences to draw certain assumptions about these characters which enable us to rapidly bond with and understand them to some degree. I want to specify “Western” audiences because the blonde/brunette thing is at its roots kind of a colourism thing which is grossly pervasive in a white supremacist society going back for centuries, and Caucasian beauty standards do not and should not apply globally; but as the media most of us are familiar with is dominated by this white heteronormative patriarchal history, these tropes and codings exist for ultimately gross reasons. Frankly we could all do without them from this day forward, but change can be slow and so these stereotypes continue to exist and blonde people on-screen for now often continue to be the tacit code for ‘these people are the purest bestest people’ while the darker-haired people are almost always more morally-grey, complicated–even troubling–and made more ‘fascinating’ by their more flawed natures. It’s a shitty way of doing things, but we’ve been culturally conditioned to respond to things like that, and so it works.Anyway, thanks for asking this one–my answer went to places I wasn’t fully expecting me to go, but I enjoyed blowing the dust off my film studies qualifications and I always love yelling about culture.

[musicainextenso]

The theme of this week, “Viola, the mysterious instrument” was inspired partly because of how it is given less love an attention in the soloist repertoire than say the violin or cello, even though all three instruments are equally commonly used in ensembles. For today, I decided to share one major viola work,

Berlioz - Harold en Italie

The virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini met Berlioz and, after hearing his Symphonie fantastique, had asked him to write something that Paganini could use to showcase a recent gift he’d received: a Stradivarius viola. Berlioz accepted the offer, but what started out as a large scale work for the viola alone, became a work for viola and orchestral accompaniment, but as that grew larger, and after being influenced by Lord Byron’s poem, “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”, it became something like a programatic sinfonia concertante. This work displays many ideas of the Romantic aesthetic; it’s based off of a poem, the music is purposefully telling a story, the poem itself is an example of the “Byronic hero”, a dark mysterious and misunderstood artist, and the piece transcends traditional form, written for an expanded orchestra. Paganini was disappointed because he had expected something that would put him at the center stage, continuously playing, instead of being an important part of a larger ensemble. Even so, Paganini was awestruck by the music, and was beyond pleased with the commission. It has since kept its status as one of Berlioz’s major works in the standard repertoire.

Movements:

1. Harold aux montagnes

2. Marche des pèlerins

3. Sérénade

4. Orgie de brigands

Stay tuned for more music for the “mysterious viola”, this week on Musica in Extenso! - Nick Olinger

[witsyo]

Reinne 2

Alright, I just decided to go ahead and post these chapters, but again, the content of Reinne is rough. I will post about tougher chapters, but they’ll just be linked. Something to keep in mind about my writing is that I’m queuing everything way ahead of time in my Tumblr. If there’s ever a story that you really like, and you’d prefer to read it on my Ao3, hop on over and you’ll probably find completed versions of more than one of the stories currently in the progress of being posted here. 

Anyway, here’s Reinne, chapter 2.

~~~

Queen Basille winced as the laces at her back were pulled again, glancing over her shoulder to see Halle’s face set in a determined pout, gathering the ribbons tightly in her hands. Basille braced herself as the other tugged one more time, then tied the ends. When the hands left her, she groaned, slipping her hands down the cinched waist of the dress. Her hair was pulled away from her face, the similarly painful experience having resulted in a complicated pile of braids and curls.

Normally, she had servants specifically for each task, who’s poking and prodding was limited to their bravery of causing pain to the queen, but Halle had no such qualms.

“I understand that this is necessary,” Basille ventured, turning to see that Halle had crossed the room in order to arrange Basille’s bouquet of roses more carefully in their vase. She was a woman in her late fifties, greying hair swept into a careful bun and her clothes pressed and cleaned to perfection. As Basille spoke, she lifted a brow, unsuccessfully trying to disguise her smile. “But Halle, you really don’t have to pull so harshly.”

“You need to look your best,” she said, coming back to Basille and taking her hands in her own. “The talks of peace must succeed, you know that.”

“The Banamorans are going to declare a new war if I don’t have you to poke and prod me into the perfect example of feminine beauty?”

“No, but the king might.”

It should have been entirely unfunny, but Basille found herself laughing anyway. The woman was rarely incapable of putting her into a good mood, no matter the events that preceded her. “Have they already arrived?”

“They have,” Halle said, and Basille struggled for a moment with how to ask her next question.

“Do you think this will actually change anything?”

Before the other could answer, there was a knock on the door. Basille glanced back, calling out an “Enter!” before the door opened, emitting a familiar pale man. Malak's eyes were narrow, squinting into the room before his dark hair and lanky figure. He wasn’t much older than Basille herself, perhaps twenty-three at the most, and had been serving as her personal guard since she’d become queen. His voice was raspy as he greeted her, bowing quickly.

“I’m here to escort you to the throne room, your highness. The Banamoran dignitaries are ready to meet, and the king wishes you present to hear his plan of peace.”

“Thank you, Malak,” she said, grinning at him. She had her door guards, and men who filled the castle and the grounds, which made Malak’s job almost useless. On normal days, he was mostly there to accompany her outside the castle, and to make her look more impressive to visiting dignitaries, but in the years she’d grown to know him, he’d expanded his job of his own volition. The man really was dedicated to the queen’s safety, determined to make himself useful. “Is it a meeting of the court only, or may I bring--”

“I was instructed to bring you alone, my lady.”

That’s what she had expected, and she nodded quickly to Halle, smoothing down her skirts one last time as the other carefully placed her crown atop her head. “Good luck, your highness,” Halle murmured, and Basille smiled.

“Lead the way, Malak.”

Much of the inner court had already arrived before Basille swept into the room, the king sitting atop his throne and laughing with one of his advisors. Her chest tightened as she saw him, but she ignored the feeling as she took her place at his side. With her arrival, the advisors and lords began to take their own seats, a few greeting her quickly as they passed.

“Basille,” said a voice to her left, and she jumped, looking up at King Tyrrel. He seemed to be inspecting her, eyes jumping briefly to where Malak stood just behind the thrones. “Keep your head, if you would. These talks must succeed.”

“Yes, my lord,” she murmured, turning to face front and biting back a smug smile. The king may be an imposing man, but his hold on this kingdom was weak. If the war continued from his own petty mistakes, he would soon lose the support of his people. If it hadn’t meant the deaths of so many, she almost would have wished for it to continue.

“Watch your tone,” Tyrrel growled, and despite herself, Basille flinched.

Before either of them could continue, the doors opened, and the ambassadors stepped through. They had firm jaws, fire in their eyes, and Basille was shocked to see women among them. Three of them, to four men, in fact. She knew of their traditions, of course, but wouldn’t have thought them to be so bold. The women’s presence felt as though it was directed right at the king, a proverbial middle finger towards a kingdom Basille knew the Banamorans saw as being backwards and broken.

They bowed, almost in unison, and one of the women stepped forward. She had tightly coiled hair and dark skin, wearing trousers and a tunic like all of the other ambassadors. The tunic was emblazoned with the crest of Banamore, and her expression, though pleasant, was tight. “We bring well-wishes from our royal family, and formally greet you, Queen Basille, and you, King Tyrrel.”

The court murmured at her addressing their queen before their king, but Tyrrel silenced them with a look. “We welcome you with friendship, in the hope to mend ties between our great kingdoms,” he said grandly, inclining his head. “After the death of our great commander, we have found ourselves grieving as a land, and as king, I wish to put forth our goodwill.”

The woman bowed again in one smooth motion, then straightened. “I am Karline, head ambassador of state. Banamore also wishes to begin peace negotiations, but to be quite frank, your highness, we have no reason to believe that your promises are genuine.”

“I thought you might say that,” Tyrrel purred, ignoring the reignited murmuring of his advisors. He gestured to his left, and a man Basille knew stepped forward, ushering an unfamiliar woman at his side. The man’s name was Byron, and Basille had known him since she was a child. He had served in the army of her home city, moved to the palace about the same time she became queen to serve in the main forces of the royal guard. He’d been the general’s right-hand man for years, and had just been named to be his replacement a few days before.

The woman at his side, however, Basille had never seen before. Her chin-length hair curled around her face, a brown mess that was nearly black. Her eyes were soft and dark, jaw sharp and stance straight. If Basille hadn’t known any better, she would have assumed she was a soldier, with the men’s clothes she wore and the hard expression on her face. She looked to be about Basille’s age, certainly young, but not so young she didn’t treat the king’s next words with respect, bowing to the ambassadors.

“Allow me to introduce Reinne, the ward of our late General Karlen.” The Banamorans all looked at her doubtfully, but as Reinne straightened, she looked directly at Basille, the hardness in her eyes dissipating slowly as they inspected one another. Not seeming to notice either reaction, the king continued. “She is a rare thing in our kingdom, a woman trained in defense by the general himself. My soldiers have seen her grow up as a fighter, ready to protect her kingdom from any threat, and any one of them would attest to her capabilities.”

Was he… threatening them? Basille glanced away from the woman, taking in the expressions of the Banamorans. She had known of no such fighting woman, and wondered briefly why the king had allowed her training to continue. Perhaps it was one of his political plays, come to fruition at the most convenient time.

“I greet you most warmly,” Reinne said, voice clear and light. Basille looked back to her, fighting a smile as she caught the other glancing at her yet again. There were many rumors surrounding the queen, she knew, and not many outside the castle had ever even seen her.

Karline hesitated, then returned the greeting before returning her attention to the king. “I’m sorry, but what does this woman have to do with--”

“I am more than aware that in large part, the mending we will have to do between our kingdoms stems from our social differences,” Tyrrel said, gesturing for Reinne to join him and Basille on their platform. She obeyed, and he continued, standing to clap a hand onto her shoulder. “Reinne has agreed to stand as a symbol for our willingness to change. She is a trained woman, more than capable of providing protection. Thus, I have decided to assign her as a member of our personal guard, protecting my own dear wife, Queen Basille.”

The shock in the room was palpable, from advisors, dignitaries, and even Basille herself. She doubted that more than a handful of people had caught it, but her heart ached as she realized the slap in the face that the king was delivering. The Banamorans had no way of knowing, of course, just how empty of a position protecting the queen would be, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Tyrrel had purposefully intended for this so-called symbol of change to be such a mockery.

They still seemed hesitant, but after a long pause, Karline nodded. “We appreciate this gesture of goodwill. Reinne?” The woman in question lifted her chin, giving the dignitary her full attention. From behind her, Basille could see her fingers fidgeting nervously behind her back. Karline continued. “Do you give us your word that you are qualified for this position? That you are capable of protecting your queen to the fullest?”

Reinne’s fingers went still, clasping tightly together in determination.

“Absolutely.”

[actpei]

Meet the Cast - Kathryn Nazim

Meet the Cast! KATHRYN NAZIM (as Poppy Norton-Taylor) -Kat Nazim is an Islander born of From Aways, and thus has always felt both deeply connected to PEI and simultaneously drawn to explore the rest of the world. She has a restless butterfly-like nature and she left PEI at 18, intending to become an actor but soon found that she was more drawn to the writing and directing side of the stage.

She attended Concordia University in Montreal and obtained a B.A and an M.A in Creative Writing and English Literature. On the first day of a fiction writing workshop in her second year of her Bachelor’s, a striking Malaysian fellow with cheekbones like cliff faces strode purposefully into the room looking for all the world like he’d stepped out of a Byronic romance novel. He made rather disarming eye contact with Kat and murmured “Hello,” before sitting down directly across from her. She found her jaw somewhere on the floor. She has since fallen in love with this charming rogue, explored the world and moved back to the island with him (where he fits SO PERFECTLY), and together they’ve made a delightful tiny human named Malakai. His name is Noah Nazim and he plays Lloyd. Honestly guys, this play is the most fun Kat’s had in a while.

ACT asked Kat some questions... Who is your character? ....Poppy is the assistant Stage Manager of 'Nothing On'. She closes windows, wrangles Selsdon, tidies sardines, and tries to keep things together as they spiral dangerously out of control. And, like most stage managers, not once is she thanked for it.

How is this character different from you? .....Poppy abides pompous, arrogant sassbaskets in terrible cardigans. Kat does not.

Is it easier to play this character or to be yourself on stage? 

...Far easier (and more fun) to be Poppy. She’s more intimidating than I am.

What do you love about this character? ...She’s kind of a badass in her own regard. Stage managing is an insane balancing act and she is kind of SuperWoman.

What’s the biggest challenge about taking on this role? ...The amount of intricate detail that goes into creating this story. So many little things – looks, gestures, subtleties that make the show so much more fun to do – and hopefully to watch!

Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue? ....“Change the sardines?” I can say this so many different ways and it totally dictates where my character is at emotionally at this point in the story. I’m currently leaning toward incredulous and dangerously quiet.

Besides yourself, which actor in this production is going to blow people away? ...Marti Hopson. She is mind blowing. She has a massive amount to memorize – not just lines and blocking but the intricacies of sardines alone is insane. Also, her comedic timing is exquisite. Watching her is has been the best education in comedy ever!

What do you enjoy most about doing a comedy? ... I like that comedy only works when there is something else to balance it out. In this play’s case, the comedy is balanced out by a chaotic element- namely the unpredictable actions of this mercurial group of characters. What’s challenging is finding little moments of truth in which to show that, amid the hilarity, there are some consequences to some actions that will last long after the laughter dies down.

What draws you to community theatre? .... I like that it brings in people from a very broad range of backgrounds. It makes for a very dynamic experience.

What sort of person should see this show? You should see this show if you’d love a silly, fast-paced comedy where identities are mistaken, secrets are revealed, and sardines are the cause for more misery than they have any right to be.

[altusfl]

22. Lead up to the 1986 Season --- Expansion: Team 17 --- the New (New) Chicago Blitz

Based on a recommendation by Peter Hadhazy, the league hired Bill Polian back from the Buffalo Bills at double his salary to be the GM/President of the Chicago Blitz.  Polian was told up front it was a 1 to 2 year job that would likely lead to much better ones in the future.  

He was tasked with making the Blitz competitive immediately. He was told that the league would assure Chicago would get the number one pick overall and the league office would work with Polian to sign Bo Jackson after the end of the college baseball season.  

Polian was told that the league owners had no problem with him signing one more first-round pick level talent in support --- ala the original George Allen Blitz --- as that is the talent level that will be required to re-earn the fan trust in Chicago — a requirement if the league was going to find a buyer.

Denver backup QB Vince Evans would also be assigned back to Chicago.  Evens had lost his job in Denver to Doug Flutie, but had learned a lot about quarterbacking from Mouse Davis.  Polian laid out the plan and Evans was eager for a second shot in Chicago.

Polian set about securing his other rookie star.

“I think they were expecting me to sign a wide receiver or something but you know they told me 'We’re going to give you the greatest running back in college football… but a guy who wants to play baseball half the time!  And you don’t get him in this, your key season, until the college baseball season is over!’ I had these visions of Bo quitting the team around week 10 each year and us not having a running game.”

“I could totally see that tearing the team apart with players picking sides. So it was a total no-brainer when I looked at the regional assignment and saw that I had Ohio State [because Oklahoma was going to keep Notre Dame as their territorial assignment] that I was going to sign Keith Byers to play fullback. Byers was a beast as a junior and had really made an impact on the fans in the area.”

“Getting that done took some doing. The Byers signing was not popular among the league owners I can assure you… but people don’t understand the potential the Jackson signing had to rip apart a roster.“

Usher had a problem with the league owners.  They felt he favored Oklahoma owner J. Walter Duncan and had given Duncan far too much talent the previous off-season.  Usher and Duncan decided to eliminate that by pushing Outlaw defensive Coordinator Jim Bates and several players who fit Bates’s scheme to Chicago.  

The league needed Chicago to succeed.  They told Bates that while he was good enough to be a head coach in the league, the league itself needed him in Chicago because it needed the franchise to be good from day 1.  Bates felt some loyalty to Haphadzy who had recommended him to Duncan.  

Bates was not high profile enough in the area to curry Chicago area fans who for the most part had been actively ignoring the USFL and had not seen Oklahoma’s run, but his ability to produce as a coordinator was unquestioned by Polian.  Bates would be rewarded with a very large contract that mirrored what USFL head coaches were making to do the job for a year.

The Chicago Bears had done a similar thing paying their Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan a very large salary that rivaled a head coach’s salary to stick around.  Defense mattered to Chicago fans, so it was good business.

Outlaws LT Duane Wilson, DE Mike St. Clair, DE Ken Gillen, NT Bob Nelson,NT Paul Hanna, DT Tony Suber, ILB Jeff Leiding, OLB/DB Jim Bob Morris, OLB/DB John Barefeild, OLB/DB Larry James, DB Mike Ulmer, would be reassigned to the new Blitz. Outlaws owner J. Walter Duncan who had gotten quite close to all of the players would personally decide to meet with each of the 11 players to explain the situation and personally apologize.  They were after all having to uproot their families in part because Duncan was embarassed.  He would hand each of the 11 players a $10,000 check to help with relocation costs. (St. Clair would thank Duncan, but refuse the relocation check and chose to retire.) 

Nelson would recount the meetings later.  “Man, it was emotional.  Mr. Duncan explained that if things stayed the way they were NONE of us would ever get the credit we deserved for our hard work. Mr. Duncan really liked Coach Faibanks and Coach Bates.  Neither one would get any credit for anything we did if we kept that team together.  It sucked, but he was right.”

“I’ll tell you this. I have never had an owner look me in the eye and give me the straight truth like that. I appreciated it and I know everyone else did. And no other players in the history of the USFL who was reallocated ever got any relocation money prior to that day. Mr. Duncan started that.  He was a standup owner.”

Polian would want to bring back Blitz coach Marv Levy but the USFL owners would insist that he could not. While they all agreed Levy was a fine coach who did a great job in Chicago, they felt they needed to create excitement with the coaching hire so they provided Polian with a short list of successful area coaches — former Notre Dame coaches Ara Parseghian, Dan Devine, and current Illinois coach Mike White — Polian quickly decided that White was the choice.

“The first two seemed vaguely interested but seemed to want to drag out negotiations haggling about control and the length of their contracts. White on the other hand had a situation where all his best talent had graduated and the cupboard was looking pretty bare. I needed a coach who could accept the Bates situation without taking it out on the Oklahoma players and who could work with Jim and I.”

The league wanted the team to be competitive fairly quickly, so Polian decided that White would be the right hire. “He was a fantastic young coach who had unprecedented success at a really tough location.  White was the perfect mix of ‘great coach’ and ‘easy to work with’. ” 

The new Blitz would build the core of their team around the former outlaws and  members of the historically unprecedented 10-2 1983 University of Illinois team that went 9-0 in the Big Ten conference. That team would end up producing 21 players who would go on to be drafted by the NFL. Most of them did not make the NFL rosters, leaving a large contingent of almost NFL caliber players who knew what Mike White wanted.

The Blitz signed them all.

Highlights included flamboyant unanimous All-American wide receiver David Williams (the Bears 3rd round pick), 

QB Jack Trudeau, 

T Jim Juriga, 

All-American S Craig Swoope, 

Big Ten MVP DT Don Thorp, TE Cap Boso, and RB Thomas Rooks.  Rooks and Byers would carry most of the rushing load when Jackson was unavailable.

"Those Illinois kids were a cocky bunch.  That’s probably why so many of them made it. They just refused to be bad. But in our plan it really didn’t matter if all 21 of those illini made the roster or even most of them,” Polian would state in an interview years later.

“The first time we did the Blitz, we were in a bad spot because there was no culture on that roster. Arizona was a failed franchise and they gutted the franchise and broke the player’s focus by moving across the country before they gave it to us. A total lack of expectations really screwed Marv over. I was determined that was not going to happen again.”

“Having those 21 Illini in camp created a ‘Mike White culture’ and gave White shot to hit the ground running. The fact that only 12 of them made the final roster is really almost irrelevant. That opportunity, I felt, gave White the edge as a coaching candidate in a situation where we needed the team to be competitive immediately. The league didn’t afford me the time to argue with a coach about the right way to do things, so it made a lot of sense to do it the Mike White way.”

The team would also sign a key young All-American who had quickly fallen through the NFL system’s cracks.

WR Steve Bryant had been a star and All-American at Purdue but was just a part time player for the Oilers.  Bryant had a couple of productive years in the NFL but now it looked like his NFL career was done at 27.  

Polian thought Bryant would immediately be at least a solid second starter in the USFL with a chance to get a lot better with consistent playing time. “He was a good talent but not an elite one.  He didn’t have great speed and wasn’t a tall strong possesion receiver, but he just made more out of every opportunity than most with his skill level.  He reminded me a little of (Philadelphia Stars star WR) Scott Fitzkee.”

The territorial draft would yield three very good linebackers from Ohio State in Pepper Johnson, Byron Lee, and Larry Kolic. 

“It was a great setup.  With the league support, I was able to give White one of the League’s best running games and the league gave us the core of that defense. Bates had a defense that everyone struggled with in the USFL.  White really understood the passing game and could teach it. Trudeau was a solid Talent and available at the right price and while Vince Evans was inconsistent and the times inaccurate, he had a confident swagger and no ceiling on his talent – and the Bears fans loved that. I felt very comfortable that White could deliver a passing game that would be effective in our league. That team was pretty much ready to challenge for a playoff spot from day one.”

The Blitz would sign the league’s fourth Heisman Trophy winner in a row in Auburn’s Jackson after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers purposefully caused Jackson to lose his collegiate baseball eligibility.  The Bucs had done so to try to steer Jackson towards a football-only future in Tampa Bay. The Bucs were dead set on picking Jackson number one overall in order to force the issue.  The USFL was able to take advantage of that animosity.

“We always in the driver’s seat vs. the NFL in the Jackson negotiation anyway.  It is harder to get physically ready for football. We were able to offer a situation where Jackson could come to camp allowing him to get properly conditioned for football and play the entire USFL season.  He would only miss the beginning of the baseball season. Jackson would be able to pay in the playoffs in both leagues with no animosity on our part.”

“The whole Bo thing worked out much better than I thought it would. We led the league in rushing that year and Bo and Keith were phenomenal. We were able to keep Bo’s workload in check with Keith and Thomas, and I think that kept Bo healthy with the strain he was putting on his body playing two sports. Bo never missed a regular season or playoff game while he was healthy in his years with the Blitz. The guy was a beast on the field. The fans loved him.  Pretty good baseball player too.”

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[rassasassalin]

Annnnd it’s Smackdown time, woooo.  Got some hopes for the main event tonight, let’s see how it goes.

Yep movement.  Yes.  I love it.  Beautiful.  More of this, please.

Honestly, whatever anyone’s feelings on Jinder Mahal, and there are a lot of them, all varied and viable, but the Singh Brothers are amazing.  The second best part of the gimmick they gave him, imo, only slightly behind his entrance.  They’re so over the top with their acting, it’s great, they’re great, I love them so much, I want to see them have a who can be more extra-off with The New Day.

Excuse me, I’m sorry, did they just give the Ruby and Charlotte fucking JOBBER ENTRANCES?  First actual match of the night, and I don’t get to see the full entrances?  Not a huge fan of that.  But okay.  Whatever.  No entrances, just packages, that’s fine, it’s cool.

So, I’d go ahead and guess right now that at some point tonight, given what happened on Raw and how things have been going for the last couple of months, that the Riot Squad would get mobbed by all the Female Wrestlers on Smackdown tonight, but it doesn’t feel like they have the same kind of numbers advantage that the gal’s on Raw do?  And while I think that, I’ve done the quick math, and no, the numbers are only like, one off, but...  I think Lana’s throwing me off.  Lana just doesn’t feel like a wrestler to me, so my subconscious isn’t counting her as one.  I guess they could mob them.  Wouldn’t be much point tho, I don’t think.  Don’t like this whole mirror storyline that’s happening on Raw and Smackdown when there’s no important variables.

Also, sidenote, I have always, forever, loved Natalya’s ring gear.

Oh, they’re bringing out the steps again.  That move’s really cute.  I know it was supposed to be super dangerous but it’s just kinda silly and I love it.  Good on Naomi for coming out and kicking ass- giving ass?- tho, love that girl, annnnnnd yep, alright, there we go, getting kinda mobbed, yep, called it.

Ahhhh, Baron Corbin v Ziggler.  So, fun fact that I’m sure no one cares about, but I’ve come to enjoy Baron’s wrestling entirely against my will.  He is the opposite of the problem that I had with Ryback- in that he was huge and looked like everything I’d enjoy in a big muscle hoss rassler-, but his moves were so boring that by the end of his run I legit tuned out during his matches because I just couldn’t get into them.  Corbin, on the other hand... something about him just rubbed me the wrong way from the first time I heard him talking, and I wanted, I desperately wanted to hate him.  And then I saw him do the End of Days.  And I’ve been petulantly hooked ever since.

Mmmmhm, DB, what have we got here.  Daniel Turn tonight?  Probably not tonight.  Probably just setting the seeds for tonight.  And I say “turn”, but I don’t know if it’ll really count as that, because Shane’s being pretty petty Mcmahon Heel right now.  Daniel standing up for what he thinks is right isn’t a particularly heel move, at least, not traditionally.  Then again, WWE seems to love Heels that Actually Have Good Points now, soooo...

...When did Dolph start coming out to music again?  Did I miss something?  I mean, I’m not complaining, wasn’t a fan of the record scratching then stark silence.  Fans really let me down on that one.  They should have started doing theme songs for him when the music cut out.  Golden opportunity, wasted.

AND Baron is fighting sands shirt.  Noice.  Uncommon, but nice.

When will Heel Roode come back from the war?  I miss him.  This is kind of dickish Roode, but not super heel yet.

Ah, yes, My Violent Kane Themed Team Rocket Bros coming next.  Their get ups are so goofy, but I do like the way they’re wrestling.  That smacking the shit out of Roan to get him fired up?  I wouldn’t mind seeing more of that.  Not sure if I’m looking forward to Breezango going up against the Bludgeon Bros.  I love my dumb cop boys.  I don’t want them to be decimated.  Also, it’s so obvious that the Ascension has been behind all of the fashion file shenanigans so they’d be putting themselves in super danger for no reason.

...man, i love seeing my wyatt boys doing good for themselves, but man, sometimes i watch them and i think what could be if they just let bray have his giantman stable.  and now i’m sad.  corey laughing at people getting decimated helps a little bit, i guess, but still.

Not making me less sad reminding me both of Heel Cole- oh god no please- and that time the Rock came back and said he was home, only to leave us again.

YEP MOVEMENT MAKES ME HAPPY, THOUGH, THANK YOU.

Zayn and Owens revolutionaries, you say?  They should hire Drew Gulak.  He could make them a beautiful power point to help their cause.

KO being the Yup Man is the Best Thing and I love it.

Still don’t trust Randy to not turn on Shin.  Never trust Randy.

I really want a Yep! shirt.

Oh no, come on, SOMEONE has to occupy smackdown with ma boys.

...Man, thanks Kevin, now I want some kool-aid.

Doooon’t trust a McMahon, Daniel.  Don’t do it.  It never ends in anything but tears.  Nice to see Sami and Kevin happy, though.

Oh hey, Rusev is fighting tonight!  Happy Rusev Day to Me!  AND New Day on Commentary!  Oh Smackdown, you’re spoiling me~

YAS!  GIVE ME THE WHOLE SONG!!!!!

THREEE UNHINDERED JINDERS OMG, BEAUTIFUL

I wouldn’t mind seeing Aiden dressed up like the Grinch.  Oooh, no, guys, come on, be nice to English, he’s not that bad.

...I’m actually really enjoying Benjamin and Gable together.  They play pretty well off of each other.  I really wish they got more TV time.  I like the idea of Sheldon teaching Chad how to be a proper heel/tweener.

Big E is a Gift, let we never forget.

So is Corey and Byron’s antagonistic relationship.  It’s so nice to have a Heel Face commentator duo again where it doesn’t feel like actual meanspiritedness that one party can’t actually handle.  Byron’s really grown on me.  Maybe he’s better now that he’s not up against JBL.  Maybe it’s just having to listen to Otunga for ages.  Either way, doesn’t really matter how or why, I just know that if Byron wasn’t on the announce team for Smackdown, I would actually genuinely miss him.

Hm.  So Zack’s gonna get murdered on the CoC kickoff.  That kinda makes me sad, but hopefully it will end up being a good ark for his and Mojo’s characters.

Fucking Bobby’s picture looks so happy to be there

OH NO, I DON”T WANT DANGO AND BREEZE TO GET MURDERIZED!  I’m seeing they’re going to get pretty well banged up, then the Ascension is going to come out and it’ll look like they’re there to help their “Best Friends”, but then Oh No, They’ve Actually Been The Villains All Along!  And so either BB’s win, or if Breezango wins it’ll be by DQ because Ascensions only going to come out there to twist the proverbial knife in their backs.

Really wish they didn’t add those strobe lights to Shinsuke’s entrance.  Still one of my favorite entrances otherwise.  Whatta man.  HE JUST FISTBUMPED THE VIPER NAKAMURA NO

Randal growing his hair out kind of weirds me out at this point. THEY FIST BUMPED AGAIN WHAT IS THIS? 

SHINSUKE IS SO FUCKING ADORABLE I LOVE HIM

Daniel on commentary now, Guest Night at the Commentary Desk tonight apparently.

Man I just really love Sami’s face.  Just thought I’d share that.

Yep, yep, gonna be Shenanigans at Clash of Champions during the main event.  So many shenanigans.  Perhaps even all of the shenanigans.

Nakamura’s kicks give me life.  So does KO murdering people on the ring apron.

Fucking Sami waving at Daniel.  Goddamit, Zayn, stop being so cute.

Shit man, Daniel bringing up Indie stuff, I can sense Vince Feuding from here, ehehe.

You know, one day I want to have a wrestler purposefully toss a match on the go home show because traditions state that he who wins before the PPV, shall lose at the PPV.  I know tonight wasn’t the go home show, but it just got me thinking.  I’d love to have a wrestler who’s gimmick was like, being super meta about things like that.  Or just really superstitious I guess could also work.

Anyway, Now to get my weekly fix of Drew05 Live.

[michelebrockent]

Chicago church kicks out member after same-sex wedding, protest Sunday - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News Archive - Windy City Times http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Chicago-church-kicks-out-member-after-same-sex-wedding-protest-Sunday-/59944.html I STRONGLY STAND with Pastor Brazier! ANALOGY: People get sick, they go to the hospital to get well. However, some, while in the hospital decide to share and/or spread whatever their specific illness is amongst all of the other patients who are there to be healed of their own illnesses. We are all ill/sinners SAVED BY GRACE. So, what then is the hospital to do? Confine or restrict the patients who are purposefully trying to share and/or spread their illness amongst all of the other patients or do you REMOVE them? The doors are open to the church. Period. However, what this woman and her wife and family are trying to do is CHANGE THE DOCTRINE of the church. They knew beforehand that Pastor Dr. Byron Brazier and the Apostolic Church of God - Chicago was not going to condone a same sex marriage in the church because neither the church nor the WORD OF GOD condone same sex marriage and homosexuality. Period. So, the devil, I mean this woman and her wife and family are attempting to FORCE THE CHURCH to accept the doctrines of the world as doctrines of the church. 1 John 2:15-17 New King James Version (NKJV) Do Not Love the World 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. This is where the saying "STAND FOR SOMETHING OR FALL FOR ANYTHING" comes into play. Romans 12:2 New King James Version (NKJV) 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Let's be clear, the WORLD is accepting the things that are ANTICHRIST, NOT THE CHURCH! I mentioned in a recent post that the lines are becoming blurred in this world on men and women, male and female. 1. Males who want to be female and date women. 2. Males who want to be female and date men. 3. Females who want to be male and date men. 4. Females who want to be male and date women. 5. All of the above who are game with dating all of the above. 6. Same sex marriages, unisex bathrooms, unisex clothing lines... This right here is my starting point: Genesis 1:27, 2:7-9, 18-24 The WORD OF GOD is clear on HIS intentions when HE made man and then created woman from man's ribs. While the world is hypothesizing on the scriptures and saying that JESUS CHRIST came to fulfill the law and that the laws of the Old Testament have been abolished, the BIBLE teaches us about LOVE and ACCEPTANCE, but, there is NOT ONE SCRIPTURE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT that states Old Testament SINS ARE NO LONGER SINS! GOD loves HIS children, but, HE hates our sins! HE hates sin period. What Does the Bible Say About God Hates Sin? https://www.openbible.info/topics/god_hates_sin GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION. 1 Corinthians 14:33 King James Version (KJV) 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. It is getting to a point where we will all look the same and be the same. I visualize those infected beings in the movie I Am Legend! Well that is EXACTLY what the ANTICHRIST want to see happen in the church, blur the lines between the WORD OF GOD and FALSE DOCTRINES, accept anything and everything that the world accepts NO MATTER WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS! If I was a member of a brick and mortar church that did not clearly make the distinctions between the world, the church, and the WORD OF GOD, I would simply walk away from that particular brick and mortar church, but, NEVER GOD because the church was formed first within each and every one of us.

[oh-my-otome]

Midnight Cinderella Suitor’s Fashions

@aquisces-arts wanted to see what the suitors would look like in modern clothes, so I did my best conceptualizing what each would wear and why.

Let’s start with King Byron:

Byron dresses very monochromatically-- wearing different shades of black head to toe, and choosing gold accents that catch the light. 

If you look at his hair, you can see that his wisps are very controlled. Even his cowlick is styled neatly. He would probably use a light pomade. The details on the jeans give texture without distraction, like his black casual shirt in the game. 

The gold zipper on the knees also satisfies his love of gold hardware. If you notice, Byron does not wear jewelry aside from his earring, which he shares with Nico, so I think a planetary key chain would be a good choice for him, as it combines his star-gazing hobby with an outlet for an accessory.

Of course, a Rolex is a must, and I think he would always give himself a chaste spritz of cologne before stepping out of the door. This scent is unisex and has a dry-down that smells of vanilla, woods and leather.

I don’t think he would shy away from stylish shoes-- he may even be a subtle trend-setter. Because Byron can hold his liquor with the best of them, and because he doesn’t tend to let himself get too casual out in the open, I thought martini glass novelty socks would be a fun twist. It would be his own little secret. While it may not be that wild of a thing for the rest of us, considering Byron’s aloof personality, he may feel that it really is daring indeed.

Let’s keep going with another king, Robert:

Robert’s overcoat may be green, but he actually wears a lot of brown and beige. I feel like Robert would want to keep a low profile-- he’s not into drawing attention to himself.

Robert seems like he would be at home in comfortable clothes that are no-fuss, and extra-comfy. He may purposefully fly coach, but his fancy schmancy luggage would be designer first class-- the better to spot it on the carousel in the airport. 

I think he would splurge on some plush headphones to pass the time on the plane, as he country-hops. Since he likes rather long necklaces, I kept the length, but changed the style, so that it wouldn’t compete with his favorite tee. 

Because he likes to switch up his hair-do, flexible shaping spray is a must; and you just know he’s the type to carry a pocket comb. I also added some scrub because he just seems like the type to exfoliate at least once a week. 

In his bag, he probably has a small journal for jotting down whatever corner bistros catch his fancy. Maybe he even has a small sketch pad and colored pencils, too, for when inspiration strikes.

As for footwear, he would need something super comfortable to carry him from museum to museum. The paint splatter on these are a callback to his profession.

Here’s what I think Nico would wear:

Because Nico’s hair is already dyed pink, I think he wouldn’t try to be too matchy with his clothing. One item that matches and that’s it, so I tied in the color of his locks with a button-down. The pants give him ease of movement, since he does all types of ninja stuff when you’re not looking. Plus it has lots of pocket space; you just know he’s got all types of short swords, poison darts, tea cups and whatever else. As one does.

As Nico is the only suitor who canonically conceal-carries, I thought having him carry a large pocket knife, with other accessories, would suit his tastes. Nico also tends to wear suspenders, both on his butler uniform and his casual clothes, so I gave him a pair here as well. 

He seems, to me, to be the type who just sticks their hand in the closet and puts on whatever comes out, so I gave him items which are both black and brown to maximize his styling options for whatever he throws on that day. 

He has a comfortable pair of shoes for quick escapes. Nico likes wearing scarves and neckties. Here, I’ve given him a bandana instead, which he can wear for fashion or use as a bandage. In keeping up with his big bro, they have the same headphones, only Nico’s are silver.

Here, Nico’s overall look reflects his character: completely unassuming badass.

I feel like Alyn would be a sneaker head:

He tends to make his shoes the focal point. He would be the type to have a whole closet section just for his shoes. He needs style and function-- something that would suit his tastes and also allow him to defend the princess even when off-duty. I feel like he would choose hard-toe boots and sneakers with a lot of cushioning.

Alyn keeps his shirts plain, almost always choosing raglan shirts and henleys in baby soft modal cotton. He goes with a basic feel-good pair of jeans in a deep color, every time.

He almost always chooses to wear red and navy together. Playing up the red in his eyes, and his auburn hair, you can find that color in everything from his tees, to his shoes, to his phone case. 

As he is technically always on duty to guard the princess, Alyn, like Nico, would carry a small knife. Since he wears a necklace with almost every outfit as it is, I chose to give him a ring instead. 

Alyn trains hard everyday as part of his job, so I feel like he would be concerned about smelling like it, too. This exfoliating soap smells of cedar wood and oak moss, and would keep him smelling so fresh and so clean.

Leo, like his twin, also accessorizes with red a lot:

I didn’t want to make them too matchy, though. Unlike Alyn, Leo tends to roll his sleeves up, so I gave him a tee, plus a flannel shirt that has tabs to hold up the sleeves. Leo calls more attention to himself, so he would like louder jeans than Alyn, who doesn’t go in for distressing.

Leo wears a lot of hardware every day, so I simplified it to just a bracelet and a necklace. The dog tag has a cross on it, just like Leo’s brooch. Because he is afraid to sleep, I imagine Leo drinks a lot of coffee to keep himself awake. Since he’s always encouraging the princess, I chose a coffee mug that encouraged him instead.

If you look at his sprites, Leo wears a lot of different materials, so to visualize that, I went with different textures. The stars on his sneakers are raised, the tee is textured jersey for softness, and the jeans have mock rips. To pull in the reds that he goes for, I thought he would like this phone case with a colorful snake.

Let’s do Giles:

I feel like Giles would be the type of person who would be chucking deuces on the way out of the office door, on a Friday, like “lmao, see you suckers!” 

He would be as dressed down as possible. He wears so many hats, so I think he would be the most likely to sleep in. Rather than drinking coffee, he would probably have a hot chocolate overflowing with marshmallows to satisfy his sweet tooth.

I gave him a feather soft twin set with flocking so that he could cozy up with his kitty and get some shut eye. But, should the princess suggest it, Giles would throw on some smart duds and hang out at the local coffee shop, no matter how pooped he felt. Here, he’s drinking a mocha cookie crumble frappacino. His second one that evening. And don’t touch his vanilla scones! Okay, maybe a bite-- a small one.

Albert has no chill, so I think that this is as dressed down as you’ll ever see him:

The jeans are quilted and paneled for a biker inspired look, and they are flexible enough that he can take down any attackers without a wardrobe malfunction. I didn’t give him a knife, because I thought he would probably go for hand-to-hand combat.

If Albert was going to make a statement, I think he would do it with actual words. So you can not only feel his disdain, you can read it, too. He’d definitely have a snarky coffee mug and his phone case reflects his work ethic.

Because Albert canonically works until he drops, his version of casual clothes are simply whatever is under his uniform that day. He just takes his coat off, but it probably feels like heaven to him at the end of the day. It looks so heavy!

While Alyn and Nico would have shoes with traction so they can do knight stuff, Albert would choose oxfords because he is also the king’s adviser. He has to do two jobs at once, so he needs to be able to look the part as he transitions between supporting the crown and actually defending it.

I gave him a sturdy watch and kept his glasses mostly the same. Since this is modern Albert, I imagine that he would wear contacts for the most part and switch to glasses after hours.

Albert often wears ties, but I gave him a dog tag made with black sapphire stones instead.

Louis wears almost all blue, so I added in some brown accents to switch it up:

I gave him some dressy-casual oxfords to take him from the ball room to the chic café in town. He has a patterned scarf since, like Nico, he can’t go without something covering his neck. Instead of gloves, I thought he might like a thick cuff bracelet. Louis looks so delicate, so I wanted to choose different materials and textures. 

I get the feeling that, no matter what, his sense of style is always semi-formal, but he tries to use at least one piece of clothing to make it a little casual. Even though he complains about the formalities of his social rank, he can’t quite bring himself to dress down like a townie, but he doesn’t feel like himself all dolled up in a tux either.

Louis’ hair is always on point-- and it looks so fluffy! But I bet if you touched it, it would be full of hair gunk to keep those tresses right where he wants them.

I wanted to give Sid something he could run to the store or hang out in:

I think Sid is very meticulous about his skincare and always buys the full product line. He would always have a pair of sunglasses in his pocket. His faux leather jacket has an attached hoodie, providing not only warmth-- but he can also use it to disguise himself.

I think this look will help him blend in, since he tends to go to more casual places to do his work. Similar to the hood, the sunglasses also give him an incognito look. Since Sid works all over in different countries, he would listen to music during his commute.  

I didn’t pair Sid with any fragrance, because I thought that would make him stand out more-- which is bad for the type of work that he does. He doesn’t need people remembering specific details about him, and the sense of smell is the strongest.

I don’t know much about Rayvis, but I wanted to style him anyway. He’s another one that wears a lot of one color, so I pulled out his accent color here:

He looks like a rather stiff person at first, so I imagined him as someone who has a really cute secret weakness, like indulging in decadent desserts at the end of the day. Chocolate strawberry cheesecake seems like it would do the trick, and it fit with the colors of his formal clothes.

For texture and mixed materials, his wool coat has leather sleeves, the maroon sneakers have plush velvet and the cable knit cap provides interest. 

I added a color-blocked button down and his black skinny jeans have distressing that you’d have to get up close and personal to see. 

His sunglasses also have a subtle hint of color. I don’t know what it is with MidCin guys and scarves, but I couldn’t let Rayvis be chilly, so I added something for him to cover himself with.

@astridapples, @widzzicles