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helenhenny66 · 4 months

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Exclusive Interview with L-Velvet

We had the privilege of sitting down with L-Velvet, the R&B alter ego of Leonardo, the leader of the Mad Dogs. In an intimate setting, L-Velvet shared with us his inspirations, creative process, and the stories behind his soulful hits.

Q1: L-Velvet, congratulations on your latest album "Pain and Heartache"! How does it feel to have your music resonating with so many fans?

L-Velvet: Ah, man, it's an incredible feeling. I put my heart and soul into every track, and to see people connecting with it on a deep level is truly humbling. I'm just grateful that my music can be a soundtrack to people's experiences, you know?

Q2: Your music often explores themes of heartbreak and relationships gone wrong. What draws you to those topics?

L-Velvet: For me, it's all about authenticity. I've been through my fair share of struggles, and I know what it's like to feel like you're stuck in a dark place. I want my music to be a reflection of that, to let people know they're not alone in their struggles. It's therapeutic for me, too – getting those emotions out in song form helps me process and heal.

Q3: "Don't Make Me Wait" is one of your most popular tracks. Can you tell us the story behind that song?

L-Velvet: Yeah... "Don't Make Me Wait" is a very personal song. It was written during a particularly tough time in my life. I had just gone through a breakup, and I was feeling lost and alone. I remember being in the sewers, surrounded by darkness, and just pouring my heart out onto the page. The song is about the pain of waiting for someone to come back to you, knowing that they're never gonna come back. It's about the longing, the yearning, and the eventual acceptance that it's over. When I wrote that song, I was crying, I was screaming, I was hurting... but in the end, it was cathartic. It was my way of taking control of my emotions and channeling them into something positive.

Q4: Your vocal style has been compared to some of the great R&B legends. Who are some of your biggest influences?

L-Velvet: Man, I'm all about the classics! Brian McKnight, Tyrese, Ginuwine – those guys are the real deal. I grew up listening to their music, studying their techniques, and trying to absorb as much as I could. But I'm also influenced by the likes of Anthony Hamilton, Ray J, R. Kelly, Lyfe Jennings, and Sammie – those guys know how to bring the soul.

Q5: As L-Velvet, you've developed a distinct persona that's both charismatic and mysterious. How do you separate that from your life as Leo, the ninja turtle

L-Velvet: (laughs) That's a great question! For me, L-Velvet is like a character, a persona I can tap into when I'm in the studio or on stage. It's a way for me to express myself creatively without being confined by the expectations that come with being a ninja turtle. Leo and L-Velvet are two different entities, but they both share a passion for music and a desire to connect with others.

Q6: Your R&B albums often feature sultry, atmospheric production. Can you walk us through your creative process when it comes to crafting a track?

L-Velvet: Oh, man, it's all about the vibe. I'll usually start with a beat or a melody that sparks something in me. Then I'll start humming or freestyling over it, seeing where the music takes me. Sometimes it's a slow burn, other times it's like the floodgates open and the song just pours out. I'm all about capturing that emotional intensity and honesty in my music.

Q7: You've mentioned that your music is a form of therapy for you. Can you elaborate on that?

L-Velvet: Yeah, for sure. When I'm writing, I'm not thinking about hits or sales – I'm thinking about getting this stuff off my chest. It's a release, you know? When I'm on stage, performing, it's like I'm sharing my diary with the audience. It's a connection that's hard to explain, but it's real, and it's necessary for me.

Q8: How do you balance your life as a ninja turtle with your music career?

L-Velvet: (laughs) It's a juggling act, for sure! But music is my passion, and fighting crime is my duty. I've learned to prioritize and make time for both. When I'm not battling the Foot Clan, I'm in the studio, working on new material.

Q9: Your stage name, L-Velvet, is intriguing. What's the story behind it?

L-Velvet: Ah, yeah! So, when I was trying to come up with a stage name, I wanted something that reflected my personality and music style. I was messing around with different combinations, and "L-Velvet" stuck. The "L" is for Leonardo, and "Velvet" represents the smooth, soulful sound I'm going for. Plus, it sounds cool, right?

Q10: What's next for L-Velvet? Any upcoming projects we should know about?

L-Velvet: Yeah, I've got a few irons in the fire, so to speak. I'm working on a new album, which I'm really excited about. The sound is evolving, and I think fans are gonna love it.

Q11: Your fans love how open and honest you are on social media. How important is it for you to connect with them directly?

L-Velvet: Man, it's everything. I want my fans to know that I'm real, that I'm human, and that I'm going through the same struggles they are. Social media is a way for me to break down that fourth wall and be more than just a persona or an image. It's a way for me to be L-Velvet, the person, not just the performer.

Q12: You've had an incredible run of success, but what drives you to keep pushing the boundaries of your music?

L-Velvet: For me, it's about the art. I'm always looking for ways to grow, to experiment, and to innovate. I want my music to be a reflection of where I am in life, and I want to keep surprising my fans. If I'm not pushing myself creatively, then I'm not doing my job.

Q13: Your music often touches on themes of heartbreak and longing. What drives your creative process when writing about these emotions?

L-Velvet: I believe that vulnerability is key to creating authentic music. When I'm writing, I tap into my own emotions, memories, and experiences. I ask myself, "What would I want to say to that special someone if I had the chance?" or "How would I express the pain of losing someone I love?" Those honest emotions are what fuel my creativity.

Q14: How do your brothers react to your music career? Do they offer any advice or support?

L-Velvet: Oh, my brothers are my biggest fans! They've been incredibly supportive from day one. Raph is always giving me constructive criticism, which I appreciate. Mikey is my biggest cheerleader – he's always dancing to my songs and spreading the word. And Donnie is my go-to guy for technical advice; he's always helping me with production and mixing. They're my rock, and I'm grateful to have them in my corner.

Q15: What's the most challenging part of being a ninja turtle with a music career?

L-Velvet: (laughs) Definitely the scheduling! Balancing ninja training, fighting crime, and touring can be a logistical nightmare. But it's worth it in the end.

Q16: Can you share a memorable fan encounter or story?

L-Velvet: Oh, there have been so many! But one that stands out is when I met a fan who had been going through a tough time. She told me that my song "Don't Make Me Wait" had helped her through a breakup and gave her the courage to move on. Moments like those make everything worth it.

Q17: What's the best advice you've received in your music career?

L-Velvet: Ah, man, it was from my pops, Splinter. He told me, "Blue, the music is in your heart, trust it." That's the best advice I've ever received. It's about trusting myself, trusting my art.

Q18: Finally, what's the message you want to leave with your fans?

L-Velvet: I wanna leave them with a sense of hope, of perseverance. I want them to know that, no matter what they're going through, they're not alone. My music is a reflection of my own struggles, my own triumphs. And, if they can relate, if they can feel something, then I've done my job.

#rise of the tmnt #rise leo #headcanon #i have a big imagination

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longboxd · 2 years

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2022 comics reading log

In the early days of last year, I was inspired by some twitter mutuals to post my comics reading in the new year and kept it up from Jan 1 2022 till just about the bitter end. Something about it really helped keep me invigorated by the medium even in some pretty bleak times, so I’m going to keep it going this year, but here at Longboxd instead of on twitter, which I'm trying to spend less time at. Before I can do that though, I want to archive the 2022 entries in a spot that’s more permanent/less twitter-iffic, so here we go—pretty much every comic I read in 2022! (As transcribed from here)

Part 1: 1-21 (of 387)

(I can "only" post 30 images at a time here, so that’ll dictate the length of these catch-up posts)

1) Timeless #1 - I mean, Lol at that final page reveal but this was a fun comic. I like Kang stories and this is good Kang.

2) Service Industry by T Edward Bak

3) Human Target #2

4) Grrrl Scouts Stone Ghost #1

5) Krania #1 by Brian McCray - “I will unmake you” - I sorta wish this was hornier?

6) God Bless The Machine by Connor McCann - A messy dystopian exploration of tech and social media etc that trucks along efficiently, wraps up nicely. Definitely some JTHM energy in the drawings that is chunkily satisfying.

7) Reckless: Friend Of The Devil - A fun read, but didn’t work for me as well as the first. Less "badass/men’s adventure magazine moments" than in vol one, maybe.

8) Cult Of The Ibis by Daria Tessler - Like Tove Jansson designed the "oh fuck I’m losing it" nightlife montage from your favorite noir movie.

9) Firepower #18

10) Future State: Gotham #7

11) Future State: Gotham #8

12) Rust Belt Review #3 - Very solid anthology that seems firmly targeted at the more "literary" side of alt-comics (though of course there are some rowdy exceptions). 2-3 cartoonists clearly influenced by Sammy H, lots of humanity in the stories.

13) Tuki vol 1 - It's nice to have a new Jeff Smith comic to enjoy—he's great at this (this being funny/intense/heartfelt adventure comics), it's easy to sorta forget just *how good* until a new book comes out. Glad it's in B/W too.

14) Crisis #53 - The late 80s/early 90s was the best time for big format anthology magazines, great for just flipping through. Random issue of CRISIS has Sean Phillips doing his best McKean/Fregredo, & Steve Whittaker’s colors(!) on these Munoz SINNER pages are interesting (but print muddy).

15) Crisis #54 - This one has a Paul Grist/Mark Millar prison comic.

16) Avengers #98 - They don’t make ‘em like they used to (kind of bad, chaotic, and hard to read)

17) Nightwing: Leaping into the light TPB

18) X-Men #6

19) Human Target #3

20) Boy Maximortal #3 by Rick Veitch - Veitch found a new life in POD publishing in a way that feels like it’s a spiritual sibling to those Ditko/Snyder joints, & we are richer for it. These are uncut Metaphysical Boomer Cape Comics & I love them unreservedly (also the indicia warmed this slow cartoonist’s heart)

21) Ninja Funnies #1

To be continued!

#inklogging #longboxd #2022 comics reading list #comics reading list #comic books #bincrawling

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readingaway · 3 years

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Mid Year Book Freakout Tag

Stolen from @ninja-muse, this was a good distraction for a few minutes

How many books have you read so far?

126; fewer than I wanted to have read but there’s a lot of extenuating circumstances and reading must take a back seat to everything else. A few have been re-reads like Dance of Thieves, Red White & Royal Blue, the first three books of An Ember in the Ashes, and I will get to re-reading We Hunt the Flame in the next few weeks.

What genres have you read?

A decent mix, I think. It’s still somehow dominated by fantasy and YA (or YA fantasy), but I’ve gotten in quite a few other genres like contemporary/ adult literary fiction, historical fiction, romance, sci-fi, classics, and some nonfiction, poetry, short stories, and graphic novels.

Best books you’ve read so far in 2021:

Not counting re-reads -

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (book 3 hurt so much)

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson

A Memory of Light by Brandon Sanderson & Robert Jordan

Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett (my favorite Discworld novel so far)

The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

New Spring by Robert Jordan

The Emigrants by W.G. Sebald (was a bit hard to read but the flow and the emotional pull)

The Lives of Christopher Chant and Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones (I’ve discovered that when I’m in a slump - usually because my reading has been too depressing or dry I just have to pick up a Jones or a Pratchett to fix things)

A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir (I mean, I thought I was upset by certain things but then I checked the tagged posts on here and realized I’m normal, actually)

Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley

Curses are for Cads by Tamara Berry

The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

The Valley and the Flood by Rebecca Mahoney

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021:

Uh, I’m gonna go with The Box in the Woods even though it’s not quite a sequel, it is connected to the main series

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to:

Lucky Girl by Jamie Pacton, Delicates by Brenna Thummler, Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb, and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. There’s a few more but these are the ones I’m most anxious to get to.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

I’m very excited for A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger, Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson, Hypnosis is for Hacks by Tamara Berry, and The Winners by Fredrik Backman - the intended release date is unclear but it looks like it should be out in English in November/ December but might be pushed to next year. (On that note, I am still waiting for The Winds of Winter and The Thorn of Emberlain.)

Biggest disappointment:

Ace by Angela Chen was well put together but nothing earth-shattering or even that affirming for me. I keep myself sheltered from discrimination so I don’t face the stuff that people in the stories related faced, nor is it like I’ve never heard of asexuality before.

In terms of books I think were just bad, Coyote America by Dan Flores was a flop; it looked like it might be pretty informative and some parts of it were, but there were so many assumptions and presumptions, as well as poor argumentation, that it threw everything else the author was claiming into question. Brideshead Revisited and A Handful of Dust, both by Evelyn Waugh were also big disappointments, out of all the classics I’ve read so far this year they were both boring, stale duds in which nothing interesting happened at all and the narrative voice was even more boring and grating.

Biggest surprise:

Um, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I thought it would be iffy but it was... it flowed well and highlighted the differences between the women and had such emotional depth and also drew so much attention to patriarchal religious structures and patriarchy in general.

Favorite new author (debut or new to you):

Ooh, I’ve read quite a few debut novels - mostly middle grade since I’ve been reading a lot of middle grade since my own novel project falls somewhere between middle grade and YA and I want to study the story types and narrative styles and I like how they’re written much more clearly than YA and adult books and yet typically have great emotional depth. So for most notable debut authors I liked Rebecca Mahoney and Nora Shalaway Carpenter. In new to me authors, Rachel Maddow, Tillie Walden, and Natuso Kirino all have other books that I’m now interested in checking out. Actually I have one of Tillie Walden’s other books next to me right now.

Underrated gems:

I’m going to say Spindle’s End, The Goddess Chronicle, The Valley and the Flood, Cures for Heartbreak, the Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham (a classic horror/ sci-fi novel), and The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar

Newest fictional crush:

Was gonna say “don’t have any” but one could say that I love Marko in Saga (they draw him with such a strong jawline and he wears armor and has beautiful ram horns; bearded Marko was peak Marko) and Eleanor Wilde in Tamara Berry’s Eleanor Wilde mystery series might count.

Newest favorite characters:

the crew in Saga and Ashby in The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet stick out but really, I loved a lot of characters this year.

Book that made you cry:

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles, Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid leap to mind

Book that made you happy:

Aside from the ones I already listed, The Transatlantic Book Club by Felicity-Hayes McCoy

Most beautiful book cover of a book you’ve read so far this year:

Oh but there’s quite a few! Like The Pull of the Stars, the vintage classics copy of Orlando, The Go-Between, The Valley and the Flood

How are you doing with your year’s goals?

Well I didn’t make any official goals aside from my overall reading goal of 200 books, which I’m doing well on. I might up it to 250 but I’m not sure how demanding fall semester is going to be yet. Aside from that I just have vague goals to push my boundaries and read as diversely as possible - not just with things like #ownvoices books but in genre, all the different categories, as well. That’s going pretty well.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

SO MANY. I can’t give a list because there is no way to keep it concise.

Tagging: @softironman, @she-wolf-of-highgarden, @motherofkittens94 and anyone who wants to do it.

#tag games

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mellomedia · 4 years

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Youth Culture

For Media & Society’s first blog post, our class watched Euphoria, Mid90s, Mean Girls, Kids, and The Breakfast Club. If you haven’t figured out the theme yet, it’s youth culture. Most of these films were set in the 80s and 90s before this current generation. This is the first generation where our lives are saturated by mobile technology and social media (Divecha, 2017). But no matter what generation, youth culture has many common behaviors, or misbehaviors.

Often when I watch a film or read a comic book, I wonder if I relate to the story or anyone in it. I looked for anything in common I might have with one of the characters in the five films we watched. I can identify with Ray from Mid90s the most. I’m not a die-hard skateboarder like Ray. In fact I can’t skateboard at all, but I dedicate all my time and energy into art and animation. While we have different interests, I can relate to Ray’s passion for something he enjoys and the energy he puts into it. Ray is the top skateboarder in his group and practiced every day. All my spare time is spent drawing and taking online animation courses. My goal is to always do better than what I did yesterday. Words to describe Ray would be the same way I describe myself: down to earth, not concerned with fitting in, my own person, caring, always willing to help, and a very loyal friend. When Stevie joins the skateboard crew in the film Mid90s, he finally digs up some money to buy Ruben’s old, used skateboard. Stevie gets injured while attempting an insane jump over a hole in a roof and breaks his skateboard. Ray sees how much Stevie is trying to fit in, no matter how many falls he takes, he gets back up. Ray has a big heart and builds Stevie a new skateboard. As I mentioned, I’m not a skateboarder, but I enjoy trying to make people smile with my art. I enjoy drawing a cartoon of a friend to help them to get out of a funk or just listen to whatever it is they are going through.

These films all share a few common themes. One theme is belonging. I admit I looked up the term “fitting in” and it was compared to belonging. Fitting in is defined as to be like other people in a group – what they wear, how they act, how they look. (Pace, 2018) Belonging is a basic human need – it is about acceptance – being where you want to be and being where you are wanted (Pace, 2018). A few examples are Stevie (Mid90s) wants to be accepted into the skateboard crew; Brian (The Breakfast Club) brings a flare gun to school as a suicide attempt because he didn't feel he was good enough; and Cady (Mean Girls) is the new girl trying to get accepted by The Plastics.

My freshman year in high school definitely falls into the theme of belonging. I struggled with speech and have a learning disorder. And at the time I had zero confidence in socializing. I’d walk over to a group of kids in the cafeteria just to try to get involved in the conversation, but I couldn’t form sentences quick enough to jump in. I would be the weird kid just standing there. One day my speech therapist asked me what I wanted to improve and I told her I wanted to gain confidence in socializing. She told me the best way to do this would be to just try to talk to more people. Well in high school that worked with some kids, but not all. I’ll never forget one day in the cafeteria I was trying to find a place to sit and eat lunch. I saw an empty chair at a table where a ‘friend’ was sitting. The group was taking turns roasting one another. At one point another kid challenged me. I was doing fine until he said, “You know people are only nice to you because they don’t want to hurt your feelings.” That hurt like hell. He was referring to my speech impairment. I got up from the table and walked away. And that ‘friend’ at the table didn’t defend me at all. One girl came running over to make sure I was alright. I was pissed and hurt. I was not alright. Just so you don’t think I went off the deep end and had a miserable high school experience, I actually gained a great friend in high school that day. Alex, who was a senior, saw me leave track practice early. My head just wasn’t into track, so I went to sit in the empty cafeteria hoping to clear my head. He asked how things were going and I told him what happened that day. He told me, “It’s not easy finding out who your real friends are. But don’t change for anyone and don’t try to be like anyone else. Just be you.” I’ll never forget how he took the time to talk to me. After his advice, I could care less about belonging.

Another common theme between all five films is rebellion. When they aren’t skateboarding, most of the characters in Mid90s spend their time partying, drinking, and doing drugs. In The Breakfast Club, each character is in detention because they rebelled in some way. Why else would they be in detention? Every character in Kids was a rebel, actually more like a criminal. I bet the writer of the film was too.

A third theme is “bro” culture. “Bro” culture is defined as people who are bullies but at the end of the day they have your back, like a brother (Sloothunter42, 2018). Two great examples of “bros” are John (The Breakfast Club) and Ian (Mid90s). Throughout The Breakfast Club, John constantly insults the other kids in detention. He even insults the principal. The group escapes detention to wander the hallways. When the principal sees them, John saves the group by telling them to go back to the library while he distracts the principal. This link shows you the scene I’m explaining: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Iq7MRlHg5I (Hughes, 1985). Not something you would have expected from a bully, but you would from a “bro.” In Mid90s, Stevie’s brother, Ian, beats the crap out of him every chance he gets. But when Stevie is laying in a hospital bed after a car accident, his brother is there by his side. He even shares his precious orange juice.

Now onto one of my favorite things in life, music! I put together a playlist that relates to my adolescent experience. In no particular order, here are 10 songs and what each means to me. But let me point out that some song lyrics mean something to me, while with other songs it was the energy it gives off. I’m all about positive energy. First song is “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra. I first heard this song during the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. This song kept me motivated and positive during high school. If I was having a bad day, this was my ‘go to’ song. I also listened to it every day on my way to school. Next is “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, a.k.a. CeeLo Green. This song reminds me of my mind, imagination, and the stuff I think about. I always have a trillion things going on in my head. I guess that explains my poor focus skills and super procrastination. “Inner Ninja” by Classified is another upbeat song. A few lines that always stuck in my head are, “I find my inner strength and I re-up; Here we go, I know I've never been the smartest or wisest; But I realize what it takes; Never dwell in the dark cause the sun always rises.” My junior year of high school I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It has and still is life-changing and as much as I don’t let it change who I am, I’m human. But as the song says, don’t dwell on the negative, look for the positive. I always remind myself of the positive. “Through the Fire and Flames” by DragonForce always fueled my brain when I was tired of doing homework or studying. To me the lyrics mean to keep moving forward no matter how difficult. Just look at what your goal is and don’t give up. Plus this song has one hell of a guitar solo that is very motivating. Michael Jackson is one of my favorite artists and “Man in the Mirror” reminds me how important it is to try to do good in the world and make a positive change. Regardless of culture, color, religion, and disability, we are all capable of making good changes in the world. I tried this on a much smaller scale in high school by volunteering at the food pantry and community events. “Clint Eastwood” by Gorillaz is one of many songs by this group that I like. It’s not so much the words I relate to, but I love the animation in their music videos. I remember the first time I saw one of their videos I thought how cool and mysterious it was that we only see the singers as cartoons. We are never shown who they really are. I like the fact that it’s different. Different is good in my world. “Intergalactic” by Beastie Boys reminds me of breakdancing and dancing in general. I love to dance and looked forward to every prom and homecoming dance at high school. “Without Me” by Eminem reminds me that no matter how much people criticize you, you can be very successful at what you enjoy doing. The last song on my list is “Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand. To be honest, I just like the beat of the song and it’s one of those songs I listened to over and over in high school.

So that wraps up my Youth Culture blog. I hope it gave you a better understanding of how I relate to the assigned films. But let me make one thing clear, I do not relate to anything in the film Kids. Not one thing.

Below is my self portrait of what goes through my mind.

Artwork by: Marcello Laudato

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dragonprincefan · 6 years

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Hey Dragon Fans! Let’s do a round up of all the information we’ve gotten so far about The Dragon Prince! This is quite a lot of info, so I’ll be throwing the bulk of it under a cut. (There will be spoilers for episode 1 of the show below the cut.)

The Dragon Prince, developed by Wonderstorm Inc., animated by Bardel Entertainment, and distributed by Netflix will be releasing all the episodes of the first season on September 14, 2018.

The official summary is, “Two human princes forge an unlikely bond with the elven assassin sent to kill them, embarking on an epic quest to bring peace to their warring lands.”

You can watch the promotional trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Bf7JLnlOU

Promotional taglines used by the official accounts have been “Destiny is a book you write yourself!” and “dragon big”.

Netflix currently has the show rated as TV-Y7 for Fantasy Violence. The animation is cell-shaded CG, much like what you see in Fire Emblem, Guilty Gear, or Avatar: The Lost Episodes.

The show will have an accompanying video game developed by Wonderstorm* with the story tellers for both show and game working closely together to ensure the stories being told are well integrated and complementary.

Our lead characters for the Netflix series are Callum, the elder human prince, Ezran, the human crown prince, and Rayla, a Moonshadow Elven Assassin.

The universe The Dragon Prince takes place in is divided into two primary areas, Xadia, the magical lands in the East, and the five great human kingdoms in the West. Centuries ago, Thunder the King of Dragons guarded the border between Xadia and the Human Kingdoms.

In the TDP universe, there were originally six types of magic: moon, sun, stars, earth, ocean, and sky. Humans developed a seventh type of magic, Dark Magic. With Dark Magic you find a creature that has that magic as part of their essence, you consume it quickly, and it unleashes a great amount of magic quickly. Dark Magic became a shortcut to great, fast power, but led to corruption and was wielded at the expense of the varied, intelligent, and powerful magical creatures of Xadia. The dragons and the elves allied to try to put a stop to the humans’ use of Dark Magic, but the Dragon King Thunder was killed by humans using dark magic and Thunder’s only egg and heir, The Dragon Prince, was destroyed. Now the world stands on the edge of all out war...

The first episode is titled “Book 1: Moon, Episode 1: Echoes of Thunder” and was premiered at the SDCC 2018 panel. You can read IGN’s review of the episode here.

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE ONE BEGIN HERE

Ezran is scared of thunderstorms and likes to steal treats from the baker with his pet glow toad, Bait. Glow toads are described as “the Grumpy Cat of magical illusionary amphibians.”

Even though Callum is older he is not the crown prince because he is the stepson of the king. This means Callum and Ezran are half brothers. The condition and whereabouts of Callum and Ezran’s mother is reported to be a spoiler. The King is a black man, and it appears that Ezran may be biracial.

One of the royal guards Sorin/Soren/Zoren (spelling unknown) is tasked with training Callum in sword fighting. Callum is disinterested and prefers to draw, unless Soren’s sister, Claudia, is around. Callum appears to have a crush on Claudia, and Soren helps by going easy on him in sparring sessions in front of her. Claudia appears to be very studious and nearly runs into a tree while reading because she is too focused on her book. Claudia and Soren’s father is a highly placed lord and leader of the royal army/guard.

It looks like Callum will be learning to use magic over the course of the show. What type of magic he uses is currently unknown. Based on the trailer I think that may be Claudia also shown using magic. Regardless of her identity, I suspect what the dark haired female magic user in the trailer is using is the Dark Magic we’ve seen discussed.

The elves that Rayla is a member of are called Moonshadow Elves (white haired elves with dark horns) and they literally draw power from the moon. They are at thier strongest during the full moon. The bracelet Rayla wears was acquired during a ceremony swearing loyalty to the Dragon King’s cause/memory(?). Moonshadow Elves demonstrate at minimum some form of cloaking magic, but can still be detected by certain types of animals. Rayla has a Scottish accent.

Rayla is going to be something of a mysterious figure and strongly conflicted about her role in current events, “testing her sense of right and wrong.” She tries to tell herself that “an assassin does not decide right or wrong, only life and death.”*

When the Moonshadow Elves stage an attack on the castle, the King decides to send Callum and Ezran away for thier own safety. Meanwhile, Soren and Claudia are ordered by thier father to stop the assassins. Callum wants to help but is told he cannot because he is only 14 (and 3/4!) years old and he must be 15 to fight.

There was a black-haired guard in the first episode (the one attacked by Rayla) that had not been formally named, but when asked by the panel audience they named him Marcos.

END OF SPOILERS FOR EPISODE ONE

During the Q&A session (I’ve discussed this with several people who were in the room now trying to get clarity) it sounds like the question of if there would be LGBT+ representation in the show was very narrowly sidestepped. They told the panel audience that any sort of answer would be a spoiler. It seems likely that there will be LGBT+ representation, but it has not been explicitly promised, and I urge folk to temper expectations with the knowledge that while it’s wrong to use the TV-Y7 rating as a reason to not show canonically LGBT+ characters, it may end up being outside the Wonderstorm team’s hands to try to get it on screen. I’m cautiously optimistic. We’ll have to wait and see.

The staff did say they are strongly dedicated to creating an inclusive and diverse fantasy universe, with an especial focus on visible ethnic diversity. We can already see the beginning of that with the King and Ezran.

Being on Netflix permits the staff to do a darker take on the story than they might have been permitted on network television, and they’re excited to get to tell a complex and nuanced story that explores moral grays and the idea that there are both good and bad actors in every group and culture. That said, they want this series to be fun, light-hearted, and quirky too.

The SDCC panel gave away two goodies to anyone lucky enough to get into the panel, a large physical poster version of the concept art we first saw with the initial announcement and an enamel pin of Ezran’s pet glow toad, Bait. The backing for the enamel pin announced that Hot Topic will be carrying exclusive merchandise for The Dragon Prince beginning in September 2018.

(A big thank you to elventhespian, owldee, and kohisu for thier live blogs of the SDCC 2018 panel.)

Official TDP social media accounts:

Tumblr - @dragonprinceofficial

Twitter - @thedragonprince

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dragonprinceofficial/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dragonprinceofficial

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPn8cnHhLHMQrGCmS0K5aBQ

TDP CAST AND CREW

The show is being helmed by Aaron Ehasz (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Futurama) and Justin Richmond (Uncharted 2, 3, & 4). Other staff members include:

Executive Producer -- Giancarlo Volpe (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Star vs the Forces of Evil)

Composer -- Frederik Wiedmann (Green Lantern: The Animated Series, The Damned, Dying of the Light, various DC animated films)

Executive at Netflix -- Jenna Boyd (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Animation Directors -- Meruan Salim, Carlyle Wilson

Animation Coordinator -- Tony Power (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Lead Animator -- Brian Ahlf (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) , Eric Childs (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Brian Kavanagh (DinoTrux), Kevin Kyle (The Adventures of Puss in Boots), Jody Prouse (DinoTrux, The Adventures of Puss in Boots)

Other Wonderstorm Staff -- Robert Cogburn, Devon Giehl, Danika Harrod, Iain Hendry, Dan Liebgold, Lauren Topal, Neil Mukhopadhyay, Justin Santistevan, Lulu Younes

Various Animators, Storyboard & Graphic Artists, Directors, etc -- Sabrina Ali, Laura Ambrosiano, Nicki Bianchini, CT Chrysler, Frankie Franco III, Zakiah Grant, Chelsea Gratzlaff, Tim Kaminski, Erica Kim, Nasus Lee, Jessica Mahon, Katie Olson, Daniel Pira, Candice Prince‏, Devin Rosychuk, Alicia Schaeffer, Siggy Sigmond, Eman Thabet

Voice Actor [Callum] -- Jack DeSena (Sokka on Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Voice Actor [Ezran] -- Sasha Rojen (The Flash, iZombie)

Voice Actor [Rayla] -- Paula M. Burrows [@paulamburrows]

Voice Actor [Claudia] -- Racquel Belmonte [@raqattack5 | x] (Sira on Lego Elves)

Voice Actor [Soren] -- Jesse Inocalla [@jinocalla] (The Little Prince, Dead Rising 4)

Voice Actor [King Harrow] -- Luc Roderique [@lucroderique]

Voice Actor [Runaan] -- Jonathan Holmes

Voice Actor -- Rena Anakwe [@DJLadyLane | x] (Sapphire Shores on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Voice Actor -- Erik Todd Dellums [@ErikToddDellums | x | x] (Koh on Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Voice Actor -- Adrian Petriw [@adrianpetriw | x] (Adam in The Hollow)

Voice Actor -- Jason Simpson [@aboySimpson] (Cyclops on The Hollow)

I’m looking forward to having a fun fan experience with everyone in the months to come!

Fan accounts to watch on twitter: DragonPrinceFan, The Dragon Prince Podcast, and Mundo Avatar (news in Portuguese)

Dedicated fan accounts to watch on tumblr: @dragonprincefan and @tdp-news

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drabbles-and-shit · 6 years

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The Worst EgoBang Fic You’ve Ever Read

Once upon a time, not too long ago, there lived a funny man and a thin Jew with a fro...

“Aack! Dan!!” Arin threw his pillow across the floor in a fit of something akin to rage and romped his way over to his partner and friend, Daniel Avidan.

“What is it, Arin? Did you have a flashback Battle Kid? Or the Companion Spring? Or Sonic Boom? Or--”

“Nononononono,” Arin hastily interrupted. “I just realized that since Suzy is out of town doing something with her sister, I don’t have anyone to kiss when the ball drops tonight!”

Every year since he was born at age six, Arin had kissed someone as the new year turned, but this year it seemed he’d just be alone. He felt the tears rushing to his eyes, knowing full well that even Suzy could kiss her sister, but he had no one. Oh god, he was so alone!

“Hey big cat, it’s okay. We’ll figure something out!” Dan smiled warmly and put an arm around Arin’s shoulder’s. “Let’s find you someone to kiss!”

They searched all around for someone to kiss, but Arin’s mouth was gross and so were his lips

“I don’t know, Dan…” Arin looked very discouraged as they walked to Ross’ office.

“Don’t worry about it, bud!” Dan returned with a grin. “Ross is a good guy, even if he is an evil fucking sadist. C’mon!” He knocked on the door and waited for a second before walking in.

Ross was sitting at his desk, drawing or something. He looked up when they walked in, and Arin could see from where they stood that he had a milk mustache from probably about a week ago.

“Uhhhh, Danny,” Arin whispered. “Ross is nasty; I don’t want to kiss him.”

Dan just rolled his eyes and started to talk. He told Ross Arin’s predicament and waited as the Australian considered the proposal.

At last, Ross looked to Arin and said, “Look mate, I’m sorry, but I have to kiss Holly as the ball drops! And then we’re going to fry some shrimps on the barbee. You’re welcome to watch, but I don’t think she likes threeway kissing very much, so…”

Even though Arin didn’t want to kiss Ross’ gross face, he still felt dejected. If the most disgusting person at the office wouldn’t kiss him, then who would?

Around the office, the two boys did go. For someone to kiss, they searched high and low. Barry and Kevin and Jon were all gone, and Ninja Brian thought the whole thing was a yawn. They even asked Ryan and Matt, two college dropouts, but they just said, “We’re not gay,” and continued making out.

“Holy shit Dan,” Arin sobbed. “I’ve been married for years, but apparently I’ll never find love!!”

Daniel felt awful seeing his friend like this. He didn’t know what to do, what Arin would be okay with, what he might do if Dan suggested what had been in his heart from the very beginning. But he had to risk it. For Arin.

Just as it seemed his wish would never come true, and Arin was sulking in a pile of goo, Dan said, “Wait man, this can’t be the end. I’ll kiss your stupid face, because I’m your best friend.”

Arin’s head shot up at the words, and hope filled his once-dead eyes. “Y-you really me it?” his words warbled out, tears and snot everywhere.

Dan grinned, “Of course I do, silly. I’d do anything for you!”

Finally, Arin smiled too. He tentatively reached a hand out towards Dan’s, and Dan took it without hesitation, his ridiculously huge thumb rubbing circles in Arin’s palm.

They stood like that for a second, staring deeply into each others’ eyes until the moment was broken by a stupid Australian voice yelling, “It’s time!! It’s almost midnight!”

Together, they rushed to the room where the TV was playing the Time’s Square footage, and with their hands still clasped, they awaited the fateful moment.

“Five, four,” everyone was shouting in unison, “three, two, one!!!”

Suddenly, the world went white for both Arin and Dan. To Arin, it was something completely new and unheard of. Certainly, he’d made his jokes about him and Dan, but it had never crossed his mind that something could ever actually happen between them. But to Dan, this was something he had been imagining since he first met Arin. Oh, how had imagined those soft, supple lips. This was it, the culmination of all his sexual hopes and dreams, and Danny knew that now, his life was complete. He didn’t need any more, but he couldn’t have lived with any less.

“Dan,” Arin whispered softly as they pulled away. “What...what does this mean?” He looked so anxious and so unsure, and Danny couldn’t help but pull him into his arms and hold him tight.

“It only means what you want it to mean, my love,” he replied.

Arin couldn’t move. He couldn’t think. What did he want? What truly? At last, he figured it out. He knew. “Dan, what I want…” he paused. After a moment of deep thought, he went on. “What I want… IS FOR EVERYONE TO BUY OUR NEW GAME GRUMPS T-SHIRT!!!”

And so, just like that, all the relationships could stay strong, and all the greater grew their loving bonds. Arin and Suzy lived happily ever more, and Dan probably fell in love with Manticore.

~~THE END~~

#game grumps #polygrumps #egobang #arin hanson #dan avidan #danny sexbang #egoraptor #fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 #stupid #one shot

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lycanlagoon · 7 years

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TWRPtober Day 1 - Hawaii

I knew I wanted to draw the boys in their Ninja Brian’s Luau Spectacular outfits and I thought I would add some Alolan pokemon to further the Hawaii theme

I’d like to draw the rest of them with pokemon and hawaiian shirts too but this took a lot longer than expected haha

Thanks to @thelovelyblark-barg for the picture I used of Tux Havve as reference

#TWRPtober #twrp #sandslash #alolan sandslash #havve hogan #inktober #ice #steel #pokemon #crossover

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abandonedabandoned · 7 years

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WKM Livestream Live Thoughts

WKM Remastered

READY

I wonder how much the house they rented costs

how MUCH is that TYYYler in the Windowwww

YES ITS CANONICALLY WILFORD

IT WASNT INTENDED TO BE WILFORD

Y/N Districy Attorney, Yancy Nancy, Yes No District Attorney

Chef is the same dude? Maybe

Not looking forward to the breakdown scene

1st person videos is marks brand

how ELSE will they know hes the mayor

LITTLE BUDDY WAS JUST THERE????

DAMIEN DID THE KEGSTAND

“Life is for the living”

“Life is ours to choose”

“Life needs a bit of madness”

The dance foreshadows EVERYTHING??

Detective pointing fingers

Mad at Mark

Damien is in the “upside down”

Chef is scary but working

All the detectives partners die, some in ironic ways

awww Ethannn

Kernal and Detective fight

GUN GUN GUN, oh russian roulette

The only one who cares is Damien

“the wife of ninja brian” What

out of the bluUUUUE

life is ours to shoOoOeEes

THATS LEGIT MARK FALLING ON THE GROUND

The skin color was just lighting, alright

who ARE all those dudes

‘killed’ doesnt do lightning

1:30 is an important time

Mayor is LEGIT upset

Kernal aint give a shit

Canon he HAS been in jumanji

broken wine? broken wine

1 am, and the rule of three?

hes been friends with kids

WITH mark since they were kids, ALSO with kernal too

HEY KERNAL

so its NOT in 2017

Plenty of experience on the matter

KEEP THE WINK IN YOUR MIND

FIVE WINKS

“Not even all in the same day”

Kernal and Celine ran off

ITS LEGIT MARKS UNDERWEAR

on the second floor and you go to the first???

thats not dark glitch, ah

i love how they keep saying Whip

THATS THE KERNALS CLOTHES BACK THERE

tasteful wilford nudes

BEFORE I COULD FINGER YOU

AS THE MURDERER

mark and wilford grew up in the SAME HOUSE

wants to provide for his family AND THEYRE ALL DOLLS IN HIS TRAILER thats actually cute

he wanted to be a tv chef!!!!!

shes trustworthy bc shes a pretty lady

muhhhhhhllllllllllLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLl

celine jesus fuck

the placement WAS intentional!!

“why DOES markiplier is killed??”

“dark arts” WITCHCRAFT ISNT DARK ARTS MARK YOU FUCKER

DOPE

“damien and celine are brother and sister” :v? possibl?

THREE WEEKS AT CULINARY SCHOOL

god this stream is so long

i love the gardener

ethan what the fuck

ITS CAUSE HE HASNT BEEN IN THE HOUSE I TOLD ALL OF YOU

fuckers

this is the greatest scene

THAT THERES THE REASON

she is possessed at this point and damien was with her when it happened

HE SURE DIDNT PREVENT SHIT

chef and george are bff’s someone draw that

celine did not kill damien so theres that

tyler never show that photo again

butler voice: fuck this shit im out (mmhmmmm) fuck this shit im out. i dont even know what the Fuc just happened, i dont even care, ima get the fuck up outta he(fuck this shit im Out)

#yoink

its the upsidedown!

i LOVE the stalker wall for this

ive been watching this for like six hours straight

the house didnt want you to see it yet!!!!!

THE HOUSE IS. THE REASON ITS WEIRD

ohhh the newspapers arent canon shit

fun fact i tried to dial the phone number before i realized it was the FUCKING SONG NUMBER

i spell it as kernal no matter what mark fuck yall

:( wilford

oh my god they were roomates

th WHAT

thats a Dog. Go pro. mount.

iT wAs An AcCiDeNt

“madness” thats called Psychosis

thats Not mark saying its not fair

ok thats damien

celine stopped damien from talking about this

shot thru the heart. and youre toooo blame

did.... mark do all that stuff to himself?

emotion room emotion room

fuckin crazy echo chamber house

mark didnt think celine would be there

Dark is not celine and damien

Mark wanted to frame Kernal

AND STEAL KERNALS BODY

HOOOOOOO

IS DARKIPLIER THE FUCKING HOUSE

DARK IS BASICALLY THE HOUSE

wilford was sitting there with the cane and your body the entire night

dont break my heart again

ITS PINK BECAUSE ITS FADED

im gonna fuck the house

“this is terrifyingly sad” YEAH MARK IT GAVE ME A PANIC ATTACK

OH dark Is damien and celine??

Clue -> Nightcrawler -> Origin Story

in conclusion FUCK YALL

mark asked kernal to drink, offered a game of russian roulette,

thats marks canon tho

DEAR LORD

#watch the sky #markiplier #who killed markiplier #live stream #yoink

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robotnik-mun · 7 years

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Robotnik Art Historia- Part Two: The Road to Endgame

Hello there, and welcome to the Robotnik Art Historia, where we journey through the various artistic interpretations of the dearly depraved doc over the course of Archie Sonic’s existence!

In this installment, we observe some the later artists who contributed over the course of what was considered The Classic Era, leading up to issue 50. While many of the regular artists were firmly in place by this point (Manak, Spaziante and Mawhinney), there were still others who would step up from time to time. Many of these artists worked sporadically on the book during this time and after it, with one rather major exception- none the less, each one put a fairly unique stylistic spin on the doc, for better or worse. And that’s what this is all about.

6. Brian Thomas

Brian Thomas, prior to coming to Sonic, was an artist for Archie’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Adventures book, and also did work on the ‘Mighty Mutanimals’ spinoff. By this point the Archie TMNT comic had been cancelled for a while now, and it was likely he was bumped onto the TMNT book under the basis that his experience in drawing humanoid animals would be a boon. Jury’s out on that front, but he wasn’t a bad fit all the same. His Robotnik tended to be drawn with somewhat thin limbs, and he made Robotnik’s nose more bulbous...in that respect, his design was actually closer to that of the Sonic games than the SatAM show.

7. Richard Koslowski

Rich Koslowski was an inker who got to do pencils for a single story, issue 37′s “Bunnie’s Worst Nightmare”. There is not a lot to say about his take on Robotnik other than the fact that he seems to be a middle ground between Mawhinney’s and Thomas’, possessing the visible black pupils of the latter and the overgrown nose of the other. Uniquely though, his depiction of Robotnik would see to treat what is normally Robotnik’s iris as being his actual eye, with the black ‘sclera’ seemingly being the shadows around his eye, a creative conceit that was actually contemplated in SatAM’s concept art before moving on to the final design. An interesting coincidence, to be sure.

8. Manny Galan

A fresh young face at Archie, Galan much like Spaz took some time to really get things down right, but to his credit Galan really managed to do Robotnik justice, drawing him as a massive, menacing sort that was all too appropriate for the character. Galan started out on the Sonic book proper, but his ‘big break’ came when he did the art on the Sonic Quest miniseries. Galan would then become particularly famous for being the main artist on the Knuckles the Echidna series. Over time his style would evolve to become more anime-esque, but whatever the particular period, he always drew the Big Round Guy Well.

9. Kyle Hunter

Working primarily as a colorist, Kyle Hunter did pencils for exactly one issue of Sonic, so there’s not a lot to say really. His take on Robotnik is fairly standard, though weirdly enough he was depicted as ultra-detailed on the first page and then far toonier on the second. Why this is, I have no idea- but either way, his Robotnik was competently handled if not particular noteworthy, seeming to take cues from Spaz’s depiction.

10. Nelson Ortega

Nelson Ortega is a bit of an odd one. He did several issues for the book, and a lot of that artwork looks... kinda lousy, in all honesty. However, his one bit of Pro-Art, pictured on the left there, demonstrates that he is in fact a stellar artist. This leads me to believe that the lack of skill demonstrated in the book proper may fall on the inker... who, ironically enough, was the previously examined Brian Thomas. Anyway, despite the problems with the final art in the book, his depiction of Robotnik is pretty impressive all the same, ESPECIALLY in the pro-art piece. It’s just a shame would couldn’t have seen more like the latter rather than the former.

11. Sam Maxwell

One of the last additions to the ‘classical’ era of the book, Sam Maxwell’s style tended to throw a lot of people for a loop. VERY rubbery and cartoony, many have claimed that his characters look like they’re stuffed with balloons, and a lot of the times the proportions on his characters would shift from page to page or even panel to panel. How good or bad a fit he was depends on your personal tastes, and honestly I always kinda liked his style. His Robotnik was also pretty distinct looking, with a lot of emphasis placed on his teeth and the absolutely MASSIVE size of his ear implants. Maxwell would linger on a while after Endgame and even contribute a bit of pro-Art before disappearing into the ether.

And with that, the second installment of the Robotnik Art Historia comes to a close! Sufficed to say, the art didn’t want for variety in these days, and that trend would continue in the time period we’ll be covering tomorrow- the Post Endgame Era!

#Sonic the Hedgehog #Archie #Robotnik Art Historia

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renaramblesaboutcomics · 7 years

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Wednesday Roundup 11.10.2017

It’s that time of a week again where I prove to be nothing if not a complete glutton for punishment, which apparently includes having way too many trades preordered on the same week by magical coincidence. It’s like the old saying, when it rain it pours. And sometimes it’s just ridiculous.

But we’re seeing the closing a few storylines, the beginning of a few, and just a general large array of comics at our disposal, including more of the Marvel Primers. So I say we just dig right into it.

Marvel’s All-New Wolverine, Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, DC’s Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, Marvel’s Captain America, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s Immortal Iron Fists, DC’s New Super-Man, Image’s Rat Queens, DC’s Red Hood and the Outlaws, Marvel’s Runaways, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe

Marvel’s All-New Wolverine (2015-present) #25 Tom Taylor, Juann Cabal, Nolan Woodard

Will I ever run out of good things to say about All-New Wolverine? No? Good. I wouldn’t want to be dishonest and that would be the only way I’d have negative things to say about my love for this series.

Story: So believe it or not, the relationship between Daken and Laura is something I have desperately wanted to see more of. In the Daken/X-23 crossover they had a few years ago, I really felt like we got somewhere with their relationship, and the bits and pieces since then have really helped my attitude only grow stronger on the subject. So seeing Taylor hint at it growing more in the last arc, and knowing it would be delivered on in this arc has me SO excited about what is to come.

You know. When Daken is around for more than an awesome bar fight that... leads to his dismembered arm being hung from a bridge. THAT old plot device. I’m a little sad to see that Gabby is being left behind (especially since her outfits never cease being adorable and hilarious) but knowing that we’re dealing with Mutant Bigots this time around somewhat made me appreciate that decision. I worry way too much about Gabby to take that at face value.

And then that cliffhanger hits like a freight train and it’s like WHAAAAT. But no like what. Oh my god. Is this real? I know we have to wait a month but. uh. Kudos, Tom Taylor. I am not often surprised by characters seemingly returning from the dead anymore. To say this was not expected is VASTLY underplaying my shock.

Art: There have been a lot of great artists on this title and I don’t think Juann Cabal is an exception to that rule. He has solid character art, lots of good control of backgrounds and paneling, and got pretty inventive with combining flashbacks with Laura’s current travels and actions. And the bar scene with Daken was just fantastic all around like, a simple but highly effective action sequence and I’m really excited to see what action he’ll draw Laura herself in as we carry on.

Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (2016-present) #12 Ryan Stegman, Brian Level, Jesus Aburtov

We wrap up another storyline of what has quickly become my favorite Spidey series of the ‘10s and it comes with highest of highs and lowest of lows. And lots and lots of adorable hugs.

Story: I was concerned that with the pacing we had had for this storyline up to this point that there would be a lot of things that would have to be knitted together a bit too tight or not at all, and that definitely seemed to be the case. We flew through this issue with revelations hitting in waves. Ms. January was the villain all along, Normie is suddenly a perfectly normal kid who was just misled, the symbiote is removed from MJ using sonic waves, Annie saves her parents, and just overall there was a lot that happened within this single comic. It all made emotional sense, and the hug between Annie and Normie at the end, bringing their family feud at last to an end, felt completely right.

I liked small callouts like having Liz be the parent Normie needed, the X-Men coming to help the Parker family, and the amazing banter between MJ and Peter, but I think because there was so much fit into this last issue there felt like a bit of continuity bending to make logical sense where the emotions didn’t quite carry us. Like Normie’s... complete change in character. And Ms. January’s apparent obsession/love of Harry and need to avenge him. These things make sense if they fed into each other -- Ms. January’s influence inspiring Normie to cut his mother out of his life even more than she had been already and then feeding him more and more hatred toward Spider-Man by saying that it was his fault. But that doesn’t make so much sense with what we read in the issues before, specifically the issue where Normie took up arms to protect his company and revealed his backstory through his own internal monologue and flashbacks.

So while this confrontation has been 12 issues in the build up, the resolution mostly came... only from this issue. Maybe the last two issues, too, if we’re being generous.

The epilogue confuses me. It feels like Renew Your Vows is trying to wrap itself up and yet I know from solicits that it’s not, but we are justifying a timeskip to eight years in the future so that artists have an excuse to draw a teenage girl in a tighter costume -- I MEAN BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TELL MORE TEEN ORIENTED STORIES OBVIOUSLY. But I worry that this change is going to make what has been a unique take on the Parker-Watson family and turn it into Sider-Girl Lite, which is unfair to everyone all around. Also were they... not operating for those eight years? Why is the new costume a big deal for her eighteenth birthday? How much sense would it make for them to just... suddenly find a way to stop Annie from going out as a superhero with them when the whole point of the past 12 issues is that they couldn’t.

What about Dr. Connors and his son? What about Annie’s additional precognitive powers? Did she end up going to the Xavier institute?

I feel like I was asked to bite off a bit too much in this issue, and as much as I enjoyed it and enjoyed this series, I feel this is a rare storyline where I actually would have preferred an extra issue to set all of this up.

Art: The art is beautiful. Soft and textured but also sweeping and animatic like you would want for any good Spidey story. And considering that there has been a fair rotation of art teams on this book since the first issue, I really appreciate how much they worked toward giving the book a consistent style of its own. It was neat and helped even artist style changes feel coherent still and I’m really interested to see if this dedication to that continues, especially since the epilogue appeared to have a different feel to it.

It’ll be interesting to see next month either way.

DC’s Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (2016-present) #15 Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, Roge Antonio, Marcelo Maiolo

Well, I’m sure for 99% of you this is an unexpected addition to the roster. For those unaware, I have put the first volume of Batgirl and the Birds of Prey on blast on my personal blog @renaroo for having some things I consider to be insufferable in regards to the handling of Barbara and specifically the consistent villainization of Oracle. Which you know, I’m about sick of.

So why am I picking up BoP now? Simple: Cass is going to start appearing regularly beginning with this particular storyline and I will support her here since for finances I’ve had to move ‘Tec to trade wait.

and oh boy. This is. Something.

Story: So there’s this old episode of the animated Justice League series where an Amazon OC standing in for Donna Troy unleashed a plague on Earth that only affected men and it was putting all men in comas and the such and it left the only two women of a seven-person Justice League because of course there were only two women to deal with it and save the world... well half of it. It was broad strokes of feminism as written by men which included Diana being the strawwoman feminist who couldn’t understand if losing men (including her friends???) would doom society and Hawkgirl being the relatable cool egalitarian alien bird woman to be all “guuurrrrrlllll you need to respect men more”. It’s like. The episode i remember the most from my childhood and I hate it with the burning passion of a thousand suns.

Apparently I’m not the only one who remembers it however because that... that is the plot of this storyline. I don’t know why they couldn’t just bring back the ebola plague from Batman: Contagion which was a legitimately good storyline I like but we’re doing the... gender specific plague.

Are they going to address trans men and women? How is this disease preying specifically on men? Is it magical in origin and that why it follows no rules? Why is Lois here? Is Wonder Woman here just because of that Justice League episode?

I don’t know.

I appreciate that we didn’t waste a whole lot of time with Batwoman’s squad duking it out with Babsgirl’s squad over whether or not antiheroes who.... one of which she’s worked with before and... another of which she knows for a fact is... engaged to her cousin. But whatever. Also Steph in her post-Belfry uniform is... going along with this okay. I’m picking too much but there’s a lot of what in those four pages.

I do appreciate that the dialogue seemed to match everyone’s character very well, and Oliver and Dinah were hysterical and lovable together. .... But damn is it difficult to wrap my head around Babs’ character anymore. Like literally falling to her knees and tearing up begging Poison Ivy (who she was friends with in the previous BoP???? which is sitll canon bc they bring it up???) to help because “people she loves” are affected by the disease like. It’s the antithesis of the Babs I knew and was familiar with and admired in the day but. I guess that’s the Babs we have now. And I’m just... supposed to roll with it I guess.

Also enjoyed Helena being a teacher again, that was awesome. Even if her calling up Dick instead of Babs was... still difficult to process but whatever.

Art: It’s good! Really consistent, the lineart was sometimes a little softer than I prefer, but there were varied bodytypes and lots of good action sequences handled concisely enough that it didn’t feel like panel space was wasted. I really enjoyed it overall.

Marvel’s Captain America - Marvel Legacy Primer Page Robbie Thompson, Valerio Schiti

I have been pretty vocal in my disdain for how Marvel has handled Cap for the last two years and I join pretty much everyone in a chorus of “how can you misunderstand something so bad” but at the same time I’m... just tired. And it’s hard to even be excited at the fact that the reign of Spencer is over because it feels like the enjoyment and interest I’ve felt for Cap for all this time is simply used up. which is why a primer like this is really something that I needed. I needed to see a reminder that Cap punches Nazis and Hydra and Marvel -- or at least some people at Marvel remember that still. I don’t want that history gone, cosmic cubed or otherwise. And given Waid and Samnee’s interviews it seems they’re going to push for just that.

Here’s hoping they accomplish it because even these three pages of Cap acting like Cap again was enough to make me smile at least a little.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy - Marvel Legacy Primer Page Robbie Thompson, Marcus To

If I was going for snark and snark alone here I would begin and end this with “why is Scott Lang here” because no really why is Scott Lang with the Guardians of the Galaxy. And it’s something I shouldn’t be asking because I really have still -- even in liking the movies as much as I do -- not found myself any more persuaded to read into the space opera stuff over at Marvel. It’s just not something I want in my life right now.

Marcus To’s art is very nice, though, and usually worth it on its own. Even if I’m beginning to notice a touch of samefaceness in the art style At least it’s a very pretty face.

Marvel’s Immortal Iron Fists (2017) #6 (of 6) Kaare Andrews, Afu Chan, Shelly Ghen

Immortal Iron Fists has come to an end and I’m both saddened and yet incredibly enthusiastic about how everything turned out!

Story: So I feel like it should not have taken the better part of 5 issues for me learn that Pei and her friends are sixteen and not... middle schoolers despite how they were drawn and how they acted as way way younger than that. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that... it’s not that they’re drawn or written younger, it’s that it’s that unusual to find an American comic that actually shows teenagers appropriately and that helped me gain a whole new respect for a series that I was already very much enjoying.

Everyone coming together and remembering Pei for the impact we have seen her make in their lives, Pei fully realizing her power as Iron Fist, and the general fun of a huge climactic battle that was a three way fight between Pei, demons, and the Mother of All Dragons is probably one of the most bombastic that can be asked for. And I love that Brenda made a comeback after her truly terrible exit from the finale of Immortal Iron Fist under Andrews, but at the same time don’t... really care for how it wasn’t set until last issue.

All the positives of this story almost make me overlook the unnecessary, though appreciably subverted, kiss of life Pei gives her guy friend and I love that Danny, man serial dater that he is, is flumexed by this turn of events.

Everything is fun and delightful and I really really appreciate how dedicated this comic was from beginning to end to be Pei’s story and not letting that focus escape it the entirety of the six issues.

Also Brenda flying off on the Mother of All Dragons at the end and being like stfu Danny you ruined a good thing was hysterical and I loved it.

Art: There was definitely more production in this finale There seemed to be a lot more variation in coloring and textures, and even the characters seemed to keep almost perfectly on model the entire time. The one distraction of note, though, was that Pei... developed more into a traditional teenager look by the end... by which I mean.... boobs are now a thing and I’m not sure if it was just that she wore thicker clothes throughout the story or if it was because much like myself, the art team realized last issue for the first time that Pei was a sixteen year old and not... twelve. Anyway. It was a little distracting, but the increase in panel variation and high number of action sequences definitely made the story far more fulfilling in my view.

DC’s New Super-Man (2016-present) Vol. 2: Coming to America Gene Luen Yang, Billy Tan, Viktor Bogdanovic

After what felt like a long wait, we join Kenan and the rest of the Justice League of China once more on a bombastic quest as written by Gene Luen Yang. And much like last time, the results are rather unexpected and honestly kind of remarkable.

Story: Going off of my experiences with Yang’s work, I really feel like his passion in storytelling lies in finding the balance between the question of identity and how identity is formed by the cultures that nurtured us and how it is formed by the influences of the cultures around us. I think that was the main focus of American Born Chinese but it really is beginning to shine through Kenan’s adventures here as the New Super-Man and how much of the titular’s character is being drawn from the two huge influences he is feeling -- the pressures and dangers of the Chinese government and culture, and the admiration and sometimes oppressive shadows of the American culture that he is both attempting to copy as Super-Man and attempting to circumvent by finding the focus of his powers in Chinese philosophies and values.

And I think that’s where his supporting cast -- Wonder-Woman and Bat-Man and now also Avery Ho’s take on the Flash -- are really coming into play. While Kenan is being torn back and forth by his responsibilities and his bombastic self-absorption both in his internal conflict and his external conflict of learning the truth of his parents, we are getting a broader exposure to what being a superhero in China means as opposed to the normalcy we’ve come to expect from Western comics.

Bat-Man is just as influenced by his family as Batman, but the pressures are more in the focus on building his exceptionalism and in differing from his sister on whether to stay within a system that robs children of their childhoods and individuals of their sense of self, or to find purpose within that system and excel based upon the traits which only he can bring.

Wonder-Woman, like Wonder Woman, is derived from myth and legend but instead of a Western legacy, it is purely Chinese and her alienation and stand offish nature initially toward the rest of her team only makes that much more sense given what has brought her to her current state. She is a myth, a legend herself, but she is nearly forgotten by the current times -- Kenan even has to be told the story of her origins by Bat-Man -- and her finding the will to fit into a China that is so influenced by external cultures and influences are a struggle we’re only now beginning to appreciate.

And finally, with Flash, a Chinese-American, we’re going to receive yet another wild perspective, and considering Kenan’s already developing friendship with Avery I imagine that this is a perspective that will only receive more focus in stories to come. And I perceive that Yang’s inclinations to reference the struggles of culture and self-identity are going to be explored further here.

All around i greatly enjoyed this volume and am looking forward to the continuation now that Kenan has finally learned the truth about his family. There are a lot of interesting new angles to explore and I hope we do just that.

Art: The art is really reminiscent of Greg Capullo’s run on Batman, but has a whole lot more color and variety breathed into it which I personally really appreciate. The colors do a good job of presenting the differences in everyone’s base personalities and also makes the action sequences easier to follow even as the action itself becomes increasingly complex. The page layouts were fairly reserved considering the DC standard lately, but I personally appreciated it because it kept the focus on the storytelling and in doing so enhanced the nuances therein.

Great work all around, and yet another enjoyable volume.

Image’s Rat Queens (2013-present) Vol. 4: High Fantasies Kurtis J. Wiebe, Owen Gieni, Ryan Ferrier

I only recently jumped on the barge for Rat Queens and I’ve been more than happy with the results of caving to the advice of many friends. Because what is better than female-full cast of hilarious and dramatic DnD like adventures with more swearing than a naval ship? I gotta say, not much!

Story: So compared to the previous volumes, I actually found High Fantasies to feel like it had a lot less at stake. Although part of that may just be that I was somewhat anticipating a Betty-centric volume finally to elevate her out of being the shroom eating comic relief and bring more of the assassination attempts and her outlaw past into the forefront. And that’s clearly a problem of my own expectations and not necessarily the story’s fault itself. That said, the focus on Vol. 4 being on a gender bent loser version of the Rat Queens was pretty funny but also not something I would have thought carried enough weight to pivot as the main plot, but that would be just me.

I do appreciate Braga being in a larger role this time around, and really I wish we could see more less human creatures on the roster in general. It was also a huge heartwarming feeling to have Hannah more comfortable around her Queens and even showing some horns now and then in public. It feels like a huge progression of her character, even as she spends a fair amount of time earning the girls’ ire and.... walking in on naked mayors. As you do.

Basically Vol. 4 isn’t as character centric as the previous volumes have been, but it is a great adventure that feels like a good ol’ fashion DnD campaign with the friends you love at the helm and for fantasy nerds like me that’s more than enough to bring me back into the story.

Art: The art is always spectacular with Rat Queens, but I did find that this volume -- mostly as a result of not going to as many unestablished and important/original locations, did have a significant lack f inventive background use. That’s not always a slam on art, really the art was very good, and I actually am just... happy to not have Upchurch as the artist, honestly. That alone is worth three and a half gold stars. Though the whole controversy there is still my largest apprehension with the series at this point.

DC’s Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016-present) Vol. 2: Who is Artemis? Scott Lobdell, Dexter Soy, Kenneth Rocafort

Okay who authorized this? Who made this comic exist and who made it be actually good?? Because I didn’t and I feel offended at the amount of emotions that were forced upon me in this single volume of a comic written by Scott friggin’ Lobdell of all people. You couldn’t have told me a month ago that I would be enjoying anything that was remotely connected to Scott Lobdell and expect me not to laugh hard enough I’d bring myself to tears.

And yet here we are.

Story: Having learned a bit from how lackluster the attempts of balancing the concentration of the narrative was for his previous incarnations of the Outlaws, Lobdell somehow learned how to, y’know, write an ensemble narrative that is still heavily Jason Todd’s perspective, but does not lose any opportunities to expand on or even concentrate on the stories and character development of Bizarro and Artemis. oth of which are shockingly well handled and shockingly controlled, well paced, and interwoven into each other’s stories.

Like legitimately, did someone nab the Lobdell who wrote decent 90s Marvel comics and put him on this project? Because that feels like the kind of bizarre logic that would seem acceptable at this point.

Now, of course, it’s not perfect. Far from it. But at the end of the day we got an intriguing ongoing story, a team building exercise, Jason’s internal struggle personified both through his inner monologue and flashbacks, but also moments like his sparing of Bizarro whic not only didn’t have overly wordy exposition bringing attention to it, but was strong enough and meaningfully enough that from it alone we could see what Jason couldn’t: he is not as lost, he is not as amoral, and he’s not as cold as he has tried desperately to prove himself to be.

I actually found the take on Artemis and the Bana Mighdall pretty interesting in this retelling, and I like that we have a rogue Amazon as a new enemy for the team.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m super excited to see what will come after this.

Art: There was a range of artists, which is fine, the industry standard of pushing out these comics with the turnaround that they do does cause some disconnect, but for the most part an artist stayed for at least the completionof their storyline and then she was. And overall the trade still fel tconsistent, with some artists just standing out more than other.

Marvel’s Runaways (2017-present) #2 Rainbow Rowell, Kris Anka, Matthew Wilson

The new run of Runaways absolutely blew me away last month by shooting any and all expectations I had right through the skylight and beyond, so a good premise with beloved characters and a set in conflict really leads to a question of how do the pieces fall in order?

Story: I absolutely adore how Gert being the heart and glue of the family is being so blatantly emphasized throughout this (and that Old Lace is back). I also love that... honestly the trauma and lingering horrors Chase and Nico have survived in particular are being treated as real and damning in the eyes of someone who knew them only two years ago already. But most of all I love the emotional balance. Gert’s anger and disappointment are justified, but her crudeness and accusatory nature are also clearly shown as being wrong and too subjective. The important thing to her, and thus to the group, is to come together again. And I love that it is her prime motivation through and through.

That all being said, after such a bombastic first issue, it was a little difficult to have the momentum come to a halt so quickly. I don’t want to be taken wrong, I love issues where comics take their time and really meditate on the characters, their reactions to evens former and to come, and really develop relationships and the such. But it does feel a little unnatural to have that only two issues in when the previous issue was SO incredibly packed.

I’m still fascinated with where we can go from here and very excited to see that Victor, Xavin, and Klara might not be destined to eternal obsecurity like I assumed when the book was first announced.

Art: Honestly I’m still amazed at just how fantastic the art really is in this comci. .It’s SO good and the designs for all the characters are simply gorgeous. Though probably the best thing about all of it is the great coloring we see done here. Top notch.

Marvel’s Spider-Man - Marvel Legacy Primer Page Robbie Thompson, Valerio Schiti

I think I know less about what Marvel plans to do with Miles these days than Marvel knows what to do with Miles, which is horrifying because I just set that bar about as low as it could possibly have gone. But we.... have Rio Morales back which is the big reason I stopped keeping up with Miles to begin with so yay? I don’t know.

I feel like this primer is actually aimed at fans like me who got off the wagon back when the Ultimate title lost most of its steam both from killing off too many of Miles’ personal supporting cast and becoming too much about tertiary cast’s origins and then Peter Parker returning to life and stuff’s weird. This feels like a big neon sign that says “Things are back! The origin’s the same! Do not look behind the curtain!” It makes me curious but also apprehensive at the same time.

also can we get robbie thompson to write miles’ book and bendis let someone else write some books already jfc this was such a relief.

IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe (2016-present) Vol. 2 Nick Pitarra, John Lees, Brahm Revel, Ryan Ferrier, Adam Gorham, Sophie Campbell, Bobby Curnow, Pablo Tunica

So unlike the rest of the reviews, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe doesn’t really fit my review format since it’s more like a collection of vignettes across the TMNT universe that feed into the main book and each story is written and drawn by a different team, so it wouldn’t have that same cohesion.

As the giant Ninja Turtle fan that I am and probably always will be, I can’t get enough of the mythos and the characters in TMNT, so having a book that has a solid, even meditative point of just exploring smaller stories and little character developments that wouldn’t fit in the very tight and controlled narrative of the main title is something of a perfect godsend to me. I love it in concept and in execution.

One thing I worry about, however, is that there definitely seems to be a lot of stories here that feel necessary to keeping up with the main series. Such as the story of how Alopex and Angel ran into the Toad Baron and escaped -- that was a pretty crucial piece of information for the Eternals storyline a few issues back in the main book. So it feels like more and more, because of how tight and concentrated the main book is, they’re using books like Universe to fill in everything else, including buildup to larger more important narratives. And while that’s fine and even something I enjoy, it’s a move that will really push people to start being more choosy with their books. It’s much like keeping up with Transformers right now, and that tends to lead to some mixed bags. But I suppose we’ll trust and see.

At the end of the day, I have to pick the comics that really stuck with me the most. And while I was a little disappointed by a few titles this week, there was a pretty intense competition between the ones that genuinely caught me and made me really feel while reading them. And I think by that measurement I have to give the Pick of the Week this time around to the conclusion of Immortal Iron Fists. I was so worried about how this story could wrap everything up and it’s with mother flipping dragons that’s how. I love it. I love Pei and I love her being officially adopted by Danny who is TOTAL ridiculous dad now. This is the kind of Immortal Iron Fist I am happy to support.

As far as trades go... wow I for some reason was not anticipating getting slammed as much as I did, but I really didn’t feel like any of the books let me down. They were all pretty amazing and I felt like I also managed to incidentally cover the entire span of comic book genres and types in a matter of two days, which let’s admit it, pretty impressive. I feel like the new releases this week are honestly a harder competition than the single issues but twist my arm, surprising no one nearly as much as I’m surprising myself here, I have to pick Red Hood and the Outlaws for managing to be a comic that... is unexpectedly good and unexpectedly sincere and unexpectedly emotionally motivating in ways that I wish... more comics... were? I just. have a real hard time complimenting Lobdell after tearing his books a new one for..... six years straight now. But... thank you? for writing well? And making me feel things? For Jason Todd, Bizarro, and Artemis? Am I doing this right?

And those are the comics for this week! Did you happen to agree with me? Disagree? Think I missed out on picking up a comic that was good? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

But before I let you go, I have to (yes have to) plug once more:

I have exactly a month to pack up everything I own and move halfway across the country again which is not helping those financial crunches I mentioned before either.

As such, I really would appreciate if you enjoy my content or are interested in helping me out, please check out either my Patreon or PayPal. Every bit helps and I couldn’t thank you enough for enjoying and supporting my content.

You could also support me by going to my main blog, @renaroo, where I’ll soon be listing prices and more for art and writing commissions.

RenaRoo Ko-Fi

RenaRoo Patreon

RenaRoo PayPal

#Rena Roundups #Wednesday Spoilers #SPOILERS #New Superman (2016 )#Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016 )#All New Guardians of the Galaxy (2017 )#Captain America (2017 )#Spiderman (2016 )#Immortal Iron Fists (2017)#Amazing Spiderman: Renew Your Vows (2016 )#All New Wolverine (2015 )#Runaways (2017 )#Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (2016 )#Rat Queens (2013 )

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grumpgays · 7 years

Text

Picnic Date

Pairing: Ninja Ship party

Prompt: Dan and Brian on a picnic date? (from @grumpyhanson!)

Read on AO3

Thanks to Nathan for the prompt! Want me to write something for you? Message me!

Dan was tired. Afterall, he had spent all night making sure his picnic date with Brian would go perfectly. Driving to different to pick up his favorite snacks, preparing some of the food, and finding the perfect park with the perfect place for their picnic- a spot at the crest of a hill, overlooking most of L.A.. It was 5 am when Dan finally got to bed, but even then he didn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, nervous about his first date. ‘What if I fuck this up?,’ he kept asking himself. ‘What if Brian hates me and never wants to talk to me again after this?’ The only thing that could get him to calm down were Arin’s sequelitis videos. And before Dan knew it, he was falling to sleep.

When Danny awoke, it was 11:30, giving him thirty minutes until his date. Thirty minutes to get ready, prepare the supplies, and drive to the park. That was thirty minutes away. Shit. Dan rocketed out of bed, and the took the quickest shower of his life. Fortunately, he had pre-picked his outfit and was able to get dressed and brush his teeth in three minutes. He quickly threw the food into a basket (that he bought for aesthetic purposes) and basically ran to his car. He texted Brian that he might be a bit late, then pulled out of his driveway.

Dan was so nervous that he didn’t even listen to music on the way there. He just turned the radio off and sped as fast as he could without getting a ticket. Although he managed to get there at 12:02, Danny still had negative thoughts in the back of his head. He’s been waiting for me. He probably already left. Still shaken up, Dan approached the spot he picked for the picnic. To his surprise, the spot was empty with no sign of Brian. “Fuck,” Danny said out loud, drawing attention from some strangers. He couldn’t care less;all of his attention was focused on figuring out what was happening. Stay calm. Stay calm. Maybe he’s just late. He said trying to reassure himself. He whipped out his phone, pulling up Brian’s contact.

>Hey dude. Running a bit late?

>Yeah 😂. Coco 🐶got into a bit of chocolate🍫 but i got that shit under control💁💁💁💁 see ya in 20 babyyyy 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

>see ya!

Dan didn’t understand how Brian could still send emojis at a time like this. He laid out a red and white checkered blanket (another item he bought for the aesthetic), and arranged the food. He circled the area with rose petals, ignoring the strange looks he got from passers by. Dan sat on the blanket and scrolled through his instagram feed to pass the time.

“Dude what the fuck.” Dan could recognize that voice anywhere. He spun around to see his friend, face twisted in pure confusion. “I thought we were just have a small picnic in the park not a romantic dinner.”

Dan immediately cursed himself for going overboard. “Uh well I can always just pick this stuff up and we can um-”

“Dude chill, I was just fucking with you. This looks nice! This is like, the best thing anyone has done for me in a long time.”

Phew. Brian joined Dan on the blanket and examined all of the snacks that were laid out. He picked up one of his favorites.

“Dan how the hell did you get this. The only place that sells it is two hours away so I only get it on special occasions.”

Dan chuckled. “Well, consider it a special snack for a special person.”

Brian blushed, and turned his head to take in the amazing view. Dan took the opportunity to place a (shaky) arm around the other man. Brian smiled and tucked his head into Dan’s chest, causing him to smile as well. The pair ate their lunches together, sharing little jokes, teasing each other, and throwing food in each others mouths. Just truly being themselves.

After lunch, the two lay down, watching the clouds go by. Brian interlaced his fingers with Dan’s, grinning wildly as he did. Dan turned his head to look at his partner, getting lost in his ocean blue eyes. His beautiful lips. His kissable cheeks. Dan leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, causing both of them to blush. Dan pushed some food aside to get closer to Brian, snuggling up to his side. Brian slung his hand around Dan’s hip, embracing him. Dan couldn’t help a smile. I was so worked up this morning. He thought. I was so stupid to think that he wouldn’t like this. So stupid with nerves that I forgot the loving person that Brian is.

“Brian?,” Dan says, tilting his head up to the older man.

“Hm? What’s up?”

“I love you a lot man.”

“I love you too.”

#shipgrumps #polygrumps #ninja ship party #shipgrumps fic #polygrumps fic #my writing

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introduceyoutoass-blog · 7 years

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Big Dick Godzilla

My first fic in a real long time so I’m sorry if it isn’t that good. I just love in universe n.s.p and I got many headcanons about it. It’s also on my AO3.

The world shimmered and for a moment, Danny didn’t know where the fuck he was. Flashes of yellow, brown and black had the man confused. The ringing in his head didn’t help either. He might have even been bleeding. He wasn’t sure. He didn’t tend to keep track of his injuries since he couldn’t die and all. At least, not in a traditional sense. There were a few artefacts that could kill him but he highly doubted that he’d been stabbed with the Lost Sword of the Asteros Clan.

At least, he hoped he hadn’t. That would suck.

Slowly, bits and pieces came back to him. The year was 2451, Danny’s pin number that he’d wanted to see was anything. Turns out it was big dicked Godzilla. Who was not happy to have various dick jokes made about it. But, come on, the lizard was asking for it.

He could remember Ninja Brian alternating between keeping an eye on Godzilla and turning to glare at him. Maybe if he’d stopped, he wouldn’t have been kicked halfway across the fucking city. Now he was black and blue and no women would ever want to fuck him like this. Not when it had looked like he had just come from some BDSM kinda deal.

Ninja Brian wasn’t there. That, more than anything, got him to push himself to his feet. His ex-student was nowhere to be seen and he could hear the sounds of fighting still. He had to move. If he didn’t, he could lose his closest friend.

Which was easier said than done. Each step was agony and he hated that while he couldn’t die, he healed super fucking slowly. But he focused. Channelled the smallest sliver of the old ninja he had once been. Pain was secondary to the objective. His objective? Protect Ninja Brian like the other had protected him.

Sure, Ninja Brian could defend himself happily. Sometimes he even needed to go to a special planet Danny had found of weird semi-sentient jello shits and just murder for a while. But he could die. Unlike Danny, he hadn’t been in the clan long enough to warrant the gift. Not that Danny saw it as a gift. He saw it as watching his best friend grow older while he remained the same.

And if Danny lost him before he died at like one hundred…He wasn’t sure he’d know what to do with himself.

The city was a wreck. Half broken buildings teetered on falling and he wasn’t sure how some were still standing. But he focused. No distractions.

Finally, he heard the sound he’d wanted to hear. The sound of metal hitting flesh. He saw the ninja trying to take the monster down but he couldn’t get to the weak point he’d pointed out earlier. Not when the monster had its’ full focus on the smaller but faster ninja.

“Hey, Lizard Fuck!” Danny shouted, picking up a rock and throwing it so it smacked the Godzilla like thing right in the eye. Probably not his smartest move but hey, it distracted the thing so he counted it as a win.

Big Dick Godzilla turned to look at the other and screamed out a growl as it swiped at him. He barely ducked out the way and he could see Ninja Brian debating between saving him or going for the weak spot.

“I got this!” He did not have this but he had to at least attempt to have it. The ex-ninja still had some tricks from his old days that he could employ. As the monster swung again, he jumped out the way and made it punch hard into the concrete of the floor which shattered under the weight.

The monster howled in pain and it was totally focused on the curly haired man who had caused it harm. Danny kept antagonising the beast, refusing to let it focus back on Ninja Brian who was scaling the monster to get to the weak spot. A few more seconds and he would have it.

It was when Ninja Brian was nearly bucked off from a swipe at Danny that the singer realised that he’d have to stay still for the ninja to get there. He had to get hit. And he wasn’t sure if this would kill him. He really didn’t want to come back to life today. It was itchy and he tended to just be sleepy as fuck and Ninja Brian teased him for his vulnerability while in that state.

Being hit once by a giant lizard claw? Not fun. Twice? It really fucking sucked. He bit back a yell so not to divert Ninja Brian and he felt his back connect painfully with a building. And then a wall. And then the other side of the building.

How poetic. He was back where he’d started. Lying in a sprawled mess of broken bones and only hearing the sounds of Ninja Brian stabbing into the beast. But this howl was longer. More in pain. And followed by a loud thud.

It was dead.

No sooner had the thud finished resonating off the buildings that were still standing that the ninja was at Danny’s side. His hands were moving quickly with questions but Danny just gagged and that was enough for the other to get it. He wasn’t okay.

Ninja Brian had done this many times before. He’d lifted the other from battle ever since the man had renounced his Ninja ways and made them both traitors. Though, he hadn’t ever forced the ninja to go. Ninja Brian couldn’t leave Danny’s side. The man was his teacher. His mentor. His best friend. He wouldn’t just leave him to his own devices after the other had said that he would not hold a katana again.

The walk back to the ship was fast. Thank god that Ninja Brian kept up training his flash steps. Otherwise, Danny might have died before they got back. Danny expected Ninja Brian to take him back to the medbay but instead he walked into the singer’s room.

“B-Brian?” His voice cracked with pain as he was laid out on his own bed. The ninja just looked at him.

“You have to die.”

“But I-I don’t w-want to.” He almost whined.

“You’re too hurt. You know flying through two buildings would kill a human. This way you’ll heal faster.”

The ex-ninja knew he was right but he hated it. He’d always hated dying. The feeling of a heart beating its’ last wasn’t comfortable by any stretch of the imagination. But it would let him come back fully healed, albeit sleepy as fuck.

“Fine.” He knew that despite the in-video deaths they’d done for the NSP videos, Ninja Brian didn’t enjoy killing him. It was more a means to an end. It was why he always wanted Danny’s consent. So, it wasn’t seen as an actual attempt to kill him. Rather a way of helping him.

The ninja had a specific knife for killing Danny. A sharp, small blade that would pierce the heart. It was a small injury but deadly enough to start the healing process. It was kept in Danny’s room for moments where the other was at death’s door but still too strong to actually go through it.

He did it quickly, not wanting to draw out more pain for Danny. A quick stab into the chest, a gasp of pain and a few gargled breaths before nothing. Once the other’s heart had stopped beating, he removed the knife, cleaned it and replaced it in its’ place. He didn’t want the other to have some infection coming back. While neither was sure it could happen, it was better safe than sorry.

Ninja Brian then moved onto the other things he had to do for the other while he healed. He peeled off the bloody clothing that was more tatters than actual clothing. They had more clothes. One ruined outfit meant nothing. He threw them in the trash and made his way into the bathroom. He grabbed a bucket from the cupboard under the sink and filled it was lukewarm water and a sponge.

While Danny’s wounds would heal, he would still be bloody. And with how sleepy he’d be, a shower was asking for trouble. He saw beside the other and slowly cleaned off his face and chest where the main injuries were. Already he could see the skin healing over. The bruises going through an advanced stage of healing.

The water in the bucket turned from clear to a murky brown colour fast but the ninja didn’t bother changing it. That would only mean that Danny would probably wake up and knock it over. He just kept cleaning the worst of it off. After the other slept, it could be washed off.

Once he was finished, he emptied the bucket into the sink and threw the sponge away. Again, to protect Danny against infection. They had been doing this for many years and he had learnt the best way to care for Danny when he was going through this.

He was just walking back in when the other’s chest heaved and a loud gasping breath drew oxygen into Danny’s lungs. A small sound of confusion was the signifier that he’d come back awake and not asleep. That was always a random variable that Ninja Brian couldn’t guess. Danny didn’t know what made him come back what way. It was too much of a blur.

The ninja flash stepped over to Danny’s side and the sight of his best friend made Danny smile his big stupid vulnerable smile that Ninja Brian would never admit to loving. He tucked Danny in softly, making sure not to make it so he’d overheat and he took his seat on the other side of the bed.

Another part of the ritual. Watch over Danny’s first sleep after coming back. Sometimes, weird shit happened and if Danny was alone for it he was either freaked out or unable to breathe. Those moments were the ones Ninja Brian hated the most about the whole process. Danny would wake, terrified from some nightmare and his body would be frozen and locked in fear.

He would watch over Danny and protect him from every monster. Real or imagined.

#in universe nsp #ninja ship party #my fics

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