#I've only watched the first movie in CN

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC’s Lucien Ice Flowers Date English Translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

Lyric Poetry Free SSR Event | Prologue+Day 1-3 | Day 4-6 | Day 7-9 | Day 10-12 | Day 13 (Ice Flowers Date)

[T/N: before reading the date, please read the prologue and event first. they're pretty short, plus the date references the event a lot and will make more sense with the event.]

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✧ [Subbed Video Ver - Turn On CC!] ✧

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✧ [Transcript Ver] ✧

—[Part 1]— Video Timestamp: [00:02]

The sound of the alarm clock wakes me up from my dream.

There is a faint sound of drizzling rain outside the window. I squint and glance at the dark and gloomy sky leaking through the gap in the curtains, then turn around to snuggle up to the soft warmth beside me.

MC: Lucien... the alarm is ringing…

My brain is reluctant to kick into gear, so I let instinct take over, wrapping myself around Lucien like a koala clinging to a tree.

Strands of my hair are gently teased by his breath, carrying a hint of nasal sound as it grazes past my ear.

Lucien: Do you want to get up now?

MC: Let me lie down a bit longer…

I bury myself deeper into Lucien's embrace, and a trace of warmth falls onto the tip of my ear.

(🥺 he's pecking her ear)

Lucien: But this Miss specifically instructed me last night to wake you up on time today to find the last specimen material.

Lucien: Do you plan to postpone the plan?

Memories struggle to surface in my mind, and I bury my head deeper in embarrassment.

MC: How about... ten more minutes?

He laughs softly, his hand gently patting my shoulder. Not sure if he's urging me to get up or coaxing me back to sleep.

Lucien: Collecting material shouldn't take that long. You can give yourself a few extra ten minutes.

His nearly indulgent tone makes me snuggle closer to him even more unscrupulously, and I rest my head in the crook of his neck.

MC: Today is perfect for lazing in bed…

Lucien: [hoarsely] After all, the temperature dropped last night, and now it's only four degrees.

Lucien: [whispers] Compared to the cold room, it's indeed more comfortable here.

MC: Hmm...? Wait, four degrees?

I open my eyes in surprise, reaching out to fumble around the bedside table.

MC: Didn't it warm up yesterday?

MC: I specifically loosened the soil in the flowerpots, thinking about planting the seeds I collected...

Lucien leans over me, fetching my phone and considerately opens the weather app.

Lucien: The cold wave is more severe than anticipated. The temperature dropped overnight yesterday. But if today's weather forecast is accurate, it should clear up by noon.

I stare dumbfounded at the plummeting temperatures on the screen. Instinctively, I shrink back into the blankets.

As if he has read my mind, Lucien smiles and tucks the blanket around me, snuggles close to me affectionately, as if he too is a little afraid of the cold.

Lucien: (whispers gently) Since the weather isn't cooperating, we can just stay at home today.

Lucien: I happen to have a few movies I've been wanting to watch with you. We haven't found the right opportunity before, but maybe today is perfect.

He looks at me with a gentle smile, his warm body heat enveloping me along with the soft blanket, inviting me to sink back into the gap between dreams and reality.

✂———————–

—[Part 2]— Video Timestamp: [02:28]

Staying in bed for the entire morning has provided comfort for both body and mind.

As noon approaches, sunlight begins to filter through the overcast clouds, signaling a clearing in the weather. The plan to go out and search for specimens is once again put on the agenda.

MC: Shall we just look around the neighborhood?

Lucien: Sure. Given the weather, there might be another rain shower later.

I retrieve two thick sweaters from the wardrobe, while Lucien brings matching scarves and coats.

This late spring chill is indeed quite fierce.

Despite the increasingly radiant sunlight, we still fully bundle up, and the air remains cold enough that I can't help but huddle close to Lucien.

As I nestle into my scarf, I scan our surroundings in all directions.

Although we're not going too far, I still want to try to find something sufficiently special to mark the end of this collection journey of over ten days.

MC: Those fallen leaves look quite beautiful! But considering we started with leaf specimens on the first day, wouldn't it lack a bit of originality?

Lucien: Hmm, plant specimens already make up a considerable proportion. We should indeed consider materials from other categories.

MC: Should we buy a butterfly specimen material kit to revisit the "original intention" of making specimens?

Lucien: But there's already a butterfly on the display shelf that you praised as special before.

Lucien: [with a hint of grievance in his tone] If your attention is taken by other similar specimens, it will hurt its heart.

The person next to me deliberately reveals a slightly distressed expression, yet he softly raises the corner of his lips.

Remembering the butterfly he made with clean and white fish bones, who knows how long it took him. I can't help but laugh and pull him away from the neighborhood.

MC: Let's go check out other places and seek some new inspiration!

Unfortunately, even after we leave the neighborhood, the situation hasn't changed much.

We went to our usual café, and took a stroll in the bookstore, but apart from getting a rosy nose from the cold, we came back empty-handed.

Seeing that it's about to drizzle again, I thought today's search might come to an end. However, Lucien quickly takes a couple of steps and leads me into the convenience store on the street.

The warm air, mixed with the aroma of cooked food, instantly dispels the cold from outside, like a small campfire amid a concrete jungle.

I relax my shoulders, which had tensed up from the cold, and lean in close to him as we walk to the counter, picking out a few skewers of fish balls, radishes, and other items for a warm hotpot.

MC: Convenience stores truly are an important part of the city…

MC: They provide warmth in winter, coolness in summer, and offer coffee and boxed meals for every working folks.

Lucien: It also serves as a resting spot for the little explorer who's been searching for a long time.

I hear the sound of a payment code being scanned. When I turn around, I see him grabbing two hot chocolate from the hot beverage section.

Lucien: Sugar helps activate the brain, encouraging people to make better decisions.

Lucien: After searching for so long without making a decision, do you have any particular thoughts about today's collection item?

He hands me one of the hot drinks, gesturing for me to sit at the bar table. Those calm eyes of his seem to have already seen through all of my thoughts.

I wrap my hands around the warm package, sipping the hot chocolate slowly, one gulp at a time.

The mild taste of milk softens the richness of chocolate, and the lingering sweetness dances on my lips and tongue. Normally, it might seem a bit too sweet, but at this moment, it tastes just right.

Perhaps because I’m back in a comfortable environment, the emotions that were lingering in my heart melt into the faint background noise, escaping from my lips with a shallow sigh.

MC: Do you think I'm too fixated on the idea of the "last specimen"?

MC: I always feel like what I find isn't special enough, and in the end, I come back empty-handed, spending the whole morning in the cold breeze for nothing.

The light rain pitter-patters on the window, leaving long streaks of water behind.

Lucien also opens his hot chocolate, speaking softly.

Lucien: Although it may require more time and effort, I believe this kind of perfectionism is also an indispensable part of life.

Lucien: Since these specimens capture fragments of our lives, I'm not willing to compromise when it comes to matters related to you either.

A light and tender curve graces his lips as he reaches out to re-tie my scarf, forming a neat and beautiful knot.

Lucien: Moreover, better options might unexpectedly cross our paths in the future.

Lucien: Just like the surprises you've brought me time and time again.

He rubs my hair.

Lucien: So, stay with me a little longer on this road to the future.

I smile at him, then half seriously point to the convenience store loyalty card that came with the bill after he paid.

MC: If we still haven't found the right collectable by the end of today, let's turn this into a specimen.

MC: Let's use the blank squares to remind me that better things always await us in the future.

✂———————–

—[Part 3]— Video Timestamp: [06:35]

Returning in the afternoon, we add a new stamp to our loyalty card, and in our hands are snacks and drinks bought from the convenience store.

I was about to turn on the air conditioner when Lucien seemed to recall something and asked me to wait for a moment.

After a thorough search in the storage room, he brought in a small tea table with a built-in birdcage-shaped heater.

MC: What is this...? How did I not notice that we had something like this at home before?

Lucien: It's a gift from when the Bioultima Research Institute purchased machinery before.

Lucien: Thinking that you might enjoy the atmosphere of ‘gathering around a fire’ together, I stored it in the storage room. Finally, I have the chance to use it this time.

MC: What kind of machinery comes with a small heater as a gift?

Two completely unrelated things being connected caught me off guard for a moment.

Lucien: It’s from the manufacturers who provide constant-temperature incubators.

Lucien: During that period, they planned to expand their product line and started making electric blankets and heaters.

MC: Pfft…

I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched Lucien shrug his shoulders, plugging in the heater. I lay out a cozy "nest" with a blanket and waved him over to join me in one corner.

MC: Please step into the trap~

Lucien: I'm more than happy to fall into this trap.

He brought another blanket, further reinforcing our little corner.

The knob turns, and the heater lights up with an orange glow. The surrounding slightly damp and chilly air gradually warms up, becoming fluffy and cozy.

MC: Not bad, not bad. Indeed, it reflects the "scientific research standard"~ And using a small heater for warmth is much more romantic than turning on the air conditioner.

Under the blanket, I embrace his arm, his body temperature more comforting than the heater and snugly pressed against my side, we're all wrapped up tight under this flowery blanket.

MC: Since the heater comes with a small tea table, should we grab some things and warm them a bit?

MC: There's probably some oranges and snacks at home, and do we still have a big half-bottle of rice wine in the fridge?

Lucien: Mm. Besides the rice wine, there should be a jar of dried osmanthus in the kitchen cabinet.

MC: Sounds good!

I nod in satisfaction, already able to imagine how enticing this tea spread will be. Even the placement of each item is meticulously arranged in my mind, perfect in every detail.

Lucien: Aren't you going to get them?

Lucien's voice, tinged with confusion, pulls me back from the fragrant reverie to reality.

I sheepishly lift my head and stick out my tongue at him.

MC: It takes courage to face the cold head-on, and it also requires a bit of determination and time.

As I speak, I purposely blink at him and put on a pitiful expression.

MC: Or... could Professor Lucien do me a small favor?

Lucien: Well, that's a bit tricky. I'm reluctant to leave such a comfortable spot myself.

MC: Huh?

My tactic of being coquettish totally bombed, making me blink in a bit of surprise.

The gentle laughter ripples through the confined space. Under the blanket, he tightens his embrace around me, and with a sudden force, he lifts me to my feet.

Lucien: [whispers playfully] Since neither of us wants to leave the warmth of the blanket, why don't we just go together?

The blanket securely wraps us together as he takes slow steps forward, allowing me to move along with his stride.

His body warmth seeps through the fabric and onto my skin, providing a comforting warmth but this closeness also makes us stumble in our movements.

MC: We can't walk with you like this.

I laugh and try to poke him as usual, but almost lose my balance. With Lucien's quick eyes, his agile hands swiftly pull me back into his arms.

Lucien: For safety's sake, it's better if we stick together and move in unison.

He candorly spoke the childish suggestion, and as he looks into my eyes, they are sparkling with a bright smile.

I've always been helpless against him when he's like this, so I simply hug him tightly, raising a smile on my face.

MC: Then I'll take the lead~

MC: Left foot, right foot, left, right....

He cooperatively sways left and right with my "commands" as we move forward together.

The distance that was usually just a few steps away is lengthened as our body rubs against each other. Our laughter warms the blanket that gently brushes against our cheeks.

We move and drag our way slowly to the kitchen, teasingly hindering each other as we attempt to get the rice wine, fruits, and dried osmanthus.

With silent understanding, we wrap ourselves snugly in the blankets once again, nestling and rubbing against each other, as we slowly make our way back to the heater.

He doesn't release this prolonged hug until we both settle onto the sofa.

MC: It feels like you're exceptionally clingy today.

Lucien: [in husky tone] To ensure ample warmth, it's only natural to diligently protect the heat source.

MC: [laughs] Hmph, that's nonsense!

Although I say this, I happily share my body warmth with him, finding a more comfy spot as I lie down on his chest.

Snacks are placed on the tea table, carefully and slowly warmed. The mildly sweet aroma of heated rice wine mixes with the scent of osmanthus and citrus.

Lucien reaches out for a book, while I shelter inside his embrace and swipe my cell phone, allowing tranquility to sink and float along with the warm air in the room as we comfortably mind our own bussiness.

Occasionally, I take a few pastries and snacks to share with him, or pour two cups of rice wine. The delicate sound of clinking cups accompanies the smooth fragrance of the wine before it glides down our throats.

People are always particularly prone to indulging in sweet moments.

Whether it's the rhythmic flipping of book pages or the gradually equalizing frequency of sound in videos, my consciousness becomes entranced without me realizing it.

I don't know when I fell asleep, I just remember having a peaceful dream while wrapped in soft, cloud-like fabric.

As I stretch and yawn, I hear a soft voice coming from my side.

Lucien: Good Afternoon.

I look in his direction.

The late afternoon sun has sprinkled over the entire living room as if the previous cold and gloom were things of the distant past.

Amid all warmth and tranquility, beams of light shine generously and cordially, outlining his figure and casting a soft glow around him like a veil.

Lucien lazily props his hand against his face, the corners of his eyes and eyebrows gently curved into a soft arc.

The heater raised the indoor temperature, and his shirt was unbuttoned, showing off a lot of skin on his chest.

The blanket that was wrapped around him remains dutifully covering his body, cocooning him in coziness.

Everything is spread out in the sunlight, casting a sepia tone reminiscent of old movies.

Lucien: Why so quiet, are you still not fully awake yet?

He stretches out his fingers and waves them in front of my eyes.

MC: I'm already awake.

MC: I just woke up and was immediately greeted by a sight that delights the eye and warms the heart; I can't help but want to look at it a little longer.

I hook my fingers around his, letting the strands of my hair cascading over my shoulders slide down my back with the motion.

Lucien: Although I'd love to continue admiring you in front of me, I'm afraid I need to break this distance for now.

The unexpected answer left me momentarily stunned, just staring dazedly at him as his eyes unabashedly revealed a hint of grievance.

Lucien: You've been resting on my leg this whole time. I didn't dare to change positions at will.

Lucien: But it's really starting to feel numb.

MC: Pfft... You could've woken me up too, you know!

[a big fox who deliberately shows off his chest just to enjoy his lover’s stunned look and still uses the chance to openly ‘grieve’ as if he’s being ‘wronged’ pfft]

✂———————–

—[Part 4]— Video Timestamp: [13:14]

The rice wine is still warm, and there's still half a box of snacks left.

Sweetness fills the entire space, and I let out a contented sigh as I pour a small cup of rice wine for both him and myself.

As I taste the wine, my gaze curiously falls on the screen of Lucien's computer—there's a paper that seems a bit beyond my grasp, and beside him, there's also a book with specimen illustrations.

MC: What book are you reading?

Lucien: Literature on specimen preparation.

Lucien: Among the specimens we've made recently, the less conventional ones seem to make up the majority.

Lucien: Since there's such an opportunity, why not take the chance to brush up on some relevant professional knowledge?

MC: As expected of you! So, what has our Great Professor learned?

Lucien: I realized that my understanding of specimens may have some misconceptions.

He sets aside the computer and pulls me into his arms, flipping to a page in the book with illustrations of plant specimens, and starts to speak.

Lucien: In the field of collection, the significance of specimens mostly lies in preserving a particular moment of life forms, much like taking a photograph or recording a video.

Lucien: It can be understood as a record of the past.

Lucien: But from the perspective of scientific research, it mostly serves the research and analysis of relevant topics.

MC: From what it sounds like, it actually seems more like some kind of reserve for the future, doesn't it?

The person behind me nods and gently rubs his chin against the strands of hair on top of my head.

His scent, mingled with the fragrance of alcohol, fills my nostrils, as I attentively "listen" to his lecture, yet greedily rub against his neck.

Lucien: The side branches we prune from the hydrangea will encourage more lush growth, and perhaps the seeds you've brought will sprout someday in the future.

Lucien: There are still many spaces left on the loyalty card waiting for us to fill.

Lucien: Compared to keeping records, it seems that our collection shelf has also unconsciously left many expectations for the future.

Lucien: I should also learn from these specimens to find the presence in life that will make you pay attention…

There's a dark undercurrent in his eyes that lures me to delve deeper, as if there’s a river flowing with honey, making me willingly and wholeheartedly drown in it.

Lucien: Then I'll put what I've learned into practice, and bring back home even more things that can make my little lady happy.

Lucien: And not to end up like today, "spending the whole morning in the cold breeze for nothing”.

A speck of warmth touches the tip of my nose, bringing back memories of the cold, wind-filled morning.

Not to be outdone, I pinch his earlobe. The blanket slowly moved, causing the book originally placed on me to fall to the ground.

MC: I thought you were going to announce some groundbreaking scientific discovery, how did we end up here?

Lucien ignores the fallen book and just grabs my wrist with his free hand, then firmly holds it with his fingers.

Our already close distance is further reduced, and I can almost feel his breath brushing past my lips.

Maybe it's from knocking back too much rice wine, but the heart pounding in the chest is loud and clear in my ears, yet I can't tell if it's his beat or mine.

Lucien: I thought this conclusion hit the nail on the head.

Lucien: After all, it's only through practical application that theory can truly prove its worth.

Our breath intertwines and circulates with each exhale and inhale, floating amidst the gaps of beautiful dreams, as the light, airy sense of haziness envelops my body once again.

I simply lean forward, closing the last bit of distance between us, and affectionately kiss his cheek.

MC: But for me, what leads me to look forward to the future is neither memories nor specimens.

MC: Rather, it's you.

His long eyelashes resemble the antennae of a butterfly, trembling ever so slightly as if confirming something, casting an alluring look.

MC: You gave me a hot chocolate, a little heater for warming the rice wine, a warm blanket, blank loyalty cards...

MC: And there's also an exceptionally clingy Professor Lucien.

MC: [smiles widely] It's you who brought romance and anticipation into my life.

Lucien's breath momentarily hitches, and then a warm sigh flows out from his lips.

Lucien: Then let's leave the last space on the shelf empty, we'll make this sense of anticipation our final collection. And together, let's wait for the next wave of happiness to arrive.

MC: Sure, leaving it blank does add a poetic touch.

Following my heart's desire, I kiss his eyelids. The gentle kisses and embraces weave a finely knit yet dense web, slowly making us fall into a light trance.

We enjoy the blurry and dizzying moment peacefully until a faint pattern on the window catches my eye in the hazy light.

I look towards the windowsill and find a delicate pattern drawn by ice crystals as if it were a fragment left behind by winter.

Lucien: What's wrong?

Sensing my distraction, Lucien softly pinches the nape of my neck, attempting to bring back my attention to what we were doing.

MC: I've discovered a happiness that has arrived unexpectedly.

MC: Lucien, look, there's an ice flower on the window.

With a smile, I break away from his embrace and casually pick up the book that had fallen aside for a long time, handing it back to him.

Lucien's gaze falls on that place, a hint of astonishment lighting up his dark eyes, which are even more touching than the view on the window.

MC: I didn't expect to see ice flowers. I'm starting to quite like today's cold air.

The gaze that had captivated me suddenly shifts, and the only thing reflected in those eyes is me, gazing back at him just as deeply.

Lucien: Then let's seize it.

His large hand covers the back of my hand, guiding me as our hands slowly glide along the window together.

The tips of his fingers seemed to shine with a faint, unnoticeable light.

Before I can ponder over it, starting from the point that we touched, ice crystals spread from the windowsill towards the center, spreading out into feather-like patterns.

I forget to breathe for a moment.

He continues guiding my movements until the entire window is covered with exquisite patterns we've drawn together.

MC: So beautiful!

I throw myself into his arms, my hands instinctively wrapping around his shoulders.

The tiny fragments transform into graceful patterns covering the entire window, imprinting the intertwined warmth and cold, weaving a flower that belongs only to winter in the spring.

I've heard that ice flowers on windows, just like snowflakes, each have their own unique shapes.

The beauty captured by him must indeed be a mark that belongs solely to him.

Lucien: Is this "material" enough to become our final specimen and deepen your anticipation for the future?

With a faint smile, he pulls the curtains further apart, allowing this scenery to be fully displayed before us.

MC: There won't be a better specimen than this!

MC: Thank you for personally "capturing" the future in front of me.

I tilt my head up and place a kiss on the side of Lucien's face, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of my lips.

MC: In that case, I'll try to give you more "now" as a gift in return.

A pair of slender eyes gently curve, quietly awaiting the words I'm about to say.

MC: I'm not as amazing as you, who is always able to see so far ahead...

MC: Always able to move forward with such determination, turning that mere anticipation of the future into reality, surprising me time and time again.

MC: But just like today, I can find various little sceneries around us.

MC: And then tell you, "Lucien, look, a flower is blooming over there."

The cold light outside the window filters through layers of ice crystals, refracting into tiny iridescent rainbows, and melting into his warm and flowing gaze.

A kiss, like an answer, lands on the corner of my lips, letting me taste a sweetness sweeter than all the drinks and refreshments in the world.

Lucien: [hoarsely] After experiencing happiness, people will naturally have expectations for the future.

Lucien: [x2] They’ll have the desire to relive the experiences they once had, again and again, or seek other happiness they haven’t yet experienced.

Lucien: [x3] But now, I feel that, compared to the distant future, the present moment is even more touching.

Lucien's lowered voice sounds a bit hoarse, reminding me of a big fox's subtle purring when it's in a pleasant mood.

Lucien: [x4!] After all, in the face of the immediate beauties, all hypotheses about expectations will seem too illusory.

Lucien: For example, the ice flower that bloomed in this window because of your attention.

The hand embracing my waist intimately confines me, and it feels as if the temperature inside the room has heated up again.

Lucien: And another example is you.

The heater emits heat that makes people cling to the warmth, and all the wonderful scents I can think of are blending and surrounding me.

Spring has just begun, and there are still many good days ahead.

✂———————–

[sylvia-forest]

[CN] Shaw's bday ASMR - Summer Night Rhythm

⚡Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an ASMR which hasn't released in EN yet!⚡

[Transcript under the cut!]

Please please read the transcript along the video as to not to miss out his raspy, sleepy voice 💦

[sound of door knocking and cicada's]

came fast enough

It seems that you are very interested in my remodeled room

Okay

Getting smarter

I just took pictures of only one corner of the room on purpose

So that some "curious rabbits"

come bouncing

Eh

Why did you open your mouth and bite?

Don't mess with you?

Then i can't do that 

[MC bite shaw]

Hiss

OK, OK, OK.

You are very tired from working overtime these days

Soreness all over the body

Bad mood

You should be treated as a bodhisattva

[shaw cuckles]

Stop teasing you

Go inside

[sound of footsteps + shaw breathing] 

Just okay?

[shaw clicks his tongue]

The requirements are quite high

[sound of pressing buttons]

What about this

[shaw laughs]

Not bad

These sensor lights didn't take that much effort

I just did some stuff casually

Play the game this way 

It's more exciting when you watch a movie.

And when some people come to “board”

I won't trip over things when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Don't know

I thought it was some thief going on duty for the first time

Clumsy

[MC beats shaw and bit him AGAIN]

Ah hiss

You're addicted to biting, right?

Why don't you put a row of tooth marks on my arm?

Then donate me to a museum

I have thought of the title of the work for you

just call

"Daily Life of a Rogue Rabbit"

[MC start walking out of the room and shaw grabbing her midway]

where are you going?

Angry?

Oh.... to turn on the lights

No need

Let's leave it like that.

Why are you looking at me with that expression?

What are you laughing at?

You're the one who got the wrong idea.

[shaw purposely lowering his voice to an octave]

Or are you thinking wrongly?

I see you are tired from work these two days

Dimly lit environment

Helps you relax a bit

[shaw clicks his tongue]

However

You really got it right today

Come

I'll show you a good thing

My new massage sofa

Isn't it a backache?

Come 

try

Comfortable?

The more comfortable ones are still behind.

I’ll adjust the first rate strength for you to begin off

[beeping sound]

Of course not bad

When have I ever gone wrong when I picked something

They’re all first class goods

what

only you can enjoy

Let me stand around and stare?

I won't do such a wasteful thing

If you don't want to be oppressed by me

just sit down

[shaw joins MC on the massaging chair]

Too crowded?

[shaw cuckles lightly]

Usually one meter eight of the bed is squeezed into one meter two by you

Why didn't I hear you complaining about that

[low humming sound of the massage chair + shaw breathing sounds]

Don't worry

I've asked

Although this is not a massage sofa for two people

But it’s okay for two people to use it at the same time

[rustling of clothes sound???]

It's okay

very comfortable

But isn't the strength a little bit less powerful?

Don’t you think so too?

[beeping + buzzing sounds from the chair + shaw moaning sounds]

What's wrong

Not enjoying the power of technology

You're afraid I'll fall asleep

i didn't slept

just close your eyes

What are you doing

So concerned about whether I am sleepy or not

[shaw yawns]

oh

Want to go out and watch a movie?

sure

Go later

[rustling of clothes + shaw clicking his tongue]

What are you messing with?

be honest

Didn't say not to go out to see

Let me get a rest for a while

Who said that if I shut my eyes for a while, it takes three hours

[shaw sleepy voice]

save your energy

tickling doesn't work on me

How come you got serious

[shaw grabs MC hands and whispers in a sleepy voice]

I've said it all, just sleep for a while

[continuous humming sound + shaw steady breathing]

Not asleep and awake

[from here on you’ll hear his raspy, sleepy voice which sounds so sexy]

Hey

Where are you putting your hands?

Thanks to you

I'm fully awake now

It's time to settle

Admit defeat?

I haven't done anything yet

Just surrendered straight away?

that's not right 

It can't be so easy

Itchy?

So you know how itchy it is too

then bear with it

I won't stop easily

you didn't find yourself

You’re extra rebellious today?

hmmmm

Ii’s right to just don't admit it

Rebels are like this

So ....

Got to cure

what am i doing

what else can i do

Of course, to settle the score

We got it back one by one

It won't take long.

that is

Just before dawn, I guess 

—

⚡ ASMR texts

[nerdragenewvegas]

Fallout fics I've gone and done

Outing myself as Cantique the Ao3 gremlin here I guess. These all contain smut.

A Well Timed Scandal - Cooper Howard/Female Reader. Pre war (will go into the post-war timeline.) No current content warnings but I'll be tagging as I go. Will be multi chapter. Johnny places his cigarette in the carved out groove of the ash tray, leaning in and resting his elbows on the desk, like he’s leveling with you. “You wanna know why we cast Gilda in Empire on the Nile?” He asks. “Because there was one too many rumors about Keith McKinney being a fan of ‘Greek stuff’ for us to contend with. Now, originally, we just wanted them seeing each other,” he admits, “but I’m not gonna complain with the results.”

“So you want me to marry Cooper Howard?”

He shakes his head, laughing under his breath. “Marry? No, no, lets play that by ear,” he seemingly assures you. “What we want — need — you two to do is make it look like you’ve been having an affair.” You must look like you’ve seen a ghost. This is insane. “Explains his divorce, gets people talking about you two as a pair, gets eyes on this movie you’re filming together — now, don’t go outright saying it, of course. We just wanna’ make people read between the lines, get them curious enough to get them into the theater to see the chemistry on the screen.” 

--- Kinda Like a Cowboy - The Ghoul/Lucy, contains spoilers, porn with plot. Please read the tags for CNs but there are definitely CNs. Unhinged stuff involving guns. Currently two chapters but I'm cooking a third.

"I’d be real careful with that line o’ thinkin’,” he warns, raising an arm and bringing it to brace against the wall beside her head, all but pinning her to it. They may not be physically touching, but they’re so close to it and he’s looking at her like she’s a meal (which should be concerning because she knows he literally eats people) and she really, really wishes they were touching right now. “Because I can be nice. Real nice.” His free hand reaches up to her face, and she’s so focused on watching his expression and how close his face is to hers that she doesn’t even realize until his thumb brushes over the barely-healing split in her lip. “…But I don’t think nice is what ya’ want, is it?” More under the cut, they're New Vegas fics fyi~

----

Doctrine & Covenants - Joshua Graham/Female Courier with some Vulpes/Female Courier and Boone/Female Courier. Extremely longform (48 chapters, 286,349 words and still going) fic that I've been working on since 2022. It's imperative you read the tags and heed the content warnings as it does contain some noncon. First chapter is a little rough and I'll rework it one day but the rest is fine. Tells the story of Courier Six confronting her own trauma when she visits Zion in Honest Hearts thanks to Joshua not so much teaching her about God (although he tries) but teaching her about forgiveness and love despite sin. Lowkey a bit of a personal one for me as I'm an ex-mormon myself and it's been a nice avenue for me to kinda work through my own feelings while deconstructing.

“I will not judge you – I understand better than anyone else what it’s like to be willing to do anything to escape your own history,” he explains, “but you are a good neighbor to us. The tribe cares for you, Follows-Chalk and Waking Cloud care for you, and I care for you.” He holds her gaze as he says this, speaking firmly, as though there’s no room to budge on his statement. “And as someone who cares for you, I want to let you know that this is something we can help with if you wish.”

Six doesn’t say anything, her jaw tense as she casts her eyes downwards, and Joshua worries that he’s lost her.

“And as for whatever has happened before you came to us,” he says, “I want you to know that it is forgiven in Zion.”

Six shifts uncomfortably, her eyes glancing up at him, but only momentarily. “I’m not religious, Joshua,” she says. “That’s sweet, but I’m sorry.”

“I know,” he says plainly. “I’m not speaking for God, though. I am speaking for myself.”

“But you don’t even know what I’ve done.”

“I don’t need to. All I need is to know who you are now.” ---

Raze It, Raze It - Joshua Graham/Female Courier. Oneshot, there's smut in here. Honest Hearts bad ending but the Courier is an enabler and basically encourages Joshua to keep going until he's started a holy war. Make sure to read the tags for CNs.

“Bring me Vulpes Inculta alive and I will give you a child.”

He gazes up at her when she says this, in awe of her naked form as she takes him so well, his fingers digging into her supple thighs, the light that pours in through the seams of their tent illuminating her from behind. She is divine. Remarkable. A miracle. And she offers him a child, an opportunity to have the eternal family he had been sure he had lost all right to. At first, he had thought they would go without. He has two decades on her at even his most conservative of guesses, and she is so young and healthy compared to him that if not sent to him directly by God, he’d be sure this was perverse.

But despite his age and despite his burns and past and all that he is, here she is; the most feminine of all forms, joined with him at the flesh, offering to grow and bare his child. All of her, this perfect creature, here, for him and only him.

“Anything,” he finally says. He reaches a hand up to cup her face and she nestles into it, her cheek so soft against his own burnt and scarred palm as she rides him. Oh, she’s so beautiful. He watches her on the battlefield, striking down Legionary after Legionary, a true Holy Host. If Joshua is the sword, she is the arrow.

[marine-indie-gal]

Dedicated to anyone out there who did their own Tribute to Stephen Hillenburg, I'm pretty sure we all know we're all know that I am indeed exactly Five Years late for this 😅

Considering that Today is the 62th Birthday to SpongeBob's creator who already passed away, I wanted to share my own tribute to him by drawing my own personal interpertation of Salacia hugging one of her pals (SpongeBob) knowing that Hillenburg is still there for his own creation (even if he may not be alive anymore).

Speaking of which, I wanted to share my own personal history with my own relationship with Hillenburg's creation throughout the Years.

As someone who was born in the 2000s era, I was never born in the 90s which always made Me the Youngst growing up as I was born around in a Crazy Blizzard around 2005 in the month of Christmas. There were a lot of popular things in life around my childhood like Angry Birds, Minecraft, Cut The Rope, My Little Pony, Hello Kitty, and even some First Modern Cartoon Network shows (before that studio went down) and all kinds of Early 2000s/2010s stuff that I've seen in life. One of my first exposures around in Pop Culture of that era when I was young was Disney and even a little addition of Dr. Seuss. I've watched SpongeBob around in its Seasons 4-8 when I was a Young Kid, growing up, I've always adored the Little Sponge Guy around in my childhood considering that it was one of my favorite shows from my childhood. Well, techincally, back then, I was actually more of a TAWOG Person being that Gumball was actually my very exposure of a very first fandom growing up as a kid (I even remember being obessessed with that CN Show until when I stopped watching it. Either that I was too busy on other things or that I was always stressed out on School).

I saw its First Movie when it came out One Year after I was born. I myself had watch that movie all the time as a kid, as I still enjoyed it at the very least to this day. Looking back at it, I actually haven't re-watched the film for quite a long time as it has been such a wicked long time considering that a lot of things change over the past few years of decades. Some things don't certainly age well in our childhood, others do age like wine.

Being a 2000s kid, I actually did had a few DVDs of Old Episodes from the Show from Seasons 1-3 as someone who always had a family moving place to place for weekends of vacation, I would always watch Movies and Shows all the time with my Parents. Sometimes, even if my Parents weren't around, I would sometimes watch a Few Movies and Shows by myself (mostly the obscured ones) on streaming services. Growing up, I had a fascination with Beach Life. I would always collect Seashells, Explore around the Sandy Places, and even most of the Time swim underwater where the Fishes would swim by. Though, oddly enough, SB wasn't the only Aquatic Media that I always loved as a kid since there were a few others that were also Aquatic as well like The Water Babies, Finding Nemo, Shark Tale, Disney's The Little Mermaid, and even Bubble Guppies. So yeah, you can at least pretty much tell that I was already born to be a Marine lover person who always had a life for Life under the Sea.

But when things start to change as I was around in my earliest Teen Years, I had no such more focus on SB anymore considering that like again, I had much focus for other things in life. New fandoms, Better Days (some were also terrible if you could put it that way). In 2018 (when I was 12 at that time of year), when I found out that SB's creator (Stephen Hillenburg) had passed away, I was completely shocked about his death and I had felt bad for the Other Hardcore Fans who missed him dearly partially because on how that he helped everyone's own childhoods with his own creation. I still remain a SB Fan that day but as someone who actually did not seen his New Seasons during that time, I still had no focus on looking back at it but whenever people pass away throughout decades, you'll always know how much you're gonna miss them, even if they were famous people from your childhood, especially for the ones who happen to inspire your own creaitives. Even losing a family member is hard for someone who has lost a few of them in their own life.

Then, around in the year, 2020 (when I was around 14), when SpongeBob was going to release its Third Film after it's Second Film in 2015 ("Sponge Out of Water" when I was 9), that Year itself was hell considering most of the horrible things that happened during that year that I'm pretty sure no one hasn't forget and still remembers that Worst Year to this day (My Mom broke her own Leg during that Year despite that she now broke her Arm in this Year, Kobe tragically died, and even COVID was the reason why we all had to be inside). Not to mention that I already lost my own Grandfather in December and my Mom was extremly heartbroken losing her own Father. When "Sponge On The Run" (Originally titled, "It's A Wonderful Sponge") was annoucned, it had so much delayed troubles I couldn't even be looking forward to seeing it, even after when it finally released around in August in Canada and then in March of 2021 on Netflix (though, it's not really on Netflix anymore last time that I've checked). But when I heard about the Controversy surronding it all because of the Spin-Offs that a lot of people on the internet were saying stuff like "STEPHEN DIDN'T WANT SPINOFFS!!!!!" or "NICK IS SPITTING ON HILLENBURG'S GRAVE BECAUSE HE ASKED FOR NO SPINOFFS!!!!!!" Look, I know that was all History stuff but if a few people are still acting like it to this day, they should get over themselves now. 

In case if you didn't know (or never watched the Third Movie), Sponge On The Run actually started the Whole Spinoffs in segments of Flashbacks to the Days where the Gang were at a Camp which was a brand new fresh start for SB considering after when Steph died, it was only up to his crew to take care his creation. Despite the fact that if you'd had watch all the episodes from the show, you would know that the franchise actually has its own Lore from Each Episode from the Past which people pointed out on how it was ridicolus to restart the lore (even I myself used to believe that). But looking back at the show, and how one of the Writers (Vincent Waller) pointed out that Steph knew about Kamp Koral, it turns out for what people have mislead in the past (if some still do to this day), I think what were all blind is that Steph actually said "He didn't know IF he could have seen in the potentails in wanting give his own Creation a Spin-Off" which, come to think of it, despite the show's genre of Surreal Comdey, I think we've been just living under the rock this whole time judging by how when we grow up, we start to realize that there is no such thing as "Canon" in a show like SB (usually, you'd see different types of canons in every other franchise like Sonic or Angry Birds). But even for that, sometimes a Story has no connection to the Other in terms of speaking in Timeline.

I still remember that time around in 2021 when I was introduced to SMG4, I remember seeing SpongeBob in other parody videos and even that one time I made my own SMG4 Fanfic featuring their own potrayal of the SB Characters (which I believe was kinda embrassing to Me to this day now that I've actually been thinking about it). 

Anyways, now as someone who has already gotten old, I have been looking back at some of my very old nostalgic things around in Childhood since 2022 while still looking forward to new things ahead. Mainly because after so much stress and grief upon everything that I once had in my old life, and now that my own Mother lost her Brother (who was my Uncle), I've already made my own descion Last Year of going through a New Life where I would have to face everything in my upcoming Adulthood, but I still missed my own childhood days. I've watched the Modern New Episodes (Seasons 9-12) for the very first time and honestly, I'm gotta have to admit here, but I actually like the New SpongeBob so much better than the Old One (apologises to those who still prefer the Classic), I still don't have nothing against the Old One but the New One feels so much improved with such Cartoony Whacky Animation that I like to think that I prefer the New Style over the Old Style (but still support both). I had watch the Third Film for the first time as I did used to think that it was bad (like how a lot of people say they would) but overtime, the way that I draw Poseidon somehow makes Me like that Third Movie since the Writers did want to put much heart for how much that Friendship truly meant around SpongeBob and his Friends.

I also couldn't thank Other Artists who done their own versions of Greek/Roman Gods into my own Personal Versions if the Other Gods in the Pantheon were in the Same Artstyle as King Neptune and King Poseidon in a Silly Show as inspiration for those (like my own friends) who have done interpertations of what Other Characters from the Source Material that never been adapted would look like in a form of the Artstyle. Ever since that I did my own personal take on Salacia, it completely took over Me as it made me have a strong fond for both the Sea Kings (even Poseidon and Amphitrite just became my New Mythological OTP alongside with Hades and Persephone thanks to Myself). Not to mention, I also had a long-passion for Old Stories for a long time, it also help Me to inspire to create my own personal versions of these said stories to interprete them in a different way which once lead me into my own Prequel Headcanon Project about the Lives of both King Neptune and King Poseidon in my AU if they weren't from different timelines. 

Overtime, as I always kept looking back at my old self, remembering the Days that I actually did had a Good Childhood, I'll always never forget my own Glorious Days where I grew up with such Nostalgic Things around in my life since SpongeBob was always truly one of my most favorites since the very beginning when I was came to the World. It just makes Me feel so much inspired by Hillenburg considering that he's a Marine biologist like how much I have a huge love for Nature and even a soft spot for Animals. Not only did I once feel hope for having a better future, but for a fact that I was born as a Sea Lover when it comes to looking into Other Aquatic Cultures and Media (New Ones like Splatoon, Ruby Gillman, and even Luca) and even old ones that I didn't saw as a child until Teenhood (The Sea Prince and The Fire Child).

It has come to my conclusion that SpongeBob as a show has always helped us build our childhood as things will always inspire us to give our very own bright imagintation, even to People who have Autism like Myself. While I do respect for those who are not into the show anymore because of its recent seasons, I still support it, even in my heart since I have not look back into it for such a long time as I believe it was my fault for not looking back at everything in my childhood. 

Thank You, Stephen Hillenburg. For reaching all of our own childhoods, even if we don't know what would life would be like without your own Magnificent Sea World.

Salacia (c) Me SpongeBob SquarePants (c) Stephen Hillenburg and Nickelodeon 

[milesonthenet]

Fusionfall: Cartoon Network's BIZARRE thought experiment!

Welcome back to the House of Milesverse, focused on some things comics, some things Transformers, and some things uh - other things.

Today we'll be talk about a special part of my childhood. I've always considered myself a CN kid more than any othr network. Nickelodeon just did not interest me, and i wasn't into Avatar or anything. But i did like Invader Zim. And my 'love' for Disney only came from the movies, and Kingdom Hearts.

But Cartoon Network? That was a different story. I loved Cartoon Network, and it was the network i watched the most. It just had a lot of fun stuff that kid-me was into.

Kid-Me loved Ben 10, and he really did enjoy Dexter's Laboratory. He'd sit down and watch Powerpuff Girls, or Cow & Chicken. He used to watch Scooby-Doo with his grandma. He even enjoyed early Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Steven Universe.

Total Drama, Johnny Test, The Secret Saturdays, Generator Rex, Teen Titans, Johnny Bravo. There was no limit to the amount of stuff that I'd watch. My entertainment wasn't just playing games or on the computer. It was sitting in front of the TV and seeing what I enjoyed.

But you know what Kid me loved that had - probably most of these things in them?

Well if you weren't clued in by the opening title, I'll show you;

This game got me into playing later MMO games like Elsword and DC Universe Online. It was familiar, it had all sorts of cartoon network characters in it. It remains a big point of my childhood because of it.

So today? Put on your nostalgia lenses. As House of MilesVerse presents it's own miniature REVIEW of;

CARTOON NETWORK UNIVERSE: FUSIONFALL

Making of Fusionfall

Fusionfall's story begins with Cartoon Network and one of their first 'big' forays into gaming. The game was published by Cartoon Network, with a business model planned out by Turner Entertainment. Its developers were Grigon Entertainment, a south korean studio chosen for their art style.

Speaking of? Fusionfall's art style is definitely interesting. It portrays the setting with more anime-esque styling. Characters still retained some of their cartoony looks, however, so while it was different, it still worked.

In the game however, it uh, was an interesting experiment.

Admittedly? Eddy isn't the weirdest looking one here. THAT award goes to;

That's Jake, as in Jake the Dog. He looks like that and is one of the only NPCs with no animations. He's just static, his eyes boring deep into your soul...

Jake knows what you did.

Anyways, Fusionfall is an MMORPG where you play as an avatar. You have some limited but still versatile customization options. Your character uses many weapons, including rifles, pistols, rockets, and melee weapons.

Original? Academy?

The game had two different versions, with one ultimately replacing the other. The original was available from 2009-2011 and gave you a simple story. Your character was a hero testing out a time machine, who wound up trapped in the future. You begin a quest to come back to the past, and eventually you return with the knowledge needed to create nanos.

Don't worry about that, we will get into that bit later.

After the birthday bash, the game's tutorial and introduction was overhauled. Newer characters were added - or at least new for when the game was out. For example? Finn, Jake, Generator Rex, and the Sym-Bionic Titan were all new additions, alongside Chowder, flapjack, and the Saturdays. In addition? Mordecai, Rigby, Gumball, and Darwin were all represented through Nanos.

This version of the game is Academy, which lasts from 2011-2013 when the game inevitably shut down its servers. Academy gives you two bonuses for your character: gliding and dodging. Your multidirectional dodge lets you move from front, back, or side to side.

The overhaul changed your origin story too. You train in the null void (it's a Ben 10 thing), and then Providence. Eventually after completing enough missions, you're sent off to get your guide, completing the tutorial.

Your Guides:

The game had four guides available to you at the start. The good thing about them is that you could change missions. You could swap from one guide to another, but you would start at the first level. If you chose to swap back, then you would be able to resume from your initial position.

These four guides are:

Ben Tennyson

Edd, aka 'Double D'

Dexter

And Mojo Jojo

The guides all have different missions too. Dexter wants to find out where the missing heroes from the world are. Ben Tennyson wants to make sure Lord Fuse (We'll get to that) doesn't get his hands on alien technology. These two are pretty simple.

Mojo Jojo wants to build an army of super-monkeys powered by Chemical X and fusion matter to defeat Lord Fuse. Naturally, the player foils his schemes each time - thanks to Mandy, and Dexter, - because he's evil.

Edd is... not what I would have expected, but he wants to stop Fuse from gaining buried candy and treasure maps. I'm surprised at his inclusion, especially compared to the others. But I think he also helps appeal to the comedic leanings of Cartoon Network.

What's the story?

Now we get to the FUN bit!

Fusionfall's story centers on a connected setting between the TV Series. The events of Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Ben 10, and Ed, Edd n Eddy are all connected. All the characters know each other, and everything is united.

The main 'threat' of the series is Planet Fusion, a large gooey planet that's assimilated other worlds. This time it wants to assimilate Earth, breaking it down like it's done to many worlds. The various heroes of the Cartoon Network universe unite to stop Planet Fusion from taking their planet.

This isn't just an easy fight for the heroes, though. Planet Fusion creates dangerous monsters made out of fusion matter to terrorize the people. Worse, they've created evil doppelgangers of our favorite CN characters, named Fusions!

It's a big war between two sides, and your character's caught in the middle. As mentioned above, your character is accidentally sent to the future. He returns to the past with the nano blueprints, so that the resistance may have a fighting chance against Fuse.

Now? It's you, the legendary hero, helping take down Fuse's forces across the world. You lose, Fuse.

The Fusions, and the Nanos

This has been stated above, but it would be easier to hop through it again. The Fusions are evil doppelgangers of your favorite Cartoon Network characters. They may look similar, but they are not nice, and exist to help Planet Fusion move his goals along.

Fusions are always found in fusion lairs, which are in infected zones. Infected Zones are the areas most communicated with fusion matter. There are many infected zones, and they all require you talk to a Dexbot to get in.

In these infected zones, you will usually find more than one fusion lair. This is where the Fusions lurk - are you tired of hearing the word 'fusion'? Don't be, we've got a long way to go. Entering the fusion lair usually requires you fight your way through a horde of monsters, and then the fusion itself.

When the fusion finally dies, you get a nano, made from a personal item of the character, fusion matter, and your own imagination energy. This is just the story reason though, the video game reason is just "kill this fusion, and get a nano". It's adorable, by the way.

Nanos have special abilities, which come in a set of three. With a nano you can get bonus fusion matter from missions, have extra money, make monsters fall asleep, sneak past monsters, and more. You only get to pick one ability, but don't fret, you can change it later.

I always look back and think the Nanos are a refreshing gimmick. Imagine being able to carry a chibi-fied version of Mojo Jojo around. They come with their own voice lines too, with higher-pitched voices.

The base game had around 36 nanos which you gained for each level. Academy added a few notable bonuses, with nanos themed off of more-recent CN characters. In addition, you could use a code to gain access to a nano.

The inevitable shutdown (and potential successors):

August 29, 2013, saw Fusionfall close its servers and shut down. I didn't understand it at the time, but I moved on. It was a sad moment for many fans who had gotten attached to the game series.

Other successors have tried to follow the game series. Fusionfall Retro was released as a revival of the original game before the Academy relaunch. Fusionfall Legacy was going to be released as an upscaled version of the original game with additiona l content.

Both games were struck down by a DMCA issued by Cartoon Network. Retro was removed entirely, and Legacy was canceled before release. Retro is playable through 'Retrobution', a modified spin on Retro.

In addition, both the original and academy games are playable after years of being 'gone'. This is through OpenFusion, an unofficial server that preserves both original iterations of the game. Retrobution is also made using this server.

Conclusion:

Fusionfall was a big part of my childhood, especially as a CN Kid. I'm glad i got to make those memories while playing it. However, I never got to beat the original game because i stopped playing.

Things are different now, and after playing on Openfusion, I managed to beat all 36 levels. I was happy to finally see that through. If I could time travel, I'd go back, and fist-bump my younger self. We finally did it, and we saw it through to the end.

Fusionfall was a cute idea, and the strength of its concept alone could prove useful. However, I don't think it could find an audience in today's market. Outside of old fans, I'm not sure if 'new' kids are as attached to cartoon network as the past few generations were.

Regardless? It could be cool to imagine what it would be like now. Better game engines combined with better controls. Newer cartoon network series like Steven Universe, We Bare Bears, or Craig of The Creek. You could even throw in some oddballs, like Scooby-Doo.

I sure hope you all had fun reading this one. I'll be back later on with another dig. Maybe I can show you guys why I love the Cybertron Transformers games so much. After all, they are also a part of my childhood!

The time is now. The hero is you.

[popculturebuffet]

Hang Around For Scooby Doo: SD Ghoul School Review (Comission for Emma Fici)

Happy Halloween all you happy people! Our halloween stuff rolls on as I introduce a new not at all consitent series on this blog, Hang Around For Scooby Doo! This probably won't be a monthly thing like my muppets reviews, but it will be fun.

See over a year and a half ago my good friend @jess-the-vampire and I started having movie nights every Tuesday and Wedsday on her nights off. It was during this we found a mutual love of Scooby Doo, both having grown up with it despite being a generation apart. So when she told me about a Scooby Doo film where Scooby goes into space in a trek inspired heavily by BioShock and alien, how could I say no? The film was Moon Monster Madness, and I shall cover it some day. Finding out i'd missed films like this made me curious: I'd grown up with the DTV scooby movies, even watching them into high school on sick days or summer days as CN played them a lot, but after Chill Out, Scooby Doo, they stopped playing them as much, and I stopped seeing them as a result.

So in over a year and a half we watched and re-watched ALLL OF THEM. No hyperbole. We watched the greats, we found hidden gems and we also suffered through Return To Zombie Island and Fred's weird singing voice in the somehow boring vampire musical. And once we were done… we kept going and have been watching some Scooby doo ever so often since. We watch other stuff sure, it's how I got sucked down the Miraculous Ladybug Hole, but it's built on a foundation of Scooby Doo

And of course watching entirely too much Scooby Doo has given me a MASIVE repository of review material yet untapped. From weird individual episodes like Shaggy becoming king of the goths, Fred's ass terrifying everyone, One of NSYNC framing the Gang for crimes, Shaggy nearly being drowned for being a witch or a rejected skeletor minion haunting a 70's dude at Wimbledon. IT's a weird wonderful buffet and since my good friend Emma commissioned this from me, we got a great place to start digging in Shaggy style so Hang Around after the Read More for Scooby Doo: Ghoul School!

The history for this one is interesting, as this flim happens to be part of another small project I've intended to start for a while: an on and off look at the Superstar 10, 10 films packaged for Hanna Barbera's funtastic world of hannaa barbera saturday morning block. Even if you haven't heard of them, you may of seen some as all three red shirt shaggy films as well as Flintstones Meet the Jetsons are part of it, and cartoon network tended to air them a lot growing up as they filled up time nicely. Why the others weren't used, especially since one of Yogi Bear's other films, his wonderful christmas special, was aired every year…

But the non-scooby ones are only avaliable via Warner Archives, so i'm curoius to see what hiden gems and things that are better off locked in the archives lie in wait, so once again while this review is paid for, it's something that was inevitble.

The Superstar Ten Trilogy of Scooby Films is highly notable for being the first Scooby Doo films, the ones that likely gave the crew of Zombie Island to try one for the DTV market as unsuprisingly these three had vhs' (and I had one for the reluctant werewolf. Wish I still did. It was sweet. ). These films paved the way for us to have almost 50 MORE after them.

This trilogy is also intresting for when it was made: coming out in the mid 80's, this was around the same time as 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo, The New Scooby Doo shows and others that largely broke from formula with Fred and Velma largely put on a bus , leaving the gang just Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne.. Scrappy

And their bitching van. Despite the show before it being the bane of many fans at the times existence, the Daphne and Shaggy era shows are well regarded and I hope to binge 13 ghosts at some point as it sounds utterly awesome. Weirdly though despite Scrappy's wide backlash he wasn't the team member to get dumped for these movies, with the trio instead being reduced to just Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy. Now…

Scrappy.. really isn't that annoying here. He still has his traits of running at danger and being Scooby's Hype Dog, but he's also fairly intelligent, helpful and functions as a replacement Fred without being nearly as bland as pre-Zombie Island Fred Jones. I mean he can't say treasure that special way

But he still does well. It's why i'm really baffled at how Scrappy's been reduced to either not existing anymore (Curse of the 13th ghost) or a hilarious joke not to be talked about (Mystery Incorpeated): yes he's widely hated but you can do stuff with him as seen with the 2001 Movie and Scooby Apocalypse. And you can do stuff with him as is. I will always be in favor of fixing a character if possible instead of just tossing them aside because it's supposedly what people want, something I doubt will change for poor Scrappy as Warner Bros Discovery has shown it doesn't care what anyone wants, needs or feels.

The Red Shirt Trilogy is also notable for being one of the biggest examples of real monsters in the franchise. As I found out via Billiam's videos these weren't the first time this happened, but it became one of the most memorable, both due to these films getting replayed more often than the scrappy era shows, and because of the neat designs, memorable characters, and all three breaking from the mystery of the week format. Sure there is an unmasking in Boo Brothers, but instead of trying to figure out whose haunting them the Red Shirt trilogy focuses on different genres each time: Reluctant Werewolf is a very mild Horror Comedy that turns into Wacky Races, and our feature presentation today being a slice of life school based story that turns into an adventure film in the last act. It shows just how flexible Scooby Doo is and why it's lasted so long: You can do a LOT with these characters, whether there's a mystery or not and new writers never stop coming or having new ideas to bring to the table. While it was a surprise, it wasn't hugely shocking to find out the writer of this one, Glenn Leopold, went on to write the first three dtv scooby doo movies, all very different. It does surprise me he wrote the godawful and boring Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights, but I forgive him.

So with that we can actually get to the movie itself which as I said is a shockingly chill for most of it's runtime slice of life comedy: Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy are heading to Grimwood's School for Girls to become the new gym teachers. Some of you less familiar with Scooby Doo may laugh, but keep in mind both Scooby and Shaggy are storied Laugh-A-Lympics trained athletes, their team the Scoobie Doobies having won a mind boggling 14 out of 24 games in this storied contest, and Shaggy would later participate in the World Invitational Games. Their more than qualified. Scrappy is there because I assume Scooby just adopted him at some point becaues having scrappy for a child did this to a his mother

So she had to pass the curse on to someone. Naturally things can't ever be easy for our heroes and they find out that while Miss Grimwood herself seems human, we'll get to that, the rest of the students are all the daughters of classic horror monsters: Sibella, the fantastic daughter of dracula with a habit of saying fantastic, using her hair like a cape (something Jess caught and I didn't) and turnign into a bat, Elsa Frankentien, daughter of Frankenstien and somehow bride of Frankenstein, maybe they had hate sex and they alternate weeks I dunno, Phanty, a delightfully hyper phantom with a love of exorcist head and a dad whose apparently the phantom of the opera's ghost? I have a lot of questions I dont' think Erik is ever going to answer. but I mean.. it tracks. He does die in most adaptations, so… there's that, Winnie the son of some sort of wolfman, and Tanis, an adorable Mummy child whose conception is best left a mystery.

Shaggy naturally tries to run the fuck away but he's under contract, with Scooby and Scrappy as witnesses. What's nice though is while Shaggy is, being shaggy, is a bit freaked at first he quickly warms up to the girls. It's a gradual shift and while the character development probably could be done a tad more overtly, it still works for the time with Shaggy going from being afraid of these precious children to genuinely supporting them and being the coach they need. The bulk of the first act is just shaggy training up these girls and doing fun exercises with them. The girls even happily get their coach a pizza without being asked when he can't find anything he likes to eat at grimwood (understandably since in classic adamss family fashion everything's rotten). And while it has cobwebs and stuff they genuinely like it and try it. It's small stuff.. but it works.

It helps the girls themselves are incredibly endearing. Their not huge on personality in the dialogue itself, mostly being limited to their traits of "Vampire", "Kinda awkward", "goofy and does the head spin", "energetic werewolf" and "baby girl baby", but the various quirks they have animation wise and their genuine kindness and enthuastim towards their coaches make them hard not to root for. It's no wonder the five became instant fan faviorites and it's more suprising it took TWENTY YEARS to have any sort of followup, especially since after likewise breaking out the Hex Girls have shown up in every series sense. Also if your curious yes we will be getting to it this halloween, Emma's using her patreon review for it. Their just well designed, fun characters and add to the fun chill atmosphere. It's also a nice lesson about tolerance without hitting you over the head with it: Shaggy sees someone different, reacts badly, but grows to see them as what they are: people who are different but at the end of the day still just people. Simple yet heartwarming.

Playing our girls we have Susan Blu, whose a long time voice actor and voice director, best known for this flim and Transformers The Movie as Arcee, as Sibella, Patty Maloney who played Twiki on Buck Rogers a few times and Darla in the 80's version of the little rascals I just found out existed, as Lil Tanis, the late, great Russi Taylor as Phanty, Susan Blu, mother of Mae Witman it turns out and vetran va as Elsa, and the late longtime HB voice actress Marilyn Schreffler as Winnie. Impressively all but two of them came back for the OK KO reunion years later, with only Schreffler and Maloney being replaced as the former had sadly passed ona nd the later had retired, with it being JUST in time to catch Russi Taylor before her tragic passing not long after.

As for what Shaggy's coaching them for in grand 80's fashion he's training them for the big game with the snotty rivals just next door, the Callaway Cadets who seem to be actively in denial about the girls being monsters. Thankfully while they avoid the trap of most standard 80's

Characters: Unlike say Huey Dewey and Louie or the bros of my little pony tales, the boys, while cocky and confident, are mostly just clever and ready to win and are heavily regimented. At most their petty jerks and cheaters, but there's no overt sexism needing to be taught a lesson here. It's also nice that their one plus sized member Tug is NOT singled out for his weight or the subject of constant fat jokes. Which doesn't seem like a high bar clear but for the time it is. At most he falls on a guy maybe once. Their a little charming but obviously leagues behind the girls in terms of actually being memorable. Their col is also delightfully stuck up, the Callaway himself. Their also well child acted, with future robin Scott Mellinvlle being one of them.

I will admit there's not a huge amount of build up to said game, it's the main goal for 2/3 of the movie but htere's no traning montages or real drive to win other than Tanis wanting one for her big ass mummy case. But it really doesn't matter: It's more about having fun with these characters with the game simply a setup for said fun and some hyjinks. The big game isn't the reason we're here, i'ts to see shaggy and scooby get into antics, some ghoul children be adorable and quirky, and legendary action Glynis Johns to ham it up to all hell as Mrs. Grimwood. Mrs. G is delightful, being wonderful supportive of her girls, a decent enough boss, and fun to be around. She's also in my eyes a witch since, given the later OK KO crossover, that's an actual species in this unvierse and we don't have one on the good guys side so why not. She also has an octopus butler i'm hence dubbing Geoffry. He rocks even if I somehow forget about him EVERY TIME I watch this film. The film is good Adams Family/Munsters style fun complete with thinking creepy things are fun, eating gross food, and shrieking for exercise making the two buzzards who work there quit.

The actual game is engaging though as you want the girls to win, they use their powers, the boys use the power of cheating, it's good times. Seriously the cadets just.. blatantly cheat in front of them. Dick Dastardly at least had the decency to try and do it while no one but the audience was looking. Come on man. OUr heroines naturally win of course, with Tanis getting the trophy that they just pass back and forth because why not.

We also get a really adorable scene as it's PARENTS DAY!… which for Shaggy and Scooby means

Though it turns out like their kids the various parents.. are all nice. Tanis' dad in paticular gets the immortal line "I don't want to hurt you I want to HUG YOU!" Awww, what a sweetheart. THey also all thretan to straight up murder shaggy and scooby if their daughters get hurt

This leads us into the last act.. and the weakest part of the film. See either because the script ran short, the execs wanted it or the writer just done goofed, the last part feels kind of jammed in there. The first chonk of the film is fun slice of life while the last third is an adventure film with horror elements in which the dread witch Revolta and her much cooler and more intmidating assitant the Grim Creeper kidnap the girls and plan to brainwash them to give Revolta an army to become top monster since the girls dads went soft raising families. I mean dracula emptied a whole boat before settling down. Can't argue that.

The problem is besides Revolta feeling really jammed in, only showing up for one scene to show us she exists in the first section of the film, she's also REALLY boring. Ruta Lee gives a great voice performace but Revolta's design is meh and her personality is entirely absent. She has no motive other than

Which granted isn't much of a step down from most scooby doo villians crooked real estate schemes, but it just makes her boring. And if she did more I might respect her but she spends the film sending out minons, her spider bats and the again far more awesome grim creeper and grousing at the Creeper ocasionally. She could be replaced by her sidekick entirely and the film would not change. She also somehow.. surivives the finale? Which like.. is someone going to send the cops after her? Are there monster cops? Would anyone else want to see that spinoff? Valid questions.

The Creeper is great though, voiced by Andre Stojka who played the owl in winnie the poo after this. Great guy. The creeper has a neat , creepy design, a great voice and depsite bein ga tad goofy is a through threat, being the one who actually you know does shit, using his vines to grab people, going out to help the spider-bats with the kidnapping and generally doing all the work. He even tries feading Scooby , Shaggy and Scrappy to a well dweller who also looks neat, and is cleverly defeated by scrappy getting it to play with a bouncing ball. I genuinely wish he was the main villian. Granted I also love any and all cyclopses like this boy here

But still the Grim Creeper rocks. The last third of the film dosen't: Once the kidnappings happen, which are genuinely creepy and unsettling , paticuarlly Sibella as while she tries to escape she's captured mid-air by the bats and Winnie and Tanis who are dragged into an abandoned shack by their big sister figures, so it's not al lbad.. but then the last 25 minutes is just almost entirely our heroes dicking around a castle. There's some good bits such as Shaggy meeting the bad shaggy, because he's the good shaggy, whose just a …

With Evil Shag being genuinely creepy.. but instead of serving any plot ponit he just.. runs back into the mirror after chasing Scooby and then Scrappy for a bit while the girls chant "I obey only revolta " to an annoying degree. It'd be creepier to have them actually attack their surrogate uncles instead of just, you know chanting and doing nothing. It's not TERRIBLE, the good set pieces help outweigh the bad parts, but it's nothing really special or necessary after 2/3 of a really fun chill slice of life comedy.

The climax likewise is just kinda there: Our heroes just happen to accidently break Sibella free, she frees the rest, and the cadets, who previously refused to help for no good reason…

Had a change of heart and decided to come help and take everyone away on their helicopter they have because the one kids an inventor and they actually set it up so good for them. Our heroes escape and have a really fun dance party to the Scrappy Rap, aka Scrappy being shockingly fun as an mc. It's cheesy sure but it's sstill got a decent beat, is fine for a goofy 80's film, and is far from the most embarassing rap i've seen

The ending.. dosen't quite work for me as Shaggy and Scooby run off from next semesters kids: A creature from the black lagoon who looks delightfully orange, an alien, and Godzooky 2: The Quickening. Seriously I want to know more about these kids they look adorable. GIVE ME A SEQUEL YOU COWARDS

DON'T GIVE ME ONE FOR GOD'S SAKE YOU COWARDS.

So that was Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School and while far from the deepst or scariest scooby work, it's one of the funnest, the most creative and it has an octopus butler. None of us can say that and more should frankly. If you can find it, as it is on DVD at least, check it out. It's a fun ride and easily the best of the Red Shirt Trilogy, which i'll get back to.. eventually. For now have a good day, follow me here for more and on patreon, feel free to hit me up for comissions and thanks for reading.

[arytha]

my little brother got us to get Kodi- i dont actually know exactly what this is but i've gotten him to watch the first 3 kara no kyoukai movies with me and im watching some other cn dramas and stuff with it? my only gripe is that it doesnt allow split screen on mobile... so im gonna get it on my shitty laptop thats still twitching with the latest windows 10 update 🤔

[girlbosslrell]

i know i'm biased, but i think that was my favourite episode in all of star trek.

i know they probably only set it in toronto because they were already filming in a studio lot in toronto but listen.

when i was young, i had to watch dozens of movies get filmed in toronto but never set in toronto. they would keep all the buildings and the signs and everything else the same, but set it in some random american city and edit out the CN tower from the skyline. watching movies growing up, my dad would point out all the places in the films that we've been to before, spots in toronto that he would recognise through the screen, but in the movie they were supposed to be in boston or chicago or new york. toronto was never relevant enough to be a setting in its own right, just a filming location.

but now, for the first time, at least the first i've seen, toronto is taking centre stage. we're no longer a backdrop, an unnamed set for an american city. we're the setting, and the filming location! and that's fucking incredible. i have always been honoured and proud to be a canadian, but in the past decade i've seen my country and my city shine on a global scale like never before, and it feels so fucking good. O CANADA EH!!!!! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[curoopeez]

Hot take but the first httyd movie was the only good one. I know the third one is the most hated, to be honest I didn't watch it, but the second already flopped.

What made the first movie so great is that it was a journey both of self-discovery and of discovering the entire world. Hiccup became an inseparable friend with the sworn enemy of his people, the dragons seen as death machines turned out to love dragon weed and would turn defenseless if given a rub in the right spot and learning to fly was such a big thing for the story, it was about toothless recovering from it's injury, it was Hiccup mastering a skill for the first time, it was both of them unlearning the hathred between vikings and dragons.

The second movie? It completely ignored the worldbuilding of the first movie. Dragons have unlimited fire, no blindspots or sensibility to sound or weeds. And I can forgive that in small budget adaptations like the CN series, but for a sequel to leave out such rich worldbuilding in a franchise that was so special because it was so heavily about discovering the world it takes place in, it can only mean a shift in tone.

Httyd2 wasn't about learning and growing, it didn't carry the anti-war message. It was just "cool dragons! War against evil guy! Dramatic main character death! Glorious victory thanks to a deus-ex-machina power-up"

Even the moment when Toothless broke free from the bewilderbeast's control, it did not hit nearly as hard. The first movie was a very clear struggle to overcome prejudice and war trauma for them to bond. The second was... hypnosis? I guess? Nobody learned anything, it just made a dramatic scene and that's it.

Anyway, httyd was my favorite movie as a child, probably the movie I've liked the most my entire life, and I've been holding a grudge against httyd2 ever since I've watched it in the cinema, it was the biggest dissapointment I've ever felt from a movie

[saitou-shuka]

@Saito_Shuka: Me with a Minion from T-SPOOK!!! I super-dashed up to the Minion to give him a hug I was so tired when I got there. I love them so much... (T_T) This is a picture I took with Stuart. I was like "Gyaaa!"

[queerofthedagger]

Tip five self care tips for when everything is difficult

Oh first of all, all my love to you, I feel you ❤️ I don't know just how difficult you're talking, so this is going to be pretty basic and not really fancy ✨self care ✨ Very slight CN for mental health stuff belows.

Brush your teeth. I know it sucks. I know it doesn't feel like a big deal out of everything. Sit down on the floor or somewhere, do it anyway. At least for a minute. Or use mouthwash if it really doesn't fly.

In the same vein - if you don't feel up to a shower, grab a washcloth while you're already in the bathroom. Maybe change your clothes. I know all of this sounds minor and unimportant but personally, the effort tends to pay off for me and I'll feel a bit less horrible tbh.

Drink some water (or tea, or juice, or soda) and eat something. I don't mean cook - anything, chocolate bar, a slice of toast, door dash order, doesn't matter. Main thing is you eat anything at all

Talk to someone. This is what gets thrown around a lot and personally the thing I struggle most with, and I don't mean, you have to tell someone you're feeling like shit but - send your friend a meme. Ask them about something that's going on in their life. It's really easy to forget that there are people who care about you, but there are. You don't need to chat for hours or call or anything. If even that's too much (I've been there), scroll through previous conversations, or look at pictures, or basically anything that reminds you that you're not alone. ❤️

Open your window, even only ajar, and get comfortable on the couch, or in bed, or whatever, and watch your comfort movie, or read your comfort fluff fic, or even the angstiest you have cause sometimes crying over someone else's tragedy just helps. If that's too much, maybe put an audio book on where you like the narrator's voice - I personally love Colin Morgan's voice a lot. Even if I don't have the spoons to listen to what he's saying, it's still soothing, and I can tune in for a bit if I want to distract myself from my own brain. Nap if you want. Nap a lot.

Be kind to yourself, and try taking care of your basic needs, is probably my main advice. Sometimes that might not work either, and that's fine, but it'll pass. It sucks and is horrible and I'm so sorry it's happening at all, but eventually, it'll get better again. And my ask box/dms are open if you need it too. ❤️

[emsylcatac]

Can you translate the conversation at the theater? 👀

Hiii yes of course! 👀

[Mecha Tigre]: Don't die, Shark Tank! I've always loved you!

[Shark Tank]: Me too, Mecha Tigre! But it's impossible, we're sworn enemies!

Chat Noir: But they don't even have a mouth, how can they kiss?!

Marinette: It's written in advance, so we know it's gonna end well. In real life, you never know how it's gonna go. It's not because you tell someone you love them that they'll fall in love like that as if by magic!

CN: Tell me about it...If only it was this easy..!

M: That's why it's scary to tell someone you love them. Even saving the world compared to it, it seems easier! Well, that's what I imagine. See, when you have to save the world with Ladybug, you, you go in head first! No need to think, a couple of jokes and there you go, cataclysm, lucky charm, miraculous ladybug and everything's back to what it used to be! It's too easy!

CN: Well, let's say that it's a little bit more complicated than that but you're right.

M: But...telling someone you love them, if it doesn't work, the cataclysm...it's in your heart. No 'miraculous ladybug' can fix this. That's why I can't get anywhere with boys. When it becomes important to me, I'm scared of doing something stupid so I need to anticipate everything that could happen. So I'm making up stories for myself with wedding dresses, with hamsters and... What everybody sees, it's not Marinette who opens up her heart. It's Marinette who tells the nonsensical stories she made up for herself.

CN: Me too I like hamsters-

Guy behind: And I, I like to watch movies in silence!

[They laugh]

For the umbrella scene following, @2manyfandoms2count translated it here!

[haemosexuality]

I'm so emotional about the SU movie. Like. I've been watching this show since I'm 8. I've been in love with this show since 2014. It's been such a big part of my life for 6 years and now it has a movie??? A movie remembering and celebrating everything about the show? It's just. Im so emotional over this steven universe is like a legit friend to me. I feel like 8yro me sitting at my grandma's house watching season on on CN BR and discussing it with my 4yro cousin (He's 10 now, can u believe it??) is back

This show has legit helped me so much. When Bolsonaro won the election I was so scared, and the only thing able to calm me down was Garnet's Stronger Than You and her speech at Your Mother And Mine. I Listen to Here Comes a Thought to calm down my anxiety. It helped me accept that I'm LGBT and god, it had the first lesbian wedding in the history of cartoons

Yeah, my Undertale phase was cool, I'm totally in love with She-Ra rn, but Steven Universe has been here for 6. Years.

And now it has a beautiful movie celebrsting everything the show is about

[weedle-testaburger]

Since you mentioned it I used to be REALLY into the MCU, now it’s just sort of there. What have I skipped since endgame? Like three movies and three TV shows (or at least their respective first seasons). Yeah I skipped the Loki series because of the excessive coverage, and dr who comparisons Though my parents both gave it a shot. Also I have another question. What’s the largest number of episodes you’ve seen in a single season of a show? I know old Trek could have as many as 22 or 24 per season.

Off the top of my head, four movies and I think five TV series. As for largest number of episodes, the biggest total for any series I've watched myself is the first season of SU, that has 52! (Though given they're only 11 minute episodes and long seasons are quite common with CN shows- Summer Camp Island had 40 episodes in its first season- that's less out-there than it sounds.)

[d4c]

how do you feel about billy and mandy? I've always liked it, but for current cartoon shows I think the amazing world of gumball is honestly my top favorite, followed closely by regular show. (clarence an honorable mention since its setting is my home state n honestly lost childhood memories come back when I watch that show)

billy and mandy was definitely one of my favorites growing, the specials were great along with the big boogie adventure movie. one of my favorite episodes was the one with the skull that granted wishes. Only thing I felt was a bit lacking from memory was the underfist movie they did towards the end, but overall 10/10 

Gumball imo is the best show on CN these days I just watched a lot of it the other day I might be missing a few episodes though but I know I’ve seen most of them. 

Regular Show I watched when it first started airing think I was around 16 and loved it, I fell off a bit towards some of the later seasons but I’ve had to have seen nearly all of them, the finale tonight did not let me down and what they did towards the end really brought back memories and how much I loved the show

clarence not bad at all, better than I was expecting from it. I like how a lot of episodes are just childhood antics kinda makes me think about my own childhood.

side note they need to tone down teen titans go I’m not sayin its bad theres a few good episodes I’ve seen but for every 30 mins of something else they show like 2 hours of teen titans