#animation course in boston

[brocoffeeengineer]

Sketching the Future: Why Traditional Drawing Still Drives Modern Animation

In a world full of sophisticated digital aids, motion capture, and CGI magic, one might think that old-fashioned drawing has gone the way of the dinosaur. But beneath some of the most compelling scenes in contemporary animation is a pencil sketch—hand-drawn, bringing to life what subsequently dazzles on screen. This harmony of analog beauty and digital skill is the essence of modern animation, a testament to the fact that drawing is dead only in the imagination; it's stronger and more vital than ever. The Foundation Never Fades

Hand-drawn drawing is more than a throwback to the golden age of animation; it's the ground on which all visual storytelling begins. Whether a storyboard, a concept piece, character design, or a full-fledged environment, almost all animation projects start with hand-drawn sketches. These first few lines of work allow animators to experiment with visual potential, establish mood, and define character personality well before animation software comes into play. Despite 3D modeling and AI-driven software taking center stage, capable drawing animators always produce fuller, more expressive work. They are able to visualize anatomy, movement, perspective, and emotion in ways beyond the capabilities of a mouse click.

A Resurgence in 2D Appeal

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of the warmth of hand-drawn animation on the big screen. Netflix, for example, released Klaus in 2019, a movie that blended traditional 2D animation with state-of-the-art lighting. The success of the movie encouraged new discussions within the industry regarding the emotional resonance of hand-made art.

More recently, The Peasants (2023), a hand-painted animated feature produced by the team that made Loving Vincent, further followed this path by presenting the sheer beauty of frame-by-frame drawing. Audiences reacted not only to the narrative, but to the craftsmanship itself—valuing the human element in each frame. This newfound appreciation shows that there is a hunger out there for real, traditional aesthetics, particularly when mixed creatively with digital innovation.

Why Sketching Still Matters in Digital Workflows

Even in studios with robust animation tools such as Toon Boom, Blender, or After Effects, old-school drawing is at the heart of pre-production. Pencil tests, rough sketches, and animatics offer a low-stress, high-impact way to test ideas prior to full-scale production.

Additionally, artists working in traditional drawing have greater precision with timing, spacing, and motion fluidity—principles essential both to 2D and 3D animation. Disney's fabled "12 Principles of Animation," as initially developed to guide hand-drawn animation, continue to instruct techniques employed for CGI-drenched productions today. Principles such as squash and stretch, anticipation, and exaggeration are initially gained through pencil and sketchpad work.

Education Still Focuses on Drawing Ability

There are no animation schools dropping drawing—they're redoubling it. Syllabi are being reworked to combine classic methods with computer workflows. Students are learning to draw by hand not because they'll be animating all their frames by hand, but because it hones their eye and develops discipline.

Intriguingly, the call for drawing-oriented animation training has increased, particularly in cities such as Boston, where the creative economy is flourishing. With more studios, game developers, and marketing firms wanting 2D imagery for mobile media and social storytelling, students taking an Animation course in Boston frequently discover that their sketchbook is as valuable as their tablet.

Old Drawing and New Technology: A Consonant Mixture

What is interesting in the current animation era is not the conflict between old and new, but rather how they blend together. Traditional hand-drawn characters are now scanned and rigged in computer programs. Artists use tablets that are designed to recreate the tactile feel of pencil marks on paper. Programs such as Procreate and Adobe Fresco provide software that simulates brushes, inks, and watercolors with near-perfect precision.

AI is even being taught on classical art. Recent advances in machine learning enable algorithms to forecast the way a character would move or feel based on hand-drawn frames. Though AI can computerize in-between frames or background elements, the flash of inspiration—the personality in a character's eyes or the shape of a smile—continues to emanate from the artist's hand.

This balance permits more experimentation. Productions such as Arcane from Riot Games combine hand-painted textures with 3D modeling to produce a distinctive visual language that is handcrafted in feel but at the scale of a blockbuster production.

The Indie Revolution and Hand-Drawn Revival

Yet another area where traditional drawing is making a comeback is the independent animation world. Free from the limitations of popular trends, independent animators frequently prefer 2D techniques for their honesty and emotive capabilities. Short movies, web series, and music videos often rely on the pure energy of hand-drawn pieces.

For example, in early 2025, animation forums were buzzing with the viral popularity of Daydreams, a short film by up-and-coming artist Reina Park. Animated completely in pencil with little post-production, it accumulated millions of views on Vimeo and YouTube—reminding everyone that simplicity, when executed well, can outshine even the most elaborate renders.

This renaissance is motivating a new generation of animators to take up the pencil once more—not because it's nostalgic, but because of creative control and emotional impact.

What the Industry Says

Top animators and directors frequently reiterate the importance of drawing. In an interview with Animation Magazine, Glen Keane (Disney legend animator and director of Over the Moon) had to say:

"Drawing is thinking. You can't create an interesting character, whether you're doing 2D or 3D, unless you can think with your pencil."

Studios such as Studio Ghibli, in their commitment to hand-drawn animation, remain a guiding influence even for CGI-dominated productions. Their recent film, How Do You Live?, by Hayao Miyazaki, was nearly completely done by hand, serving as a testament to the longstanding relevance of traditional techniques.

At the same time, Disney+ and HBO Max are actively investing in 2D projects, demonstrating that the market sees and invests in this art.

The Road Ahead

With technology being more available, the future of animation will most probably be hybrid—where old skills and new tools come together in harmony. Drawing will continue to be the pulse of storytelling, not because of nostalgia, but because it adds simplicity, expression, and humanity to a field that is increasingly mechanized.

Prospective animators, then, would be well advised to take up traditional drawing. Not as a substitute for computer tools, but as an essential ally that enriches every part of contemporary production.

Where cities have thriving creative industries, as is the case with Boston, their schools are already adapting to the change. Curriculum for character design, motion graphics, and frame-by-frame narratives is bridging analog ways of working and computer-based practice, giving the students the perfect of both. One such venture is the 2D visualization course in Boston, bringing the basics of drawing together with state-of-the-art software and thereby equipping the animators with the needs of the new business environment.

Conclusion

Even as technology continues to re-form the weapons in the animators' arsenals, animation still depends upon the fundamental gesture of drawing. From the earliest of concept doodles to final on-screen illusions, the time-tested act of drawing is what fundamentally defines animation. And as international studios look for artists who possess not only digital proficiency but also a deep understanding of hand-drawn skills, there's also a renewed emphasis on developing these ageless skills. That is why Animation courses are becoming popular—because they know that in animation, all that's significant still starts with a line.

[sonialiao]

Got my table number finally!! If you're going to Anime Boston, I will be at Table 124! My basement is a wreck lol this is what I get for trying to figure out my table display ahead of time

[ericshoney]

Keep him ~ Brothers!Sturniolo Triplets

Summary: As Matt and Chris surprise Nick with animals in the house, you get very attached to the bunnies.

Warnings: nicknames, pure fluff

Reader's age: 5

You were very excited.

When Matt and Chris said they were planning a surprise for Nick and you could be a part of it made you feel special. Especially knowing there were animals involved.

"Okay kid, can you just sit on the sofa while the lady sets up?" Chris asked you.

You nodded and sat quietly, waiting and watching as the worker brought all the different animals in. You giggled as Buster the goat came over to you.

"Can I pet him?" You asked.

"Of course, sweetheart, gentle though." Matt answered.

You smiled and gently pet the goat, giggling softly, which Memo caught on camera.

But as soon as the bunnies were brought out and placed in the cage, you couldn't help but squeal. Matt and Chris both smiled.

"You want to hold one, petal?" Matt asked.

"Please!" You cheered.

Chris got one of the bunnies out and passed him to you carefully. You smiled wide, holding him gently and close to your chest as you stayed sitting.

"Wait, Nick's here." Chris called, hearing the front door.

"Hey Nick." He called.

"Hey." Nick responded.

Then the duck made a noise, making Nick scream. He appeared at the top of the stairs and gasped at all the animals.

"I'm never leaving the house again!" He shouted.

You giggled and held up the bunny as Nick looked around. He smiled and came over, gently stroking his fur.

"Wow." He said.

Matt and Chris started talking with Nick, along with the worker about all the different animals and their names. Nick wasn't a fan of the chickens but you weren't interested. Your focus was on the bunny you had curled up on your lap.

"Bub, you like the bunny?" Nick called, sitting next to you.

"Yeah, can we keep him?" You asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"I don't know, honey, you know how busy me, Matt and Chris can be here." He answered.

"Back in Boston?" You questioned.

"That's something we'd have to talk to mum and dad about, kid." Chris spoke up.

You nodded and giggled as the bunny stretched on your lap. You pet it gently, knowing you only had limited time with the animal.

"I'm name you, Mr bunny!" You cheered, holding the small creature carefully.

The guys laughed and smiled, knowing you were happy and they got to surprise Nick once again all in the same day.

Tags:

@lgbtq-girl @mattsfavbigtitties @onelesslonelygirlbieber6 @riowritesitall @sturniolo-fann @mrvlxgrl @lottieluhvs @cl1tlover3000 @melaniesturniolo @lovesturni0l0s @blahbel668  @emely9274 @nicksloverrr @pancjfrjb @luvr4miya @artloo123 @n0aa @sturn-rose @ivysturnss @thetriplets3 

Dividers by @issysh3ll

[sturnioloszn]

OLD TOGETHER - C.S

summary; you and chris are reminiscing on the day you adopted trevor and how everyone has grown old together.

warnings; noneee, it's a fluff!

a/n; it was bound to happen that i'd write a oneshot with trev. also, i'm gonna try to write a few more fluffs for NNN (lmaoo, i'll still do a few smuts, i wont starve u sluts dw) but yeahhh, enjoy!

The triplets were finally back in Boston, and they asked if I wanted to hang out and have a movie night with them. Of course, I accepted. The triplets and I have been friends since elementary, and we used to see each other every single day. But ever since they moved to La, we've seen each other a lot less. So, whenever the opportunity presents itself, we hang out as much as possible.

Nick and Matt were currently out grabbing the pizzas and snacks for the movie night, whereas Chris and I decided to stay back. We were sprawled out on the couch, mindlessly talking to each other. I missed this. I miss being able to come over whenever and just hang out. I missed their company. I missed them.

After a few minutes, the conversation died down, and we were enjoying eachothers comfortable silence until a soft snoring was heard from the left of me. Chris and I both look up from our phones and look to see who was snoring even though we already knew who it was.

Trevor was curled up under a grey blanket on his dog bed, which was kept on the couch. God, this dog is sooo spoilt. We watch as he sleeps, his gentle snores being the only noise in the room. Chris and I exchanged a small glance and laughed under our breath, trying not to wake up Trev.

"Do you remember when we first got him?" I ask, looking back to Chris. He had his phone in his hand, recording Trevor as he slept.

"Of course I do. How could I forget?" He smiles, ending the recording.

-

"Come on, Nickkk, it'll be fun," Chris whines. We had just finished the school day, and Chris and I were begging to go to the animal shelter, but Nick and Matt were not convinced.

"No, mom said to come home straight away," Nick states. He looks over to Matt before speaking again, "Isn't it mom said that?" He asks, raising his eyebrows at Matt.

"Um... yeah. Chris, let's just go home," He pleads, not wanting his brothers to fight. Chris stomps one of his feet and shakes his head, his blond hair falling into his eyes slightly.

"Y/n wants to go too, and mom won't care if we come home like ten minutes later," He says, looking over to me. Now, all three of them are glarring at me, waiting for me to pick a side.

"How about me and Chris, go to the shelter for a couple of minutes, and you guys go home?" I say, trying to stop the fighting and make everyone happy.

"Fine, when mom takes your playstation away, I'm going to laugh at you," Nick says, sticking his tongue out to Chris and grabbing Matt's hand before walking away. Now it's just me and Chris standing outside the animal shelter.

"Are you sure we won't get in trouble?" I ask, looking into his innocent, blue eyes. He looks back at me before shaking his head and grabbing hold of my hand. We walk to the door of the animal shelter and struggle slightly to push it open, but when we do, a small bell rings.

As the bell stops, a girl with long brown hair comes out to the front. She looks at us before giving a warm smile, "Hi kids, what can I do for you guys?".

We both smiled back before I opened my mouth to answer her, "we were wondering if we could look at some doggies?" I question, with a hopeful gleam in my eyes.

"Of course," She chuckles, leading us to the back where all the animals are kept. There's a few dogs, cats, and even a bunny. But before she could explain anything the bell to the front of the shop rang again. "Sorry guys, give me a sec," She says hurrying to the front.

We take the opportunity to start looking at all the animals. There was a small white dog but it looked a bit crusty and next to it was a really big black and white dog.

"Ooo, this one is a husky," Chris says, reaching his hand into the cage to stroke it. He pets the dog's head and it instantly gets super excited and starts to wag it's tail. I wonder if these animals ever get lonely? Thinking about this makes me sad and I feel tears in my eyes. "Y/n, come here, come pet it," he says, turning around.

That is when he sees that I'm are crying and instantly stops petting the dog. "Why are you crying? What's wrong?" He asks, putting his arm around my shoulders. I cover my face with my small hands, trying to hide the tears but they keep flowing.

"It's sad, what if they get lonely and nobody pays them any attention?" I sniffle and try to wipe my tears away. He looks at me for a moment as if deep in thought.

"I'm sure they're not?" he tries to reassure but it doesn't really help. I keep sniffling trying to fight any more tears from falling when the girl comes back in with a puppy in her hands. She takes a look at me before asking the same question Chris had asked moments ago.

Chris explains to her that I'm sad because I think the dogs are probably lonely and want some love. "Awhh sweetheart, it's okay. I promise they get plenty of love. Here, how about you hold this fella," she says passing the puppy that was in her arms into mine.

The small dog was brown with a little, black button nose. I cradle the dog in my arms and pet it softly. Chris reaches over to also show him some affection.

"What's his name?" Chris asks the girl.

"He actually doesn't have one yet, he was just brought in, he's a puppy," she says, watching me hold the dog close to my chest. A smile down at the dog, it is so cute. I wish I could keep him but my mom would never allow it.

"Chris, d'you think your mom would let you keep him?" I ask, mentally crossing my fingers and toes that he'd say yes.

"Hm, maybe? Let me go ask!" He says, before running out the door. I didn't even have time to react before he was already out of eye-sight. He was probably running down the street, back to his house to ask if they could keep him.

I kept cradling the doggy and the girl reassured me that all the animals are very loved even if they don't have a 'forever home' yet.

Before I knew it Chris comes speeding back, dragging his mom by the hand; Nick and Matt trailing behind them.

Me and the girl both move back to the front to meet with everyone else. "Look mom! Isn't he the cutest?" Chris asks, pulling the dog into his arms to give his mom a closer look. She closely examines the dog before turning to the woman behind the desk.

"How big will he grow?" She asks. Nick and Matt move closer to us to take a closer look at the dog.

"I guess he's kinda cute," Nick admits, still salty about the argument from earlier.

"Nick you can't lie, he's really cute," Matt agrees, coming to also pet him. We were now all surrounded by the dog petting him and showing so much love.

The dog didn't mind all of the attention, he just yawned and settled into Chris' arms.

"Not big at all, he's a pug and beagle mix, so he won't grow too much bigger than he is now," the girl explains. I watch their mom pull out her purse from her bag and take out a card.

The woman behind the desk smiles and looks back over to us before speaking, "hey guys, he's all yours,". We look back and forth between us before all running to hug their mom. She laughs and hugs as all back.

"But you guys have to promise you'll stop arguing now, alright?" She says, shaking her head with a smile. Nick must have told her about the disagreement the four of us had earlier. We all agreed to her condition before we began throwing names around so that we could figure out what to name our newest friend. Amongst all our chatter, Chris speaks up so he can be heard.

"Y/n and I should be the ones to name him because it's technically our dog, we wanted him!" He says, making all of us stop speaking. Nick goes to open his mouth to disagree but their mom stops him.

"How about we all agree on a name, hm?" She says, leading us out of the shelter and on the walk back to the triplet's house we agreed on the name Trevor. When their mom heard the name she laughed and questioned it but Chris said he randomly thought of it which made us all laugh.

-

We share a smile, remembering our childhood and how crazy it was that we've had Trev for so many years now. We've all grown up together which was almost enough to bring tears to my eyes again.

Out of nowhere, Nick and Matt burst through the front door, "GUESS WHO BROUGHT BACK PIZZAAAA!" Nick exclaims, as if we didn't know.

Matt follows behind him, shaking his head. We spend the rest of the night, laughing, eating, and enjoying eachothers company. It makes me sad that we are getting older and that we're leaving our childhood behind but I can't wait to continue to grow old together and see what the future brings us.

a/n; thank you for readingggg, I hope you enjoyed it and lmk if u have any suggestions for future fics! love you all <33.

Taglist; @idrk2292 @mattsfavseason @aalicats87 @045696 @forgottxen @mattsturniolover

[ev3rgreenxtrees]

Sir.Cuddlesworth

M.S

Synopsis: Back at the triplets’ Boston house, you tend to cuddle with Trevor, the boys’ dog, more often than you do with your boyfriend Matt. So, you decide to be a sweetheart and led him your favorite shark stuffed animal, Sir.Cuddlesworth.

Pairing: Matt Sturniolo X Fem!reader

Warnings: None! just fluff <3

A/N: This was requested, but tumblr decided to be a bitch and delete the request, but here it is anyways! The req was “Trevor steals you from Matt” from anon! Thank you🤍

“Trevor!” You squealed, looking from the couch, at the dog. The dog stopped in his tracks, before looking at you, his tail wagging.

You came to Boston with your boyfriend and his brothers. You had been friends with the boys for as long as you could remember, you were even so close, that you moved to L.A. with them. Nate was offered too, of course, but the boy decided he’d stay in his hometown. It was a regular thing that you’d come back to Massachusetts with the boys, to see your mutual best friend, Nate, the triplets parents, and of course your parents.

You had been dating Matt for the past two years, and everything was going perfectly. You couldn’t deny your feelings for the boy, nor could he deny his for you. You were understandably scared to start the relationship between you two, in fear if you ever broke up that it would ruin your friendship with him and his brothers, but that didn’t seem to be something you would have to worry about. You didn’t plan on breaking up with Matt anytime soon, and he felt the same way towards you,

“No, baby-“ Matt mumbled, his grip around your waist tightening, as you attempted to squirm out of his grasp to get to the dog. “Stay.” Matt firmly spoke, but he knew you wouldn’t listen regardless.

You finally got out of his grip, and you rushed to the floor, Trevor immediately running up to you. He ran into your lap, and Matt let out a pouty groan, as he flipped his body to face the couch, in attempts for you to feel bad for him. You, however, knowing the boy was doing this to be silly, decided to stay with Trevor.

“Hi, Trev! I missed you!” You cooed, and Matt let out another groan, louder than the last. “Matt, hush!” You demanded, and he huffed. You looked down at the dog in your lap, before standing up, holding Trevor in your arms. You made your way up the stairs of the house, as you went into Matt’s childhood bedroom.

You knelt down in front of your still packed suitcase, and pulled out a stuffed animal you brought with you everywhere, Mr.Cuddlesworth. The stuffed animal was a Great White Shark, a fuzzy material that was soft on your skin, the white on the belly turning a slight grey due to its old age.

You took the stuffed animal in your arms, before standing up and walking back downstairs, making sure Trevor was walking close behind you.

You made it back to the couch downstairs, seeing Matt exactly where you left him.

“Baby?” You called out, and he turned around, facing you. “Here.” You smiled, handing him your shark.

“Sir.Cuddlesworth? Whats this for?” He asked confused. You sat back down on the floor, and Trevor crawls back into your lap.

“Now we both have a cuddle buddy.” You smiled brightly.

“Awwwe! You’re so adorable,” Matt chuckled, placing a kiss on the top of your head, and you let out a small giggle. “Thanks for Sir.Cuddlesworth. I’m so grateful to be blessed upon him.” Matt holds the shark up next to him, inhaling your scent.

『 ↳✧･ﾟ Finn yaps❕ ;

Yes, this was supposed to be a short :3 I wanted this one to be short and sweet. <3

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🍒 ꒱ I do NOT give permission for my work to be published on any other site, nor to be claimed as your own . However , reblogs , likes , and comments are much appreciated ! 🤍

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ @bernardenjoyer @lovely-calypso

[chandrxla]

this must be the place 🌿 leon kennedy x reader ao3 𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 rated: teen and up word count: 4,978 tags: au - road trip, established relationship, domestic fluff, no smut summary: you and leon rent an old, beat-up camper van and take a tour of the national parks.

You don’t fly. Of course, you don’t fly. Leon insists on driving because, apparently, “Flying is for cowards, baby,” and “Haven’t you heard that one saying? It’s about the journey. Not the destination.”

So here you are, in a beat-up camper van rented from the least sketchy Craigslist listing you could find. You shudder a bit thinking about that old man, his thousands of cats, and his sinister smile after you’d driven away from his little cabin in the middle of the Arklay Mountains and hope that this box of sheet metal doesn’t break down the second your trip hits a hundred miles. 

The van has affectionately been named The Rust Bucket Express, which you and Leon decided on over a stack of syrupy pancakes and too many carafes of watered-down coffee to count at your favorite hometown diner. You’d tried really hard to convince him to split the driving with you, but he just had to bring up the time you rear-ended some prick’s Jaguar and dented the front of his beloved green Jeep Wrangler. You almost reminded him about the three cars (and one boat!) he’s totaled in the past five years, but you let him have his little win. For now. 

You take a break from watching the world blur past out the passenger window and look to your left. Leon’s currently laser-focused on the road ahead, absentmindedly mouthing the words to Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” as it plays on the local rock station, and you fight the urge to break out into a stupid grin. God, you love him.

This little trip of yours — four national parks in two weeks, give or take — is built on little else but MapQuest directions you printed out at the library and a few prayers, but you have a feeling the two of you will make it work. You always do. 

STOP 1: YELLOWSTONE

A bison crosses the road, and you scream. Leon laughs so hard that he has to pull over. 

The massive animal lumbers across the asphalt, its shaggy fur bouncing with each step. It pauses just in front of the windshield, and you stare, eyes wide and jaw agape as you white-knuckle the grab handle above the window. 

“That thing is huge,” you say breathlessly. “How did it just… appear like that?”

Leon is also breathless, but it’s from laughing at you. Wiping tears from his eyes, he turns to you, playfully mussing your hair. “It’s just…” he fights another laugh. “It’s just a bison, baby. You’re okay.”

You glare at him, then look back out the window as the giant creature continues to stroll along, completely unfazed by your presence. 

“So… should we just… wait for it to finish crossing, or…?” you ask, giving him a sidelong glance. 

His expression sobers slightly as he brings his fingers to his chin. “Hm. We could wait a little longer, or… I could get out, and we could try to herd it,” he deadpans. 

You roll your eyes. “You’re terrible.”

“You love me anyway.”

Your lips twitch into a small smile despite yourself. You can’t bring yourself to deny it.

Later, after The Bison Incident is added on to your never-ending list of inside jokes, the two of you find yourselves tucked into the steamy embrace of the Boiling River. One of your roommates from your college years had let you in on the park’s hidden gem after you’d mentioned your trip to her, giving you a little wink and a nudge that left you wondering exactly what she meant. Apparently, it’s never crowded if you go at the right time.

She was right. The only company you keep right now is rocks, the mist rising from the water, and the current as it tickles your legs. Sitting in the shallows, you lean your head on Leon’s shoulder, watching as another couple and their black lab brave the hiking trail in the distance. 

He always gets this gleam in his eye when he’s thinking about something big. You catch a glimpse of it when he turns to you, wraps his arms around your frame, then puts his chin on top of your head.

“I think,” he murmurs, giving you a little squeeze, “we should get a dog.”

You huff a laugh. This is a conversation you’ve had once a week ever since you moved in together. “What else is new?”

“I’m being completely serious! A big, tough one, like a German Shepherd. Give it a human name, like… Chris.”

You tilt your head to look at him. “You want to name our hypothetical dog Chris?”

“Is a small one more your speed?” he asks, and by the way he does, you have a feeling you’ll be signing adoption papers the second you cross state lines back into your hometown. “We could get one of those tiny, scary white ones and name it Matilda.”

“God, you’re hopeless.” You swirl your fingers around in the water and try to fight the grin starting to form on your face. “I don’t know, Leon. I’d probably be better at keeping a cat alive.”

“Cats don’t fetch,” he retorts. “Or walk trails with you,” he adds, gesturing to the couple ahead. Their dog follows after them at a slow pace, circling back to a particularly good-smelling boulder before promptly pissing on it. You scrunch your nose, shaking your head.

“Cats also don’t cry when you leave the room for thirty seconds,” you point out. 

“Well, if you’re the one leaving, I understand. I do it all the time.”

You break out into a laugh. It’s easy to when you’re with him. He throws those one-liners around like they’re confetti, and even though it’s been years, you don’t think you’ll ever get enough of it.

“Maybe we should get a dog then,” you say. “The two of you can bond over being dramatic.”

Leon grins and presses a kiss to your temple. “You wound me.”

STOP 2: GLACIER

The temperature drops sharply when you reach Glacier National Park. Thankfully, you’ve packed appropriately. You, meaning Leon.

After a seven hour drive (it was supposed to be six, but you’d insisted on stopping at every gas station you passed to load up on your favorite snacks) and a stay in Missoula’s shittiest Holiday Inn (you’d tried roughing it in the van, but alas, The Rust Bucket Express is not great at temperature control. Surprise, surprise), you pull on his extra jacket and step out onto the pavement, your breath fogging in the frigid air.

“Nice jacket,” Leon says dryly, wrapping a scarf around your neck. “Where’d you get it?”

“Some weird guy gave it to me,” you shrug. “He kidnapped me and held me hostage in this old camper van that smells like stale coffee and pine needles, and now he’s about to strangle me with his scarf.”

“Shit, that sucks.” He finishes tying the scarf and shakes his head. “But hey, maybe he’ll make it up to you with some hot chocolate after this hike.”

Two hours later, you’re shivering on the Logan Pass and praying that he stays true to that promise. The trail itself is serene, wide, and relatively easy. Your ability to soak in the views of those snow-capped mountains and deep valleys below, however, is somewhat limited — you lost feeling in all of your toes about thirty minutes ago. 

Suddenly, you spot something in the distance and grin. There’s a jagged outcropping of rock rising from the mountainside just beyond the trail. It’s practically calling your name. 

“I don’t like that look on your face,” Leon remarks, nudging you with his shoulder. 

“I’m gonna climb that thing,” you say. 

It takes him a second to realize you’re not joking. It’s a second too late, because you’ve already broken off into a run towards it, ice and rocks be damned. He curses under his breath and follows after you. 

There’s a sign right next to the crag that says “dangerously unstable,” and you just know he’s going to make some comment about it.

Leon puts a hand on your shoulder. “It says—”

You take hold of a promising-looking ledge, pulling yourself flush against the cliffside and away from his grip. “Don’t worry. I’ve watched that one Discovery Channel documentary on rock climbing, like, a hundred times.”

He crosses his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. “Really? What’s it called?”

Shit. All of a sudden, you’re glad your back is to him because all the blood has drained from your face. Your foot finds a notch in the rock that you use to push yourself a few feet higher. “I, um. My memory fails me at the moment. But look! I’m like one of those mountain goats.”

He doesn’t laugh. And just like that, this isn’t so fun anymore. But you’re already halfway up. You might as well see this through.

“I don’t like this,” Leon calls from below you, his voice cutting through the cold air. 

You twist down to glance at him and realize you’re too far up to catch. “I’m fine,” you say, hand scrambling for your next hold. “It’s just a rock.” Despite all your bravado, you can feel the tension in your chest tightening, and your hands are starting to sweat despite the cold. 

He sighs loudly, still looking up at you with a frown. If he clenches that jaw any harder, you swear he’ll break a molar.

Your breath stutters in your lungs when your foot slips slightly, heart racing wildly. A few pebbles fall and hit the ground with the tiniest of clatters. 

“Alright,” he says, voice tight with thinly-veiled frustration. “That’s enough. Get down before you fall and crack your head open.”

“You sound like one of those paranoid old men that scream at the sky,” you tease, but you can’t hide the way your arms are starting to shake. Damn that stupid documentary. This is way harder than they make it look.

Leon’s pacing now, muttering to himself. Oh, god. And, of course, the wind picks up around you, whipping at your face. You’re kind of terrified but not enough to come down. 

He calls your name again, voice quieter this time. “Get down from there. Please.”

You pause and look up. You’re just about two feet from the top, and with another good foothold, you could, hypothetically, make it to the summit. But you decide that your boyfriend’s sanity is worth more than proving that you’re right, and you sigh. “Okay. Okay, fine. Just… give me a second.”

When you finally reach solid ground, he’s still standing at the base of the rock, his arms crossed. The moment stretches, but you don’t miss the way his eyes scan over you like he’s trying to make sure every limb is still in one piece.

You don’t know who moves first, but you’re both silently back on the trail a few minutes later. The rest of the hike is stunningly beautiful, but it feels off without the banter between you.

The truce happens when you reach the little log cabin café near the park’s entrance. You excuse yourself to go to the bathroom but return to your table with two cups of hot chocolate, a bowl of their soup du jour (which looks and smells suspiciously like Lipton’s chicken noodle), and a chicken pesto panini.

“Peace offering?” you ask tentatively, sliding the tray towards Leon.

His gaze flicks up to you from the ground, and he lets out a quiet sigh. “S’alright,” he mutters, but he’s already reaching for the sandwich, like you knew he would. 

You shake your head, sitting next to him on the bench and wrapping your arms around him. “I’m sorry,” you say, and you genuinely mean it. “Really. I got my fix. I promise not to raise your blood pressure for the rest of our trip.”

He returns your hug, and the reluctant chuckle your promise earns makes you feel warmer than any hot chocolate ever could. “Swear it? I don’t think you realize how worried I get when you do shit like that.”

You hold a pinky out to him, expression softening when he hooks his around yours without hesitation. “Cross my heart,” you say. “We’ve got a long, long while together, Leon Scott Kennedy. I plan to live long enough to make you regret it.”

His smile widens. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

STOP 3: YOSEMITE

The California weather is temperate enough this time of year that you can spend a night in the van, and with some expertly-handled negotiation (Leon told the campground ranger that you’d just eloped and this was your honeymoon, and you started tearing up for good measure), The Rust Bucket Express now has a free, peak-season permit to park at the Lower Pines Campground. 

The best part? You’re close to the showers. 

They’re sorely needed after a morning spent hiking to the top of Sentinel Dome. You swear there’s still some residual burning in your quads, especially after that last stretch. Leon, of course, has no complaints, having made the trek look more like an easy stroll. 

The view from the summit was nothing like you’d ever seen before. The thicket of trees had thinned out to reveal a wide open sky, over deep valleys and high-rising granite cliffs. Half Dome stood tall in the distance, and you’d taken many-a-flick on your point-and-shoot of Leon looking out at the edge, pretending to be deep in thought when, in reality, he was most definitely aware of your camera’s obnoxiously loud shutter.

Now, you’re rummaging through your duffel bag in front of the showers, trying to find your beloved shampoo, but all you can feel is the weight of Leon’s eyes on you. You glance up, meeting his gaze.

“What?” you ask, a smirk tugging at the corners of your mouth, but suddenly, your heart’s beating a little faster.

His usual sharp expression has softened, and something about it makes your chest tighten. There’s a look in his eyes, a quiet affection, that makes you feel both grounded and weightless.

“Nothing,” he says, but you swear there’s a slight flush on his cheeks that he tries to hide by looking away.

Laughing softly, you grab him by the collar and kiss him, soft and slow and sweet. He grunts in surprise at first but melts into your touch soon after, hands moving quickly to your waist. He tastes like chocolate chip granola bars, and you grin against his lips as he pulls you into him with a quiet groan.

You pull away just enough to meet his gaze, your breath coming a little quicker now. His eyes are dark with something unreadable, but his lips twitch into a smile that’s more than a little mischievous. 

You look over your shoulder, make sure no one’s around, and then without missing a beat, tug him into the stall with you.

The door slams shut behind you with a soft thud, and the moment you’re enclosed in the small space, his lips are on yours again. This time, it’s all urgency, hands on your skin as he pulls you impossibly closer, impossibly right.

You stay until the water’s run cold, then sneak out one after the other with your faces flushed and laughter barely restrained. Leon steals a few kisses from you behind the trees as you make your way back to the van, and in exchange, you snap a few more shots of him on your camera. There’s one frame you’re particularly excited to develop — you catch him reaching for you mid-laugh, blue eyes crinkled with that easy smile you can never quite get enough of. 

There’s not really a dress code for the Ansel Adams gallery, considering it’s in the middle of a national park, but the two of you look through your bags for your nicest clothes, eager to catch a break from cargos and hiking boots and finally stand under an air conditioner. 

“Ah, the great indoors,” you sigh, taking a slow spin under the torrent of cold air. Leon just snorts and shakes his head at you, and you follow him over to the guestbook sitting on a podium by the door.

It takes a while for you both to get the ball-chain pen to produce ink and even longer for you to decide what to write.

“It’s gotta be kind of funny. Or cheesy. So people laugh and point at it when they see it,” you insist, trying to coax out ink by scribbling little circles in the top-right corner of the page.

“I doubt anyone’s flipping through this thing on their off time,” Leon says, but his skeptical expression shifts into a smile as he peeks behind the page you’re not currently scratching at. “Wait, look at this.”

You roll your eyes. “Point proven.”

After he flips the page over, his finger lands on some aggressively bro-ish handwriting.

We came, we saw, we arted. OSU Kappa Sig. Spring Break 2004.

You glance up at Leon, biting your lip to keep from laughing. He meets your gaze, and after a beat, his grin widens, and he gives you a slow, approving nod. It’s all you need to know he’s thinking exactly what you are.

Slowly, you turn back to the book, lift the pen, and very carefully, squeeze a little f in before the arted.

“What are you two lovebirds laughing about?” you hear from behind you, and immediately, you flush and slam the book closed.

Turning around, you come face-to-face with an older couple, both smiling with an easy familiarity. The woman’s hair is silver but neatly styled, and her husband’s glasses are perched low on his nose as he looks at you with a curious glint in his eye. 

“Just looking at some old spring break nonsense,” Leon replies, his voice a little too casual. You can tell he’s trying to hide the fact that the two of you were caught behaving like middle-schoolers.

“Ah, young love. It’s always so nice to see,” the man says warmly, giving his wife a gentle nudge. “You remember when we were like that?”

She raises an eyebrow, swatting at his arm. “I think I am still like that, dear.” Turning back to the two of you, she gives you a wink. “They say the secret to a long marriage is laughter. You two seem to be on the right track.”

The rush of heat in your cheeks lingers long after the couple has walked off, and you can’t help but steal glances at Leon as the two of you make your way around the little gallery. The hand that’s not holding yours brushes through his hair a little more often than it usually does, a nervous tic of his. 

Like always, he catches you looking and seems to let go of the tension he’s holding. “You’re staring at me like you’re trying to transmit a thought into my brain,” he remarks. “What’s on your mind?”

You shrug, trying to keep it light. “Oh, you know. Old people and their unsolicited advice. It’s cute, but, uh, a little embarrassing.”

Leon chuckles, his fingers giving yours a gentle squeeze. “I don’t know. There’s a part of me that kind of gets it.”

You still, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

His smile softens as he looks back at you, but he pauses, like he’s choosing his words carefully. “I think it’s… kind of appealing. You know, having someone to go through everything with.”

The words have a bit of gravity to them that shifts the air around you, even through the nonchalant way they come out. You grin, looping your arm through his and leaning your head on his shoulder. “Everything, meaning national park road trips, dogs with human names, vandalizing other people’s guestbook entries…”

He returns your smile, a little warmer and less teasing than you expected. “Don’t get any bright ideas, alright?”

You lapse into a comfortable silence after, letting your mind wander as you continue your stroll around the gallery. There’s one picture that really captures your interest, a black and white one of Half Dome, the waxing moon just above it. You can’t help but imagine it hanging up on the wall in the shitty little apartment you share, next to the clock and a framed photo of you and Leon at one of your friends’ weddings, a bottle of champagne fizzing over in your hand.

Leon must have caught you lingering because you see him later at the gift shop trying to buy a little postcard-sized print of it. Of course, you tease him for it and make him put it back. “I was just admiring the lighting,” you joke, “not putting it on a registry.”

When you head back to the van and pack up for the night, you find the postcard tucked into the space between your hiking boots while he’s busy putting out the fire. 

The real thing’s on its way, framed and everything, it says on the back, in Leon’s messy scrawl. It’ll be there by the time we get home. Love you. -L

You practically pounce on him the second he opens the door and steps inside. Your lips find his, and before you know it, you’re both tangled up on the camper’s hard mattress. Safe to say, neither of you get much sleep that night.

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

You get lost. More than once. You misplace your printed-out directions to Zion but find them again crammed into the pocket of the passenger seat, only to argue about whether or not you passed that same weird rock twenty minutes ago. The radio only picks up old rock stations, which Leon loves, but it starts to grate at your ears after a while.

Opening the glovebox, you pull out a cassette tape, a mix that you put together for Leon the first month you started dating. He grins as soon as you pop it in, recognizing the familiar click of the tape slot as the van’s ancient player kicks to life, whirring softly. 

The van rolls to a stop at a red light, “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer floating through the dusty speakers. You’re mouthing the lyrics under your breath without realizing it, staring at the way the light hits Leon’s profile, nose sunburnt, hair a little messy from the wind.

He glances over at you, and something about your face must do him in. He grabs your chin and kisses you, quick and unexpected. When he pulls back, the red light is still glowing, and he’s smiling like you hung the moon.

“You’re such a sap,” you mutter, giddy.

“You made the mix,” he fires back. “I’m just following instructions.”

Later that night, in the middle of nowhere, you park the van on the side of the road and climb up to the roof to look up at the stars. There’s a blanket thrown over both your shoulders, and you absentmindedly trace the veins in his hand as you tell him all you know about Ursa Major from a book you read once in the fourth grade.

In the morning, you watch the sun rise over a stretch of Nevada desert, then split the worst coffee you’ve ever tasted in a beat-up diner booth. In the afternoon, you stop for “The Best Chili Burger on Route 50.” You snap a few shots of Leon with sauce on his chin, and he kisses behind your van in the parking lot, both of you sweaty and sun-drunk and laughing.

He finally lets you drive in the last stretch to Utah. While he dozes off in the passenger seat, you think to yourself that you could do this for the rest of your life.

FINAL STOP: ZION

Leon has this edge of nervousness to him when you step out into the heat. He’s in and out of the van, avoiding your eyes like they might give something away. 

After the fifth time, you peek your head into the van and catch him staring at the dashboard, hands fidgeting with something, maybe his water bottle or the park map, but he’s not looking at anything in particular. When he hears you approach, he quickly drops whatever he was fiddling with and straightens up like he’s been caught doing something he shouldn't.

You raise an eyebrow. “Everything okay?” you ask. 

Leon clears his throat. “Yeah. Yeah, just making sure we’re not missing anything.” His eyes flick to the map on the seat next to him. “Can’t be too careful with this kind of terrain.”

You squint at him, but let it go. “Alright, Bear Grylls. If you say so.”

As you walk on the riverside trail, a squirrel darts across the path, its small paws quick on the hot stone before it disappears back into a formation of rocks. After a mile or two, you’re not sure how much farther you’re making it on sore legs. The summer heat makes it feel like you’re walking through an oven, but the beauty of the canyon keeps you going. That being said, you almost cry tears of joy when you reach the water, letting it cool your calves as you wade in.

Leon’s walking just a few steps ahead of you, his boots kicking up little splashes as he goes. You can’t help but notice how he keeps glancing back at you, like he’s making sure you haven’t melted into the river behind him.

“Making sure I don’t fall behind? Or are you trying to impress me?” you tease.

He shoots you a sideways grin. “Little bit of both,” he says, shaking the water out of his hair.  “Should I take my shirt off? Might help you keep up.”

You snort. “My hero,” you say dryly. “Bold words for someone who gets sunburnt in March. Remember that one day at the park?”

That earns a low chuckle from him. “Touché.”

As you venture deeper into The Narrows, the canyon walls rise high on either side of you, towering slabs of red and orange sandstone streaked with shadows and sunlight. They close in tight the farther you go, until it feels like river is the only path left, just water, sky, and stone.  There’s a kind of quiet here that’s not quite silence, but something deeper. Almost reverent.

You spot small ferns clinging to the walls where water seeps down, little bursts of green against the rock. Somewhere, far ahead, you hear the low splash of someone’s footfall, but for the most part, it’s just the two of you and the canyon.

Leon slows, glancing over his shoulder again, but this time, he stops.

You catch up to him, a playful comment on the tip of your tongue, but it never makes it out. He turns to face the canyon wall, tilting his head like he’s admiring the view, but you notice the way his hand shakes a little as he reaches into his pocket.

Then he steps behind you, arms slipping gently around your waist. You feel the kiss on your cheek before you feel him shift, before you notice the small box in front of you, both of you standing knee-deep in water, sun warm on your skin, ring catching the light.

“I practiced this a million times, and now I can’t remember a single word of it,” he murmurs against your skin, his voice a little shaky.

You can’t help but grin when he presses another kiss to your cheek, your fingers brushing over his hand where it rests on your waist.

“Marry me?”

You laugh, breath catching somewhere between surprise and disbelief, but then, you realize that this is it. This is everything you’ve ever wanted.

“Yes,” you nod, grounded in a clarity you’ve only ever felt with him. “Now, please, before we drop that beautiful ring into the water and never see it again…”

His smile is almost shy as he takes the band from the box and slips it onto your finger, his hands trembling just a little. When he exhales, it’s like he’s released a breath he’s been holding for months, his whole body softening in relief, but his eyes, deep and blue and impossibly endless, are full of something else. 

Something steady. Something real.

You turn to face him, arms resting on his shoulders, his still around your waist. “I think we’re both a little out of our element here,” he murmurs, voice tender as he meets your gaze. “But I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

You let out a fond laugh, shaking your head. “You positive? You can’t take it back, you know.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he chuckles, his grip tightening around you. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy.”

When he leans down to kiss you again, beneath endless sky and endless stone, the world feels simpler somehow, leaving just the two of you and a promise that feels like the most certain thing you’ve ever known.

The drive back home is filled with laughter and chatter about the future, the promise of home, and all the little things you’ll make your own. The ring on your finger catches the last dregs of sunlight as it dips below the horizon, and you turn to Leon and smile. 

“Before we return the van, can we make one last stop?” you ask.

Leon raises an eyebrow, his gaze flicking over to you. “What, you hungry or something?”

“Not exactly,” you reply, a little mischievous, and navigate for him the last few minutes of your drive. You wish you could bottle the sound of his joy as you pull into the lot of a modest building, illuminated by the soft glow of streetlights.

Raccoon City Animal Shelter, a sign reads.

Leon grins. “I knew you’d come around.”

[toasttt11]

back

April 18, 2024

Allison shifted a bit uncomfortable in her bed and let out a sigh as she turned her ipad off after finishing watching Bolt, again.

She had gotten home to Michigan last night and she had a tough flight after having two pretty major surgery four days prior of the flight, she was just very uncomfortable the entire flight and she fell asleep the second they got home.

Allison would be unable to head back to school for the last couple weeks so she is doing it online for the rest of the semester but it also meant her dorm was still filled and her car was still in Boston.

Luke had his exit interview yesterday and headed to Boston early this morning and he was packing up her dorm loading up her car with most of the things and the car was getting shipped back to Michigan and Luke was bringing back a big suitcase for her as she hadn’t brought much with her when she left Boston for Colorado and then headed to Minnesota.

Allison heard the front door and heard Luke’s voice and smiled a bit.

She looked around her room and the amount of flower bouquets, balloons and little presents she got, she got quite a bit in the hospital but there was a bunch on the front porch when they all arrived home last night.

Luke let out a small sigh seeing his baby sister and she looked okay, he smiled a bit seeing her Goose and her new Moose stuff animal in her arms.

Allison glanced at her door seeing Luke standing in the doorframe pushing her large suitcase into her room, “Hey Moose.” Allison breathed out and Luke immediately crossed the room leaning down hugging her.

“Hi Goose.” Luke breathed out relieved to be back with her, he was so incredibly worried and felt sick seeing her go down and finding out she had to get emergency surgery, Luke had a game and could not leave. Nico came over to Luke after Jack texted him and kept Luke company.

Allison tucked her head into his shoulder sighing happy to be back with her brother, she wanted Luke when she was hospital but he couldn’t be there.

“I’m sorry i wasn’t there.” Luke apologized against her hair, he hated he couldn’t have been there.

“It’s okay, I understand.” Allison said softly back, she wasn’t mad she just wished he could have been there but she understood why he wasn’t.

Luke pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head and slowly pulled back and he slowly looked at her noticing the sling and seeing the bandages on her stomach as she was was wearing a simple sports bra and shorts.

“You doing okay?” Luke asked sitting down on the bed next to her, they of course have talked everyday while she was in the hospital but he still needed to ask.

“Eh i’ve been a lot better.” Allison said honestly, she was over all this already and she wanted to wanted to get and be able to walk without it hurting and she wanted to lay in anyway besides on her back, she is sick of being stuck in bed and it’s only the fifth day.

Luke brushed back a few stray hairs falling out of her braid, “And you’ll be better again in no time.” Luke softly reassured her.

Allison sighed wanting to be better now but nodded softly appreciating his words.

“Mom said you’re staying here with Jack?” Luke asked softly knowing Jack is gonna be staying in Michigan for Quinn’s playoffs until the Canucks are in an elimination place or round two.

Allison frowned but softly nodded, she wanted to be in Vancouver for Quinn but knew it wasn’t a smart decision to travel so far yet and Jack isn’t supposed to be traveling much yet with.

Luke smoothed her hair again, “I’m staying too there’s not a lot of time before worlds.” Luke wanted a few days to relaxed before practice started and he left for worlds and he talked to Quinn and Quinn totally understood.

“So you’re babysitting.” Allison quipped getting some of her sass back after the last couple of hard days.

“Mostly Jack.” Luke teased back making her giggle very lightly.

Jack was walking by the door and heard the two, “Heard that!” Jack called out playfully as he continued walked by.

Luke and Allison shared a loom laughing and Allison winced a bit as laughing hurts, “Okay no more making me laugh yet.” Allison said through half winces and half laughs.

Luke smiled sympathetic, “Deal.” Luke softly spoke.

“Let me shower and we need to catch up on our shows.” Luke pressed a kiss to her head and rushed out of her room heading to his own.

Allison went on her phone as she waited for Luke to come back. She texted with some of her friends before scrolling on tik tok as she waited for Luke to finished showering and join her.

Ellen popped in a few minutes later and helped Allison take her next dose of medicine and brushed her hand across Allison’s head before Ellen walked out of Allison’s room.

Luke walked in a few minutes later with soaking wet curls and was shaking his head out luke a wet dog as he walked over to her bed.

Luke carefully laid down next to her and helped Allison set up her ipad and Luke clicked on one of their shows to continue watching.

Allison sighed contently as she rested the side of her head on Luke’s shoulder, she is finally back with two of her brothers and all she needs to complete it is being back Quinn too.

[strangebiology]

What are *actual* common attitudes towards animal remains?

I wrote in a thought exercise that the point of my book "Carcass: On the Afterlives of Animal Bodies" is to "challenge our disgust with animal remains and inspire appreciation for their function, information, and beauty."

However!

...are people really all that disgusted with dead animals on an intellectual level?

Has that disgust caused any practical problems?

I have little anecdotes, like when the roadkill collector in Boston (RIP) said that they don't let anyone use the roadkill, so they send them all to be incinerated, as making use of animal parts from accidental deaths is "cruel." (Also, they didn't bother to scan cats and dogs for chips, so, you'll just wonder forever unless there is a visible tag! But, that was years ago, maybe they've improved.) And there is the classic problem of meat-eaters angry that anyone would kill an animal for that meat.

But, I don't know that those are strong examples of the problem with thinking that. My social media audience is skewed toward people who understand and appreciate the existence of dead animals, so it's hard to get a pulse on the zeitgeist.

What are some examples of our disdain for dead animals causing practical problems?

Does your town incinerate perfectly good bodies that could be left in nature to improve the nutrients there?

Has anyone gotten away with animal cruelty because people were so quick to destroy the evidence before doing a necropsy?

Of course, I don't really have a problem with emotional and personal disgust at animal bodies--I don't expect everyone to look at or follow my content! I'm just curious if the emotion has led to any of these false beliefs (that dead animals are inherently and generally bad, evil things) that caused harm.

Happy to hear your honest thoughts and examples!

[marzipanandminutiae]

Do you know much about historical cuisine? Saw yet another anime with friends and they went the whole 'modern food always tastes better' bit. I feel tired of the trope and am wondering how different historical cuisine would taste compared to modern times. So anything you happen to know as a historian would be cool to know!

That varies MASSIVELY based on time and location. Like. Much more than fashion does, even, I'd imagine (in a given sub-region- I can talk about Mainstream European and Euro-American Fashion of the 19th CenturyTM but the food was so different in different countries that were dressing the same, if that makes sense? just as an example).

Food is often more globalized in a lot of places nowadays, so the characters might have more diversity of flavors from the regional norm than they're used to. But this could be a good or a bad thing- a woman from 17th-century Japan might love pizza and much sweeter Western pastries, or she might absolutely hate them. Which is not to say regional cuisines haven't evolved, too- a museum here in Boston used to have tastings of 18th-century-style hot chocolate, and it was very different from the modern sort. But that's the largest blanket difference across the globe that I can think of, food-wise.

Not sure what anime this was, so it could have been Japan-specific, but I feel like this gets applied the most to the 19th-mid 20th century UK and United States. The whole Captain America line about "food's better; we used to boil everything," for example, and the general belief that everything was bland mush in those areas until the 1950s and then it was incomprehensible Jell-O mold horrors until approximately the 1980s. And of course, none of that's true- there were plenty of dishes that used spices and different cooking methods, many of which are still popular today. See also: Jonathan Harker, a Normal 1890s Englishman, getting so rhapsodical about paprikahendl that he simply must have the recipe for his fiancee to make. There also WERE bland mushes and fluorescent nightmares, but there's less than ideal food today, as well.

(Note that I'm much less confident talking about the whole English StodgeTM thing as we get into the 20th century. That is outside my history wheelhouse and there's a lot of different stuff embroiled in it relating to class and such that I don't want to talk out my ass about. All I know is that I've seen plenty of recipes from as late as the end of the 19th century, from England and some from urban Scotland if I recall correctly, that made ample use of spices. Nutmeg, mustard, black pepper, rosemary, caraway, and cayenne pepper were especially popular (not all together obviously). There was a belief among the middle and upper classes that strong flavors of garlic and onion were distasteful to ladies, but the fact that cookbooks and such feel the need to mention it implies that those elements WERE being used in cooking generally, in the UK, at that time. So wherever the idea that All British Food Is Beige And Tasteless came from, it wasn't mainstream late Victorian cooking for adults as far as I can tell)

(They gave kids a fair amount of the beige and tasteless because they believed their digestive systems couldn't handle strongly-flavored- okay now I'm getting off topic. Read Ruth Goodman's "How To Be A Victorian." Anyway!)

tl;dr- The answer to "is modern food better?" is "that's literally impossible to answer as a blanket statement, since it's massively dependent on the character's original time, place, social status, and personal taste- and where they end up in the present, of course."

Now, I do agree that the trope is annoying the same way every single princess being totally shocked and appalled when her marriage is arranged gets annoying- not because it can't be true based on history and human behavior, but because fiction treats it as some kind of universal precept. Mix it up a little sometimes! Have a Regency character who comes to the present, finds out that her favorite local cheese isn't being made anymore, and loses her entire mind!

[brocoffeeengineer]

VFX and Virtual Reality: Crafting the Future of Immersive Storytelling

Visual effects (VFX) have taken people into different worlds, alternate timelines, or fantasy dream spaces over the years. But now with Virtual Reality (VR), storytelling goes beyond something we see to be something we experience or live. Therefore, today's VFX with VR brings new possibilities into immersive storytelling, where users don't solely view but explore fantastic worlds.

VFX- and VR-Natural Evolution: This is how the technology developed

VFX artists have always taken advantage of digital media to increase or entirely manufacture visuals in films and games. However, the actual experience was always kept under the screen. Today, with VR, you can enter a physical environment into which the digital creation spills itself.

Combining efficiency with VR isn't just creating visual spectacles; it's about the spatial experience. This requires an entirely new way of thinking-always real-time rendering, environmental interactivity, and sensory design. It isn't enough for a dragon to be photoreal now; it has to fly over you, react to your movements, and create emotional presence.

Real Time Technology: The engine for immersion

Perhaps the most critical enabler of this marriage of the two is the 'real-time rendering technology'. From full-blown production platforms such as such game engines like Unreal Engine and Unity, users can now design, animate and render complex scenes live in action. The days of waiting hours just to create that one VFX shot are declining.

One can literally experience the most realistic VFX through their meritocracy, like the use of Unreal Engine in projects such as The Matrix Awakens or Batman: Arkham VR. Mermaid these platforms in storytelling: Though justifying the premise of a story, they themselves become the space in which the story telling dynamically occurs depending on the interaction by the user.

Latest News: Meta and Unity Double Down on VR-VFX Synergy

In early 2025 it announced the collaboration with Unity on new developer tools aimed at adopting VR for movies. These upgrades include improved volumetric capture systems, enhanced spatial audio tools, and special VFX modules for devices like the Quest 3. All would democratise immersive storytelling that would allow making films with a VR experience no harder than creating 2D content.

Meanwhile, Netflix has started to experiment with possible "choose your own path," integrated VFX/interactive VR narratives. Test audiences have already reported stepping into the film, blurring the lines of whether they are viewers or participants alike.

The Artistic Shift: From Compositors to World Builders

The VFX artist has traditionally been a compositor, a lighter, and a motion-tracker. Now, due to the rise of VR, the imprint changes: They must think like world builders. Artists should understand user perspective, interaction zones, and spatial navigation. This requires not just software skills but also a deep understanding of architecture, psychology, and user interface design.

For example, in a heavily visual effects-laden film, a haunted forest may consist of just a high-quality matte painting and some CG enhancements. In VR, that forest must be lively with real elements—crunching leaves heard in spatial audio and flickering torchlight responding to head movement and eerie fog that shadows the user.

Such complexity has necessitated the emergence of hybrid professionals who are knowledgeable in the cinematic art of VFX as well as the brave new world of technicalities of VR systems.

A Growing Demand for Cross-Disciplinary Training

As studios integrate VR into their production pipelines, the demand for cross-disciplinary training programs rises. Courses are being set up to teach real-time VFX, user interactivity, and immersive storytelling under one roof and students today are being taught how to go from 2D storyboards into full-blown VR environments in one production track.

This transition is evident in nascent creative education hubs as well; for instance, there is rising interest in specialized programs such as an Animation course in Boston that encompasses Unreal Engine training, immersive audio design, and volumetric capture workflows, aimed at preparing the next generation of storytellers who will not just animate scenes but design experiences.

Challenges and Considerations

There are some challenges and considerations involved. Along with all this excitement, there also come some technical and ethical challenges in merging VFX and VR. One of them is the danger of motion sickness as it pertains to quick or high-motion environments-the current topic of discussion within the design community is in ensuring diversity and accuracy represented virtually-human models whose likenesses reflect true diversity and real-world places themselves.

It can, however, also put more strain on production and costs, especially when there is increasingly higher demand for real-time, high-quality assets. Studios must find the right balance between viewing quality and performance in real-time, particularly on consumer-grade VR equipment.

Conclusion: Embracing the Future of Experience Design

What this is about is not a simple trend but a complete paradigm shift in the way stories get told and the experiences that frame them. As that immersive medium grows, local creative communities are beginning to meet the demand with cutting-edge training and production resources. Courses such as a 2D visualization course in Boston incorporate VR-ready workflows, and they complement traditional techniques with such progressive tools in training versatile creators.

The future of visual storytelling goes beyond the screen and into worlds yet to be imagined-walking through a thriving virtual city created entirely by man; conversing with a character generated by an AI; or just watching a dragon soar far away above your head in real-time.

[junos-jrabbles]

How would baking with the mercs go?

Authors note sorry it's all short and possibly unreadable I might do some more of the fellas another time :) I'm am so cold and eepy

Pyro, Sniper, and Scout :)

Pyro

Spectacularly, believe me, it’d go so well, definitely no burning around here! No sir!

Jokes aside, it’d go pretty well!

You guys would bake some cupcakes, maybe some sugar cookies, as they’d probably love all things sweet in the kitchen, and you’d both be covered in flour, eggs, sugar, and god knows what in no time.

You’d get walked in on while jousting with rolling pins, and have to try and make it seem like you were being normal. Impossible.

Pyro would be sat, cross legged on the floor in front of the oven, watching the baked goods through the window.

Only some of the confectionaries would come out burnt, mostly due to you two getting distracted flipping through the recipe book and gawking at all the pretty treats.

You'd point like an excited ape at a towering cake, and Pyro would excitedly drum their hands on the paper and teeter on their heels, squeaking out muffled, joyous sounds under the mask as the cycle continued.

You guys would FEAST on your delicacies in Pyro's room, and have a little picnic/tea party with some old cartoons in the background :)

~~~

Sniper

It’d be a pretty peaceful activity, I’d imagine, an hour or so spent kneading, rolling and cutting pre bought cookie dough before you set it in the oven for as long as it says on the tin while you go spoon in his bed.

He probably wouldn’t have the ingredients for baking (or much fancy cooking) in the camper, and when you guys snuck into the base’s pantry, Lieutenant Bites was paws shoulders deep in the sugar, so.

The cookies would come out pretty perfectly, a little misshapen, (Sniper definitely tried to turn one into a heart, or an animal of some sort, and it came out as a funny blob) but really good!

He'd make sure you were both there ready the second they started turning a yummy golden brown around the edges.

He'd pull out the tray trying not to laugh, “Promise you won't laugh… the dog's gone blobby—” And almost drop everything.

You guys would cook up a batch, put half in a nice big baggy and eat the other half with him on the sofa with a board game in progress on the coffee table in front of you.

~~~

Scout

He's throwing the eggs between his hands like that one cooking mama mini game, and is NARROWLY avoiding splattering them absolutely fucking EVERYWHERE.

He'd absolutely go try and steal one from Archimedes if he dropped one

There's a crumpled sheet of paper with his ma's Boston cream pie recipe on the counter, and flour covering every single surface.

“Look, I don't know what’cha mean by ‘It won't work’— Are you sayin’ my ma ain't a world star chef? Nuh— Nuh-uh, I ain't listenin!”

He's asking you to make it tiered like a wedding cake, and he's adamant that not only is it possible, but that you definitely know how to do it.

He's got his fingers in his ears when you try telling him you don't think you can do that, and only starts listening again when you offer him the whisk to lick when you're done stirring the base cake mix.

The cake comes out okay, you manage to get just about everything put together, though, you guys definitely ate a bit too much of the cream while you were waiting, and only had a small layer to put in by the end.

It's yummy, at least! And when anyone comes into the kitchen wondering why it smells vaguely like burning and moreso like cake, you two link up like a defensive wall in front of it, looking around very inconspicuously, of course.

“What cake? Where? Someone's got cake?” Sloooowly hiding it behind your backs.

[ericshoney]

Attachment ~ Brothers!Sturniolo Triplets

Summary: You felt very close to your triplet brothers and often hold their hands.

Warnings: nicknames, fluff, attachment issues.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Growing up in the Sturniolo family with four older brothers meant you were always looked over and protected. The guys often took you out to different places for many sibling days, even when they got older and moved out.

With Nick, Matt and Chris now splitting time between Boston and LA, you often found yourself having some minor attachment issues. It was never major. You could say bye to them went they went back to LA, but it was more touch attachment.

You always held their hands, no matter where you were. It was the easiest way when you were younger so they wouldn't lose you, but it was something you never grew out of, even now at the age of ten.

Nick, Matt and Chris were in Boston for some time and had planned the day with you at the arcades.

"You ready to go, kid?" Nick asked as he came downstairs.

"Yeah." You answered.

Matt walked in, slipping his shoes on as Chris appeared from the kitchen. The four of you then got in the car, you instantly reached for Nick's hand to hold and look at his new painted nails.

None of the guys complained that you still held their hands, they thought it was cute and knew it was a safety blanket for you, so they never pushed you away.

The car was then soon filled with chaos. Chris and Nick were singing loudly as Matt focused on driving, sometimes singling along as well. You gazed out the window, laughing at your brothers singing.

When you arrived at the arcades, you walked with Nick, still holding his hands as you looked at what to try first. Chris started boasting about the grab machine so you all watched him.

"What would you like, kid?" Chris asked you.

"Uh, anything is cool." You answered with a shrug.

"If you had to pick." Matt said.

"The dog." You responded, pointing to the dog stuffed animal in the box.

Chris nodded and started having a go at the game. You stood close to Nick as Matt stood behind you.

"Anyone want a drink?" Matt offered, noticing a vending machine in the corner.

"Anything will do for me." Chris mumbled, his focus on the game.

"Cherry Coke please." Nick said.

"What about you, petal?" Matt asked.

"I'll come with you." You answered, letting go of Nick's hand to grab Matt's.

You both walked over to the vending machine, Matt putting some money in and getting what he, Chris and Nick wanted. You then pointed to what you wanted, making him nod.

"I've just got to let go for a moment, okay sweetheart." He said, indicating to your hands.

"Okay." You said, letting Matt lose his grip to grab the drinks when they came out of the machine.

You stood close to Matt, as if he was going to disappear any moment. The slight fear of losing one of your brothers in a busy place always lingered in your mind.

Once Matt had all the drinks, you both went back to Nick and Chris. The youngest male now holding a toy dog proudly. You smiled as he placed it on your head.

"Thank you." You said.

"Of course kiddo, which one next?" He asked, taking your hand in his.

You picked the next game to try, making sure you were close with your brothers all day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist

@mattsfavbigtitties @lgbtq-girl @onelesslonelygirlbieber6 @riowritesitall @sturniolo-fann

[dropthedemiurge]

Tag Game: Scenes I will never forget

Rules: Share 5-10 scenes you can't forget. Not your favourites, the ones that got stuck in your brain for any reason.

tagged by @delesaria-blog and ofc, I'm also going to stick to QL series. I'll also choose the ones I like, and not the ones that stuck in my brain cuz I got ick from them. Also I probably won't be able to find the perfect screenshots so I'll just go with gif vibes :D

Myungha and world glitching in Love for Love's Sake. Because it was so so so so brilliantly emotionally acted and edited and I love-hate the vulnerable feeling when you don't know what's going on with your reality. Even other actors kept talking about the preparation and execution for this scene, and the gradual emotion surge in such a short time is just chef's kiss.

2. Sky in the final episode of Love in the Air I'm going to try and pick one scene because this episode was full of delicious heavy stuff but what stuck with me was Sky's empty disassociating gaze as he softly asked why Pai was crying. He couldn't care for himself so Prapai had to be the one crying. And then Sky's broken 'Nothing gets better even if I cry' just tore my heart. Again as I rewatched it just this morning.

3. Alan x Wen scene in Moonlight Chicken We've had this pairing for 5 minutes and we always knew it didn't have happy ending so seeing the stark contrast in the beginning of episode 5 just. Idk. Hurts in perfect way. Moonlight Chicken has way too many good scenes (I should've put the entire Liming x Heart storyline here!)

4. Hotae x Donghee in Time of Fever I was fortunate (or more like very unfortunate) to watch Time of Fever in cinema before it was streamed online so imagine. I had to sit through THIS scene with all other people pushing all sounds and emotions down when suddenly the tension went off the roof (and then not be able to even yell about this scene with anyone for months?? so cruel). Friends to lovers always just hit extra hard. Bless the cinematography of this and team who put up this lighting.

5. Flag scene from Not Me Of course, this one is memorable for every BL fan out there. Still, after all these years. It's so influential that I don't need any words. I'd just like to imagine the rebellion and pride celebration that hopefully my own country will see one day again as well. (on the other hand, I also wanted to write about Max from Be My Favorite with his pride celebration scene as well but I have to admit his aphobic commentary scene is the one that's stuck in my brain the most and I still haven't forgiven the overall incredible BMF team for this so he sits in the corner for this)

6. Friendship turn around in Bad Buddy. This one isn't heavy or serious, I just loved how after PatPran were outed, P'Aof once again played with viewers and the gang of bad engineering guys turned out to be great and loyal friends to Pat, and the gang of do-good architecture kids held grudge for Pran. Turning the expectations and what we know of characters from Episode 1 was a fun experience that made me love all the characters more.

7. Grey Shelter's realistic melancholy I know this BL probably went over many people's heads because it was very short and 'not satisfying' in a true BL romance sense. But to me, it was fascinating. Two flawed human beings, stuck in the exhausting world, not being vulnerable enough to communicate - not wanting to take a risk for love. Another 'we're almost family and we have to fight romantic feelings', but unlike hopeful vibes under Time of Fever surface, the hope in this one feels very fragile. I was surprised to see such atmosphere in a BL. Also the animated intro perfectly delivers it.

8. Boston by the end of Only Friends Okay, I wasn't going to include scenes that disappointed me but! BUT! As I rewatch OF right now, there were great scenes (Episode 4 start with Ray crashing down or him making a brilliant scene in a bar, again, I should've put you) but I will never ever agree with how the show treated Boston. Even though I didn't have huge affection for the character throughout the entire series but HEY THE ENDING that's supposed to make us vengeful and joyful made me love him and care about him when no characters did. Haha, take that, Jojo.

I now have even more great scenes in my mind than I did in the start of this post, but I'm going to stop here. I tried to pick unusual ones. Anyway, that was a lot of fun and I'd love to see everyone else on my dash post about their scenes too*__*

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Sister Ray In The 70s

Something special to close out the year — SISTER RAY IN THE 70s! This custom-made Doom & Gloom compilation gathers together a whole lot of "Sister Ray," as performed by Lou Reed and his various bands between 1972 and 1980. One hour, 47 minutes. More ding-dongs than Hostess. Would make a great quadruple LP bootleg, if you ask me.

Everyone’s favorite transgressive-in-many-more-ways-than-one Velvet Underground epic wasn't exactly a standard during this time. But when Lou wanted to let everyone (including himself) off the leash for a bit, he'd break "Sister Ray" out as a vehicle for some unholy/unhinged jams/vamps/raveups ... and judging by what we've got here, he really enjoyed doing so. This is gnarly stuff, shameless, harrowing and totally fun. Not for the faint of heart — but none of you are faint of heart, right?!

"Sister Ray" (Leicester University, Oct. 14, 1972)

A roar rises up from the crowd when Lou announces: "This is the sad, sad story of Sister Ray." With the Tots grooving behind him, it starts off in a mellow mode — which is good, because it allows Lou to really sing, making sure to annunciate every nasty lyric. Soon, everyone’s cooking (for the down five).

"Sister Ray" (Kansas City, May 2, 1973)

The short-lived Moogy Klingman-led lineup gives "Sister Ray" a cartoony, streetwalking funk strut, hooting and hollering behind Lou. Extra props to the drummer (known only as Chocolate), who taps out the appropriate beat during the "Who is that knocking?" section. "RIGHT!!!!" Lou exclaims approvingly.

"Sister Ray" (Buffalo, Dec. 8, 1973)

As far as I know, this is the only recording of the Rock & Roll Animal band tackling "Sister Ray," but it's a 20+-minute doozy. Of course, it takes about 10 minutes for Lou to enter the scene — lord only knows what he was getting up to backstage. Despite a wonky mix that occasionally is overtaken by pummeling drums and bass, it's a vicious listen. I like that it all comes to a pretty definitive conclusion before Lou realizes he hasn't sung the concluding verse and revs things for a final ride ride.

"Sister Ray" (Stockholm, May 14, 1974)

This one starts at a blinding white light/white heat pace, everyone riding a locked-groove riff for as long as they can. Guitarist Danny Weis is off the chain here, reveling in both chicken scratch funk and insane feedback. Lou's tambourine accents make me think of On The Corner's infernal sleigh bells, and his "CooooouLLLLDDDNnnnnt hiiiiIIIIIIIIITTTTTttttt iiiIIIIITTTTTtttttt siiiiiIIIIIIIIIdewaaaaaayyyys" vocalizations towards the end are wicked.

"Sister Ray" (Boston, October 29, 1976)

Lou had Doug Yule, an actual member of the Velvet Underground, in his band in 1975, but for some reason, "Sister Ray" wasn't played that year. But she was back in action in '76 — and in Boston, we get to hear a key "Ray" ingredient we haven't heard much of so far: Lou's skronked out guitar work. It's as if he walked past the old Boston Tea Party on the Fenway that afternoon and thought, "Ohhhh yeah, I used to really shred!" And shred he does, dueling mightily and furiously with sax man Marty Fogel. I'll also recommend this video of "Sister Ray" from a week later, which doesn't feature any six-string pyrotechnics but is awesome nonetheless.

"Sister Ray" (Lund, March 26, 1977)

With Michael Fonfara's icy electric keys mixed way up and Michael Suchorsky's locked-in drums, this almost sounds more like "Kicks" than "Sister Ray." I think that's Lou on distorto guitar there at the beginning, but he mainly focuses on delivering his whiplash vocals as the song progresses. Fogel starts to get pretty loose towards the middle, though I wish he'd cut loose even more — and I definitely wish there was a tape of Don Cherry sitting in on "Sister Ray" from around this era! The car crash ending is a blast, too.

"Sister Ray" (New York City, May 21, 1978)

"Sister Ray" takes no prisoners! This one from one of the many Bottom Line sets Lou and the Everyman Band played in 1978 is a tense slow-burner, sometimes dropping down to a whisper, Lou adding profane/profound asides and stopping to tell an old Warhol story. "Andy said, 'Make sure you do the song that's got suckin' on my ding-dong on it.' I said, 'Oh, why? Social commentary?'" Also fun: the band seems to be having a long disagreement about where the changes of this three-chord boogie are. Come on, Moose! (Sadly, this is one of the more lo-fi documents included here — where, oh where, is my Take No Prisoners: The Complete Recordings boxed set?!)

"Sister Ray" (London, April 10, 1979)

One of the weirder "Sister Ray"s I've come across — though that might be partly the fault of the cavernous acoustics we're dealing with. There's a long solo guitar extravaganza (Chuck Hammer, I presume?) to kick things off, and then a monomaniacal/mechanical beat from Suchorsky, the crowd clapping along, Lou hollering over the top; it almost has a Suicide vibe? Then there's a terrifying drone-metal dirge coda ... Chaos! But that's what "Sister Ray" is all about, right?

"Sister Ray" (Avellino, June 16, 1980)

Lou's insane 1970s had ended and the sober 1980s loomed (Loum-ed?) before him. But he wasn't done with "Sister Ray." Or maybe "Sister Ray" wasn't done with him. Fittingly, this version feels a little bit exhausted, some flop-sweat, some out-of-gas fumes. "Give me some rhythm — FUCK!" Lou yells at the gang early on. But it still rocks, don't worry. My favorite part is Fonfara's wildly inappropriate synth solo. Mainline located!

📷: Lars Jonsson, Copenhagen May 1974 (via weaponsetc)

[boypr1ncesss]

i have a reservation at the tokyo kuroshitsuji public school arc pop up cafe <3 <3 <3

btw babes. you're not going to believe where i'm going today

[superhoeva]

Hey girlie, how are you?

How’s your animal kingdom watch going? How far into the show are you? What are your thoughts? Who do you love? Who do you hate? How amazing is the love of my life, pope?

hi babe! making my way through s1ep6 rn and i'm digging ittt.

of course, i love pope. he's soooo weird and the staring is so scary and i love it. i've already got an idea for a fic for him but that's for another conversation <3

who do i hate you ask? BAZZZZ AND CRAIGGG. IT'S FUCK CRAIG CODY ON THIS BLOG AND NOT IN THE GOOD WAY. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY CONVEY JUST HOW BAD OF AN ICK THAT MAN GIVES ME.

and baz... oh, baz. makes me wanna light a fucking cigarette. some men make me very, very fucking angry and baz is one of them.

smurf is... idk. she's not my favorite person by any means and never will be but i feel like i could feel worse about her (which i suspect i will later on...

(also, why do i keep seeing george foyet on my screen???? he's supposed to be in boston!! i jump every time i see him lmao.)

(another also: the scene of nicky's family coming home and seeing they've been robbed is fucking hilarious to me and idk why. "please tell me they did not take my briefcase!! please tell me they did not take my briefcase!!!" i'm sorry but i cackled. HARD.)

tldr: i love you, andrew pope cody (even though you give me the shivers.) fuck you, baz. AND STOP SHOWING MY CRAIG'S PASTY ASS I'M BEGGING.