#annika speaks

[ask-hetalia-alaska]

It's my favourite race of the year, Iditarod started yesterday!

[esotheria-sims]

*Boss music playing in the background*

[scionshtola]

i love picking and choosing which viera lore pleases me to apply to cori and which to toss into the wind

[lovecharged]

closed starter for @kiillmeromantically

clubbing hardly suited ellis, aesthetically or otherwise. he figured he was far too old for it, not that he'd ever felt the appropriate age; an old soul since the very beginning. still, one of his clients wanted to celebrate their success in style, and he wouldn't be the one to spoil the mood. nor rain on their parade. after about thirty minutes however, he's had enough; tiring of the close contact with sweaty strangers, the sticky floor and the loud beats that apparently passed for music. he was ready to make a haste escape, even if only briefly, doubting that anyone would even notice his disappearance. the group he was with now distracted by dancing and flirting that also had the man feeling like a fish out of water. he doesn't know the exact cause of his discomfort in these kinds of places, but he's left with a unwanted and painful reminder of his own incessant loneliness.

the cold air is a welcome surprise and he breathes it in, allowing that fresh breeze to cool his sweaty, overheated frame. reaching into his pocket, ellis expertly prepares himself a cigarette, slipping it between his lips and lighting up; a deep satisfied sigh escaping his mouth as he finally takes a long, sorely-needed drag. in that moment of bliss is when he spots her and there's a moment of bemusement, unsure as to whether it was who he thought it was and unsure as to whether he should even approach once he'd realised that it was. it seems as if his legs make the choice for him, sauntering closer towards the familiar woman. it's not as though they were close friends, mere family friends who would engage in polite conversation whenever they saw one another for that occasional wedding or birthday party a few times a year. "annika?" he asks, even if he knows. doubting himself, even in these moments of complete certainty. "how've you been?"

[feelin-frazzled]

scream 6 would've been better if mindy had died + if her death had directly paralleled randy's sorry

[rahullkohli]

if someone uses tiktok speak to me in person i should be allowed to punch them

[quartings]

College Adventures Finale Pt16

I did voicework for my friend's AMAZING short film, Rose Petal Soup! Please check it out, she's really cool and it's insane how she was able to pull all of it off!

(Watch it Here!)

As a bonus, I also drew a little comic to throw back to when the main CGI character was just a placeholder blue rectangle:

(Season 1)/(Season 2)/(Season 3)/(Season 4)

[pxlheaux]

*We’re just gonna say he’s turning 15 because he’s going to high school and there’s really no in between with child and teenage sims weirdly enough and I don’t have the correct presets to make him seem shorter and younger, so we’re going to pretend like he hasn’t looked like an 8 year old this entire time lol*

Anyways, peep the sweatshirt. :)

[shrimpfriedgender]

marriage and divorce should be free so i can do it for the bit

[mvsicinthedvrk]

@flyaboveitall said : “I had a very nice time last night.” {annika & yuri}

"It was fine I guess," he grumbles. There'd been a 'gathering' of 'skaters' to 'spend time together off-rink' the previous night. Yuri hadn't particularly wanted to go, but he also hadn't wanted to be the only person who didn't, so he at least showed up. "We see each other all the time, I don't know why everyone wants to see each other more."

[ask-hetalia-alaska]

We have a winner!! Congrats to Dallas Seavey's 6th Iditarod win! Dallas' time came in at 9d 2h 16m 8s. 4 others have finished, good luck to everyone still out on the ice.

[bataranqs]

5 Happy Things

Nov. 19, 2022

1. Went to the dentist today!!! (+ have insurance to cover it fully!!!)

2. Got taro bubble tea today

3. Macaroni macaroni mac ‘n’ cheese

4. Libraries!!!!

5. Bible study group actually met together today

[scionshtola]

one day shtola is going to meet cori’s mom and cori’s mom is going to be like “so. are you the reason my child, who i sent away from home so they would not have to become a warrior, is roped up in all this warrior of light business?”

[jaggedjot]

Louis and Claudia are not just identifiable as American by way of their speech (“American? Your French is ugly.”) and movement (“You could tell from his walk, he was an American.”), but are posited by the narrative to be symbolic representations of postwar America itself (“The American vampires appeared to be as dull and plain as their tourists and soldiers were.”, “Do American vampiresses all wear pastels?”, “And are all American vampires as alluring as you?”). The pair set themselves up in France as “moneyed Americans”, described by Armand as having a “velvet-heeled arrival” despite the pair coming to the city on the back of a truck. That Paris has been left by the war with deep physical and societal wounds is treated as an inconvenience that they have to impatiently endure. Santiago picks at these stitches during the performative execution of the pointedly foreign Annika, invoking the paranoia of occupation with his line “[...] the next time you're in the pew, you turn to your neighbour and say, ‘Peace be unto you.’ They'll give you up... in a wink!”. It is telling that the only explanation Armand gives for his choice of victims to the coven is that they are profiteering from the suffering of postwar France (“Whilst their countrymen clutch ration cards, they've made quite a killing manipulating the black markets.”), a statement which seems to deepen their appetite for the ensuing slaughter. These are not resentments and histories however shared by Claudia, who may revel in the massacre but has already knowingly associated with a woman branded as a collaborator, or Louis, whose attempts to engage with the world through photography only further positions him as an outsider. This detachment is what causes Louis and Claudia to be regarded as interlopers, suspected to believe themselves to be too important to heed traditions, manners (“It's custom and practice for traveling vampires to make themselves known”) or the welfare of their temporary home (“We were constantly cleaning up for them.”). Though American soldiers played a role in the later stages of the liberation of Paris, the increasing presence of Americans in the city is framed as another more insidious occupation (“[...] our Anglican friends now invading Paris postwar”, “My dear American friend [...] who has dominated my mind”). As Americans, Louis and Claudia are granted more privileges in society than other black ethnics groups (“But I wasn't an Algerian. I was an American”). It is not just that the French theatre troupe composed of multinational actors now has “five out of every seven” of their performances in English, but the coven has been instructed by Armand to remake itself as “an English company” and speak the language offstage too. Armand’s welcoming attitude to increasing American influence in the city, how it creates a “more receptive” and “optimistic” audience, is not a simple or universal one. There is a distinct bitterness belying the fanfare accompanying Louis and Claudia’s arrival, particularly from Santiago (“I ask you, Maitre, was it worth the wait?”), but it is also notably still present in Armand’s lighthearted teasing (“Seventy-seven years and it still feels like a slight.”, “Five months removed [...] the Americans were finally coming to Pigalle.”). At least during these early months, Louis and Claudia seem to view Paris more as a static backdrop against which they can discover themselves and heal their relationship. This is a mistake that they will likely only realise when it is already too late, for this fragile and volatile setting is entwined with the tragedy that awaits them.

[xxgothchatonxx]

I've got to give it up for this show for somehow making the "mortal woman terrorized on stage" moment even more disturbing than it was in the book. It was really unsettling in the book, and definitely captured that feeling in the film, too.

But adding that extra bit of 'reality' with Annika running in to 'interrupt' the performance? That made my stomach drop. And speaking of which - Sinead Phelps was incredible. God, her acting was so raw, I felt so uncomfortable watching her.

Also, while I would have loved to have seen Armand come in because we all know Assad would've nailed those lines (*sobs forever that I'll never get to hear "your beauty is a gift to us" in an iwtv adaptation*) I actually quite like the change of him not being directly involved. It makes perfect sense... god, this show and its foreshadowing.

Right, my final word (well, until I praise the hell out of Mr Daniels cos he deserves his own post) is that I love that it didn't become too exploitative. In the book and film, the woman gets stripped naked which, look, I'm not against seeing a naked female body (...it'd be pretty hypocritical of me, let's leave it at that) but I'm glad the show didn't go there. Also that they didn't show her getting feasted upon. I don't mind a nice blood splatter (oh Louis' revenge had better look like one of the Evil Dead reboots, please and thank you!) but I'm also a fan of less is more.

In conclusion - bravo, show.

[arcadianambivalence]

IWTV S2E2 and History

One thing I really appreciate about this show is how it interacts with its historical setting. I worried that when Louis and Claudia left New Orleans last season, the show would start to shirk the historical details, but the latest episode has given me enough historical tidbits to chew on (pun intended).

Hidden behind the humor of lines like "Paris is shit" and the thrill of meeting other vampires, there's a sense of foreboding lingering beside the recent traumas.

As with the first episode of season 2, Louis and Claudia are surrounded by reminders of war, even if they do not have the context (or empathy) for the survivors they encounter. Claudia complains that she has to pick twice as many pockets to get by, but the two are still able to afford an apartment. Meanwhile, food staples and clothing are still rationed, but people and pigeons are easy to come by.

"Paris was Nazi scar tissue at the time..."

Louis explains, but the scars historically ran deeper than a tourist (and Louis is The stereotypical tourist in this episode) could understand. Blackouts, food shortages, rations, soldiers, and refugees linger at the corners of the episode.

Even Madeline is introduced to us by a man warning Claudia that she was a collaborator or Nazi sympathizer (he does a subtle salute and points to the shop window), which will certainly influence how the next episodes take her through her narrative beats.

The plays performed by the Théâtre des Vampires cross 1920s to 1940s expressionism with absurdity and horror. Even after all this time, Louis is unenthused about the theatrical performances.

"The plays were weird. They always ended in death or some kind of cruel, barely motivated violence."

Armand's reply is dulled by the onstage spectacle:

"Life is cruel. Life is violent. [...] It was all a seduction to lure the cattle into a willing belief of disbelief."

It's a line that is all the more concerning if you know where the story is going...

Annika, the doomed woman onstage, is from Belgium, yet another country recovering from occupation and war. When she desperately tries to convince the audience to flee (not just for them to help her, but to save themselves), she speaks Dutch, so neither the French nor English-speaking audience members understand her.

Still in character, Santiago pretends to offer her a choice. She could live if she gives up someone to die in her place, if she, as the phrase goes, "turns someone in." First, he offers to take her husband, and she refuses. Then he offers to take her son, and again she refuses. Finally, he points to a man in the audience. She nods vigorously, but it's a cruel joke.

Santiago has already made up his mind about her. He addresses the man, warning him against trusting his neighbors:

"They'll give you up in a wink."

As if someone who spent the last five years in occupied France would need reminding.

The warning is for us, the viewers.

Later, the troupe takes Louis and Claudia to a mansion, ostensibly to eat people who, apparently, hoarded resources from the black market. Another show for Claudia and Louis, tourists who still think of themselves as the "good" vampires. Because why would a troupe of vampires concern themselves with that? They don't need anything from the black market. They don't eat anything from the black market. Where was this sense of justice in recent years?

As with Annika, it's yet another excuse to enact cruel and public violence against people they consider less than them.

So when Santiago's introductory prologue includes lines like:

"Being vampires, and by nature superior to you mortals, we can [...] disrupt your tiny ship called human decency."

"Our jobs, which is at the heart of it, to laugh alongside your misery while you cry and scream for more."

"Everything you're about to see is real. Remember that when you leave here tonight. You are all complicit [...] I love you for it."

You know things are not going to get better for Louis and Claudia.