#changes to the character within the confines of differences in the universe are pretty chill right

[twothumbsandnostakeincanon]

Okay. ALRIGHT. I saw THIS picture:

and immediately reblogged it with THESE tags:

which @graciebirdie then reblogged with THESE tags:

to which I responded with THIS message:

YES. YES YES. The BEST part of this idea is that while Allison looks like a Bad Girl™ and is an actual facts badass when it comes to brass tacks, she's also definitely still that girl who's gonna cry when she accidentally hits a dog. She absolutely listens to "Backstreet's Back" on a loop. So when she and Lydia hook up, first Lydia's like "oooh, she's so mysterious, she’s probably killed a guy, that shouldn’t turn me on but it totally does” but then she sees Allison trapping spiders and letting them go outside the house because -they’re important to the ecosystem, Lydia- and Lydias like “oh my god I have to protect her.”

And APPARENTLY I’m not done with this yet, come with me on a journey:

Allison leaned against the building, stubbing the last of her cigarette out on the brick and flicking it in the trash. “I need a vape pen,” she mumbled to herself. Secondhand smoke was nasty shit.

So was firsthand smoke, but whatever. She’d quit… someday.

She adjusted her shirt, ensuring her favorite tattoo was showing so as to make an accurate first impression, and walked into class.

She handed over her transfer card to the lit teacher and idly glanced around the class.

Bored looking students zoned out around the classroom, staring out the window if they had a view- except for one. A goofy looking shaggy haired kid was staring at her with his mouth slightly ajar. Great. There was already a dude who wanted to take a walk on the “wild side.”

She held in a sigh when she realized the only free desk was directly behind him.

Just as she slid into her seat, the boy turned around and wordlessly offered a pen.

She looked from him to the pen, surprised, but didn’t take it.

After a moment he got a confused look on his face.

“Didn’t you say you need a pen?” he asked.

She stared at him, astounded that someone would so blatantly admit to having heard something that should have been impossible to hear with normal human ears- even if he had actually misunderstood her.

The teacher stood up to get their attention, and the boy finally turned back around, still holding his pen.

She watched closely, trying to peg what exactly the guy was, and it didn’t take long. The way he cocked his head every time a car drove by outside, the way he obviously sniffed when a late student arrived with their closed coffee thermos: he was a werewolf, and an absolute shame to the stealth supernatural community.

When class was over and the students were spilling into the hallway, Allison took off her jacket, revealing what would hopefully be a full tattoo sleeve on her left arm someday. If she could find another artist to pick it up, anyway. She draped the jacket over her bookbag and headed out, considering whether she should just bluntly approach the kid about his wolf-hood or try to sniff out information on why he was so blasé about it first.

Just as she stepped into the hallway, she was accosted by a short red-headed girl who was followed by a beefy “I Strut Because I’m Insecure” type; clearly the boyfriend.

“That jacket is killer!” the girl gushed. “I’m Lydia, this is Jackson,” she jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Buff and Insecure.

“Allison.” She stuck out her right hand to shake, but Lydia reached for her left one and pulled it straight to look at her tattoos. Allison twitched as she suppressed the reflex to put her in a choke hold.

“Oh, these are beautiful! What class do you have next? How did you get these? You can’t be eighteen already, do you have a fake ID?” Lydia threw question after question at her, and Allison had the feeling that it was more calculated than it seemed.

“I knew an artist,” Allison said vaguely. “And I have…” she checked her schedule, “U.S. History next.”

“With who? Ms. Masi?”

“Um,” another quick check. “Yes.”

“That’s my class! I’ll show you where it is. Bye Jackson,” she said flippantly without looking at him, hooking an arm into Allison’s and trotting along.

Allison side eyed her and glanced back at Jackson, who she caught checking out her ass. She rolled her eyes and faced forward. God, that could turn into a ridiculous mess in half a minute if Lydia turned out to be a possessive, blame-the-girl type.

Lydia chattered as they walked along, and Allison tuned in and out, keeping an open eye for any students who were preternaturally attractive/strong/whateverthefuck.

“-and we’re supposed to do a project on a landmark supreme court case, I was thinking Roe v. Wade, does that sound good to you? There’s a lot to explore since nine states have trigger laws in the case of it being overturned, with three of those criminalizing-”

“Wow,” said Allison, surprised. “You know a lot about it.”

Lydia’s stride broke for a single step before picking right back up.

“Oh, yeah, there was an episode of ‘L.A. Boys’ about it,” she said breezily.

Allison was almost a thousand percent sure that wasn’t true. Why on earth would she pretend to be uninterested in Roe vs. Wade right after suggesting it as a research topic? Why would she pretend to be dumber than she really was? Jesus Christ, what was wrong with people at this school?

“Well, you know what they say,” Allison said casually. “Smart is sexy.”

Lydia looked at her with a sharp smile. “Is it now?” she purred, pulling a classroom door open and swaying her hips as she walked in, looking over her shoulder at Allison.

Oh God, Allison thought, mouth dry and heart racing. 

Maybe it wasn’t Beefy Boy she needed to worry about.

(imma throw in a tag for @areiton cause I think you were interested in this too?)

[aion-rsa]

Christmas Movies: A Complete Holiday Streaming Guide

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So, maybe there isn’t enough Christmas and holiday programming on TV for your liking. We get it. You can’t be stuck at the mercy of broadcasters and cable networks all the time, not when there are so many Christmas movies to watch, right?

Read more

TV

Christmas Movies and TV Specials: Full 2020 Schedule

By Den of Geek Staff

Movies

Christmas Movies: A Complete Holiday Streaming Guide

By Alec Bojalad and 1 other

Well, because we’re a little crazy, we’re working on an index of every Christmas movie and other piece of seasonally appropriate holiday-themed film available on various streaming services. Just bookmark this page, scroll on through the alphabetical list, hit the links, and it can be Christmas whenever you need it to be! And if you spot some stuff that we missed, just let us know in the comments and we’ll see about getting it all added for you.

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

Hulu

What is it about the holidays that makes it feel like we’re on the verge of the end of the world? Regardless, if you’re going to capture Christmas season ennui in a movie, you might as well go all out. That’s exactly what British holiday film Anna and the Apocalypse aims to do. Anna is a Christmas zombie musical comedy. Because why have one genre when you can have them all?

Read more

TV

The Best Christmas Movies Available on Hulu

By Alec Bojalad

Movies

Run Review: Sarah Paulson Terrifies as Mommie Dearest in Hulu Movie

By Don Kaye

Ella Hunt stars as Anna Shepherd, a secondary school graduate who plans to embark on a grand travel tour before heading to university. Those plans come to a grinding halt, however, when a zombie infection starts to spread throughout her town. Anna gets together with some friends as they try to survive both the holidays and the encroaching zombie apocalypse. 

Black Mirror: White Christmas (2014)

Netflix

Those looking for Christmas cheer won’t find it here. Black Mirror isn’t necessarily known for its happy endings and it’s 2014 Christmas special, “White Christmas” is no different.

Still, there is an audience out there that definitely wants this level of Scroogery. Plus it stars Jon Hamm! “White Christmas” follows three seemingly disparate stories. Jon Hamm is Matt, a mysterious man with a mysterious job who viewers watch in three different environments: once as a gross pick-up artist helper, once as a digital “cookie” salesman, and once as an occupant in a cozy cabin on Christmas Day.

What do all of these have to do with Christmas? Watch and find out. Then weep for the collapse of humanity.

A Charlie Brown Christmas Special (1965)

Apple TV+ – Arriving Dec. 4

“A Charlie Brown Christmas Special” is one of the most enduring holiday classics in the pop culture canon. Originally airing in 1965 on CBS, it was an experiment from The Coca-Cola Company to see if Charles M. Schulz’s beloved Peanuts characters could carry their charm over to a new medium…and boy could they.

The half-hour picks up with Charlie Brown down in the dumps and unable to capture the Christmas spirit. Thankfully, his friends know just what to do. Soon ol’ Chuck is directing the school Christmas play and nabbing a pitiful Christmas tree with Linus. This is “A Charlie Brown Christmas Special’s” first year as primarily a streaming entity, though Apple TV+ is allowing it to air on PBS on Dec. 13.

The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

Netflix

If a Christmas movie is only as good as its Santa (surely someone out there abides by this rule), then Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles is one heck of a Christmas movie. This family film produced by Chris Columbus features Kurt Russell ascending to his final form as Hot Santa Claus. 

Read more

TV

New on Netflix: November 2020 Releases

By Alec Bojalad

TV

The Best Christmas Movies Available on Netflix

By Alec Bojalad

The plot follows two children who are struggling to believe in the magic of Christmas after the death of their firefighter father. But the spirit of the season seizes them when they encounter the ultimate stand-in father figure: Kurt Russell Santa. The Christmas Chronicles is your classic, by-the-book family holiday yarn with a fun actor at the center and elevated production quality. Its sequel is also available to stream on Netflix. 

Doctor Who Christmas Specials

HBO Max

If the British know one thing, it’s tea. If they know two things, it’s tea and Christmas specials. Many big-time U.K. television shows have their own excellent holiday specials. Decades-old sci-fi institution Doctor Who, however, takes the cake when it comes to Christmas excellence.

HBO Max has 12 seasons worth of Doctor Who Christmas specials dating all the way back to the modern continuation’s first Doctor, Christopher Eccleston. Each episode is an hour-long treat of Doctor Who and Christmas goodies and should the joy of watching them ever peter out, there are plenty of bonus materials to watch as well.

Frozen (2013)

Disney+

Frozen, an animated movie you might have heard of, technically takes place during summer. But it sure doesn’t feel that way after Queen Elsa freezes the fjord and belts songs about the snowmen she and her sister want to build. Indeed, there is hardly a more festive film for the holidays than this celebration of self-love and familial love. Rather than being the story of a princess falling for a prince, Frozen is about the love between two sisters, Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell), and how that bond can transcend fear, isolation, and lifelong trauma like losing your parents at an early age.

Read more

Movies

Christmas Movies on Disney+ Streaming Guide

By David Crow

Movies

Frozen 2: ‘Show Yourself’ Song Was Almost Cut from Movie

By David Crow

Fairly sophisticated stuff for an animated movie, Frozen became a bona fide classic in large part due to its songbook by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, with “Let It Go” standing out as an anthem for self-empowerment and the realization of identity. And if you overlook the fact you heard that song probably five thousand times, it still has that same resonance, which is why children are drawn to its message, as well as Elsa’ irresistible ice powers brought to dazzling life. When you factor in Anna’s own awkward charm, the power the two radiate together is warming in any season.

Home Alone (1990)

Disney+

Another holiday classic from Fox, Home Alone remains a millennial touchstone for this time of year, and a gift that keeps on giving. Yes, everyone remembers the end where Macaulay Culkin tortures two bumbling goons (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) as if they’re Elmer Fudd, but the movie has a lot more going for it than just slapstick sociopathy. Indeed, when Kevin McCallister isn’t being a sadist, this film has an earnest appeal about celebrating the fantasy of a kid living by himself at home.

When his parents leave Kevin McAllister home alone for Christmas—it was an accident!—he has a luxury house to himself that he lounges about as if it were a giant playground with free ice cream, pizza, and R-rated movie viewing parties. Things go a little pear-shaped though when crooks try to rob the joint, but he handles that in glib fashion, all while sweetly pining for his mother. In fact, as you get older, Catherine O’Hara’s trials and tribulations to get back home to her baby boy in time for Christmas are as amusing as Kevin’s hijinks. (John Candy! Polka music!! Polka Christmas music!?!) But probably the reason this is a real classic has a lot to do with John Williams’ eternally heartwarming score.

Into the Dark: Pooka! (2018)

Hulu

The concept of Hulu horror anthology series Into the Dark is a simple one. Starting in October, every month would see the release of a new horror movie, usually revolving around a theme or holiday within that month. So naturally December 2018’s entry, Pooka!, brings its chills to Christmas. Directed by Nacho Vigalondo from a script by Gerald Olson, Pooka! introduces one of the cutest creepiest critter since Gremlins.

Struggling actor Wilson Clowes (Nyasha Hatendi) takes on a job operating a giant fur suit of a toy company’s upcoming holiday season to, Pookah. Pookah has two modes, naughty or nice. Soon Wilson comes to find that the suit is starting to effect his overall mood and the naughty mode may last outside the confines of the suit.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Amazon

Now if you could only watch one Christmas movie every holiday season, it’s gotta be this one, right? It’s a Wonderful Life has been a winter staple ever since…shortly after its 1946 release. The film infamously took a little while for audiences to catch on they they were in the presence of a classic. And now it lives on Amazon for the time being as the go-to spot for holiday cheer.

If you haven’t watched this movie in a while, it can be surprising just how tenuously tied the whole thing is to Christmas. Though the story of George Bailey begins on Christmas Eve 1945, the movie takes audiences throughout the entirety of his life, Christmas Carol-style. But of course, in the end the angels have gotten their wings and Christmas is in full thrall. Certainly, It’s a Wonderful Life will be all over the traditional TV calendar, but it’s nice to know that it’s on streaming as well for those who just can’t wait.

Klaus (2019)

Netflix

Since the hallowed days of Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated Christmas specials, there hasn’t been much movement or innovation in the realm of animated Christmas movies. Klaus, written and directed by Sergio Pablos, seeks to change all that in Klaus.

This crisply animated feature serves as an alternative history version of the story of Santa Claus. Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) proves himself to be the worst student as a postal academy and is sent to the North Pole where his lack of letter-delivering abilities won’t do anyone any harm. There he discovers Klaus (J.K. Simmons), a mysterious carpenter who lives alone and likes to make handmade toys. Sounds pretty familiar. 

Klaus is both a technical marvel and an effective little Christmas story.

Last Christmas (2019)

HBO Max

Shortly after taking in the cheerful trailer for Emma Thompson and Paul Feig’s 2019 holiday hit Last Christmas, the Internet stood up as one and agreed on an important point: there’s a twist in here, isn’t there? And of course, the Internet was right…as it so often is.

Last Christmas features a very prominent and important twist in its plot that you’ll have to watch the movie (or read Wikipedia) to figure out. But twist or no, this is a perfectly enjoyable entry into the modern Christmas canon. Emilia Clarke takes some time off from torching King’s Landing to star as Kate, an aspiring young singer going through hard times around Christmas. That all changes when she meets the alluring and devastatingly handsome Tom (Henry Golding). What follows is a minor Christmas miracle.

The Santa Clause (1994)

Disney+

Tim Allen really was on top of the world in the 1990s, wasn’t he? The star of ABC’s popular Home Improvement sitcom, and just a year away from becoming a Pixar legend in Toy Story, Allen could get any family entertainment greenlit. Thus enters Disney’s The Santa Clause, a movie that posits “what if Tim Allen became Santa?” That’s pretty much what happens when Allen’s schmo-y Scott Calvin inadvertently is responsible for the death of the previous Santa who slips off his roof.

The consequence of Scott’s mistake is he puts on the red and white outfit to finish Santa’s sleigh ride that night, much to the delight of his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd). Little does he know that by donning the suit, he has entered into a “Santa Clause” which means he becomes the big guy—literally so as he gains 100 pounds of weight and a white beard overnight. It’s still amusing now, but our favorite bit will always be David Krumholtz as the no-nonsense North Pole elf from Brooklyn.

Surviving Christmas (2004)

Amazon

One enduring hallmark of the Christmas movie genre is how bad many of its entries are. Of course, there are some well-executed classics that command one’s attention and respect, but for the most part they all blend together into a pleasant cheerful mush that can be on in the background while one decorates their tree.

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The Best Christmas Movies Available on Amazon Prime

By Alec Bojalad

TV

Amazon Prime Video New Releases: November 2020

By Alec Bojalad

But even by the dismal standards of Christmas movies, 2004’s Surviving Christmas is particularly dismal. This Ben Affleck/James Gandolfini starring vehicle very much earns its 7% Rotten Tomatoes score. In a way, however, that makes it a must-watch holiday classic. Affleck stars as a rich advertising executive looking to reconnect with his past. What better way to do so than to pay the current occupants of his childhood home to spend Christmas with them? Much James Gandolfini grumpiness ensues.

A Very Brady Christmas (1988)

Hulu

A Very Brady Christmas was a 1988 made-for-TV movie that brought together the entire original cast of The Brady Bunch save for Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady). Olsen was on her honeymoon at the time and I cant’ figure out if that’s a great reason or a weird reason to miss a once-in-a-generation TV event.

A Very Brady Christmas centers on a very simple and very relatable concept: getting the whole family back together for Christmas. This is a hard enough logistical challenge for a “normal” family, and a damn near impossible one for a family with six kids. Will the Bradys be able to pull it off? Watch and find out!

Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991)

HBO Max

“Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” is one of the most enduring sentences in Christmas history. It comes from an 1897 newspaper editorial in which The Sun (of New York) editor Francis Pharcellus Church responds affirmatively to young Virginia O’Hanlan’s question about the existence of Santa Claus.

Read more

Movies

Wonder Woman 1984: Does HBO Max Premiere End Theatrical Releases as We Know Them?

By David Crow

TV

HBO Max New Releases: November 2020

By Alec Bojalad

This 1991 TV movie of the same name dramatizes the already-quite dramatic story. Charles Bronson, of all people, stars as Church, who is dealing with the death of his wife and the trauma he endured as a war correspondent during the Civil War. It turns out that one little girls credulous belief in the impossible is all that many adults need to get back into the spirit of the season.

And here’s the complete list, just in case you don’t like our choices!

5 Star Christmas (2018)

Netflix

12 Days of Christmas Eve (2004)

Peacock

12 Dog Days Till Christmas (2014)

Hulu

12 Pups Of Christmas (2019)

Hulu

Alien Xmas (2020)

Netflix

Alone for Christmas (2013)

Peacock

American Rodeo: A Cowboy Christmas (2016)

Amazon

Angela’s Christmas (2017)

Netflix

Angela’s Christmas Wish (2020)

Netflix

Angels in the Snow (2015)

Hulu

Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)

Hulu

Back to Christmas (2004)

Hulu

Barbie: A Christmas Carol (2008)

Hulu

Barbie: A Perfect Christmas (2011)

Hulu, Peacock

Beyond Christmas (1940)

Amazon

Black Christmas (2019)

HBO Max, Peacock

Black Mirror: White Christmas (2014)

Netflix

A Bell for Christmas (2014)

Peacock

Bob’s Broken Sleigh (2015)

Netflix

BoJack Horseman Christmas Special (2014)

Netflix

A Bride for Christmas (2012)

Amazon

Chico Bon Bon and the Very Berry Holiday (2020)

Netflix

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Mid-Winter’s Tale (2018)

Netflix

Christmas, Again (2014)

Amazon

Christmas with the Andersons (2016)

Hulu

Christmas Belle (2013)

Hulu

Christmas Break-In (2019)

Netflix

The Christmas Calendar (2017)

Hulu

A Christmas Carol (1938)

HBO Max

A Christmas Carol (2019)

Hulu

The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

Netflix

The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)

Netflix

Christmas in Compton (2012)

Hulu

Christmas Crush (2019)

Hulu

Christmas Cruise (2017)

Peacock

The Christmas Dragon (2014)

Amazon

Christmas in the Heartland (2013)

Peacock

Christmas on Holly Lane (2019)

Amazon, Hulu

Christmas Inheritance (2017)

Netflix

A Christmas Kiss II (2015)

Hulu

The Christmas Lodge (2014)

Amazon

Christmas Matchmakers (2019)

Peacock

A Christmas Movie Christmas (2019)

Hulu

Christmas Mystery (2014)

Peacock

Christmas Perfection (2018)

Hulu

Christmas with a Prince (2018)

Amazon

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018)

Netflix

A Christmas Princess (2019)

Peacock

The Christmas Ride (2019)

Amazon

A Christmas in Royal Fashion (2018)

Peacock

A Christmas Solo (2019)

Hulu

A Christmas Snow (2011)

Amazon

A Christmas Tree Miracle (2015)

Amazon

Christmas Twister (2012)

Peacock

Christmas in Vermont (2016)

Hulu

Christmas in Wonderland (2007)

Amazon

A Cinderella Christmas (2016)

Hulu

Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (2009)

Hulu

Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker (2020)

Netflix

Dash & Lily (2020)

Netflix

Dear Santa (2011)

Amazon

Deck the Halls (2006)

Hulu

Disney Channel’s Epic Holiday (2020)

Disney+ – Arriving Dec. 11

Disney Channel Holiday House Party (2020)

Disney + – Arriving Dec. 18

Disney Holiday Magic Quest (2020)

Disney+ – Arriving Dec. 11

Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square (2020)

Netflix

A Doggone Christmas (2016)

Amazon

A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale (2015)

Hulu

The Dog Who Saved Christmas (2009)

Hulu

The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation (2010)

Peacock

Dragons: Rescue Riders: Huttsgalor Holiday (2020)

Netflix

Dreamworks Happy Holidays from Madagascar (2005)

Netflix

Dreamworks Holiday Classics (2011)

Netflix

Dreamworks Home For the Holidays (2017)

Netflix

Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas (2014)

HBO Max

Elf-Man (2012)

Amazon

 Elf Pets: Santa’s Reindeer Rescue (2020)

Netflix

Every Other Holiday (2018)

Hulu

Eve’s Christmas (2004)

Hulu

Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas (2018)

Netflix

A Flintstone Christmas (1977)

HBO Max

A Flintstone Family Christmas (1993)

HBO Max

Get Santa (2014)

HBO Max

Girlfriends of Christmas Past (2016)

Hulu

A Go! Go! Cory Carson Christmas (2020)

Netflix

The Heart of Christmas (2011)

Hulu

High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special (2020)

Disney + – Arriving Dec. 11

His and Her Christmas (2005)

Hulu

Holidate (2020)

Netflix

The Holiday Calendar (2018)

Netflix

Holiday Home Makeover with Mr. Christmas (2020)

Netflix

The Holiday Movies That Made Us (2020)

Netflix

Holiday Road Trip (2013)

Peacock

Holiday Rush (2019)

Netflix

Holiday in the Wild (2019)

Netflix

Holly’s Holiday (2013)

Hulu

Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012)

HBO Max

Home For Christmas (2019)

Netflix

How to Ruin Christmas (2020)

Netflix

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011)

Hulu

Into the Dark: Pooka! (2018)

Hulu

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)

Netflix

Klaus (2019)

Netflix

The Knight Before Christmas (2019)

Netflix

Last Holiday (2006)

Peacock

Let it Snow (2019)

Netflix

Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)

Hulu

The March Sisters at Christmas (2012)

Hulu

Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special (2020)

Apple TV+ – Arriving Dec. 4

Married by Christmas (2016)

Hulu

Merry Happy Whatever (2019)

Netflix

Miracle on Christmas (2020)

Amazon

Mighty Express: A Mighty Christmas (2020)

Netflix

My Dad is Scrooge (2014)

Hulu

My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas (2005)

Hulu

My Santa (2013)

Hulu

Nailed It! Holiday! (2018)

Netflix

A Nanny for Christmas (2010)

Hulu

Naughty and Nice (2014)

Hulu

A Nasty Piece of Work (2019)

Hulu

Neo Yokio: Pink Christmas (2018)

Netflix

New Year, New You (2019)

Hulu

A New York Christmas Wedding (2020)

Netflix

A Norman Rockwell Christmas Story (1996)

Amazon

Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)

HBO Max

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

Disney+ – Arriving Dec. 4

The Oath (2018)

Hulu

Once Upon a Time for Christmas (2017)

Hulu

Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas (2016)

HBO Max

Operation Christmas Drop (2020)

Netflix

Pee-wee’s Playhouse: Christmas Special (1988)

Netflix

Power Rangers: Megaforce: The Robo Knight Before Christmas (2013)

Netflix

Power Rangers Super Samurai: Stuck on Christmas (2012)

Netflix

Prince of Peoria: A Christmas Moose Miracle (2018)

Netflix

A Prince for Christmas (2015)

Peacock

A Princess for Christmas (2012)

Amazon

The Princess Switch: Switched Again (2020)

Netflix

A Puppy for Christmas (2016)

Hulu, Peacock

Rare Exports (2010)

Amazon, Hulu

A Royal Christmas Ball (2017)

Peacock

Santa Buddies (2009)

HBO Max

Santa Pac’s Merry Berry Day (2016)

Netflix

Santa Girl (2019)

Netflix

Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays (2012)

HBO Max

The Search for Santa Paws (2010)

HBO Max

Second Chance Christmas (2017)

Hulu

The Secret of the Nutcracker (2007)

Hulu

The Smurfs Christmas (1982)

HBO Max

So This is Christmas (2012)

Hulu

The Spirit of Christmas (2015)

Hulu

A StoryBots Christmas (2017)

Netflix

Sugar Rush Christmas (2019)

Netflix

Super Monsters: Santa’s Super Monster Helpers (2020)

Netflix

Super Monsters Save Christmas (2019)

Netflix

Super Monsters and the Wish Star (2018)

Netflix

Surviving Family (2014)

Amazon

The Swan Christmas Princess (2012)

Hulu

This Christmas (2007)

Hulu

The Town Santa Forgot (1993)

HBO Max

True: Winter Wishes (2019)

Netflix

The Truth About Christmas (2018)

Hulu

A Very Country Christmas (2020)

Amazon

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas (2011)

HBO Max

A Very Murray Christmas (2015)

Netflix

A Wedding for Christmas (2017)

Peacock

Wonderoos: Holiday Holiday! (2020)

Netflix

Yogi Bear’s All-Star Comedy Christmas (1982)

HBO Max

Yogi’s First Christmas (1980)

HBO Max

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The post Christmas Movies: A Complete Holiday Streaming Guide appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[imhereformysciencefriends]

1-10, 13-15 for Undertale AND Steven Universe >;)

UNDERTALE

1. What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?*

Frisk/Asriel/Chara in any combination. They’re small y’all. Asriel and Chara were literally siblings. I can sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorta see the appeal of Frisk/Asriel but. Like. C’mon.

2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?*

Uhhhhh Soriel tbh. I like it but to be ENTIRELY honest I like it pale so much more than flush. Like… they just seem like good bros… they can help each other with each other’s deep and honestly crippling interpersonal issues….

3. Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

Nah, not Undertale

4. Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?*

Incest is bad kids.

5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?*

No, not really. Most of my pairings were pretty bland or impossible to ruin tbh.

6. Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?*

It made me consider flush Soriel. *shrugs* Consider doesn’t necessarily mean like but I do have a passive enjoyment of it? It’s not something I actively DISLIKE by any means!!! I just also wouldn’t ever seek it out.

7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?*

Okay so I DO still like Sans but @fandom what the FUCK

8. Have you received anon hate? What about?*

Nah not for Undertale.

9. Most disliked character(s)? Why?

I LOVE ALL OF THEM EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS MY PRECIOUS DELIGHT I CANNOT FIND ROOM FOR DISLIKE FOR ANY OF MY CHILDREN NOT EVEN JERRY

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

ASRIEL YOU GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THAT FLOWER PATCH AND GO LIVE WITH YOUR FAMILY YOU SELF-MARTYRING FUCK

13. Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

Chara has received a lot more sympathy since the initial playthroughs, but it always bears repeating that they are not an evil human. They are a very broken, very injured child. To be the player is to show Chara the nature of humanity: if you allow Frisk to be pacifist, Chara sees the kindness in humans, the forgiveness, even at personal sacrifice. If you kill the monsters, their mom, their dad, the only creatures that have ever been kind to them, then they in turn take over, killing them all themself so that you will trade them your soul and they can burn it all to the ground, making sure you, oh player, are never able to hurt another person ever again.

They’re broken, they’re twisted, they’re hurt, but they are only as violent as you make them feel they have to be.

14. Unpopular opinion about your fandom?

It was wild but it was good. I miss the Undertale fandom.

No wait okay here it is: Why the FUCK was there not more Mettaton and/or Undyne porn on my dash? Toby Fox delivered unto us a literal bishie sexy robot sparkleboy and a queer muscular fish warrior and y’all decided to make porn of the literal pile of BONES? Smh.

15. Unpopular opinion about the manga/show?

Asgore was not weak. Kindness is not weakness. Duty is not weakness. Being caught in your own double-bind is not weakness. Asgore was shouldered with a terrible weight and, when he needed it most, almost no emotional support. I do not blame Toriel for leaving him, I do not feel angry at her for never looking back, but y’all have to understand: Asgore was but one person in a very difficult situation, and when perfection is the size of a needlepoint you cannot blame a man with that heavy of a burden for falling off.

STEVEN UNIVERSE

1. What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?*

Pearl/Garnet…. Y’all… Garnet’s monogamous… Pearl might not be and Rose Quartz definitely was not, but y’all. Garnet is the only one for Garnet.

2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?*

Pearl/Amethyst!!!! Tbh they read as very much a big sister/little sister to me, especially when I look back at the way my own sister and I acted when we were teenagers/young adults.

3. Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

Nah not SU.

4. Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?*

Uh….. Not rea- PEARL/GREG !!!!! FUCK PEARLGREG Y’ALL SHES A LESBIAN AND THEY ONLY RECENTLY MANAGED TO MOVE PAST SOME *VERY SERIOUS ISSUES* why would you ship them not even in pitch y’all cmon….

5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?*

Nah.

6. Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?*

I saw a post shipping the Cool Kids together in a poly relationship once and it changed my life forever I fucking LOVE COOLSHIPPING you guys don’t even understand they’re just a trio of cool kids. Having fun. Loving life. And each other.

7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?*

I briefly dabbled in Lars/Sadie but Lars needs to grow a LOT before he’s ready for a romantic relationship with anyone and Sadie has some issues of her own she needs to move past before she’s ready for a romantic relationship with Lars specifically.

8. Have you received anon hate? What about?*

Not in SU!

9. Most disliked character(s)? Why?

Kevin probably. Nobody likes Kevin. Also Aquamarine… but only tentatively… I’m curious. I want to see what the Crewniverse is gonna do with her. I can SEE how redemption would come about, but at the very current moment I’m puttin a soft no on her. Oh and Holly Blue is p nasty.

10. Most disliked arc? Why?

BRING BACK CENTIPEEDLE MY WIFE!!!! BRING BACK BISMUTH Y’ALL PLEASE JUST TELL HER TO CHILL OUT AND EXPLAIN THINGS PLEASE!!!! FREE THE DESERT GLASS WHY ARE YOU JUST LEAVING HER TRAPPED!!!!!! SHE’S GONNA BE PISSED WHEN SHE FINALLY GETS OUT!!!!!!

13. Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

White Diamond is going to MURDER my gay ass when she finally shows and I’m going to thank her. That’s not really unpopular but that’s it that’s my… well okay it’s not much of an opinion either but there you have it anyway.

14. Unpopular opinion about your fandom?

All fandoms have their intellectual engagements and all fandoms have cesspools. One cannot exist without the other. There is nothing I can say about fandom in either positive or negative light that has not been said before, but I do think people tend to be a touch hard on Rebecca + Crewniverse for their treatment of Jasper. Remember folks, it’s not over yet, try to open your mind a bit and clutch a little less tightly to the characterization you think Jasper has, maybe try out some different interpretations as to WHY Jasper acts the way she does and why + when she’ll be able to come back within the confines of her canon characterization.

15. Unpopular opinion about the manga/show?

BRING! BACK! MYSTERY GIRL!!!!! PEARL HAS NOT HAD HER DATE YET!!!!!

[tricialucido-blog]

Kaufman and Kristoff’s “The Illuminae Files” pt. I

Hi there! This is my first attempt at blogging about books I’ve read for leisure. I was inspired greatly by the bookstagram and booktube communities in Instagram and YouTube, respectively, and while I enjoy seeing content from both platforms, I feel like there’s something else I want to see from book bloggers that’s currently not present in the content trend today. I’ve seen a few bloggers here and there whose content I really liked (a personal favorite is booktuber @LilyCReads), but I guess it’s high time I shared my personal sentiments and commentaries myself. I still don’t know where I want to take this, but starting somewhere is better than nothing amirite. Anyway, here goes.

Note: This is a spoiler-free review. Part II, which I will link here as soon as I’ve posted it, will most likely be full of spoilers because I will talk about the key themes and important quotes from the books. Beware and proceed with caution! :-) 

Title: The Illuminae Files (trilogy); Illuminae (Book 1), Gemina (Book 2), and Obsidio (Book 3)

Authors: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre: science fiction, military space opera, epistolary

Rating: 5/5 stars

Story Time!  ✨

Before I dive right into the books, let me tell you guys a bit of a backstory. I’ve always enjoyed science fiction, especially space opera (a close contender is steampunk). Mind you, though, I wasn’t really part of the Star Wars crowd (I was more of a Harry Potter pre-teen) as I was growing up, so I can’t really point to the franchise as the origin of my interest. No, I’d say I started getting interested in the science part before I discovered that it could be fused with fiction. I loved encyclopedias and the annual almanacs when I was a kid, and up to this day it still baffles me a bit that I was that kind of kid before books and (eventually) the humanities dragged me into their fold. I was deeply fascinated by the heavenly bodies, and up until I realized I had acrophobia (fear of heights), I even wanted to be an astronaut. My venture into science fiction and its subgenres was a little less scholarly. I’m not ashamed to share that I fell in love with space opera through fan fiction, specifically an old X-Men fan fiction. That masterpiece really changed my reading experience.

It was my youngest sister, a bonafide bookstagram lurker, who introduced the Illuminae Files trilogy to me. All she said was, “It’s an epistolary. I think you’d like it,” and I was already purchasing the second book (she already bought the first one). This is where it gets kinda funny, because originally, I read Book 2 (Gemina) first before I picked up Book 1 again this summer. I read the words “...breaking up with her boyfriend” in the synopsis and I instantly got turned off haha! I easily dismissed Illuminae because I thought it was just another typical YA love story packaged differently (but ultimately still the same formula), and I was just so exhausted with the same old variations. For the record, I was wrong, okay. But anyway, my sister assured me that I wouldn’t miss much if I start withGemina (which, totally false) and that the spoilers were negligible (only because when I got “spoiled” in Gemina, I didn’t realize at the time the significance of what I found out ahead, and when I picked up Illuminae, I already forgot most of what happened in Gemina). [Story Time: End]

Now that story time is over, I just wanna point out that after typing this whole chunk of word vomit, I realized that I’m already so chatty and I haven’t even started on the books themselves! I swear, I’m only letting this run as long as this because it’s the first one, and I have a lot of behind-the-scenes anecdotes that I really want to share. I hope I don’t drive y’all away hahaha, so let’s just jump into the “review” part. 

The Gist  ✨

The year is 2575, half a millenium ahead of what constitutes as “today”. Human civilization has moved past the uncertainty of space explorations, of the search for the “second” Earth. Distant corners of the universe? Not so distant anymore. Space travel that spans light years? Now simply one “jump” away. For all the fancy technological advancements that humankind has achieved, they still aren’t beyond mass murder for the sake of money and resources. At least that’s what I gathered when megacorporation BeiTech Industries brutally massacred the citizens of a small far-flung colony called Kerenza IV, where there was a ongoing illegal mining of hermium, a precious resource in this universe. The trilogy revolves around the protagonists, victims and survivors of BeiTech’s brutal invasion, and their search for justice while fighting for their lives in the yawning emptiness of space. There are all sorts of characters within each book, including a Skynet AI, and all sorts of trouble as well.

Reactions   💖

Stylistics. As I’ve mentioned above, all three books are hashed out through a collection of files, chat logs, and video transcriptions to name a few. And duuuuuuude. Kaufman and Kristoff really did an incredible job with the lay-out of Illuminae Files--hats off to their entire team, there is no denying the genius behind their concept of what an epistolary is. It was exciting to dig into the books to examine every detail and every Easter egg that they left in each well-planned page. Although, I’ll be honest here, there were a few times that I really got confused and lost in the story--not in the sense that I was intensely absorbed with what was happening but rather, because there were a lot of details and clues to take in. It was easy to be overwhelmed by everything that was happening. Add the fact that there were events happening simultaneously, and were described in completely different media (this will make much more sense once you pick up the first book). I don’t consider it an entirely negative thing because the confusion really helped in blindsiding me from most of the major plot twists; in fact, I’d say I enjoyed the story more when my theories were debunked by the more awesome plot twists.

World-building and plot. Speaking of plot twists: the plot had some really well-placed surprises and shocks. I love that the romantic scenes were not distastefully added. In fact, instead of stealing the limelight from the major conflict as well as the science-and-technology “vibe” of the story, the romance further heightened the stakes that the protagonists were risking with every decision and plan they concoct. 

The authors did not give us 600-pages of long-winding narratives (per book) and chunks of justified text divided into chapters--no. They gave their readers a feast of visual exercise and yet, using less words (than a standard 300-page novel) and hardly a clear-cut linear plot progression, they raised a lot of important questions that we could use some time to ponder on (more about these in Part II--beware of spoilers, though!). What I always look for in science fiction (and fantasy as well, for that matter) is a well-executed world-building. It doesn’t matter if the premise is unique if the author did not manage to back the novelty of their idea; sometimes, if the world-building is particularly lacking, it really puts me off from the plot itself. In the trilogy, it wasn’t a problem at all, which helped to make me more absorbed with all the adrenaline-infused twists upon twists in the story. 

I also have to commend how well the authors incited reactions from their readers--at least in my reading experience. One particular conflict in Illuminae really gave me goosebumps and sent a chill down my spine (won’t elaborate haha you’ll know if you’ve read it!!). Ugh, remembering it as I type this has me shivering involuntarily again. Those were some real creepy scenes, I tell you.

Characters. Most of the protagonists (but not all) paired up in different points of the story, so it’s easy to view them as such: couples. I don’t think I hated any off the them, even with my initial avoidance in reading Illuminae because of Kady and Ezra’s established relationship; in fact, the romance between all of them turned out to be not overbearing at all. Having said that, I think it’s a great disservice to each character, especially the couples, to view them only within the confines of their relationship dynamics. Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff both did a great job in adding layers upon layers of character development of the protagonists; furthermore, they were not stingy in adding characters and giving them actual personalities, and even though at certain times the sheer amount of characters got really confusing, in the end I consider it a plus on their genius and detail-oriented world-building. These two did not hold back in conceptualizing and planning. They were good at deliberately leaving out certain information, that’s true, and they got me to believe that nothing was amiss--only to exclaim “oh shit…” when things finally fall into place. 

On the other side of the spectrum, BeiTech’s foot soldiers were ruthless and machine-like, and performed well as villains; however, what I loved about Illuminae Files are the details that the authors added--seemingly inconsequential details that will make you pause for a bit and remember that these brutal murderers are just as human as the protagonists, that while it’s easy to view them as merely “BeiTech”, there are still individuals behind the uniforms and high-calibre assault weapons. These details will lead you to the thought that both villains and heroes experience the same spectrum of human emotions, and it is jarring and terrifying to be reminded that only a thin line divides the two “sides”.

Anyway, this is where I’ll end Part I.

Watch out for Part II soon, which I will link below as soon as I’ve posted it.

Wow. So that was a pretty intense word vomit. Apologies for being so chatty, and if you managed to read this until the very end, thank you so much! I’d love to know what your thoughts are, if you’ve read the trilogy or if you’re planning to), etc. Let me know if you liked this type of in-depth (read: intense and overboard) review or if you hated it haha! Leave a comment or hit my ask box and I’ll be happy to reply! Part II will be up soon. See you! <3

Photo credits:

Book covers | bumblebeerosee on Redbubble

Space | Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

Space (2) | Max McKinnon on Unsplash

[twilightpony4]

HomeFront: 37. You Look Like A Geisha

She gave him a moment's rest for himself and for her as well. Leonardo may have taken a huge beating to the body and heart, but such magic and energy used up at once tired her greatly. Both took some downtime in the kitchen, eating a meal prepared by Miwa herself before she pulled out a piece of paper from an unknown source. She stood behind his chair. Leonardo looked up, cheeks full of dumplings when she leaned over him. “This is the note I apprehended from the Foot soldier I saw.” Venus explained as she placed it flat on the table for him to see. Continuously chewing, he peered over to the crumpled note. It’s scribblings were of a foreign language he could not make out. Definitely Chinese, he assumed. ‘It’s an invitation to a gathering. The way it’s written, it’s very vague on the invitation. Yet, inside there’s a note furtherly explaining that “in loose translation” that” her finger traced over the key characters. “‘It begins now’.” His throat swallowed his snack to answer. “So,” His throat cleared. “whoever is rallying the Foot in China is expected to be here?” A giant green finger pressed against the paper. Leo didn't know what the character meant when he pointed to it, but he took a wild stab in guessing it was the area of the location. The turtle girl smiled as she reached over again, this time to reach for his wrist. In her grip, his finger lightly dragged along the page until she stopped it pointing at a different character. He could tell she wanted to giggle for him trying, but now wasn't the time. “That or we can earn further clues as to what is going on.” She inferred. The turtle warrior have her an understanding nod as he stared at the incomprehensible characters. “Alright, so the original plan was that Miwa and I were going to infiltrate the party as guests. Now that you’re on board, Miwa can stay behind.” “Well, that plan is out the window.” Leo swept his hands in a waving motion in front of him before scooping his hands up and folded within the confines of his arms sitting atop his chest. The turtle girl raised a brow. “What do you mean?” Leo sat up straighter. His arms unfolded and laid straight out in front of him, accompanied by a shoulder shrug. “I don’t how you’re going to do it, but now there’s no human infiltration inside. We’ll have to survey outside.” He insisted. How else were they going to do it? Miwa was the only human they could trust to spy inside, now she wasn't going. Venus shook her head. “No. We don’t.” There was a sly, yet playful tone on her voice. Leo tried to look her in the face, begging for some answers but the turtle girl was already walking away and towards the hallway. “Hold on.” She asked, clutching the doorframe with one hand and the other holding up her index finger. The pause followed by her disappearance to who knows where. The male turtle was left to his own devices, only his imagination could put him at ease, or not. What was that girl up to? Seconds passed and turned to minutes. Now his dumplings got cold as he waited for the terrapin girl to get back. As his patience wore away, she returned, but with style. Her hands glowed their usual blue color when she would perform magical feats. Hovering above her open palms floated two necklaces of a single charm. His eyes could see the elements of her magic seeping into the “rock-like” gems, letting it influence their physical state. “What’s this?” He stood up when she walked towards him. Such awe, he pushed his chair in without looking and completely forgot his frozen food. “Mèilì mèilì.” The sound flowed evenly from her throat. “What’s it for? A pretty accessory?” “It has magical qualities. Whoever wears it is masked with a different identity. Normally, it changes human beings’ appearances. I’ve alternated it to where it forms our unnatural appearances and shape.” As she spoke, the two necklaces began to slowly descend into her palm. The blue aura faded away, settling back into her talented hands. “So, when I put this on…” He stopped, trying to comprehend what she had just described. “I become human?” Venus shrugged. “Close enough.” Her answer was inappropriately mismatched with her silly delivery and his deep-hearted question. “Where was this all my life?” His mumbles were barely audible, gazing upon the rocks that were to correct and change his unique mutation. Venus, quite oblivious to his opinion on the subject, happily picked up one of the rocks for him to put around his neck. “Here.” She offered him, holding the strange artifact by the chain. “No, you don’t understand.” He lifted his palm to her, distancing himself from the object. Surprised, she retracted back with it still in her hand. “All my life, all of our lives: Splinter, Mikey, Donnie, and Raph. We had to limit our entire lives underground in the dark. We thought of nothing than to go out and enjoy life.” “Leo.” She said his name bluntly, but the male terrapin wasn't having it until he finished talking. “Sure, you and Mona had a somewhat limited contact with people, but we've never been among the presence of one until recently. And now, you tell me that you had the power to change us into human beings?” Now he was really close, eyes bugging out and such as he subconsciously made the terrapin girl lean back each time he came too close for comfort. Clearly, he was very passionate about the subject. When her back couldn't take it anymore, her dumb look of fright instantaneously became straight. With her free hand, she touched his shoulder. Leonardo looked at it as she pushed it away, forcing him to back off of her as she straightens up. The terrapin girl put a first to her mouth and began to clear her throat. When she was finished, a knowing eye caught his attention. “The properties of the glamour charm are only temporary. For some reason, the body becomes immune to it and the magic eventually wears off. They say it’s only for a one time use when done by the same magician.” “Oh.” Well, he felt dumb. Thinking that she was in the wrong, the “incorrect” just served him up a thesis, body paragraph, and conclusion. “You guys sure like to assume things.” She handed him the necklace, in which he now took graciously. “Runs in the family, I guess.” He had to chuckle at himself. If this family he grew up in knew anything, it was the ability to assume. No wonder Splinter stressed so much on that lesson. “So, “ he cleared his throat, disrupting the mental conversation within the confines of his mind. “if I use this now…” his voice trailed off, allowing a spot for Venus to fill the blank with her own. “We can never be human again. Well, at least not through me anymore.” Such a haunting thought. To be somewhat human was more than he could ever ask for, but now in a situation where he was human temporarily and then never again when it wore off? Too bad it wasn't a time where he could actually enjoy it, such as roaming the actual streets of his hometown and not along the rooftops and pipelines. You know, getting to know what it feels like to be in a crowded space and enjoy wonders directly. But no, it was here at a time where he's supposed to remain a low profile. At least, he can be amongst people. That's a bonus. “Well, let's see if it works.” Leo apprehensively took the necklace away from her. There was a medium sized mirror hanging from the living room wall, Leo remembered. Venus followed closely behind as he went to seek it out. Behold, the parallel universe hanging humbly on the wall of the quiet room. Subconsciously, the turtle wanted to keep himself a distance away from the reflection, just in case the change would be too much for him. He looked at his profile, analyzing it as if he had never and won't ever see it again. He turned his head away, unable to bear to see such transformation. Venus nodded and pressured him into it with hand motions. Slowly, he raised his hands over his head, spreading the chain. The cold metal graced his head, send my him chills. The turtle took a leap of faith went he let go, letting it drop to his neck. Immediately, he scrunched his eyes closed, waiting for the transformation to happen. Surely there could be a cracking of bones, change in height, I mean, turtle to human may not be a comfy change. But nothing happened. He opened an eye, not expecting anything. Then, he opened both eyes, quite disappointed. The palms and forearms of his hands were flipped over as he saw the same old green arms he's had since. “Whoa, I look…” he put his hands down and bent over to look at his feet. “Exactly the same.” “To you and other linked glamour charms, yes, but to everyone else…” By the looks of it, she was trying to grab his shell, but by the way she was gripping it, it was something foreign to her. When she got around to it, she turned him to face the mirror. That's when his mouth gaped wide. “You’re just another random white boy in China.” The turtle’s jaw nearly unhinged. Who was THAT?! Is that him? Leonardo? In the flesh? Pink flesh? All his life, he had grown accustomed to green scaled skin. A spooky, dark caucasian shadow mimicking was all to creepy. What he wore was exactly the same, and surprisingly fitting, but the rest of his body was something new. He touched his face. There was no outstretched nose. Instead, there was a human bridge between his still blue eyes. Leo walked towards the mirror as he let his hands slide up his smooth face. If it wasn’t crazy enough that he now had to function five fingers, he almost lost it when hair filled between its gaps. His brown tresses were somewhat tossed about in an elegant style. It was not short, but not long enough to grow past his ears. Oh..my..gosh… he has ears. Immediately, his fingers took to massaging the lobes that he couldn’t feel on his body himself, but as a detachment through his fingertips. With this in mind, he could only imagine the invincibility his body can endure. Yet, he had to remind himself that there is a good chance that his natural body could still be harmed even if he couldn’t actually feel his human body. When did he become an avatar? Leo’s five finger hands smoothed over the front of his body. Where his bone plastron would be, stretchable, squishy skin took over. The only thing that actually felt normal was to see the pattern of muscle that used to be outlined by his turtle physiology. Truly amazing, he thought as he gave his arms and legs a once over. His tattoos were much more vibrant against his brighter skin. But that also meant the scar on his face was brighter and slightly more noticeable. Bottom line, he couldn't care less. That dream from the back of his head to be human had just come true! If only his family could see him now! “What do you mean ‘other linked glamour charms’?” He turned around to face her. She was gone. Right to left, Venus completely disappeared from the room. Before he could decide to search for her, she returned. She had fetched her silk robe, now tying its black belt around her waist. Must be because of how Leonardo changed. Doesn't wear a shirt, no chest cover in human form. As a non short wearer as well, and as a woman, Venus was quick to notice and fetch herself something to decently cover her human body. Observant turtle. “Since I created our glamour charms with unique properties, only you and I can see each other in our true forms.” On a small decorative table nearby, her necklace lay. She reached for it. The silver chain slipped through the grooves of her large fingers. “You only see me as a turtle, but in reality…” She dropped the necklace over her head. Looking directly at her, there was no difference, but when he looked at her from the mirror, it was a whole different story. “I’m some type of mixed chick.” Unlike Leonardo, her skin was much darker. Her frame and eye color remained the same as he as she shifted into a womanly human body change. Instead of brown hair such as he, a flurry of golden brown curls fell down her shoulders. Venus looked into her reflection. She was much less flabbergasted than Leo, and proceeded to smile and fix her hair away from her face, a first for her. “Whoa!” He gasped while she grinned into the mirror. “You look like… everything.” He complimented. Surely, she did. Dark skin, golden curly hair...“Oh look, you finally got those Asian eyes.” He playfully pointed out with his words and finger. The former turtle girl stood up straight. She leaned of to the side with her hands on her hips, eyebrow raised. “Ha ha.” Her response blurted out deeply. “Now come on!” Immediately, Venus marched away and towards the door. “Where are we going?” He asked, taking a few shuffle steps behind her. She was practically out the door when she leaned over, clutching both of her hands on the frame to keep her from falling over. “Heading to a party in China, we need to represent.” Walking around the village was weird, or, weirder than usual. Even in a place where he can walk around as a giant turtle, venturing around as a person had just as many curious eyes on him. Two people of a dark and light color with interesting garb peeked most adults and all the children’s interests as they passed. No one bothered to ask questions.They gained more and more eyes as the two former mutants approached a humble building. Venus hadn’t told Leonardo exactly where they were going, but it was soon made obvious as they walked inside. Everywhere around them, silky and colorful fabrics spilled out of boxed shelves and hung on hangers. The best of wears, it appeared, hung high and on a line suspended from the ceiling. He walked around in awe, dresses and kimonos occasionally brushed his face and body as he treaded behind his female companion. “Měiměi! Zhè shì jīnxīng!” She called in her native tongue. “Guī?” Venus leaned over, poking her head over the counter and into the side in the back. “Méi péi zhī? Nà shì nǐ wǒ tīngjiànle ma?” A young woman’s voice called from the unknown. “(I'm in the front!)” Venus chirped over the counter. She looked so eager, she skipped up to the stand. Quick shuffling came closer to where they were, and it was coming from the back. Out of the forest of patterns, a girl emerged. She was quite young, looking their age. Barely was there any pigment in her skin, but given her occupation, it fitted quite well. A grey cheongsam hugged her body with a simple black floral design on the bottom of her dress. The dark brown locks of her hair were wrapped up elegantly into a simple style, followed by sweeping bangs to frame her face. Her brows were sharp, accentuating her surprised eyes as she looked at the two peculiar characters. Rather, she looked disappointed and confused. Venus stood her ground with a smile as the girl stepped forward. “(Is that you, Venus?) she asked. Her eyes zeroed in on Venus’, trying to study and make an understanding of this. Was it really her? Those unnaturally lime green eyes, she knew who had them, but was it true? “(It's my magic doing this, but yes. It's me.)” She explained, voice losing itself, almost breaking down. First, the girl frowned and then smiled with a sad face. “(Get over here, Venus!)” she motioned her over with her arms. The girl went behind the counter to engulf her longtime friend in her arms.“(I missed you so much!)” she squeezed her extra right before letting the ex-turtle go. “(Heard you were out here but I didn't get the time to see you!)” “(At least we're here now!)” Venus grinned. “(I missed you too Mei.)” She saw her eyes leave hers. Mikey had shown her memes like this before. “When you're talking to your friend and a cute guy walks by”, yes! She remembered that picture of SpongeBob and now she was seeing it in her friend as she leaned over to get Venus out of her sight and someone else into it. “(Who is this boy you brought?)” the new girl asked as she stared at Leo. The boy shyly smiled as gave her a little wave. His arms going up gave her a perfect view of that rock hard body she couldn't keep her eyes off of. “(Does he have a girlfriend?)” Pffft! The sound forced through her smiling lips while trying to cover her mouth with her hand. Judging by the girl’s interest, he knew she was talking about him and with the language barrier, it wouldn't be discouraging if Venus was laughing about something the girl said about him. The former turtle calmed herself down to speak with her curious friend. “(Leonardo’s a turtle too, Mei Mei.)” her hand clutched the girl’s shoulder, eyes assuring her. The girl’s eyes, however, grew wide and bright. “(You found another turtle out in America?)” Venus nodded her head. She thought Mona Lisa and Venus were the only ones of their kind and now she finds another like her? Small world. “(That's wonderful! But does he have a girlfriend?)” “(Mei!)” “(If he's as gorgeous as a turtle as he is now, I don't care about species!)” Finds one mutant turtle like her in the world, friend still wants him if he's pretty. Go figure. “(We’re on a mission and we need some traditional dress for a formal party. Can you help?)” For added measure, her three fingered hands clasped together. Her bottom lip stick out, pleading to her playfully reluctant friend. She had turned her back with arms across her chest, turning only her head to show the turtle her thinking, yet smiling expression. “(Yeah, yeah.)” the deep tone elongated. “(And yes, he’s single.)” she released the extra piece of information to make her more enthusiastic about her part in the plan. Just as planned, her face lit up. Her hands rose as quick as her smile until it dropped back down. Venus was confused as Mei Mei took part of her cheongsam in her hand. She pulled it away from her in different angles, turning her head as she did. “(Wish I got a little more dressed up today.)” she admitted as she looked over her outfit. Oh, Mei Mei. Venus rolled her eyes with a smile. It felt great to be around some more familiarity of her easy life. “This is my friend Mei Huǒ Niǎo.” Leonardo's head shot up from staring at an article of clothing nearby. With them casting him out with their language, he had completely dozed off and paid attention to other things. His mind registered the name as he nodded. “We call her, Mei-mei.” Venus placed her hands on top of Mei Mei’s shoulders. With the eye contact made, the girl blushed and giggled, turning away from his gaze with a hand over her mouth. Blushing aside, she took gentle strides towards him. When she came close enough, her arm slowly rose from her side. There was a peculiarity of the fashion it was moving at. It was then that he got it. She was out of her comfort zone. Normally, a small bow was sufficient as she grew up, but knowing he is an American, she wanted to greet him his way. How sweet. In that case, Leo raised his hand to reach for hers. As he saw his hand extend, he noticed his three fingered hand. How large it was to be engulfed in her tiny fingers. With a human bubble surrounding him, it would seem strange if he shook her hand in his normal, three fingered way. Leo took a chance when he allowed his hand to slip into hers, book of his thumb first. The rest followed smoothly and matched up with her hand. He couldn't actually tell if his human body was doing it right, but the constant blushing and smiles from Mei Mei eased him as they gave one nice shake. “(Hello friend of Mei Pei Chi).” Her other hand covered her mouth to keep her from giggling between her words, yet it was still audible to him. It was the nice way he was smiling and those bright blue eyes charmed their way through. “Nice to meet you, Mei Mei.” He guessed he was also greeting her as he exchanged the favor. When their hands slipped away. Mei Mei took a step back. Venus was right behind her and caught her before she could try to trip in front of her. “(He said he’s ‘Delighted to meet you’.)” she translated to her. Her blush was apparent, and when she uncovered her mouth, the brightest peach smile his behind it as she gazed back upon Leonardo. “She’s the source of traditional dress and wears.” To Leo in english. Feeling claustrophobic and pressured, young Mei Mei scooted behind Venus and behind her store counter. “Even with Mèilì mèilì, we need to look like we belong to such a party. Unless, you want to wear what you have and have some Foot recognizing it.” She pointed to his garb, finger racing up and down. Shirtless with only yaroi and a strap covering his chest, draping himself in old towels sewn together to make some type of skirt followed by a bulky shoulder pad and ripped up shoes. Leo looked down to inspect himself again. He really couldn't see what his other form looked like and neither could Venus, but he understood what she was talking about. To each other, they were their normal, adequate turtle selves. But to other people, like Mei Mei, he was a half naked white boy in her shop. “I don’t know. I look pretty good like this, yeah?” He tried to joke, smiling wide with his hands out saying ‘c’moooonnnn’ playfully. The two women thought two completely different thoughts. Venus leaned on the counter with an expression of ‘yeah, right’, while the other had other ideas in mind. “(Tell him to pop his pecs! Do it!)” she leaned over and practically whispered to her. Venus propped herself up to face her friend. “(I'm not telling him that! You tell him that!)” “(You're the one that speaks English. Not me. But if I could,)” she turned back to the ex-turtle. Those muscles of his were speaking to her in every language she could understand. “(I'd be telling him a whole lot more.)” her tone was dreamy and dark. Leonardo was completely puzzled as she stared at every aspect of him. Honestly, really didn't know what was going on. Was it about him or something else? If they are talking about him, who's saying the nice stuff? Were they talking about somebody else? Why are they still talking? Venus couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she knew who she was talking to. Such behavior was expected from Mei Mei. The ex-turtle girl clicked her tongue and protruded her lips. “(You thirsty, huh?)” “(Why, do you need a glass of water or something?)” Whoops! One of those things Mikey taught her. “(Sorry, it's American slang.)” “(Oh?)” “(It means you're thirsty for Leo.)” she explained further, which felt like she just ruined the whole gag. “(I'm also hungry for him too.)” “You guys talking about me?” The two girls broke their gazes and looked up at the intruding turtle. They looked like deer caught in the headlights when he stood his ground after posing his question. “(You’ve done it now.)” she looked back at Mei Mei, who shrugged unashamedly and pressed her fist up against her trying cheek. “Mei mei’s going to get you fitted. Is that ok?” She asked him. He sighed in relief after hearing some english. “Sure.” He nodded. “(Mei Mei, could you have him fitted? Get the biggest sizes you can find for him.)” “(Already on it.)” her finger pointed high into the sky as she came from behind the counter. “(Finally! I can get my hands on this one!)” her comment made Venus shake her head as she approached her newest crush. She extended her hand for him to take. “Leo?” She asked his name in English. With more courage, he took her hand easier, much to her surprise. Mei Mei led him to the back room. Without Leo's knowing, she looked back at Venus. The cheeky girl winked and giggled before disappearing into the dark back room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “How do I look?” The voice woke Venus up from her thoughts. Having taken a while, the ex-turtle lay across the counter on her stomach. She moved the side of her face off of her hands and positioned her chin on top of them. From the depths, she saw a blue cuff and his hand emerging. Following it was a large blue kimono with two black vertical stripes lining from his shoulders and down. Tying him all together, a blue belt of the same hue wrapped around his body. Mei Mei couldn't figure how the large size fit him so well and the one she thought that would fit him right was extremely small. Magic was at work. Venus pushed her body up as Leonardo strolled up with the biggest smile ever. It was probably the first time he's worn a kimono; something he's possibly dreamed about due to being immersed into Japanese culture (it's a Chinese garb, but pretty close to the real thing. I'm not going to ruin his fun.) Mei Mei followed directly behind him. With his back turned, he could not see the list in her eye. A finger curled into her bottom lip, grazing it when she draped it down. He was a little too busy to notice as he looked for Venus’ approval. There was no verbal response or nod of the head. Instead, a creeping smile did the trick as she looked him up and down. “(Delicious.)” Mei Mei whispered. “Mei!” Venus interjected in English dialect. Leo turned his head to the girl. Immediately, she removed her finger from her mouth just in time. “(Are you not seeing what I'm seeing?)” she raised a brow, making a quick hand gesture to keep Leonardo off her game. The ex-turtle sighed with a chuckle under her breath. Leo turned back, trying to figure out what's going on. She slid off the counter and approached him. Part of his collar was tucked into his neck and proceeded to fix it. He lifted up his chin to allow her access. “She said you look very nice” she complimented, keeping her eyes on the fabric blemish. She could tell that he was tensing up by the quietness of his breath and the reluctance to move. “and are quite the model.” A quick pat on the collar bone alerted him to let his chin fall back to its natural position. “Tell her thank you,” His content eyes and grin was warm. “and she was very professional back there.” “(Really?)” her torso leaned to the side to see the still hiding Chinese girl. Leonardo moved off to the side and let his eyes follow as Venus approached her friend. Her suspicious tone and raised brow brought Mei Mei’s blushing gaze away as she interrogated geez “(You were being professional fitting him?)” “(I used my hands to dress but my eyes to undress.)” “(Mei Mei, please.)” “(I'm talking to the wrong person. Mona would be encouraging me.)” “(Which is exactly why we left her in America.)” Meanwhile, Leonardo was up to other things. With the two friends constantly jabbering away in a language he couldn't understand, the boy learned quickly to try not to integrate into their conversation. In one part of the room, a set of three mirrors angled at different angles stood up with two lanterns illuminating them. He looked into his reflection. There was his human self again. It was crazy seeing how that big robe was able to fit perfectly with his smaller frames human body. When she first pulled out that other kimono, he thought she was possibly blind for bringing in something so petite. That thought aside, he admired himself. The dark blue was the best part of it, but the black was a great touch. What he couldn't shake off was that he continued to wear his mask tied around his skull. He had to blend in, and wearing a mask like this to a party was far than formal. Leo reached the back of his head to undo the knot. It was taught at first, but it quickly loosened in seconds. Unraveling it blew cold air on the strip covered with cloth. Immediately, his gaze caught up with his reflection. He had to admit, he was pretty good looking. With the mask tucked in a pocket inside his garb, he stared back at his fully transformed self. The firsts of what he noticed was the old scar that traced down his eye and to the top of his cheekbone. His finger traced along it, using the mirror as a guide. The line was a lot brighter than the original. Now, with the change in skin tone, the peachy colors blended much better, creating a less prominent mark. “If I walked into a room and you didn’t know it was me, could you tell?” He asked facing the mirror. The two girls redirected their attention to the ogling turtle who smoothed his hands over his features. Mei continued to admire; Venus wanted to joke. “I could tell that you’re a tourist trying to embrace Chinese cultures, that’s for sure.” She assured, giving him a cutesy wink. “(It’s great to see the embracing of our culture to another ethnicity without the appropriation.)” Finally! The first non-suggestive thing she's said about him since she first laid eyes on him. “(Always).” “(You're next, Venus.)” Mei Mei tugged on her sleeve. Venus nodded as she practically dragged her away. “I'll be right back.” She called to Leo. “(Is it alright if he pokes around?)” Mei Mei drifted her gaze back to the man in the mirror. “(He can do whatever he wants.)” her dreamt tone returned. Oh, brother. “Feel free to look around and such.” She gave him welcoming hand gestures before the little girl stowed her away. “Alright.” Leo called, having already finding something to do. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “(I think you will be okay. Your robe is a somewhat common wardrobe. I've seen enough girls wearing them that they wouldn't think it would be you there.)” “(If you say so.)” “(Besides, not only are you human but dark skinned with gold curls. That's far fetched from the typical description of Venus de Milo. If there was a typical description of you.)” “(I trust you, Mei Mei.)” “(Have I ever done anything for you to question me?)” “(Yes!)” “(Well, this isn't one of those times.)” He heard them speaking in the back. As their conversation droned on, their voices became clearer and louder as they pushed through the back door. Leo had to pause when he turned around at the approaching figure. It took every bit of night in him to keep his jaw closed and his breath normal. There she was, with Mei Mei trailing behind her; dressed up in traditional garb. Upon walking in, she noticed the mirror and the one who continued to occupy it and decided to see herself in human form. Leonardo didn't know what to do when she came close, by then woke himself up to give her some space in front of the mirror. The female turtle took a look, and so did the male. Just as Mei Mei had spoken of, she kept her original blue robe on. The only additive was half of a corset that wrapped tightly around her stomach area. Looking directly at her, it was ridiculous as it shaped awkwardly around her shell, but through the mirror, perfectly normal. Those golden curls were wrapped up, tied into a loose bun that sat just at the base of her neck. A pair of tresses fell on opposite sides of her face, completing an elegant style. To accumulate to tradition, her face had been painted up. I contest to her dark skin, white makeup created a fresh mask. The natural red hue of the red-eared slider streaks she possessed were highlighted. Smokey eyes overlapped them, accentuating the green eyes underneath them. Coral pink blush filled the hollows of her cheeks, following the fresh red paint that cascaded and created vibrant lips. “So,” he tried to keep himself together and cleared his throat. Awkward at parts or not, she was still a beautiful creature to him. “you’re going as a geisha?” His voice cracked at the end of his sentence due to nervousness. “No,” she giggled, inspecting herself further let. “I’m posing as a hostess, a concubine, or something. Whatever keeps me undetected.” Venus really didn't know what she was posing as, but she had a good list just in case she needed to state her business. For Leo, it should be easy. Can't speak or understand a bit of the language, clearly a tourist. His presence would be surpassed. If she accidentally speaks just one bit of Chinese, questioning could surely arise. Better get rid of all negative factors. “You look like a geisha.” “The Geisha originated in Japan, but the styling originated from China.” She corrected his terminology. Venus had seen multiple times how American entertainment programs would confuse the two cultures as well as integrate traditions (starting with Mulan). She understood his ignorance. So bad did Leo want to accept it, but he shook his head. Even though he said it once, he'll say it again. “You still look like a geisha.” She just...did. Suddenly, her fingers stopped smoothing her hair. A sharp turn in his direction startled him while her eyes pierced his soul and her hand pointed flat directly at him, as if ready to roast. “Leo, I don’t care if I look like a chicken on a bicycle if it’s going to keep us both on the down low.” Her harsh words spit out of her finely red lips quickly. In an instant, Leo put his hands up in surrender. When she saw this, she gave a nod of the head and presumed. Not asking that again. “(Mei Pei Chi. If you want to have an ample window of time, you must get going.)” Mei Mei alerted when she pointed outside. The position of the sun was not in the turtle’s favor. “I was hoping to catch a carriage cyclist but it would be far too late. Where we’re going is a few miles away.” “Yeah, I'm not walking miles in this heat with this on.” He gave a tug of a flap by his chest.Warm day plus long clothes plus walking some miles equals ‘no, thank you’. “If we’re catching a ride, we need a fast one.” Venus pondered on the thought. She walked away from the mirror and examined outside. Her eyes turned yellow as they stared at the sunshine on top of the mountains. The mountains. “I think I have an idea.”