#cinderella is more his style imo

[silliest-basilisk]

ok so i watched cinderella's castle and uh. ok here are my thoughts: first of all, the things i loved:

the puppets! thats what i was most excited about when it came to this show, and boy they definitely delivered. sir hop-a-lot and crumb were my favourite part of the show, and jon and joey knocked it out of the park as them!

the set design and lighting! i really loved the set, and the way they played with lighting was GENIUS. the fairy queen's entrance, and the way they used the blacklight during ella's entrance with the starlight dress so that you only saw the dress was amazing.

THE COSTUMES!!! they were gorgeous god!!

the choreography!! very nice as always :}

now onto the things i liked less...

way too many sex jokes for my taste. i know it's starkid but they don't usually lay it on this thick. it just made me cringe.

speaking of, i just generally didn't like the character of the prince very much. i found his style of humour kinda clashed with the tone of the show. james tolbert's acting definitely saved the character imo

and the absolute biggest disappointment for me: the soundtrack. god i'm sorry jeff really shat the bed with this one. purely sound-wise it's fine (though i'm not really a huge fan of the poppy feel of the music. i think the inclusion of electronic music is very interesting, but i personally would've preferred a more baroque rock type sound but that's just personal preference), but the songs were just extremely un-theatre-like. they suffer from what i lovingly call the "dear evan hansen problem": they're generic and vague songs where the character just sings about one feeling throughout the whole song. there's no evolution, which is KEY in musical theatre. for almost all the songs except the fairy queen's and one other song in act 2, i was just sitting there like "...ok? why is this song happening? it's telling me nothing". you could cut like 90% of the songs from this show out and you could still understand the plot perfectly well. the most egregious example being right at the start - the opening number. an opening number is supposed to introduce us to the world and the characters, and the opening number of this show does... neither. it just tells us there's. a castle on a hill??? ok??? what do i care??? the songs also feel very short - likely due to the lack of a bridge in most of them. bridges are important in musical theatre!!! they're usually the turning point of a song!! without one, this show's soundtrack feels empty and like it's missing something. and unfortunately, the overall poor quality of the other parts of the music also highlights jeff's poor lyricism. i can usually let it slide because the other aspects of the soundtrack are very good, but this time it's just... no. nobody's ever strung these words together in the history of man. fuck you mean "a cat that was strayed"??? nobody says that!!! god!!! also why are they talking about "neon lights" when the universe we're in is a medieval fantasy? i would've excused it normally, but earlier in the show, they SPECIFICALLY avoid mentioning a modern invention when the prince says he "dodged a sword thrust" instead of "dodged a bullet". so yeah overall, i feel like this show could've used a different songwriter, perhaps someone like the aj holmes and kaley mcmahon duo from twisted? but yeah those are my thoughts. no shade to you if you loved the ost, but i just personally found it weak! OH AND ALSO ELLA'S OUTFIT POST-RESURRECTION WAS A DOWNGRADE SORRY NOT SORRY!!!

[suffarustuffaru]

What are your thoughts on Prideful Cinderella by Pinkshuchan

ooohh prideful cinderella..... again gonna leave the link to the fic here please show the author some love <3 ill try to keep linking to the og fic like this if i get any more asks like this hah

i remember reading it a loooong time ago when it first came out. and then i actually read the first several chapters of it recently again because "hey i havent seen it in a while. and i dont remember much about it" so i gave it another go out of curiosity and i got to around ch4?

but yeah i did enjoy reading it!! not sure if ill continue it soon but it was pretty solid. the writing style is very - formal, i'd say? a little flowery? but anyway the writing style is very well written. it gives the fic a super nice atmosphere which i think fits the whole point of the story - a cinderella inspired, fairytale-esque fic thats made a little Off on purpose just because its pride if and pride if is Understandably. you know. off the rails. yeah i think my favorite part was exactly that - the atmosphere and style was very nice to read through, imo. its just the perfect combo with the premise, as i said, and the setting of this ball and the fact that a certain doomed by the narrative duo reinsuba are having their drama HAH.

and also that antagonist is so. hes so hateable but that seems to be the point. and also he Definitely feels like someone you could come across in real life (unfortunately). so big kudos to the writer for that!!! the part where the antagonist states his viewpoint on women and how theyre like Flowers is so chilling. and also a perfect counterpoint to reinhard, whos 1. genuinely fond of gardening 2. not horribly misogynistic and 3. his family has this. Motif. with flowers.

and also i know its been a small detail so far (at my uhh. around ch4 mark hah.) but reinhard drinking and not getting drunk because of his dps has gotta be one of my favorite details of this fic. theres already like small little bits of details in canon regarding reinhard and his thoughts on drinking (other than the fact that his dad is an alcoholic but lajfls), but yeah. i think reinhard purposefully trying and failing to get intoxicated is interesting. and the whole reinsuba drama and this taking place in pride if is all very interesting as well. the author does a good job of establishing the premise of the fic (cinderella inspired) and making it Make Sense with rezero's setting - its not forced at all i think!!

also i liked the julius reinhard friendship moments <3 (i am someone very normal about their friendship (lying through my teeth))

other than that i do have like. a few criticisms but theyre more a matter of personal taste. like the formal writing style is wonderful with the narration and with dialogue from people like julius or reinhard. it does however feel a little stilted with subaru just bc i Personally cant see him talking like that Unless hes putting up an act (which he does in this fic to be fair!!! but even when hes not he sounds a little too formal for my taste). and also i have General tastes regarding pride if subaru characterization which 1. will of course be a little different with other people and i am welcome to people criticizing my own pridebaru characterization hah and 2. yeah my opinion with prideful cinderella is that pridebaru is a little too nice at times? yeah. hes just a little too nice at times imo despite the fact that this is post-pride if arc 1 and post-subaru joining the witch cult. so i do wish stuff like his hatred of reinhard was more pronounced bc i feel like it Would be at this stage.

but i do get that pridebarus One Line he wont cross is like. people like regulus mistreating his wives and the antag of this fic sure is a bit similar so ig that makes sense? :o and also i did enjoy a lot of pridebaru moments and lines in this fic otherwise (the detail of him rbding to practice his disguise for the ball and him casually going "yeah i did it like 30+ times lol" in his own narration was SO good). i think the characterization of pridebaru just had some moments that i Personally didnt like and others that i Liked A Lot so a bit of a mixed bag to me personally. i liked everyone elses characterizations though!! the witch cultist lackey was also an interesting take yes.

yeah so thats my thoughts on it!!! overall its a good fic just had a few things that werent to my taste but thats perfectly fine!!

[caitie-likes-talking]

Part 4 Rewrite Concepts

Ok I've officially decided in my head that I'm going to at least plan out a part 4 rewrite, which is why now im going to give u all an extremely messy and poorly organized list of ideas I have just to like..help myself think them through more!

Ok so I'm having trouble deciding how I want to start the story off. Mainly because I don't want to include the Anjelo arc. I've always thought of part 4 being messily divided into 3 parts (Anjelo, Akira, Kira), which is something I know I want to change and have the whole plot just focus on Kira. I was thinking maybe just have it start in a slice of life style like some of the filler eps but the main problem is that I need to figure out what exactly sparks the whole 'we need to catch the killer' thing. Maybe Josuke and Koichi find Reimi instead of Koichi and Rohan? Idk!

And yknow mentioning Akira, I think this is the hardest arc to write out of the story. I don't want to include it very much, but it was really important for Okuyasu's character arc imo. I also just need to reread part 4 i literally own all of the p4 manga why haven't I done that yet..

I'm thinking of changing stuff w Reimi. I kind of want to make her be born a bit later, therefore killed later. Mainly so that she could be connected to Josukes past and this would better set up the framing of Jotaro that I want, as it would make him 17~ when Kira first kills her (I’d also make kira 5 yrs younger ofc)

For josukes past I’m still a little iffy. I think I might have Reimi just be there w the boy to help pull Tomokos car out of the pothole but idk. Is that cheesy? Just bc I still want Josuke to have his hair and everything..

I want to give Keicho Surface. Ik he alr has a stand, and I love Bad Company, but I wanna make Surface plot relevant and give it to someone who I also want to be plot relevant soo..yeah. In my rewrite I imagine Keicho teams up w Kira bc Kira promises to find a way to kill Keicho’s father.

Also yeah I want to have Jotaro be framed for all of the murders bc again that’s fun idk. And this way there can be a subplot abt clearing his name. Also I want to add holly and possibly baby Jolyne (is that too self indulgent?)

I’m still going to keep the plot w Cinderella (as in kira changing his face) bc I love hayato and shinobu. Plus that whole arc is when we got into p4 being rlly good

For yukako I’m thinking of making her josukes cousin, mainly so that they can have a pre established relationship since yukako probably isn’t getting her stand in this (bc she got it from the arrow right? I don’t want to include that arc. It drove me crazy how everyone kept getting a stand)

I’m thinking Joseph gets introduced after Jotaro is arrested and Jotaro is all like “u need ur dad to help solve this!!”

I wanna focus on the conflicts between Josuke and Joseph. I especially think this could be fun bc ryohei would still be alive, so it’s like a case of “u might be my biological dad, but my REAL dad is right here.”

I also want to let Tomoko actually do something but I haven’t decided what yet.

I’m keeping mikitaka in somehow bc believe it or not I do enjoy fun and whimsy

I’m probably cutting out Rohan entirely tho. He was honestly a good antagonist and I love his stand so I might use that somewhere but I just can’t stand him. (lmfao stand)

Also like at the end of the day this is my au and I do what I want!!

I think I might make one of yukakos parents be a police officer. Bc 1. whether I make her and Josuke related or not, they’re still connected by their relatives on the force and 2. I feel like this could possibly help set her up to help in the kira investigation? Like maybe she’s planning to become a cop or detective in the future so she alr has some skills. Or maybe she could help find files or something. No matter what, I want her to get to actually help w the plot instead of just kidnapping koichi then being sidelined like in canon

For okuyasu I’m thinking his arc is going to be changed a wee bit. Like his brother works w kira, but he befriends Josuke and realizes that what his brothers doing is wrong and like..learns to stand up for the right thing regardless of what his brother says. And a bump in this road could be keichos death. Like imagine ur finally branching off from ur brother and then he DIES? I’d be crawling back to his grave too lmfao

I’m going to work on stand profiles and giving them actual limits and rules. Bc a LOT of them just don’t have that.

I think some stands I’ll still include just bc I like them. Like highway star (even tho that arc was so boring the stand is cool).

Also I still want to focus on the affects of Dio for part of it. I think I might mainly do this w Jotaro and his ptsd tho..

Overall I’m excited and I hope I can flesh this out more !!!

[smol-grey-tea]

Top 5 games, that's a good question 🤔ᴴᴹ.. Lemme list some games first so ik what to choose from

Dandelion, Nameless, Mystic Messenger, Ssum, Doki Doki Literature Club, Five Nights at Freddy's, Danganronpa, Undertale and Deltarune, Stanley Parable, Beginner's Guide, Presentable Liberty, Zelda, Minecraft, The Walking Dead Game, Life is Strange, Until Dawn, Fran Bow, Cinderella Phenomenon, ummmmm, Detroit Become Human, Beyond Two Souls, Little Misfortune, Papa's Pizzeria, Sonic Heroes, My Sims, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Mario Kart

Ok I can't rly think of any more games so I'll just rank these..

1. Nameless. Duh. ʕ͡°ʖ̯͡°ʔ

Is anyone surprised? (◉0◉)ᵎᵎᵎ It's my favourite game of all time, I identify w the whole game so much, such an emotional and gripping story, I love theorising, I love the art, I love the voice acting. I love the pure amount of passion you can tell was put into the game

It's been my favourite game for the past 7 years - it was actually my 7 year anniversary of first buying the game yesterday!! I so wish I could have official merch.. Gotta go to Korea myself one day 😊😊😊

2. Zelda

I'm being purposely vague since I kinda don't have a favourite specific Legend of Zelda game? All the Zelda games I've played before include (in order): Breath of the Wild, Link's Awakening, Age of Calamity, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Skyward Sword and now finally Tears of the Kingdom. The only games of the mentioned that I've actually completed tho are just BotW, AoC and TotK so I can't rly have too much of an opinion on the other games..

Zelda games are kinda known for their puzzles but my favourite parts about games (or really...anything) would be the story/lore and the vibe/atmosphere. I love the whole setting of the Zelda games, such a gorgeous and beautiful art style as well w the newer games, n fun adventure too!! Hell, maybe I'll even get Zelda tattoos too? Idk. I just fuckin love it tho

3. Danganronpa

I'm sorry, I like it!! I think it kinda has a bad reputation cuz of the fandom but imo the games themselves are fine (could be much worse..) and I rly love solving the mysteries!!! They are actually difficult puzzles!!! I love it!!

And the characters are so good too :) Especially w the 2nd game - the 2nd game is very good at creating characters who you can really root for or really hate and I think that's so cool. I wonder if I can be able to do that too with my own writing

4. Undertale

Bruh it's the nostalgia 😫 also it's a rly good game. I almost prefer Deltarune idk but good puzzles good characters good story and theorising material and good difficulty and-

Undertale good. I can't wait to see where Toby Fox takes his games in the future!!

5. Wii Plaza

I joke!! Haha!!

5. Ummmm idk, Five Nights at Freddy's??

It's not even rly about the game itself tho is it. It's what you associate w it. Ppl who went to see FNaF at the cinema didn't go to see a good movie, they went to see a love letter to their childhood

I remember being 11 yrs old and first finding out about FNaF by hearing my sister screaming from downstairs. I remember talking about it to my friends at school, doing impressions of the animatronics. I remember ppl talking about Markiplier and feeling guilty for watching his videos because at that age my parents weren't yet comfortable with me hearing swearing, but I still watched him anyway and I'm actually rewatching his Five Nights at Freddy's play through right now. Isn't that so cool?

I loved seeing the film at the cinema and holding my sister's hand everytime a jump scare startled her

The games are very good themselves too, even tho the guy who made them supported Trump and he also probably should've finished the series at Ultimate Custom Night and now the games are steadily losing quality and also logic but who actually cares about that in the end? Does it matter? Does it matter if the games themselves are actually good or not? I love them not just despite that but almost because of that

My hands are dry

I also rly highly recommend the other games I listed at the start too!! All of them are good, a majority from my childhood/early teens, all w fond memories attached. I find that my favourite types of games are choice based games/games w more than 1 ending (like Undertale, Walking Dead Game, Until Dawn) or visual novels (like Doki Doki, Nameless, Danganronpa). Adventure kinda games tho I think are super cool too :) 😊😊😊

(*ˊᗜˋ*)ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ so much for asking!!!!! 😁😁😁 I hope you enjoy my long responses 😊 when I think about it, I guess ppl don't usually have long responses to these kinda asks, they usually have short ones. I do love a good ramble ٩(๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑)۶ᴳᴳ (๑`✪̤◡✪̤)◞ღԵհɑղƘՏღ

[andromeda3116]

Newbie to the discworld novels! A coworker gifted me equal rites, which I just finished and was hilarious/weird/interesting. I think I want to read another but there are like 40 of these! Do you recommend reading all in order? Or do you have some favs to read?

I definitely don't recommend reading them in the publishing order, no. If you've started with Equal Rites, you may want to continue with the Lancre Witches series, which goes from there to Wyrd Sisters to Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, then Carpe Jugulum, which is one of my all-time favorite books, Discworld or otherwise. It's an excellent thread to follow, and one of my favorites. They tend to riff on classic theatre, and focus on the power of stories, and feature so many strong female characters that they outnumber the male characters by a significant amount. Witches Abroad is notable for having all of its major, plot-affecting characters be women, and most of them older women. Plus, it's a satire of Cinderella that takes place in an Expy of New Orleans, so it holds a special place in my heart.

The Lancre Witches novels sort of segue into the Tiffany Aching novels, which begin with the Wee Free Men, then continues with A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, I Shall Wear Midnight, and the Shepherd's Crown. Technically, these are Young Adult novels, and so the protagonist starts at the age of nine, but they don't feel childish, and to be frank, I Shall Wear Midnight is just too dark for my tastes. The Shepherd's Crown is the last book in the series, was published posthumously, and very, very much reads as Sir Terry's goodbye, so while you can technically start anywhere, do not read this one yet.

My other favorite thread is the City Watch novels, which begin with Guards! Guards! and goes on to Men at Arms, Feet of Clay (an underrated classic, imo), Jingo, the Fifth Elephant (also highly underrated), Night Watch, Thud!, and Snuff. They've got a sort of police procedural bent, but in a way you've never seen before, and with a distinctly anti-authoritarian feel. This is not a Watch that exists to support the status quo.

Other threads you might enjoy would be the Moist von Lipwig series: Going Postal, Making Money, and Raising Steam, which is about a con artist who is forced to go legitimate and turns his powers to the betterment of the city; or the Death and Susan series: Mort, Reaper Man, Soul Music, Moving Pictures, Hogfather, and Thief of Time, which delve into the meaning of life and the nature of belief.

Or you could go with some of the standalone novels, like Small Gods -- which changed my life -- or Monstrous Regiment -- which always guts me more than I expect.

Small Gods is the one that I tell people, if you read only one, read this one. I live in the Deep South and so it's very personal to me, in particular. Essentially, the Discworld is a place where gods get their power from belief, and this god Om (an Expy of the Christian god) -- who boasts a theocracy of millions of people who pray to Him multiple times a day, make pilgrimages to the capital city, and are tortured if their belief is not deemed pure enough -- comes down one day to see how things are going, and finds that he has no power.

Like I said, growing up in the Deep South, I have strong negative feelings about the Christian Church, and Small Gods taught me to let it go.

Which leads me into the real answer, because while it's like... read which story sounds cool to you, which thread seems like it's up your alley, it's also like... What do you need right now?

Do you need a story about subverting people's expectations and being yourself even if that means being quote-unquote "less than" other people wanted you to be? Witches Abroad.

Do you need a story about rising from your own ashes to be a better person than you thought you could be? Guards! Guards!

Do you need an incredibly cathartic story where a Trump-style Corrupt Executive gets what's coming to him? Going Postal.

Do you need to work through your religious trauma? Small Gods.

Do you need a story about breaking cycles of violence and proving yourself to those who have ignored you and held you down? Monstrous Regiment.

Do you need a story about staring into the face of abject helplessness and fighting against it anyway? Night Watch.

So many of the Discworld novels act not just as good stories but as vehicles for emotions you don't know what to do with, and that's why they stick so deep into the psyches of people who read them. It's about what you need to get out of the story, and there's probably a story for whatever it is that's weighing on you.

I know that's a lot of talking, but I hope it helps, and I hope you enjoy the ride!

[80sanime]

Top 10 Favorite Manga

I was bored today so decided to make a list of my top ten favorite manga, with little comments describing what’s great about them:

Apocalypse Zero by Takayuki Yamaguchi If you were scared off by the OVA… well, you might still hate the manga since it’s even more crazy and explicit. But the anime failed to capture most of what makes the manga so unforgettable, be it the deliberately over-the-top tone; charmingly grotesque characters; bizarre eroticism; or the stunning artwork. Plus Kakugo is the perfect man?!

Devilman by Go Nagai This has finally reached the mainstream so I don’t have to describe how influential it was/is. I consider it Nagai’s most put-together work, and where his art looked the best; rough but expressive and with lots of character (for that reason I recommend reading the original edition if you can, not the later ones with the stylistically jarring additions). Although to be honest, my true trashy Nagai pleasure is Cinderella Knight…

The Holy Terrors by Hagio Moto I’m not a huge Hagio Moto fan. I recognize her greatness, but most of her original work doesn’t really speak to me. Her adaption of Jean Cocteau’s novel, though, is some of the most magnificent comic work I’ve ever seen. Their unique styles meld to create something not quite Moto and not quite Cocteau... a dreamlike union.

Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi This was a tough pick, since I like individual elements of other Takahashi works more (particularly Mermaid Saga and her short stories), but Maison Ikkoku is the one I find the most compulsively rereadable. It’s still so relatable, while also being such a charming snapshot of what everyday life was like in Japan during the 80s. The characters have foibles but aren’t stereotypes, not even Godai’s wacky neighbors (well, except for Yotsuya), and even the romance subverts her infamous will-they-or-won’t-they waffling by delivering a poignant payoff by the end.

Me-teru no Kimochi by Hiroya Oku I feel like I shouldn’t love this manga half as much as I do. Oku is a creator I have a lot of issues with normally. No matter how intriguing the initial setup, all of his long-term series tend to fall apart at the seams... but this three-volume manga manages to come together in a genuinely amusing and touching way. The last few pages make me emotional every time I read them.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki This seems like a cliche choice but, despite how popular Ghibli is in the West now, I feel like a lot of people are still sleeping on this manga. Since it isn’t primarily aimed at children, unlike his films, Miyazaki is able to add a lot more darkness and moral complexity to this apocalyptic war story; I was impressed when, by the end, even his saintly heroine was forced to get her hands dirty. The style is unique (inspired more by European comics than Japanese manga), the world building is fascinating and the entire cast has so much more depth (esp my girl Kushana). The last two volumes are absolutely staggering.

Ogre Slayer by Kei Kusunoki When Viz released the first two volumes of this manga when I was a kid, it was a shock to my system. Kusunoki lavishes as much detail on the terrifying ogres as she does her attractive main character, the nameless boy on a fruitless quest to become human by hunting his own kind. The juxtaposition of cathartically gruesome violence with the emotional, largely female-coded trauma the ogres represent is captivating. So although the series starts to lose steam toward the middle of its run, I still love it for the strength of its early installments.

Rose of Versailles by Riyoko Ikeda I feel guilty whenever I admit this, but most of the time I prefer the anime adaptions of shoujo manga (Fruits Basket, Kare Kano, Ouran Host Club, Please Save My Earth… this is even the case for one of Ikeda’s later works, Onii-sama e). But the Rose of Versailles anime doesn’t come close to matching the detail and grandeur of its source material imo. If you’ve only seen the series, please please make sure to read the manga as well, esp if you love Andre as much as I do… Dezaki did him (and by extension his romance with Oscar) dirty!

Twin Knights by Osamu Tezuka I wasn’t that enamored of Princess Knight, but this sequel captured my attention in a big way. It’s so imaginative and fun, has great supporting characters and features some of Tezuka’s most beautiful Disney-inspired panels. It also manages to avoid most of the dated gender essentialist stuff that made me roll my eyes so hard in the original, despite them both being from the 50s.

Violinist of Hameln by Michiaki Watanabe Where do I even start with this one? It’s honestly a mess, but the best kind of mess. A fantasy adventure about a hero that fights monsters with the magical music he plays on his jumbo-sized violin, the ping-ponging between cheesy humor, extreme tragedy and shonen manga power-leveling is disorienting at first, but you get used to it. The art is a bit amateur (and becomes increasingly abstract as the series goes on) but you can feel the enthusiasm the author has for his work jumping off the page. Plus, it’s jam-packed with classical music trivia!

I’m sure I’m forgetting some big ones but these are the first that come to mind. What are your favorites? Now that I basically have no work to do (orz) I’d love to read some new stuff. Off-kilter series in particular!

[amphtaminedreams]

Paris Haute Couture Week S/S 2020 Plus a Little Jacquemus: Okay, Dior DID Suck (Part 1/2)

Hi to anyone reading,

Oh my god. I completely forgot there was also 2 haute couture weeks. I FEEL SO OVERWHELMED. Here I was getting all geared up for the F/W 2020 shows and suddenly it’s Jean Paul Gaultier’s last show and everybody’s (predictably) buzzing about the Jacquemus collection. I can’t keep up. But Haute Couture week is a lot less intense than the RTW shows so I suppose I should be enjoying this relative peace whilst I can. 

I remember my last post about Haute Couture week opened with me defending Maria Grazia from the wrath of the internet; if Jacquemus is social media’s Lord and Saviour, this woman is the Antichrist. She’s Michael Langdon minus the dramatic flair. But the thing is, I genuinely really liked the Dior collection last time. Maybe because I was newer to the discipline of scouring Vogue Runway, but the lack of originality didn’t bother me; it was still something I’d die to wear, gothic yet delicate and relevant for 2019. 

That being said, this time round, I have to open by doing the exact opposite and concurring: this time round, Dior was in fact, utter shit.

I feel mean saying it but...really? These were the slightly more salvageable outfits and my favourite of the bunch, and to be honest they don’t really capture the full extent of how outdated this collection was to me. I know that the concept behind the show was this idea of the divine feminine but Greek Goddess has been done SO many times. If you’re gonna go down that route, you have to bring something new, elevate it in some way. It can’t be THIS generic.

I can’t believe that in 2020 we’re really seeing plaited hairbands. The individual dresses are basic, but not so much the problem as the styling; they look like outfits I would’ve put together back in 2012. That’s not an exaggeration. I think even 2013 me would appreciate that you need to make things a little twisty. 

The colour scheme is pretty, don’t get me wrong, and I like the cowl necks-the white dresses are the highlights. I think the concept of this collection was conceived with all the best intentions. But as a designer you need to take risks and I don’t see one single risk here; there isn’t anything that wouldn’t already be sold in your local H&M. Dior is such an established brand, Maria Grazia has room to do whatever she wants. And yet it just comes across like she’s out of ideas. 

You’ve got to look at a designer like Ulyana Sergeenko:

When I say elevated (but still in the vein of wearable), I mean something like this. To be completely honest, I hadn’t heard of Ulyana Sergeenko until I saw shots of this show on Twitter. But what a perfect mix of kitsch and glamour. The influences are clear: Priscilla Presley, Barbie, Jackie O, Valley of the Dolls, the rich stay-at-home wife of the 60s, the Alessandra Rich/Scream Queens-esque sorority girl, Paris fucking Hilton. It’s exaggerated and it’s tongue in cheek with total grounds to call it trashy-there’s a corset resembling a Benjamin Franklin, ffs-but it’s all done with a wink and a nudge. And in all honesty, I just think it’s beautiful. Can you imagine Frances O’Sullivan (@Beautyspock on IG) in one of these looks? It would be worthy of the Rose McGowan cultural reset meme ten times over.

Everything is feline, from the very literal cat silhouettes and cat headed boa, to the makeup and the hair clips. It reminds me of the last RTW Ralph and Russo show but with even more attention to detail. And look at the STAGE. If this collection were a song, it’d be Disco Tits by Tove Lo. And no, I’m not just saying that because one of the dresses actually does feature a (cat shaped) disco tit. Like these are the clothes I dreamed of putting my Bratz dolls, and for null I’m sure, myself in. Absolute perfection. Plus, I’ve loved Coco Rocha since she was on The Face with Naomi Campbell; she is, after all, to thank for the iconic “check your lipstick before you come for me” line. Girl is really the martyr for all purple lipstick lovers, cut down in her prime by a pissed-off Naomi. 

Onto Alexandre Vauthier, which I also really liked. An interesting yet effortless blend of the old and the new, the masculine and the feminine, if I could sum this collection up in one word, it would be cool. I know, it’s not the most descriptive, but it pretty much sums up how I feel; I’m not AS gassed about it as I am about Ulyana Sergeenko or this season’s Elie Saab (wait for it), but it’s a fresh offering, even if the styles aren’t the most groundbreaking. Stand outs for me are the almost petticoat like, debutante dresses which have Elle Fanning’s name written all over them.

I was hard pressed to find favourites in the Armani Privé collection if I’m honest. I’m not saying it was awful, all I know is that it just isn’t my style. It’s all a bit TOO tailored for my liking, and kinda reminds me of the Zara pantsuits my Spanish teacher used to wear. In other words, I find it to be a bit dowdy. On a positive note, the colours, fabrics, and beading are all stunning, so I see that a lot of craftsmanship clearly went into it; I think my biggest issue is the styling and the shapes (or lack of) on show. I’m very much getting a 20s, flapper vibe and whilst that’s an era that fascinates me and that I appreciate was cutting-edge at the time, I’ve yet to see it be bought into the 21st century in a way that doesn’t look stiff or costume-y. 

Then there’s Azzaro. At the complete opposite end of the scale to Armani, it doesn’t look expensive, which I’m sure isn’t something any designer previewing their collection at haute couture week is striving for. BUT that being said, I’d be much more likely to wear something from this collection than I would from Armani Privé. I mean, I have no shot at ever wearing either but ya get me. 

Whilst I’m sure it or something similar has been done before, the mesh diamanté dress is exquisite and I’m a huge fan of the stacked gem chokers and belts. The whole collection looks like something a London socialite who parties by night but (deep breath in) plays in a shitty band so fancies herself a bit of a rockstar by day would wear (exhale) and as much as that doesn’t sound like a compliment, I mean it as one. I’m talking about the kind of person you’d see smoking outside a bar and think “I wish I was them but I am potato lol”. I mean, as far as faux fur and fedoras are concerned, I’m gonna find it hard to completely slate a collection so this is pretty up my alley.

Chanel was a huge step up from their last RTW collection, imo, and probably on par with their last haute couture offering. It’s that same blend of preppy Chanel detailing (i.e the exaggerated collars, the checks and the lace) and practicality, only even more austere this time round.

It’s funny because when I looked back on original notes on this collection, before I’d even done any research into the context, I saw that one of the things I’d written was “giving me Victorian orphanage madame” as well as “something something Amish” and I wasn’t THAT far off base. The collection is, after all, supposed to be a tribute to the nuns who raised Coco Chanel at the beginning of the century in an Abbey-cum-orphanage. This makes me really happy; I know not everyone’s a fan of Virginie Viard’s nods back to the past and the brand’s origins but as a history nerd, I definitely am. 

There’s also definitely a lot of things that can be translated into high street trends here: the combination of decorative white socks and black shoes is something I’ve seen making a comeback already, tulle is always a winner (I actually don’t mind it as an overlay, I think it’s pretty, sue me) and I have no doubt we’ll be seeing these dramatic collars creeping back onto tops and jumpers throughout the year. It’s been a while since they were a thing anyway and we all know how cyclical fashion is.

Another high note for Elie Saab this haute couture season; if I was an expressive person, I probably would’ve audibly gasped as I looked through this collection. It is SO FUCKING MAGNIFICENT. The colour scheme, the baroque prints, the floral sequinned embroidery, these are Cinderella style ballgowns taken to the next level. Elie Saab really is the definition of opulence and I’m not at all mad about it. Please, somebody put Lana Del Rey in one of these, PLEASE. Remind her how much of a princess she is and get her out of those “soccer mom” looks.

I’m so stuck between this collection and Ulyana Sergeenko as my favourite, and the latter might just pip the other to the post, purely because of the staging and extravagance of the presentation itself. 

Georges Hobeika was predictably phenomenal. Like, I’m not going to lie, I am easily won over by some sequins and tulle, I’ve never claimed any different, and if you can expect that from anyone, it’s this guy (ignore that phrasing making me sound like his proud mother). The colour scheme is very spring appropriate and so is the 3D flower detailing, and if there’s anything good to take from Ascot and English royal weddings, Georges Hobeika knows it’s the hats.

It was another strong year for Givenchy too:

Though Claire Waight Keller is also fond of the extravagant details along the lines of feather and tulle, it’s always done in a more organic way; the details are always more reminiscent of nature, something created by accident, than they are suggestive of painstaking attention to detail, the image of someone hunched over a dress beading for hours on end à la Georges Hobeika or Elie Saab. That is not a bad thing at all; if anything, it makes Givenchy more interesting to study and gives you more to think about. Sometimes a dress takes you a bit longer to fully appreciate, but I’d say that only lends to its memorability. This year’s willowy, billowing, and at times coral-esque structures  remind me of something I can see being worn down an Iris Van Herpen runway, set apart by that delicate Givenchy finesse. And side not: I know this post is to talk about the clothes, not the models, but I got super excited over seeing Sora Choi and Adut Akech walk too. 

Guo Pei is always fun to look at. I mean, this collection is giving me half Matryoshka dolls, half It’s A Small World Christmas edition and I can’t hate on that. 

And then there’s Iris Van Herpen, who knocked it out of the park once again. At this point, I wouldn’t expect anything less. Every outfit looks like something that could be exhibited in the Tate Modern (I know, it’s a basic opinion, but it’s true: TATE MODERN IS THE BEST MUSEUM IN LONDON), or honestly, the Design Museum, just for the genius that must go into the way these dresses move. Honestly, if I can see a goddess wearing anything, it’s more one of these looks than anything in the Dior collection. Like wife of Poseidon or something; I know it’s not very feminist of me to not know the Greek Goddess of the sea’s name but I only know who Poseidon is because I was a Percy Jackson fan back in the day so let me live.

It’s not like the whole under-the-sea theme is particularly new, Zimmerman did something similar last RTW (I think? Correct me if I’m wrong), but these constructions could’ve grown out of the sea bed themselves, which is more of an original take than “oo, blue and white and frothy hemlines!”. Additionally, we’ve got these dresses with the overlapping almost plaited fabric that are-we’re sticking with the goddess references here-fit for Persephone ruling over hell. As for the Grudge-looking dress (fourth down, far left), I could be reaching, but is anyone else seeing that as a nod to the oil spills polluting our oceans? Because that would just add yet another layer to this collection. 

Regardless, it’s all impeccable and I’m in love. Iris Van Herpen as a MET Gala theme. Make it happen.

Anyway, to end on a high note, that’s it for this post! 

Sorry it’s such a sudden cut-off but Jean Paul Gaultier was due to be my second to last to review and due to it being the final show, there’s an onslaught of photos that would not fit with what’s already in this post. Plus, I’d rather start a post with Jacquemus then end it as I feel like there’s a lot of hype around his collections online right now so 1). it’s clickbait (for what, I do not know, as I’m not exactly making any money off this blog, just losing my sanity as it transpires when Tumblr accidentally terminated it earlier today and I had a minor breakdown) and 2). this Steve Buscemi meme is the most accurate representation of only 21 year old me to grace the internet:

I will aim to post part 2/2 in the next week, including JPG, as I just mentioned, the Jacquemus co-ed show, Margiela, Valentino and more, and as always, thank you for anyone who read until the end! You are an angel:-)

Lauren x

[court-queen]

Otome characters you might like according to your OM! favourite (Lucifer, Asmo and Belphie)

I'm going to include both paid and free otome games. I'm also going to mention some games that aren’t otomes but have dating sim stuff (i.e Fire Emblem). This post is only my opinion and based on the games I've played. I hope these work as recommendations for you!

Lucifer

Hijikata Toshizo (Hakuouki): Hijikata is the first commander of the Shinsengumi, a short-tempred, but intelligent man. He is the most mature character from the main cast. Hijikata is very strict with the other commanders, who are very chaotic just like the demon brothers, and the protagonist, whom he distrusts at first. He also has a close relationship (though without any implications) with the Shinsengumi leader, similar to Diavolo. He lacks some of the kinky stuff Luci has, but leaving that aside, Hijikata might be a good route to play.

Jumin Han (Mystic Messenger): Jumin is a CEO who likes cats a bit too much. He is cold and centered on his work. The only close relationship he has is with the leader of the charity organization he belongs to, who is his best friend, and lacks any romantic experience. I would say Jumin is much less developed than Lucifer regarding to social interactions. Also, one of the characters has a strong distaste (which seems to be one-sided) for him. When you enter into his route, he is possesive, but in a slightly different way than Lucifer, more...over-protective. However, in some instances, he can have the same style of possesiveness as Lucifer. If you don’t mind he is less assertive, Jumin could be a very decent alternative.

Xander (Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest): Xander isn’t from an otome, so he  doesn’t have as much romantic stuff, but he is the most similar character to Lucifer, story and character-wise imo. Xander is the crown prince of the country of Nohr, a stoic and wise man. He is the older brother of the royal family, so he has to assume all the responsabilities, taking questionable decisions and pushing away his own feelings in order to maintain peace and protect his family. The relationship with one of his siblings, Leo, is similar to the one Lucifer has with Satan (post Satan arc). Xander has also a very complicated relationship with his father: to keep it spoiler-free, let’s just say he is what would have happened if Lucifer hadn’t rebelled against God. 

Nobunaga Oda (Ikemen Sengoku): A charismatic and intelligent warlord who is trying to unify Japan.  Very bold with the MC. He basically wants to own her, winning Go matches and claiming a part of her body with each victory. It sounds somewhat fucked up at first, but tbf it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Nobunaga isn’t as strict as Lucifer, but when the moment comes he can be very serious. 

I haven’t played it, but...I’ve been told that Victor from My Love’s Queen Choice, Jumin and Lucifer form the holy trinity of sugar daddies in mobile otomes. Chikage Kazama from Hakuouki isn't that similar to Luci, but he has some points his fans could enjoy a lot (he is one of my favourite LIs)

Asmodeus

None of these recommendations are as kinky as Asmo, sorry I don't play many +18 otomes. I still hope you like them Dx

Karma and Rumpel (Cinderella Phenomenon): I think both might work for someone who likes Asmo. First, Rumpel is quite a flirt. He has a curse that provokes him amnesia, but that doesn't stop him from trying to charm beautiful women. Then we have Karma, who has a curse that makes women fall in love with him, so he usually dresses as one to not attract them. He isn't that much of a flirt, but he is quite narcissistic. Put both in the same room, what could go wrong? Both characters end up having a decent depth and growth, so if you are one of those people who wants Asmo to be more than his quirks, you are probably going to enjoy them a lot.

Zen (Mystic Messenger): At first a narcissistic actor, then the most supportive and sweet character from all Mystic Messenger (and also the most stable). I would say he subverts the archetype of the flirt/narcissist in otomes. He has a past and context explaining why is he like that, and his route makes a twist with the rival in love with him. If you want a different focus of the archetype Zen is a really good option for you.

Ikki (Amnesia):  Ikki has a special charm that attracts women. This charm will cause the protagonist in Amnesia to get into lots of problems with people who are totally in love with him. He isn’t narcissistic nor a flirt, but if you are interested in a story about how might be dating Asmo with the consequences of his powers in other people, Ikki's route could interest you.

Yuri (Nameless): Yuri has also a charm that makes people being attracted to him. However, it isn't as exaggerated as Ikki or Asmo especially because all the main characters in Nameless attract a lot of people. He is a flirt and narcissist, practically at the same level as Asmo (I had a lot of fun with his moments). Imo, he is the most intelligent person in the game, and reads quite well the other characters. In his route we will learn more about his behavior, and he will be forced to grow and leave behind his attitude.

Sylvain from Fire Emblem Three Houses and Jiyeon from Dandelion  might also be good recommendations, it’s just that they are a bit more...controversial.

Belphie

These characters are very spoilery, I'll try my best to explain why you might like them.

Unknown (Mystic Messenger): A twin, just like Belphie. Both have violent episodes, even trying to hurt the protagonist. They direct their hate to certain characters, whom they consider responsibles of their miserable situation. At heart, they are really kind and sensitive, but have changed because of their circunstances. I would say Unknown's route doesn't portray him as well as the rest of the game, but regardless you might enjoy it if you like Belphie.

“Nameless” (Nameless): Okay, this one quite spoilery, I'll try to explain it without saying much. Belphie's situation? Imagine it but worse, with nobody knowing where you are and not being able to try anything to escape. Then combine his hate for humans and his love for Lilith, and you'll have the complicated feelings this character has towards the protagonist of Nameless. For me, he is literally Belphie, just much more dramatic and dark...

Monshiro (Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly): if the character before is a darker Belphie, this is a lighter Belphie. All the characters in Psychedelica are trapped in a mansion with monsters inside. This mysterious man appears to help the protagonist to fight them at certain times. Even if the rest of characters are very suspicious of him, he seems to be kind and calm, to the point he doesn't appear to know much about the situation the main characrers are involved in. When we continue advancing through the story, we will learn his real identity, and the sad truth about him. There is also another important similarity with Belph, but, spoilers.

Yeonho (Nameless): Like you can guess from the other character, Nameless is darker than other otomes. Yeonho is a sweet boy, very dependant on the protagonist. He is shy, and doesn't like to socialize with people, even if he is quite popular in his class. When you enter into his route, he becomes a little bit obssesive, and some of his endings are terrifying. If you are a masochist like me enjoy being alert with a sweet character that could break in any moment, Yeonho's route is for you.

I would want to recommend another character from Nameless, who I think has some points that could remind of Belphie, but given that this is not apparent at first, I'll let you discover by yourselves if you play the game.

I wouldn't consider them that similar, but Ukyo from Amnesia is quite the Belphie experience. If I had to pick an only route among otome games I would pick this one. Totally recommended. Kei Okazaki from Collar x Malice has also some quirks Belphie fans might enjoy.

[non-sequitura]

Non-sequitura Disney in-depth analysis (after making a tier list)

Warning: SUPER longform. If you don’t know a movie well, you should skip the summary. I tried to be light on spoilers, but they’re there.

I went chronologically from favorite to least favorite. So S tier is, in order from fave to least fave, The Incredibles, WALL-E, then Zootopia.

S tier (Something I consider high quality AND a movie I greatly enjoy. I would love more Disney movies be like this.)

The Incredibles - one of my favorite movies of all time, possibly THE favorite. Rockin social commentary, epic action scenes, memorable characters, not a minute of screentime wasted, great take on the Fantastic Four, hilarious parts for both adults and children, an interesting villain, etc. 

WALL-E - I love how social commentary was done here. Also skies above, what a beautiful love story. Really blazed a trail in non-verbal storytelling (especially given it was an animated kids film!) Robot animations are particularly delightful. 

Zootopia - another social message delivered excellently and entertainingly. I love Judy and her persistence, I love the expressiveness of the faces and the epic city setting. I love Judy and Nick's banter. This movie deserves to be remembered longer than it has been so far. Admittedly, not one of my fave villains, which makes it my least favorite of the Ss. 

A tier (either super high quality or something I greatly enjoy and deem of at least reasonably good quality)

Mulan - this movie did everything right. Truly feminist protagonist, an icon for strong Asian women, fairly culturally accurate (tho Mushu confuses me), GORGEOUS and iconic music. Lets a relatively natural romance develop. I frickin love the action scenes, I love the emporer. Sadly, this movie just didn't lodge its way in my heart as well as Pixar did. Pixar just has some magic, yo. 

Cinderella - my gosh what an underrated protagonist. Her family straight-up abuses her and she never loses sight of her goals for a better life. Iconic visuals helped bring Disney out of bankruptcy. A gorgeous alto singing voice. 

Wreck-it Ralph - alright alright ppl don’t crucify me for this. I honestly can’t think of much wrong with this movie. Vanellope and Ralph’s vitriolic best buds relationship is adorable, her forgiveness of him is heartwarming and (relatively) deserved, rockin’ Owl City song, epic visuals that mix together bc of all the different games. ALSO ONE OF THE BEST DISNEY VILLAINS NO CAP. One of the only twist villains I like. And we stan the romantic pairing. 

Tangled - I’ve talked about this a lot, but Rapunzel deserved the whole world after what she’s gone through. That being said, Gothel is not some shallow monster she needs to escape from, but an intelligent, well-defined monster with backstory. I could totally see this story happening if the world of Tangled existed. Epic love story, hilarious dialogue. Music is… good but much of it is less memorable to me. Visuals are good but not quite at the level/creativity of many other disney films. 

The Lion King - they really put Hamlet in Africa and pulled it off lol. But in all seriousness, no one took the premise of this film seriously at the time and it became sooo iconic. I love Scar and his eventual downfall, I love how Simba grows emotionally, I love the sad moments that don’t overpower the overall feeling of light goofiness. And music so memorable it was one of the first Disney musicals. 

Coco - not a super unique story premise. But an incredible culture to explore with such creativity and sensitivity. I love the themes of death not being the worst and music being so central to the story. Twist/twist villain was memorable and not expected. And yeah, it did make me cry, so props there. 

Ratatouille - the most recently watched of these films for me. This movie is soooo unique! Back when Pixar was truly super out there with their concepts. Super Parisian visuals and soundtrack. It somehow starts goofy (THE OLD LADY TRIES TO KILL REMY WITH A SHOTGUN WHILE WEARING A GAS MASK) but really drives home the message that you can truly do what you want regardless of who you are. Colette can get it. And the monologue by Ego at the end is one of my favorites in film. 

Frozen - Anna is one of my favorite Disney protagonists. She’s so resilient and loyal. Elsa ain’t bad either but she experiences… less character development. The film is a tad too pleased with its own self-awareness for my taste, but there’s no denying how iconic the music and visuals were. 

Inside Out - Alright, this movie hits home for me bc I tried to run away after moving. A super thoughtful, heartfelt depiction of (potentially depression? imo) with great moments of humor. Riley’s inner world is so creative and lovely. Also realistic depictions of Minnesota/California culture. 

Tarzan - Jane! is! smart! and! adorable! Her scientific curiosity makes her very endearing. it’s so cute to see her and Tarzan learn from each other. Also Tarzan’s “found mother” is epic. Solid score. Solid film all around. To quote Lily Orchard, “This film is what Pocahontas tried to be.” 

B tier (one of my favorites but has a few significant flaws that bring it down (or not quite as memorable to me, but consider good quality))

Peter Pan - Haven’t seen it in a hot sec, but I remember being super charmed by this as a kid. Just going out, having incredible adventures, and returning to a warm home at the end of the day. Tinker Bell is hilarious and beautifully drawn. Gets major negative points for the depiction of Native Americans tho. 

Big Hero 6 - I was super charmed by the protagonist, his family/friends, and the setting. The plot/villain’s motivations are a bit of a mess, though. 

Princess and the Frog - This movie has so much flavor to it! The visuals/music are lovely and unique. Tiana is incredible but it’s kinda annoying how EVERYONE keeps trying to shoehorn her into romance. The thing is, her goals are entirely reasonable. Focus on her restaurant, then look to settle down. But they’re like “nooo you’re ignoring the important things in life” smh. Also, epic villain, woohoo! The movie dragged significantly for me when they were in the bayou. Charlotte is delightful. 

Winnie the Pooh - don’t remember it super well, but I think it was charming and occasionally dark, which is an addictive concoction. 

The Little Mermaid - MAN ppl roast Ariel way more than she deserves. Visually, it was… fine. idk. This movie is good. I don’t have much else to say about it. 

Snow White - the one that started it all. Visually, super impressive. Musically, lovely. I find the romance a bit… off. Well, more than a bit. What is it with Disney and kissing sleeping people? 

Alice in Wonderland - a nerdy acid trip. Right up my alley! I also like films where ppl go on incredible adventures and return to the status quo, but THEY changed bc of it. Epic. SUUUUPER creative visual interpretation of Carroll’s book. Brave - gosh I loooove films where a parent and child learn to understand each other. Never got why ppl hated this movie so much. The Scottish flavor is present and fun. Merida made one mistake and made it up. The arrow scene is iconic. 

Cars - a fun ride! (hahaha puns.) We love seeing Paul Newman as a car. 

B-minus tier? (same as B, but problematic, or weaker story-wise.)

Hunchback - man… settings-wise, this film might be my favorite. I also love Esmeralda and Quasimodo as characters and as a duo (though the sexualized depiction of Romani ppl is not epic.) I also don’t find the discrimination against Esmeralda/Quasimodo jarring bc it matches the time period. Frollo is super interesting as a villain. The gargoyles are… def not necessary. Basically, this film doesn’t know what it’s doing with tone. 

Sleeping Beauty - Aurora was my favorite when I was younger because I thought she was the prettiest, and that still defines how i feel about this, basically. Visually lovely - everything is kind of elongated and gothic. Maleficent is spiteful and epic. I have no issue with the fluffier parts of the movie, like the music or the fairies. RIP for lack of consent being a plot point, though. 

Hercules - Megara is incredible. one of the only Disney “princesses” who acts like an adult and has cynicism as a major part of her personality. I love her and Herc’s progression where she learns to trust him (yes, he is genuinely that sincere, it’s not a front.) Muses are unique, whoever came up with them was high on something and I’m living for it. I just think the plot itself was somewhat unrealistic/ weirdly-paced. There are some memorable songs, some less-than-memorable songs. Art style is cool but I’m personally not a fan. EXTREMELY inaccurate depictions of the original Greek gods. 

C tier (entertaining, but I don't consider it a great movie)

Bolt - I watched this like 11 years ago. It was fun! A cool concept about those put on a pedestal learning their worth even without celebrity boosting them up. Animation was… fine I think. not super memorable to me. 

Frozen 2 - They really took any scrap of character development Elsa had in the first movie, threw it in the garbage and set it on fire. Anna deserved so much better. Songs are bombastic and impressive, have the occasional interesting lyric, but are really weirdly placed and none are quite as iconic as the first movie’s (except Aurora, she does great work here. Also the song Anna sings after she thinks Elsa died.) 

Not a big fan of the vaguely homeopathic theme. Not a big fan of Olaf’s WEIRD character development. Not a big fan of the suuuuuper awkward dialogue and the animations that imply not only that Kristoff is into his reindeer but that Elsa and Anna are into each other (if you’re questioning if they did that, yes, they did, I can find screenshots of some really weird expressions/moments. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO PANDER TO YOUR WEIRD FANS, DISNEY.) 

The voice actors did great work, the animators did great work (look at the details on their clothes! Look at how Elsa’s posture changes to be more confident! look at how they're animated while they're singing!) Some weird costume/makeup choices that make Elsa look like an aging starlet, but she also has some gorgeous moments so eh. It’s a wash for me. 

They really did not know what to do with Kristoff this movie, huh. The only thing that happened to him was singing a cheesy 90s ballad and marrying Anna, both of which were admittedly epic. Also, the trolls got 0 appearances despite being literally psychic. Probably could have helped with a lot. I'm not a huge fan of lore/worldbuilding, and thee was a lot of it here. Overall neutral on it. 

Also a big theme in this movie I don’t love - **** TANGIBLE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR ACTIONS!!! The danger is Elsa’s death, the elements, colonialism, and Arendelle literally being destroyed. None of those end up playing out, so I was left at the end going “this film had literally no stakes.” 

Monsters U - same as above - entertaining at the time! Not super memorable. The ppl we were supposed to dislike kept switching. Doesn’t really match the canon of Monsters Inc (I thought they were supposed to have known each other since childhood so why did they meet in college?) 

Cars 3 - so apparently, everyone HATED this movie! Fun! I never watched Cars 2 (yes watched Cars 1 if you haven’t been paying attention to this list), but I didn’t think this movie was bad at all. Well-acted, some fun chase scenes, the scene where Lightning fails at driving in the simulation is genuinely hilarious, and some interesting perspectives on teachers getting the spotlight for their skills for once. 

Incredibles 2 - I liked this film at first, but then it was… just okay in retrospect. I love me some good family dynamics. The plot here makes not a lot of sense. THEY BUILT UP THE UNDERMINER FOR NOTHING AND THEN FORGOT ABOUT HIM. I was surprised by the villain swap, but it happened so last minute I never really understood their motivations even after they explained them. Tried to tackle waaaay too many messages. 

D tier (I didn't enjoy these or consider them mediocre)

Finding Dory - Maybe I should have put this higher? Like C tier at least. Ah well. Wasn’t a huge fan of the body/physical comedy (not my thing), but it was entertaining and awww finding family is heartwarming. 

Finding Nemo - I remember nothing about this movie. 

E tier (this film has significant problems)

Beauty and the Beast - *sigh*… I want to love this movie. The score is gorgeous. Visually, they could have made it more distinctly Rococo-era France but didn’t (why?) The voice actors did good work and I think Paige O’Hara is SUPER underrated here. 

The Beast is emotionally manipulative with an awful temper that (for MOST of the movie. He doesn’t change.) That’s the main reason this is in E tier. This movie shaped so many generations of people thinking they can change the behavior of someone who treats them badly through the power of love. But you can’t. She learns to “love” the beast under coercion. It’s not Stockholm syndrome - it’s a trashy romance novel. Big fan of Gaston as a villain. He’s an archetype ppl can recognize and it’s so satisfying to hate him.

F tier (I think this film actively harms the industry and would rather it not have been made. Both the one in E tier could be considered harmful to the industry, but I think they had significant enough artistic accomplishments to scrape above that. I'm also generally a fan of "lack of censorship bc it's better to teach what not to do.")

Pocahontas - this movie took real historical events and romanticized them AND sexualized one of the only Native princesses they’ve had. Boo. Nothing wrong with animation!Pocahontas as a character, it’s just people put her in a story that doesn’t represent history well at all (and these historical events, unlike those in say, 14th-century Germany, had super relevant effects on people alive today.) And they portrayed the Native Americans and colonial settlers as equally in the wrong. (though I like Governor Radcliffe as a potential villain and love the line “see how I glitter.” I can’t NOT laugh when I hear it.) Lovely music, though. Nice animation, but the colors are weirdly… muted? 

Bad Garbage (I don't wish this film had never been made, but I wish I never had to see it.)

Planes - this movie was ridiculous. I remember not much about it except that I kinda hated it and that it was super cheesy with tension one could see right through that immediately resolved itself via one twist or another. 

Haven’t seen tier: Recess, A Bug’s Life, A Goofy Movie, DuckTakes Movie, Lilo and Stitch, Pinocchio (actually i have seen this but I remember nothing about it), The Nightmare before Christmas, Toy Stories 1, 2, and 3, Up, 101 Dalmatians, The Great Mouse Detective, Cars 2, Moana, The Good Dinosaur, Pete’s Dragon, Fantasia, Peter Pan Return to Neverland, Fantasia 2000, The Black Cauldron (read the book, though!), Bambi (or I did and remember nothing about it), The Rescuersm, The Rescuers Down Under, Planes Fire and Rescue, Bambi 2, The Fox & the Found, Oliver and Company, Atlantis, Treasure Planet (I want to, though), Piglet’s Big Movie, The Jungle Book, the Emporer’s New Groove, The Jungle Book 2, Chicken Little, Brother Bear, The Three Caballeros, Pooh’s Heffalump Movie, Dumbo, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Aladdin (seen parts but never the whole thing), Strange Magic, The Sword in the Stone, James and the Giant Peach, Frankenweenie, Lady and the Tramp, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Doug’s 1st Movie, Monsters Inc. (want to, though), Meet the Robinsons, Dinosaur, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, The Tigger Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, that pooh movie at the end without the title on it

-11/21/20

[flight-of-the-sacred-eagle]

So I’ve been rewatching Homeworld Bound and I’ve come to a few conclusions.

A) Spinel and Steven really REALLY need to have an actual talk about what happened. As much as I adore Spinel, their interactions this episode really showed how Steven is not really comfortable around Spinel yet, even though Spinel is comfortable around him (and is goddamn adorable when interacting with him omg that sibling like relationship is great and I wish Spinel had been introduced earlier so that we could have seen more of it omg).

B) Spinel has helped the Diamonds more than Steven did, and I feel like Steven has realized this. The Diamonds were clingy and wanted Steven to stick around. Heck White was still having a hard time remembering that there were equal life forms. Now, an undisclosed amount of time later (I’m gonna guess somewhere between six months and a year) Spinel has done what Steven couldn’t. She got the Diamonds to change. They’re relaxing now, focusing on how they can help others. Hell, Yellow Diamond, the most aggressive of the Diamonds, is now a doctor! And Spinel was the one to help them change. Not Steven. And I’m positive Steven has realized this.

C) Steven has shoved everyone away but the Crystal Gems B team, who have actually helped his mental state out the most. Peridot especially. I think that this was an intentional decision and that they may be the ones who actually manage to help him calm down.

D) Jasper has been going through the same thing Steven has for YEARS, possibly millennia and never realized it. Not until Steven told her point blank to actually do something with her life other than follow people around. I think that whenever we see Jasper again, she’s going to be incredibly subdued and quiet. And imo, she needs therapy too.

E) Steven will corrupt. He’s already corrupting. And I have a sneaking suspension that his flip flop came off Cinderella style for a reason. I think his foot is where the corruption will start.

[cole90210]

The One Where Peter is Cinderella and Tony is Charming

IMO there are not enough fairy tale AUs in the world, so here is Starker Cinderella.

Rating: Mature

Enjoy on AO3

***

{meet-cute with a broken carriage}

“Uh hi? Do you maybe need some help?” he called out tentatively to Happy.

Happy  turned and gave him a skeptical look that said he very much doubted  Peter’s ability to render assistance. But Peter was soon distracted by  the figure that walked around the carriage.

He had dark, cropped  hair that looked as though he had been running his fingers through it  and a neatly styled goatee that made a mockery of Flash’s. He must have  removed his shirt in the process of trying to fix the carriage, because  he stood in front of Peter in a tight undershirt that displayed his  impressively built biceps. He had a light sheen of sweat on his arms and  forehead and his pants were tight across his thighs, with dirt on his  knees.

In short, he looked exquisite.

Peter had never seen  anyone like this before in real life. Like a handsome hero from a  romance novel MJ would never admit to reading. Peter realised he was  staring with his mouth slightly agape, and scrambled to refocus on the  other man who had been talking.

“Uh… I’m sorry, what?” Peter asked stupidly, eyes flicking back towards the handsome man.

“Kid,  I asked if you have any tools in your cart. We’ve lost a wheel? Don’t  think I can break it down any easier for you.” responded the man  supposedly called ‘Happy’. Peter didn’t think it was an apt nickname.

“Oh  yes, sure. Yes, I have tools. Hold on…” Peter quickly replied, spinning  on his seat to a kneel, leaning over into his wagon to grab the tool  box he kept here for just such an occasion.

When he spun back  around and went to climb off his driver’s seat, he couldn’t help by  glance back at the beautiful man behind Happy. Tony, was that what he  was called? He was looking at Peter with interest, his eyebrows both  raised.

Peter blushed, embarrassed at having been caught staring.  He quickly climbed down and rushed over to the back right side of the  carriage missing a wheel.

As he went to move passed Happy to stand  closer to the wheel shaft, and coincidentally, the gorgeous man who was  still eyeing him closely, he felt a hand grab his arm.

“Uh uh,  nope, back it up there. Authorised personnel only, alright kid?” Said  Happy, reaching to grab the toolbox from Peter’s hands.

“I can help. I’m really good with my hands.” Peter assured Happy, who didn’t look very impressed at being talked back to.

“It’s  ok Hap, let the kid have a crack. You can’t separate a man from his  tools.” Said Tony, stepping closer to Peter and catching his eye with a  light smile.

“If the kid wants to help, he can walk through the bushes and find the wheel we lost.” Said Happy grumpily.

“You  can manage that, right Haps? Besides, I want to see what he can do with  those talented hands…” said Tony with a teasing grin, not breaking eye  contact with Peter.

Peter didn’t think he’d ever blushed this hard  in his life. Is it dangerous to have that much blood rushing to your  cheeks? He would be mortified if he were to faint in front of this  handsome stranger – but then, maybe he would catch Peter? The thought of  being embraced by those muscular arms sent a fizzle of sensation  through Peter. He shivered and found himself floundering, unable to  respond to the tease.

“I can’t leave you-“ started Happy.

“We’re  fine. Go on, there’s no use wasting a perfectly good wheel just because  we blew a nut. I think it went that way.” Said Tony, pointing  haphazardly off to the right of the road.

Happy sighed and muttered angrily under his breath but walked off in search of the wheel.

“So, what’s the name of our gallant saviour?” Tony asked, stepping closer to Peter with a sly smile.

Peter  stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him. He was even more beautiful  up close. He had kind brown eyes that sparkled with mischief as he  teased Peter. Fine lines adorned his face that showed he smiled a lot,  and oh my, what a smile!

You’ve got to say something! Quick before he thinks you’re crazy  and calls Happy back to help him escape from your demented clutches!

“PETER.” he blurted just a bit too loudly.

Peter cleared his throat and tried again.

“Peter, I’m Peter. Hey.” Peter gave a little wave.

Oh my goodness, did I just wave? Why would I do that?  

The man – Tony – let out a deep chuckle.

Should laughter be that smooth, that alluring?  

“Peter.” he repeated back, in that attractive, velvet voice.

“Yeah. Uh, what’s your name?” Peter asked, slightly breathlessly.

“My name? You know who I am.” replied the man with a smirk.

Peter wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Was he annoyed that Peter had been listening in on his conversation with Happy?

“Oh  um, yeah sorry I overheard you guys. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, it’s  just he was talking quite loudly…” Peter trailed off as Tony quirked  his eyebrow at him.

“You’re… Tony right?” Peter confirmed.

Tony looked at Peter for a couple of beats.

“Do you really not…” Tony trailed off, looking piercingly at Peter. Peter swallowed and waited for Tony to finish.

“Tony. Yes, I’m Tony. Nice to meet you Peter.” Tony continued, once again stepping closer as he extended his right hand.

Peter  grasped Tony’s hand and immediately fixated on how big and warm his  hand felt. Tony had callouses that suggested he worked with his hands,  though his fingernails were neat and trimmed.

Should hands be that attractive? Peter thought.

After  a few more beats, Peter realised he was still holding Tony’s hand – had  been for a while. He jolted slightly with embarrassment and pulled  away. Tony continued to smile down at him.

“So uh… we should  probably attach the spare wheel?” asked Peter nervously, raising the  toolbox to draw attention back to the problem at hand instead of the  continued social faux pas he felt he was making.

“Yes, by all means Peter, show me those hands at work.” Tony said, stepping back so they could crowd around the wheel shaft.

With red-stained cheeks, Peter put down the tool box and located a wheel brace.

Tony had already placed the jack underneath the carriage, so Peter kneeled and turned to reach for the spare tire.

“Uh can- can you hold the spare for me?” He asked Tony, who was still standing next to him.

Peter received no response, and so turned his body slightly to look up Tony from his position on his knees.

Tony  had stopped smiling, and was instead watching Peter with an intense  look in his eyes. Immediately Peter’s skin prickled and he felt even  more nervous, and maybe just a bit… excited? He looked up at Tony, lost  in his stare.

Tony seemed to come back to himself a moment later,  breaking eye contact and being, for the first time of their  acquaintance, slightly less than graceful.

“Yes! Right, wheel. I can hold that.” He responded, kneeling down and positioning the wheel while Peter tightened the nuts.

Peter let out a soft grunt as he pulled hard on the brace.

Tony snapped his head around to look at Peter, his intense gaze falling on Peter’s mouth.

“Don’t want the wheel coming off again!” he grinned up at Tony, who slowly smiled at him, letting out a puff of air.

“No. Once was plenty, and I don’t think I’d be lucky enough to stumble on to another young man like you.” Tony replied.

A blushing Peter smiled shyly at Tony as they finished securing the wheel in silence.

Once  they were done, they both rose to survey their work. Peter slowly  placed the brace back in his toolbox, drawing out the moment as he  reluctant to leave Tony’s company so quickly.

Tony turned to Peter, reaching out to grasp Peter’s biceps with both hands.

Peter forgot how to breath for a moment as Tony stepped forward and gently applied pressure.

For a brief, heart-stopping moment, Peter thought he was about to be kissed. His first, proper kiss.

...

[frizzyanya]

The Untamed Episode 22, My Commentary!

Spoilers, plus my commentary for this episode was even more of a mess than usual, I kind of have to apologize, so sorry I guess....anyway, here’s my commentary!

Oh my God, they’re sitting on a roof together. *FEELS*

Separately, this scene is visually beautiful too. The contrast between light and dark, good and evil, never more literally depicted. LWJ is in his Lan whites, and they’re spread out around him like if Cinderella were to sit down in her gown. And then WWX in his black and red, looking like chaos incarnate.

And now we have a scene where LWJ is still on the roof, but WWX has flown (fallen with style?) to the ground. And it’s shot in the traditional dramatic soap opera shot with both facing the camera. As LWJ is still on the (black) roof while dressed all in white, and he’s a little out of focus, it very much appears that he’s the angel on WWX’s shoulder trying to encourage him to do the right thing.

“Let me help you.” 

It’s all very literal and I love it.

Is nobody bothered by the fact that he is going into battle and still isn’t bringing his sword?

Why is JYL going?!?!

Oh God, the Alliance we like are fighting the puppets. Some of whom look like lava demons, others of whom look human.

The lava demons can light up and catch fire and none of them seem to be able to die. The Alliance is getting massacred. Great.

Oh no! They don’t realize that their own dead will become puppets!

What did JZX do to JYL???

Ohhhhh, he just embarrassed her. He’s just not nice. And she’s just a girl.

WWX is getting really riled up, and the camera just briefly showed his fist gripping his demon flute. That’s a lot of yikes. Good luck keeping it together……..

Yeah no, he just punched him and everybody drew their swords.

LWJ is outside, please come in and stop him and save the day.

His voice’s tone is so cool, and he is absolutely the only one who could have done that. Glad he was there…

Ugh, there are only so many Alliance soldiers left, I really hate watching them get massacred and turned into puppets. :( (The number seems to keep changing. One day there are dozens, the next there are hundreds. But like, okay.

ISSMABABY

Meng Yao just appeared to the Wen Clan Leader!

He’s very very in and out of this show.

Good Lord, I find myself rooting for him opposed to the rest of the Wen Clan, but I know I won’t root for him opposed to the good guys. So there’s definitely that.

Back with The Alliance, LWJ just deflected a sword away from WWX, and now they’re fighting side by side, so their dynamic is…….clearly complicated.

What I mean to say is, WWX is trying to be a good guy. 

Meng Yao is so pretty it hurts my eyes.

(And you should know that even as I say that, that I remain obsessed with both LWJ and WWX (or more accurately, WYB and XZ) as the most beautiful men on this Earth. I mean they are both, separately, God’s gift to womankind imo. I can’t stop listening to XZ’s music or watching WYB dance. But I’ve digressed very very far from the point. The Untamed. Anyway, if you haven’t youtube searched them singing yet, FUCKING DO IT.)

A giant battle. Like maybe 100 people total? 150? And 10 survived. All of the important characters and nobody else. How extremely convenient.

WWX, now would be a fantastic time for some demon flute magic…….

80 million puppets geared to attack the 10 or so of them. 

Like seriously, soooooo many puppets. They just keep coming. 

WWX, play the damn music!

I wonder if XZ can play the flute at all. 

Lord knows that man can do literally everything else. 

(They both can.)

Them winning this fight against unkillable enemies when they’re outnumbered 20-1 sounds………...so ridiculous it wouldn't even be fun to watch.

Also they’re worse off than I’m making it sound, because WWX is still armed only with a fucking flute.

LWJ like DON’T PLAY THE FLUTE.

WWX like IMMA PLAY IT.

LWJ like DON’T DO IT.

WWX like I’M SAVING YOUR ASS, DUMMY.

This is so weird. He’s going too slowly, like your friends are going to DIE, summon your demons faster.

Also LWJ is watching him. FOCUS SO YOU DON’T GET MURDERED, MY LOVE.

Hahahahahaha his tactic was to turn the puppets against the Wen Clan.Everyone slowly looks over to WWX while they watch the puppets fight each other. Hilarious!

I’m so curious how and why WWX is that much stronger than ⅗ of the Yin Iron. 

But I mean, the Wen Clan had this coming. It’s because of them that he was in that position in the first place.

[fattybeagle]

TERRA (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) テラさん

Many people keep asking me that why I love Terra so much because people rarely love him, so I've been thinking to writing this, and hope people will love him more xD

At first I admit myself that I didn't like Terra because I saw the trialer and thinking like he will be like one of the another anime protagonist style, but after I got the game, just wow! His story was the only one that make me cry in BBS... that's the beginning for my love to him xD

Terra is a strong, good, kind and sweet boy, imo he is also a gentlement.. clearly he 's not a type to talk about his feeling much to others, almost keep it to himself but deep down he'a really care for his love ones or too protective on someone he loves so he's trying so hard to be strong enough to do that

Terra is a kind of people who didn't judge anyone by appearances and everything he did, maybe look dumb to others but if you look deeply, everything he did is only in a good intention to help people

He's a considerate person, he knows manners , you can see when Terra eat an ice-cream from Minnie (from novel, he hates sweets xD) is that kind of cute(?)even it turns out to be delicious! 😂 and the way he treats Cinderella and Snow White!(so cute!)

Terra has a weakpoint which make him falling to the darkness and be a vessel. His sincereity and pureness...(both are a good personalites as well but Terra just has these two too much)

Both of this personalities, good thing is that's why people in every world love and adore him, see in Olympus(?) , the way he did to Stitch, and the way he talked to kids in Neverland(?) , if you look closely, the way he said to the lost boys about keeping treasures, those boys telling Ventus exactly the same thing!

Aqua used to tell that, Terra is too pure and that why everyone take advantage to him or use him (Isn't that a reality?, when you are too good and bad people just used you for something for them)

He's hot temper which is not a good personality trait but you never see him shout or hurt people he loves, just easily angry and try to walk away(Aren't that the real human? XD we got emotion of good and bad included, that's why nobody perfect)

Most of all, I think Terra is like a normal human most, who has emotion not to good not too bad, he's just loving to help people with good intention, just bad luck , he's only meet with bad guys.. and I can realted to him a lot as well, Just me ranting again, just want people to loves him more!!! 😂 all he did is in good intention to protect people he loves , he knew it's risk to getting to darkness at the end but he's still do it , just to make Xehanort go away from his friends(this is after Xehanort ordered Vanitas to kill Aqua and Ventus) just need you guys to give my boy a chance! XD pls love him ❤️

[more4gemini]

Sooo if you were to do FPR Met Gala 2019 edition: of the looks that you've seen which ones would you toot and which ones would you boot? also which other queens would you have liked to see on the red carpet apart from Ru, Violet and Aquaria?

Ahhh this is so late but I finally have time to answer all your questions!

Honestly there was a lot of meh at the Met Gala as usual, but I will say that I think this theme made some celebs push themselves out of their fashion comfort zone, more than they usually do at least. There were so many looks so I’m just going to mention the ones that stood out as a toot to me (P.S. could you imagine an actual FPR of the Met Gala? Raja and Raven would go IN bitch!) 

My favorites were: Billy Porter who was a hands-down top SHOOT of the Met. Thank GOD someone actually understood the assignment. Janelle Monae in her Monique Heart-inspired get up was awesome as usual. Katy Perry really surprised me and went all out with the theme, her burger outfit for the afterparty was especially fantastic imo. Zendaya always looks amazing and this year was no exception, she was gorgeous dressed as Cinderella. Lady Gaga looked awesome and the costume changes ON the pink carpet were campy as fuck. Lupita Nyong’o looked absolutely stunning and on-theme as always. Cardi B looked awesome. Laverne Cox was gorgeous in her black gown. Florence Welch looked beautiful as usual. Ezra Miller’s look was super cool, I couldn’t stop staring at all the eyes! Keiynan Lonsdale, I wasn’t sure who he was before but he completely understood the assignment and looked great. Michael Urie (again wasn’t sure who he was) looked super cool and was giving me s7 dance challenge vibes. And I actually really liked Rupaul’s suit, even though I do wish he came in drag, I also understand why he didn’t. He’s old and I’m sure standing around in drag all night would be extremely uncomfortable. But his suit was actually super campy and cool with the zebra on the shoulder. 

There’s probably more I’m forgetting, but those looks stood out as toots. LOTS of boots for celebs who once again completely ignored the theme and just looked “pretty”. I thought Aquaria’s outfit was cool but not really camp, more avant garde (definitely not worth her little meltdown over it). And I found Violet’s kinda meh and safe, but I find a lot of her style in general kinda like that so it was on-brand. 

Other queens I think would’ve killed this theme: Manila no doubt would’ve completely slayed it. Bendela would’ve probably done something super fun and campy. Nina West (when she can pull a look together) would’ve looked awesome in her facekini suit or something. Monique Heart would’ve done awesome, I mean someone on the carpet was literally wearing her makeover outfit. Nina Bonina could’ve done some killer makeup, same with Kim Chi. Katya actually probably would’ve done well with this theme. And of course every year I would KILL to see what Raja would come up with. I know she is usually more of a high-fashion queen, but she’s so versatile that I know she could come up with something amazing for literally any Met Gala theme.

[super-affection]

hi! 👋 hey as someone who only knows about imas through all the stuff on my dash, how would you recommend getting into the series? what's the whole deal w/ cinderella girls and shiny colors? wanted your opinion since you seem knowledgeable about the stuff

of course this is all imo. best way if you dont have access to the games which is understandable cause there’s a few spread out through console and mobile is through the animes which is how i got into the series o: i mostly hang around liking the girls from cg since i ended up stopping and never going back to the original im@s/million live (the latter is another series with all the og im@s girls with a bunch of new characters). theres alot of fun animes after like puchim@s and cinderella girls theater so you can see more of other girls in action outside of the screen time they got in the animes. i actually don’t play the games cause i cant get the jp store on mobile to properly work and emulating it is too much of a hassle for me to try to look into (too lazy actually) but if you can im sure it’ll be much more enjoyable with the context you gain from watching whichever series you choose. also shiny colors is another im@s game series with you guessed it, more girls so you p much have an endless supply of cute girls with lots of personalities you’ll like. theyre all packed with with fun girls so you really can go with looking into whatever seems more appealing to you first but ye the animes are a good start. the style of humor im@s has is very enjoyable and silly when it tries so you’ll get a real laugh out of it

[douxbebearchives]

Author Profile: IWrite4Olitz

Stories on FFN; tumblr: @iwrite4olitz​

Your name/nickname/alias: 

Lynn, iwrite4olitz

How long have you been writing? 

Is “forever” too vague? Since I could properly grip a pencil...

How long have you been writing Olitz?

Since July 10th, 2015.

What drew you to Olivia & Fitz? 

Their combustible chemistry. Is there any other reason?

Outside of Olitz, where do you get inspiration to write? 

Everywhere. Anywhere. But my favorite inspiration comes from music. If I get stuck, I read a book. ;)

How do you describe your style of writing? 

::hyperventilates:: I...don’t have one compact sentence to describe it. I suppose it’s because I choose words and sentence structure to suit whatever tone I’m trying to convey, while also considering the “voice” of the character whose point of view I’m writing. So, for example, if I’m writing something romantic, I use more flowing sentences, but choose words that I think the character whose head we’re in would actually use. If I’m trying to convey something tense or urgent, I’ll use more concise, clipped language and structure. If I need to drive an emotion home, or incite a reaction of some kind, I choose visceral language. Ugh, this sounds so clinical! But I promise it’s not. It just happens naturally. I’ve been called “poetic” and “evocative” by readers. I’ve also taken this super fun quiz:

https://iwl.me/

...the results of which told me I write like Stephen King, which contradicts the poetic thing. Haha. Love Stephen though. Do you guys follow him on twitter? Follow him. He’s one of my best friends in my head. And he’s woke.

Do you write (journal, pen/paper) or type first? Depends. If I have it clear in my mind how a scene should go, I type until my brain is empty. Then I edit until it’s as close to my mental picture as possible. If it’s not clear in my mind, my brain automatically goes on high alert, snatching inspiration from anywhere, at any time. That’s when I scribble things in notebooks or type notes into a document to piece together later. Dialogue, action, events, settings...

Do you have a special notebook or writing utensil? 

I have several notebooks, Evernote, and Baby (my touch screen computer). But I plan on replacing her with a Mac soon, because she’s prone to viruses and my tech medical bills have been piling up!

Do you incorporate visuals, music, and/or poetry to help you get into the writing mood? 

Yes! Music is the most powerful inspiration for me. I can get several scenes, or a chapter, or an idea for an entire story from one song. I love creating inspiration boards to visualize big scenes more vividly (and sharing them is fun). I don’t read much poetry, sadly. I have a book of famous love letters and poetry collecting dust on my bookshelf if anyone’s interested. It’s red, vintage-looking, really pretty...

Do you use mood boards/aesthetics/Pinterest? 

Yes! Here’s the one for Pas De Deux: https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorLynnTurner/pas-de-deux/

Favorite kind of music or podcasts to listen to before/while you write? 

I don’t listen to podcasts as part of my process. I find them too distracting. My taste in music is all over the place. I have the same affinity for jazz or soul that I have for pop or indie. That’s not very helpful, I suppose, but it just boils down to whatever moves or inspires me. Would you believe that Pia Mia’s “Do It Again” inspired the one-shot that became No Regrets? She was a 19 year old youtube sensation at the time, and it was her summer smash hit (possibly her only hit) about a one night stand. Hey, I’m not proud. “Locked Away” featuring Maroon 5 inspired the gala scene at the end of that story. “Garden” by Emeli Sande played as I wrote the garden love scene in Pas De Deux, and “Dreamland” by Emilia Ali was playing when I wrote the scene that opens PDD Chapter 10. :-)

Where do you like to write (Home, coffee shop, etc.)? 

I prefer to write in isolation. I love cafes, but I tend to spend my time there doing research, or outlining, or creating inspiration boards. At home, I tend to write very early in the morning or late at night when everyone’s asleep...or during “me time” when certain tiny humans aren’t around to tug at my proverbial coat tails. If I have my headphones, I can pretty much write anywhere.

How long does it take you to write a chapter? 

Oh gosh...Okay, in a vacuum, with a chapter fully formed in my mind, tons of coffee and wine coolers, I can crank one out in a single day. Outside of that vacuum, it could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. There are so many variables: mood, inspiration, time. I’m trying to be better at forming good writing habits. John Grisham says if you aren’t writing at least a page per day, you’re not writing a book. Stephen King writes 600 words a day. Stephen King is not human.

A favorite line or paragraph you’ve written. 

This changes all the time, and I have different ones for each work, haha. By the time anyone reads this, it likely will have changed again. (There are some things I’ve written for the next Pas De Deux update that might upstage this, I dunno)...but I think this paragraph from Olivia’s point of view in Chapter 9 is my current favorite, It shows their dynamic so well, I think, and is quintessentially the Olitz I recognize no matter the writer, or whether the story is AU or canon:

She shivered, unnerved to be in his head, to see for herself the irrefutable evidence that he knew her. He knew her and she hadn’t told him a single thing.

Describe yourself in 5 words/phrases: 

You could give me 24 hours and the fate of the universe on my shoulders and I still couldn’t do this, hahaha. In a perfect world, my self is constantly evolving, so how about, in keeping with the theme of fifths, I choose something in iambic pentameter?

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” -Dr. Suess

Favorite TV shows/movies: 

This question is a rabbit hole. You’d need a “read more” button, and once clicked, readers would be subjected to pages and pages...so I’ll just list the ones I’d grab in case of a fire, or the apocalypse.

TV: Gilmore Girls, House, Girlfriends, A Different World, Living Single, the travelogue adventures of Samantha Brown and Anthony Bourdain, Sense8, Queen Sugar, Greenleaf, Underground, House Hunters, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black

Movies I can watch repeatedly and not get bored: Pride and Prejudice, The Devil Wears Prada, Focus, Pretty Woman, Love Jones, Ever After, The Wedding Date, Trainwreck

Movies with romantic elements: The Proposal, Trainwreck, Maid in Manhattan, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, Something New, Serendipity, While You Were Sleeping, Maid in Manhattan, The Proposal, Miss Congeniality, The Cutting Edge, A Walk in the Clouds, Return to Me, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Under the Tuscan Sun, Love Story, Beyond the Lights, Circle of Friends, Belle, Closer, Stompin at the Savoy, Memoirs of a Geisha, Dangerous Beauty, Cinderella (the one where Whitney Houston plays the fairy godmother), Coming to America, Juno, You Me & Dupri, Parent Trap, Overboard, Braveheart, The Preacher’s Wife, Palm Trees in the Snow

Favorite vacation spot: 

Hawaii

Favorite books: 

You’d think that, since my movie list is a rabbit hole, my book list would be a labyrinth, but even with all of the books I’ve read, I’m selective about what makes my favorites list:

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Grin and Beard It by Penny Reid, Literally every book by Penny Reid, Hadassah: One Night With the King by Tommy Teney, The Twentieth Wife & The Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan, The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer, Wildseed & Lilith’s Brood by Octavia Butler, The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer (YES, okay? It’s not literary genius but it’s very entertaining, if you skip book two), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind, Master of the Game by Sidney, Sheldon, Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh

*With the advent of fanfiction, I’m much pickier about published books, which I’m sure you all understand. ;)

Favorite authors:  

I have a to-read list half a mile long, so I’m sure this will change, but these are authors whom I find consistently write entertaining stories, even if they don’t make my favorites list:

Penny Reid, Alyssa Cole, Alisha Rai, Nalini Singh, Philippa Gregory, Farrah Rochon, Stephen King, John Grisham, Octavia Butler

What do you like better? AU or Canon?

I enjoy both, so long as they’re written well. Writing-wise, I’m more comfortable writing AU. With canon, I’m constantly aware that these aren’t my characters, so I’m sort of hyper aware of the constraints. And I have control issues. Lol.

Favorite trope/scenario to read? 

Enemies to lovers, love at first sight

Favorite Olitz TV moment/conversation? 

Seriously??? Only one? How about top three? Top five? Okay, fine, since you’re twisting my arm, I’ll give you my top ten in no particular order. (You drive a hard bargain):

1. VERMONT

2. “You almost died.” “Yes.” “Don’t do it again.” (she went in there to get him to comply, but then she actually LISTENS to him, like, really listens...and he changes her mind. They show a united front in this scene that was gorgeous to watch)

3. “I hate you.” “I know.” ...which morphed into…”You are everything and I am nothing.” ::ugly, mucous-dripping crying::

4. “Sit with me and watch me earn you.” (and obviously the AMAZING sex that came after)

5. Can the entire episode of The Trail be one?

a.  “I got a guy.” “You got a guy? Another guy? Hell’s angel? Mobster? A kind hearted felon who owes you a favor?” “Technically, he’s on probation.”

b. Camp David. Allll the Camp David. They were so in love, cute and care-free.

c. Love scene from The Trail (It’s their best, IMO. Organic. Combustible. Raw.)

d.  One minute on the couch

6. Pre-State Dinner shenanigans, Post-State Dinner Navy t shirt

7. Literally every Olitz phone call

8. 503 Oval Office Kiss ::swoon::

9. Truman Balcony kiss, because he was so vulnerable

10. Fitz saying “I still want you” in the AU episode, because it was so real, and I *believe they’re destined to be together in every universe.

*Honorable mentions: Rose Garden, Deskgate, Constitution (These were gripping, but I have personal, nitpicking reasons why they’re not in my top ten), allll the Season 6 bedtime snuggles, and every hug.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Ava DuVernay is my other BFF in my head.

Someday, when I’m confident enough in my knowledge of the era I choose (which will take years and years of research and development), I will write a historical fiction with a WOC heroine...possibly with elements of science fiction.