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sp00kyjellybeans · 3 years

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Constant Pining [Mickey Altieri x reader]

A/N: part two because i think the last one deserves a follow up :> For this one, I decided to play with the fact that Mickey is a film student, so I kind of figured he would use it to his advantage. btw tho this feels super choppy and cheesy in the bad way so idk how to feel ab it:’) pls lmk what you guys think bc i might rewrite it and cut half of this out

Word Count: 3,425

Warnings: None, this is like... super fluffy

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It had been two weeks since the party and it was driving Mickey insane. He wasn’t sure what was worse. The fact that life carried on as usual or the fact that you were completely unfazed. He would have preferred if you were all over him or, hell, if you were avoiding him.

Because then he would know how you feel.

But he didn’t. The poor guy hadn’t the slightest clue. Life went on nonetheless. Some days he was able to sit next to you in Psychology (if Halley didn’t try kicking him out of her seat) and the two of you were normal during friend settings. But you never showed up to another party.

Mickey gnawed at his pencil. It was whittled down to practically nothing. He was supposed to be focused on a project that he and Randy were assigned in Film Theory but instead... You were on his mind.

“Can you stop eating that pencil and quit thinking about (Y/n)!” Randy threw a small notebook at Mickey’s head. Mickey snapped out of his daze and easily dodged it. “We need to work on this shit together. I don’t need (Y/n) clouding my camera man’s mind.”

“I’m not even-”

“Save it. You’ve been making the same face for two weeks straight now. It’s the (Y/n)-face. Sid and I coined it.”

Mickey muttered a curse word under his breath and reached for the notebook that was thrown at him. It was Randy’s film book. He flipped through some pages. It was filled with notes for class and film-analysis. Half of the analyses weren’t even assigned for class.

“What are we doing for this again?” Mickey rolled his eyes and threw the notebook onto a table. He propped up his feet and leaned back in his chair.

The two boys were in a conference room of the film school. A chalkboard had been dirtied with Randy’s ideas for their film project while Mickey was mentally vacant for the time being. The project was to make a movie, each group was assigned a different genre. They were content with being partners, seeing as Randy had the ideas and Mickey had a knack for cinematography.

“We were assigned to do a documentary.”

“Fucking lame... Everyone else got cool shit. I heard Terry Pusher was assigned fantasy... Fucking fantasy.”

“I know, hell I’d take a love story over this shit,” Randy threw the piece of chalk at the board.

Mickey paused and sat up. His expression was twisted as if he were onto something.

“Wait... say that again...”

“I’d take a love story over this shit?” Randy tilted his head.

Mickey stood to his feet and pointed at his geeky friend, an excited expression was evident.

“Exactly.”

The sea of students stormed past you. Your final class of the day ended early so you were more than eager to get back to your dorm. Your roommate was gone for the weekend so hopefully some quiet would get your mind off of Mickey.

The events of the party had been bouncing around the walls of your mind ever since it happened. A part of you thanked Halley for stepping in when she did and a part of you cursed her for it.

You couldn’t fathom dating Mickey. It was unheard of. New. Exhilarating. He was probably one of the hottest guys on campus and he had his hands on your waist.

Sure, he was a total nerd when it came to movies, especially for Tarantino films, and you could listen to his rants for hours, but the thought of him wanting you made your heart skip a beat. If he reciprocated any sort of feelings you’d be sent into cardiac arrest. Did he like you? Was that even possible?

He could have anyone at this school. He knew it, too. But it was possible he could choose you.

Before you were able to expand on that thought, a camera was shoved into your face.

“And here we have the wonderful, the amazing, the magnificently stunning (Y/n)!” Mickey’s voice imitated a sports announcer.

His sudden appearance was enough to make your cheeks go ablaze.

“What are you doing?” You winced and shielded your face.

Randy appeared behind Mickey, “Film project, you’re a part of it!”

“Puh-lease, if anything, they are the star of the film, Meeks!”

You continued to walk to your dorm in hopes of avoiding the nerds but in all honesty, you were smiling like an idiot.

“What’s it about?” You asked.

Mickey put the camera down for a second and eyed Randy. Luckily, he knew exactly what to say, or rather, what not to say.

“We’re making a documentary. We’re following around a few students, and you’re one of them. Will you watch it when it comes out?”

“Of course,” You grinned. “Just... don’t follow me everywhere with that thing.”

And follow you, they did.

The very next morning you opened your door to Mickey holding up the blocky piece of tech. He was grinning behind the lens, which forced you to do the same. But you made it a point to shove the camera away.

This went on for weeks. Mickey would ambush you with his camera everywhere. Meaning that you two were spending more time together. It didn’t matter if you were in the cafeteria or spending the night with your friends. He always managed to film little tidbits of you.

At first, you would push the camera away or hide your face behind a nearby pillow.

Then you and Mickey started to hang alone together more often. You found yourself seeking out time with him. Mickey walked you to classes (still filming you with the camera but you didn’t push it away anymore; you just ignored it), he visited you at work and stopped by your dorm frequently.

Eventually, he had the courage to trap you into a date.

“Why are you covering my face, Mickey? I know where the cafeteria is...” You groaned, aimlessly walking forward.

“That’s not where we’re eating today.”

“You had no reason to make that sound threatening, Micks... You suck at surprises.”

“Yeah, yeah, you can open your eyes now.”

You opened your eyes to a sprawled out assortment of food on a picnic blanket.

It was a typical picnic blanket sat under one of the largest trees on campus. It was wide and comfortable. Mickey thought to bring plenty of drinks too. The look on your face filled him with glee as you studied the setting in front of you.

Just last week both of you were talking about your favorite underrated scenes in a romance movie. His answer was the kissing scene in Titanic, but you argued that wasn’t underrated. Your answer was the picnic scene in Armageddon.

Mickey managed to make it come true. If it were sunset, it would have hit the nail on the head.

“Oh my...”

“Do you like it?” Mickey jumped into your line of vision, he looked hopeful. “You said you’ve never been to a picnic before when you mentioned Armageddon and... well that’s just a part of the American dream so I figured- ‘Hey, they shouldn’t miss out on something so fun and peaceful’ so... I made it happen.”

Mickey’s rambling had you smiling wide. Underneath that smooth exterior, he was a nervous wreck around you.

“Thanks, Micks...”

The food was delicious. You guys talked amongst the meal and the conversation never stopped. Hours passed but you guys continued to laugh and talk. You were having the time of your life. Mickey brought your favorite fruits and snacks, but best of all, animal crackers. You held up the bag excitedly.

“Like from the movie!” You cheered.

Mickey leaned forward to grab a cracker but you leaned back, smiling mischievously. You loved teasing him.

He furrowed his eyebrows and went to grab again but you leaned back even further. Mickey paused, chuckling, and you thought you won. You reached your hand in to grab a cracker yourself and instead, you felt his body collide into yours.

You yelped in surprise and fell on your back. The Animal Crackers flew across the blanket and Mickey groaned in defeat.

“Now look at what you did...” You laughed.

You guys were side-by-side laying on your backs, staring at each other. The blanket was soft. If you weren’t so giddy, you could have fallen asleep right there. Mickey’s body heat enhanced your comfort, the need to lean into him was excessive.

You giggled at the man, biting the nail on your index finger. Mickey stared back at you, he looked pleased.

“What?”

He shrugged and continued to stare. You faced your head forward to look up at the branches of a tree above you.

The shade kept you both cool from the sun. Rays of sunshine illuminated your skin, the eccentric shadow of leaves were printed on your face. A breeze flew by, causing your baby hairs to wave in the wind. Mickey couldn’t pull his eyes away.

“Baby-” You said, snapping him out of his trance- “Do you think it’s possible that anyone else in the world is doing this very same thing at this very same moment?”

You slowly turned your eyes back to Mickey, hoping he’d catch on. His toothy grin spread across his cheeks. He thought back to the movie line, hoping to get it right.

“I hope so...” He mumbled but you heard it perfectly. “Otherwise... What the hell are we trying to save?”

His face was an inch away from yours. You could feel his breath hitting your face. It was sweet. It smelled of the strawberries you shared moments before.

A few strands of his hair hung in front of his eyes, separate from the rest of his slicked-back locks. His large brown eyes were looking at you sincerely. They were inviting you in. Mickey’s lips twitched upward as if he were tempted to make a move.

But he didn’t.

You wanted to reach toward his face and pull him closer. You wanted to feel his lips meld into yours, allow the moment to overtake you. You wanted to feel his unshaven face press against yours and tickle your cheeks. You wanted to feel his hand wrap around your own. You wanted to feel him, to touch him.

But you didn’t.

Two weeks later Randy and Mickey announced their documentary was done. The finished product was ready to be viewed. You were invited to come to see it.

During those two weeks, you spent time wondering how you could finally make a move. You were sick of this. You wanted this to end and to have a new beginning. You were sure that Mickey had feelings for you. It had to be true. You needed a leap of faith.

On the other hand, Mickey spent the same amount of time wondering where he was going wrong. Why couldn’t he pluck up the courage to kiss you? Making the first move always worked well for him. Why couldn’t he do it now? More than anything, he hoped that perhaps this documentary will give you an idea of his feelings. It had to.

So here you were, nervously fiddling with a blocky device in your jacket pocket, avoiding the eyes of Mickey, who sat on a stool in front of Sidney’s TV. She opted that they show their documentary in her and Halley’s room of their sorority house. Surprisingly, they were the only ones with a good enough TV.

Mickey couldn’t pull his eyes off of you. It became a nervous habit. He wanted to know what you were thinking almost 24/7, he was beyond pissed that he wasn’t a telepath.

“Alright alright alright...” Randy strolled up to the screen. “Is everyone here? Does everyone have their snacks and their drinks? You all need to enjoy this to the fullest extent so snacks are a must.”

Everyone glanced at one another, drink and popcorn in hand. You glanced back to see Sidney all over her boyfriend Derek on the couch. You gave a half-grin, wishing that could be you and Mickey. Halley sat on the opposite end of the couch, happily munching on popcorn.

“Well... without further ado-” Mickey began.

“Wait isn’t this a documentary? This better not be boring as hell...” Halley lifted her hand and we all nodded in agreement.

“Trust me, guys, this is good stuff. Probably our best yet,” Randy reassured us. “I’m going to play it now...”

We fell silent as Randy placed a tape inside of the VHS. He then turned out the lights as the intro began. Randy’s voice came through the TV.

“Love...” Tidbits of students on campus flashed across the screen. “What is love? ...And no, I don’t mean The Haddaway song.”

A few chuckles sounded around the room. Mickey held his glance on you still.

“Falling in love is one of the most complex things a human can do... The psychology is even more complex. Certain chemicals are released that explain those butterflies in your stomach or why you get sweaty palms around your crush. Well, many scientists believe that humans are wired to fall in love...” Randy’s voice faded along with the screen.

The sound of talking college students came through and the camera was poised onto Derek in the cafeteria.

“What do you love about Sid, Derek?” Mickey said through the TV.

The camera was far too close to Derek’s face, who looked insanely annoyed.

“Bug off-”

“Just answer the question.”

Derek thought for a moment, then smiled, “Her smile and eyes. I can’t choose one. They just... go hand in hand. They’re gentle, kind, sweet... Like her.”

A chorus of ooh’s and aw’s rang throughout the room and we threw popcorn kernels at Derek. Both he and Sidney were blushing profusely.

The next clip was of Halley walking on the sidewalk. You could hear Mickey again.

“Ms. Halley, please explain to us what you are doing right now.”

“I am going on a date, which I do not need you two dorks coming with me-” Halley shoved the camera away and the camera didn’t see her again.

There were a few more scenes like this, the guys asking random couples on campus what they love about one another.

You were never asked anything while you were filmed, so you were confused, to say that the least. What was your role during this?

At times, you would lock eyes with Mickey. He looked frazzled but stared at you all the same.

Randy posed another question to each of the couples, “How long does it take for someone to fall in love?” The screen was black as you heard the answers,

“Weeks-”

“Months, maybe six?”

“Years,” Someone said.

And you appeared on the TV.

It was when Mickey first filmed you. There was more than one clip of you, too, each a few seconds long. The first five contained you shying away from the camera but after that, you could see yourself growing more comfortable around him. You were never looking at the lens but always at the cameraman.

The screen went black once more and another question was asked, “What’s your ideal love story?”

“Something like a Nicholas Sparks book. Tragic... yet romantic.”

“If we hated each other at first, but then we learned to love. The buildup is fantastic.”

“Childhood friends turned to lovers. Something about that constant pining has me reeling...”

You snapped your eyes towards Mickey. You couldn’t read the expression on his face. You looked back at the screen to see yourself once more.

“Micks... come on and watch this movie-” You were sat on a couch with a bowl of popcorn. You shoved a handful into your mouth when suddenly you noticed the camera sitting in front of you, “You left your camera in here! ...Hey- are you filming me?” You lifted the device to your face and stuck out your tongue.

You could hear Mickey chuckle in the background.

Another clip played of Mickey and you sitting on the floor. It was a different day, you guys were laughing hysterically over something. You’ve never seen Mickey so happy.

More and more clips of questions and answers paired with you played. It was matched together perfectly. Realization dawned on you. Was this a confession from Mickey?

Mickey’s sweet voice played once more. But this wasn’t for any of the couples. He was sat on the couch, asking you.

“Think about a cheesy but underrated romance, okay? What is your favorite romantic scene from that movie?”

You were only a few inches away from him, head rested on your hand on the backboard of his bed.

“I’ll go first, I think the kiss during Titanic is spectacular.”

“It’s good but it’s not underrated Micks.”

“Alright, then what’s your choice?”

“...Armageddon. The picnic scene. I’ve never been on a picnic so something like that just seems so... tranquil.”

“You’ve never been to a picnic?”

“Yep... is that weird?”

“Completely and utterly, (Y/n).”

You laughed loudly in the documentary. The next scene was of Mickey setting the camera up someplace. He looked nervous. When he stepped away from the camera, it was a perfect angle to film the picnic he set up for you.

You knew the rest. The next couple of minutes showed your guys’ picnic together. Including the movie quote.

The end of the film was nearing, and Mickey’s anxiety was through the roof. It was far from romantic but once his project stopped playing he was going to confess to you. He was going to confess in front of all of his friends, for you. Just a few minutes left and he was going to do it.

And then you left.

Mickey finished the quote from the movie and you left instantly. Mickey’s jaw dropped as he stared at his friends. They looked equally confused.

“Go after them, dude!” Randy yelled.

It took a while but eventually, Mickey found you. You were on the porch of the sorority house, leaning against the railing and staring at the sunset. There was a cool breeze and parts of your hair waved in the wind. You had your arms wrapped around your body, pulling your jacket close. Mickey could see the orange glow illuminating your face when he joined your side.

“Are you okay?”

You didn’t look at him. His heart dropped. He messed up.

“Listen, I didn’t mean to-”

You shushed him. He fell silent.

“Come here... close your eyes... Step up... No peeking”

“I’m not...”

You pulled on his arm and forced him to stand behind you. You guided him to stand on the lower bar of the railing with you, his body nearly wrapped around yours. He stumbled a bit but he followed your movement blindly. The lack of distance between you two had him trembling.

“Just a sec...” You whispered and pulled a walkman out of your pocket. “I wanted to get this right...” You said and pressed play.

The instrumental of My Heart Will Go On began to play and Mickey barked out a laugh.

“What in the world-”

“Put your hands on my waist, Micks,” You grabbed his hands. “You can open your eyes now.”

Just like the movie, Mickey thought.

“I realize we can just see more of the campus... not the ocean,” Your words were gentle. They came out like honey. “But I wanted you to see... how you make me feel like I can fly.”

Mickey stared at your adoringly. Your scent filled his nostrils and he wanted nothing more than to stay like this forever. His hands ventured from your waist to lift them, like in the movie. Mickey leaned forward and whispered, “Come Josephine my flying machine going up she goes...” His hot breath tickled your ear and you could feel as he intertwined his hand with yours. “Going up...”

You turned to stare at him just as the music of your cassette player swelled. You hesitantly reached his face, and Mickey leaned in instinctively. Your hand comfortably rested on the back of his neck as his lips gently pressed against yours.

They were hesitant, hot, gentle, almost hungry. His skin was a burning touch. Your hand melded against his skin, touching the curve of his jaw. Mickey’s fingers danced around your body, wanting to explore every crevice for the first time. Mickey had been unknowingly craving the touch of your skin and lips for so long, it felt like euphoria took control of his body.

He poured himself into you. You were willing to drown in his touch.

#mickey altieri #mickey altieri x reader #scream #slashers #ghostface #ghostface x reader #mickey altieri oneshot #scream 2 #randy meeks

233 notes · View notes

snkpolls · 5 years

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SnK S3E15 Poll Results (Manga Reader Version)

The poll closed with 321 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that these are the results of the manga reader poll. Anime only watchers are suggested not to read if you do not wish to be spoiled about certain events! Anime only viewers, click here to view your poll results!

RATE THE EPISODE 308 Responses

Overall the fandom enjoyed the episode, with the vast majority of votes being at either a 4 or 5.

Best ep of the season thus far, Bert's monologue/transformation was amazing. Some fantastic VA work by Tomohisa and Inoue as well. CG CT also looked far better than I thought he would. These next few episodes are going to kill me. I can't wait.

Fantastic episode. Bertholdt's monologue was the best part.

Great episode, very dramatic, awesome OST. I am not looking forward to the next few eps, except for Floch's villain origin story!

Can’t wait for the next episode, this one was so good!

Editing was a bit choppy, voice lines cut half a second too quick a few times.

First ep of S3P2 to get a 10/10 from me <3

The animation was pretty lacking in this episode. R&B’s running animation on the wall felt pretty lazy, there was that reused shot of the beast Titan’s throw from season 2, Bertholdt’s character design felt inconsistent as well as Zeke’s. They really need to get the old team back on the animation cause the current team clearly doesn’t know how to handle aot. It’s getting on my nerves.

The episode was absolutely awesome.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT? 308 Responses

The Bertl Bomb™ was the scene that respondents were most excited about. Following behind that was Mikasa’s brief skirmish with Bertolt, and closely behind that was Armin and Bertolt’s shouting match on the rooftops.

BERUTORUTO=GOD

I’m mikasasexual

As a huge Bertholdt fan, it was so great to see Bert as the centre of attention for once. It makes me really sad knowing what comes next.

Bert bomb made my bomb go off

I love Bertholdt's resolve. This scene made him one of my favorite characters.

Bertholdt vs. Mikasa was so fire 🔥

One of the best episodes without a doubt. Bertholdt's monologue before transforming was even more impactful than in the manga.

Explosion aftermath was disappointing. I expected a sea of fire. The one they gave us doesn't feel like something big just happened

That "Levi's 5 seconds of screen time" was good, too!

Why isn't "Mikasa comforting and protecting Armin" an option for favorite moment in this episode? Because those were definitely my favorite moments in the episode

The partner gesture between Reiner and Bertl is the death of me

Am I the only one who get's goosebumps in the scene before he transformed himself into the colossalus titan and said: 'I feel like, no matter how this all plays out, I can accept whatever happens. That's right, nobody's in the wrong. There's nothing we could do. Because this world....is just...that cruel.' This scene was impressive back in the manga and I'm proud how good Tomohisa Hashizume nailed it. He's an amazing voice actor, especially for Bertholdt.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE APETITAN AND YOUSEEBIGGIRL REARRANGES? 296 Responses

Overall the fandom was excited about the new versions of familiar songs with 71% of respondents feeling that they were “totally epic!” 18% agree that the rearranges were good, but that they can’t surpass the original versions.

The soundtrack was lit.

Music was awesome!

Ngl I've watched the episode many times bc the OST during some scenes is just SO GOOD!!

WHO WON THE SHOUTING MATCH? 308 Responses

Over ¾ of the fandom agree that Bertolt dominated the shouting match on the rooftop.

I feel Armin won the "debate" because Bertolt, in his zeal to convince himself that he wanted to kill people he used to see as friends, wasn't making any sense

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT BERTOLT’S DEVELOPMENT AT THIS POINT? 308 Responses

46% of respondents were happy to see how far Bertolt had come as a character at this point in the story, while 34% were just happy to get more dialogue and thoughts from him. A small percentage had been curious where his character would go from here.

Godtolt on the way

He ditched the alter ego built up out of guilt, and it's cool to see him truly one of the strongest characters fighting off Mikasa while in human form

I wish we had more Bertl development! He could’ve been really complex, but just isn’t due to a lack of screentime. Compared to someone like Reiner or Annie, this was his one moment of pure raw character development

He reveals his true warrior colors

I loved it, one of my favourite chapters because of his resolve and how he himself was surprised about it.

He's only moving forward as a character and does what needs to be done. Bertholdt, your doing amazing sweetie!

With all this development just to kill him off was heart breaking.

Honestly, I’m so proud of him. He was amazing and it’s so nice to see a confident Bert. I don’t think it’s a development worth praising in terms of moral standards but it suited and made sense for his character

I feel like this is where his character peaked. It was pretty flat before season 2

I just don’t like bertolt in generalI really like his development but it's a shame that he severely lacked screen time before this episode

I'm not really a fan of Bertolt so I'm neutral on this

I still hate his traitorous guts and can't wait for THAT scene to be animated

Fucking loved it. It's one of my favorite chapters (and now episodes) just because he's talking so much and he's badass af. My boy is finally shining!

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT ARMIN BLUFFING ABOUT ANNIE A SECOND TIME? 306 Responses

Just over half of respondents feel that Armin should have tried a different tactic with Bertolt, while 46% felt that it was worth another shot to try and manipulate Bertolt’s feelings for Annie again.

Has Armin ever convinced anyone of anything they didn't already believe?

He was so used to Bertholdt’s behavior and there was nothing that would’ve made Armin think Bertholdt would have the reaction that he did

Lame. He didn't use much of intelligence here.

It's low, I'm happy it didn't work again

He learned some pretty vital things - how far the Warriors are willing to go, what their priorities are, what Bert's state of mind is, and where his loyalties truly lie. I don't imagine Armin went down that track solely because he thought it would have the exact same effect, but rather to 'check something' - exactly the same as Bertolt.

I think it not only was a good attempt to take (it worked before, why not try it again), but I also think it is incredibly important to show Armin's flaws. Yes, he's an amazing strategist. He's also still sixteen and not always entirely confident. Having Armin make mistakes like relying on old ploys that worked keeps his character more grounded and realistic

Smart people tend to use the same tactics over and over again as long as they're successful and for good reason. After all, why wouldn't you use the same tactic if you know it brings success? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's only when said strategy or tactic doesn't work where the individual would entertain the prospect of changing it or never using it again.

That’s Very Unfortunate!

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT CGI COLOSSAL TITAN? 306 Responses

36% of respondents aren’t very impressed with the CGI colossal titan, while 29% actually found the effect to be pretty awesome! 13% feel it’s disturbing and a small 7% just find it cringeworthy.

Alright

CGI doesn't bother me. What bothers me is how animators overly rely on it. Several decades ago animators made great masterpieces without cgi, all by hand. I understand using it because it makes things easier, but exceeding quality should still be top priority. If you can't make it better with CGI, then go old school and do it right.

Decent but could be better

U can still notice it is CGI but I think their CGI has gotten better compared to some of their earlier uses of it

Doesn't fit with the art style, which is as bad as unfair splitting potatoes

Not too bad but could definitely have been better. Understandable since there has only been one full body shot of it before and that was a sharp backwards, down looking angle.

Don’t really care much for cgi complaints, animating that would be a lot of work, their efforts are better elsewhere

It was necessary and didn't look appallingly bad.

I don't get why people hate it so much? I think it's fine

I hated it in season 2 and I hate it more now

Bad

Don't like CGI anything in any anime so take from that what you will

Most angles he looks fine! The only part that he looked off was when we got the face shot of him panning out to the rest of his body

Thought it looked solid. There were some really great shots of him this ep imo. Hopefully the action bits will look as good, and they mix in some 2D shots as well.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE 104TH RIDING ON TITAN EREN? 306 Responses

Over half of the fandom agree that this detail is something that’s very adorable, while 22% feel it’s just pretty neat. A combined 21% of respondents either feel it’s not that big of a deal or simply don’t care about it.

>AMJCS who cares?

Good boy protecting his friends? Hell Yeah!

I want to ride pieck - Not an innuendo, i just want a go in one of her turrets

It's gay

Lads you would never get me off that thing, I'd be saddling him up to go grocery shopping

Save me a seat guys!!

HOW WELL DID THE EPISODE ADAPT THE CORRESPONDING CHAPTERS? 306 Responses

Manga readers are overall happy with the adaptation of chapters 77 and 78, with over 90% saying that it was close to being perfectly done.

DID MARCO’S DEATH AFFECT YOU AS MUCH AS IT DID IN THE MANGA? 305 Responses

41% of respondents felt more heartbroken to see Marco’s death play out in the anime, while 31% say they felt more sympathetic toward Marco. 14% weren’t affected when this scene played out in either story-telling medium.

About the same level, still utterly heartbreaking, though

DEATH TO THE TITAN TRIO!

Didn't feel as much. Not because it was a bad adaptation, but just because I've already read it and knew what went down.

I felt more sorry for RBA than Marco in this version

I still had lot of emotions with the adaptation, but there's no compare to experiencing it for the first time

I was absolutely sobbing when I read it in the manga. Anime-wise I was more prepared to handle the scene

Watching Marco die again reminds me of why, even in current manga, I still completely and utterly LOATHE/DESPISE/HATE RBA. No, I don't care about their "tragic backstory", they don't deserve empathy of any kind.

It had the same impact when I first watched the trailer for the Lost Girls OVA, which spoiled me his death

It was tough to watch, but it was necessary to deepen Reiner, Bertolt, Annie (and Marco)'s characters. It was very well done, dramatically

Oh fuck it was WAY WORSE animated. Actually hearing his cries and screams is something that can never be duplicated in written form

I did not anticipate being as affected as I was by the Marco flashback. That doesn’t give me hope for how I’m going to handle the rest of the RtS arc. The emotions of the characters are being portrayed very well this season.

NOW THAT WE’VE HAD A CHANCE TO LISTEN TO ZEKE HAVE MORE DIALOGUE, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HIS VOICE? 305 Responses

The majority of the fandom believe that Zeke’s seiyuu is a good fit for his character, although over half of the fandom had expected his voice to sound a bit different. 10% feel it wasn’t the best choice, while a small sliver of respondents don’t care for the voice at all.

I can't unhear DIO. Thanks Zeke, thanks Koyasu.

Zeke's VA also voices a lovely, kind character in Violet Evergarden, so his lines are making me really, really uncomfortable

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT PIECK’S TITAN VOICE? 307 Responses

30% of respondents are excited about Pieck’s titan voice, while 28% feel it’s not what they expected to hear. 18% find the voice “acceptable” while 17% want to wait and hear more before making a final verdict.

Pieck's voice was unexpected in that it was terrifying, much like Ymir's Titan voice

Holy shit. I'm gonna hear it in my nightmares

I rabu Piku.

REGARDING CURRENT MANGA EVENTS, DO YOU THINK REINER STILL WANTS TO STAY TRUE TO HIS PROMISE TO YMIR? 308 Responses

Nearly half of the fandom believe that Reiner would still like to honor his promise to Ymir, but feel that he will never actually get to pull through. 15% believe that he’s still determined to save Historia no matter what, and 18% believe that he’s actually stopped caring about his promise (or perhaps just Historia in general) altogether.

Good question. I really want to have a scene with him facing Historia, his reaction to her pregnancy should be interesting

He doesn't want to save HISTORIA because he doesn't know her. The one he wanted to save was KRISTA. But she is already "dead"

I think Reiner has done what he needed to

I'm not sure, I think his main concerns are the kids and stopping Eren

It has to be real low on his priority list right about now given the circumstances

Of course not, Reiner only cares about his own manpain

He still calls her Krista and she probably has already chosen a side most likely Yeagerist

ARMIN HAD WISHED FOR A CHANCE TO NEGOTIATE AT THIS POINT, SIMILAR TO CURRENT MANGA EVENTS. IS THIS PROOF THAT HE HASN’T BEEN CHANGED BY BERTOLT’S MEMORIES? 308 Responses

44% don’t want to say either way whether Armin’s pre-titan behavior is indicative of the influence that Bertolt may or may not have over the Armin we know in the current manga. 39% believe that this is proof Eren’s words to Armin were total B.S., and 12% think this isn’t really proof of anything.

Armin Has always been the diplomat, while Eren is a man of force. Mikasa is in between. It has always been that way.

Past and future are influenced the same when paths are concerned so there's no way to tell.

I don’t think it’s enough to prove or disprove but this is an interesting idea

I don't get this 'changed' shit. Of course having access to someone else's memories has its own influence on a person, but that's true of anyone on the planet who's read a memoir as well. Everything has its effect. The titan shifter thing is obviously a bit more invasive than that, but it doesn't mean he's now suddenly possessed by Beartoto's fucking undead spirit.

I'd like to think it is but with everything Isayama's been throwing at us from out of left field who knows

he's always wished for negotiation, but he seems to have changed in his methods for negotiation. armin used to be more abrupt and upfront, whereas now he seems more tentative

No, he wasn't chanced that much. He understands RBA better and has more sympathy for Annie (maybe even has a crush on her) but it has nothing to do with being a slave.

SIMILARLY, MIKASA POINTS OUT HOW BERTOLT FEELS LIKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON. ARE THE MEMORIES OF HIS PREDECESSOR AFFECTING HIM IN THIS ARC? 306 Responses

Over half of the fandom feel that Bertolt’s current behavior at this point in the series is of his own will, and not influenced by any prior holders of the Colossal Titan. 38% think it’s possible he’s being influenced by memories of his predecessor(s) at this time, while a small percentage feel that he is definitely being influenced by someone else’s memories.

He was badass but I think he was affected by memories of the previous CT owner.

I think that Mikasa thinks he’s acting like a different person because he is. I think this is what Bertholdt is really like but with the 104th he was playing a role so he didn’t get too attached to them.

Still wondering if the "he seemed like a different person" comment was a note about development or supposed to foreshadow something about the Titans influencing their hosts.

I think it’s original Ymir controlling him through the paths

Probably. It seems like a bit of a drastic change to go from quiet, self-deprecating and remorseful to cold, outspoken, and trying to morally justify his actions. It's just too drastic a change.

Confidence boost is completely irrelevant to paths.

We don’t even know Bert’s previous predecessors!

Nope, that's have something to do with "character development", people change sometimes after time and grown more indepented and strong of their own shadow.

I always thought of it more as Bertie finally coming down on a side and the pair picking up on that. He was always so meek and indecisive, but now he's been forced to make a choice and to do it he has to shed his old skin and become more ruthless.

Not at all he ditched his guilt that made up the act they knew him for.

WHAT SCENE ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE PREVIEW? 307 Responses

The overwhelming majority of respondents are looking forward to the Survey Corps’ suicide charge against the Beast Titan and his flying boulders. Nearly 30% are looking forward to the moment that Levi gives Erwin his promise to kill the Beast Titan. A small percentage are most looking forward to Armin and Jean decide who’s going to lead the 104th to victory.

I am not ready for the next two episodes

I’m gonna get my ASS FUCKED SO HARD I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. THERES GONNA BE SHIT EVERYWHERE. ERWINS GONNA FUCKING DIE. LEVIS GONNA BE SAD.

fuck next week's shit is good, hype

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

The "predecessor's memory affecting current shifter" is, as far as I'm aware, just a theory that I don't buy into. I've only seen a person "changed" because of the Founding Titan's vow. Otherwise, the shifter's personality remains the same. Armin has always been an advocate for talking and negotiation. We see this in the Trost arc when the Garrison nearly kill Eren with that cannonball. So no, I don't think anyone's memories are "affecting" anyone, including current Eren.

Loved pretty much everything in this episode except for the CGI CT. Didn't expect to see uncensored Reiner, which was weird because Mikasa cutting off Bert's ear was more censored. And I'm a bit disappointed we didn't see more shots of Bert with his V fringe off his forehead. He looked so cool in the manga!

This episode gave me anxiety 'cause I know what we'll going to deal in the next three ones. The soundtrack gave intensity in every scene that its put on it, plus the fantastic job of the VA, perfect work. And just thinking about how the next episodes will be.... *goosebumps*

Wit studio handled the cgi very well imo. It's very difficult to animate this action heavy arca with rubble, smoke, odm scenes etc. and I think they are adapting the manga very well with the right pacing per episode which is also a challenge to fit within 20 minutes.

Bertolt is best boi and this episode was the best of all 3. He deserved to survive and mature up. Hashizume nailed him JUST RIGHT and his interactions with Reiner this episode were on point. The scene where he outsmarted Armin and countered Mikasa was worthy of applause.

i wish it wasn’t too rushed some moments aren’t as emotional as they should be

mikasa looked so good this episode and i'm so happy with how wit isn't screwing her over

After seeing this episode and Marco's death, it makes me sad that Reiner lost his pal Bertolt. They should be suffer bois together. Even still, some of the animation this episode was reallyy not great, so I rated the episode a 4.

Bertolt has proved on this episode that he's one of the best character of the series

I miss berthold so much and seeing him at his best was awesome but it’s really hard knowing what’s going to happen next

This is shaping up to be the best season of Attack On Titan. Cheers for more!

zeke’s beard is the tenth titan shifter

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 295 Responses

Thank you to everyone who participated! We’ll see you again in a few days!

#snk spoilers #snk s3 #snk poll #snk polls #poll results

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soundonreadings · 4 years

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Sound On InstaReadings Series Volume 4 with Jillian Christmas & Lauren Turner

Welcome to Sound on InstaReadings Series. Our second installment features readers Jillian Christmas & Lauren Turner and is hosted by David Ly and Cynara Geissler.

Posted here for your enjoyment are the bios of our fine readers and the text of their readings. Thanks!

Jillian Christmas is a queer, afro-caribbean writer living on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam people (Vancouver, BC.) where she served for six years as Artistic Director of Versəs Festival of Words. She has won numerous Grand Poetry-Slam Championship titles and represented Toronto and Vancouver at 11 national poetry festivals, notably breaking ground as the first Canadian to perform on the final stage of the Women of the World Poetry Slam. Jillian's work has been published in a number of magazines and books, most recently Matrix New Queer Writing (issue 98), Plenitude Magazine, Room Magazine (39.1) and celebrated anthology, The Great Black North. Her debut poetry collection The Gospel of Breaking is available now from Arsenal Pulp Press.

Reading text:

(sugar plum)

mommy sat down on the porch to put her foot up. She has so much to tell me today, about the iguana and how it could make aunty run, about the good bush that washes away the bad spirits anyone might put on me. I must take some to charlotteville and bathe with it in the ocean. She tells me too many times about the fish I am already sure I do not want to eat. But I listen. mommy is ninety-nine and she has earned all of her indulgences. So she tells me again about the house she built, how no man helped her do it. When I ask about her mother, she tells me her maiden name was murray. I want to know more about her mother, my great- grandmother. I want to know what she looked like and how she smelled and what she did to stay alive. Was her hair long like mine, was her skin dark like /uncle/?

mommy doesn’t talk much about her mother. Says she liked her mother fine, but she loves her /daddy/. So I listen to her talk about my /great grandfather/ defratis. She tells me he was nice, and fair, with beautiful hair. Half guyanese and half portuguese. She tells me he had plenty money, was a rum dealer with lots of business, rum shops here and there. She tells me how he died at 30 years and how a woman who worked with him told her the story. Some jealous man put poison in his rum so he could steal up all of his business. She asks me if I understand. I do, but as always I have a tough time telling the difference between truth and myth.

Satisfied of my understanding she goes on. She tells me how she loved him. How she cried and threw herself down in the street , just a little girl of five, begging her /father/ not to go to work. She only met him this once, but she loved him her whole life.

When she rolled around and threw a fit to stop him leaving, he reached for his belt, began to unbuckle to lash her into better behaviour, but he stopped himself. Picked her up out of the road and carried her into the store. He told the young woman in there to cook some food and share with her and then he was gone.

mommy says that if her /daddy/ hadn’t died, she would’ve gone with him, travelled to portugal and all over. She says he would’ve left her some money and she wouldn’t have had to work so hard all of her life. Things would’ve been different. She would not have stayed in charlotteville, or married /my grandfather/, (she doesn’t say much about this but I think I already know he was a heavy handed man). I listen. Eventually, in a moment of gratitude, I say that if things had been different I wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t exist. That’s what I’m telling you, she replies. My gratitude melts into a kind of passive sadness, she has already measured this option, has found it acceptable. I say, but what about your children? I would’ve had different children. She doesn’t say it with malice, but a tepid resignation. I repeat BUT I WOULDN’T EXIST!

No, you wouldn’t be my child. It’s a reasonable compromise for her, a whole life, house, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren still, gambled on trust for /a man/ only met once, gambled on the kindness of her being fed, instead of beaten.

I think about the longing I have suffered in my life. How I have stretched toward people who would not have stayed even if there were no venom.

The promise of possibility is a trap that has kept me from the joys of my own life.

And what joys am I missing, in clinging to a /daddy/ who is always missing, always walking toward poison and away from food? What love do I dishonour and ignore, in searching for a face I hardly know?

Let them go to their poison /great- grandfathers/ and /daddies/ too. Let them go and leave behind children crying as they will, mourning as we do. Let them go, and let us see what wild plants grow in their absence. What medicines will spring from a line of women with lost fathers and distant /daddies/? A line of maidens and witches who carry their own names and build their own houses, and birth their own bloodlines and cook their own food.

I Miss You Much

I miss you like dark and icy waters miss the warmth of sun’s sweet kisses or lust for the hard hand of wind’s fleeting embraces I miss you like a hungry storm wet and urgent carving torrents through rough and choppy places I miss you deep and aching long and heavy and though you may not heed this truth is by the time you read this I will miss you more already my room is hot the air hangs damp and heady and I miss you I am missing you in places where other lovers’ hands become unsteady at the mention of our skin where others’ sin is weak and thin and other fingers dare not dream to touch come back to me tonight my love I promise I am ready and I miss you much my love MY GOD I miss you much

Lauren Turner is a disabled poet and essayist, who wrote the chapbook, We’re Not Going to Do Better Next Time (knife | fork | book, 2018). Her work has appeared in Grain, Arc Magazine, Poetry is Dead, Cosmonauts Avenue, The Puritan, canthius and elsewhere. She won the 2018 Short Grain Contest and was a finalist for the 2017 3Macs carte blanche Prize. She lives in Tiohtiá:ke/Montréal on the unceded land of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation.

Reading Text:

excerpt from Stop Bringing Me Here

I want to take the violence out of my life and replace it with a swan pond.

There’s a reading at my alma mater. By attending, I open the nostalgic dam without meaning to, gingerly stepping back into your kitchen.

You have me against the counter, nothing perverse yet – I wanted this.

Onstage, a poet is reciting poems filled with light, weather, and nature.

I hear her animals and I think: How advantageous this woman’s life must be that she can inhabit the pastoral in her poetry.

Do I err as a poet or as a woman? I wasn’t taught to respect either one.

The university reading folds open to a student bar. Presiding over the visiting writers, my former mentor won’t look at me, hasn’t since finding out I’d been involved with you. Gulping my cider like oxygen, I try to visualize sunfish winnowing water into ripples to keep back tears. I want to say: The movements of power aren’t difficult to follow. You weren’t, after all, a rodent tunnelling snow but the cat that pounced in its nest.

Dear [former mentor], Confiding in you felt hazard-filled. I was terrified of blame, the assumption that I tried to capitalize on the power of an older, established man – your friend. Where could he get me?

I never wanted to be gotten anywhere, only to bring myself to the place where he wouldn’t act embarrassed of me. I thought this place existed. If only my appeal wasn’t bound up in the shame he knew to foster.

I trusted you, [former mentor], but you prefer to trust power.

It’s lazy to accuse young women of fucking to the top. Harder to ask why they heard a child’s loon call as love, leapt toward it.

Wait, that metaphor is weak. Turn the child adult, their playtime sinister.

Several men came whistling into my lakeside summer. I swam with them, and that season is no one’s voyeuristic wet dream, except mine.

You upended my life, for a time. I won’t call every fault line pain or pretend we never shared moments that sweetened our brine, making the cuts itch a little less.

Often, those memories carry more pain than your cruelty, that you added value to my life in equal measures to what you took away.

Three years left before I could write that. I’m not sure it’s true.

Moving on didn’t dissuade a part of me from staying entrenched in this. I imagine that’s the part you take issue with. I wonder if you, like my mentor, have recalibrated my culpability to account for your fall.

I didn’t intend to topple you from the pedestal. On TV, a statue in shackles bends like it was never worth admiring and I couldn’t want that for you.

Maybe it was my fault, I tell a friend, trying to hush the sadness that gnaws like the slow hunger of being disbelieved. I should’ve turned him down. Why was I flattered by his interest? Did I believe he was capable of genuine care? How could our relationship grow into anything except a power struggle?

These questions eat beyond their satiation point.

So what, replies society. We’ve all been young and most of us aren’t crying foul about our less savoury trysts. You consented to fucking him and he took it to mean fucking you over. You should’ve been clearer.

I don’t know what I want from this poem. I want to write poems where I’m not dripping across the linoleum with my cunt in your mouth.

It’s a clean request: a plea for poems where birds could take up nest. I needed to talk to you without talking to you, but every line I try goes dead. Let’s take my quiet in handfuls, like a drunken night with too much winter

clothing and it’s always June somewhere.

Fine, have it your way: I never craved his love, only to swallow his prestige with my body, lapping up the Goldschläger cum that clung to the fine mink of his crotch. I was mature in early life and tucked my naïveté up my too-long sleeves. Isn’t that how girls grow up? By pretending we can handle the depths, flaunting our sodden selves like we chose to dive in, rather than hit water from a shove. Swimming is a reflexive motion in ducks. Also in girls.

No matter how softly I cauterize this life, someone asks, But what happened in his kitchen?

It’s my fault. I thought I could enter a man’s home without catching a sliver of his expectation. No, tell me exactly with your bons mots. Spell it out. And what if I can’t, what then? He was nothing I didn’t say yes to.

The men are getting restless, I imagine addressing a lecture hall as I would a horse stable. As if men are no different than beasts broken over centuries, proudly trotted into poetry without fearing their hooves in my stanzas’s soft meat. When they realized I wouldn’t keep quiet, they waited around for me to slip up and write the words they could bridle me with. ::

I am terrified I built my poetry on the backs of violent men. I am terrified. I built my poetry on the backs of violent men.

I am built on the back of violence.

0 notes

nightglider124 · 7 years

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Night’s Review Time! - Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

Where to start... maybe I should set it out kinda bit by bit.

So, pals, the much awaited (by me at least) “Teen Titans: The Judas Contract” came out today via digital download. I’m telling you; last night I was a mess bc I was so on edge with wanting to see it. Time difference fucked me over bc by the time it was released digitally in America, it was like 5am here so ya know. I had to just “sleep” to pass the time. I know right? How lame.

Anyways, enough of me babbling about my first world problems.

Stop reading here if you have yet to see the movie and/or do not want it ruined. Because, needless to say... SPOILERS.

The Judas Contract in short centres heavily on the Titans, not too much on any one character but enough for us to be able to get an understanding of each of them that we lacked in the last film.

In particular, it focuses in on Terra; the newest member of the team. She has a rocky attitude (ha I made a joke... sigh i’ll just leave) and tends to keep the others at arm’s length. There is of course a reason for this.

The plot is that of the Titans hot on Brother Blood’s trail and trying to bring him and his cult to a stand still. Meanwhile, Blood has a contract with Deathstroke for the Titans, to help him accomplish his plans of being an “almighty god”.

And anyone who is clued in on the gist of the Judas Contract will know exactly what is going on with our darling Terra.

So, let’s do this. Piece by piece.

I’ll be a good little film student and start with the structure and narrative of the movie. I honestly think it’s okay; I like how they split between showing us the Titans and their personal and professional shenanigans as well as showing us Blood and Slade’s interactions. At times, I felt it was a little choppy and didn’t always flow maybe as well as it should and/or could have. But, all in all, it’s well put together as much as an animated movie can be anyways.

The only thing I feel is somewhat... misplaced is the first scene of the original titans before our current kids. It takes place 5 years prior to the film and it just... I don’t see the point.

Or maybe I do; i’ll get to that in a second though.

We see Robin, Kid Flash, Beast Boy, Speedy and Bumblebee “puttering along” to use Wally’s words, only to be side-tracked by an apparent alien fight occurring nearby. You so know where I’m going with this.

As they near closer, tadaaa, we see our delightful Starfire fighting off Gordanians. So, it is literally a random kinda scene but it kinda works?

Like, I think the way it is just dropped in at the very start is a little random and gives me a sense of misdirection but at the same time, I can see why they’d want to include it.

It re-establishes the whole “titans together” kinda vibe and it gives some background on some characters. Well, Dick, Kory and Gar at least. And that’s what I think is the secondary reason. Starfire is the leader of the current Titans so it does seem fitting to show us where she came from and obviously, it gave a little more depth into where her alliance with Dick started and where their relationship bloomed from.

I really like the scene itself. It’s witty and action packed and for us shippers out there, we got the kiss. But more on that later.

It’s informative and it may have come in more at a thrust like here take this scene and run with it but, it does give an insight into the titans before and looking more into Kory’s origin which, in my opinion is always nice. So, good scene just wrong placement or at the very least, messy placement. It also doesn’t have much of a significant impact on the rest of the movie, itself but I like the... closure of it to be able to understand where some of our favourite characters came from.

Now, to talk about the characters because each of them get at least one moment where they’re explored a little more. I feel like the personalities and backgrounds were explained a tiny bit more with some of them. I honestly loved the characterization of each of them. They’re all individually interesting and throw them all together and you have an awesome team. I feel like no one was really left out or forgotten about too much which I felt did happen with “Justice League VS Teen Titans” which, let’s face it, focused mainly on Raven and Damian.

Speaking of the demon child, I’ll start with Robin first. Now, contrary to popular opinion that we all hate Damian... I do not hate him. I actually really like his character. People refer to him as being the whiny, bratty child which... yeah he is but he’s learning and this movie is definitely a show of that growth. He still has his little threats and glares at his teammates but you see a shift in this film from the last. He is more with the team this time, looking out for their best interests at heart. Even when he follows Terra when she’s going to meet Slade, he is checking on her... technically by spying but hey if he wasn't doing that, would he even be Robin?

He tries to empathise and tells her how much he understands the place she's at which... he really does understand. Like, really. They're talking about Deathstroke whilst Robin is catured and Damian says, "He's lying to you. That's how he does it. Mixing truth with lies. Let me guess, he kept you isolated, dependant, told you everyone was your enemy. Trained you, ruthlessly. And promised you exactly what you wanted." Now... show of hands who agree he is not just referencing Slade there. He has his own demons and he understands it and is trying to slowly but surely, come away from it. Not only does he understand that area, but he also understands coming into and being overwhelmed by the "team" as he's always been alone and had the same trouble adjusting to having people around him who are genuinely looking out for him.

As stated, he can be a little shit and definitely in previous films I have wanted to smack him myself but at the same time, the character is still a kid. Wiser than most but a kid nonetheless. He's settling and I like how they gave him time in this film. They didn't completely steer their focus to Damian, rather made him a small part of the plot. I liked that he was used to share the understanding with Terra too. It's not often we get to see Damian actually reflect like he does in this movie. It was a nice change of pace and honestly, Damian is funny in his ways. Even the way he congratulates Dick on his next step with Kory is a smidge reserved but he's playing nice and that's what counts. I personally love Damian's character and am glad he's being used in the DCAU.

Raven was probably the least looked into but at the same time, had an important role of being the one to sense something off about Terra. Not to mention, the first film was focused solely on Raven and Trigon and all of that so it was nice to still see her as an active character without her being pushed at you too much. Again, I love Raven's character, especially in the DCAU. She's witty and sarcastic whilst still caring for her teammates as a family. She's not all doom and gloom and "omg i'm so goth" which I hate. I hate when she is portrayed as someone who doesn't want anything to do with anyone. She's reserved but she's not a teenage nutcase. Jheez.

As stated, she is the one to pick up on the negative vibes from Terra and yet, still shows her caring side, offering to help her meditate to channel her control. Raven, in some media, I feel is overrated but in this, I think she is done just to the right point. Like, she is well gelled with the team and she has her place and uses and the team love and respect her. I honestly love this version of Raven. I can't expand on it more than that. She is less guarded but at the same time, remains a bit of a mystery.

Beast Boy... Ah, mon petit rayon de soleil. I don't think there is anyone alive who could not be in love with this munchkin. He's hilarious and adorable and you just want to hug him throughout the entirety of this movie. I love Beast Boy's character in all shapes and forms. Like from pieces of comics I've seen to Teen Titans (2003) to Young Justice. Every version is a blessing. He is constantly a ray of sunshine and renowned for being the comic relief of the Titans. There's no question. It's little things. Especially him being such a modern teen in this movie what with his continuous statements like, "Hey! I've got a million followers" it's just so pure and earnest. He literally wears his heart on his sleeve and I wish he was a recognised character more. I don't think he gets a lot of credit in any version really when he deserves so much. The character is so lovable and funny and yet there is an undercurrent of maturity there if you dig deep enough.

When he's talking to Terra and she's throwing stones across the water, he sheds some light on a more adult thought process of the way things are around him. He tells her, "I think pain is what makes a hero. It's like a pressure that either forms a diamond or grinds you into dust." And I love that that statement comes from the supposedly oblivious and funny member. He's childlike but he knows his shit. And your heart kinda just stays with him throughout the film. And after his kiss with Terra, he is flippin' adorable like I cannot even he just keeps cheering and aw, he's such a dork. But as things go grim, you just feel for him so badly like he is such an innocent and so happy-go-lucky that it's makes you sit there like why are you making my precious boy go through this? He is perfectly represented in this film and he may well be my fave from this.

Blue Beetle was a character I found myself drawn to during this movie. I've never really had much of an inkling about him nor have I really cared for his character that much. Like, not in a negative way, I've just been oblivious to his character in the past. Even in the last movie, I didn't connect with the character that much. However, oh boy does that change in this movie. I feel, if anyone had a big part to play in this it was Jaime.

There was such a sad undercurrent about his struggles that weren't touched on that much in the previous movie. I mean, we see him call his family and talk but there's the unspoken tension which allows you to understand there's a distance since the scarab fused to his body. It's horrible bc you can really feel the struggle and the sadness that he feels underneath it all with this movie. This of course also made his character extremely lovable. Vulnerable superheroes are my weakness. What can you do? But, along the same lines, you can see he is still having issues controlling the "bug" and that it greatly frustrates him, especially when he gets flustered around Traci and is in a closet trying to tell the bug to calm the fuck down. Ah, so many moments that made me smile.

Nightwing was delightful, as always in this one. I mean, I like his character throughout the animated movies. He's such a good mix between serious but also has his playful moments, something better explored in this movie, I think. I really liked how they focused on him at times. Obviously, towards the end I was happy it was him that came to the rescue kinda thing when I know a lot of people thought they would give it to Damian. And rightly so it belongs to Dick; he has a huge role to play in the Judas Contract because he dons the Nightwing persona. Now, this was slightly altered in the movie because he was already Nightwing but I like how they still gave him a suitable amount of spotlight to show he is an integral part still.

His personality is one of my favourite things in the entirety of this movie like to be completely honest. He's just so well portrayed in the sense he can be serious and focused and determined like he's trained to be but he can also be normal, like the rest of them and hang out with his friends and be jokey etc. I just really liked how they used his character in this one.

And lastly, my lovely Starfire, who you should be aware is my absolute favourite so excuse me if I gush. I love her characterization in this film. I like the fact that she is bubbly and positive. I like that she can have her defiant moments. I like that she is more confident. I like that she's flirty every now and then. I like that she's so down for her team like she loves all of them nuggets. I absolutely love that she is leader. I cannot stress that enough but I love the fact she is the leader because I feel she is that kind of character in the sense like she's not stupid; she is incredibly capable of doing a top notch job.

One thing I absolutely adore about how she was explored in this was looking at her insecurities of being said leader. Also, we see her sadly reflect on fleeing Tamaran and they're just subtle pieces to her backstory and ya know, it is sad for her because she's an alien still struggling her way through life on Earth and she probably does feel, more often than not, like an outsider but masks it with her happiness. She's unfamiliar with certain things even after a few years and tries hard to make the most of it and I admire her character for that.

The leadership issue was an amazing thing to see her feel insecure about. Like, she got a bit irked with Dick treading on her territory because he naturally would after being the leader for so long before her. But, she doesn't just do the cliché of not telling him about it and causing all kinds of tense drama. She opens up a lot about how she feels with being the leader because let's not forget, she followed Dick before he left so now that he's back, it's ridiculously unsettling because she'd be constantly comparing herself and second guessing whether or not she's up to the task and measuring herself to him. I really, truly liked seeing the vulnerable side to Kory which I also like that we only got to see her do in the presence of Dick. Notice, she may feel insecure about it but she isn't about to let it show to the team in fear of furthering her doubts of herself. All round love for Kory in this film.

And... we're down to Terra. Ahh, so many thoughts on Terra.

I have always been up in the air with Terra. I'm not sure just how she is in the comics because i've only ever seen bits and pieces and never got a good grasp of her character in that so my main judgment comes from Teen Titans series and this film, really.

But, I like Terra's character a lot. I really like the way she is in this too. She's an extremely complex character with a lot of boundaries and it's strange. She's guarded but she seems to let all the wrong people in and keeps all the right, influential people at a distance. I really enjoyed seeing the flashbacks on her backstory and how she was abused and mistreated by so many people around her. I've always wondered about her history because it's a little vague and never really goes in depth in the series at least. You just get the vibe she travels around with no sense of direction and with no home to go to so it was like getting closure to see her backstory and the struggles she's come through.

Only then, of course, to be found by Slade which makes me wanna scream. Like I feel like people forget that Terra is young and impressionable right and has always had people tell her she's a freak and never even had something that closely resembles a friend. So, when Slade reaches out, it's a no brainer she would accept. It doesn't make her a bad character; just someone who needed help and thought she would get that from this asshole. I like seeing the familiar lack of control with her powers again; it reemphasises the unstable nature within her as a person as well as with her abilities.

And you know, with Terra I feel she somewhere, deep down knows that Slade is bad and she knows she doesn't want to be a bad person. But, I think she is a character that is so desperate to be cared for in any way that she lets herself be used and tries to disparage the knowledge that she is in fact, being used. We can see that from the way she reacts to Damian flat out telling her what she knows is true but doesn't want to believe.

I think it's pretty self explanatory as to why she reacts kinda aggressively towards the Titans when they're trying to help and be nice to her and genuinely show care for her. She's never had that before so of course she's gonna get defensive and get her back up.

The thing with Terra, as a character, is she does things not everyone looks at in a different light. In my opinion, she makes a ton of bad decisions but in every variation I have ever seen, she kinda redeems herself in the end. Like, she does it as a last act of showing she is capable of doing good and that in the end, she could make the right decision.

Terra is definitely a character that I like in this and in general bc she's back and forth, unpredictable but in some ways, relatable regarding trust etc.

The relationships in this movie. Oh boy. Like there's such a good mix between familial and romantic relationships in this movie which I know is something they said at the wondercon panel that they were really putting effort into this time around. Like, I want to mention one which was more obvious in the first Titans film that really makes me happy and that's Raven and Kory. Like I really like how comfortable and sisterly they are? Like even in this one, I took silent joy in Raven sitting and meditating whilst Kory trains like the companionship is sweet. It's probably more so me because I really love them two as besties and sisters.

I secondly, like the little interactions with Jaime and Gar when he's all bummed about Terra showing next to no interest in him. I really like Dick and Damian's little interactions throughout like I just enjoy them tbh bc it's such a love/hate kind of relationship but they'll always have each other's back kinda thing. I found myself liking the dynamic between Damian and Raven. Like I lowkey love them as either just really good pals or even romantic. I don't know why but something about their interactions makes me smile and at the end when Rae brings out whom I can only assume is Titus; I found myself cooing. And shockingly, I found myself enjoying the Beast Boy and Terra relationship which weirded me out because BBTerra has always kinda been a notp. But it was sweet that she seemed to calm down and open up a little and let her guard down a little more around Gar. And their kiss was adorable if not just because of Gar's reaction afterwards. Nope this dope doesn't just play it off coolly; he's whooping and grinning and it's frickin' cute. I really enjoyed the interlaced relationships. They were heart-warming and made me connect easier with the characters and movie as a whole.

And of course, Dickkory is going to get a whole paragraph because what kinda trash shipper would I be if I didn't? These two in this film are to die for. Their relationship is so healthy and balanced in this which is the way it should be. Like, they really portray them in the best kind of way. They throw in so many dynamics that make the two of them work. There's the fact they are friends and teammates whilst being able to make little jokes to each other regarding their romantic relationship. There's the playful and flirty side which we've seen from their phone calls in the previous line of films without being distasteful. There's the trust and the worry and it's just all round tender and sweet. There are so many scenes with Dick and Kory in where they're being cutesy; it'd be hard to pick a favourite. There are a few up there though. The early scene of him being a dork and asking her to move in together in front of the others just makes me melt. The hug. The little box with the key inside. The fact Dick has this running thing of getting interrupted with Kory with literally anything made me smile. Like, let the boy have some alone time with his lady. Damn. The other scene is the training scene hands down because it's fucking hilarious. Kory is so direct and Dick has to quickly stop her from talking about their sex life. God, I almost cried with laughter. It's fluffy and cute. Like, I'm genuinely surprised with how much Dickkory DC put into this and like they also didn't fuck things between them by the end of it? Like, I'm still so shocked?

There were so many scenes and Dick was such a sweetheart in most of them, especially when Kory was feeling a little insecure. Like, the hugs were a big favourite I'm not gonna lie to ya, guys. It's just nice to see them like this in media tbh like domestic fluff with them is my weakness. They're very laid back in the sense they can make a remark about their relationship and not have it compromise a mission or anything and that's the shit I live for with this movie.

As for the story itself, I thought it was nothing too spectacular but it wasn't awful either. It had it's climactic parts and there was one part with Dick when I thought he was a goner. The fighting scene at the end with Blood and with Slade... all of it was wonderful; as was Terra's spotlight moment. It made me sad, it made it excited and it made squeal. So, all in all, I think the plot was good too. It wasn't a difficult or boring one to follow which always means better rather than worse.

The art style was something I wanted to mention, being the former art student I am. I actually really love the style of these films. Like, it looks more like Young Justice than anything else but it's cut, clean and crisp designs which is my frickin' drug. It doesn't look half assed or anything like that. The only thing I can never help but notice are the pinched brow lines on our batboys masks. Like they just continuously look angry and there's few times the lines chill out. And, gotta mention what I can only assume are stress/tired lines more so on Dick's face. Like, is it overdrawing or is it just Dick because he is continuously worn out. I dunno ya'll. Not saying these lines are bad, I just noticed them and thought I would mention it too.

Something I really like is the voice acting. I love all the choices for each character and think they fit with personalities really well. In particular, I found myself really loving Deathstroke because of his voice. Like, there was a gritty, oily sound to his voice which really worked well to mirror the type of character considering he is a badass villain. So, a big kudos to Miguel Ferrer who unfortunately passed away earlier this year. Rest in peace; you did the character justice, in my opinion. Deathstroke was morbidly funny too which I am always a sucker for. Like, sarcastic or wise-cracking villains? Gimme' em'.

Note worthy parts of the film that I highly enjoyed or at least appreciated was that first scene bc I am shipper trash and we got given the infamous kiss so it was always gonna win me over.

Another is the massive nudge that Wondergirl will be a part of the team in any future project as she was shown as the "new girl" at the end of the movie which makes me happy. I'm just hoping that they keep it as Donna because, let's face it, we all want it to be Donna.

Lastly, something I was more so... happy with was how they showed Slade and Terra together. I mean their "relationship" is gross in any shape or form but what I mean is, I'm happy they didn't go too far or do it too distastefully. It was somewhat diluted down so that we didn't get a repeat of the shambles that was The Killing Joke. I mean, it's still bleugh but it wasn't actually graphic or anything like that, at least which I appreciated because I didn't want that near me.

Some flaws I noticed or things I didn't get an answer to or just simply didn't like weren't that many things. One thing that does stand out due to being unanswered is Dick's red suit. It really doesn't bother me. Like red, blue; I don't care but I would have liked them to address as to why it is different. I mean, is it due to being New 52 inspired or is it something else like did he wash his suit with a red sock? What is it? This is probably the only thing I really questioned like whuuuut.

Another thing I was a little "oh." at was the amount of screen time that Joey got. I mean, I'm not about to start raging but if there's one thing I know about The Judas Contract, it's that he was a big part of it; a huge part in fact and it was a little disconcerting to see him on there for like a minute before getting shot in the head. I just think it's a bit of a poor choice on DC's end like he could have had more to do with the story at least a tiny bit more but alas, they did not go down that route. Though, I think a lot of people missed the ending. At the very end of the credits, Joey's head wound heals and his eyes begin to glow and he wakes up so if that's not a hint to another movie involving him more, I don't know what is.

Always remember to stay after the credits, kids.

My future predictions for another movie is definitely not concrete; far from it but it's just things I would like to see and wishful thinking. One thing I would like to see and am quite hopeful for, all things considered is that of Kory and Donna's beautiful friendship. Fucking love them ladies together so yes, that one seems like a simple ask.

Other things include maybe a plot regarding Kory heading back to Tamaran to deal with her asshat of a sister because we've heard mentions of Kom in both this film and the last so I'm curious if that'll lead anywhere. However, I do not want this shit turning into Kory getting married out of duty. Like, no. Keep her with Dick in their adorable apartment eating Chinese food and watching looney tunes.

And lastly, the biggest stretch of wishful thinking would be introducing us to Mar'i Grayson. Like, I would fucking love if baby Mar'i was or became a thing in this universe just because I'd explode from the cuteness. And think, we could get cute bits of Dick being like no, babe to a pregnant Kory wanting to join in on missions. Of course, I'm not naïve or stupid to think Mar'i will ever be brought in because let's face it, we were on edge about Dickkory with this movie. I don't wanna push my luck. But, she is a wishful thinking topic for future Titan films. Baby Mar'i would be acceptable, highly unlikely, but acceptable and very well received.

Overall, I absolutely loved The Judas Contract. There is not much about it I would change and I wrote this to showcase all aspects. As in, I'm not just saying I love the movie because it features Dick and Kory together. I love it for various reasons. In fact, I'm about to watch it again because I can and because I'm trash for it.

Hope you guys, if you made it all the way to the end, enjoyed my review. I really didn't mean for this to turn into an essay but here we are.

Oh and if anyone comments and tries to just be a dick about what I've written, I won't be dignifying it with responses. This is purely a review of my opinion. You don't have to like or agree with it but you do have to respect it is my post. Just sayin'.

Til' another movie perks my interest, guys. *peace sign*

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2djdanger · 7 years

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RAMBLINGS OF AN ANIMATION STUDENT ON THE BOSS BABY AND THE INDUSTRY ITSELF AND WHY I LOVE THE BOSS BABY WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL:

Words cannot describe the love I have for The Boss Baby. I saw an advanced screening of it a few weeks back with the director there & it blew my mind it’s like 3D animation meets 2D along with gorgeous art & so many opposites attract motifs like the baby acting like an adult & the graphic bold bright comic book feel type scenes that also meet this almost soft pastel 1950s/1960s vibe going on. AND THE EMOTION IN EVERYONES FACES AGH IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY AS AN ANIMATOR!!! It’s such a fast paced movie & everything happening at once & throughout all this everyone’s showing a variety of different emotions in a few seconds & the writing is amazing like not many animated films these days go back to the roots of traditional animation & just making it for a wide variety of an audience from all walks of life instead of making the same movie over & over again with great animation but a story line that seems rushed & choppy & not thought out but they keep making sequels anyways whether we wanted them or not just because m o n e y. I’m looking at u Disney with almost everything & Illumination with Despicable Me. It’s not to say that I don’t like sequels bc those companies have made some I enjoyed but it makes me disappointed when they could be putting their talents towards something fresh & new & original. This movie was o r i g i n a l in every sense of the word. Go take your kids to see it, yourself, your parents (I took mine & im a fully grown adult as are they & we loved it), your grandparents, your grandparent’s grandparents!!! It’s so great!!! It’s literally what the 3D animation community needed. I’m a traditional/2D animator myself & it seems more of the 2D movies out there recently have been trying to keep it original and don’t even get me started on the amount of work the animators do in not only 2D but 3D as well. But like recently 3D animation seems obsessed with the technology realizing they can make anything look more & more realistic nowadays then say when Pixar created Toy Story & their shorts in the 80s. These big companies keep churning out these movies not putting much thought into it & spending everything to make it look as real as possible. But that’s not the point of animation at all! They’re losing touch with why we animate in the first place!!! As my old storyboarding teacher once told our class on why we animate, we animate because it shouldn’t be possible in the real world. When you make anything animated you should stop & think: why am I making this story animated? Does it really need to be animated? Can I do this in live action? If you can make a story in live action then why are you animating it at all in the first place? It doesn’t need to be animated! Literally animation is just beautiful. You can do anything with it. And more & more especially with the technology in 3D films they’re slipping away from those values & ideas & making things that can be replicated in live action. So to see The Boss Baby really utilize the original concept of animation to tell that beautiful crazy impossible story & to top it off tell it through the bright eyes of an over imaginative child make it all the more better because it gives way to these big brilliant imagination sequences with these bold graphic designs that I’d die for. The editing and the animation in this movie is literally perfection it’s one thing flows into another into another into another & it works ANNND THERES EVEN GOOD COMEDIC TIMING!!! Sometimes movies live action & animated just can’t capture that kind of fast paced back to back tension followed by good comedic timing so to the writing team on The Boss Baby I say bravo to you & to the animators as well because God knows how difficult it is to draw out a normal sequence of actions but to follow the writing & get that vision out there in the open & follow it & draw it out so every detail works that’s just insane. This movie just inspires me so much & it’s relatable. My childhood was like Tim’s where everything was perfect & I was happy until my baby sister came along & we went at it for years. Another thing back to the genius writing in the film is this style where it forces you into Tim’s shoes because when they first introduce Boss Baby & for the first half of the film you’re made to hate him & he acts as the villain of the film until about halfway through Boss Baby really comes out of his 1 dimensional evil villain shell & just sees Tim in distress & reveals why it’s not only bad for Tim the current situation but why it’s bad for him too & then proceeds to give Boss Baby this insane narrative & beautifully tragic multidimensional backstory. Tim as the first main character has already been developed as a multidimensional character with different feelings & emotional expressions because he doesn’t know much about the world except for his imagination since he is a kid but by showing this then completely flipping everything on it’s head & giving Boss Baby real flaws & strengths that balance out Tim’s strengths & weaknesses it makes them seem a lot more like real relatable people & more so like siblings who depend on each other. As an older sister I can say some of my weaknesses end up being my sisters strengths & vice versa. Then by the end of the film,Boss Baby is this character you can't help but love & root for hoping he wins & can get out of the bad situations like when his formula was stolen so he kept going baby again it's like you feel panicked because you don't want Boss Baby to be normal you want him to be his crazy quirky self. Also this whole tragic narrative really hit me like it just stuck with me because I’m a sucker for these kinds of dark/sad stories layered in a brighter happier story & they coexist in harmony like that’s when you know a film’s really working. So SPOILERS AHEAD even though if you got this far there have already been some light spoilers I couldn’t avoid talking about but these get right into the grit of it. So the idea that Boss Baby was never really born fascinates me. In this world in the movie it makes sense. It’s also really sad as Tim points out as we’re finding out more about Boss Baby that he never had a childhood & how Boss Baby even says himself he was “born” or more so created (in both the universe of the movie & if he was self aware ((which he isn’t but for the sake of explaining this just humor the thought if he was)) that he was created as a character to work in this movie world realm plane of existence whatever you want to call it) all grown up as an adult in a baby’s body. Just think about that for a minute. What if you were born an adult & never went through childhood, never had a family, no one ever loved you or played with you or anything, all you knew was co-workers & business stuff. You never had fun or imagined things. That’s a really sad life if you ask me personally. He never had a chance to be creative or find himself all he knew was what the cold adult business school taught him from day 1. Most adults these days forgot what it was like to be a child & have fun & I think that’s what they were trying to get at with this backstory especially when Tim’s on the plane to Vegas with Boss Baby & just trying to teach him in small little ways how to use his imagination & just be a kid & not be so serious & black & white all the time. Also, I feel like that’s the issue sometimes with my own parents. As an animator I see animated movies as just another way of telling a story whereas people like my parents who don’t understand much from my line of work see it as a children’s media with no substance & pretty pictures. I want to break that barrier because the first animated pieces were NOT made for kids they were for other adults. I feel like it shouldn’t matter anyways if the movie’s marketed for kids because it could always be a good movie regardless of that & people like my parents forget what it’s like to have fun & see a good kids movie. They were kids once, we all were. As with many animated films before it, The Boss Baby brings subtle tasteful adult humor to the film as well as some just downright outrageous adult humor like Boss Baby running around butt naked with a censor bar over his nether regions. When you can marry adult & child humor together in a movie & make it work nicely it’s always a sign of a good movie. So tonight’s the opening night of The Boss Baby in cinemas everywhere & because I have so much love for this movie after seeing the advanced screening & listening to the director, producer, & designer from the movie speak about it & their own experiences they put into this film, like I stated before I dragged my parents out of the house on a Friday night when they would normally be in bed sleeping really early & shared the joy & beauty of the animated feature film with them. Normally my dad’s the one who will give almost any film a try & watch it & really like it. My mom however is extremely picky & if it doesn’t please her in the first 10 minutes or less she will zone out & fall asleep taking a nap through over half the movie. Both of my parents were on the edge of their seats tonight paying the utmost attention to the movie. It was a really beautiful moment to see my parents actually giving this animated movie a shot & they both ended up loving it as much I did on my second go seeing it. I’m not gonna lie I saw the trailers for this movie late last year & it caught my interest but I had this nagging thought that it wasn’t going to be a fresh new story it would just be typical & only made to make some money & keep Dreamworks in the game another year. I was happily proven wrong & this movie just takes everything about these money making no story movies & flips it on its head entirely. I even bought the art book for The Boss Baby because the artwork alone is enough to inspire me while working on my own projects. And that my friends is why you need to see The Boss Baby

TL;DR: The Boss Baby is an A+ gorgeously animated film with a breath of fresh air new story told in a way that’s really interesting & new & takes you back to the old days of 2D animation classics despite being a 3D film so disregard Rotten Tomato’s obviously wrong ratings & go see it for yourself because as an animator this movie makes me happy & I want to live in it forever ❤️❤️❤️

#the boss baby #the boss baby spoilers #animation #3d animation #2d animation #classic animation #animation student #movie review #new movie 2017 #give all your money to the boss baby bc the good people at dreamworks who worked on this film deserve it all #dreamworks #dreamworks skg)

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2traveldads-blog · 7 years

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Until a few months ago Wisconsin wasn’t on our radar as a family travel destination, but we were like “Sure, let’s go and see what we can see.” So we went; we saw; we had a blast! We based our recent Wisconsin trip out of Madison, the capitol. From getting out on the water to heading underground, our Wisconsin family trip was constant fun for both the dads and the kids.

So, what do you know about Wisconsin? Before we started planning our trip all we knew was cheese, beer, and the Green Bay Packers. We had a goal to find our what else was awesome and were totally successful in doing so. Check it out!

Getting to Wisconsin

Until this adventure Wisconsin had always been a fly-over state, meaning that we only just flew over it. It turns out that it’s actually really easy to get to with plenty of flight options into Madison or Milwaukee, typically with connections. Also, southern Wisconsin, which is where we focused, is really close to Chicago, so a Wisconsin family trip could be an easy add-on to a trip to the Windy City.

Driving, I-90 and I-94 are the two biggest interstates to get you into the southern parts, so if you’re coming from the Pacific Northwest and really want to create an epic Midwestern road trip, you’re set! If you’re an east coaster, plot out some cool adventures heading out of Boston, also driving I-90. Wisconsin is your reward for such a road trip.

Madison, Wisconsin family fun

We don’t do a ton of city travel with the kids because we know how much fun we have out in nature, but we really enjoyed staying in Madison. There were ample opportunities for both indoor and outdoor exploring. Madison for a home base made our Wisconsin family trip really simple and fun.

HotelRED: our Madison, Wisconsin accommodations

We spent our week popping in and out of the coolest hotel, HotelRED. Located right next to Camp Randall Stadium, where the University of Wisconsin Badgers play, it was centrally located for kayaking, finding the best Wisconsin grub and branching out beyond Madison. We had tons of space for the kids (and dads) to relax, a kitchenette and an awesome balcony overlooking the city. It was great to have a home away from home to return to each day.

Tip: HotelRED has some great setups in place with local vendors from bike rentals or kayaks to grocery delivery. Check with the hotel concierge for current guest benefits.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

We love visiting gardens and conservatories locally or when we’re traveling. At home we have the Bloedel Reseve and Volunteer Park Conservatory which we frequently visit, so adding Olbrich Botanitcal Gardens to our Wisconsin family trip was a no-brainer. Located at the east end of the Madison isthmus (awesome high school vocab), Olbrich is easy to get to via car or public transportation, or even bike!

Olbrich is free to the public with sprawling gardens of every style to explore. The kids loved the winding pathways and variety of water features all through the gardens. The highlight though was the conservatory. Complete with a waterfall, stream and beautiful birds, the conservatory was truly impressive. We’ve been to Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC and the Balboa Park Conservatory in San Diego, which are both amazing collections, but just the conservatory alone at Olbrich Botanical Gardens is worth the visit. The smells of all the blooming tropical flowers was a bit overwhelming at first, but it was incredible. The kids really were wowed by the bananas. Growing inside. They were speechless.

Note: while the Olbrich Botanical Gardens are free to the public (by donation) the Conservatory does have it’s own fee per person, but it’s only a few dollars. Totally worth it.

Madison Childrens Museum

We’ve been to our share of children’s museums and some are really fun, others crazy and wild. The Madison Childrens Museum was really ideal for both older and younger kids. There was a great balance of tactile exhibits as well and crazy energy spenders, like the wild Hodge Podge Mahal climber.

Highlights were definitely the water flow greenhouse-style exhibit and the Frank Lloyd Wright building center. Yes! Madison is a hot spot of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and the Children’s Museum has done a great job explaining the artistic inspiration and mathematics of his work. Really well executed.

Don’t miss: be sure to go all the way to the roof of the Madison Childrens Museum, as it’s a beautiful urban garden complete with a stream. They’ve got chickens, animal exhibits and a stunning view of the Capitol Building. It’s a must-visit on a Wisconsin family trip.

Wisconsin State Capitol Building

This is a stop more for the adults than the kids, but everybody enjoyed touring the Wisconsin State Capitol Building. The kids tackled the steps heading inside like they were hiking at Mt Rainier, hitting the top and surveying Capitol Square around them. Once inside there was a big “woahhhhhh” in unison at they looked up at the ceiling of the rotunda. Yeah, we also gasped it was so beautiful.

Tours of the Capitol Building run several times throughout the day, but you can also do a self guided tour anytime. We opted to explore on our own, spotting badgers around every corner. It was like a scavenger hunt for the kids.

Set in the middle of downtown Madison, we kept joking that all roads lead to the Capitol Building… but then upon climbing up to the observation desk outside the rotunda we found that it’s true. The view from the top was awesome, looking over Lake Mendota to the north and south across Frank Lloyd Wright’s Monona Terrace to Lake Monona. Aside from the architecture and grandeur of the building, the setting of the Capitol Building makes for a cool stop on a Wisconsin family trip.

Note: being a really progressive city, we experienced quite a few protesters inside the Capitol Building. It was perfect to be there on Independence Day watching Freedom of Speech at work as the people spoke out about their elected Rep, Paul Ryan. Explaining to the kids what was going on was simple and it seemed like our oldest understood it, at least a little.

Experience Wisconsin nature

We’d heard from friends that are familiar with Wisconsin that it’s a very outdoorsy place. Madison for sure was with its never-ending bike paths and ample public parks. We made sure to take advantage.

Getting out on the water

Kayaking is something we love to do, whether at home in the Pacific Northwest or off in Florida doing ecotours and spotting dolphins. In Wisconsin kayaking is a must, for visitors and residents alike. Our awesome hotel, Hotel RED, had a partnership with the primary local boating vendor and got us set up for three different expeditions.

Kayaking on Lake Wingra

If you’ve not tried kayaking before, just do it on your next trip wherever that may be. Our Wisconsin family trip was made complete by getting out on the water with the kids and spotting turtles and ducks. Quietly paddling through water lilies and up cool, spring-fed streams was just what we needed to really fall in love with Wisconsin’s nature. The lake was calm, the wildlife abundant and the kids totally at ease.

Tip: even if the law doesn’t require it, be a good example and wear a life jacket when kayaking with kids. You’ll probably never need it, but wear it to show them how important water safety is.

Rental info: Wingra Boats is located near Vilas Park on Lake Wingra.

Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP) on Lake Mendota

Even though me (Rob) on a paddle board is a hilarious sight and not something you’ll likely see often, I’m still going to say that you need to try stand up paddle boarding (SUP) sometime. Lake Mendota is on the north side of Madison and is the water playground of the city. With a lot of speed boats on the water on a beautiful day, you’re looking at some choppy surf to cross, but the challenge is half the fun.

Tip: do your SUP in Madison on either Wingra or Monona Lakes, as they’re more calm with fewer private docks to paddle past.

Rental info: Marshall Boats is located in Marshall Park on the west end of Lake Mendota. They have kayaks, SUP, canoes, pontoon boats…

Paddle boating on Lake Monona

Paddle boating: the best workout you never knew you always needed. Actually, this is a great way to get kids out on the water if they don’t spend a lot of time on boats. Paddle boating is very stable and chill for the passengers, which is why it’s a great family activity, but it really is a workout for the ones peddling and moving the boat. Lake Monona is split up by some different roadways and train tracks, but this makes for smaller, more calm and quiet areas to explore.

Tip: go with another adult to share the work, otherwise you’ll tire yourself plenty far from the dock. Also, be aware of paddle boating on windy days as you’ll have to fight against the breeze at some point.

Rental info: Brittingham Boats is located on Lake Monona near Lake Wingra and the Henry Vilas Zoo.

Spelunking in Cave of the Mounds

Our kids love caves, both on television shows and in real life. When we discovered that there was a cavern system close to Madison we put it on our itinerary immediately. It was a good move. On two previous trips we’ve had to cancel caving plans due to height/age restrictions within the caves. Our youngest had to miss out on Oregon Caves National Monument and others, but not here! Cave of the Mounds is open to anybody who’s able to walk through the paths and stairways themselves.

Cave of the Mounds gave our Wisconsin family trip an adventurous side that we don’t often get traveling with a toddler. Besides the well run and informative tour below ground, there is a visitors center, turn-of-the-century farm, butterfly gardens, and a mining operation for kids. Yes, this cave site is more touristy and commercial than Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana or Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park, but it’s for sure worth the half hour drive out of Madison.

Tour info: check the website for current ticket rates. Tours go every 30 minutes.

Milwaukee day trip

How can you do a Wisconsin family trip and NOT visit the shores of Lake Michigan? This was actually our first time at any of the Great Lakes with the kids and it rocked. We visited during Summerfest, which is one of the largest and longest running music festivals in the USA, so it was a bit crazy, but we still had a blast. Since we were based in Madison for this trip, we made sure to do the hour and a half drive to Milwaukee just in case we weren’t back anytime soon.

Discovery World

Unlike any other children’s museum we’ve visited, Discovery World on the shore of Lake Michigan is great for adults too. We began our visit in the Aquatarium where the history, current state and future of the Great Lakes is laid out in some really involved exhibits. We learned about the water cycle, maritime history, simple machines and visited an aquarium all in this portion of Discovery World.

Heading into the Technology Building the kids were lost in mechanics and learning about automation and the principles of physics. Seriously, we could’ve spent all day here and the kids would’ve been fine with it.

Tip: allotting three hours for Discovery World is a good idea if you can. We felt bad making the kids leave before they were ready.

Historic Third Ward

Seattle has Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market, San Francisco has SOMA and Jackson Square… Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward is really different. Being comprised of mostly old factory buildings from the late 1800s it’s got a strongly industrial feel with gritty brickwork everywhere. The cool thing though is the little shops, bars and restaurants you’ll find at street level. The district is located along the banks of the Milwaukee River, so it also kind of feels like the industrial version of Venice.

The Public Market in the Historic Third Ward is fun for the gourmet shopper. We arrived thinking it would be like Pike Place Market in Seattle and were wrong. The stalls and counters are fairly permanent with really great confections and wine options as you stroll through. It’s got the fun stuff too of some outside dining and tables for relaxing, but it’s more of a place to find some delicious, fine Milwaukee snacks.

Beerline B District for beer culture

Can you mention Milwaukee without talking about beer? Not really. For our beer experience in the land of the Brewers we headed for the Lakefront Brewery… located on the Milwaukee River. We had lunch in the grand beer hall and ate German inspired dishes, from pretzels to pulled ham Rubens, it was a welcome change to the standard brewery foods we’re used to.

The Lakefront Brewery tour itself was pretty good too. FYI, it’s not for conservative beer drinkers or kids that understand inappropriate jokes. Our kids came along because they dig the science and appreciate a good performance.

Following the tour and lunch we hung out in the sunshine strolling along the river and enjoying a different view of Milwaukee. It was the perfect and a great way for the kids to expel some energy.

Small town Wisconsin

We didn’t just stick to the big cities during our Wisconsin family trip. We sought out some smaller communities to get a feel for the rest of the state too. We weren’t disappointed!

Mount Horeb for trolls

Only a half hour from Madison, Mt Horeb has the perfect main street… and it’s lined with trolls. Mt Horeb is the troll capitol of the USA and if you’re visiting with kids you’ll love it. The Trollway, also known as Main Street, has over 50 troll carvings and troll themed businesses.

And of course there is a troll themed craft brewery. We had lunch at the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub and enjoyed beers named for trolls and other Scandinavian elements. We always love to find craft breweries outside of the Pacific Northwest that offer IPAs and other non-lagers. Their brews were legit and diverse.

Note: if you’re new to exploring craft beers you’ll find a love of bold beers, like IPAs on the west coast, and more traditional styles in the Midwest and eastern seaboard. In talking with a brewmaster on a recent trip to Mobile, Alabama he told me that brewers across the country are making an effort to put a local twist on the craft brew tastes of the West Coast. Success so far!

Monona for the ultimate community festival

If you’re unsure of when to plan your Wisconsin family trip do it over the 4th of July. Independence Day is always a fun experience, but the town of Monona really does it up big time. With a full carnival, music, booths, and the honest to goodness best fireworks display we’ve ever seen outside of Disneyland, it’s a must-visit.

Tip: like with any public festival, plan your day to arrive while things are still hoppin’ but also so that you can aquire a smart parking spot. With the Monona Community Festival, when the fireworks finished thousands of people were on foot and no cars could move. Park smart, have fun!

Waunakee for a last beer experience

We love to make travel itineraries and plotting out how we could maximize our Wisconsin experience up until the last moment was fun. We found a small town about fifteen minutes north of the Madison airport for our final stop. Waunakee is small but a perfect snapshot of main street America. Our goal was to have a relaxing, family friendly lunch in a cute town and we totally scored.

Across from the old train depot and close to the vintage ice cream parlor we found Lone Girl Brewing Co. A fairly new establishment, they’ve also mastered the art of interesting, complex beers in a totally family oriented environment. A hall of cisterns, modern-rustic (totally Wisconsin) design, and butcher paper for lunch time art made for a great afternoon. Must try: Harry’s Coconut IPA. It’s genius.

Can you tell that we loved our Wisconsin family trip? We went in with no expectations and left ready to return ASAP. Southern Wisconsin was loaded with great outdoor experiences and some of the coolest cities we’ve visited. Hopefully we’ll be back soon to explore more of the Lake Michigan shores and dig into northern Wisconsin. We can only imagine it’s just as awesome. We’ll have to see…

Want to pin this for planning your own Wisconsin family trip? Go for it!!!

Our first Wisconsin family trip… and now let’s get back there! Until a few months ago Wisconsin wasn’t on our radar as a family travel destination, but we were like “Sure, let’s go and see what we can see.” So we went; we saw; we had a blast!

#beer #brewery #family travel #Madison #Milwaukee #Wisconsin

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awholenewworld-dcp17 · 7 years

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"today's special moments are tomorrow's memories"

Honestly, I don’t have free time. If I’m not working, I’m spending my time exploring the parks, and if I’m not doing that, I’m sleeping. (Or, since mom and dad brought me the fourth book, reading Harry Potter) (Holy moly donut shoppe it’s getting good) (But more on that later) Speaking of mom and dad visiting, I think I will look back at my time here viewing that as one of the highlights - so I think it’s important to document a little bit of it here. They got here on a Thursday night, and clearly they’ve missed me SO much because they drove straight to my apartment from the airport! After showing dad around my stomping grounds, I happily hopped right in their rental and we were off. We went to their hotel to check in, and decided on making our way to animal kingdom for the rest of the night (can’t waste a minute in disney!!) I had heard on the DL that animal kingdom had been doing practice run openings of their new nighttime show, Rivers of Light, which wasn’t due to officially open until the following night. Well, we waited and waited around for that to happen, but apparently it was never going to because they had perfected it enough to hold off on showing it again before the grand opening. So basically we just wasted our time for a little but it’s okay bc I helped sir and lady-noob-a-lot navigate and set up their My Disney Experience aps so we could link and get fast passes and plan for the following days! Also, before calling it a night, dad and I rode the dinosaur ride, and that was super choppy and scary, but super duper cool (prayers for moms neck to get better before returning so she can do rides like that next time!!). Friday, I had off work so the three of us went back to animal kingdom to continue the adventure. Of course, not without stopping at golden coral for all you can eat breakfast (ratch but soooo good!!!!). In DAK, we saw all of the shows, did pretty much all of the attractions (with the exception of rafikis planet watch lol), and walked through the animal treks that they have for guests. It was funny because dad and I were making fun of mom for wearing a poncho on kali river rapids, but then dad ended up being the one to get soaked on the ride lols. The day flew by and before we knew it it was time to get in line for the grand opening of Rivers of Light. (Just a little back story on the show - animal kingdom has kind of a bad reputation of being a “half day park,” meaning people will just go there in the morning before ending their day else where. They have never been able to have a firework show because of the animals or many night time activities, so they have been making multiple efforts to amp up the night life, and Rivers of Light is one of them.) The line to get in was INSANE. Luckily, we ran into my roommate and her boyfriend and hopped in line where they were, which secured us a seat that I’m not sure we would have gotten otherwise. The show was pretty awesome, they have stadium seating around a giant lake - which ends up being the stage for the show. They have floats and water tricks and fire and projections and music, which all come together to wow the crowd. And when I say the crowd, I mean everyone - including the little girl in front of mom who she felt the need to stranger talk with the entire time lol. After the show, we dipped and made our way to, of course, Magic Kingdom!!!! We actually got a lot done there that day too, as we planned our fast passes for rides like Peter Pans flight and splash mountain, etc etc. Like I said, can’t waste a minute in Disney, so we were there until the end and then I joined them back at their hotel on the pull out couch - oddly comfortable, btw. On Saturday we had breakfast at the hotel - complete with Mickey waffles. I actually had to go to work that night, so we decided to do Hollywood Studios in the morning since it is in walking distance from the boardwalk. We did all of the HS classics - great movie ride, toy story, voyage of the little mermaid, beauty and the beast show, and more! Mom and dad actually decided to come with me over to work, and were so kind as to drive the rental since it looked like it was ready to rain. I showed them around on the boardwalk as much as I could considering the downpour that had begun, and we had lunch/dinner at Big River. It was good. I went to work after that and sent them on their own little way to explore. I believe they actually continued on to the walk to Epcot and later returned to HS for the Star Wars fireworks, but you’ll have to ask them for details on that. Sunday I had to work again, but this time in the morning. When I got off around 6, I met them over in Epcot for our Soarin’ fastpass, dinner at the garden grille, and the tail end of illumiNations. Doesn’t sound like much, but that night actually ended up being one of my favorite parts of their trip. Soarin’ had always impressed me, but they just recently refurbished it to show you places around the whole world. For those of you that don’t know what it even is, you’re probably lost and I don’t even really know how to explain. But it’s cool. The Garden Grille is a rotating restaurant in the Land - all you can eat, family style, character dining. The food was delish but the characters had to be the highlight. Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale all came up to our table and greeted us throughout the meal. Mickey was so cute and spent a lot of time with us. His antics included stealing moms phone to “talk” to Chris, stealing dads phone to take a selfie with him (and take up close pictures of Dale), rearranging all the plates on the table to be in the shape of Mickey heads, and going back and forth “conversing” with Chip. Chip and Dale were impressed that we were able to tell them apart, and weren’t afraid to reinforce our knowledge by pointing out the differences in their nose and teeth. Pluto was so cute as always. I got a hug from him and another picture because you can never have too many pictures with Pluto. We made him jealous that there was another dog barking in the land, but quickly assured him that he’s our favorite. He also made dad scratch his nose and like his little foot kicked when he did. Idk if I explained that right but ugh I just love him and it was adorable. After din, we caught the tail end of illumiNations, the fireworks in Epcot. While we didn’t necessarily have the best view, it was kinda neat to see them from a perspective I don’t usually get. I stayed the night with them again that night, lol just couldn’t keep myself away from the pull out couch. Monday I had off work again so we spent allllllll day in MK!!!!! So fun so magical. We were like fastpass machines and planned it all perfectly so we actually used 11 fast passes each that day!! Consequently, we were kind of all over the park and less than systematic about the layout, but hey at least we got our steps in! We even saw the 3 o'clock festival of fantasy parade and watched the wishes firework show sitting in front of the castle!! AND, we ate at Be Our Guest!! Honestly, I was slightly disappointed but I had real high expectations. It is the most in demand restaurant in all of disney world and we only got random reservations last minute because someone canceled. I had homemade lemonade, French onion soup, beef brisket, and a chocolate mousee cupcake thing. Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, and it was really cool to be in the beast’s castle, but I just for some reason was expecting more. Speaking of delicious, don't worry! We tried the grey stuff! And it was just that - delicious. TBH I don't even know what to say about magic kingdom because if I documented every part that I loved about it I would be documenting the day in its entirety. We rode the carousel, which was kind of out of the ordinary for us but a cute fun little thing to do. I maxed out buzz light year, the usual. Around 9pm, we used one of our last fast passes for splash mountain again and then checked to see if we could get a new one. Get this! They had another for 9:15! So we rode again, and again. Really good times. The next day, Tuesday, was time for mom n dad to leave. I had work in the morning so they dropped me off and it was a sad time. Lynne cried, as per usual. Tim was pretty sad to say good bye, too, I could tell. They continued their day on for a few more hours in MK before the airport, and I absolutely adore them for that. I didn't hear too too much about that leg of the trip, but I know they had Mickey ice cream bars and that alone is enough to write home about. I can't believe how long it has taken me to update this, because now I can sit here and say they'll be back in 3.5 weeks! Time is going by incredibly fast and like I said I feel like I don't have a free moment. Really guys, I'm not even close to being caught up on the bachelor and that's saying a lot! I wrote this post on the bus to work because I forgot to bring Harry Potter lolol, so maybe I should start leaving the book at home more often. That's all for now, promise to be back soon.

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