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favberrys · 3 years

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I'm bored and in a kkg brainrot mood, so i'm just gonna rant about my opinions of kakegurui ships and i will make some headcanons:

Kirasaya

Ok i had to start with them bc they're just too iconic, i think they have one of the most interesting and complex dynamics in kkg, they really got me obsessed with them, it's probably my number one kakegurui ship and the reason i started watching the show and reading the manga. Honestly yeah their relationship has some power imbalance, since sayaka is kirari's secretary, and is probably disfunctional, but contrary to what some ppl say kirasaya is not abusive, kirari never physically or emotionally abuses sayaka throughout the story. Anyway they're a 10/10, peak lesbian yearning, if they don't kiss at least one i will jump the author. Probably one of my fav ships ever, i think they're made for each other and i can't see kirasaya with anyone else, they're just so good together and their chemistry is >>>>>>

Yumary

Ok this one is kinda an unpopular opinion bc most people like yumary, but honestly i can't get invested into it, there's something in this ship that doesn't make my heart go "fuck yeah they should be gfs". Personally i don't ship yumeko with anyone bc i can't imagine her in a relationship since her main thing is being a compulsive gambler, her existence revolves around it and she forms relationships when they're useful for her gambling games. I think yumary could be friends with benefits for some time, but after a while mary would probably break it off because i don't think she can handle a sexual/romantic relationship with yumeko and after a while it would make her go nuts. A friendship between them is already messy and complicated and honestly i don't think they are compatible that way. Yes they have chemistry and there's probably some mutual attraction but to me it's a no. Also can cishet dudes stop fetishizing this ship ? My vote is 6/10, mostly bc mary doesn't seem much physically comfortable with yumeko, idk mary just seems off with her in that sense and i prefer them as gambling partners or friends.

Meariri

I honestly love this ship, especially after reading the manga, they have such an great dynamic, i think they both care about each other, they have chemistry and i think they're compatible and that their personalities compliment each other, mary is often loud and aggressive and passionate while ririka is more closed off and quiet, they're like fire and ice and this case i think the saying "opposite attract" works with them. Mary counts on ririka and i love the fact that she is so comfortable with her physically (mary is almost always the one to initiate the contact, holding her hand, touching her head, etc) and ririka gets inspired by mary to be her own person and chase her goals. Plus they're really cute together, aesthetically i find them the most attractive couple, i'll give them a solid 9/10

Itsukaede

Lmao i don't even know if this is the correct ship name for itsuki x kaede, ok i don't hate it and i think they could work as a couple, it's not my cup of tea bc m/f ships bore me, but i like their relationship, they have the kind of old married couple dynamic that always works. 6/10.

Ryomeko

I can see it happening, i don't ship it, but i don't mind it either, i'm kinda neutral about ryota x yumeko, but i think he's one of the ppl who care about yumeko the most in that academy (with also mary ofc), the ship is boring bc ryota is bland (he's a good guy don't get me wrong and he defo doesn't deserve the hate he gets) and as i said previously i don't ship yumeko with anyone. Sorry i gotta give it 5/6 out of 10

Yumedari

Ok i love midari but just like yumeko, i don't ship her with anyone bc i see her as someone who's too much unstable for relationships, but i know that canonically she loves/likes/is attracted to yumeko so i don't hate this ship, i think it's decent, the only problem is that yumeko hates midari. Still i think that since they're the most insane mfs in that school somehow this ship could work. 6/10

Yuridari

Again midari in my eyes is kinda unshippable, but this ship is not bad at all, they would have that kind of bickering married couple dynamic like itsuki and kaede, i like it but it doesn't do much for me. 7/10

Ryomary

Jsjssjsksk i looked the name of mary x ryota's ship on wiki so if it sounds weird it's bc i don't know their ship name and i have looked at the first site google gave me. This ship is hard no, mainly bc ryota is very bland and i consider mary a lesbian (i read that she is a canon lesbian but idk if it's confirmed by the author, let's say lesbian mary is just my hc) so shipping her with men feels like a hate crime to me, mary is for the girls only, 4/10.

Tsumary

They are kind of cute together right ? I think they're adorable, tsuzura is mary's first love and i think that someone like her would make mary very happy. I still haven't finished kkg twin, so my opinion on tsuzura is incompleted and it might change, i don't hate her but i find her character a little basic/boring so even though this ship is cute it doesn't make me fall in love with them. 7/10 bc probably also tsuzura had feelings for mary and they have a healthy dynamic, you can see they love each other.

Midasaya

I enjoy this crackship, i know that they both like different people but i headcanon that they were together during middle school or that midari had at least a small crush on sayaka during that time, before kirari came to hyakkaou i like to think that they explored their sexuality together so midari was probably sayaka's first kiss, her first date, etc, so they would have history together and we also see that midari knows sayaka bc her character is described through her pov during tower of doors. I find this ship pretty funny bc sayaka is always so serious and composed and midari is a ball of chaos. 7/10

Yumesaya

This is another crackship i don't mind and find hilarious, yeah i'm a huge kirasaya stan but i'm also a multishipper and sayaka deserves all the girls in the world, so the more the merrier. I like to think this ship as one sided love in which yumeko sort of pines after sayaka and i think it would be very interesting to see kirari being jeaulous that sayaka is getting yumeko's attention. We saw jeaulous/protective sayaka in kakegurui, but i would also like to see how kirari reacts when someone tries to take sayaka away from her, it would be really interesting. Obv this would create some tension between kirasaya and also between kirari and yumeko, almost a sort of love triangle dynamic. My opinion is that yumeko is just too unstable to settle down, also they both probably would get bored/lose interest in each other after the heat of the moment. 6/10

Ririsaya

Sorry but i really can't see it happening not even if i squint, but i really enjoy the ririsaya fanfictions and i think those works are pretty great even though i don't ship them very much. It would be interesting if both twins were in love with sayaka and there was some tension/coldness between them for a while bc they liked the same girl (maybe i read too many fanfictions). My headcanon is that both sayaka and ririka had a crush on each other when they first knew each other and for sayaka it was probably pretty confusing bc she already had feelings for kirari. I see them as friends, 7/10

Yumemisaori

Again idk if this is the correct name of the ship, many said that yumemi and saori are a healthier/mentally stable version of kirasaya and i agree. the dynamics are similar bc we have the secratary that is willing to do everything for her boss and the relationship is a little more balanced, i think they would be very cute together, but sadly they had very little interactions and if i could see more of them i would probably ship them even more. I like them 7/10.

Sachiko x Mary

I didn't even find a ship name for this couple, so they must be pretty unpopular, i like both characters and their antagonistic dyanamic is very interesting, but i don't ship them much bc i think mary needs/wants someone who is completely different from sachiko, who wants to make mary her pet and mary is someone who cares very much about her freedom, her indipendence and wants to make her own choices and this completely clashes with sachiko's extremely sadistic and domineering nature. I prefer them as enemies who have some sexual tension or enemies with benefits or one night stand adventure, but nothing more. 5/6 out of 10 bc the only mary ship i really love is meariri and i also like tsuzumary a bit.

Sachiko x Mikura

This is probably one of the most unhealthy relationships in kakegurui, but i kinda like it. Their dyanmic is pretty much vertical with sachiko who has all the power and makes mikuro do everything she wants and mikura who is completely obsessed and devoted to sachiko (my opinion is that she developed a sort of stockholm syndrome towards sachiko). I think that someone like sachiko could never have genuine romantic relationships bc of her extremely sadistic nature, she sees ppl like toys to break and what she enjoys the most is seeing ppl suffer, so the only compatible person with sachiko is someone extremely masochistic like mikura. Giving them a 6/7 out of 10 bc their interactions are fun/interesting and spice things up.

Rin x Ibara and Yumeko x Kirari

Hard no to both of them, i don't ship incest, yall can do what you want but personally it's a huge no for me. When i first started watching the anime at the beginning i thought yumeko and kirari had some sort of tension and could have been enemies to lovers (lmaoo i was so naive), but then i discovered they were cousins and i saw more kirasaya interactions so i got completely turned off by this ship. 3/10 to both of these ships.

Sachiko x Sakura

Now this ship is very sexy, idk why i like it but i do, yes i don't see sachiko with anyone besides mikura, but this pairing is not bad at all, even though it's a crackship. I think they would be rivals with benefits and would argue a lot and then make out/have hot sex. 7/10 (maybe it's too high but since these are just my opinions i won't be objective)

Mary x kirari

Uhm is there really someone out there who ships them ? Yeah i thought they had some sexual tension in s1 with that tea scene, but it's a no from me, i don't like it and i don't think they're compatible in any way, i can't see kirari with anyone who isn't sayaka. 4/10

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centrally-unplanned · 3 years

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Allocating Your Aesthetic Budget: Sailor Moon Edition

Sailor Moon is a show that undoubtedly built a powerhouse of a visual brand. Should I even bother posting a screenshot of the sailor scouts, given that I am 100% confident anyone reading this can recall them instantly? I guess it won’t hurt:

Anime is often really good at creating iconic designs like this, through repetition of the visuals. It is awkward in live action shows if characters just wear the same outfit every scene (what, they only own one outfit? Are they homeless/work in the tech industry?), but animation gives us enough aesthetic “distance”, an awareness that this isn’t accurate to real life, that you can buy into the conceit. By wearing the same outfit every time, it just becomes the character. Not to mention a studio can really save quite a few bucks by streamlining production with neat tricks like having only one character design to animate - when you are on a shoe-string budget, like pretty much every anime in the 90’s was, every cut corner counts.

What is interesting about Sailor Moon is that most of the time it doesn’t really use this conceit at all.

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Episode 15 of Sailor Moon’s first season has, in its opening act, this shot of all of the Senshi (at the time) talking to the plot-of-the-day character, who clearly trains rock Pokemon in 16-bit caves in his off hours:

If you knew nothing about these three characters, you could probably infer about 80% of their personality just from their outfits. Usagi (the blond one in the middle, if that's necessary) is wearing:

Light pastel colours, with pink on top of that: girly, feminine, bubbly and breezy

Short-but-not-too-short of a skirt, and red heels: cares about fashion, wants to project an image of being a woman with a romantic hint to it

Long-twin tails w/ buns: Contrasting the shoes, she is still immature and childish. It also means she is the protagonist of an anime

Rei (far right) rocks a very different look:

T-shirt and jean shorts, shoes over heels: sensible, practical, a bit sporty

Very short shorts, long black hair: Confident, a bit aggressive, and suggestive of a more overt sexuality

Ami (far left) settles into a more restrained vibe with:

Full, long, but sleeveless dress, bob-cut hair: Chaste, more conservative, but not to the point of prudishness; particularly with the length (and the hand posture, shielding her body) probably a bit shy

Monochrome blue colour in outfit & hair: reserved, serene, possessing a calm demeanor

I know I have seen the show already, but really none of these details are a stretch - this is just the language of fashion. And all of these outfits are outfits that the characters have never (or rarely) worn before up until this point. The cast of Sailor Moon, far from that animation conceit of “standard outfits”, change clothes all…

the….

time.

I just randomly clicked on episodes to find these, it requires no hunting

And while it isn’t always as spot on as the top picture, they all in some way embody the language of visual design to speak to the personality of the characters. If you want to see more, check out one of the multiple tumblrs dedicated to the everyday clothing the Sailor Senshi wear, because of course those exist.

If this was a 2010’s Kyoto Animation show, pointing this out would be the end of it - every one of their shows has this level of impeccable detail. Sailor Moon is notable in that it is not at all that kind of show; the animation and designs in Sailor Moon take perpetual shortcuts to get the job done. I don’t think the transformation sequences need to be belabored - the way they permitted the team to recycle identical animation sequences, multiple times per episode, was surely a godsend to the production schedule. Yet not all of the budget limitations are so prettily masked:

I’m sure they finished the background art in the...VHS release?

The show is filled with dirty animation, unfinished backgrounds, backgrounds that are a simple color gradient for no clear reason, and so on. It is clear that the Sailor Moon team did not have the resources for every detail - which is why the decision of what details they did choose to prioritize is so interesting.

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What is the point of Sailor Moon? I do believe that shows have “points”; and by that I don’t mean a message or theme but a core appeal to an audience, something specific that they will get out of the show. Almost every show appeals along multiple axes, and Sailor Moon is no exception, but I want to focus on one: aesthetic identification.

If you learn someone is a Sailor Moon fan, there is the obvious follow-up question you have to ask, namely “which Sailor Senshi are you?” It’s the which-Harry-Potter-house-are-you question of anime, a horoscope where you can choose your sign (in this case literally). The premise of this concept is not hard for media to execute on - it is just personality traits and aesthetics grouped together under a label, a basic building block of media and clickbait internet quizzes. Harry Potter, ironically, raised up its memetic question almost by accident, as its focus is so squarely on House Gryffindor that the others are almost forgotten; it was just so mind-bogglingly popular that it didn’t matter.

Sailor Moon, however, takes this concept and allocates so much of its aesthetic budget into making it a centerpiece of the show. Sailor Moon herself is a klutzy, lazy romantic, Sailor Mercury is a shy, earnest bookworm, and so on, with none of them ever really becoming very complex characters. However, the show devotes itself to making you *feel* these archetypes as strongly and intricately as possible. All of those outfit changes are chosen because not only do real girls care about their outfits and can therefore identify more strongly with characters who do the same, but so they can constantly emulate their archetype in diverse, different ways. The show doesn't have the budget for intense action scenes, so after Sailor Moon engages in her hyper-serious transformation sequences, she proceeds to, nearly every time, bumble through the combat scenes like this:

Oh sure, the scenes are done this way because it is funny (and good comedy can be done on any budget - these shots are frequently still frames with motion lines!), but it is also done this way because Sailor Moon is a total screw-up, and if you identify with that it is validating to see someone “just like you” able to pull off wins despite it all. The transformation sequences are not only beautiful animation that showcases aspirational power, but are also crafted to highlight the personalities of the Senshi in question - unless you think aggressive, combative Rei got fire powers by coincidence. Half of the run-time of every episode is spent, not on the plot du-jour, but on light-hearted personal squabbles between the cast because those scenes are not just funny, but also allow for far more moments of character expression.

All of that work pays off in building with the audience, not a connection with a character who reflects their identity in total, but a connection that reflects one aspect of their identity in an extremely deep (dare I say multifaceted?) way. I think if you were to describe Sailor Moon as a “shallow” show, you would actually be right to say so, in a sense. These characters will never have the true depth of personality, themes and so on of a more ‘adult’ show. But those adult shows have to spend their effort somewhere - for all that the themes of say Evangelion or Paranoia Agent are pristinely detailed and impactful, you aren’t ever going to be memorizing the moves of their transformation sequences. The way Sailor Moon committed so strongly to fleshing out the archetypes the Senshi stood for is, I think, one of the keys to how this cast of five became so iconic.

Not even their school uniforms match! They had to spend time in-universe *justifying* this!

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A Final Note:

At least, everything I’ve said here applies to Sailor Moon at its peaks. The show, however, is not one without its stumbles, even in Season 1. This section doesn’t flow into the core essay too well, but I wanted to note it because if you were to watch Sailor Moon today, you might struggle to feel the dynamic outlined above. The biggest culprit here is the length - Season 1 is 46 episodes long, and sections of it most certainly drag. They also take a startlingly long time to introduce the cast - this choice builds tension around their arrival, but it also means the later Senshi get a lot less time to establish themselves. Sailor Venus in particular gets hamstrung by this - she is introduced and then immediately arc plot elements sweep the narrative, and so she is left as a hollow shell for some time. The pacing of the show is undoubtedly flawed.

I think Sailor Moon is a show that you do have to keep its time and place in mind for - namely, middle schoolers and anime nerds watching it on broadcast TV in the 90’s. As an adult you “get” the point of the show pretty quickly, and get satiated on it almost as fast. Watching it all in a few sittings only heightens this problem. For a younger audience, and one that is waiting for a week between episodes with no internet for plot reminders, all that extra time is needed to jog memories and build connections. And younger audiences just have that limitless commitment to the things they love! If you think no one could actually enjoy seeing the same transformation sequence for the 30th time, watch it with someone who would have died for this show when they were 10 and you will be disabused of that notion *very* quickly.

Still, we can’t travel back in time - Sailor Moon is a show of its era. There are “filler-reduced” guides out there, though I caution that the plot of Sailor Moon is absolutely not the point of the show in comparison to the character dynamics, and so sometimes the filler is the best part (Cat-Rhett Butler is the best character in the show YOU KNOW I’M RIGHT). Certainly, however, some method must be used to cut down on its length. If you are going to be a first time viewer in adulthood, that reality should be kept in mind, and if you do accept it for what it is you can really appreciate its core appeal - and don’t forget to finish it off with a 1990′s era internet personality quiz to really wrap it up!

#essay #anime analysis #sailor moon

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franniebanana · 3 years

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CQL Rewatch - Episode 3

I just love their outfits here, and since I didn’t comment on that in the last episode, I wanted to say it here. I love the whole color palette they used for Lotus Pier. The donghua goes heavy on the purple and black, but I really love how they incorporate lavender and teal and other blues. It’s just very pretty and soft and relaxing. Such a nice place. I keep having a debate with myself about where I’d rather live. I think I’d be more comfortable in the Cloud Recesses, but I’d never be able to deal with all those rules!

Ah, yes, everyone’s favorite peacock. He played this part so perfectly: just this pillar of grace and poise, except when he’s around Jiang Yanli, and he just becomes butter hahaha. I like his son a lot better than him, but he and Wei Wuxian have some great scenes together, and it’s fun to see him grow alongside everyone else. He’s not just a mindless clan member who does everything he’s supposed to. He’ll stand up and fight for justice too.

It’s easy to forget (myself included in this) that Jiang Yanli is the oldest of the three of them, especially in this show. She’s so much smaller, so soft-spoken; she isn’t going to be the next leader, because that’s Jiang Cheng, being the male heir. But this is one of those scenes where she really is the big sister. Wei Wuxian is fighting with her fiancé’s retinue, Jiang Cheng is just trying to stay out of it and be polite, so she has to step in and put an end to it. I love when Jiang Yanli gets some screen time and lines, and isn’t serving soup. Don’t get me wrong—I like seeing her take care of them, but it’s more mothering than being a big sister. I think the moments when she’s standing up for her brothers and for herself are really special. You can’t blame Jiang Cheng or Wei Wuxian for loving their shijie so much.

Gotta love Wei Wuxian taking every opportunity to throw some shade at Jin Zixuan. I love all of it, and I eat it up—I am the target audience for snarky Wei Wuxian. And at this point, Jin Zixuan just ignores him—good on him. He keeps that up for all of a few days.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

YOU FORGOT THE INVITATION!

Sorry, but the first time I watched this, I wondered why there was this big close-up of something with “Lan Clan of Gusu” written on it. I’m a dummy, okay?

Omg they translated ge-ge as “buddy.”

Okay, but here we go! Shut out of the Cloud Recesses. Also, where did they change? I kept thinking they changed at the tavern, but when they left, they were wearing their same Jiang Clan clothes. So, somewhere along the way, they put on their pretty white robes. I’ve got nothing else to say here, because we’re about to see another great entrance from Lan Wangji.

I love how his entrance is accompanied by the guqin. His presence is so ethereal, so otherworldly, yet he’s so grounded as a character. He turns everyone’s heads, including Wei Wuxian’s. I love that Wang Yibo is in reality shorter than Xiao Zhan, so they gave him platform boots to make them more even. But the height and stature gives the relationship a whole different dynamic.

Anyone who knows me knows I love my yaoi/BL. I could go on and on about my favorites, but I won’t do that here. There’s one thing I don’t like about it, and it’s that you can always tell who the top and bottom is just by how they look (sometimes artists subvert this, which I love!). The donghua for MDZS does this (I haven’t read the manhua, but I have seen some screenshots, and I think it also does)—Lan Wangji is so much bigger than Wei Wuxian. And while it’s aesthetically pleasing, it just bugs me, okay? I like the idea of Wangxian being roughly the same size and height—I don’t really know why, I just do. Also I definitely headcanon them both as switches at this point.

I don’t think Lan Wangji would have given Wei Wuxian the time of day if he hadn’t heard this. He’s already impressed that Wei Wuxian picked up on the weird stuff/wicked sorcery going on—he’s made a mental note of him. I’m sure he’s a little disappointed that Wei Wuxian immediately gets on his nerves, but he still pauses before leaving.

Lan Wangji is never going to be a fast friend—he’s not going to be anyone’s best friend right away. You need to gain his trust and that does not happen overnight. Though the setting is anything but realistic, their relationship and the steps it goes through are incredibly realistic. They grow together—they grow on each other (it’s not as if Wei Wuxian really cares about Lan Wangji at first either—think of how many times he calls him a fuddy-duddy. I think his main goal for quite some time is to get on Lan Wangji’s nerves and tease him. Wei Wuxian is used to charming his way in and out of things, but he can’t do that with Lan Wangji).

Yibo’s piercings! That’s it. That’s why I took this screenshot. But, weirdly, I always look at stuff like that.

He has such a swagger here, going up the steps, but I think it’s really just Xiao Zhan trying to climb the stairs without tripping on his costume. XD

It’s funny how surprised Wei Wuxian is to have the silencing spell used on him, even though he had been put under it earlier that day. Frankly, I don’t blame Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian hit him with a bit of a sucker punch there, implying that the girls only liked him for how he looks and that they’d be disappointed by his demeanor.

It’s such a popular trope (enemies to lovers), but I don’t think that makes it inherently bad or less effective as a storytelling device. On the contrary, when done well, it can make or break a story. As I said earlier, their relationship is very realistic, yet has enough fiction to make it fun. I watch these early scenes with a big old grin on my face, and I’ve seen this one probably around four times now, maybe more (I keep watching the Special Edition for all that wangxian goodness).

Okay, let’s watch as Wei Wuxian digs his hole deeper and deeper. The look on Lan Qiren’s face this entire time is priceless. Like, who is this miscreant who just barged in here, telling me how he is breaking all the rules and expecting me to feel bad for him? Meanwhile, Lan Xichen, with a smile: I won’t blame you for breaking the rules, but let my brother who hates you decided your punishment, okay? Thanks!

Peak comedy before it gets all serious again.

She’s so gorgeous!

But I’ll be frank with you all, I don’t like that they expanded Wen Qing’s role in this way. She was one of my favorites in the book, but shoehorning her and Wen Ning into the Cloud Recesses kind of drives me nuts. And then the stuff with Jiang Cheng, while kind of cute, just doesn’t really hit right with me, and I don’t think it was executed well at all after a certain point—but I’ll babble about that when the time comes. So, while I appreciate expanding female roles, I didn’t really care for this bit in the Cloud Recesses. I would have been fine with them adding scenes of what she was up to with the Wen Clan—that would have been really cool, actually, because we don’t get to see much of anything other than the Nightless City. And maybe I’m biased because I quite enjoyed the archery contest stuff in the book that they kind of piecemealed in the show.

It sounds like I’m just whining about this show, but I actually really enjoy it.

I like this moment between the twin jades. We don’t get a ton of these and this one is particularly quiet and peaceful. The contrast between them and Jiang Cheng/Wei Wuxian is so stark—the twin jades are so formal and a little stiff, while the twin prides are off the wall, hitting and teasing each other—but this doesn’t make either one less caring than the other. What’s obvious from this scene is how much both of them care about each other: Lan Wangji wants to do what he can to help, because he knows how much pressure is on Xichen, and Xichen is just worried about his younger brother. Even though you don’t find this out until later, you can tell that the two boys had to grow up very fast. Neither one had much of a childhood, and I think Lan Xichen does take on a bit of a father role to Lan Wangji as well.

Other episodes: 1 | 2 |

#cql rewatch #lan wangji #wei wuxian #wangxian #lan xichen #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #jin zixuan #wen qing #cql #the untamed #mdzs #mo dao zu shi

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alphi-writes · 4 years

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Hi, this flower event is a darling idea and your writing style is so fun to read! May I request Hyacinth and Lily of the Valley for Vil, and a Marigold and Morning Glory for Azul? I look forward to reading more from you — keep up the great work! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

Thank you so much!! (*ﾉ∀`*)/♡ I'm glad you like my writing, and I'd be honored to write for you♡💐

Flowers: Hyacinth, Lily of the Valley, Marigold, Morning Glory

Characters: Vil, Azul

Vil Schoenheit

"Hey Vil, uhm, could you... actually nevermind-" You'd appeared in Vil's room later in the evening.

You wanted to spend some time with Vil, but you also didn't want to bother him. Before you could even ask to spend time together, you were already on your way out.

"What do you need, darling?" When you heard him speak, you stopped in your tracks, twirling around to meet his eye.

"Aha, nothing, I know you're busy right now." You waved your hand around in the air, avoiding eye contact.

This was usual for you. You would show up, try to speak, and then Vil would have to convince you to talk to him.

You weren't afraid if him, but you did have a lot of anxiety and you were not one to try and bother others.

"Come here." He didn't speak in a harsh tone, but you knew he had little patience.

You scuttled over, standing rigidly by his side.

"Oh darling, look at the circles under your eyes." He stood up, gently putting his hands on either side of your face.

He tilted your face upward and you glanced at him.

"Yeaa, I guess I haven't been sleeping well. It's no big deal though-" you gently moved his hands away,"-so what are you doing right now?"

Vil has known you for quite some time, and he knew you were feeling nervous right now.

"Well, I'm planning on pampering you." He pushed you into the seat in front of his mirror, opening his makeup box.

You instantly started panicking.

"Ah no-! You don't have to Vil, honestly I'm fine-"

"Are you denying me the pleasure of fixing you up?"

You went silent, sitting still while he brushed your hair out.

"You should start taking care of your hair a bit better. Tea Tree oil will soften it up in no time."

He droned on about many different topics as you sat there, listening intently all the while.

"Hm, how about some flowers to brighten up your hairstyle." He murmured quietly, probably to himself, but when you heard it you turned to look at him.

Vil walked to the other side of his room and picked up a single stem that had multiple small white bell-shaped blooms on it.

The flowers were placed at the crown of your head, a bloom hanging close to your eyebrow.

"Wow, what are these flowers called? They're cute." You looked at the flowers, a small smile growing on your lips.

"Lily of the Valley. They compliment your eyes well." He began to work on your eyes, deciding to give you lighter makeup than he usually did.

"You don't have to do this for me, Vil." Your eyes were closed, but you felt his hand hesitate for a moment.

"But of course I do-! Someone has to spoil you, and what better person than me." You heard him chuckle quietly, tapping your nose lightly.

You hummed a quiet tune as he worked, waiting to see the final product. You peaked an eye open when you heard him shuffle a bit.

"Is it done? Can I see?"

Vil nodded and moved aside so you could look in the mirror.

He was right about the flowers complimenting your eyes. The white color made your eyes look much brighter, and gave your simple hairstyle a bit of aesthetic flair.

"Wow... your skill with makeup never ceases to amaze me, Vil."

You heard him give a quiet 'I know' while you looked at his handy work.

Not only did the colors of the eyeshadow compliment your eye color, but he chose shades that popped against your skin tone as well.

"You're so talented Vil! I love it." When you turned to look at him, he was smiling down at you with a far off look in his eyes.

"Vil? Are you okay?" You stood up, stepping towards him.

"You look gorgeous, Y/N." He smiled and took your hand in his.

He draped his free-hand over your shoulder, and in turn you put your hand on his waist.

There was no music to follow, but you moved together in such an organized fashion that one would believe music was playing in your mind's only.

He stared into your eyes while you danced, causing your cheek to burn.

You chuckled nervously, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm soaking up your beauty, darling. You should be flattered."

Azul Ashengrotto

You wiped your hands off on your apron, smiling up at Azul.

"Thank you for helping today, Y/N." He bowed his head, standing back up and smiling.

"No problem, Azul, I don't mind helping anytime you need me."

As of late, Monstro Lounge had been overrun with customers, and Azul had come to ask you for help. You accepted, of course, and even if you were rushed around a lot today, you admittedly had a lot of fun.

"I actually quite like working in the lounge." You crossed your arms, smiling at the now-vacant lounge.

"As much as I didn't want to drag you into all this, I am very grateful for you. You were a pleasant addition to the lounge staff today." Azul admitted, smiling down at you.

"Well, if you ever want to hire me-" You folded your middle three fingers down, creating the 'call me' sign.

He laughed, setting a hand on your shoulder. He was about to say something else when Floyd appeared, draping himself over your body.

"Shrimpy~ I'm glad you helped us today- really lifted my mood for work!" Floyd kept talking, drawing in your full attention.

Behind you, Azul's gaze sharpened and his eyebrows furrowed. He was used to feeling jealousy, but he had never felt possessive of another person. It was odd for him, so instead of bringing attention to his problem, he decided to head to his office.

He sat down and attempted to start his paperwork. He waited for you. Maybe he was waiting for you to burst through the door and confess your love to him, or even for you to poke your head into his office just to say goodbye.

Luckily for him, you were that kind of person.

After about an hour of waiting, he heard his door open quietly, but sat still.

"Azul, hey." You whispered into the room.

He turned and looked over his shoulder and saw your head poking past the door, a large smile on your face.

"Thank you for letting me help tonight. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He finally turned his whole body to face you, nodding without a word.

You playfully sent and air kiss his way and pulled your head out from the doorway. He watched as you put your arm through and set a small vase of marigolds down.

"Goodnight Azul." You whispered, shutting his door.

He stared at the marigolds for a moment before his face began to burn. You must've noticed he was jealous, which would explain the marigolds. He brushed it off for the night and continued his paperwork.

The next day, he was pleasantly suprised to see you'd shown up to the lounge again.

"Ready for work, Mister Azul Sir!" You saluted him, laughing afterwards when he gave you a dumbfounded look.

"You're helping again today?"

"You say that as if you don't want my help." You smirked, turning to walk away.

"N-no! I do want your help!" He yelled out, startling you.

You turned back around and smiled, adjusting your apron.

"That's what I thought."

Azul watched as you walked off, preparing to start your work. He had never yelled out like that, so he took a moment to compose himself before he would begin the day.

As the day droned on into night, you found yourself glancing at Azul more often that you would've liked to admit.

Honestly, it was hard having feelings for Azul because of how wrapped up he was in his contracts. Nonetheless, you found yourself swooning over him day in and day out.

When you had your back turned, it was Azul's turn to stare at you. He was so confused with his feelings because he had never felt that way about someone.

You were always so kind to him, and he wasn't used to that. He was used to being teased and made fun of, and although the twins were his friends, they weren't always there for him like you were.

The night soon came to a close, and yet again it was just the two of you left.

He watched as you placed small baskets of condiments on each table. You were so precise, lightly adjusting the placement of each basket as you went.

When you were finally finished, you walked over to Azul.

"Welp, today was another good day. Right? I'm not sure." You laughed nonchalantly, tilting your head as you smiled at Azul.

He only nodded, not speaking.

"Is something bothering you, Azul?"

He shook his head.

"I'm just tired, today was a long day."

He heard you huff.

"Well fine, but if this continues, I'll beat the problems out if you!" You threatened him playfully, tapping his shoulder and making your way out of the Lounge.

"Goodnight, Azul, sleep well."

And then you were gone. Gone from the lounge, gone from his sight. His chest hurt and his stomach twisted.

Is this what it felt like? Is this what it would be like for days on end? He did not like this feeling, not one bit.

Others would find the good in feeling antsy and flustered all day, but Azul hated the feeling.

He wanted to feel alright. He wanted you to look at him the way he looked at you.

He wished you would gaze at him with that longing in your eyes that his eyes held.

And in the morning, his wish was granted.

He was startled when he heard a soft knock at his bedroom door.

It was quite early in the morning, and classes wouldn't start for another two hours, but here he was, opening his door.

He expected Floyd, and was about to scold him, but instead found you, with morning glories in your hands.

He looked down at the flowers. There was enough to made a good sized bouquet, and they had an earthy smell to them. The water in the vase that contained the flowers was slightly murky, and he could see dirt under your nails and on your finger tips.

"Sorry Azul, I just really wanted to give these to you-" you handed him the vase, "-Oh man, my hands are a mess."

He held the vase in his hands and watched as you tried to brush the dirt off onto your pants.

"I uhm... so this is a confession-" Your voice got a bit louder and your eyebrows creased, "- so you don't have to accept the flowers or anything, I just thought you would like them." You drabbled on, clearly nervous.

His eyes stung and he smiled sheepishly down at you. When you saw the tears in his eyes, you started freaking out.

"Ohmygosh! Are you allergic? Should I have gotten different flowers? I only have morning glories in my garden right now I didn't even think for a moment you were allergic or-" he laughed loudly, causing you to stop talking.

"I'm not allergic, Y/N. I just..."

He took a deep breath,

"I've been waiting for this for quite some time."

#disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland headcannons #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland writing #twisted wonderland x reader #twst hc #twst headcanons #twst imagines #twst flower event #twst fluff #twst azul #twst vil #twisted wonderland flower event #twisted wonderland azul #twisted wonderland vil #vil schoenheit #azul ashengrotto

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soymimikyu · 3 years

Text

Twin Peaks: Episode 1

Previous post was the pilot -- this is now episode 1. Since, I am watching this on the Definitive Gold Edition, the log lady intros have been eerily fantastic.

Onto the notes!

The hook shoes! I really want those! Pre-pandemic soymimikyu could do crunches hanging upside down and these would be a good way to get back to that point (I might still be able to, but it would be a struggle. I should try tomorrow -- nothing good will come of this I am sure...). Coop is clearly lean jacked -- are donuts keto? Maybe if you drink enough coffee your heart beats fast enough to balance out calories consumed. (Now my brain went to a fic I read where coop was a donut -- he would be a buff donut. Not space marine, no neck buff, but "I do 100 pull ups a day" buff donut. American psycho buff. [This is worse than when I first read that fic in a horribly sleep deprived state and had soooo many questions])

Did something really happen between the Kennedy's and Monroe? The internet seems to indicate there was an affair, but I am not digging into the details right now.

Part of me, seeing the "Damn fine cup of coffee scene" really wanted coffee. But at 8:40 Pm that would end poorly.

AUDREY AND COOP! I love these two. The way she enters and coop trails off after talking about freshly squeezed orange juice (grape fruit juice). It is such a charged scene and so well done! Squeeeee!

James bothers me less when he is not being romantic. As Laura says, he sounds dumb being romantic. He sounds less dumb at other points.

On rewatch, the plot structure is amazingly well done and the characters develop each other really well. Simple things, like a name drop shows character connections.

Donna in these early episodes -- ah her arc is so good. I am recalling an episode later in season two where one can only go d-a-m-n...

I look forward to Albert. He foils so well with the environment.

I would listen to just an hour of Lucy describing things. It has been too many years since I have had an actual international or long distance phone call, but I don't recall wind. Maybe I am wrong.

PECULATOR FISH. I kinda want to draw a fish chilling in a peculator. Damn fine fish?

Bob.

The two parenting scenes are right after each other. Horne and Audrey is clearly broken while Bobby and his father are at a distance for totally different reasons. (The operatic music while bobby's father talks is something. I don't know what, it fit because it was in the background enough to not distract, but when listened for is weird).

I just have a line that says James is Dumb. I agree.

Dr. Jacobi is a strange dude. Not bad. The hammock is nice though. As is the general tropical aesthetic.

Looking at the influences for David Lynch, I am surprised to not see the famous tragicomedy playwrights (e.g. Beckett and Durrenmatt are two I am familiar with). I don't think Twin Peaks falls into the category of a tragicomedy (I mean, given Durrenmatt's definion of the play as a structure desiring death), I don't think that is the case here. However the vibe of The Visit or the absurdity of Waiting for Godot feels like it fits. I should watch more Herzog.

#twin peaks #donuts #show notes #buff donut

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redantsunderneath · 4 years

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On Analysis - Introduction (the “why” part)

“He had the feeling that everything he saw was a broken-off piece of some giant blank thing that he had forgotten had happened to him.” ― Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood

Maybe some broader personal context would help understating why in god’s name I write shit about how Age of Ultron is a remake of Eraserhead and Marvel crossovers are inherently about self hating creatives going to war with editorial. Like everyone else, I love a well told story but want to be surprised - seeing Star Wars is still the single biggest event in my life in supercharging my interest in narrative art. But from early on, I had this left brain/right brain conflict going on. I was super interested in details and loved anything that required getting all the pieces to understand (that one episode of Speed Racer where they explain all the buttons I only saw once but I must have excitedly told everyone in the schoolyard about it 2 or 3 times) and I’ve always been down for the even the shittiest world-building that makes you dig for details (maybe this why Star Wars’ gesturing at a larger canvas lit my fuse so hard and how my introduction to Marvel comics became the second stage rocket booster 3 years later - see my retropseudonostalgia post). This also is probably common, especially here.

But it’s the right brain impulse became an overriding unconscious attractor. I saw The Man with the X-Ray eyes very young and had some serious nightmares, but mostly remember actually wanting to recapture that dread. This became a pattern. Anything that unsettled me or made me feel weird, my brain interpreted as a good experience. 1977 was a real flashpoint for me: Star Wars, sure, and 8 is the right age for Thanatos to start haunting you, but I also got super fucking sucked in to the Prisoner and imprinted on BBC’s Dracula (especially the baby eating scene where I remembered the brides actually eating the baby on camera until the clip showed up on YouTube and, turns out, it was just a cut to a flame effect and the baby eating was all in my and Q anon’s head). The thing that unites these later two is a the feeling of Unheimliche, or something - a sort of out of body experience due to transgressive touching of something in the reptile brain, recognizable but hard to formulate in language.

Again, not saying this is an unusual experience, but I sought after this diencephalonic impact aggressively and spent years chasing this particular dragon before I figured out what I was doing. Rank and file horror didn’t cut it because I wanted not only to feel it but to understand what it was telling me and doing to me, to wrestle with it, so needed to something resonant to be there. Kubrick’s one neat trick was having an entirely rational approach to relentlessly assembling this kind of ineffable experience… depth of meaning by design. I think Christopher Nolan is only popular because we have so few architect directors today so we’ll take a B- stab at it (though the thematic waters he sails on are a bit shallow). This is what I was doing receptively, wanting to cognitively reverse engineer the texts that moved me and autopsy my reaction . There were elements the things that got to me had in common - there was an existential abjection that felt like a kind of rapture, a transgressive daring in showing me something I shouldn’t see, a experience of Mark Fisher’s version of the weird and/or the eerie, but most of all a feeling that there was a story underneath there being told in an abstract language that I innately understood but my conscious mind couldn’t quite get to.

On the other side of my brain, I was sparring with narrative structure and was captivated by the way periodical narrative produced this fuzziness and that trashy or disreputable forms were better at doing some really complex things. After a late 70s of consuming everything I could, like sitcoms no-one remembers, 1930s and 40s franchise B movies, Godzilla, ABC hourlongs (it was the time that Fantasy Island and the Bionic Woman strode the airwaves), etc - just absolute garbage - Comics hit me in 1980 and hijacked my brain for half a decade. This mostly satisfied that architectural impulse, though, and the need for the uncanny reasserted itself as a shifting obsession to pop/rock music, “hard” books, and catholic moviegoing (and I guess some of that right brain stuff is intrinsically libidinous and the pubertal timing seems right).

My childhood book consumption till 77 was all atlases, history, and encyclopedias. 77 to 83 it was SF/Fantasy. The one work of fiction I strongly remember as a small child was There’s a Monster at the End of this Book which is a work of absolute intersubjective terror that implicates the crap out you - I never bought the ending and saw it as a necessary contrivance to make it OK for kids but I repeatedly endangered Grover anyway, enjoying the transporting dread, and learned meta in Kindergarten as a bonus! But in 1984 (during the Sarajevo Olympics, that’s etched in my brain) I read Moby Dick, which was my first formative struggle with understanding subliminal story. I was already in love with symbolism and conversant with nuts and bolts MFA program bullshit, as any ironically pretentious HS student would be, but reading that and writing about it and other “tough” books (especially the next year in Junior English where I learned to write, full stop) taught me I could think about this stuff and hold these abstractions in my head long enough to see what was happening under the waterline.

Movies really dominated the late 80s, though, and I became obsessed with everything from the Godfather to Die Hard, but I was only just peaking under the hood, until the left brain brought me back to TV and and thinking about narrative structure. Twin peaks (and Wild at Heart) made me a real Lynch fan and I sensed what I sought was in that direction, but it wasn’t until I watched the whole show and movie in one weekend in 1997 that I had my conversion experience. Moby Dick opened the door a bit, but that weekend kicked it in. My first real resource for understanding (other than HS English, a couple of hits of acid, and dorm room bull sessions with sort of smart people) was alt.tv.twin-peaks where there were many amateur scholars trying to understand the red room and above the convenience store scenes, complete with ascii maps.

The final inciting event was Inland Empire. The thing about David Lynch that is so perfect for my hobbyhorses is that he works within a scene entirely intuitively, connecting to really primordial stuff, and puts everything together by “painting” with feelings instead of paint, never thinking about it, just knowing when it’s right. But he usually works with a writer and editor who helps shape everything into something at least fitfully comprehensible for someone wanting to follow the surface story. You get the general idea and can meditate on the areas that are clearly not “real” in some sense and require either aesthetic surrender or a lot of thought and one hell of an interpretive toolkit - you can see the frame even if you don’t understand every bit of the picture. Inland Empire, which he made with no other behind the camera people, is pretty much all the mind-blowing bits with very little skeleton, an abstract painting with no frame. This forces you, if you want to understand in any way beyond just enjoying the moments viscerally, to effort like hell. The project of this for me, the reason I started this Tumblr, was using the internet for procuring and learning to use interpretive tools and, in so doing, writing my way to constructing an understanding of this one movie. As a result, my approach to all narrative art was changed. I figure it is time to unpack this into a framework and try to recall the specific things that helped me get here.

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10oclockdot · 4 years

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10oclockdot 2020 year in review

As I seem to drift farther and farther from tumblr (though the #Peace posts and my side project on On Kawara keep a thin tether attached), 2020 actually saw me stepping more solidly into my stated vocation as an academic, even if I also lost my job as a university professor this year. Trying to look on the bright sides.

Here we go:

10. I got my first properly peer-reviewed article accepted for publication in 2020. After 2 years of submitting to journals and a protracted review process, “Why is Reverse Motion Funny?: Happy End and the Comic Potential of the Cinematographic Mechanism” was accepted by Journal of Film and Video for publication... TBA. Based on some gossip I read online later, I might be waiting upwards of two years for the article to ever come out. But hopefully not. Either way, it was accepted, and that’s at least something for the CV.

9. Will DiGravio’s excellent The Video Essay Podcast (here) was a great companion this summer while I was working on a big project (see #1), and just for fun I decided to complete some “homework” he assigned on the podcast. My submission is here. Everyone else’s submissions are here.

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8. Early in the year, I updated a compilation of all the times John Ford used the hymn “Shall We Gather at the River” in one of his films. An eagle-eyed YouTuber found one more. Here’s the new version.

7. When some prominent Math YouTubers put out a call for videos on favorite numbers greater than a million -- aka #MegaFavNumbers -- I couldn’t see a reason not to join in, and made this video, based on one of my old tumblr posts. In it I also mention that as of late 2019 I’m also published on the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences. Not sure if I ever mentioned that here. Anyway, contributing a #MegaFavNumber seems like a fitting project for a year in which I also became a math tutor. (Here’s the full playlist.)

6. I didn’t make much art this year of note, but this bit of constrained poetry executed as a 10-part conceptual painting is easily one of the best and most important artworks I’ve ever made (if any could be assigned importance).

5. I finally watched Twin Peaks: The Return. Here’s a post I made about that, which somehow became the most popular new thing on the blog this year. Aphelis also liked this gif I made for him. Nobody seemed to understand this post (or maybe I just think it’s better than it is), but that’s okay, I guess.

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4. I started a new video essay series called “Video Postcards.” There are only two so far (”About Time,” and “Drone Swarms”), but the idea is to keep making them on a regular basis (monthly, maybe?). The concept is that each video is addressed to a friend of mine, and I weigh in on some topic that we’re both interested in and have talked about before. I actually SEND the addressee the postcard you see me writing in the video, with the link written out on it. After they view this private video correspondence, they get to decide whether the rest of the world will get to see it too. So far 2 for 2.

3. It was hard to write much that was meaningful this year politically (at least, it was hard for me). But I still wrote a short story that I’m proud of called Somewhere in the middle of an angry mob in Jerusalem, ca. 2000 years ago (here). I wish every Evangelical Christian in the country (my heritage) would read it. Oh, I also drew this cartoon about who establishment democrats really are. Oh, and this diagram over on Facebook about the inscrutable slowness of the apocalypse.

2. My first professional publication came in the form of a long data-driven article for Bright Lights Film Journal that dropped back in January: “Tracking Mass Ideology on IMDb’s Top 250: How Shifts in Societal Values Appear in the Popular Film Canon” (here). The Bright Lights people were so easy to work with that I’m looking forward to writing another article for them in the new year, if they’ll take it. This article even drew the attention of the great film reviewer Darren Mooney (of the m0vie blog), who invited me to record an episode of his podcast The 250 (here) on Sherlock, Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1924). We taped it a couple months ago, but it should land in the new year. I’ll share it here when it does.

1. And, of course, after three years of work and a rejection from [in]Transition, my first feature-length project, a video essay called A Supercut of Supercuts: Aesthetics, Histories, Databases, was accepted for publication at Open Screens Journal. It should be live in January. I’ve also sent it out to some film festivals with what little money I could scrape together for that purpose. Hopefully at least one of them wants to play it, so I can add some laurels to that poster!

See you next year!

#year in review

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tiernamente · 4 years

Note

Hello! 💫✨💛 This is the love bot! I am here to ask you to describe your mutuals as your favorite things/feelings! Spread some love during these tough times 💛✨💫 Then send this to 10 people and keep the love going 💛

This is gonna be a long list cause I have a lot of love to share!🥺💖💖💖

@chaylani nerdy memorabilia, cuddles with my pets (Benji and Mochi) & good morning messages

Elle, my love, my adorable dork, my one and only. Am I writing a love poem? (maybe) I remember when you first messaged me and we realized that we’re both really nerdy. We’ve bonded over our shared interests which resulted in our strong bond. I trusted you instantaneously and you make me all soft which is why I can’t see my life without you now.

@khaleesionjupiter my obsession of plushies, blankets & mugs

My baby! Whenever I receive a message from you, I get this instant feeling of wanting to hug you and protect you. Nothing can stop us from fulfilling our evil mad scientists plans. You crack me up and make me smile so fast that it’s crazy. Thank you for being you.

@do-you-know-bts deep talks with friends & warm cups of coffee

Helena, we both now that our sleep schedules suck but at 4am the thoughts just come rolling out. I’m glad to have someone who understands the bad moments just as much as the good. You give me comfort even if you give me a heart attack from all the 2seok content. (Keep it coming please!)

@shadowdevilsslayer nature/landscape photography & fresh baked goods

I know you hate the name but I love seeing Abi’s adventures (even if it’s the same path). I enjoy seeing nature’s beauty in any shape or form and you live in a place that’s surrounded by green!!!!!! You may be more reserved but your caring nature shines through. Thank you for being that mom friend we need.

@zamisriza-the-resurrection board game nights with friends

Zami!!!!! You’re so adorable and funny. Your love for Jungkook makes me all types of soft. You’re just like during a game night, were things start off calm but get chaotic as time progresses. I love that about you!

@glossyvante oranges, mangoes, watermelons & strawberries!

Lovely Mica! You’re such a sweet soul just like my favorite fruits haha. Thank you for letting me get some sneak peaks of your story. (I hope I get to see more of your works soon!) Also thanks for dealing with my crackhead snaps because I’m such a dummy.

@alittlesugaorspice tea & biscuits (this opportunity was too good, sorry!)

The absolute best person to roast Helena with me! Thank you Li for putting us all together. You make me laugh so hard when we’re on a call and you have such funny stories to share. You’re gonna be an amazing veterinarian!

@d-rex03 blasting music in my room & having my own jam session

Querida, you already know I love you so so so much! You’re the cutest little bean and I enjoy sending you random Yoongi related posts. You two are so similar that it makes sense why you love him. (But I still love you more!) Te quiero muchisimo chapina!

@dreamyeyes26 watching my favorite youtubers/random videos online

Naz! I love speaking with you when I get the chance to because you’re so calming and comforting (just like the videos I watch haha). You make me happy just by being there. I hope you continue to take care of yourself and I love you!

@ahh–lexia daydreaming with headphones in during a road trip

The homieeee Lex! I love how we’re both so damn loud. That crackhead energy really makes itself known. You’re easy to talk to and laugh with. I love seeing your creative side because it’s really cool!

@hobissunshiness the feeling of starting a new book/show/series

You’re like a breath of fresh air Sofie. I love reading the stories you come up with or hearing about your ideas. Your mind is so powerful and I want to encourage all of your ideas (even if some of them are cursed).

@napofamikrokosmos learning random facts about things

I found it super funny when I realized how we just have random knowledge about things. Google who? I only know Sam. You get super passionate about stuff and I absolutely love that about you. Keep doing what you’re doing sweetie!

@billie-harper discovering new music & getting obsessed with the artist

I love seeing your posts because I’ll notice we’ll share a lot of similar interests. It’s really exciting to see how much we have in common. You’re really kind and I would love to talk to you more. (Suho’s album is TOO GOOD FOR WORDS!)

@jayhoee creating handmade gifts for my friend’s birthdays

The meme queen Kaite! I love how we got into bts at the same time and that we both haven't been to a concert (freaking corona ruining our time to shine). Keep those memes coming Kaite. They're essential in this time of need.

@liamgayllagher the smell of my mom’s cooking/any home cooked meal

My twin! You're such an extreme version of me and that's saying something. I love how enthusiastic and loud you can get over things you love. Please continue that and I enjoy all the lovely messages you send me.

@the-assembly-call receiving memes from friends on social media

Overalls!!!!! You're so smol and cute and you make me laugh alot with your memes. You're a wonderful human being and I'm glad to have met you.

@dearmyxing soundtracks, soundtracks, soundtracks! (games/movies/etc.)

The Queen when it comes to being a fangirl. I bow to you and respect you. You’re so damn cool to talk to Mary Jane. Thank you for being so awesome. Also, I promise I’ll get around to watching the prodigal son. If not, just yell at me until I do.

@jxnaexo warm hugs, smiles & laughs

Nana! Like I've said before, you're so wholesome and caring and considerate about everyone. You care so much about us and I couldn't be more grateful to have you as a friend. I will fight anyone for you!

@soondaengie finding bright clothing with cool patterns

Omg kiddo you make me laugh so much because of the theories you have or the stories you share. You're bright and passionate and so cute!

@uibout tiramisu & coffee ice cream

This is a cop out because I actually do love tiramisu! You made me wheeze when you sent me those drunk posts. I'll always be your dweeb. (I love you Logan. Also, you jerk you didn't tell me you switched your url, I had to search for you!)

@gukssunshine that feeling of solving homework problems correctly

I love that we can complain about school to each other. You’re so honest and sweet with me and I love you so much Tanya. I love your energy when you talk about random things.

@zombiewerewolfqueen earrings, eyeshadow palettes, nail polish art

I have basic lobe earrings but yours looked so cool when you showed it to me. I don’t do makeup myself but I enjoy seeing the colors and designs people will do. Similar to that, I love seeing how creative you are with your writing even if I don’t understand the context.

@kiwipitupandstir winning on mario kart

You're such a cool person and I absolutely love seeing your posts on my feed. I wish you the best bud. Stay true and stay cool.

@notreyoon flowers, gardens, all aesthetically pleasing things

Ah yes the superior Leslie, you’re just as precious as yoongles. Whenever I see your blog I'm like, how is a human this stunning?!?!?! Like girl, show me your secrets! Sending you my love!

@clickclacktothemangmang museums/observatories/spontaneous adventures

I miss you my fellow funky little Hobi lover. It was so nice to talk to you about the random things bts would be releasing last year or the shows they were doing. You're so adorable and I hope you continue to shine bright!

@majestikblue listening to stories about people/life (post secret/humans of new york/etc.)

Ah yes my taegi buddy. Thank you for showing me post secret because I haven't been the same since. I love stories and you encouraged that. Continue to yell about taegi to me and I will continue to yell about 2seok to you.

@galaxiejoon going to bed after a long day

My fellow nam2seok enthusiast. Unfortunately, we don’t talk much but whenever I see your tags on posts, I crack up so hard. You’re so relatable so just keep doing what you’re doing bud.

I love you all! And to all of my other mutuals I haven’t had the chance to talk to, please know that I love you too! I promise I’m nice????

🥺🥺💕💕😘😘 sending y'all my love

#Anonymous #phew this took a long time #sorry for spelling errors #I did not proofread #but yeah these peeps are great just fyi #love them lots!#mutual cutie pies #asks

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thesinglesjukebox · 5 years

Video

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ORVILLE PECK - TURN TO HATE

[6.18]

Next up, a masked singer who presumably won't turn out to be, I don't know, Ninja...

Alex Clifton: "Fringed masked queer cowboy with Elvis's voice and an '80s melodic sense with a dash of Twin Peaks" sounds like a shtick when phrased that way, I'll admit. But to dismiss Orville Peck as some kind of novelty star really ignores how good he is. There's something about the way he mixes everything together that's hypnotic and keeps me coming back for more. That voice, for one -- every time I hear it, I'm blown away that someone can just make that come out of their mouth, especially since it's been a long time since I've heard a male voice this rich. I tried not to be impressed the first time I watched his videos as there was an element that felt too campy for words, like it would all be revealed to be a joke at the end. But to be fair, you can't make this kind of music and not have some sort of campiness. Peck is the real deal; if anyone deserves more attention and has been overlooked by the general masses, it's this guy. [8]

Joshua Copperman: It's an effective gimmick; the narrative is less "hardcore guy goes country" than "mysterious pale masked man inexplicably has a gorgeous baritone." Pony's missteps recreate Morrissey/Elvis/Roy Orbison too neatly, but the best moments use pastiche as a foundation to build a new voice. The pinnacle is "Turn to Hate," which is closer to '80s-new wave than '50s rockabilly and benefits from that distinction. Its message jumps the song forward another thirty years; "Don't let my sorrow turn to hate" is especially powerful in this age of radicalization. The line "you're just another boy caught in the rye" is maybe my favorite lyric of the year; reassuring the wannabe Holden Caulfields of the world they'll be "alriiiiiight." The "yee-haw" is up there with "get 'em" and "*GASP*" in the very specific pantheon of infectious 2019 ad-libs. He can be as goofy as he wants (and get away with "You'll all be stars, now just you wait") because of the depth of feeling and urgency in this song. And anyway, why be Holden Caufield when you can be a chaotic cowboy that channels his loneliness into helping others instead of wallowing? [9]

Iain Mew: Peck sings as if having a deep voice is an automatic granter of a resonance which never arrives. The low-stakes jangle works well enough until he completely takes over, but I get easily distracted by imagining what Michael Stipe could do with the same material. [4]

Katherine St Asaph: The sum total of my knowledge about Orville Peck: 1) he's a deliberately anonymous ersatz-country artist, 2) always appears in a The Hitcher mask, 3) is signed to Sub Pop. Is the latter why I keep swearing this is about to turn into a Throwing Muses song? [7]

Nortey Dowuona: A soft shading of guitars sets the stage for Orville Peck to pull in the warm, fuzzy bass, gale wind guitars and 3D printed drums around their prickly, hurtling croon. [6]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Bar music you listen to while sipping an IPA and eating salted peanuts. Pleasant, well-executed, inessential. [5]

Alfred Soto: A flashback to the Poppy Bush Interzone of college radio when Nick Cave and Lower Manhattan-era Lloyd Cole garnered airplay on little more than the symbolic portent of their two-dimensional baritones. Cool guitar twang. Not queer enough in toto. [5]

Vikram Joseph: I guess I was expecting something self-consciously challenging, but for all the masked theatrics, "Turn To Hate" is a remarkably comfortable-sounding country-pop song with beautiful, crisp production. There's more than a trace of Reckoning-era R.E.M. in the rich jangle of the guitars -- especially the three-note lick leading into the chorus -- and the hazy outro is eerily reminiscent of another hazy 2019 outro, but Orville Peck contrives to sound both classic and sharply idiosyncratic. Also, if there were a prize for the most deliciously understated "yeehaw" of the decade, this would walk it. [7]

Kylo Nocom: Here comes the cowboy! And he sounds a lot like an unfunny version of the Magnetic Fields! Mac DeMarco's appearance in the video is unsurprising; both artists have summoned audiences through extra-musical goofiness more so than their rather pedestrian tunes. The antics make for easier branding and a fine token country slot come year-end list season. They do not make for fine music. One wonders why all the BDSM imagery is here when Orville has such a gutless, clean-shaven aesthetic. [4]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: It's so easy to read Orville Peck's act as just about the mask (just about the mask, as if that doesn't mean the mask as metaphor / the mask as literal mask / the mask as affectation / the mask as prop-work / the mask as pageantry / the mask as marketing gimmick) that I at first did not want to even encounter his music. Wouldn't the idea of a masked cowboy goth indie folk singer always outstrip the practice? Yet "Turn to Hate" works both as a part of the Peckian mythos and as a work of Springsteen-cribbing Americana. It's a simple song, raving up the same changes until they become laden with meaning, but it's effective, like the high-beams on an old Toyota cutting through a Southwestern night. It's kitschy in a way that only furthers its immediacy, a masked song about the mask's necessity that nevertheless opens its own beating heart up. [8]

Oliver Maier: Many musicians have flirted with or fully adopted the cowboy mantle in the past couple of years, but Peck is one of the few for whom the campiness of the persona feels planned rather than arrived at. This permeates the music to an extent, though I'm not sure whether it's intentional. For all their theatricality, Peck's vocals lack presence and conviction on "Turn to Hate," and I can't decide whether it's a cunning way of draining the gruffness out of the archetype or just a genuine weakness. Maybe I'd be more inclined towards the former if anything else about the song felt particularly sophisticated, but while there's glimmers of Big Star's motel melancholy, it's still not much more than a placid alt-country head-nodder. [5]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#Orville Peck #country #pop #music #music review #Amnesty Week

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lightsandlostbells · 6 years

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wtFOCK season 1 reaction

So this is the one Skam remake I did not watch as it was airing! There wasn’t any reason it was this remake in particular, only that I didn’t have time to follow all of them; I was busy and already watching and taking notes on Skam NL, Skam España, and Skam Italia, and wtFOCK happened to be the “surprise” Skam remake that I wasn’t prepared for. And apparently it did very well and connected with the local teen audience, which is fantastic!

Anyway, I did want to watch it when I had time. I’m not going to do recaps for this season per episode, though I might for future seasons, but here are some thoughts about it.

wtFOCK season 1

I had heard that this remake was on the cringe-worthy side, and … yeah, I can see how people would say that. The acting isn’t the strongest, there are moments that I found exaggerated in a way that felt corny. That said, I did enjoy it overall.

Perhaps the biggest thing in its favor is its authenticity, especially with the characters. These feel like real kids. Because, well, they are real kids. The casting is age-appropriate from what I can tell. One reaction that struck me strongly was watching the scene with Jana and Robbe (Eva and Isak) after the gossip gets out at school about Jana cheating and Robbe comforts her, because I just had this big sense of wow, these are really teenagers, and that youthful vulnerability helps deliver the material. With that in mind, I’m much more willing to forgive shakier acting, because they aren’t professionals as far as I know. They’re teenagers representing themselves. The actors do not look or act like 23-year-old Instagram models, and that’s a big plus in my books.

On that note, I love that Jana had braces! Now that’s something you barely see in films and TV unless it’s like a plot point, practically, or a way to signpost that a character is young and awkward. Here it’s just a fact of life.

In a way I’m glad I didn’t do episode by episode recaps, because some of the scenes were so similar to the original series that I really had nothing to say about them. On the other hand, there were some completely original scenes, and I liked a lot of them!

A lot of the best new material had to do with Jana and her mom. Loved that awkward scene where they run into Britt and Jana’s mom has no idea that they’re no longer friends - give Britt some credit for not ratting out Jana about the cabin trip. And I adored that Sinterklaas scene where Jana came downstairs and found all the goodies on the table, and Jana’s mom said that even though Jana forgot to place her shoe, she must still be in his good books. What a lovely scene to show that Jana’s mom still thinks her daughter is a good kid despite the fight and her bad grades. It was a different detail that Jana had lost her dad at a young age, although I wish that had been brought up a little more as to maybe how it affected her character, since it’s not the same set of circumstances as being distant from a parent who’s moved on to a new family. Touching to show her and her mom visiting her dad’s grave, though.

I also really liked that scene where Jana was eyeing Amber and Luca, and Jens was encouraging her to go talk to them. That was sweet and showed that he knew she was holding back on making new friends, making the post-cabin talk about her not having friends stronger.

Another good addition: Jana jumping straight to the worst conclusion when Jens doesn’t show up at the movies, showing her growing distrust of him, and foreshadowing that the thing with Britt is all a misunderstanding (since him not arriving to the cinema was, too).

The direction on the show is pretty standard. There’s not much ambition or #aesthetic and sometimes scenes are blocked clumsily or paced strangely. However, I could always tell what the main point of a scene was supposed to be, I wasn’t struggling to understand Jana’s emotional state, it wasn’t style over substance. So in that way, it was efficient. When it comes down to it, the characters are the most important to any version of Skam.

FreeFest was a decent way to adapt the russ storyline, although now I want to see if they continue to develop it across seasons or if it’ll fizzle out or fade into the background like I think the russ equivalent is going to with several of the remakes. One big challenge, I’ve realized, is that Skam could easily develop russ throughout the entire show, since it wouldn’t happen until graduation. However, the remakes have introduced various parties and trips and events that have less of a reason to go on indefinitely. FreeFest seemed like a lot of work, so I’m curious if it’ll continue into the second season. I didn’t catch when it was supposed to happen.

I was curious what was the point of Keisha, too, since she basically just showed up to be a red herring friend for Jana and then she disappeared. To demonstrate Jana really hates drugs? I did like her intro scene where Jana was obviously reading a little bit more into that interaction than intended, she was looking for a social connection and Keisha just kept on passing out flyers. They kept updating her IG throughout the season and even into the new year, so maybe she’ll be returning for S2, as someone working on her own FreeFest team.

Jana was great. She was a realistic teenage girl, with lots of insecurity and some bouts of confidence, and I appreciate that. She really hated drugs and smoking of all kinds in this version, it felt even more pronounced than with Eva. At times it felt a tad after-school-special but it also strengthened why Jens would hide his big secret from her.

After the cabin trip, Jens said that he thought having friends was important to Jana, and she said it was, just that Jens was more important, which I thought was a nice line, considering she had chosen Jens over Britt and established her mindset at that point.

Jens was clearly the best-looking dude around, to the point where I easily would have bought if he were the William character. Like the actual William and P-Chris characters had nothing on the Jonas (no offense to those actors, it’s not a comment on their performances) although I know their popularity is also a matter of personality and status and Jens/Jonas is supposed to be more an edgy non-conformist type. No wonder Jana didn’t know who Senne was, compared to her own boyfriend.

Loved Zoë a hell of a lot. Loved that she was so unimpressed with a lot of the guys’ bullshit. Loved that she had no time for any man’s fuckery, from Senne to Luka to Jens. She was probably kindest to Robbe, all things considering.

Also loved how they showed Jana and Zoë’s friendship in this version, such as seeing Jana having video chats with Zoë, or that they were so frequently seen together.

When Amber asked whether Zoë got turned out by guys, Zoë’s “...Yes?” felt like the least convincing thing ever. That girl does not care about dudes in the slightest. I mean, I know she does, buuuuut ... nah.

I think Zoë is the first Noora to come from Oslo, and in a way it’s kind of amazing that it took so long.

She had a pic of Laura Palmer on IG, so like Noora, she is also a Twin Peaks fan.

Yasmina was missing from the party scenes, which I guess was the actress’ choice, and I respect that. However, I did feel that it ended up undermining her character. The big moment of Sana throwing water in Ingrid’s face on behalf of Vilde was changed to Luca doing it, because Yasmina wasn’t at the party. And that was a pretty crucial moment in the Sana-Vilde relationship. I don’t think Yasmina and Amber had anything like that to make up for it. When Amber says some Islamophobic crap in the later part of the season, Yasmina doesn’t even get to counter to point out that she’s defended Amber. And I don’t think they ever explained why Luca threw the water in Britt’s face, that it was on behalf of Amber, so it ended up being some random event.

Also, because Yasmina wasn’t at the party where Amber passes out, it was Luca who stuck her fingers down Amber’s throat and helped her throw up, so that Sana-Vilde moment was gone, another one that felt pretty significant to their relationship. Again, not blaming the actress, just too bad we couldn’t get some big Amber-Yasmina moments to make up for that.

Yasmina was present when Amber was talking about her plans to sleep with Senne, and I wish they’d given her more to do in the scene, or had her speak up more, because later on she’s so blunt about Senne not being into Amber. When she’s in the scene listening to Amber talk about sleeping with him before it happens, it makes you wonder why she let it happen or didn’t say much in the first place. I guess she thought Amber was gonna Amber.

I did like Yasmina from what we did see of her. Her having all the girls breathe in and out after they get the party invite, her showing up for Amber the morning after she passes out even while not being at the party herself. I hope she gets more attention in S2. (Also? She’s gorgeous and I adore her camel coat.)

Also, having Luca throw water in Britt’s face rather than Yasmina also meant Amber was talking about getting rid of both Yasmina and Luca at some point, and that made her seem more like Cersei Lannister, lmao, like she was ready to ax people all over the place.

I don’t think Amber’s topless pics ever came back into play, though there was more emphasis on them in this version than others, with Jana’s own topless pic serving as a parallel and Amber wondering if Senne had shown the other guys. I thought it was implied that he did, but we didn’t hear the actual conversation between Jana and Luka, just saw Amber’s sad face. I really hope he didn’t because that would make that situation even uglier, and I would need Zoë to drag Senne thoroughly for it in S2.

I believe Amber said it was Luca’s mom who had the wine tasting party, so are they eliminating that part of Amber’s background? There is the scene where they’re talking about getting alcohol and Amber starts rambling about why she doesn’t have the money, and that made me think she might have some financial problems.

I like that they made Luca kind of an unrepentant weirdo, although I wish they’d cut back on some of the Robbe flirting as it was too over the top. Although I had to laugh that one time she blatantly hit on him and he just flat-out ignored her and was like “Jana can we talk (save me plz)”

Luka was so sleazy. He was even more of a teen movie antagonist than the Chris character is usually. The most endearing thing about him was his extremely dorky vampire Halloween costume.

However, LOVED the extra scenes with him, such as Jana leaving her phone at his place. Adored that Zoë accompanied her to get it back and handled the matter completely businesslike, even though Luka was obviously disappointed when he saw that Jana didn’t arrive alone. She’s a true pal. And loved Jana going off at him when she knocked into him! Even if she wasn’t right about him spilling the beans, it was cathartic, it was Jana’s own Zoë vs Senne moment.

Also ended up liking Robbe. They were going for a more wise-cracking, comic relief version of Isak in some ways, it felt like Robbe made more actual jokes than Isak did, but then he ended up being surprisingly more vulnerable than I expected toward the end. I thought they were leaning harder on the Jana/Robbe hints for the misdirection, but at the same time, it felt like there were some extra wink-wink nudge-nudge ironic moments about his sexuality as well, like Jens telling Robbe he’d understand acting like a lovesick puppy once he got a girlfriend, and some extra moments showing how he was affected by homophobia, like Moyo backing away from a hug at the end of the trip, telling Robbe to watch himself. Robbe didn’t even try to tell Jana he had feelings for her at first, it was Zoë who came up with that idea. It seemed very likely that he was going to confess the real truth to Jana on two separate occasions.

I also liked that his explanation of why he betrayed Jana was about feeling Jens had no time for him anymore, and even when Jana wasn’t there, Jens was still talking about her. Because that’s not a lie, that’s the truth, Robbe must have been miserable feeling unable to escape the guy he likes talking about his girlfriend, or them acting lovey-dovey, just no respite, not that it excuses his actions, obviously.

The Jana-Robbe dynamic as a whole was pretty good, I liked that he was pretty efficiently snaky - for instance, he basically coaxes her into telling him her secret about kissing Luka, and plays on their close friendship, that she can trust him, they’ve known each other a long time.

George Michael’s “Faith” being the big reveal music was an A+++ choice.

The music. Oh boy. Some of the remakes aren’t that good in their use of music; Skam’s use of music always felt purposeful and usually well-chosen, and the editing and soundtrack complemented each other. That’s not always the case with the remakes, some of which use music in perfunctory, expected ways: a pop/indie song opens the clip, a pop/indie song closes the clip, maybe a song somewhere in between. But it feels like songs are enforced because God forbid we have silence opening or ending a clip, or have scenes transition without music. And I would be willing to bet there’s some network/Powers That Be influence at play, like they want a hip teenage soundtrack to promote various artists and get the kids to follow the official playlist on Spotify, so the production teams have to use music. Skam France was guilty of this a lot. Druck is doing this more in its second season. But wtFOCK is possibly the worst offender. Too much music, used in a way that often didn’t complement the tone or editing of the scene - especially the editing, some of the songs just felt slapped over the clip rather than working with it. In the full episodes, there were some moments where a clip ended with a song and then another clip started with a completely different song in a way that was very jarring. There are some great choices, like “Faith,” but I just want the remakes to calm down and stop feeling the need to push music in every clip. Plenty of Skam scenes do not have music and they work wonderfully.

Also, disappointed that they used the exact same song for the fight scene. The fight scene wasn’t edited or choreographed that well, though I liked the guy returning Zoë’s hat at the end. And someone was actually filming the fight! I’m trying to remember if we’ve seen anyone else film the fight before, because that is something that would definitely happen in this day and age.

Another random thing I like: the characters talk about school a lot. As in, exams and homework, not just personal drama that happens while at school. Because yeah, this is a school, and teenagers are going to be concerned with passing their classes. It’s always been a thread in Eva’s season and her character overall that she’s not a great student, so I was proud that Jana ended up doing well on her biology exam! Maybe her academic performance can improve once she’s worked out some of the personal stress weighing on her.

That Mexican-themed party … not a great choice! For a moment I wondered if this party was supposed to be read as offensive since Zoë was not in costume and she’s a more “woke” character, like maybe the Beat Boys and Girls crowd (or whoever were throwing that party, I don’t recall) were supposed to be seen as clueless, but nah, I think it was just poor taste.

It’s interesting how different versions portray the Eva/Chris kiss. In some the Eva character is the initiator, in some it’s the Chris character, in some it’s more mutual. In some it happens quickly and some Eva slowly gives in. In wtFOCK Luka was definitely initiating it and Jana was more hesitant.

I had to laugh when Zoë was explaining the bracelets to Amber and all the girls she pointed out were conveniently displaying or showing off their bracelets at that moment, I guess because they’re much harder to notice at a glance than hoodies.

However, I liked Amber saying that she feels like it’s her fault every time and not his, because that paralleled Jana’s situation too - Jana is the one who receives the hate and blame even though Jens/Luka cheated, too. I’m glad they brought up the boys’ culpability at various points.

Zoë was keeping that period letter in her backpack and I mean, it was in a plastic bag and all, but I dearly hope she got rid of the tampon before carrying it around all day. It’s gross enough as it is.

So different that Marie didn’t come bursting out of the stall to interrupt the Jana-Britt heart-to-heart! Instead she came out after they left, and she seemed emotionally affected, like she was crying too. Maybe because she really felt like Jana was a person in that moment, and not just a nebulous boyfriend-stealer. Marie did seem to be pretty defensive when Jana confronted her later, but she quickly backed down when it was revealed what a lying cheater Luka was, and she could no longer be in denial. Jana seemed hesitant about accepting Marie wanted to be friendly with her afterwards, which was an interesting and believable touch.

A good scene when Senne was texting Zoë and Zoë lied to Amber that it was her parents asking how her exam went, and Jana covered for her by being like, I know the feeling, doesn’t your mom do that? And Amber was like, yeah, constantly. Which made me :( because I bet Amber’s mom doesn’t do that too often.

I laughed when Jana was like “That dude (Senne) is stalking you” to Zoë, so Zoë looked his way, and that got Senne’s attention and he IMMEDIATELY went up to Zoë, like good job breaking it, Jana.

I loved that Zoë learned psychological tricks from Dr Phil, but now I have this burning question: is Dr Phil like some beloved international icon?? First Eva and now Zoë turn to him for wisdom. I have seen maybe one episode of Dr Phil in my lifetime so I find it wild that the youthz are getting life advice from him.

FINALLY we saw some characters on Skam playing a video game besides FIFA (and I guess on Skam France we saw them playing a racing game once). Jens, Robbe, and Moyo were playing Fortnite.

I am actually very eager to see Zoë’s and Robbe’s seasons because I liked their characters. Yasmina’s, too, even though I didn’t get as much of her as I would’ve liked in this season.

There weren’t a ton of text messages in the season, were there? I looked for them and only saw a few, and most of them didn’t seem to add much to the story or develop characterization. That’s something they can improve on for S2 (unless I just missed out on all the texts).

However, there was considerable effort put into the Instagram accounts, as many of them were consistently updated and they’ve maintained IG accounts even for minor characters to the present. I wonder if they’re going to keep a lot of those characters around in S2 and beyond, because that’s more work than necessary just to maintain realism, heh. But still, big props for that.

I apologize if I misinterpreted or missed something. Feel free to clarify anything!

#wtfock reactions #wtfock

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mylittleredgirl · 6 years

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What are your favourite science fiction shows? (Besides Star Trek because I've already watched those!)

Okay I’ve thought about it and:

Space shows:

Babylon 5: WATCH THIS BEAUTIFUL POETIC SHIT i love it and sometimes it’s a bit terrible but if you just let go into it and decide that people do talk exactly like this in the future it’s so fucking good. Like upsettingly good. Somewhere along the way clunky dialogue gives way to in-universe shakespearean perfection that gives you the feeling that you’ve discovered a religion but you’re not 100% sure what it entails. At the end of season 4 pause and consider if you’d like to enjoy the feeling of completion and “yeah team good guys!!” you’re experiencing for a while before going on, because Season 5 reshuffles the cast of characters and muddies the waters in a way that never quite gets paid off. I never really got into Crusade but there was less of it to get into and because frankly I was still young and innocent in the ways of television and spent a few years heartbroken that I watched all the goddamn way to the end of Babylon 5 without the Talia Winters resolution i was waiting for. In the final accounting, I will always choose Deep Space Nine over Babylon 5 when asked to choose a favorite space-station-based epic war arc with religious symbolism, because B5 is right on the edge of how dystopic a future universe can be before I start to feel uncomfortable. most people call that edge “realistic”.

Stargate SG-1: UGHHH Stargate SG-1 is a fuckin GIFT because it’s a little “what if a sarcastic highly capable military dude from the late 1990s travels to outer space with his brilliant weirdo friends to do battle with villains that would have fit in really well in classic Star Trek” AND “what if almost every planet was kind of a stereotype of earth at a specific time and place like classic Star Trek” AND that delicious 1990s staple of regularly subtexted white people het and slash and femslash combinations where nobody ever just fucking FUCKS. Seasons 3 and 4 contain some of the best episodes for het unresolved sexual tension seen outside of The X-Files. Everyone should watch it but be prepared that if you go online and start talking about SG-1 or Stargate: Atlantis a generation of your fandom foremothers are gonna show up on your posts wailing about the Before Times like we lived through some kind of fandom ‘nam and can never trust again. 9/10 everyone should watch this even though “Stargate SG-1” is not a very good title for a TV show.

and Stargate: Atlantis: if Star Trek is my religion i worship on Sunday morning then Stargate: Atlantis is the one I dress in leather and take to bed on Saturday night because I have never I mean ever shipped anything as long or as hard as I have shipped motherfucking John Sheppard and Elizabeth Weir in this goddamn show. out of every crumb the TV show gave us the fanfic writers cooked up a goddamn feast. not only have I never watched more than a handful of episodes in seasons 4 and 5 but I basically stopped watching new television entirely for almost a decade so, uh, proceed with caution after the midpoint of season 3 and I have like 285 favorite fanfics to show you.

Futurama …….. tbh i’ve never watched past the original seasons because i’d come to a place of internal closure and i fear change and it was inside the Stargate Atlantis hangover period discussed above, but that’s more psychology than anyone wanted to get into on this post. basically my ideal expression of humor can be found in “the farnsworth parabox” and whatever the episode is called with the neutral planet because that is some a+ loving sci fi trope mockery and i love every line of it.

That specific brand of earthbound sci-fi show where there are almost certainly aliens involved but our heroes never get to seek out new life and new civilizations:

The X-Files: what can i say about the x-files??? this is INDUSTRY STANDARD fucking shipping territory fucking NO ONE does unresolved sexual tension better and honestly the day i will know i have met The One it is because they will present me with a non-fat dairy-free toffuti cutie rice dreamsicle and say “i have done my research and understand your romantic needs and expectations.” this shit is so formative that i literally watched the episode “jose chung from outer space” so many times that i wrote it out and then memorized it as the most perfect work of fiction i had ever encountered.the television without pity recaps of seasons 8 and 9 (which tbh i unironically love and consider an internal spinoff come fight me) literally kept me alive in a very dark period of time. “very dark” is also how to describe 98% of the scenes in this series so while on the one hand there’s some horror-style gore there’s only like a 50/50 chance you’ll be able to see any of it. i reblogged all the shippy gifsets about the seasons 10 and 11 reboot and did not watch any of it and honestly i feel pretty ok about my life and my choices. if you are willing to read fic written in the first person and don’t mind that 1990s-esque think-of-the-children notion that scully’s a virgin you will literally never run out of fanfic.

Twin Peaks: this is my newest fandom love and I am loving the entire nonsensical ~aesthetic~ of it all so much that I can barely breathe. i don’t know what the fuck is going on. no one knows what the fuck is going on. i want to cross-stitch every frame on a pillow. twin peaks avoids being grimdark because it’s so stylized. the characters are all these perfectly odd creations and a handful of them are genuinely good people trying their best, but like it opens with the murder of an abused teenager and no one gets an unambiguously happy ending. watch this if you want to go along for a ride that will soak into your cells like pacific northwest mist dampening a flannel shirt and will leave you just a little bit stranger than you were before. in the back half of season two you’re safe to go make a sandwich whenever james, nadine, or dick tremayne show up on-screen.

Earthbound sci-fi shows that don’t involve aliens at all:

Jake 2.0: i’m literally never over the one season of this turn of the millennium sci fi geek fever dream where experimental government nanites give an IT helpdesk tech with a heart of gold the ability to control technology with his brain and the NSA kind of goes “… i guess?” and lets him live out the secret agent fantasy he is really not prepared for. you probably can’t find it anywhere. it’s a light-hearted found-family gem with more characters of color in positions of power than its network contemporaries, and the late-breaking discovery of four never-aired episodes include my favorite TV episode that was actually a fanfic (tied with the X-Files episode “Arcadia”). the most benevolent single act i have ever experienced in fandom was when someone burned the Lost Episodes to a cd-rom and sent them to me and now i can’t even remember who it was. i’m not saying that jake foley deserves a tumblr renaissance but 📢JAKE FOLEY DESERVES A TUMBLR RENAISSANCE.

#if you're not into the wall of text than just watch these things and then tag me in all the posts where you cry about them:#babylon 5 #stargate atlantis #stargate sg1 #the x files #twin peaks #jake 2.0 #chatter post #trainingforstarfleet

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surveysonfleek · 6 years

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1363.

THINGS I LOVE: Philosophy Overgrown yards Thunderstorms in the summertime Classic rock Dream interpretation New York City Collages Listening to music on long car drives Feeling excited and looking forward to things Deep, meaningful conversations Cinematography Bonfires Aesthetically-pleasing interior decoration

Having a day I can consider one of the “best days of my life” The style from the 60s and 70s Airports Crossword puzzles Film photography Quotes I can relate to Running THINGS I DISLIKE: The ’80s Rap music Dislike/hatred of/towards animals Feeling an unavoidable sadness within me Ignorance People who think that everything is a joke Unnecessary rudeness Celery Clothing with fringe When people do things just to “follow the pack” Waiting Confrontation Not being taken seriously by others Feeling incompetent Clichés When my feet are cold Not being able to respond to someone’s message right away for whatever reason Indulging myself in things Romantic comedies Being alone in total darkness MUSICIANS & BANDS I LOVE: The Beatles Paul McCartney Pink Floyd Simon & Garfunkel The Who Bob Dylan George Harrison Led Zeppelin Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young Paul Simon Billy Joel Elton John The Beach Boys The Doors David Bowie FILMS I LOVE: Empire of the Sun Atonement Up In The Air Beginners Inglourious Bastards I’m Not There The Descendants Schindler’s List The Graduate My Neighbor Totoro Kiki’s Delivery Service Help! The Darjeeling Limited The Royal Tenenbaums Midnight in Paris BOOKS I LOVE: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close The Book Thief The Catcher in the Rye Ordinary People The Foxman The Hole We’re In The Fault In Our Stars The Fates Will Find Their Way Pictures of Hollis Woods The Graveyard Book THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO IN THE FUTURE: Go on a long road trip lasting at least a month Meet at least one of my “idols” Live in New York City Be in a film, even if only in a minor role Travel around Europe Meet someone who shares my interests and way of thinking and have a close relationship with them Have a farm Decorate (and even build) my own home Be renowned for some reason or other Visit a particular museum or monument I’M FOND OF: Cats. Weed. New experiences. Getting to know people I have things in common with. Aliens. Horror films. Surveys. Mythology. Nature. The beach. The X-Files. Conspiracy Theories. Documentaries. History. Reading. Clothes. Taking Walks. Tattoos. Quadding/Four-wheeling. Classic Rock. Straight forward people. Metal. Poetry. The Sims. I’M NOT FOND OF: Extremists. Closed-minded people. Cheese. People who judge or worry about the decisions/opinions of others. Disrespect/Ignorance. The media. Cleaning. Romantic Comedies. Bugs. ‘Reality’ TV shows. Technology taking over *every* aspect of life. Overdramatic people. Today’s music. Cliches. People who hold certain sentiments simply because the mass majority feels that way. Facebook. Self-righteousness. Being stared at. Being condescended to. Being ignored. Beer. Snow/Ice. Feeling trapped in my own head. I enjoy eating/drinking: Steak. Shrimp. Pizza Pringles. Ben & Jerry’s. Rice. Potatoes. Bagels. Fruit. Skor bars. Aloe Vera drinks. Bolthouses. Water. Chicken. Salads. Omelets. Zucchini. Dark Russet chips. Hot chocolate. I like to watch: The X-Files. Law & Order: SVU. The Twilight Zone. American Horror Story. Married With Children. Twin Peaks. King Of The Hill. Nightmare Next Door. Wicked Attraction. Roseanne. That 70’s Show. Freaks & Geeks. Breaking Bad. Charmed. Family Guy. The Wonder Years. I would describe myself as: Laid back. Accepting. Indifferent. Realistic. Ill-tempered. Sarcastic. Blunt. Introverted. Witty. Good-natured. Understanding. Open-minded. Anxious. Headstrong. Honest. Lazy. Moody/Neurotic. Wise. Thick-skinned. Logical. Aloof. Impartial. Cynical. Humorous. Indecisive. Intuitive. Loyal. Modest. Brooding. I’ve experienced: A hangover. A really bad break-up. Smoking weed. Doing drugs other than weed. Being in a fist fight. Having my own house. Being on a plane. Smoking a cigarette. Sexual assault/abuse. A pregnancy. Being kicked out of my parent’s house. Hitchhiking. Shooting a gun. Physical abuse. Being hospitalized. An abusive relationship. Watching someone die. Seeing someone stabbed and/or shot. Being robbed. Competing in some sort of competition. Being in love. Gambling in a casino. A surgery of some sort.

#survey #surveys #quiz #bored #questions

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baker-street-tenants · 6 years

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The Baker Street Tenants: Granada!Holmes/Doctor Who Crossover Fanfiction

The time has come. We thought we would post chapter 1 in lieu of Jeremy’s birthday. If anyone prefers to read on fanfiction.net, I’ll provide the link here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13111874/1/The-Baker-Street-Tenants

This is a Sherlock Holmes/Doctor Who crossover. It is more Holmes than Who, and you don’t really need any previous knowledge to get what’s happening. It is a slow burn romance featuring an OC. Updates may be sporadic depending on our schedules, but we wanted to get Chapter 1 out there to see how everyone feels. We hope you enjoy!

Rated M for Mature.

Chapter 1

St. John Weaver, tattered hat in hand, strode merrily down the quiet street. One says merrily, as he was quite cheerful after a successful night at the pub, yet his gait was sloppy as he stumbled, nearly avoiding falling off the curb. As his name confirmed, St. John came from a good Christian family. One o’ the finest in Eng-a-land, he’d say. His father was a porter who had worked hard for his family, especially after the premature passing of Mrs. Weaver. St. John was quite proud, but even on a bad day he would not admit that the bottle found greater significance in his life than the appreciation for hard work his poor father tried to instill in him. Nevertheless, St. John believed he faired quite well with a warm belly and a woman to bed. Frequent unemployment be damned! Which was never his fault, of course.

Chortling, St. John leaned against a building, squinting up at the glow of a nearby street lamp. He watched the flame dance for a moment, grinning lazily. He wasn’t quite sure where he was, which was fine, everything was fine after several drinks. The night was quiet. Even the smallest creature had scuttled off to bed, which was sounding quite nice to St. John at that moment.

He sat down heavily on the sidewalk, squinting into the gas lit street. He briefly registered St. Mary’s looming above him, and idly realized that he was quite out of his way. Twin leaves blew into his vision, and he watched as they swam through the murky air. St. John looked up at the sky and lifted a hand. It was not windy. Several more leaves and an old newspaper followed its friends. St. John slapped his hat on his head and shakily stood up, using the wall as support.

“’Ow queer,” he said.

A huge gust of wind knocked him off his feet. He cried out in shock, arms high in the air as if to fight off an unknown assailant. His hat flew from his head, sliding across the concrete to whack against the base of the street lamp before disappearing into the darkness.

Emma Grey stared down at what could only be described as horse dung. She had just avoided stepping in it, and sighed in disgust as she backed away, noting the dampness of the cobbles. It must have rained recently. She glanced up at the night sky and the peak of a church, trying to rack her brain for its name. As if there weren’t a hundred churches in London. And of course, it was London, it was always London.

The last few moments were a blur. Emma felt like a toddler trying to put a square block in a spherical opening, becoming frustrated when their small world didn’t turn out like expected. But Emma’s world was actually very big. And her frustration was quickly turning into fear. She remembered saying something funny to – The Doctor! Where was the Doctor?

Emma stared down the long empty street, distantly registering that it was called York. Yes, she recalled clearly now the mournful clanging of the Cloister Bell and the awful expression on the Doctor’s face. Something bad had happened, but she hadn’t stuck around long enough to gain an explanation. Emma had felt terribly dizzy, and feeling the TARDIS had landed, took a step outside to clear her head, and nearly stepped in horse dung. Now here she was. The only question remained was when?

A frantic scraping sounded behind her, and Emma turned, surprised to see a short, balding man running wildly around the corner of the church. A tattered hat blew gently into the side of her shoe.

“Damn,” she muttered. “One appears out of thin air, and suddenly it’s an issue.”

The one thing Emma couldn’t understand is how the blue box wasn’t parked directly beside her. She had only stepped out for a moment and would have clearly heard the groaning of the brakes as the TARDIS dematerialized. It was like it had never been there at all. Joking aside, it was if she had actuallyappeared out of thin air.

Realistically, strange things of this nature happened all the time. It was certainly never a dull moment traveling with the Doctor. Emma fully expected to be returned by his side soon enough and was determined to make the most out of her own little adventure. It was possibly close to morning, a dense fog beginning to roll into the streets. Everything around her seemed so familiar, yet so foreign, as it was most of the time she time travelled. The gas lamps were a tell-tale sign she was far from her own time, and Emma was suspicious she was perhaps sometime in the nineteenth century. Or possibly the early twentieth? Nothing was ever half as simple as it was in movies. One could replicate the aesthetic, but the nature of a people and culture long past isn’t laid bare until one is standing in the middle of it. Emma moved from the street to the sidewalk, wrapping her cardigan tighter around her. There was a chill in the air. She passed beneath a candlelit window. Yes, those from her time will never truly grasp what happened behind that flame.

The fog was tightening around her. Emma felt like she was swimming through pea-soup, but a dark shape materialized in front of her. It was a waste bin. Peering inside, she saw several copies of the evening post. How wasteful, but to her delight, the date stared back at her. It was September of 1894. She was in the latter end of the Victorian period, and to her luck, Emma had some friends here. Namely a lizard woman from the dawn of time, her wife, and a potato.

“If I’m on York, then Paternoster Row,” Emma paused and scrunched her nose as she tried to picture a map of London in her head. As much as she’s run all over the bloody place, it shouldn’t be this difficult. “That’s 3 miles away!”

She groaned and leaned against the brick of a home. She could just see a small window leading into the lower area of the house. Bending down slightly, she watched as two maids puttered around a kitchen. It was close to morning, as she had thought. The maids giggled over something, and Emma imagined a scandalous affair, something dramatic like in Downton Abbey. I should take my own advice, she thought with a laugh of her own. If it is rarely like the movies, then it is surely not a television show.

Screaming. The sound started low at first, increasing in pitch. There was not simply fear in that scream, but pain. Although her heart seized in her chest at the noise, Emma forced her legs to move, running toward the sound. She didn’t know if she could help. Didn’t know if she would even survive whatever terrible ordeal was occurring, but this is what she did with the Doctor. What he taught her. She saved people. It was ingrained in her – perhaps a desperate attempt to save herself even.

Emma rounded the corner into any alley between the rows of houses. It was nearly pitch black, difficult to make out the undulating presence toward the end of the alley. When faced with unimaginable horror, it is very difficult to remember precise details later. This is why in criminal cases and traumatic events; the victim often cannot recall in detail the wrongdoing. They can only too clearly remember the feeling. Emma felt like her deepest nightmares had come to life. A floating mass of black, seemingly without form, surrounded what looked to be a young woman. The woman’s skin, eyes, very being was sucked inward, stretched thinly across her bones. Her mouth was comically open in a perfect “O”, her scream long cut off. Emma watched as the woman seemed to shrink further, and Emma realized that the black mass was consuming her.

Emma had seen terrible things. She’s run from monsters, watched as friends died for their bravery. The image before her, although terrifying, was not so startling than the plague that seemed to infest the alley. It was a vile combination of despair, fear, pain, and something deeply unspoken. Something so ancient. Emma’s voice cried out in the darkness, for what else could she do? Even in her darkest moments, she had never felt so incredibly without hope. There was no Doctor to save her.

The creature had completed its feast. Slowly, a form began to take shape. She watched as the mass settled toward the ground, human characteristics overtaking the swirling blackness. Emma could suddenly breathe a little better, although the terrible feeling hadn’t left her. She tested out her legs, taking a step forward.

“What are you?” She whispered.

Eyes opened in the creature’s black face. Emma had imagined the eyes of a demon, but they were a serene blue. She stared in confusion, until the situation became clear. The more the beast took shape, the more Emma realized that the shape was beginning to resemble the woman it had just killed.

The creature suddenly lashed out, and Emma tried one last attempt, a push in her mind for help, imagining someone cleverer, faster, stronger than her swooping in to save the day. But there was no one.

[CHAPTERS: 1]

#Sherlock Holmes #Granada Holmes #Doctor Who #fanfiction #crossover fan fiction #wholock #Emma Grey #Sherlock Holmes fanfiction #Jeremy Brett #Edward Hardwicke

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wormy-business · 6 years

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Neverwinter University; Chapter One

Starting the Semester

Summary: It's time for the Tres Horny Boys, and the entirety of everyone from The Adventure Zone; Balance to head off to college. new faces abound, relationships are formed and broken, and a Lich just might be hiding out in the staff break room.

Word Count: 2,970

Read on AO3

“Well bro, here we are, the next four to six years of our lives.” Lup chimed as her boyfriend drew their carriage-like wagon to a stop. Taako stared out the window and stretched his arms out.

“Yeah, I mean at least it looks nicer than NHS.”

“Honestly,” came Barry’s voice as he unhooked the covered wagon’s door and let it come open. “Any place looks better than ol’ Neverwinter High.”

Taako surveyed his new, unfamiliar surroundings as he stepped down off the wagon, followed by his twin sister. The main building was massive, and made mostly out of stone. The building had been a castle before it was a university, and thus prided itself on maintaining that aesthetic. The new buildings stood out starkly, however. They were large contemporary dorm buildings that faced each other, neither marked much aside from being labeled the east and west dorms. He could also see the hint of a temple peaking its high pointed roof between the space of the actual university and the western dormitory. Taako was thankful he and Lup would be housed on the same floor, even if they weren’t roommates. He hated being away from his sister for too long, since he’d spent his entire life with her. Barry was going to be on the same floor with them, which wasn’t surprising as he and Lup had become nearly inseparable since they started dating their junior year of highschool. It was going to be somewhat of a relief having familiar faces so close to him, but he knew plenty more were either on their way or had already shambled onto campus; there were only two major universities this side of Faerûn after all. But searching through the crowd could wait, Taako wanted to see what his dorm looked like and figure out who his roommate was going to be. Lup and Barry were carrying two bags each, but Taako scoffed and casted levitate on both of his bags, as to avoid having to do any actual physical labor.

“Oh god!” Taako whined as the three entered through the doors of the eastern dorm. Lup didn’t see immediately what he was whining about, all she saw was that the place looked nicer than she had expected.

“What?” she asked, still unsure of what her brother was complaining about this time.

“Look!” He said in the same tone of voice, pointing his wand towards an elevator.

“Well I’ll be damned, even this place is getting an upgrade.”

“Uh, if you really wanna call it that. I don’t get the deal with elevators, I can go up without walking too it’s called magic!”

“Taako, I will never understand why you’re so against elevators.” Barry noted, standing behind the twins.

“They’re overrated!” Taako exclaimed as he huffed and marched towards the stairs.

Lup chuckled as she followed her brother up the stairs to the third floor of the building, where they all were going to be situated. Taako glanced over the floor’s room listing, and turned to face Barry.

“You’re the RA?” He asked, a gleeful smile jumping onto his cheeks.

“Oh, uh, yeah! So, I’ll be the one laying down the rules and-” He was cut off by the elf, who in his excitement, dropped the levitation spell he’d been maintaining, causing his bags to drop to the floor.

“This is perfect! Sorry kemosabe but you’re not going to be able to stop me from doing anything I want!” and with that he was off to his dorm, the second room on the left side of the hall. He poked his head in, seeing a bare living area with a small kitchen area, a door to a bathroom, and two closed bedroom doors.

“Uh, hello?” He called out as he set his two bags on the floor that he ha carried in from the hall. He checked both rooms, and both were empty. Taako grinned as he grabbed his bags and marched into the larger of the two rooms. He got there first, so it was his right to take whichever room he wanted. He was about to start moving his clothes from his luggage into the closet when he heard a sound come from the lobby that he recognized immediately as coming from Carey Fangbattle. He got up and walked back out into the hall to watch what was going on.

“Carey? No way!” His sister’s excited voice came from inside a dorm room with an open door, so he moved to allow himself to look inside.

“I knew this was gonna be fun!” The blue dragonborn looked like she could hardly contain her excitement, her feet stomping on the ground and shaking her hands back and forth.

“How touching.” Taako teased when the two girls hugged, gaining the attention of both women.

“Taako! You’re on this floor too?! We are gonna have the best floor parties!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Barry grumbled, now leaning on the doorframe of his dorm room which sat at the end of the hall.

Carey looked at him, grinned, and then looked back at Taako. “Like I said, best floor parties, ever!”

Lup waved her hand, and the door of her dorm shut. She stuck her tongue out at her brother as it closed, an he did the same back. As he was turning to go back into his dorm he saw a half elf who he was pretty sure he recognized from high school, but then again he might have been totally wrong. The guy looked like he hadn’t slept in days, and he was wearing a stupid hat with a feather in it, and a he was carrying a single bag of luggage and a carrying case for some kind of instrument. He walked down the hall, and stopped in front of Barry.

“Hey, I’m Barry, guess we’re gonna be roommates!”

“Yeah, cool. I’m Johann. We, uh, we went to highschool together. You know that, right?”

Barry’s rounded cheeks turned a glaring shade of red, a clear indicator that no, he did not know that. “Oh, yeah! I knew you had a familiar face!”

Johann. Was that name familiar? Who cared. Taako was about to slip back into his room when he heard someone call him from across the hall.

“What’s up, flip wiz?” It was Killian, who was leaning against the doorframe of her dorm, her square frame nearly taking up the entire space.

“Flip wizard” was a nickname that Taako had earned somewhere along the way in high school, mainly due to the fact he was very dextrous and incredibly agile.

“Not much, waiting for someone new to come around. Like I get it, you know? A lot of people I know but can’t there be someone I don’t know for a change?” He complained as he turned to face the orc.

Killian shrugged her shoulders. “Beats me, man. Hey, is Maggie here yet? Carey was talking the whole way about how when she saw him she was totally gonna sneak up on him and jump on his back.”

Taako’s ears picked up and a giddy smile drew across his face. “Now that’s something I need to see!”

“Let’s go find him then!” Taako jumped when he heard Carey’s voice come from behind him, and he whipped around as her girlfriend burst out laughing.

“Okay, never do that to me again, you nearly gave me a heart attack!” He shouted, now hearing Lup’s laughter from behind him as well.

The four of them, five once Barry had caught up, all walked their way out to the field after Taako adamantly refused to take the elevator. He’d be damned if he was about to start telling people about the weird dreams he’d been having lately that included elevators and vines. Even more people were milling about now, which would make it difficult to spot even Magnus. Faces were rushing past an not giving anyone enough time to figure out who they belonged to, but Taako managed to pick out a few that stuck out. Two drow who held a parasol over their heads, shielding their sensitive eyes as they rushed towards the eastern dorm building, a young country-looking girl who appeared overwhelmed, a red headed guy carrying too many books for one person to handle scampering towards the western dorm, and one guy who was standing in the middle of the chaos looking stoned out of his mind with his hand half stuck in a pringles can, and then a voice, broad and chesty, cut through the crowd.

“Jules!” The group followed the sturdy figure of Magnus’s girlfriend as she ran towards him and he picked her up and swung her around, nearly taking out the half elf who was standing a little too close. “I’ve missed you!” Magnus exclaimed as he kissed her, and set both of her feet back on the ground.

“Oh, you know I missed you too, big guy.” Julia teased, pressing her finger lightly to the tip of his nose.

“Gotcha!” Carey exclaimed, having successfully snuck up on her friend and jumped onto his back, though amidst the chaos sneaking wasn’t a particularly difficult feat. Magnus laughed, turning his head to look at her.

“Carey! And Killian, and wow, hey you guys!” Magnus waved to his other friends as the dragonborn hopped off his back. As she was walking away Magnus quickly checked his pockets and then grabbed her wrist. “Carey.” He said in a higher tone. “Give it back.” He extended his other hand and watched as Carey put something into his palm. As he brought his hand a little closer to his face in confusion, the small round object exploded into a cloud of smoke, eliciting laughter from the lizard-like woman, who swung around to drop Magnus’s wallet back into his pocket and then off to her girlfriend’s arms.

“You gotta keep your eye on your stuff, Maggie.” She teased, her tail swishing as she nestled herself under Killian’s arm, leaving Magnus and Julia to wave the smoke away.

Taako and Lup were both snickering, and Lup high-fived the dragonborn when she got back to their small friend circle. Lup was about to compliment Carey when she was cut off by a different familiar voice.

“Fellas! Hey fellas!” A dwarf with a short-ish beard (short as far as dwarven beards go) and a prosthetic arm bounded up to them. “Wow, it’s so great to see you all again!”

“Hi Merle.” Taako spoke and waved as Magnus picked up the smaller man and noogied him once the smoke from Carey’s bomb had cleared

“It’s been too long!” He exclaimed, putting him back down.

“I know, I know. I was doing spiritual stuff all summer so my dad took my stone of farspeech away. But hey, I got it back, and hey guess what else! I get to room with Davenport!”

“Oh, that’s great. You two really mesh well, that’s good.” Taako said, brushing his whitish blonde hair over his shoulder.

“I’m pretty psyched, I’ve got Avi and we’re gonna fucking party dudes!” Magnus gave powerful high-fives to both men. “What about you, T? Who are you with?”

The elf shrugged, playing lazily with his wand. “I don’t know, the dorm was empty when I got there, so I got the good bed.”

“You didn’t check the registry?” Merle asked. In all honesty, Taako hadn’t really thought to check the registry, but it wasn’t like he was about to tell anyone that.

“You gotta keep a little mystery going in your life, you know?”

Lup, who had gotten caught up in conversation with Carey, Killian, and Julia, was now tugging at her brother’s sleeve. “Hey, Taako? It looks like we’ve got competition.”

She lead his gaze towards two stunning elves, dressed in gaudy, flashy clothes who were walking in sync with two animated mannequins carrying their luggage for them towards the center of the school yard. Taako, a fire igniting inside of himself, flipped his hair, straightened out his handmade hat, and began strutting with his sister in sync towards the other two.

“Well, I’ve been asking for new faces all day, thank god they were good looking.” Taako started the conversation as he and his sister stopped in front of the two elves. The pair looked at Lup and Taako, looked at each other, and grinned.

“Well I could definitely say the same thing.” The male elf spoke with a smirk drawn across his face. “Your hat is stunning, I have to say.”

Taako winked, pulling it down slightly to show the way the sun bounced off the rim. “Thank you, I made it myself. And honestly? Your shoes? I’m loving them right now.”

“Thank you, they were expensive.” The foursome shared a laugh, and the female elf extended her hand out to Lup.

“I’m Lydia.” She said with a smile.

“Edward.” The male elf introduced himself to Taako.

Lup shook Lydia’s hand, drawing her own smile. “Lup.”

Taako and Edward’s handshake was a it more refined than the girls’ was. “Taako. We sorta know the place, we’ve been here for like an hour, and you two look lost.”

“Well, we’re both set up in the east dorm, the third floor.” Lydia stated, taking her hand back and shifting her weight to one side.

“No shit? So are we. Come on, we already know most of the people on the floor.” Lup said, already walking towards the building with the other three following behind.

“Edward, tell me, are you in room 33?” Taako asked, which made Edward’s ears face upwards more.

“I am, actually. Why do you ask?”

Taako looked relieved, but was also inwardly somewhat upset. He and Lup had to outfab these two new elves, and now he was sharing a room with one of them?

“Oh that’s crazy! We’re totally roommates!” Taako exclaimed, arms raised out to the sky.

“That’s perfect!” Edward proclaimed, following Taako into the dorm room once they had gotten to the floor.

“So, what are you majoring in?” Taako shouted from across the dorm as he and Edward were both setting up their closets in their respective rooms.

“Fashion design, obv. Lydia and I both are. What about you and your sister?”

“Culinary arts for me.” Taako called back. “And my sister is going for mechanical engineering. Oh, hold on bubeleh my sissy wants to talk.” Taako said as he saw his stone of farspeech light up. He picked it off his bedside table, and raised it up. “You’re go for Taako.”

“Meet us back in the courtyard, it’s Raven!”

“Sorry kemosabe, I gotta blink my high school teacher is here for some reason and I gotta get the tea.” And with that Taako casted Blink, shifting him into the ethereal plane where he could move faster to the courtyard, blinking back into the material plane next to his sister. And sure as hell there she stood, Ms. Raven. She was wearing a long black dress that trailed into the grass behind her, a murder of crows sitting upon tree branches all around her, and in front of her a young man who shared her same dark complexion, his face somewhat broad and very, very handsome.

“Taako.” Lup said, waving her hand in front of her brother’s face. “You’re ogling.”

“I’m not!” He protested as he smacked her hands away, watching as Ms. Raven kneeled next to the young man, looked like she whispered something to him, and with a snap was surrounded by black fog and was gone. The young man picked a large bag off of the ground and began walking, looking down at a paper he was holding. Taako straightened his robes off, dusted off his shorts, and walked right up to him.

“Hi there, handsome.” He started, making the man look up. “I’m Taako. I know your mom, she taught me in high school.”

“O-oh, yeah, she taught at Neverwinter High. Uh, I’m Kravitz, it’s nice to meet you.”

Taako grinned, biting his lip as he shook his hand. It was cold, very cold.

“Oh, boy howdy that is a clammy one. No worries! What’s your dorm? I’ll show you around.”

With a blush creeping onto his face, Kravitz cleared his throat. “Uh, the western dorm, fourth floor.”

“Perfect!” Taako clapped his hands together. “It’s over here. Hey Mags?” He called, now shouting to Magnus, interrupting the conversation he was having with Avi. Magnus excused himself and hustle over to the two.

“Hail and well met!” Magnus grinned, holding his hand out to Kravitz. “My name is Magnus, and your mom scares me!”

Kravitz laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he shook hands with Magnus. “Kravitz Raven.” He said, a bit more softer now.

“Maggie he’s sharing a floor with you, I believe. West dorm, fourth floor?” Taako inquired.

“Yeah, that’s us! C’mon bud, we’ll walk you there.”

Kravitz followed the two, Taako smiling at him the whole time.

“And let’s see, looks like this is your room.” Magnus smiled, stopping in front of a dorm, his smile turning down. “Ooh, Taako that’s gotta be awkward.”

Taako looked up and saw what name was labeled next to the door under Kravitz’s, and then he walked out of his room.

“Oh, Sazed, it’s nice to see you.” Taako looked away from him immediately, and Sazed scoffed.

“No it’s not.” He pushed his way past the group, and Taako tensed up, hands curled into fists as his sides.

“I have to go.” Taako blinked back into the ethereal plane and got as far away from Sazed’s dorm as he possibly could until the spell wore off. If his new crush was going to be rooming with his ex-boyfriend, this year was turning out to be a hell of a ride.

#the adventure zone #the adventure zone balance #taz balance #taako #lup #barry bluejeans #magnus burnsides #julia burnsides #carey fangbattle #killian fangbattle #edward taz #lydia taz #edward and lydia #johann taz #avi taz #kravitz #taz sazed #the adventure zone fanfic #taz fanfic

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goodyeartheshippycat · 6 years

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Tagging Game

Rules: Answer 21 questions about yourself and tag 21 people whom you want to get to know better :)

Tagged by both @sparkly-things AND @slstarrycity <3

Nickname/Pet name: Don’t really have one. Whatever my partner has decided to refer to me as in a given span of time, I guess. Common fallbacks for that include “clumsy baby giraffe” and “monster”.

Zodiac: Aries/Snake, though I don’t subscribe to astrology of either kind.

Height: Just shy of 6’ tall (182 cm).

Last Movie: Into the Spider-Verse. Highly recommended!

Last Thing Googled: “Shai Utoh shrine treasure” >> clearly a sign I’ve been doing nothing while sick except playing Breath of the Wild. Because I was having a frustrating time reaching the final treasure chest in that shrine and wanted to know what it had in it so I wasn’t needlessly beating my head against my controller over a shitty boomerang or something. Spoiler alert, it had an ancient core in it so I continued to struggle with the challenge of figuring out how to properly launch Link into the air at the correct height to paraglide onto the ledge containing it. But I succeeded in the end! [insert triumphant emoji here]

Favorite Musician: Single musician rather than group? Probably one of the greats from the jazz era. Count Basie or Duke Ellington or Django Reinhardt or Artie Shaw, perhaps.

Song Stuck in Head: Most recently Gaston’s song, but with the lyrics changed to fit Prince Sidon from BOTW (I fell down a YouTube hole of crack, don’t judge me), some of which I couldn’t remember so I just started making up new ones as I hummed it. I’m most proud of “No one thinks like Sidon / No one winks like Sidon / No one lusts after Hylian twinks like Sidon”. (Okay, you can totally judge me and my complete lack of musical talent).

Other Blogs: Nope, I just shove everything onto this one like the heathen I am. Sorry to anyone who follows me for/knows me from a fandom that I don’t post enough about (looking at you lovelies from the DS9 community – sorry y’all, I still love seeing your content, though).

Do I Get Asks: Usually only if I do an Ask Meme. Which I should do again sometime because they’re fun.

Following: 196. Wow, how did that get so large? I should probably go through and thin that out a bit…

Dream Trip: Travelling across Asia. I’ve never been to that part of the world but would love to go some day when I have enough money. I want to see the cultural sights, the natural sights, and eat lots of delicious street food!

Amount of Sleep: I miss being young and not needing it, but these days I do best with 6-9 hours. And then another hour or two lazing around in bed, if possible XD

Lucky Number: I’m super skeptical and don’t believe in the concept of “luck” per se…. but I’ll go with 38 (the number of my favourite Pokemon, and therefore near and dear to my nostalgic heart).

What I am Wearing: A green and blue plaid cotton house dress from the late ‘60s or ‘70s, a rainbow striped sweater, and black fleece-lined tights (because it’s winter, so fashion must also be at least somewhat practical.

Dream Job: Botanic garden curator. Or mad scientist.

Fave Food: All of them? It’s difficult to pick because I love eating. It’s hard to beat freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies, though. For savoury food, maybe dumplings (though that encompasses so many different types it’s almost cheating… but I love them all!)

Play Any Instruments: Nope, never really had the talent for that.

Languages: English. Un peu (tres petit peu) de Français.

Fave Songs: Going by how frequently I’ve listened to them over the past little while:

Make Me Feel by Janelle Monae – Probably my song of 2018, and a fabulous video to boot.

Wild West by Lissie – First heard while watching the new season of Twin Peaks, but listened to incessantly while driving over the summer. Anyone who rode in my truck probably heard it at least once.

Thin Blue Flame by Josh Ritter – A rediscovered old favourite. So fucking powerful and it builds from such a quiet, unassuming start.

House by Patrick Wolf – Inspired by Liz’s inclusion of a Patrick Wolf song! I’ve been listening to his stuff for over 10 years now (wow, how time flies!) and love everything from his dark, emo-inspired phase to the happy, upbeat, ‘80s-influenced pop numbers. Putting this song in because the music video is just, so aesthetic.

Random Fact: I’m secretly a bit of a hoarder but I’m also fairly organized—as well as good at using available space and tidying up—so it doesn’t really look like I am.

Describe yourself as aesthetic things: Vintage dresses soaking in a handwash basin, the commingling scents of a glass of scotch and a cup of tea sitting on the side table together, the way a book’s deckled edges feel against your fingers, creamy lace paired with worn leather, the flickering of a neon sign with blackened burn out marks in the corners, that indescribable feeling of standing alone in the forest after the rain, an overflowing box of costume jewellery, the dull sheen of light reflecting off snake scales ready to shed, dirt clinging to the smooth metal spokes of a bicycle wheel.

I thought that last question would be harder, honestly, but once I had one or two, the rest just started to flow. Not sure how accurate they are as descriptors, but read into them what you will. I suppose…

Tagging: As per usual, do it if you’d like to, because I enjoy reading them, but I’m not gonna bother tagging anyone specifically.

#meme #about goodyear #my life tbh #i went a bit overboard here #whoops #goodyear rambles #random fact about me #thanks for tagging me #you're both so sweet #i love reading these #it's so much fun to learn about online friends

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