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amphtaminedreams · 4 years

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The Women of Euphoria and Personal Style: Lookbook no.8

Hi to anyone reading,

I hope you’re well considering everything going on! It feels weird to want to talk about fashion or TV shows or red carpets or whatever when 90% of my Google searches are COVID-19 related but there you go. It’s all about trying to power through as normal (minus the social interaction) and pretend the world isn’t ending, right? Queue nervous laughter.

And as if things aren't shitty enough, production of season 2 of Euphoria has been postponed until further notice.

Okay, in the grand scheme of things, having to wait a bit longer for a TV show isn’t catastrophic but it does just about sum up the transition from 2019 to 2020 thus far that after HBO redeemed itself by broadcasting Euphoria in the summer following an ending to Game of Thrones that has made the whole series unrewatchable, the glimmer of hope in me reignited by the prospect of series 2 this year has been quickly dashed. 2021, I’m rooting for you, because it doesn’t seem like things are getting better any time soon, and in all seriousness, I think everyone needs a break from the collective suffering of the last few months.

For me (and undoubtedly for many others if the hundreds of makeup looks and styling videos are anything to go by), Euphoria’s effect on the world of fashion and beauty is unprecedented. I really can’t recall a TV show in living memory that has had as much of an impact on the way young people dress. I mean, this might partially be because the style of the characters already kind of caters to and draws from the target audience but also, aside from Blair Waldorf did anybody really give THAT much of a fuck about what anybody in Gossip Girl wore?

The draw of the styling on Euphoria is that it has something for everyone. The style of each of the main girls, Rue, Kat, Maddy, Jules and Cassie, all of whom I’ve attempted (emphasis on attempted!) to base (emphasis on base!) outfits around, is varied and distinctive but still so current and realistic at the same time. It’s also consistent; even if you don’t own the specific pieces worn by any of them, similar shapes and details reoccur enough in different looks throughout the series that it’s not hard to create an outfit which matches your favourite character’s overall vibe without buying anything new. That’s kinda what I have attempted to do here and without further ado, I’m gonna get on with it! First up:

Jules (Played by Hunter Schafer)

When it comes to whose style is the most experimental, Jules is the obvious answer. A lot of her outfits are what I imagine a cartoonist in the near-distant future will envision their cool girl protagonist wearing. Whilst her ensembles are generally whimsical and girly for the most part, there’s usually a few slightly punk-ish finishing touches thrown in there too be it through chunky shoes or bold makeup or that incredible mesh trench coat she wears in the series finale with the trans symbol on the back which, honestly, deserves a moment of silence.

There are definitely nods to current fashion trends sprinkled throughout her wardrobe too. I'm not going to lie, despite someone at work seemingly thinking it was an insult to tell me I look like someone who does (I still don’t know but this person has a Rick and Morty keyring so I don’t give it too much weight), I’ve never watched any anime. BUT, that being said, given the abundance of anime screenshots posted by all these aesthetic oriented Instagram and Tumblr moodboard accounts, I have a vague idea of what some of the more iconic characters look like and a lot of Jules’ looks seem to be very much modelled after or at least inspired by them. In a way, I see a lot of her looks as a blend between modern “e-girl”, Y2K skater chick (yes, I’m thinking early Avril Lavigne), and 2013 Tumblr “hipster” a la 2014 Joanna Kutcha and Charlie Barker, and though on paper that sounds like a nightmare combination, it works. I know-if that sentence were a Depop description I would’ve just gained 30 followers.

When it comes to my own interpretation of Jules’ style, it’s definitely something I like to channel when I’m putting together a proper OUTFIT outfit. Meaning an outfit I actually put effort into and thus will most likely want to get a good photo in, lol. The way her character dresses is almost quite Christopher Kane in that it’s fresh and unusual but still understated enough that I wouldn’t walk into a room wearing any of these feeling like I’m doing a Rick Owens runway.

I’m not TOO far out of my comfort zone but still at the same time, I’d be trying something new and maybe a little bit more zany than I'm used to. As for noting where any of these pieces are from, only a few have been bought in the last 6 months, but from left to right clockwise I have marked out those that have in case they’re still available (though be wary of the fact that it seems a lot of online clothes stores are still forcing warehouse employees to work in close confines at the moment and so perhaps aren’t operating the most ethically):

LOOK 1

Corset-Jaded London

Shoes-TK Maxx

LOOK 2

Dress-Motel Rocks

Boots-Koi Vegan Footwear

LOOK 3

Dress-Jaded London

LOOK 4

Dress-Jaded London

Beret-Ebay

LOOK 5

Beret-Ebay

LOOK 6

Mesh Top-Depop

Hair Clips-Urban Outfitters

Kat (Played by Barbie Ferreira)

Eurgh, Kat.

I LOVE THIS BITCH.

If I had to choose my favourite character in the show, it would be a very close toss-up between her and Rue, and though I think Rue might just about nab the top spot for her relatability factor, Kat is the girl I want to be or wish that I had been when I was at school. I mean, there’s definitely an argument to be made in that a lot of what she’s doing with her cam work could be seen as a means of validation (Sam Levinson has basically said everyone on the show has some kind of an unhealthy coping mechanism and I would guess due to the circumstances in which her cam girl career was borne and the fact she’s underage, this would be hers) but I do think in other ways we really see Kat reclaim her power and recognise herself for the smart, capable, gorgeous woman that she is. Honestly, the definition of divine feminine energy, and I would completely let Barbie Ferreira/basically Kat if she was also actually 23 dominate me.

Plus! Her! Style! Is! The! Bomb! Definitely the easiest character to base looks around because if I’m totally honest Kat’s energy is pretty much just what I want to emulate in every day life.

It’s either pieces that are typically feminine, cutesy, and even slightly preppy at times drenched in everything grunge OR vice versa where you have something semi-gothic and then add a colourful, more playful touch in there that harks back to the beginning of the series before Kat had began to explore her identity and sexuality and dressed slightly more Forever 21.

I’d say, not yet with my whole chest, that on a good day the outfits I put together when making an effort aren’t too far off something Kat would wear, minus the more overtly BDSM touches; if wearing a ring choker in London is enough to get me a creepy comment from a gross middle aged shopkeeper (because I apparently forfeited my right not to be perved on when I decided to buy a bottle of Oasis summer fruits), then you can only imagine the kind of looks wearing a full-on harness would get in my conservative OAP dominated hometown. Not the most doable right now, especially considering the only time I get out is to work and to go for a run. The chafing I could deal with but the horrified glares of pensioners whose M&S prawn mayo sandwiches I’ve ruined by simply being in their eyesight not so much.

LOOK 1-

Corset-Urban Outfitters

LOOK 2-

Bodysuit-Depop

Skirt-Zara

Harness-Ebay

LOOK 3-

Co-ord-Depop

Lace-up Corset-Missguided

LOOK 4-

Dress-Vintage

LOOK 5-

Belt-Ebay

LOOK 6-

Coat-Topshop

Dress-Jaded London

LOOK 7-

Fishnet Top-Ebay

Skirt-Urban Outfitters

Maddy (Played by Alexa Demie)

Not gonna lie, I was kind of scared to do Maddy. I’m scared to be posting this, lol! Alexa Demie has played this character for a single season and she’s already one of the most iconic women to grace our screens in years. This is a huge undertaking and I don’t have the bank balance or the body confidence (lmao) to raid IAmGia.

And this is where I want to stress: THESE ARE NOT OUTFIT RECREATIONS. THESE ARE INSPIRED BY. I HAVE ADDED ELEMENTS OF MY OWN STYLE INTO THEM. PLEASE DON’T DRAG ME. I KNOW, I’M NOT ALEXA DEMIE. I WOULD NEVER ASSUME TO BE ALEXA DEMIE. I’M NOT ABOUT TO TAKE THE LORD’S NAME IN VAIN LIKE THAT. So now we’ve got that out the way (wipes bead of sweat off forehead), let’s continue.

Everything about Maddy Perez is extra. She has very much been established as a centre of attention character, and her outfits are a key part of that. They’re daring, they’re hyper-feminine, and they are always glamorous. We’re told that she competed in beauty pageants when she was younger and it’s clear that level of excess and coordination and glitz and all-round-boujeeness wormed its way into her DNA during that time. Even the “depression” outfit she wears to school following Nate becoming violent at the fair is costume-like, a 2019 Bratz doll Off-White street style collaboration.

Do you know how HARD I had to try to be HOT!? For these photos. Alexa Demie is one of those blessed women who doesn’t have to try at all, and that translates into the character completely. At any given moment, Maddy could add or remove one item or clothing and be let straight into the VIP section of a club, and that, honestly, is inspiring to us all in these dark times.

One thing I tried to keep in mind is that she always looks polished and coordinated, I.E the kind of look I would prepare for a night out is something Maddy would wear on an average day. Co-ords and delicate prints seem to be more subtle wardrobe staples along with mesh and PVC and glitter and feathers and fur and basically anything that toes the line between expensive looking and tacky. Yes, I am aware we may toe different sides of that line but please let me stay delusional and believe that’s not the case for 5 minutes. Much appreciated xoxo

LOOK 1-

Bodysuit-Jaded London

LOOK 2-

Bralette-Depop

LOOK 3-

Co-ord Suit-Boohoo

Bodysuit-Boohoo

LOOK 4-

Dress-Motel Rocks

Shoes-Schuh

LOOK 5-

Bodysuit-Zaful

Trousers-Depop

Coat-Topshop

LOOK 6-

Dress-Zaful

Belt-Zaful

LOOK 7-

Top-Jaded London

Hair Clips-H&M

Rue (Played by Zendaya Coleman)

I have a complicated relationship with Rue as a character. When I started season 1 of Euphoria, I was like “Oh my god, this girl is the worst. Jesus, she’s so negative and draining and willingly self-destructive and-”

Then, oh my god is this what it’s like to live with me!?

I will say, to my own credit, that I don’t think I've ever been quite as hard to deal with as Rue (a lot less smashing stuff up and a lot more moping), and to HER credit, by the end of the season we come to realise she’s been through a fucking lot and so it makes sense, but wow. I don’t think I have ever seen a teen show handle drug abuse and mental illness in such a brutal way. It’s quite a talent to be able to show a character cause so much pain to those closest to them and yet do so through a sympathetic lens. And issues aside, whether it’s her occasional social awkwardness or her relationship with her family or watching bloody Love Island (still quite surreal to see Zendaya Coleman witnessing the Amy/Curtis drama unfold), Rue is just my favourite character to follow.

Her style, though. AH. The thing is, I can hardly drag it, because it’s pretty much what I wear when I’m moping about the house-or just any time I can get away with it to be honest-to a T. I want to stay true to character, but that being said, creating a “Seth Rogen”-esque outfit that’s worth posting on here is difficult. So, with the same kind of artistic license that had me wearing berets whilst cosplaying Maddy Perez, here is the best I could do:

I know, I know, it’s probably too much colour and jewellery for Rue but this is as toned down as I could do and I tried to stick with the key silhouettes we see from her throughout the season; I mean, I can’t see her wearing leopard print but the structure of the coat in outfit 1 is very similar to the one seen in Shook Ones pt.II. I think the bottom line when it comes to her character is keeping things effortless and not overly-feminine; you want to mix street style, athleisure and your dad’s wardrobe favourites like your life depends on it. Plus messy hair and smudged makeup, both of which I’ve already got down according to the completely inappropriate number of customers who’ve asked if I'm tired at work so thanks for that guys, and glitter tears. Lots and lots of glitter tears.

OUTFIT 1-

Dungarees-Vintage

OUTFIT 2-

Trousers-Depop

Cardigan-Urban Outfitters

OUTFIT 5-

Beanie-Depop

OUTFIT 6-

Shirt-Boohoo Man

Sports Bra-TK Maxx

Trousers-Urban Outfitters

OUTFIT 7-

Shirt-Jaded London

Cassie (Played by Sydney Sweeney)

Style-wise, Cassie is a hard one. When putting outfits for her character together, I found myself gravitating towards a direction that’s probably a bit too bohemian for her character, under the guidance of loose terms like “girl-next-door”, “floaty”, “delicate”, you get the idea. She definitely feels the least fully-realised in terms of all the main girls and I think it’s fair to say she’s probably got a bit of self-discovery to do. Most of her storylines in the season are dictated by her relationships to other people: McKay, Maddy, Lexie, her parents and so on.

Nevertheless, I tried to stick to the airier, more traditionally “pretty” pieces whilst still channelling the confidence and ease with which Cassie pulls them off. Sydney Sweeney has the most incredible figure and I feel like whilst the clothes the on-set stylists put her in flatter that and don’t hide anything, they’re still the focus. It doesn’t feel like there’s anything more inherently sexual about her character than any of the other main female characters despite the way the men within the narrative view her, and I think it’s a testament to the the wardrobe department that to me she still gives off big modern Disney princess energy and a certain innocence even whilst we hear her being continuously sexualised by her male peers.

If anything, Cassie probably dresses the most like an actual teenage girl, and her style, whilst less distinctive than the other girls, still does a good job of capturing the youth and romanticism of her character.

The colour palette of her wardrobe tends to be quite neutral, with a couple of pastels thrown in there, and if there are any details, they’re usually quite dainty. Similarly, Cassie is probably the least experimental when it comes to her makeup; we don’t really see her wearing the bold eyeshadows or liners or gems like the other girls at any point.

OUTFIT 1-

Bodysuit-Motel Rocks

Hair Clips-Bershka

OUTFIT 2-

Dress-Jaded London

OUTFIT 3-

Trousers-Urban Outfitters

OUTFIT 4-

Top-Urban Outfitters

Hairband-H&M

`OUTFIT 5-

Top-Urban Outfitters

Jeans-Zaful

Headband-Primark

OUTFIT 6-

Top-Urban Outfitters

OUTFIT 7-

Dress-Urban Outfitters

Hair Clips-Boohoo

SO, I guess that’s it for my Euphoria lookbook! As always, let me know what you think (nicely pls, my ego is fragile lol) and I’d love to hear your opinions on the show too! I really haven’t got this excited over a new TV show in ages and I just think that it does everything so excellently-from the writing to the cinematography to the soundtrack, you can tell each element is so carefully and purposefully constructed. It immerses you into the dramatic highs and lows of being a teenager in a way I haven’t seen since UK Skins and I never thought I’d watch a show which held a candle to that.

In terms of what I’m doing next, I’ve got a very delayed fashion week masterpost in the works as well as something to fill the Met Gala shaped hole in our lives, which I hope to get up over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, if you read to the end, THANK YOU! And I hope you’re staying safe and AT HOME where possible. I know this self-isolation feels never-ending and if I’m honest, it is having a hugely negative effect on my mental health, but NHS staff are doing their very best with the shitty recourses they have and whilst it seems that our government have thrown workers under the bus once again, we can all do our bit to combat that by slowing the spread of the virus. Also thank you to anybody who’s out working now in such a scary and uncertain time! I work at a grocery store and can say from experience that the best way to show this thanks is just through kindness and following employee’s instructions without giving them grief for it. Everyone’s scared right now and the best we can do is pull together and look out for each other, as difficult as that might seem at times.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, and like I said, stay safe! Thanks once again if you read til the end or even if you’re just here for the photos. Appreciate it more than you know either way!

Lauren x

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paradise-creator · 4 years

Note

Okayyyy. Seatbelt on, space cadet! I'm gonna take you on a loooong journey ✨

First of all hello again! I'm here to request for a Haikyuu romantic Haven Box if there's still a spot left. Take your time tho, I'm good at waiting 🙌🏻

here we gooo. so I'm an 159cm pansexual asian girl. I'm a little bit on the chubby side. I got long black wavy hair and I always let it down. People say I look rude and cold so they are afraid to befriend me at first (some even hate me for no reason.) I mean its not my fault that I borned with this resting bih face 😭💔 I love wearing dark colored clothes, high waisted jeans and Sneakers.

I do wear makeup, and my favorite lipstick color is red. Like a really bold red. That's like my trademark.

for personality, I'm an enfp, taurus, gryffindor (big yikes!); I think I'm a pretty openminded person. I'm not afraid to speak up and I will fight (both using words and fists) for what I believe in. People see me as someone confident and to look up to; Tho honestly I'm pretty insecure with myself. Like I find nothing good about me and got depressed easily. Its like I have this happy clown persona everytime I'm outside my house and once I go back to my bedroom by myself its all the sad clown hours haha. ooh- this is getting kinda heavy. 😵 But anyway I care about my family and friends a lot. Their happiness is actually more important than my own. So I'd do anything to help and protect all of them.

My hobbies are sleeping, singing and watching horror movies/true crime documentaries; and yes I got scared after watching those stuff so I ended up searching for some broadway musical 😂😂 I also love to play games; otome games, cause my love life sucks *coughs*

Some facts about me!!

I believe in soulmate. Just the thought that we all have someone created specifically for us is making me happy 🥺❤

I'm a touch starved person. So I like doing skinship and PDA. I just love being spoiled and showered with love I guess 👉🏻👈🏻

I hate spicy foods, cause it really burns my throat. and I also hate lizards. They are gross and weird 😭😭

I believe ghosts are real and I'd definitely want to speak to them someday. Just asking them how does it feel to be a ghost? Is there a way to help em stop being a ghost? (Only with the nice ghost of course) 👻💕

My favorite song is Helpless by Phillipa Soo and if that doesn't show how much of a Hopeless romantic I am then idk 😂😂

I love watching tarot cards reading.

I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers trope and I can't stop this addiction. Like aaaaa its cliche but I love em so much ashdjflgl

Okay thats it! I need to stop talking before my ask give you some real headache 😂 I wish all this information helps you write a little bit and not bother you in one way or another!! Have a great day and stay healthy in this pandemic situation 🙌🏻✨ see yaaaaa~☆

↬ ──:.⃗➹ +.*༉‧ᵕ̈°`*↷. ೃ₊✎⸙͎˚- ̗̀✧: ──↫

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Hello and Welcome my Starlight!

The Haven box includes:

- Match up

- Sun drop

- Old habits die hard

- No matter what

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

I'd match you up with

Oikawa Tooru, The Grand King

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Sun drops

- Okay, when I read your description Oikawa popped in my head. So on to the great king we go!

- I also had an Oikawa brain rot when I decided to do your request but either way, I still think you two would look cute!

- Oikawa is the most realistic character in Haikyuu and I believe you two would definitely match

- You feel insecure? No worries, Oikawa already saw it coming and is going to give you compliments and gifts

- He may not look like it, but he is really observant

- You can't hide your feelings from this man cause he has been through that

- You both were deemed the power couple of the school

- He would ALWAYS always remind you to take care of yourself

- Both of you seem confident and really out going but in reality, you both are really insecure

- You both would understand each other

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Old habits die hard

- He almost NEVER calls you by common nicknames, except for Queen and princess

- Your nickname can be something weird like my little Alien or smth

- Whenever you watch a game, he alsyws gives you his extra jersey or his jacket

- He would randomly say I love you and if you don't respond, he'll pout

- You gave him a plushie and he named it after you

- Stargazing (Alien hunting) is his favorite type of date

- Study dates almost always ends up with one of you dead asleep before starting anything

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

No matter what

Oikawa Tooru is the grand king of Seijoh. He was handsome, smart, and all that. He was very athletic and observant. He gets along with everyone and anyone. He could get any girl to swoon to him but he is only loyal to volleyball and Iwaizumi. And that’s what people thought, but this king has fallen off his throne. He, has fallen in love and doesn’t know what to do. It started with the little things like seeing how she loves skinship or how she hates spicy food. He thought it was normal, he was observant after all. But as time passes, he realized that he might be falling. He tried and tried to avoid it, knowing that it might just hurt him in the end anyway. He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to fulfil what was in her heart because he would always choose volleyball. Oikawa had a girlfriend once, she left him because he wasn’t good enough, and he didn’t give her enough of his time.

Oikawa did not want that to happen again. He didn’t want his heart torn into pieces yet again. But still, he fell deep into the rabbit hole called love. And he hated her for it, becoming her enemy for no reason at all. But, fate seemed to be in his side. Soon enough the “mortal nemesis” relationship faded away and love soon blossomed. It wasn’t as smooth as most people would say but it’s still a beautiful sight to behold. The way Oikawa looks at her with so much love and passion, it’s breathtaking. The way that she would cheer for him no matter what, it’s alluring. A love so pure that it seems surreal and impossible. From then on, the great king knew that she was thee one. He knew that even if he was too busy, she would understand. He knew that she would always be by his side no matter what the cost is.

And he knew that no matter what happens, he would always love her. Volleyball may be his priority, but he will soon get out of it. Slowly but surely, the walls he built was crumbling away. Slowly but surely, his distant exterior grows into an attached and close koala. Oikawa’s train of thought was then shattered as he heard someone calling out to him. “Oi Shittykawa, why the hell is your face like that?” Iwaizumi said as he cringed at the sight. “Geez Iwa-chan, can’t a guy think about his soulmate in peace?” He then responded as he glared at the shorter male. “We have a game to play, Stupidkawa. And if you miss her so bad, why don’t you go to her at the stands and talk to her?” Iwaizumi said as he glared intently at his best friend. “I have a better idea,” Oikawa said as he stood up. His eyes wandered around the bleachers to find his one and only. And soon enough, he was able to see her long black wavy hair and her beautiful eyes. “Princess!” He yelled.

The female then smiled and waved at the player adorning the cyan colors with the number one. “Yes, my prince?” She yelled back. “Oh! My darling Princess! I love you with all my heart and know that no matter what, I’ll still be in love with you,” He yelled. The stadium awed at the interaction. Oikawa now found his one and only, his soulmate. And he would never let go, no matter what.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Author's note

Hello there! I'm so sorry for doing this quite late. Since exams and school and all that.

I hope you enjoy this matchup nonetheless! And I also made sure that the drabble was a bit different and unique to make up for it. Since I decided to try out a new way of writing.

#☁️matchup #Oikawa Tooru #anime #fanfic #fiction #haikyuu #haikyuu!!#Matchup #anime matchup #haikyuu matchups #hq matchups #hq oikawa #Tooru Oikawa #Drabble #BlackPearl

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primordial0riginator · 4 years

Note

WILFY AND LANE >:3c

Ah yeah two of the oldest bitches I GOT let’s GO!

Wilfy

Full Name: Winnifred Muneera | Wilfy as a nickname

Gender and Sexuality: cis female and bisexual

Pronouns: she/her

Ethnicity/Species: She’s a holy variation of a species I made when I was like 10 years old. This species is basically sentient magic and takes the physical appearance of any species it wants. Holy ones are called Skytopians. Wilfy takes the form of a little cat or half cat/half human most of the time.

Birthplace and Birthdate: She was born in Skytopia, which is basically a big kingdom that is located in the clouds. She’s the heir to the throne so she’s a princess. Her birthday is April 8th.

Guilty Pleasures:

-Goofing off on Earth rather than going and doing her princess duties in the sky

-Being lazy and napping on clouds

-Cooking, but moreso the act of it rather than eating anything so she mostly gives food away a lot.

Phobias:

-Death of herself and those around her

-Caverns, canyons, pits, caves, etc. Basically anything that’s dark and gaping and looks as if if you fall in it will suck you in and kill you. She feels like she’s suffocating around these kinds of things.

-Very unnatural and disturbing imagery, ESPECIALLY body horror. If there’s something bending the wrong way, even if it’s like a broken limb, she will probably cry lmao it freaks her out

What They Would Be Famous For: Just being a good person honestly. She does a lot of good and selfless things all the time

What They Would Get Arrested For: Helping the wrong kind of person and getting framed for something she didn’t do

OC You Ship Them With: no one rn. I really want someone for her but I have no idea what to do for a partner at the moment jdkskdks

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Silverhaunt. It isn’t that he hates HER but he hates everything she’s directly connected to so yeah he’d try to kill her ass on sight if he could lmao

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Probably comedy for both tbh

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Horror anything for movies and the good ole “everything sucks and nothing gets better” book endings

Talents and/or Powers:

-Very good at flying with her wings. Maneuvers herself very well even against strong winds and storms and such

-Gets along with pretty much everyone unless they’re awful lmao

-Her magic type is healing and she’s very good at doing so, but she cannot heal herself ironically

-She surprisingly is good with swords, but that’s mostly a very little known fact

Why Someone Might Love Them: there is literally no reason to not love her I’m not gonna lie. I mean I’m biased but shhh-

I mean ok though I guess because she’s such a heavy optimist who sees the good in everything and everyone

Why Someone Might Hate Them: Idk you have bad taste or something?? /j

Ok but no realistically she does have a bad tendency to be naive and give chances to people who don’t deserve it and that is very annoying lmao

How They Change: She doesn’t change much at all if I’m being real, she’s always gonna be a relatively pure little ball of sunshine but I guess she matures a bit over time and maybe wisens up to the ways of the world at some point

Why You Love Them: she is my fucking baby. Also she encompasses a very beautiful and innocent time in my life.

Lane

Full Name: Delanie Ardere | Lane for a nickname

Gender and Sexuality: cis female and lesbian

Pronouns: she/her

Ethnicity/Species: Half of a species of angel that I made up, and half raposa which is a lil race of fox people from a video game lmao

Birthplace and Birthdate: She was born on a large and mostly isolated tropical island called Eptora. She was born October 26th

Guilty Pleasures:

-Reading. In fact she can mostly be found reading books somewhere about 99% of the time. Doesn’t really matter what genre most of the time

-Stargazing and astrology. She’s pretty hooked on that subject and is a major nerd about it

-Collecting weapons

Phobias:

-Being useless and weak

-Disappointing those closest to her

-Abandonment

-Burning out and dying from her magic defect

What They Would Be Famous For: Honestly? A lot of things. Bitch is kinda a badass and canonically tears down a whole ass corrupt monarchy (with help but is the general spearheader of it) just because the people involved were responsible for kidnapping her girlfriend. She’s what we call a very angry hero most of the time and that would be her claim to fame.

What They Would Get Arrested For: ....also a lot lmao. But mostly going against corrupt people and systems who would want her imprisoned for doing so. I would say other contenders are assault and property damage though

OC You Ship Them With: my dude Adam’s OC Althea. They’re very sweet together.

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Buddy there’s a list of people likely who would line up for the opportunity

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Movie I would say action/adventure and book I would say mystery/thriller

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Anything she finds boring for either tbh. There’s nothing specific, but if it doesn’t give her a sense of fulfillment for finishing the story she won’t like it

Talents and/or Powers:

-Physically strong

-Knows how to use a lot of different kinds of weapons, particularly guns and blades

-A good leader who knows how to bring out the strengths in each member of her team

-Her magic is generally unable to be used until she’s at a later stage in life because of a defect in her genetics, but when she can it’s a lot of celestial type magic. So lots of spacey magic that has fire and ice as a main base for its appearance and effect. Most of the time she’ll be using magical weapons tho.

Why Someone Might Love Them: I would say because she’s a badass tbh. She’s a tough punk with a strong set of morals who never gives up and you gotta respect what she stands for, which is generally protecting and uplifting innocents that get caught up in awful circumstances

Why Someone Might Hate Them: She’s one of those people that either respect for being a hotheaded punk or you hate for being a hotheaded punk. I can see why someone wouldn’t like her broody attitude sometimes

How They Change: She gains more confidence and sense of worth for herself throughout the story after originally starting off with about none. She’ll never stop growing and changing and that’s an important part of her overall character

Why You Love Them: She’s my first OC and obviously one of the ones I’m most attached to by default because she’s grown and changed with me so much. If I had to pick one OC to be known by it’d be her. I made her to be the strong female character I wanted to see in the world and idk I just love her

#shut up alli #ask #long post #just in case the read more doesnt work lmao #but yea there u go! sorry it took awhile i rage quit when i accidentally deleted the first time #thank uuuuu for the ask #oc time

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mcdynamite · 5 years

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[Spoilers] I think GoT 8.05 made perfect sense, and here’s why:

Hello people of Tumblr! I’ve seen a lot of people bashing the most recent episode of Game of Thrones for a number of reasons and I want to step up to the plate and go to bat for the show. To clarify, I dislike D&D as much as pretty much everyone else who watches the show. I think the writing has been lazy, the dialogue has been lacking, and the lead in to some of the things that have happened this season could definitely be better. But everything that happened in 8.05 makes sense, and I actually liked the episode. This is why.

Cersei’s Demise is kinda perfect.

I know a lot of us, myself included, were looking forward to a brutal, sadistic death for a brutal, sadistic woman. But here’s the thing... in its own way, it was a totally brutal way for her to go out. Think about it, Cersei has spent pretty much her entire life talking her way out of things, manipulating people, and in general feeling more powerful than everyone else around her, including her family. She died finally realizing that she was completely helpless and all hope was lost. She died knowing that her arrogance and often unnecessary brutality was what had cost herself, her children, the man she loves, and even her own father their lives.

She couldn’t sass the collapsing rock to death. She couldn’t stall and wait for The Mountain to come to her aid. She couldn’t do anything but break down and cry and tell Jaime she wanted their baby to live, trapped in the same underground passages where she vowed to destroy all three of Dany’s dragons. Cersei wasn’t publicly executed in front of thousands of onlookers. She died UNDERGROUND, unthought of and uncared for by anyone else in the world but Jaime. She died the same death as all of the innocent citizens who died that day in part because of her own arrogance. It wasn’t special. It was lonely, hidden, and desperate - a fitting end for a woman who’s lived her whole life believing in her own importance.

And speaking of Cersei, even Jaime’s apparent regression makes some sense.

Ah, Jaime Lannister, one of the most emotionally complicated men in all of Westeros. I’m not gonna lie, this disappointed me because I had hoped for better for Jaime, but not because it didn’t make sense. We were ALL rooting for Jaime to ditch Cersei, become the noblest man in the whole world and just be with Brienne, who clearly loves him. But if you take a minute to think about it, while Jaime’s character development has been significant, it never really veered away from loving Cersei.

He’s always been doing what’s best for her, and yes, that includes when he left her to head North. Jaime did that because humanity was in danger, and as such, Cersei was in danger. Barely over a season ago in 7.03, Jaime tells Olenna Tyrell that his love for Cersei has grown beyond his control. He openly admits it and tells Olenna that he doesn’t believe people will care how Cersei took the throne once they’re living in the world she built. He clearly still loves Cersei here, and while he’s tempering some of her most heinous ideas, like flaying Olenna alive, he’s still carrying out her orders. “For Cersei,” as he always says.

Jaime’s love for Cersei went far beyond his control. It was almost more like an addition than true love. His love for Brienne was pure and kind, but even the purest love can’t sway the grasp of an addition. Cersei was all Jaime had ever known, so even if he loved Brienne, even if he knew Cersei was hateful, even if he knew she was doing unspeakable things to the people of Westeros, it STILL makes sense that he went back. It’s legitimately not at all different from some abusive relationship in real life. One partner may realize that the other is abusive and hateful, but they can’t bring themselves to walk away, and when they do, they may go back. That doesn’t make them bad people, and it certainly doesn’t “undo” all of Jaime’s character development over the course of the series.

Jaime Lannister is an immensely complicated character, and this is GAME OF THRONES we’re talking about. It’s a very human show. So frankly, if he has genuinely left Cersei without a second glance, that would have been immensely disappointing. It’s just not how people work, not after admitting how deep in the relationship he was literally just 9 episodes prior and only leaving to protect mankind from being destroyed.

And finally, let’s talk about the psychotic break of Daenerys Targaryen.

First, just a quick reminder at how utterly human this show is. We’ve got all sorts of realistic depictions of human nature in Game of Thrones. We have very real depictions of PTSD (looking at you, Theon and Sansa), realistic depictions of the horrors of slavery, realistic depictions of racism and ableism, the list goes on for miles. It’s made abundantly clear throughout the series that the Targaryens have a strong family history of mental illness, so here we go people. Let’s talk about mental illness.

Obviously, there are no therapists in Westeros to diagnose Dany with any particular illness, but it’s reasonable to hypothesize that Dany is experiencing psychosis, also known as a “psychotic break”. Something important to not about psychosis: it’s sort of like a break from reality, so the way someone behaves during a psychotic break is not at all who they normally are as a person. And here’s another thing about psychosis: YOU DO NOT SHOW SIGNS OF IT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, especially not major ones. Not every person who commits a heinous act of violence grew up murdering small animals and saying sadistic things to family members and friends as a child. I’ve seen a lot of anti-Mad Queen Dany arguments online, and I’d like to debunk a few of them with regards to how mental illness often actually works.

1. Dany was an abused child, why would she hurt children?

Yikes, you guys. This is a really weak argument. Many studies have shown that childhood trauma is associated with greater disposition towards psychosis later in life. Obviously not everyone who has gone through a childhood trauma will experience psychosis, but it can actually be a direct contributing factor to a psychotic break.

2. Dany has always showed compassion to innocent people like the slaves across the sea, so why doesn’t she now?

Again, psychosis is not a direct reflection of who someone is as a person because it represents a break from reality. You don’t have to be an intrinsically horrible person to do something bad when you’re not in control.

3. The warning signs were there, but they were too weak to justify what happened to King’s Landing.

When a person experiences psychosis, the EARLY warning signs (let’s just say for the purposes of this argument are things that happened prior to the start of season 8) are often subtle or even unnoticeable until you’re looking back retrospectively. These can include things like spending more time alone than usual (check), suspiciousness or uneasiness with others (check), and having no feelings at all (check, remember when she ended things with Daario and the show made a big deal out of how she didn’t really feeling anything about it?).

The slightly later warning signs (so, this season) include strong and inappropriate emotions (check, she wants to have sex with her nephew not too long after she accused him of trying to steal her throne), social withdrawal (check), odd beliefs (check, her belief that she was sent by god to change the world), and suspiciousness (check). The warning signs were there and frankly exactly what one would expect to see in someone in the prodome (or very early stages) of psychosis.

4. It just happened so suddenly, the build up wasn’t enough.

Actually, it SUPER was enough. Recently, Dany has lost two dragons, her most trusted advisor, her best friend (who she watched be beheaded) and has arrived in a country where nobody likes or trusts her. All of these are pretty freaking traumatic, and a traumatic event can trigger psychosis. Boom. Bang. It makes sense.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why people are upset about this. We were all rooting for Dany, our hero who walked out of the flames all those years ago with three baby dragons clinging to her. What happened in 8.05 was devastating to watch, but it wasn’t unrealistic. It was actually very well done from a standpoint of how things actually work in the real world. You can be frustrated with how things turned out, you can be devastated by the destruction of King’s Landing and Dany’s break, and you can be pissed about the lazy writing of this season, but you shouldn’t be angry with the show runners for Dany’s descent into madness. It was actually remarkably well done.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. Valar morguhlis.

EDIT: Obviously not everyone who goes through a period of psychosis is violent. It is an INCREDIBLY small percentage who actually inflict harm on others during a psychotic break. With that being said, rare as it may be, it does happen, it is a real thing that happens in real life, and cases in which a violent outburst happens are pretty spot-on similar to the way it happened to Dany. As someone who has experienced psychosis myself, I of all people know that not everyone becomes violent. But the portrayal of Dany throughout the whole show does align with the prodome of an exceedingly rare, but real, type of psychosis. I’m sincerely sorry for not clarifying this in my original post 💙

#Game of Thrones #Game of Thrones spoilers #got #got spoilers #daenerys targaryen #dany #daenerys #cersei #cersei lannister #jaime #jaime lannister #cersei x jaime #drogon #got 8x05 #the bells #mad queen #mad queen daenerys #mad queen dany #kings landing

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caithyra · 4 years

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Full Circle: Almost An Arthur

One of the reasons why I believe Mad Queen Dany divided fandom so badly is because, well, ASOIAF has often been touted as the Fantasy that is either realistic or unlike other Fantasies.

Unfortunately, it looped back on its head until it wasn’t what was advertised.

I mean, lets talk about this Destined Heir who is growing up from humble beginnings after being displaced from the Throne. Little Arthur Pendragon is little more than a squire for a knight’s son, but then it is revealed that Estel is in reality Aragorn, descendant of the great kings of old! There is a even a prophecy that decrees that when the End comes to the world, Belgarion will be there and stop it! So it was a great day of hope when Dany rose from the ashes with dragons on her shoulders!

Except... There this lady, a woman, high-ranked, a queen who got a bit too much power, and we know these hysterical wimmens and Mad/Evil Queens are just sooo original that this story has at least two heavily featured ones and possibly more by the time this series ends!

Move over Menzoberranzan and make way for Meereen!

And then Alistair (bastard and only known surviving son of the previous king’s father) grew pissy because I wouldn’t kill Loghain in front of his daughter, the queen, and took the throne from Queen Anora (that ambitious btch according to fandom, who happen to have been the widow of the deceased king, oh and that king was about to set her aside to marry the Empress of Orlais, more on her empire later, that the grandking freed the kingdom from after a... shall we say, bad occupation in which Loghain’s mother AND dog were literally rped to death because taxes by Orlesian knights?) and ten years later sends messages in which he’s so incompetent his scribes make fun of him yet the kingdom is still running fine. Also, to receive your knighthood in the Orlesian Empire you have to go to the ghettos where the elven jewish equivalents live and kill random elves! And that’s just the surface of this empire ruled by a queen/empress (oh, and the great-grandqueen who started the rebellion to free the kingdom died before it was free, just to make sure there’s no counterpoint Good Queen in Thedas).

Well, I think you all might notice a pattern in popular Fantasy, now, right? Like, Male Destined Heir/Patriarchy=Good; Queens/Empresses/Matriarchies=Bad/Mad and/or incompetent?

And here we have a main female character, “rightful” heir to the Throne of Westeros who Brings Magic Back and all that, and taking into account the whole “Not Like Other Fantasy Series” (”Not Like Other Strong Female Characters”... “Not Like Other Girls”?), and I can totally see why Dany fans cannot believe that she’s meant to go Mad/Evil Queen. Especially with Queen Cersei Lannister having been born a monster worse than Scylla and Carybdis at birth.

The thing is, GRRM/D&D weren’t just content doing Destined Heir with a Twist just by making her female.

They wanted to deconstruct the Destined Heir trope.

Slavery, Colonialism, and you name it. They threw it at this trope to deconstruct it, completely blind to how, simply by making the Heir a woman they were looping back onto another, overly worn, overly annoying, overly prevalent Fantasy trope. Is it really any wonder that a lot of viewers/readers rebelled against this idea?

“Off with their heads!Dracarys!” - The Queen of HeartsDaenerys Targaryen

And then there are those who believe that yes, Dany will turn mad, just not as in the show, and, well, I agree with them. And it is also kinda obvious that with Aegon Targaryen (whether he is the real deal or not) will change a lot of things by virtue of not being Jon Snow.

I could go into my fan theory that Aegon is the Real Deal. That he will bond with Rhaegal. That he will marry Arianne Martell. That Dany will try to force him to marry her instead. That Aegon wont abandon his wife (or take a second one like Aegon the Conqueror) like Rhaegar abandoned Elia Martell. That Dany will believe that history will repeat itself (she believes that if Rhaegar married her instead, she would have been able to keep him in her bed unlike Elia) and kills them in a fury.

Killing her nephew unhinges her, but killing Rhaegal’s rider causes him to abandon her and be vulnerable and ensnared by the Greyjoys’ Dragon Horn unhinges her even more, and so on... But basically, no one will be under any illusions about her sanity or suitability long before she gets near the Iron Throne.

And I could go on, but that’s just a fan theory. My point is that things would go waaay different than in the show, and yeah, with how the books are right now, it can’t really go in the direction of the show even if characters end up “more or less” the same (according GRRM).

There are those who thinks it will go the same, but it really can’t with Aegon not being Jon (unless that’s how Jon will be rezzed, by warging his half-brother, but then again, my theory is that rezzed Jon is a fire-wight with his memories, much like Beric and Stoneheart, and the real Jon will forever be inside Ghost, thus turning Jon’s Ghost into Jon’s ghost, lol, gotta stop fan theorizing), and with the Greyjoys’ story being so different.

The point is that whatever your view point, it is pretty gosh darn annoying that when we for once get a female Arthur Pendragon in a mainstream series, they turn her into a colonialist, slave-owning, pyromaniac Mad Queen.

Like, we have a whole bunch of Mad Queens (or potential Mad Queens)! We even have Cersei Lannister for the Unrealistically-Proportioned-Castles-and-Wall’s sake!

“[...]of course you get into Sansa being jealous of Dany[...]” - David Nutter, Director of Game of Thrones

“[...]Then the Queen was shocked, and turned yellow and green with envy.[...]She called a [ranger], and said, "Take the [Dragon Queen] away into the [Godswood...erm, Red Keep]; I will no longer have her in my sight. Kill her, and bring me back her heart as a token."[...]” - Little Snow-White, a fairy-tale

Yeah... So... Yeah... Here we are?

Anyway, this wasn’t a defense or an attack of Dany (or any other character). It’s just one of the many times I notice how, in an effort to deconstruct a trope, the authors ended up rewriting a much more tired and offensive one instead. Essentially looping in a full circle back to being trite.

#asoiaf #asoiaf meta #daenerys targaryen #the belgariad #lord of the rings #arthuriana #dragon age #dark elf trilogy #Looped Deconstructions #random ramble #is probably not coherent because tired #oh well have it anyway #I have read too much fantasy #too many fairy tales legends and myths

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artificialqueens · 5 years

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One step, not much (but it said enough) (Branjie) - Writworm42

A/N: For Athena, who asked for a fic based off of the viral video of the woman giving her girlfriend a kidney. TW Medical. I did relatively little research for this fic–PLEASE lmk if I fucked something up!!!

Title from You Are In Love by Taylor Swift. Thank you thank you thank you Holtzmanns for being a wonderful beta <3

Two years ago, Brooke hadn’t been able to stand the sight of needles. She hated even thinking about organs, and the sight of blood always made her feel faint. She wouldn’t have ever thought that she would get used to the sickening, too-sharp-but-too-subtle smell of latex and sanitizer that seemed to pervade every corner of every hospital in the city. She hadn’t known anything about dialysis or kidney disease, or what it looked like for a loved one to sit in an armchair overlooking a window in some failed attempt at distraction, dark circles gathering under their eyes while they counted cars in the parking lot, waiting for their treatment to finish. She hadn’t known what it would look like for them to do it every day.

But that was two years ago, and even today, she would go through that learning curve all over again for the woman sitting across from her, squeezing her hand.

“Okay, look.” Vanessa signals Brooke, who opens her eyes to see Vanessa sitting in her usual chair, arm slung over its armrest and attached to a host of tubes that rapidly begin to fill with thick red liquid, liquid that surges up and cycles towards a thick, heavy machine behind them before flowing back down into Vanessa’s arm again.

“So, what do you want to do now?” Brooke watches as Vanessa leans back and closes her eyes, sighing deeply. The shorter woman opens her eyes again just long enough to shrug.

“Honestly, I just kinda wanna sleep.”

Brooke holds in the sigh she feels bubble in her throat, leans back, and lets Vanessa sleep.

Well, intends to–within the next minute, Vanessa pops up again, not quite alert but certainly not as tired as she had seemed a moment ago.

“You got Game of Thrones on your iPad today, Mary?” she asks sheepishly, and Brooke smiles, nodding enthusiastically.

Two years ago, Brooke never would have guessed that she’d get to know every nurse on the nephrology floor by name, or that she’d never miss salt as much as she thought she would.

But she’d do it all over again, as long as she gets to see Vanessa fall asleep in the passenger seat next to her on the way home, safe and sound and alive alongside her for just one more day.

Sure, life isn’t what Brooke thought it would be. But Vanessa is stable, and they’re okay, and all things considered, life is good.

–

“I don’t like the look of your bloodwork.” Dr. Ganache leans back, squinting at the chart up on her computer as if trying to find something she’s missing. Brooke wishes she was, she really does; but from the look on Vanessa’s face as she peers over at Dr. Ganache’s computer too, she can tell that the doctor’s charts are indisputable.

“The dialysis ain’t workin’ anymore, is it?” Vanessa swallows hard, and Brooke doesn’t even have to ask before reaching out her hand for Vanessa to grab, the smaller woman squeezing it tightly as she lets out a shaky breath.

Say we’re wrong, say we’re wrong, tell us there’s other options…

“It’s not that it’s not working entirely. It’s just that it’s…not nearly as effective, and it’s declining faster than usual.” Dr Ganache shakes her head, and somehow, Brooke doesn’t breathe any easier.

“What are my options?” Vanessa’s voice is shaky, her grip on Brooke’s hand tightening even further.

“At this rate, you’re gonna need a transplant.”

They’d known this was coming; they’d known that this would be inevitable. They had always known that eventually, Vanessa would need a new kidney. But hearing it is…well, it’s something else, something nothing on earth could have prepared Brooke for.

Because it isn’t just eventually any more. It isn’t just some day. It’s now. Vanessa needs a new kidney now , and from what Dr. Ganache is saying–from what Brooke is able to absorb, ‘ now’ isn’t a realistic option.

The average wait for an anonymous donor is three to five years.

It has already been two.

How many more can they wait?

–

They don’t talk about it that night, or the next night, or the next. There’s nothing much to say; Vanessa’s on the donor list, Vanessa keeps going to dialysis, keeps pretending nothing is wrong.

Except something is. And nothing is the same.

They play scrabble and Brooke avoids spelling out ‘KIDNEYS’ even though it would be a 70-point word. They watch Grey’s Anatomy and Vanessa gets up to go to the bathroom every time there’s a surgical scene. They go to bed and hold each other close, and even though things are normal, things are okay, they have a new bedfellow, and it’s the size of an elephant.

Three to five years.

Three to five years more of blood tests telling them they have less and less hope.

Three to five years.

Three to five years more of being sitting ducks.

Three to five years.

Three to five years more of deciding not to go to church on Sunday, because they can’t stand being held hostage by God, not any more.

Until Vanessa is out with friends, and Brooke is taking a break from work, and emerges from her home office just long enough to flip through TV channels in the living room. Amidst the soap operas and Maury reruns, there’s a news feature on a woman whose next-door neighbour has given her his kidney. No wait. No fee. No scrambling. He’d gotten match-tested, and then he’d given it to her, all in the span of a couple months.

A couple month is a lot shorter than three to five years.

Brooke’s never had surgery at all before, let alone one as major as a kidney donation. She’s only ever learned precautions and made nephrological health-conscious lifestyle changes for Vanessa, never full-out for herself. It’d be hard, a major commitment, and a risky one at that.

But a couple months for a life’s worth of a sure future with Vanessa is a lot better than three to five years filled with question marks.

So without much other consideration, she gets out her laptop and starts to research.

–

“No.”

Brooke blinks, shock overtaking her like a kick in the face. “No?”

“No.” As if to add insult to injury, Vanessa rolls her eyes, her voice curt. “It’s too risky, Brooke.”

“But it’s risky for you too!” Brooke points out, her voice rising a little. “The more you wait, the sicker you’ll be, and then an already-risky surgery will become even more dangerous.”

Vanessa says nothing, and for a moment, anxiety seeps into Brooke’s chest, thoughts and regrets filling her mind.

Has she gone too far? Has she said something she isn’t supposed to? Fuck, she’s hinted at the one thing they don’t want to talk about, the one thing that’s always in their minds but that they had silently agreed never to speak into existence–

“I know. I just… I just don’t want you to suffer because of me.” Vanessa mumbles, barely audible, her eyes low.

“Oh, baby.” Brooke softens, grabbing Vanessa’s hand and giving it a tight, comforting squeeze, smiling when Vanessa’s eyes trail up to meet hers. “I already suffer plenty because of you, but that has more to do with your personality and fashion sense than your kidneys.”

Vanessa laughs, loud and barking and finally herself again, and just like that, Brooke knows it’s all going to be okay.

“I did the research into the risks and everything. It’s no summer stroll, but it’s not as dangerous as I know you’re probably thinking it is. It could work, Vanessa. But that’s besides the point right now–all we have to do now is test to see if it’s a match. We can take it from there.”

“Alright.” Vanessa nods, a smile spreading across her face. “Let’s get tested. We’ll take it from there.”

When Brooke kisses her, it’s different than it usually feels–not any less loving, not any less meaningful or sentimental, but somehow, renewed. Full of hope.

Like they’re secretly telling each other that they’ll never let each other go.

–

Vanessa is in the shower when Brooke gets the call.

“You’re a match, Brooke.” Dr. Ganache’s voice is as excited as Brooke feels when she delivers the news, and Brooke feels like she could faint, she really does. “If Vanessa agrees, we can start scheduling and prepping the surgery for some time next month.”

She’s a match. Vanessa’s getting a kidney. Her kidney.

She thanks Dr Ganache and hangs up the phone in a trance, only remembering to breathe once she’s finished dialing Vanessa’s mom to tell her the good news.

Vanessa’s getting a kidney. Vanessa’s getting a kidney. And Brooke gets to be the one to tell her.

The minute she realizes that, a new idea pops into her head, and she tells Anabelle she’ll call her back from her cell, that she’s got to get to the dollar store right away.

–

Brooke doesn’t bother to tell their families to be quiet when coming in and set up because she knows that Vanessa rests after something as strenuous as showering these days. Vanessa is either asleep, or she’ll come out of their room to see what is going on, which is just as well at this point. For the past half hour, Brooke’s been moving faster than she ever has in her life, calling and ordering and buying and cutting and gluing the perfect surprise for Vanessa. Now people are flooding through their front door dragging balloons and cakes, with the main piece, the piece de resistance they plan to use to break the news, nestled in Brooke’s arms.

“Hide the balloons and cakes in the kitchen, then come out to the living room.” she whispers under her breath to the others, who scurry away to do as she says.

For her part, Brooke can hardly contain her own excitement as she rushes about to adjust everything, make sure everything is perfect, until finally, the sounds of stirring from upstairs make her jump to attention.

“Baby?” Vanessa’s voice sounds from the top of the stairs and everyone freezes.

This is it.

“In the living room!” Brooke calls, trying her best to keep her voice level and calm. The efforts fail, however, and it’s just as well–Vanessa’s never been able to resist a surprise, and so within a few seconds, she’s flown down the stairs and into the room, cheeks flushed with excitement.

“What’s everyone doing here?” Vanessa frowns, despite the ghost of a smile on her face that begins to appear as she looks around the room. “We havin’ a party or something?”

“Or something.” Brooke grins, grabbing Vanessa by the hand and giving her a kiss before leading her over to the table where a big gift box sits right at the centre.

“Open it.” Brooke nudges the box towards Vanessa, laughing when Vanessa obeys without hesitation, attacking the box with eager hands to unwrap it and tear off the top.

Vanessa’s face when she begins to go through the box’s contents is priceless, her smile so wide and happy that Brooke wishes she could frame the memory of it and keep it on their wall forever. Each gift gets Vanessa more and more excited, and Brooke is so entertained that almost forgets the real surprise that’s waiting. Finally, though, Vanessa’s scooped away every crayon packet, stuffed frog, and puzzle book, and there’s only two gifts left in the box. A pikachu bucket hat that Vanessa spends a good two minutes modelling and taking pictures in, and a sheet of poster paper, just over legal size.

“Come on, mija, read it!” Vanessa’s mother prompts, shaking Vanessa away from her Christmas-morning-like state and redirecting her towards the still-waiting poster.

“Okay, okay, I’m going!”

There’s a pause while Vanessa looks over the paper, everyone holding their breath and watching for her reaction, some of her family pulling out their phones to capture the moment.

“Baby, I…” Vanessa looks back up at Brooke, her hands over her mouth, and Brooke sees that there are tears in Vanessa’s eyes, tears that are barely keeping from spilling over as she begins to bounce in happiness, the rhythm of her movements on her toes speeding up as the message on the paper truly sinks in.

“We did it, baby,” Brooke grins, “You’re getting a new kidney.”

Vanessa’s scream of joy is heard down the street, and soon the house is full of friends and neighbours come to hear what’s going on and share in the celebration, Vanessa so happy she barely lets go of Brooke for the rest of the night.

–

“Brooke?”

Brooke turns around in bed, blinking sleepily. “Yeah?”

“I can’t believe it.” Vanessa is still laying down, still snuggled under blankets up to her chin, but she has a different look about her, one that isn’t the groggy, comfortable look that Brooke is used to seeing her when she’s trying to fall asleep. Instead, her eyes are misty with something more than fatigue, wide and searching as they stare up at the ceiling.

“Can’t believe what?” Brooke feels her breath catching in her throat as she asks the question, worries suddenly filling her mind. Is it too much for Vanessa? Has she changed her mind? Has she already made peace with dying, and doesn’t want to go through with it now?

But then Vanessa turns towards her, and it’s not despair or anxiety or sadness in her eyes–it’s happiness , a pure joy that’s visible even behind the wavering wall of tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks.

“I’m getting a kidney.”

The tears start to fall just as Brooke wraps Vanessa in and pulls her close, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head.

“I love you, Ness.”

“Obviously.” Vanessa snorts, and Brooke laughs, and then they’re both giggling, unable to stop until tiredness gets the best of them and forces them to settle.

“Brooke?” Vanessa yawns, fighting to keep her eyes open as Brooke feels her own eyelids flutter, teetering on the edge of dozing off.

“Mhm?” She fights off the sleep long enough to ask, pulling Vanessa’s warm body closer still.

“I love you, too.”

–

The time before the transplant passes in a flurry of appointments, support group meetings, and prep sessions, leaving their heads spinning with new precautions, medications, and peer advice that never seem to end. As overwhelming as it is, Brooke can’t help but feel confident as they walk through the hospital doors on the day of their procedure. Not because she’s sure it’ll go off without a hitch–it very well might not. And not because she’s ready–how could she be, when she was about to undergo a surgery that could make or break both her and Vanessa’s lives? But she’s confident nonetheless, all because Vanessa is walking beside her, holding her hands, beaming with hope and excitement. And whenever Brooke’s stomach flips, or her heartbeat kicks up, or a nasty thought pops into her head, all she has to do is look at Vanessa, and everything slows down again.

Not because the last two years have been a breeze. Not because Vanessa isn’t scared. But precisely because they’ve made it through two years of struggle, of fear, of things that worked and things that didn’t. Because even amid all of that, they’ve found joy in each other, found strength and a million reasons to smile. So no matter what happens, Brooke knows that it’ll be alright–because it always is, and always will be, as long as she has Vanessa by her side.

“Y’all ready?” Dr. Ganache comes into their hospital room just before the procedure, a huge grin on her face and their surgeon in tow.

“Ready as we’ll ever be.” Vanessa nods, reaching for Brooke’s hand.

“Absolutely.” Brooke squeezes back, nodding in turn.

They’re wheeled into the OR side by side, holding hands right until the last second when the anesthetic hits, and everything goes black.

–

The recovery room is spinning as Brooke’s eyes blink open, searching through the still-drugged haze for the only thing her mind can find the strength to think about.

Vanessa. Her eyes settle on the sleeping girl next to her only a moment later, and it’s like the whole world has snapped into clear, sharp focus again.

Vanessa has an oxygen mask on, and tubes coming out of almost every inch of exposed skin, but she’s alive, and breathing, and slowly blinking awake, her eyes misty with anesthetic but nonetheless full of relief and contentment.

“Hey, you’re up.” Vanessa’s words are lilted, almost as if she’s a little tipsy, but she’s smiling, and God, it’s only been a few hours, but Brooke’s missed that smile.

“I’m up.” She nods. She tries to move her hand over to where Vanessa is, tries to reach out to her, but a monitor beeps, and a nurse rushes over to scold her, telling her she needs to wait out the effects of the anesthetic before she even thinks about moving.

“You got told.” Vanessa giggles, and Brooke can’t help it–she giggles too, and soon, even the nurse is laughing, relief and triumph filling the room and making everything feel light as air.

“So,” Brooke laughs a little even as things settle, still half loopy from the anesthetic and half drunk on the situation, the fact that the transplant was successful, that they’re both still here, together, and they’re going to be okay. “How does it feel to have me inside of you?”

The nurse boos, and Vanessa and Brooke crack up all over again.

“It feels great.” Vanessa whispers as she shifts a bit in bed, snuggling deeper into the thin hospital blanket draped over her body. “Absolutely amazing. Thank you so much, baby.”

“I love you.” Brooke yawns, and then sleep overtakes her again, soft and warm and full of dreams of the next three to five years. It’s only when she wakes up, though, and they’re back in their room that the dream doesn’t just break–it expands, and she’s looking at her forever, contained in one rosy face staring back at her, smiling like it’s the first day they met.

“Hey, Brooke?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you, too.”

#rpdr fanfiction #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #branjie #fluff #sick fic #lesbian au #writworm42 #tw medical

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destiny-smasher · 5 years

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Game of Thrones is over

We all learned a very valuable lesson recently, didn't we? Writing endings is hard. And I mean, seriously. It is for longer stories. Probably part of why it's apparently been, what, seven or eight years since a book has come out and Song of Ice and Fire still ain't done? Anyway, yea. Game of Thrones, as a TV show, has been pretty dang important and influential over the course of its eight year run. I feel like TV as a medium and how we collectively/culturally look at it has changed in part because of this show. It hasn't been without its faults, but for most of its run I'd say it's one of the best TV shows I've ever seen, certainly. Too bad the culmination/conclusion is so deflating.

It's not AS BAD as other endings to big popular things I guess? But yea, yeesh, oof. You can kinda tell right when they ran out of material to draw directly from and started having to make stuff up, and I think that's part of the problem -- it feels like where this all concludes doesn't line up with where the rest of the story was building toward. You know, kind of like the original Fullmetal Alchemist. The ending isn't everything, of course, but when it's a story of this nature, the ending is a LOT. And GoT betrays so much of what it built up, seemingly for no real reason. Nothing of substance. One of the series' strengths has been subverting expectations -- leading us to THINK we know what will happen, only for the opposite to. However, when GoT was at its best, these "twists" often weren't "twists" so much as "aw fuck that's totally what's gonna happen and it'll suck"

Events like The Red Wedding work so well not because of shock value and also not because of subversion or dark/grittiness, but because they MAKE SENSE and line up with the core theming, are built up toward both across the whole story and within the specific episode. I've spent a lot of time watching video essays on GoT this past week and the finale felt like it went out of its way to quote or reference previous episodes as if to try and convince the audience "no look this makes sense see?" when it...was just all too sudden. The IDEAS of the last season COULD have worked. But here's the problems. - it's not really subversive anymore when you've already subverted things too many times, it's just pointlessly mean - changes in personality/motives/behavior need to feel gradually built up to feel earned

- when your entire story is focused primarily on interwoven character arcs, you kinda shoot yourself in both feet and can't walk anywhere now when you throw half of those arcs in the garbage and then just shrug at another quarter of them. - when you set your story in a world with magic and fantasy and lore and keep alluding to backstory and keep us oriented on supernatural/mystical characters at the center of plot stuff but then never contextualize any of that it turns characters into mcguffins. So main takeaways: - don't follow a character around for a long period of time as if they are important if you're ultimately gonna just act like they're not important, GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO ACCOMPLISH and use their success/failure to SAY something

- don't write things intended to produce shock value for its own sake; write things that align with what the messages of your story are; sometimes that means subverting expectations but things need to feel organic and consistent or they won't feel rewarding/earned

(rewarding/earned =/= GOOD, descents into madness, tragedy, loss, these can all feel painful but also rewarding/earned depending on their execution and purpose)

- whether you're a gardener or an architect, develop a conclusion that focuses on what the purpose of telling your story IS. With Game of Thrones concluded, I can say I had quite a ride. Some of its characters are some of the best I've seen in any fictional work. Some of its moments are the best I've ever seen in film. But here, at the end, I can't say I feel terribly edified. I feel emptiness but not in the way I feel when I finish a story I want more of. I feel emptiness in a sense of "yall threw away so much quality shit in the trash, why??"

I have finished this story and even WHILE the characters LITERALLY say aloud what the writers think are the big takeaways, the main themes, I don't...really BUY it. I don't feel like having journeyed past the earlier seasons of the stories has enhanced those themes. I'm glad they finished a long, complicated story. I'm glad the cast and crew were so great. I feel bad for them to have worked so hard only for so many threads to end in such...weird, flat, unrewarding or even pointless ways. That may be "realistic" but real life is fleshed out

'no one is really happy, which I suppose makes for great compromise.' Too bad that doesn't really make for great storytelling, because storytelling isn't the same as real life, or politics. Compromise is sometimes great in stories but it needs to be with purpose/focus.

Anyway, this is all to say, endings are hard, Valar Morghulis, do your best while you're here, I guess.

#Game of Thrones #GOT

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shebeafancyflapjack · 5 years

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I finally saw the new Lion King...

Oh boy. Here we go.

I know I’m late to the party on this and there have been so many bad reviews of this film already that have mentioned the major problems. They’re all true. Every single one. So at least in that regard I got what I was expecting! Nothing better but nothing worse. I was expecting dead eyed animals with no emotion matching the voice acting and that’s exactly what it was. It was distracting and annoying but I did get over it to a point. So I’ll try not to make this review just another long rant about the lack of expressions. However I will mention that my best friend who I went to see this with is from South Africa and used to work over there at a nature reserve; she said she found the animals creepy as hell. She compared to how disturbing the uncanny valley in films like Final Fantasy (the movie) and Mars Needs Moms were.

In short; the technology is incredible and hopefully will get used in a better and ORIGINAL film, but it really didn’t fit a story this epic and personal where you need to see the fear, the sadness, the joy etc in these characters faces. It especially hit me at the end of I Just Can’t Wait To Be King where Simba and Nala are supposed to look so happy and giddy but there’s just...nothing there.

Eyes are the window to the soul in animation. And it’s not impossible to make realistic cg animals look emotional - Jungle Book and Narnia are proof of that. But this movie was definitely, in a word, soulless.

That’s the animation rant out of the way, what else can I add?

I’ll admit that I am biased. Lion King is my all time favourite Disney movie. I saw it when I was three, I still to this day have the Simba plushy I took to the first screening and held aloft, haggard and dog-eared as he is in my closet. I danced to I Just Can’t Wait To Be King at my Brownie talent show. I’ve watched the film enough times I know it beat for beat. However, saying that, I know it’s not perfect. When I went back a few years ago and watched all the old Disney films I did notice more flaws in Lion King and actually gained more appreciation for films like Hunchback and Beauty & the Beast that had slipped under my radar as a kid. Practically I do think B&TB is the stronger movie of that time. But, damnit, Lion King will always be my favourite at heart, just like Ocarina of Time will always be my favourite Zelda even though I think other games like Majora’s Mask or Breath of the Wild are technically better. Lion King was my first love and, given how meh most of the Disney remakes have been so far, I knew this wasn’t going to come close to how great the original was. But still I thought I’d give it a try and see what new things they could bring, same as I liked at least some of the new twists in Cinderella, Maleficent and Aladdin.

Sadly this movie brings nothing new aside from a different style which even that doesn’t really work. It’s a shot-for-shot remake except with certain parts slightly changed or flat out cut and it feels so off. I could tell what I was in for from the very first scene and it basically summed up the rest of the movie. First shot, same as before, the sun rises as the Circle of Life plays. Except in this one, the sun rises....and there’s like a three second gap before the music starts. I know that sounds like such a tiny thing but it happens so much! The soundtrack is EXACTLY the same, except it no longer flows with the animation the same as the old one. The first Lion King was almost on par with Fantasia with how perfect every movement and beat of the scene matched the notes of the music - like with Simba’s roar at the end, he starts roaring before the music has its big climax and it’s so distracting. That’s when I realised what this movie felt like; as though I was listening to the original Lion King soundtrack while watching National Geographic. Like the odd random bit happens to work but most of it just feels slapped on because it’s Lion King and they had to.

And when this movie does do things new, sometimes they get a laugh or can be interesting, but it’s so short and we go back to just quoting the original word for word without the same energy. James Earl Jones sounds tired recycling lines he said thirty years ago. The rest of the cast however are actually really good and we know these are great actors. When they’re saying something new it’s great but when they say words from the original it’s like they’re just quoting a different movie everyone knows.

Timon and Pumbaa, for example, are the best new addition to the movie, along with some moments from Zazu and definitely a more intimidating Scar. This is because a lot of their routine and dialogue is changed up instead of just reusing old jokes. A scene with them from the original which was the funniest for me, the hula distraction, is replaced with the start of Be Our Guest - and it’s hilarious. I was expecting to be annoyed they took it out but no, it was something new and clever even if slightly meta but I guess same as The Lion Sleeps Tonight is which was in the original (and is redone here, also pretty funny).

Moments like that worked but also in a way annoyed me more because they showed the potential of how this film could have been so much better. The same story but a new script, why was that so hard? Aladdin, Cinderella and Jungle Book had a few lines here and there similar to the original but still took risks - with JB even going as far to change the ending. I have problems with those movies, sure, but I at least respect them for trying to be creative.

Other tiny ‘new’ things that are added are Shenzi being a much stronger villain, which is kinda cool but they try to set up this rivalry between her and Nala in the final act and I was like; “...did I miss something? Was there a deleted scene were there was a bigger conflict with you two?” But then the other hyenas are no where near as funny as before, Benzai and not-Edd just do this “no homo” routine and then they don’t even speak again in the third act. Nala, Sarabi and the other lionesses get a bit more screen time but again it feels so rushed and actually makes it seem more confusing when Nala is like “if you want Simba you’ll have to come through us!” and then they all just watch again as Scar nearly pushes him off pride rock.

It also tried to fill in a plot hole with the original which, in my opinion, just created a worse one. So in the original Scar knocks out Zazu and there’s always questions afterwards of why Zazu didn’t tell the other lionesses - I always just assumed he couldn’t remember why he lost consciousness. In this one Scar sends Zazu back to ‘get the pride’ at the gorge. However, he THEN claims he wasn’t able to get to the gorge before Mufasa was killed....Except Zazu knows he was there! Yet he never tells the other lionesses! He doesn’t even say anything to Simba! It also had me questioning why Simba didn’t throw it back at Scar for sending him down there to roar and then being blamed when Scar explicitly told him to practice his roar as loud as he could - in the original Scar just hints to ‘work on that little roar’.

They did the same thing in Beauty and the Beast with that magical teleporting book. And in Cinderella where she’s more independent because she goes outside the manor and yet never just leaves. Don’t pick at something if you’re just going to create more questions.

So to sum up, is the film garbage? I wouldn’t go that far. I’m looking at it from the mind of a cynical adult who was always going to be comparing it to the original, which I think is fair if you’re doing a shot for shot remake. But for little kids who this is aimed for...I wasn’t sure watching it, some scenes I thought a bit too dark for them (like literally it’s hard to tell the lions apart in the fight scenes) but after it was done I was in the toilets waiting for my friend and I saw a little four year old girl with her mum and she was holding a Simba plushy in her arms, just like the one I had as a kid, and she was saying how much she loved it. The sight almost made me tear up with nostalgia. And it made me realise, despite all my criticism, this movie is more so for little girls like that than me. If this movie somehow made her feel the same wonder and excitement than the original did then it definitely can’t be worthless. I just hope she has or will get around to seeing the original. Maybe she’d like it more, maybe not. Maybe they will remake this movie again in thirty years and she’ll be writing a lengthy blog post about how the remake of the remake butchered her childhood memory of the remake...So long as she has those memories and those timeless feelings, it’s what matters most.

Okay I got surprisingly sappy at the end there but that really Lion King does hold such a special place in my heart I can’t not get emotional from it, even when ranting.

One last thing, my theatre was dead silent for most of the film aside from a couple of laughs at Timon and Pumbaa. However, I kid you not, when the lightning struck the tree and caused the fire around Pride Rock at the end, someone in the audience shouted out; “DRACARYS!” and I nearly doubled over laughing!

Speaking of which, Simba finding Mufasa’s body? Game of Thrones already did that scene better with Drogon and Dany. No contest.

#also wtf was up with that fur journey scene #the lion king 2019 #tlk #disney remakes #simba #mufasa #nala

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sadlove4you · 6 years

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The 30 Day Tumblr Challenge

We are at it again bois.

Day 3 - My Favourite TV Show/Series

Okay so I don’t know why I’m excited to tell you my favourite shows. I definitely have a few of my favourites, also cartoon shows and anime if that counts lol

Okay starting off with:

1. OnMyBlock

You guys don’t understand how obsessed I am with this show!! This is one of my #1 favourites and now S2 is coming in a few days like holy shiit, feels like we been waiting forever. Watching the teaser and seeing Ruby opening his eyes at the end at me jumping 😂. I mean if they were thinking of not putting Ruby in S2 and he died then I ain’t watching S2. But can I say that Spooky is is fine as hell 😍 But anyway I recommend you guys go watch it, it’s da best, if you into that teen drama.

2. The Office

I love the Office, I always wanted to watch it from seeing memes on insta or Facebook all the time and now I finally got the chance too. It’s so funny and you just get every joke and just laugh. Also one good thing too is every episode is so entertaining and you don’t get bored. So if you wanting to find a new tv show to watch then come to this one. Another thing is that I love Michael’s personality, just trying to be the cool boss and even tho some episodes he can be annoying but then his very caring at the same time. Its cute how he finds everyone like a second family to him. Also can never get enough of Jim’s pranks on Dwight.

3. Black Mirror

Gotta say this is a pretty interesting tv series, I thought it would be one of those shows that just drag on but literally every episode is different and has its own story. I like how some of the episodes try to connect to the real world and what we do in our society. Also the fancy technology in this series sis pretty impressive but same time don’t want that type of technology being invented now lol I would have to say one of my favourite episode would have to be S4 Ep 4 - Hang the DJ. I was so confused at first and thinking the couple were trapped in some sort of game or world but at the end when it was them in a simulation for a actually a dating app, just blew my mind. That it was the process of the dating app to find the perfect match was really impressive. Also there’s a few keys points on how we work our dating life in the real world. But I was also happy there was a happy ending not like it is with Black Mirror. Another one of my favourite was S3 Ep1 - Nosedive just because I could relate to how we get sucked in the social media world and not in the real world. I more based on the you know you always wanting so many followers on social media and all these likes on your photos from people who you hardly hangout. Just seeing people or friends more higher then you, you kind of get that feeling you wish you were like that. Another thing too is now a days we see heaps and heaaappsss of fitness models that really hit you with ‘I want a body like that’ It kind of puts your self esteem down and trying to love your own body. I mean yes some models do help and motivate you to workout and all that but you gotta put in a lot of work and I’m just too lazy 😂

3. The End of the F***ing World

It’s a very unique show I must say. Even though James intention was to murder Alyssa in the first place but I still love the relationship between the two even though it was an unusual connection. But James came to fall in love with Alyssa eventually. If it weren’t for that creepy dude he murdered then we probably would of had a different story.

Okay now I’m getting into my favourite cartoon/anime shows

1. Tokyo Ghoul

One of my favourite anime series ever. Love a bit of action and gore which is what this series showed. Note that I’m not into the romantic animes, it kinda bores me. But honestly S3 was complete shit and was so confusing. Didn’t even connect with the last 2 seasons. But the other 2 seasons was 👌🏾 Noice.

2. Berserk

Listen if you want a bit of more gore and action then you should watch this. Love this show, literally finished it in a day and a half 😅. Guts is the main man and is probably my favourite character. But just a warning the ending is kinda fucked up and dark but I literally kept watching in confusion because it just escalated so quickly. I even read a few articles on what the ending meant but I’m still confused but overall still love the show. Was sad that everyone died suddenly expect Casca as one of the remake movies showed she survived but was obviously traumatised and lost her mind. Then had a demon baby which was fucked.

3. Rick & Morty

Gotta love this show man. Never knew I would like a show like this and understand all the humor 😂

4. Regular Show, Adventure Time & Amazing world of Gumball

If you don’t know what’s these shows are then GTFO! Jks but seriously these are pretty much the best cartoon shows ever, especially on Cartoon Network. Literally watch these shows growing up but I had a little sister that would watch these shows with me and our dad didn’t like it because of the crude humor and so on. So I haven’t watch these in awhile and going back to them is so nostalgic. It’s sad that these 3 shows had to end. I mean obviously a show gotta end somewhere but still. It won’t be the same :(

5. Love Death + Robots

I got to say this is a very interesting series. The animation was amazing but I was gobsmacked at the CGI which looked soooo realistic in some episodes. Literally finished it in a day. I mean yes it is a bit graphic but overall it was funny, dark and imaginative. But I do understand the sexual violence towards women in the series but at the end they got their revenge. But to say Sonnies Edge was probably my favourite episode and hope we can get a series happening or I’ll be disappointed haha.

——————————————————————————

Okayy I guess I’m done. Idk why I was so excited to talk about this topic for some reason. But tbh I’m not really a huge tv show fan as I mentioned before sometimes shows drag on and it gets really boring and I just move on to the next show. I mean these shows above are probably the only ones I enjoy the most out of every other show.

A good example of a show that drags on is Riverdale, literally. I hate this show so much and idk how people are still watching it. First season was really good then it just got worst. I mean is it just me or Veronica is really annoying and being with Archie is even worse.

Also another show that pissed me off was Shameless! ughhh really ticked me off when Debby eventually had the baby and the way she acts so stubborn literally fucked me right off. You know when you watch a show and it just doesn’t go the way it should and then you just stop watching. Also Game of Thrones, I’m that percent of people that hasn’t watch this shit at all. I recommend if you haven’t watch this show then don’t start because literally every episode is an hour and there’s like what, 20 odd episodes in the 6S. So good luck if you gonna start. But I did watch the first 2 episodes of S1 but it’s kinda weird with the brother sister thing lol I should just make a post of all the shows I hate and why 😂

But anywayyy sorry if this was soo long. Didn’t think it would be and it sucked because I couldn’t put more gifs in haha But if your feeling bored then recommended watching a few of these bad boys I have put down but if you have any that don’t drag on and are actually worth watching and not boring. Then please tell because I don’t want to start watching a show and then get disappointed during it.

Alright then see you guys tomorrow for Day 4

#day 3 #30 day challenge #tumblr challenge #tv shows #anime #tv series #bored #favourite #OMB #Black Mirror #tokyo ghoul #yeet #follow me

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sonderei · 6 years

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I got bored and answered one of those 100-questions things so if you ever wanted to know a stupid amount of useless information about me read on, otherwise enjoy whatever content is in the next post!

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? Spotify

is your room messy or clean? my room is a mess, the rest of the apartment is pretty clean

what color are your eyes? brown

do you like your name? why? its grown on me. I used to get teased a lot in school “hey Ariel, where’s your best friend Flounder??” but now I work on Disney property and it’s on my name tag so I get to make a lot of kids (and adults) happy

what is your relationship status? been dating a small mess of a person for 4 years, whom I love dearly

describe your personality in 3 words or less basically a cat

what color hair do you have? brown, or like a really dirty blonde if I spend enough time in the sun

what kind of car do you drive? color? a black 2013 hyundai accent hatchback (named Jazz)

where do you shop? where I shop: target, forever21, H&M, BoxLunch, Garage where I’d LIKE to shop: ModCloth, ASOS

how would you describe your style? I once bought an oversized Polariod windbreaker and I wear it everywhere I can??? I also love passive aggressive crop tops (”no thanks”) I wore it to a mandatory meeting at work at 9am and any time my managers asked me a question I just pointed to my shirt. So idk that should tell you something

favorite social media account I think I enjoy Instagram and Tumblr equally?

what size bed do you have? queen

any siblings? one full brother (5 years younger), one half brother on my dad’s side (13 years younger), and one half sister on my mom’s side (18 years younger).

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? idk because I haven’t traveled anywhere I’d actually like to live. I love the idea of living northwest US (Seattle, Portland) or in NZ or like Scotland or somewhere with beautiful scenery but like...never been so can’t say for sure?

favorite snapchat filter? flower crown

favorite makeup brand(s) NYX is pretty much all I use but I also do like bare minimum with my makeup

how many times a week do you shower? typically every other day unless I’m super gross

favorite tv show? too hard. Steven Universe, Game of Thrones, A:TLA, and Adventure Time?

shoe size? 7-8 depending on who makes them

how tall are you? smol. Like 5′3″ or so?

sandals or sneakers? sneakers, unless going somewhere involving water and/or sand

do you go to the gym? nah. I’m up and down stairs at least 20 times a day, usually while carrying stuff. that’s my exercise.

describe your dream date sitting in front of the Ocean Voyager exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium all day. like literally that’s it. and my date lets me without asking to move on, and ideally enjoys it as much as I do.

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? uhhh like $25 because that’s how much you have to have to open a new bank account which I’ve been meaning to do for like two weeks now

what color socks are you wearing? not wearing any, but I was wearing shark socks all day

how many pillows do you sleep with? just one, super soft and squishy

do you have a job? what do you do? I'm a server at a restaurant in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World. Its challenging and often frustrating and stressful but I get to meet some really cool people so it evens out. (Pat Sajak from Wheel of Fortune was in last week, I didn’t ask him if I could buy a vowel because I have some dignity)

how many friends do you have? like true friends, would drop everything for me if I asked them / needed them to? I’d say 3. But my social group is like...maybe 10 people? That I actively try to hang out with semi regularly.

whats the worst thing you have ever done? I honestly don’t even know. I forgot a woman’s ketchup last week at work and apparently I ruined her entire Disney vacation so

whats your favorite candle scent? usually anything with jasmine, so long as it isn’t overpowering

3 favorite boy names Nathaniel, Sebastian, Milo

3 favorite girl names Riley, Maisie, Phoebe

favorite actor? robert downey jr probs

favorite actress? tessa thompson?

who is your celebrity crush? ugh. tom holland, tessa thompson, rdj?

favorite movie? Spirited Away or Howl’s Moving Castle

do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? I used to, before I worked at a bookstore. For some reason that killed my love for reading. But favorite books were the Bartimaeus Trilogy and Abarat.

money or brains? brains

do you have a nickname? what is it? Skip (long story short, its a Cabin Pressure reference because I’ve always wanted to be a pilot)

how many times have you been to the hospital? for myself? 5? maybe 6?

top 10 favorite songs in no particular order Evolve by Phoria Put ‘Em Up by Priority Cleopatra by The Lumineers Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man Miracle by CHVRCHES Dissolve by Absofacto Taro by alt-J Lavender by Two Door Cinema Club Dinosaurs by The Maccabees Ambling Alp by Yeasayer

do you take any medications daily? nope

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) ehh a bit on the oily side

what is your biggest fear? losing the ones I love

how many kids do you want? NONE ZERO NADA ZIP ZILCH FUCK NO

whats your go to hair style? pull it back, messy bun if possible

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) a p small apartment (but not tiny, I think it’s like 800-900 sq ft)

who is your role model? Steve Irwin

what was the last compliment you received? a guest at one of my tables told me I looked like one of the recent Bond girls

what was the last text you sent? bailing on a few friends who were going to Blizzard Beach because I was exhausted from having my dad in town for the last two days so I wanted to sleep

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? like 2 or 3. not very old

what is your dream car? realistic? a nice Subaru or Audi. Maybe a Tesla unrealistic? bugatti veyron

opinion on smoking? cigarettes? ew gross not around me also poor life choices weed? don’t care, just not around me please and thanks my other half is allergic

do you go to college? I did, graduated two years ago, still haven’t done anything with my life / degree

what is your dream job? anything working directly with animals, especially marine mammals, big cats, or non-venomous reptiles

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? big city. right in the middle of it.

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? not usually, I have specific stuff I use for my hair that’s a lot nicer than the stuff at hotels

do you have freckles? not like a ton but yeah

do you smile for pictures? if I feel like it? also depends on who’s taking the picture

how many pictures do you have on your phone? I’d say somewhere in the realm of like 650-800?

have you ever peed in the woods? yep, used to go camping a lot as a kid

do you still watch cartoons? hell yeah, I usually prefer them to anything else. Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Voltron, A:TLA, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends...that shit is my jam

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? mmmm Wendys but I usually don’t get c nugs from anywhere

Favorite dipping sauce? chick fil a sauce or ranch

what do you wear to bed? just underwear

have you ever won a spelling bee? no but I came close in middle school

what are your hobbies? not many tbh. I have a few reptiles that I take care of. I collect / trade Disney pins. I love swimming but don’t do it all that often. Uhhh...seeing how many times I can ride Kilamonjaro Safari in a row before the cast members begin to judge me?

can you draw? not really, no

do you play an instrument? nope, I can’t even read music and I can barely hum

what was the last concert you saw? uhhhh...I think Death Cab for Cutie and CHVRCHES?

tea or coffee? tea

Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? Starbucks for drinks, Dunkin for food (donutssssss)

do you want to get married? yeah, eventually. I told the SO that ideally before I’m 30 and that we’re not having a wedding but we’re gonna elope instead because fuck weddings I don’t have the money for that or the patience to plan it

what is your crush’s first and last initial? not really a crush but more of a “current-and-potentially-forever life partner” but DU

are you going to change your last name when you get married? no idea. D wants to change their last name but idk if they’d take mine or they’d just change it to their middle name and then I’d take that? honestly it doesn’t really matter to me each way so long as I don’t get their current last name (because of bad associations)

what color looks best on you? no idea honestly. I prefer dark, muted blues?

do you miss anyone right now? my parents and siblings, and two of my best friends

do you sleep with your door open or closed? open, otherwise the cats would never let us sleep

do you believe in ghosts? nah, not really. I grew up in a town that had a bunch of history and by extension ghost stories, so it was more a part of “tourist culture” than something that seemed legitimate to me

what is your biggest pet peeve? I never know until someone starts doing it around me. but uhhhh I hate loud chewers, people that refuse to even try to see your side of an argument, and when you’re sitting somewhere in public like on a bench or something and there’s plenty of other empty seating options nearby and yet someone comes up and sits RIGHT NEXT TO YOU nope you know what that’s it I fucking hate that and it happens to me all the time at Disney

last person you called` I think my mom?

favorite ice cream flavor? cookies and cream, unless I’m at one of those places where you can basically make your own flavor in which case I will ALWAYS do a rose-infused ice cream with pistachios

regular oreos or golden oreos? please don’t make me choose

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? rainbow!

what shirt are you wearing? not wearing one ;)

what is your phone background? just a basic stock photo of some ferns. kinda boring but I like simple backgrounds

are you outgoing or shy? its pretty even but if I had to say one over the other I’m probably slightly more outgoing than I am shy.

do you like it when people play with your hair? only people I know and allow. don’t just come up and start playing with my hair unless you KNOW that I’d be okay with it

do you like your neighbors? haven’t met them! we moved in like a month ago but we still haven’t seen anyone that lives on our floor

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? if I remember, but honestly I’m really bad about doing it unless I’m in the shower in which case it’s every time I take a shower

have you ever been high? nope

have you ever been drunk? sadly no. I have a ridiculously high natural alcohol tolerance, so I get sick to my stomach before I can even manage tipsy.

last thing you ate? pizzaaaaaaa

favorite lyrics right now idek and that’s a lot of effort so sorry here’s me “free pass” I’m using it on this question next

summer or winter? ugh winter always I can’t stand the heat there’s only so many layers you can take off

day or night? night

dark, milk, or white chocolate? milk or white. milk for straight eating, white for flavoring other things

favorite month? october

what is your zodiac sign leo!

who was the last person you cried in front of? my significant other

#I was bored #fite me #in case anyone ever wanted to know what I do for a living #or what my favorite songs are #or what color my eyes are #now you know

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craftmanatee · 7 years

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Felidae (1994) Review

So I just watched a sort of old animated film, about cats investigating murders of other cats, and it has an adult and sexual theme... uh... READ MORE ABOUT IT

This film... is blurry to me.

The film stars a cat named Francis who moved in with his owner at a new place. He quickly finds out about a murder spree that is happening among the cats of the neighbourhood and from there, he is undergoing an investigation to find who the murderer is.

The story, and the lore behind the motive of the attacks and why things are happening is actually pretty interesting. It has some cool ideas, but it is plagued by inconsistencies and annoyances.

First of all, I watched the film in English. The film is originally german, and so the lip syncing and the script are probably different. I tried my best to forgive the dubbing, but honestly they ended up doing a mediocre job. And for such a grim story with grim visuals, I honestly regret not watching it on german. I think they probably did a better job, and (Forgive me for this) the german language would fit just nicely to such an adult theme.

Animation Quality

I also have to mention that the animation is both good and bad. There are select shots I think are... pretty clever and cool, and then there are the nots. The film is actually well animated, or has a quality to it, but it does go back and forward with the quality. So the animation is “Bearable” at worst. Pretty alright at best.

Alright, my first gripe with the film, and it went on CONSISTENTLY is how the pacing just does. Not. STOP. It goes on, and on. Not in a slow pace, but in a consistent speed. There is no breaks, or moments. There are some, but the whole film falls into a blurry mess because most of the film just flies by in one speed.

You can see this during the opening and the first shots of the film. Just, left and right shots of the cat (francis) walking around, exploring it. But you just HAVE to watch him walk from room to room, you dont jump cut to each room, no no. You watch go from door to door. That is just bad storyboarding I guess, but what sucks is that there is no atmosphere to it. Those shots simply had no intention to show anything. And most of the film is like that.

The english dub did not help with this, I honestly think that the english dub made it worse. The scenes progress too fast for the dialogue and the thought behind them to kick in for us. HECK even the characters dont get time to think. It falls into one of those animated films where sometimes the characters have to speak over each other just to save time and fit in within the timeframe. It is a mess and is unfortunate.

However, there are some key scenes that make this film, unordinary.

First of all, I also want to say that I think the film has some interesting choices, some amazing ones and some... regretful ones.

For one, the film is Adult themed, meaning it will show gore, sex and... contain naughty language. The cartoony style of the film is so weird to have juxtaposing with lines such as “he is too old to get it up for any feline” or, something like that. So weird to hear and see this cartoon, almost disney esque designs along with an adult film. One of the first visuals for this is plainly the gore on some murdered cats. That is fine and dandy, it sets up the expectations and assumptions for the film going forward.

Then not too long after, we meet this interesting character choice in an animated film, especially for its time, and it is basically a blind cat. This character was actually, very well done, I never thought I would be happy to see such a choice. Heck she even animates in a way that makes sense, like who would have- oh... no nevermind this film is merciless.

I try not to spoil it, but I had a mini-game of thrones moment.

The parts that stand out the most is the dream, and nightmare sequences.

Francis the cat ends up having dreams and nightmares. Maybe just one or two, the film does not give itself time more than these two. But honestly, the grotesque nightmare sequence is pretty damn amazing. Even the dream sequence was actually well done, even for the benefit of the story. Heck, truought the film I noticed there were some foreshadowing here and there. So... kudos? The nightmare and dream sequence were probably animated by completely different studios. They were both way too good/pretty to be animated in-house.

And then there are the parts that stand out, for the bad reasons.

Lets start with the first big bad standout. The sex scene.

There is a sex scene between Francis and an egyptian cat lady. God damn, they fucking handled it so... cat like and realistically that it just... does not fit within the film. I hate this scene, but it does play a role. They even added the silhouette of crows fuckin! I mean Aaawrgh, it just does not fit the god damn designs of the characters. I did not assume the film to be like this. But... honestly, the film feels more important because of it.

There is also the laboratory log tape scene. This is probably the most brutal and gory part of the film. I, also hate this scene too. Not because of the gore or brutality, but how it was handled. You basically have these cats being experimented on, and they actually show this healing serum, fucking melt the back skull of a cat. They are trying to make a healing serum of some kind but it always ends up the opposite in an acid sort of way. Again, I hate the way they handled the scene by mostly being memorable for its gore. I did not get a mood, or feeling or any kind of emotional attention other than just a realistic depiction of what is a brutal action. There were no, scary lighting or anything. It was just... shot for shot a doctor, trying to get a serum to work. Log to log.

Most of the film is like this.

There just are no moods of any kind. I think the only mood the film gave itself to in a particular scene was the cultist/sect scene. There was electricity, chanting, shadow, lights flickering. Probably the only scene crafted to have some kind of... mood.

I am lying, a little bit. The final fight scene had a mood too. But, it was pretty typical... Fighting, fire, orange... danger. But I wanna save that for later...

Characters

Francis (Main character) is, pretty gosh darn straight forward. I kinda like him, and not. He just does not seem believable and I think a big part of it is the english dubbing.

BlueBeard (Sidekick) is oddly placed. I think at first he was gonna be the anti-hero but he just ends up being some... sidekick to the main character. He is the only character with the most personality, and he delivers it well. Except for the way he pees...

Khan (Anti-hero) is the blockiest cat Ive ever seen. Nothing too much about him other than, being incredibly cartoony.

Felicity (Supporting character) Yeah...

So... honestly, I dont find the characters to be in anyway interesting other than Felicity. For the most part, the characters, as cats, should be taken in an anthropomorphic way. The situation, the investigation. It all plays out like a noir film, and I think the characters as CATS do it pretty much ok. It is simply made a little more interesting because they are cats. But that also delivers a fuck ton of inconsistencies.

The story inconsistencies are there, and you are made aware.

You just have to bite and take it in anyway. Im sure the actual book has made these inconsistencies to be believable but, fuuuck the placement of things in this film.

I mean, since when could francis know how to use a computer?! Hes not a god damn fucking mutant cat! god damnit...

The Film in the end receives a “NICE TRY”

This cat noir story, is not well made in animated form. But, for its odd choices, I honestly think you should give it a watch. It is only 1h 18min long, and is not entirely predictable in the way you think.

A film, both good and bad. But should not be disregarded.

Nice Try Felidea!

(SPOILERS)

2 final bits of Awesome things from the film

Bluebeard assumes that the first murdered cat they see was done by humans. This line is oddly well foreshadowed. What is made even better is that nothing mentions how Bluebeard was right all along. Ive just came to this conclussion thinking about the story.

And the ending fight with the ending slice actually made me burst into laughter. Probably the most over the top awesome thing in the film. I thought it was funny and ... well cool in the right way.

#felidea #animated #film #review #cats #noir #thing #felidea 1994 #felidae #felidae 1994

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superfamigos · 8 years

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Sam’s Top Ten Games of 2016

I'm hoping 2017 is the year that the things really get going here on Super Famigos. Top ten lists are a good way to wrap up one year and get started on the next, so here's the games I really got into over the past year, some of which came out in 2016, and some of which did not. Please enjoy!

Pokémon Picross

Okay, gotta get this one out of the way first. By my estimates (supported by the records on my 3DS play log), I spent more time playing Pokémon Picross this year than any other game. This still kinda mystifies me. I'm not sure why I like Picross so much. I'm generally not that interested in stuff like sudoku or crossword puzzles. But I downloaded Pokémon Picross for fun before spring break, hearing that it was a free download, and somehow spent more time over the break playing it than anything else, a pattern that continued through the whole year.

I guess part of this has to do with the way I'm playing it. Being a free-to-play, the game has a once-daily challenge to earn the in-game currency that you would usually spend real money on. This "daily training" is actually my favorite part of the game. It challenges you to complete bite-sized Picross puzzles faster and faster, and each challenge is about 5 minutes or less. Since I haven't yet paid for the game, I need to grind for a while to earn enough money to progress; and since I don't have a ton of time to play games these days, playing 5 minutes of Picross is a quick way to get a quick video game session in. This slow, daily play means that I've been engaged for a lot longer than I would have been otherwise.

And generally, I guess it's a relaxing, mentally stimulating activity that scratches an itch that sudoku and other brainteasers haven't been able to. It helps that the game has a fun Pokémon theme, and that the special Pokémon abilities allow me to get some help on the larger puzzles that I don't enjoy as much. Right now, I'm on Area 24 of 30, but I haven't yet paid to unlock Mega Evolution puzzles or a "dark world" feature that was teased early on in the game. So it's likely that I'll continue enjoying Pokémon Picross well into 2017.

Rez Infinite/Rez HD

At this year's Fantastic Arcade in Austin, Texas (an excellent and eclectic indie gaming event I hope to attend again), I had the opportunity to try out the new PlayStation VR version of Rez before its wide release. I have to tell you: it felt great. I've tried the latest generation of VR a few times before (the first of which was Playthings: VR Music Vacation, a truly magical experience), but thus far, I don't think any other game I've played has felt as good in VR. The wire-frame, cyberpunky hacker's world of Rez is a perfect fit for virtual reality: it may not be a hyper-realistic simulation of the real world, but it feels like what you might imagine VR to look like if, like me, you grew up watching Tron and playing video games. With the headset filling your field of vision, headphones filling your ears with driving, electronic rhythms, and your controller vibrating, you get more and more immersed in Rez's signature synesthesia.

After my VR demo, I got inspired to finally go back and finish Rez. I got a free download of the earlier Xbox 360 remaster, Rez HD, as a perk for working at Microsoft a few years ago, but never actually finished it. Somehow it never gripped me before; maybe I didn't have the sound up loud enough, or maybe it was that the first level isn't as exciting as some of the later ones. But this time, I saw what all the fuss was about. Even without the VR, Rez really got my pulse pounding between the excellent music (and synchronized sound effects) and the tough gameplay (especially in the later levels). And I was intrigued by the story elements in the last area.

I'm certainly glad I finally got back to Rez this year, and hope I get to play the full VR version someday (and check out the new Area X!)

Nuclear Throne

Nuclear Throne is one of those games that I really sank my teeth into last year, and one that sank its teeth into me in turn. Like Super Crate Box, Spelunky, and FTL, it's one of those games that's good enough and quick enough that I can load up and just play incessantly, almost to the point that I started spending more time on it than I should. To be sure, I'm not part of the camp that thinks "addictive" is a praiseworthy attribute for a game (remember kids, Friends Don't Let Friends Get Addicted to Anything, Let Alone a Game), but I do appreciate how you could beat the whole game in 20-30 minutes - IF you're good enough. Again, it's a game that's easy to fit into my Busy Modern Lifestyle™.

Aside from that, I think what I like about Nuclear Throne is its tension. Even when I have awesome weapons, good mutations, and lots of HP, I never really feel safe. Part of that is the game's difficulty and good old roguelike permadeath, but part of it is the thematic spookiness. Honestly, I have a low tolerance when it comes to horror in games and other media (especially when lots of gore is involved), but I'm still kind of curious about it. (I'm the kind of guy who wants to watch X-Files but is a little scared of the monster episodes, and who watched and enjoyed Stranger Things but had his hands over his eyes for a non-trivial portion of the viewing time.) Nuclear Throne's spookiness and violence are just at the edge of my tolerance, and it packs a lot of secrets and lore that I'm intrigued by. Oh, and I'm all about that screenshake.

Pokémon X/Pokémon Moon

Until just recently, I hadn't been able to get into the Pokémon main series games since Generation 1 or 2. I love Pokémon as a concept, but I get turned off sometimes by all the knowledge and time commitment involved to really understand it, and I worry that not grinding for the right nature or forgetting the wrong move or something will hurt me later in the game. So even when I was given a free copy of Pokémon X a couple years ago (received through an awesome Club Nintendo promo, rest in peace), my excitement to try a new Pokémon only got past the first gym. But my friends (and the whole gaming world) seemed so excited about Sun and Moon, and the trailers were looking great to me too.

So, in preparation for Sun/Moon, I decided to pick up my old game of X and see how I felt about it. As motivation to keep on going, I decided to write a log of my adventure, written in game continuity, that I could share regularly with friends to show them what I was up to, hopefully gather excitement from them, and channel that back into my gameplay. To my surprise, this plan went even better than I expected, and I really got invested in my invented story and the personalities of my X-Mons.

Then release day hit, I grabbed Pokémon Moon so I could play with my friends… and watched them quickly outstrip me in the story since I didn't have much time to play. (Don't worry, I'm not bitter ;) ) After the semester ended, I've really been getting into the new game. The new region is colorful and fun, the story is different and interesting, and I like the characters and the new Pokémon. It's quite a bit tougher than X/Y thus far (at least for me), and that's motivated me to get into the game more and try to learn about stats and other nuances from my friends. To my surprise, learning about these details is actually increasing my enjoyment of the game, rather than the other way around.

Strangely though, I just don't feel the same motivation to work on logs of Pokémon Moon the same way I was doing for Pokémon X. (Sorry to break it to you, dedicated readers: the Pokémon Moon logs will mostly likely remain dormant. There's a chance that the X logs might make their way out though…) Maybe it's the fact that the Pokémon X story leaves more room for embellishment, or maybe it's that my X logs were uncomplete when I moved to Moon. The big question for early 2017 is: do I continue Moon, pick X back up, or switch between both?

The Senpai

Question 1: Do you like Seinfeld? (If yes, proceed to question 2.)

Question 2: Do you like anime? If not, do you at least have a passing familiarity with anime?

If you answered yes to both questions above, you should play The Senpai, a web-based visual novel that plays like an episode of Seinfeld ported to a CD-ROM adventure game. I don't want to spoil you on any details, since I went into the game pretty clueless, but I thought it was pretty hilarious. Check it out: it only takes about as long as an episode of Seinfeld to play.

Pokken Tournament

As I mentioned above, I sometimes struggle with mainline Pokémon games, but love the idea of Pokémon itself. Since I really dig fighting games, I was excited for Pokken as a Pokémon game with gameplay I was more interested in. The good news is that I ended up liking Pokken quite a bit. The gameplay is kinda unique as compared to other fighters, with an unusual sidescrolling/3D plane-switching mechanic, but it feels good once you get into it. My Famigo/bro Oli and I got super hype about Pokken finals at EVO 2016 (Go Braixen Boys!). And the supporting elements are good too: it's awesome to see Pokémon in HD, the music is pretty good, and the avatar customization is kinda hilarious. The bad news is that I just didn't end up playing it that much. Like I said before, time was short for me last year, and for whatever reason it didn't hold my interest as much as other things. But I'd certainly recommend it for someone who has a Wii U and likes Pokémon, Tekken, and/or Street Fighter (or even someone who's curious about those games).

Affordable Space Adventures

I was quite happy to pick this up in the latest Humble Indie Bundle for Nintendo platforms, since I'd been eyeing it for quite a while. It's kind of a smaller indie game exclusive to Wii U, so I'm not sure how much exposure it really got. It's definitely worth checking out though, since it's a great local multiplayer experience, and one of the best uses of the second-screen Wii U GamePad that I've seen outside of Nintendo first-party games. Affordable Space Adventures tasks you with piloting a small tourist spaceship with your friends (or alone, but that's not as fun). One player pilots the ship, one player aims the lights and other tools, and one player, as the engineer, controls various functions of the spacecraft from an instrument panel on the GamePad. Later levels require some pretty quite a bit of finesse from the engineer, meaning that a lot of teamwork and communication is needed so that each officer can focus on their particular job (and screen). The default narrative in the games media is that no one ever really took advantage of the Wii U GamePad; prove 'em wrong and check out this great indie effort. Here's hoping other developers can find a way to create cool asymmetrical experiences on other platforms once we move on from the Wii U.

Overcooked

To be honest, I only played this one time for about half an hour at a friend's house shortly before the end of the year. But I left that play session wondering how I'd never heard of Overcooked, and how I could play it again soon. Overcooked feels sort of like a minigame from Mario Party or Pokémon Stadium, and I mean that in the best way possible. Maneuvering around the kitchen trying to jump between tasks is frenetic but fun. I'm hoping that this gets a Mac release, or at least that my less beefy Windows alt-machine can run it okay.

Hyper Light Drifter

Hyper Light Drifter is one of the few games on this list that I actually completed. I backed this game on Kickstarter and I'm very pleased at how it turned out. The graphical style is gorgeous (honestly, that sold me on the Kickstarter more than anything), the music is brooding and beautiful, the gameplay is tight and satisfying, and the story is compelling. More so than most action games I've played, Hyper Light Drifter has real emotion to it: loneliness, beauty, pain, awe, empathy. I'd like to talk about this game more on the site, so I'll just say I really liked this one.

VIDEOBALL

Man, I dig VIDEOBALL, and I wish it had reached more of an audience. I got super hyped about VIDEOBALL after happening upon a few of Tim Rogers' trailers shortly before release. His humor is exactly my jam, and I was immediately entranced by the smooth, silky, colorful graphics. I could tell even in the trailer that a ton of polish and care had gone into the look of the game. I bought the game on release day, had a bunch of fun playing it with friends… and quickly realized that the game wasn't taking off like Rocket League did. The Mac/Linux port never happened, which meant that I wasn't able to play it on my primary machine. I still love to talk it up and play locally with friends when I can, but I didn't really get into online play. But all that business talk aside: VIDEOBALL has excellent music, beautiful graphics, and deep gameplay, and it's worth your time and money to pick it up and bring it to a party (or two (or more)).

#2016 top ten #pokemon picross #rez infinite #rez hd #nuclear throne #pokemon xy #pokemon sun and moon #the senpai #seinfeld #pokken tournament #affordable space adventures #overcooked #hyper light drifter #videoball #top ten games of 2016

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unnursvanablog · 4 years

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The books I read in the first half of the year.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky – Mackenzi Lee: ☆☆☆☆ Short, funny, and sweet is the best way to describe this novella. Just some good times with some characters you like and their awkward romance adventure. Really enjoyable read.

Pendragon – James Wilde: ☆☆☆ I liked the Arthurian legend bits; I just wish it had not been as vague or so few and far between. I understand why the author decided to not go full force on the Arthurian legends, but I just didn’t find the plot gripping enough on its own. Everything else was just sort of okay-ish to me. I did feel a bit like the guy was trying to make this Game of Thrones-esque to me without much of the depth of Martins writing, none of the characters really stood out to me and the plot became really repetitive after a while and I really had to push through to finish it in the end. Chasing Merlin – Sarah White: ☆☆ This was not the story I was expecting out of this book for some reason. I thought I was going to get some cool, modern retelling of Merlin, but instead I just got some romance book where most of the characters were just annoying (including Merlin, how dare you!) and the romance just wasn’t doing it for me. I liked some of the references to the myth, but I was not super into the execution of it. The main character was just so dense, even if she LOVED the myth.

The Witcher 2 & 3 – Andrzej Sapkowski: ☆☆☆, ☆☆☆ I am not as into this book series as I thought I would be, or I hoped I would be. I like the dark fairytale elements; I like some of the characters even if I do not find them as deep or far from fantasy-clichés as I had been told a lot of them were. But I just have not been super into where the plot is going for the most part.

The Poppy War 1 & 2 – R.F. Kuang: ☆☆☆☆, ☆☆☆ Fantasy like I have never read it before! Really interesting mix of historical and fantasy and the worldbuilding is neat. I find each character interesting in their own way and I like how I never truly know where they will take me or what they will do. I sometimes find it a bit too gritty and violent, but I can understand why the author chose to write it like that as we explore the devastation of war. I completely fell for the first book, while the second one had a bit of of a second-book syndrome for me as it was trying to bridge the gap between the first and the third one, while also trying to tell it’s own story. But quite a fascinating read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the third one!

The Starless Sea – Erin Morgenstern: ☆☆ Absolutely NOTHING happened in this book. At first, I was quite enjoying myself and the beautiful writing and the slow pacing. I had read the Night Circus; I thought the plot would just slowly reveal itself. But there was barely a plot to be found there. Just the character aimlessly wondering around some rooms, talking about keys and books, and saying some pretty quotes. So little happened and I got so frustrated by it towards the end. I would have traded at least a half of those beautifully written sentences for some actually plot that hooks you in and takes you on a journey, because this was a beautiful bore. And the characters were not even that well fleshed out. Emma – Jane Austen: ☆☆☆ I like the stories Jane Austen writes, but I am not that into reading them. Her style just kinda doesn’t hook me in, so I don’t often pick up her books. The Witches of New York – Ami McKay:☆☆☆☆ I loved the atmosphere, the ambiance, and the aesthetic that this book had and how everything was painted by the author of these witches in New York who operate a tea shop. I mean… I am just a simple girl who lies tea and witches. That and the characters hook me more than the story itself, which was rather slow. The actually story on the back of the book took over 200 pages to arrive and was resolved quite quickly, but I didn’t find myself too bothered by that because I enjoyed the atmosphere, the buildup to those events and the character quite a bit.

Villueyjar – Ragnhildur Hólmgeirsdóttir: ☆☆☆ I liked this more than Koparborgin by the same author. The characters, the world and the story hook me more from the beginning. But it’s the ending that just sort of misses the mark for me, just like her other book. This one just felt too abrupt after all that buildup.

Daisy Jones & The Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid: ☆☆ I hated pretty much every character in this story. A lot of them may have suppose to be unlikable but still fascinating, but I just found myself annoyed by most of the things they were talking about. I just kind of did not really care. It only gets two stars because the very last part of the story made me cry. When everyone was just talking about their lives after the band ended and got all sentimental. That somehow got to me. The rest I hated. The Voyage of the Basilisk – Marie Brennan: ☆☆☆ An incredibly good blend of fantasy and the historical, even if it’s not really historical at all. But you can sense the work and the thought that went into this world, so it feels like I am reading a historical fiction. I feel like I am in a very well-crafted historical drama while reading it. I love the adventure side of this story and the characters. When the story goes to deep into the anatomy of dragons and the naturalist aspect of the journey it does loose me a bit for some reason. And I tend to like the beginning of these books more than the end for some reason. But it’s a fun adventure.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing – Hank Green: ☆☆ Sci-fi such as this one is supposed to suspend your disbelief as you read about all these impossible events. And I had no trouble with the sci-fi elements in that regard, but I did however find the more humane aspect of the story quite unbelievable; like how all of these characters acted and the social media and internet fame aspect. It just all felt bit too unrealistic at times, or even just pretentious. And I hated how we are left with a cliff-hanger, just like the had decided to just cut the story in two for the sake of it (or more money). Seven Surrenders – Ada Palmer: ☆☆☆☆ I had a much easier time with this one than the first one. I understood the world and the characters a lot better, I had an easier time getting settled into the story and understand what was going on, which character was which and so on. So, it was just a much more enjoyable time and I really enjoyed the story and all its twists and turns that it threw at me.

The Priory of the Orange Tree – Samantha Shannon: ☆☆☆ Well-crafted and written female-centric fantasy story, but I sometimes felt like the over descriptive nature of the story pulled me out of the story a bit. It took me some time to get used to it. The story does drag a bit towards the middle and I had expected a bit of a stronger ending after all of this set-up and world-building. But I liked the world and the characters and all of that. I was expecting it to wow me, which it did not, but I enjoyed myself for the most part reading it. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 – Cho Nam Joo: ☆☆☆☆ This story did all it set out to do and it did it in a very short amount of time. The text does feel very dry to read and it maybe it does a bit too much of tell but now show. But I found myself really hooked and interested in what it had to say, and it did that beautifully and in a impactful way. It really touches you, and it made me cry at least and get teary-eyed a few times, as we explore everyday sexism in Korea (but you can also see glimpses of it in your society) and how it’s just seeps in and out of everything. The Library Book - Susan Orlean: ☆☆☆ There were some interesting, moving parts within this book. I love this ode to libraries, but it certainly did not need to tell me that libraries are essential to the society and our culture, because I already knew that. The book is a fun read, but sometimes it does meander a bit and goes on side-quest almost that have nothing to do with the fire that burned down the library or anything, which I wasn’t always as invested in.

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock – Imogen Hermes Gowar: ☆☆ It felt pretty to read. The writing was pretty, but I did have some trouble connecting to it and the character in it as they didn’t seem to matter all that much to the main story, and for a while the story isn’t really about anything as the plot had very little focus, and I had some trouble remembering who was who for a while. I felt like the romance of Mrs. Hancock sort of came out of nowhere and I did not feel much chemistry between them. I was also just really disappointed by the lack of actual mermaid within the story. I wanted more of that. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Suzanne Collins: ☆☆☆ I personally wanted to see more how power and ambition made Snow as the character we know from the original trilogy, and I understand why some people find the ending a bit abrupt as they wanted more from that aspect of the story. But I also understand why Collins did what she did with this this one and why Snows ambitious clime from the poor situation of the Snow family to where is ended up a bit more quieter than I thought it would be. He is just so complicit in this all. He understands the system, he even criticizes it, but he does not do much do put an end to it since he knows what he can gain from it and after all that is what trumps everything. I found that to be really well done and it made Snow a really interesting, yet unlikeable character. And feel a bit more realistic.

There is a bit of a pacing problem at times, and I did feel like we could have gotten more out of those last few chapters than we did and I don’t think it capture the highest highs of the Hunger Games trilogy. But overall, I quite enjoyed this.

The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams: ☆☆☆ I have not read a lot of books like this one. It truly feels one of a kind. It’s a really fun and easy read, but after a while it does feel quite repetitive, both the humor and the plot - and I truly expected it to be funnier from all the talk I had heard about this book for years and years. I found it sometimes go a bit too slow, sometimes a bit too fast and yeah, just a bit too repetitive. I got a bit bored of it after a while and switched to audiobook to try to get through it a bit faster.

Washington Black – Esi Edugyan: ☆☆☆☆ This was such an interesting story, quite easy to read and fast-paced at the beginning which really hooks you in. I did sometimes feel like how it was written (or maybe how it was translated) take me out of the story or the style not always meshing with me and it did have some pacing problems towards the end or certain parts of the story didn’t capture my attention quite as much. But the characters were really interesting and deep.

#book review

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smol-pilots · 7 years

Text

code: calico

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You: role play fuck my brains out bc i just virtually sucked someone's cock and got nothing in return

Stranger: why did you do that?

You: that's not a bad question

You: idk i thought i'd get something in return

Stranger: i guess so. some reward :D

You: yeah exactly

Stranger: it's like in movies, why girls are sluty

Stranger: they want something in return

You: hah i mean it's only fair isn't it?

Stranger: i think its kind of self deception

You: that's also not a bad remark

You: i always blindly believe men

You: i mean not blindly but

Stranger: we believe what we want to believe.

Stranger: so the important thing is what we want

Stranger: i mean, people want to "live happily ever after"

You: tru

Stranger: they imagine family, love and so on

You: but what do i want

You: i don't really fit into that tbh

Stranger: o.k., so what do you want

You: i mean i don't want family

You: i guess i wouldn't mind love but i don't expect it

Stranger: o.k., maybe you want relationship?

You: i don't even know what it feels so

You: i can't really feel any romantic feelings towards people?

You: it's kind of

You: sad actually

Stranger: do you feel like life is meaningless?

You: yeah

Stranger: maybe out of boredom you just try to have some "fun"

You: i mean exactly

You: i don't expect anyone to love me because i know i probably won't love anyone so

Stranger: oh

Stranger: by the way

You: yes?

Stranger: one good song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voi-aQlvP68 heard it yesterday in a movie

Stranger: stange movie, "Calico Skies"

Stranger: strange

You: i'm listening to the song and i really like it, thank you!

You: noted, i'll put it on my to-watch list :)

Stranger: what you said reminded my of the lyrics of this song

Stranger: she's kind of sad because she knows a man will love her, be she will not so much

You: okay i really like the song??? the voice is so nice also i rly like this type of music

Stranger: do you watch Game of Thrones?

You: i watched like 2 season but then i stopped hhh you?

Stranger: i watch it. yeah, 2 season was impressive. the red wedding, isn't it?

You: yup

You: i see there's so much drama now hahah

Stranger: :) yeah, they lost it, i guess

Stranger: the beggining was building impressive,

Stranger: anyway

Stranger: you are f or m?

You: f

You: you?

Stranger: m

Stranger: so why girls suck cocks, it quite nonsensical

Stranger: gross acitivyt

You: i mean tru but i guess it's for the dude's pleasure? also it's kinda fun to have so much power over someone

Stranger: yeah, but this is zero sum game - pleasure for the dude, but for the sucker what?

Stranger: nah, it never appealed to me

You: it's a lot of work actually but i guess all of this is just giving and receiving

Stranger: i think physically it's quite troublesome

Stranger: for a woman

You: i mean it usually takes time??

You: and then everything just starts to hurt bc the dude can't come that fast and it's just

You: uh

Stranger: yeah. crazy stuff

Stranger: but people do many crazy things :)

You: hah that's true

Stranger: what's your country?

You: uk

Stranger: old good uk :)

You: hahahahh

You: you?

Stranger: russia

You: oh nice!

You: ive never been there but i rly want to go to moscow

Stranger: come sometimes, we'll drink a lot of vodka together

You: oh my god no vodka always kills me

Stranger: :D

Stranger: it kills everyone

You: that's like my top three worst drunk moments all involved vodka it's the devil

Stranger: ha ha ha

Stranger: wine is also tricky, it is very intoxicating

Stranger: try a lot of red wine

Stranger: you'll see :D

You: i love wine tho

You: but yeah it also hits pretty hard hahahah

You: how old are u tho?

Stranger: 28

You: ah i'm 24

Stranger: vow vow, we would make a perfect pair :D

You: hahahh we really would :)

Stranger: anyway, why people always try to pair at all?

Stranger: natures call?

You: i have no idea

You: i mean is it really tho

You: i don't think it's nature, it's the culture

You: the society

You: everyone is always shocked when i tell them that i'm single and i don't want kids because they're like??? but how??

You: everyone expects things according to the society they live in and it's kinda annoying sometimes

Stranger: yeah, it's quite strange. everyone want to live by that stream: family, kids, happy life. no alternatives

You: exactly

You: it's like i'm obliged to live my life by this rule

You: and i'm weird if i don't follow

Stranger: but even if people remain single, they want to get romantically involved

Stranger: that is also strange

Stranger: it's like some software inside of us,

You: tru. i sometimes catch myself wishing i'd have a boyfriend and a house and two kids and a dog bc i remember i wished for all that when i was a child. and then once again i see that my parents told me that this is how it is? you get older, you get married, have kids, a house, a job and that's what i also wished for when i was younger

You: i was raised by these values

You: and now that i'm older and i don't want that anymore but i feel like at the same time a part of me maybe still hopes that one day everything would just go the way a young me dreamed it to be

Stranger: when i was younger, i also had dreams about family. and all people about 20 yo i know have the same. almost all.

You: really?

You: what do you want?

Stranger: with time i have seen that this is very big struggle, family, kids, relationship, and "you do not get what you imagine". so i drop those young dreams. they were not realistic. it was illusions of young person. i did not know life and did not know the world.

Stranger: i want to rise above the problems of this life. to get free.

Stranger: not to get entangled more and more

You: the first part!!

You: i really believe that this is what contributed to the majority of crap i had to go through as a teenager and up to this day

You: u see but how does one get free

You: i feel like time to actually! enjoy this life is running out and at the same time i feel there's just sooo much left of it and i'm just passing by, doing things that don't make me happy

You: (bc i don't really know what makes me happy)

You: (imma go brush my teeth and shit i might be gone for about ten minutes okay?)

You: (and shit does not mean take an actual shit i just meant it as "and other stuff")

Stranger: o.k., yes, please do the needful. i'll have some time to reflect. :)

Stranger: i see it like this: I want to be happy just by existing. To rise above my own mental structures, that don't let me feel happy, don't let me feel light and content. I think, if one in his soul "takes everything very easy", not burdening himself with so many false ideas about why he is this or that, and just tries to be, to exist authentically, as a being that is free, then it is good state of consciousness.

Stranger: just to feel that lightness.

Stranger: do i need to do something for that, some big projects of life? I dont think so. Just need to give up some mental stuff. It's all in the mind.

Stranger: if man will simply change his mind, he can be happy. And so many jobs, responsibilies and relationships will not make him happy. It will be just a lot of troubles.

Stranger: anyway, we are all after happiness. the only question is, where is that real happiness

You: that's actually a very interesting perspective that i do find myself agreeing to but at the same time i feel like in theory it sounds ideal and simple but it's really hard to just let go of what's in your mind

Stranger: you are right :) it not easy

You: i was very hung up on the happiness thing as i felt unhappy all the time. and i wondered whether or not you're ever really happy in life. and i asked my mother (u know the older the wiser or smth) and she said that happiness isn't really a long period of time but rather a moment here and there that makes you happy to be alive

You: and that thought made me really sad at the time because i always felt like happiness is something that comes in time - when you get older, wiser, more experienced etc but now i'm discovering my mother wasn't really wrong?

You: at least that's how i experience life

You: my colleague tho, she lovES life. literally loves it. the most positive bright cheerful happy person i have ever seen w my two eyes. and it's just weird bc what did she do how did she achieve this bliss how can she see this life so full of good things

You: it's just

You: so weird

Stranger: it depends on what we do. I think, it's real assessment of ordinary life - happiness are just rear and fleeting moments. but i my life there were some periods where i felt very happy for considerable periods of time. no i do not feel so happy. and with age, happiness diminishes, i think, because the body begins to make a lot of problems. then one is not as energetic as before. and you have to work and survive with less and less energy to accomplish that.

Stranger: i thing technologies, computers, internet steal a lot of happiness

Stranger: i went to asia for some time, and after few months i revived the joy of life

You: that's true but it's also what made it really tough to keep living - that it won't get better in time. i was really sad and depressed for the majority of my teenage years so being alive while people kept telling me it's only gonna get harder wasn't really a good thing for me i guess. but at least my expectations weren't that high hahah

You: that's true but at the same time i depend on them to distract me from life so it's really in contradiction

Stranger: it can get better

You: ohh where did u go

Stranger: it must

You: i mean that's what i want to believe but like someone give me idk an age at which it gets better hh

Stranger: with good strategy, there is way. i think so. because I experienced it for a while. I does not depend on the age

Stranger: i may be unhappy for the rest of my life, if i do not try, and stay as i am

Stranger: but if i will apply whatever i learned about happiness, i may achieve something, as i had before.

You: that's a really nice and positive thought

You: i'll keep it in mind

Stranger: if there is hunger, there must be food. so if we are hungry for happiness, it must be out there. or inside of us.

Stranger: oh my god, it's 1 am here

Stranger: forgot myself while talking this stuff :)

You: but it's just so annoying my time is ticking?

You: hahahah

You: i really enjoyed it tho

You: it's rare to find someone to have this kind of conversation with

Stranger: o.k., lets think of a keyword by which we can find each other on omegle again.

Stranger: :)

You: okay

You: :)

Stranger: i know. "Calico". you'll find me by this.

You: good one. i'm going to write it down so i don't forget :)

You: also so i don't forget to download the songs

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