#same thing goes to performance or installation art i feel like

[beeben]

If some of yall actually took like 30 seconds to look at how someone who makes ai art and the process behind it you'd stop being like "oh its lazy"

[yingdu-lover]

Right now, I can't cite those sources, I'll paste the link when I find them.

Rambling time!

Omg, I have always thought about this! Cheng Xiaoshi is

1. Tall, tanned and handsome (fork in the kitchen, surprise!)

2. Talented singer, so much so that Lu Guang closes his eyes and then sincerely compliments with a solemn expression. (ref - ep 8, season 1)

3. Skilled basketball player, athelete

4. Also skilled in martial arts

and something, SOMETHING even I misinterpreted very much, and this is coming from Li Haoling himself,

5. Cheng Xiaoshi is also academically gifted. Lu Guang and his first meeting was in high school and after qualifying university entrance examination, they got into the same tier university. Haoling describes Cheng Xiaoshi as someone who will perform badly in class, getting 60 or something in class tests and will pull an all nighter before exams and score 90 or above.

So the kind of 'good for nothing' image of Cheng Xiaoshi (ik not all but there are people) is not true. He is truly a multi-talented guy with a charming and cheerful personality (I mean come on his mbti is ESFP).

About his popularity and having friends...

I have always headcanoned that Cheng Xiaoshi chose Lu Guang one day and just never let him go. His choice to spend time with Lu Guang is an active choice and not out of his status of being 'friendless'. I have no one so I'll hang out with lu guang because he only tolerates me/gives me 'patta'. Nope.

The host asks Haoling why Qiao Ling said that before Lu Guang, Cheng Xiaoshi didn't have any friends...and Haoling replies with,

"There is a difference between ordinary friends and true friends, Qiao Ling is referring to the latter. The kind of friend you would open your heart to, embrace with your body and heart, show your most vulnerable core..."

So Lu Guang is that to Cheng Xiaoshi.

I mean, yes, people have different interpretations but I have always been very uncomfortable with that discourse which undermines the intimate bond Shiguang share, it's very underwhelming.

It's both psychological and physical. Season 1 is full of these moments. For Lu Guang, I can say he is the kind of person who just doesn't care about people (I think people might misinterpret it. let me explain. I am not implying he is a sociopath, he is responsible, he manages a lot of things and he considers a given situation with due seriousness BUT he is never actively trying to discuss his extremely personal judgement with anyone EXCEPT your name is Cheng Xiaoshi. He is rational, aloof, respectful towards others as it is a general decorum he follows; all of these have an avalanche breakdown while interacting with Cheng Xiaoshi. I can tell you ( as a fellow introvert scorpio who almost shares his mbti, he judges, I prospect) Lu Guang will probably never curse anyone who is not Cheng Xiaoshi. Decorum and etiquette gives away when he is with him. He does not care about what kind of impression others get of him, but his otherwise solemn demeanour just deliciously fails- he gets angry, frustrated, extremely angry, he (sharply) mocks, he calls him names because he can. Cheng Xiaoshi can install all those feelings in him which he never really publicly displays. Throughout season 1, we often forget that we witness extremely intimate and private Shiguang moments. The stories of the clients progress as it leaves room for Shiguang to interact. The way Lu Guang straight up yells at Cheng Xiaoshi sometimes when he doesn't seem to understand something is so relatable lol. There are fools who allude to that chibi episode where Cheng Xiaoshi asks Lu Guang with hopeful™ eyes " do you think I am handsome?" and Lu Guang goes like "😨🤢🤮" and try to argue that Lu Guang is het 😭 man. Get some IQ. Lmao, Shiguang bicker like an old married couple, and tbh I would react similarly if I had a partner like that.), he cares about Cheng Xiaoshi's morals and perceptions. He seems to be very possessive of Cheng Xiaoshi but Cheng Xiaoshi being Lu Guang's Cheng Xiaoshi does not mind it.

I can't fucking forget that scene when inspector Xiao Li approached Cheng Xiaoshi for Emma's case and Lu Guang just grabbed his wrist and straight up said to the police inspector with all seriousness,

"Before talking to him, you have to talk to me."

I mean- bro-

Cheng Xiaoshi is an adult goddamnit. Lu Guang has no interest in negotiating or discussing the case, and no that is NOT the behaviour of a business partner/manager.

Yingdu episode 1 : Normal friends do not move into your house as an act of apologising. Lu Guang went - I was the reason you were injured, I apologise, I will stay with you (as compensation?). And the conversation escalated to the point where he said "I'll never leave."

heh?

And in ep 8, season 1, he is telling Cheng Xiaoshi to sleep on the couch 😭 bitch it is his house.

(ok, while writing I just suddenly teared up thinking that Lu Guang's Cheng Xiaoshi died. We will never see their original interaction, the Cheng Xiaoshi Lu Guang probably imagined his future with...there was a violent separation and everything stopped altogether. This Cheng Xiaoshi-ok ok it's too painful to think rn I can't )

um, I might have had a shiguang meltdown and I can't continue this rn. will edit later

hi, I came back

so,

about lu guang, we get to see 50 shades of lu guang only because cheng xiaoshi is there.

on the other hand, cheng xiaoshi...

I can't stop thinking about the earthquake episode. Cheng Xiaoshi slapped lu guang. Then hugged him while crying. Then lu guang calls him 'silly melon'. Can you fathom this level of emotional intimacy with someone? what level of intimacy would you need to achieve to let the very person hold you gently and intimately and call you by sweet nicknames who offended you in the first place? it's huge. Cheng Xiaoshi's trust in lu guang is beyond comprehension and no it's not just portrayed in life and death situations, rather shown in vignettes of everyday suffering.

[hypervoxel]

PLEASE share some VoxVel headcanons

YES I LOVE THEM okay so

I love them so much that my mind goes blank and I forget whatever coherent thoughts I had about them were. I just 🥰💖🥰💖💖💖💖🥰🥰💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖🥰💖💖💖💖💖🥰🥰💖💖💖💖

Okay, I can't decide between Velvette being the CTO of VoxTek (explaining why she's the backbone of The Vees) and her being like the head of costume design for all of their films as well as having her own fashion lines. She could be both! She has the talent ⚡

In any case, Velvette is good with tech, rivaling Vox himself. If she had wanted to, she could have been a major competitor to VoxTek, bringing Hell to the 21st century the same way Vox in the past brought Hell to bright and technicolor modernity, installing electricity and a TV with a 24 hour news cycle in every home. But starting from scratch is hard, and Vox offers good deals if you have enough power to negotiate with him and manage to keep your soul.

Velvette is, to Vox, a newer version of Alastor. Not that he'd ever admit it (and if he ever accidentally called her "Al" no he didn't, he said "Val", and it was just an accident anyway!) Velvette controls airwaves the same way, but she's limited to new and modern forms, mostly in the range of Bluetooth. The way that her phone call went directly to his head? I headcanon that's not how Vox works usually, but she can connect directly to him. Almost a psychic link, radio frequencies intertwining.

Vox and Velvette both love musicals. The Vee's entertainment district gets a ton of performing arts funding, even for little community theaters. It's not a strange sight to see them on dates at local theaters, when Vox feels well enough to leave V Tower.

Velvette is spoiled. Vox doesn't need to buy her things or send her money as a gift: to be clear, she makes more than enough money on her own. But she's spoiled. Vox will get her anything he thinks she wants.

Velvette is selectively mute, but she and Vox can understand each other without words. Mostly, though, they send wordless meme images to each other when the other is having a bad day... She also will absolutely prank him by air dropping memes onto his face when he's in the middle of a board meeting.

How not safe for Tumblr do you want my headcanons to be? They make horrible fucked up dubcon sex seem so Soft and sweet. Vox drinks Love Potion and gets pegged by Velvette. There's absolutely a degree of force femme going on with my "Velvette calls Vox her girlfriend" headcanon but also Vox is agender, no kink needed for him to be butch.

[tomatomarrow]

Thoughts on Diamana Galás's 1986 album Saint of the Pit

I first heard Galás's work in a museum (a video installation of Plague Mass); I was very young and barely beginning to discover myself, but even then, I felt the tantalizing pull of things that terrified and revolted me, could tell that those things were calling for me the way a mother calls a wayward child home. Only much later would I understand that Galás's art on the subject of the AIDS crisis was part of my cultural history, a time that I existed in the wake of and was indelibly shaped by, a connection that was absent in the straight people I knew. The fear Galás's work engendered in me as a whelp forestalled my curiosity for a long time, but as I navigated those feelings of being beckoned and found pathways towards that call, I returned to her work, now better equipped to understand it intellectually and to embody terror and revulsion as power sources. Like the plague, they are what I come from; they are how the hegemony sees me, and to accept them is to accept myself. There is the fear of the known, which is the fear of subjugation, and there is the fear of the unknown, which is endless potential—to be changed, broken, transfigured, scraped raw, annihilated, reborn. Saint of the Pit, to me, is a gateway into that latter fear, that vital, vitriolic XIII Death drive.

I keep running into Antonin Artaud’s legacy lately (been listening to a podcast about 70's occult gay porn and thinking about the new French extremity), and I’m long overdue for a reread of The Theatre and Its Double. In a popular and political culture that begs us to reduce ourselves to a bundle of cravings to be convenienced, and demands that we expend as much of our attention as diffusely as possible, the notion of art that shocks me into a state of intense embodiment, a visceral reaction, feels very appealing, feels like an apparatus useful to the development of counterculture and deeper engagement with my surroundings. All of us are born into and ensnared by a culture built by hegemony, and our particular hegemony has very specific standards for what “good art” is and how it’s made. Like Hayter after her (and I can’t overstate how impactful Lingua Ignota has been to me; I saw her live in New York in one of that project’s last performances and it moved me so deeply), Galás is a master of her instrument, has honed the technique of this so-called “good art,” and uses it to create something monstrous, something keening and abrasive and palpable that grabs your attention by the throat and squeezes. Saint of the Pit is affirming of life in the way that a threat display is affirming of life. See how sharp these claws and teeth are! Fuck around and find out!

The way this album is mixed, the way her voice encompasses the universe and spits directly into your face at the same time, goes beyond “captivating” and becomes “totalizing” in a way that holds a shattered mirror up to power. The initial aim of the project of unlearning bigotry is an opening of one’s eyes to what is right in front of us but has gone unnoticed. It is realizing that our culture is built on a foundation of willful disregard for life, that though it may be all we have context for, the society we live in is a gibbet, a cage built to contain until death. Art that immerses me the way Saint of the Pit does feels like a powerful tool for that work: in its scope and its inexorability, the way it pins you in place and overwhelms you, it pries your eyes open or makes new ones. It sensitizes you to the notion that another world is possible, a world where a drive towards something generative and patient can inform everything, can encompass everything. From that notion, I derive the will to keep going, to spurn compromise, to carve out, by any means necessary, a life for myself and my beloved freaks and rejects and visionaries.

Saint of the Pit (2024 Remaster) by Diamanda Galás

[defying-sims-4]

Today I booted up Sims 3 for the first time in— *checks notes* 3 years.

I’m not swapping back over or anything. I use Sims 4 for its character creation and architectural capabilities.

But much like a refreshing splash of cold water, the sheer fun of the Sims 3 awakened me. It reminded me why I got into the franchise in the first place.

Sims in the third installment are more alive. Could be my alpha-leaning preferences in play (though I’m not sure you could consider 3’s sims ‘realistic’ in the current year.) I think not. There is something about those blurry low-resolution little humans that makes them feel more alive than the most photorealistic sims from 4.

Subtlety, perhaps. Sims 3 sims do not dramatize their everyday activities to the cartoonish levels of 4. Their natural animations are something that goes unnoticed unless you’re actively comparing, and that is the point. You do not notice the way Sims 3 sims simply sit and eat their food without performance, or the way a Sims 3 child rocks around while sitting on their bed. It’s all in the background of your focus, carefully working behind you to weave that all important veil of immersion.

The Sims franchise and the art of subtlety must have had a messy breakup, because come installment number 4, Sims are all up in your face.

It’s baked into the UI.

In the corner of the screen, your sim’s sculpted visage is peering right into yours at all times, putting you in a front-row audience to their arrangement of painful and overacted expressions.

Sim faces are not new to the UI. Sims 3 had a (notably smaller) depiction of your sims’ face in the UI’s corner. But this image only depicted a small range of expressions depending on your sims’ mood meter, and the expressions ranged from a neutral face of content to a grimace of misery.

Neutrality itself is what builds the nuanced atmosphere of 3. In the Sims 3, the idea that most of the time humans are just fine is upheld. Sims spend their days being okay, and just okay.

While sims 4 does have a state of emotion that is just ‘fine,’ it is rarely present amongst the ocean of moodlets pushing sims towards constant emotional extremes.

With every positive and negative being weighed on the same scale in the Sims 3, everything has a more substantial and appropriate impact according to its context. Even the small things like brushing your sims teeth become important, be because instead of being outnumbered and cast to the side by moodlets of a rivaling emotion, they stack with every other moodlet that makes your sim feel good.

Thank you for reading my personal notes about my gameplay experiences. Feel free to converse with me or eachother down in the comments. I would appreciate a broader look at how both games impact their players.

[scary-movies-on-netflix]

PHANTOM RIDER (2020)

This is a follow up documentary to “Two Face: The Grey” (2020), which was a piece of shit.  I’m not even sure what this installment is about.  We start off broadly recapping the last film, with discussion of the filmmaker’s “source,” one “Skyfall.”  Skyfall knows things about aliens and UFOS and has described the three great mistakes committed by mankind, which are mundane, except for the last one!  The last mistake is that mankind has delved too deep and too greedily, which has somehow destroyed the planet’s weather.  The filmmaker then asks Skyfall for some kind of proof to back up his (her?) assertions.  The filmmaker then lists various “predictions,” which actually seem like forecasts that any politically savvy individual could reasonably make.  Skyfall’s thesis that that global elites are going to orchestra a fake alien invasion, in preparation for the real alien invasion!

Anyway, the documentary then moves on to the two filmmakers, one in the United States and the other in Australia, as they describe how they’ve being followed and harassed by, I presume, the men in black.  USA guy is followed by strange cars, his phone records his conversations, and someone casts video of his own building to his TV.  The Australian dude is confronted by two men, rendering him powerless, and then he goes to bed one night and wakes up outside!  Oh, USA guy is also shot at by a disturbed individual, but he thinks that’s just bad luck.  Go USA!  You might be asking, “Why these two random guys?  Why would a cabal of shadowy figures want to silence them?  Yet fail so miserably at doing so?”  USA guy’s theory is that they’re afraid of his footage of the “Sir Noface” alien (which is obviously fake) and Australian guy’s work about the “only Australian government-sanctioned paranormal investigation.”  USA guy ends up feeling that the work is not worth the hassle, but then Skyfall says that he wants to meet!  USA guy looks soulfully at the camera as if he’s about to make a decision.

This was just as bad as “Two Face: The Grey,” possibly even worse.  The filmmaking is amateurish, with weird cartoony filters applied over news footage and fictionalized video of aliens and spaceships.  Particularly important statements are repeated not once, but three times, as if two repetitions simply weren’t sufficient!  As for the content, it’s ridiculous.  It’s not possible that the filmmaker is serious, that he really does think unknown forces want to shut down his shitty documentary.  I have to assume that this is performance art, and even then it’s bad. It’s just regurgitated tropes, the same thing over and over and over again.  There’s nothing new or interesting here.

[amorephilartist]

A WednesNight Romantic Mystery

What was that?

I am continuing to wonder after a birthday jam night

It all began at a function I was unsure if my energy could even be present at but by the grace of a fellow Aquarian bredren's energetic presence, we appeared.

A scene full of vibrant, colorful, whimsical characters from all walks of artistic careers and social activist movements.

Such a warm eccentric apartment with mood lights, comfy furniture installed art and instruments as decor. This all made sense for the little platform in the kitchen/dining room area of the home. It also made sense for the host seeing as though they're a full time musician and performer.

My friend and I had been there for maybe 30 minutes till I noticed an energy that felt rather familiar slithering around. I initially, shrugged off the fact that I noticed them and just appreciated the site of their beauty for what it was as I continued to fraternize with the other attendees.

Although I felt a tug and pull between staying present with whomever I was speaking to in the very moment along with "sideway distraction" I felt I was doing good at not wandering off to make eye contact with anyone who wasn't before me.

The jam session finally began and we're all singing along. dancing and embracing the stage along with each other like it was a true homemade concert. I felt I was successful at not entertaining any inner thoughts paying what would be too much attention to the slithering energy near me within the party. All was casual UNTIL the moment it was time 'farewell'; I made my rounds to the many connections I made and rekindled until I reached the last point by the door. There goes the slithering energy, rested upon the comfy sofa bed in front of the floor table with the unplugged red keyboard where I happened to autograph just moments before finally approaching YOU.

I was giving a farewell and updated about an upcoming event when I finally asked your name. You told me, to which I replied as I looked in your eyes; "That you are."

This world-stopping pause suddenly came upon you and I, the person you were having a conversation with prior to me skidaddled and there is where IT Began:

You sunk into me - I sunk into you

No words could comprehend what our souls were communitcating to each other

An eye to eye communication so strong of a magnitude

A force to be reckoned with

A thousand of years brewed "Kinnektion" FELT

I FELT YOU

I didn't want to

I tried dodging you the whole party

And I instantly figured why in this very moment

"EYE did not come here for this but I'm INjoying IT at the same time"

Instantly, everyone else in the room disappeared

The world evolved around the depths of our unspoken language shared through pupils

I had to remember it was time to leave - or was it? I wonder now.

I remember how I felt when I finally pulled myself away from you

Like a quick turbulence in my gut

A pulse to my chest

Like that feeling when two magnets are pulled from each other

Like I had just come out of a vortex

Oh how strong of a feeling it was.

I felt I had come up from the depths of your waters once I walked outside and took a super deep breath as if I was breathing regular for the first time.

I drove my friend home lacking presence in our farewell conversation- thinking of you

I laid awake in my bed until I fell asleep- thinking of you

You appeared in my dreams, connecting to things I dream of doing in real life with my art which was interesting cause we interacted the SAME way we did when I finally faced YOU.

I had no choice but to awaken- thinking of you.

In this after moment I am wondering, who are YOU? and who are YOU to ME?

What was it WE were feeling together and separately?

Many things I'm questioning while facing the fact;

Oh how I want to just do whatever I feel to do, whatever I want to do with you while exploring so many curiosities

How you catch me at Hello like Beyonce?....

So much had gotten stirred up that night as if I'd been in a whirl pool.

An interesting experience to set forth another experiment.

-

And this is why I don't look everybody in the eye;

You lock eyes with the right Soul and you might unintentionally Mate.

[rhiannonsage]

PINK

Unfortunately, I only made it to one field trip (due to various reasons) which was our visit to the PINK studio in Stockport. We got a chance to explore a bit of Stockport beforehand and was pleasantly surprised with the cute town (no offence Stockport), Until we met up with the rest of the group at PINK.  

If I’m being honest, when I first saw the building in which PINK was housed, I was quite taken aback, as it wasn’t what I had been expecting. The building looked a bit tired, however when we were taken into Katy’s exhibition space, you could instantly see the hard work that had gone into upgrading the space, undergone mostly by Katy and her partner (lesson learned, the age old ‘don’t judge a book by its cover'!). 

PINK is a curatorial project dedicated to interdisciplinary research, practice, and collaborative change. The organisation is non-profit and dedicated to advancing contemporary art practices. During our tour of the exhibition space and studios, Katy explained how the studios are for rent, at £200 per month, which personally I think is incredibly reasonable, although I don’t know much about the cost of studio spaces. The studios were relatively sizeable and quite private but could also be sociable spaces if needed! 

Renting studios is a new venture for Katy, one she seems very proud of, and she should be! she explained the difficulties in getting yourself out there as a non-profit organisation, and how important networking is when trying to create a name for yourself and your company. She raised a very interesting point about the guilt that people sometimes feel for charging for their time and work. Katy explained how in the early start out of her ventures, she would often undercharge for her work, or find it difficult to find smart ways of making money, this led on to her new addition to her exhibition space, the bar (don’t mind if I do) and how it is a great way of making a little extra money during events, think smarter not harder! Katy emphasised to us to not be afraid of charging people for your efforts, the worst you can be told is no, in which case it isn't worth your time.

 I get the sense that Katy, through experience, has learned to know her worth which will be a factor in her successful growth of PINK. She explained that the contemporary world can be one of low confidence, but also very rewarding if done right.

Katy also touched on the problems that workers in the contemporary art field face when they are not part of a traditional institution, Katy, an many other artists, feel they are looked down upon by the traditional museums and galleries, or not held to the same standard, which I would agree with. Almost like the social classes, there is a separation between the traditional institutions and the contemporary ones, this can have an effect on the self-confidence of contemporary art workers and can often, unfortunately, put people off working in the contemporary world, as most of it is freelance, often there is no stable income, which isn’t for everyone. 

I wanted to use a section of this post to explore some of the exhibitions that PINK have hosted, one of them being Courtship, by Liam Fallon, 2021. This exhibition was a sculptural installation by artist Liam Fallon produced in collaboration with the Pangaea Sculptors’ Centre as part of their Sculptural Production award (2019). This piece focuses on the exploration of queer culture and the way materials contribute to this exploration. In his essay that goes a long with the work, Fallon says that ‘queer culture has appropriated and reinvigorated the unwanted things disposed of by society such as baron lands and unwanted objects and instilled a new sense of life into them’. This piece explores the way in which a utilitarian object can be manipulated into performing an abstract notion, it follows the Greek creation story of Aristophanes. The tale ending with two humans spending the rest of their days trying to locate each other, and this piece represents exactly that, yearning for the other half, the bit that’s missing. 

PINK also conducts interdisciplinary research (as mentioned before) that has led to some interesting outcomes. OUT_PUT is a research project that came about during lockdown, PINK decided they wanted to use this time to create a ‘flexible, discursive space for thinking whilst promoting conversations, cross dialogue and supporting our artists and networks'. institutions like PINK, which are very collaborative and social, had to find new ways to support the fermentation of research and find new ways to produce during such a strange time. This evolved into a project in which they thought critically of the format of listening ‘engaging with the act, space or concept of listening’. PINK invited different creatives to pay attention to the notions of listening by asking questions ‘how do we listen?’, ‘Who do we listen to?’, ‘What do we want to listen to’ etc. Each outcome was entirely different, yet still focused on the possibilities of listening as a curatorial act, gesture, space or encounter. 

My favourite outcome was Sit Spot by Juliet Davis-Dufayard, 2021. Almost like a meditation audio, Juliet invites the listener to sit outside in a green space and take 20 minutes or less, to just breathe and take in the things in the environment around you, listening to the sounds, smelling the smells and overall, practicing mindfulness. It is important to take a moment and switch off from your own thoughts every once in a while, something I found very useful during the pandemic. Dufayard’s practice has performance and liveness at its core and takes many forms, from performed lectures, to sound and video. She believes that ‘the role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible’ (Toni Cade Bambara). 

Overall, I found the visit to PINK very interesting. Katy’s openness and honesty about her work at PINK really helped me to begin to think critically about the art world. I enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t just a tour of the space and that Katy felt she could really let us into her world of what it is like to run PINK. with all the speakers I have mentioned in my earlier posts and including Katy, there seems to be a real sense of (for lack of a gentler term) existential dread that comes with working in the contemporary art world, yet at the core of it all is the want to make the world a better place. Contemporary art tackles issues that historical art can’t, and the contemporary institutions often become ones that fight social causes along with their other works. 

At first, I did wonder ‘why on earth put yourself through so much instability?’ but I now realise it takes a certain type of person to work in the contemporary art world. It takes dedication, passion, and an overwhelming urge to help and inspire others, there really is no other field quite like it!

[cheukszewing]

34 updates

Learn to regulate my emotions. Hey, I succeeded, I no longer react that much. The fact that talking with my seniors help a lot. The story between Jhave and Sophie, I admired them. I spent their 30s reacting to each other. I called it a fixing period. Anything you did wrong in your 20s, you tried to get back to the right path. In our 20s, we often scared of making the wrong decisions, in our 30s, we can reflect the patterns and trauma we had. We are less tolerant to others and we keep each other accountable. I am lucky I found a space that can contain and accept me. I made some right and wrong decisions. Luckily turn out not bad because I had been always choosing what I like. I am glad art keep me sane, even I did not make any great achievement. But so far, it goes well, slowly, very slow. And eventually I gave up relationship because I don't feel safe being myself and being with others. I could not get over my sexual assault, I guess I cannot fix that, maybe read more books to heal? But it is always the sex that causes trouble in my relationship. And living alone in a foreign country was a big challenge but I got through it. I am happy that I am reaping the fruits that I put before. Even it's tough, I learnt a lot. My belief is right, the weather made me strong, the exercise I did make me strong, being independent makes me strong, working in labour jobs makes me strong, breaking up makes me strong, loosing jobs, make me understand more about myself. ------------------------------------------------- I actually feel glad that I got laid off because it gives me time to reflect on my fault. my ego, my limitations. and now I am working on equipping myself. I am glad I am in Canada, a country that let people pursue what they like, I am going to learn glass making. it will train my patience and hopefully I can sell these sculptures, and to empower myself. I have a couple of projects and hopefully I can achieve them and exhibit elsewhere. Performance, photography, glass sculpture, kinetic installation and residency! Find commission project to show my stuff and sell. Make connection in the public art field. Get more projects and at the same time explore other possibilities. I want to be funny and forget about the sad things lol

[roto-scope]

🌞Sun and Moon Headcanons Part 2🌜

I ended up having so much fun with the first round of headcanons for these two that I decided to make another set! If you haven't read the first list, please check them out here!

These are in no particular order and contain some headcanons for how the virus works! Please enjoy!

NOTE: Some of the points in this list and my previous list contain headcanons that touch on my ideas on how they connect with others which can be interpreted as romantic. I have no problem with it but wanted to share I wrote these with the idea of platonic relationships in mind, after all they love making new friends! However, if people end up liking these and want it, then I might make a small list of romantic headcanons! Lemme know in the replies or asks!

🌞General Headcanons🌜

• Overall, I like to think that the virus affects animatronic personality chips, heightening traits built into them and, in turn, suppressing their safety protocols. Sun/Moon were the first to be affected by this virus.

• I'd like to think that Sun and Moon were acquired characters. Fazbear Entertainment bought the company who created the characters and decided to implement them into the animatronic family. This company is also the reason Fazbear brand food products exists such as Fizzy Faz, Sunnydrops and Moondrops!

• The original intent was to make them stunt animatronics, probably went as far as having a few aerial shows before limiting it down to only Moon's programming.

• Their body is covered in numerous sensory receptors that not only can detect the amount of light in their surrounding area (which helps them transform) but can also feel certain things such as someone's touch, when something is on their body, ect.

• Both love to be hugged because of that! Sun wouldn't mind if someone jumped on him for a hug and honestly loves big hugs. Moon, however, would like warning before being touched. They don't want anything bad to happen due to a surprise like that.

• Just also putting this out: It's touch starved. Please, they require affection and attention.

• They're ambidextrous by default but have a preference on what hand they use. Sun is left handed and Moon is right handed.

• Both have a sort of black and white view on rules similar to that of a child. If a rule is broken, it's broken, even if there were other factors in play. You can try and explain it but they might not listen.

• It LOVES puns/jokes! If you tell them a joke, they'll have a laughing fit!

• It has a fear of being decommissioned or abandoned.

🌞Sun🌞

• The virus heightens Sun's erractic nature, causing them to be a lot more paranoid, panicked and pushy.

• Though they would never directly harm a child, unfortunately the virus caused them to overlook certain actions and potential consequences such as the installation of the lights in the play structures.

• It was also the main reason why he became paranoid about Moon.

• Oh my god, stickers? Now you're just begging him to cover EVERYTHING HE CAN IN THEM! They absolutely love it when kids covers them in stickers.

• Same goes for kids drawing on it. ("I'm an art project, yes yes!")

• He use to have visible eyes but after much wear, tear, and neglect, they faded.

• He is terrible when it comes to maintenance, has a bit of a fear of it. I imagine certain things, if left without proper care, will make him freak out like a child going to the dentist or a doctor.

• Due to that, they will only let specific people from the company perform maintenance as they have shown in the past to comfort him.

• He wishes Moon can front when it happens but knows that maintenance can't work in the dark.

• Sun tends to forget things fast, especially if something else ends up catching his attention.

🌜Moon🌜

• Moon does NOT wanna harm kids outright. The only way the virus starts taking hold is when his rule breaking protocol kicks in.

• So, in game, the only reason Moon was going for Gregory was because, to him, he broke the single rule Sun set. Then followed after, was watching over Freddy and Gregory to make sure they both followed the rules.

• Now, Moon is completely fine with stickers but hates when there's stickers on Sun's rays cause it messes with their sensors. Equal it to feeling like you're in a brain fog, it's not fun!

• They hate being colored on, it makes them feel like a toy and that can be annoying. Plus, it's another sensory thing.

• Give it some time and anyone who it trusts will have a lot of affection given to them. It's not as crazy as Sun but it loves to initiate hugs, hand to the shoulders/on your head, and other stuff! Just remember to ask permission before returning any physical affection.

• Glow in the dark stuff makes him so happy! Wishes that the merch for him had more glow in the dark elements.

• Probably been caught a few times wandering with a blanket wrapped around and over their head. It's a comfort thing.

• It hates its red eyes but understands why it has them: it's programmed to see in the dark as to watch the kids and red light is traditionally the choice for night vision. However, his eyes make him insecure.

• When he gets nervous, sad or upset, he plays with the end of his hat for comfort.

• Moon's voice box is broken. Their voice is meant to be more soothing for sleepy children and good for singing, but after being left alone for so long with little use, it began to degrade.

• It's not jealous of the attention Sun gets, in fact it's happy people love Sun and would do anything to protect Sun even if that meant being hurt in the process.

[gunterfan1992]

Episode Review: ‘Wizard City’ (Distant Lands, Ep. 4)

Airdate: September 2, 2021

Story by: Adam Muto, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang, Hanna K. Nyström, & Charley Feldman

Storyboarded by: Maya Petersen, Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, & Aleks Sennwald, & Haewon Lee

Directed by: Miki Brewster & Jeff Liu (supervising), Sandra Lee (art)

An episode focusing on Peppermint Butler’s dark side is something that the fandom has craved ever since the little guy demanded Finn and Jake’s flesh in season two’s “Death in Bloom.” While installments like season five’s “The Suitor” and season six’s “Nemesis” did much to scratch that itch, the story of the Dark One remained mostly unknown…

And after “Wizard City,” it still remains largely unknown. But that’s OK, because instead of focusing on the character’s history, this special focuses on Peps’ quest to relearn magic at a magic school. Put most simply, this special is largely a fun excuse for the show to riff on Harry Potter and The Owl House-style “magic school hijinks,” and it mostly all works.

The special follows Peps quest to go to WizArts (a definite play on CalArts, the school that Pen Ward and Adam Muto, among many others, went to) so that he can relearn magic and once again become one of the greatest dark wizards of his time. Initially, Peps tries to make friends with cool kid Spader and his posse, but once they learn that Peps is not as talented at magic as they had initially thought, they kick him to the curb. It is at this point that Cadebra, Abracadaniel’s adorkable niece who is fascinated with stage magic, enters the picture. Cadebra tries everything in her power to befriend Peps, but Peps pushes back, since she’s not “cool.” It does not matter, though, because both Peps and Cadebra are sorted into the same “house”—the “Skink House—and are forced to work together.

While Peps and his cohort begin learning more and more complex magic, a secret cult of school professors, led by the otherwise caring Dr. Caledonius, are scheming to resurrect Coconteppi, a powerful dark wizard whose putrid heart has been discovered underneath the school excreting a very powerful ichor. The school cult kidnaps Spader and gives him some of the ichor to drink; they hope that because of his talent, he will be able to house the spirit of Coconteppi. This does not go as planned, and Spader is graphically killed (albeit off screen). (In a more humorous moment, Bufo, the scam wizard from season one’s “Wizard,” also ingests some of the ichor, believing himself powerful enough to handle it, but it kills him.)

Eventually Peps and Cadebra learn what is going on. Dr. Caledonius welcomes Peps, believing that he is strong enough to handle the ichor. When Cadebra’s life is put in danger, Peps reluctantly gives the putrid fluid a swig, which infuses him with the power of Coconteppi. Coconteppi-Peps then kills all the cult members before Cadebra manages to remove the ichor from Peps body. For uncovering a heinous plot, Peps is promoted to the highest house, “Salamander,” but he decides to remain a Skink and learn magic “the hard way” with Cadebra as his friend.

As I mentioned near the start of this review, “Wizard City” spends most of its time riffing on the “magic boarding school” trope, with much of the episode feeling like a light-hearted parody of Harry Potter: The characters, after all, are “sorted” into “houses,” they learn various types of magic from skilled “professors,” and they bunk in different parts of a large castle-like campus. Of course, Harry Potter didn’t invent the idea of a boarding school, but when setting your story in a school for magic, it is very hard not to lean at least somewhat into the Hogwarts relation. And this really is a double-edged sword, for while Harry Potter references can be fun here and there, they can also make the overall story feel like a fanfic parody. This special does a good job focusing more so on the characters rather than the setting, but I won’t lie, at times it did feel as if they show was really trying to make you realize it was making a Harry Potter joke.

Of all the characters introduced in the special, the breakout star is easily Cadebra, voiced by Chloe Coleman. Radiating a sort of Mabel Pines energy, Cadebra is the beam of optimism who shines brightly in an otherwise macabre special. There is something about her plucky personality and sense of wacky individualism that charms the viewer. I appreciate how the show compared and contrasted her with her uncle, the one and only Abracadaniel: like her uncle, Cadebra is a good person who wants to help others, but unlike Abracadaniel, she has a sense of courage and fortitude that results in her taking on a Coconteppi-possessed Peps at the episode’s climax. (Say what you will, Abracadaniel stans, but our favorite custodian would never have done that!) Thanks to her bravery and dedication to Peps, Cadebra is easily the heart of the special.

The episode throws an interesting little curveball into the mix by having the ‘ghost’ of Past Peppermint Butler constantly haunt Peps in the here-and-now. Past Peppermint, it seems, was so determined to become a great wizard, he cursed himself, so that if anything were to go awry, his Past self could materialize and set him straight. It’s confusing, but I do think that mixing the “overbearing parent” trope with a curse is a clever idea; it gives the whole special some dramatic heft. The whole setup is made even funnier by the special’s conclusion: After Future Peppermint Butler is ‘defeated’ and the day is saved, Peps reveals to Cadebra that he still wants to be a great and powerful dark wizard… but he wants to earn that power through hard work and determination. (Peppermint Butler might commune with demons, but he would never sell his soul to one for power; Glob helps those who help themselves, ya know?)

One of the special’s strongest points is its background art. Adventure Time always had some beautiful set pieces, and this special goes above and beyond to give WizArts an ancient sense of grandeur and mystery. Ghostshrimp, a freelance artist who was the show’s lead background designer during seasons 1-4, return for this special as a “visual developer”—basically, he mocked up a bunch of rough designs for the locales, and then the episode’s background artists worked up the final pieces in his style. On his podcast, Ghostshrimp mentioned how hectic he found Adventure Time to be, because he was used to taking his time on pieces. As such, the decision to bring him on for just development was smart, as it allowed him to still come up with iconic background designs while also playing fast and loose with everything. Hopefully the show will continue this approach with the Fionna and Cake miniseries that is coming up. After all, Ghosthsrimp’s style is the look of Adventure Time.

Another strong point for the episode is its voice acting. For one thing, you have your regulars like Tom Kenny and Dana Snyder, and Duncan Trussell, who all give a solid performance. But to voice many of the special’s new characters, the show brought on a bevy of fun actors: Saturday Night Live’s Bill Hader, for instance, is now voicing Bufo, and he does a solid job hamming up his role as the old fogey. And then there’s Toks Olagundoye, whose British accent gives Dr. Caledonius a sense of knowledge and expertise. To my delight and surprise, SungWon Cho, an internet personality and voice actor perhaps better known as ProZD, was tapped to voice Brain Wizard, and he does an excellent job. And finally, Anthony Stewart Head, a very talented actor who I know best as Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, voices Con Wizard, and is even given a fun little ditty to sing. I can safely say that the voice acting in this special is likely the best of the bunch, and it’s obvious that the actors were all having a great time playing their parts.

What drags the whole thing down, in my opinion is the excessive murder. (I joked on Twitter that during the climax of “Wizard City,” it felt like I was watching an Adventure Time-ified version of Invincible!) Infused with the power of Coconteppi, Peps goes on a brutal killing spree, boiling Potable Wizard into steam, zapping Dimension Wizard into another plane of existence, smashing Berdzerd, and—perhaps most graphically—excerebrates (had to look that word up!) Brain Wiz. On Twitter, @sometipsygnostalgic​ argued that while, yes, the scene is startling, it does wonders to transmute “a poor Summer Camp Island knockoff [into] Adventure Time chaos.” The more I think about it, the more I think that’s a fair point; after all, this is hardly the first dark thing that has happened in Adventure Time. But the part that I cannot really stomach is the fact that Spader was murdered for no real reason, and the special ends without anyone really expressing their horror at the situation. Sure, Spader was a schoolyard bully, but he was also a child. And killing a child—either for the drama or the lulz—feels decidedly out of place in an Adventure Time episode. It’s hard to express, but it just felt unnecessarily nihilistic and mean-spirited.

All things considered, I think this was a fun episode, but it was somewhat underwhelming for a ‘finale.’ Much of this is because it had to air after the perfection that was the back-to-back “Obsidian”/”Together Again” wombo combo. But I can’t help but feel like this special just felt a little... off. A little too meanspirited, and it leaned a bit too much on standard tropes. Still, it was a fun spin, and I know that I’ll rewatch it.

Mushroom War Evidence: As Peps rides the bus to school, he passes a bunch of abandoned houses, some of which are buried in the ground. There is an unexploded bomb above the fossilized elephant in the school. Cadebra has a dream that takes place in the ruins of a city.

Final Grade: B+

[haifengg]

A = Affection (How do they show their affection?)  Ten would tease a lot. A lot. Also he would take a bunch of pictures of his s/o every time they go out or on dates.

B = Bad Day (What could ruin their mood? How are they when they don’t feel overall positive?)  Ten having a stressful day at work is literally every other day in his life. But the days he comes home or shows up for dates in the most terrible mood are the days something was off during dance practice. And doesn’t really has to be his fault to begin with. Just training sessions that felt odd or maybe the group didn’t work as well together.   On those days he just wants to go home. If he was supposed to meet his s/o on a date he would still show up but ask them if he could take a rain check. Ten would not postpone by text or anything but he would ask to reschedule.

C = Crush(What’s he like when he’s simpin’? Why do I use words like simpin’?) “Teasing is a sign of affection.”  He really isn’t hiding it in any way. If his s/o doesn’t see it they are truly blind. Someone please tell them.

D = Dream (What do they dream of doing with their s/o?)  His dream would probably be something rather grown up, like being able to spend time with his s/o and on projects he loves doing equally. Maybe even his s/o participating. If he can’t make that happen he would pay a lot of attention and put in a lot of effort for his s/o not feeling neglected in any way because he loves his work but he loves his s/o as well.

E = Experience (How experienced are they in terms of relationships?)  I always kind of assumed that he might not be the most experienced person when it comes to relationships but I can reassure that would be able to adapt to quickly. He is a very easygoing character and following the case his s/o is as well - it’s really a no-brainer.

F = Fights (What is it like to fight with them?)  Ten strikes me as a stoic but peace loving person. What that means is that he would rarely fight. He would try to avoid confrontations because he knows he is not good at it and tends to say hurtful things to get his point across. Even if he doesn’t mean them. He would always go and a apologise immediately after but things have been said.   If there is a disagreement he and his s/o would probably end up googling whatever the fight was about to check who is right.  If he was wrong, he will admit it bitterly and move past that topic or avoid it in the future. G = Gifts (What type of gifts do they give their s/o?)  Lots and loads of self-made crafted gifts. Art. Sneakers he scribbled on. Self-made jewellery. A collage phone case with the theatre tickets of the movies you went together or the first concert ticket he gave his s/o so they could see him perform. (With loads of memories of that very secretive high-touch event)

H = Hugs (Do they hug their s/o? How often?)  I don’t think he is a big hugger? But that might only be my opinion.

I = Intimacy (How romantic are they? Do they have problems with intimacy?)  Ten’s problem might be that he is way too confident. To the point where he suggests a couple of things without thinking about what his s/o might feel about it, because he doesn’t see how anyone could have a problem with it. Though once he noticed that he didn’t take their thoughts into consideration he would retreat quickly and apologise, asking for their opinion.  This would only happen very rarely. Ten still is a very supportive and caring person.

J = Jealous (Do they get jealous? How do they act when jealous?)  Oh boy does he get jealous. And he will let them know. It will turn into that sort of situation or maybe even a fight, where he wants his s/o to apologise to him but his s/o says they don’t have to apologise for having other friends besides him. K = Kiss (Are they a good kisser? What’s their kind of kiss?)  If he is a good kisser ... I am not able to tell. But in my opinion his favorite type of kiss would be a playful interruption when he has his s/o in his arms and they are telling him a story and he randomly interrupts them. All the time.

L = Love (When do they say they love you? How often do they say it? Do they prefer to say or show it?)  In the beginning Ten said it very seldomly and even as the relationship deepens and they grow fonder of each other he will find different ways of letting them know. Maybe there is this one Sticker he always send which eventually has the same meaning and weight as those three words. Just way more intimate and private since it has this lovely definition only for those lovebirds.

M = Marriage (Do they want to get married? If so, what kind of ceremony?)  In my opinion Ten doesn’t really has an urge to get married. If his s/o wants to he’s cool with it and as far as a ceremony goes I think he would prefer something unconventional and simple. Like a ceremony at a temple(?) or a field wedding maybe?

N = Night out (What type of dates do they like to go on? How often do they like to go on them?) Random dates.  Nights out with Ten could end up in a dreadful hangover the next morning or hours of stargazing. One never knows what they got themselves into.

O = Out of the ordinary (What’s something they don’t normally do with/for their s/o?)  He rarely fights. Disagree? Yes. Agree to disagree? Mostly. But rarely fight. P = Place (Where he first met them.)  At a gallery. They were looking at the same installation and at one point his s/o said something to themselves which randomly cracked him up. Just by then they noticed Ten and got into a conversation with him, that would last for the next 4 hours. Q = Questions (Do they ask their s/o their opinion on things? Do they share theirs?)  Doesn’t ask opinions. Kind of this If-you-don’t-like-it-don’t-buy-it Kind of person. the choices he males for himself are the ones has to deal with and if his s/o isn’t cool with it - they might not be the right match for him.  Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying he doesn’t care at all. He just thinks that his s/o should love them the way he is. Regardless of what tattoo he is getting or what horrible shorts he’s wearing.

R = Random (How spontaneous is their relationship? Do they do things on the spot or plan ahead?)  Ten strikes me as a very spontaneous person. Even if it’s his s/o’s Plan he will go with them and do what they’re up to. If this spontaneous idea should suddenly get canceled maybe due to weather or national holidays the two of them forgot about Ten will quickly find something else to do. S = Sleep (How do they sleep with their s/o?)  He Will. Steal. Blankets. T = Turn-Ons (What attracts him to people !NOT SEXUAL!)  The spark between him and his s/o. Understanding each other non verbally and maybe even laughing in sync. Watching a show and reacting the same way? He’s all in.

U = Unique (What makes them unique as a s/o?)  His shameless honesty. V = Vulnerable (How long until they can be vulnerable around their s/o? What are they like in this state?)  If Ten can’t be vulnerable around their s/o they wouldn’t be his s/o and there wouldn’t be a relationship to begin with. Being able to let his guard down is the foundation he is building every close relationship on. W = Weather (What would he do during a cloudy and rainy day?)  Lots of books. We all know he is an educated man. So if the weather is locking him inside his house, keeping him from going out - he will welcome this opportunity with open arms and read or maybe FaceTime his family? X = Xylophon (What does he think about their s/o’s taste in music? Is it different?)  He is, like Johnny, very open in terms of music. He would try everything once and maybe even include into his playlist what he likes.

Y = Yuck (Is there anything that might bother their s/o about him? Any flaws?)  Maybe he tends to be a horrible perfectionist from time to time, with a few things. Maybe he gets to tied up in work. Ten once said he needs a lot of work to function but I can see that his work-life-balance sometimes just isn’t as much in balance as one would assume.

Z = Zoo (Pets they would have)

Definitely a cat. Or 2. He would train them like dogs tho.

Taglist

@kpopsnowball​ @starrdustville @jeonghanmoon​

@himitsu-luna​ @pocky-otp​

Masterlist

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Ep 25 - Installation of statue kneeling in apology to comfort women statue.

K: Hi, this is Dir en grey's Kaoru starting this week's episode of The Freedom of Expression. Joe san, Tasai san, welcome. Well, this show..im sure the viewers will realise this, but this show has a super low budget.

J, T: Hahaha

J: You're admitting that? Finally?

T: You noticed slightly.

K: Um, we usually record three episodes at once, but for the first one, it takes ages to get the recording started.

T: Hahaha

K: Like, (*imitates trying to fix equipment*) 'Huhh?', 'Oh, come on!'

J: Thats right.

K: They can't get the setup sorted at all, and we three are always just sat here waiting.

J: Yeah, I mean, its getting there, but it does take a while.

K: I mean, look at this! There isn't even a mic stand! You have to place it directly on the desk, and its fallen over how many times since just then!?

J: Its a rare sight these days.

T: For sure.

K: Well, anyway, this kind of analogue is what we have..

J: Yes, yes...let's get on with it and put our hearts into it.

K: Yes, lets do it. Um, also, today..we're recoding this on August 2nd..

J: Yes, and..

K: Tomorrow! Well, really its only in about ten more hours. Well, its on here too...(*gestures to board set up on the desk featuring new single info*)...Dir en grey's new single "Ochita koto no aru sora" will be released.

J: Congratulations

K: Well, its a digital release...(*mic falls over*) ..Look!

J: Oh, that. That was quick!

T: Amazing, it happened like magic!

K: Hahaha

J: Its like it was trying to.

K: Its because I touched the desk. Anyway, the single will have been released. I'd like everyone to listen if they can.

J: But its the first digital release for Dir, right?

K: Yeah, the first digital only release.

J: Digital only, yeah...as a result of the effect of corona.

K: Well, when we first announced it, stores were trying to implement self-restraint and stuff, so people wouldn't be able to order copies in store, and we didn't know how long this would go on. There would be people who would have to go directly to the store to pick it up, so in order to get it to everyone who wanted to hear it, we thought we should release it digitally. So its only digital.

J: Is this like a message from the band that you are still gonna release material even in times like these?

K: Yeah, like, we could have waited until we were able to release it with packaging, like postponed it without announcing it, and just released it after everything had calmed down, but as a band, we thought that keeping active, and making new material will give is that link to the future. So we decided to release. 

J: The message is just recieving the song, right? I think its really important that the band stays active, so thats the basic message, right? Of course we want everyone to have a good listen to the song.

T: It was cool.

K: Oh, did you listen already?

J: I've listened too.

K: Oh, thank you.

T: The B-side was also cool.

K: Thank you. Ok, well, for today's theme, can I ask you Joe?

J: Yes, well its this news, it appeared in the news at the end of July. In the north east of South Korea, in the province of Gangwon-do, there is a place called Pyeongchang. Its been reported that in the S.Korean Botanical Garden there, a statue seemingly imitating Prime minister Abe kneeling in apology in front of a comfort women statue, has been installed. So, this has become news. After this was reported, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga said at a press conference on the 28th of July, 'We have not confirmed any actual connection', as well as, 'Its unforgivable in terms of diplomatic relations', and other such strong comments. On the other hand, the S.Korean foreign ministry made the general statement that, 'There is a need to consider international relations in terms of foreign leaders'. They do not support the installation of the statue, but did not outline any specific counter-measures against it. Appearing as a commentator on a TV talk show, lawyer Hideki Yashiro pointed out his opinion that as it gets publicity, being in the Botanical Gardens where the public are free to enter, the statue cannot be viewed in the same way as a private garden installation. He pointed out that failing to intervene when an action to damage diplomatic relations takes place in such a facility, is seen as if its the state's own view, and that the government refusing get involved due to the land being privately owned is unforgivable. Well, this really is 'Freedom of Expression'. The owner of the Garden used his own money to make the statue, but internationally it can been seen as quite offensive. This has become quite a talking point in Japan and online, and similarly, it also has in S.Korea too. Those who think that Japan should be made to apologize, and those who think this is bad timing and could end up worsening relations futher. Even in S.Korea people are split about it in this way. This is the news.

T: I see

J: This is a difficult issue, isn't it.

T: It is difficult. 

J: In what way should we consider this issue? How do you see this news, Kaoru?

K: Hmm, its extraordinary isn't it?

T: Absolutely...but this place Pyeongchang, it was in the news during the Pyeongchang Olympics. There were those 'Bullet Men' statues put up all over, depicting the perfect male form. It became news, like, is this art? What is this? So, this is also in Pyeongchang, so I wondered whether its just Pyeongchang culture or something?

J: Saying like, Pyeongchang makes a lot of statues?

T: Yeah.???*1

J: I see. But the head of this garden created this with his own money, surely there isn't much of a sense of it being art. Persisting with creating this message and putting it in the botanical gardens, doesn't necessarily mean it was made by the state, and I think it would be quite difficult for them to order the removal of the statue. Saying 'You have to remove it', even though it was built with private money, would be quite difficult. But on the Japanese side, Suga san was saying in regards to diplomatic relations 'Why are they deliberately making our country's Abe kneel in submission like that? Well, Suga has said that if this is true, it would have a severe effect on Japanese/S. Korean relations. He's making quite strong comments about this, but I think this may be a performance on Suga's part to maintain support for the increasingly unpopular Abe administration, by criticising S.Korea. He's moving away from freedom of expression to try and maintain his own popularity. So when you ask 'what is the core of this problem?', as soon as it blows up like this online, it becomes difficult to tell. There was a similar occurrence at the Aichi Triennale, and it also blew up online then too. Before you could really get to the bottom of the question of freedom of expresion, it kept on blowning up into completely different issues.

T: Yeah.

J: First it was all about Tsuda Daisuke's blonde hair.... This type of thing came up at this kind of time again, and I somehow thought it would've been better if a proper debate had been able to take place. Well, because there various ways to feel about this.

T: But in the end, I think this will end up hurting S.Korea, cause I know there are various opinions about this, but if they really want Abe or Japan to apologize, if they do it in this way, it may cause a gap to open up between the two sides. I don't think they've thought about it that far.

J: I see.

T: Conversely, it won't end up with any national benefit to the S.Korean people. It seems like it might hold back progress.

K: Well, but..

Kami: Uh..Isn't this quite subtle?

J: Mm, whats your view, Kami?

Kami: In my view, well, Japan and S.Korea don't have a great relationship, do they?

J: Yeh, they don't. Relations are continuing to worsen.

Kami: Because state promises were not kept, thats natural. I agree, that promises should be kept, that goes without saying. But the kneeling statue is probably Abe, right?

T: Well, yeh.

Kami: I think Abe has a lot to apologize for to the Japanese people too.

T: I see

J: Ahh

Kami: But no-one gets angry about that. Breaking promises is sickening, but like, its probably Abe kneeling on the ground right? If this was the Emporor, the symbol of Japan, that would be really bad, wouldn't it? It would be making a fool of all Japanese.

T: I see

Kami: But its Abe, isn't it? Haha.

J: You're really coming down from above today aren't you, Kami?

K: He's really emphasising this, isn't he?

J: He is.

Kami: But all those lies about the Sakura Party, giving money to his friends, using tax money to do it...

T: I see, I see.

Kami: Doing that type of thing, really, he should apologize for it to the Japanese people, I think.

T: I see.

K: But I bet if Kami was invited to the Sakura Party, he would go.

J: He would.

K: He'd recieve money and stuff..he'd go.

Kami: Of course I'd go.

J, K, T: Hahaha

Kami: I'd do the V-sign and get a photo together.

J: Kami, you're trivial!

Kami: Yep, I'd soon be won over.

J: You change a lot, don't you, Kami?

Kami: I'm affable.

K: Affable? haha

J: Such positive thinking, right? haha.

Kami: I'd want to give off a favourable impression.

J: He has quite a way with words, being able to express that in an affable way.

T: Affable, haha.

J: They do say that these kind of fence-sitters are unprincipled. He said he was affable! Next time Im asked, I'll say Im affable.

*mic falls off desk*  Ahh, eventually!..The mic just naturally falling here. Essentially, I think he does have things to apologize for to his citizens. And Suga san at the press conference, for sure, there is the problem of how this case will affect international relations, but in regards to the anger of the citizens of this country, he should apologize for things that are slightly different. He should make time for it.

T: Well, there is that too.

J: I started to want to say that. Kami's anger is also quite right.

K: Oh yeh, as for our conversation, I just wanted to go back to what we spoke about previously, in our live broadcast before, we wanted people to ask things to Kami.

J: What was all that?

K: I think we talked about it.

J: What were the questions?

K: What were they?

J: Oh, is it this? *points to a section in his notes*

K: Ah, can I ask?

J: Questions for Kami.

Kami: I'll slip up if im put on the spot too much.

K: Oh, please slip up.

J: We want to see you slipping up.

Kami: Ahh.

K: Q) Kami, how can you become a god?

Kami: A god? Thats easy.

J: Do you have to study?

Kami: Use a voice changer.

J, K, T: Hehehe

J: How do you respond to that?

Kami: Yeh, of course the timing of your jokes is important.

K: We kinda already knew that.

J: Well, yeah. I feel bad that we couldn't get this point rolling more.

K: But the viewers probably found it interesting. They'll be wondering what a voice changer is...

Kami: No, they are not in the position of a god.

J: For sure, they may wonder about why a voice changer..But some people might be like, Ahh, I see.

K: Well, they'll probably be drawn into it. Like, 'I just have to change my voice?'

J: Yeh, yeh, yeh.

K: Ok, well I'd like to finish here for today. Please subscribe.

J: Please do.

K: Ah, also, please check out the new single. Thank you very much.

J: Please excuse us.

T: Thank you.

*1 Couldn't catch.

* Sakaura Party refers to a dubious annual Spring party Abe used to invite all his cronies to.

This is a touchy subject, so do please let me know if you think I've gotten anything wrong.

[katyatalks]

Mob Psycho 100 - Kameda Yoshimichi’s Character Design Notes

With each blu-ray/DVD volume of MP100 Character Designer Kameda Yoshimichi gives some notes regarding his process designing each character. Here are all his notes for S1 in the order they are presented, regarding; Kageyama Shigeo, Reigen Arataka, Tsubomi, Dimple, Kurata Tome, Mezato Ichi, Hanazawa Teruki, Gouda Musashi, Kageyama Ritsu, Onigawara Tenga, Koyama, Awakening Lab Five, Terada, Matsuo, Sakurai, Ishiguro, Muraki.

KAGEYAMA SHIGEO

With Mob-kun, the first thing I had a bit of trouble with was - do I keep his design as it is in the manga!!??? Should I make him a little prettier!!!!!??? Should I make him taller!!!!??? Those were the kinds of things I thought about. During a meeting, we didn’t reach any conclusion, so I tried out a few things!!!! ONE-san’s recent designs for Mob Psycho 100 have been amazingly good, so I scooped up the taste of those illustrations and applied them to my anime designs. The atmosphere of the manga is lost if you make these characters too beautiful or make them taller, so I made the right choice!!

REIGEN ARATAKA

I feel I didn’t really struggle with Reigen’s anime design!!!! His suit is plain and there’s not many parts to his design, which was a little upsetting, but in terms of his character there’s no need to decorate him, so I thought that simple is fine. More than anything he pulls plenty of funny faces, so even if his design is simple he stands out as a character, so I think leaving his design as it is in the manga was the correct decision. In the manga, his tie is black, but here, to give a little extra to his design, his tie is pink - that’s a feature of the anime!!!!! Also, Something I particularly fussed over in the anime was the way he stands, with his hips cocked!!!! That’s the anime’s Reigen!!!!!

TSUBOMI

Fans of Mob Psycho 100 probably went, “Who the hell is this”, huh. (Laughs). A discussion was had in which I said I wanted to make her more heroine-like and sparkly - in the manga, she gives off the impression that she turns a lot of heads and puts on airs, but for the anime I thought it’d be good to make her into a more traditionally coded heroine!!!!!! From a directorial perspective I wanted to give her a country-girl-kinda look, so I gave her a hairpin. Regarding the colour of her hair and eyes, there was a lot of trial and error…... well, I think the way she is now is the most heroine-ish, isn’t it!!!!! She’s voiced by Satake-san, too, which is something symbolic!!!!!

DIMPLE

Dimple is a character that I had a good amount of trouble figuring out how to deal with design-wise - I’ll contrast him with Mob-kun, give him a flashy colour, then should I make him luminescent?? Have him slowly sway as he floats?? You could say Dimple’s facial expressions are the greatest in Mob Psycho 100, so I tried to draw as many variations in Dimple’s reference sheet as possible. Drawing expressions for this work was really fun! When I draw, I’m aware that I give distinct facial features!!! Well, not that distinct, but (laughs). Also, Ootsuka-san lending his nice, low voice to a character like Dimple gave the character depth, in a way that makes him quite profound. That’s the power of voice acting… but it made me a little worried, as I thought, I have to make sure the art lives up to his performance!!!!

KURATA TOME

Tome-san is a character that’s truly perfect as she is in the manga, so I tried to not ruin that! She has THE Mob Psycho face!!!! When I was choosing the colours for the school uniform, my decision was made based on how the colours suited her, Mezato and Tsubomi, but the bright blue in the uniform for some reason or another doesn’t suit Tome-san (laughs). The colour is lost a little on Tome-san. I thought Tome-san was quite a gloomy character, but her voice actress, Tanezaki-san, performs her in such a funny way that I ended up loving her! I think, out of all the characters, my view on her changed the most! “Tome Psycho 100” wouldn’t be a farfetched anime idea. 

MEZATO ICHI

I drew Mezato with the intention of making her the heroine!!! When drawing character sheets I draw any particular trait the character may have and then pose them and see what I think - the moment I drew her standing with her camera, I fell in love!! (Laughs). The round head she has due to the silhouette of her short bob - I love that!!!! Her caramel coloured hair also stands out in her design!! She’s fresh!! And her eyes are big and round!! In terms of what makes up her design she’s not too different to Tome-san, but I really felt a girlishness in Mezato!!!! My heart is racing!!! But she never appears!!! Director, please include her more!!!!!!!! Let’s make “Mezato Psycho 100”!!!

HANAZAWA TERUKI

[Written in Osakan dialect that gets more intense as it goes on]

Teru-kun is a character whose appearance changes a lot - I designed 6 variations of his hair and clothes!!!!! That’s way too many!!!!! I don’t know if the number has significance but we see him in his 150% form the most, so I’ve gotten used to seeing him like that!!!! It makes me laugh so much! I wasn’t satisfied - I made his hair extend so far that you can’t even see the top of it usually! In the anime you could say his hair is at 200%!! I can’t decide between the version of him we first see, his bobbed hair version or his short hair version. How can I!!!!! Let’s bring back his 150% hair!!!!!!! Wow, I’ve gone full Osaka dialect here. The colour of his sweater was decided to my taste. Director’s sole judgement was that it’s cute and resembles pyjamas.

GOUDA MUSASHI

As you’d expect, I really fussed over President Gouda of the Body Improvement Club as he’s a popular character!! His characteristics are his caterpillar-like sideburns and eyebrows, his soft mohican hair, and his brawny body. He’s unexpectedly hard to draw (laughs), I suppose I had trouble with him. Above all else The Body Improvement Club’s existence gives a sense of security within Mob Psycho 100 - they’re strong and brave, but it was pretty difficult trying to make sure their facial expressions weren’t too intense!!!!! Kumagawa, Sagawa, Yamamura, Shimura… these are characters who I’d love to delve deeper into!!

KAGEYAMA RITSU

I tried to make Ritsu-kun have more of an adult-like aura than Mob. He barely smiles, so he has an intense look in his eyes. I kept in mind that his eyes are only allowed to become soft when he’s with Mob. His irises are bigger than Mob’s own, so there’s a bit of a difference there. Also, he gets a mid-anime gloom story, so I decided to make his hair a little bit on the longer side. His hair is flexible - I’d make his bangs/fringe longer or shorter depending on his expression. When he’s possessed by Dimple he’s magnificent, using his powers as a weapon. His eyes become even more intense, his hair gets all ruffled up and spiky, and he’s overflowing with confidence. ONE-sensei’s manga have all become like that, too, actually!!!!! Ahahahaha!!!!!!!!

ONIGAWARA TENGA

With Onigawara and his three lackeys, I gave them baggy pants to try and up their rural-delinquent-trashiness factor. Onigawara’s anime features are his baggy pants and the tape he has on his cheek. It gives off the impression that he’s some king of the punks who’s always getting injured… but truth is, it’s probably just there to cover up a pimple (laughs). He’s in a situation where he’s bettering himself after the recorder incident, so perhaps the next time we see him he’ll have given up on those baggy pants and will wear the same clothes as everyone else!!!!!! Switching topics, what’s up with those two wrinkles he has under each eye?? Please enlighten us, ONE-sensei!!!!!!

KOYAMA

You know, since Mob and Reigen use flip phones I thought that was the standard for the Mob Psycho 100 universe, but then we have Koyama with his smartphone. Sakurai uses a flip phone, too. So, only Koyama has a smart phone? What videos does he watch on it? Which apps does he have installed… it’s a mystery… a mystery!!!! Please enlighten us, ONE-sensei!!!! Switching topics, I’m pleased with the unique aura that his special move, Telekinetic Helix, has. Mob, Teru, Ritsu, Claw… everyone has their own particular colours!!

AWAKENING LAB 

Hoshino-kun, Asahi-kun, Kurosaki-san, and the Shiratori brothers all have a sense of individuality, so I suppose it was easy to visualise what colours they might have!! For Hoshino-kun, the process was; Hoshino [star field] -> hoshi [star] -> star -> Nishikino Akira [A Japanese celebrity with a song titled ‘Passionate Star Disco’] -> white!! I thought, his clothes definitely have to be white (laughs). Kurosaki-san’s clothes are sporty but not particularly fashionable, Asahi-kun was designed with a ‘you’re almost there’ feeling, and the silent Shiratori brothers have plain clothes… it was with that that I decided the colours of these five, having them all be out of fashion. Episode 10 had Oda-san as its animation director - he drew a very good and cute Kurosaki-san!

TERADA

What stands out with Terada’s design is his T-shirt that droops below his left shoulder - is it a fashion statement, or is it simply worn out of shape? Who knows!! As something special to the anime, his middle fingers that present his special move, “air whip”, are adorned with jewelled rings! I’ll leave it up to you all to decide whether or not those rings have some hidden secret to them. Out of all the upper echelon members of Claw, Terada has the richest facial expressions -  plus, he’s voiced by Tachiki-san - so even when he’s undergoing water torture, despite the cruelty of the situation, he still comes across as good and charming!!!!!

MATSUO

Matsuo is monotone-ish in the manga, but, “I could give him a magician-ish feel?”. So now he has a dark green shirt with yellow lines. The vase he carries has a bunch of colourful stickers on it, so I tried to make sure Matsuo himself wasn’t too flashy or he and his vase would clash!! Candy-chan and Cookie-chan were also fun to draw!!!! Their colours are also good!!!!

SAKURAI

This simple, undecorated design is rather like him. I tried to make sure it didn’t look like he was wearing mourning clothes. I included red in the handle of his katana. I intended for his hair colour to be a natural, slightly dark brown… but looking at him on TV, it ended up being more of an unexpectedly lighter brown… Not my intention, lol. His slicked back hair was pretty hard to draw!!! The atmosphere of his design changes depending on how much of a forehead he’s given, the silhouette of his slicked back hair, and the application of highlights. Ah, this is unrelated, but me and his voice actor, Hosoya-san, are from the same area! We’re also similar in age, so I kinda feel an affinity toward him!!!!! You didn’t need to know that.

ISHIGURO

First off, I already knew that in the manga there’s an old man beneath that mask, so I gave him a hunched back! Following a request by the Director I made his boots plump, round, and cute!!!! With that, the woman’s voice that comes out of him with the mask on suits him!! You can really feel how cornered Ishiguro is during the season 1 finale, thanks to the power of his voice actor and the lead animator!!!!! It’s just, he has so many scars on his face that I felt sorry for him, so I want to find out more about him!!! I look forward to seeing him in an active role again!!!! ...Will he appear again, I wonder.

MURAKI

Muraki looks more like he’s in cosplay in the anime than he does in the manga (laughs). Following an idea from the director, I gave him a cloak and a mark on his chest that’s connected to the mark on his forehead!!! He’s even wearing boots!!! His design is all put together with purple in a fashion-conscious way!!! Anyway, it seems the director’s favourite colour is purple. Muraki, purple, muraki, murasaki[purple], director, murasaki[purple], muraki, purple. Something I fussed over with his suit beneath the cloak was giving it a gleaming lustre much like latex would have… makes you unsure of whether or not it’s a high quality suit. All in all, it costs 9800 yen!! A bargain price of 9800 yen! Now then, you there, sitting in front of the TV - together with the director, Let’s Muraki!!!!

--

Twitter crosspost here.

Season 2 notes here.

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 203

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 Go Go! 05 - “A Letter to Student Council President Karen” Date watched: 1 January 2021 Original air date: 2 March 2008 Screenshots Transformation Gallery Project info and master list of posts

If they find out I’m faking being good at everything, my life is ruined, got that?

Our character reintroduction/Syrup learns to be a real boy arc continues! Today it’s Karen’s turn to influence him. Let’s dive in!

The Plot

When we left off, Urara had discovered King Donuts, but he was asleep. The episode picks up at school, presumably the next day. Karen ushers everyone into the Student Council room so they can discuss their next steps and/or advertise the assorted functions of the toys. They try to wake the King up by transferring him from Urara’s CureMo to the Rose Pact as well as using the Futon they acquired in an earlier episode. Their shameless advertising is interrupted by two members of the student council who come looking for Karen. They show her that the suggestion box that they set up is now filled with letters for them to take into consideration.

we suggested that you give us names other than “Student A” and “Student B”

(incidentally “Student A”, who I believe is the one on the left, is played by Oki Kanae, who will play Love in Fresh Precure)

After the OP, the scene changes to Scorp’s office in Eternal HQ. He is pondering how to get the Rose Pact while Bunbee offers some backhanded compliments about the difficulty of such a task and plays the fool. His new names for Scorp this episode are Scoop and, of all things, Ketchup. After Scorp storms off out of annoyance, Bunbee decides to see how hard it could really be, so he heads to the school to look for items from the Collection.

Meanwhile, Karen and the student council are reviewing the suggestions they received and determining whether they can implement them. The ideas include getting more novels for the library, decorating the hallway and giving the art club somewhere to display their work (these two solve each other), and installing a flower garden in the courtyard. Nozomi makes some suggestions of her own, including making summer break longer and doubling the size of the yakisoba bread sold at the cafeteria.

that is the appropriate reaction

Komachi wonders whether Karen is stretching herself too thin, but Karen assures her that she has help from everyone, and she’s happy for this program because people help her to see the things she can’t.

The next scene shows a student dropping a letter in the box, which suddenly glows. It cuts to Syrup on the clock tower, thinking about his interactions with the girls over the last few episodes, when suddenly Mailpo receives the student’s letter addressed to Karen, so Syrup heads to their school to deliver it. He gets roped into helping Otaka (the lunch lady/undercover principal) and she repays him in pancakes. Karen comes to talk about a request to address long lines at the cafeteria and recognizes Syrup. The delivery boy remembers his delivery and hands her the letter, which is a request to look into some thefts from the art room. Karen is curious why a letter from the suggestion box rerouted to Mailpo, and Syrup tells her there’s always a reason, so she brings him along to find out why. When they arrive at the art room, they discover Bunbee hauling away with student projects under the mistaken belief that they’re valuables from the Collection. When confronted, he double-checks his list and decries the artwork as worthless before attacking her. This insult annoys Karen, who transforms into Cure Aqua to fight him. Bunbee turns a bust outside the classroom into a Hoshiina and tries to ransack the art room some more, but Aqua protects it, against Syrup’s concerns, because she was asked to.

It looks like she’s outmatched, but the other girls show up in the nick of time to support her and validate her feelings. The Hoshiina is still a tough opponent for all five of them, but Aqua absolutely refuses to let it destroy the art room, espousing that there is nothing in the school that wouldn’t matter if it were lost. Her strong feelings let her perform her new finishing attack, Sapphire Arrow, which is our first archery-based attack in the franchise (but not the last). It destroys the Hoshiina while Bunbee flees. Syrup watches from safety, a little befuddled by the idea that he was tasked with delivering the letter because Karen felt strongly about respecting the request.

On a later day, the five girls and Mr. Kokoda approach the cafeteria, surprised that there seems to be a larger than usual crowd but not the expected line, and the girls discover Syrup working there. Otaka introduces him as Amai Shiro, her new assistant. She slips in a remark that she’s paying him in pancakes (protip, that’s illegal) and there’s awkwardness all around.

The unusual situation is interrupted when the student council girls show up with the suggestion box again, this time full of thank you letters. Karen sits down to read them and Nozomi, Rin, and Urara read Otaka’s menu and realize it’s got a bunch of new stuff on it. Karen comes across one letter that’s actually a drawing of the five of them which says to do her best. Komachi beams at her and Karen hugs the letter to her chest as she things about how fortunate she is to have these friends.

The Analysis

This is another strong episode, although it lacks a certain oomph that the previous one had. I really enjoy seeing Karen in her element, doing her utmost as the student council president to make school life better. It reminds me a lot of episode 14 of the previous series, where all the clubs needed new equipment, and Karen helped them by solving one problem with another. Her unwavering devotion to the student body shows that she’s truly a good student council president, and her earnestness to answer the wishes of the student who raised concerns about the stolen artwork is really moving. 

I gotta say that I don’t feel like the Eternal plot is really going anywhere. I know it’s a strange thing to say about the villains, especially this early in the show, but I just do not understand the story angle. I love the evil corporation concept, but right now it seems like Nightmare did it better. Eternal leans more heavily into the paperwork and writing reports, which is a good gag when they use it, but this episode just features Bunbee annoying Scorp and then stealing a bunch of student art projects. The idea was for him to prove that finding this stuff isn’t so hard and show up Scorp, but he mistakes art projects for pieces of the Collection somehow? It makes him look incompetent, which is not unusual for Bunbee of course, but it seems like a new low from the former Nightmare executive whose previous plots involved threatening hostages to get what he wanted. Scorp, as well, has not shown the same degree of menace he did in his initial appearance. More on that next episode.

The B-plot with Syrup is enjoyable and helps round out the episode nicely. He’s largely kept to himself, but he’s starting to really think about how far the Precures go to protect their ideals, and it may yet have an effect on him. Of course, this self-reflection is short lived because he’s tasked with delivering a letter as an excuse to learn about Karen’s strong feelings, and in the process he gets roped into helping Otaka. He protests a bit, but clearly he enjoys it enough to agree to fully work for her, even if he’s mostly interested in eating her pancakes (although the real reason could be so he can stay close to the Precures and learn from them, as well as helping to protect the Rose Pact). It’s a well thought-out setup that allows for some nice gags and keeps Syrup on hand in future episodes.

I enjoy these sorts of day in the life episodes with the girls resolving mundane problems, they have a tendency to feel the most satisfying. I checked the director’s history and he has a history of storyboarding and directing episodes like this. The writer also previously wrote some of the best episodes of Yes 5 of a similar nature, so it’s another good team that comes together. The art and animation was actually a little better and more consistent than the last episode, but there was no standout moment of amazing animation like that wonderful turnaround. I realize you can’t have them all the time, but in an otherwise great episode, I was hoping for another stellar moment such as that. Ah well. Consistently good is plenty, and it makes my galleries look nicer.

Next time on Precure Daily, King Donuts wakes up, and Rin goes to sleep. Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 0 kettei!

[cassieschaosdimension]

Here is the second installment in the redemption arc of Draco Malfoy.

The First Class (with the Gryffindors; I'm basing this off of the books and it's a fic so...)

He woke up after the feast in the Slytherin common room. Draco grins to himself running his hair through his unruly hair then he turns his head and it falls.

Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, and Zabini were sleeping around the room. How is he going to avoid them as he goes to breakfast?

It was especially hard not to wake up them meanly, but Draco wanted a clean slate where he could be himself without feeling smothered. He tried to be as quiet as possible. He doesn't want Nott and Zabini to ask questions. He may have had to grow up with them, but he doesn't have to be nice to them. Father might be furious at him, but mother said he should just be himself and it would all be fine.

Putting on his uniform and robe, Draco thinks how proud his father will be to see he's in Slytherin just like his parents were. He's always gravitated towards mother; she wasn't as harsh as father and made sure he was taught to be himself. At least she was the one who wanted him to be happy. Father only wanted Draco to become a mini Lucius and as much as he loved his father, he did not want to become just like him.

Tiptoeing out of the dormitory he shudders at the thought of turning as mean, heartless, and cold as his father. He never wants to be like that. He wants to bring light and happiness in the world because his father sucks it all up. Draco doesn't remember when he was allowed to laugh and smile.

Pushing open the heavy door, Draco runs into Marcus Flint, Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch House team.

"Hey Draco! Nice to have you finally here! Come on, let's come down to breakfast and stuff our faces before class." At the word class Flint rolls his eyes. Draco is shocked. He didn't realize Flint was disrespectful! The professors gave up any hope of a social life to teach them! The least they could do was respect them, but Flint didn't.

He tries to get away and go see where the people he met yesterday on the train are sitting. Glancing around until he spots them he grins. The grin slides off his face faster than a dementer closing in to perform the Kiss. They're at the Gryffindor table like he expected, but it still hurts.

Hmm, Hermione seems to be off to the side from everyone. He enjoyed going head to head with her on the train. (NOT DRAMIONE NOPE PLATONIC PEOPLE!!!!) Not many people could do that and survive. He wanted to be good friends with someone like her even if she was Mu-Muggleborn. He was going to have to get used to calling them by their proper names, not what his father always called them.

Harry and Ron looked thick as thieves already and it had barely been a day! Sitting down at the Slytherin table, Draco wishes he could have a friendship like that. He had hoped for that on the train, but Neville had squashed that flat. Poor Neville looked absolutely terrified when he heard his name!

Draco was sad as he saw the smile fly off the face of the round faced boy Draco thought would be nice when he introduced himself. Maybe the letter he wrote to his mother would have some answers.

The hooting of hundreds of owls suddenly fills the cavernous Hall. His owl, Talon, soars down to him. The giant parcel dropped in front of him seems to be filled with sweets and cakes. Among the cakes, he finds a folded letter. His mother must have placed this when she sent Talon off again. Bypassing the edible goodies the poor house elves must have been forced to.make for him, he goes right for the letter.

Dearest Draco,

I am hesitant to respond to you in case your father intercepts this, but I have placed this in your parcel instead of sending it with Talon separately.

The boy's name is Neville Longbottom yes? Your concern is welcoming, but the story is chilling.

This was before you were born in early 1980 and Snape has overheard the Divination professor utter a prophecy. Yes, Draco. The prophecy which changed our world forever. He was still very much in love with Lily Evans, who married James Potter earlier that year, and the prophecy scared him beyond comprehension.

He was scared it meant Harry and went to the Dark Lord to beg for the release of Lily Evans as he knew she would never leave Harry to die. But unfortunately, that was not so as you know and the Potters were killed leaving behind a little boy not much older than you were at the time.

Aunt Bella went to the Longbottoms that night and she tortured them for the whereabouts of the Dark Lord because she wanted to know where he went. The Longbottoms were tortured into insanity and left a one year old son, Neville, behind to be raised by his grandmother.

Draco gasps at this part. He knew aunt Bella was twisted, but not to that effect. He felt sorry for Neville and wants to apologize, but not in front of all of these people. He doesn't want to embarrass Neville. He'll read the rest of the letter later, he got his question answered. He'll have to thank his mother later for risking that information.

Draco, putting the letter into his pocket after folding it, digs into the hearty breakfast with relish. The rest of his dorm mates are down by this point. He glances at them out of the corner of his eye. Crabbe and Goyle are pigging out as per usual. Nott and Zabini are turning up their noses at the breakfast. Draco shrugs and goes back to eating.

Soon breakfast is over and he has his first class. Draco is excited because it's Potions and Snape teaches it.He walks alone having declined company. He wanted company, but not the company that was offered.

He was told by Flint to walk towards the Common Room and then turn left and he'll reach Potions eventually. Surprisingly, Flint gave him the right directions. When Draco walks in, the room glass silent. Sauntering in, Draco sits alone hoping Neville, Harry, or Ron will sit with him. The more people that aren't them that scramble in, the more dejected he feels.

By the time the boys arrive, all of the seats around Draco are filled by Nott, Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle. Draco wants to bang his head against the table in frustration. How on earth is he supposed to apologize for his aunt's behavior if he's never alone?

He tells himself to think of the happy days when he was allowed to be himself and play with the house elves. He had loads of fun with them and he learned amazing lessons from them. Draco thinks of all of the sweets and cakes he was taught in secret as soon as he turned eight. His mother allowed it because he was happy, but anytime his father was around he had to act like him.

A bang at the back of the classroom jerks Draco back to the present. Time to act he tells himself. He's going to loathe it, but until he can explain it to the others he has to act like this. He doesn't want Snape to report to his father that he's not acting like he's supposed to.

Snape's black robe flaps behind him as he makes his way to the front of the room. Draco has to keep from laughing at the sound. Every time Snape takes a step, the robe's hem smacks against the floor. Others aren't even attempting to hide their giggles.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor! I suggest if you don't want more points taken Mr. Finnegan, you will stop laughing. As such, you will receive detention tonight. You will be notified about your detention by Professor McGonagall. The same goes for the rest of you! Now, shall we commence to be introduced to the subtle art of potion making?"

The rest of the Slytherins are sniggering and jeering at the Gryffindors so Draco does it too. He feels absolutely wretched about it though. This is not who he is. Why did the Hat put him in Slytherin again?

The discussion with the Hat was interesting. The Hat told him he would do well in Gryffindor, but he asked to be in Slytherin because he didn't want to be disowned by his father. He didn't understand what his father was doing was wrong until he was eight and started to have to sneak around with the house elves.

Three years later and he worries about the house elves when he's not there. His mother can't protect them from his father's wrath all the time. Snape's voice carries out into the cavernous dungeon and Draco forces himself to listen intend of thinking of things that will make him cry. His father says crying is for the muggleborns, muggles and blood traitors like the Weasleys. Draco doesn't understand why the Weasleys are blood traitors though. The family is a pureblood family?

Oh well. Snape is now interrogating Harry about Potions ingredients and he doesn't answer. Draco knows the answers, but he has to pretend to be indifferent. Hermione has no problems with it. Her hand shoots up each time Harry says he doesn't know. She's brave he thinks to himself. Snape only knows one side of himself. He wishes he could show his true colors, but he's too afraid of his father to even think of it.

When Snape snaps at Hermione, Draco wants to defend her, but again, his father holds too much influence at Hogwarts. No one else defends her either. Is it so hard to defend your own House mate against a teacher?! Then again it is Snape and Snape is terrifying. That's the only reason Draco can think Neville isn't defending Hermione.

The rest of class is like that and Draco wants to cry for Hermione. She takes it like a pro and she must have gotten this treatment at her muggle school. He feels sick to his stomach. No human, or any creature for that matter, should be treated that way.

He wants class to be over so he can apologize to Hermione, but she runs out the door as soon as the bell trills. Draco grabs his books and stuffs them in his bag intent on following Hermione to see if she will let him apologize for what happened with the train and Snape. All he needs is for someone to give him a chance and he will be the most loyal friend they would ever ask for. All he wants is a real friend that isn't with him for his money or influence.

Walking to his next class he thinks about the apology he's going to make to each of them if he ever gets the chance.

Three days later and I'm finally done with the second installment! Enjoy! Please be honest in your opinions, I don't mind!