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mitsukiwa · 1 year

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Made for vice

A/N: You may have read this same one before but this one was edited; my other story was roughly draft also criticism is welcomed. If there are any mistakes pls let me know. Hope you enjoy. !MDNI!

word count:0.3k

You were forced, against your own will to be his. He took what soldier’s had fought for all mankind to have Freedom. Never had you ever thought it’d be something taken from your grasp. Simply because of a rejection, we all had that choice to make. But him he took it from you, whatever liberation you had before seized away from you.

The two of you encountered back in October. There was a coffee shop a few blocks down from your work building. The doors of the cafe dinged as a new customer entered, glancing up from your computer. There was a man of average height with a slim and narrow build, Captivating crimson wings.

You couldn't help but stare, knowing it may come out as crude despite having such fierce wings.

It's an astonishing sight to see something so surreal, golden irises staring back at you.

You quickly looked away, cheeks beginning to warm up at the reality that you were caught goggling.

It's not strange to have specialties like this in this world.

They're known as quirks. Quirks superhuman capabilities, that can be possessed. Along with being unique to each user. Quirks are sorted into different categories. Though then there's the quirkless to sum it up people who are are are born as ordinary normal whichever you want to call it. I'm one of those people born without a quirk. Those who are expected to rely on those with quirks, Those called heroes.

Yet not all heroes are flawless, there is always a flaw within them.

And I comprehend that by experience.

How it all began

You resumed typing away into your computer, Entirely ignoring the humiliation you'd just put yourself in a moment ago.

From your peripheral, you notice someone walking over to your table.

They cleared their throat to grab your attention.

you gaze up

it was the man you had just been staring at with a cup of coffee in hand.

Not sure if he came over to scold you about how rude it is to stare at a person.

wait...

you know this man he's a

hero

Known as the hero hawks, you've noticed him on the news.

Pro Hero Hawks

Number two hero

And he's standing in front of you right now?

''hello,'' he said with a grin.

You greeted him back.

'' would you care if I sit here?" he asked as he indicated the chair in front of you.

You couldn't help but look around the cafe. There were plenty of stools and tables unoccupied.

Yet you hummed a yes.

There was one word to describe what you deemed at the moment awkward.

''what's your career'' He suddenly asked.

You were surprised he even continued to try a conversation out of you. Nonetheless, you responded

''I'm an Author,''

he hummed

''interesting''

''And you?''

Sure, you already knew but still, you wanted to continue the conversation a little longer. Out of boredom really.

He gave a breathy laugh

'' you don't know?''

You shook your head

''no, sorry''

''well, that's a first,''

''what's your name?'' He asked

''what's yours,''

You were well aware, you probably sounded like a child right now.

He chuckled

''Takami''

''nice to meet you Takami,''

He had a shit-eating grin you wanted to punch off his face.

Why was he smirking?

''what's your name?''

You told him your last name, not really on first-name bases since you didn't know this man at all.

He repeated it himself. You felt a weird sensation at him pronouncing your name.

And you heard him say your name along with his ''Takami''

You widened your eyes at his boldness. How dare he say that you don't even know-

''I gotta head off duty calls,'' he said as he got up from the seat and stretched.

''wanna maybe give me your number? So I can call you later on?''

he had that shit-eating smirk again

''no, thank you''

Hawks was surprised. He's never been rejected before by anyone. Every girl he'd wink at would fall to his feet at a chance with him. He was popular with the ladies. However, you were different.

''I'm just glad at least I got your name.''

He waved you bye and exited through the glass doors of the cafe, you saw him flap his wings, as they slowly levitate him up into the sky, but before he was out of view, he winked at you flashing you his smile.

I hate him

But you don't know why, do you?

Is it because he made you feel something?

Or is it because you want to hate him, but you don't have a reason yet

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

''you met THE hawks!''

''yea,'' you said coolly

'' He was willing to ask for your number, and you refused!''

You knew exactly where this was going. Hori was your close friend from work. Knowing each other for three years is enough time to promote the title.

She was a ''big'' fan of the winged hero. It only made sense, She'd be mad I rejected her idol.

''Shimoda!''

''what is it ?''

''she rejected Hawks,''

''wait what you spoke to the Hawks ?''

you nodded. Honestly, it wasn't something to be proud of.

''He even asked for her number,''

And the discussion persisted. They got infuriated at you for being so hard-born.

Serendipity

fuck serendipity

Why?

Hmm, you may be asking at this very moment, Well simple serendipity fucked up your life.

It didn't leave things as they were no, instead it wanted to ''help'' out.

Your company had gotten a call around noontime. The caller had asked for you.

And, you were shocked to find out who it was. They claimed it was urgent to speak to you.

Which was weird for you, your parents never called you.

That right there could've been your red flag instead curiosity gets the best out of a person always.

''hello?''

''hey little nugget''

your brow furrowed.

what the actual hell was this

''Who is this?''

''aww, don't tell me you forgot about me already,''

The voice sounded familiar, it could be no other than

''Hawks?'' voice sounding high pitched though it wasn't intended to be.

''the one and only, ''

''how'd you get my works phone number?''

''I got my ways,'' he cleared his throat '' I was thinking... I could maybe take you out to dinner?''

cliche'

you thought as you rubbed your chin

''I'm busy,''

''C'mon, just let me take you out.'' he persisted

"I'll pick you up by the time you clock out,''

''I said no-''

Beep

fucken prick

You dreaded leaving work, and having to deal with a huge ego pro-hero exhausted you.

You never wanted more from him. He was the one who approached you, after all.

He went to extreme measures to find out your work location, which did startle you.

Of course, you didn't tell your work friend, knowing if you did, she'd make you go, so you kept this one to yourself.

You looked over to your mini clock located on the right corner of your work desk.

It read 8:30, and your eyes widened.

You groaned running your hand down your face.

god no

You thought to yourself.

Just great, so fucken great

You start thinking of ways to avoid him, but the thought that he is there blocks you from even thinking straight.

Grabbing your purse as you stood up from your chair.

Your phone chimed.

Without a second thought, you opened up the notification.

Hori<3:you wanna go to the bar with me and Shimoda

A wide smile made itself in your features.

And here I thought my luck wasn't any.

With newly made confidence, you grabbed your belongings and made your way to the front door of your work building.

Walking out of the building, the first thing you saw was a sports car, colors red and black.

The windows of the car rolled down and revealed hawks.

He gave you a boyish grin.

As he indicated you come over.

Reluctantly you did, Hawks then got off the car and walked over to the passenger's side, and opened the door for you.

"hawks something came up'' you begin your excuse.

''get in'' He demanded with an apathetic expression.

Whatever gentleness or outgoing aura he had before dissipated completely.

His voice raised, and you felt intimidated.

So you silently stepped into the car. The door slamming was heard, along with him mumbling something you couldn't quite hear from the inside of the vehicle.

You swallowed the lump forming in your throat, as he walked around the car.

The driver's door opened, and he stepped in slamming the door shut, and locking the doors.

He turned his head in your direction and gave you a tight-lipped smile.

''wasn't so hard was it?''

You opted to nod, not trusting your voice, knowing that at any given moment you'll break down into tears.

'' We need to get you something to wear, work clothes aren't very appropriate for this occasion''

Now realizing that he indeed has a nice dress shirt with black dress pants and a Rolex.

And you looked nothing superior to his level. If anything, you seemed like you were nothing.

The drive was about 20 minutes, and it being quiet was very uncomfortable, but you are glad you've finally made it.

The store he'd token you were an indeed expensive and a very well-known store.

Hawks then got off the car and walked over to your side to open the door for you.

You wanted nothing more than to puke.

He reached his hand out for you to take, which you hesitantly took.

The street lamps illuminated his gold irises perfectly. His red crimson wings seemed more contrasted.

He helped you out, closing the door behind you.

He placed his hand on the small of your back as you both walked to the entrance.

You both walked into the store.

Immediately you felt like you didn't belong.

Soon a worker came to assist the two.

She was stunning.

She had lengthy light brown hair with greenish-brown eyes. You were starting to feel envious.

'' How may I help the two of you'' she wore a bright smile.

''I need the finest dress in this shop''

Hawks sounded arrogant, it bugged you. You bite your bottom lip to avoid the commotion.

''all right, come this way, sir''

The women's heels clacked along the white floor as she walked over to a dressing room.

''wait here while I check for it''

He simply nodded as the woman took her to leave.

Hawks called out your name.

You turned your head in his direction.

''yes, hawks''

He then rolled his eyes, glaring at you.

'' Don't call me hawks call me Keigo.''

He wants you to call him by his name? And again, you did comply.

''sorry, I meant to say Keigo'' you corrected yourself.

The widest smile made itself on his features

you could've sworn his eyes were sparkling.

Soon she came back with a dress along with a manager.

''Hawks my man, how you doing'' the man conveyed in a cheerful voice.

''Great, I just need this one to look gorgeous for tonight''

He indicated to you.

Your face started heating as all eyes were on you. You hated too much attention.

''Don't worry we'll get that handled''

The man assured hawks, flashing you a smile.

Soon they left the fitting room to get ''the best dress'' they certainly have in stock.

''I would have gotten a dress tailored for you if I had planned '' Hawks voiced.

''you don't have to''

You stated, waving your hand dismissively.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

You stared at yourself through the mirror, the dress fit perfectly, showing every curve on your body with enhancement.

You wore a black cami cowl neck midi dress, it looked stunning.

Through the mirror of the fitting view, you saw hawks on the bench, licking his lips at the sight of you.

You shyly look away

''I think that's the one, don't you think love?''

You nodded your head, not giving a verbal response.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The restaurant was beyond what you have imagined. The valet opened the doors to the car as you then stepped out.

Hawks walk alongside you with his arm snaked around your waist.

You fiddled with the expensive jewelry on your neck he had brought you before arriving at the restaurant. The pendant had a k with diamonds engraved on the insides of the k. The necklace felt heavy on your neck.

Suddenly you feel something tickle your cleavage. You glance down and notice a crimson feather in between your breast. You stare at it, confused, as you walk side by side with hawks up to the desk.

The waiter seated you shortly after, and you both sat at a secluded table.

''Isn't it perfect Babe'' hawks mussed.

You nodded.

You pulled the feather out of from in between your breast.

holding it in between your fingers

''Keigo why'd you do that?'' you said sternly.

''It's marking my territory, my little nugget.''

''territory? so now I'm owned'' You scoffed.

''Yea'' he said with a wide smile.

You couldn't believe this. What are you some object he can take a liking to, write his name on you?

''unbelievable''

''so, what are you ordering baby?''

The feather in between your finger then began to wiggle out of your hold as it flew its way back to your cleavage.

Looking down at the menu before you. Officially deciding that there was no way you'd make up your mind. All the dishes looked delicious your mouth was watering.

You ended up ordering a salad and water while hawks ordered chicken wings. Which for you was funny you were just about too close to comment on him and his wings but ended up biting your tongue once more.

For some reason was spent how any other couple would.

But you two weren't a couple.

''We should go to this nice hotel I saw-''

''it's getting a little late, and I have work tomorrow,'' you spoke.

Once again, hawk's face dropped, staring at you.

''But we can on my day off'' you tried

In an instant, his face lit up. It was rapid, you thought you were assuming things.

''so this means we'll see each other again?''

''sure''

As you were opening the door of the car to let yourself out, he quickly grabbed your arm and pulled you close.

His lips meet your own in a tender kiss. You felt pubes on his chin against your own. The kiss was short-lived as he then pulled away. Still in shock, you stepped out of the vehicle.

''ill text you later on,'' he said

'' you don't have my number'' you stated

''I do, and ill send you a selfie of myself to prove it''

''wait how'd you even get my phone number,''

''I have my ways, anyways.''

With that being said he wished you goodnight and drove away.

You walked over to the front door of your home.

All you wanted to do at this very moment was to take a warm shower and sleep in your comfy bed.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

Your phone chimed repeatedly as you typed away on your laptop. You were just about to turn off the notifications when you read it.

You've seen the media little bird

You furrowed your brows at the nickname.

And wait what did he mean about the media?

The first thing you saw when you opened up the media was some gossip article about hawks. The title grabbed your attention in an instant.

Hawks' latest hookup?

Hawks secretly has a relationship.

Hawks spotted in the spatula restaurant!

What the actual fuck was this?

Your face was all over the media.

You heard whispers around you in your workspace as you scrolled through your phone.

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

These past few days have been nothing but gossip about the number two hero and his secret relationship.

Even going as far as having to hide your appearance, you'd have paparazzi tailing you at any given moment to take a shot of you.

A buzz interrupted your train of thought pulling you back into reality.

Flicking your eyes over to the phone. The screen lit up a notification on the lock screen.

Skimming the notification

Annoying bird

New message

In all honesty, you didn't feel like responding. Knowing Keigo, he would probably come over to your house and confront you for not answering in at least 6 minutes.

Opening the message

Let's go out again.

You typed onto the phone's keyboard. Pressing the send button after you've typed your sentence.

I'm busy, maybe next time?

That was a lie, you were currently comfortable on your bed you had decided to call off work not in any mood to be confronted by your coworkers about your ''relationship'' with the hero.

Darting your eyes over to your nightstand you grab the red feather. That was placed on top of it.

Holding it in your hand, you stared into the crimson feather.

At any given moment, this soft delicate feather could turn into a razor-sharp knife, if he wanted it to.

You hummed as you placed it back on the nightstand.

The phone buzzed again

I'm picking you up from your house be there in 5 min

Wait, how´d he know?

You looked over to the feather beside you, brows furrowing in realization.

You heard your balconies sliding doors open, your head snapped to the direction of the noise.

You stepped quietly out of your room looking down the hallway. Eyes squinting to adjust to the darkness.

Now in your living room, you glance over to your balcony door.

It was closed switch locked

But you could´ve sworn you heard the door open

Dragging your feet over to turn on the living room lamp you heard a cabinet shut close.

Making your way over to the kitchen, you felt a strong arm grab you against him, slapping a hand over your mouth and muffling your whimpers.

''little bird, the second you hear someone come into your home you dial 911''

Your eyes widened.

He then let go of you.

Turning over to look him in the face, he wore a smirk.

''you scared me'' you barked.

''This just shows you wouldn't know what to do in that situation. Now I'm worried you can't protect yourself.''

you scoffed.

''no one really barges into my house without telling me first.''

'' I did tell you.''

''no, I told you I was busy'' you remarked.

''busy? you called off work today.''

He spits back.

Crossing your arms, you then said something you´d later come to regret.

''I'm not your girlfriend, stop acting as if I were.''

He stared at you intently, his slit pupils narrowing. His wings spread a bit as he walked over to you. This image of him looked intimidating, placing both his hands on your shoulders.

''you're going to be soon.''

______________⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆____________ /*yandere ml*/ ______________⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆____________

''Your home is small.''

''it's fine'' you retorted.

''you say that now but you´ll soon come to realize this place would be small for our kids to roam around.''

You stared at him with pure disbelief. Why would he imply such a thing, especially after you´d just told him you two were nothing, not even friends?

''Don't worry frills, I got enough money to find us a good enough house.''

He took one more step further close to you.

''no need to look so troubled'' He reached his hand out to cradle your cheek, and you pushed him back away from you.

But it seemed no matter how hard you tried to get away he was always one step ahead.

'' Of course, we´ll do everything the right way we´ll get engaged and have a wedding honeymoon. All that package.''

Suddenly the words caught in our throat, and your heartbeat was banging against your ears.

''it won't be the same as my parents did, I'll protect you and our soon-to-come family. And provide you with your needs. You'll be a queen.''

All of a sudden breathing was now hard to do.

You didn't dare move an inch.

As the feather was now against your neck, no longer soft but in its sharp form.

Those gold eyes stared directly into your awaiting an answer.

You swallowed hard, breathing in sharply.

slowly nodding your head.

At this, he beamed with excitement, the corners of his eyes crinkled along with his pearl-white canines in view.

He then embraced you in a not-too-tight but not-too-loose embrace.

Wings enclosing around you.

Your face was flushed against his chest.

''You really were meant for me, baby bird. ''

Too scared to even bite back you nodded against his chest.

The aroma of his cologne enveloped your senses.

''can't wait to be a Takami huh?''

you bite hard on your tongue to prevent yourself from saying something you'd regret.

''You no longer have to worry about financial shit'' He assured you in that sick sweet voice he's fooled many with.

''Your main concerns will only consist of worrying about the kids and the house being neat and cleaned'' His voice became soft in a soothing voice, almost too good to be true.

____________

''How'd you get my ring size?'' You questioned.

You don't remember ever giving it to him.

''remember that feather?'' he questioned.

As you recalled that feather that had curled around your finger as he told you it would be your temporary ring. A way to let many know you belonged to him. And every individual who saw it had an idea of who.

You nod your head.

Staring down at your hand

no doubt this ring must have cost more than what you earn a salary a year.

Although the ring fit perfectly, it felt, as if it were cutting off your finger's circulation.

''beautiful huh?''

''yes''

This ring should not be on you, but on someone who really was in a happy engagement, and you were certainly not.

''I tried to find one that was good enough for you, but if this is not what you want, I'll find you another.''

''no, it's okay, this one’s alright.''

''alright?'' he questioned eyes sharp.

You cleared your throat ''I meant divine it's beautiful.''

''not as much as you are frills.''

#hawks x you #yandere hawks x reader #hawks x y/n #bnha hawks #hawks x reader #bird boy #keigo x reader #keigo tamaki #my fic writing #all criticism appreciated #hawks x female reader

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school-sanctioned-movie-bullying · 2 months

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Turning Red Defense Post

It has come to my attention that some people think this blog is just me whining. I can see why those people think that, because it is true. I love to whine, and it is what I am good at. But there comes a time when one must venture out of her comfort zone.

In this post I am praising Turning Red, a movie that I like very much but that many other people seem to hate. My reasons for this are threefold. For one, I am running out of movies to complain about; two, I really like Turning Red; and three, my professor said I can’t just bitch about movies anymore, so my classic complaining style posts are hence extinct.

Before I get into my praise for the film, I want to address the common criticisms I have seen people make of it. I perused the one-star reviews on Google, and the most common complaints seemed to be “it’s cringe-worthy," “the characters were annoying," and “it has inappropriate themes.”

The reviews that said the movie was cringe-worthy mostly said so because of the main characters. The protagonist of the movie is a thirteen-year-old girl named Meilin Lee, whom many reviews had stated to be very annoying. I don’t know about anyone else, but when I was thirteen years old, I was absolutely insufferable. Cringe would be putting lightly how annoying I was. Comparably, I found Mei to be a sweet, if not dorky, tween with a similarly sympathetically dorky friend group. They were cringeworthy, but so is almost every thirteen-year-old out there, so really, the movie is just realistic.

Many reviews also found Mei Lin’s mother to be overbearing and weird, which I found to be true as well, but then that was kind of the point. Her mother is not the villain of the story by any means, but she is a flawed character. One of the most touching moments of the movie came in the form of Mei Lin helping her mother overcome those flaws. If her mother had been perfect from the start, we would have missed out on that moment.

Aside from the characters, the negative reviews for this movie took offense to the “inappropriate” themes, namely the fact that periods were brought up and the fact that the protagonist rebels against her parents. The whole concept of Mei turning into a giant red panda is supposed to be a metaphor for puberty and growing up, and as it is such a huge part of puberty for girls, there was a quick mention of periods. This came in a very quick scene where Mei Lin’s mother brought out a stash of pads when she thought her daughter had gotten her period.

It was an extremely brief moment, but evidently, that was long enough to get some people upset. I was personally thrilled to see that periods were being brought up in a normal way, and I think it is a step in the right direction for this movie to have that scene. Some parents want to take the puberty talk at their own pace, but the mention of periods in this movie is brief and vague enough that most parents should be able to sweep it under the rug until they want to discuss it with their children.

As for Mei Lin rebelling against her parents, I am truthfully confused as to why this movie specifically is guilty of that message. Plenty of other Disney or Pixar movies have the main characters going against their parents. To name a few: The Little Mermaid, Brave, Mulan, and Pocahontas. I thought that Turning Red handled Mei Lin growing up and learning to be her own person very nicely, while still portraying her overbearing mother as sympathetic.

I can see why a lot of people don’t like this movie. It was risky, and it certainly was not made to please everyone, but I think much of the hate this movie gets is undeserved. I, and many others, really enjoyed Turning Red. Despite the plethora of negative reviews I read, there were more five-star reviews than one-star reviews by a good amount.

I do truly understand where the desire to loudly hate a movie comes from; I will crap on The Greatest Showman at any opportunity. But it is necessary to remember that the movies you hate may simply not have been written to please you. There are, for some reason, people out there who really like The Greatest Showman, despite the numerous reasons I have for reviling it. And there are people out there who hate Turning Red, even when I think it was one of the best Pixar movies made in some time.

#Turning Red #Movie #Movie Review #I still hate the greatest showman #Turning red is a good movie and pt barnum can suck my cock #periods #pads #ehehehehehehe #I should probably seek mental help

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let-us-cultivate-our-garden · 1 year

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How did The Owl House manage to attract plenty of praise and one of the biggest and most active fandoms I've ever seen even though the cancellation is not the source of all the issues present in the series? I've asked this question multiple times on Discord but I'd like to see someone elaborate on this topic in a manner that you can't on chatrooms, message boards, and Twitter.

A lot of shows have big fandoms despite having major narrative flaws; what keeps these shows afloat is that they provide something that the audience wants. In TOH's case, the show is a fun, fantasy adventure with unabashed queer rep that caters to a young audience.

The Owl House is the first major cartoon show that puts its protagonist in a sapphic romance and explores that instead of using it for queer-baiting or waiting until the end of the series for the couple to get together.

That's huge.

Now, whether Amity and Luz's relationship is healthy or well-written is a question for more critically-minded fans, the rest just appreciate what the show offers and celebrate that.

And that's okay.

You don't need to analyze a show to death in order to enjoy it, in fact most don't. Most fans just enjoy the show for its surface level elements and don't really think about the themes. For those that do, it's fun analyzing their favorite show for deeper elements, characterization, narrative tropes, etc.

Outside of simply enjoying the show, many fans have claimed that they felt "seen" by the show; whether that was seeing a poc character in an active role, the queer rep, or defeating the villain character who reminds them of their bigoted family members, the show has a lot of emotional elements that people connect to. If a show has already emotionally resonated with you, it can be difficult to look at its flaws or worse, seeing legitimate criticism of the show can feel like a personal attack on you.

Personally, I joined the TOH fandom late and didn't get emotionally invested with it (except for ONE character), so I'm able to look at it from a distance and spot the flaws. Now, a person can both love a show deeply AND recognize its shortcomings.

Despite all of my criticism against the show, The Owl House isn't a bad show; it's still fun and engaging but for me, it is riddled with missed potential and has significant structural issues.

But that's just me. Other fans either don't see the problems or blame them on something else. And that's fine. Fandom is extremely fickle and what makes a show accrue a large following is complex and varied.

I see The Owl House as like candy, looks and tastes great but not very substantive. It's a show that never really challenges its audience but it does make them feel good. And for many people, that's perfectly alright.

#asks #toh critical #toh criticism #the owl house

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seriouslycromulent · 2 months

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My rewatch of The John Larroquette Show (so far)

In my effort to keep my Larroquette obsession thriving, I've recently started a rewatch of The John Larroquette Show. Like Night Court (which I rewatched in 2022), I remember watching this show when it originally aired.

But unlike Night Court, my memory of most of the episodes is a bit fuzzy. I remember the main characters and their personalities just fine, but not so much what happens in terms of the storyline.

Regardless, I'm enjoying the rewatch, and I'm pleasantly surprised by how much the show holds up over time, how evergreen the topics are, and how strong the jokes are. Seriously. They are constantly telling jokes that I swear are as old as vaudeville, but they kill in terms of laughs from the audience and from me as well.

Example: In s2e8 "The Book of Rachel," Mayim Bialik guest stars as a young hippie-ish woman named Rachel who shows up in hopes of finding out if John Hemingway (JL's character) is her real dad. She's narrowed down the search to 3 men who knew her mom, who was living wild and free back in the '70s, around that time.

When John asks how her mother's doing, Rachel says, "She's doing pretty good. She's been clean for about 5 years now." John, a recovering alcoholic who's been sober for 1 year, says, "That's great! So no more drugs and booze, huh?" And Rachel says, "Oh no, there's still plenty of drugs and booze. She's just been bathing regularly for 5 years."

I'm not telling it very well in writing, but I swear to you, that joke is funny as hell, and Mayim and JL's delivery is perfection. Plus, it got a huge laugh from the audience, which speaks to its timeless nature.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a thought or two on the show so far. (I'm on episode 12 of Season 2, just in case anyone wants to know the context.)

Here are some random thoughts I've had so far:

Like Night Court, the show does a solid job of mixing comedy and drama. The first season is a bit more drama heavy because they dealt more with the recovery storyline, but I think it still worked and the whole concept is still pretty daring (i.e., revolving around the unglamorous lives of people who work in and around a bus station at night) even compared to today's sitcoms, which still tend to play it safe.

JL's hair in the first season is absurdly long. Or at least it gets to be absurdly long about halfway through the season. And it's not a good look. Not because he looks bad with long hair, but because it looks like it takes a lot of upkeep. And a man who is working 3rd shift at a bus station and lives in a halfway house/SRO building doesn't seem like he'd have a strict hair care regimen to make it appear perfectly tamed at all time. Seriously, at one point I had to ask out loud, "I wonder if they curl the ends with a curling iron or do they use rollers?"

This may be the first TV show I ever saw Chi McBride in. Despite seeing him on plenty of TV shows and films over the years, I never knew he had such a lovely singing voice. I'm glad they gave him a chance to share his singing talent. His version of "Danny Boy" in season 1 was very good.

The 2 corrupt police officers who blatantly flaunt their bias and awfulness are both funny and a great commentary on what was happening in America at the time (i.e., the Rodney King police beating, and the aftermath of the verdict was still very fresh in everyone's minds then). Sadly, it is an evergreen topic for the U.S., but I think it says a lot about the writers for TJLS that they attacked the subject so openly and didn't shy away of being critical of police or lampooning them. I don't think a modern American sitcom would approach the subject so brazenly and unapologetically today. JL has said in a number of interviews that the show was kind of ahead of its time. And I'm inclined to agree with him, at least in some areas.

It's so cool going back to watch old TV shows and catching actors who have now become bigger names in the business. I just watched an episode with Jane Lynch working as a mental health care professional. Of course, this was way before she found success on Glee and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Does JL manage to work in a reference to Samuel Beckett into everything he works on starting with this series? It's starting to function as his own career Easter egg at this point. I'm not complaining. Just wondering.

I know Don Reo created the show, but I suspect JL had a small amount of his life's adventures and details shape the John Hemingway character (like the Beckett references, his running commentary on anything that happened in the 1960s, his openness about being friends with anyone from any background, etc.). But the only way to truly know this is for JL to 1) tell us in Q&As or interviews, or 2) write an autobiography already, dammit!

In s2e1 "Changes," JL sits down in a chair by swinging his leg over the back of it, and I immediately thought of the Riker Maneuver. I know JL did it before Jonathan Frakes on TNG, but it will always be the Riker Maneuver to me.

Another way the show was ahead of its time was in its portrayal of sex workers and trans people. Most of the time, it's played for comedy on the show (I mean, it is a sitcom after all), but there's a very real attempt to share stories of Carly, Teddi and Pat that are humanizing. Teddi and Pat are trans sex workers, but they are accepted by most (not the male cop) and aren't just the butt of jokes. They even get included in simple things like group poker games and asked to watch the lunch counter when Dexter runs off to do something or other. That might seem like not a big deal, but at that time (the mid-90s), most inclusion of hookers and trans folks on TV usually involved heavy drama like trying to save them from their lives or begrudgingly acknowledging that they were a part of society with disdain and ridicule. And the overall acceptance of Carly as a friend and possible love interest without trying to save her or judge her was also a bit ahead of its time. And when there were moments of judgment, they were faced head on and challenged.

#john larroquette #the john larroquette show #fandom #i don't have a problem #you have a problem

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gash-rock-now · 4 days

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SCUM Zine (2022)

When I found Riot Grrrl music, I was elated. Loud, fast, angry music that focused on feminism was exactly what I was looking for. I discovered it as a genre/movement through Bikini Kill, as many of us do. The first time I heard Double Dare Ya, I felt like my life had changed. I went through the whole discography and found plenty that I liked just as much, but also several ideas that were expressed that I was a bit critical of. I decided to dig deeper into Riot Grrrl and what it was, but I found myself disappointed. Most of the music in the genre isn't actually all that loud or fast, and it feels like there is more contempt than pure rage, at least in many instances. There are several bands that I enjoy some of the songs of, but they don't quite hit for me in a broader sense. The critiques they present are so rarely about larger systems of oppression but rather individual experiences or more minor issues (which isn't to say that those minor issues shouldn't be discussed because they ARE contributing to a larger system, but I think that the system they uphold needs to actually be addressed for it to have any impact, otherwise the resounding response is that it's insignificant or not inherently universal). Bikini Kill and Bratmobile got the closest to that for me, but it was still mixed in with some ideals that I don't adhere to. I thought that the ideas might be fleshed out or properly analyzed in the zines that they released, so I got copies of the Bikini Kill and Girl Germs zines, as well as a plethora of other 90s Riot Grrrl zines, and for the most part they offered me the same conundrum: they are just kinda cool. They offer some inspiration, But that's really it; they are aesthetically pleasing, a bit edgy, and touch on some feminist topics, but they still are just individual thoughts, feelings, and aesthetics above all else. It often left me to wonder, who could build a revolutionary movement on this? Kathleen Hanna said she wanted a Revolution, "Girl-Style" NOW, but where is it? The biggest problem, in my opinion, was the rampant individualism. Riot Grrrl, despite the probable original intent, wasn't a revolutionary leftist force but rather an aesthetic neoliberal one (which makes perfect sense for the time that it came about, but still it leaves a lot to be desired). It's made a comeback in recent years, and self-declared Riot-Grrrls have started making zines again too. I've bought some of the more popular Riot Grrrl zines of the present day, and looked at many of the ones that exist online but they are largely, well, in my opinion, worse. Like they try to replicate the whole aesthetic of the 90s zines but really focus in on that *aesthetic* rather than the politics, which is an issue for me because I already was critical enough of the politics before. It's often a culmination of collages and pictures that worship a specific artist or a "look", interspersed with the repetition of slogans and the same brand of politics that you find on those sponsored radlib™ instagram pages that make those slideshows that co-opt leftist language but end up being ironically very reactionary and kinda perplexing. And seeing this be the current state of feminist "activism" amongst youth, especially amongst those who would proclaim themselves to be radicals and leftists of some sort, has led me to a point of feeling like I need to take action. I just couldn't find a means of feminist activism that felt right to me.

#feminist punk #gash rockers #gash rock #scum #scum punk #scum band #society for cutting up misogynists #society for cuttin up misogynists

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readnburied · 4 months

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Book Review: Rouge by Mona Awad

Date of Publishing: September 12th, 2023

Author: Mona Awad

Publisher: S&S/Marysue Rucci Books

Genre: Horror Literary Fiction, Gothic

This is a standalone novel and follows the story of Mirabelle (Belle) who sees beauty in every person except herself. Growing up as the daughter of a beautiful woman, Belle does whatever she can to make herself look beautiful, even sign up for a salon named Rouge which her Mother kept mentioning before she died. However, Rouge is not what it appears to be and Belle soon realizes that the price of beauty is sometimes to steep to pay.

I’m obsessed with Mona Awad’s books and her writing style. I don’t know how she comes up with such unique concepts and able to weave such an intriguing narrative but this is one seriously talented author and I strive to be as good as her. I. AM. NOT. JOKING.

The plot line that mixes the beauty standards of today’s day and age with fairytales was quick to suck me in and I really enjoyed reading about the vast number of beauty products that Belle uses in an attempt to appear beautiful to the world.

Moreover, the mystery surrounding her Mother’s death was an entire roller-coaster and I have to say the lady in red who appears at her Mother’s funeral was one of my favorite characters in the book; the male counter part being the other, but this author really told the world that the beauty standards now are fairly dangerous and crippling. I could sense some kind of sub text in the form of criticism about how expensive beauty treatments are these days and not everyone can afford them despite having the right to be beautiful. I’m not sure if the author intended it but that’s what I got from reading the book.

The characters were strange and mysterious as the rest of the story. Like they had a back story but as a reader I was left wondering exactly what the back story was. Belle’s mother clearly had a lot of relationships which were explored in the novel, but there were some characters I’m still wondering about; especially a dark and brooding detective who had a penchant for disguise. Though his story was explored as well, I would’ve liked to have gotten to know him a little deeper.

Mona Awad has done a fantastic job by adding a touch of creepiness in the form of the mannequins. I never imagined mannequins to be as interesting as she portrayed them. But now every time I’d look at a mannequin I wouldn’t just think of it as a figure of plaster but something more. Something that could be more.

The psychological aspect woven through the entire story was downright genius and that’s what gave the story the depth it possessed. From the obsession with mirrors and beauty to the mannequins that talked and breathed as if they were real, it was intense and it was thrilling.

And the best part was the jellyfish. I am obsessed with jellyfish and the author putting the spotlight on such beautiful, mysterious creatures stole my heart. The jellyfish taking center stage really made me fall in love with the story and I really wish I could keep a jellyfish as a pet. Furthermore, the jellyfish being a symbol for one’s memories and soul just shows how malleable and fluid a person’s thoughts can be. I also think the author kind of hinted at a future where it’d be easy for people to get rid of unhappy or traumatic memories as that kind of technology is being invented as I write this. But then the question arises, what are we without our memories? Just a bunch of mannequins—wearing identical expressions and having no opinion of our own. So this story really does leave the reader with plenty of food for thought because one really ask themselves whether they really want to get rid of the painful memories.

The entire tone of the story is dark and mysterious. Since the start of the story I was filled with questions and read the entire book just to seek the answers. The focus on mirrors was an intriguing aspect to the story just like the jellyfish. And the man in the mirror does seem like the negative voice inside everyone’s head which tells them they’re not good enough and need to work harder to look beautiful.

Beauty, though makes the world more appealing can be incredibly lethal if it’s forced.

All in all, this book is a must read for everyone and I’m looking forward to Mona Awad’s upcoming books—whenever that maybe. I’m only left with one book by this author which I have yet to read and rest assured I’ll be doing that as soon as I get the chance. But I highly recommend this book to everyone and I urge you all to give this book a chance as soon as possible.

#read n buried #reading #booklr #books and reading #book #books #books & libraries #book blog #currently reading #book community #Book Review #book recommendations #new books #book blogger #book club #Bookish #bookworm #bookstagram #book tumblr

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terramythos · 4 months

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TAYLOR READS 2024: MORT BY TERRY PRATCHETT

Title: Mort (Discworld) (1987)

Author: Terry Pratchett

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Comedy, Third-Person

Rating: 7/10

Date Began: 1/6/2024

Date Finished: 2/4/2024

Mort, a young man with no clear direction in life, becomes apprenticed to Death himself. While learning the so-called trade, Mort makes a mistake which threatens to rewrite the course of history.

I INVITE YOU INTO MY HOME, he said, I TRAIN YOU, I FEED YOU, I CLOTHE YOU, I GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITIES YOU COULD NOT DREAM OF, AND THUS YOU REPAY ME. YOU SEDUCE MY DAUGHTER FROM ME, YOU NEGLECT THE DUTY, YOU MAKE RIPPLES IN REALITY THAT WILL TAKE A CENTURY TO HEAL. YOUR ILL-TIMED ACTIONS HAVE DOOMED YOUR COMRADES TO OBLIVION. THE GODS WILL DEMAND NOTHING LESS. ALL IN ALL, BOY, NOT A GOOD START TO YOUR FIRST JOB.

For live reading notes, check the reblogs (contains unmarked spoilers).

Content warnings and review (spoiler-free and spoiler versions) under the cut.

Content Warnings: Mentioned -- Suicide, animal abuse. Depicted -- Death (i mean. yeah), animal death, sexual humor, suicidal ideation, fatphobia (kinda).

**SPOILER-FREE REVIEW**

Before I dive into the review, I want to acknowledge that despite several criticisms, I did enjoy reading Mort. It certainly has issues that keep me from rating it higher, but I still recommend it as a fun read despite these flaws.

A major reason for this is the prose. It's difficult to express just how clever Pratchett was as a writer. He has a unique way of presenting scenes and situations which consistently feels fresh and original. Whether it's clever wordplay or a unique spin on tired cliches, he's always catching me off guard in the best way. Saying someone's voice "could have kept milk fresh for a month" instead of "was icy" is one among hundreds of delightful examples. And while there's plenty of witticisms, they feel genuine rather than cynically scripted to appeal to as many people as possible.

Pratchett also doesn't shy away from serious topics despite the general comedic tone, and this contrast makes the grounded parts of the writing all the more poignant. His fantastic style is so omnipresent in his work that to explore it in detail would devour the rest of the review. Even when taking notes while reading I'd have to be selective on WHICH great phrases I wrote down lest I only spend time on them to the exclusion of all else.

One specific thing I like about Pratchett's writing is how specific jokes recur throughout the story but often in ways one doesn't expect. There's a running bit in Mort where characters will call him "boy" or "lad" and he tiredly corrects them with "Mort". As a reader I fully expected him to eventually get fed up and chew someone out for failing to use his name. And… he does! But later the joke is subverted again in a (spoilerific) way I DIDN’T expect, which caught me completely off guard. Setups and payoffs like that are delightful.

**SPOILER REVIEW**

My biggest struggle with Mort is that I found it difficult to care about the plot until the end. There are two things working against Mort's story that made me feel this way.

The first is the main conflict's inciting incident: Mort commits a selfish act and saves the life of a princess who was supposed to die. In doing so, Mort warps reality and the fabric of history itself. The problem is, the only reason he saves Princess Keli is because of a superficial crush on her just from seeing her for a few seconds. The two barely interact before he saves her, and when they do later, there's not any chemistry to make this decision interesting. And yes, I'm aware that this was probably intentional: Mort did something foolish and impulsive and has to deal with the consequences. The problem is that since the rest of the plot hinges on his choice to intervene, and the context around that choice is so lackluster, it brings the entire plot down. I found myself wondering why Mort bothers to keep up the ruse and lie directly to Death when his reason for doing so is so vague and uninteresting. The personal stakes just felt nonexistent to me.

The second issue is how the story is structured. Rather than closely following a standard plot progression, Mort is more like a series of vignettes and scenes loosely tied together. There's nothing wrong with that in and of itself; I'd argue Guards! Guards! follows a similar style, and I'm willing to bet much of Pratchett's work does. The problem is when this lack of focus combines with a weak core conflict. Reality being split and history diverging should be compelling, yet I wondered why I should care at all. The main thing that kept me reading was the clever writing and setups in these scenes. So I found the book fun to read but the story mediocre.

To Mort's credit, the stakes get more personal and involved toward the end. I finally found the story and characters compelling when Mort started to become more like Death. It's jarring when his dialogue intermittently switches to Death's unique typeface. This is probably the only time I've had a font choice genuinely catch me off guard-- unexpected Death dialogue is surprising in other Discworld books, but here it serves a different function because it's NOT actually Death speaking. The true love interest Ysabell also gets a lot of characterization toward the end, which is a shame because she's a great character who should have had plot involvement sooner.

Speaking of characters near the end, it seems like Pratchett suddenly realized the book needed a villain in the third act, so randomly assigned the role to side character Albert. So he's evil for a few dozen pages after showing no indication of this before, then the whole incident with him is resolved by Death with zero problems. It's super weird-- in fact, you could probably cut Albert out of the story entirely and nothing would change. Perhaps I'm missing something but I really didn't see the point of this. There is some context suggesting he is an historical figure referenced in other Discworld novels, so maybe it's more interesting if you've read those. However, having only read Guards! Guards!, this obviously fell flat for me. While inter-book references are fun (I was delighted to see The Librarian, for example), I don't think key components of the plot should rely on them, assuming that is the case here.

On the positive side, there are some small details I loved. One is how Pratchett uses the phrase "There is no justice. There is just me," to refer to Death. Because the moment I read it I wondered when we would hear "there is just us" instead, since the pun speaks for itself. So when we DID get that line during an emotional moment of the story I was cheering and hollering and punching the air and shit. It's one of those predictable things that is nevertheless extremely satisfying as a reader.

Another great detail is that every person has a literal book that describes their life until they die, which is constantly being written. While this is true metaphorically, it's a literal thing in Death's domain. Mort the novel closes with Mort the character seeing his own book and reading from it, and this becomes the narration for the last page or so. It's a clever payoff to a mechanic introduced in the novel.

A last thing to note is that there are still some loose ends. This isn't necessarily a criticism since there is a chance they are addressed in future books, but I'm mentioning them for my own benefit. In one early scene, Mort bungles his job so badly that a witch named Goodie Hamstring successfully manipulates him and escapes dying entirely. Considering the emphasis on this scene and the ominous tone, it isn't addressed at all by the end of the book, so it is possible this character shows up elsewhere.

Something not fully explored is the theme of reality. When Mort rescues Princess Keli, he creates a paradox where multiple realities exist, and one has to dominate over the other, which serves as part of the main conflict. Death's realm is not real despite being a major location in the story-- something that's true in a meta sense (Mort being a work of fiction) but also in the context of the story. Then there's implications throughout the book that Mort becomes "more real" the more he behaves like Death. While Death is the final reality of life, obviously, this is presented more in a mechanical way than a philosophical one. At the end of the story Death gives Mort a pearl of reality that Mort created due to the events of the novel, stating that it can be the beginning of a new universe whenever Discworld finally dies. This is… quite the detail to drop at the end. I feel like reality is explored as an in-universe mechanic rather than a metaphorical theme in the story, which is why it doesn't feel conclusive by the end. It makes me wonder, again, if this is going to come up in a later Discworld novel.

**CONCLUSION**

Overall while I had some issues with Mort as a story, as a reading experience I really enjoyed it. I might delve into more of the City Watch storyline next, since I had a great time with Guards! Guards! and want more of those characters.

#taylor reads #7/10 #book review

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poohsticksbridge · 8 months

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In the midst of a largely enjoyable season of Amazon Prime’s/Sony Pictures’ adaptation of The Wheel of Time series, delivered by an outstanding cast and crew all deserving of acclaim (and renewal for future seasons), I see a lot of people responding with annoyance or dismissal of viewers’ issues (‘nitpicks’/‘complaints’) with certain season 2 character arcs.

Permit me to explain where one dense & annoying complainer (i.e., yours truly) is coming from. Because Nynaeve’s S2 show arc is potentially triggering for anyone who has lived experience with pregnancy or child loss.

Despite putting this assertion out there, I have seen — and been directly subject — to a range of responses that range from patronizing to downright heartless. These include:

How can anyone (read: these idiots) NOT see the character development that’s being set up?

People who criticize don’t understand/lack empathy for trauma survivors.

Critics who are (over)reacting need to shut up and deal with their own unresolved trauma.

And the evergreen refrain: they’re just fictional characters. Get a life. 🙄

As someone who has lost multiple pregnancies, and supported loved ones through child loss, excuse me when I say: hold my mother’s milk in a fucking cup.

Nynaeve’s arc this season was especially difficult to watch and process because she was the only character who went through it without genuine support or a single onscreen ray of hope for resolution/closure. The fact this will probably come 18-24 months from now, does not ease the immediate pain.

Let me offer a hypothetical comparator: picture the reaction from Egwene stans & the fandom as a whole, if the season had ended on episode 5. I can only imagine how that might have gone down.

As hard as I found Nynaeve’s arc, I was inclined to process it privately — until these kinds of comments started to show up in other’s posts and threads. Because I find the toxic positivity, fanlier-than-thouism and callous dismissal of others’ feelings even more triggering than Nynaeve’s arc.

Why? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself, because I too generally find fandom drama tiring. Here’s what I realized:

Such responses are trivializing and isolating. Very much the way grieving parents (or almost parents) feel after their loss, because so few people are able to relate. (Despite the growing exploration/exploitation of pregnancy and child loss in ‘entertainment,’ there’s still a very real societal taboo when it comes to talking about RL experiences.)

If you find my criticism, posts and replies to comments about Nynaeve’s arc tiresome, offensive or otherwise upsetting, feel free to ignore/delete/block/move along. Or, by all means, respond thoughtfully. But don’t tell me I don’t see/understand what the writers are doing (I’m not an idiot). Don’t tell me I don’t understand/lack empathy for trauma survivors. Don’t tell me to cool down/get over it/get (more) therapy. Don’t tell me I need to get a life. (My rainbow kid keeps me plenty busy, thanks.) And don’t expect me to shut up about my criticisms of a cherished character’s unrelenting suffering, and how it has been portrayed as robbing her of her signature competence and common sense.

If you’re still reading, thank you very much for enduring my rant. May those with differing perspectives enjoy their S3 longing, while I busy myself with fix-it fanfics and gratuitous Laneave smut.

#PSB is on her high horse #flogging it into glue #yes even when people are suffering in real life #it’s okay to want to escape life’s hardships for a while #I’m just here to mash my favourite characters together #wheel of time #wot #nynaeve al'meara #lan mandragoran #lanaeve

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rainsandrains · 8 months

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John Keats and Atheopagan Sainthood

So, I recently changed my PhD topic somewhat - from my perspective it is a drastic narrowing down of my original topic, but from the faculty's perspective it's a change of topic that required rewriting my proposal, submitting it for review, etc. It got accepted, so after a year of limbo and depression I have a new supervisor (which should make a big difference to my ability to jump through the arbitrary academic hoops while my keeping both my academic integrity and my mental health intact) and renewed motivation for my work.

My new project is on John Keats and parasocial interaction. I'd love to chat about it if anyone is curious, but that's not really the point right now. The point is: I am SO happy to be reading and writing about Keats again. I feel like my interests in Keats and in paganism have been complementary in a way, whereas previously I felt like my spiritual life and my academic life were vastly different, often competing, spaces. I have a couple of thoughts I wanted to share, and would love to hear what people think.

1) the idea of "saints" from an Atheopagan perspective. I toyed with Keats as an "ancestor" of sorts, specifically with his idea of Negative Capability (see below) as a sacred concept, but it never felt quite right. I know I COULD see him as an ancestor, especially as I enjoy writing poetry and think I'm reasonably good at it, at least some of the time. But still, it never stuck. Today, the word "saint" came to mind, and I really like that. First, a saint is someone you look up to, not just for their accomplishments but for their suffering and faith (or, for our purposes, dedication to their values etc) throughout it. Keats suffered plenty - not just his own infamous early death to TB but by losing multiple family members to it as well. He also suffered the slings and arrows of the classist reviewers and such, and that caused him to doubt himself a great deal. And yet, despite all this, before he died at just 25 he had written poetry that has been beloved for two centuries, inspiring to many, and that is extremely beautiful. He trained to be a doctor originally, and in Aileen Ward's essay on Keats and the idea of fame (in 'Critical Essays on John Keats, edited by Hermione De Almeida, available to read on archive.org for free) she discusses his internal battle regarding what his ambition should be: he wanted to be of service to others, and felt guilty that he was pursuing poetry rather than medicine, yet felt a calling to poetry he couldn't ignore. Ultimately, he seems to have mixed the two: on good days, he saw poetry as a way to be of service, and honestly I think he succeeded. So, Keats was dedicated to his values (service to others, and the value of beauty (one of the Atheopagan pillars), as well as others) throughout a great deal of suffering, and I find that greatly inspiring.

The other thing about saints is that, from a Catholic perspective at least, they're meant to be able to intercede on our behalf. Of course we don't believe in that sort of thing - but perhaps, in a ritual context, there could be some use for a metaphorical or imaginary intercession. I'm not sure precisely how this would look; I've never found ritual easy, it doesn't come naturally to me. But there could be some value in "invoking" the "spirit" of Keats to aid in a task, to making a talisman related to him that you keep around when struggling with a task you feel he could help with. I don't know.

2) Negative Capability as a sacred concept. There are several sections of his letters that are taken together in the many interpretations of the idea of Negative Capability, but the main one is this: "I had not a dispute, but a disquisition, with Dilke upon various subjects; several things dove-tailed in my mind, and at once it struck me what quality went to form a man of achievement, especially in literature, and which Shakespeare possessed so enormously—I mean Negative Capability; that is, when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason. Coleridge, for instance, would let go by a fine isolated verisimilitude caught from the Penetralium of mystery, from being incapable of remaining content with half-knowledge. This pursued through volumes would perhaps take us no further than this, that with a great poet the sense of Beauty overcomes every other consideration, or rather obliterates all consideration." I actually want to quote my college chaplain on this, from an email exchange in June 2021. I hope he wouldn't mind! After relating it to some aspects of Christianity, he wrote: "Our own struggles do not become easier when we accept the mysteriousness of them, but we do perhaps save ourselves an extra level of pain in denying ourselves the possibility of being “content with half knowledge”. It also might help us support those who are suffering more if – unlike Job’s companions in that extraordinary book about suffering – we resist the temptation to try to wholly explain or fix something through a delimited vision of our own rational capabilities. In simple terms I guess we’re talking about a posture of humility!" Negative Capability has been interpreted in various ways by different critics over the years. I personally like Walter Jackson Bate's interpretation, which is based in part in ideas about empathy and the imagination (the latter of which being a vital concept to Keats and to most, if not all, Romantic poets): “into the Imagination’s apprehension of an object are woven the very subtlest threads of association” which “escape the scrutiny of the intellect” but are picked up by the intuition. (Bate, Negative Capability: On the Intuitive Approach to Keats, 1939 - I think also available on archive.org) Moreover, he defines Negative Capability as “an acceptance […] of the particular, a love of it and a trust in it; and an acceptance, moreover, with all its ‘half-knowledge’, of the ‘sense of Beauty,’ of force, of intensity, that lies within that particular and is indeed its identity and its truth, and which ‘overcomes every other consideration, or rather obliterates all consideration.’” I love this - Negative Capability not as a commitment to agnosticism in all things, nor as a fanciful belief in whatever feels beautiful (as it can easily sound like he's saying) - Keats studied chemistry and botany in his medical training, and was certainly not anti-science - but, from a moral and artistic perspective (which were greatly intertwined in the cultural view of the "artist" or "poet" at the time), accepting mystery, humbly accepting what we don't know, and letting our sense of beauty (which I read as encompassing gentleness, softness, solidarity, vulnerability, kindness, radical acceptance of self and other...) "obliterate" the capitalistic and religious concerns we've been raised to see as reasonable.

I hope that some of what I've said made SOME sense. Much, much ink has been spilled trying to parse what Keats means on this topic and others, so please don't take my interpretation as any kind of authority. I just find the concept fascinating, and inspiring, and beautiful, and... maybe sacred.

3) FInally, the thing that actually prompted me to write this in the beginning: Keats and paganism. Specifically, quoting from John Barnard in his essay in De Almeida's book cited earlier,

"Keats owned a copy of William Godwin's The Pantheon: or Ancient History of the Gods of Greece and Rome… (1806), a book aimed at the young reader and published under the name of "Edward Baldwin." Godwin writes: '[...] it is a delightful thing to take a walk in fields, and look at the skies and trees and the corn-fields and the waving grass, to observe the mountains and the lakes and the rivers and the seas, to smell the new-mown hay, to inhale the fresh and balmy breeze, and to hear the wild warblings of the birds: but a man does not enjoy these in their most perfect degree, till his imagination becomes a little visionary; the human mind does not have a landscape without life and without a soul: we are delighted to talk to the objects around us, and to feel as if they understood and sympathised with us: we create, by the power of fancy, a human form and a human voice in those scenes, which to a man of literal understanding may appear dead and lifeless.' Hence, according to Godwin, Greek religion 'gave animation and life to all existence: it had its Naiads, Gods of the rivers, its Tritons and Nereids, Gods of the seas, its Satyrs, Fauns and Dryads, Gods of the woods and trees, and its Boreas, Euros, Auster and Zephyr, Gods of the winds.'"

Keats was evidently inspired by this idea - we do see it also in other Romantic writers as well, for example Percy Shelley (who married Godwin's daughter and was a big fan of Godwin as a young man), but Keats's approach to paganism has inspired me in my Atheopaganism a great deal, and this passage in Barnard helped me to understand why. Keats writes about Apollo a great deal, which makes sense as Apollo was god of both poetry and healing - and often he figures himself as an Apollonian devotee, both in lighthearted and more serious ways. I don't get any sense from his writing that Keats believed in Apollo, but the way he writes about him is so evocative that it makes me wish the god was real sometimes... that passage in Barnard made it make sense to me: Keats felt (intuitively, in a negatively capable way) the interconnectedness of life on Earth, the vitality of the natural world, and paganism was the way he was drawn to express it. Ancient Greek and Roman religion (and art, and everything) was fashionable at the time, which likely influenced his choice of gods (because those would have been the books available to him at the time), but in general Keats uses pagan imagery to reflect the "visionary" quality of his imagination, an imagination that enables him to feel the vitality, the beautifully interconnected life, all around him. Isn't that what we're doing as Atheopagans, whether we use metaphorical deities in our practice or not? Godwin wrote that we imagine the natural world to be sentient and alive - well, we know it's alive, even if it's not all sentient in the same way we are. I see what Keats is doing as an 18th/19th century version of what I see in Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life, or Robert Macfarlane's writing on landscape, or the music of Spell Songs, or Robin Wall Kimmerer's approach to the natural world. It's beautiful.

#op #atheopaganism #hmm do i tag this with keats #what the hell #john keats #keats #uh #naturalistic paganism

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schmergo · 1 year

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My informal review of Beauty and the Beast at Olney Theatre in Maryland!

I had to write a casual, rambling review of Beauty and the Beast at Olney Theatre Center for you because that was a fun and memorable theatre experience if there ever was one, and certainly the most maximalist show I've seen since the world shut down in 2020! The production runs through January 1, so there are still plenty of chances to catch it! This production is best known for its inclusive casting of the title characters, and it's so enjoyable in every other possible way, too.

Full disclosure: I love Beauty and the Beast. I've also seen at least 8 different live productions of it, half of them professional. I can be equally overly critical and overly effusive when it comes to this show. It's one of those movies that feels like it's made for theatre (that score!), but translating living household objects, an enchanted castle, and a monstrous but strangely appealing Beast from cartoon format to live action is much easier said than done. Because of that, I've never NOT enjoyed a production of Beauty and the Beast before, but I've also never seen one that felt like they got it perfectly right. (And there's always at least one super distractingly janky costume!) This production was not totally perfect, but it was certainly my favorite mounting of Beauty and the Beast I've seen so far!

I think a lot of girls in my demographic grew up seeing themselves in Belle, but I actually always related more to the Beast. I guess I felt like Belle was always a little too perfect to be especially interesting-- beautiful, kind, elegant, graceful, brave, AND smart?-- and the Beast was the character with the real arc. Despite Belle's big solo in the second act, "A Change in Me," I never felt like Belle changes very much as a character at all, nor does she have anywhere to grow. Jade Jones and director Marcia Milgrom Dodge gave Belle more of a complete journey than I've previously seen. I also appreciated that this production proved there’s no one way a beautiful Princess has to look. Jade Jones is a plus-size, Black, LGBTQ+ performer and she killed it as Belle.

Why do the villagers see Belle as 'odd?' The script implies that it's simply because she... READS. (Gasp!) But in this production, I felt like Belle had a charming, refreshing awkwardness to her in the first half. When she rambles about how much she loves her books, she starts obliviously gushing. When she tries to turn down the ridiculous Gaston, she looks uncomfortable and frozen, unable to clearly communicate with him. And when she's with her eccentric father, Maurice, we see her goofy inner child come out. Oh yes-- and unlike the other women in the village, she wears PANTS!

This slight unconventionality turns out to serve her well in the unfamiliar milieu of the Beast's castle. The Beast, too, does not navigate social norms well. But where Belle's slight awkwardness is adorable, the Beast's lack of social skills is dangerous. But Belle's not afraid of him, and she doesn't even mind when he's rude-- putting his leg up on the table and slurping his soup (heck, she slurps her soup alongside him!)-- as long as he's being respectful to her. When he's not, she calls him out. And when he gushes over the story they're reading together just as much as she does, her eyes light up. That felt very familiar to me. I think some versions of this story feel like, “Belle teaches the Beast how to act normal,” dwelling on finer points of etiquette, but this one felt like, “Two people find someone they can be a little weird with.”

Jade Jones approaches Belle with a commendable playfulness and a groundedness and has the most raw, powerful voice I’ve heard in this role. The song "A Change in Me" has never hit me so hard before. I did feel like some of the impressive vocal gymnastics she displayed detracted a tiny bit from the character's sincerity, but really enjoyed them nonetheless. I'd previously enjoyed Jones as Little Red in Into the Woods at Ford's Theatre, but was even more impressed by her nuanced work here.

Evan Ruggiero made a wonderfully versatile Beast and a fantastic match for Jade Jones' Belle. Their dynamic was a joy to behold-- 'joy' really is the word, because watching the depressed and self-destructive Beast discover a new sense of joy in life was beautiful. I knew he is an acclaimed dancer, but Ruggiero's vocal work shocked me. I don't know how he sustained the Beast's incredibly deep, growly, harsh voice (I wonder if he was speaking through a voice modulator?) when his own natural voice, heard in interviews, has a much lighter timbre.

His singing voice is beautiful, both rich and delicate. I saw a mixed review disparage that he sounds scary when he speaks but sings "like someone from Les Miserables," but that cracked me up-- the role of the Beast on Broadway was originally played by Terrence Mann, indeed "someone from Les Miserables" (the original Broadway Javert). I personally think a Beast with a lovely singing voice isn't incongruous; the songs express his inner feelings with an elegance he cannot convey out loud.

If there's one slight downside to his performance, it's that his animalistic portrayal of the Beast meant he was always hiding his face with his hunched posture in the first act. While his body language ably communicated his character's growth, it meant that those of us in the mezzanine could hardly see his face before his big act one finale song. Then again, this was probably intentional-- we don't really get to know the Beast until Belle does.

I've discovered from the MANY performances of Beauty and the Beast I've seen that I like the Beast's costumes best when they're not attempting to replicate the character's look in the movie or going for extremely elaborate muscle suits and facial prostheses but are more impressionistic. Ruggiero's Beast simply wears a super shabby outfit, a long greasy wig, impressive curling ram's horns on his head, a bit of dark eye makeup, and furry gloves and matching boot. The rest is all his body language and voice.

Ruggiero lost a leg to cancer 10 years ago and now performs with a prosthesis-- in this production, a cool-looking, time-period-appropriate peg leg. (A post on his instagram applauds the skill of the makers of the peg leg: the fit and suction is so good that at one point, Gaston drags him across the stage by it, a gasp-inducing moment and certainly one that shows the extent of his villainy). He uses his prosthesis to creative effect in several scenes, especially when fighting off wolves. He also climbs up and down a super long curvy staircase while belting out high notes with ease, which surprised and impressed me while also making me confront my own ignorant assumption about his ability.

The actor's disability also helps put a different spin on the character's backstory. When we see the young prince at the beginning of the show, he's portrayed as a child and pushed around in a wheelchair by Cogsworth. His servants physically push him anywhere he wants them to, and when they offer him food, drinks, or the enchantress' rose, he brattily throws them to the ground. There's a Colin Craven vibe to the young prince. By portraying the prince as an actual child, we get the sense that he's both spoiled and neglected. The script bears hints of this, telling us the curse has been in effect for 'ten years' (but isn't he almost 21?) and the Beast mentions that he only learned to read "a little" and long ago. Did an illness or accident mean the young prince's formal education or etiquette training was interrupted? Is he babied because of this? Was he shut away from the world because of his disability before he was shut away due to the curse? Where are his royal parents anyway?

This sense of arrested development comes through very well in Ruggiero's portrayal. There is an innocent boyishness to the Beast that comes out in the second act, and his rages seem more like tantrums than genuinely scary. He even wears the tattered remains of his childhood velvet suit. No wonder this poor guy's messed up-- he went through puberty in a Beast's body. When he transforms into a handsome prince at the end, it's a version of himself he's never gotten to see before. While the physical transformation itself isn't anything major visually, he sells it with his character's utter delight. (And yes, he still has a peg leg as the Prince. He spins around on it. It’s neat!) I was so charmed by this version of the Beast/ Prince.

Beauty and the Beast has a third lead role that is not a title character... or, perhaps, is a little of both. That's Gaston, who has a MUCH larger role than almost any other villain I can think of, sharing fairly equal stage time with the Beast and with more to sing. Michael Burrell was an absolute delight to watch as Gaston and was both my husband’s and my favorite part of the show-- which is saying something, because all of the leads were great. He's portrayed less, er, 'rapey?' than many other Gastons I've seen, instead an utterly self-absorbed jock who does hilarious nonstop calisthenics to try to impress Belle in his solo number, "Me." His physical comedy skills are top-notch, his powerful voice rumbles through the score with agility, and he has impeccable timing and chemistry with John Sygar's funny and energetic LeFou.

He doesn't have the looming physical presence you might expect of Gaston, but I liked that for this particular production. Gaston solely defines himself by his peak physical ability. No wonder he is so appallingly ableist toward the Beast (and, in a different sense, Maurice). LeFou plays a sort of coach for him, and the big production number "Gaston" turns into a series of athletic drills that Gaston and LeFou lead. This takes on a more menacing vibe in "The Mob Song" when it seems he was unknowingly training his own personal militia all along.

Despite being extremely funny in the first half of the show, we see the clear moment when Gaston goes fully to the dark side-- it's when Belle slaps him in the face in front of all of the villagers after he offers to release her father if she marries him. We saw him earlier ranting about how being "dismissed, rejected, and publicly humiliated" is more than he can bear, meltdown averted only by LeFou and company cheering him up with a song about how great he is. Now there's no cheerful song to stop him and we see him go past a point of no return into sheer ice-cold villainy. When he's dragged off the stage by wolves after a dirty fight with the Beast-- a new death for the character-- it feels fitting.

It's worth noting that Burrell not only plays Gaston, he also understudies the Beast. He's played both roles before. Now that's duality! Before watching this show, I mentioned that I've seen some disappointing Gastons in past productions. They almost never strike the right balance of humor and villainy. He did it better than any I've ever seen!

The other lead actors in this show were quite enjoyable, too. Bobby Smith (a longtime favorite actor of mine) and Dylan Arredondo were side-splittingly funny and played off each other super well as Lumiere and Cogsworth. Despite their bickering, the two seemed like the best of chums and seemed to be having the time of their lives together. (I wished we could hear both of them sing more-- both have very pleasant voices and Bobby Smith is a talented dancer!)

Their scenes were always highlights, while they drag in some other productions. Like this production's Gaston, Smith didn't come across as inappropriately sexual or gross like Lumiere sometimes does, mostly just goofy. Not all of the silly comic bits blocked into these scenes worked, but enough did to make the audience laugh uproariously. And they gave a lightness to the potentially existential scenes in which the household objects contemplate their fates-- this version of the show felt more warm and light than those I've seen in the past.

Kelli Blackwell had a warm maternal presence as Mrs. Potts (and also played the ghostly figure of Belle's mother in the beginning of the show, too?) and sounded wonderful on the title song. Some of the other numbers seemed a little outside her alto range, though, and I wondered if she may have been losing her voice and had an off-night or if she usually struggled with those parts. I had an understudy for the role of Madame de la Grande Bouche, a bit disappointing at first because she's normally played by another one of my favorite local actors (Tracy Lynn Olivera), but understudy Erica Leigh Hansen sounded absolutely gorgeous on those operatic high notes!

The whole ensemble seemed to be having a blast, interacting with each other in fun and creative ways. One highlight of the show was when the baker was chased offstage during the castle fight by cutlery wielding a giant baguette (a set piece previously used in "Be Our Guest") and screamed, "MARIE! THE BAGUETTE!" The cast had a LOT to do. It's a much smaller ensemble than I'm used to for this show, and many not only doubled as townspeople and household objects, they actually played multiple different household objects in one song.

Ensemble member Connor James Reilly stood out as the Enchantress, dancing gracefully on pointe. I do not know what pronouns Reilly uses, but I have never seen such a tall dancer on pointe before and the effect was cool. As a villager, Reilly appears to be selling puppets of the Beast. That raises an intriguing question: is the Beast a local urban legend? Is he the village's own version of the Bunnyman?

Unfortunately, the choreography in the show seemed a little simplistic and uneven, which is a shame because many of the cast members can DANCE! I would have liked a little more 'oomph!' from the long dance breaks built into this score. Another uneven theatrical element was the costumes. Some of them, like Belle's ballgown (which looks much better in person than in pictures) and the main household objects' baroque costumes, look fantastic. Some work in a simple but effective way, like Gaston and the villager's warm-toned color coding and the Beast's minimalist get-up. But the more minor household objects, which require very quick changes as they switch from costume to costume, have an amateurish and unfinished look to them.

I wrote another long, obsessive review of Creative Cauldron's Beauty and the Beast back in 2019, an even lower-budget production, and noted that despite awesome creative elements, they just had too many people and costumes for the very small performance space. I almost felt the opposite with this one: they sometimes didn't seem to have enough people to fill the stage. In some scenes, the emptiness seems to reinforce the loneliness that the Beast and sometimes Belle feel. In others, it just feels... unfinished. In both productions, the low budget sometimes showed, but so did the heart.

I did very much enjoy the simple set here, though. We're surrounded by the cavernous walls that represent the Beast's castle. In the castle scenes, a big staircase pops out of the wall and cobweb-covered chandeliers fall from the ceiling. (I guess Babette's not a very good feather duster.) In the village scenes, they retreat back into the set. The real crowning glory of the show was their imaginative take on the rose: a stained glass rose WINDOW. This worked beautifully-- because after all, how the heck is an audience going to be able to see a single rose petal fall from the mezzanine? The rose window lost panes as the show went on, like an ominously ticking countdown.

Although it didn't feel as big as a Broadway production, this show is imbued with the pure magic of theatre. Audiences young and old were clearly enjoying every minute while I was there. You will leave it feeling enchanted, invigorated, and maybe even empowered.

I mentioned before that I've always related more to the Beast than Belle. Heck, I even dressed up as a woman version of the Beast for AwesomeCon several years ago and posed for photos with every Belle I found. This was the first time I found myself putting myself in Belle's shoes, too. In this production, I felt like anyone can walk away feeling like they can be Belle, they can be the Beast, they can be anyone. Just don't be Gaston. That guy's a doofus. This tale as old as time has taken on new life and feels more universal and more magical than ever!

#beauty and the beast #theatre #musicals #musical theatre #batb #disney #dc #dc theatre

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viviennevermillion · 1 year

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Genshin Impact Playlists

notes: here's a masterlist of my Genshin Impact related playlists that I posted on YouTube! I always try to make them as lyrically accurate as possible so I hope someone here enjoys these.

will be updated as time goes on

Wanderer / Scaramouche

hugging wanderer and comforting him [44:03]

hold on, don't let go. just take one step closer, put one foot in front of the other; you′ll get through this, just follow the light in the darkness. you′re gonna be okay.

smelling incense and exploring the wanderer's mental state again [32:42]

dissect me 'til my blood runs down into the drain. my bitter heart is pumping oil into my veins. i'm nothing but a tin man; don't feel any pain. i'm rusted from the rain.

Kaveh

kaveh's playlist [45:39]

i'm not looking for anything in particular but I'm far more desperate than you think. i wonder what it's like to be the universe; experiencing itself ironically. i need some space to run around; i'll always have the underground. i'll build my road despite the cost. i'm not looking to be found; just want to feel unlost.

Tighnari

tighnari shows you the avidya forest at night [29:08]

i'm a stone's throw from the mill and I'm a good walk to the river. when my working day is over, we'll go swim our cares away. put your toes down in the water and a smile across your face and tell me that you love me.

Cyno

cyno comforts you and promises to always love and protect you [34:02]

something rare; something strong stands against all the odds. love that blooms in the dark. you are good for my heart. nothing compares to feeling at home; the look in your eyes bringing peace to my soul. something magnetic, wholesome and true. of all the gifts I've been given, my favorite is you

Dottore

il dottore's lab playlist [30:55]

i cannot believe what i am hearing. a great discovery is near. lesser men may wait behind, paralyzed of heart and mind; but I am not afraid to dare. we'll change the course of history. please see beyond your petty fears. i was once a dreamer, now I'm man's redeemer we're on the verge of new frontiers!

Pantalone

appreciating pantalone and his shady vibes [26:03]

in the land of plenty we don't know what the word no means. give it to me, give me all the things I want. make it new and shiny and make them watch me, make them watch me. turn the power on and wait for light. [...] a coronation, a beheading. from the funeral to the wedding. do you think they care where the crown goes?

Kaeya

kaeya's playlist [36:45]

i woke up from a neverending dream. i shut my eyes at seventeen. lost every moment inbetween; i felt the sun rise up and swallow me and it's all my fault that I'm still the one you want. i'm a liar, i'm a cynic. i'm a sinner, i'm a saint. i'm a loser, i'm a critic. i'm the ghost of my mistakes.

Zhongli

being in love with zhongli [34:45]

i couldn't remember all the lives I had lived. it was your beauty that caught my attention. it was your kindness that made me stay. but for all my growing affections, it was your soul I fell in love with that day.

Other

a winter's night lazzo • an instrumental playlist for the fatui harbingers [33:40]

OC's

vin's playlist [32:02]

pull the trigger without thinking; there's only one way down this road. it was like a time bomb set into motion. we knew that we were destined to explode and if I had to pull you out of the wreckage, you know I'm never gonna let you go.

chìhóng's playlist [29:11]

i can't change. guess you could blame it on my left-side brain. i should know better but you know, i know, i know, i ain't ever gonna change

#genshin impact #genshin impact playlist #wanderer #scaramouche #kunikuzushi #the balladeer #tighnari #cyno #kaveh #dottore #il dottore #pantalone #kaeya #kaeya alberich #zhongli

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time-to-write-and-suffer · 1 year

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i hope that youre not getting too much hate for expressing your opinions and im looking forward to getting to know more about your future projects! ive been a fan of wayhaven books for a couple of years out and whilst its one of my faves, but that doesnt mean that i dont have any criticisms about it. i honestly think you made a lot of valid points. whilst i understand that wayhaven can be a comfort series for some people, i dont think that media should be exempt from criticism for doing the bare minimum. i thought she had gotten sensitivity readers, yet as someone whos demi myself, the portrayal of A's demisexuality throughout the series has been horrendous and it feels like it was just tacked on for no reason. the whole plot point with sin, a deity that used to be worshipped by assyrians being enslaved by the trappers was honestly not necessary in my opinion, i felt like maybe sensitivity readers would have pointed that out or something? but at least they freed my boy in the end so idk.

Honestly I don't care if people like it or not, because as I've said before, I used to be a big enough stan of the first two games that I recommended it to two whole people who also bought both games. I've actively made the author more money. Which is why I think I'm perfectly within my right to dunk on this thing now, because I used to be a fan, I used to love it, and I still very much enjoy a lot of the fan content created for it. Hell, there were some moments and ideas in book 3 that I actually liked, despite everything. I still think a lot about the potential of these stories and characters. It's not all rotten to the core, there is plenty of good stuff to be enjoyed that can very much be salvaged.

So I honestly don't think that people who enjoy it are like, beneath me or stupid or anything. I don't think they're the problem, I think they're there for the exact same thing I was: a silly vampire romance simulator. And if some of them are happy with what they're getting, then more power to them! But I think they deserve better than they're getting. And judging by the amount of people who have come to me privately and said "Thank you for speaking about this, I would too but I'm too scared to hurt people's feelings/speak out against a popular IF", it's pretty obvious that the quality just isn't there anymore, and that's okay to point out, too.

And I'm not out here trying to cancel it or anything. It's pretty small potatoes in the grand scheme of things, being "big" in the IF world means you're an older kid in a half-empty sandbox. I don't think people who buy or create content for it are doing something bad, in fact it's probably better to support smaller indie creators than ... other stuff. So like ... I don't have issues with people enjoying it.

I just wanted it to be better. I wanted to like it, because I liked it before. And I feel that it could have easily been better if more care was put into it, and maybe there was, but I just don't see it on the page anymore. It used to feel like an actual book, actual interactive fiction that you played and that was worth reading and interacting with. Like there was a world to inhabit and characters to connect with. Now, it's a collection of tired drabbles and fanfic fodder loosely connected by time skips, where you have to headcanon it into mattering and being interesting. I dunno, man. What's there just isn't worth the hype anymore.

#twc critical

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shoppncarticles · 10 months

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The Vanillite Family

Vanillite, like Trubbish, was and still is one of the most criticized Pokemon in existence and the easy target for trying to poke holes in Gen 5's validity as a proper generation of Pokemon. Y'know, again, ignoring all the other outstanding stuff we've covered so far. One bad apple ruins the bunch, I guess.

I really don't see a problem with Vanillite though. I mean, as a blasphemous concept or something. Again, there was living sludge and rocks with arms in the first generation. Is a little happy ice cream cone that offensive to your sensibilities?? Calm down guys.

Vanillite has some ground to stand on as well, since despite just being an Ice-type monster (so thus, in my mind, having an excuse to being a living ice cream cone), it also represents the general idea of cutesy food brand mascots. Gen 5's region of Unova is home to the famous Casteliacone treat, a little ice cream cone that greatly resembles Vanillite. It of course brings into question which came first, the brand or Vanillite, but it does make sense to have at least one Pokemon that's a brand mascot, especially for the region based around America. If you Gigantamax your Vanillite it'll be like commanding Ghostbuster's Stay Puft marshmallow man.

Vanillite actually seems to be a weird little ice sprite when you take that swirl of snowy cream off of them, so maybe it's that they were, at some point, seen with frosty coats which then inspired the ice cream they resemble.

I don't know, regardless of all that Vanillite is cute and the fact that it resembles a little cup with a big scoop of ice cream on top fits well with it being the first stage of an evolutionary family rather than starting outright as a full cone.

Instead, the full ice cream cone is the middle stage, as seen in Vanillish! Likewise, it resembles an ice cream cone but is still fully ice and snow in design. Its underside even has multiple jagged protrusions, as if it stuck to ceilings itself as a group of stalagmites when dormant. Or stalactites. Whichever is the ceiling one.

I like the little bit of drool implied by the dip of its mouth. It suits an ice cream-themed monster. And WHAT'S the big problem with that, huh?? I've seen plenty of fantasy games with monsters based on food and no one's complained before. Sure, Pokemon explicitly based on food is a pretty new concept at this point, barring examples like Cherubi which are also natural fruit, but I really don't see the harm in it. After all, Vanillish is stated to be something which resembles ice cream, it didn't originate from ice cream itself like Trubbish originated from garbage. But I mean, it could if it wanted to. It'd just be concerning when the topic of eating it comes into question.

The final evolution, Vanilluxe, doesn't really help my argument since they now have what appears to be a straw, but it seems to be some appendage that expels snowy air that helps Vanilluxe stay cool no matter where it goes. So that's a nice touch. Vanilluxe actually did receive the ability Snow Warning come Gen 7, so whenever they enter battle a hailstorm does follow. That's a nice touch.

I enjoy that this family ends with a double scoop of ice cream, bringing to mind Pokemon whose evolutions are just a result of previous members sticking together, like Metagross and Magneton. However, I must criticize Vanilluxe a bit here... is a double scoop cone really what you think of when it comes to the culmination of ice cream? No, instead I'd expect some big multi-scoop sundae, with dozens of fancy decorative toppings and maybe a glaze of syrup as well. Include multiple flavors too, go all out!

In fact, that's a criticism I have with the whole line in general. What, you can only get the ice cream in vanilla flavor in the Pokemon universe? You'd think they'd take the opportunity to go all out and give Vanilluxe a bunch of different aesthetic forms at least based on different flavors, or at least color its shiny to resemble SOMEthing. It would be just CRAZY if a Pokemon like that existed now and NO ONE complained about its existence, at least at large. Surely people online aren't THAT fickle.

But no, the shiny color is just tinted slightly pink. Not even enough to be considered strawberry. I know I was talking earlier about how Vanillish wasn't literally ice cream, but still some thematic exaggerations WOULD BE NICE.

Hey, a bunch of FAIRY types are themed around foods and desserts too. How come Vanilluxe wasn't given the Fairy type too?? WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THE ICE CREAM??? YOU CAN FIX THEM GAME FREAK DON'T JUST LEAVE THEM BEHIND YOU GAVE THEM SNOW WARNING YOU'RE DEFINITELY AWARE THAT IT'S POSSIBLE JUST GIVE THEM MULTIFLAVORED REGIONAL FORMS OR AN ALTERNATE EVOLUTION OR SOMETHING PLEASE.

Score: 3.5/5

Anyways, uh, a neat idea that's got a lot of potential but is kinda lacking in execution honestly. People are really harsh on them without being open to the idea, though.

[Gen 5 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #vanillite #vanillish #vanilluxe

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the--highlanders · 10 months

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choose violence ask game (loving the name of that btw) - 8, 16, & 23?

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

(this fandom is so small that I don't want to sound like I'm vagueblogging or @-ing someone or anything so I'm just gonna preface this by saying this also goes for plenty of licensed media)

oh man ok. at risk of sounding like a total killjoy who takes everything too seriously & looks too much into stuff. I'm pretty sensitive about. primitivism in the way jamie gets portrayed?? is the best way I can think to describe it?? anything that implies that where & when he comes from means that he's inherently less intelligent, or equates his lack of knowledge on some things with him being stupid. can't stand him being reduced to dumb guy who hits stuff. idiot who has no critical thinking skills or reasoning.

and like, I get that it's a fairly common assumption, the idea that people from the past weren't as smart because they didn't know as much (even setting aside the devaluing of /different/ ways of knowing & understanding) - but, say, victoria never gets this treatment. despite also being from the past. which then leads you to think, hey, why would people make that assumption about jamie and not about victoria?

and then you get to a bunch of ideas which have been kicking around since. before jamie's time, real-world-historically speaking. which depict the highlands as savage, as populated by 'wild' people, by - well - 'primitives'. speakers of a primitive language. violent, at worst, strong, at best, but never intelligent. & this is all starting to sound a lot like the ideas that buttress colonialism and biological determinism, isn't it?

idk. this is a silly 60s family tv show & a very very small online fandom. it's kind of not that deep. but any time jamie gets written off as being inherently stupid (often /because/ of where he comes from), and any time that idea is the foundation of a joke, it rubs me the wrong way, and this is why.

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

gfdhkjsg once again this is a v small fandom so 'so many people' is kinda like..... 2 people max probably. & also I've been sort of keeping more or less to myself for a couple years now in terms of actually discussing thoughts & headcanons (except you obviously and also @ettelwenailinon who is always right about everything despite not being super active in dr who fandom on tumblr anymore <3)

gonna go with shipping jamie and victoria tbh. absolutely no hate if you do bc I can definitely see where it comes from in canon/behind the scenes stuff but it is just,,, not for me at all, and so antithecal to how I write/interpret their characters.

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

tenrose?? weirdly?? not that I'd say I actively ship it (there is one (1) tenrose fic in my ao3 bookmarks but it's really there bc it's a pretty charming magical realism au and the voices of all the characters are just so spot on rather than bc I ever crave reading about the ship) but. when I got into dr who in 2013 there felt like there was a pretty solid line between rtd fans and moffat fans. & I have always vibed with moffat's era more (neither of them are above criticism obviously, the scifi fairytale aesthetic/tone of moffat's era is just so so so so tailor-made for me personally).

and for some reason tenrose and elevenriver were kind of. bundled into that opposition?? not sure if that was just in my head or something other people noticed/experienced but I felt like if you were a moffat fan you had to ship elevenriver & if you were an rtd fan you had to ship tenrose, and they were like. rivals. (yes I did try very half-heartedly to enjoy elevenriver. no I never succeeded). so I always had this thing of like, I don't like ten, I don't like tenrose.

like I said I still don't actively ship it, I don't get any warm fuzzy feelings from their relationship, but I did go back into rtd's era looking to actively enjoy stuff (after being tired of really not enjoying uh. recent seasons ajhksglf) and found that I didn't hate the concept of tenrose as much as I used to. I genuinely believed they liked each other, I felt the hubris of their relationship worked and built well narratively. never thought that ship would get a redemption arc in my head but I've definitely gained more appreciation for its role in the narrative.

#replies #galacticlamps #oughfkdj the first answer here is like #something that's been simmering away in my head for literal years #& i don't think i've ever actually posted #just whined to bára about repeatedly fhjkdslgjhdkg

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