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curioskitty · 4 years ago

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THE・Rarest Bakugou

Given Bakugou-kun's description as a "juvenile delinquent" (Horikoshi sensei uses the term 不良少年, or furyou shounen, meaning juvenile delinquent boy), it's expected that he wouldn't conform to standard. So obviously, it's not possible to find Bakugou-kun wearing a tie properly................

What is up with this perfectly tied nonsense right here?!

Bakugou-kun, I thought I knew you!!! THE LIES! THE BETRAYAL!!!

But, it's probably just a fluke. You didn't mean it, right Horikoshi-sensei?

WTF?! WHY?!!! Horikoshi-sensei?!

Yep. Contrary to expectations, Bakugou-kun wearing a tie correctly only ranks at Ultra Rare status: difficult to find, but not impossible.

So, what's rarer than a tie-wearing Bakugou-kun? Go Beyond, Plus Ultra Rare Bakugou!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In fact, it's even harder to find Bakugou-kun wearing a tie improperly. Given proto-Bakugou's loose tie design, I would have expected that to be the likelier delinquent-esque tie option. But I've only seen Horikoshi-sensei draw him like this once:

(Horikoshi-sensei's one year celebration illustration. This is still fairly early in the publication.)

On top of that, Bakugou-kun consistently wears his uniform tie-less and with at least one button undone on his shirt collar. His pants are always slung low on his hips and legs bunching up at his feet (except when he had to wear jeans for Best Jeanist). You can even see panels where Horikoshi-sensei drew in the rips at the hems near the heel where they drag on the ground.

So why the inconsistency, Horikoshi-sensei? I see you over there, stop pretending you didn't notice. I know you're paying attention.

Horikoshi-sensei gave proto-Bakugou a loosened tie, so what is the reasoning for taking Bakugou-kun's tie away?

Some No-Tie Theories

Fan Theory #1: HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW

//Like Midoriya-kun, Bakugou-kun came from a middle school with gakuran uniforms. They never learned how to tie them. Midoriya-kun messes up his tie, while Bakugou-kun doesn't even bother to try.//

I actually think this is the least likely reason. Bakugou-kun was designed to be a naturally talented genius. I think this applies to anything he wants to do. If he does something, it's always perfectly done.

Bakugou-kun can (and does if you look above) tie it perfectly when necessary.

CONCLUSION: If Bakugou-kun doesn't do something, it's completely out of personal preference or because he doesn't see a reason to.

Fan Theory #2: REBELLIOUS NATURE

//Bakugou-kun is a delinquent and maintains that image because he thinks it looks cool. Or maybe he is rebelling against fashion designer parents. Either way, because of his family background he knows how to tie a tie, but wants to be a rebel.//

I'd give partial points for this one. I'm pretty sure he wears his pants loose at least partially because he thinks it looks cool. However, Bakugou-kun's parents were noted to be designers and not specifically fashion designers.

Despite appearances, this is the kid that sleeps at 8:30pm, doesn't break school rules, and yells at his friends for smoking.

He zips up the collar on his gym track suit all the way. Both the summer and winter versions get the same treatment. He doesn't feel the need to "make a statement" by wearing his track uniform incorrectly. Outside of class, he can and does sometimes wear his track jacket unzipped, but during class he always wears it properly.

So then why does Bakugou-kun refuse to wear the band T-shirt and Christmas party Santa outfit? Because he isn't cooperative. In Ultra Analysis, his Cooperativeness Stat was the lowest rank: E.

CONCLUSION: Bakugou-kun may be non-conformist and uncooperative, but he isn't a rebel.

Fan Theory #3: TRAUMA/PTSD

//This is one of the more popular theories. Between Dabi grabbing his neck, the Sludge Villain and being restrained at the School Festival, our boy has been through the wringer. As a result, he just doesn't like stuff around his neck because it gives him anxiety.//

The Western Fandom is definitely concerned about the mental health of the kids. But I don't actually think this is the reason. Not that I don't think they all need some therapy and self care, especially right now, but there just isn't evidence for this specific trauma in Bakugou-kun.

He wears scarves and even turtle necks without a problem.

On top of that, Bakugou-kun ALSO unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and gakuran in middle school; even from before the Sludge Villain incident. There isn't any evidence Bakugou-kun changed his dressing habits due to trauma. He wore a scarf to the entrance exam for UA, too.

CONCLUSION: Bakugou-kun has ALWAYS worn his shirts with the top button unbuttoned.

These 3 theories are inadequate, too. Even if they did explain the reasons Bakugou-kun doesn't wear a uniform tie, they don't factor in the reasoning for why he DOES wear his other ties properly sometimes.

HC#1: Bakugou-kun's preference

Bakugou-kun doesn't seem to care about his image and how "extras" see him. Even during the press interviews after his hero debut, he wore the same style of open collar look. He's not shy about being nude or taking his shirt off.

But what he hates is being uncomfortable.

He is "explosively brawny". Just look at how thick Bakugou-kun's neck is when compared to Midoriya-kun's. It isn't just that Midoriya-kun is supposed to be scrawny, but also that Bakugou-kun has a thicker than average neck.

Bakugou-kun doesn't like to button up his shirts all the way because it's uncomfortable. It's reasonable that he zips his track suit and everything else up because those are looser at the neck or made of stretchier materials.

As for why he doesn't wear the uniform tie at all... Don't forget Bakugou-kun is a perfectionist and a bit of a neat freak.

He always tucks his shirt in. For the band performance he wore a collared black dress shirt. From what we saw of his room, it's minimalist and clean. I don't see him wanting to look like a slob.

A sloppy loose tie would probably irritate him more than just not wearing it (which is even funnier when you think about Midoriya-kun's chonk tie. It probably makes him want to strangle Midoriya-kun, or maybe just tie it himself...)

Bakugou-kun has difficulties compromising when it comes to his high standards. So if he has to wear it, it's going to be either 0% or 100%.

HC#2: Explosiveness

Why draw Bakugou-kun with either 0% tie or 100% tie? If Horikoshi-sensei is going for a delinquent image, wouldn't the 50% tie option make more sense?

Taking a look again at Bakugou-kun's profile page, Horikoshi-sensei describes him to be explosive in every way. That includes his whole body being "explosively brawny", but also adds a note that he looks slender in clothes.

Horikoshi-sensei put an effort to make every element of Bakugou-kun's character in some state of either fully compressed or explosive.

His slimming clothes, general appearance and even his speech patterns are highly compressed (blunt/terse) and loud. The extremes of his attitude are compressed too; if Bakugou-kun is not loudly raging, then he's quietly observing.

This contrast is key to his character. You can't explode if you aren't compressed first. It's supposed to be shocking to see how brawny he actually is under his slenderizing clothes. And I always feel shocked whenever I see this kid compressed into a tie.

HC#3: Deku & Kacchan

These two are set apart from the class by design and very much on purpose. Horikoshi-sensei designed them to be at opposite ends of the same spectrum.

If Bakugou-kun has muscular arms, then Midoriya-kun needs muscular legs. If Midoriya-kun buttons up his shirt all the way to the collar, then Bakugou-kun's collar has to be loose. Their designs reflect their connection.

So if Midoriya-kun has a poorly tied tie, the opposite of that is either non-existant or perfectly tied. If it's perfectly tied, he'd just blend in with the class.

The no-tie option just makes more sense.

Plus Ultra Rare Bakugou

Horikoshi-sensei only ever draws Bakugou-kun with a tie in specific scenarios. Costume events that require the neck tie as part of the costume or "fancy" events where everyone is in formal wear. And even in those, Bakugou-kun manages to not wear his tie 90% of the time.

So, I just imagine that when Horikoshi-sensei makes Bakugou-kun wear his tie, he's super grumpy! Just look at his face in every illustration he's wearing a tie in. He's probably hot, uncomfortable, and really not enjoying himself at all.

Ultimately, the "Plus Ultra Rare Bakugou" is a Bakugou-kun who wears the tie and SMILES while doing it.

(Yes, I know that's NOT actually a tie. Shut up Bakugou-kun. You're only smirking in this one because you won the Popularity Poll for the 5th time in a row...)

(Well that's random, you say? Welcome to my blog. Considering the stuff going down on canon, I figured I should give fans, and myself, a break from angst to talk about something silly.

Please note that this applies only to the manga. I've found that the anime isn't quite so strict about how Bakugou-kun looks.

Regarding the headcanons, I just want to clarify that everyone is free to think whatever they like. I enjoy all headcanons and support your right to have them.

I wrote this a while ago and then debated posting it because it's such a huge meta about... Bakugou-kun's tie. I had regrets. But now it's become my new years post. Regrets were for 2020, it's already 2021!

Demons out, fortune in!!! I know it's not setsubun for another month, but 2020 was such a demon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!)

#why did i write this #does this even qualify as meta #bnha headcanons #bakugou katsuki #bnha randomness #bnha spoilers #bkdk #bakudeku #decchan #if you squint #bnha meta #boku no hero manga #Bakugou Katsuki's tie

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mamapriest · 4 years ago

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VILLANELLE'S 10 MOST STYLISH LOOKS ON 'KILLING EVE'

-Mario Abad -May 2020

When the world was first introduced to Oksana Astankova (aka Villanelle) two years ago, no one could have predicted that such a blood-thirsty sociopath would become a huge fashion sensation. In fact, there are whole Instagram fan accounts now that are dedicated to the Killing Eve assassin's impeccable, power-feminine style.

Indeed, whether she's preying on her victims in tailored Chloé separates or in some irresistible vintage finds, never has a murderous on-screen villain looked so utterly captivating. She provides a perfect foil to the series' protagonist (and Villanelle's complicated love interest) Eve Polastri, whose muted and serious wardrobe is the polar opposite of her counterpart's.

Season 3 premiered in early May, 2020 and if the first four episodes are any indication, costume designer Sam Perry is continuing to stay true to Villanelle's polished aesthetic while adding some of her signature whimsical touches.

Season 1:

The Pink Princess Gown

The pink Molly Goddard dress that launched a thousand ships — or at least memes, fan accounts and countless Reddit and Twitter threads. It almost single-handedly revived the tulle trend for the entirety of 2018 from the runways in Paris to the sites of fast-fashion stores. But it also became the benchmark for a new time of TV villain that we hadn't quite seen before: someone whose enchanting, frothy exterior belies her murderous motives and all the complexities between.

The Sharp Suit

One of the most heart-sinking moments of the first season was when Villanelle stabbed Eve's close colleague Bill multiple times in a crowded nightclub. The fact that she carried out the task in an alluring printed brocade suit by Dries van Noten is all the more jarring considering how heavy and dark the scene was.

The Sharp Suit

It's not all designer labels for the style icon as she deftly demonstrated in this scene from Episode 3 where she's sitting outdoors in a frilly top by JW Anderson and tortoiseshell specs by H&M. Turns out high and low can co-exist happily in Villanelle's twisted world.

Season 2:

The Mourning Dress

When Villanelle is given an assignment to kill Eve at her home, she shows up in a dazzling black sheer floor-length gown and custom polka-dot veil, her version of a "mourning dress," if you will. The dress is a rare 2012 couture find from Alexander McQueen, which I will certainly wear to my future husband's funeral one day.

The Collegiate Prep

Some of Villanelle's best fashion moments have come when she has to blend into her surroundings and wear something that doesn't scream "Killer on the loose!," as evidenced by her interpretation of a collegiate preppy look (khaki trousers by Raey and vintage shirt + tie) when she visits the Oxford campus to threaten Eve's husband Niko.

The Bloodthirsty Red

For the climactic final scene of Season 2, Villanelle sported a bright red peplum top and matching trousers from Lanvin paired with a wide Gucci belt that looked splendid on the cobble-stoned streets of Rome. Except most elegant women don't go around shooting their would-be lovers and leaving them for dead in plain sight.

The Chic Parisian

Clad in an Isabel marant blouse and metallic pants with a horse-print blazer by Chloé, Villanelle effortly channels that Parisian cool-girl aesthetic women everywhere strive for when she returns to her hotel to meet Konstantin for the first time since she shot him.

Season 3:

The Romantic Wanderer

This season sees Villanelle want to climb higher up the villain pole with the job of "handler" at the top of her list. Among her first fashion picks in her new role is this bold floral floor-length dress by The Vampire's Wife with a handy basket tote bag by Dragon, both labels of which are aptly named.

The Western Mod

Villanelle continues her streak of sporting indie brands in Season 3 with this geometric shift dress by La DoubleJ which she pairs with Golden Goose cowboy boots for a country-meets-'60s mod fashion moment.

*Source: papermag.com

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rena-rain · 4 years ago

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Miraculous Holders’ Costumes - RANKED

#1 - Dragon Bug

Dragon Bug’s design is the freaking epitome of asymetrical balance. Everything about this suit is both smooth and sharp. The curving stripes and spots give the impression of fire licking up her body, same with the flame-shaped horns in her hair. You can hardly go wrong with black, red, and gold. The upward-pointing hair accessories reflect her downward-pointing pigtails, adding more subtle balance, and I love the details on her mask.

#2 - Rena Rouge

This design really suits Alya. The shape of the white front is both slimming and compliments her curves, and the black accents at her extremities are an excellent counterbalance to the white and orange. Also something about the coattails just completes Rena Rouge’s look! It’s the right shape too, because fox tails are on the bushier side, unlike cats and mice.

#3 - Chat Noir

Chat Noir’s costume can be described as “black cat meets knight in shining armor but modern.” Let’s go from the head down. The change in hairstyle balances out his cat ears. His blond hair, green eyes, and gold bell are beautiful contrasts to the black suit, which has a subtle texture to the fabric. There are visible seams over his shoulders, arms, and torso that add visual interest to the design and makes his suit resemble armor - even more so with his boots and gauntlets. Those details are fantastic because black is extremely slimming and they give some emphasis to his shape. Between the ears, eyes, bell, claws, and tail, you could never mistake his aesthetic as anything but catlike.

#4 - Hawk Moth

Do not tell me Hawk Moth’s costume isn’t sleek as hell. The monochrome works for him, the suit pairs well with his weapon being a staff, the overhead silver helmet-mask gives him a great villainous feel, and every pointy detail gives a sense of evil butterflies. I love that his miraculous is the focal point of his outfit, the light color contrast really draws the eye.

#5 - Snake Noir

They definitely combined the best elements of the Chat costume and Aspik costume for Snake Noir. In a word, you can describe his design as “lithe.” The cyan pairs well with the green, especially because there’s a Chat Noir-green diamond on his chest. The snake elements are a bit subtler, with his head smooth, the design tapering down his body, the fangs on his mask, the scale texture on his suit and the lines running down his arms. It’s cohesive, elegant, and stark.

#6 - Bunnix

I think Bunnix is meant to resemble a snowshoe hare. They didn’t give her a tail, but I think that’s what the little rounded ball accents are supposed to represent. The markings are bold and evenly distributed, making her look balanced and symmetrical. She actually has a vague vintage feel to her design: the white torso is reminiscent of a corset, which goes with the gloves, boots, and umbrella/parasol. Like Chat Noir, Alix’s hair makes a great contrast with the light blue and white. Also POCKETS.

#7 - Carapace

I love how much Carapce emulates a turtle. His hood and cowl are shaped like a turtle beak and also hide his face, serving both to protect his identity and give the impression he can physically retreat into his costume. His shield looks like a shell, the designs on his hood look like common markings on turtles’ heads, and he has a tortoiseshell pattern on his chest and shield. Like Chat Noir, the lines of his suit give his arms and legs visual interest.

#8 - Queen Bee

As much as I personally dislike the color yellow, Queen Bee’s costume has a straightforward elegance about it. Obviously the black and yellow stripes resemble a bumble bee but they’re also good for Chloe’s slender body type.. The black “neckline” and “gloves” are regal in flavor, suiting her moniker. You get a distinct bee impression from the sharpness of her stripes (a reminder of her stinging power), the black swirl around her hair, and the antennae-like hair ribbon.

#9 - Multimouse

Multimouse is another example of a well-balanced and symmetrical design. It uses the reliable faux gloves and boots design with colors that go well together. Her buns and jump rope look like mouse ears and a tail. I have a suspicion the animators came up with it to easily combine with other miraculous powers, mainly by changing the color of the pink stripes post-unification. Overall, this costume is very cute. I won’t go over every permutation of the multimice combos since very little changes other than color.

#10 - Lady Noire

Overall, Lady Noire’s suit is minimalist and elegant in a sharp, modern kind of way. Black is naturally slimming, and Marinette is already very slim, so the horizontal green accents help emphasize her curves. I don’t love the green lining of her ears, but I suppose that keeps the design consistent. I’m absolutely in love with Lady Noire’s braid (and I’d be remiss not to take the chance to point out this is the only time we see her hair properly black instead of blue). Her suit has a completely smooth texture, unlike both her Ladybug suit and Chat Noir’s, which I found odd and does’t do her petite frame any favors.

#11 - Mr. Bug

I’m glad they gave Mr. Bug black panels on his sides. The full-cover spots of Ladybug is fine for Marinette, but Adrien has a bigger frame and it would just look ostentatious on him. This design emphasizes his shoulders and slims him down a bit. He actually looks like a football player (American football, don’t @ me about this). He ranks just below Lady Noire because of the hair.

#12 - Aspik

OMG what a cutie pie. I can’t not say it - he looks like he’s wearing a corset in the left pic. Not a good or bad thing, I’m just saying. Look at this cutie pie! Aspik actually looks more snake-like than Viperion, imo: the design is sleeker and he’s got the diamonds over his head, that’s a nice touch. The snake scale pattern is a great detail. I had to step outside my own bias with this one because snakes really freak me out and so does Adrien without hair.

#13 - Jade Turtle

He’s less turtle-y than Carapace, but I was pretty happy with the Jade Turtle costume. The Asian style obviously suits him, and it makes sense because he was originally from China, while many of the others would be more used to Western clothing at a young age. Fu has a tortoise-shell pattern on his hat and shoulder guards and his shoes look like turtle feet. However, His chest plate deviates from the turtle theme

#14 - Viperion

My favorite parts of Viperion’s costume are his mask with the little snake fangs and the scale texture of the suit.As I mentioned above, it’s less snakey than Aspik’s. The lines suit his shape pretty well, but don’t taper down his body in the way a snake slims from chest to tail. I just feel like something’s missing from the outfit as a whole.

#15 - Ladybug

There’s just...nothing all that special about Ladybug’s costume. The red and black do suit Marinette’s pink coloring and dark hair, and contrast with her blue eyes. The bright color and pattern emphasize Marinette’s curves pretty well and make her look a little bigger than her slim stature. All that said, the suit is both busy and plain somehow.

16 - Pegasus

While I do love the hair, something about Pegasus’ costume is both too subtle and too over-the-top somehow at the same time. He has a lot of bells and whistles, though I suppose it’s supposed to look similar to horse tack. The winged shoes seem completely out of place. It’s not that I think he looks bad, but he doesn’t look particularly cool either.

#17 - Mayura

The one sin of Mayura’s outfit is the giant slit up the skirt, but kwamis is it a sin. The colors all go together and the headpiece matches the hem, and it has a distinct cold-weather theme going on with the boots, fur collar and cuffs, and full coverage design. That gets negated by the slit, which exposes nearly all of her legs, something that works far better for a summer evening dress.

#18 - King Monkey/Roi Singe

I’ve tried to figure out what it is about King Monkey’s costume that looks less than optimal, and I’m pretty sure it’s that it isn’t balanced well. He has large gloves, and elaborate crown and hairstyle, a thick collar, and a thick belt high up his waist. It makes him look kind of top-heavy. Similar to Pegasus, but to a greater extent, he’s washed out by the excess of neutral colors that the red doesn’t counteract very much.

#19 - Ryuko

I expected the dragon outfit to be more exciting. Other than the tail design (and the horns???), there’s just nothing dragon-esque about this. Come on, Chat Noir got ears, claws, and a tail; Viperion and Snake Noir got little scale motifs all over and fangs on their masks; Multimouse got bun ears and a tail; Carapace got a shell and a beak; Rena Rouge also got ears and a tail on top of a design reminiscent of a fox’s fur markings. Imagine the awesome tail and claws and fire motifs we were deprived of with the dragon. The best parts of Ryuko’s design is the embellished mask, her reptile eyes, and the red/black/gold color scheme, which are pretty cool.

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shark-myths · 7 years ago

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Church: Video Meta

This morning it is my great privilege to present a true piece of Peterick scholarship: an intensive examination of the Church video by my dear @leyley09!

I came into the FOB tumblr fandom (as opposed to all those ‘normal’ people out in the world) via two screen-based fandoms - Sherlock and Supernatural - so I am used to overanalyzing camera angles, immediate cuts, and music layered over images. And with a song and a video like Church, it’s impossible not to put some of that to use.

It’s important to remember with any kind of film media that someone has chosen what we are seeing. No one does anything in a single take. Multiple versions of every shot were filmed, and someone specifically selected the ones we get to see because those shots do the best job of telling the story that person wants us to ‘hear’.

For most films or tv shows, that’s generally the director, possibly with some writers or producers thrown in depending on the project. We at The Peterick Institute would like to point out that rumor has it Pete exerts a lot of creative control over the music videos. I’m going to go with “someone” and let you all jump to your preferred conclusions.

continued below the cut!

We open with one of our protagonists approaching a building before running into Pete. On a surface plot level, there is no purpose for Pete in this scene. The first few seconds were enough to establish that this guy is someone we’re supposed to be watching. So what is the point of having him run into Pete and drop his phone?

Since you’re reading this post on this blog, let’s assume there’s a deeper explanation, shall we?

It could be that the protagonist is a representation of Pete. They are dressed in similar colors. This guy is approaching a building that Pete appears to be leaving. He could be representing a younger version of Pete, one who is on his way into the phase of life that “current” Pete is exiting.

But what about the phone?

The dropping of the phone could represent the temporary loss of communication, which we all know was pretty much the hiatus.

Let’s move on to the building. First point - that is not a church. I've spent way too much of my life in "church", and churches don't have walls like this:

You know what does? Mausoleums (which was nicely confirmed in the behind the scenes video)

There is a major difference between a church and a mausoleum. You go to church to worship. You go to a mausoleum to lay someone to rest. (“you only get what you grieve” … )

(And sure, maybe they just picked it because of the cool stained glass, but how disappointing would that be?)

Let’s go back to that initial image for a second:

That’s right, humans of all sorts, that’s Patrick Stump looking like a Byzantine icon.

Ex: One of my favorite icons from the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. (Patrick’s just got a bigger halo.)

In addition to reinforcing the idea of “holiness” - in western/Christian iconography, only the most holy (“you’re holy to me”) are given a halo - a big, bright circle also does an excellent job of drawing your attention to whatever is inside it. It’s like a bright white bullseye.

Patrick is not the only one who gets caught dead-center in this halo. Less than a minute into the video, so does Pete:

What else is happening at this precise point? Patrick is singing "swallow it for me".

Let me repeat an idea from earlier: someone decided that this ^^ is the mental image you should pull up every time Patrick sings "swallow it for me". (I’ll wait while you process that.)

While Patrick is singing the first verse and Pete’s being holy for swallowing (look, they said it, not me), we meet our other protagonist. Together, these two make up a pair of doomed lovers (the second pair of doomed lovers we’ve seen represented in music videos for this album alone). They appear to be of different ethnicities, which is still frowned upon by some (ignorant) people. So, perhaps they are symbolic of other "non-traditional" relationships?

We cut immediately from their affectionate reunion to this:

To run with our subtext, we’ve cut from Guy-representing-Pete kissing his girlfriend to Patrick in a halo singing “trust me that’s what I will be”.

“Oh the things that you do in the name of what you love” layers directly overtop our doomed lovers being spotted by someone spying from an upper level, someone who is not pleased to see them together. It’s clear they’re taking a risk being together in public, but people do a lot of things (make a lot of risky choices) when they’re “in love”.

Cut immediately to this:

For our surface level plot, Patrick in a coffin singing “you were doomed but just enough” is pretty obvious foreshadowing - this couple is doomed because someone is going to die. But why not throw a few extra layers of subtext on that, just because we can.

First, I want to introduce another layer of sub-plot. Remember Pete, from earlier? Leaving a mausoleum (a place you go to lay someone to rest, to grieve) for no apparent reason? Can it be a coincidence that Patrick is the *only* one we see in a coffin?

This Patrick here, this is not the current “version” of Patrick. This is not 2018 Patrick’s aesthetic. In addition to the suit jacket and the fedora, he has obviously had makeup applied. While this does also emphasize the idea that he’s supposed to be dead, it also harkens back to a time when Patrick had more pronounced cheekbones. (This is by no means a negative observation; people change over time in all sorts of ways, and THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.) There has been some debate among the three of us contributing to this meta about what period this is supposed to represent, but personally, I don’t know that the specific time period matters. I think what’s important here is that a past version of Patrick has been laid to rest. WE WILL COME BACK TO THIS.

In addition to the foreshadowing for our doomed lovers, if that particular line is supposed to throw back to anything besides "I'm half doomed and you're semi-sweet", I don't know what it is.

Let’s move on to The-Guy-In-Charge.

We at The Peterick Institute refuse to think it is anything less than intentional that this guy appears in a similar outfit to that worn by “God” in the Youngblood Chronicles. Someone with a lot of power who walks into a “church” to punish people for a forbidden behavior? That’s a pretty common viewpoint. He’s also making a “prayer” gesture with his hands post-phone call. But it’s not exactly like “God”, is it? It’s just the outer layers that are the snappy white suit. Underneath, he’s wearing a dark shirt. To me, that reads as someone who just thinks they’re god - someone who thinks they’re that important, thinks they rule over your whole world… someone like a record label executive who might think they get to decide who you can and can’t be romantically involved with in public, perhaps?

Plus the ‘villain in a white suit’ trope is very common to Pete’s favorite pop culture time period. And when has Pete ever been able to resist a pop culture reference?

FUN FACT INTERRUPTION:

If you pause just right, you can get Pete making this face at the same time Patrick’s singing “I’d get on my knees”, which isn’t related to anything really, it just makes me giggle.

Next, our “villains” enter directly out of a bright light - bit like the “light at the end of the tunnel”, yes? This really just reinforces the idea that this is some kind of “divine justice”....or at least justice that thinks it is divine.

Our star-crossed lovers attempt to escape. They clearly know that this was a possibility. They knew being together was dangerous. They must have thought they were safe in this crowd because they weren't being the slightest bit discreet, but they weren't.

It’s fairly easy to see that, while they’re trying to hide in a back room, our lady protagonist takes off a necklace and puts it on her boyfriend. But it happens very fast, and it’s difficult to see what’s on the chain. It took me several viewings and a lot of frame-by-frame skipping to figure it out -- it’s a ring. (Seriously, just when I think this video can’t get any more painful.) She pulls it out from underneath her choker, so it’s something she was hiding.

These two aren’t just hiding a relationship, they’re hiding the nature of that relationship, the seriousness of it. So why reveal it now? And even better question, why follow the ring with a shot of Patrick in the coffin?

You've got to have a lot of nerve to drag someone out into a group of people, into a well-lit public setting, AND THEN KILL THEM. These guys had the perfect opportunity to stab our protagonist in the back room, and Guy-In-Charge chose to drag him out of there, shove him into the crowd (getting everyone's attention), and then stab him. That's a helluva statement. That isn’t a small statement for a small audience ("I don't want you to be with this particular guy"); that’s a big statement for a public audience (“this is what happens to people who don’t follow the rules”). This is someone being made an example in order to scare other people.

When our hero gets stabbed....he doesn't bleed right. That's not what fake Hollywood blood looks like; that's not what actual human blood looks like. I’ve seen some suggestions that it’s glitter. It is sparkly. But frankly, even if there’s glitter in it, the color/consistency looks a lot like the shitty grape juice I've spent most of my life drinking for Communion. (**After seeing the BTS video, there’s definitely a liquid involved.) WE WILL COME BACK TO THIS MOMENTARILY.

The last thing you see in this video is Patrick-in-the-coffin. Not the woman who's just seen her boyfriend murdered, not the two of them together in some kind of Romeo-and-Juliet style final embrace. No, the last thing you see is what appears to be a younger version of Patrick laid out like a wake. That's the impression they have chosen to leave us with, the one image they want to linger on our minds along with the final line of the song, “I’d get on my knees, yeah”.

So we’ve seen one layer of story - a pair of lovers torn apart against their will, a couple who are willing to risk everything to be together, a relationship that ends in conflict due to outside forces. If you’re familiar with shark-myths’ Tryst Theory, this could not fall any more in line. (If you’re not, um, this is basically it without the details.)

And underneath this surface layer, we have a past version of Patrick being laid to rest with only one visible mourner:

And the thing that we are supposed to associate most with this “dead” Patrick?

“I’d get on my knees”

He sings some part of that line four times from the coffin, five times if you want to count the final “yeah” after the last actual lyric.

(If you’re curious about the other things coffin!Patrick says, it’s “you were doomed but just enough” 2x and “confess my love”, so feel free to read into that however you’d like.)

Now that we’ve done our scene-by-scene breakdown, what are some other themes we’re seeing in this story?

First, I promised to address this:

Pete singing along is not a new phenomena, for sure, but singing along to a line like “confess my love” is….interesting, to put it mildly. It puts us at The Peterick Institute in mind of this quote from Patrick: “I don’t think Pete thinks of himself as a bass player. I think he thinks of himself as a singer. He sings through me.” What a lovely demonstration of Pete using Patrick’s voice to express himself.

Next, I want to touch briefly on how little we see Joe and Andy in this video. While that used to be (unfortunately) more common, more recent videos have been better about giving screentime to these guys. This was one of the first things I noticed watching this video the first time through. You're nearly halfway through the video before Joe or Andy get their first close up or solo shot, and neither of them gets centered on that halo like Pete and Patrick do. Andy gets closest, but it looks more like an accident, just because the drums are set up in front of it. It’s not the nicely centered in the frame kind of shot that both Patrick and Pete have. In addition, neither of them play any part in the coffin!Patrick subplot whatsoever, which also reduces their screen time.

This is interesting mostly as it relates to Pete. Patrick is the one signing; by default, he becomes the center of attention. One would expect the majority of the “concert” screen time to go to him. Additional “concert” screen time should be split fairly equally between the rest of the band. It is not.

You have two options for why that is. 1) The people-making-decisions are idiots and assumed that everyone would rather look at Pete than any of the other guys, or 2) it's intentional. What's the point of making the people you see most in the video besides our doomed lovers Patrick and Pete? Gee, I wonder.

Communion --

I mentioned Communion earlier while discussing the not-blood we see when our protagonist is stabbed. I think that’s a very relevant point. For one thing, it’s one of the main rituals associated with “church”. For many believers, that ritual confers a degree of holiness upon you when you participate in it. You’re supposed to confess and repent of your sins before you take Communion; for at least that brief moment, you’re as holy as you’re going to be. (At least in the tradition I’m familiar with.)

In addition, Communion is a fairly common part of a lot of funeral services, which is also very appropriate for our setting and subplots here.

And it’s not the first time this has come up:

In case you’re wondering why I chose only these two images, it’s because there aren’t matching images for Joe and Andy. You get a shot that is probably supposed to imply that they participated, but you never actually see them do it. (And shhh, don’t tell me that it’s probably for the same reasons you don’t see Andy eating/drinking/doing drugs in Young Volcanoes, shhhh.)

In my experience, two people dressed in white up in front of God taking Communion…...are getting married. (My dad wore a white tux in my parents’ wedding, so...)

Death/Rebirth --

This is not an idea that is new to this album. A quick glance back at SRAR and the Youngblood Chronicles is plenty of evidence of that. We’re connecting it directly to the images of a past!Patrick though. The fact that Patrick is made to look so different in the coffin than he does in the “performance” shots is a huge visual clue. As I mentioned earlier, I personally don’t think it matters which period of time this past!Patrick represents for each of us. What matters for the metaphor is that a past version of Patrick is dead/gone/doesn’t exist any more. As someone who was overly-churched, it reminded me a little of the idea that Christians are (IDEALLY) supposed to "die to the world" -- leave ideas/behaviors that aren't church-compliant behind them, in the past, as they are "reborn" into a sparkly new-and-improved version of themselves.

We’ve seen Patrick do this before in the Save Rock & Roll video, where he rejects the [brainwashed] version of himself and ends up in heaven, in a new-and-improved (AND WHOLE) version of himself.

To me, the depiction of a past version of Patrick - AND ONLY PATRICK - as being dead is big, huge jumping-up-and-down-with-pom-poms metaphor that the version of Patrick we’re being shown in the coffin doesn’t exist anymore.

As we at The Institute debated this issue, I received the following message from @shark-myths:

“The idea of possibilities dying out and ending *in order for them to be rejuvenated* is so key here. Like, they were doomed from the start and have always been each other's certain doom, and they destroyed each other and the band, and then impossibly and against all odds they ROSE AGAIN TOGETHER. Now there are no limits.

if you believe in peterick no end is final and no death is real.”

I read that email, minimized my browser, and looked right at this on my wallpaper slideshow:

“No end is final” indeed

To borrow one of my favorite pop culture quotes: "And what do we say about coincidence?" "The universe is rarely so lazy."

Thank you Leyna!!! Your contribution to scholarship will live on forever. Just like Peterick. 💜💜💜

#peterick #church #mania #fob #fall out boy #lyrics meta #leyley09 #guest contribution #church video #church meta #mania meta #tryst theory #peterick institute #video meta #pete wentz #patrick stump #romeo and juliet

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gwynnew · 7 years ago

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Behind 'Black Panther': The hidden meanings of those stunning Wakanda costumes

Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, and Florence Kasumba (Photo: Marvel Studios)

Oscar-nominated designer Ruth Carter takes us on a guided tour of her exquisite fashions and explains their authentic African origins.

Even before Black Panther premiered in theaters, costume designer Ruth Carter saw her Instagram feed blowing up with fans emulating the film’s style. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Director Ryan Coogler’s record-breaking film is easily the best-looking Marvel movie to date, in large part because of Carter’s dazzling vision of fashion in Wakanda. Carter’s prestigious résumé includes Oscar-nominated designs for Malcolm X and Amistad, along with costumes for beloved films like Selma, Serenity, and Love & Basketball. But Black Panther presented a unique challenge: creating the look of an African society that was both untouched by Western influences and more technologically advanced than any nation in the world. As Carter told Yahoo Entertainment, she turned to ancient African tribal designs for her inspiration, then remixed those elements to create a futuristic, cutting-edge fashion aesthetic that, not incidentally, makes everyone in the movie look fabulous. It’s no wonder the film is already showing its influence on the fashion world. Carter spoke to Yahoo about creating the film’s many distinct tribal looks, her source for the royal family’s stunning jewelry, the inspiration behind Michael B. Jordan’s sexy Killmonger street look, and the secret superhero element she worked into Letitia Wright’s Shuri wardrobe.

Yahoo Entertainment: The concept of Wakanda as an African nation that was never colonized by the Dutch or British is so powerful. How did that inform your design choices? Ruth Carter: I discovered so many things about Africa that I didn’t know — like, the cloth that we normally see in many African-inspired things, the wax cloth, was brought in from the Dutch. There are influences of the British; when you see a Nigerian wedding, you’ll see a Nigerian traditional drape and a guy with a top hat on. [laughs] So you have to dig deeper and go to the indigenous tribes of Africa. You’re not a real historian, you’re just kind of the temporary historian for the picture, so you’re looking at beadwork and you’re looking at carvings and you’re looking at masks. And you’re being inspired by patterns. There are a couple of patterns that I saw repeated throughout the continent: one is like a checkerboard, another one is a triangle.

And I looked at books on African ceremonies, since ceremonies reminded me of pre-colonization. So for example, the Dogon tribe were the first astronomers. They do a ceremony once a year where they adorn themselves in these brilliant raffia skirts and wood-carving masks that shoot up to the stars — they’re really tall. And they do these moves that sweep the earth. I was fascinated by that. So Ryan wanted the Jabari to wear grass skirts during battle, and the Dogon was the perfect place to start with the inspiration. We used the wood carving design for the armor for the Jabari. So when we see Winston Duke (as M’Baku), he really is representing the Dogon tribe of ancient Africa.

Winston Duke as M’Baku (Photo: Marvel Studios)

And then the Dora Milaje were inspired by many indigenous tribes of Africa. The color was the brilliant red of the Maasai. When you see these pictures of them with their beadwork, you see this red that is just so prominent and so strong, and really beautiful with these bald heads, and they stack beads, and it’s just phenomenal. So I upped the color of the design to be a much more brilliant red so they could have this part of Africa that was undeniable in its brilliance and in its color. Also their neck rings were inspired by the Ndbele tribe of South Africa. Ryan really wanted to use them, and it was his idea to have these neck rings and these arm bands to represent this form of adornment that we see throughout Africa. Using them as armor just felt very natural. But Ryan also said he wanted them to feel like jewelry, especially Danai [Gurira]’s. When you see Danai in the opening scene in Nigeria and she impales the guy behind her and she walks straight [towards the camera] — you see this gold just glimmering, and it’s very regal.

Okoye (Danai Gurira, left) with the Dora Milaje (Photo: Marvel Studios)

So those are kinds of ways that the costumes represented the ancient indigenous tribes of Africa. And I used so many books — I think everybody loves African art, I don’t know anybody who doesn’t, but we didn’t want to approach it from an anthropological point of view. Like the man with the lip plate. You see him with this lip plate, and you mostly see that in National Geographic, on a woman who’s bare-chested in her village, you know, cooking outside on a fire. But this way we honored it, and we made it classy and regal, and we gave the actor a beautiful suit to wear that represented the tribe, and we painted the lip plate to match the color of the suits, and we made it an outfit. So in those ways we gave it honor.

Forest Whitaker (right) as the royal adviser Zuri (Photo: Marvel Studios)

Can you talk about how you used fashion to express the cultures and beliefs of the different tribes of Wakanda: the Border Tribe, the Panther Tribe, the River Tribe, the Mining Tribe, the Merchant Tribe, and the Jabari? There was a color theory that Ryan set out. It was pretty basic: he wanted the River Tribe to be green, the royal palace is purple, the Border Tribe is blue — they represent the police, they patrol the border of Wakanda — and the Merchant Tribe is this aubergine with lots of metal.

Daniel Kaluuya’s W’Kabi is a member of the Border Tribe. (Photo: Marvel Studios)

So I just took it from there. And once I divided my research by the different tribes of Africa — the Merchant Tribe representing the Tuareg, the River Tribe representing the Surma and the Kongo, the Mining Tribe representing the Himba — I was able to apply it.

The Mining Tribe (Photo: Marvel Studios)

And I wanted to apply the art of the tribes to their costumes. For example, silver is a precious metal for the Tuareg, and that fit within the Wakandan ideology of vibranium, because vibranium is also silver. So I combined the silver from the Tuareg look with that aubergine-baby blue kind of mixture for the Merchant Tribe of Wakanda.

The same goes for the River Tribe. The cowry shell was a form of commerce [in West Africa], it was how they traded. And so I used a lot of the cowry shell on Lupita’s costume, and a lot of beads and shells because she represented the river and the water and the grass. So I had a wealth of resources of artistry to pick from.

Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman, and Letitia Wright (Photo: Marvel Studios)

You mentioned metal, which reminded me how amazing the jewelry is. Were those all custom pieces? Ramonda’s earrings are bought from this man in Atlanta, and I’ve been looking for his name since then. He came into my shop, this old guy chewing on a licorice root.

Chadwick Boseman and Angela Bassett as Ramonda (Photo: Marvel Studios)

He had everything rolled up in a black cloth, and he unrolled it, and then there those earrings were! And I just bought some things from him. But much of the jewelry was handcrafted by Douriean [Fletcher], who I hired — she’s a jewelry designer who I met and I really liked her aesthetic, I liked her work ethic, and I felt that the jewelry of Wakanda needed to have this hand-tooled look that would also be reminiscent of the craftsmanship of Africa and of ancient Africa. So I started everything with a prototype that was made of metal, and then we molded it and were able to recreate the jewelry in rubber and paint it to look like metal.

Angela Bassett (Photo: Marvel Studios)

I want to talk about a couple specific characters. Wakandan princess Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) has such a distinctive fashion sense. What was your inspiration for her? When when we first meet Shuri, the tradition is uncomfortable for her — she says, “Can we get this over with? This corset is really tight.” So that informed the rest of the story. When we first meet her at the airstrip and she asks T’Challa if he froze — she’s the one who’s wearing the cape! She has a little cape on her costume. All of her costumes were inspired by fashion, were inspired by new technology. When we see her in her lab, I didn’t want to use a lab coat.

Shuri (Letitia Wright) in her lab (Photo: Marvel Studios)

I wanted to present these overlays — everything was overlaid, and I wanted the overlays to feel as if they were different recycled fabrics. So I chose carefully whether it was a mesh, or a sheer white kind of a sweatshirt-y feel. Also, I wanted her colors to be young and fresh, and her look to be that of, not a 15-year-old, not a preteen, but of a girl who’s going from teenage to womanhood.

Chadwick Boseman and Letitia Wright (Photo: Marvel Studios)

I also want to talk about Erik Killmonger’s street look when he first see him in the museum, with the denim jacket. It’s such an unexpected look for a villain, sexy and geeky and cool. In one of the first versions that we read, Killmonger was an anthropologist. And we thought, when you think of the stereotype of an anthropologist, you think of a tweed coat and slacks, like he’s coming from the university. And Ryan really wanted him to feel like he was basically urban, he was unapologetic about his look. He was learned, which is where the glasses come in, but we gave him drop-crotch pants, Balmain boots, a shearling denim jacket, and an oversized T-shirt.

Michael B. Jordan and Killmonger and Andy Serkis as Klaue (Photo: Marvel Studios)

He’s also wearing some kind of African beads, so there’s a little bit of culture there. There are signs that he has a connection to his past but it’s not overt. He is representing the Lost Tribe, so we needed to make him really feel like an African-American urban cat, you know, an urban guy, and have the security surround him as if they don’t really know what to make of him — is he a thug? What is he? And so it just really plays him against T’Challa really great, because T’Challa comes from a place that’s never been colonized, he was raised a prince, and so his look is completely the opposite.

This movie is looking to be hugely influential in the fashion world. You’ve done so many iconic films; is that an experience you’ve had before, of seeing designs inspired by your films on the runway or in stores? I have not had this experience before. I feel like we’ve got an opportunity here to have a voice and shape the world in a sense, and that’s where fashion comes in. If that’s what people want to buy, the fashion industry usually provides that. And if the Panther film has influenced people to want to wear these things — I see it on my Twitter feed all day long, I see it on my Instagram all day long. People are re-creating the fashions because they feel a connection to the story, they love the story so much, and so I feel like the H&Ms and all those people will have their Wakandan vibe in some of their clothes. And hopefully it won’t go out of style like most things in fashion sometimes do. Because it’s a movement more than a fashion statement.

Athi Patra Ruga at World Gallery #costumedesignerblackpantherfilm #southafrica

A post shared by Ruth Carter (@iamruthecarter) on Jan 13, 2018 at 4:05am PST

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Letitia Wright’s freestyle on the ‘Black Panther’ set is the best thing you’ll see all day

‘Black Panther’ star Michael B. Jordan wants his Killmonger’s hairstyle to become a trend

‘Black Panther’ breakout Shuri crowned the best Disney princess by social media

#BlackPantherSoLit and beyond: Cast of Marvel’s megahit reveals favorite ‘Black Panther’ memes

The biggest ‘Black Panther’ Easter eggs and end-credits scenes explained (spoilers!)

Inside the ‘Black Panther; cast’s ‘Coming to America’-themed party, featuring Ruth Carter’s costumes:

yahoo

#costume design #news #marvel cinematic universe #_revsp:wp_yahoo_entertainment_us_421 #_category:yct:001000031 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT #_category:yct:001000593 #interviews #black panther #marvel #_author:Gwynne Watkins #behind the scenes #_uuid:a46d526f-0d7b-3138-ac41-27a5488541a7 #movie:black-panther #ruth carter

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tipsycad147 · 5 years ago

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The Leprechaun

By shirleytwofeathers

Origin: Ireland

Manifestation: Leprechauns are described as small wizened men wearing a shoemaker’s leather apron.

The stereotype of the Leprechaun involves lucky charms and pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. If captured by a human, they often grant three wishes in exchange for their freedom.

Leprechauns are highly commercially modified spirits; their image used to sell breakfast cereal, beer, and anything even remotely Irish. In recent years, Leprechauns, re-envisioned as “evil Fairies” have evolved into villains of horror movies; however this distorted image has no relation whatsoever to true Leprechauns who may be grouchy but are by no means vicious killers.

True Leprechauns are members of the Fairy folk, a type of sidhe. They are unusual because, in a realm dominated by females, Leprechauns are virtually exclusively male spirits.

The name Leprechaun derives from the Gaelic leigh brog “one shoemaker.” He is a cobbler, the only professional sidhe. While the other sidhe are out dancing and reveling, the Leprechaun is hard at work. He is, however, always seen working on only one shoe rather than a pair, which may be a shamanic reference.

References to shoes, especially one shoe, are often oblique references to shamanism. Ancient shamanic seances were often performed with one shoe on and one shoe off or featured dance steps that mimicked limping.

He works on shoes continually, with time off only for an occasional spree. The Leprechaun is fabulously wealthy: he buries his treasure in pots and is reputedly a skilful but not always nice practical joker. He may be invoked for financial aid.

Like other Irish fairies, Leprechauns may be derived from the Tuatha Dé Danann. Leprechaun-like creatures rarely appear in Irish mythology and only became prominent in later folklore.

Interesting factoid: Leprechaunism is another name for Donohoe Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterised by delayed or diminished growth and facial features perceived as elfin.

According to Yeats, the solitary fairies, like the Leprechaun, wear red jackets, whereas the “trooping fairies” wear green. The Leprechaun’s jacket has seven rows of buttons with seven buttons to each row. On the western coast, he writes, the red jacket is covered by a frieze one, and in Ulster the creature wears a cocked hat, and when he is up to anything unusually mischievous, he leaps on to a wall and spins, balancing himself on the point of the hat with his heels in the air.

According to McAnally:

He is about three feet high, and is dressed in a little red jacket or roundabout, with red breeches buckled at the knee, grey or black stockings, and a hat, cocked in the style of a century ago, over a little, old, withered face. Round his neck is an Elizabethan ruff, and frills of lace are at his wrists. On the wild west coast, where the Atlantic winds bring almost constant rains, he dispenses with ruff and frills and wears a frieze overcoat over his pretty red suit, so that, unless on the lookout for the cocked hat, ye might pass a Leprechawn on the road and never know it’s himself that’s in it at all.

This dress could vary by region, however. In McAnally’s account there were differences between Leprechauns or Logherymans from different regions:

The Northern Leprechaun or Logheryman wore a “military red coat and white breeches, with a broad-brimmed, high, pointed hat, on which he would sometimes stand upside down”.

The Lurigadawne of Tipperary wore an ��antique slashed jacket of red, with peaks all round and a jockey cap, also sporting a sword, which he uses as a magic wand”.

The Luricawne of Kerry was a “fat, pursy little fellow whose jolly round face rivals in redness the cut-a-way jacket he wears, that always has seven rows of seven buttons in each row”.

The Cluricawne of Monaghan wore “a swallow-tailed evening coat of red with green vest, white breeches, black stockings,” shiny shoes, and a “long cone hat without a brim,” sometimes used as a weapon.

In a poem entitled The Lepracaun; or, Fairy Shoemaker, 18th century Irish poet William Allingham describes the appearance of the Leprechaun as:

…A wrinkled, wizen’d, and bearded Elf, Spectacles stuck on his pointed nose, Silver buckles to his hose, Leather apron — shoe in his lap…

The modern image of the Leprechaun sitting on a toadstool, having a red beard and green hat, etc. is clearly more modern invention or borrowed from other strands of European folklore. Films, television cartoons and advertising have popularised a specific image of Leprechauns which bears little resemblance to anything found in the cycles of Irish folklore. It can be considered that the popularised image of a Leprechaun is little more than a series of stereotypes based on derogatory 19th-century caricatures.

Catching A Leprechaun

Leprechaun traps are crafts made, typically in elementary school or by families with small children, to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. Leprechaun trapping can be compared to leaving cookies out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. The traps are set up the night before St. Patrick’s Day, and children awaken to discover signs that leprechauns have visited the trap.

The traps are typically made out of common household items that can be easily found or purchased. The traps are typically green and gold and feature the stereotypical leprechaun items: gold coins, rainbows, top hat and four leaf clover. A simple google search will reveal literally hundreds of DIY Leprechaun trap ideas.

According to the tradition, one must believe leprechauns are real to trap one. It is also believed that leprechauns love gold and trickery, and may steal or hide items unless captured, pleased, or scared away. Once trapped, Leprechauns may grant three wishes, and in many of the folklore stories, those lucky enough to catch one are tricked, and made foolish wishes which they lived to regret.

In most cases, children return to the trap with signs of a leprechaun visiting rather than a leprechaun itself. There might possibly be chocolate coins, and small treasures left in their bottom drawers.

If you Catch A Leprechaun

If you get lucky and manage to catch a leprechaun you need to be smarter than him or else you will be easily tricked which can have damaging results, never take your eye off him or he will vanish.

A captured leprechaun will grant you three wishes or a gold coin to bribe his way to freedom but this is when things can go terrible wrong if the wrong decisions are made.

Use your 3 wishes wisely

Many of an Irish man who thought he could out smart an Irish leprechaun had selected the three wishes and would either go insane trying to think of what to wish for or their wishes would back fire with something bad happening.

One common story was of Seamus in County Mayo who wished to be the richest man on a tropical island. However, when his wish came true he suddenly realised that there were no shops or pubs on the island to spend his money or even people to talk with. Unfortunately Seamus became bored after a few hours on the Island and had to waste his third wish to return to Ireland. This could be how the phrase “luck of the Irish” originated from.

One of the biggest tips an Irish person can give anyone is to never listen to what the Irish leprechauns says, no matter what. The leprechauns are great mind players and will say anything to confuse you. You’ll make the wrong wishes, although he is smart he can be fooled.

Never trust an Irish Leprechaun

Irish leprechauns are devious little creatures and will do anything to escape from man so they should never be trusted. Some say angry leprechauns are more common than a friendly one but this is very untrue as Irish leprechauns are very friendly but tend to dislike humans who always seem to chase them for wishes and pots of gold.

If you ever spot a leprechaun you may be better off to pass him by without taking notice, you can end up in more trouble than its worth if decide to chase them as the people of Ireland only know to well. Unfortunately with cities in Ireland expanding the poor wee leprechauns are being driven further underground away from man, taking their rainbows with them.

Sources:

Encyclopedia of Spirits

Wikipedia

You’re Irish

https://shirleytwofeathers.com/The_Blog/powers-that-be/tag/tricksters/

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modeinthemiddle · 5 years ago

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Strengths: Design. Observation. Empathy. Good company. Determination.

Weaknesses: Low self-esteem. Socially awkward. Lies constantly. Doesn’t ask for help even when she needs it. Chameleon personality.

Personality: Shy. Affectionate. Cute. Passionate. Does everything she can to make sure her clients are safe, happy, and successful.

Interests: Design, liquor, smoking, compliments, baths, quirks, heroes, her clients, whatever her clients are into

Dislikes: Villains, her own quirk, her scars, being alone in crowds, being blind folded or restrained

Weapons: Always keeps a taser in her living spaces, knows how to fire a pistol, knows basic CQC & how to correctly throw a punch

Outfits: Western-style business suits with pants & usually in shades of brown, black, or other muted colours. Also, traditional kimono with ornamentation in her hair. Her favorite color to wear is pink & her favorite design is flowers. Mode never wears a bra & always wears ornate underwear. All jewelry is made by her father & all clothing is by The Mode Company.

Blood type: A-

Mother: Silence Mode

Sisters: De Mode (older half-sister), Che Mode (younger half-sister)

Father: Raiden Izanagi

Other relatives: Dr. Tenya/Ryouhei Izanagi (cousin)

English VA: Jennifer Hale

Japanese VA: Hiromi Tsuru

(Drawn by me June 29th, 2024)

Preferred locations: bed, shower, bath, kitchen, kitchen counter, den, couch, love hotels, her workshop at Mode HQ, private beach, walls

Kinks: hugging, kissing, French kisses, breast play, vaginal play, anal play (requires prep first), lube, muscles, adoration, PDA, affection, foreplay, being teased, fucked hard, bottoming, submissive, following, confidence, hands, fingering (receiving), oral (both), hand jobs, blow jobs, mutual masturbation, masturbating, multiple partners, smoking after, rope binding, being surrounded or squished, compliments, nudity, casual nudity, sexting, releasing control, sex as an escape, one night stands, long term lovers, leapfrog position, sex toys, multiple rounds, edging

Maybes: hurting her partners (sadism), urine play, biting, masochism, topping, dominant, leading, fingering (giving), ass play (giving), feet (giving), bondage, blood play, breath play, arm pits, hair pulling, pet names, cosplay, roleplaying, snowballing, inexperience/virgins, aftercare, falling asleep after, leaving after, quirk play, using her quirk, her partner’s kinks!

Nos: being bound without escape or blindfolded (triggers ptsd), public sex, noncon, being asleep or unconscious during the act, pedophilia, baby/diaper play, scat, fart play, necrophilia; talk of children, impregnation, or being reminded of her infertility; gun/firearm play, her hair being damaged, force feeding, vomit, being hit, being abused, verbal abuse, birth control, focus on her bodily scars, using her quirk without knowledge of it or consent of its use

Name: Petrichor "Pe" Mode (she only goes by Mode)

Age: 29

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Heteroflexible

Religion: Shinto

Birthday: May 9th

Languages: Japanese, French, some English

Height: 5' 10"

Eye color: Dark brown

Hair color: Long & wavy dark brown

Skin tone: Naturally pale but she does tan in the sun

Scars: Two small slanted scars from removal of her ovaries, one going down her mound from her hysterectomy

Other: Japanese with hints of French mixed in for her features, naturally slim, wears makeup and fake colored nails, C-cup, peach-shaped butt

Quirk: Quirkless*** (this is a common lie she tells. Actual quirk details below)

Quirk description: Mode can lower & raise the arousal of other people - her eyes dilate when she uses it. She has more control over it when touching the other person & she cannot use it on herself. Her quirk will never be used without permission & plotting from my rp partners. It will also never be used if my rp partner or their muse is under 18 (don't even ask.)

Occupation: Clothing Design teacher at the Support School at UA. Also, one of the designers for The Mode Company (a design company owned by her family)

About & More: Coming soon!

#biography #modeinthemiddle #my bio #bio #my biography #profile #my profile

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projectshakespearia · 7 years ago

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Two Gentlemen of Verona: The World of the Play Part I

Sedona Garcia, Forest Gilpin, Kyle Stockdall, and Stuart Ashenbrenner rehearsing in the Quad.

Introduction And just like THAT another year has passed and we’re diving in head-long for Bard in the Quad 2017. We face a new set of challenges, and as always, an energetic cast is at the ready to bring to life a story of lovers, clowns, and many misunderstandings.

The selection process for this summer’s title began with one of our first faculty meetings in the Fall of 2016. There were several new faces around the table including our new Technical Director, Chad Rodgers, acting instructor, Nate Bush, and Don Naggiar, now in the role of Scenic/Lighting Designer and instructor. While Bard is not a part of our regular season, it is consistently one of OSU Theatre’s most popular productions. Chalk it up to the unique atmosphere or the a general “Shakespeare obsession” among Corvallis audiences, but Bard remains a beloved fixture on campus twelve years on.

As what has perhaps become part of our tradition, I seem to kick off the selection process by floating the idea of staging a tragedy. The last one we did was Julius Caesar in 2012, and while I have a vision of some day presenting a lush and sexy version of Antony and Cleopatra on the steps of the Memorial Union, I ultimately decided that 2017 wasn’t yet the right time. The other tempting title was The Tempest. I have a grand and magical vision for that production, but didn’t feel I had the right available actor to take on the meaty role of Prospero, and therefore, went back to the drawing board of a crowd-pleasing romantic comedy. Our production history includes Much Ado About Nothing, Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Comedy of Errors, and two productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There are only so many comedies in Shakespeare’s canon, and even fewer “great” comedies. Quite frankly, we’re running out of viable titles. Although titles such as The Merchant of Venice or Measure for Measure are technically “comedies,” they are problematic in our venue due to a lack of overt physical action and other thematic issues that are difficult to work out while maintaining the breezy and fun experience we want to offer our audiences.

Ultimately it came down to wanting to do a show that hadn’t yet been staged in the Quad and one that offered a variety of comic possibilities. Two Gentlemen of Verona is by no means a “perfect” play, but while out on one of my runs in the middle of winter, it clicked: Two Gents = Wild West Melodrama. The play and characters are ridiculous and the broadly physical style is well-suited to the cartoonish personalities that populate Verona and Milan. It didn’t all come in one moment, but over the weeks/months between devising Upward-Beating Heart and casting Two Gents my concept solidified into a cohesive vision.

In this first post about The World of the Play, I’m going to discuss the concept and some of the reasoning behind the choices. In next week’s blog, I will delve into the text and the play a little more deeply and write about some of the choices I made in adapting the script for the concept.

Shakespeare’s “Worst” Play When I began my dramaturgical research for Two Gents I ran into a frequent statement from high-minded Shakespeare critics that this was one of the Bard’s earliest plays (likely his first) and, therefore, one of his “worst” plays. Keep in mind, we’re talking about the greatest English language dramatist . . . so “worst” is a relative term. This is the work of a developing writer and while the plot lines and characters are not all entirely developed, there are moments of charm and hints of comic genius to come in the boldness of cross-dressing Julia, the clownish antics of Launce, or the besotted foolishness of the scheming and inept Proteus.

Thematically, Two Gents gets at one of Shakespeare’s most enduing themes: love makes fools of us all. From Romeo to Orlando to Benedict to Orsino, Shakespeare frequently pokes fun at the conventions of courtship, the inconstancy of men, and the power of love. While the love stories between the pairs of lovers in Two Gents are problematic, they are inherently funny and do dig into deeper truths about the lengths to which some go in the name of romantic pursuits.

Proteus (Kyle Stockdall) meets his best friend’s love interest, Sylvia (Sedona Garcia) for the first time.

The plot of Two Gents begins with the relationship between Proteus and Valentine. While Valentine is ready to leave small-town Verona to seek his fortune in Milan, serving in the court of the Duke, Proteus is resolved to stay behind for the sake of his relationship with Julia. Valentine chides Proteus for his foolishness:

Love is your master, for he masters you: And he that is so yoked by a fool, Methinks should not be chronicled for wise.

Proteus admits that Julia has “metamorphosed” him into one that will leave his friends, neglect his studies, and mope around “heart sick in thought.” And thus, Valentine leaves his friend behind to better opportunities.

The tables quickly turn, however, when several scenes later we see Valentine, now consumed with his own love for Sylvia, the witty and sophisticated daughter of the Duke. Valentine, too, has been transformed, as is pointed out by his servant Speed, into one frequently exhibiting the behaviors he so chided Proteus for having. The relationship between Valentine and Sylvia is complicated by the fact that her father wishes her to marry a foolish fop named Thurio. This is even further complicated when Proteus arrives in Milan and finds himself immediately drawn to Sylvia. (Got that?)

Even in our early rehearsals, it’s hard not to completely write Proteus off as a cad, more than that later. But implausibly brash behavior is one of the key factors that led me to this conceptual approach in the first place.

Melodrama in the Theatre There are two major classifications of theatre. It is either presentational or representational. Representational theatre attempts to represent “real life” in some way. This requires a naturalistic acting style and characters that are somehow psychologically motivated to grow or change. Consider plays such as Death of a Salesmen or A Doll’s House. These chestnuts of the modern stage want audiences to feel as if they are peeking into the living room windows of ordinary families simply behaving.

Presentational plays, on the other hand, have a more distinct style and are in no way attempting to show “real life” on stage. Consider the conventions of musical theatre or Japanese Noh theatre which embrace the theatrical, the symbolic, and the suggestive. Melodrama falls into this presentational category and is well-suited to our outdoor venue.

Melodrama lives in a world of comic archetypes or stock characters. Villains wear black hats and twist their mustaches while reveling in their wicked plots that are unmotivated by any internal psychological impulse. Villains do evil things because that’s what they do. Heroes are similarly reactive and jump from one emotional high point to the next. In many ways, this is the world that Shakespeare presents in Two Gentlemen of Verona, one where Proteus can be deeply in love with Julia one moment and Sylvia the next. A world where he can be completely dedicated to his dearest friend until the very moment he hatches an overly-complicated plot to have Valentine banished so that he can steal away his girlfriend. For the most part, when directing Shakespeare, I try to embrace the madness rather than attempt to “fix” it. Melodrama in this case is an appropriate playground to poke fun at love and lovers.

In addition, I found a lot of inspiration in imagery of the Wild West, in particular, cartoons from my childhood depicting comic exaggerations of Western icons. I grew up on a steady diet of Disney and Loony Tunes and probably my first introduction to the “Wild West” was the image of Yosemite Sam,

I mean . . . right?

The hot-tempered, tiny-footed gunslinger is all bark and no bite, terrorizing the Wild West in his attempt to . . . defeat Bugs Bunny? I’m not entirely sure of his motivations, but he does parody the swaggering cowboy character in a way that seemed fitting for this production. Other iconic characters such as Pecos Bill and Slue-Foot Sue come quickly to mind when I think of the Wild West.

I don’t think cartoons can get away with characters smoking anymore.

I remember these characters as bright, optimistic, and easily identifiable - all in line with the tone I wanted to take in developing this show. I see this production as casual and family-friendly. Perhaps a little reminiscent of the madcap melodramas we would see at the Golden Horse Shoe Revue at Disneyland.

Another reason we chose this concept with this production was a necessity of one of our physical limitations this year. The Memorial Union is getting a face-lift this summer and the facades of the plinths are being repaired making them inaccessible for our performers. Rather that have elements of the architecture that we couldn’t use, I decided to stage the production at the center of the Quad with the MU as a grand back-drop. The center is a little smaller and much closer to the audience. I wouldn’t exactly call the center an “intimate space,” but without the steps to use for dramatic entrances, the world is a little closer and more casual. Melodrama lends itself to direct audience address (maybe even interaction) and stylistically will help us tell a fast-paced and physical story in a way that makes sense in the space.

The statement I made to the designers in approaching the concept was, “Imagine that this is a group of actors putting on a place in a barn.” This way we can get away with goofy low-budget special effects, rustic music, and a lighthearted atmosphere.

We are beginning our fourth week of rehearsal today (hard to believe) and things are coming along. I’ll give a rehearsal update and some background about the script itself in my next entry.

For now . . . it’s time to head to the Quad!

#bardinthequad #shakespeare #alifeinthetheatre #directorslife #Coolvallis #summertheatre

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best-ghoul · 7 years ago

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infomantis answered your question “To be fuckin’ Ken-Sama here for a minute, the Bushido...: so where does anime fit into that

A lot. Strap the fuck in.

If we’re to take this question seriously, we need to consider where Anime and Manga showed up. Comics are as old as Kanji, but the modern style of comic books we think of Manga developed from Japanese artists imitating western cartoons that came along with US GIs occupying the fuck out of Japan after the war, and Anime followed suit. And nowadays it still operates as a shared geeky fiber in the broad cable between us and the Nihon. Like any other work of fiction, they became not only entertainment for kids and teenagers, but also a voice of cultural anxieties.

As far as production is concerned, Anime’s got the Samurai spirit in the same way any Japanese company structure does: Japanese moral ethics constantly brush up against capitalist ones, and not always comfortably, so the stalwart exceptionalism and loyalty to employers often gets bled to death when placed in the insatiable meat grinder of capitalism.

However, it’s not entirely a passive meat-grinding, and the traditional Samurai contempt of the merchant classes and taboo against transactional thinking turns up in literature, but is kinda kept on the downlow socially in exchange for keeping the lights on. Note how many greedy scumbag villains and corrupt magistrates you see in Anime-- Frieza was based on land speculators.

But as for the ethos as it appears in works themselves, remember that Literature needs to ‘say something’ and make you think a little, so playing a nation’s cultural values perfectly straight without any stipulation is as just as much of an eye-rolling snorefest in Japan as it is here.

More often than not, many Anime series, particularly Shonen ones, focus on countercultural concerns, partly because there’s a long history of picaresques in Eastern literature and partly because Anime, much like gaming, was kind of a fringe thing that was hard to take seriously until a few years back, so often it’s a by-geeks-for-geeks situation: they both speak from experience and play to the crowd.

As to how accepted it is now, my understanding is that it’s the same thing we are dealing with in regard to Geek Culture stateside today. It’s kinda taking over everything, and everyone who’s not into it is learning how to live with it, albeit with varying degrees of okayness.

That said, the archetypal Shonen anime protagonist has a lot of Samurai sensibilities built in, even if they’re often external to the society they live in. Consider the boundless wells of self-confidence, dedication to meting out justice through controlled force, the manifold pursuit of self-betterment, and a spectacular display of hardiness and indomitably in the face of peril for the sake of others, often by sheer fucking steel-balled willpower, and you can see that it’s part of a continuum of That Bushido Shit.

Additionally, there’s a lot in there that’s both antiwar, antifascist, and environmentalist themes in a shitload of Sci-Fi and Fantasy series, especially in the really over-the-top, stand-up-and-cheer ones. That’s been one of Japan’s biggest go-to utopian visions for their post-Meiji national identity after the US occupation, and one that continues to be very popular. However, people are very understandably nervous about their nation being one of the only countries in the world wearing that particular hat, so writing a story about how ‘holy shit this can actually work, guys’ is naturally a way to reassure that ballsy ethical wager.

Mirroring their politics, we’re seeing a seeing a slightly worrying lack of that now, since the Meiji shame is chipping off with the latest generation and there’s a sense of ennui and doomsaying about such a sunshine-and-lolipops national vision. As a result we’re seeing more and more series about angry men and women in strong, militarist governments being the only thing between Mankind and degenerate ruin and grim affirmations war as the eternal fate of all mankind. That has uncomfortable overtones of the typical Fascist sales pitch, and marketed to the brave new flavor of Reactionary Otaku, and that is making me nervous.

Shoujo and Slice-of-Life anime deal more with womanhood (because duh)-- particularly the intersection of new womanhood vs. old womanhood and how to parse female identity against a highly patriarchal society. That said, it’s hard to make a case that the Magical Girl isn’t at some level reflective of the Onna-Bugeisha, being both Samurai and beacon of femininity at the same time.

#Original Content #Ominous Readmore

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rxngikumxtsumoto-blog · 8 years ago

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really LONG CHARACTER SURVEY.

RULES. repost , don’t reblog ! tag 10 ! TAGGED. @ichimaru-gin TAGGING. If you haven’t yet, please feel free to!

BASICS.

FULL NAME : Rangiku Matsumoto NICKNAME : I have no idea, but probably something with boobs...boobzilla? loool AGE : I have no idea again lool but at least 200 I would say, who knows since you know, Kubo doesn’t age his characters all the time, so who knows?? BIRTHDAY : September 29 (gifted to her by Gin) ETHNIC GROUP : To me, she appears of European or Russian descent but she only speaks Japanese so...... NATIONALITY : Japanese (as far as I know) LANGUAGE / S : Japanese SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Heterosexual ROMANTIC ORIENTATION : Heteroromantic RELATIONSHIP STATUS : It’s complicated but she is devoted to Gin (doesn’t mean she doesn’t flirt, however) CLASS : Warrior Class??? HOME TOWN / AREA : Rukongai CURRENT HOME : Squad 10 barracks or Gin’s home PROFESSION : Lieutenant of the 10th Division

PHYSICAL.

HAIR : Gold/blonde. I know in the anime they make her more of a strawberry blonde but I think she’s more blonde than that.... EYES : Steely blue, a good reflection of her zanpakuto NOSE : She has what the Japanese refer to as a ‘tall’ or ‘high’ nose, meaning that she has a tall bridge of her nose, a defining characteristic of Japanese ideal of Western beauty FACE : She has an almost almond-shaped face with a sharp chin LIPS : Her lips are full and pouty, with a slightly fuller lower lip COMPLEXION : She has lighter skin but seems to also sport a healthy glow to her skin, perhaps from her time out on the field BLEMISHES : None SCARS : None, surprisingly enough, given she had her entire side ripped out and was later nearly killed again, but nope, no scars. The fourth division are good at what they do. TATTOOS : None HEIGHT : 172 cm/5′7 1/2″ (she’s so tall gdi) WEIGHT : 57kg/126 lbs (someone needs to feed her) BUILD : Very slender, with most of her weight residing in her large breasts. But despite her slim build she is very strong (such as blocking Nakeem’s stomp attack with her forearm while getting the news to release her seal) FEATURES : Always wearing a smile, small beauty mark on the right side under her lower lip ALLERGIES : None USUAL HAIR STYLE : Pre-zombification time her hair was long with bangs surrounding her face, but in recent chapters it is cut short around her face, barely hitting her shoulders USUAL FACE LOOK : Usually always smiling, seemingly happy, unless she is in the middle of a battle USUAL CLOTHING : When she is in the soul society, she wears the black uniform with a pink obi and a chain around her neck. However, on her off days or when she goes to the human world, she tends to wear the latest fashion trends, favoring small skirts and extremely low-cut shirts.

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S : Being alone, being vulnerable, her dreams ASPIRATION / S : Live a happy life with the one(s) she cares about POSITIVE TRAITS : independent, strong, empathetic, compassionate, dependable, loving, good listener (even if she doesn’t always appear to be so), intuitive, forgiving, free-spirited, gentle NEGATIVE TRAITS : stubborn, lazy, obnoxious, heavy drinker, wears a mask to avoid getting close to people, has a difficult time making true friends, self-sacrificing, self-deprecating ZODIAC : Libra (using her given birthdate, but her actual zodiac sign is unknown) TEMPEREMENT : Comes off as being happy and carefree but is actually quite the pensive person SOUL TYPE / S : Warrior ANIMALS : Cat VICE HABIT / S : Turning to alcohol whenever there is a problem she can’t solve FAITH : I don’t think she believes in much of anything, especially after recent arks. How could a god let something like this happen? GHOSTS ? : Well...she is a ghost technically... AFTERLIFE ? : She lives it REINCARNATION ? : Shinigami work with this all the time ALIENS ? : This doesn’t have much impact on anything the society does so she probably never thought about it POLITICAL ALIGNMENT : Lawful good?? maybe? ECONOMIC PREFERENCE : She doesn’t need a lot of expensive things SOCIOPOLITICAL POSITION : Does feminist count? EDUCATION LEVEL : Academy graduate...pretty average but she does have a good fighting sense

FAMILY.

FATHER : None MOTHER : None SIBLINGS : None EXTENDED FAMILY : None NAME MEANING / S : I had to go to google for this and i found two meanings for her name, both of which seem to oddly suit her. “Ran” = Chrysanthemum, “giku” = riot or war, or the other meaning “Ran” = orchid, “giku” = apprehension or uneasiness. I think the second one suits her better (and I think in one of the panels with her in it there’s an orchid on her desk? I could be wrong about this but aoidfansldfkn). Matusmoto is fairly common with “Matsu” = pine, fir tree, and “moto” = base, root origin. I think it is interesting to note here that pine trees in Japanese are a symbol of longevity, friendship, and constancy in the face of strife. Take what you will from that ^__~ HISTORICAL CONNECTION ? : Probably none

FAVORITES.

BOOK : She doesn’t have much time to read but believe it or not I think she would enjoy books like Twilight (kill me now), or more likely romantic manga MOVIE : Hm...probably something sappy or funny with a happy ending 5 SONGS : Probably anything by Lights, or any upbeat and happy pop music DEITY : Hahaha HOLIDAY : Christmas MONTH : Early April when the cherry blossoms first start blooming SEASON : Spring PLACE : The hut where she grew up with Gin, onsens, malls WEATHER : The first breath of spring, surprise summer rains SOUND : Gin’s voice, birds chirping early in the morning SCENT / S : Spring flowers, warmth earth in the middle of summer TASTE / S : sake warm and cold, dried persimmons, a new concoction that she cooks, omelette rice, Inuoe’s cooking, Gin’s cooking FEEL / S : Summer yukata fabric ANIMAL / S : Cats, foxes NUMBER : 10 (for her squad, don’t judge her) COLORS : Pink, black, light blue

EXTRA.

TALENTS : She can get out of doing just about any work with the right words or the right wink in an unfortunate man’s direction (*cough*shuuhei*cough*), she can help pull people of out depressions far easier than she can pull herself out, she can drink just about anyone under the table, she is far too good at running away from her problems, and hiding her problems BAD AT : Being honest with her feelings, letting people get close enough to really get to know her, cooking, knowing when to stop drinking TURN ONS : The growly thing Gin’s voice does when he’s turned on, rough, passionate love making, the soft hitches of Gin’s breath, his fingers in her hair, the taste of his flesh, when she makes Gin lose control of his composure TURN OFFS : Talkative guys, arguments, crying (lbr, not much Gin can do can turn Ran off) HOBBIES : Cooking! she loves to try new concoctions and can’t for the life of her figure out why no one ever wants to eat her tuna and jam omelette. She certainly thought it tasted good. AESTHETIC TAGS : forests, moss and ivy on the side of old Japanese-style buildings, ikebana, light coming through trees, mori girls, sake sets GPOY QUOTES : "To know sorrow is not terrifying. What is terrifying is to know you can’t go back to happiness you could have.”

FC INFO.

MAIN FC / S : None ALT FC / S : None OLDER FC / S : None YOUNGER FC / S : None VOICE CLAIM / S : Kaya Matsutani GENDERBENT FC / S : None

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 : if you could write your character your way in their own movie , what would it be called , what style would it be filmed in , and what would it be about ? A1 : I would have to say that she would be very good in a female empowerment movie as she overcomes the sexual expectations of the way that she dresses to kick ass. But as a ginran lover, she would also be great in a romantic movie, perhaps one where she thinks him dead for years but in the end of the movie she is reunited with him and they live happily ever after. Q2 : what would their soundtrack / score sound like ? A2 : Probably something to the upbeat tracks but the lyrics would be much darker than what the music would lend the listener to believe (think Halsey or Melanie Martinez) Q3 : why did you start writing this character ? A3 : Because SOMEBODY *cough*Jackie*cough* dragged me into her. I was playing a villain character before this one. In fact, in about 90% of my previous roleplays they have been evil kings, manslayers, and most recently Nutcracker from Tokyo Ghoul. ANYONE ELSE SEE A TREND??? But Jackie was searching for a Rangiku and I made a joke that I could make one for her and who knew that a year+ later I would still be here rping her. Q4 : what first attracted you to this character ? A4 : To be honest, I was always kind of indifferent towards her. Being a blonde and having blue eyes and fairly large breasts myself, I thought of her as just another overly-sexualized female character in a manga there only for the sexual humor. It wasn’t until I started really researching her to write her that I realized how wrong I was. Her duality in dealing with people, with her problems, and her inability to let people in was intriguing to me and still to this day she surprises me, which makes it fun to play her. Q5 : describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse. A5 : She doesn’t seem to realize just how many people care for her. It took her what, 80% of the manga, more than that? before she was able to communicate with her captain. She is seen suffering by herself rather than just going to talk to someone, and that’s frustrating as her roleplayer. She’s surprisingly bad at communicating with other people. Q6 : what do you have in common with your muse ? A6 : I would much rather hide my feelings in favor of making another feel better. No matter how shitty a day I’m having, if I hear that one of my friends is having a worse one, I will forego my own mental health to listen to their problems (see Rangiku staying at Orihime’s place). I also have the ability to get free alcohol and favors from boys with the right...persuasions (lolol...am I kidding? who knows~). Q7 : how does your muse feel about you ? A7 : She wishes I would stop making painful AUs with Jackie and focus on getting her a stable home with Gin. And she also wishes I would stop writing such painful and deep threads and let her revert to having fun again (not gonna happen Bl). Q8 : what characters does your muse have interesting interactions with ? A8 : Everyone is interesting! But it’s the ones that thrust her outside of her comfort zone that are really interesting! But, let’s be truthful, anyone willing to put up with my rollercoaster of a muse earns a big gold star and a 90 degree bow from me. Q9 : what gives you inspiration to write your muse ? A9 : Music, especially current pop hits or super sad, slow songs. Epic music or movie sound tracks are also really good, depending on what scene I’m writing. Q10 : how long did this take you to complete ? A10 : Holy shit it’s been an hour, fck me.

#ooc #wow this is really long #help

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purplehanfu · 3 years ago

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Hot Blooded Detective: Episode 1

notes: Spoilers! What a gift we have been given here at the outside edge of 2021. Enjoy.

In this episode- furries being extra, crimes against Taoism, and low-grade fox demon energy.

I’m afraid I can’t do that, I must roast you and your drama.

Well, I'm Hot Blooded, Check It and See

The year is 1912ish and I know what you're saying- this is unquestionably a tumultuous time in Chinese history- but is it a good time frame in which to be setting a comedy crime drama? You be the judge. Let's assemble our players, shall we?

Zhang Yu Jian as Kong Xueli, a constable with a flair for western fashion and a glove fetish (seriously, he does not take them off once during this episode). We are told he is a stylish narcissistic detective who has studied abroad. He hates supernatural frauds, idolizes Sherlock Holmes, is good at sports, and is also a dance master, pianist, photographer and racing driver.

Liang Jie, back at it again, this time as Lian Haiping, restaurant owner and all-around sassy lady. She has a high tolerance for both strong alcohol and Kong Xueli's special brand of handsy flirting. We last saw this actress in Time Flies and You Are Here doing hard time playing opposite Joseph Zeng.

Wu Chen Xu as Fang Dong, the coroner who is the Mulder to Kong Xueli's Scully. He wants to believe! He's polite, quiet and I love him despite the fact that he's wearing a summer straw hat with his winter cape and coat (I can fix him!).

I Got a Fever of a Hundred and Three

Kong Xueli shows up as the new sheriff in this here town, decked out in western clothes, clueless and queue-less. He asks those assembled "Do you want to see my queue? Well, I'll make one soon!" And he does make a clip on one which appears and disappears throughout the episode.

He immediately shuts down a travelling Taoist who is attempting to cure a man of a werewolf-like ailment. Kong Xueli recognizes it as rabies and tells the man's terrified mother there is no cure and "Prepare the funeral!".

Rabies may cause hydrophobia, disorientation and poor photoshopping

The faux Taoist, named Zhang Lvzi, is annoyed at having his show interrupted. He will be our nemesis for the foreseeable future.

Kong Xueli then heads to the town's restaurant and introduces himself to the other characters. He and Lian Haiping make literal heart eyes at each other.

We learn that there is a fairy fox plaguing the town. Well, plague may not be the right word- everyone is praying to the fairy fox for benevolence and some are blessed with invitations to a "Lavish Feast". But we also learn that while everyone covets the invite, no one ever returns from the feast. I have a lot of questions about this, and so does Kong Xueli.

The next day, Kong Xueli gets his hands on a Lavish Feast invitation, gets gussied up and heads to the party. Fang Dong is delighted to see him off.

“So you can just walk your Professor Layton ass right out of my town”

Come on Baby, Do You Do More Than Dance?

Kong Xueli meets up with the "Fairy Fox" who leads him to a mansion where the festivities are in full swing.

“You mean me, or the Build-a-Bear Samoyed?”

I haven’t seen this much leg since Word of Honor!

Polymorphous perversity ensues. To be honest it looks like a fun time.

I'm slightly annoyed when Kong Xueli wrecks the party by unmasking the host- of course it’s Zhang Lvzi. And with that, the episode ends.

It’s the world’s weirdest MLM scheme

I feel the need to point out that Zhang Lvzi’s suit is made up of like eight different breeds of fur. Maybe that’s a style choice, I don’t know.

I'm Hot Blooded, I'm Hot Blooded

Haha I watched ahead to see how the fight at the party ended. Kong Xueli is taken hostage and Zhang Lvzi gives him “the full James Bond" i.e. a complete explanation of his villainous machinations. He's been using the Lavish Feast as a means of kidnapping workers for his gold mine. When asked why on earth he would go to all that trouble instead of just hiring people we get this answer which honestly, I'm totally on board with.

“It’s a little thing called showmanship”

Final Thoughts

I can’t help but like this; it has a 1960's Batman feel to it, doesn’t take itself too seriously and certainly isn’t bogging us down with exposition of any kind. Also the opening song slaps.

Master list of all recaps

#hot blooded detective #detective kong #liang jie #wu cheng xu #zhang yu jian #just the first episode

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glamournews-blog1 · 5 years ago

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Laleña - Startup Fashion Week

Startup Fashion Week - Lalena

Lalena is an amazing designer behind Hourglass havens based out of British Columbia. She started designing her own cloths ever since she was in High school. As most clothing is made for a mild pear shape and that will not fit an hourglass figure. As she explanted she had difficulty finding cloths that gits since she hit puberty. “It was impossible to find simple items, like a pair of pants that fit, a shirt, basic suit, a dress…” Lalena will be showing her mini collection at Startup Fashion Week Runway show on Oct 25th.

RE YOU SELF-TAUGHT OR DID YOU STUDY FASHION DESIGN?

Mostly self-taught. I learned to sew when I was growing up. When I was little my mom sometimes made clothes for us. By the time I was in high school, I was sewing my own clothes, sometimes without a pattern just based on an idea I had. I've taken art classes and some classes in pattern-making too.

DO YOU DESIGN YOUR OWN CLOTHES, OR YOU HAVE GO TO LABEL?

I design my own clothes. I tried other labels, but none of them had the fit and features my customers and I want!

WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE YOU WANTED TO PURSUE A CAREER AS A DESIGNER?

I thought about it when I was younger and creating designs, but I didn't consider it seriously as a career until several years ago. It was really my own experience with trying to find formal and professional office wear that made me decide to start Hourglass Heaven. It was so hard to find clothing that fit and looked good, that I decided that I wanted to solve this issue for myself and other women with curves!

WHAT OTHER SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT?

Lots! Color theory, pattern-making, sewing, knowing how fabrics look and behave, understanding how designs elements can change how a person looks...and that's just speaking to the design part. An even larger part is all the business elements: developing relationships with suppliers and manufacturers, accounting, marketing, customer service, etc.

WHAT ARE YOU BIGGEST FEAR WHEN GOING OUT AND STARTING YOUR OWN LINE?

Not being able to make everyone happy. I've gotten lots of requests for items I haven't made yet. And it's hard to balance and combine everything that everyone wants.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A DESIGNER?

Getting to decide everything about the design! The style, the fit, the colors and fabrics. And meeting happy customers. Some women have been so moved, so happy with the way the clothing makes them look and feel, it makes me feel like that's the real reason I do what I do. :)

COULD YOU GIVE ME A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF THE STEPS IN PRODUCING A COLLECTION...(FROM CONCEPTION TO THE RUNWAY)?

1. Theme

I start with an idea about the kind of clothing I want to include in the collection. The look, the feel, the color palette. I'm also very customer focused, so I always consider the feedback and requests I've gotten in planning a new collection.

2. Sketches & Technical Drawings

I usually do some rough pencil sketches first, then refine the designs on the computer using a vector program. The technical drawings include details about the construction and often include key measurements. I sometimes start with a vector drawing, skipping the initial pencil sketch.

3. Final Decisions & Ordering Materials

I already have some fabrics in mind when I start designing, but after the drawings are done, I make the final decisions on the colors and fabrics and notions that will be used in the collection and order the materials. This is also the point where I decide which designs and looks will be included in the collection.

4. Pattern-Making

I work with a pattern-maker who creates the patterns from the drawings I provide. I could make the patterns myself, but I feel it's best to have this step done by a professional so the patterns are "production ready". I often discuss details about the design and construction with the pattern-maker to make sure they have all the information needed to create patterns that match the drawings and what I intended.

5. Sample Creation

When the patterns have been created and the materials have arrived, it's time to sew the samples! If the samples are being created in multiple sizes, then there's a step in-between for pattern-grading to adjust the patterns to the sizes needed.

6. Fashion Show Preparation

I've heard fashion shows described as "organized chaos" and I think that's pretty accurate, particularly backstage on the day of the show! There's actually a whole set of steps just for this part. You need to prepare any images or videos you want shown on the runway, select music, prepare a press release and contact media, find and select models, find make-up artists and hairstylists, photographers, videographers, etc. Once you have everything prepared and your team of models, MUA's and photographers, then you're ready to do your runway show.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BRAND?

I think my brand is for women who want to look beautiful and feel confident. Women who are ready to let the world see how amazing they are & who want to maintain dignity and modesty.

I think that's a real challenge for women with an hourglass figure who wear a DD cup or larger. Often the only fashion choices we have leave us looking like a "heifer or a whore", as Amanda De Cadenet described so well.

WHERE DO YOU GO FOR INSPIRATION?

I love art and nature. Sunsets and flowers. I love Insta for all the pretty pics. I follow a lot of painters and other artists and I do art as well. I love looking at fabrics and thinking about the potential. I like looking at styles people wear when I go out. I do online research too, like when I was designing a little black dress. I read up on the history of the LBD and looked a hundreds of examples before finalizing my design.

WHAT ARE YOU FASCINATED BY AT THE MOMENT AND HOW DOES IT FEED INTO YOUR WORK?

I'm fascinated love and shades of pink atm. I don't generally like pink, so it's weird to find myself fascinated by it. :) You'll definitely be seeing some pink tones in the new "Embrace Love" collection I'll be debuting next month at Startup Fashion Week Toronto. I want to encourage people to Embrace Love, both in personal relationships and in a larger community sense. I think we need to make decisions about what we buy and about sustainability from a place of love and caring for ourselves and others.

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR CLIENT FEEL WHEN WEARING YOUR CLOTHES?

Comfortable and confident. Empowered and beautiful.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?

I think I have several personal styles. About half my wardrobe is black and I'm fond of the comfortable vampire style. :) The other half is filled with lots of color. I wear a lot of casual, streetwear and a little boho. And of course, I have business wear too.

IF YOU WERE A SUPERHERO, WHAT KIND OF POWERS WOULD YOU HAVE?

I'd want Legion's ability to warp reality.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHICH SUPER VILLAINS NEEDS FASHION ADVICE?

Thanos! I think he could really use a wardrobe update and some nice suits. I'd style him in western style dark suits & some eastern, Asian style with small prints including bright jewel tone and gold accents.

#Fashion Designer #Fashion Show #fashion #Fashion Week #Fashion #Canadian Fashion #Canada #Canada Fashion #Canada Fashion Week #Startup #Startup Fashion Week #Startup Fashion

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knackerman · 6 years ago

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So it starts with these two obvious black hat bad guys boarding a steam locomotive in an old west setting. Our steely eyed sheriff protagonist eyes them up as they board the train and he follows after them, getting on the car behind there’s. When the conductor asks to see his ticket he just glares at him and flashes the badge on his waistcoat hidden by his leather duster. As our protagonist makes his way up the aisle there are tons of tiny things that are wrong. Like overhead storage bins in the general setting area like they have on airplanes. Indeed the seating arraingement is a lot like one gets on an intercontinental flight, but you can see the frontier desert of the old west dustily rolling by outside the windows. Things get even more surreel as our protagonist passes through the overnight car, where we can see into some of the rooms. Some look as expected, sparsely but elegantly decorated, where as one or two are markedly different such as one room with tatami mats and a futon on the floor as well as sliding paper doors in the style one would expect from ancient japan and another that seems to have what might be a pool set in the middle of the floor. Our protagonist finally catch up with the villains in the dining car and things are even stranger here. It’s too wide and spacious, as if an entire restaurant complete with live music and full service bar was suddenly occupying the space where a modest dining car should have been. Everyone is still in period dress, though far too fancy for the frontier, and many of the outfits are obviously costumes that have rather taken liberty with what ‘western wear’ might entail. Our Protagonist isn’t distracted by all the glitz and glamor however. He sees the men he followed warily discussing some matter in a private booth while a suitcase changes hands. The protagonist acts swiftly, and delicately passes by the two, swapping their case for one concealed in his duster. Our protagonist’s sheriff outfit is as fake as everyone else’s. In reality he is a thief and the law men are the ‘villains’ he has just so smoothly robbed. He doesn’t miss a beat and instead presses on through the dining car and into the galley where chefs in modern attire work with state of the art tools of the trade. Some are even futuristic, such as a knife with a red laser for a blade or a delicate tool that seems to quick chill drinks in place of ice. There are shouts for our protagonist to stop, but he just flashes his badge and presses further on. He’s in the staffs quarters now and if the sparsely utilitarian surroundings, like the interior of a submarine, are a contrast with what we’ve seen so far it’s nothing to compare with the landscape that can be glimpsed through the train windows. A vast alien underwater landscapes spreads as far as the eye can see, with shafts of watery light just barely illuminating the depths. There is still the clack of railroad tracks and the occasional chug and whistle of a steam locamotive, but the sound is distant and tinny, like it’s coming through a far off speaker. The train moves far too fast and too smoothly to be some ancient locamotive, and that’s obvious as it plunged into a deep trench and the light fades to only intermitten illumination provided by the glass tube the train is passing through. Our protagonist strips his gear as he goes, losing his duster, his fake handlebar mustache, his Stetson and his boots revealing a sleek black ops style suit underneath. He finds a panel in the ceiling and quickly lowers a pair of goggles over his eyes. The readout the lenses show him convey information we can only guess at, but the frown on his face say the news isn’t good. Already he can hear the sound of pursuit coming as the victims of his theft realize they have been duped. He’s just about to snip a wire in the overhead panel when suddenly the interior of the locamotive goes dark and there is Avery load and very real screeching of breaks. Our protagonist is knocked from his feet as the train suffers a terrible impact and grinds to a terrifying halt. There’s the sound of breaking glass and a rushing of water, but the interior of the ship stays dry... for now. We cut to the bridge where the Captain demands a status report. The speed that they were going there shouldn’t have been anything short of a mountain they could have collided with that would stop them. They turn on an observation screen and we can see, from multiple angles, what looks like a coral reef has grown into the tube he train is intended to travel through, with long thick teeth like protrusions, which are now embedded into bulkhead. Where the ‘teeth’ have been dislodged he sea sprays in, though not as quickly as one would anticipate, and even as they watch it seems that the coral is growing, repairing the damage to itself and plugging the holes despite the immense water pressure. Otherwise the tube seems to be intact further ahead. Communications seem to have been damaged, so they send someone down to the engine room to see about getting back underway, but when they get down there all of the engender crew are huddled around something protectively. When they don’t respond to verbal commands someone tries to shake them, only to discover ether have been calcified and can’t move when the motion breaks off one of the living statues fingers exposing the semi-gooey flesh within.suddenly several throws like tendrils burst from the wound and latch on to the Horror I field conductors, instantly calcifying them as well as something with shrimp legs and lobster claws start to descend from the gaping mouths and hollow eye sockets of the engineering crew. Unaware of this horror, our protagonist appears on the bridge of the ship, killing most of the crew with an old fashioned revolver (that was thought to be a prop earlier, so ancient and unknown was such a weapon.) despite expending all six rounds, the protagonist presses the still smoking muzzle of the weapon to the captains forgead and threatens to splatter his brains across the instrument panel if he doesn’t get the train to its destination on time. He has an appointment to keep. Despite the damage and strange goings on, the engines come back online and the Captain complies with the protagonists request. Hours pass and much skullduggery ensues with a shoot out between hi and lo-tech weapons taking place, more people being mysteriously calcified, and strange lobster like creatures climbing over the ceiling and walls. The passengers react with panic and some even argue that they should abandon the train and take their chances in the tunnels, when the ‘western desert scene’ is dispelled and the trains exterior lights all come on revealing that in place of what should have been a narrow tunnel and seascape they are instead in a much wider and far more organic looking surroundings. The Captain reveals they should have reached their destination hours ago, but the track just keeps going on and on, down and further down into th s Strange lobster, sea anemoni’s and shrimp like creatures swarm all around the ship and what are clearly wrecked and ruined trains from previous trips with calcifies humans half hanging out broken windows that have already become part of the huge alien reef. The humans decide to set aside their differences and work together to try and find a way to escape their grizzled fate. Weird dream, huh?

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