#// They make a good team too...WHEN THEY ACTUALLY WORK together. and not BUTT HEADS AHEM AHEM

[garlculean]

@Mariotime Asked.

IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE

take this! the gold digger wario will no doubt find these rupees to be the utmost valuable. BUT WAIT- hold the phone. mario giving such a treasured gift for one of his biggest rivals? he checked his list. he checked it twice. maybe. JUST maybe. those 2 v 2 mini games has earned back a once upon a time friendship. what happened, then? well, in the mushroom kingdom they say. that wario's small heart grew three sizes that day.

      𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐍𝐎 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐓 𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐃! Enthralling owl shaped eyes basked down at the brilliant jewels before him. The way they glistened, the way they shined! Cumbersome hands snatched up the treasure faster than a rat up a drainpipe⸺! It was as though in this very moment that Mario, who stood right Infront of him, didn't even exist as all his focus and attention was pinpointed severely onto the PRECIOUS STONES.

      Taking one out from the casing, Wario lifted it up to his lips before giving it a few gracious smacks. With each peck, Wario added a loud comedic 'mwuah!' sound.

              ❝ OH BABY! WAH-HA HA HAAaaAAaaAA! COME TA' PAPAAAH!!! ❞

      Just as he was at the climax of his pursuit of happiness, a red blur from out the corner of his eye caught his attention forcing him, in a way, to come to. That immense smile plastered upon his face slowly lowered itself to a mundane muse. Dipping his head down, Wario stared at Mario...Ineptly, he'd drawn his eyes away from Mario and down at the Jewels. There was a moment a silence which hung around awkwardly between the two before Wario even dared to put away the stone he once held then closed the case. Giving the box a few quick taps, Wario peeked back over to his old friend and muttered under his mouth hastily.

                                                            ❝ Err-...Uhm...I ⸺eeh.....Danks... ❞

[themominars]

Caroline Fardig - An Eye For An Eye

 Caroline Fardig is the USA Today bestselling author of the Java Jive Mysteries series, the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series, and Ellie Matthews series. She has worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before realizing that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardigstill lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.

Interview with Caroline Fardig Q:  I've read some procedurals, classic dicks, and crime mysteries, so I'm not unfamiliar with the genre(s). However, I've never read a book starting from the perspective of the first victim. What lead you to do that?

A:  When I wrote the first book in the series, BITTER PAST, I actually had 4 chapters leading up to the murder, which originally happened off-page.  But when my agent and I were discussing that book, he said it didn't start with enough of a bang.  There was too much lead-up before anything really happened.  So, I hacked those chapters and started (literally) with a bang--the victim in the first book was shot.  It ended up being a great formula to draw the reader into the action and feel something for the victim, so I kept on with it.  Every Ellie Matthews novel will start that way.

Q:  One of my favorite authors does a ton of real world research for her books. Shooting the guns, doing interviews, suiting up with a SWAT team.... I know you do too. Can you describe what research you do and why you do it?

A:  In the past couple of years, I've taken 3 college-level classes in Criminal Justice--two forensics classes and one criminal investigations class--to prepare for writing this series.  There are so many books and movies and TV series that get the procedural stuff "wrong," I was determined to write something that showed the real way it's done--of course within the realm of fiction to keep things interesting.  In the forensics classes, we did a lot of labs, which ended up being hands-on training provided by real criminalists who work at the Indiana State Police lab.  My teacher is one of the firearms examiners, and she had her coworkers come in to teach lessons and labs in their field of expertise.  They would bring actual supplies from their lab so we could have a true experience at evidence examination.  We also got to tour the lab itself, which was incredibly exciting for me.  My teacher and her coworkers have been so great about answering my many "what if" questions about forensics, even long after the classes were over.  It's been an amazing experience.

Q:  Your main character in this book is an aunt while you are a mom. I've noticed that a lot of authors, either intentionally or not, often infuse their characters and stories with elements from their own life. Can you tell me how Ellie and Rachel are or are not like yourself?

A:  Well, they have a sweet Golden Retriever just like me.  But on the serious side, Ellie's sarcasm comes straight from me.  We both get into trouble for our witty yet cutting observations that maybe shouldn't always be shared with others.  Ellie and Rachel's life and experiences are the polar opposite of mine, though, except for the teaching part.  Although I don't use it, my degree is in education. 

Q:  Are there any real world inspirations for your characters?

A:  Always!  Every time someone says or does something that strikes me as interesting or unusual, I'm immediately on my phone, sending myself an email outlining the situation or turn of phrase so I can use it in the future.  And we all know people who deserve to be caricatures in stories--but I'm not naming any names...

Q: Since this interview is for the Mominars I should probably ask some "mom" questions. How did you get started as a writer? With your diverse background what inspired you to try writing?

A:  I honestly started getting fed up with how books I read would end.  I would always rewrite the ending in my head, and I finally figured...why not do it on paper?  I guess that was my muse giving me a nudge to write my own books.  And my...ahem...diverse work background certainly plays a part in my writing.  Through the many different career paths I've taken, I've managed to meet all sorts of people and have varied experiences. Q: Do you find being a parent presents challenges that other authors may not be faced with?

A:  Absolutely!  I try to get all my writing done when my kids are at school.  But sometimes I have to keep working once they're home.  It's easier now that my kids are older and entertain themselves, but it's not always easy to write something meaningful with the TV blaring in the background.  My husband also works out of our home, so that can be challenging as well--we're always managing to interrupt each other at inopportune times. Q: Let's play 'High/Low'. What's the best part of being an author? What's the worst?

A:  There are a lot of highs for me.  I love it when readers connect with a book and let me know.  I love it when I get good news about my career (new contracts, making bestseller lists, being nominated for awards).  I love to talk about my writing with other people and meet with other authors.  As for lows, it's pretty much the opposite of the highs--bad reviews, publishers saying no, low sales figures.  It's quite a rollercoaster ride! Q: High/Low: parenthood?

A:  I love watching my kids do what they enjoy and excelling at it.  I love it when they're proud of themselves.  I love it when they display kindness toward others.  As for lows, again the opposite--getting upset over a bad performance or worrying over a bad grade, getting into arguments with their friends.  And the worst--me realizing the times when I've not been a good role model and they're copying my bad behavior. Q: No one else may care, but I took a brief look at your FB and your husband had an interesting theme to your Christmas gifts. Care to explain that? A:  HA!  For years, he has always managed to get me a Christmas gift that either makes me laugh until I cry or embarrasses the heck out of me and I have to take it in another room to unwrap by myself.  This time, he went full out and got me 12 of those crazy gifts, one for each day leading up to Christmas.  He got me a foul-mouthed cookbook, a talking toilet paper roll, a farting butt bank, a book of cat poems called "I Could Pee on This," and a set of pens with some really weird sayings on them, to name a few.  He made up for his nonsense on Christmas day, though, and got me a custom made electric guitar. Q: Is there anything you wish people would ask about?

A:  I guess my music--most people who know me know that I'm a musician, but not everyone knows I've got 2 recorded songs under my belt.  I wrote them for my Java Jive series, as the heroine is a struggling musician/songwriter, and recorded them with the help of a friend at a local recording studio.  They're on iTunes, etc. if you want to check them out!

Q: Ok, I'll bite. Let's talk about your music. You said you wrote your songs for your Java Jive series, but do you think it will be something you pursue further? Another thing on your "ahem" diverse resume?

A:  I’d love to write and record music all day, but that would mean putting my day job (writing) on the back burner.  I have a lot of music in my life anyway, as I’m the lead singer/guitarist/arranger for our praise band at church.  Writing brass parts isn’t quite as fun as writing love songs, but it uses the same part of my brain.  And I perform at open mic nights every time I go to Nashville, which is a couple of times a year.  As for my other former jobs, I don’t think I’m ready to dive back into the mortuary world anytime soon… Q: Speaking of diverse interests, as people who happen to be parents and do something to earn a living, we (people) often have interests too. What are some of yours?

A:  Well, music.  I’m lucky to be able to share that with my family—my husband plays piano for our praise band, my son plays trumpet, and my daughter sings with me.  Aside from that, I love to cook, especially baking with my daughter.  My son and I bingewatch sitcoms together and make Starbucks runs.  My husband and I watch and even attend Pacers basketball games together as often as we can.  As a family, we love to travel. Q: One of my interests is genealogy and I happen to think your last name is interesting. Do you know where it comes from?

A:  Yeah, real interesting.  You would not believe the number of people who mistakenly thing there are actually people out there named “Farting.”  Seriously?  Anyway, I think it’s Scandinavian originally. Q: Classic author question: What two pieces of advice would you give to aspiring authors?

A:  I’d say the best thing you can do is surround yourself with people who are willing and able to help you get to where you want to be.  I’ve got a great support system of family, friends, fellow authors, and industry professionals who help me polish my work, get my name out there, and offer great advice.  Secondly, do your research.  Keep up with what’s hot in the industry.  Study the writing and marketing styles of other authors and learn what readers respond to best.  Make sure what you’re writing has an audience.  There’s nothing more soul-crushing than pouring months of your life into a manuscript and having someone tell you that no one is going to want to read it.

[janeykath318]

Jim's Captain In Shining Armor (Kirk x Uhura)

[robxstar]

any chance we could get a meta on dick/Kory in the newest teen titans movie? Pretty please

You know what nonny, why the heck not, I was filled with such utter delight at their interactions and scenes together that I got no trouble gushing about it for a few paragraphs.

Long-ass post and lotta screencaps, as per usual.

I was actually really trepidacious about Judas Contract when it was first announced.  Like, I thought there was no way it was gonna work with their chosen line-up and they were obviously gonna bring Deathstroke back from the dead and it would be lame and they were gonna keep stringing us Dick/Kory shippers along with the barest minimum of quality ship tease they could get away with.

I still don’t think everything worked about the movie.  (Raven was pretty much just as useless as she was in the comic version, Slade had none of the humanizing motivation behind his actions, and let’s not talk about their ass-backwards origin for Jericho.)  But it was surprisingly both semi-accurate to the source material and Actually Decent and fixed a few things that bugged me about the story and HOLY CATS THE QUALITY ROBSTAR CONTENT.

LIKE, THEY WERE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HAPPY SUPPORTIVE HEALTHY COUPLE AND I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF???

I will go into detail now. :)

So we open with the Titans puttering along and Dick is being Mr. Stick-Up-His-Butt and then the alien brawl draws their attention.

And we begin the beautiful Dick/Kory goodness with one of my favorite tropes ever, Love At First Sight!

Or more accurately, That Look Of Utter Awe And Adoration And “Wow Wow Who Is That I Feel Tingly All Of A Sudden She’s Shiny”.

We’re like, not even a minute in and the music goes all soft and romantic and there’s slow camera pans and the boy is already a goner just look at him.

And thus, the film establishes right away, “These two are a Thing.  They are OTP.  Enjoy! :D”

As with the 2003 animated cartoon, Robin is pretty much immediately on Starfire’s side and feels really protective over her right off the bat.  (Pardon the pun.)

He orders the Titans into action.  And Kid Flash lampshades the fact that Robin is clearly thinking with his… ahem… “little grayson”.

Robin fights the Gordanians holding onto her, freeing her.  She shouts at him about the portal and he orders Speedy to blow it up.

As the wind pulls at them, sucking the Gordanians up, Robin grabs onto her wrist and oh my gosh it is just so cute and romantic and aaaaaaaaah!

A Gordanian grabs onto her ankle and pulls her away and Robin disconnects his grapple line to go save her.

AND THEN THEY CRADLE EACH OTHER AS THEY CRASH BACK TO THE GROUND AND KORY ANGLES HERSELF SO THAT SHE HITS FIRST.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HER SMOL NEW FRIEND LOOKS TINY AND BREAKABLE.

She rolls right on top of him and plants the iconic language learning kiss on him.

AND THEN THIS NERD SMILES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE FILM STARTED AND COMMENTS, “USEFUL.” WHEN KORY EXPLAINS HOW SHE CAN LEARN LANGUAGE VIA LIP CONTACT.

WE ARE THREE MINUTES IN AND THE LEVEL OF EPIC TRUE LOVE OTP IS KILLING ME.

His face omg he is so BESOTTED.  He’s barely known her five minutes and she’s already getting started on relaxing his seriousness and helping him be more himself and less Gruff McAngsty Mini-Batman.

And since Kory still looks sad and uncertain, Dick is quick to reassure her that she’s welcome there on Earth, and welcomes her to to team.  Quintessential RobStar right there.

Everything about this opening is just framed and shot so romantically.  The camera angles and focus, the staging, their expressions.  Every single animation choice is a deliberate HEY HELLO THESE TWO ARE IN LOVE YES?

And lo, I am slain.  For this is ship tease of the highest caliber thank you more please.

To my everlasting delight, there was more.  LOTS more.

Dick and Kory being a highly effective Battle Couple, watching each other’s backs and keeping each other safe.

Dick and Kory flirting under fire and playfully teasing each other.  (Making it clear to all that they are disgustingly open about their relationship.)

Dick being respectful of Kory’s leadership and not wanting to upstage her, and reassuring her doubts when the team gravitates towards him.

Dick worrying about Kory specifically when Deathstroke attacks.

Kory being devastated when Deathstroke brags about having killed Dick, refusing to believe it’s true, and having faith in him to rescue them.

Dick asking Kory to move in with him, in front of their “kids”.

WHICH IS FRAMED RIDICULOUSLY LIKE A PROPOSAL FOR LITERALLY NO OTHER REASON THAN SHIPTEASE???

Dick and Kory hugging.

Dick and Kory training.

Dick and Kory dancing.

Dick and Kory canoodling on their couch.

BASICALLY DICK AND KORY BEING LOWKEY MARRIED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FILM.

There’s just SO much that’s just the essence of what I love about these two–the mutual care and concern, the bolstering each other up, the kickass tag-teaming in battle, her undying faith in him–and then it’s just added to by them being so healthily intimate and mature and adult when it comes to relating to each other.  She feels free to express her doubts and insecurities to him.  He compliments and encourages her.  They tease each other.  They talk through their issues.  They snuggle and kiss and are gross in front of their “children”.

Their relationship is so open and natural and comfortable and THIS IS BASICALLY EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED???!?!

Hello yes, I was not expecting this level of OTP, but clearly someone on the writing team for this film KNOWS and GETS the heart of Dick/Kory and why people love their romance because it is aaaaaaaalllll over this film.

They don’t even have any stupid plot drama arguments it’s just aaaaaaaaah!

*heart eyes forever*

OH AND THE KIDS SHIP IT TOO???  LIKE, EVEN DAMIAN WHO DOESN’T LIKE ANYONE IS ALL, “I APPROVE GRAYSON.” WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK.

I’m kind of being incoherent and rambly and not very analytical right now but just… THESE TWO.  THESE TWO and how they are written in THIS MOVIE is basically exactly perfect and exactly how you should write established couples and I would just like writers everywhere to TAKE NOTE THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT.

They aren’t forced into stereotypical roles, they aren’t squished into unnecessary UST or other tensions, they don’t butt heads, they’re just supportive and playful and adore each other and care about each other’s feelings and talk out their problems AND ARE SO RIDICULOUSLY HEALTHY TOGETHER AND MAKE EACH OTHER SO STUPIDLY HAPPY.

I just love them so much askfjhakjghjhg.

Excuse me I need to go cry and watch the movie again.

But seriously, there is literally nothing wrong with Dick and Kory in this movie, they are happy and adorable and perfect and are basically Mom and Dad to the Titans and it is WONDERFUL.

My babies.