#(popular demand...aka like 12 people)

[jsdimensions]

Error of My Ways: (SCRAPPED) Chapter 3

Words: 1,538

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This chapter is no longer canon to the story and is an entirely optional read.

Rated T for occasional swearing.

[ [ Soundtrack (optional): Stelvio Cipriani - Mary's Theme (1969) (slowed) ] ]

The fic is below the cut!

I shrugged before lying down on the Anti-Void's floor.

“theres so many places u can go !”

“You're decision.”

“wrong ‘your’”

“Shut up.”

“o now we got grammar police!? where were u before!?”

“Annoying Other People, I Bet.”

“L-M-A-O”

“I thought it was pronounced ‘lumao’.”

“Guys, now’s not the time to get distracted! We need to think of a fun AU for Jupiter to go to.”

“Um, if it helps, I think I could use some furniture around here. It's kinda depressing otherwise.”

“YEAH! commit CRIME! THIEVERY!”

“AU souvenirs…”

“How did we get to this conclusion!?”

“we're agents of chaos. obviously.”

“Its not like she has G to buy anything with”

“There's a countless amount of universes out there! What's one less Underswap couch in the multiverse going to affect? Nothing!”

“thats oddly specific”

“Well, in my defense, I heard Swap couches are more comfortable! Not sure from where, though.”

“Uh…how about I just go to another random AU? I'm…indecisive.”

“careful. it seems like dangerous aus make up the bulk of the multiverse. odds say that youll be looking for a while.”

“So long as you can steal things im on board”

“Go, Jupiter…Commit a crime…”

With a flick of my wrist, another portal opened up. My eyes widened slightly as I came to realize something.

“This is still so surreal…” I walked through the portal, too lost in my own thoughts to pay attention to my surroundings. “Portals feel…too easy now.”

“Woah, hold your horses!”

“where is this? the backrooms?”

I snapped out of my thoughts, immediately noticing a captivating melody echoing through the space as the portal closed with a faint electronic whir. It sounded so, so familiar…Had I heard it before? I was sure of it.

There was a fountain in the center of the huge, oval-shaped space. Clean, white tile covered the floors and walls. Looking up, there was an open space, escalators and elevators going up to the floors upon floors I saw, appearing to go on for infinity. Stores littered every wall, some I recognized, others I didn't.

…A mall? Unusual.

A sense of awe, similar to the feeling I got when I first traveled to Outerswap, filled my very being. Unlike the other AUs, a name came to me, all by itself.

“Vaportale…”

“You know this place!?”

“I do! I only made the Sans and Papyrus of this AU, though…I'm not sure where the mall strip came from.”

“Made?”

“Yeah. I…never expected to see my own creation.” I approached the fountain, noticing that the water reflected the expanse above like a mirror. “I wonder who could have expanded upon it?” I felt tempted to look into the water at myself, but I instead opted to sit on the edge. A few palm trees were scattered about the area.

“you really like vaporwave, huh?”

I nodded, kicking my feet like the schoolgirl I was. “Liminal spaces, too. Maybe I can make this place my home instead of the Anti-Void…No, scratch that, this is my home now. There's no doubt about it.”

“Where's the skelebros you mentioned?”

“I don't know, but maybe it's for the best that they're not here right now.”

I felt a frown creep up onto my face. My legs returned to stillness, heels resting against the fountain.

“What's wrong?”

“I can't help but be curious about the water. It's like a mirror, y'know?”

“whar about it?”

“...Whar”

“I can't help but wonder what I look like.”

“Look then! I think you look nice.”

“yea!! you're adorable methinks”

“why are you asking us about it?”

“Yeah, so, the thing is…” I hesitated for a moment before mumbling, “God, do I really want to admit this?”

The voices were quieter than usual. They seemed to be listening intently.

“I always felt…this…disconnect. With my reflection. Before…all of this. I could never really figure out why, and I guess I'll never know now.”

“Maybe you were meant to be like this all along. Your fate, if you will.”

“Yeah!! It will be better now!!”

“:thats stupid. i am willing to bet actual money on the fact that that's not how that works.”

“YEAH!!! We need to stop pressuring her to look!!! Let it be her OWN decision, for GOD'S SAKE!!!”

The volume of the voices began to swell once more.

“Hey! Stop! I'm not letting all of you get into another argument! Be civil!”

Their volume dropped to a murmur once more.

“Thank you. I understand you're all trying to help, but sometimes I need to be able to come to my own conclusions. Especially if it's about something nobody understands. Got that?”

“what about looking at urself?”

“I'm in a procrastinating mood right now. Which also means, in this case, that I'm in the mood for some exploration!”

“If it's that bad, then you should get it done with. So you can say you did it. The other voices are only going to annoy you about it if you don't.”

I sighed. That voice had a point. “Fine…I'll rip off the band-aid. But if I get upset, I'll blame it on you!” I got up and turned around, facing the fountain.

“:fair enough tbh. these people can be so annoying sometimes.”

“HEY!!! We're not the worst…there's DEFINITELY worse. 100%!!!”

With a deep breath, I leaned over the fountain, my head turned to the side as if the water was about to explode in my face.

Speaking of…

I blinked.

What I saw was…quite expected. It still made me jump ever so slightly, however.

I put a hand on my cheek. The reflection matched the motion to a T.

“Holy shit. No wonder you guys didn't know I wasn't him…”

I saw the reflection's expression shift to discomfort.

Large, red, expressive eye…sockets, a mouth that always showed yellowed teeth, a vaguely heart-shaped nose hole…

I blinked again. The sight caused me immense discomfort, yet somehow I was entranced in it.

“It's you!”

I scoffed amusedly. The reflection smiled for a brief moment. I blinked again, sockets widening.

“see? you have a cute smile! now you get to see it for yourself!”

I finally tore my gaze from the water. “Stop that!” I spoke in a playful tone.

“no! lol”

“We will only stop when we're DEAD! And we're just voices in your head, so that's not happening any time soon.”

“we're a lil more than just voices but ok”

“SHHH. that's a secret”

“I think I have enough meta knowledge to know I'm in some kind of ask blog type deal. Oh! Right! Can you…hear everything?”

“SHIT SHE FOUND OUT”

“wasn't that you that mentioned OS chara sounding like the chocolate guy?”

“YEAH…SORRY…”

“So, if this isn't an ask blog, what is this? Some kind of strange livestream? A comic dub?”

“unfortunately we can't say. pensive emoji”

“What's stopping you?”

“We will be destroyed if we try to tell you.”

“Geez, okay.”

“uhh, exploration time? i wanna see whats up with this au as much as you do.”

“Sure.” Looking around, I quickly spotted an escalator. I walked on it, allowing it to bring me to the next floor. I looked around at the stores, noticing that most of the shelves and stands that would hold products were empty. Eventually, I found a clothing store with something in the window.

A mannequin, wearing a long coat and hat.

The coat was a button-up with a deep, rich purple hue, fading into blue on the bottom. It had a cut that made the front shorter than the back and long sleeves that I knew would go past my hands. At its longest, the coat went down to a little below where the mannequin's knees would be. I could faintly see my reflection in the window's glass, noticing that the yellow buttons matched one of my eyelights.

The hat, meanwhile, was a matching, dark blue newsboy cap, the kind with a larger brim that could shield my eyes from the sun. My favorite.

I finally spoke up again as I walked into the store, a huge grin on my face. “These are mine now.”

As I got to the window, I noticed that there was the outline of wings sewn onto the back of the coat with yellow thread.

“Well, isn't that ironic?”

“pretty, though…i wonder where it came from?”

“This AU, obviously,” I responded as I took off the jacket I already wore, leaving me with only a plain black t-shirt on.

“no, i meant…nevermind.”

As I slipped my arms into the coat, I immediately noticed that the fabric on the inside was…soft. Smooth. Silky, yet it still felt like it could block out the cold. It was as if it was made for me, I thought. The coat flowed around me, almost feeling like a cape of sorts. Closer inspection showed that it also had hidden pockets!

After buttoning up the coat, I placed the hat upon my head. It felt secured to my head; as if even wind would have difficulty knocking it off.

Just like everything else here, it felt like home.

“How do I look?”

“nice”

“Boots instead of slippers would work much better. Some pants too.”

“there you go! now you don't just look like a regular error”

I nodded.

[snowwhite-andtheknight]

Summer Challenge Announcement: Obiyuki AU Bingo 2023!

Back by popular demand, Obiyuki AU Bingo!

Sign ups for the summer challenge start today 4/23 and go until 4/28! Please send an ask to the comm if you wish to participate; we will send back a confirmation that you are signed up. You will be messaged your board assignment by one of the mods on May 1st (for non-Americans, please be aware the boards go out according to EST, so you may get yours on May 2nd). Please remember these asks CANNOT BE ANONYMOUS.

What is AU bingo?: People who are interested in joining us for the summer challenge will sign up to receive a randomly generated bingo board of alternate universe prompts. To win the challenge, make bingo! We will be doing a round up post of all the works posted in the tag each week, followed by a big round up post at the end of the challenge

Run Dates: Jun 18th - Jul 29th Sign-Ups: Apr 23rd - Apr 28th Boards Assigned: May 1st Tag: #obiyukibingo23 Medias: Fic, art, edits or playlists

[PLEASE READ ALL GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING YOUR WORKS]

Guidelines:

All work must be your own

The main pairing is Obi x Shirayuki

Must follow the AU prompt

Must be tagged #obiyukibingo23 within the first five tags

With tumblr’s tagging system on the fritz, please also @ the obiyuki comm in your entry

No works entered through the submission box will be accepted for this challenge

Works must be posted to tumblr to be eligible as fills! They post may redirect elsewhere (AO3, ffnet, deviant art, youtube, etc) but we need a tumblr post to reblog your progress!

Please label with your AU!

All NSFW content must be tagged and under a Read More!

You may post more than one entry a prompt, but it will only count for that square

One entry, no matter how many AUs it is applicable for, may only count as one square

Fics must be over 500 words to count as a fill

Fill 5 consecutive squares to win!

Fill 25 to make us all very impressed. I mean really, my goodness

Be nice

Play hard

Can I base my work off of other fanworks? (aka, make fanart of a fanfic, write fanfic based on fanart, make an edit of a fanfic or write a fanfic for a playlist, etc)

This is absolutely welcome! If your medium is the same (making a fanfic of a fanfic, or fanart inspired by fanart), please check with the creator of the original fanwork, but otherwise just credit the work that inspired you.

What works are considered valid entries?

Fic, art, edits & playlists. Please note, we are looking for transformative works; please do not simply palette swap characters from the AU source, or find & replace names in their plot. Reimagine what an AU would look like with AnS character in it! Fics must be 500 words+; art does not have to be a full colored finished piece, but at least a finished sketch; playlists between 8-12 songs.

[forabeatofadrum]

What’s poppin’ LGBTs! Happy “we should totally stab Caesar day!” to all who celebrate, but most importantly happy 12 year anniversary to Kurt and Blaine 😌.

Back due to popular demand (jk?): more thesis talk! As promised, I discussed with my thesis supervisor whether or not I can share my thesis and the answer is yes! I, of course, didn’t mention to her that I am currently sharing my thesis through snippets on my fanfiction Tumblr blog, but alas, wat niet weet wat niet deert. But once I have the finished version (hopefully end June, for pride month, how appropriate!) I can send it to people if I want to. It will still be in Dutch but again ask me in 4 months what to do for my international audience (so weird to say about a thesis).

But yeah to celebrate the news 🥳, have some more of the thesis, aka my WIP for the next couple of months. On Sunday we talked about possible reasons why there are more queer men than women in media (I also added a third reason: Bury Your Gays). I described how heteroflexibility complicates what constitutes as queer representation, since women who have relations with other women aren’t always portrayed as queer, but there’s also a flip side to this:

In Russo's (2014) article on queer female fandom, a distinction is also made between subtext and maintext. The subtext consists of homoerotic elements and the discourse surrounding it. Maintext is the explicit queer representation. The boundary between subtext and main text is not always clear (Russo, 2014). Queer female fandom consists largely of queer women and these queer interpretations stem from a combination of personal and political wishes (Russo, 2014, 2017). This makes the questions surrounding the representation of queer women more complex. Heteroflexibility ensures that not all women who enter into relationships with other women are queer (Annati & Ramsey, 2022; DeCeuninck & Dhoest, 2016; Diamond, 2005; Jackson & Gilbertson, 2009), but on the other hand, queer subtext ensures that that “straight” women are perceived as queer and sometimes fans are more enthusiastic about those characters than explicit representation (Ng & Russo, 2017). Often these "straight" women are also seen as queer representation (McNicholas Smith, 2020a). This shows that queer representation is more complex than previously thought. 

(Dutch under the cut, together with the tags, for the few Dutchies who might prefer to read it in Dutch, since academics can be a bitch.)

Yes, this is technically about Faberry. Literally every paper on this phenomenon I’ve read mentions Faberry and a ship from Xena: Warrior Princess. It’s an interesting thing, because is a character like Quinn Fabray queer? (Fun fact, she also falls underneath the whole heteroflexibility mess after I Do.) I mean, I once had to write a paper on representation in Glee and it hurt me to call her straight (@blurglesmurfklaine remember the “Quinn is straight. Fans disagreed.” line?), but on the other hand it is questionable when straight characters sometimes get more love and recognition than actual on-screen canon representation. I also love pissing off straight people by claiming that Zuko is gay, but Korra is right there, amirite? I didn’t want to add too much text here in this post, but I did give a historical reasoning behind this phenomenon. This is just another interesting thing in a list of interesting things.

And now, the weather: @quizasvivamos​ @blurglesmurfklaine​ @coffeegleek​ @esperantoauthor​ @otherworldsivelivedin​ @caramelcoffeeaddict​ @sillyunicorn​ @bazzybelle​ @dragoneggos​ @raenestee​ @tectonicduck​ @nightimedreamersworld​ @urban-sith​ @thnxforknowingme​ @captain-aralias​ @you-remind-me-of-the-babe​ @takitalks​ @justgleekout​ @cerriddwenluna​ @tea-brigade​ @ivelovedhimthroughworse​ @moodandmist​ @whogaveyoupermission​ @bookish-bogwitch​ @confused-bi-queer​ @aroace-genderfluid-sheep​ @ionlydrinkhotwater​ @1908jmd​ @special-bc-ur-part-of-it​ @larkral​ @chen-chen-chen-again-chen​​ @cutestkilla​​ @nausikaaa​​/@wellbelesbian​​ @artsyunderstudy​​ @martsonmars​​ @facewithoutheart​​ @shrekgogurt​ @boyinjeans​

[riacte]

Unnecessary Hermit MCC Team Speculation

So according to Scott, teams are in the works, applications likely closed a few days ago, MCC 14 date is known to participants, MCC Twitter says they’re gonna steal CPK’s spotlight after wishing him a happy birthday. So we’re getting MCC 14 relatively soon. Hence I’m making my 284927391 hermit MCC team speculation.

Hermit duos:

Actually I think we’ll be seeing more duos in MCC S2.

1) Hermits and Scott have probably realized hermit duos perform way better than trios/ quartet (the only hermit duo team that didn’t get to DB is the first time False and Ren played)

2) They wanna meet new people, but they also want to play with friends. So 2+2 will be a good combo. You can meet new people while having a buddy you a stick to.

False + Cub

I don’t think any of the hermits are confirmed to join (Doc has shown interest) but I feel these two would most likely be in MCC 14?

1) False has been in every MCC since debut

2) Cub plays every other MCC, and he skipped MCC 13

3) Most important of all, they’ve both been polishing their skills through parkour and speedrunning etc. I think they’re currently the most competitive of the hermits, so I won’t be surprised at all if they pair up for a competitive team.

False + Grian

A surprisingly popular duo in post-MCC 13 team predictions. I like them as a duo, and I used to think we’ll have a bigger chance of getting False + Cub/Ren, but now I think about, the team predictions may be right.

1) False has been with Ren and Cub for their first victory, so according to ✨meta✨ she’ll be with Grian for his first victory and her third. The Hermit Winner enabler.

2) Grian is the only hermit regular who hasn’t won yet, and really really wants to win (he said he was gonna cry himself to sleep after he lost MCC 13 lol)

3) False is seen as the most competitive

So if Grian wants to win and go full competitive, and I feel Scott will likely pair him with False. Also Reddit loves this duo apparently. Another incentive.

False + Ren

Ah yes, the hermit team staple. Ex base-buddies my beloved. The duo that’s always been together. I miss them lmfao

I feel they’re gonna continue pairing up because False said she’s gonna collect all ranks with Ren? Also I feel Ren likely asks for False every time (Scott said someone asked for False back in MCC 9, we thought it was H, but apparently neither H or Fruit specified a person, so I guess it’s Ren. Makes sense because Ren’s with False literally every single time).

There’s not much to say except if they team up again, everyone saw it coming.

But also exactly because they’ve teamed up for so many times that they may decided to split for a MCC or two? That doesn’t seem to be what they’re doing though.

Ren + Cub

Honestly every time I think of this potential duo, I just see False sandwiched between them lmao. Because this a hermit trio. These two are probably False’s most frequent collaborators?? (Although there’s not much False and Ren collab this season)

Basically I somehow can’t see this happening without False. I’m sorry lmao

Grian + Cub

To a lot of people’s surprise, they haven’t teamed before. They’re probably the duo that collabs the least often on Hermitcraft so I kinda get why. Still wanna see this duo.

Grian + Ren

They’re close enough that they apparently visit each other irl. Which is very sweet. I can honestly see them as a duo, just chilling and having fun.

Hermit trios:

False + Ren + Grian/Cub. With the FRG trio happening more often in recent MCCs, FRC trio happening more often in the early, chill days. Hermit trio + S tier (aka. Lime Liches) is the most powerful version of hermit trios, and may even rival the strength of hermit duo + S tier teams.

FRG:

Honestly this seems like a feasible trio, especially when Cub skips a MCC/ plays with non hermits (MCC 7, 11, 12). There’s also the Lime Liches bias with this trio, so Scott might be more inclined to put them together?

Also if Cub skips, it means Scott will either have to make a hermit duo + solo hermit OR make a hermit trio. And Scott will probably put the solo hermit with hermit adjacent (eg. Grian with Pearl). Also pretty sure for this case, it’s gonna be False + Ren duo, Grian with hermit adjacent people just like MCC 9. That being said, MCC 9 was special because I think False and Ren specifically said they were gonna go competitive, while Grian not, so it makes sense for the split. For the current meta of competitive hermits, it might be easier for Scott to stuff the hermits together in a trio (eg. Lime Liches)??

FRC:

The last time this trio appeared was MCC 8. From that moment onwards, Cub has been in competitive teams either in a duo or solo, and had gotten to Dodgebolt in all his post-MCC 8 tourneys. So I honestly don’t know if we’ll see them together again. Maybe we’ll get something like Lime Liches.

New hermits:

I can see False-Ren-Doc as a trio for Doc’s first MCC.

1) This team appeared in CotC

2) To use Ren and Doc’s words: #ShipRendoc

3) Putting False here because I feel non hermits will be very ?!!???? at the Rendoc flirting

I can also see Iskall in a hermit trio. In particular Iskall-Grian-Ren

1) We got Team FRIC in MCC 5, so maybe something new?

2) Renskall. That’s it.

3) Everyone wants Grian-Iskall interaction, especially because they don’t collab that much this season compared to the last

But really I can see Iskall with every hermit regular. The reason I feel newcomers will be in trios not duos is that having two veterans to coach the newbie(s) is better than having one.

Hermit quartet

Genuinely don’t think this will happen if the hermits go competitive. Maybe we’ll get this for a chill MCC. Maybe not.

The hermit quartet in MCC 5 did pretty good though, but team standards have changed a lot since then. I kinda wanna see Iskall in another hermit quartet.

Others:

The famous Grian-False-Techno-Wilbur team, if you ignore the swearing thing and opposite Dodgebolt strategies. This team will have a fuckton of clout, probably comparable to MCC 13 Pink.

I actually feel this might happen because it’s highly popular and highly requested

But also 1) the swearing thing 2) Scott tends to put people who have similar attitudes (eg. hermits play with people who advocate arrow splitting) 3) they’re a powerful team. So maybe not.

Lime Liches. I seriously believe this might happen because of the very high demand and the Blue Bats bias. They got screwed over bc of parkour, many people think they deserve a redemption. They’re not too strong as a team either. It’ll be like MCC 8/9 Green.

Also the Fruit+Grian duo. I’m pretty sure this duo will happen at least once in S2. Grian famously commented he wants to team with Fruit, Fruit replied, even had an alt Twitch called “grianstanaccount”. Won’t be surprised at ALL if they ask for each other. Maybe this will happen along with LL redemption.

Hermits and H? This is to pacify the Blue Bats fandom. Also if we have hermit trio + Fruit, why not H lmao. But H said he wants to play with new people, and I think he said he wants to team with Puffy, sooo.... imagine we get sth like False Cub H Puffy. Lmao.

Hermits and Dream? I said I can’t see this happening, esp with Ren, but maybe Scott will do it for the Dreamslayer memes

Hermits and Quig? After Pete and Fruit, Quig is probably the most hermit friendly S tier. I think people said he would vibe well with the hermits. Quig is also involved in the X Life circle, which overlaps with the hermits’ circle.

Anyways. I’ve liked all Hermit teams so far, I’m sure Scott will make them fantastic as always. If you’ve reached this point, thank you for reading my pointless speculation. See you when MCC 14 teams are revealed :)

[priorireverte]

Congratulations Ashley!

Your application for Andromeda Tonks has been accepted. She’s going to have a lot to deal with. At least it looks like her spouse is on the horizon soon! Unless that just causes more problems.

Please look to the checklist for the next steps and reach out if you have any questions!

OUT OF CHARACTER

NAME & PRONOUNS: Ashley / she/her

TIMEZONE: EST

ACTIVITY LEVEL: I would consider myself to be fairly active! I work a full-time job which is 3 12 hour shifts per week, so I’m usually not around on those days other than mobile. However, I’m usually always around on discord if needed. On my days off, I’m always active unless something else comes up!

ANYTHING ELSE: N/A to triggers! I’ve been writing and roleplaying since 2006 aka the days of myspace. I’ve been roleplaying on tumblr and in the Harry Potter community since 2009. Also ! My rp partner is applying for Ted and we’ve discussed their background together and are a cohesive unit, LOL!

CHARACTER DETAILS

NAME: Andromeda Dorea Tonks (nee Black)

BIRTHDATE: 12 February, 1954

DEATHDATE: N/A

GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Cisfemale, she/her, pansexual

BLOOD STATUS: Pureblood

HOUSE ALUMNI: Slytherin

OCCUPATION: Healer at St. Mungo’s. After the deaths of her husband and her daughter, Andromeda only remained on as part time staff due to her commitment to raising her grandson. With her son-in-law back from the dead and expecting his son, Andromeda has picked up more shifts to distract herself from her mixed bag of feelings.

FACECLAIM: Rachel Weisz

CHARACTER BACKGROUND

POSTBELLUM

War is ruinous. It’s evil and endless. It’s something that Andromeda has learned. Now, she’s lived through two wars and managed to lose almost everything. During the first war, Andromeda refused to choose a side. She remained strictly neutral. Supporting the Death Eaters was what her family expected from her. However, she didn’t share the same beliefs. Supporting the Order, however, felt like the ultimate betrayal. Something that she couldn’t explain. So, she remained neutral. When the second war began to brew, she supported the Order because of her daughter’s involvement as an auror. She and Ted were never official members of the Order, but they helped where they could. This later led to the both of them being tortured for information by Death Eaters. The two were shaken, but otherwise okay, thankfully. Andromeda didn’t turn her back on the Order after this. If anything, it only made her support stronger.

When Nymphadora learned that she was pregnant, Andromeda was overjoyed, but afraid just the same. Edward went on the run due to the persecution of muggleborns and Andromeda had never been so afraid in her life. Ted was the only family that she’d had. The only person that she’d relied on for years. When the news of Edward’s death came, Andromeda tried her best to keep a brave face in front of others. She knew that the war was far from over and she couldn’t bear to upset her pregnant daughter.

Nymphadora gave birth to a bouncing baby boy and everything seemed right, if only for a moment. They honored Edward in the name and he had equal parts of her daughter and son-in-law. Andromeda begged Nymphadora to stay home, to not go to the Battle of Hogwarts, but she went anyways. The news of her daughter’s death at her sister’s hands broke Andromeda completely. She had a newborn, now, that she was responsible for and in the first few months of his life, she wasn’t sure who cried more.

If it weren’t for Teddy, Andromeda doesn’t know if she would have been able to go on. Her grandson gave her life purpose. She had reminders of the two people that she loved most and Teddy became the third. She’s taken to part time at the hospital while she’s cared for him the past couple of years.

The news of the dead coming back is all the rage and Andromeda is skeptical. Despite the skepticism, she was also hopeful for a very brief second. Then, she was disappointed and then her anger took another turn. She hoped for her husband. For her daughter. For her cousin. So far, she’s gotten none of them. The news of Remus being back has placed a pit inside her stomach that she can’t handle. She wants to be happy, but she also abhors the thought of losing her only link to her daughter, to her husband. She doesn’t know how she’s going to cope.

PERSONALITY

(+) Ambitious: Andromeda excels at anything she puts her mind to and more. Failure is not an option for her. It is a trait that she learned from her father.

(+) Eloquent: Growing up in one of the pureblood elitist families, Andromeda was taught how to be very persuasive. She knows how to use this trait and although she doesn’t use it much, it is always in her back pocket when she needs it.

(-) Stubborn: Andromeda’s stubbornness will one day more than likely get her into trouble. When she decides on something, it is rare that she changes her mind. She does not like to admit that she is wrong and rarely does so.

(-) Conflicted: Andromeda knew that befriending muggleborns would upset her family. It was against the beliefs that she had always been taught. Since her Hogwarts days, she was always incredibly conflicted. She felt a strong sense of duty to her family, but felt unable to meet their demands. When she fell in love with Ted, she knew it was the final nail in her coffin. Andromeda no longer struggles with the choices that she made. She sticks with them. However, she will always be conflicted over the bond she still feels towards her family.

ENFJ – The Giver - “Popular and sensitive, with outstanding people skills. Externally focused, with real concern for how others think and feel. Usually, dislike being alone. They see everything from the human angle, and dislike impersonal analysis. Interested in serving others, and probably place the needs of others over their own needs.”

Andromeda has the fatal flaw in which she decides that others needs are more important than her own. It was only magnified when she became a mother herself. Her people skills were groomed to perfection when she was forced to attend the numerous pureblood galas as a teenager. As a healer, she enjoys being able to put back together the hurt and heal those that are harmed by those closest to her blood relations.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY

Andromeda Dorea Tonks nee Black is the original family disappointment. Cygnus and Druella prayed for a boy the second time around and when Andromeda came out a girl, it was where the disappointment started. Growing up, she always felt like the odd one out. She wasn’t strong and fiercely loyal like Bellatrix. She wasn’t graceful and beautiful like Narcissa. She was the middle child through and through. Despite the disappointment and the short comings that she could not prevent, Andromeda’s loyalty was to her family. The Black family had a strong name within society. They were revered. A part of the sacred 28. Any child of the Black family would act like they were one.

She grew up with pureblood beliefs force-fed to her and being taught to believe nothing else, she actually thought that they were the only way of life. Andromeda was sorely mistaken, however, and she didn’t realize how much so until she met Ted Tonks. Edward Tonks changed everything for her. Ted Tonks was a muggleborn boy and although she didn’t want to admit it, she was smitten. Her resolve faded during their years at Hogwarts and eventually, she couldn’t deny the chemistry anymore. The rest of their years at Hogwarts were filled with letters written in invisible ink, heated meetings in empty classrooms, and plenty of sneaking around.

She struggled with her feelings for Ted and her loyalty to her family for years, until one day she chose Ted. She found out that she was pregnant and she knew it’d be the final nail in her coffin. Andromeda chose Edward and their unborn daughter and she was promptly burned from the Black family tree. Family is important to Andromeda; however, she’s learned over the years that chosen family can be more important than blood relatives.

Despite all of this, she still feels a sense of loyalty to Narcissa. A feeling like reconciliation wouldn’t be so bad. Bellatrix – however – she knows they’ll never repair their relationship. Not after what was done to Nymphadora.

After losing her husband and her daughter, Andromeda clings to her grandson. A reminder of what she’s lost – in the likeness and the name. The idea that she’s going to lose him too is killing her inside.

HISTORY

What was their life before the end of the war in ‘98 or before their death? What was important and formative for them?

Hogwarts: Andromeda’s early life was filled with piano lessons, ballet lessons, and etiquette training. She was to be the perfect pureblood daughter, even if she was a disappointment. Her parents spoke of their beliefs and taught them to their daughters, accepting no questions. Until Andromeda went to Hogwarts, the pureblood beliefs were all that she knew. She knew that she was above everyone else because she had pure blood and that she should never question it. The moment that she was sent to Hogwarts; everything changed. The things that her parents had taught her to believe – they simply weren’t true. The muggleborns and the halfbloods weren’t different than she was. In fact, there were some that were truly brilliant.

For the first few months of her education, she kept her nose up in the air because she knew her older sister was watching her every move. Andromeda pretended like she wasn’t curious to know more. Like she didn’t have questions. It was only the moment that Bellatrix looked away that she discovered everything she knew to be a lie.

Edward Tonks: When she met Edward Tonks for the first time, Andromeda didn’t give him a second thought. It was only after months of studying and tutoring that things began to shift. She began to think about him moreso than she’d like to admit. Their gazes would meet over the school books because neither of them was paying attention to their texts. Soon, the two began to sneak around, knowing the dangers that this posed for the both of them if they were to be caught. Thankfully, they weren’t caught until Andromeda chose Ted. She chose him over her family and never looked back.

Ted changed everything for Andromeda and she doesn’t deny a moment of it to this day.

Healing: Despite the arguments from her family, Andromeda chose to take a healing internship at St. Mungo’s after she graduated from Hogwarts. Her parents were not pleased and that was putting it lightly. Why should she work when all she needed to be good for was a quiet, proper pureblood wife and mother? Her parents had the perfect pureblood for her to marry, but Andromeda didn’t want any part of it. She decided to do what she loved and being a healer was everything that she needed. She needed to do some good in the world to cancel out all of the bad that was happening around them.

Nymphadora: Finding out that she was pregnant with her daughter was the final nail in her coffin. It was the final sign that she’d never be welcome on the Black family tree again. The moment that she found out that she was pregnant, Andromeda was terrified. She didn’t have a great relationship with her mother when she was growing up. She didn’t know how to be a mother. How could she take care of a child? Despite her fear, she told Ted and she’s not sure she’s ever seen him so happy before. Andromeda is fearful her entire pregnancy. She despises herself for it. It’s something that she hides. However, the first time that her daughter is placed in her arms, it’s something that comes naturally. Her love for her daughter is something that she can’t explain, but she knows that Nymphadora is the person that she loves the most in the world. Her new favorite job is being a mother.

All of her life, Andromeda tries to protect her daughter. From the evil things in the world. She tries to shield her from the things that will hurt her. The Black family. The war. When Nymphadora decides that she wants to be an auror, Andromeda supports her, but knows that she can’t protect her baby from everything. Inevitably, she’s unable to.

OOC EXPLORATION

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? I love the idea of this roleplay and bringing back the dead. I think it’s an amazing idea and I cannot wait to interact with others and see the interactions that will play out. I love the passion that everyone seems to have for writing and I’m excited to possibly join the fun.

ANYTHING ELSE? Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sortoutherpriorities/she-walks-in-beauty-andromeda-black-tonks/ Boggart: As a child and a teenager, Andromeda’s boggart was failing her parents. As it ultimately came true, Andromeda’s boggart eventually changed to the loss of Ted and Nymphadora, which also came true. When she became the primary caregiver of her grandson, her boggart changed once again to the loss of Teddy.

[waiting4inspiration]

8k Snippets; with Prompts (Prompt List)

Here are the prompts you can choose from. I’ve sectioned them into Angst, Fluff, Dark, and NSFW

It’s first come, first serve!!

Please only send in ONE prompt per request, but you can send in more than one request.

I will start on them when all the prompts are taken!!

You can send in the prompt and the character (from Marvel, Vikings, or The Witcher) or you can specify if you want to add something.

ANGST

1. “I found those medical papers in your room... Why didn’t you tell me?” (Ubbe)

2. “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.” (Hvitserk)

3. “When they died, I died with them.” (Bucky)

4. “This will be the last time you lie to me.”  (Ivar)

5. “If you had just kept your mouth shut, they’d still be here.” (Ivar)

6. “Put the pills down.” (Ragnar)

7. “Let’s pretend that you didn’t cheat on me with my sister and be good people for a few minutes.” (Bjorn)

8. “So that’s it? It’s over?” (Ivar)

9. “Why aren’t they breathing?” (Hvitserk)

10. “Please tell me you’re not going back to him.” (Ivar)

FLUFF

11. “I’d like it if you stayed.” (Bjorn)

12. “I dreamt of you last night.” (Ivar)

13. “Here, drink this. You’ll feel better.” (Steve)

14. “You go first.” (Bjorn)

15. “Wow.” (Sigurd)

16. “It can wait until tomorrow.” (Ivar)

17. “You’d be a great dad.” (Sigurd)

18. “Was I really that drunk?” (Ivar)

19. “Take my jacket. It’s cold outside.” (Sigurd)

20. “I made reservations.” (Steve)

DARK

21. “Run as fast as you can... I will catch you.” (Jaskier)

22. “All you have to do is follow the rules.” (Steve) 

23. “I won’t stop. Not until I get what I want.” (Ivar)

24.  “You should have taken a cab.” (Ivar)

25. “Let’s see what’s left for me to break.” (Ivar)

26.  The reader must obey the king even if it means disobeying another. (King Harold and Ivar)

27. The reader finds themselves seated beside an intrusive passenger on their flight. (Ragnar)

28. Reader is stranded after their car breaks down. (Bucky)

29. Reader walks into the wrong bar. (Ubbe)

30. Reader lives on the upper floor of this duplex and doesn't know how much neighbour can hear. (Bucky)

NSFW

31. “Stop teasing...” (Ivar)

32. “First one to make a noise loses.” (Ragnar)

33. “No strings attached.” (Bjorn)

34. “We can leave the lights off it’d help you relax.” (Ivar)

35. “Don’t make me beg.” (Ivar)

36. “Should I pull out?” (Ivar)

37. “We’re in public, you know?” (Bjorn)

38. “Don’t be so rough, there can’t be any marks.” (Ivar)

39. “Who said it had to be on the bed?” (Hvitserk)

40. “When...did you buy those?” (Sigurd)

LET’S DO THIS!! And if push comes to shove aka popular demand, I will make another prompt list.

Tagging- @simsadventures @a-mess-of-fandoms @geekandbooknerd @fandomfic-galore @what-just-happened-bro @youbloodymadgenius @cruelfvkingsummer @rinkashirikitateku @louisolos @ivarthebloodyking @encounterthepast @buckysjuicyplums

[snowwhite-andtheknight]

Summer Challenge Announcement: Obiyuki AU Bingo 2022!

Back by popular demand, Obiyuki AU Bingo!

Sign ups for the summer challenge start today 4/17 and go until 4/23! Please send an ask to the comm if you wish to participate; we will send back a confirmation that you are signed up. You will be messaged your board assignment by one of the mods on May 1st (for non-Americans, please be aware the boards go out according to EST, so you may get yours on May 2nd). Please remember these asks CANNOT BE ANONYMOUS.

What is AU bingo?: People who are interested in joining us for the summer challenge will sign up to receive a randomly generated bingo board of alternate universe prompts. To win the challenge, make bingo! We will be doing a round up post of all the works posted in the tag each week, followed by a big round up post at the end of the challenge

Run Dates: Jun 19th - Jul 30th Sign-Ups: Apr 18th - Apr 24th Boards Assigned: May 1st Tag: #obiyukibingo22 Medias: Fic, art, edits or playlists

[PLEASE READ ALL GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING YOUR WORKS]

Guidelines:

All work must be your own

The main pairing is Obi x Shirayuki

Must follow the AU prompt

Must be tagged #obiyukibingo22 within the first five tags

With tumblr’s tagging system on the fritz, please also @ the obiyuki comm in your entry

No works entered through the submission box will be accepted for this challenge

Works must be posted to tumblr to be eligible as fills! They post may redirect elsewhere (AO3, ffnet, deviatn art, youtube, etc) but we need a tumblr post to reblog your progress!

Please label with your AU!

All NSFW content must be tagged and under a Read More!

You may post more than one entry a prompt, but it will only count for that square

One entry, no matter how many AUs it is applicable for, may only count as one square

Fics must be over 500 words to count as a fill

Fill 5 consecutive squares to win!

Fill 25 to make us all very impressed. I mean really, my goodness

Be nice

Play hard

Can I base my work off of other fanworks? (aka, make fanart of a fanfic, write fanfic based on fanart, make an edit of a fanfic or write a fanfic for a playlist, etc)

This is absolutely welcome! If your medium is the same (making a fanfic of a fanfic, or fanart inspired by fanart), please check with the creator of the original fanwork, but otherwise just credit the work that inspired you.

What works are considered valid entries?

Fic, art, edits & playlists. Please note, we are looking for transformative works; please do not simply palette swap characters from the AU source, or find & replace names in their plot. Reimagine want an AU would look like with AnS character in it! Fics must be 500 words+; art does not have to be a full colored finished piece, but at least a finished sketch; playlists between 8-12 songs.

Keep giving us in AU ideas! We’ll be adding them all to the list, so if you’d like to see it on a board, send it to us!

[hey-hamlet]

BNHA AU Ideas: Spiderzuku

Also on AO3!

TL;DR: 

With great power comes great responsibility. One for All is certainly a great power, and being the world's Symbol of Peace is a big responsibility. It's a heavy weight for such tiny shoulders to bear.

aka: izuku fights like spiderman and is a vigilante using black whip

basically: dadmight, dead inko

Inko and Izuku get caught up in ‘the’ villain fight w AFO, that cripples All Might. Izuku is just this random little kid that stands infront of All Might when he’s been knocked to the ground because hes a hero through and through. AFO thinks hes cute and simply pushes him aside. His mother is already dead in the rubble. Izuku is begging for his heroes life and that’s what drives All Might to rise again That child shouldn’t witness any more death today.

The blow Izuku prevented it the one that took out All Might’s stomach and lung but that’s not to say he’s going particularly well. AFO is down but hes bleeding out, Izuku is trying to find someone to help. He's only nine, but already so heroic. Convinced he’s going to die, All Might gifts his quirk to Izuku.

All Might pulls through and finds out the child that saved him has no one. That just won’t do. He takes in Izuku and they learn to be a family together, and Izuku learns how to use his quirk.

Too far away from his old school now, he goes to Somei when he can reinvent himself. Given the quirk at a younger age, he has better control, even if he can only use around 1%. A smart kid with a good heroic quirk, he’s pretty popular at Somei, but the bullying still affects him and he’s reluctant to make friends. He befriends Iida – a boy most people avoided for his strange mannerisms and brutal honesty. Iida remains his only true friend in his eyes at Somei.

Nighteye stayed, All Might plans to retire when his quirk has mostly waned, hoping if he times it right Izuku will have graduated by then. Nighteye might dote on Izuku a little but the kid is delightful.

Problem:

OFA isn’t happy about this. As the years pass the quirk begins to tear into him in his sleep, begging and clamouring for him to do something – anything – to use the quirk as it was meant to be used.

The past wielders watch in horror as their quirks tear Izuku parts from the inside out. Finally, they break, begging All Might to do something to save their boy. All Might had never heard the wielders before or since.

With little other option, lest he be killed by his quirk, they hatch a plan.

It's sickeningly easy. The only have to say “All Might’s son” and Izuku is instantly given a spot in the licencing exam at only 12 years old. He isn’t the only one of the heroic’s commissions dirty little secrets in attendance because that’s the year Hawks takes his exam aged 16. They bond.

He passes, just, one of the past wielders giving him a very, very rough crash course on how to use black whip. Aged 12 he gets his full hero licence, the commission skipping provisional on account of his ‘pedigree’

Anyway: this tiny underground hero running into Aizawa again and again, Aizawa doesn't believe he's a hero until he pulls out his license. His costume has a voice distorter to hide how young he sounds but he’s very very tiny.  

Izuku having a backpack filled with snacks and zip ties and Aizawa is faintly concerned and keeps an eye on him, definitely not to protect him. 

He holds Aizawa down with black whip to try and shove real food into the other hero’s mouth because he becomes fond of him very quickly. He’s like a cool older brother to Izuku.

Aizawa, hungry but refusing to give in to the gremlin "NO StOP"

He decides to live up to his “annoying little brother’ reputation and follow Aizawa around

like he talks to Nezu ab the whole deal and Nezu is like "ok, sounds fair" and lets izuku on campus to chat with teachers and stuff. but its 100% to fuck with Aizawa

so Aizawa is trying to fucking teach and he gets interrupted by a protein bar to the head. his class is shocked.

they all look out the window, no one is there but it's slightly open. Aizawa prays it’s not the new underground brat, opens his mouth to keep talking and gets hit with another protein bar

3A watches in shocked silence as Aizawa flings himself out the window to chase down the tiny hero that has just flung himself into the courtyard.

He’s really good buds w hawks, they do dumb shit together all the time

“oh yagi sensei look a flying spider!”

it’s just fucking hawks and Izuku barrelling through the sky at full speed. Shrieking

izuku and hawks go out for coffee in full costume so izuku just stubbornly holds his coffee the whole time bc he doesn't wanna lift up his mask. he’s just walking around with room temp coffee and a slightly squashed pastry

“izuku pwease ur getting crumbs everywhere”

“i p a i d f o r t h i s”

they have to fight a villain and Izuku refuses to drop his fucking cupcake

After a nasty incident after Izuku got his licence, All Might retires. His quirk isn’t what is used to be, and he’s in fact rapidly losing the ability to use it at all. He's no slouch in the fitness department but that lack of quirk isn’t helping. He ends up actually being the office secretary.

and the public is shook. in this year Nighteye stayed w All Might bc All Might passed on his quirk right after afo, and Nighteye is here to train izuku. so All Might’s agency has no All Might

izuku, Nighteye, Hawks, Miriko, w guess appearances from iidaten and hands up radio but only Nighteye knows how young izuku is

David and Melissa are part of the agency on as support staff

Nezu isnt actually aware of the fact izuku is only 12, and All Mights (adopted but still) son and boy is he going to be pissed when he finds out a child was doing hero work under his nose

Oh yeah his hero name is Legacy BTW

Aizawa makes jokes that the new hero Legacy is a kid bc he doesnt patrol during school hours and izuku is s w e a t i n g

he mostly patrols around dusk, like 4pm till 8pm, and noon till 10 on the weekends so the end of his patrols intersect with the start of Aizawa’s

izuku keeps stubbornly swinging after Aizawa demanding a high-five

Mic loves Legacy but hes lost bc hes a really new hero with ties to ua but he hasnt ever seen a student like that attending, so he’s honestly wondering where he popped up from.

but Mic is like " isnt shouta fuckin amazing what a guy " and Legacy says " yES" and Mic is like "son"

Legacy has a lil intro press conference and the whole world is instantly smitten with this sweet young hero that has All Might’s seal of approval. Legacy is everyone’s son and they would all die for him

it’s a running theory that Legacy is All Might’s kid bc,,,, his name is Legacy so like,,, they aint wrong but anyway All Might feels t e r r i b l e that his little 12-year-old is out fighting villains but OFA wouldn’t lets izuku sleep, or eat or dream unless he was doing s o m e t h i n g against AFO

izukus not alone though, when he fights he can often see ghost images of the predecessors leading him through fights. he fights so differently from time to time its a real theory that Legacy is multiple people

[sternerstufftoys]

Drink?

It is the year 1986... ...GCSEs are the new 'in-thing' among fashion-conscious teens. Almost everyone was doing it! ...The Phantom of the Opera opens in London, causing a young Gerard Butler to rub his hands in opportunistic glee... ...Diego Maradona uses the Hand Of God to win a football match, but controversially does not use his divine superpowers to take back the Falklands...

...and The Transformers introduces a little red guy to absolutely no fanfare whatsoever...

God bless James Roberts, eh? More than Meets the Eye brought a lot of characters into sharp focus during his run, but none benefitted from this boost quite like Swerve (okay, Tailgate too). It's not that Swerve didn't have any characterisation before MTMTE hoved into view, but this was limited just to his toy bio and a brief write-up in the Marvel comics Universe anthology. He didn't appear in the comics themselves, and had only a minor cameo in Dreamwave's brief tenure, before IDW made him a minor star. 

And Swerve pretty much epitomises the Roberts attitude towards characters, in that he's just so painfully recognisable. Swerve was the guy who just wanted to be popular, that just wanted to be your mate, but tried so hard that he inevitably blew it. Not unpopular, not unpleasant at all, he was just always a bit much. Presumably that's why he wanted to open a pub so badly, so people would have a reason to come round and chat. But otherwise, we've all felt that way at some point in our lives, the need to fit in and the creeping terror that if you don't find a peer group soon, you'll be out in the cold for life. And if that's never been you, then it's definitely been someone you know.

A bit heavy going for a guy whose main contribution in TF fiction before all that was getting stepped on by Trypticon.

So this isn't the official Thrilling 30 edition of Swerve, who I'd have liked to get but quickly became less available than his 3rd party competitor, Maketoys Trashtalk, although this one did come with a hefty price tag and insisted on coming with his far less in-demand mould-mate Cogwheel, aka Gears. It's kind of a dick move that isn't uncommon among 3rd party companies. Sure, you need to use a mould at least twice to get your money's worth out of it, but the certain knowledge that one of the two uses would barely sell on its own means that it's gracelessly lumped in with the one people actually want to buy. A shame really, as Cogwheel is the far more attractive of the pair.

Still, Trashtalk has oodles of personality, mostly thanks to that great big shit-eating grin on his face there. That's the look of a complete bellend that will happily drag you off to Vegas, get you drunk, spend all your money, get you married to a passing Uzbeki sailor and judge the success of the trip on the amount of likes he gets for his holiday snaps on Facebook. Only he's a robot.

The pack comes with two guns to share between the two bots, but the My First Blaster accessory is a separate purchase for a rather hefty £12. Sure it looks great and it was a smashing time putting the kit together, but the fact that none of the accessories are compatible with standard 5mm hand-holes makes the whole enterprise feel rather grubby. The same goes with his drinks tray - Swerve and Gears can hold everything, sure, but what if you want Cyclonus to have a little sherry as a treat? It'll rattle around in his giant paw, that's what will happen. 

Still, with that cheeky grin, a marvellous ability to strike a pose and a surprisingly fun and compact alt mode, I can't complain too much. You can squeeze a WFC blast effect into the barrel of the MFB, and wedge the gun neatly onto the side of the car mode. And let's be honest, the traditional G1 design for Swerve isn't worth going back to, so the Roche/Milne modernisation is more than welcome. And I'm honestly struggling to think of a toy that has this much character. Anyone?

[aion-rsa]

Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Funniest Guest Cast Characters

https://ift.tt/3oTakdX

Warning: contains Brooklyn Nine-Nine spoilers.

Brooklyn Nine Nine is one of the funniest sitcoms around thanks to its fantastic ensemble cast and just-broad-enough humour blended with almost-realistic cop show elements. But that great regular cast are supported by an equally brilliant array of recurring characters and guest stars. In this list, we’re celebrating the funniest of the show’s less often-seen characters, those guest appearances who’ve turned up once or twice to inject a fresh burst of comic energy into the show.

Note that we’re not counting regular recurring characters like Adrian Pimento, Madeline Wuntch, or Kevin Cozner, aka Mr Raymond Holt. If they turn up more than once a year, or in more than three episodes in one season, they’re off the list.

12. Adam Sandler, played by himself in Operation: Broken Feather, Season 1, Episode 15

Adam Sandler’s appearance as himself in Season One is beautifully self-deprecating as well as funny. His deadpan delivery of “I’m a serious person” is hilarious in just the right way – of course the real Sandler is, presumably, as serious and as complex as anyone else, but he knows his own public persona and just how to play on it in the right way to raise a different kind of laugh. The interest in antiquities, the planned film about the Russian Revolution, it’s all funny – and somewhat undercut, even more amusingly, by his taunting of Jake straight afterwards. The whole scene did help to flush out a criminal though, so it wasn’t a total loss for Jake.

Funniest moment: Admitting his “serious” Russian Revolution film features Kevin James as Trotsky, and a wife who doesn’t wear a bra through the whole film.

11. Geoffrey Hoytsman, played by Chris Parnell in two episodes in Season 2

When Jake’s lawyer girlfriend Sophia uses her boss as a transparent excuse to break up with him (by going on ‘pause’), Jake wilfully misunderstands and decides that the boss is the key problem, so he sets off to make the man like him. It all goes horribly wrong when Jake finds Hoytsman snorting cocaine in the bathroom, which Hoytsman claims he was doing accidentally while screaming loudly that Jake is arresting him to the whole room of lawyers. Sophia somehow still ends up blaming Jake – probably because she simply wanted to break up with him in the first place – and Hoytsman ends up returning to take Jake hostage and quite seriously threaten his life later in the season. Parnell’s over-the-top performance as a character who is, of course, high for much of the time, is what really sells the character.

Funniest moment: Sniffing cocaine off his collar in the middle of the police precinct.

10. Jessica Day, played by Zooey Deschanel in The Night Shift, Season 4, Episode 4

Back in 2016, both New Girl and Brooklyn Nine Nine were active Fox sitcoms, so the network decided to do a crossover event in which the New Girl characters travelled to New York City and ran into the 99. Most of the crossover scenes actually ended up in the New Girl episode, but Zooey Deschanel’s character Jess Day did make a brief appearance in the otherwise stand-alone Brooklyn Nine Nine half of the crossover. While the New Girl episode provided a lot more context for Jess’s feelings about New York and her stress level surrounding Schmidt’s mom’s car and the soup she’s carrying, her appearance as an apparently slightly nutty woman who resists Jake’s attempts to commandeer the car is an entertaining interlude during the half hour.  

Funniest moment: Insisting that Jake’s oath to serve and protect applies to her soup.

9. Philip Davidson, played by Sterling K. Brown in The Box, Season 5, Episode 14

If this were a list of the show’s ‘best’ guest characters, rather than ‘funniest’, the top ranked would surely be Philip Davidson, played by Sterling K. Brown. ‘The Box’ is a tight, taught bottle episode that takes full advantage of Brooklyn Nine Nine’s hybrid status as both sitcom and cop show, and Brown’s Davidson forms a strong third of a triangle in this three-header with Holt and Peralta. It’s a really strong performance, but given that he’s playing a tough-to-crack murder suspect, not really the funniest, exactly. Still, he gets a good few laughs when appropriate over the course of a really engaging half hour of comedy/cop show crossover.

Funniest moment: When Davidson finally cracks, he cracks hard – his confession is equal parts triumphant, cathartic, and hilarious.

8. Karen Haas, played by Maya Rudolph in Coral Palms Parts 1&2, Season 4, Episodes 1&2

Maya Rudolph has a good line going in slightly weary authority figures (see also: The Good Place). Handling Holt and Peralta while they’re in witness protection is not an easy job and her exasperation at Jake’s refusal to accept his situation is well played. Haas is really funny, though, when she starts bringing her own issues into her official duties, clearly trying to get permission to cheat on her husband from someone, anyone – and Holt is happy to oblige.

Funniest moment: Whoever it is she wants to sleep with is “really young” – something that clearly shouldn’t be funny, but the face Rudolph pulls as she says it is what sells it.

7. Lin-Manuel Miranda as David Santiago in The Golden Child, Season 6, Episode 9

Miranda is marvellously smarmy as Amy’s too-perfect brother, her demanding parents’ favourite, who snubs popular culture and shows off by saving people’s lives (including Amy’s own husband). Amy’s delighted reaction when he’s arrested for cocaine possession and deep disappointment when he turns out to be innocent are highlights, but the funniest scene by far is the dance-off between David and Amy, in which both comprehensively demonstrate that dancing is not among the Santiago family’s many strengths.

Read more

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Funniest moment: David thinks elbows should form a bigger part of a dance routine than they really should.

6. Frederick, played by Nick Offerman in Ava, Season 3, Episode 8

Any time we meet Captain Holt’s friends and family, many of whom share his stoic, Vulcan-like demeanour, it’s always hilarious. JK Simmons as his old friend Dillman very nearly made the list, but he was just pipped to the post by Ron Swanson – sorry, Nick Offerman – as Holt’s ex-boyfriend. There’s a lot of crossover between Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine Nine among the cast and crew and Offerman isn’t even the only Parks & Rec alumnus to appear on this list, but he’s probably the one whose appearance most quickly calls to mind his earlier character. The idea that Holt’s ex-boyfriend is Ron F-ing Swanson is just genius. OK, Frederick lacks Swanson’s magnificent moustache (though he has a glorious beard) and he’s even more brusque and stand-off-ish, but he’s a perfect match for Holt, even more in their post-break-up mutual antagonism than we imagine they were in their relationship.

Funniest moment: His straight-faced insistence at the door that they have a “wooden-duck situation”.

5. Mark Devereaux, played by Nathan Fillion in Serve & Protect, Season 4, Episode 14

It’s always funny any time police characters in a cop show visit the set of a TV cop show, and for added meta humour, in this case the actor playing the fictional detective is played by an actor who works on a cop show (albeit as a non-cop character). Phew! That’s a lot of layers of meta. Nathan Fillion’s pompous star who apparently thinks playing a detective makes him a detective is very funny, and it gets better when it turns out that was a ruse to cover up his own petty criminal activity before he folds like wet paper. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to see more of him.

Funniest moment: Devereaux tries turning on the angry detective act from his show to cover up his own crime, only to be confronted with quite a lot more than a “shred” of evidence and fold immediately.

4. Eleanor Horstweil, played by Kathryn Hahn in Hostage Situation, Season 3, Episode 11

We heard a lot about Boyle’s ex-wife over the first couple of seasons, partly because Boyle was still living in her basement, hanging out with her new husband Hercules. We knew what sort of person Eleanor was when Boyle explained that he gets the beach house from December to February. When we finally meet her in the flesh, Kathryn Hahn does not disappoint – Eleanor is surely one of the most purely horrible characters we’ve seen on the show (and yes, we’re including all the murderers). She hits a 90-year-old priest with her car and then destroys Boyle’s frozen sperm, all with no apparent sense of guilt, and she largely gets away with it, too. But she does it all with a perfectly deadpan expression and carefree attitude, each horrifying act funnier that the last.

Funniest moment: She goes further than Jake ever thought she would when she “shoots a hostage” – i.e., throws some of Boyle’s sperm down the drain.

3. Seth Dozerman, played by Bill Hader in New Captain, Season 3, Episode 1

Bill Hader’s screentime on the show is relatively brief, but he is hilarious from start to finish, attacking the squad with every shouted command like he’s firing metaphorical bullets at them. It might actually have been really cool to see the squad try to deal with him as their Captain for more than one episode, with his extremely demanding requirements and very highly strung personality, but on the other hand, perhaps this is a joke that works better in small quantities. Any character whose dying words are “Tell my wife I love her work ethic” is probably a character better enjoyed for a shorter period of time. 

Funniest moment: Both heart attacks are very funny, but the first (non-fatal) one just pips it for the sheer suddenness of it.

2. Caleb, played by Tim Meadows in three episodes in Seasons 5 and 6

Jake is shocked to discover his only friend in maximum security prison is a cannibal (though he would prefer to be identified as a wood-worker), having assumed everyone in protective custody was a wrongly accused police officer. Caleb is surely Brooklyn Nine Nine’s best streak of really, really dark humour – not only did he murder and eat nine and a half people, they were small children too. Every reference he makes to his “nightmare” past is sickly hilarious, and gets worse and worse every time, including a reference to his “skin suit”. But he really does care for Jake, even if he still kind of wants to eat him. The sheer audacity of the black humour surrounding this character is fantastic and always funny.

Funniest moment: Caleb shows that he has a softer side when he saves Jake’s life – but he immediately deeply regrets it and would not do it again.

1. Doug Judy, played by Craig Robinson in multiple episodes (one episode or two-parter per year)

Yes, we carefully defined a recurring character as someone who is either in more than three episodes or who appears more than once a year specifically so that we could include Craig Robinson‘s Doug Judy. It’s our list and we make the rules. There’s something twistedly beautiful about Jake and Doug Judy’s tender but tense friendship, even in the early years when Judy is constantly double-crossing poor Jake. The two of them have perfect comic chemistry, and each running gag in their friendship, especially their fondness for swaggering out in a new outfit or disguise, just gets funnier and funnier. Long may Doug Judy continue to turn up roughly once every twelve months to harass his long suffering best friend.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Funniest moment: Having escaped yet again, Doug Judy leaves Jake a pre-recorded message in a karaoke booth – complete with a full hour of pre-recorded singing for Jake to duet with.

The post Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Funniest Guest Cast Characters appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3kZOKSD

[bigenderbefriender]

It’s approaching midnight here in Oklahoma on November 2, 2020, and before election day begins in earnest, I wanted to write out a few of my thoughts.  I don’t know how much analysis I’ll actually do; this is mostly a record of how I feel, how the world is, and how I perceive it.  Maybe a year or two down the line, I’ll be able to look back on this and shore up some memories, though hopefully I won’t ever forget what I’ve seen over the past four years.

Let me start with this, then.  No one knows what’s going to happen.  The perennial discourse about the electoral college is in full swing, and as usual, Republicans are blocking it because they benefit massively from the rampant conservatism (racism) of rural states such as my own.  All the news talks about these days is the election cycle and COVID; I can hardly blame them.  It’s almost all I think about, too.  That said, half of Oklahomans went without power this week due to a massive ice storm, including most of my social circle, and it didn’t even make a blip in the national news.  Likewise, Hurricane Zeta tore a path through Louisiana then up the East Coast last week, and it only got a cursory mention, despite being the fifth such hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana this year.  The destruction there is nigh incalculable.

Texas governor Greg Abbott has been in a campaign to suppress voters in urban areas in this election cycle, his most egregious success being to limit the number of polling places per county to one, meaning large cities that fall under one county must all vote at the same place.  This will inevitably lead to a number of citizens being unable or unwilling to vote, predominantly in those large cities where lines will be several hours long, and the risk of COVID will be high.  Texan Republicans have also tried to throw out drive-thru ballots on the order of 120,000 votes, but this was blocked by Andrew Hanon.  The voter suppression is quite likely because for the first time in several elections, Texas is legitimately competitive this year.  I don’t think it will flip to the Democratic Party, but if it does I would be quite happy.

Other states have also been engaging in voter suppression, but there are people working against it.  Stacey Abrams, after her narrow defeat (1.4%) in the 2018 gubernatorial race in Georgia, has continued her commitment to ending voter suppression there, and she claims that she has done so quite successfully.  I suppose that remains to be seen, but I am hopeful.  Little news is coming out of places like North Carolina, though, and that’s scary, since voter suppression there is so prominent and so ugly.  In addition, Trump has been calling on militias, whom I will not name so as to keep them away from this post, to enact stochastic violence against voters whom they believe will vote Democratic.

In truth, that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  Since the summer, Trump has been questioning the legitimacy of mail-in ballots, certainly in an attempt to provide precedent for his contesting of the election results.  If they go in his favor, I’m sure he’ll love whatever the election says, but much like with Hillary Clinton, it looks like he’ll lose the popular election.  Experts are predicting a “blue shift” over the course of the election cycle.  That is, Republicans by and large are ignoring the threats of the coronavirus, which means they’re much more likely to vote in person on November 3.  This means it will appear that Trump has won the election on Novemeber 3, but as mail-in ballots get counted, the electorate will begin to sway towards Biden.  I may make a prediction here, though it is a grim one.  I believe that Trump will try to call the election on November 3 proper, and he will use his newfound influence on the Supreme Court (aka his nominee and now justice Amy Coney Barrett) to halt the count of mail-in ballots that might prove him wrong.  Many people say our democracy is in crisis, but quite honestly, I think this is a natural conclusion to the way that politics have been going since basically the Clinton era.

What I mean by that is to say that Trump’s presidency has done an excellent job of exposing long-lasting structural issues in American society, and Democrats have made #resist into an aesthetic to win their re-elections rather than actually leveraging the power they do have.  I’d say it must be hard, against someone who’s as much of a political opportunist as Sen Maj Ldr Mitch McConnell (R-KY), but the truth is that all of these people are perfectly content to campaign on decorum rather than on fixing any of the actual issues facing the US.

It’s not all bad; Biden has been pushed quite a bit to the left by the growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party, organized in part by the Justice Democrats and represented by Sen Bernie Sanders (Ind. VT), Rep Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D NY), Rep Ilhan Omar (D MN), Rep Rashida Tlaib (D MI), and Rep Ayanna Pressley (D MA).  The latter four are colloquially referred to as “The Squad,” and they fight alongside others for progressive policies out of the House of Representatives.  I would hate to go through an entire post about my feelings on national politics without mentioning the few good things we do have going for us.  In addition, voters have come out in record numbers this year.  As of this morning NPR reported that four states have had more early voting than total voters in 2016.  In a democracy, one of the major challenges is to stimulate citizen participation in government; citizens are certainly participating this year.

Also, this year has been a year that will be remembered for its social movements.  The Black Lives Matter movement came back into full swing, and the role of the police is now a legitimate question in many people’s minds.  Of course, this is a frustrating thing to talk about, too.  The demands of Black Lives Matter as a movement are so simple, yet over and over again, police show that they are more dedicated to violence than to justice.  In addition, white people across the country have shown that they are more dedicated to law and order than to making a country in which everyone can live.  This seems odd to me, though I know that it is specifically racially motivated.  It’s not like I’m just having this realization now; my grandparents are Party Republicans, and I couldn’t convince them to vote to kick Walmart out of their town, even when they know exactly how it’s screwed them.  To ask them to empathize with a Black person, even a Black neighbor?  Believe me, I’ve tried.  Still, we did see (are seeing) a lot of good from the protests.  Colorado basically ended qualified immunity, which means that police should be a lot more accountable for their actions in the future.  We also saw several experiments in what a society could look like without policing.  The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle was the most famous of these, though it fell apart in part due to its popularity.  Others that did not have the spotlight on them did not fall apart so spectacularly (though I have to speculate that all of CHAZ’s sisters have been disbanded by now).

That said, there’s a lot to fear in the coming days.  The only thing we know about this election is that we won’t know the result for days or even weeks after polling closes.  Because of that, many fear that protests will break out across the country on election day.  The protests themselves aren’t the bad thing, I think.  What’s bad is that the protests will be the targets of white supremacist violence (if the protesters are pro-Biden) or the perpetrators thereof, especially now that Trump has condoned militia violence against citizens.  Over the summer, Trump also used a secret police force (under the Department of Homeland Security, specifically Customs and Border Patrol) against protesters in Portland, Oregon to quell unrest.  Unsurprisingly, it didn’t work, since the protests were against police brutality.  However, the system is now there for him to use, and CBP is only growing bigger by the day.  If protests do break out in the weeks following the election, I have no doubt that CBP will be there throwing people into unmarked vans and jailing them without due process.

I have so much more to say.  I haven’t even gotten into the border wall, or family separation, or the assassination of Iranian dignitaries, or attacks on abortion rights, or Mitch McConnell’s stalling of the Senate, or the individual stages of failure of the COVID-19 response and how I learned about them, or the use of said COVID-19 to grant ICE carte blanche to deport people without trial, or any of the myriad other political issues of which I’ve become aware over the past four years.  I also haven’t even begun to write out my thoughts on my local politics or Oklahoma politics specifically (quite honestly, I think local politics will forever stay offline, seeing as though I’d really rather not give out too much identifying information here).  But I think this post has gone on long enough.  Perhaps I will write more on those other topics in the future.  I am afraid for tomorrow, and I am afraid for the months and years to come.  I do not wish to live in interesting times, but it seems I am cursed to do so.  At least I can say I was a witness.  It is now 12:40 AM, November 3, 2020.  The election is in 6 hours, and I am scared.

[pastelbatfandoms]

Get to know My OC-Meghana

01. What does your character’s name mean? Did you pick it for the symbolism, or did you just like the way it sounded?  I actually looked up names that went with either Hercules or Megara and found Meghana,which is an Indian name that means Thunder. 

02. What is one of your character’s biggest insecurities? Are they able to hide it easily or can others easily exploit this weakness? Her biggest weakness is definitely her emotions and her powers are more dangerous when she’s emotional which makes them easier to exploit. 

03. What would be their favorite physical trait about themselves? Her natural beauty

04. What are their favorite traits about their lover? (one psychological and one physical)  

Hades- Meghana thought he was Charismatic,funny and cute when they first met,yes she knew he was The “Villain” of Olympus she just didn’t care. It was when he showed off his more intelligent and even gentler side that Megs started to fall in love with him.

Physically? I mean have you seen him? and I don’t mean his Blue skinned,monstrous side that everyone thought of. (not that she minded that) but his more human look but still godlike with the bright blue hair,piercing eyes,that magnetic smile and those muscles ♥♥

Harry Hook- Another one of her Lovers that has Charisma for days. Also being The Son of Captain Hook aka Killian Jones,Harry had a wild unpredictable side that Meghana loved. But Harry also had a Sensitive side that he showed to very few. 

Physically-Where to start?! Harry’s smile,that body,that hair,his killer dance moves,THAT ACCENT! 

05. Are they sexually confident or more of the shy type?  Confident,even when she was a Virgin lol

06. Do they have any hobbies that their lover finds unusual, odd, or otherwise annoying? No

07. Is there a catchphrase or sound that they tend to make a lot (likely without being aware of it)? 

08. What is, perhaps, their biggest flaw? Are they aware of this or oblivious to it?  Her Temper,But being with a band of Pirates they kinda embrace that. Her Impulsiveness,her stubbornness. 

09. Do they have a favorite season? What about a favorite holiday? Spring and Winter. They don’t really celebrate Holidays on The Isle. 

10. Is your character more feminine or masculine? Feminine but with God like strength 11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage? Being left for someone else,being used. 

12. Is there some particular talent, skill, or attribute that they simply could not give up? Well she kind of had to give up her Powers while on The Isle. (At least The Darker ones.) But probably her Inner Strength. 

13. What are your character’s sleeping habits? Heavy or light sleeper? Blanket stealer? One that always rolls onto the floor? Pushes their lover onto the floor? Sleep talker or walker? Light sleeper,if she sleeps at all. Cannot sleep alone,but always looks like she’s sleeping peacefully. 

14. Do they live alone or with family? How do they feel about their family/roommates?  Meghana’s never truly been alone. First it was being born into a family of Gods,then getting sent to The Isle with Hades,then joining Uma’s Crew after Hades dumped her. 

15. Is there a certain person in this world that they cannot stand? The very mention of this person’s name makes them tremble with anger or fear.  Maleficent. But not out of fear.  16. Is your character the athletic type or more of a couch potato? What are some sports/games that they like? Her Father is The Hero/Demi God of Strength,what do you think? 17. Does your character have dreams of getting married and/or having children? Yes well Marriage anyway. 

18. What kind of home would they want to live in? Where would they place this abode?  Anyplace her loved ones are,she’s very adaptable. 

19. Would your character be the kind to get into fights? (physical or verbal) Would they be a good fighter or cave in rather easily?  Meghana can be peaceful until you push her buttons,being a student of Hades and on a Pirate Crew you better believe she has a Temper. Uma and Harry taught her how to fight without the use of her powers and she has become rather good at it. 

20. Does your character like animals? What are some of their favorite animals? Would they want pets? What about mythological creatures? Yes,her Favorite’s are Big Dogs and Horses. Her favorite Mythological creatures are Pegasi,Unicorns and Cerberus.  21. What is one of your character’s biggest fears? How would they react when dealing with this fear?  Well she’s already dealt with being Abandoned,I suppose her parents hating her and never being allowed back in Olympus. (Which doesn’t happen)

22. What kind of tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, freckles, and other such unique physical features do they have?  Besides her Godlike Beauty she doesn’t really have any other unique traits. But unlike most Greeks her hair is a Golden Red like her Fathers. (until she goes to the isle)

23. What is your character like when it comes to school? What subjects are they good/bad at? Do they get in trouble a lot or are well behaved? When Meghana was in School on Olympus she was a very good student. The Classes and School (which looked more like a Cathedral) were very different from Earth’s or even Auradon Prep. Meghana’s favorite were Music with The Muse Euterpe and Pegasus Riding with The Goddess Nike. 

24. In their own words, how would your character describe what their lover is like? I kinda already did....

25. Is there something traumatic from your character’s past that greatly affects them even to this day? Being sent to The Isle of The Lost by her Father and Zeus. 

26. What is their lover like sexually? How do they feel about their lover’s quirks, needs, etc?  Hades is a very demanding yet gentle lover. If there is something Meg is not comfortable with,which is few and far between he comes to realize,Hades won’t do it. But when he’s jealous that’s another matter entirely. Hades can also be especially Seductive and persuasive when he wants something. 

Harry is very Charming and Flirtatious,though he gets Jealous as well,although it more has to do with his insecurities more than anything. Harry is very dominating and passionate in bed,usually taking the lead,unless it’s a day where Meg feels more Dominant then Harry can become Submissive as hell. Harry also likes using his Hook as well but not in an Extreme BDSM way more of an Enticing,seductive way. 

27. If your character was going to get arrested, what would be the most likely reason for it? Using her Powers and going Evil like Audrey did. But Aurodon doesn’t really do arrests,more like Banishment. 

 2 8. If your character became a celebrity, what would they be famous for? Model or Olympics.

29. What is one of the most courageous things your character has ever done for a loved one?  

30. When it comes to the arts (music, film, theater, etc), what does your character like?  Greek Poetry,The Ballet,Musicals,Fine Art,Anything Opulent with a darker undertone,She also has a fondness for Dance Music and Black Metal. 31. Would your character be the kind capable of killing? Would they enjoy killing or only use it when necessary or, perhaps, refuse to kill no matter what? I think Meghana would only kill when Necessary,like if someone she loved was threatened or hurt,or if she was blinded by rage and betrayal. (like when Hades left her for Maleficent) 

32. If your character’s lover offered to take them out on a dream date, what would they want to do? A date with Hades would be a bit unusual,if still Gods,they would probably spend the majority of the time in The Underworld,then sneak up to the surface for a picnic. 

With Harry it would be a bit more daring,more going out at night on The Isle,teaching her how to sneak into places,teaching her how to sail and telling her about his adventures in Neverland when he was young. Causing a Ruckus wherever they went.

33. If your character wanted to be alone, where would they go? On Olympus it was to her favorite Water Fountain in The Nymph gardens,usually taking Pegasus along with her. There’s not much freedom on The Isle to be alone but at times she’ll go up to The Helm of The Ship or her Quarters for privacy. That’s usually only when she’s troubled though as she is the type to not like being on her own,especially on The Isle. 

34. Does your character have favorite foods? (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, etc)  Grapes,Pomegranates,Apples,any fruit really as well as Bread. Though recently she has become fond of Sea Food. 

35. Is your character afraid of death? If they got to choose how to die, how would they want to go? Megs is a DemiGod so No,she knows what lies ahead and is even looking forward to it.

36. Does your character have any medical conditions? Are they serious or minor? Do they affect their day to day life? No

37. What are some of your character’s pet peeves? What are some things that annoy them or disgust them? Flirting,being Manipulated,Liars,Judgemental people (Villains and Heroes alike) 

38. What kind of weather does your character like? Cloudy skies, rainy days, sunshine, etc? The Isle is usually cloudy so she has gotten used to that. Sun or Rain is both fine with her,Megs doesn’t really have a preference.  39. When people look at your character, is there some assumption they might make about them just by appearance? Is that assumption correct? Snobby,Evil,Immortal (Contrary to popular belief Gods are not) Selfish,Reckless,Naive,,Mean. Yeah she really is none of those things,she can be a tad Selfish at times but that is not always a bad thing. Also Just because she is Friends/in love with Villains does NOT make her one.  40. Does your OC have any guilty pleasures they enjoy? Hobbies, past times, music, etc that they wouldn’t want known by others?  Well few Heroes know that she still dabbles in the dark arts every now and then,even sneaking a peak at Mal’s Spell Book once or twice. Other then that not really no.  41. Does your character’s family affect your character in any way? They used to and to some extent still do,since she is stuck on The Isle. 42. Is there anything in your character’s past that they regret, haunts them, or they wish they could change?  Maybe encouraging Audrey to become Evil,Meg didn’t do it on purpose only saying she knew where Audrey was coming from and how she felt,also if SHE had Maleficent’s Staff....Also not liking Mal on The Isle because of her Mother... 43. Does your character have a switch that changes aspects of their personality whether they are around friends, family, etc. Is there someone who gets to see their true self? Not really. I suppose she’s more on and Intimidating to those she doesn’t know.  44. Is there a particular event that would emotionally devastate your character? Losing Harry or any of her Friends on The Isle.  45. Is your character the kind to hide their true emotions or do they wear their heart on their sleeve? A bit of both. Though she has become more guarded as of late.

46. What is some random affectionate thing that your character always does to their lover? Meggie is The Queen of Affectionate gazes but on a more physical level,she does give her boys kisses on The Cheeks when she’s excited and neither Harry or Hades are averse to PDA. 47. Is your character outgoing? Would they be the leader of the friend group, or the quiet one that gets dragged along? Outgoing definitely. She started off as a bit more Introverted until she met Hades,but Megs has always had a Sassy,’I can take care of myself’ side just like her Mother.  48. Is there anything in particular that would ignite your character’s jealousy? Or does your character not get envious? Her Men flirting with someone else or being Flirted with. Which is a problem because both Hades and Harry are flirtatious by nature.  49. What is something that your character has nightmares about? Are these frequent? Do they heavily affect your character’s mood? Not so much anymore. But she has had to wake up or comfort Harry during a particularly bad night terror.  50. If your character confessed love to their crush, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc, what would they say? When Meghana first confessed her feelings to Hades,during an intimate moment,Hades was at first taken aback,he never told her he loved her,until they were broken up,but he always called her My Queen or My Love so Megs took that as the same thing. 

With Harry it was very mutual,though they were both cautious at first,Harry looked at her one day while with the crew and whispered “I think I’m in love with you.” Megs responded back in kind and they’ve been together ever since. 

[thetaeprint]

Kim Taehyung aka BTS V: A Prodigy Of This Generation

ITunes

1. Taehyung is the 4th Korean Artist and and 3rd Korean Solo to enter the US iTunes Singles Top 10 with Singularity (peaked at #4).

2. Singularity is the 3rd highest ranking BTS solo song in Worldwide iTunes Song Chart at #6. [Source]

3.His OST song “It’s Definitely you” with Jin charted in 52 countries and peaked at #1 in 3 countries.

​​Apple Music

1. Singularity is the 3rd highest charting BTS solo song in the Worldwide Apple Music Song Chart at #104. [Source]

Billboard Charts

•​​Japan Hot 100

1. Taehyung’s’s solo “Singularity” is the second BTS solo song to chart at #34 (after Daydream). [Source]

            Singularity  BTS (BTS)  #34

Total points --- 1,400

•​​​​K-pop Hot 100

1. Singularity debuted at #10. [Source]

"Intro _ Singularity" #10 May 28, 2018

•​World Digital Song Sales

1. Singularity peaked at #3 and charted for 3 weeks. (#1 & #2 were BTS). [Source]

2. List of Taehyung's songs which debuted 

A. Stigma (#10) 

B. Singularity (#3)

C. It's Definitely You (#8)

​​

Other Charts

•​​Singapore Regional Streaming   Top 30

1. Singularity entered at #16. [Source]

•​​​France Top 100 Downloads

1. BTS V’s solo “Singularity” charted at #100. [Source]

•​​​Hungary Single Top 40

1. Singularity debuted at #23.[Source]

​​Sales Record

•​​Single Sales

1. Singularity has more than 10k pure sales in the USA. [Source]

2. Singularity has sold over 100,000 units in the US. [Source]

Year-End Lists

1. BTS V is the second Korean solo (after Psy) to have his song‘Singularity’ in the NY Times’“The Best Songs of 2018” list. [Source]​​​

The 65 Best Songs of 2018 by New York Times

Singularity was at #20 with FAKE LOVE in the NY Times’“The 65 Best Songs of 2018’. It is the only Korean solo song in the list.

[Source]

2. Singularity is at #4 and is the only Korean song in the LA Times’ “Best of 2018: The 10 (orso) songs that demanded to be replayed”. [Source]

@ No. 4 BTS V, ‘Singularity’ by Los Angeles Times

Seoul’s hyperactive K-pop scene finally went mainstream in America this year thanks to BTS (V), the hugely popular seven-member boy band that topped the Billboard 200 twice on its way to a sold-out tour that stopped at Staples Center for four shriek-filled nights. Yet the group’s most arresting song from 2018 was also its least frenzied: “Singularity,” a breathy, methodically paced soul jam with echoes of D’Angelo and Luther Vandross.

3. Singularity was included with FAKE LOVE and LY: Tear in The Guardian’s “best albums and tracks of 2018”. It is the only Korean solo song in the list.[Source]

4. Singularity and Daydream are the only BTS solo songs which charted in the PopAsia's Top 100 Asian pop songs of 2018.[Source]

PopAsia's Top 100 Asian pop songs of 2018: 50-1

BTS: Singularity @ #24

From V's deep vocals to the minimal funk bass and piano propelling the rhythm, "Singularity" is breathtaking, teasing in its languid pace and melancholic undertones. It's essentially a work of art.

J-Hope: Daydream @ #23

This is what sunshine sounds like if it was produced by one of K-pop's biggest stars. While it bops along with tambourine and addictive percussion, the lyrics go deeper as J-Hope confronts the juxtaposition of daydreaming despite living a dream life.

Streams

1. Singularity is the “fastest” BTS solo song to reach 60M streams on Spotify. [Source]

2. Stigma is at #36 in the BTS' Official Top 40 most streamed songs in the UK. [Source]

SoundCloud

1. BTS V’s song “Scenery” is the second biggest 24 hours debut on SoundCloud with 5.95M streams. [Source]

2. Scenery is the most liked song on SoundCloud in the first 24 hours record with 372K likes. [Source] [Source]

3. Scenery is the fastest BTS solo track to reach 20-50M plays. [Source]

4. “Scenery” accumulated the most streams in a 24-hour period (not the first 24 hours, Promise has that record) after listing a total of eleven million streams within one day. [Source]

5. BTS V's solo track "Scenery" breaks the record for fastest song to hit 100 million streams on SoundCloud, in just over 14 days. [Source] [Source]

6. BTS occupy the record for the top three most streamed and liked debuts in the history of SoundCloud via solo songs from Jimin, V and Jin. [Source]

7. Scenery is at #14 in the SoundCloud Top 15 Most Streamed Songs of All Time. [Source]

Radio

1. V’s song “Singularity” was played for the very first time in U.K BBC radio. It’s a first time for any idol’s solo song to be played. [Source]

3. V’s song Scenery was played by NRJ Radios Digitales, France. [Source]

4. US radio station KissChattanooga played 4 songs of V for 15 min as a special, making good debut of ‘Scenery” in US radio. [Source]

5. 'Scenery' was aired in a Korean radio program, the first among songs released on SoundCloud. Although it is a free song which has barriers to be aired in broadcasting, it was aired in a radio program. [Source] [Source]

YouTube

1. Singularity is the fastest solo Korean artist MV to surpass 10M views (15 hours). [Source]

2. Singularity is the 3rd fastest solo Korean artist MV to get 3M Likes.

3. Singularity is the highest BTS solo in the YouTube Weekly Global Chart at #19. [Source]

4. Singularity is the fastest BTS solo song to surpass the 90M views. [Source]

5. Singularity is the third fastest BTS music video to surpass the 10 million count. [Source]

6. Singularity becomes the fastest BTS solo MV to reach 100 million views. It is also the 2nd BTS solo MV to reach 100M views. [Source] [Source]

7. BTS V’s solo “Winter Bear” debuted at #25 on the Global YouTube Music Videos Chart. In grabbing a Top 25 position, it notably outranks any other video by a Korean act. [Source]

Wins/Nominations

1. Order of Cultural Merit (2018) - Won

2. President Award (2017) - Nominated

3. Best OST (MMA 2017) - Nominated

4. Best Idol Actor (Soompi Annual Awards 2018) [Source] - Won

5. Best Acting Ensemble (Soompi Annual Awards 2018) [Source] - Won

6. Best Choreography for Singularity (Soompi Annual Awards 2019) - Won

Other Achievements

1. BTS V was included as "The Most Daring" in the Highsnobiety's List of Grammy 2019: Grooming Looks. [Source]

2. List of songs accredited to his name by the Korea Music Copyright Association. (ID # 10005240) [Source]

3. Kim Taehyung aka V was named the most handsome face of 2017 by TC Candler. [Source]

4. V came at #5 in the TC Candler’s “The 100 Most Handsome Faces of 2018”. [Source]

5. He was placed first in the Starmometer’s “100 Asian Heartthrobs of 2018” list. [Source]

6. V was also selected as the “Most Handsome Man In The World” in 2018 according To Famous Star 101. [Source]

7. TATA, which V had participated to design, is the bestseller among the BT21 line. Line Friends’ people said the re-order couldn’t catch up the demand of TATA.

[Source]

8. Among the BT21 characters (when they were launched), TATA was always sold out & out of stock. [Source]

9. Out of all BTS and K-Pop related words, V was revealed to be the most searched term on Google from 2013 to 2018.

10. After a month of Singularity's release, Guardian added it to the Top 50 songs for the month of June 2018 playlist. [Source]

11. Kim Taehyung was ranked as the 9th most preferred idol of 2018 by Gallup Korea. [Source]

12. Chilean magazine ismorbo included V's "Scenery" on their report "12 newly released songs you should listen to". [Source] [Source]

13. V was drawn in the cover of Marvel comic 'Runaways' #11. [Source]

14. Kim Taehyung or V came at #1 in the Asian Male for I-MAGAZINE FASHION FACE AWARDS YEAR 2018. [Source]

1stKim Tae Hyung

SOUTH KOREAI-MAGAZINE FASHION FACE AWARDS YEAR 2018 - ASIAN MALE

5. Japan’s “Play Up” contact lenses which V modeled got sold out in Japan. His lenses were not only the #1 on the websites sales charts, but also the first to be sold out among BTS members. [Source]

16. In Tumblr’s ‘Year in Review 2018’, V ranked #3 on the most popular K-POP Star Top 50. All members ranked from #1 to #7 in the Top 10. [Source]

17. V  turned a traffic light spot in UK into a tourist spot. [Source]

18. BTS V’s tweet received 1 million 'likes' in 4 hours and 23 minutes, which is the record for the shortest period of '1 million' likes. [Source]

19. 4 O'Clock was selected as the #1 unreleased BTS song by topstarnews (Promise #2 and Ddaeng is #3). [Source]

https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/327128519/download?client_id=Iy5e1Ri4GTNgrafaXe4mLpmJLXbXEfBR

20. The BISCO (Busan Infrastructure Corporation) marked and posted the path which V walked and took a photo in the Busan Citizens Park and recommended that path to take a walk. The photo was taken before the BTS MUSTER in Busan. [Source] [Source] 

21. The Royal Academy of Arts’ shop added a sentence “As worn by K-pop star V  from BTS” on their online website of Paint Palette brooch as he wore that brooch. [Source] [Source] The Palette Brooch got sold out. 

[Source]

22. Daegu Seogu Bisandong pre school, which is known to have been attended by V will be relocated and the original building will be remodeled for tourist attraction with BTS V's theme. 

[Source]

23. In less than a hour after V posted a video wearing a Lissom green shirt on BTS Twitter, both green & ivory shirts from this brand sold out and are currently out of stock. 

24. Bruno Major gave a shout out to BTS V  on his IG post. [Source]

25. Producer/writer of 'The Simpsons' Al Jean responded to V’s request to be 'Drawn like a Simpson’. [Source] [Source] [Source]

26. According to Famous Birthdays, Tae is at #48 in the top 48 most popular Pop singers in the US. [Source]

27. Taehyung is at #2 in the “The Top 50 Most Searched K-Pop Male Idols In Mid 2019” according to Google. [Source] [Source]

28. BTS V helped increase the sales of a small charitable company called Choi Changnam made or ccnmade. The fund raised from their sales are used to sponsor dogs, cats and children with heart disease. [Source]

29. V’s perfume Eu de Musk was the first and only perfume that sold out in less than an hour at the VT Cosmetics Carollton Texas, USA and even VT Cosmetics Vietnam said that Eau de Musk is out of stock all over the world. [Source]

30. V is the 2nd most searched K-pop idols based on global Google searches in 2019 according to Nielsen. [Source] [Source]

31. V was praised for his unique tone and charming vocals by vocal coaches and musicians such as Rok-Town, JoongSeob Shim, Adam Mishan, Charlie J Perry, Yoon Jong Shin etc. [Source] [Source] 

32. Just immediately after V’s  Seoul promotional video was released, fans were mesmerized by BTS V's cuteness and trendy fashion especially the robe he was wearing in the advertisement. Curious Army flocked online to search for the clothing brand only to be amused and disappointed at the same time-THE ROBE WAS SOLD OUT----AGAIN

https://twitter.com/TK_MyBaBies

33. BTS V's  Mattel dolls has also sold out globally. Fans attested that they were not able to get hold of the doll in Barnes and Nobles New York, and even from  the famous SM Megamall, one of the biggest and most popular shopping malls in the Philippines, where even the BTS V DOLL ON DISPLAY was sold out. The doll is not even available for order online, based on an ARMY's testimony. 

[https://www.allkpop.com/article/2019/09/bts-v-achieves-another-all-kill-sold-out-clothes-and-toys-harnessing-the-power-of-his-brand-name] 

[harley4l]

Chapter 12: The sister named Kara

“Lie until even you believe it — that's the real secret of lying” ― Holly Black, White Cat

Beginning / Previous / Next

It had been on the news for weeks. Eleanor DeSantis, Brindleton Bay’s prettiest and most popular girl had been killed on her sweet seventeenth birthday party in cold blood. People wanted to talk about nothing else, everyone wondered who in the world would do such a horrible, evil thing. 

Reporters had followed her around in massive crowds, everyone shouting and pleading for an interview with her. Kara, do you have a minute? Kara, who do you think killed your sister? Kara, do you have time for a short statement? She’d kept on walking, smiling at every camera that zoomed into her face. My sister and I, we had a special connection, she told the S.I.M.S. broadcast reporter who’d intercepted her after the funeral. Nelly was like ... another part of me. I miss her every minute. Lightning flashed around her and she beamed at the cameras, throwing her hair back elegantly. Her parents had scolded her for her demeanor towards the paparazzi more than once, ordering her to put on solemn face. What will the people think? She didn’t mind a few headshakes and irritated looks though. Bad press didn’t exist. 

In a way, she was more popular than ever. Her face was plastered everywhere, her name known all across the country. That’s what Kara had wanted, hadn’t she? To be noticed. Her life had been so boring in that boarding schools for troubled teens, ahem, kids with artistic talent, her parents sent her off to. And even before that, she’d been inferior to her twin. Less confident, less popular. Always second best. Always trying to get a hold of Nelly‘s perfect life. 

The only thing Nelly regretted was not killing that bitch sooner. It still made her furious, remembering how Kara had come home for a visit, only to sneak off to Daniel Prescott’s party and impersonate her. Nelly should have smelled the coup when Spencer‘s promise ring went missing that evening before after she’d taken a shower. She‘d searched the entire house for it to no avail—clearly her twin had stolen it to pull off her insane plan. After her argument with Daniel at the party, Nelly had trudged home drunk and slightly pissed-off, just wanting to fall into bed and contemplate her next steps. She could barely even process it when their parents followed her upstairs to her room and demanded to know where she’d went. Well, to Daniel’s party of course, she’d snarled. I told you. But her parents regarded her with distant, strange faces. Kara, her mother asked. Have you been drinking? Nelly had blinked hard, shaking her head. Of course not. And I’m Eleanor! She’d turned to close the door on them, but her father stepped into the door frame. He’d taken her arm, a stern look on his face. We have explicitly told you to stay at home while you’re at here, Kara! Nelly couldn’t believe her own ears. She tried to rip her arm away. I am not Kara! You guys can’t even tell?

At the sight of their irritated faces, it was clear they couldn’t. Pathetic, but after everything what had happened between her and Kara, perhaps it was to be expected? Her parents had driven her back to her sister’s boarding school early in the morning, without as much as a goodbye. She hadn’t seen her twin sister at all that night. 

And just like that, Kara had single-handedly snatched away her rightful place and started to make a mess of it. From now on she’d worn a heart-shaped golden locket on every weekend when Nelly was allowed home for a visit. Nelly had privately been wondering what had happened to Spencer’s promise ring — she hadn’t seen it since the night it went missing —, but her twin had deliberately ignored all questions regarding her Spencer. When Nelly pointed at the locket and asked her sister why she clung to that ancient, ugly thing, Kara‘s mouth twisted into a smug little smile. So that they know it’s me, Kara, she’d purred. 

It was still baffling to Nelly, how easily everyone—even their parents and Miranda—had fallen for this pathetic Nelly-Act. Over the course of seven months, Kara had broken up with her boyfriend, trashed her reputation to befriend a bunch of losers and had trampled her sparkling, sacrosanct reputation into the ground. And for what? To date some brainless jock? To boost the popularity of five uncool dorks, who didn’t give a damn about her? They’d wanted her dead. Nelly had overheard them whisper about all the ways it could be done during their birthday party. Choking on her cake, haha. It was the final proof that Kara had been nothing more than a bad imitation, and yet no one had noticed that her parents had sent the wrong twin away.

They had caused this. They drove Nelly to this point where she knew nothing else to do than to wrap her hands around her sister‘s neck and squeeze the life out of her. Your crazy parade has gone on long enough, she‘d hissed at Kara that faithful night on their porch. And now it reached its end. Switch back with me, last chance. For a moment, Kara stared at her with tense shoulders, her breath leaving faint white clouds in the freezing cold air. Nelly held her intense gaze like she used to since they were children — a silent battle of wills which she had always, always won. 

No, Kara had answered. She‘d smiled, not knowing that she was dead. 

And yet, somehow Kara had won. She had proclaimed the name „Eleanor“ for herself irrevocably and Nelly’s accomplishments and fame had died with her. Nelly could have accomplished so much more... Before this whole disaster, she‘d only been one step away from publically exposing her father’s mistress as the dirty cheater that she was and unmasking her insufferable half-brother. Spencer should have been his parents’ favorite son, he was the rightful heir to the Prescott fortune. She had done all this for him, but Spencer hadn’t even realized that she, the real her, had been gone. 

She thought about the brief, satisfying flash of fear in Daniel’s eyes that day she had whispered the truth into his ear. Yet he didn’t believe she’d actually go ahead and tell everyone. You wouldn’t throw your own dad under the bus, he’d insisted. However if given the chance, Nelly would have. Her family had underestimated her for far too long, Kara and Daniel both did, but Kara had learned her lesson the hard way and Daniel would as well, once he sat in jail for Kara’s murder. It would be easy to pin it on him too, after all he did go after Kara before her death. Nelly watched it all from a distance, quietly snapping pictures with her phone. Not even his fake-daddy’s huge bank account would now save him from justice that was long overdue. If Daniel hadn’t banned her from his party that night, could Kara have ever switched in the first place...?

She just needed to be patient. Soon enough, she would get her revenge. And not just at those who had wronged her, no, at everyone in this rotten town. Once the people of Brindleton Bay felt safe and content again — and once her sister was nothing more than a bad memory in the back of their minds — , she would tear the sky down on them and make them regret that they had simply stood by and watched her tragedy happen. They had ruined her. They were the ones who were evil. 

And if those idiots thought Kara to be a deceptive girl, they haven’t properly met Nelly yet.

Epilogue Chapter: The sister named Nelly

(Aka we’re turning back the hands of time for just a bit and take a look into a dead girl’s thoughts...)

[painted-starlight]

White Disney Princess Problem: How Discussion of Historical Sexism in Europe is Avoided When They Had Every Opportunity to Portray it

And Also Acceptance into European Royalty is the Path to True Liberation?

Warning: Loooong Post (seriously, I’m not kidding), Disney Criticism, anti-T*angled, swearing, dissecting Disney princess movies, discussing the implications of classism and sexism in white princess films. I will be noting historical incidents of sexism in Europe, and how these instances are mysteriously absent in white princess films despite sexism playing a major role in portraying princesses of color’s culture. 

Tl;dr/Summary: White Disney Princess Films have a reoccurring theme of showing how being part of white European royalty is the true path to liberation, even though historically this is a completely laughable concept. Sexism faced by princesses of color are portrayed as being ingrained in their culture and the films are explicit pointing their fingers.

Unlike their princess of color counterparts, the limited amount of sexism white princesses face is often whitewashed, downplayed, or even considered empowering.

This creates an implication that white European royalty and White European society is inherently more liberating for women, fairer than nonwhite cultures, and more humane. But in reality European royals were often notoriously sexist, and often violently so. Portraying white European royal culture as being inherently more freeing is historically inaccurate and irresponsible.

Also, I’m a picky little shit who delves into a lot of historical sexism that should be in the white princess films since Disney is soooo concerned about sexism enough to point it out in their princess of color films, but are mysteriously absent in their white European ones. 

Important Note: 

No, I don’t hate these films, I love many disney princess movies. 

And no, I don’t hate the fact that these girls have simple wishes. 

I don’t care if a character wants to go see the human world, or make a pretty dress, or paint or see lanterns or whatever. That’s FINE. 

What I hate is that they make a huge stink about how this or that nonwhite culture mistreats women, or how it’s unfair, but they never do the same for white Europeans. They always portray white europeans as nicer, kinder, etc. and find a convenient excuse to ignore/gloss over/whitewash the violent sexism present in european history. That is my ultimate problem. The double standard. 

The Double Standard 

I find it very interesting how in portraying Disney princesses of color, that the tend to portray sexism and social inequality as something that is naturally ingrained in their society. Mulan and Jasmine come into mind for this, as their social structures are considered unfair and undermine their character arcs. The sexism they face is something to overcome and to prove themselves.

But with white Disney princesses, despite coming from Europe (which is often violently patriarchal and demanding of compliance of social expectations of gender—think Henry the VIII’s infamous desire for a male heir, the influence of the Church, popular portrayals of the Madonna with the Virgin/Whore dichotomy) they all tend to either not face sexism or dismiss the notion outright in their films.

It’s important to note that earlier white Disney princesses (like Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora) tend to be portrayals of idealized femininity. They were designed to be what is considered appealing to patriarchal standards. Highly feminine, domestic, and at times passive.

Obviously, their stories wouldn’t tackle sexism. The sexism is what what was considered appealing for white men. It was their idealized femininity, and this trend actually still continues today. 

But these princesses legacy lives on. They affect white Renaissance Disney princesses and beyond. They have set the standards of what is considered “appropriate” for white princesses to be. 

This infection has spread a great deal to how they marketed especially. Sparkles, glitter, princess outfits at all times. But this post is about their movies, and how white princess films have often sidestepped the issue of sexism in European royal society.

Belle

Yes, there is sexism in this movie. Yes, it portrayed as being bad. But when we look at context of the film, there is a noticeable ahistorical approach to class and expectations of gender in royal society.

The lower class is filled with expectations for Belle. She needs to marry in order to fit in. The opening song is demonstrative of what she doesn’t want to be: a woman who is ogled by men and forced to have as many children as possible. The village, without a “proper” royal hierarchy, makes their own by “electing” Gaston, a boorish sexist pig. In a way, they are considered worse off without the influence of a King or Queen.

The village in question is isolated, and are not considered a representative of the outside world. It’s an individual case, and it’s upsetting but not considered the norm. 

The royals are what REAL freedom is, apparently. Where Belle has access to books, has a palace full of people who accept her for who she is, and has a connection to a prince who has been cursed. She is free to do as she pleases, with the Beast encouraging her love for reading.  

EDIT (08/12/19): 

Hm, I should really revise this wording, as it is a little vague. One of the key elements in understanding this movie’s themes is that Belle is initially Beasts’ prisoner. 

There is no freedom until AFTER she changes him and he has the maturity to let her go (Though I believe she is ignorant of the rose being a ticking clock). But once she gets it, she is apparently “free” to do as she pleases.  

Initially, it’s kind of like going from one prison (social expectations) to another (which is a literal one). But when regarding the narrative, it all places emphasis on individual choices. White European stories told by Disney tend to judge characters based on their choices and they never judge the culture itself, just choices people make. 

While placing emphasis on individual choices is fine in a vaccum, they never do this for nonwhite cultures, particularly Renaissance disney films with nonwhite leads. Those films tend to rely on racial stereotypes to fill the cast and not give them as much understanding as their white counterparts. 

The only reason the palace is in ruins is because the prince decided to judge people based on their looks. It turns not only himself, but his servants and the rest of the castle into twisted versions of themselves. The town fawns over Gaston and glorify his actions despite being an asshole, but it’s not something that is consistent with French culture. 

It’s important to note though, that once the monarchy is reinstated, things end happily ever after. But if people really want to claim historical accuracy, the expectations from Belle wouldn’t end there. 

(end note)

Sure, she would have access to books theoretically. But as a princess/queen, Belle would be expected to perform more feminine tasks and birth male heirs to inherit the throne. It’s in the culture of royals to do this. These expectations don’t go away.  

Most European royalty, especially France, have been notorious during this time period (assuming it’s Pre-Revolutionary France) for its nobility being separated from the general public at large. Royals had their own culture and etiquette. Royalty often had a culture that was exclusively for themselves. One historical account had King Louis XIV relocating their court and government to Versailles because they didn’t want to be near all the poor people in Paris. 

Which is probably where the creators of Beauty and the Beast (Disney film) based the idea of the village being separated from the palace came from.

Nobility also had strict ideas of what men and women’s roles are. In fact, you could argue that the idea that Belle would be “free” as a princess would be a laughable concept. Like it has been established earlier, European royalty had their own set of rules and restrictions based on gender and social expectations. 

Merida

It’s funny how the inherently sexist practices of royalty are suddenly something to be proud of and find power in it when it’s European, and hated when it’s from a nonwhite culture. 

In Brave, domesticity and performance of femininity are emphasized, much to Merida’s irritation, so it’s definitely truer to upper class customs than say, Beauty and the Beast.

Plausible Deniability aka “what sexism? I see no sexism!” 

However, this movie dances around the concept that sexism has anything to do with this by creating plausible deniability at every turn. It’s about Elanor and Merida, not the system that binds them. It doesn’t help that Eleanor is the one who enforces these rules on Merida, not to protect her from harm coming from the men in these social circles that would hurt her for not performing femininity, but because “it’s tradition.”

Merida laments that her brothers don’t have the same responsibilities as her, but of course they don’t. They’re like, five. She hates having to be a princess because it’s work, but of course? She’s a princess. 

It becomes a matter of her not wanting to do work and chalking it up to her being rebellious rather than a genuine effort to change anything about the social structure. It’s a generational difference that requires compromise, not upheaval. 

She doesn’t want to lose her freedom, but it’s portrayed as something she has to do to grow up. The obligations make her sad but she has to ultimately deal with it, reasserting the theme of “compromise” with her relationship with her mother and the clans. In the end, it’s about her and her mother, not about how this system treats women at all. She doesn’t put any responsibility for this system on her father (who would reinforce these rules because he is the KING) because she gets along with him more than her mother. 

That’s the problem with white princess films in general. They take problems that exist because of systemic and economic limitations and make it completely individualistic.  It’s important to note that Brave appears to be tackling sexism, but it never actually addresses it in a genuine way.

Lesson for Battling Systemic Sexism in Brave: Don’t Change the System, Change the Person!

Merida’s desire for change is based on her mother’s demands, and doesn’t tackle the social expectations themselves straight on. The men around Merida, who MADE and uphold these rules, aren’t considered a threat and are pretty much never held accountable. They are too bumbling, too endearing, and too funny to be called out on their expectations.  

The movies like, “oh yeah, this social structure is hindering and it’s sexist and whatever, blah, blah, blah but eVeryONE wants to follow their own path, not just Merida!!1” Her potential suitors don’t want to do this either. It’s totally not a sexism issue!!11

Even though historically, you’d have at least ONE suitor that didn’t care whether she wanted to or not, as it would be a power grab. But because they are so bumbling, they are almost all benign. The ending in itself is convenient as it allows Merida and Elanor to reconnect. But it doesn’t really change anything. Because it doesn’t want to. That wasn’t the point.

White Princesses: For Me, Myself, and I

Belle didn’t want to change how women were viewed, just her specific circumstances. Her plight is portrayed as systemic, but only in this one area that’s gone rogue. The world outside is more accepting, more free, and it’s in the confines of a royal castle. On a meta level, it’s kinda classist. I love the movie, don’t get me wrong, but on rewatch it seems to equate a lack of a monarchy ultimately leading into a mob mentality. Which, for France, makes sense. But when you have servants who just live to serve (no matter how vibrant their personality), I kind of get suspicious. 

Ariel didn’t want to change how mermaids interacted with humans, she just wanted to go up and see the human world. The benefits of her turning her into a human (freeing Ursula’s victims) is a happy accident that lines up with her ending.

Merida just wanted to be free to do whatever she wanted, which is considered selfish. She is a princess, and being a princess is hard work (when you want to make sure your character finds power in sexist practices). 

And to be honest, it’s fine to have a simple goal. Reconnect with your mother, make a pretty dress, see the lanterns, whatever. But the problem is the double standard when they go into films about people of color. They point out how sexist this non white culture is, how they mistreat women, but they never do the same for white princesses at all. These filmmakers always have some sort of excuse. 

Ariel

Ariel’s story is indivualistic and while there are hints of her being unsatisfied with her role as a princess (with her line “bright young women, sick of swimming”), it’s more about her personal journey to be human. She’s not dissatisfied because of her society because of sexist/prejudice expectations, but because she wants to explore. 

Once again, the world in which a white Disney princess goes into/winds up in a world of European royalty are considered a bastion of freedom. In the original tale, the prince is not idealized and she is miserable on the surface world when it turns out that all her sacrifice was for nothing. 

I’ve had people argue that Triton’s prejudice (which is often mislabeled as “racism,” which….no it’s not) is a social problem, it really doesn’t play much of a role rather than provide an opposition to overcome on the path to being human.

Even if Triton was fine with humans and let her explore the human world, it wouldn’t be enough. She’d still want to be human, just maybe not going to such extreme lengths. When Ursula is defeated, others are freed from her curse, but that’s an unintentional side effect of Ariel’s journey, not the goal. Sure, she’s disgusted, but she’s not out to right any wrongs. It’s just her. Like most white princesses, this is about herself. 

Elsa and Anna

Why is it that suddenly we have a powerful matriarchy when Europe has historically violently opposed the concept? You’d think that they would mention the sexism of royal European politics since she is the queen. 

I have looked it up, and the only way she could assess power is if she had a son to inherit the throne and then act as Queen regent until he inherited it (as was the case of Queen Margaret of Denmark in 1387, who ruled Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Though she outlived her son and her successor was a relative after her death. Considering that this story presumably takes place in the early 1800s, that is a huge time difference and the politics of European royalty would be drastically different). 

No Male Heirs?

In earlier storyboards, we have suitors for Elsa that she rejects. We also had a regent who took the throne for Elsa after her parents died before she was coronated. But that character was deleted. So it’s safe to assume that she is not only being coronated, but also has absolute power.

Elsa is pretty much universally loved by her people and doesn’t have any real serious opposition to her rule politically. The Duke of Weasleton is a joke, and he is more concerned about his trade being compromised rather than her being a woman. 

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but other than calling her a witch, his sexism isn’t as explicit as it should be and isn’t taken very seriously. His character is more defined by his dislike of magic, and is portrayed as suspicious, arrogant and cowardly. 

In the end, it all came down to trade and goods. If Arandelle’s goods were damaged or expired from the winter, it might cause their prices to go up.But in reality, it’d just be easier for the Duke to look for a male relative of Elsa to usurp her and form some sort of alliance with him. And more historically accurate.

Hans, Kristoff and the Marriage Situation

Anna has the freedom to marry a commoner (Kristoff), a prince she was not previously engaged to (Hans), and she has the power to grant Hans authority. The mere fact that she was even allowed to be alone with him is cause for concern, as many upper class women had to have a chaperone when courting before they could even go walking together. 

She isn’t pressured to marry Hans, she does it because she wants to. She just chooses him at a party. Surely she’d have an arranged marriage, or something? 

Rapunzel

Obviously, because Ra//punzel is not raised to be a princess she would probably not be held to the same standards until she returned home. And I’m not gonna touch the animated series because it’s so far removed from the movie it shouldn’t be considered canonical.

But still, Tangl//ed the movie continues the trend of how being part of European royalty is pathway to freedom. She is only free when she is away from Mother Gothel (who is poor) and with her birth parents (who are rich).

Sexist Insults from Mother Gothel, But No One Else

She doesn’t encounter any sort of sexism in her society. It’s really interesting to note that these feminine expectations and sexist insults are put on her more by Mother Gothel than the village she encounters. But that’s more because Mother Gothel is trying to destroy her sense of self worth (by calling her chubby, encouraging long hair to preserve her own youth, etc.).

Modern Notions of Femininity vs. Historical Reality

Rapunzel herself already engages in traditionally feminine activities (reading is very limited, baking, arts and crafts, etc.) for a modern audience. This is absolutely key because Mother Gothel wouldn’t be able to afford such a variety of paint for Rapunzel.

Painting for the longest time was considered a high art for men and male apprentices. Women weren’t encouraged to pursue it and it wasn’t seen as something traditionally feminine until recently.

Painting as a hobby (such as Rapunzel’s colorful and pastel palette) is more of a skill that is acceptable for girls now, since paint and brushes are in abundance and availability.

You can skip over this next part about the painting if you want. It’s basically me griping about how Rapunzel’s painting habits would be next to impossible in real life to do in the 1800s unless she had her own workshop with her own apprenticeship and income. 

Painting? Maybe... Painting on the Walls? No freaking Way

In reality, if this does take place in past Europe then she probably wouldn’t have access to paint as it was really expensive and you had to take things like climate, temperature, and color into account to transporting and making it.

Location was really important, as paint in Northern Europe wouldn’t be compatible with the temperature of Southern Europe (because it would melt). And in Rapunzel’s case, if you’re putting it on a wall, then it would have to last a long time without melting or chipping away over time.  That is why old frescos (or Byzantine Wall Paintings) were chipped and rotted when they were rediscovered. Also, don’t even try to get blue, that color was crazy expensive lol.

Mother Gothel doesn’t appear to have the material wealth to afford it, otherwise she’d be able to afford way more and just import what she needs without leaving the tower. How could she afford all that paint? It was crazy expensive (unless you mixed it yourself). And that doesn’t even count the materials (brushes, color palettes, etc) needed to spread the paint across the entire tower. 

According to BBC’s Life in Colour: The Surprising History of Paint:

By the end of the 19th Century almost any colour could be purchased for a relatively low price.

Throughout the 1800s, traditional methods of producing colours declined as cheaper, reliable, standardised chemical methods replaced them. Most artists and their apprentices no longer mixed their own paints but bought them ready-made from professional “colourmen”.

So yeah, either Rapunzel would have to make them herself or she got Mother Gothel to buy it premixed for her (this is assuming that this takes place in 1840). The pigments she made would have most likely been toxic to handle. This was over a century before the creation of non toxic paint. And since she, you know, put them on the walls and most likely inhaled them---that’s just a recipe for disaster. 

Then again, it depends on whether or not she used oil based paint or water based paint. Oil based takes longer to dry than water based paint (6 hours!) and water based paint chips faster. 

Now for what I think many of you will go for when attempting to refute these points:

Tiana. 

Tiana’s story may take place in America with a more positive portrayal of the black community (though let’s be honest the whole thing with Vodoo being a force of evil is...ugh..) it still has some issues regarding condemning white people for their role in systemic racism and sexism. 

Tiana, a Black Woman’s Struggles in the Jim Crow South

“B-But Tiana wants a resturaunt!!1 It’s a simple wish for herself! Take that11!!!” 

Yeah, so? 

Do people actually think her story has nothing to do with misogynoir???it takes place in the Jim Crow South. 

Tiana faces systemic racism and is denied her dream based on her being black woman. Her entire character is centered around her connection to her heritage, her socioeconomic situation, and her culture. She may have married Naveen, but she had all the resources to buy her restaurant herself. Her liberation is her embracing her father’s words and living by them. 

And even with all this, because it takes place in America the story bends over backwards to make white characters who are totally not racist. Like Renegade Cut’s Analysis of “Late Stage Disney,” we have a system of violence and suppression being purposefully created for the benefit of white people being portrayed as a case by case problem rather than a systemic one.

They try to tell the audience that those who greatly benefit from this system (like Charlotte and her father) are good and only evil meanies take advantage of it. No...wtf?? I love this movie but Charlotte “I’m here to steal the spotlight cause I’m white” La Bouff is honestly the worst part. 

White princesses are white, and they don’t face systemic issues like systemic racism at all. They also just aren’t as involved in their culture because whiteness is so homogenized. They will never face that type of discrimination and the only way I can see them doing that is, well, talking about sexsm. 

Which they don’t seem to be interested in exploring.  

Final Thoughts

You’re probably wondering why I’m nit picking at so many of these white princesses. Well, a lot of fans argue that they are whitewashed because it’s “Historically Accurate (tm),” but these movies conveniently leave out the sexism that permeates white european royal politics. 

You could argue that white princess films are based on modern sensibilties and don’t want to go too deep into sexism. The Little Mermaid is more in tune with modern attitudes toward (white) women, and it’s a fantasy for them. 

But the thing about this is that the Disney Renaissance was a new age and if they wanted to talk about trials of gender discrimination, they did. They had no problems going into heavier subjects like this when they focused on Aladdin and Mulan. Hell, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin only came out within a year of one another, and the contrast between their portrayal of cultures and sexism is staggering. 

The only exception I can think of was the Hunchback of Notre Dame (which isn’t a princess movie, so it doesn’t really count in this discussion because marketing really changes the game). But we don’t see characters like Quasimodo being promoted on toys, backpacks, and merchandise in the same way like we do Anna, Elsa, and Rapunzel. Not to mention, the movie has it’s own problems, such as Esmarelda representing negative sexualized stereotypes of Rroma woman. 

While the Hunchback of Notre Dame has slightly more grace than it’s white disney princess counterparts, it still has problems that can effect the way that children view themselves and their cultures when through the lens of white people. 

Overall, the numbers of positive depictions of white europeans that omit historical sexism and violence in princess films far outweighs the ones that portray them more honestly. 

[xanderkaiju]

Top 4 Tips For Buying Laptop in 2020

Laptops are compact enough to hold with you, yet versatile enough to run demanding applications. it is the best tool for doing serious work or play whether you're reception , on the road or during a college classroom. For those reasons, we've compiled lists of the simplest business laptops and best laptops, to not mention our greatest laptops rankings for many users.

While standalone tablets and smartphones are always popular, most of the people realize that everything from typing a search paper to crunching video to gaming works better on a laptop. So what sort of laptop do you have to get? We put together a laptop buying guide to assist you out.

There's a big variety of sizes, features and costs , which makes choosing the simplest laptop a challenge. That's why you would like to work out what your needs are.

Quick Tips These are the foremost important things to think about when choosing a replacement laptop. For tons more detail, see the sections below.

12.5 to 14-inch screens offer the simplest balance between usability and portability. Larger screens are fine if you do not travel much and smaller models are great for teenagers . If you're spending over $600, draw a bead on these minimum specs: Core i5 CPU 1920 x 1080 screen 8GB of RAM SSD Storage rather than a tough drive. 8+ hours of battery life is right if you propose to require your laptop anywhere in the least .

Consider a 2-in-1 laptop (either a bendback or detachable) if you would like to use your laptop as a tablet. If not, a typical clamshell notebook could also be a far better choice. Chromebooks are good for teenagers and students and their functionality is expanding rapidly. Windows laptops and MacBooks both offer many functionality; which platform you favor may be a matter of private taste. laptop buying guide rows of laptops

Also Read: Which is the best wireless mouse for gaming?

1. Pick a Platform: Mac, Windows or Chrome OS?

This is not a simple question to answer, especially if you are not conversant in both Macs and PCs. But this quick overview of every platform’s strengths and weaknesses should help.

Most laptops accompany one among three operating systems: Windows, Chrome OS or MacOS (for MacBooks only). Choosing the proper one may be a personal preference, but here's a fast summary of what each offers.

Windows 10

windows 10 home page screenshot The most flexible OS , Windows, runs on more laptop models than Chrome OS or Mac OS X. Windows notebooks home in price from under $150 to many thousand dollars and offer a good array of features from touch screens to fingerprint readers to dual graphics chips. Windows 10, the newest version of Microsoft's flagship OS , provides variety of improvements over Windows 7 and eight , including the power to modify between tablet and desktop modes, a revamped Start menu with live tiles and therefore the powerful Cortana digital assistant.

Since its launch in July 2015, Windows 10 has also added a number of improvements, including the power to use follow-up questions with Cortana, search your email using tongue and use your stylus to scribble almost anywhere. Windows 10 laptops are great for college kids , researchers and business users, and they are the sole machines gamers should consider.

Apple macOS Catalina

All MacBooks accompany Apple's latest desktop OS , macOS Catalina. Overall, the OS offers similar functionality to Windows 10, but with a special combat the interface that substitutes an apps dock at rock bottom of the screen for Microsoft's Start menu and taskbar. rather than the Cortana digital assistant, Mac users get Siri. they will also perform transactions with Apple Pay, take calls or texts from their phones and unlock their laptops with an Apple Watch.

However, macOS isn't made for touch, because no MacBook comes with slightly screen. the newest macOS Catalina OS brings iPad apps over to Mac, also as secondary display support for iPads and new accessibility features.

Chrome OS

google chrome os home screen Found on inexpensive Chromebooks like the Samsung Chromebook 3. Google's OS is straightforward and secure, but more limited than Windows or macOS. The interface looks tons like Windows with an application menu, a desktop and therefore the ability to tug windows around, but the most app you employ is that the Chrome browser. The downside is that a lot of of the "web apps" you employ don't work particularly well offline. However, that's changing as most Chromebooks, including the high-end, Google PixelBook, can now run Android apps.

If you would like a tool to surf the online and check email, navigate social networks and chat online, Chromebooks are highly portable and have a tendency to supply good battery life at low prices. they're also extremely fashionable schools and fogeys , because they're hard for teenagers to infect with malware and more functional than most tablets. If you would like a Chromebook, search for one with a minimum of 4GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. A 1920 x 1080 resolution preferred and 4K is best but very uncommon. Pay extra to urge a 2-in-1 if you propose to use Android apps.

2. Decide If you would like a 2-in-1

Many PC laptops fall under the category of 2-in-1 laptops, hybrid devices which will switch between traditional clamshell mode, tablet mode and other positions in between like tent or stand modes. 2-in-1s generally are available two different styles: detachables with screens that come off the keyboard entirely and versatile laptops with hinges that bend back 360 degrees to vary modes.

Most of those systems are far better at serving one purpose than the opposite , with bend-backs being laptops first and detachables offering a superior tablet experience. However, if you do not see the necessity to use your notebook as a slate, you'll usually get more performance for your money with a standard clamshell laptop.

3. Choose the proper Size

laptop different display sizes 13-inch 15-inch and 17-inch Before you check out specs or pricing, you would like to work out just how portable you would like your laptop to be. Laptops are usually categorized by their display sizes:

11 to 12 inches: The thinnest and lightest systems around have 11- to 12-inch screens and typically weigh 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. 13 to 14 inches: Provides the simplest balance of portability and usefulness , particularly if you get a laptop that weighs under 4 pounds. 15 to 16 inches: the foremost popular size, 15-inch laptops usually weigh 4 to five .5 pounds. Consider this size if you would like a bigger screen and you are not getting to carry your notebook around often. Laptops with 16-inch displays are rare but Apple might get the trend started with its 16-inch MacBook Pro. 17 to 18 inches: If your laptop stays on your desk all day a day , a 17- or 18-inch system could provide you with the type of processing power you would like to play high-end games or do workstation-level productivity.

4. make sure Keyboard and Touchpad

The most impressive specs within the world don't mean diddly if the laptop you're buying doesn't have good ergonomics. If you propose to try to to tons of labor on your computer, confirm the keyboard offers solid tactile feedback, many key travel (the distance the key goes down when pressed, usually 1 to 2mm) and enough space between the keys. If you're buying a Windows laptop, make certain it's Precision touchpad drivers.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Look for an accurate touchpad that does not offer you a jumpy cursor and responds consistently to multitouch gestures like pinch-to-zoom. If you're buying a business laptop, consider getting one with a pointing stick (aka nub) between the G and H keys so you'll navigate round the desktop without lifting your fingers off the keyboard's home row.