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#Also the other part of the stream gosh dang
thepenguisalive7 · 1 year
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Good news! His vision is not as black and white as yesterday!
Bad news, he locked himself with the soul vulture and also he hasn’t changed the sad gacha music yet.
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torrentialstardust · 5 months
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Readthrough with da NezumiVA crew is going strong, we're just nearing the end of episode 3 now, and I think at some point in the last stream I realised that in Umineko, all of the members of the Ushiromiya family are part of the nightmarish soul destroying inner family politics, and most of the servants have been so badly abused they don't even see themselves as human and don't realise something wrong has been done to them. Kumasawa is in a weird grey area because we don't really know her full deal other than in the magical version of events she's a gosh dang witch.
These two on the other hand?
Nanjo is just a doctor. He wants to do his job, and he has a friendship with Kinzo (even though Kinzo also sucks)
Gohda cooka da meatball.
They're simple. They're wonderful. They're just normal people! I made this kind of shitposty art to commemorate that. That in all of this magic fuckery and all this patriarchal bullshittery we have two rocks of normalcy.
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(yes I know they might be the culprits/accomplices in one or more of the murders but they're still simple on paper don't ruin this!)
I'm excited to see the conclusion of episode 3 tonight/tomorrow morning/whatever! The plot's in a spot where I'm really not sure what's going to happen next, so it's very engaging. If you happen to see this before the stream goes live or ends, I'd highly reccomend checking it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99l5xhO0Wos . It's a fun time! Just no spoilies in chat.
Oh also, I figured I'd also add my good friend Daisy's (daisyhrlock on Insta!) and Dante's (dantelorde here and Insta!) treasured input when I posted a WIP of this on our Discord server:
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Truly visionaries.
(Oh also I'm gonna post 4/13 art tomorrow and comms are still open OK byeeeeee!!)
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I had a thought.
It's been almost a year. Looking back on it, it seems to me that Universal and DreamWorks were so gosh-dang quiet about RUBY GILLMAN (comma) TEENAGE KRAKEN simply because it opened a month after the release of Disney's live-action LITTLE MERMAID remake. "Ya think??" Yeah, it's probably obvious, but I'll go into detail anyways.
Now, I'm not gonna dredge up the unnecessary and needless noise that briefly surrounded these two movies... But I do think the similarities, namely a redheaded mermaid, did play a part in everyone's hesitance to let the world know: This movie actually exists!
Not until 3 1/2 months before its release date, anyways. Again, such an unusual rollout for a high-end animated movie that cost roughly $70m to make.
TEENAGE KRAKEN apparently was in development in some form at DreamWorks since the mid-2010s, which seems feasible, given how long these things take from conception to completion. Very rarely are they fast-tracked, like say, THE EMOJI MOVIE was. Tony Leondis created the pitch for that in early 2015, and three studios got in a bidding war over it. Sony was the winner (Paramount and WB were the other candidates), picked it up ASAP, greenlit it right away, and within two years the movie was in multiplexes... That was... Quick!
But usually, it's a lengthy development-to-production cycle. No one outside the walls of DreamWorks knew what this sea monster movie was until scooper sites started "reporting" it in mid-2021. The LITTLE MERMAID remake already was known to the public well before that. It had gotten its late spring 2023 release date a few months after these scoops about GILLMAN got out. MEET THE GILLMANS, it was known as, for a long time.
By this point in time, DreamWorks' schedule was pretty clear-cut. BOSS BABY 2 was pretty much out, or coming out. BAD GUYS was spring 2022, PUSS IN BOOTS 2 was penciled in for fall 2022. Both announced a while before that. Universal had Illumination's SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE pegged for Christmas 2022, and then an untitled DreamWorks movie set for April 2023 would follow that. That was going to be RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN... Which would've placed it a little over a month before Disney's Memorial Day release of THE LITTLE MERMAID.
However, RUBY GILLMAN could've been a fall 2022 release...
At one point in time, DreamWorks had THE BAD GUYS scheduled for September 2021. That would be followed by PUSS IN BOOTS 2 in April 2022, probably followed by RUBY GILLMAN in the fall... TROLLS 3 already had the fall 2023 slot by this point, one could guess that the spring 2023 movie could've been... I dunno, THE WILD ROBOT? ORION AND THE DARK, even? Possibly KUNG FU PANDA 4.
Often times, movie slates get domino'd in animation-land. Usually, DreamWorks' slate changes didn't really effect Illumination's. They typically lock the 4th of July frame and the Christmas frame.
COVID-19 certainly played a part in things getting pushed back, for DreamWorks. If you remember, BOSS BABY 2 was initially thought to be a late March 2021 release. That date was inked shortly after the first movie arrived and surprisingly broke out in the spring of 2017. It moved to September 2021, pushing BAD GUYS to April 2022... Then it moved up a bit, as an experimental day-and-date release in July 2021. Occupying the slot MINIONS 2 was originally looking at. It didn't make back its money theatrically, but a third BOSS BABY is coming, so DreamWorks essentially must've said "mulligan". (It also helps that the first movie and the TV series do consistently well on streaming.)
So by the end of 2021, we were looking at BAD GUYS as an April 2022 release, PUSS 2 as a September 2022 release, and something yet to be titled after that in April 2023 in addition to TROLLS 3 in November of that year. Illumination's MINIONS sequel, after two major COVID-19-related delays, was set for July 2022, and SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE would follow Christmas week... All seemed to lock together, even though DreamWorks was still being mum about what Untitled April 2023 Movie was...
But then... Illumination delayed MARIO. To April 2023, the slot that RUBY GILLMAN was looking at. This was done to coincide with the Super Nintendo World theme park opening... So, DreamWorks moved right into the ripe Christmas frame with PUSS IN BOOTS 2.
Feasibly, they could've moved RUBY GILLMAN up to January or something, and kept PUSS 2 in September... But they opted to give PUSS 2 the Christmas frame, thus a long, record-breaking leggy run. Worked out perfectly for the kitty, but it ultimately sunk the sea monsters.
MARIO taking April meant that RUBY GILLMAN had to move, so Universal chose late June 2023. 4th of July frame... That Illumination's MIGRATION originally occupied... MIGRATION took this past Christmas slot. All feel into place after that, but poor RUBY GILLMAN now was opening after LITTLE MERMAID... And I think Universal/DreamWorks just kinda tossed it off. Didn't announce its existence at all until about 3 1/2 months before release, as if they could wipe their hands of it and move onto the next few movies. THE WILD ROBOT and DOG MAN have been announced and have concrete release dates, well ahead of schedule. The latter was known to be in development for a long while, too. WILD ROBOT is a fairly recently announcement. ORION AND THE DARK was known about at least half a year before its Netflix debut. And that's a streaming movie, not like a big theatrical performance was expected of it.
I bring this up now because I keep thinking of the untitled Thanksgiving 2024 WDAS movie, and how the Disney Co. still hasn't officially revealed what it is... And there are nine months to go. Again, usually these things are announced a year or so in advance. If they aren't ready after being unveiled to the world, then they simply get delayed... But, Disney's curiously cutting this one pretty close. Heck, ENCANTO, STRANGE WORLD, and WISH were cut pretty close as well. Relatively speaking. Usually a WDAS is known about 2-3 years in advance. I'm sure we'll learn about what it is soon, but that they're still being this quiet about it makes me wonder. And given other things going on with WDAS itself, I get a little concerned, ya know?
Or everything's ginger-peachy, and they have a strategy for it, the movie itself is fine, and it speedily introduces itself via a teaser trailer sometime soon and then sticks the landing. Maybe it's ahead of schedule and it will be done before mid-2024, in anticipation of the possible animation/VFX strike. We shall see.
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wendy again no problem (18 jan. 2022)
“I should make this a regular thing!” she said and failed and also died
ANYWAY, first blog-shaped post of the new year, hopefully I will be able to do this about once a week but I ain’t promising a particular day just yet
READING: I have not done as much reading lately as I would like :/  I am still chipping away at Star Wars: Ronin and enjoying it so far.  I also acquired MDZS vol. 1 and physical copies of Gideon and Harrow the Ninth (I read the latter two late last year), as well as the complete storyboards for Hayao Miyazaki’s Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979).  Someday my will to sit down and read will return long enough for me to make some gosh dang progress.
EDIT: Ah, I almost forgot!  At work this week I read some of The Secret History of the Mongols, an epic 13th century Mongolian text on Genghis Khan.  You can read it in English for free here.  This reading choice was inspired by the listening section below.
WATCHING: @stardustalix and I are still slowly streaming The Untamed together; I believe we just finished Episode 15.  I think we both lost it a little at the Homoerotic Cave Scenes (TM) a few episodes ago.  Unfortunately I don’t think I have anything constructive to say about the show at this point, but I’m at least having fun!
I watched some more of Lupin III: Part 6 despite my better judgement previous lack of investment.  I watched the second Mamoru Oshii episode (ep. 10) just for funsies: it was weird, but nowhere near as weird as I’d expected it to be, and it was a surprisingly good Fujiko-centric ep.  After that, I skipped right past eps. 11-12 because I really could not give less of a shit about the Sherlock Holmes arc and reading the Wikipedia episode summaries was enough for me.  Episodes 13 and 14, however, were rather shockingly decent; it’s the first time ANYTHING this season has felt like Lupin to me, and they did so with a good helping of domestic LupGang (esp. JigLup) content to boot!  We got to learn another piece of Lupin’s backstory, and so far, it seems competently written and I actually don’t hate it!  We shall see how the rest of this arc plays out.  I quite liked Mercedes, Lupin’s one-off, pink-haired rival here, and I really liked seeing a darker side of Lupin at the end of episode 14 even if he ultimately pulled his punch, so to speak.  Now that’s something I’d love to see explored more, especially if they’re going to restrain themselves and do the gd character work instead of just pure, unexplored edge.  (Unrelated to whatever Lupin’s up to, man, this must be a rough season for Zenigata stans.  The man’s barely showed up at all and he’s always accompanied and restrained by other characters instead of getting to be his true, unhinged, Lupin-obsessed self.)
I need to watch more of the new Lupin III: Part 1 dub, which thankfully seems to be getting better after the disastrous first episode (though to be fair that’s a rough episode all around).  I LOVED the episode 7 dub, especially the iconic ending scene with Lupin and Goemon, but the whole thing was honestly great.  Lang and Ruff in particular never disappoint.
Since I haven’t made one of these since last year, here are all the movies I’ve watched so far in 2022: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Lupin III: Dragon of Doom (1994), Encanto (2021), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), Nightmare Alley (1947), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), and about half of Vertigo (1958) before I got too sleepy and had to stop for the night.
LISTENING: This past week or so’s albums of choice (for my morning and evening commute) were:
The Gereg - The Hu (recommended tracks: “Yuve Yuve Yu”, “Wolf Totem”, “The Great Chinggis Khaan” - Xiran Jay Zhao mentioned Mongolian rock in one of their videos, blessedly reminding me of how much this band slaps)
Sketches of Spain - Miles Davis (recommended track: “Concierto de Aranjuez” - Lupin fans, if you like Jigen’s “Tornado” theme, this is the piece it took inspiration from)
Blue in Green - Miles Davis (secretly Jigen at it again, because the title track was mentioned in this fantastic fic which everyone should read)
Encanto - soundtrack (all the sung tracks are bangers but “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has gone particularly viral for a reason)
I did take a history of jazz course in college which left me with latent semi-informed Jazz Enjoyer Tendencies, so while it was weeb reasons that brought me back to it this week, I was glad to be reminded that hey, I like this music, I should listen to it more often.
PLAYING: A rare category!!  This week I finally, finally started playing Disco Elysium after @sybilius, @jacopo-belbo, and @venhediss all enthusiastically recommended it to me over the last year or so.  Stat-wise, I went with 2 Intellect, 3 Psyche, 4 Physique, and 3 Motorics, with Visual Calculus as my Signature Skill.  Gameplay-wise, I haven’t even gone to look at the body in the courtyard yet because 1) I’m being thorough and 2) this game ate my laptop battery for some reason (will try turning down the graphics more next session), but I have at least talked to Kim (!!) and Garte the Cafeteria Manager.  So far the vibes and the soundtrack are impeccable.  I also discovered that I’ve been mentally mispronouncing Revachol for over a year (while I’d had the stress right, I’d assumed the ch was more of a k, like in cholera or alcohol, certainly not sh).
I’ve also been kicking relative ass in Duolingo Japanese, so, there’s that.  I made it all the way to the Amethyst League but I’m not sure if I’ll bother keeping up with the leaderboard as much at this level; we shall see.  Material-wise, I’ve mostly got the hiragana down and am beginning to learn the katakana, and I have learned a few conversational basics (poorly explained as Duolingo is wont to do, but a lengthy Discord call with my brother helped clear some things up and give me a preview of some grammatical stuff that might appear soon).
OTHER: It snowed here!!! :D  I also made very tasty ramen for everyone on Thursday or Friday night and then a big batch of beef stew on Saturday.
Goodnight mes amis, sleep well, I’ll most likely subject you to more of the usual nonsense in the morning.
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red-winters · 3 years
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Non-Spoiler first impressions/stream of consciousness on The Batman 2022 (mostly just me gushing about Gotham City, tbh)
*In Which I Vaguely Allude to Some Things. It’s technically non-spoiler, but like in a very incoherent way. with quite a bit of hinting. maybe too much hinting. read at your own risk.
WOW okay they REALLY got Gotham right. Gotham City is as much a character as the Batman or his rogue’s gallery, and they got her right. There were some parts where I went ‘heh that’s Chicago’, but for the most part, it’s Gotham. With all the gothic architecture. Yes.
HOLY WAYNE-KANE FAMILY ORIGIN STORY BATMAN
thats all i’m saying on that front. don’t look up spoilers. don’t do it. just go to the theater and experience it. Enjoy the plot twist.
Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth is a weird choice, but I think he nailed it. It’s just that….I can’t seem to see him as anything BUT Andy Serkis. That’s probably a me problem, I guess?
In addition to Gotham as a character in it’s own right—Gotham perfectly illustrating how and why Batman is needed there and why the Batman is definitely a product of the city and why no other hero outside the Batman and his family can survive there and just. Gothamites.
it’s a generational problem, definitely. possibly something in the water.
the FALCONES. THE MARONI’S. PENGUIN.
SELINA??? KYLE????
She’s perfect. 
Commissioner Gordon’s actor was GREAT. He inhabits the character the same way Zoe Kravitz is Selina Kyle. and I love how they portrayed him. he’s not stuck perpetually on Bat-signal duty, eternally haunting rainy rooftops to be Batman’s quest giver. He makes me believe Gordon is a light in this city, despite all the corruption around him. He walks the walk. and the audience isn’t just told how good he is, we get to see it.
BATMAN IS A DETECTIVE HELL YEAH
wow Selina Kyle backstory my beloved
oh my gosh this is the perfect Gotham for the Court of Owls. I can really believe it when i see THIS Gotham. Not just the corruption and the existing criminal element, but like. the ARCHITECTURE. compared to the Batman movies from a couple years ago (with Christian Bale), which had a super slick and modern and, y’know, *cough*Chicago-with-a-color-filter*cough* kind of look, THIS city really looks like it could give birth to the Batman, Penguin, the Riddler, Joker, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, and the rest of the gang. if you told me there was a man eating crocodile-mutant man in the sewers of THIS Gotham? I would believe you. You tell me the Court of Owls and their creepy undead Talons haunt the buildings of this city? I’d believe you!!!
the city really just has that atmosphere. like some of the criminal element in Gotham (like in the beginning of the movie), i too would be paranoid about shadows when living in a modern city that also somehow manages to look like Dracula’s playground
the Riddler. man. what the hell. they made him so scary. I’m so glad they didn’t use the joker??? but.
dang. kudos to the actor for consistently activating my CRINGE and FIGHT response simultaneously
every. time.
i would like to punch the riddler, but like. never be within 20 ft of the guy. yuck. 
this Bruce’s bat suit. he really does look very rodent-like when flying
cryptid
raccoon. bat raccoon. 
if we ever get a robin, specifically Dick Grayson, this man won’t know what hit him
well-adjusted? well-groomed? public image? Social interaction outside of the mask? business meetings? Bruce Wayne: “Whomst???”
he does not care. at all.
wherever Lucius Fox is, he deserves many fruit baskets. possibly an all-expenses paid vacation to the Bahamas. poor man.
this bruce has also probably never heard of a haircut either.
i feel for you Alfred
yes this is very much the Bruce Wayne we should’ve expected.
for when this takes place in his timeline, yes, this Bruce wayne makes sense
man if he’s already met Talia, i gotta wonder what she saw in him
a mess of man
he’s perfect as Bruce Wayne as Batman
if they go ahead and show him eventually setting up the “Brucie” persona moving forward, it’s gonna be priceless
this is The Batman
he’s still early on in his career
but he’s definitely got the spirit 👍
  [THE ONLY OUTRIGHT  SPOILER BELOW]
oh my gosh i thought it was gonna be joker free. i stand corrected. 
it’s not mark hamill’s voice. or his laugh. the joker….is also young??? this is weird. unsettling. i am reserving judgement.
….but it IS weird.
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AN: here’s the first chapter for “the ripple effect”, story by myself (I’m still under anesther on AO3/tumblr) and character designs by @queenofthelanternfish. the pinned post gives the gist of it, and the note on AO3 adds further detail, so make sure to check AO3 more.
Title: The Ripple Effect
Characters: Entrapta, Hordak, Odessa (fanchild)
Pairing: Entrapdak, features other canon couples
Rating: M
Read on AO3.
                                                           Return
                                                               -
Entrapta breathes in the air, chest lifting from the inhale, “Wow, I forgot how fresh Etheria smells.”
Hordak looks at Odessa, “How are your olfactory senses?”
Odessa gives a delicate sniff, “Normal functioning. The medicine is working.”
“Good. The last time we arrived, you could not stop sneezing.”
Entrapta sits on her hair, the strands extending out in long strides, keeping up with her family. Readying the map, she gushes, “You had the cutest little sneeze.”
“I hate sneezing,” Odessa frowns. “It’s torture.”
“That’s why Hordak and I made sure you’re well this time! It should last the duration of our stay.”
Odessa nods, still tentative about breathing. Etheria is beautiful, but she could do without the pollen.
Sunlight streams down from the heavens, the sky melting with brilliant colors. Imp’s shadow skirts across their forms as he mimics various sounds, with Emily rolling in front of them. 
Birdsong is foreign to her ears, no matter how often they visit; too used to the whirs and clanking of a laboratory and makeshift garage. Fauna and flora tread through their environment, teeming with powerful magic. As they proceed through the woods, she collects a sample of glowing energy, handing it to her mother for future study, to see how well Etheria continues to fare.
She has come here only a few times in her life, at the behest that she visits her parents’ friends and acquaint herself with her Etherian half. She doesn’t mind, but when you’ve traveled beyond stars and suns, Etheria is welcoming as much as she supposes it can.
She does find Bright Moon pretty, at least. Though it could be grungier.
She takes her time as her parents and siblings continue on, being warmly received by the king and queen of Bright Moon. She stares out at the Whispering Woods, crossing the bridge in silence.
“Imp has gotten big!” Bow says, patting the top of his head. Smiling at the happy sound of purring, he addresses Hordak, “We didn’t think he could age.”
Hordak shrugs, “Neither did we, but we’ve been checking his growth spurts for the last year or so.”
Coming into view, Glimmer greets Odessa, “Hey! How have you been?”
She smiles lightly, “I have been well, thank you.”
Bow pats her shoulder, “You’ve gotten tall, too! Last I saw you, you were at my waist.” He grins slyly. “Have your parents been feeding you experimental science food?”
“The occasional amniotic fluid is dropped atop my meals, but I did get this new port inserted into my back,” she replies, grinning wide while turning around to show them.
“Oh my!” Glimmer says, glancing at her parents, then back at her. Clearly perturbed. “Did it hurt?”
“No, my parents are very accurate with surgical tools. Except for that one time…”
Glimmer and Bow exchange worried glances.
Odessa smiles, palms up, “I’m kidding.”
Glimmer and Bow laugh, albeit oddly.
“You don’t think I would endanger my child, do you?” Hordak asks, smirking.
“No, no!” they say together, waving their hands.
Entrapta wraps her arms around their shoulders, shoving them into each other, “It’s actually a very simple procedure! Would you two be interested?”
With an appropriate amount of vehemence, they decline the offer. The group chats about the latest changes in Etherian politics, culture, festivities, and other miscellaneous details. Odessa listens partially, more interested in Imp scaling the walls, letting her thoughts wander.
The halls have been painted differently, and the rest has been decorated with various plants and statues. It’s not as sparse as she saw it before. It lends to a softer appearance, though she doesn’t mind it being empty.
“How has your education been going, Odessa?” Glimmer asks.
“Excellent,” Odessa answers.
Entering a spare room, furnished with soft pastel cushions, a lounge chair, also adorned with pillows, and a futon for laying out, Odessa sits herself on the closest seat by the door. Imp settles beside her, with Emily taking the spot behind and spinning in place.
“What else has been going on with you?” Bow asks. He gestures to the table, where a spread of food and drink has been displayed. “Did you pick up anything new?”
“I have increased my focus on herpetology for the moment,” she says, taking a cup of tea. Sipping it, she bites down distaste, and dumps six sugar cubes in it.
Curious, his eyes light up, “Ohh, what’s that?”
“The study of snakes,” Odessa says. Not caring about the droop in his features, she continues. “And I’ve been increasing my wet specimen collection.”
Glimmer raises a brow, “Is that the hobby you have where you put… things in jars?”
“Yes!” Odessa replies, excited. “I managed to get a good one on the last planet we visited. It’s hard to find a decent fetus.”
“Her collection is fascinating,” Entrapta agrees. “There are so many creatures she has managed to acquire. There’s this giant spider she has in a jar with mandibles the size of your forearm!”
“That is your largest at the moment,” Hordak says to Odessa, propping an arm on his knee.
“I’m hoping to get a bigger specimen soon,” Odessa says. She turns to Glimmer and Bow, grin coming back. “There’s a planet in the nearest sector that has some of the most venomous species you can find. I hope to find one there.”
“Well, I hope you succeed,” Glimmer giggles, nodding despite her stomach churning. 
Bow smiles through the pain, but he adds, “My dads have expanded their library to include other subjects aside from First Ones artifacts. You can go there if you want to ask them anything at all.”
“Really? Thanks!” Odessa says. Maybe this trip will be fruitful. She turns to her parents, “Oh, while I’m here, I was wondering when I could—”
“Mama, Papa, are you in here?”
Odessa turns, finding the princess at the door.
“Aurora! There you are. Our guests arrived,” Glimmer says, waving a hand in their direction.
“Oh, hello!” she replies, bowing her head.
Odessa and her family rise in respect, returning the bow.
“I’m glad to see you again,” Aurora says, giving a genteel smile. “Was your trip well?”
“Yes,” Odessa answers.
Entrapta nods vigorously, “We had a great trip!”
“That’s good to hear,” Aurora says. She looks at her parents, “Mama, I was going to ask you if it was all right for me to go out.”
Glimmer grins at her, “You don’t have to ask me to go places!”
She smiles, hands folded in front of her, “I thought I would anyway.”
Bow nods, “Of course you can go out. Are you going to visit people?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you take Odessa with you? I’m sure she’d like to see everyone.”
Aurora’s brow gives the barest twitch. 
Odessa keeps her face neutral, turning to her own folks, “Would that be fine with you?”
“Sure!” Entrapta says. “Bring back anything interesting!”
Hordak nods his approval, smiling at her.
With that, the two girls exit the room together, going left, where they had all arrived from.
Neither of them speak, minding their own business. Aurora and she are both sixteen, though Odessa is older by almost four months. Their strides even, they walk in silence.
Aurora brushes her hair away. Glancing at the other royal, she asks, “How long will you be here for?”
“No longer than six weeks.”
Satisfied with the answer, they part in opposite directions.
Odessa heads out of the palace, coming to the bridge. Bringing out her tracker pad, the map coming to the screen, she sends a message out to two people. Then she continues out into the woods.
                                                               -
Plumeria is as pollen-ridden as ever. Giving a small sniff, Odessa pushes back large leaves. Coming to the center of it, the Heart-Blossom thrums with magic. It’s risen higher, standing above the rest of the kingdom. Walking through the trees, she is greeted by a few villagers.
Heading further out, she notes the additions of homes with sturdier foundations. Approaching a door she’s knocked on before, she grins when it opens, “Hi!”
Hydrangea shouts, “Odessa!” Wrapping her arms around her friend, squeezing tight, she kisses her cheeks in delight. “Oh my gosh, you’re here sooner than I thought!”
“Helps to have a hyperdrive.”
“Mom! Mom, Odessa’s here!”
There’s a loud crash, followed by apologetic mumblings. Scorpia comes from behind the wall, a wide grin spreading her face, the pink of her gums revealed, “Oooh, Odessa! There you are!”
“Hi, Scorpia,” she says, fully awaiting the crushing blow of her hugs, closing her eyes. She opens an eyelid, “What are you doing?”
Scorpia’s claws touch each other, looking unsure, “Do you want a hug? You’re older now, I’ve heard teenagers hate it.”
“I didn’t travel across the universe to not get a Scorpia Hug,” Odessa says, opening her arms wide. “Bring it in, dang it!”
Obliging, Scorpia crushes her daughter and her friend’s child in her arms. Shaking them to and fro, Scorpia says, “Okay good! Apparently, only you and Gea are into hugs at this stage.”
“I don’t let just anyone hug me,” Odessa explains. “You’re an exception.”
Cooing, tears in her eyes, Scorpia hugs Odessa tighter. Setting her down, she holds her hands in her pincers, “It’s so good to see you again! How have you been?”
“I’ve been alright,” Odessa replies, knowing she’s going to have to answer that several more times during her visit. Small talk is about as entertaining as a needle in your spine. She should know—not a single person she’s done it to liked it. Though, those same people would likely prefer casual conversation to a lumbar puncture. Entering the small home, a hearth holds a fire in its maw, the scent of stew wafting in her nostrils, much more pleasant. Nearby, a table contains herbal teas, a pestle and mortar resting beside dried flowers, fruits and seeds. She catches the smell of sugar, eager, “Are those what I think they are?”
Hydrangea smiles, “You bet! They’re about done. Come here, sit down, get comfy.”
Taking a chair, Odessa leans over the table, making mental records of the items on the table. She looks up at Scorpia, “Were you two busy?”
“Nope! We were tidying up a little so you wouldn’t find a mess when you got here, but you beat us to it.”
“It’s not messy.”
“Oh, good.” Relieved, Scorpia heads into the kitchen, hearing the ding of the oven. “I’ll be back.”
Hydrangea locks her fingers together, scales dappled by light outside. Chin resting on them, she asks, “Have you been here long?”
“No more than an hour or two.”
“I’m glad you’re back. I missed you!”
“I missed you too,” Odessa says, smiling.
Scorpia and her daughter, Hydrangea, are a handful of individuals that she is always thrilled to see. She converses with them through the complex network of telecommunication systems that her parents had installed before they had gone out to explore the universe.
Hydrangea’s bubbly demeanor makes her easy to be around, similar to her mothers. They were different in nearly every aspect of personality and interest, but they were together all the time when she would visit. Scorpia had been ecstatic to see them getting along, and Entrapta had said that the likelihood of their babies being fond of each other was high from the start.
Whether it was true or not, Odessa enjoyed having Hydrangea’s company regardless.
Scorpia returns, holding a plate, “Here you go! Be careful, they’re hot.”
Eyes alight, Odessa takes a peach muffin in her hands. Without a second thought, she takes a large bite. The heat and flavor coat her tongue, sending happy tingles down her back.
“Doesn’t it burn?” Hydrangea asks.
“It’s a good burn,” she says, licking the sugar dust from her fingers.
Scorpia sits across from her, “I’m glad you still like them! Did you not eat?”
“I had tea at Bright Moon,” Odessa replies, polishing off the wrapper of the first. Reaching for another, she says, “But I wanted to come over here. I knew you two would feed me.”
Hydrangea gives her a playful shove, “Des, you’re incorrigible.”
“No, I’m hungry,” she says. Looking around, she raises a brow, “Where’s Perfuma?”
“She had a meeting to go to, but she should be back in the evening.”
“Is she avoiding me?” Odessa smirks, suspicions confirmed.
“What?! No!” Scorpia waves her claws. “She wouldn’t avoid a person.”
Hydrangea places a forefinger to her chin, “Well, maybe a little. You did start a fire last time you were here.”
“I said sorry for that. I repaired the damage,” Odessa says. “How was I supposed to know that the drone was going to blow up? By all accounts, it shouldn’t have.”
“Fair, but you know how Plumerians are. We’re not exaaaactly known for being open to new inventions.”
Odessa keeps from rolling her eyes, “I’ll apologize to her again, if she likes. I brought a peace offering too. And, really, she’s acting like I burned the whole forest when it was just a small fire that erupted from the machine.”
Scorpia shakes her head, patting Odessa on the hand, “I know, little beetle. I think it just bothered her how it happened.”
“I promise I’m not going to do anything this time. I really thought the drone would deposit seeds more efficiently.”
Scorpia and Hydrangea nod, knowing she had good intentions. It was strange, but Perfuma held onto this grudge for a while longer than normal. It wouldn’t come up in conversation, and she appeared to have moved on, but when it was announced that Entrapta’s family would be visiting, Perfuma had been a little cold to the idea. And she left just shortly before Odessa had arrived.
Finishing up, Scorpia gathers the plates, “She is running around doing errands for right now. You can give her your gift when you come back tonight. I’m excited to see your parents!”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Agreeing, belly full, Odessa stands up, looking at Hydrangea. “Ready?”
“Yes! See you later, Mom!” Hydrangea tells Scorpia.
“Bye, girls!”
With that, she and Hydrangea go out of the hut. Trekking through the vast underbrush, the two come to a small portal, meant for planetary travel and nothing else. Rushing over, Odessa types in their coordinates. Hydrangea quietly squeals, palms put together.
They walk into a whirling mass of energy and heat. Stepping out, they inhale briny gusts, seagulls cawing overhead. In front of them stands a young man with arms folded, a cool look on his face.
“Tristan,” Odessa greets, expression equally frigid.
“Odessa,” he replies.
They stare for a moment. Then burst into laughter. He rushes over, grabbing her head in a tight lock, “You’re getting slow!”
“And you still never think!” Odessa yells, reaching around to pinch the nerve at the back of his knee. Flipping him over, she stands over him, giving a toothy grin. “See?”
Laughing, he takes her offered hand, “It’s good to see you! I’ve been so bored.”
“Aw, do you and Gea not hang out?” she asks.
“Of course we do,” Hydrangea says, rising on her toes to give him a friendly kiss on the cheek. “It’s just been a while since the three of us have been together. This is so wonderful!”
“Yeah, let’s go!” Tristan says, breaking into a light jog. “I got my boat ready!”
The trio run toward the docked vessel. Jumping onto the deck, Hydrangea looks at Tristan, “Where to, Captain?”
“Ocean bound for now,” he says, untying it from its post. “That sound good?”
“Yeah!” is the cry from his mates, and the boat is loosened from its position, anchor sliding up from the water. The sails unfurl, and Tristan stands at the helm. The winds pick up, as he predicted, and with his call upon the seas, the ship begins to dart across the water, droplets of seawater splashing them.
Pumping her fist into the air, Odessa whoops, hair whipping past her. Looking over her shoulder at him, she shouts, “Can it go faster?”
Tristan’s mouth spreads into a wide, devilish grin. One hand on the wheel, he reaches forward, lifting up a small, inconspicuous lid near him. He reaches in, pressing something.
In a moment, their surroundings become nothing but ocean and sky. The scent of the sea rushes through her nostrils, her friends cheering along with her. Wild giggles burst from Hydrangea, as Tristan hollers at the top of his lungs.
Odessa’s smile widens, noticing the rocks jutting out from blue waters. Hydrangea and she exchange glances before turning to Tristan. His composure doesn’t falter, narrowing his eyes, daring unforgiving elements to destroy them.
Calling out instructions, the sail is lifted. Readying themselves, Hydrangea climbs to the top of the mainsail, yelling out caution for rocks he cannot see, gripping onto the solid rail. Odessa keeps the rope tight in her hands, in case he needs more wind. Tristan steers through the rocks, seafoam crashing against stone and metal.
The sound of air in her ears drowns out all sound, the vessel cutting through water. Veering sharp turns, sea spray hits them. Rocks pass by in narrow pathways, so close Odessa could reach out to touch them. Then as quickly as they arrived, they propel through into the clear open sea.
Hydrangea comes down from her perch, laughing with Odessa. Tristan wears a contented grin, easing the speed to a more leisurely pace.
Sunlight dazzles upon the water, its light dancing on their forms. Odessa brushes away loose hairs, locking both of them in her arms, happy to see them again.
                                                                 -
“That’s cool you went to Pilan,” Tristan says, taking a sip of his drink. “You’d been wanting to be there for a few years.”
Odessa waves at the waiter through the crowd. Her own beverage now refilled, she takes a large bite out of her food. Swallowing, she nods, “I know. I didn’t think we’d be able to get there before coming back to Etheria.”
Hydrangea leans back against the seat. Not bothering with her fork, she picks up a strawberry slice from her salad, “It wasn’t too far from your last stop.”
“Yes, but my father likes to keep a tight schedule, if he can. Mom’s more lenient but you know him.”
Joking, she asks, “Is he still a grumpy cactus?”
“He wouldn’t be my father if he wasn’t,” Odessa replies, affection in her tone.
Tristan pats his chest, releasing a light burp. Relaxing back, he adds, “That’s true. Apples don’t fall far from the tree—I saw you when someone woke you up too early.”
Odessa mimics his motion, giving a belch of her own, “And you never bothered me in the morning again.”
“You two are gross,” Hydrangea tells them, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
“You love us,” Tristan says, waggling his eyebrows.
“Do I?” She shakes her head at them, despite smiling. “It’s hard to tell sometimes.”
“If you didn’t, you’d have left,” Odessa chimes in. Then, looking at Tristan, she raises a brow, leering at him. “Although, she must tolerate you more than I do, because there is no way I would have allowed you to grow that on your face if I was home.”
Crossing his arms, Tristan flushes, “I can do what I want.”
“It looks like a fuzzy caterpillar is above your lip,” Odessa teases. She turns in her spot, grabbing his face to inspect it better. “Seriously, who said it was a good idea to let you grow a moustache.”
“I’ll have you know,” Tristan pushes Odessa away, touching the small hairs with his finger. “That everyone on my dad’s side can grow decent moustaches. Mine’s just taking a little bit…”
“I’ll say. You won’t have one like Seahawk’s until you’re 80.”
Huffing, Tristan sticks his tongue out at her.
Hydrangea waves her left hand, “I’m sure you’ll eventually get it! Although, it has been three months…”
Odessa snorts, cackling, “What? Three months and that’s it?”
Tristan glares at her, “I’m a late bloomer with this!”
“Riiiiiight. And I’m growing one out too, can’t you tell?”
Sinking into his seat, Tristan looks away, annoyed.
Hydrangea tilts her head to try and meet his gaze, “We don’t think it’s stupid.”
“I do,” Odessa says.
At Hydrangea’s disapproving stare, Odessa shrugs.
“You can grow it out if you want to. There’s nothing wrong with growing it out,” Hydrangea assures him.
“If you’re fine looking like that,” Odessa adds. Then she winces, a sharp kick delivered to her leg. Glaring at her friend, who gives an icy stare in turn, she relents, “B-But I more mean, well, I don’t think it suits you, is all.”
Tristan pouts further, bottom lip sticking out.
“Come on, Tris, I’m sorry,” Odessa says, hand to her chest. “I promise it’s not bad.”
He glances at her, “Really?”
“Yeah! It’s just been a while since I’ve been home. It’ll grow in. I couldn’t help teasing you.”
Sitting back up, Tristan keeps his arms folded, “Okay… Are you sure it’s fine?”
“Yep,” Odessa lies.
Pleased with the encouragement, Tristan resumes eating. Odessa almost exhales in relief. She forgets he can be pretty sensitive about his appearances. At his slowly improving mood, Odessa glances at Hydrangea, who takes a sip of her tea with demurely closed lashes. When she looks up, Odessa narrows her eyes.
She’s ignored. Hydrangea changes the topic of conversation, and the feeling of the trio goes back to lighter, informal chit chat. Odessa sighs internally. She knows she can be difficult with her inability to tell even the smallest fib, but damn, she didn’t have to kick that hard.
Meal finished, Tristan goes to pay while Odessa and Hydrangea leave the establishment.
Hydrangea raises a brow, “When are you going to learn to not say rude things?”
“Never,” replies Odessa. She shoves her, a little more roughly than usual. “And you didn’t have to kick.”
“You weren’t getting the hint. I would rather Tristan not break down in tears in public.”
“Ugh, he wouldn’t cry in public. He keeps that bottled in.”
“Until you go too far,” Hydrangea elbows her in the ribs. “Can’t you be supportive?”
“Gea, you know I have a hard time lying! You may as well tell me to hold my breath forever—it can’t be done.”
Sighing, she admits, “I know, I know, you’re not good with lying. But think of it as… omitting information, for right now.”
“Fine, I won’t be mean to him. In public,” she adds.
“Odessa…”
“Fine. I won’t be mean to him about his stupid moustache. Although, I will blame you for letting it happen.”
Hydrangea gives a smile, “Okay, that’s fair. He just looked so excited, I couldn’t talk him out of it.”
“That's why I’m here to convince him otherwise.”
“Ah-bup-bup-bup!” Hydrangea wags her finger. “No. He will learn, on his own time, it’s not a good look.”
Heaving a long, exasperated sigh, Odessa watches Tristan walk over to them. Deciding it’s time to go home, they sail back to Salineas. Once there, they dock the ship, though Tristan doesn’t start heading down the pier.
“What’s up? It’s getting late,” Odessa says.
“I haven’t seen you in forever, I’m not leaving yet. Besides, it’s boring at home,” Tristan tells her.
The three head to the portal. Putting in their destination, they are greeted by Odessa’s family in front of its arch. 
Entrapta waves at them enthusiastically, “Hey! There you are.”
“Hi, Mom. Were you waiting?”
“No, we are on the way to Scorpia’s! Hydrangea, Tristan, hi!”
Returning the greeting, Hydrangea is pulled forward by Entrapta’s hair, her recorder in hand, “Tell me, since we’re here, how is the portal functioning?”
“Oh! It’s still in top-notch shape,” she answers, stepping awkwardly forward as she keeps up with the tech princess.
“Hey, Hordak,” Tristan says, coming up to him.
“Hello, Tristan. I trust you have been in good health.”
“Yeah, I have. The additions to my boat have been awesome!”
Hordak smiles, “Good. Is the speed to your liking?”
“Absolutely,” Tristan says. “Odessa can confirm.”
She nods, “It was a really impressive ride. You two made that heap of junk into a new machine.”
Tristan turns back to Hordak, chatting away with him about increasing the boat’s capabilities, while Hydrangea continues to converse with Entrapta.
It makes her think of when they were little. Her friends, she knew, were viewed as an extension of herself, and thus, they were treated accordingly by her parents. But she also was aware of the mutual esteem they had for her friends. Entrapta and Hordak were encouraging in her decisions to expand her social circle, but they also were the sort to be intolerant toward bad friendships. And by ‘they’ she means her father, who is far from willing to watch her be taken advantage of.
Scorpia is waiting in front of the hut, waving a large claw at them. Entrapta and Hordak are squeezed tightly against her chest once they’re in range, “Hi, lovebirds!”
“Hey, Scorpia! What’s new with you?” Entrapta asks, being set down.
“Oh, we’ve been busy! There are lots of new homes here, we’re expanding a little further south.”
Odessa goes to the nearest corner with Hordak, the two settling down on the couch. Tristan and Hydrangea discuss their own plans and time with each other, as Entrapta catches up with Scorpia.
Odessa glances at her father, “How’d it go with the king and queen?”
“Glimmer and Bow were welcoming, as normal. We discussed their latest plans for Etheria, and your mother and I said we would offer our services for anything technology-based.”
She nods, reaching toward the platter of cookies left on the table.
“How long were you with Aurora?”
“No longer than five minutes. Then I went to see Tris and Gea,” she replies. She glances at him, “You don’t mind?”
“Of course not. You are free to befriend who you want,” Hordak says, patting her shoulder.
Smiling at him, she turns in her seat, “Dad, by the way, I had some ideas while we’re here. I wanted to go to the Crimson Waste and get some specimens to dissect.”
“Does it include Etherian corpses?”
“Not corpses, per se. And I’m not grave-robbing. I wanted to find some old bodies to study.”
Hordak nods, “You’ll have more luck in the southern region. Will your friends be accompanying you?”
“I’ll ask them later, but for now, I’m going to assume no.”
“Would you want your mother and I to come?”
“That’d be cool!” she says, eyes bright.
He smiles at her, “We’d be delighted to ‘not grave-rob’ with you.”
Perfuma had sent a message saying she’ll be busy tonight. Despite that, the evening passed without any other event, and they all enjoyed each other’s company.
                                                              -
Odessa turns over a large boulder, “I thought for sure I’d find a body somewhere by now.”
“Your father said that it’s possible it’s changed again since we’ve last been here.”
Odessa knows this is correct. Sometime ago, during another expedition, they had learned that several oases had cropped up within the Crimson Waste. This makes searching for corpses, be it animal or Etherian, harder to acquire; in spite of its still severe temperature and environment, the organisms that called this territory home have been thriving since She-Ra and her parents aided them to harness magic in the sandy dunes.
“I suppose I should call it a day,” Odessa says, touching her chin. She glances at her mother, “But perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to explore for another hour or three.”
Entrapta grins, “Yeah, let’s keep looking!”
Splitting off into opposite directions, Odessa walks further along rocky terrain. She pauses when she finds Hordak gazing down at the dirt. Approaching him, Odessa looks at the Horde helmet beneath his feet, uncovered from years of being buried in sand; timeless and haunting.
Kneeling, Hordak lifts it up to inspect. He sighs.
“Dad, you know you can’t ruminate over it,” Odessa says, touching his shoulder.
“I do,” Hordak replies, wiping the surface, though there’s no sheen left to it. “I have tried to make peace with it, and for the most part, I have managed to move on from my mistakes.”
Odessa’s brow knit together. She’s never liked when he thinks too deeply about his past in the Horde, and the ramifications of it. Staring at the helmet, sharp wings barely visible, she asks, “What was our species like?”
“Pardon?” Hordak asks, turning to her.
“Our species.”
Hordak’s eyes narrow, placing the helmet back down, “We were Horde Prime’s loyal servants and soldiers.”
“But is that it?”
“There’s nothing more that can be explained.”
“Everyone comes from somewhere, however,” Odessa explains, rising to full height as he does. “Do you know anything of our species before Horde Prime decided to conquer other planets?”
Hordak’s expression falters. A scowl lining his features. “No.”
Odessa notes the tension in his shoulders. She asks, quietly, “Was that never a subject that was discussed?”
“Never,” Hordak answers, reaching down. He yanks up a bird corpse, still fairly preserved. Holding it out to her, he awaits her decision.
Satisfied, Odessa places it in a plastic bin. Never…? It’s hard to believe. She looks at him, “I know that Horde Prime could control you through possession via hivemind. But I find it interesting he never gave inkling to times before that. Were you always a colonizing species?”
Hordak stares at his child, “Truthfully, I don’t know.”
“Why?”
He sighs, discomfort settling in his chest. “Information about our kind is not an aspect of ourselves we own. When I was created, I hadn’t been alive as long as the others. For me, there was Horde Prime. And only him. However, there are clones who are on Etheria, or have left to travel the universe, that might have knowledge on the subject.”
Carrying her bin, Odessa and Hordak meet up with her mother, who had found other bodies to dissect, including an Etherian corpse of someone who had similarities to Double Trouble’s structure. A good haul. It may not be the most ethical activity, but she can’t very well open up living people.
Walking beside Entrapta, Odessa turns to her, “Mom, I have a question.”
“Ask away!”
“What do you know of Dad’s species?”
Entrapta’s brow furrows as well, confusion on her features. She sits back on her hair, scuttling along the dirt, “Nothing, aside from what we know involving Horde Prime.”
“Dad said the same thing. But there has to be knowledge from before that.”
“We never uncovered anything about Horde Prime that way. His species competed with the First Ones in expanding their respective sides throughout the universe. But there was never anything to suggest what life was like for your father’s species prior to the Horde. He was always there, as your father puts it.”
“Don’t you ever wonder why though?”
“Sure! All the time!” Entrapta replies.
Odessa smiles at her, “Then wouldn’t it be prudent to figure out what we can? Even a little research is important.”
“Ooh, we could collect fascinating data that way!” Entrapta says. Then she stares at Hordak’s retreating form. “What did your father say to you, when you asked?”
“Same things as you. Except he doesn’t sound as enthusiastic.”
Entrapta frowns a little, unsure.
“If it makes you feel better,” Odessa adds. “He did tell me some of his brothers might know, and to try there first.”
“That sounds like a good start!” Entrapta agrees, not feeling as bad now. She is the sort to pursue new, untapped discoveries, but Hordak’s found his past shameful and a source of great regret, one he still has never recovered from completely. If he gave Odessa the suggestion, then it’s likely he doesn’t mind her asking. She has always wanted to know. But not at his expense.
Grinning at Odessa, she says, “We’ll see who can help us!”
Odessa looks ahead, a cloud passing above them.
                                                             -
“Hey, are you okay?” Hydrangea asks.
Odessa stares out the window, chin resting on the back of her hand. She glances at her, “I’m thinking.”
“You’re always thinking,” Tristan adds. “What’s on your mind?”
“I’ve been thinking about my family. Not the Etherian one. My father’s side.”
“Are your uncles doing alright?” Hydrangea asks. “Do they need help with anything?”
“No, they’re all doing splendid. I mean that I’m curious about them, beyond what I already know.”
Tristan and Hydrangea glance at each other. He steps forward, “What do you want to know?”
“I want to know where we come from. Why we did what we did,” Odessa spins on the ball of her foot, a sharp grin on her features. “And I want you two to help me find out what that is.”
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whipped-stream · 4 years
Text
I watched: The Night Manager
I find spy stuff a bit difficult really. It’s so smug - long, indulgently complicated stories chock-full of smart men in smart suits drinking man-drinks like whisky or martinis, surveilling each other out of the corners of their eyes, skulking around the charming alleyways of some architecturally opulent urban space. No one is ever insecure in a spy story; no one ever has a moment where they’re at a loss for words; no one ever has acne or eats a burger or even drinks a latte, because the only coffee appropriate for a spy story has to be something tight and elegant like an espresso. Oh, and very few people in these stories are ever female, fat (unless they’re evil) or gay (unless they’re evil).
Of course, this is all completely endemic to the genre. Asking for a spy thriller without these qualities would be like asking for a Judd Apatow comedy without a bunch of scruffy beardy blokes. But like - it’s 2021 now, and you’d think we would be gradually nearing the point where we were ready to retire all the tiresome, difficult stuff about the genre and do something new and interesting with it. Alas, The Night Manager has proved to me that we are nowhere near this possible future.
Don’t get me wrong, this is an enjoyable, easy show if you don’t think about it too much. It’s polished, gorgeous to look at and the basic plot revolving around illegal arms trading in the Middle East is absorbing, albeit a little toothless (for all the action and violence in the Middle East scenes we never really engage on any level with the human impact of this nefarious trade, besides one anecdote which never really lands). Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie are both, predictably, also amazing in this show. Tom Hiddleston is perfect as a hotel manager; his earnest, twinkly-eyed politeness fits perfectly in the luxury hotels his character glides through, just as his luxury suits and luxury face suit the luxury décor. Then, as a secret services mole amongst gangsters, he is perfect again, charming everyone into smitten trust with a gleaming smile as they fall into the glacier-blue lagoons of his eyes, barely noticing him surreptitiously gathering all their secrets.
Hugh Laurie is as charismatic and sinister as a cartoon devil and makes for a terrific villain, fiercely dedicated to chewing the scenery at every opportunity. It is unclear to me why they chose to give him a sortof shabby Friar Tuck haircut for the role, but perhaps he is doing a Harrison Ford and just exerting his Great Actor Famepower to refuse to undergo any kind of personal grooming before a scene.
But yeah. Every time I was enjoying it, the dang show did something to ruin it. Firstly it was the ‘Bond women’. Sure, stunningly beautiful and sexually inviting women are a staple of this genre, and this show tries its best to show good faith by making sure that the stunningly beautiful and sexually inviting women in this instance have some kind of personality and plot relevance. It’s a pathetic effort at best. The first gorgeous woman chivvies the plot along for all of two minutes before flinging her fabulous self at Tom Hiddlestone and being a charming bedfellow just long enough for him to be distraught when he discovers her moments later in a pool of her own blood. Ahh, yes, a classic Woman in Refrigerator - gosh, I haven’t seen one of those employed with such efficiency in quite some time. Despite barely knowing her, Tom Hiddlestone is so devastated that he moves into some kind of massive concrete bunker right at the top of a Swiss Alpine mountain (what IS that house, dude!?!? Do you live in a weather monitoring facility?) and eventually agrees to become an agent for the secret services - which of course presents even more opportunities for some top totty.
The other stunningly beautiful woman in this show is in a relationship with the baddie played by Hugh Laurie, even though the two of them don’t so much have an age gap as an age chasm. She is called ‘Jed’, and she truly is only here for the camera to make long, indulgent pans up her svelte legs and delicate back. The show leaps at any opportunity to show a bit of her boob and at one point she fully disrobes and walks slowly and teasingly into the sea, pointing her arse right at Tom Hiddlestone, in order to make a point about living a carefree life. All the personal details about this woman are arbitrary - she has a kid that she never gets to see, I guess, and like she’s kind of suspicious of her boyfriend the arms dealer or whatever, but the show refuses to waste any time giving these story points any more than a cursory glance. Jed is a hollow, objectified character whose clothes fall off at the slightest jostle.
And then there’s the other thing. The torture thing. What is up with these spy shows? And how the only thing they love more than sexy women is the spectacle of sexy women being battered, tortured and lying dead in revealing poses? Just like her predecessor, poor Jed barely gets to do anything interesting or even proactive before she is ‘found out’ and we have to endure a really queasy scene where she’s being beaten up and repeatedly almost-drowned for her treachery. As her sore, blue-purple face is thrust over and over again into the brimming bathtub and she thrashes for air, her naked breast dangles out of her top in a tactless mush of raunchy objectification and vicarious misogyny. It’s one of the most troubling things I have witnessed on telly in a good while.
Okay - there is one other woman in this show. Olivia Coleman plays the head of this secret service operation, and she is written as a fierce, ambitious agent who knows exactly what she’s doing. Oh, and she’s pregnant, so I guess we’re doing Fargo too, a bit? For the entirety of the programme, which seems to span several months, she appears to be at the end of her third trimester. No one ever asks her when she’ll be going on maternity leave and who will take over this spy operation when that happens. As part of the final showdown, she travels to the Middle East, stalks around a hotel filled with murderous gangsters, shoots people in the knee and hides from even more murderous gangsters WHILE SEEMINGLY MOMENTS AWAY FROM HER FIRST CONTRACTION.
Essentially this woman’s pregnancy is a decorative character quirk, like having an eyepatch or an eccentric moustache. The story doesn’t let the character engage with her pregnancy in any human sense: and sure, the logistics of being pregnant is not exactly thrilling espionage content, but then why bother doing it at all? Leave her unpregged, and let her run around with guns to her heart’s content, or do it properly, and engage with interesting ideas of how we see and define modern motherhood; how we see pregnant women as vulnerable and in need of protection rather than being the protectors; how a woman’s career clashes and harmonises with her biological fate to be the child-bearer. Fargo did all that stuff effortlessly. Watch Fargo. The film, not the telly programme.
I also feel that it’s worth pointing out that this character was a man in the book, which makes it pretty clear that she was the hail-mary gesture to preempt any complaints that the only female main characters are bland eye-candy.
I have one last complaint. Remember that thing I said at the beginning about how the only gay characters allowed in this genre have to be evil? Well yeah, stamp that one on your bingo card too. I cannot believe that we are at a point in society where we can generate edible meat in a lab and yet the most frequent gay characters we see in mainstream TV are still either camp BFFs or acid-tongued villains. Tom Hollander is a completely wonderful actor and I urge you to watch basically anything else he has done besides this. There is no need for this character, Hugh Laurie’s snide and suspicious right-hand man, to be a creepy, predatory homosexual man. He is preposterous - constantly leering at Tom Hiddlestone and making blunt innuendos or just full-on grabbing Tom Hiddlestone’s giblets. A clear conflation is being made: this man is a threat, and the threat he poses to Tom Hiddlestone’s mission is mirrored by the threat he poses to Hiddlestone’s hetero-masculinity, his sexual autonomy. It feels like this character is a charicature of how homophobes see all gay men: malevolent and sexually rapacious, on a mission to assault, harass and render uncomfortable all hetero men who are just minding their own business.
I truly don’t understand this show - how they made such an effort to shoehorn so much deeply troubling messaging into a story which needed none of these things. The bare bones of the spy story is solid and it could have been turned out in so many different ways, but this was what they chose. It all feels so retrograde, so unnecessary. This is the kind of thing that Netflix would not have toyed with - whatever you feel about that streaming platform, they create stories with real, three-dimensional women and all kinds of diverse characters from the LGBTQ+ scene and beyond. Amazon Prime still needs to work on getting woke. But I guess we shouldn’t expect too much from the platform that snapped up Jeremy Clarkson.
The Night Manager, available on Amazon Prime
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Adding to all the other Mukbang/live stream ideas: A smol or two(or more) are in a poly relationship with an oblivious/ditzy but hella big mukbanger right? So the problem is they’re so smol in comparison to him that they end up taking EVERYTHING IN(the belches, gurgling, sloshing, gulping, etc) and sometimes even end up in his meals..up to you if when he does notice them in his food if he’s all in awe about how cute and tasty they look or if he’s still oblivious and eats them anyway.~
Gosh dang that is vry good....
Also big cute ditzy himbo of a streamer lad. 10/10
Ending up in the middle of his food would be quite the experience. 
Could imagine one of the smols does end up getting eaten, while can’t really do much but watch And then the big notices the remaining smol/smols, scooping them up and fawning over them They wonder aloud where the other went, still not realizing they’d ended up part of his last bite. 
ALSO
having the smol in their hand, he can’t help but think they’re cute enough to eat.
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hattale-au · 4 years
Text
HatTale: Chapter 4
[Also on AO3!]
Standard Disclaimer: None of us own Undertale or A Hat In Time, they belong to Toby Fox and Gears For Breakfast respectively.
     * The immense power yo̠̎ȗ͉ now̬̿ ho̩͡lḍ͘ ̡̂fi̩ḷ̑l̲͘s ̠͋yo̬̍ṵ̞̓͆ ̦̖͆w̛͈ith̫͑̏͟ ̙͘d͙̉ e͈ ṯ͕͌͒͗͢ e͓̳͗̐̿ͅ r͉̐͗̕͜͜ m̻̣̝̈́͗̃ ḯ̯̘͇̐̅ n̺͚͈̊͡ á̢̳͉̂͊ t͍͖̭̆͗̄ i̛̼̞̘͋̓ ó̟̠̻̆͠ n̮̮̬͌͂̂  
         She felt… strong, powerful. She could take on the whole world and win. She wasn’t the wimp anymore, nor the weakling always picked on. She was a fighter who nothing could stop. These monsters were, for all their bravado, pretty cowardly. They’d be a good-
       “Kitten?”
       “Oh, sorry!” ...what had she just been thinking about? “Coming!”
       Ah, well, it couldn’t have been that important...  
       ---
       “Now this here’s a puzzle, they’re something of a tradition for Monsters, somewhere between a good challenge and a way to protect important stuff. There’s many throughout the Ruins and the Underground as a whole.”
       The girl examined the six huge staggered buttons in the floor (gosh, they were as big as she was!). It was  really   kinda anticlimactic that the giant, grand, sweeping entranceway just led to this dinky little room.
 Mask chuckled at her obvious disappointment and Cookie’s obvious ignorance of it. “Don’t worry, the Ruins get better.”
     They better, she thought as she rolled her eyes.
 Cookie whistled to get their attention, then walked over to the shut door and pushed. The door didn’t budge.
 “See,” she turned back to look at the girl, “the door won’t open ‘til you solve the puzzle. For practice, why don'tcha solve this one? The hint is here-” she gestured at a metal plate on the wall next to the door, “Here’s the lever ta pull once you complete it, also has the nice perk of resetting the puzzle if you don’t get it right,” She tapped the yellow lever as it was closer than the plate, “I’ll be here for help if you need it.”
 And with that, she was on her own.
 Internally, the girl groaned so hard she wouldn’t have been surprised if it became externally. Then she smiled and nodded.
 Alright! Puzzles! It wasn’t like those were the work of hell trying to disguise math and other dumb boring  hard   school stuff as “fun”. She could do this!
 Step one, gather clues! She walked over to the metal plate and scrutinized the writing… she scrutinized it real hard …
 She could feel Mask’s and Cookie’s concerned stares at her back. Whatever! It would make sense soon!
 …
 … No it didn’t.
 Hey, it wasn’t her fault! No one told her that the gosh dang instructions were going to be a puzzle too! Now peck, was that a “d” or a “b”...?
 She shivered at the sensation of Mask touching her shoulder, “ ...do you want some help? ”                The girl’s first instinct was to bristle and deny that statement, but then she sighed and mumbled, “...yeah.”
 She braced herself for the usual wow, you need help with that? But it’s so easy! You’re so stupid…    
 To her surprise though, he just leaned over his shoulder and started reading, “‘Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both not walk the middle road.’”
 ...oh. She ran back over to the buttons. Now she noticed that a little bit of the path extended under the middle two. It made way more sense now!
 So, “both bravery and foolishness make someone fearless…”
 “M-hm”
 “And they’re the only ones who get to continue on…”
 “You’re getting close, Kitten!”
 “And they don’t walk ‘the middle road’!” The girl cheered as she stepped on the outer four buttons and then pulled on the yellow switch.
 The door opened with a clang!  
 The girl did a little happy dance while Mask and Cookie clapped for her.
 “Good job, Kitten! I knew you could do it!” Cookie praised. She stepped towards the door and gestured for the girl to follow, “Now come on, we still have a long way to go,”
   —-
   The next room was somewhat more impressive than the last. More brick walls and ivy, but now there were also some small streams with bridges linking the paths on opposite sides and spikes blocking the doorway at the end. Oh, and it was also about twice the size. Less claustrophobic that way. Wait were those what she thought they were-  
 “So here’s the next one, Kitten. It’s pretty simple, all you have to do is-“
     Click, click-  
     Clunk  
 Mask and Cookie both stared at the girl, who was standing next to the newly-solved-in-record-time puzzle’s second lever.
 “...what? The path-“ she pointed down at the path under her feet, the path under the first lever, and the very conspicuous absence of a path under the third, “-made it really easy.”
  Cookie chuckled a little, “I guess so,” then she turned and walked through the now much safer doorway.
 Mask floated after her, “the next puzzles will be far more interesting, trust me…” then stopped, as he realized that the girl hadn’t followed. She was looking at a wooden sign next to the path with a confused stare.
 “I… I can’t be reading this right…” she mumbled as he joined her.
 She glanced up at him, he was shaking his head, “that’s what I thought too,”
 “Okay, but,” she huffed and crossed her arms, “what does ‘press Z to read signs’ even mean?”
 He shrugged, “Your guess is as good as mine…”
 Both considered the odd sign for a moment more, then moved onto the next room.
   —-
   The next room was small, cylindrical, and contained only a single dummy.
 “ ... well that’s new.”
 Before the girl could ask what he meant, Cookie clapped for their attention.
 “So, er, we monsters don’t have the best history with humans… and well… point is, you’re liable to get attacked-“
 “Been there done that,” the girl chimed in.
 Cookie sighed, “Yeah, that mean little flower, right? Sorry ‘bout him.” she gave the girl a reassuring smile, “as long as you’re with me or one of my friends he shouldn’t be a problem.”
 The girl nodded.
 “ ... that’s not gonna stop him if he’s really determined to get you.” Mask muttered from somewhere over the girl’s shoulder.
 She looked back and glared at him to which he just shrugged with a sheepish smile, “What? It's the truth.”
 “I guess,” the girl rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Cookie.
 "Well!" Said the cat with a smile. "If encountered by a monster, your best bet is to strike up a friendly conversation! Stall for time until I'm able to come for help, and it'll all be okay. Here kitten, you can practice on this dummy!"
 Chat with a dummy? She could do that!
 "Hi Mr. Dummy! How's it going?"
 The dummy, of course, stayed silent, but Cookie was very pleased.
 "Fantastic!"
 The girl hesitated, “... should I keep going?”
 Cookie shook her head, “You can if ya want, or we could keep moving.”
 She thought for a moment, then glanced up to where Mask was hovering above her. He read her questioning expression and shrugged, “It would probably be best if we continued on.”
 She nodded and started walking over to where Cookie was standing in the entrance-way to the next room. Before she got there though, the girl turned and waved to the dummy, “Bye Mr. Dummy! Let’s talk again sometime!”
 The girl followed Cookie’s chuckles and Mask’s snickers into the next room.
   —-
   “This here is the next puzzle,” Cookie announced while the girl examined the room, “Though this room is only part of it, the next is down that hall,” the cat pointed at the hall in question.
 The girl nodded, time to focus then and see if there were any hints in this room.
 The room was a lot like the others, old purple bricks, lots of ivy growing, a path on the ground. Weirdly, the path didn’t lead from the door to the other door like in the other rooms. Rather it started at the left side of the room, meandered to the right side, then abruptly ended. Considering there were no signs to read in the immediate vicinity, she would just have to go with her gut and assume the weird path was a hint.
 “Already trying to figure it out? You haven’t even seen it all yet,” Mask remarked as he followed the girl and Cookie to the hallway.
 She shrugged. A little ways down the hall was a sign- her feeling was right! ...But she was having trouble reading it. Rather quickly, Mask was behind her, ready to help out.
"The western room is the eastern room's blueprint."  
 Now that just made her confused.
 She contemplated the strange message for moment, before a loud cawing sound took her by surprise. Whipping around, the girl saw a small little crow (which, strangely enough, had glowing eyes) bouncing up towards her.
 The bird seemed angry, but it was also… cute!! Just as with Cookie, the girl's guard had dropped.
 Which she instantly regretted as it jumped up and pecked her hand. Hard.
 "Ack-!"
 Rushing over at the sound of the girl's voice, Cookie shooed the bird away.
 "Oh, kitten! Are you alright?!"
 The girl nodded, shaking out the targeted hand. "Yeah, I'll be fine! Been through much worse!" Her slightly nervous grin was met by a worried look from Mask.
 Cookie smiled warmly, and took the girl's non-injured hand. "C'mon, kitten. This puzzle might be a little much, I'll lead you through!"
 The girl was about to protest, but then she saw a room who's floor was almost entirely spikes. Yeah, she was definitely keeping quiet and following the cat.
 Getting close to the sharp bringers of death, certain ones slipped back into the floor upon their approach. Cookie maneuvered them with practiced ease, leading the girl behind her along the path.
 They reached the end and the girl grinned. Spikes weren't that bad, if you had a guide. And she was glad she had a guide, very glad, a guide who wasn't going to leave-
 "I'm sorry to do this, kitten. But you must walk through this hall by yourself."
 And then her guide sped off.
 The girl watched as Cookie sprinted down the rather long hall, then hid behind the singular white pillar near the end.
 She glanced at Mask. "She… she knows I just saw her hide, right?" He shrugged, and the two continued on.
---
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"sorry for the long wait :/" - Twyst
"Ya we kinda dropped the ball on this... But hey! It's here now, so enjoy! (;;ouo)" - Novi
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the-nysh · 4 years
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At what point in the story you started liking Garou as a character? What was his first impression on you and how did it changed later as the story progressed?
Oooh! What a GREAT question, I’m so glad you asked! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ (Cause yes, my perceptions of him certainly did change over time! And that’s one of the fun things I love to see happen with other opm fans too.) So let’s see…*pulls up a chair and shovel to dig thru nearly 5yrs of archives* where to begin~
It was definitely a gradual process (so buckle in, this is gonna be a looong chronological trip thru memory lane. About 3500~ words!)
First impressions
Early on (and cause I’m skeptical to most new characters who I don’t ‘know’ yet), I remember feeling kinda like ‘huh? Who the heck is this guy? This wannabe Hiruma-lookalike (recognizing some of Murata’s recycled Eyeshield 21 char design elements for him) with some silly double Vegeta hair? The hell does he think he’s doing??’ Beyond being kinda incredulous about him, I honestly didn’t really give him much passing thought or attention either, and definitely not anything on a deeper level yet. He was just kinda there (I suppose?), but also out there forcefully (cockily and somewhat annoyingly?) inserting himself as the ‘villain’ into the story at times (which wasn’t really my thing), seemingly WAY in over his head with reckless antics and overambitious about what he was claiming to be and challenging himself to do (which I thought seemed both ridiculous and ironic to set up like that when characters like Saitama exist to directly check/refute his aims).
So at the time I wasn’t fully ‘on board’ or invested much in his story/concept yet cause I hadn’t really seen him…define himself (beyond those first impressions) into his own fleshed-out character. Because he still kept reminding me too much of other characters (I even heard him with Hiruma’s voice) rather than breaking out on his own. Murata’s early art also had yet to really evolve and settle him into his own distinguishable ‘face’ for that matter too (he would though later, when he’d draw ‘Garou’ recognizable as himself and not like…‘Hiruma’s shadow’ anymore). So with all that coming in, it’s hard to ‘see’ or genuinely ‘like’ a char at first when they haven’t done much yet to distinguish themselves from others and grow into their own. (Oho, how time will tell~)
This impression of Garou hadn’t really changed much and continued all thru the Metal Bat fight, by the way. (I actually caught up to the manga around the time Murata introduced MB with the centipedes and was about to start his fight with Garou. Events which weren’t on my highest priority to see either, cause I still mostly preferred seeing Saitama + Genos interact instead.) But on a surface level, I at least knew Garou was fun/impressive to watch and his excitable/feral energy was infectious and entertaining (Murata really knew how to hype him up too), but other than that, I’d yet to really ‘like’ him on his own (enough to talk/blog about) still.
I first eased into reblogging stuff with him back in Oct 2016, which included the first reblog of his back muscles (lol) appreciating how Murata drew him facing Watchdog Man so ksjggh that part of the story (when Murata was teasing their fight) was also when Garou starting having a presence on my blog. :O
First turning point
However, I distinctly remember the first ‘aha I see now’ point in understanding him better was when I did a second reread of the webcomic. (I don’t exactly remember when that was, but probably sometime during the tournament arc when the pace was kinda dragging, so I prob reread the wc around then for fun.) It was around early-April 2017 when I later admitted that (in the tags):
I’ve come to really like Garou, a second read of the webcomic made me fond of him, of his background and ideas he wished to set out and change, his heart was in it and he had his set of morals, but he was young and brashly took the wrong path, I really want to see him return someday now that he's learned better
Cause following the big webcomic reveal at the end of his arc (when Saitama calls him out), going back thru his entire story again you could totally spot all the consistent hints and signs (from both his backstory and actions) ONE sprinkled the entire time, making everything revealed about him true, and not suddenly sprung up outta nowhere. It was finally like ‘aaah, I understand what’s up with him and can sympathize where he’s coming from. Yes that makes sense. :O’ However, this clarity/acknowledgment had yet to shift from simply ‘seeing’ or understanding a thing as knowledge, to actually feeling it (connecting on a deeper/personal level) later. That’ll remain a big distinction.
May 2017, I first started writing some early meta break downs about him, starting with his end-arc parallels in Suiryu’s despair moment and from this, there was acknowledgement how all ONE’s manga additions (up til then this was still all tournament arc stuff) were only building further context towards what’s to come much later on in the webcomic.
June 2017, I started posting stream coverage about him (vs Watchdog Man stuff when he intercepts King and Saitama.) Around this time I also admit this kinda stuff in tags ‘goodness how I love that this nerd has a soft spot for that kid (truthfully he's not monstrous at all)’ for appreciating the manga’s wholesome extra Tareo moments.
Second big turning point
Around Sept-Oct 2017 was when post content/stream coverage kinda started exploding during the whole vs A/B heroes + shed fight. This whole sequence, following the tournament arc, was the first big long-awaited return back to the wc’s script (with style!), but with significant expansions (esp to his character) never seen before. In particular, the bullet shielding moment was changed/revised from him simply standing there in the wc, to Garou protecting Tareo in the shed.
Truly awesome and moving because dang, he selflessly put his life on the line for that ‘Garou the determinator fending off the impossible while protecting a kid ;o;’ Firmly standing up to (injustices) and revealing his solid moral core, like wow, what a guy. <3
Murata’s stream output picked up significantly back then too (compared to his slower pace drawing the previous arcs), so I also admitted: ‘gosh been cheering for Murata's hard work just like Garou's in-chapter determination!’
But also cause this whole fight was like the first actual, legit demonstration (shown, not told) of Garou’s prodigious fighting skills, intelligence, tenacity, resourcefulness, perseverance, etc. Like this is what he’s actually capable of when pushed to the brink; testing the actual quality of his character (showing his true colors) and allowing those merits to shine while under unfavorable, difficult, and desperate conditions. And all impressively done in a way to make the audience both believe it and root for him (presented from his side much like a protagonist? Wild! 8D) It was extremely thrilling and badass (truly that whole shed part was brilliant, narratively and spectacle-wise. As I’ve repeatedly gone back to write about many times and again. :’D) My impressions of Garou around this time:
yoooo boi see I really like Garou, the wild prodigy determinator with a misguided goal, going all out and demonstrating his talent and prowess (even tho he gets in over his head), PROTECTING CHILDREN WHEN HE PRETENDS HE DOESN'T CARE, omfg what a softie (as Saitama would say) :'D, yaaa see he was never a 'real' monster at all, Saitama can see straight through him, and what he REALLY wants to achieve
Dec 2017, first started getting some sporadic Garou anons after the whole epic manga spectacle vs Genos + Bang + EC fight with everyone.
Jan 2018, back when Garou was captured in the MA base and then left to his own devices above ground…things started getting really interesting. Including noticing ONE’s more careful (or perhaps more transparent?) approach to writing Garou’s manga portrayal this time around. Different and more nuanced from the wc for instance, so there were many fascinating contradictions and complexities to uncover (break down meta-wise) about his convictions, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and how he applied those thru his actions and behavior (revealing decisive acts of character). This was when @gofancyninjaworld also started joining in to discuss and explore Garou’s ongoing dilemma with his goals and mindset. “His heart is in the right place, but his means are not, because at his core, he’s not a monster.” I admitted ‘Garou’s one of the most well-written characters in the story, I feel.’ And I was really looking forward to all the significant changes ONE was doing to make his manga story all the more defined and cohesive than it already was in the wc. That made things extra engaging (when there’s a desire to look deeper into things for fun and excitement for more).
Third turning point
Feb 2018 Oooh man. It was around here, (when Garou saves Tareo from the bullies and confronts RR and Bug God) that I was really starting to feel that shift happening (the impression of him turning into something more), so I had to comment on his ongoing characterization presented thus far (budding into a well-rounded, 3 dimensional character) and how ONE was (re)writing him in a more personal, sympathetic light that made him so easy to root for and genuinely likeable. I was fully AWARE of this happening and what both Murata and ONE were doing to increase his appeal. Admitting the more they revealed of him the more I was falling deeper for him, and fully welcoming it by narrative design. (Like alright let’s goooo! 8’D) Cause it was obvious how much differently and expansive he was getting portrayed vs the wc (with much less moral ambiguity). I said:
“Garou’s not simply a rogue, prodigious teen going on a spiteful rampage with an overconfident, slasher smile. Consistently, he’s been shown what really makes him tic: what gets him serious, passionate, sincere, and desperate – things that force his hand to either fight or defend against, with standards and ideals that he’d put his life on the line for. All of it is great: a variety of expressive emotions and definitive acts of character that all build towards the whole. Which we’re then left to ponder exactly what that is. Is he truly a villain or a hero? Is he really a troublemaking bad guy or actually a misguided ‘nice guy’? The answer isn’t so black and white; it’s more like a mix of ALL of the above. And I LIKE that. As ONE has presented him, Garou is Garou, and not really someone to align or classify as simply one or the other. He’s in that kind of delicious gray zone where he’s getting put to the brink to show his true colors. And it’s so GOOD and refreshing to see.”
That plus the manga showing his deeper bond with Tareo, his gruffly protective qualities (ok but that’s kinda hot?) and a more sincere showing of his morals (which he refused to budge on no matter what anyone else ordered him to do), brought on all the feels. :’)
Stream coverage + ch commentary devolved to like unintelligible screaming, with some ‘man he’s so fucking cool,’ or ‘damn protective Garou’s SOO good,’ or ‘I swear the more Murata draws of him the more I fall for him like wtf,’ or even the flat out ‘GODDAMMIT MURATA ;A;’ types of suffering reactions, ahaha.
At this point I was all ‘bring on the Garou appreciation; he deserves it; I have a mighty NEED’ but was kinda annoyed/frustrated with the fandom cause there was hardly any recent fan content of him (relevant to his current plot progression, it was all suspiciously dry or old ship-related content I wasn’t interested in cause the plot had moved on, so I was like omg where is everybody, hello?!) It was already a dry spell in between seasons so overall fan content was slow anyway, but it seemed like there were so few actual fans of him (to my confusion?!) So I started making my own content (beyond just the stream coverage and ch reactions/commentary + meta) with the expression posts appreciation.
March 2018. U-uhoh, things (and posting frequency especially) were starting to escalate. His reaction to literally getting backstabbed by the monsters and losing Tareo (his quiet but seething controlled feral rage) definitely had me feeling™ things.
Final nail in the coffin
April 2018 Oshit;; Garou forcefully storming and bulldozing his way thru the MA base, his awesome BIG DAMN HEROES moment rescuing Tareo from Royal Ripper, to his hilarious absolute tsundere™ moment denying it (before running into Rover and immediately protecting the kid again) pretty much destroyed me. This was also like the first time I’d seen ONE make a character go full tsundere mode and pull it off in a genuine comedic way (with the classic ‘it’s not like I came here to save you or anything baka’ line and all) so pfft, that was so much endearing icing on the cake. :’D
At this point someone even asked me who’s my favorite opm character, to which I was all, ‘Garou’s current manga content has been on fire so he’s been quickly skyrocketing into my favs (if he wasn’t there already)!’
But then Murata soon dropped THIS ‘protect the child’ page all with perfect timing, and I was…fucking doomed.
'sugoi ojisan' was pretty much the moment of instant death for me ;A; my constant reaction to the streams has been that gaijin 4koma meme with laser heart eyes for emphasis, and I'm pretty much losing my ability to articulate much beyond screaming at this rate
Garou’s behavior could then be summarized as ‘a very stubborn and in denial asshole tsundere little shit nerd. <3’ But there was classic ONE heartwarming irony in there too, cause Garou hadn’t fully ‘lost’ his battles either…during those critical times where he actually assumed the role of the ‘hero’ for Tareo instead. (Oho~)  
basically Garou is a great character, the more you look into how ONE has built him the more meta af it gets
May 2018 (the long-awaited debut of the wc ‘scarf’ vs Rover towards Garou vs Orochi’s epic wtfshitstorm) lolwhoops~ I finally made the inevitable back muscles compilation while also writing longer, more in depth meta posts about him.
Murata delivered some of the best stream content we’ve seen of him. (Completely on FIRE, both literally and figuratively. And looking back, this was probably some of the most fun Murata’s stream sessions ever got. :’D Was awesome to be a fan tuning in during this time.)
even Murata was doodling chibis of himself freaking out in the margins XD
Delivering content from the pose of peak badassery…to dropping stream doodles of peak heartwarming/cuteness (Garou & Tareo in suits) on the fans for good measure.
bam Murata’s out to kill us with his art ...Murata can you like -maybe- chill? ABSOLUTELY NOT
Basically Murata knew exactly what he was doing, always delivering and servicing the fans (drawing the coke bottle was a fan suggestion too) yet also remaining a huge tease~
Towards S2 and beyond
June 2018, following the Orochi fight, Garou was put on a bus and absent from the manga for a while, so I went back revisiting older content again (rereading the manga for fun) and realizing/noticing/wondering stuff I hadn’t really caught about him before like…oh no why is he cute?? Was he always this way or had my eyes finally opened after everything??? (Cause aside from him being a little shit or a cool badass, he was also a complete dork and a nerd, and an oblivious dummy, and just…that was so…wtf endearing, a full package of fun to enjoy.)
But we soon got clips of Midorikawa’s voice reveal (from the opm drama cd) and all hell broke loose among the resident Garou fans. 8’D Especially cause his voice was ‘dark/smooth/mature/sexy’ as opposed to a higher-pitched, unhinged teen voice many had expected (remember that old Hiruma voice I first thought for him? So interestingly many fanboys were disappointed with this deeper voice casting). But also cause Midorikawa said “I’ll do my best to make Garou even more charming than before,” so we were excited to see Garou’s popularity spike even more cause of s2.
Aug 2018, the s2 key visual revealed with Garou prominently featured up and center and I WAS NOT PREPARED!!! I remember having like a full hyper-incoherent breakdown because of this so…yeaaaaah. 8’D I was all rationalizing,
If anything it’s all Murata and ONE’s fault that (the hype and appreciation for him) feeling’s grown even stronger. He was already a thoroughly fun walking meta source, but the manga made his softer/compassionate moments much more obvious (than in the wc). Just watch as this badass dorky nerd becomes even more hugely popular than he already is!
April 2019 was his anime debut…coincided with his post-arc WEBCOMIC DEBUT AFTER 5 FUCKING YEARS (before he even returned in the manga even) IMPECCABLE timing from ONE, holy shit people lost their minds. Including Murata, who had to draw him too! With all that and the anime airing (adding even more wholesome cute Tareo interactions not seen in the manga), fandom participation (+anons) really started to kick off.
I remember seeing the influx of new fans and how so many (who didn’t ‘know’ him yet either) would unironically label him as genuinely ‘evil’ or a ‘heinous villain’ at face value, which….uhhhhhh were the kinda takes that were hard to take seriously, but I appreciated how ONE’s writing allowed the readers to see and think for themselves as the narrative revealed more (rather than believing everything the characters said or claimed), so it’d only be a matter of time until they ‘saw’ the truth about him too. :’)
May-July 2019 the anime continued airing with fandom activity popping, until August when he finally reappeared and ‘awoke’ in the manga! ;A; After like an entire full year of him mia too. This was also the time frame when all the thirsty (and interestingly meta-hungry) Garou anons started (finding me???) regularly chiming in with fun participation. I was grateful though, cause they prompted certain takes I couldn’t have come up with on my own, and allowed me to think, examine, and explain things much more closely and thoroughly than I had ever posted before. (Yaaay~) Such as looking into just what IS it about him?!
“Garou wouldn’t be as compelling, engaging, and appealing as a character without (all) those other interesting layers and nuances to talk about too! :D It’s even better that way! Cause Murata can draw everyone looking drop-dead gorgeous and conventionally attractive, so just having a pretty face and impressive muscles isn’t enough to make him stand out in a special way from the rest of the cast. Already all those things (about him) are certainly impressive, so just what is it about him in particular? (That makes him unique.) The fact Garou has all that AND those other compassionate & interesting qualities to him just makes it the icing on the cake for a complete, well-rounded package. The fact we can know him, for all his feelings and attitude why he behaves and acts the way he does, such as when he’s contradictory, troubled and tsundere-like sometimes, to hardcore and badass other times, to softer and empathetic to fiercely righteous, protective and determined other times, and all portrayed in the way he’s capable of the range (and makes us feel) the entire spectrum of emotion too. …Like whoa (I could keep going but I’d be preaching to the choir at that point aha), all that only enhances what’s already there. In this way, I feel the Garou we’ve come to know by now is much more endearing and appealing than the one we were introduced to at the start. Because as he appeared then, he may have seemed like just another wannabe thug-of-the-week we might not have given much passing thought & attention to. But now…uhoh, you could arguably say he’s grown to the point he’s almost taken over the rest of the manga (within good reason!) by challenging our perception of who’s even the active protagonist. :O Who keeps us engaged and tuned in to see more. Buaha, just what the hell happened?! Now that’s quite the impressive feat from both ONE and Murata to create a character with a lasting impact like that!”
…So that’s what happened. :’D In my opinion, I feel Garou’s best moments where we (or really, I) got to know him better (shed scene, Elder Centipede aftermath, dine n dash, rescuing Tareo, all up towards his fights vs Rover & Orochi) mostly only happen until after s2 so… Since those were some of my absolute fav manga moments (which only enhanced my perceptions of him), those’ll be the moments I’m really looking forward to see animated in s3. But most of all, I’m hoping to witness some of that same ‘aha!’ gradual realization process happen to newer fans who come to appreciate him too. :’3
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CYBERVERSE WATCH: S3 Episode 17, 18, 19, 20
Episode 17
Oh nooo Windblade u good??? LASERBEAK AND WINDBLADE OMG!!!
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Beaky please don’t peck my girl (that is kinda cute though)
Windblade she isn’t a pest!!!
Laserbeak watches her fly off like “I get no respect and no thanks???”
HECK YEAH GET THEM FLIERS!!! Jetfire please be careful bud, Starscream has some old beef with you
OH NO ALL THE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE SOUNDWAVES
The only downside to knowing all these characters and getting excited about cameos is it’s that many times more likely that a character I like will die 8(
YEAHH WAY TO GO LASERBEAK you’re the real MVP
JEEZ HE GOT OPTIMUS RIGHT IN THE CHEST
HEY CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE OPTIMUS
OH SHOOT WHO IS THAT
OH FRICK OH FRICK ITS MEGATRON!!! HELL YEAH
Megatron, a million universes away: My “Optimus is in trouble” and “Starscream is being a menace” senses are tingling, gotta go back to Cybertron
FRICK that was a cool entrance
Oh man what happened to his eye--HOLY FRICK HE LOOKS HOT
AYYYYYY ITS THE OG BLACK HELMET MEGATRON LOOK AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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MAN I FRICKIN LOVE MEGATRON
KUP NOW ISN”T THE TIME FOR YOUR COMMENTARY (that was cute though)
Oh my gosh when Starscream started to say “You’re too late to save your--” for one very frightful minute I thought he was going to say something about Optimus like “partner” or something and I felt every muscle in my body tense up lmao, I should’ve known better but RATS
WHAT
WHAT THE FRICK THAT WAS SO FRICKIN COOL
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IS THERE ANYTHING HOTTER THAN WAKING UP TO SEE YOUR OLD FLAME STANDING OVER YOU GLOWING LIKE A VENGEFUL ANGEL ABOUT TO KICK STARSCREAM’S BUTT
POWERS OF CYBERTRON UNITE??!?!?!?!?
EVEN OPTIMUS GOT SOME
BOYFRIENDS PUNCHING STARSCREAM’S ARMY OF QUINTESSONS TOGETHER!!!! SHADOWSTRIKER!!! BEE AND SOUNDWAVE!!!! GOSH THIS IS SO GOOD
WRECK THEIR SHOP SOUNDWAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Starscream you’ve sentenced them like five thousand times what’s new about this OH RIGHT I FORGOT ABOUT THAT GLOB STUFF
ASTROTRAIN!?!?!?!?
Starscream: NO ONE CAN STOP ME *CUTS TO WINDBLADE* wanna bet nerd
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I LOVE my beautiful girl
Oh that is some nasty looking Quintesson tech
Uh oh u good Windblade???
Croaton can you please slap Starscream out of the sky before you leave it’d save us a lot of time
Aw man I wonder what Megatron saw that made him sorta regret the stuff with Starsc
WH
HE”S BARING HIS SPARK!?!?!? WAIT IS THAT ANOTHER MATRIX
ARE THEY GONNA FUSE????
MEGATRON PRIME
GOSH I REALLY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO FRICKIN SPARK FUSE THERE FOR A SECOND
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*CUE “THE POWER OF LOVE” AT FULL VOLUME*
Ok but what the heck did Astrotrain do???
If you get along with someone you don’t like the universe probably won’t end pfft, thanks Kup
CREEPY BUGS???
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Megatron please take his hand :(((
IM LOSING IT MEGATRON REALLY IS A HUGE KID *takes out a piece of chalk and draws a line between them* this is MY side of Cybertron, this is yours
guess galavanting through space didn’t change him TOO much
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Guhhh these opposing sides shots always break my heart I WISH THEY COULD OVERCOME THEIR DIFFERENCES AND BE FRIENDS AGAIN SOMEHOW....
Dang Astrotrain is HUGE compared to the rest of the bots, I wonder what he looks like in bot mode
SO MUCH HAPPENED IN THAT EPISODE (and I had to take a break in the middle of it) I FORGOT I STILL HAD THREE LEFT thank the stars
I genuinely can't believe Megatron essentially drew a line between him and Optimus and went "This side of Cybertron is MINE, the other side is yours" 
*cue shenanigans of Autobot and Decepticon buddies trying to secretly cross the line to visit their friends in the other faction* 
gosh fanfic always depicts Megatron and Optimus sneaking around meeting each other for smoochies I'd LOVE to see their subordinates being the ones doing the sneaking around while Megatron and Optimus are just like "GUYS....". Fingers crossed for the next episode!
Episode 18
CYBERTRON LOOKS SO PRETTY....
oh my gosh they actually built a wall
WAIT DID CLOBBER SERIOUSLY SWITCH SIDES OMG SHES AN AUTOBOT NOW
WHAT BEE CAN FLY!?!?!? WHAT!!!
LMAO LOCKDOWN NICE BOARDER PATROLLING
Well it took all of 30 seconds to confirm my theory lmao man I frickin love this show
Man I can’t believe how quickly they beat the Quintessons, I REALLY THOUGHT THE AUTOBOTS AND DECEPTICONS UNITING AGAINST THEM WOULD BE THE BIG SEASON FINALE I’m thrown for a loop now lol
ew those colors remind me of Sentinel Prime I hope that’s not him
OH WAIT IS THAT IACONUS MY BAD
PRIMA???? OH?????
Grand Imperium?????
Omg did Rack’nRuin switch sides too? I thought they were Decepticons
JETFIRE COME ON BUD OPTIMUS IS TRYING TO HAVE HIS MOMENT
Croaton city!!!
LMAO SKYBITE’S SHARING HIS POETRY....CUTE...
But where is Soundwave!!!!!
I’m with you Bee, those insects are creepy
WOW ASTROTRAIN IS HUGE
“And WHO rescued you from that tyrant” OH??? ANOTHER UNIVERSE’S MEGATRON MAYHAPS???
“I must know if the barrier holds!” OH!!!! Oh no is the final battle gonna be against all the other universe’s people who Megatron burned as he gallivanted through the multiverse??? I SURE HOPE SO
Gosh not to be predictable but that new armor looks so frickin good on Megatron
OPTIMUS IS SO STRONG
POOR OPTIMUS....
“During wartime, decision-making came so easily” MAN....THAT HURTS.....
oh he’s looking for Windblade!!!
AW SHADOW STRIKER C’MON, I THOUGHT YOU GUYS WERE BUDS NOW
“I know better than ANYONE what it’s like to be left broken on the battlefield. I did what I could” MY HEART JUST SWELLED THREE SIZES FOR SHADOW STRIKER....I LOVE HER....(ALSO THAT HURT)
Bee it REALLY seems like you should’ve had a plan / backup team for this!!!
BEE YOU’RE GONNA RESTART THE WAR!!
RODIMUS!!! YOU’RE BACK TO YOUR RED FLAME SELF!!!
WHIRL!!! OMG MY BABY
Wow that wall does a crummy job of keeping out fliers
SOMEONE PLEASE CATCH WINDBLADE
Thank you Whirl
OH JEEZ HERE COMES MEGATRON
SKYWARP!!! (I say while being super scared for my faves)
Whoa Megatron actually backed down
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Nice
CHROMIA!!!! SAVE HER PLEASE
Episode 19
Ohhh are we gonna get to see Caminus??????
BEAST MACHINES?????
omg they’re gonna have to collect Windblade’s mind like they collected Bee’s memories
Chromia that doesn’t sound too convincing (you’re super cute though so I forgive you)
MORE BIRDIES!!!
A CYBER HORSE????
IT”S A  JET!?!??!
OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH IT”S CRYSTAL CITY!!!!!!
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AGAIN, I WANNA SHAKE HANDS WITH EVERY BACKGROUND DESIGNER WHO WORKED ON THIS SHOW
OHHH mirror selves!!! Scary but pretty!!
OH MY GOSH!!! IS THAT RAVAGE!?!?!?!?
PLEASE LET ME SEE MY LITTLE BOY!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE BE RAVAGE
HOLY FRICK THAT LOOKED AWESOME??? KNIGHT??? A REALLY COOL KNIGHT???? WHO ARE YOU
Thunderhow??
My first thought was “Someone got their Warriors Cat oc into Transformers” and that cracked me up
KNIGHT OF THE PRIMES???
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THIS STAINED-GLASS STYLE ANIMATION IS GORGEOUS
I like this dude but something tells me they’re gonna have to fight / kill him later
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Bee’s smile is so cute!!
lmao nice lore-speak Chromia
They should just blast through the walls of the maze
“That sounds like a nightmare” “Scrap that!” THEYRE SO CUTE omg way to break the rules you two
CRYSTAL WINDBLADE!!!!
oh shoot many crystal windblades
I love the little “tink tink tink” sounds her feet make
Just her arm???? Jeez louise are the rest of the episodes gonna be about collecting Windblade?
Oh it’s Thunderhound
Optimus is just like “PLEASE leave me alone”
Petition for Optimus Prime to just get a frickin vacation
Episode 20
Man I’m so sad this series is almost over
Everyone in Mac’s bar without Mac..... :( Cute to see Percy as the bartender though
IS...IS THAT WHEELJACK?
OMG WAIT THAT”S THE COSMIC RUST WHEELJACK BACK FROM LIKE EP 2 or 3 IN SEASON 1????
“The Past” I FRICKIN KNEW WE’D SEE YOU AGAIN!!! IT WAS TOO WEIRD HAVING HIM WANDER AROUND IN AN EPISODE WITH NO EXPLANATION LIKE THAT
COWBOY WHEELJACK IS SO GOOD
Man Cyberverse is so frickin weird, I love this cartoon
Oh there’s my boy Soundwave
JEEZ THIS DUDE’S GOT NO FEAR
Megatron looks so cute...
“This is Autobot territory! You can’t--oh guess you can” pfft
I can’t believe Transformers is a western now
Optimus is the sheriff around these parts lol
Aw man Optimus JUST put that thing in there
OPTIMUS IS SO STRONG....I LOVE MY BUFF BOY
WILDWHEEL? Oh my bad, guess that’s not Wheeljack
“No one ever tried to find me” :(((( I wonder how many other bots felt that way
“I was one of the good guys! But you left me on that planet!” OW....
Pretty terrible shot Wild Wheel
OH NO....Innocent civilian got hurt, now Optimus is serious
Wild Wheel Optimus has been through a WAR your cowboy training aint gonna cut it
WELL THAT WAS A. WEIRD EPISODE. ALRIGHTY THEN I can’t wait to see how Wild Wheel is going to pop up in future episodes
Me: haha evil cowboy robot Wild Wheel: I felt abandoned because no one searched for me and I was forced to do horrible things in order to find my way home Me, tears streaming down my face: Haha....cowboy robot
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angelinarecs · 5 years
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New fics in Daredevil Recs
And here I go again with more Peter Parker recs. Gosh dang it, he’s a smol bean that needs protecting. Follow the full rec list here. 
Matt, Peter Friendship
5 Times Matt Talks to Peter - And one time that he talks to Spider-man. Friendship/Fluff. Peter interns for Nelson and Murdock. Matt becomes rather attached, though he was definitely not ready to find out about the teen’s extracurricular activities. I really need more of those boys fighting crime or paperwork together. Complete.
avocado socks and burnt toast - “Oh, my GOD,” Karen said.
Peter blinked at her. Karen blinked at him, mouth hanging open. Matt sighed, and said, “Peter. Mask.” Said mask was still in the kitchen, where Foggy had wrestled it off of the young vigilante earlier, armed with disinfectant and cotton buds and a vicious need to nurture dumbass super-humans. Peter sank low on his haunches, until only his huge eyes and fluffy hair could be seen over the top of the couch. “Whoopsie.” Hurt/Comfort/Fluff. A fun little piece  centering on Matt’s associates discovering Peter’s identity. Starring a hurt Matt and lil’ shit Peter. Very well written and characterized. One-shot.
Bet Your Bottom Dollar - “Rein in the evil, sugar. Pete, why don’t you go get your dad a cup of coffee before he commits homicide in broad daylight.” (Team Red goes on an early morning, undercover mission to catch a pedophile.). Adventure. Matt’s internal dialogue as he tries to get through this mission. In which Peter is a little shit, like always, and Daredevil has to remind his co-parent that murder is bad. Part of the Dumpster Fires Verse. One-shot.
but how do you know? - “How did you know you were gay, Double D?” Peter asked around Valentine’s Day, when Matt was having an existential crisis over whether to get Foggy an apology/Valentine’s Day present or whether to get two separate presents. (Matt fumbles his way through a gender/sexual identity talk.). Humor/Sexuality. Poor Matt just wants to go shopping and have his latest existential crises in peace, but Peter has questions. So many questions. Well done, and as an LGBT+ individual, very appreciated. Part of the Dumpster Fires Verse. One-shot.
No Lilo, Too Much Stitch - Peter Parker sitting on a couch. D-Y-I-N-G. (It’s okay, Daredevil is there. And Claire. And Tony Stark, but he mostly just worries.). Fluff/Humor/Hurt/Comfort. Stream-of-conscious fic told from an injured and concussed Peter’s POV. Very well done and the whole thing really felt like little shit Peter Parker. One-shot.
small potatoes - The road between ten and fifteen had been a slow descent into bad and then worse. (Matt had a hard time in foster-care. It affects the way he relates to Peter.). Angst. Introspective Matt trying to figure out why he worries about Peter constantly and eventually tying that back to his childhood experiences and how he wants to protect Peter from what he suffered. Both touching, tragic, and very realistic in portrayal of how childhood trauma can affect the concept of self. Also a great way to explore Matt’s background without unnecessary exposition. Part of the Dumpster Fires Verse. One-shot.
Strange Loyalties - Spider-Man gets a little in over his head when he accidentally ends up at the same crime scene as the Punisher. Drama/Angst. Frank saves Peter’s life and is predictably an ass about it. Matt is called in to take Peter off of his hands. Bro feels all around. Two-shot, complete.
The Vigilante Case - Peter Parker is having a bad day. He’s tired, he’s got too much homework, and there’s a price on his head. Money is a very good motivator, and half the city has turned on him practically overnight. But amid the easily-angered masses lies a greater danger, and soon Peter’s life hangs by a thread. It’s a good thing he’s so close to Hell’s Kitchen. He’s going to need a Devil to carry his soul. (Or: the one where Peter is injured and Matt takes him home.). Drama/Hurt/Comfort. Matt finds Peter shot and tries to keep him alive long enough for Claire to get to him. For her part, Claire is stuck trying to keep Matt calm and the kid alive throughout the whole reveal. The story is well written and fairly realistic, I appreciated that Peter’s injury was used to reveal his identity to Matt and vice versa instead of just being for hurt/comfort’s sake. Claire deserves a medal. One-shot.
Wildly Out of Wing - Daredevil’s not a team player. He’s barely cares that there are other people like him, working on the streets to keep their city safe - it’s just not important to him. Course that was before Spider-Man dropped into his part of the city and he figured out the kid was actually a kid. He’s not a team player but damned if he’s letting a kid do this alone - or at all. If he could just get Spider-Man to listen… Fluff/Friendship. After several failed attempts to get Peter to hang up his mask and focus on being a teenager, Matt decides the least he can do is train him to face what’s coming as a vigilante. And be the mentor he wished Stick was. One-shot.
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Gormless Ch. 5 - Try to kill my boss? Haha you kids are alright!
A well-meaning friend gave me a book series that is hilariously bad. The first book was Souless and my riffs were entitled brainless. This second book is entitled Changless and these riff are then gormless.
I mean to say I have entitled them gormless! Not that my riffs are dumb, and the effort I spend on them stupid since I’m the only one who enjoys them. HAHA!
The story is SUPPOSED TO be about how a badass lady wearing a rad-looking carriage dress hits baddies with her umbrella and bangs her hot werewolf husband.  In reality it’s mostly poor attempts at being witty, flirty, and superior.
For the last book check out the brainless tag.
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If you want the TL;DR version but want to read these new riffs anyway?
This story is set in supernatural Victorian steampunk England.  Alexia is our NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS protag.  She is a soulless, which means she’s able to negate the abilities of vampires and werewolves by touching them. She’s recently married a big oaf, named Lord Connel Maccon.  He’s the manchild in charge of the supernatural police with a zillion dollars and he’s totes super hot too ok.  Their relationship is mostly arguments about how Maccon can’t tell her fucking anything.  Alexia has also recently become head of ~Soulless affairs~ in Queen Victoria’s government.  She has a dumb friend named Ivy, a gay vampire friend named Akeldama, a family who’s evil because they do the same shit as her but while being blonde, and most importantly Alexia is better than everyone cause…cause.
Last time on Gormless:
There’s some mysterious force that’s turning the Vampires and werewolves into humans. Alexia is in charge of figuring out that deal, and she is doing a bad job at it.  Her husband is in charge of the Supernatrual Police (BUR) so he’s going to Scotland about it.
There’s a hot werewolf guy into Alexia called Channing and he’s a big jerk.  Ivy is getting married to some rich slub, even though she’s in wub with Maccon’s servant Tunstell.  Alexia just met a hot lesbian named LeFoux and wants to take her to visit her smart Vampire gay bestie Akeldama.
Chapter 5 – Try to kill my boss? Haha you kids are alright!
This chapter opens up with her seeing Lord Akeldama.  Basically they start by inviting Madame LeFoux and just catching up.  Turns out Akeldama has not seen the humanization phenomenon before even though he hella old, but his scouts discovered a military ship called the Spanker had people from the Kingair clan aboard who were humanized. We got similar info before, but there’s an implication that the humanization is traveling directly with the people of the Spanker.  There’s the implication that it’s moving north, and it has to do with the dead alpha thing.  
Something also of slight interest is that Akeldama tried to ~recruit~ Channing back when Channing was human. That Channing, so they say, used to be a charming sculptor and vampires and werewolves were fighting over him. That he went into the military/werewolfism cause it was more ~romantic.~ I think that’s all there just to put Channing back on the table as a love rival.
HE’S BAD RIGHT? BUT LIKE MAYBE NOT ALL BAD?
On one hand they’re fleshing him out.  On another hand it reeks of Marty-Stuing and it is not convincing me he deserves another chance.
Well what would make him desirable to you Faps?  Put him in an oversized sweater, with glasses, and he’s petting a cat?  
Okay okay!  My kink is valid and so is the kink for a man-child meathead okay.  I just wish my kink was more main-stream gosh.
So Madam LeFoux shows up and there is a brief bit of sassing between Akledama and her before Akeldama has to show off his aethographor.  They spend a lot of fucking time on this.  I guess this is for the folks into the steampunk aspect but like…I don’t really understand this appeal.  It basically boil down to it’s a telegraph machine but it prints letters onto metal with caustic chemicals. It has to be manned at all times, and some old ones need specific ~ Crystalline valve frequensors~ to communicate to one another but Akeldama’s LATEST EDITION doesn’t need it. I am a history nerd and reading about old machines is fascinating because you get to see how the machines have impacted the culture. I also like reading about Sci-Fi technology because either it’s cool to see what people decades ago thought was going to happen, or speculative future possibilities. In theory speculative fiction about an alternate universe’s history could be cool but this machine is just not that far removed from a telegraph machine and sounds like it’s a pain in the ass. But perhaps I’m just so spoiled by the fact that I could get a snapchat of a strange person’s butthole from Australia instantaneously without having to operate a machine the size of a room 24/7.  You have not truly enjoyed a stranger from down under’s…down under until you’ve seen it with the leopard ear snapchat filter!
Anyway he gives Alexia a ~ Crystalline valve frequensor~ with his frequency just in case.  She puts it in a pocket on her umbrella and it’s like DAMN GIRL WHY DIDN’T YOU LEAD WITH THE FACT THE THING HAS POCKETS? THAT’S WAY COOLER! (Even if impractical for regular umbrellas.)
The three of them part ways, Alexia is planning on taking a dirigible to Scotland in order to face this humanization and save her dumb-fuck husband.
Here we switch point of views to look through Lyall’s eyes. He’s tailing Alexia for reasons and some vampires are sneaking around Lord Akeldama’s place while she was visiting. The vamps almost attack Alexia but Lyall stops them with some pow pow action.  The vampires say they were just going to ~test~ Alexia and Lyall is just like haha that’s fine, go home you kids!  Also Alexia did not notice any of this.
I mean I’m kinda glad we had a bit o’ action but this was dumb. Lyall just lets these two jackoffs go after they tried to maybe kill/kidnap/whatever his master’s wife.  Also he doesn’t tell Alexia she was nearly attacked? Cause drama later on I guess? Fuck this writing!  I take back the nice things I said about Lyall!  Lyall instead just argues that Alexia shouldn’t go to Scotland. Sure Maccon relies heavily on his superpowers for everything, but not letting him know his powers are going to be suddenly taken away by a mysterious force which maybe out of his blood will definitely be fine. I guess because it’s now Lyall’s policy to make sure everybody around him, whom he attempts to protect with his life, is unaware of the danger around them. Cool, cool.
At least this time when Alexia badgers somebody about something she’s going to do, she’s right that it makes no sense why she shouldn’t. However she unwittingly has to take along a merry batch of fuckers. You’ll hear about them in a bit.
We have a big old scene where Alexia’s mother shows up and is like, “YOUR ONE SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED THE OTHER SISTER IS SO WRACKED WITH JEALOUSY SHE’S MAKING EVERYONE MISERABLE! YOU TAKE HER!”
Oh and there’s this inconsistent writing here where Alexia’s mother is passive aggressively racist toward werewolves and Scots. Yet at the same time there are lines about how pleased Alexia’s mother is that she married a Scottish werewolf.  There’s the direct line, “It was a constant source of amazement to Alexia that the only thing she had ever done in her entire life that pleased her mama was marry a werewolf.”  I think what the author is trying to say is that Alexia’s mom was happy that Alexia married a rich and powerful man, and LOOKS PAST the fact that he’s a werewolf but still kinda hates werewolves.  However they don’t bring up that her mom is impressed with all her money and power. They just keep saying WEREWOLF THIS and WEREWOLF THAT!  They made it unnecessarily muddled here and it’s confusing, annoying, and could have been easily fixed.
In Alexia mother’s defense the only thing I’ve seen Alexia do that’s pleased me, is hit that douche werewolf over the head a bunch.
So of course, Alexia’s mother won’t take no for an answer when it comes to her sister. Therefore Alexia is saddled with generic shallow, petty, bitch blonde sister #2.  Felicity, the blonde in question, agreed to this, despite hating her sister cause she knew her sister would be surrounded by hunky werewolves.  SHE GOTTA GET A HUSBAND NOW TOO! IT’S ALL US LADY FOLKS CARE ABOUT!  Due to English custom you can’t just leave your sister in your castle to have wild gangbangs with werewolves all day and night. But I mean, considering the amount of misogyny the 3rd in command is packing? Not leaving her alone there is probably a good idea. (Also I will puke blood if Felicity and Channing become an item.)
Ivy shows up at this time as well cause I mean…Ivy has always been sexually drawn to inconvenient timing.  Don’t kink-shame her!  When Ivy hears that Tunstell will be going on the Dirigible, she pouts until Alexia just let’s her go along too, cause HAHA WHY NOT AT THIS POINT!?
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(A gif of Hillary Clinton laughing and throwing her hands up.)
So she’s taking Angelique (to dress her), Felicity (to be obnoxious in the bitchy way), Ivy (to be obnoxious in the ditsy way), and Tunstell (cause this 90lb actor will protect them all.)
OH BOY WE GOT A SMORGSEBORG OF IMPENDING WACKINESS TO CONTEND WITH!  IS THAT EXCITEMENT I HEAR OR THE CRACKING OF MY OWN GRINDING TEETH!?
Say something nice Faps:
Dang I’m having a hard time saying nice things here that aren’t simply just, “Well at least X didn’t happen!”
She uhhh tried to steampunk?
I get a masochistic tickle when Alexia’s family is around.  I dislike Alexia so I like seeing her insulted, but the cartoonish villainy of her family is hilarious to me.  It’s just so spot-on, the archetypal “BASIC SHALLOW BLONDE BITCH-SLUT TO MAKE PROTAG LOOK BETTER THAN ALL OTHER GIRLS!”  However I have yet to see an author fail so spectacularly at differentiating the evil girls from the protag. “I can’t believe all my family cares about is how they look, their social standing, and men!” Huffs Alexia, as she ponders her own romantic dalliances to the king of the Universe, in her new blue carriage dress, which has SHOOK the London fashion world to its VERY CORE!
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fluffy-critter · 2 years
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7goodangel · 7 years
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Did you ever finish the first place raffle prizes?
*slams head into table*
GOSH DANG IT - I knew I was forgetting something!
Man - I think I need to kinda explain crud since I’ve been saying ‘I”m busy’ without much detail.... 
Like - this is still just another excuse on top of excuses, and to those first place winners - I am so sorry for making you wait so long. 
Anyway - the two added excuses this round:
Me being ‘busy’ is actually a full time job o-o. Yeah! I finally found a place to work at! I really love my job and the people who work there. Can’t go into more detail than that, but I’m still trying to get used to the new schedule and figuring out how to do what I love as a hobby along with this. There’s also another event thing consuming time but that will be resolved pretty soon!
Another thing is that is more minor is that my art computer... has been acting up slightly. It is a five plus year old computer. Some parts are a little newer than that like the battery, RAM, or hard drive - but all of the other pieces are older than five years - which is O L D in technology. Due to that - it will just be slower than usual to work on that bit of stuff since I need to be more careful / cautious. 
And yeah! That’s what is happening! Thought it would be better to explain a few of the things, cause literally when I get home from work - I feel so tired that I have been only doing “Work, Eat, Sleep” for most of my days. 
Also - been discovering that I’ve honestly been remembering stuff worse than how I was remembering information in a school setting. Names, plans, items to accomplish, etc. have been slipping my mind without me making a physical note somewhere. So I really do thank you, Anon, for mentioning this. Maybe sometime in the next few weeks I can get set up and do a live stream to completing the first place prizes!
But for sure - my goal? Prior to the end of the year - the first place prizes will be completed. 
So expect more info on it soon! I just only have the time to do pencil doodles on sticky notes so hence why I wanted to do a drawing meme. Been wanting to draw but not sure what when I have limited time and supplies. 
Again - I seriously apologize for not giving out those pieces of artwork sooner... they are sketched on paper but now I just need to lineart, color, and shade them. 
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recentanimenews · 7 years
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The 10 Best Faces of Anime: 2017 Edition
The human face – one of our species' most entrancing, fascinating traits. Capable of revealing the depths of the bearer's soul or hiding a person's true intentions, the face is the external cradle of emotion, the heart's fairest and yet most complex messenger. Tonight, on NOVA...
  Just kidding! You're not here for a deep dive into the nuances of human faces and delicate insights into what the expressions we make say about who we are, what's important to us, and the human psyche – you want some gosh dang goofy anime faces, and I'm here to provide. Good anime faces are one of the medium's greatest treasures, with each new season of anime bringing with it a brand-new set of contenders reaching for the crown of best anime face. Some of these contenders bide their time, breaking out truly stellar faces for a moment of ideal impact, while others seek to make their mark with torrents faces.
  Let me tell you, it was no easy task to break down an entire year's worth of quality anime faces to a list of just ten of the best contenders, but I have tried my darndest and present before you the fruits of my labors. You can either read all the reasoning, or just look at the pictures and start yelling in the comments. Your choice! And so, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the top 10 best faces of 2017 anime!
  #10. Aguri Dies (Gamers!, Episode 3)
Gamers! (Pine Jam, Summer 2017) was sneakily good in a lot of ways, feeding us rich material on the smugness of nerd self-deprecation, touching little reflections on romance, and a late bounty of dunks on video games courtesy of my favorite character in the show – Aguri. But there was one area where Gamers! needed no subtlety: its excellent face game. Trying to narrow down the faces from this show was a truly daunting task, but this one wins out for a number of reasons. First, the mismatched combination of heavy, marker-like lines and traditional thinner lines provides an odd contrast that frames Aguri's deformed facial features – her mouth trailing off her face is probably the detail that makes the whole thing work. But the most impressive thing about this face? I don't have the foggiest clue what it was in reaction to, but it still works devoid of any context. In many ways, that's emblematic of what makes silly anime faces great – their ability to stand on their own apart from the context of their show. How about that? Weren't expecting actual analysis on silly anime faces here, were ya!
  #9. Jean's Smirk (ACCA, Episode 12)
  This shot of Jean Otus from ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. (Madhouse, Winter 2017), on the other hand, is one of the most context-rich faces in today's list. While those of you who haven't seen ACCA might be able to appreciate the smug upwards tilt of Jean's mouth and his coy eyes, the people who did watch the show have the privilege of appreciating that this smile is the culmination of an entire show's worth of political intrigue, spywork, and plotting. The twist and triumph this one smirk represents gives the audience a sort of deep satisfaction that offers an entirely different sort of appeal from the instant amusement that your typical anime face grants – and that earns it a spot on this list.
  #8. Sana's Pout (Alice & Zoroku, Episode 7)
  There's your typical anime girl pout, and then there's filling up the entire darn screen with your pouting. Leave it to an actual sulking child, like Sana from Alice & Zoroku (J.C. Staff, Spring 2017), to pull a feat like that off. In fact, Sana pulls a plethora of fantastic faces throughout the duration of Alice & Zoroku, including a ton from my personal favorite anime face genre, then > <. That being said, there's no way a pout this powerful, which conveys both her childishness and her earnest cuteness in one shot, could be anything less than the show's best face – and one of the best of the entire year.
  #7. Takao Melts (Tsuredure Children, Episode 3)
  What other sort of face are you supposed to make when a pretty girl seems like she's about to confess to your extremely low self-esteem self? It was pretty much all out war in the Tsuredure Children (Studio Gokumi, Summer 2017) camp for this spot on the list, as the show's face game was, frankly, unbelievable – with wobbly mouth smiles, tears by the gallon, blushes so numerous they probably contributed to global warming, moments of shock, embarrassment, and awkwardness galore. But Takao's face here topped them all on two specific strengths. One, his head is very round. Two, the mix of sweat, full-face blush lines, pitch-perfect pink shading, and his huge mouth are a truly phenomenal combination that make it look like he's just about to melt. #relatable.
  #6. Todoroki's Rage (My Hero Academia S2, Episode 7)
  Todoroki takes a page out of All Might's book as he storms away from Endeavor in this scene from My Hero Academia's second season (BONES, Spring 2017), complete with the intense lines and dark shadows – except, in his case, it's a face chiseled by rage instead of heroism. Pretty much everyone knows about famous BONES animator Yutaka Nakamura's contributions to Todoroki's fight, but the figure behind this epic face is anime character designer and chief animation director Yoshihiko Umakoshi. Although this shot is based on mangaka Kohei Hirokoshi's excellent original drawing, Umakoshi's distinct style still shines through in the inky lines and sharp angles. In the end, the anime version isn't hugely different from the manga version, but it's got just enough extra style to stand all on its own. You can really feel Todoroki's fury!
  #5. Drunk Chain (Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond, Episode 3)
  What's better than a sexy werewolf lady who can crush your heart with her hand while it's still in your body? How about one who can drink you under the table without batting an eye, like Chain Sumeragi from Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond (BONES, Fall 2017)? While not the most intricate offering on the list, the simple chibi-like design is actually part of the face's charm. There's a pleasing asymetry to the whole thing, what with the back-and-forth linework of her mouth and the goofy puff of her left cheek. The empty shot glass of otherworldly liquor is just the chaser that makes the face irresistible.
  #4. Gabriel's Stare Contest Face (Gabriel Dropout, Episode 10)
  I didn't watch Gabriel Dropout (Dogakobo, Winter 2017) myself, but that doesn't mean I'm not familiar with the show's inescapably good face game. The studio behind GabDro, Dogakobo, has made a name for itself doing cartoony comedies with fun animation and great faces, and Gabriel Dropout is just another in a prestigious ouvre that includes cult favorites like Love Lab, widely beloved offerings like Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, and transcendent meme shows like Himouto! Umaru-chan, but on faces alone GabDro certainly stands on level ground with the rest of the studio's productions!
  #3. Mikasa's Death Glare (Attack on Titan S2, Episode 11)
  Can an anime face be just one eye? I'm not sure, but I'm sure as hell not going to argue with Mikasa Ackerman when she's looking at Eren like that! I'm not the biggest fan the show, but this chilling moment from Attack on Titan S2 (Wit Studio, Spring 2017) got my attention in a big way simply because of how much intensity and emotion was packed into a single open eye. The much-discussed makeup animation crew (more on that here) appeared many times during Titan's second season, but I'd argue this moment is their crowning achievement – if only for how impactful and terrifying it is. 
  #2. Sagiri's Bleh (Eromanga Sensei, Episode 6)
  At this point in the list, we're well and truly into meme face territory, with Sagiri's infamous "bleh" face from the middle of Eromanga Sensei (A-1 Pictures, Spring 2017). I didn't watch the show myself, so I have basically no idea what the context is, but as we've discussed with some faces on this list already, many of the best anime faces are accomplished because they can be divorced from their shows. And, in the case of ones like this, they go on to become memes in their own right, ways of expressing emotion and feeling through our computer screens. Ah, for the face of an anime girl that expresses my true heart...
  #1. Kazuma Looks Dumb as Hell (Konosuba S2, OP)
  As much as it physically pains me not to have an Aqua screencap in this spot, was there ever any doubt that the most memorable anime face of 2017 would be this incredibly goofy Kazuma face from Konosuba S2 (Studio Deen, Winter 2017)? The face was an instant legend among the community as soon as the show aired, and went on to be discussed at length on Twitter, Reddit, and pretty much everywhere else for the entire season. As for the merits of the face itself, the bulging eyes, tiny pupils, streaming tears, garbled mouth, the general upwards slant of everything including Kazuma's hair, and the hilarity of the moment itself all pull together to make the best anime face of 2017.
  And with that, I sincerely apologize for the fact that I could not fit more anime faces into this post. As a token of my regret, here is a small album of some of the runners-up that I compiled for you all. With that out of the way, it's time to hear from you guys! What was your favorite anime face of the year, and which anime had the best overall face game? Chime in down there in the comments!
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Isaac eases his compulsive need to write about anime on his blog, Mage in a Barrel. He also sometimes hangs out on Tumblr, where he mainly posts his drawing practice as he seeks to become a renowned idol and robot fanartist. You can follow him on Twitter at @iblessall or on Facebook.
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