#But I really like how they came out so here they are preview style

[somegrumpynerd]

More contextless scribbles of the boys

[milverton]

ART SCAM ALERT

So, I've now been approached multiple times by "artists" who want me to commission art from them. Here's the pattern:

A new blog follows you. Their blog description looks something like this:

Their blog is relatively new. They don't have the browser version of the blog available, so you can't access the archive to easily see how old the blog is, but every time I've been contacted the blog has been only a few days old at that point and I've been able to easily scroll back to the first post. They've reblogged some random stuff and fanart of their chosen fandom. They might have even posted a few things as their art. However, they usually do not have a post detailing anything about their commission rates.

The blogger gets in touch either almost immediately after following or a few days later.

They don't share any price list and they aren't interested in the offer to reblog their works or commission info (because they don't have any on their blog). They will, however, send you example works when asked. It's already kinda weird to be approached like this, but this is where my alarm bells really started going off.

The example art pieces are all slightly or even drastically different in style and skill level. Some have a preview grid watermark over them, except the preview watermark is different between the art pieces. Some actually say preview and one might have the blogger's username. Others have no watermarks whatsoever. Some of the art looks like it might be AI-generated while others might be stolen art. When scrolling these people's blogs I came across some pieces they posted as their own that I managed to find out actually belonged to some other artists and had the original artist's watermark removed.

When confronted, they swear at you like a pissy baby and block you.

So some signs to be wary of: "artist's" art is stylistically very different from one another, the skill level varies a lot between pieces, the image quality is bad (grainy), there might be a suspicious smudge somewhere at a closer look (erased watermark). The blog is new and there is (next to) no original art. They do not have an information post about commissions with examples of art and prices.

I don't really know what can be done, but just be wary of people who suddenly approach you and try to sell you commissions.

[waughymommy]

COLLEGE STUDENT IN DIAPER 🧷

Chapter 6

"Willy, now that we're done cleaning, how about you take Evelyn out for the day, you can use our car." Said Aunt Kathy.

She handed me the keys to her Ford Fusion, not a cool car but then it isn't something even less out of style. I though.

"Thank you! I said as did Evelyn.

We both showered and changed our clothes to something more appropriate for a date and not cleaning.

As I was in changing my clothes, Aunt Kathy came in. 

"Willy, I, a, think it would be better if you were both diapered for your date. Evelyn is already in her diapers. I know you won't touch her until she is older, but I'm not sure I trust her with you. She thinks you are just perfect!"

I knew from her tone  of voice, that she wasn't really asking me but telling me.

She got into my diaper drawer as I was calling it now. She oiled and powdered me up, then put my diapers on, she slid the plastic pants up and then I heard a distinct "click."

"What the heck was that Aunt Kathy?"

"That's the locking mechanism, John Jr. used to take his off so we got locking plastic panties for him. Don't worry, Evelyn has the same type that you have just as clear as your panties."

I was lucky that my Jean's fit over my diaper, just verily!

I met Evelyn in the hall she was in a dress it was just an inch or two above her knees. I had to admit her legs were shapely and she was hot!

"Wow! I said, you're beautiful!"

"Glad you finally noticed!" She said with a smile.

I took her to the car and being the gentleman I am I opened the door for her. Getting in her dress rode up and I saw that Aunt Kathy was right. Evelyn was diapered just like I was.

After getting in I asked "Where the best place in town to get good food?" 

"Well, that all depends on how much you want to spend. There is Gerards, it's like $150 a plate! She said.

Then there is Applebee's, Red Lobster, and loads of McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bells."

"Red Lobster, where is it at?" I asked?

"It's the closest one, about 2 to 3 blocks away. She said

Turn left here. She said. Right on the next corner. We were there.

We went in and it wasn't very busy yet and were were in and out, still cost about $90.

We went another block or two and we were at the theater, this was in the opposite direction of the college.

We went in and she told me the movie she wanted to watch.

We got our popcorn, drinks and found our seats.

The movie hadn't started when two other girls came.

"Is this your boyfriend that you told us about Evelyn?" One of the girls asked?

"Yes Yolanda, yes Heather, this is Willy Sanders, we have been friends since I can remember!"

I thought they would move to another seat or two a ways away but they stayed. 

We sat there and soon the lights dimmed and the previews started they also had little trivia, some of it was just to easy like, "The line, Play it again Sam! came from which movie. "Casablanca!" I said. Twenty seconds later "Casablanca!" came up. 

They had another preview. Another trivia game came up. This time I didn't know it. I looked and all three girls were looking at me. The answer came up and it was some movie I was not familiar with it was Papillion or something like that.

Then the movie started, I was surprised Evelyn gave me her hand to hold in the dark. After the movie was going and she looked at he friends and they were engrossed in the movie. She moved her hand down and laid her hand and felt my diaper through my Levi's. The smile on her face said it all!

[traumawhomst]

So Vampires, I won’t lie I love a platonic yandere vampire sire so much.

(1,250 words)

He sees you at your minimum wage job and at first just brushes you off as just another boring human. Then he notices the colors on your bracelet, school colors for a very expensive and exclusive school, a few (human) businesses partners he knew sent their children to that school and none of them worked for minimum wage on their free time. Between the bracelet, the callouses on your hands, and the way your eyes seemed dark and sunken, he knew everything. He left without much thought, telling himself that he didn’t care about some random human and their poor tragic life.

He told himself it was just curiosity when he looked up the current class list, (you can find anything with enough time and money) and found your name. Even in just the school photos you stuck out like a sore thumb, a wildflower in an otherwise perfectly manicured garden. A little further digging revealed you were an amazing student, even if your grades weren’t always perfect. You clearly had talent and a strong work ethic.

It’s just curiosity that makes him dig further, finding your admissions essay, in his office, finding himself smiling at some points, quietly charmed by your choice of words and styling of your essay. It had been a risk that had clearly paid off. He liked those willing to take risks, reminded him of himself when he was younger.

He might as well look further, finding your freelance writing which he poured over in chronological order a growing sense of pride in your progress over the years. Finding your work made him stumble upon your personal life.

Family, but not close, which seemed to be the theme for everyone in it. Did they know about your accomplishments? Did they even care?

He’s not very surprised when he follows you home and sees you living in a studio in an apartment with paper walls, living on a diet of instant noodles and whatever soda was cheapest for that week. How could you study living like this? You seemed to only ever work or study, taking every shift you could just to make enough to afford something a little filling than instant noodles. Surely you’re not at your best, he can’t help but wonder what you could produce given proper resources.

His colleagues laugh when he defends it all as just curiosity, and he decides to approach you in person to finally get over this little, inquiry to rest.

But you look so tired when you smile at him, you’re trying so hard to maintain the smile and he’s wondering when the last time you smiled and he realizes then, as he nods along to your explanation about whatever item he picked up, that he hadn’t seen you smile once in a week of watching you.

He could smell your blood and did his best to hide the scrunching of his nose. Wildly anemic and deficient in every vitamin and mineral that a human needed to stay upright. It set him on edge, wondering about the strain on your body it must have. Humans were so fragile already, how long could you live like this?

The thought of you dying sent a bolt of panic through him. You were young, talented, and hardworking you deserved time to flourish and grow.

It would take a few months for all the necessary paperwork to be complete and in that time he slowly builds a sort of friendship with you.

On your end an older man, (whose eye color you could never remember) started to come in at least once a week. He was sweet in a way you hadn’t expected, happy to talk about any book he or you had brought. That’s when you really noticed him, when he came in holding your favorite book. He hadn’t read it yet, and was happy to hear your small preview and talk about the major themes in it. He always managed to come in when it was slow and for some reason no one ever approached you when you two talked.

He’d said he owned a bookstore, (more than one you imagined from the amount of first editions he causally walked around with) but was visiting here for business. He told you that when you refused to take one of his very expensive first edition he tried to give you. He only relented when you explained that your apartment was rather damp and you knew that it would only degrade the book over time. Next week he showed up with the newest edition, and refused to leave with it. Really you’re doing him a favor, he’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

He wasn’t scary either, he always had this air about him that was calming. Something that made you relax and trust him, and in the few months you met him he’d never done anything make you doubt your trust in him.

He’d brought you a book to read with an immortal character in it, and asked what you’d ever take the chance if offered. The thought of being stuck in your life forever or any life really made you sick to your stomach. No you’d rather accept that your life would be finite and told him you thought life would be meaningless if you were immortal.

And for the first time, something new quickly twitch across his face. Anger? Disappointment? After months of friendly banter and discussion it was almost a slap in the face of the reality of it all. You didn’t know him, or his motives. The look only lasts a moment, before shifting to his pleasant neutral again, but you still saw it. You pretended for the rest of the conversation until he leaves. You request to a new work schedule when you finished for the day.

He on the other hand was practically spinning about it. He should have been ready for this sort of answer, but he wasn’t. He’d had the conversation played a million times in his head, and you always agreed on it being a gift. He rationalized that you simply couldn’t understand it, given time you could be persuaded to see differently.

He showed up, ready to talk with you only to find out (through a heavy layer of compulsion) that you’d changed your hours to avoid Him. Time to move forward with the plan it seemed.

He found you one late night as you walked to your apartment and something about him made the hairs on the back of your neck stand-up.

He offered to walk you home, and you finally put your foot down and told him to leave you alone, as politely as you could muster. But you couldn’t seem to actually speak any of the words. What were you trying to say again?

He happily chatters on about how excited he is to show you your home, one arm around you steering you to some place you didn’t recognize. But every time you tried to say something you’d forget a little more of what was going on.

He didn’t really want it to do it this way, he told himself as he guides you in the deep state of compulsion you’re in. He wanted to win you over with the idea, to gladly accept his offer, to see it as the gift it was. But he could also admit to himself watching you try and fight the compulsion and fail, it was adorable to see the stubbornness that you had, it’d serve you well in your new life.

[gawkingatyourface]

Sweetest Tail | Preview

summary: A new recruit, Sas joined the Hazbin Hotel after the extermination which made Charlie so happy that she was jumping with joy. This new recruit took the whole crew to their only family that was outside of Pentagram City. Not realizing what they were getting into or more like whom they'll meet.

pairing: Lucifer x reader , Alastor x reader , Azrael x reader

warnings: angst, swearing, violence

notes: hi guys! this is my side blog for Hazbin Hotel stories hehe I've been so obsessed with the show as well as the songs. Just everything about it, pulled me in lol anyway, this is just a little preview of a story I'm working on. Hope you guys like it! Let me know if it's good or not hehe

"Are we almost there toots? We've been walking for who knows how long?!" Angel complained as Husk chuckled beside them.

"We are. Just a few more." The new recruit named Sas said back as he looked around to see a familiar building.

Well the only building in the middle of no where.

Everyone looked at the building before looking at Sas with curious and judgmental looks.

He turned back at them and rolled his eyes.

"It might look bad from the outside but inside it's way better. Haven't you guys ever heard of not judging a book from its cover."

"Don't read books."

"Nope."

"What's a book?"

Sas raised an eyebrow at them and shook his head.

"Come on. She's waiting for us."

That caught Charlie's attention.

"She? Are we here for another recruit?"

Sas shook his head.

"I don't think she wants to redeem herself to heaven. She hates heaven for a reason that I can't tell you."

"Oh..."

That made Charlier sad as Vaggie comforted her.

"She's also my big sister so flirting is off limits." He said towards Angel whom just laughed and stick their tongue out at him.

"Well, he's got a point." Husk commented which Angel glared at him.

Alastor was quiet as he had never heard of this place. He eyed the place with suspicious as he kept silent. He even glanced to see Lucifer even curious about this place. He figured that he didn't know this place as well.

The King of Hell didn't know of this place, how odd.

Sas stood in front of the door and glanced at everyone for a second before he opened the door to reveal a well, styled place.

A café.

Multiple types of demons were chatting away their lives, not caring whom had came in.

Everyone was astonished at how well designed this place was. It was old fashioned. With paintings and sculptures all around the area. There was a small bar on the right side of the place. On the far left corner, there was a small stage that someone was performing with a piano which gave the whole place the old times vibes.

Alastor really liked it. It reminded him back when he was a human.

Charlie was amazed at how everyone was so chill and collected.

No bloodshed. No violence.

Just calm and enjoyment.

Vaggie also liked at how calm the environment was. She could breathe in peace and not worry about protecting Charlie and the rest.

Angel thought the place was cool and stuff but their eyes were definitely on the bar and the variety of drinks they had.

Even Husk was astonished at the bar choices.

Niffty was on Alastor' shoulder before dropping to the ground. Her expressions about the place was hilarious. She eyed the whole place like a little girl in a field trip. So excited to explore the whole place for roaches.

"This place is amazing! Where are the roaches?!"

Sas managed to grab her before she ran all over the place and caused a rukus.

"Calm down Niffty. I'll let my sister know first for you to find the roaches."

"Yay! Where is she?! I need to kill them roaches!"

Sas shook his head before he handed Niffty to Angel and made his way to the bar.

Lucifer stood beside Charlie as he was amazed at the place interior design. It felt homey. So comfy and relaxing. It somewhat warmed his heart.

Sas nodded at the bartender and went back to the group.

"She'll be here in a bit. While we wait, let's go sit and get some drinks."

"Whoo! Finally!" Angel said as they all went to a table on the far end of the place.

"So what's this sister of yours like Sas?" Charlie asked as she sat beside Vaggie.

"Yeah, you make her sound so mysterious."

"As long as she doesn't kill us."

Before Sas could say anything, a angelic voice was heard.

"I don't think killing my little brother's friends would do me any good."

Everyone turned around to see a rather exquisite creature in front of them. Aside from Sas that looked at her with a big smile and teary eyes.

Standing in front of them was [Y/N], a nine tailed fox that was wearing a rather comfy dress with rested above her knees. Her eyes staring at each face with curiosity and interest.

Just like they were all looking at her with interest especially two of them.

Lucifer and Alastor.

They couldn't keep their eyes off of her. It was like she was hypnotizing them with just her eyes.

"[Y/N]!"

Sas yelled out as he got up and ran towards her; hugging her so tight.

She giggled at his excitement as she wrapped her arms around him tightly. She surely did miss him.

"Well, is it just me or you've gotten handsomer since the last time I saw you? Was it a year ago or so?"

Sas nodded as he hugged her tighter. He had missed her so much.

She smiled down at him as she stroked his hair with care and loving.

Charlie looked at her with big, sparkling eyes especially at the sigh of her nine tails. She had never seen anyone with so many tails. They looked so amazing.

"Her tails are gorgeous." She whispered to Vaggie whom nodded at her in agreement.

"You must be Charlie."

Charlie froze as she noticed that she had been staring too long at her tails that she didn't realize that she just spoke to her. She quickly got up and bowed at her.

"Yes I am!"

[Y/N]'s eyes widen before giggled at how adorable Charlie was acting.

"There's no need to bow Charlie. After all, you are the Princess of Hell. It's an honor for you to visit my place." [Y/N] said with grace as she slightly bowed since Sas was still hugging her.

"Well, Sas wanted us to meet you. He said that he really missed you and I wanted to have a conversation with you as well."

That caught [Y/N]'s attention.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all as well and what would you like to discuss with me?"

She patted Sas head for him to let her go as they both went to sit down. She sat on the empty chair between Lucifer and Alastor which Sas didn't like at all. He pouted as he sat beside Angel.

Lucifer gasped a bit as he glanced to see [Y/N] up close which made her even more beautiful in his eyes. The way she carried herself was something that attracted him to her but his face turned to a glare as he noticed the Radio Demon looking at her as well.

Alastor kept his eyes on her with a big smile on his face. Yet, this smile was different from his usual one. It was softer, like he had fallen in love at first sight yet he denied it. He had a plan and goal to get his soul back. That was all he needed. He didn't have time to fall for someone like her. There's no way.

But he couldn't help but keep his eyes on her, watching her every move especially her tails.

They looked so soft. He had the urge to touch them. He even had the idea that if she lets him touch her, he'd gladly let her touch his. His eyes widen at the realization at what he was thinking as he glanced away from her, not wanting anyone to notice his infatuation with her.

But one did.

And they weren't happy at all.

The King of Hell had been glaring at the Radio Demon. Alastor couldn't help but smirk back at him as if it was a competition which they both decided that it was.

"Well, it's mostly about my dream to help my people. I'm sure Sas has told you about the Hazbin Hotel."

[Y/N] nodded.

"Well, it's a hotel for sinners to redeem themselves so they can have a better life and possibly go to Heaven."

As Charlie went on about her dream and the improvement that everyone has been doing; [Y/N] was lost in thought about her idea. It did seem like a good idea but knowing how Heaven is especially Adam and Sera; it wasn't gonna happen.

Everyone wanted to go up to Heaven because of the paradise yet for some it wasn't worth it.

It was quiet for a bit until [Y/N] felt a spark from someone touching her hand-well more like both her hands which got her out of her mind and blinked several times to bring her back.

"[Y/N], you alright?"

Before she could say anything, she glanced to see that Lucifer and Alastor were the ones that awoken her. She gave them a small smile but that quickly disappeared as she felt a presence that she hadn't felt in a while.

A long time.

She knew that Lucifer was sitting next to her whom couldn't take his eyes off her along with the wide smiled guy that was sitting next to him.

No this was someone else.

Someone that she's been trying to hide from.

Her eyes widen at the realization as she quickly got up which got everyone's attention.

"You all need to-"

A loud crash was heard at the front door which made everyone gasp as they all stood up.

[Y/N] looked at the bartender and gave him a signal which he returned as he took several of the customers to the back door for safety. Just from the explosion, she automatically knew who it was.

It was him. For sure.

"Sis, what's going on?" Sas said as he gripped onto her hand tightly, not knowing what was going on.

"I need you to take your friends out of here. Someone is here and they don't take lightly-"

"Oh sweet [Y/N]...are you here darling?" A mocking, sweet voice was heard.

One that she knew so well that she got chills all over her body.

Lucifer stood up as well, knowing that voice as well. He didn't believe that he'd be here. He couldn't be.

"There's no way that.."

"It is him."

She answered him, not even looking at him.

Lucifer's eyes widen as he looked at [Y/N] whom was looking straight ahead in a glare.

"How is that...why is he even here?"

[Y/N] kept silent as the cloud of dust started to disappear to reveal the person that they were talking about.

"My sweet [Y/N], oh how I've missed you."

The voice got deeper as the view got clearer.

"Dad, what is going on? Who is that?"

Lucifer stood beside [Y/N] as he couldn't answer Charlie, he was too shocked at whom was in front of him.

"Oh my, we have some company. How fun. Guess this will make my work even easier." The figure revealed to be Azrael, the Angel of Death.

"Azrael."

Hearing her say his name made his smile wider as he took steps closer to her.

"How lovely your voice sounds when you say my name, wifey."

Everyone was shocked.

WIFEY?!

...

[hellionyura]

Jackunzel Animatic: Wherever You Are

Hi fellow Jackunzel shippers! I have something exciting to share!! I just made an animatic for Jackunzel. You can watch here: https://youtu.be/V8ey7SKI9_8

And a little preview:

Please give it a like and share if you could, it would really make my dreams come true to have more people watch my creations! <3

Anyways heavy texts below if you're interested to hear my ramblings thoughts while making this animatic: (Contains a little spoiler if you haven't watched the animatic yet so go watch it right now! Hehe)

This idea came to me in January 2023, when I heard the song 'Wherever You Are' by Kodaline. It was about finding each other and I related to how Jackunzel has two different appearances, and so I made them go through different lifetimes, and how they always find each other in each one. Also huge shoutout to @justinepush for inspiring me with this cute animatic.

1st life: Human Jack & Magic Hair Rapunzel

In their first lifetime, the story roughly follows the original Rapunzel's fairytale, where the witch found out that Rapunzel has been seeing the Prince secretly, and banished her from the tower, then threw the Prince out of the tower, landing on a bed of thorns below, thus blinding him. They managed to find each other years later, reunited with their twin children. In this animatic though, they both lost their lives to the thorns, and Gothel was shocked/surprised not because she was worried about Rapunzel, but because her treasured golden hair is no longer usable. So in this one, Jack was either a Noble from Corona Kingdom, or a Prince from a neighbouring kingdom?

2nd Life: Guardians Jack & Rapunzel

Rapunzel was chosen as a Guardian, with healing powers. I don't have much thought on her center, it was probably something along the lines of Guardian of Wish/Longing because of how Rapunzel's wish in Tangled was made true by herself (with the help of Flynn yeah but she was the one who initiated it).

I needed a simple design for her Guardian appearance so I whipped up something quickly:

3rd Life: High School students

They're both normal humans now, and meeting by coincidence, not confronting any dangers or whatever, so hopefully they can take it easy now and enjoy each other's company for a long time :)

I think it's interesting to note that they may not remember each other from their previous lives, but something does click when they meet each other. But I leave that interpretation up to you. They can also remember each other if you want ^3^

The only pairing I haven't touched is Guardian Jack and Brown-haired Rapunzel. I'll whip up something for those two in the future probs so look out!

This whole animatic took me a whole month, but of course the planning and conception was cut short because I wrote down the main plot back during its inception in January 2023. While drawing each picture, I would always lose confidence saying things like "yeah this isn't going to work out" or "aahhh this looks trash no one will like this" or "maybe i should just stop now because this didn't turn out as amazing as I thought it would be", and I had to take care of myself before burning out and quitting it altogether. I also lost confidence because my style is so anime-like, I thought people wouldn't like it since it's way different from the studio's artstyle, but anywayss...

This was my first animatic and deciding to draw 60 different coloured illustrations wasn't a good idea for a first-timer, but I kept going because even if people won't like it, I'll just do it for myself.

This was a long post, but whewww. I'll probably draw some fanarts of their High School AU. Thanks for reading! (If you actually reached here lol)

[felassan]

Snippets from shinobi602, cut for length.

Comment made after the character trailer, before the gameplay reveal:

"I know I sound like a broken record at this point but I'd really wait for the gameplay footage before writing it off. I agree that the tone of the trailer isn't how I would have personally revealed the game lol. But it's definitely a mature story...(with classic DA humor of course) I think people will come around when they see it in motion." [source]

Comment made before the gameplay reveal:

"I just got a sneak peak at the gameplay being shown on Tuesday. A small sample, but enough to get a good taste. It feels like a much better Inquisition to me. Absolutely not Fortnite or Overwatch." [source]

Comment made before the gameplay reveal:

User: "Maybe this gameplay showcase is going to show us all the character creator options, the RPG mechanics and skill trees, the expansive dialogue choices you can make, the minute to minute gameplay and how the world works." Shinobi: "You won't get all of that. But it's a solid chunk. This is just the first step in a long several months ahead. They have to save stuff for more beats down the road too or else you run out of gas lol." [source]

Comment made before the gameplay reveal:

User: "Very excited to see a glimpse into that for the gameplay reveal, hoping the game's beginning is as memorable as the other entries" Shinobi: "It is a massive boost in quality for the series. I'm not talking art style or anything, but just in terms of sheer quality and technical fidelity. Really hard to keep my tongue bitten lol, but I'm excited to see what everyone thinks tomorrow." [source]

Comment made after the gameplay reveal was teased:

"Yup, that's what it looks like, but there's so much more goodness. Looks amazing imo." [source]

Comment made before the gameplay reveal:

"it feels like the ME2 of Dragon Age." [source]

Comment made before the gameplay reveal:

"Oh just wait. The hair tech is phenomenal in this. Even I was thinking "aye is this a Bioware game!?" lol." [source]

Comment made before the gameplay reveal:

"They look different but to be honest the more you see them, the more you get used to it. I love the way Harding looks now. It's more stylized, but also a huge boost in technical fidelity in Frostbite." [source]

Comment made after the gameplay reveal, before the press who saw the demos at SGF shared about what they saw:

"Pretty much every person I've talked to across a dozen different media outlets, ~95%'ish, has walked out of the private demo sessions with glowing praise." [source]

-

"I don't mean there aren't any open ended areas to explore. But it's a tight game, with a focus on not wasting the player's time with bloat. They took a lot of that feedback from Inquisition." [source] [re: the game not being open world in design]

-

One preview from a large outlet basically boils down to 'Bioware is back'. [source]

-

"I'm optimistic. From conversations I've had, they are genuinely serious in trying to make a Bioware classic here. They do not want a repeat of Andromeda or Anthem. I can only go based off what I've heard obviously - haven't played it. We all have our opinions on the combat, but they learned a lot of hard lessons since Inquisition, taken a lot of feedback to heart, and want this to feel like that tight, structured high quality experience we used to get from them. Andromeda and Anthem came in hot at launch. I felt some warning signs before those came out, but here? Right now they're just polishing. It's all polish from here to release. I'm really hoping this is the start of their return to form. That team's been through a lot, I hope it works out for the best." [source]

-

User: "I think there certainly is a decent contingent of legitimate dissatisfaction or concern around the game, but I'm not sure that that's an overwhelming segment, but I do think it's something BioWare in EA should not and cannot ignore." Shinobi: "They've definitely taken notice. There's a lot more to show between now and launch." [source]

-

"One thing I'm particularly happy about and can't get over is how much better the hair rendering is. It might be a small thing to some but it looks incredible. It's in another stratosphere compared to DAI." [source]

-

"Everyone in the previews was gushing about how robust the CC is in Veilguard so there might be a decent chance to make some wild Qunari designs." [source]

On the Next Mass Effect:

"ME will look very, very good. Don't worry." [source]

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Oh Heart Killers, please save me from this crappy week.

Damn, Bison! Effective, but cold.

I wish we could hear Thanon's internal dialogue here. "Wait, killing people?!?! Keen, I thought you were an admin!!!!".

Lol, Style being all "awww" at the hug.

Khaotung is so good at playing a little rage-ball.

You can feel his hurt boiling under the skin.

Ugh, trying to negotiate with the police. I know Kant has to if Fadel and Bison are going to escape prison time, but blech.

Jojo, you naughty boy, we all know why you keep giving Peter shirtless scenes.

Bitch, Kant didn't want to work with you in the first place! You blackmailed him! Don't act like he's an employee who failed you.

Wait...they just tied up this important businessman and handled him to the police? Lolol. Romcom logic, gotta love it.

Oh good, Style is with me.

Also, we have confirmation that Style has more than one friend!

Fadel, I am going to try and not be personally insulted by you calling yourself an "old man" in 20 years. But for the record, people in their 40s fucking rock. And you and Style are going to be hella hot 40-year-olds.

Heh, the way Fadel just immediately gets soft & squishy when Style is romantic.

In the category of "lines that you don't really think about at first, and then hit like a ton of bricks":

Wait, "only child"? Is that a translation thing, or did Bison just say "I never really bought into this whole adopted brother thing"?

I am laughing at how Kant is struggling to hide his discomfort, and Style is just totally fine. Of course he's a natural.

Um, he does need to work on his sleight of hand skills though. Not subtle.

Ok, I'm dying that Lilly apparently had all of this footage conveniently sitting around in her files, but I do still love Kant's line delivery here.

And Joong once again destroying me with his performance.

I AM NOT WELL

Oof, that was powerful stuff. Joong and Khao are killing it.

Noooo, I don't want my babies in jail! But yeah, I figured school bribery wasn't going to be enough incentive against Christ being able to claim he solved a bunch of murders. Also - "I always keep my word" - bullshit, my dude.

Paaaaiiiin

Pure pain.

Oh, you little liar Bison! If you came out and found Kant with someone else, that man would be beyond dead.

I want to taking in the seriousness of this scene, but also I am deeply distracted by Fadel's hand massaging Style's thigh.

"I want to be a good man who deserves everything you do for me"; well just punch me in the heart, why don't you.

Waaaah, this is so brutal!

Fadel has a dad now! And dad says Marriage Equality!

10 Things tribute time!

I love doting Fadel so much.

Bison traumatizing a child tracks.

Oh god, Fadel was digging his own grave. I am not ok.

On the other hand, this does explain how he gets along so well with drama-queen Style. They are really well-suited.

They are just so lovely together.

And love Fadel being in his green space with his green boyfriend. How he feels at peace both in that location and with that man.

Aw, I like the White Elephant Path, can we start using that?

Love the full circleness of coming back to the place of their first hookup, but with the emotional intimacy that wasn't there before.

Style wasn't a safe person in the circle before, but now Fadel doesn't need the circle, because he has Style.

Oh Fadel, you still don't see how worth fighting for (or waiting for) you are.

Hmm, burgers don't quite work for the whole romantic-feeding-one-another thing, do they?

Hehe, Kant wants to be marked by his dom.

Koala Khaotung

And again with the green!

Aww, their little talks to each other are so delightfully character-specific.

Do you think First tapped into feelings about being parted from Khaotung for Kant's tears? I think he did.

Oh no, Style sobbing is going to break me.

Omg, that preview for next week! Only this show could add romcom shenanigans to a jail sentence, lolol.

[ae-azile]

As Long as I Can Travel this World with You: Chapter 6 Preview

Read Chapters 1-5 here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63338335

Fadel is aware they have only been back for two days. On top of that, Style did disclose that he recently accepted a high paying project. Fadel should have been more prepared for Style to dive right into that. He should have known that he would. Changing Style’s workaholic ways was never going to be some overnight success just because he agreed to slow down at the race track and try to find a suitable replacement. If he even does that.

“You're pouting,” Bison says from across the table, picking a fry off their shared plate.

“I'm not,” Fadel lies.

Bison sighs, but reaches over to pat Fadel’s hand, “Tell me more about your trip! You guys seemed like you had a great time from the pictures you both posted. You came back overly affectionate and made out the entire time Kant and I drove you home because you're both assholes. You barely answered any of our questions then, so I want to hear all about it now. What did you do? Break it down day by day.”

“Uh…” Fadel starts, “We got in late on Thursday. Just got a late dinner. On Friday-”

“Style serenaded you, made you cry, and you both went viral?” Bison asks with a grin.

Fadel scoffs at that, “I didn't cry.”

“You did.”

“Did not.”

“I saw tears, Fadel!” Bison claims, “You might not have let them fall, but they were shining in your eyes! You're so emotional and sensitive now. It's sweet.”

“...I'm not,” Fadel says with a scowl, then looks back down at his food, “I'm not telling you any more about the trip.”

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Bison says quickly, “You weren’t crying. You were completely stoic. Tell me more.”

Fadel studies him for a moment, then silently accepts his brother’s apology, “We went to breakfast at The Parisian, then went to The Grand Prix Museum. I figured Style would like that.”

“Did he try to serenade you there too?” Bison asks with a grin.

“No,” Fadel says, “Mainly because I stopped him. People kept stopping and pointing at us, so I think it was feeding his ego and impulsivity. He didn't get to put on a last second show for their benefit.”

“Aw,” Bison says, “It would have been for your benefit, Fadel! No one else’s. What else did you do?”

“That first full day, we mainly went and explored different resorts, shopped, and gambled some before going to an acrobat show,” Fadel says, then meets Bison’s gaze, “I'm better at it than Style is. I won a lot more.”

“Oh yeah?” Bison asks, sounding intrigued, “How much did you win?”

“Fifty-five thousand Macanese Patacas over the course of the trip” Fadel says, then takes another fry as Bison pulls out his phone, “I offered to give it to Style. So he could slow down. Take a break.”

“Pretty sure he doesn't need the money, man,” Bison says with a snort before his eyes widen, “But shit! That's a lot! Almost 230,000 baht! How much were you betting?! Which games?!”

“Baccarat and Poker when I got the chance,” Fadel says, “We didn't gamble much. We were too busy doing other things. I was careful. I didn't bet too big and mainly stuck with betting on the house, but it ended up working out and I got lucky on a few slots too. One of them doubled what I earned playing the other games. I won that Monday morning. I woke up really early and…Even though Style told me he wasn't taking a break, I thought…If I won over what I suggested, he might…I don't know.”

Bison stays quiet as Fadel rests his head in his hands before reaching over to touch his arm.

“So you talked to him about this?”

Fadel nods, “The night before I doubled my earnings. I asked him if I managed to make 50,000 Macanese Patacas in profit, if he could take a couple of months off. We have a lot in our savings. He wouldn't even need it. We have enough to take time off. But if it helped him feel better, I would give it to him. He said no.”

“I’m sure he explained a little better than that,” Bison says gently.

He did. Technically. But it doesn't feel like it matters at the moment, not when Style is working late for the second night in a row. So Fadel just shrugs and doesn't explain what Style’s reasoning was at all.

“He wants to save up for a lot of stuff,” Bison says, “That house he's designed in his head, for one. And he wants to have money to invest in more restaurants you might open-”

“I have potential investors reaching out about secondary locations,” Fadel cuts in.

“Right, but you mentioned once you might want to design and open another restaurant with a different menu and theme,” Bison says, “I remember! You mentioned a brunch cafe with healthy, locally sourced ingredients and a blend of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes-”

“I said that because I would be able to work the breakfast and lunch shift, then go home early,” Fadel says stubbornly, “I was hoping it would make Style say he would change his hours too.”

“Damn,” Bison says, chuckling, “Opening an entire restaurant and coming up with a new menu and schedule all to get your man home at a decent hour. You really love him.”

“Yeah,” Fadel murmurs, “I love him. I just wish he loved me.”

“Fadel,” Bison says, his voice becoming stern, “You’re being awfully dramatic for only having one beer. He does love you. Okay? He loves you so much it's sickening. Every time I hang out with him, he doesn't shut up about you. We have to talk about you the entire time. And you know how he is. His demeanor can be contagious, and then I find myself gushing about you with him. Do you know how gross that is for me? But it happens almost every time, us cooing over how cute you are-”

“Do you think he's a workaholic?” Fadel cuts in, picking up his phone again.

“Duh,” Bison says, only for Fadel to shake his head.

“I mean clinically,” Fadel says, searching on his phone, “It says here there is a high correlation between ADHD and workaholism due to impulsivity - which can lead to the inability to say no. Hyperfocusing behaviors also play heavily into that kind of addiction, and we know Style hyperfocuses. He gets so sucked into enjoyable projects that he loses track of time. And this also mentions that people with ADHD can perceive themselves as inadequate and compensate for those feelings by overworking. See?”

“Oh, boy,” Bison says with a sigh, glancing at the phone, “You're researching and diagnosing.”

Fadel takes the phone out of his hands, “Because I'm trying to understand him to avoid getting upset with him.”

“Okay,” Bison says before shrugging his shoulders, “But I can't see Style viewing himself as inadequate. He's way too confident and sassy.”

That's true. But Style does have his moments.

“He did say he would never be as handsome as me when we were at Guia Hill,” Fadel says quietly, “Which isn't true.”

“You're both equally handsome, I agree,” Bison says before quickly moving on, “But Guia Hill is where you saw the ghost, right? That's what Style said in the group chat. Full bodied apparition of guard, giggling in one of the forbidden tunnels, that's amazing! Can we talk about that instead?”

“No,” Fadel says before Ria comes over and asks if they need anything. She doesn't particularly have to wait on them. Fadel has told his wait staff multiple times that he can go and get his and his guests’ own refills and food, even if they're swamped. But Ria is pretty new. She's only been working here a few months. On top of that, she's young. She's been in and out of juvie, aged out of the foster system, and is seven months pregnant. He's pretty sure she is overcompensating in order to prove her worth, even though he has told her to chill out multiple times.

“Ai, Ria,” Bison says, straightening up as she comes over and fills their water, “You don't need to wait on us. Take a break.”

“I'm alright, P’Bison!” Ria says cheerfully, but then puts the pitcher down, “Khun Fadel-”

“You do not have to call me that,” Fadel says to her, only for her to dismiss it.

“Khun Fadel, P’Phon taught me more sign in the kitchen!” she says excitedly, then picks up her hands,”Hello! Nice to meet you. Table 3 wants one cheeseburger, one chicken dinner, and two side garden salads.”

“Ah,” Fadel says, giving her a smile and a nod, “That's really good. It will help when talking with P’Phon and Ai’Klao.”

“I also have an app to learn more at home,” Ria says, then picks up their fries, “I’ll get you more.”

Fadel clears his throat, “Ria, that's alright-”

But Ria is already on her way to the kitchen. Bison watches her for a moment before looking at Fadel again.

“Did you threaten to fire her or something?”

“Of course not,” Fadel says, “I told her I would make sure she gets six months of fully paid maternity leave if she wanted to take time to relax soon and she cried. I thought it was out of gratitude and then she asked me if she was doing a bad job and if I wanted her out of the way.”

Bison snorts at that, “What did she do again? She seems too sweet to be an ex-felon.”

Fadel glances around, then pulls out his phone again.

Fadel: Technically not a felon. All her stuff is juvenile. But she was aware that more in depth background checks may pick up inconsistencies and decided to be honest with me about her history since she heard I hire reformed criminals.

Bison: So what did she do?

Fadel: She has run of the mill stuff like truancy charges from a few years ago, as well as a history of defiance against police officers. Her biggest offense is setting her foster father’s car on fire a few months before coming here. She spent a few weeks in jail and got out on a technicality.

Bison stares at him in disbelief before typing in his response.

Bison: How the fuck did she get out on a technicality for arson?!

Fadel breathes out, but goes ahead and types out the short story.

Fadel: A surprisingly great public defender who demanded a prenatal paternity test. Her foster father is the father of the baby and she was seventeen and in his care at the time. He immediately dropped the charges in hopes she would stay quiet and the lawyer convinced the courts to not press charges against her. Courts accepted, but didn't press charges on her behalf against her foster father. Style and I offered to give her the money to pursue a case against him. She said that she wanted to move on and focus on herself and the baby.

Bison: Can we kill him then?

Fadel: I wish. He deserves it.

Fadel: Don't tell her or anyone what I just told you.

Bison tsks out loud, “You know I won't.”

And while Bison doesn't say anything when Ria comes back with the fries, he does suggest no less than six times that she takes a break to eat something. Ria predictably declines and starts wiping down the two tables that are free.

“Aw,” Bison says, tilting his head, “I can't decide if she's a mini you or a mini Style. I guess both. You're going to be grandparents. That's cute.”

“Uh-huh,” Fadel says, then checks his phone. Still no text from Style saying he's on his way home. Despite still technically being in his workplace, he can't help but let out a groan and rest his head on the table.

“What’s wrong?” Ria says, coming over quickly, “Do you need medicine from the first aid kit? More water? Are the fries too cold-”

“The fries are hot,” Bison says, biting one and showing the steam coming out of it to make a point, “My brother is just sad. He may be your scary and intimidating boss-”

“He's the nicest boss I’ve ever had!” Ria says, sounding truthful about that despite her resume solely consisting of sporadic community service work.

“Weird,” Bison says, but then pats Fadel’s shoulder, “Your sweetheart boss is just missing his man.”

“But you just went on a trip together, Khun Fadel!” Ria says before she carefully lowers herself into the booth, “He’ll probably take you on another one soon. He's generous and sweet like that, and he loves you so much! That video where he sang to you on the gondola proved it! And he is always coming in here and loudly asking where the love of his life is, regardless of how many people are here.”

“There are usually a lot of people,” Bison says, looking around at the crowd, “I am so glad I worked here when we kept it dead on purpose. I would lose my mind working here now.”

Fadel lifts his head at that, “Didn't you tell me you performed three rounds of CPR for the last transport of your shift?”

“So much less stressful than customer service,” Bison says, “I’d rather clean up puddles of blood in the ambulance than another soda spill in a restaurant.”

That…actually isn't surprising. At all. But before Fadel can say as much, his phone pings.

Style: Sorry! Lost track of time and left my phone in my bag! 😩 I'm about to leave now. Love you ♥️

Fadel rolls his eyes but sends a heart anyway.

[thommi-tomate]

Interview with Thomas (January 9, 2011)

By: Andreas Burkert for Süddeutsche Zeitung

Mr. Müller, where is the Golden Shoe for the best World Cup shooter?

At home, in my games room, where the dartboard and Play Station are. Everything that has now accumulated is on the windowsill. Before it gets dusty in the boxes, I'd rather put it outside.

The reason for your award, Germany's World Cup performance in South Africa, was part of every annual review. Did you watch it when this Müller suddenly walks through the picture?

Of course I've also seen Müller in a few previews. But I don't necessarily have to watch the whole thing. The year went really well and I'm always reminded of that, even if I forget about it; I can't avoid it anymore. But it's over now. I can't buy anything for it anymore. Now I have to prove myself again.

What came up in your personal review of 2010 on New Year's Eve?

It was the World Cup. But there wasn't just one moment for me, there were so many great moments.

You only made your debut for the national team just under ten months ago, in Munich against Argentina.

Yes, that was special. When I heard the national anthem, I thought: Now I've made it, now I'm really where I want to be - (A German tourist of an older age approaches the table and wants an autograph. Müller asks for her understanding that he can't now, but will be happy to do so later) - Well, since the World Cup, even those who don't know much about soccer recognize you.

Just older ladies?

Nah, nah, all the age-group are already there.

Does at least your grandma, who you greeted on TV after the round of 16 against England, have some peace now?

In the meantime, yes. The problem was that my parents, my grandma and the people here in Pähl didn't have a media manager like we did at Bayern or the DFB. But I was back home over the Christmas period and everything was nice and quiet.

People who know you well say: Müller, he doesn't take off, not even now, he doesn't drive a Ferrari yet. Don't you have a quirk? And how do you reward yourself after a year like that?

I once asked myself the same question. We have a great sponsor, so I don't need a new car. But I do sometimes walk past watch stores, but then I see that they are sometimes really expensive. Then I'd rather not, it's not worth it to me. I'm also not a bird of paradise who dyes her hair. My wife rides, which has now become important for us. Apart from that, I really do have everything. I'd have to make my own problems if I wanted to have any.

Do you ride yourself?

I tried it out a year and a half ago. Well, I didn't fall off directly, but I felt sorry for the horse afterwards. The risk is too big for me and the horse.

2011 has started for you with the loss of a title: You no longer have the thinnest legs.

You mean because of Luiz Gustavo? Well, we haven't measured his thighs yet, but it's possible. People always joke about my legs, I know they always have. But don't worry, my mother has already noticed that they don't break much. They were never a problem for me, in fact I think they helped me, even when I was younger. Because if you don't just have your body to fight back with, you also have to use your brain to run certain routes to avoid direct duels.

Is that how this urge came about? Müller goes up top, to where the ball suddenly appears?

Certain things are certainly trained automatisms. But often it's a certain instinct, a feeling for the spaces. I'm glad to have this ability.

In any case, it's difficult to compare your style with another player. Do you perhaps know one?

No, I am somehow unique. There are dribblers who are pretty similar, strikers too, but what am I actually?

Yes, what is Müller?

Hm. Well, what am I? A Raumdeuter (space interpreter) ? Yes, I'm a Raumdeuter. That would be a good title, wouldn't it?

In any case. Because, if I may say so, you do score goals, but particularly beautiful ones are rare. But you are there.

That's true, I'm not known for scoring beautiful goals. But the important thing is when it's in. I've often been accused of being lucky, but if it happens five times in a row at the World Cup, there must be another reason for it

Your former amateur coach Hermann Gerland once said: "Müller can play like shit for 90 minutes - but then he scores a goal.

The statement is correct. I consciously take risks in my game, I often try things on the direct route towards goal that are perhaps great in terms of the idea, but difficult to execute. Mistakes happen, but you have to say to yourself: no more, next time I'll try again. Reviews sometimes say: He tried a lot but didn't succeed. Yes, then it just didn't work out. I try a lot, and there are a lot of rejects. I know that, and that's why I don't drive myself crazy.

Did you get the impression after the World Cup that your opponents adjusted better to your unconventional style?

Not really. The first half of the season was a bit different, I mainly played on the right or left. It just didn't go well for the team overall, no individual player was able to break away from the trend, not even me.

Your roles change frequently. Where would you have Müller play?

I would put Müller behind the front line, which is the position at Bayern that is closer to the opponent's goal and therefore more dangerous. I can penetrate the gaps better from there. You have to be more tactically disciplined on the right and left, and the number seven position in the national team is a different right than at Bayern, because the DFB always swap sides with Mesut Özil. I need a bit of freedom to be able to play on the left or right. That's why I see myself behind the front ten. But I'm versatile and also like to play other roles.

Van Gaal said last season: "Müller always plays for me". Has this confidence made your rise possible?

He didn't even need to make that statement. Because I always had the feeling that he was counting on me.

How did you notice that, his confidence? A year ago it was said that some players were afraid of van Gaal.

Oh, I like talking like him too. He wants to create a certain amount of friction, which is why he prefers his way of talking. I really like his direct manner, we're similar in that respect

You, but also other players, were unusually outspoken in your support of the coach during the critical fall weeks. Out of gratitude?

No, there was no agreement between us, but I think everyone deliberately supported the coach. You could have asked each player individually, independently of each other, and everyone would have told you how convinced they were of him and his philosophy. Of course, in a squad of 25, there is dissatisfaction from players who don't play. But even colleagues like Hamit Altintop or even Martin Demichelis have spoken positively about the coach. And when you see what's happening here in Doha at the training camp, how they're stepping on the gas: This team really enjoys working with this coach.

Were you not worried when President Hoeneß was sharply critical and things were tight with the headstrong coach?

Not really, and after the contract extension I had the feeling that the club management was counting on him. We were all very happy about that, and the coach was also pleased that he had the support of the whole team. That's why there was never any talk of a rift between players and coach.

Then you would actually have to persuade van Gaal to stay as long as you and the others who have now signed such long-term contracts.

I think if push comes to shove, you might be able to do something about it. However, the pressure here in Munich is certainly exhausting and I don't think you can be Bayern coach for ten years without damaging your health.

At 21, you are part of the Lahm/Schweinsteiger generation, which is gradually replacing the Ballack generation. What are the differences?

Football-wise, that's certainly a level. But I think even Michael Ballack experienced different times as a young player when it was more difficult to integrate into teams. There are now many young coaches who bring in their philosophy, with a flatter hierarchy. That perhaps makes it easier for us young players today.

At 21, you've already achieved a lot. What else is there to come?

I want to bite down hard, at a very high level. In ten years' time, I want to say that I've always played at the very top for a decade and my body has endured it, and fortunately so has my head. That's my main goal.

[pisspurveyor]

Ok so here's a horrifying tale of when I discovered the existence of the movie The Crow 30 years too fucking late this Friday, and somehow never even knew a remake came out for it on the exact. same. day. Bear with me.

Ok so I was on spotify listening to this song (song in question was L.I.S.Å by Taythedxn, please dont look at me) that for some reason had footage of this random ass guy in clown makeup playing in the Now Playing/More Info preview. And I was like - huh! That guy kinda reminds me of my BG3 Tav!!! Nice!!! Naturally I'm pretty interested to find out what the hell is going on with that. So, thinking it's just the music video for that song, I look it up. To my surprise, that was not the music video at all!

At this point I'm massively curious. I am sitting there absolutely dumbfounded and stubborn as shit; I had to find this gorgeous clown man, even if it was 1 am at the time. I was on a MISSION! Finally I managed to muster enough braincells up to reverse image search the guy, and lo and behold, The Crow (1994) pops up. Bingo! There's the gorgeous clown guy!

At first I'm just showing pictures of the main character to my partner like Look!!! Look!!! He looks like my Tav in clown makeup!!!! Woah!!! And then I mention the movie to him, and well- (gonna cut the post in half for you, don't worry 'just browsing' crowd)

My partner being the resident Nine Inch Nails listener pointed this out to me. SO IT HAD THE MARK OF NINE INCH NAILS? I was stoked - Trent Reznor being involved in any soundtrack has always been a great indicator in my eyes. Because of that, I just had to check out the rest of the soundtrack, and I was in AWE.

ALL THESE GOBSMACKING BANDS IN THE SAME SOUNDTRACK. I WAS ABSOLUTELY FLUNG OUT THE WINDOW ABOUT THIS (as seen above).

At this point I was sold, I was GOING to watch this movie. I was deadset on it. And, to my luck, I found it free to watch on youtube... somehow. Still surprised about that. No I'm not linking it, I'm not a snitch, but I assure you it's very accessible. Anyways, I sit down, get comfortable, and get my shit ABSOLUTELY ROCKED. Aesthetically, this movie is everything I love - I had a lot of fun watching it (big fan of the lightbulb scene btw).

Anyways I had the time of my life watching it, really soaking the music and outfits in, absolutely hollering at every indulgently gothy scene. Honestly, what a fucking experience - Eric was a sight to bloody behold. God, I was googoogaga for Myca too!!! The fashion was immaculate, a lot of the costumes are things I try to replicate and wear myself nowadays, so I was beyond stoked to see that right in front of me. I may or may not have a new style guide now!

I finished the movie in a good mood, and ultimately wondered: Why had I never heard of this before? Naturally I check wikipedia, see what production was like and what it was based off of - really neat to see it was based off of a comic, but then as I read on and found out the whole story behind Brandon Lee's death on set, I was very quickly silenced. Suddenly it was way more grave than I anticipated.

Honestly it's a bit weird to mourn a dude 30 years later, but this may be one of the sadder celebrity deaths I've ever heard of. And knowing the effect it had on the original comic artist, who had been through enough shit in his life as is, was absolutely heartbreaking.

So now I sit here, unable to stop thinking about this movie, the comic it came from, and how I managed to stumble across it without even once encountering any advertisements or trailers for the remake that had released on the exact day I had found the original. Don't get me wrong, if anyone discovers the original because of the remake, I think that'd be fucking amazing, because the original deserves lots of love on top of the love it already has - but now knowing the remake was a piece of rubbish, I'm worried people might not look into it.

This may well have been the worst time to discover The Crow (1994) but holy shit, it is forever on my mind from here on out. I wish I had known it sooner, truly. As someone who considers themselves a goth, I did myself a serious disservice by not watching this sooner, I swear.

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Halloween II (Zombie, 2009)

This went down for me on this rewatch. I actually didn't get to this when it came out, mostly because I wasn't really going to see horror movies in theatres at that point and my horror fandom was mostly geared towards older movies (although the periodic free previews of the Scream Channel I took advantage of meant that I was getting a reasonably wide range of the genre's flavours beyond the obvious classics). And as a result I'd accepted the party line around the remake wave and Rob Zombie (neither were viewed with much warmth in the now defunct Rotten Tomatoes forums which I frequented at the time) and assumed it wasn't worth my time. So that when I did eventually watch it a few years later, once its reputation had started to build a little, I was pleasantly surprised that this had a much weirder style than one would have expected from a 2000s horror movie, had maybe something of an Italian influence in its incoherence, and that Zombie brought his own ideas to the material instead of offering warmed over slasher beats.

And I guess those things are still true, but I guess I gelled less to the combined effect this time around. On one hand, Zombie realizes his attempts to deconstruct and psychoanalyze Michael Myers in the preceding instalment were in vain (the best it came up with was that Myers grew up in a trailer park, which I assume has it's ups and downs but likely isn't justification for mass murder) and correcting by evoking Myers' mental state through narrative and visual incoherence makes some amount of sense. But on a narrative level, I find this too stop and start to really work as horror.

And on a visual level, the heavy grain and gloomy colour scheme he bathes much of this on I found pretty unpleasant to look at. I suppose he relied on a lot of grain in The Devil's Rejects as well, but there it cohered nicely with the warmer colours into a Kentucky Fried sheen that suited the grindhouse atmosphere nicely. (That's not blood and viscera, that's just ketchup and fries. This is making me hungry, time to go for some Mary Brown's.) Here, the visual texture reminds me of Slipknot, which is not a favourable comparison, and the fact that the movie does produce its share of striking images emphasizes how much worse the rest of it looks. Zombie is pulling a lot of his influences into it as he often does, but more of this plays like a straightforward take on the aesthetics he parodied with his Woolite commercial than I remembered. And the aggressive cutting takes some of the impact out of the violence.

Anyway, it sounds like I'm being really harsh on this, but I do still like this, just noticeably less than I used to. I will still go to bat for the performances, particularly Malcolm McDowell's slimy take on Loomis (his talkshow segment with Weird Al and Chris Hardwick is very funny) and Brad Dourif's warm, fatherly Sheriff Brackett. And I remember people being very hard on Scout Taylor-Compton, something I'm going to chalk up at least partially to the misogyny (there's a tendency to treat young actresses as a punching bag when people don't like a movie that was especially pronounced in those days). But I thought she was quite good in this, providing a nice, sympathetic centre to a movie that seems determined not to hold together.

[mistystarshine]

For the wip asks: DYW 11? That is the only wip name I recognize because I am not in the hazbin fandom hehe

And just for you, a second preview! Also, I feel like I should mention that my upcoming Buffy and Attack on Titan AUs are going to be written in the style of Devour You Whole in the sense that they can be read without any knowledge of Hazbin or the series that inspired them. So, maybe consider checking them out once they're up. ;) You too, @lurkerwithcomputer

“Excuse me?” a voice called out. It would have been pleasant if not for the fact that it was interrupting him.

Angel looked up to see a sweater-clad young man wearing a topknot and a polite smile. He would have been attractive if not for the coldness of his blue eyes. However, his voice was nothing but warm when he asked, “Do you mind if I sit here?”

“A little,” Angel said.

The interloping stranger grimaced apologetically. “Sorry, but all of the other tables are full.”

Angel looked around the cafe, fully prepared to find some convenient corner to shove him off toward, only to find that he was right. In the time that he had been reading, the coffee shop had filled up to the point of bursting. There weren’t even any other tables that didn’t have at least two other people sitting at them.

“Fine,” Angel sighed.

With that, he turned back to his book, content to ignore the stranger to the best of his ability.

“You didn’t order anything?” the stranger asked.

His abilities must not have been up to par that day, because even though Angel was well within his rights not to respond, he looked up and said, “I just came in here to read.”

The stranger frowned. “Isn’t it rude to sit in a coffee shop without buying anything?”

“I don’t really care.”

The stranger’s frown deepened. A second later, it lit up with a cheerful grin that couldn’t reach his eyes no matter how hard he tried. “How about I get you something? As thanks for letting me sit here. Do you like coffee?”

Something like alarm flared up in the back of Angel’s mind. He shrugged it aside as he wrinkled his nose. “No. It’s too bitter.”

“Really?” the corners of the stranger’s lips twitched. “You struck me as someone who’d like bitter tastes.”

“You thought wrong,” Angel said. “I only like sweet things.”

It was too bad that nothing in this shop would actually taste sweet to him. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that it was far too late to duck out of getting anything without being more suspicious than he could afford.

“I’ll get you something sweet, then,” the stranger said. “What’s your name?”

“What’s yours?” Angel asked without thinking.

The stranger — perhaps not a total stranger anymore — stretched out his hand. “Aki Hayakawa.”

[starfragment1979]

So this fic I've been working on forever and a day, the little preview summary I'll give here is that it's about Flick's childhood and is four chapters long, one each for ages eight, nine, ten and eleven. And originally I was planning on making each chapter fairly short -- just little vignettes -- so the whole thing would read as basically a four part short story. So I wrote chapter one with that in mind, and it was basically just two closely connected scenes with other bits referenced as memories/flashbacks, and it came out to about 6k words.

Then I wrote chapter two, and it was definitely starting to get wordier, like four-ish scenes with different characters and settings, and I was still trying to be short and vignette-esque but it was still like 10k words.

And then everything went out the window in chapter three. Almost 20k words! I don't even know how many scenes, but there's like recurring themes and motifs and multiple subplots and clearly I am not writing a short story anymore I am writing another fucking novel.

And then I realized the whole vignette style I was trying for wasn't really working out (literarily speaking) and I rewrote chapter one and it is much more emotionally devastating now, which is what I'm going for. And I just reread chapter two today, and I think I can salvage most of it, but it will need another 5-10k worth of words to fill it out and bring it in line with what the rest of the project is turning out to be.

Which, yeah, is more work and more delay on a project that I originally thought I could bang out on like a month or two. (It's been like four months, and I haven't even started on the last chapter, which is also the one I've been looking forward to writing the most because it will include the day that Flick meets CJ for the first time.)

But also... It's getting good. I've been worrying a lot that maybe this whole fic is too self indulgent, that maybe people aren't going to want to read something that is so moody and heavy and sad. And maybe they won't, and honestly I am mostly just writing all these fanfics for myself anyway because these are the stories I want to tell. But also, the more I flesh out the characters and the plotlines, the stronger the story becomes, and as sad as the beginning is, it's gonna make the ending feel so much sweeter, and I am getting excited to share the final product. It's just... it's gonna be a while.

[fazedlight]

Fandom creators tag game

Thank you @waytooinvested and @fabulousglitch for the tag!

1. What sort of content do you create, and what is the thing you’ve made that you’re most proud of?

Proudest fic - There are a few I tend to choose from, but right now it's Even Though You're Kryptonian

Fanvid - My Rise vid

2. What fandom(s) do you create for?

Supercorp. (And a very tiny amount of Dansen and soon Rojarias.)

3. What is your current favourite ship (or brotp if you prefer), and how controversial is it?

Supercorp!! I don't think it's a controversial ship, lol.

4. For your answer to question 3, are they canon?

They are to me 😌

5. What was your first fandom, and how old were you?

My first obsession (and still greatest love) was Xena. I started watching the show a few episodes into season 1, when I was 6 years old. It was very formative.

That said, I didn't really get involved in any fandom communities until Supercorp (in early 2022).

6. What is your most unhinged fandom creation to date?

I don't think I get super unhinged, but as a pilot I did like creating this dumb incorrect quote.

7. Do you remember what started you off creating fandom content, and if so, what was it?

I was getting frustrated at not being able to find certain types of fics, and it struck me that... I was allowed to write my own.

8. Do you let people you know in real life see your fandom creations?

Yup! My partner read my first two fics in support, and several of my IRL friends have read at least one of my fics because I didn't have the good sense to keep that information to myself when I was getting started. It's mortifying lol. But my friends are very cool people.

9. How do you feel about fanworks of fanworks? Has anyone ever made something based on a thing you made?

Fanworks of fanworks are amazing!!! I've been incredibly lucky to have that happen three times (post), and gotten asked for permission for a different continuation and a podfic that may eventually happen.

10. What feeling do you most often try to evoke with your creations?

Angst. Longing. Bits of compassion too.

11. Has someone ever paid your work a compliment (in any form) that has stuck with you, and what was it?

I love each and every one of my commenters ❤️

Honestly, the compliments that stick with me most are "I came back to reread this" or "this idea is still living rent-free in my head" type comments. I think that's what all writers and artists want - to feel that their art lasted in someone's mind beyond the first time seeing it.

12. What’s your favourite thing someone else has made that you’ve seen in the last 24 hours (and link it if you can find it again!)

Technically it was more than 24hrs ago but this art by @awaitingrain is so fucking cute!!

13. Give a small sneak preview of something you’re working on right now (eg a couple of sentences of fic from a WIP, a gif set theme, a small piece of a larger picture, whatever you feel happy to share)

I have a ficlet (that's getting out of control), here's a snippet:

Lena was cozying into the warmth of Kara’s body, when Lena spoke. “I’m thinking of visiting my mother’s house soon,” she said shyly. “I want to find out more about her. Where I came from.”

“That sounds lovely,” Kara said softly.

“Do you want to come with me?” Lena asked.

Kara hesitated.

14. Have you ever seen/read anything made by the person who tagged you? If so, what was it and what was your favourite thing about it? (pick a favourite if there are several)

Both of them are on my reading list 👀

15. Do you leave comments on fandom works, and if so how would you describe your comment style?

Some of my comments are very simple, some of my comments are very long. I've tried to get more consistent about commenting ever since starting to write, because I know how important it is. Unfortunately, I also read a lot less now that I'm writing more.

16. How many works in progress do you currently have? Will you finish them all?

I have 5 WIPs! I'm very confident I'll finish them all.

17. what’s the longest it’s ever taken you to finish a fandom project?

I guess my worldkiller Kara fic took a bit over 3 months, though part of that was spacing with the Supercorp Big Bang.

I tend to write fast. One of the things I'm actually trying to do is slow down to fill out the story a bit more.

18. Describe the thing you made most recently in a way that is technically true, but also completely misleading. Link the thing if it’s published!

Lena has a bad day in the lab (Clockwork).

19. Do you ever engage with fanworks for a fandom you’re not in? Which one(s) and how did you get into it?

I totally engage in fanart from other fandoms that cross my dashboard, particularly korrasami. I don't tend to read fanfic of stuff I haven't engaged in, though.

20. Recommend a fan work from your fandom to your followers

This fanvid is probably my favorite in the entire fandom.

Suggested tag list, but there are no rules here, follow your heart.

A mutual you have never actually spoken to but think seems cool - oh there are so many of these!! I am tagging @mssirey who I don't think I've had a proper convo with yet

The most recent person whose content you engaged with (eg read a fic, reblogged art, whatever form you feel best fits) - @thealieninhiding (though by the time I finish this very long post it might be someone else lol)

Someone whose content you saw via tags/reblogs and you followed them because of it - @jadedloverart!

Someone in your fandom that you think makes cool things - @ekingston

Someone in a different fandom that you think makes cool things - tagging @thatonebirdwrites who makes korrasami stuff too

Someone you always tag on things like this - I'm not sure there's someone I always tag but I'll pick @nottawriter as one of the people I frequently tag when I do these things

Someone you have never tagged before - @rebellionbear have I tagged you before?? you are cool so I am tagging you!

Someone you would like to get to know better - @femslashhistorian

Someone who makes art you like - @awaitingrain along with others above!

Someone who writes fics you like - @luthordamnvers along with others above!

[mllemaenad]

Tim provided his statement to Martin and not the Archivist and used the same grammar and tone that people typically use when speaking to John. Maybe it's a tiny plot hole, like why Georgie is able to be compelled by John even though she's incapable of feeling fear, but maybe you have a point

I ... don't feel like that's a plot hole, though? At least, it's not inconsistent with the way I think it works.

For one thing, the process of drawing out a story is more about presence and intent than it is about the Archivist looming over someone and turning on the static. For another, as you say, Tim's talking to Martin and the Martin situation is complicated.

For a not insignificant portion of Gertrude's tenure, people mostly sat in a room by themselves and wrote out the statements. They even reference it, sometimes.

John/"Antonio Blake" But I recognise you. As I write these words I can see you in the other room, eyes locked on whatever book you’re diverting yourself with; I recognise you from my dreams. They said at the front desk that you review all the written statements, so I can only hope that you take the time to read through this one fully. – The Magnus Archives: Dreamer

But that works too: it produces the same fluid, descriptive style that you get from the spoken statements. Everyone who walks into The Magnus Institute immediately transforms into a capable writer of late 19th to early 20th century style ghost stories.

The Doylist explanation for that is that the creator enjoys that style. The Watsonian explanation is that the presence of the Archivist produces it.

While I Guess You Had to Be There is mostly played for humour, there are more serious examples of how this works.

Martin/Adelard Dekker I do envy you your gifts sometimes, Gertrude. His account of their pursuit through the mirror-maze was honestly so disjoint that I was unable to follow it. Even after he tried to take me through it two, or even three times. Without the Eye’s clarifying influence, panic can make details… difficult to remember. – The Magnus Archives: Reflection

Dekker is intelligent and knowledgeable, and dealing with a willing interview subject. But none of that allows him to draw a coherent description from a guy who is just too terrified to be a reliable witness. Get Gertrude to stand next to him while he does this and the problem goes away.

The Archivist doesn't actually have to take the statement, but something about their presence or influence greases the wheels.

Sneak Preview takes place during one of those rare moments in season three when they actually know where John is. He's in China, sure, but he's in contact and not kidnapped right this second. Things go off the rails for the assistants specifically when he has been taken, and is under the power of other avatars.

And yeah – it's Martin. Martin spends a lot of the story inhabiting a weird grey area between Archivist and not-Archivist. The question of whether someone is an avatar or not is clearly more than a simple binary. There's a process here. John is "the Archivist" from day one, but he can't do most of the stuff he can by season four at that point.

Everyone who reads statements does that thing where they lapse into a kind of trance and take on the persona of the storyteller. It happens with Melanie and Basira too. But only Martin consistently reads the statements, and reads them explicitly with the intent of "filling in" for John. He takes other statements in person too, intentionally and otherwise – the unnamed woman in Scrutiny, Simon Fairchild in Big Picture, and Simon calls out the fact that Martin has the same ability to draw out a tale.

Simon No wonder I’m so sympathetic to the Lonely! You know, this really is a place for self-discovery, isn’t it? (chuckles) Statement ends, I suppose. Martin Er – I’m sorry? Simon Oh, nothing, just my own hubris. I should have known. When I came here, I said to myself, “Simon,” I said, “You’re going to answer this young man’s questions, but you’re not going to give the Watcher a statement. You’re better than that.” But it’s a hard one to resist, isn’t it? You get in the flow of talking about yourself, and it all just… tumbles out! – The Magnus Archives: Big Picture

Obviously the path Martin walks is not the same as John's, but one of the prerequisites of that path was that he be a little bit Archivist.

And in Sneak Preview, Martin is very much encouraging Tim to tell his story to John.

Martin Please, Tim. Tim No. Martin He needs to hear it. Tim I don’t care. Martin He can’t help if he doesn’t know. Tim I don’t want his help, Martin. – The Magnus Archives: Sneak Preview

So yeah – Tim is very much telling his story to the Archivist. It's just that it's better if he doesn't do that when said Archivist is physically present, in order to avoid unnecessary bouts of fisticuffs in the break room. And Martin is deliberately acting as John's proxy here, a role that he also grows into over time.

There's a lot of stuff going on with the tech in The Magnus Protocol, to the point where I'm reasonably convinced that "network protocols" is an important interpretation of the name.

The Magnus Archives dealt largely with stories that had been written down with pen and paper, and it was a significant plot point that they actually couldn't use anything more advanced than a tape recorder. The laptop failed to produce useful recordings.

In The Magnus Protocol everything is online, either because it was created as such originally, or because Freddy has packaged it up and delivered it to the OIAR. It's the tech that produces the stories and thus I would contend that it is also the tech that produces the style of those stories.

The characters talk like that because their apps, their phones, that bloody tape recorder, produce the same effect as the presence of the Archivist.